Monterey Reunion Personal Tips
08-11-2013, 02:27 PM
#1
Team Owner
Thread Starter
Monterey Reunion Personal Tips
Trip tips as promised by me for Monterey in the "C2 Thread- Remember my car California about Socal Slalom Racing 1960.s/70's" by L-88 with the 5K plus views! Also if I do the other premier events the Italiano, or the Carmel show, or others. I have alternate plans to fit those in!
Darn they send a nice little plaque for the upcoming Monterey Reunion!!!
Here are my tips!
If coming up the 101 Freeway, be at Greenfield just before sun up because I highly recommend the enthusiast road connecting from there to the Carmel Valley. In the past and sometimes in the present, I would get with a group of Porsche 911’s or Ferrari, BMWs and scare their back bumpers with the Corvette or rental car thus you can have a super spirited rally racing type drive thru there- calm speeds an hour or so, or full out in about 30-40minutes. Pause for the wild life (deer and boar, etc..)Duck ponds, old red barns, cattle grates, etc. etc. Just make sure you take the right fork at the highway sign so you don't end up at the deadend (the campgrounds). Thus pop out Carmel Valley and take the pass over the hill/mountain (depends which state your are from-Iowa Mountain, Colorado Hill) directly practically to the Laguna Seca front gate at 7am. If you don’t need to be there when the morning dew and fog is clearing- take the diagonal down west of the gate several miles into Seaside, going north up past most of the businesses on the main street and closer to the north end is an old fashion Breakfast diner open at about 5am or so that gives you a real plate of food!
Friday plan-- If you do Breakfast there, then you are coming back thru the northwest entrance instead of the main south entrance. Park and go straight to the display tents and get pictures before it gets crowded. Then I would head to the garage displays under the main pit grandstands. Usually each event- they will set up a special exterior display or a few special ones. Then I would get the poster and programs and maybe shop vendor island and score some early finds while you have all of your cash!! Then send the most fit individual of the group back to the car to put it all in the trunk, so you don’t have to carry it all day. Recon the paddocks, for the coolest cars. That early a lot of the car covers are still on and once they are pulled off, now the hoods and bonnets etc. start to come off and then it is hard to get complete car shots. While you are waiting on the health fit friend to come back from the car drop off, start with the row closest to the pits and cover that slowly, because usually some of the choice cars are there. Usually the second row is reserved mostly for the featured Marque and you definitely want to cover that and for the recent events- they have had a tent area for special displays across from the pits but in the paddock area. Thus walk the aisle- while race practice is going on- two good photo op locations are when the classes of cars are pulling out onto the pit lane, and when coming off track (to the northwest slightly of the large hill). Thus I recommend walking the entire paddock and ignore whats happening on the track mostly on Friday, because the races are all Saturday and Sunday!
Go south aisle by aisle, then when you get to the gate where the big hills is cross over and walk the Westside paddock heading toward the bridge. Since you are close to the displays, and bathrooms etc.. if something interesting was covered, go see it. Thus you should be right around 11am or so at the ped bridge to vendor island. Cross over, maybe pause and view some of the action on track, but turn north away from the vendor village- and head toward the enthusiast parking club areas around the lake. ON the Lake Island usually has been special displays- come Sat and Sun if you don’t have the corral ticket, you may not get onto the island to see those special displays. Friday they are more relaxed. In the past GM staged their special cars there and viewing was restricted. Thus come around the club car areas and the Marque parking areas and then finish that and turn east and come into the manufacturers displays to the west of the vendor row and food places. Thus this area has not gotten too crowded yet and there are cool cars to photograph usually. Walk that area, sometimes some special will be going on over there- from Bikini models to firing up old dragsters like in a year past. Then you are staged right where you need to be to get a snack or full lunch depending on whether you had breakfast or not. Avoid the lobster lady! High prices for crap. Then you can pass thru the vendor row again toward the bridge or turn out to the south and come thru the area where the foreign car clubs park over another bridge by turn 5 I think---- but where the cars start to go up the hill. Thus there is a connecting rode that takes you along the foot of the big hill and back thru the south gate to the paddocks again. By the afternoon the pits and paddocks are active and I usually on the Fridays will take my chair and go view at the corkscrew turn for the practice sessions for the balance of that first day. But will pick better vantage point for Sat and Sun. If I am parked over on that side south of the paddocks, I will drive to the top of the hills so as not to have to walk up it or down it (the HILL). I hate getting tired all on the first day. There are a lot of trees up there, so you don’t get as sunburned sitting under a tree and they have a food/beer stand usually open up there! I will tend to sit on both side, because at the Corkscrew you are restricted in view ing the track for that turn only.
As you leave the track Friday, now you are going to the auction houses and buying the ticket to see and photograph the cars on display early while all together before going over the block. To each his own. I like the improved Russo Steele and the Sports car big auction in the big hotel. The cheap people stand outside the fence and try to view the cars. It is best to get the wristband and walk in. Also you can’t get seating in the large auction. Thus you could be standing. Usually I will hop around those two auctions scoping out what all is there! Once I am comfortable that something cool isn’t hiding from me, then I leave the area and go back into Carmel Valley for the Baja Cantina restaurant. It could be crowded on Friday night and definitely will be on Saturday evening! The other option is for lunch between my special Pebble Beach area recommendations for Sunday and going back to the track for the Sunday afternoon races. Most of the featured Marque races will be on Saturday usually, because people do the Pebble Beach on Sunday. The track can be kind of empty on Sunday! The Baja Cantina is the perfect spot to kill the rest of the evening on Friday. This year they do have a film festival at the Golden State Theater, so maybe if this is your thing, plan that in. I am looking at Saturday evening for me as a fit, since I already did some of the auction stuff.
If I want to add some big event on Friday, so I am not three days at the track. I go quickly to the track first thing Friday morning just to get pictures of the display cars and maybe the paddock limitly. Then I get out of there immediately and head for the other event while it's still early. Like the Italiano-- also at that Italian car event, they have usually had a Corvette Corral in the past. Then also I have done the old Downtown rally car show, the Carmel mini Ferrari get together, the expensive and exclusive Airport thing, but I don't like to dress up, and the Sunday evening Auction out in Pebble Beach and the local guy car show in Seaside and and and and and and and-- thus when you first roll into town, get the little local Magazine newspaper that has usually all of the listings of events. You can find them in front of liquor stores, markets etc. in the news rack!
Saturday arrive early at the track, view the Display cars, but usually they have the autograph tables set up and you want to get in line but behind me Derek!! If you see me, let me cut into line!!!!!! Thus bring interesting things to sign and you can spend more time talking to the famous Corvette people. If you have boring stuff like the general program you will get passed quickly from Corvette great to Corvette famous guy and out of line. Once that is done, view things that you might want to go look at again in the paddock, then lunch early or on Saturday they usually do the featured Marque special parade laps, so get set up to get a good view point for the track and those could be just before lunch or just after lunch (usually before or even during lunch! Good idea to check your program.
Then for the rest of the afternoon I go sit and watch the entire calendar of races that day. For viewing, I like after the start finish line on the side of the hill to the west close to turn 1. Bring a chair, and also from here, you are not staring into the sun. Thus there is a drink stand there and bathrooms. It is the best to photograph the entire field on the formation laps and that horseshoe turn has the weirdest lines if you have ever driven it.
Then Saturday evening, I will leave the track and head for seafood! Or if not quite hungry I will drive around the bay in Monterey a little, watch the sunset etc. kayaks, joggers, and just enjoy the coastline. No walking I just did enough of that. I have my favorite places. Nothing cheap! Spend the money!!! I will walk Cannery Row nearer the Aquarium is more popular but crowded and Fishermans wharf less night life but maybe better seafood (((( Girlfriend likes Isabellas on the wharf with the Italian twist))))))) and the shops (alot of them near the aquarium will have car artwork pieces and some of those are worth walking into to see some of that) or around those areas for tourist trinkets. Also most places have a guy or gal standing in front with a plate of food to beckon you into there establishment. I don't remember Isabellas ever doing that! The same for Cannery row except at the classier places, but some of those are good also. Check to see what special fish they bought, and you could be surprised by something to your taste. If they have a deal on like lobster or something, I might turn in and sit. I would just pay parking in the big garage to the south up the hill from Cannery row if you decide on that and Fishermans wharf will be crazy from the Auctions for parking, but maybe out on the pier itself in one of the Restaurant reserved areas, but you won't be able to leave your car there for the evening. Because I have my secret parking locations, I won't share those or steal a handicap sticker-- I am so I have mine because I am! Then I wil go view more auctions that evening and then find a place with a band downtown and hang out or at Fishermans wharf, but anywhere it’s hard to get a table. Thus why I might do the film festival Saturdy evening. There are some out of the way places known by only the locals where you can get a table, but not in the main event areas or near the auctions.
Sunday morning. I am up early and straight to 17 mile drive early early early!!! They won’t let you park anywhere close to the event unless you really have special passes!!!! And I mean special. Thus I don’t care how cool your car is, you are parking where they point you. Thus don't argue with the guy and hold up all of the cars coming in behind you-- you are not special enough! Sometimes you are lucky and get the coast road and I will explain that. But they run buses! You load up from the parking and the bus takes you to the center of the activity!! Remember your parking area number, so the return bus can get you back! But I go do all of the free displays- the memorabilia tent or building, I view the auction motorcycles, I go to the car vendor areas (and sit in Teslas etc.) and maybe will pay to preview one of the two big tent auction stuff. But you pay! Now for the big Pebble Beach Concourse de Elegance—that is now about a $300 ticket per person.
But if I am making good time getting around that area and seeing things, and I didn’t do the Baja Cantina Friday evening and it is before or close to noon, then I fit it in for lunch there and then I am a racing fan and I go back to my preferred view point for the Sunday races or whats left of them. After the event, If I missed my Seafood or something. I will do that Sunday night. If I want to take the girlfriend to the Aquarium, I will leave the track early on Sunday and go straight there, being aware of the closing time.
Thus get the point. I actually had a spare seat and only a few jumped at it! Sorry!
Also as I said, I might edit this further to add or refine! But that is a Derek Monterey event weekend! There are other things that I do as a veteran. Also if you heard about something and I didn't cover it, I probably have done each and every Monterey event, except personally entering the Concourse. Thus don't PM me, post up your event, and I may or may not add to help integrate that into the plan for you, because I am tired of typing now!!
PS gas up in Salinas, and late at night, the only gas stations that seem to be open are near the freeway and shopping centers along the bay in Seaside!
Darn they send a nice little plaque for the upcoming Monterey Reunion!!!
Here are my tips!
If coming up the 101 Freeway, be at Greenfield just before sun up because I highly recommend the enthusiast road connecting from there to the Carmel Valley. In the past and sometimes in the present, I would get with a group of Porsche 911’s or Ferrari, BMWs and scare their back bumpers with the Corvette or rental car thus you can have a super spirited rally racing type drive thru there- calm speeds an hour or so, or full out in about 30-40minutes. Pause for the wild life (deer and boar, etc..)Duck ponds, old red barns, cattle grates, etc. etc. Just make sure you take the right fork at the highway sign so you don't end up at the deadend (the campgrounds). Thus pop out Carmel Valley and take the pass over the hill/mountain (depends which state your are from-Iowa Mountain, Colorado Hill) directly practically to the Laguna Seca front gate at 7am. If you don’t need to be there when the morning dew and fog is clearing- take the diagonal down west of the gate several miles into Seaside, going north up past most of the businesses on the main street and closer to the north end is an old fashion Breakfast diner open at about 5am or so that gives you a real plate of food!
Friday plan-- If you do Breakfast there, then you are coming back thru the northwest entrance instead of the main south entrance. Park and go straight to the display tents and get pictures before it gets crowded. Then I would head to the garage displays under the main pit grandstands. Usually each event- they will set up a special exterior display or a few special ones. Then I would get the poster and programs and maybe shop vendor island and score some early finds while you have all of your cash!! Then send the most fit individual of the group back to the car to put it all in the trunk, so you don’t have to carry it all day. Recon the paddocks, for the coolest cars. That early a lot of the car covers are still on and once they are pulled off, now the hoods and bonnets etc. start to come off and then it is hard to get complete car shots. While you are waiting on the health fit friend to come back from the car drop off, start with the row closest to the pits and cover that slowly, because usually some of the choice cars are there. Usually the second row is reserved mostly for the featured Marque and you definitely want to cover that and for the recent events- they have had a tent area for special displays across from the pits but in the paddock area. Thus walk the aisle- while race practice is going on- two good photo op locations are when the classes of cars are pulling out onto the pit lane, and when coming off track (to the northwest slightly of the large hill). Thus I recommend walking the entire paddock and ignore whats happening on the track mostly on Friday, because the races are all Saturday and Sunday!
Go south aisle by aisle, then when you get to the gate where the big hills is cross over and walk the Westside paddock heading toward the bridge. Since you are close to the displays, and bathrooms etc.. if something interesting was covered, go see it. Thus you should be right around 11am or so at the ped bridge to vendor island. Cross over, maybe pause and view some of the action on track, but turn north away from the vendor village- and head toward the enthusiast parking club areas around the lake. ON the Lake Island usually has been special displays- come Sat and Sun if you don’t have the corral ticket, you may not get onto the island to see those special displays. Friday they are more relaxed. In the past GM staged their special cars there and viewing was restricted. Thus come around the club car areas and the Marque parking areas and then finish that and turn east and come into the manufacturers displays to the west of the vendor row and food places. Thus this area has not gotten too crowded yet and there are cool cars to photograph usually. Walk that area, sometimes some special will be going on over there- from Bikini models to firing up old dragsters like in a year past. Then you are staged right where you need to be to get a snack or full lunch depending on whether you had breakfast or not. Avoid the lobster lady! High prices for crap. Then you can pass thru the vendor row again toward the bridge or turn out to the south and come thru the area where the foreign car clubs park over another bridge by turn 5 I think---- but where the cars start to go up the hill. Thus there is a connecting rode that takes you along the foot of the big hill and back thru the south gate to the paddocks again. By the afternoon the pits and paddocks are active and I usually on the Fridays will take my chair and go view at the corkscrew turn for the practice sessions for the balance of that first day. But will pick better vantage point for Sat and Sun. If I am parked over on that side south of the paddocks, I will drive to the top of the hills so as not to have to walk up it or down it (the HILL). I hate getting tired all on the first day. There are a lot of trees up there, so you don’t get as sunburned sitting under a tree and they have a food/beer stand usually open up there! I will tend to sit on both side, because at the Corkscrew you are restricted in view ing the track for that turn only.
As you leave the track Friday, now you are going to the auction houses and buying the ticket to see and photograph the cars on display early while all together before going over the block. To each his own. I like the improved Russo Steele and the Sports car big auction in the big hotel. The cheap people stand outside the fence and try to view the cars. It is best to get the wristband and walk in. Also you can’t get seating in the large auction. Thus you could be standing. Usually I will hop around those two auctions scoping out what all is there! Once I am comfortable that something cool isn’t hiding from me, then I leave the area and go back into Carmel Valley for the Baja Cantina restaurant. It could be crowded on Friday night and definitely will be on Saturday evening! The other option is for lunch between my special Pebble Beach area recommendations for Sunday and going back to the track for the Sunday afternoon races. Most of the featured Marque races will be on Saturday usually, because people do the Pebble Beach on Sunday. The track can be kind of empty on Sunday! The Baja Cantina is the perfect spot to kill the rest of the evening on Friday. This year they do have a film festival at the Golden State Theater, so maybe if this is your thing, plan that in. I am looking at Saturday evening for me as a fit, since I already did some of the auction stuff.
If I want to add some big event on Friday, so I am not three days at the track. I go quickly to the track first thing Friday morning just to get pictures of the display cars and maybe the paddock limitly. Then I get out of there immediately and head for the other event while it's still early. Like the Italiano-- also at that Italian car event, they have usually had a Corvette Corral in the past. Then also I have done the old Downtown rally car show, the Carmel mini Ferrari get together, the expensive and exclusive Airport thing, but I don't like to dress up, and the Sunday evening Auction out in Pebble Beach and the local guy car show in Seaside and and and and and and and-- thus when you first roll into town, get the little local Magazine newspaper that has usually all of the listings of events. You can find them in front of liquor stores, markets etc. in the news rack!
Saturday arrive early at the track, view the Display cars, but usually they have the autograph tables set up and you want to get in line but behind me Derek!! If you see me, let me cut into line!!!!!! Thus bring interesting things to sign and you can spend more time talking to the famous Corvette people. If you have boring stuff like the general program you will get passed quickly from Corvette great to Corvette famous guy and out of line. Once that is done, view things that you might want to go look at again in the paddock, then lunch early or on Saturday they usually do the featured Marque special parade laps, so get set up to get a good view point for the track and those could be just before lunch or just after lunch (usually before or even during lunch! Good idea to check your program.
Then for the rest of the afternoon I go sit and watch the entire calendar of races that day. For viewing, I like after the start finish line on the side of the hill to the west close to turn 1. Bring a chair, and also from here, you are not staring into the sun. Thus there is a drink stand there and bathrooms. It is the best to photograph the entire field on the formation laps and that horseshoe turn has the weirdest lines if you have ever driven it.
Then Saturday evening, I will leave the track and head for seafood! Or if not quite hungry I will drive around the bay in Monterey a little, watch the sunset etc. kayaks, joggers, and just enjoy the coastline. No walking I just did enough of that. I have my favorite places. Nothing cheap! Spend the money!!! I will walk Cannery Row nearer the Aquarium is more popular but crowded and Fishermans wharf less night life but maybe better seafood (((( Girlfriend likes Isabellas on the wharf with the Italian twist))))))) and the shops (alot of them near the aquarium will have car artwork pieces and some of those are worth walking into to see some of that) or around those areas for tourist trinkets. Also most places have a guy or gal standing in front with a plate of food to beckon you into there establishment. I don't remember Isabellas ever doing that! The same for Cannery row except at the classier places, but some of those are good also. Check to see what special fish they bought, and you could be surprised by something to your taste. If they have a deal on like lobster or something, I might turn in and sit. I would just pay parking in the big garage to the south up the hill from Cannery row if you decide on that and Fishermans wharf will be crazy from the Auctions for parking, but maybe out on the pier itself in one of the Restaurant reserved areas, but you won't be able to leave your car there for the evening. Because I have my secret parking locations, I won't share those or steal a handicap sticker-- I am so I have mine because I am! Then I wil go view more auctions that evening and then find a place with a band downtown and hang out or at Fishermans wharf, but anywhere it’s hard to get a table. Thus why I might do the film festival Saturdy evening. There are some out of the way places known by only the locals where you can get a table, but not in the main event areas or near the auctions.
Sunday morning. I am up early and straight to 17 mile drive early early early!!! They won’t let you park anywhere close to the event unless you really have special passes!!!! And I mean special. Thus I don’t care how cool your car is, you are parking where they point you. Thus don't argue with the guy and hold up all of the cars coming in behind you-- you are not special enough! Sometimes you are lucky and get the coast road and I will explain that. But they run buses! You load up from the parking and the bus takes you to the center of the activity!! Remember your parking area number, so the return bus can get you back! But I go do all of the free displays- the memorabilia tent or building, I view the auction motorcycles, I go to the car vendor areas (and sit in Teslas etc.) and maybe will pay to preview one of the two big tent auction stuff. But you pay! Now for the big Pebble Beach Concourse de Elegance—that is now about a $300 ticket per person.
But if I am making good time getting around that area and seeing things, and I didn’t do the Baja Cantina Friday evening and it is before or close to noon, then I fit it in for lunch there and then I am a racing fan and I go back to my preferred view point for the Sunday races or whats left of them. After the event, If I missed my Seafood or something. I will do that Sunday night. If I want to take the girlfriend to the Aquarium, I will leave the track early on Sunday and go straight there, being aware of the closing time.
Thus get the point. I actually had a spare seat and only a few jumped at it! Sorry!
Also as I said, I might edit this further to add or refine! But that is a Derek Monterey event weekend! There are other things that I do as a veteran. Also if you heard about something and I didn't cover it, I probably have done each and every Monterey event, except personally entering the Concourse. Thus don't PM me, post up your event, and I may or may not add to help integrate that into the plan for you, because I am tired of typing now!!
PS gas up in Salinas, and late at night, the only gas stations that seem to be open are near the freeway and shopping centers along the bay in Seaside!
Last edited by TCracingCA; 08-11-2013 at 02:47 PM.
