Ron Fellows travel logistics
08-27-2018, 07:23 PM
#1
Moderator
Thread Starter
Ron Fellows travel logistics
I was thinking about booking a Corvette owners package today (for end of September). The first thing I discovered was that most of the rest of the year the condos are booked up by Michelin so you'd have to stay at the Holiday Inn a couple miles away. That was a bummer to hear. The other thing is I can't find any flights after 4:00 P.M. the last day so I'd have to stay another night and fly out in the morning. Did you guys have to stay 3 nights? You have to get there a day early, the event is two days so they pay for one night. Just wondering what everyone else did. You have to rent a car for transportation. Maybe I'll wait and do it in in Spring and flights will be better the last day. I have till July next year to use my discount.
08-27-2018, 08:31 PM
#2
Instructor
I attended a Monday-Tuesday class. My wife and I flew into Las Vegas early Saturday morning, rented a car, and went to Death Valley National Park. We stayed there Saturday night, toured the park some Sunday, then headed to Spring Mountain. We caught a redeye at 10:55 PM back to Wisconsin after class Tuesday. It was tiring, but Death Valley was worth it.
08-27-2018, 08:42 PM
#3
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I've gone twice, both times in summer months when they give you 2 nights stay in their condos. The 2 nights are the night before the first day and after day one. They toss in a few other little perks like free $50 comp in the gift shop and a memory card for recording the PDR. Give Darcy a call, she'll hook you up.
08-27-2018, 09:14 PM
#4
Advanced
My wife and I did the school the second week of July.
We flew in to Las Vegas on Sunday night, rented a car, and arrived at Spring Mountain about 11PM.
Breakfast was 5:30 Monday morning, plus we were experiencing the three hour time zone change. Sleep Sunday night seemed non-existent for us both.
Stayed at the condos at the track Sunday and Monday nights. We picked the dates while talking to Spring Mountain, with availability of the condos as a prime objective. We did not want to have to stay offsite in Pahrump.
We found a red-eye flight out of Vegas Tuesday night on Frontier. As you noted, flights after 5PM or 6PM were hard to find. That was the earliest I considered, since you have to factor in the hour drive to the airport, return rental car, and get thru security.
We flew in to Las Vegas on Sunday night, rented a car, and arrived at Spring Mountain about 11PM.
Breakfast was 5:30 Monday morning, plus we were experiencing the three hour time zone change. Sleep Sunday night seemed non-existent for us both.
Stayed at the condos at the track Sunday and Monday nights. We picked the dates while talking to Spring Mountain, with availability of the condos as a prime objective. We did not want to have to stay offsite in Pahrump.
We found a red-eye flight out of Vegas Tuesday night on Frontier. As you noted, flights after 5PM or 6PM were hard to find. That was the earliest I considered, since you have to factor in the hour drive to the airport, return rental car, and get thru security.
08-27-2018, 09:42 PM
#5
Burning Brakes
Flying in and out is all about where you start from...That said, I had to get back to Savannah so flew from Vegas to ATL to SAV the morning after. Stayed in Vegas after the school ended. Crack of dawn.
I had only one night in the condos...I drove out from Vegas the morning of. Crack of dawn. Easy drive.
I had only one night in the condos...I drove out from Vegas the morning of. Crack of dawn. Easy drive.
08-27-2018, 09:51 PM
#6
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If you are looking for a cheap place for that extra night, check out the Rio in Las Vegas. It gets you back to Vegas (not far off the strip if you are so inclined), closer to the airport, and when I went back in early May, it was ~$60/night, even after taxes, for a really nice room.
For me, I flew in the day before the class, played around in Vegas a little before driving out to SM. Stayed in the SM condos the night before the class, and the next night. After the second day of class ended, I headed back to Vegas, and spent another full day and add'l night playing cruising and playing around Vegas before heading home.
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For me, I flew in the day before the class, played around in Vegas a little before driving out to SM. Stayed in the SM condos the night before the class, and the next night. After the second day of class ended, I headed back to Vegas, and spent another full day and add'l night playing cruising and playing around Vegas before heading home.
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Last edited by DWS44; 08-27-2018 at 09:55 PM.
08-27-2018, 09:57 PM
#7
Melting Slicks
Stay at least three nights, you will need the time to relax before the classes and track time to focus. The Corvette Owners School will not disappoint you, but you need to be ready for a time of your life!!
08-27-2018, 10:09 PM
#8
Advanced
Just a guess but, if you are willing to wait, Late February or early March might be a good time. Convention season is mostly over and the pools haven't opened yet so the summer crowd hasn't showed up yet.
08-28-2018, 12:19 AM
#10
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I was thinking about booking a Corvette owners package today (for end of September). The first thing I discovered was that most of the rest of the year the condos are booked up by Michelin so you'd have to stay at the Holiday Inn a couple miles away. That was a bummer to hear. The other thing is I can't find any flights after 4:00 P.M. the last day so I'd have to stay another night and fly out in the morning. Did you guys have to stay 3 nights? You have to get there a day early, the event is two days so they pay for one night. Just wondering what everyone else did. You have to rent a car for transportation. Maybe I'll wait and do it in in Spring and flights will be better the last day. I have till July next year to use my discount.
08-28-2018, 12:42 AM
#11
Le Mans Master
I was thinking about booking a Corvette owners package today (for end of September). The first thing I discovered was that most of the rest of the year the condos are booked up by Michelin so you'd have to stay at the Holiday Inn a couple miles away. That was a bummer to hear. The other thing is I can't find any flights after 4:00 P.M. the last day so I'd have to stay another night and fly out in the morning. Did you guys have to stay 3 nights? You have to get there a day early, the event is two days so they pay for one night. Just wondering what everyone else did. You have to rent a car for transportation. Maybe I'll wait and do it in in Spring and flights will be better the last day. I have till July next year to use my discount.
08-28-2018, 08:10 AM
#12
Instructor
I was thinking about booking a Corvette owners package today (for end of September). The first thing I discovered was that most of the rest of the year the condos are booked up by Michelin so you'd have to stay at the Holiday Inn a couple miles away. That was a bummer to hear. The other thing is I can't find any flights after 4:00 P.M. the last day so I'd have to stay another night and fly out in the morning. Did you guys have to stay 3 nights? You have to get there a day early, the event is two days so they pay for one night. Just wondering what everyone else did. You have to rent a car for transportation. Maybe I'll wait and do it in in Spring and flights will be better the last day. I have till July next year to use my discount.
08-28-2018, 10:07 AM
#13
Flew in Sunday from Boston, landed around 1:00pm. Picked up a 2018 Mustang GT from Hertz, attached my radar detector and drove north on Rt15 until I got to Valley of Fire Hwy. Drove through VoF State Park to Rt 167 near Lake Mead and then back to Las Vegas and then Pahrump. Epic spirited drive, almost as fun as Spring Mountain! Stayed 2 nights at Spring Mtn. I was in the same boat with no flights after 4:00pm so stayed in Vegas Tues night. Funny but after track driving for two days I didn't even care to beat on the Mustang on the way back to Vegas.
08-28-2018, 01:42 PM
#14
Intermediate
I had a Fri/Sat class. We flew out BTV/DTW/LAS on Thursday, rented a Hertz car, and drove out arriving at Spring Mountain ~7:30pm. With the early 5:45am breakfast, we pretty much stayed on EDTime all the while... The included meals at SM, 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches and Fri dinner, were great. We chose to stay at SM for Fri dinner and chat with some of the other classmates, rather than go somewhere off site... Sat after class, we drove to the Residence Inn LAS for Sat night, literally 5 minutes from the rental car drop (hotel shuttle to LAS doesn’t run till 7:00am), as we had 6:20am flight Sun morning. There is a great restaurant, Bootlegger Italian Bistro, a 7 to 10 min walk away from the hotel. It was hot! 106F. I about burned my hand when I grabbed the heavy bronze door pull at the restaurant. When we left the hotel for LAS ~4:00am, it was still 90F. Staying on EDT worked for us, 4:00 PDT is 7:00 EDT, not getting up early at all!
08-28-2018, 02:05 PM
#16
Instructor
If you can, make a trip of it. Being from the east coast, just going for the 2 days at SM would be tough. My wife and I took 9 days and spent time in Vegas, and then went to the Grand Canyon, stopping by the Hoover Dam on the way. Had a great time at each place!
08-28-2018, 06:39 PM
#17
Moderator
Thread Starter
Hey thanks for all the great ideas!!! I decided to go next year like Jan/Feb/Mar. I just can't stay at a Holiday Inn. Why not wait and do it right? Right? Besides my birthday is in March so that might be a perfect present to myself. I did speak with Donna at SM and she was a total sweet heart. Emailed me some good info. I'm looking forward to this.
08-29-2018, 01:42 AM
#18
Le Mans Master
Hey thanks for all the great ideas!!! I decided to go next year like Jan/Feb/Mar. I just can't stay at a Holiday Inn. Why not wait and do it right? Right? Besides my birthday is in March so that might be a perfect present to myself. I did speak with Donna at SM and she was a total sweet heart. Emailed me some good info. I'm looking forward to this.
08-29-2018, 04:35 AM
#19
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Hey thanks for all the great ideas!!! I decided to go next year like Jan/Feb/Mar. I just can't stay at a Holiday Inn. Why not wait and do it right? Right? Besides my birthday is in March so that might be a perfect present to myself. I did speak with Donna at SM and she was a total sweet heart. Emailed me some good info. I'm looking forward to this.
09-21-2018, 05:40 PM
#20
Advanced
Hey thanks for all the great ideas!!! I decided to go next year like Jan/Feb/Mar. I just can't stay at a Holiday Inn. Why not wait and do it right? Right? Besides my birthday is in March so that might be a perfect present to myself. I did speak with Donna at SM and she was a total sweet heart. Emailed me some good info. I'm looking forward to this.
