ITINERARY
PORSCHE & PARKS 2 DRIVING TOUR Story by Rich Scimeca. Photography by David Heenan and Rich Scimeca
IN MARCH, 2017 my wife, Hannah, and I went on the Porsche & Parks 2 Driving Tour, which was sponsored by the PCA San Diego Region. The tour started at Hoehn Porsche in Carlsbad. We were joined by David and Betty Heenan of the LA Region, and Paul and Susan Novotne of the South Coast Region. In all, more than 30 Porsches and 72 people headed out for a driving tour of several National Parks in Arizona and Utah. Prior to joining this tour, the longest drives we participated in were weekend getaways. Those drives had been fantastic experiences, but they did not
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PORSCHERAMA/SUMMER ‘18
compare to this one. Upon arrival we immediately realized that this event was superbly organized. There was a wide variety of food for breakfast, name badges for all, annual National Park passes for each couple, and a spiral bound book detailing our day-by-day adventure. The book included maps and the locations, miles and drive times for each day. It also included a description of each place we were to visit with a bit of history as well. In all, the driving tour would last nine days and cover approximately fifteen hundred miles.
We drove with this group for more than a week and logged many miles. It was such a pleasure that it far exceeded our expectations. Besides visiting beautiful parks, we drove winding desert roads that appeared to go on forever. We drove narrow mountain roads, with drop-offs over a thousand feet. We drove our cars at exhilarating speeds that I won't admit to on paper. This was a wonderful experience, an experience that will stand out for a long time. We hope most PCA-LA members are fortunate enough to experience a tour like this.
HIGHLIGHTS
1
CARLSBAD
Coachella, Quartzsite, Prescott
400
Prescott had a small town feel
2
PRESCOTT
Jerome, Sedona
60
Watch for Jerome's speed law
3
SEDONA
Flagstaff, Grand Canyon Village
110
Dined at El Tovar Restaurant
4
GRAND CANYON
Antelope Canyon, Moab
399
We drove thru Monument Valley
5
MOAB
Arches, Dead Horse Point State Park., Canyon Lands
75
Stunning sights to see
6 7 8 9
MOAB
Green River, Bryce Canyon
270
Bryce with a snowfall
BRYCE
Zion National Park
86
Rain and waterfalls
ZION
Las Vegas
162
Stayed at the Mirage Hotel
LAS VEGAS
Hoover Dam, Home
350
End of a fantastic adventure!
The tour was lots of fun, and we saw so many wonderful sights, far too many to recount in this article. A few of the most meaningful highlights were: People, Porsches, Experiences.: 1,500 miles in nine days in my Porsche. What fun, even for my navigator, though we had to be a little creative in packing. Nine days with an amazing group of people. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting members from other PCA Regions. We had so much more in common than our cars. We ate together, conversed
and played games. This was an experience we will remember for the rest of our lives. Day One’s Drive to Prescott: Eight hours and 400 miles of driving as a growling group of Porches. This was a wonderful driving experience on which we saw great towns and set the stage for the remaining tour. The Town of Jerome: Very highaltitude town, and its town motto deals with getting high at high altitudes. In other words, it's a place where marijuana is very popular. A note to drivers leaving Jerome. Be very aware of the 20 mph speed limit. Another driver and myself failed to notice the speed limit sign, which is the only one in town. As I drove behind the other cars, I saw the flashing red lights of the patrol car behind me. After stopping, I was curious and asked the officer what violation I had committed. I was floored when he said I was speeding! I know that I have driven some speeds I won't admit to in my Porsche, but to be stopped for 33mph, I was both surprised and a bit embarrassed. I was fortunate enough to receive only a warning. At the next stop for gas, I spoke with the other driver who was stopped. We were stopped by the same officer, but he was cited for driving 36mph. When he asked me why I was only issued a warning, I explained that 35mph must have been the cut-off. I didn't have the heart to tell him
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