TBRDS

I recently completed a 5300+ mile round trip drive to Spring Mountain for the 2-day school, taking the C7 "TBRDS" with me. Or I should say behind me, on my open aluminum trailer.

(I don't like to post in real-time to announce to the world that I am away from home, and I have been very busy, so this post is delayed by about three weeks.)

Leaving the Orlando, Florida area, we had an uneventful first day on the road, and arrived in the New Orleans area the first evening, about a 650 mile day. The second day, pressing on to Austin, Texas, was also uneventful, and we got up the next morning for a meeting with Sportsmobile, the van conversion company that is going to modify our GMC van. From there we made it to Abilene by 4 PM, and got through security at Dyess Air Force Base where "TBRDS" made a two-day appearance at their airshow featuring the USAF Thunderbirds. We arrived on the flight line just after the Strike Force simulator truck, and just before an F-22 Raptor, which parked next to us:





We took up our usual postion in front of the simulator truck, by the recruiting booth:





On Sunday, the second day of the air show, since we were on a tight schedule, we packed up after the Thunderbirds began their show, and got this photo of the Thunderbirds doing their bomb burst in the background as we moved the car to the trailer:





Leaving Abilene, at sundown we could see the weather in the west that would make for a terrible driving evening. Lubbuck had some severe weather that evening, and we luckily skirted around the worst of it. The rain and the Texas dust made for a very dirty C7.





The next day, in New Mexico, we began to see the many trains racing us along I-40.





Another round of rain as we got to Arizona, but we kept on trucking:





Things cleared up before we started the climb to Flagstaff, one of my favorite areas on I-40:





It was almost sunset as we approached the Hoover Dam area, and I was pondering how I was going to clean up the muddy car:





Because of the fairly new bridge over the Hoover Dam, with its solid sides, there was no opportunity to get any photos. That would have to wait until later.

I got this not-too-great photo descending into Las Vegas.





After dark, we arrived at our hotel near Nellis Air Force Base in north Las Vegas, scheduled to visit Thunderbirds headquarters the next day. We convinced the young hotel clerk to let us park the van, trailer and car up against the fairly empty hotel building, taking up five parking spaces, right outside our first floor window. I discovered that the hotel had a water spigot right there, and she also agreed that we could use their water to wash the car. It was a late-night car wash in the dark!





Tomorrow a visit to the Thunderbirds and then on to Spring Mountain...

Vetteman Jack

adventure so far. Keep us updated on your trip.

TBRDS

Tuesday we got up late and I spent more time detailing the car, and then it was off to Nellis AFB. We were met at the gate by one of the Thunderbirds photojournalists, who gave us a great tour of their facility:




Here's a shot inside their huge hanger:




While we were in the hanger, the "Boss", Thunderbird #1 came over and chatted about the car for a while. They had just flown back in from the Dyess AFB show.

One of their F-16 spares was in the hanger. It didn't have a number:




Looking up the rear end of an F-16:




We then went out on the flight line to see the birds in their home nest. A Thunderbirds demo performance is done with six planes, but they typically take eight to each show. One is a two-seater for doing media flights:




Then back inside we toured the Thunderbirds museum, where they have many interesting photos and items on display, dating back to their beginning in 1953:




They have a beautiful huge painting of all of the planes they have flown in their large conference room:




Finally, we took some photos outside as some of the team came out to see the car:






After leaving Nellis, we went back to the hotel to load the car back on the trailer for the trip across the mountain to Pahrump and Spring Mountain...

BillB3672

Thanks for posting this for the Memorial weekend! Outstanding post!

NMC7Z06JJ

Thank you for the great story and photos. Enjoyed it and appreciate your sharing it on CF. Thanks again.

cheapthrills

Very cool, you did a great job on turning your C7 into a land based thunderbird.

TBRDS

Thanks, guys, for your support!

(I'm going to post photos from Spring Mountain, Las Vegas, etc. I know lots have been there, done that, but this is for those who haven't yet been
so lucky.)

We headed out of Las Vegas on Route 160. We crossed the mountain in the dark, so I don't have any photos, but going west the route is pretty
steep, and was fairly slow going for our small V8 van pulling the Vette. Luckily there was hardly any traffic. When we were passed, I always
wondered if it was the rental car of a Spring Mountain classmate.

You'll know you are about there when you see one of their nice billboards:




I had a hard time finding a good place to park the van and trailer, but finally backed them up at the end of our condo building:




The next morning, the covered Vette was still there, and the tracks appeared:




The condo buildings were very nice (as was the whole facility):







After registration at the welcome center, which is also the store, we proceeded to our classroom, where class began at 8 AM:




The cars were waiting outside for us:




Soon we were out in the cars doing the braking exercise:




Here one of the instructors is putting a window shade on the windshield, which made for an interesting driving exercise:




Another photo of the cars:




My view while waiting for the next instructor-led exercise:




The cars were all beautiful:




The instructors led our track runs driving Camaro's:




This is one of the two automatics (A6) that I drove:




My class had a number of USAF veterans, so on the second day I moved the trailer with my C7 up by the clubhouse so they could get a look:




Rick Malone was always interesting and very animated:




We all moved outside to prepare for a class photo by one of the cars:




Then Rick introduced the Launch Control demonstration:




Our instructors all helped present our certificates at graduation:




Suddenly, the two wonderful days were over!

Leaving Spring Mountain was kind of sad, kind of like when your vacation is over. But, ours wasn't, we were now on our way back to... VEGAS!

cheapthrills

Sweet, I'm going there shortly and really looking forward to the trip.

TBRDS

Leaving Spring Mountain meant dragging the Vette up the mountain again, but this time in the daylight, and it didn't seem as steep going east:





(If you've been to Las Vegas, you can skip though most of these photos, but if not, maybe this will convince you to stay a few nights.)


Finally we were back in Vegas:







Sometimes you aren't sure where you are in the world:













I finally saw a Stingray in Las Vegas! But it was in a hotel aquarium:




Don't miss the Pirate show at Treasure Island:




This was the view from our room at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, but it seems I took it too early in the morning:




When I parked in the casino garages, I covered the car, which worked OK:




Some of the newer hotels are huge. You might want to check out Aria:




Cruising the strip in the Vette produced an interesting light show on the hood of the car:



(My biggest regret is that I didn't get any photos of the car on the strip.)


Unbelievably, this was the ONLY C7 I saw in Vegas in three days. And it was in Bally's casino, where they were giving two away!





Up next, a ride to Hoover dam...

OVERULD

Great thread!

BJ

VETJAZZ

very cool! Very cool indeed!!

TBRDS

Thanks, Guys! I missed one other Vegas photo.

I snapped my photo at a traffic light:

Steve Garrett

My friend, what fun it is to read this thread! Terrific pictures-what a trip!

TBRDS

Hey Steven, thanks! Still sorting photos, but I have a special one coming up for you, taken on the last leg of our journey.
(I thought of you as I took the photo!)

TBRDS

On our last full day in Vegas, we drove back to nearby Hoover dam. Route 93 from Kingman to Las Vegas used to take you right across the top of
the dam, but now there is a bypass bridge high over the dam, and the drive over the dam is just for tourists, with a security
check point before you can cross.

To get to the dam, you take Route 93 through Boulder, NV. Here you can see Lake Mead in the background as we come down the hill from Boulder
toward the dam area:




Here, right above the roof of the car, you can see the roadway over the top of the dam, and the new bridge over and slightly downstream of the dam:




There are several viewing areas with parking, as well as a parking garage for people who take the dam tour:




This is Lake Mead behind the dam, where you can see how the water level has decreased over the years:




Here is a view from the other side. The dam is so tall, that from this point, you can not see the bottom and the Colorado River:



Here is the fairly new bypass bridge. You can see a little of the river below:




The car and the bridge:




Driving back to Vegas, we stopped for a photo by Lake Mead:




The next morning, we said goodbye to Las Vegas, and began the journey home...

cheapthrills

Awesome, wish I had my car out there when I go to Spring Mountain. Rental Mustang will be my ride lol.

speedraider

and this is why I moved from Orlando to Vegas. A much better quality of life.

c8nukeZ51

Fantastic post and we just saw the Thunderbird's airshow at Jones Beach, NY and it was great.
Also good to see Spring Mountain and all the instructor and track again,,,,thanks a bunch

TBRDS

That was my problem. Except I knew I was going to drive out there, and I wanted to have the Vette there, but I didn't want to put 5300 miles of Interstate wear and tear on it. SO... trailer time. It was a real adventure
and I loaded and unloaded the car four times, but it was all worth it. (I'm ready to do it again! )

TBRDS

After leaving Las Vegas, heading back to I-40, here we are approaching Kingman:




We got off of I-40 and took Routes 93 and 60 to Phoenix:

,


Seems like everywhere we went there was this Corvette following us! Seriously, I never totally get used to looking in the rear view mirror and seeing
a car right there:



In Phoenix, a nice sunset, so I grabbed a photo of it in the van's driver's side mirrors:




On I-10, at the rest stop in Texas Canyon, the rock formations are great:




If it wasn't for a little green in the foreground, we might be on the Moon:




In Texas, again we hit tons of rain. Luckily we missed the flooding that followed:




We stopped for the night at a friend's house in Louisiana. They have a long driveway
but no place to turn the rig around. We got there at night, so I just pulled
straight in.
The next day, I had to back the trailer all the way up that lane, turn around in
the street, and then I backed it back down the lane so we would be ready to go.
I got lot's of practice backing. You can't see the Texas mud on the car:




For our last treat, we stopped at Lulu's in Gulf Shores, AL, one of our favorite haunts
in that part of the world. It is on the water, and owned by Jimmy Buffet's sister, Lucy.
Stop there if you get the chance:




Finally back in Florida, I had to get this photo, especially for Steven Bell !




After two weeks and 5300 plus miles, we made it home, bringing lot's of fun memories with us.

Thanks for tagging along!