[MerpsMom]

We just returned from a round-trip to Granby, Colorado. Our van had about 700 miles on it before we started out. Overall, we were extremely pleased with the gas mileage which averaged about 24.50 per gallon, as well as with the handling on the Rocky Mountain National Park roads, some of them seemingly straight-the-heck up. (You haven't been thrilled until you've traversed the Fall River Road from Estes Park. Don't do it if you're acrophobic.) But most of all, we loved the comfort. Going out, we transported four adults, six golf bags, huge duffels, bags of stuff galore, etc., so we dropped the seat into the well. Once there, we shed the cargo, popped up the seat, and had plenty of room for the additional two adults on that perilous journey to 12,000 feet.

Now, if they could just have provided a MUCH better sound system.

Boy, do I hate to spend money on that when they should have seen to it first. And a compass/temp mirror. Really wish I'd had that. But otherwise, we loved the car and its ride, and are--nuts cases that we are--returning for a reprise in September. God willing, there'll be no snow on Berthoud Pass.

 

[twinmomma]

Merps - I grew up in Denver and traveled the mtns quite a bit with my family. Have you ever traveled Oh-My-God-Road? No, I'm not swearing, the name says it all. When you're on that road, you think you're going to meet your maker! I don't think I feel brave enough for that trip again! We're headed for a monster trip next year Idaho-Denver-California.

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-'01 MB EX
-Honda cassette
-plenty of Scotchguard!

 

[MerpsMom]

TM, if Fall River Road made me shrink four sizes into myself, there's no way I'd do Oh-My-God--unless I was doing the driving. That old control thing. BTW, just where is Oh-My-God?

 

[nemogira]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by twinmomma:
We're headed for a monster trip next year Idaho-Denver-California.

</font>

Will this be sometime around Summer of 2002? Maybe you could make it to the 2002 All-Cali meet. Just a thought.

-Nestor



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2000 CCS EX-NAVI

 

[twinmomma]

Did some surfing, found the official name is Hwy. 279, but have even seen maps with the other name on it. It is just outside of Central City, running south to Idaho Springs. I found this article on the web. It is a biker's view (Goldwing) of the road. Ody material? You decide. LOL Once was more than enough for me!http://www.enteract.com/~blarney/news02.htm



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-'01 MB EX
-Honda cassette
-plenty of Scotchguard!

 

[twinmomma]

http://www.enteract.com/~blarney/news02.htm

sorry, I'm not sure why this does not form a link.

 

[zihl2020]

That road sounds a lot like the one up to Pike's Peak. We went up there in a cheesy rental car and things were great until we left the nice asphalt and got on to the gravel. The steep switchbacks, loose roadbed and precipitous drops were a new thing for this Texas Gulf Coast resident.

When we got to the top one of the workers said that guardrails and asphalt are just not an option up there. After one good winter they apparently could go up and find no asphalt and no guardrails remaining. Pretty unforgiving. The view was tremendous, and there is nothing like sitting near the edge and staring out at the clouds below you.

Was Fall River Road gravel-topped? We're going to be driving the Ody from Houston to Greely, CO, and I wanted to visit RM National Park. I'm not sure how much gravel I want to subject my month-old Ody to...

 

[twinmomma]

We went to the Springs for our honeymoon and up to Pikes Peak, and I remember the road well. At the end of July they had to bring up a snow plow to get us down.

Nemo- is there a date set for this CA Ody Owners meeting?

------------------
-'01 MB EX
-Honda cassette
-plenty of Scotchguard!

 

[nemogira]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by twinmomma:
Nemo- is there a date set for this CA Ody Owners meeting?

</font>

It's all up in the air right now. Best guess is sometime around Summer of 2002. Why, do you have a prefered date or place?

-Nestor

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2000 CCS EX-NAVI

 

[twinmomma]

We'll be in Santa Maria and Orange County, but probably in the spring or very early summer. My hubby's job keeps him busy most of the summer. The chances of us coordinating vacation around it are very slim, but I will still keep looking for date and location info in case it works out!

 

[MerpsMom]

Funny you should mention the gravel road issue: my husband didn't like the idea of taking the brand-new-one on the bad roads, but he lost the argument. Fall River Road has some gravel, some dirt. It's the dirt in the rain that's the problem: because the switchbacks are so severe, huge valleys develop where too many tires have been. This leaves a gigantic hump between the ruts. You must then drive on the hump and the outside of a rut. Fun. But the scenery's beautiful, if you are not all shrunk in hiding under the front seat.

 

[zihl2020]

Merps-

Thanks for the heads-up on the road conditions. We'll be in Greely for a week, so hopefully we can find a time when things are relatively dry.

 

[nemogira]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by twinmomma:
We'll be in Santa Maria and Orange County, but probably in the spring or very early summer. My hubby's job keeps him busy most of the summer. The chances of us coordinating vacation around it are very slim, but I will still keep looking for date and location info in case it works out!</font>

Well the meet date is pretty flexible right now. Hopefully we could work it around your schedule so you all could make it down here. I want to meet as much Odyclub members as I can!

-Nestor

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2000 CCS EX-NAVI