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MG MGA - Nth American MG Odessey 2012

I know this thread is going to have everyone inviting us to their particular favourite place in the USA & Canada, but this is just what I want as I begin preparations for my next MG touring venture in March 2012.
I will be bringing up to 10 Australian MG cars(A's & B's) to North America, travelling around for about 12 weeks, and hoping to meet up with all the MG clubs en-route. The plan is to ship the cars to San Francisco early March,travel via the Grand Canyon, New Orleans,Los Vegas (not necessarily in that order) and to be in Sebring later that month for the MGA Sebring Reunion. After that, its heading up the east coast to Canada, and then accross Canada to BC, and back down to LA or SF. In other words, it will be an anti-clockwise tour. We plan to stay in cheap motel accommodation most of the way, so I am looking for a good budget motel chain that covers most areas of USA & Canada.

I look forward to suggestions as to which way, what to see etc.
Gary Lock

There are many great roads that you should not miss. If there is any way of routing yourself down highway US129 south of Knoxville, TN, you will thank me for it. It is not merely the 318 curves in 11 miles, it is the way the highway was lovingly engineered so that the camber of the road simply melts from one curve into the next.
David "www.tailofthedragon.com" Lieb
David Lieb

Gary,
What a great idea. Would you mind if some Yanks tagged along?
By the way, March and April are still a bit dicey, weather wise, in Northeast USA and Canada. Bring snow tires.....:)

Cheers,
Gerry
G T Foster

Gary
I was going to say on your way east drive through Colorado but that could be a very tricky proposition in March. But if you do, let us know and the MGCC-RMC will be pleased to have you

bob g
1966 OEW MGB
1966 OEW MGB-GT
1973 Mallard Green MGB
1976 Inca Yellow TR-6
2009 Laser Blue MINI Cooper S
Robert Gloyd

Maybe my car will be drivable by then!

JIM in NH
AJ Mail

Gary, the MG Owners Club of Northern California is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. I can't talk on behalf of the club but I'm sure that many of our members would be pleased to meet up with your amada and show you some of the great roads in the Bay Area. While you're here you must visit 2 of the world acclaimed wine regions in the area being the Sonoma and Napa Wine Country. Great wines and some of the best backroads in the world. (Although I hear that you're making some decent plonk down under). It would be great to arrange a meeting and tour together.

Andy
74 MGB GT
67 mgb roadster
60 MGA Coupe
Andy Preston

Tagging onto Andy's post, on the drive south you may want to tour the Santa Ynez Valley for some great Syrahs and Chardonays then stock up on parts in Goleta at Moss. I invite the group to have lunch or dinner in Santa Barbara. I'll fix you all a traditional Santa Barbara Bar-b-que, my treat.
57 MGA 1500
59 MGA 1600


David Holmes

When it gets closer to the time of your arrival, we’ll see if we can talk some club members into putting you up.

David Werblow,
For the Connecticut MG Club, Ltd.
David werblow

Gary, it will be a grand adventure for sure. There are an incredible number of sights to see and great roads to drive. I don't even know where to start, really, and if I did start then I could write a book about where I feel you should go.

Rather than ramble on, I'll list a few 'must-see' places and routes...

- Route 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) from Oregon to Central California. This is one of the best drives on the planet.
- Yellowstone National Park. Amazing and unique.
- Yosemite National Park. - One of the most spectacular sights you will ever see, but avoid weekends during tourist season. It's miserable when it's that crowded.
- Bryce Canyon, Utah. Amazing scenery and unique hiking opportunities. Also consider Arches National Park to the north.
- Zion National Park. Scenic beauty and a good route out of Nevada after you see Vegas.

Other places I would put on the list, in no particular order:

- Rocky Mountains
- New England in Fall as the leaves are turning color
- Boston, MA. Lots of history.
- Charleston, SC (also Savannah if time permits)
- Chicago. The finest large US city in my opinion.
- Glacier National Park, including the road to the sun.
- Various civil war battlegrounds in the east
- Wine country of Central and Southern California
- Sierra Nevada Mountains - the most spectacular in North America in my opinion
- Death Valley - but not in the Summer!
- Steam train ride through Rocky mountains / Durango
- Ghost towns of California Deserts
- California's gold country
- Pike's Peak, just to say you drove a dirt road at over 14,000 feet elevation.
- Mount Saint Helens

Other notes:

I don't care for Vegas but it really is one of those things you need to see just once. New York is another I don't care for because of the crowds but it should also be seen at least once.

Grand Canyon is impressive but don't plan on spending any time there. It's just a big hole in the ground and it all looks the same. You can take helicopter flights over it and they even leave from Las Vegas, so if you don't care about being on the ground then consider killing two birds with one stone that way.

OK, that's enough thinking for this morning but I will add one more thing - if you find yourself in Southern California then I would be most happy to take your group on a tour of the surrounding mountain roads and other sights. I live near Malibu, Hollywood, etc and can help arrange tours of many attractions. Please keep us posted on your planning!
Steve Simmons

Nothing like New England in the fall (especaily in roadster)
Chris Velardi

Gary,
If you get close to Salt Lake City, Utah, let me know, we can accomodate several people. We housed 5 of the Australia group and the two hand built Austin Healey cars that were here this summer to duplicate the historical (1954) Austin Healey endurance runs at the Bonneville Salt Flats. We had a great time with the poeple from downunder. Have a good day!

John
John Progess

Two more of my favorite recommendations I would add to Steve's list is "The Blue Ridge Parkway" (469 miles through North Carolina and Virgina) and "Badlands Nat'l Park" in South Dakota.

Chuck Schaefer

Gary,
Something you might consider on your leg north...Watkins Glen International opening day is April 25th. For a small fee you can take 3 pace laps on the course. Nice activity for your group. You can also drive the "old course", the birthplace of sports car racing in the US, on your own. It's all public roads and marked with signs. Downtown Watkins Glen has the Motorsports research center and I can highly recommend the Harbor Hotel at the tip of Seneca Lake. Just over a year old and beautiful, it overlooks the harbor. Dinner at the Seneca Lodge is a must. The bar there is full of racing history. The finger lakes area of New York offers parks, vineyards and some really great roads.
Cheers,
Gerry
G T Foster

Our Club, the Canadian Classic MG Club, has a car show the second weekend of August (ie, usually 14th, 15th, or 16th), and you would be welcome to join us in Vancouver, BC. We had our 40th anniversary this year.
Pity you aren't coming in 2011 - there is an all MG meeting in Reno in July (held every 5 years) and there could be 1500 to 2000 MG's there.
Contact me at this email when your plans are nearer to being confirmed, and I can update you. Depending on your numbers, we might be able to host you in our homes. We had Roy Locock with Bridget the midget here this year.
Also email me on web@namgar.com and I will put something on the NAMGAR web site about your trip to North America, so that the 3000 NAMGAR members are aware of your little jaunt.
Peter Tilbury.
P.S. Add "The Road To The Sun" in Alberta/Montana to your wish list of roads to drive.
P. Tilbury

Thanks to all you guys you have given feedback. I have also received over 30 emails with information, and NAMGAR have taken this on board as well. It really is unbelievable that this trip (although 30 months away) has generated so much interest. I have no doubt that we will fill the 3 or 4 containers with the cars. I will be in touch with individuals nearer the time.
Gary Lock
MG CANAM 2012
Gary Lock

Hi Gary :

BCCNEPA The British Car Club Of Northeast Pa.
has it's annual car show in July & it would be
great to have you as a part of our car show or any
club event douring your stay in the USA. Club website www.bccnepa.com Events posted January of each year.
Club just completed a NAMGAR event in the pocono's
of pa. One of the Huneymoon captial of the USA.

HARRY L. WARE, JR. PRESIDENT BCCNEPA
Ken Doris

Similar to the Blue Ridge Parkway (and that's something not to be missed), is the Natchez Trace Parkway. From Natchez, Mississippi (on the Mississippi River) to Nashville, Tennessee. 450 miles, no stop signs. I drove it in July (on a Monday; after GT-34) and didn't pass much more than two dozen cars (maybe four going the same way). Not quite as scenic as the Blue Ridge Parkway, but still a good day. If you want to see Nashville after New Orleans, it's perfect.
Dave McCann

This thread was discussed between 15/11/2009 and 03/12/2009

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