Bushido and I did this last Saturday morning at 6, I'd like to see if its do-able in reasonable time at night instead of godawful early in the morning, so I'll be running through it again tonight.

If you'd like to see the 49 mile scenic drive at night, you can meet me at the top of the twisty part of Lombard (Lombard and Hyde) just before 9, my plan is to leave there right at 9:00, we should be through the entire route, finishing down by Fisherman's Wharf, before midnight.

 

How many checkpoints Pete? Talk about one extreme to the other. Have fun at Gorman Ridge this weekend. Oh by the way that BMW group is puting on another rally on Sept 18 at the Marin Civic Center. Bill

 

I'd like to do it with 5 checkpoints and several "course controls" where you'd have to find a number on a sign at a specified location.

9PM even on Tuesday is probably still too early, I was more or less "on time" up to Twin Peaks, but dufus slow poke drivers in the Mission and stuff held me back to a 2:30 ET, and night time gives you the fog to contend with as well.

 

hey, just for fun i'll post my journal from running it the first time with Pete.


-rich

 

Alright here it is. Sorry for the length.

Day 8: Saturday

Peep peep peep peep peep.... The alarm shouted at me at 5:00 am this morning. I had just fallen asleep less than five hours before hand. Still i jumped out of bed and was under the hot water in the shower before i could say "what day is this?" I had gotten use to finding my way to the bathroom with my eyes mostly closed. Even with the house pitch black. Sure the first few days i had some trouble, but now it had been a week and I felt almost at home. Just hope on this coming Monday i remember what my house is like.

It wasn't till I was in the shower that i began to realize just how bad i felt. Oh my god. What the hell did i do to myself last night. My stomach was dancing back and forth. Was i going to lose it this morning and be bent over the toilet puking my guts out when Pete comes knocking on the door. I certainly hoped not. How un-professional of me as a co-driver. It is my responsability to be at the top of my game. Making sure not to miss any turns and to tell the driver where he (or her) was suppose to be going.

I got out of the shower and began downing so much water in hopes of keeping whatever it was that wanted to come up down in my belly. I quickly got dressed and kissed Christina goodbye. then i hopped in the kichen and grapped a hand fall of crackers. I needed something to help in soaking up all the bad stuff too.

Outside the weather was crisp yet cool. Not quite t-shirt weather but the inner cooler on the car was going to be happy. I had on shorts, a t-shirt and a large sweatshirt on top of that. In my hands i was holding a couple of maps, a highlighter and a pen. Oh man did i feel like ****. Within twenty seconds Pete came over the crest and i stepped out into the street. He was ready. Much more than i could be under my condition. He was alert and there were rally computers filling up every extra square inch of the dashboard. He handed me the pace notes and quickly went over all the things expected of me along the way. I just hoped I don't screw up. If i do, he'll have to run the whole thing all over again.

We shot down Broadrick and turned (right) onto Lombard which at this time on a Saturday morning was rather quite. We were heading for the Embarcardero where we would be starting, just under the clock tower of the Ferry Building. Once everything was put to zero and the clock read 6:00 am we were ready to go. Like a bullet out of a gun we shot north/west heading towards the Financial District. Then looping back to 1st Street and turning (left) onto Howard. There we drove past the Museum of Mordern Art, The Center for the Arts and Moscone Center. (Right) on 9th crossing Market and past City Hall. Turn (left) onto Geary. Drove past St. Mary's Cathedral and up to Japan Center. There we ran into our first problems. They had closed off three whole blocks along Post Street while filming either a movie or commercial. So then we had to make computer re-calculations just north / east of japantown before driving further along Post one our way towards Union Sqare.

Oh by the way the whole time i'm telling Pete i'm about to blow my cookies are over his car. And this is not car sickness. The could be in a car while in the WRC and sit there peacefully reading a book. Never in my life have i got motion sickness and i feel sorry for those who do, like my wife. Pete in the other hand spent the night out with friends that "don't drink" at all. So he was sober as can be. Only propblem he had was lack of sleep. He had only three hours of sleep and was starting to feel it. But we wouldn't have time for coffee until this thing was over.

Back down towards the Financial Disctrict. Then (left) on Grant and (left) on California into Chinatown. It funny i was spending so much time reading papers and punching the rally clock i had no idea we even went through there. Then (left) on Columbus and (right) on Grant. Hey now this is the heart of Little Italy. Man i didn't spend any time down here while on vacation. Oh damn that's a shame. But hey i'm not sad about my choices for Italian joints to eat in. No way.... Luisa's is my new favorite place. Even if they are responsible for the way i felt right now. Then (right) onto the end of Lombard and up to Coit Tower. Even though we were only up there for less than 30 seconds the view from up there was breath taking. Through North beach again and (right) towards Fisherman's Wharf. Then we got stuck behind some a$$hole that stops at a green light and waits for it to turn yellow and red. Pete honks at the guy and he had the ***** to give us the fingure. A god damn tourist has the guts or maybe the lack of brains to flip someone off who just came out of Little Italy. He was lucky we weren't jerks ourselves or I would have thrown him into the bay right next to the fishing boats. That piece of ****. Then it was down Jefferson and (right) onto Beach. Past Maritime Museum. Turn (right) back onto Bay going past The Fort Mason Buildings and down onto the Marina Green. This i believe is the true starting point for many tourist while doing this drive but not for us. plus doing it Pete's way we'ld get all the downtown parts out of the way as early as possible.

The waves of sickness kept coming and going, but i was sure i was going to make it. Thankfully Pete was a good sport and even told me i was doing a good job. From the Marina we headed out past the Palace of Fine Arts and very close to where the house was. We turned (right) onto Lincoln and headed into the Presidio. Going past the Presidio Museum and the San Francisco National Cemetery. Back under the highway and out around the Golden Gate Bridge parking lot. Still driving on Lincoln we started making up some good time as we drove past The Baker Beach area.

Baker Beach was the place of my very first BAIC meet. About a year and a half ago mmboost (Jason) but on a BBQ down there and Christina and I went. That's when I met Jason, shadowcat (Joe and his beautiful wife Roe), and Eric (SF miami) and many more. But most of their names escape me now. That seems alot more than just 17-19 months ago. It's a nice beach and there's a great view of the Bridge from there (if it's not foggy).

Then it was past the Palace of the Legion of Honor. Which to this date I yet to be in. Christina has gone there a few times and says I would enjoy it. Well one of these days I'm sure. Then (right) on Geary / Point Lobos. Where we had more chances to pick up some really good speed as we flew past the Cliff House and down to The Great Highway. That stretch of road whould be so much better if it wasn't for those timed lights and 35 mph speed limit through there. just past the San Fracisco Zoo we headed up to Skyline Blvd. There we turned (right) Sadly we didn't stay on Skyline long. I just love that road. But instead we turned (left) onto John Muir Dr. Around Lake Merced where we turned (left) onto Lake Merced Blvd. Going past Harding Park and the San Francisco State University. Those i didn't get to see. Once again my head was down in the notes with my left index finger ready on the rally computer. But i had driving on this road many times, because during real bad traffic times it's the way to our next turn. Right) onto Sunset Blvd. A street that mostly only the locals take and the pace is very quuick. Well hell anything is quicker than 19th. From Sunset we entered the famous Golden Gate Park. Where we drove past almost everything on a very back and forth weeve from one end to the other. Oh man if this was entered any later than when we went in the traffic would have sucked, but we got lucky again. Out past the Kezar Stadium and (right) onto Stanyan. Just up ahead of us on the other side of the road there was a bunch of fire trucks and cops. Some person driving a SUV went staight off the road and slammed into a massive tree. Then (right) onto Pamassus driving past the University of California Medical Center. (Left) on 7th Ave. Then to Laguna Honda. This was the second screwy area. The notes that Pete had printed out were now different then the 49 Mile signs along the road. This park would have to be worked on at a later date. Because we both got a little lost. Plus some of the names of the streets weren't posted making it even more fun.

We entered Twin Peaks and turned (left) up Skyview. Wow i had never been up there before. And to my joy there wasn't much for me to do up there but enjoy the view. It was beautiful. Coming down around Clarendon and Tank hill. The roads and maps were totally messed up again. What the hell!!!!!!! I hate being lost lie this. Ok sure we were not lost in the real since of the word, no. But we were not on course. Somehow we stumbled upon Roosevelt and found our way again. Thankfully that part was over. Then we passed Buena Vista Park, Corona Heights and the Randall Jr Museum. Then turned (right) onto 14th St. Then (right) onto Dolores passing Mission Dolores and Mission Dolores Park.

Ah it was almost over. Then (left) onto Cesar Chavez passing under Hwy 80 and continued to Hwy 280 North. When we got off we were so close. We drove past Pac Bell Park and along the Embarcardero. We were talking about if this really could be done. Pete said he believes it could. With a little work and maybe cutting out some checkpoints. Just telling the teams that they had to be at the certain place at a certain time, it could work. He would look at the computer readouts and check it against the "cast" (speed in which teams need to average along entire route) we set for the drive and see. i guess only time will tell. He's the rally master, not me. I'm still working on becoming one.



Well that was how the drive went for me. It's a rally that i'm really looking forward to running if it is do-able. But i think it'll have to be run really early in the morning.

-rich