jon928se

Evening Chaps

Our ideas for OCIC probably see us flying to the US a week before OCIC destination San Francisco - Monterey CA initially to see Rhonda's sister for a couple of days then depart Wichita-bound (via Hallett) and doing the tourist thing for 4/5 days on route.

Questions
1. Anyone suggest a good website for comparison of internal flights maybe also international carriers hubs ?

2. The only cars I have driven in the US have been 928s (All from the Eifert stable) so have never rented a car in the US. We are looking at rental for maybe 7/8 days one way from CA to Wichita or maybe onwards to Kansas City or Tulsa for the flight Home. Anyone have any suggestions re National Car Rental Co's that have interesting cars - Z06 or Mustang or maybe 350Z? . And what are the unintended extras/pitfalls to look out for when renting? - The Rental contract versions of impending TBF/TBelt failure on the drive home .....

Unless someone wants a 928 delivering to Wichita ?

3. Suggestions for an interesting route CA to Kansas.

All ideas gratefully received.

Cheers

Jon
Black SE

Rich9928p

Jon,

2. Rental Car ... go with a major name like Hertz, National, Avis and check on their "one way" rates. If you can stomach a "generic" US car, it will save you a lot of money. As far as upgrading to sport car it may be more difficult for a one way rental. Perhaps Marc's Happiness Plaza 1-800-835-3525 could help you, tell Jenny that Rich sent you.

3. Suggestions for an interesting route CA to Kansas.

This may be very interesting for you and Rohnda, since this is about as opposite of the climate in the UK as you can find ... visit Death Valley. It will only be 116 - 125F at that time of the year. You leave San Francisco on I580 and head east via CA 120 to Yosemite park, drive through the park and exit at Lee Vining. Then go down 395 south to Lone Pine, turn left at 138 and pick-up 190 and drive through Death Valley National Momument. From there you take 373 to 95 south and then head into "cool" Las Vegas. You then could pick-up I15 north and turn right at I70 and go east all the way to the I135 south leg into Wichita.

This is a long way to do it. You'll see many desolate places and some of the nicest part of Colorado and go into the flatlands. I'd plan on 4 days of driving depending upon how much you want to stop.

I drove the DV - Las Vegas return route to AZ after Devek Days a several years ago. My GTS ate up the miles quite nicely.

macreel

OR... S'east out of Vegas on 93,
over the Hoover Dam to Kingman AZ;
then east on I40 across northern AZ,
N.Mex, Texas panhandle thru Amarillo
to Oklahoma City;
then north on I35 to Wichita--
to see the southern high plains.

Enjoy; G'luck.

Nicole

I don't know, if that's still the case, but before I moved to the US Budget had some of the more exciting cars, versus the over-boring Hertz, Alamo and Avis. There are often smaller local ones that have unusual cars, but I doubt they'd let you do a one-way to Wichita.

Ron_H

I did the Rich/Macreel combined route starting from San Jose to Yosemite in 1996 in my 914/6 to the Porsche Parade in Oklahoma. Great drive through the back side of California and through Death Valley. Then out of LV, through Kingman and Flagstaff, which is mountain country and great roads. East of Flagstaff can get fast with light vegetation to Albuquerque. Into Amarillo, and then to Oklahoma, watch for Smokey Bears.

Are you up for a caravan to Wichita? We were just talking about Route 80 through Reno and Salt Lake City. Then through Colorado to Denver and on to 70 to 135 down to Wichita. This should take 3 days 'cause Nevada should be faster. Colorado, in my opinion, has some nice roads if you're into scenic routes. Speed is another matter. Sans 928, it is a moot point.

Or taking 70 all the way past Reno would offer more flat out speed. 928 country.

Marc White

Hi Jon, you've a few big questions there! Perhaps consider flying into Tulsa from your stay in the Bay Area, unless you just want to drive or have other plans including the drive...

If you did that it would be easy to pick you up in Tulsa, say Thursday afternoon or evening, run you and Rhonda to the track to hang for a while with some 928 brethren and tell very tall lies and so on. I forecast an early evening so back to the track hotel (Best Western Sand Springs-near Tulsa) and Friday morning the gates open at 7am, driver's meeting at 8am.

After the track day it would be an easy matter to fit you into a 928 for the run up to Wichita, two hours of a nice 928 caravan. Check into the Hyatt and the festivities begin.

Let me know if I can help with any of that, you already have suggestions of rental car companies and routes---all sounds about right!

Marc@goimi.com

See you soon!

Marc

jon928se

Thanks for all the ideas guys - it helps focus the mind . Time to buy a decent road map of the US and a tourist guide figure out what would be cool to see and then work out what we want to do.

Thanks again

Regards

Jon

Jim bailey - 928 International

Jon just go to Mapquest for USA and start looking at maps , distance , time . A round trip ticket to the same city may be much less expensive .

Jay Wellwood

How about delivering a 968 for me? This could work out verrryyyy well for both of us.

Please let me know.

jon928se

Hi Jay

Sent you a PM

Regds

Jon

Jay Wellwood

btw....I was a little lax at signing up for the OCIC until last night...

show of hands - how many going???

jon928se

4th July being Indepence Day and we will be hopefully on our way from Monterey towards OCIC.

Does everywhere shut, or are hotels likely to be booked solid.

Jon
Black SE