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Should be back in a GT3 - Need advice on road trip from Colorado to San Francisco
All
99% sure we are going to finalize a deal on GT3 Touring. Cant wait to be back in a GT3 (had 991.1 before)
So car is located in Colorado and planning to drive it back home to San Fransisco over 4 to 5 days. Any advice on the best route to take? Any must stops? Looks like Pikes Peak is close as well, may try to stop in.
^ Whatever you do, don't miss Pikes Peak—even at the speed limit.
There are some pretty compelling routes on the way back. Having just done LA > CO > LA, even the interstates were like a tonic in these times...but I'd look for routes that take you off of them as much as you can with the time you've got. Enjoy!
Playing with some routes, we have four and a half days to make it home. This one takes us down the southern side of CO and to Flagstaff. Once there we are on the Freeway home but do have an option of hitting the Sierra Nevada's if we fancy a longer drive home
Telluride is a phenomenal ski resort, and an 8 hour drive from Phoenix, so I know the route really well. Cortez to Flagstaff is boring, and so is Flagstaff to Bakersfield.
Moab is gorgeous, and can rival Sedona with red rocks. Kayenta is south of Monument Valley. Monument Valley would be a better route to take especially if you can make some side trips and detours.
Page, AZ is home of Horseshoe Bend, and Antelope Canyon. Antelope Canyon is one of the most professional photographed areas in the US for its sheer majestic colors due to wind cut caverns and canyons.
North of Page is Zion National forest and Bryce Canyon. If you really have time, south of Page is route to North Rim of Grand Canyon (is a 2 hour fun drive). The North Rim is out of this world, especially if you can spend the night there. Problem is you would have to back tract some.
Winslow, AZ is home Meteor crater monument.
If you take the route to Flagstaff, then you need to go 30 miles south to Sedona.
I have been to all these places and each is unique. Some of these places are on Navajo land, so I do not know if they are all open.
Congrats....was also hoping it was the Brewster, just to get pics against the desert landscape. Regardless, you're going to love the car.
I definitely would keep the US-24 from Pikes Peak to Buena Vista in there, because driving down into the South Park valley towards Hartsell is one of must stunning places ever, and perfect for a "spirited" run.
It would add 4-5 hours, so maybe not possible, but staying on US-24 and heading north from Buena Vista up to 82 and then going through Twin Lakes, and over the switchbacks of Mt Elbert is one of the most similar pieces of road to the high Alpine passes of Austria/Italy in my opinion....you end up in Aspen, which is annoying because then you have to drive down to Carbondale to be able to head back on your route. The road from Aspen to Carbondale can be a lot of fun IF there is no traffic.
Also agree that if you plan to go to Flagstaff, keep going to Sedona, then through Prescott Valley, then 89 down through Yarnell which is a fun road....once you get to US93, either take that back to Kingsman (I-40), or head over to Lake Havasu, or all the way to Joshua Tree and then up. I-40 from Flagstaff to Kingsman is super boring and for ~2 extra hours, there are some great roads and scenery just south.
This would be it for me. Rockies. Incredible Utah followed by perhaps Grand Canyon then Vegas of course. And driving through Death Valley is sublime and the driving is no speed limits flat out incredible. Make sure to stay at the Death Valley National Park Inn. Then up the east side of the Sierras through Yosemite. I did a detailed write up photo heavy of my trip that covered many of these same areas west of Las Vegas. Incredible drive. Actually my map doesn't show it but from Colorado I would go a bit south through Momuments Valley UT towards Vegas.
Last edited by TexasPorschelover; 09-02-2020 at 03:38 PM.
Sounds like a fun trip! Personally I'd recommend avoiding 70 through Colorado and take the following. 285 south > 50 west > 550 south > Ridgeway, Ouray, Silverton, Durango > 160 to Cortez and out of the state by the 4 corners area (simular to how you had it mapped). That's basically the best part of Colorado but keep checking the weather, the passes will start to get snow!
Taking the feedback on board we are looking at the following
Fri 4 Fly to Colorado
Pick up car
Drive to Grand Junction
Sat 5 Grand Junction to Page
Sun 6 Page to Las Vegas/Henderson
Mon 7 Las Vegas to Mammoth
Tues 8 Mammoth to home
Think this gives us a great drive the whole way home vs just in Colorado then hitting freeway for 2 days.
Google maps to follow later
Last edited by benmc_2000; 09-02-2020 at 07:37 PM.
If you're going to do that more northern route, definitely do:
Pike's Peak -> Buena Vista -> Aspen then pick-up I-70 at Glendale Springs....I'd take I-70 into Utah, then canyon driving down 128 to Moab (good photo ops in Arches NP there)...I'm less familiar with recs from Moab to Page.
Fully support this, it will be a phenomenal drive. I recently completed a pickup in Texas and drove back to Portland through NM, AZ, CA (including SF across the Golden Gate). This car is just perfect for the road in my opinion. I would say that two-lane highways with twisties and passing opportunities were by far the most fun. Rowing through those gears... living above 4k RPM and opening it up to hear that wonderful note is truly special. For me this was a first Porsche and first GT car, but I imagine it never getting old even if returning from previous glory.
Purchased our first 991.1 GT3 in Atlanta and drove it back home to Dallas, epic roads trip via Tail of the Dragon. Still remember being on some two lane dead straight backroad and opening her up, still pulling strong at high speed. Also someone pulled out without looking later on and I stood on the breakers, thing calmly stopped from a decent speed without drama. Overall very impressed.
can’t wait to see how the 991.2 GT3 moves the game on, not driven one yet. Fun times.
I am jealous, as you will be seeing some spectacular vistas (it was mentioned above, but I assume you will be going through Moab when going from Grand Junction to Page, so you will then pass through Arches National Park which is must see as well). If you can squeeze in the Hoover dam while near LV it is probably another worthwhile stop.
I have driven PHX to Mammoth via Las Vegas (for skiing), and that is one road less travelled, and you will enjoy crossing the mountains (single lane curvy roads). It should not be an issue in a new car, but it is still rather hot, so make sure you have lots of water.
09-01-2020, 11:53 PM
Should be back in a GT3 - Need advice on road trip from Colorado to San Francisco
