I've been tracking my Z06 for about a year now, and have a blast each time I go to our local track. I'll also be going to Spring Mountain for a whopping third time since ordering my C7Z06- and each time at the encouragement of my wife (she likes when we get away like this).

Anyway, this time I'll be there September 28 & 29, taking level two for the second time.

Last time, we had dinner at the winery just up the road at the edge of Paruhmp. We typically go an extra couple of days and spend those open days in vegas. So, other than vegas, have any of you guys got any recommendations for local (not Vegas) places to eat / things to do? We've also done the Hoover Dam tour, and seen multiple shows during our time in Vegas.

Anyway, just curious if you guys have any recommendations and if anyone from the forum will be attending on these dates?

-Michael

 

How about the Grand Canyon?

 

That's more than a 600-mile roundtrip, but if you have a few extra days, why not.

 

The best food and hotels are pretty much in Vegas. However there are so many great drives in the area, it's truly amazing. If you are at Spring Mountain racetrack, try cutting over to Death Valley using Tecopa Road instead of driving through Pahrump. Talk about the road less taken! (You will think I have given you bad advice at first, but it gets better.) Then drive wherever you want in Death Valley. You could spend days driving around out there. If you get nailed for speeding in Death Valley, it will usually be by a Federal officer. The fines are steep but you don't seem to get points against your license. The fact that the roads out there are patrolled is a good thing, just in case you break down.

Mount Charleston is an amazing drive up a 12,000 ft mountain with a road that goes up to 8,000+ feet. Take 95 north out of Vegas, then there are two roads up the mountain, 157 and 156, that are connected by an amazing twisty high altitude road 158. I usually go up either 157 or 156, drive across 158, or sometimes back and forth a few times, and then come down the road I didn't come up.

There is an hotel & restaurant on 157 near the intersection with 158 called the Mount Charleston Inn, I have eaten there, but never spent the night. Considering it's less than an hour from Vegas, I don't really see the point. YMMV. Watch out for the NHP as they patrol especially along 157, as plenty of people get out there and seem to think they are free of LV, in open country, and can drive 20+ over with impunity. All the cars I have seen pulled over getting tickets would indicate otherwise. 156 is generally less busy and less patrolled, but still use caution. Mount Charleston gets busy on the weekends, so there can be a fair amount of other cars around and occasional slow moving motor homes to. It is a ski resort in the winter, with the roads often covered in snow near the top, so I don't take sports cars up there in winter.

If you head north out of town on 15, you can go to Valley of Fire, named for all the large vibrantly colored rocks. Even if you have never been there before, you will recognize the place from the large number of car commercials and original Top Gear UK segments that have been filmed there. There is a toll both and unless you have a National Park pass, you need to pay to enter. Take 15 north to Valley of Fire Highway (more like two lane blacktop). Be sure to drive down and back Mouse's Tank Road, as it is unbelievable back in there. Then join up with 167-North Shore Road, to drive south down the shore of the Overton arm of Lake Mead. Pull into places like Echo Bay and Callville Bay to look around. Not a lot of action, but it certainly is beautiful. The road will eventually take you by Lake Las Vegas where there are hotels, restaurants and shopping. The road splits near there and you'll either end up in Henderson, or Boulder City not far from Hoover Dam. Again, outside the cities these roads are patrolled mainly by Federal officers. There are only a just few places in the desert outside Las Vegas where you could drive fast, and not be too concerned about getting ticketed, and I have been sworn to secrecy about where they are. All the places I discuss here are pretty well known tourist drives, and patrolled accordingly.

Study a map, as there are variations of these drives that you can easily come up with depending on how much time you have. If you do have plenty of time, try driving up 95 past the Atomic Testing Site and Yucca Mountain to Beatty, then turning onto 374 to Death Valley. It's interesting as Beatty is at 3,300 ft and Death Valley is below sea level, and even driving the speed limit you make the decent fairly quickly. There are ghost towns just south of Beatty off 374. Bring extra water, as you are in desolate territory.

Driving down to Jean, then out to Goodsprings and then over to Sandy Valley is an interesting trip, as are driving to St. George UT or Kingman AZ. It all depends how much desolate desert you want to drive through, punctuated by some amazing mountain roads, and occasional bodies of water. The whole area is interesting in different ways, but all the action and most good restaurants and hotels are in Las Vegas.

 

I took NC215 up to the Blue Ridge Parkway today only to see that it's still closed. Bummer but I gad a good drive anyway. Forgot to check my G-meter peak reading when I got home but I saw 1.1 something a couple of times on the HUD out of the corner of my eye.