Driving Tour Recap - To Temecula!
/by Matt Gage
Another huge thanks to Tim Brecht at BMW of Escondido for hosting another morning meetup at his venue. This time, Peter Brecht opened the location early for us and had fresh coffee and bagels set up for us. The club is truly grateful for everything the Brechts have done for us.
The weather couldn’t have been more perfect for a late Fall Sunday. Clear skies and bright sunshine all day. The turnout was HUGE again! Thank you to all who attended! There were 80 attendees and over 40 vehicles! Crazy! As the main organizer of the event, everyone needs to listen to my speech at the driver’s meeting in which I stress safety above all else; we need to make sure everyone obeys the rules of the road and drives responsibly. Special thanks to Dan Tackett and recommendations by others for architecting the amazing route. Over 100 miles of pure driving thrills throughout the canyons of east county San Diego.
I find it ironic that during the driver’s meeting, I emphasized the use of the Google Maps link I provided, but it ended up contradicting the printed out directions! :facepalm: So, the first leg was off the ideal route for many, but I was delighted to still see smiles on everyone’s faces at the Dudley’s Bakery pit stop. The Dudley’s parking lot was PACKED with not just us, but also the Ferrari club. Zippering with the exotics back onto Highway 78 from the parking lot was a little nerve-wracking but I can happily report there were no issues leaving the lot.
After that, we took a quick left and headed toward Mesa Grande Road for some intense downhill twisties. Next, the directions indicated to skip East Grade and Mt. Palomar to make our way past Valley Center to Couser Canyon Road, finally stopping at the end point at a near empty parking lot at the Pechanga Resort Casino. It was great to see most of the vehicles lined up there at the end. It was perfect for a great final picture!
The club event officially ended with that final picture but the day was only half-over for participants. Those who chose not to head home found themselves in a prime location on the edge of Temecula for some lunch. Some headed to Old Town Temecula; others selected one of the many wineries around. The possibilities were almost endless!
It was another successful event and I’m so thankful for all our participants who observed safe and respectable driving habits on the public roads. We have some great club members and I hope to see you at the next event!
