butzip

This will be my first time out there and I want to maximize our experience. My wife and I will be with another couple, so all w/e at the track is right out of the question The wives are good sports, but they are not going to humor us gearheads the whole time.

So, that said......
- Is there a day (at the track) that is better than others Friday, Saturday or
Sunday?
- What are some non-car related activities that are 'must do'? Wineries, parks,
drives (ok that's cars related but scenic).
- Of the shows, Pebble Beach, Concourso Italiano etc.... which one is 'must
see'?

Any and all feedback and experiences are welcomed!

wpriller

Driving south on 1 to Big Sur, and there are some real nice restaurants in Village of Carmel. Also Cannery Row in Monterey is a tourist attraction. Are you flying into San Jose or San Francisco? Wine Country is North of San Francisco where the Monterey Peninsula is South of San Jose, which is also South of San Francisco.

Cory M

I wouldn't recommend going to the Concurso Italiano. I thought it was cool but seeing rows and rows of red Ferraris kind of made each car seem a little less special to me, and the ticket was $100 (back in 2002). I enjoyed the track the most,walking the paddock and checking out all of the legendary racing cars, talking to the mechanics who maintain them. Walking around Monterey at night is pretty cool too, there are tons of great cars driving around and just parked everywhere, it's insane, we were in a bright yellow 993 Turbo and might as well have been driving a Kia. There are several auctions going on at night, it is kind of cool to check out the cars. For non-car activities, the Aquarium is very cool and there is shopping for the ladies.

Greg Phillips

The most common scenario is:
Friday at Concorso Italiano
Saturday at Laguna Seca
SUnday at Pebble Beach

I have not been to Concorso or Pebble beach recently, but if you have not been it is worthwhile.
I now spend all 3 (4 if you count Thursday) days at the Historic races.
Friday has the smallest crowds and all of the cars usually run on that day for practice sessions.
Outside of the track is Monterey Aquarium and Cannery Row, wineries, beaches and restaurants.
If they want to travel further afield, Santa Cruz, SF, Napa are not that far.
Evenings also include some of the auctions.
Start looking for lodging now, or plan on commuting in from Santa Cruz (which I ended up doing for the Ferrari year and was not that bad)

Greg Phillips

butzip

Now that's the kind of feedback I was hoping for!!

We are all flying into SJC San Jose Thursday evening and we have rented a 'cottage' 10 miles from Laguna Seca.

cgfen

last year sunday was the best day for LS, that's when the RSR's and 934 / 935s ran.

this year?

brendo

Anybody else going to the events? i'm going down friday am, departing monday

lawjdc

Here is the schedule for the Historic Races: http://www.montereyhistoric.com/event-info/schedule

There is a pretty interesting vendor row at the Historics, so take your Master Card. Your wives may find that wandering around and shopping in downtown Carmel is more interesting than Laguna Seca. You're dead if they take their Master Cards.

If you are interested in going to the Pebble Beach Concours, you would be well-advised to go early. By 10 or 11 am it is so crowded that you can hardly move around. We try and get there at about 8 am so we can see the cars on display. You will have to park in a designated area and take a shuttle bus to the Concours.

Keep in mind that the Monterey Peninsula will be crowded - after all it is the mecca for the automobile world during the week. There is nothing like it. We go every year.

Meister Fahrer

I'm driving up either Thursday evening or Friday morning.

We're staying a nice little hotel in Monterey.

Not sure if it's just me and my boy, or also wife and daughter joining.
I'd say the Aquarium is a must see, it's world famous, good for a few hours plus shopping around town.

I'll be happy just to sit for hours under the trees at the corkscrew and listen to the wail of all those Porsche motors!

There should also be plenty of the famous drivers there, Hurley Haywood, Vic Elford, et al....
These guys won't be around forever, so it's a great chance to chat with the guys who made Porsche history....

WOW!

dpressley

For us, Fri is the must go day. All run groups have practice, so you get to see everyone rolling and there's a smaller crowd. Look for the guy with the huge smoker when you start to get hungry - very yummy sandwiches!

lawjdc

Don't forget the Baja Cantina! http://www.carmelvalleycalifornia.com/baja.html

Fantastic place with lots of Laguna Seca and racing memorabilia. Tends to be very crowded on race weekends.

jurnes

Worth a look: Monterey Region PCA website for activities. Monday the 17th Porsche only DE at Laguna Seca (Coastal Driving School.org)