A Summer to Remember
Having ordered a 2000 Boxster
S, and persevered through the 10-month waiting period, I attended my first Phx
PCA AutoX event in July. My wife and I
were immediately befriended by quite a number of the locals and felt welcomed
by the cognizanti. One of the instructors, Paul Cordell (Paul in AZ), mentioned
that there was a website devoted to Boxsters that I might find interesting. All
that follows is a direct result of that conversation.
I have become a daily member
of a Net community of devoted, if not demented, Porsche Boxster owners, who
share a wide-ranging world-view, and a love of all things Porsche. (“Porsche
Pete’s Boxster Board”, aka : www.PPBB.com) These correspondents
share a diverse range of interests, from audio enhancements, to performance
and aftermarket upgrade critiques. I learned that there is an annual gathering
called The Boxsters Have Landed (TBHL), the forth of which took place in Las
Vegas in May of this year. I joined a caravan from Phx and met a fair number
of these worthies during the three-day weekend. Enough to whet my appetite
for more. Details of this gathering warrant a totally separate entry.
One of the long-term
participants in this Net community soon posted that he and a friend were
planning a tour of Colorado in August and wanted to know if anyone would be
interested in joining them. They created a website, itinerary, and went so far
as to make hotel suggestions. As temperatures in Phx during this time typically
exceed 110, and 90 may be the lowest temp we’d see for another month, this
became a mighty attractive proposition.
When my wife’s occupation
dictated that she wouldn’t be able to make it, in a fit of inspired creativity,
I decided to ask my 79 year-old Dad if he’d like to join me. Though I doubted
he’d accept, I knew I could gain much-needed Brownie Points for asking. To my
utter amazement, he readily accepted and we became occupied with the planning
phase. My stock went up with Mom, my wife Virginia was relieved that I’d still
be able to go, and Dad even went out and bought some new apparel for the event.
This was a particularly new
adventure, in that we really didn’t know whom, nor how many would eventually
attend. However, Dad had spent several summers working in and around Estes
Park, and a tour on a survey crew with the Park Service prior to WWII, and was
particularly keen on seeing the Rockies again. We were mutually psyched! We
accumulated maps, AAA itineraries, and travel literature.
The official 1st
gathering was scheduled for dinner on Thursday evening in Pagosa Springs. As
this appeared to be fair distance from Phx, Dad arrived from Del Mar, Ca. on
Tuesday and we discussed a leisurely drive north the following morning. I’d
found a nice B&B (http://www.sundancebear.com/Lodge/navigation.htm),
just west of Durango, so we headed out around 6 AM. All in all, it was a
relaxed and comfortable sojourn made without incident. The stretch on Route 666
from Gallup, NM to Cortez, Co. has to be as barren and relentless a landscape
as humanly conceivable, but the company was wonderful. I kept the road speed to
a reasonable 80-90 mph for the most part.
Dad and I toured Mesa Verde
Nat’l Park the following morning and then drove over to Pagosa Springs in the
afternoon. By this time, we’d figured out how the luggage best fit (Thanks
Porsche for a second trunk), and the frequency of comfort stops. We met several
of the participants as they arrived at the motel that afternoon. As it turned
out, there were ten Boxsters, and one 993 Cab that joined the group. We
convened over dinner that evening, and fretted that one of the planned
attendees, Gottfried Hogh hadn’t arrived yet. Gottfried, who lives in Michigan
and has been known to travel long distances w/o a pit stop, is a noted
chronicler and photographer, whose expertise was widely anticipated. It should
also be noted that he has a fine eye for Porsches and owns three, one of which
is that most magnificent of hues, Zenith Blue (not unlike your humble
author’s). Anyway, as it turned out, he was late for dinner, having driven in
from Tenn, but bright-eyed and ready to go with the morning light.
Our caravan consisted off
folks from Texas, Indiana, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah. The organizers, Jack
Brittain, (who brought is son Alex along- our doppelgangers) and Michael VT
(who was joined by his lovely SO), assumed their positions as lead and tail and
proceeded to shepherd us through some of the most spectacular country the world
has to offer. Both of them, (and
several others) were equipped with radar detectors, so the front door and back
porch were adequately (and very necessarily) protected.
If you have never traveled in
convoy, with like-minded, performance oriented individuals, intent on enjoying
all that the road may have to offer, you’re missing out on one of the great
pleasures in life. Utilizing FRS radios, the caravan is able to traverse great
distances, at a considerable rate of speed, in comfort and camaraderie. The
leader first passes a slower vehicle (they all were slower), and then
alerts the rest to whether there is any on-coming traffic to worry about. As
the “clear” sign is called, the balance of the caravan proceeds around the
other traffic with safety and aplomb. This does draw the occasional incredulous
look from those out for a more sedate drive (as one passes on the outside of a
blind turn – not that such a travesty ever really happened- at triple digit
speeds). However, all involved were very safety conscious and no close calls
were experienced.
Another of the joys of
traveling en mass, is observing the expressions on the faces of motorists
passing in the opposite direction, particularly the kids. Especially from the
aft end of the caravan, when it’s been noted that there’s a convoy of Porsches
going by, the eyes become large, grins and waving take place, and you can just
hear their discussions about what cars they were and which were their favorite
colors.
It’s so much fun to be the object of this observation and adulation,
that the trip is made all the more enjoyable.
After traversing the
Continental Divide some ten times over, enjoying the sensory experiences that
great roads and fine cars have to offer, and delighting in the company of
other, like-minded Porsche aficionados, Dad and I turned southward again on
Sunday morning. The driving was so engrossing that we decided to drive straight
through to Phx, through Moab and Flagstaff. We didn’t plan it that way, we just
had such a good time conversing, and reminiscing, that an overnight wasn’t
necessary. We both agreed that the Tour had been fun, the scenery had been
predictably wonderful, but that the company and friendships had been, alone,
worth the trip. Personally speaking, the opportunity to spend hours conversing
with my father, sharing thoughts and memories together, made this an
unforgettable experience.
As a couple of side notes,
since we got home a day earlier than planned, Dad was kind enough to spend many
hours helping me clean and detail the Boxster. I don’t think he’s ever called
me “anal” before. Additionally, he was so chagrined at watching me crest a
hill, only to slam on the bakes (speed limits in the Indian Four Corners areas
are a ridiculous 55 mph – I was going slightly faster), that he volunteered to
purchase a Valentine One radar detector for me. He seems to be concerned about
bail money, should I get apprehended at “Porsche reasonable” speeds. I think
the deformity caused by his right hand grasping the door handle will subside
eventually, but to his undying credit, he never once suggested that we proceed
at a more law-abiding rate.
May each and all of you enjoy
the opportunity to experience your cars, and especially, the company of others
out there, who share your passion for Porsches.
Links:
Gottfried’s site - http://www.986.org/sites/ghogh/CDC/main.html
