hey guys,

i'm going to spend my holidays in california/nevada next year, 3 weeks in june (san francisco, LA, san diego, las vegas)

as a (olds) car guy....what do i need to see? any recommendations? any swap meets?

so excited...this is my first trip to the US. i'm afraid i fill my bags with too much car parts ...

thanks
kay

 

Pomona Swap Meet in early June http://www.pomonaswapmeet.com/event-...w-hours-dates/ also Google for swap meets in California during the dates you are going to be there. Same for Nevada.
Hope you have a great time here.
Jerry

 

Swap meets would be nice. Parts are pulled and set in front of you.

I used to live in central CA, Sacramento area. If you like boneyarding, maybe compose a list of 5 or 6 yards in the area, and see if you can do a whirlwind tour of them. There was one just north of Davis CA that was small but always a pleasant experience except the day the gnats were out. [tiny flies] Yards do change owners and policies from time to time. Maybe e-mail various yards and ask if customers can still go in, what the entry cost is [was a mere $1 or nothing when I was there long ago]. Make sure they are open the day you can go.

You might do a daily Craigslist check wherever you are, see if by chance your favorite things are suddenly available today. I found a guy parting a '68 442 in Sacramento one day, only thing left was the gages pack, cost a whopping $10.

I guess the Museum in Lansing is not within reach then?

Maybe grab a 70 Toro carb while you are here.

How much "luggage" can you take back?

 

I highly recommend the Pomona and Long Beach swap meets. Both have websites you can Google for dates. L.A. County Roadsters have their annual Father's Day show and swap meet at Pomona in June also. And the Petersen museum is always a good choice.

 

Rent a nice performance car and drive the Oregon coast. You will love it.

 

While that is a nice drive, it's quite a ways from the area where he will be (san francisco, LA, san diego, las vegas).

 

But PCH from L.A. to Monterey is really nice.

 

If your in the San Francisco area I highly recommend to drop in to see Height-Ashbury. Tune-in, turn-on, drop-out.

 

Oh hell yeah. What a long strange trip . . .
Went there two years ago first time. Good stop indeed.
I was 15 couldn't get to woodstock.

 

I agree that you should drive at least some of the Pacific Coast Highway. Monterey to SF is a spectacular stretch. And it'd be great if you had the time to visit Hearst Castle/San Simeon (just south of Mont). As for SF, watch your step...

 

Haha I did the same thing, when I travelled the east coast! I filled my luggage with car parts and even a kitchen aid for my girlfriend's mom!
My carry-on luggage weighed in at about 60 pounds :-D
Had a few problems at the check in in Philadelphia, but the guy believed me after a short drug check on the water pump! Well in London it was not that easy...

 

+1. Drove it almost 25 years ago in my old '71 Skylark convertible. Fantastic.

- Eric

 

Northern California is an amazing place (though I don't think I could bear to live there), and I would strongly recommend spending time there, but I would note that one calls it "the US" advisedly - the northern California coast is the US in about the same way that Monaco is Europe.

- Eric

 

Big Sur in Northern Cal is a must see. Once you get down to San Diego, check out the Pick Your Part junkyard in Chula Vista. If you find something, it will be rust free. For an overall view of all things cars in Southern Cal, check out this site: http://www.socalcarculture.com/

 

wow...really cool suggestions. thank you guys.

of course we're going to drive pacific highway ... i'm also thinking about adding a week to the trip vto visit memphis, nashville, knoxville area and flying back from atlanta

 

Maybe a little out of the way, but if you've never been to the Redwoods I'm make time for it. Here's an old thread of Rob's vacation pictures from several years ago. He can comment on where they were taken if you have questions.

John



https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...-vacation.html

 

The Redwoods and the coast in upper Northern California are a spectacular place to visit and nothing like anything you will see any other place (except the Oregon coast of course). My second choice would be the San Francisco to Carmel on hwy #1 its amazing also, stop by Pebble Beach while you are there. Wife and I have done both numerous times, top down in the 55 the whole way....Tedd

 

That would be a very long drive (from Cal), and a week would not give you a lot of time to see the sights. If you want to see the South East, I recommend you fly into the area and drive from there.

 

True, but a 3-day drive from coast to coast, or 24 hours from Dallas to NYC, both of which I have done, is one of the best ways available to truly understand how big the United States is.

- Eric

 

Peterson Museum in LA is great place to enjoy SOCAL car culture..

 

Don't try to do it all in one go!.
I've been taking vacations in the USA for about 20 years, and I've barely scratched the surface. You can't cram it all in at once.
I suggest you listen the advice from the California and Nevada residents here, and get on the web to see what else is going on. Make a manageable itinerary and pay attention to travel times. Just driving from LA to San Francisco is like driving from Hamburg to Stuttgart and will use up a day. Three weeks will go in a flash, trust me on this.
The airlines are getting strict on overweight luggage nowadays, in 2006 I went home with a complete aftermarket air con system and a pair of '59 Cadillac exhaust manifolds, but then you were allowed twice the luggage weight allowance you are now. I was over the excess baggage weight but they winked me through. I doubt anyone would be that lucky today.
Do your homework and make a plan, allow a day or so just to chill out/catch up with laundry/spend extra time at something you find of particular interest and you will have a great time.

Roger.

 

I have visited Las Vegas a few times and enjoyed a few things.

For car stuff, I would recommend visiting Shelby American. I went a few years ago when they were still out near Las Vegas Motor Speedway. They have since moved closer to "The Strip" (closer to all the big casinos). Looks like they are still offering free guided tours of their car collection. When I was there they had not only the Ford cars that Shelby was involved with but also the Mopars (GLH and GLHS) and even a Shelby Series 1 with the Oldsmobile Aurora V8. Not sure if they are doing shop tours at the new location.

If you are into mechanical stuff and history I would suggest visiting the Hoover Dam.

About 2 hours south-east of Las Vegas is Kingman, Arizona. Historic Route 66 passes through Kingman.

And of course there are all the casinos. Each one has a theme with related attractions.

Finally, if you are in Vegas on a Saturday morning visit the Cars and Coffee event. Lots of nice cars with a good mix of American classics, tuners/imports and exotic cars.

Hope this helps.

 

If your going to head east, I suggest traveling a bit on the old Rt66, the mother road. A lot of oddball things to see and a trip to Grand Canyon is a must.

 

Yup.
Williams is a great Route 66 town, and devote at least a whole day to the Grand Canyon. Dig into your wallet and take a helicopter ride. Expensive but worth every penny.
Next time we go there we will take a raft trip.

Roger.