Tentative plans for long multi-day drive back from LOG 43 in Austn TX.
Here is the information so far… Stay tuned for updates.
As I hope everyone is aware, next year's LOG (the national Lotus club's annual convention) will be held in Austin, Texas on Friday, September 27th through Sunday the 29th. Driving to Austin from Colorado is at least a two-day affair across some of the least scenic country in the Nation across northwest Texas. However, for those who may be considering attending the LOG, I am in the process of planning a trip back to Colorado that will include stopping at a number of National Parks in west Texas and southern New Mexico. See below for a tentative itinerary:
1. Depart the LOG hotel on the morning of Monday, 30 September and proceed on the most interesting/scenic roads through the Texas Hill Country to Fredericksburg, TX. It's only about 80 miles by the most direct route and arrive in time for lunch. In the afternoon people can visit the National Museum of the Pacific War (Fredericksburg was the hometown of Admiral Chester Nimitz who led US forces across the central Pacific during the war), or there are many other things to do in that area if that's not your cup of tea (several wine vineyards for example) or more driving on the back roads in the area.
2. Depart Fredericksburg on the morning of October 1st and drive to Big Bend National Park (approximately 400 miles). Make reservations at the only hotel in the park (Chisos Mountain Lodge) for two nights. I made reservations there on Sunday. The room rate was $200/night and can be cancelled up to 72 hours in advance although there is a non-refundable10% reservation fee. See http://www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/lodging.htm for info and a link to make room reservations. Apparently, the hotel fills up quickly for dates during the spring and fall when the temperature is more moderate. Even if you are not sure whether or not you want to go there, I highly recommend making reservation for the nights of October 1st and 2nd. At worst it will only cost you the reservation fee if you decide later not to go there. There are hotels outside of the park, but they are a good 60 or 70 miles outside of the park.
3. Leaving Big Bend on the morning of Thursday, October 3rd, we can discuss where to go next (or just head home), but we could drive to Guadalupe Mountains NP (there are no roads within the park so we can only stop at the Visitor Center) and then drive on to Carlsbad NM to spend the night. A total of about 280 miles from Big Bend. We could then tour the Carlsbad Caverns NP (http://www.nps.gov/cave/index.htm) on Oct 4th and stay a second night in Carlsbad, NM.
4. After that things get pretty "to be determined". We could leave Carlsbad on the morning of October 5th and drive on to White Sands NP (about 170 miles) and then stay that night in Alamogordo NM. OR start back towards home with a night in Santa Fe or Taos.
Finally, there is lots of time to discuss all this, but reservations at the hotel in Big Bend is the "long pole in the tent" for now. Make them now so we don't get shut out.
That's it for now. It's a long haul to LOG and then on this route back home, but we've done longer, but what's the point of owning a Lotus if you don't drive it? If you think you might be interested, please let me know so I can begin to refine the plan (hotels, restaurants, etc...etc...) based on the rough number of participants. If you have any questions or concerns, please drop me a note. I look forward to your comments/thoughts/suggestions.