Montana Spring drive 2013

[mtrocket]

Another option:
How about coming to Montana for a Spring Drive in 2013. We have some fantasic sights (Yellowstone National Park, for one) and some GREAT roads (Beartooth Highway, Chief Joseph Highway)...
Anyone interested???

Attendee list:
1. Mr & Mrs Mtrocket (Rod & Cindy)
2. Madmac & Thirsty 1 (Brian & June)
3. Professor (Henry)
4. Tiffany's Dad & Missy Bling (Marc & Kris)
5. Busaman (Tim)
6. ChicagoDave (Dave)
7. First Robin (Robert)
8. JohnWB (John & Merilee)
9. Patrickv2221 (Patrick & Janet)
10. IndyXLRVGuy (George)
11. Jetboy (Kent)
12. Kindovaz (Don & Jackie)
13. Firstone (Larry)
14. Graytoad (Sandy & Steve Gray)
15. Popbigguy (Chad & Rogene)
16. Silverstreak (Jim & Sharon)

Itinerary:
The actual days in Montana will be June 9-15. My itinerary as of now is for everyone to be in Billings by the afternoon/evening of June 9. We are planning a welcome reception at our house that evening. The week will look like this:
June 10-11: Travel to Yellowstone National Park, entering at Gardiner, MT, coming out at West Yellowstone, MT, spending two night at Bucks T-4 Lodge in Big Sky. Large luggage may be left at our house during this trip so we can travel top-down. I figure that small bags can be packed on the evening of June 9 for that night at a Billings hotel, then taken on the Yellowstone trip for two nights.
June 12: Travel back to Billings - lunch in Bozeman. Billings to be used as a base for day trips the rest of the week.
June 13: Day trip to Custer Battlefield (50 miles away) and Pompeys Pillar (80 miles from Custer Battlefield to Pompeys Pillar then on 30 miles back to Billings) (light day of traveling). Itinerary addition: 5-8PM... XLR car show at Yellowstone Cellars Winery, Billings
June 14: Day trip over Beartooth Highway, lunch in Cooke City, back to Billings by way of Chief Joseph Highway. Round trip around 280 miles.
June 15: Day trip over Burgess Junction - Wyoming Highway 14A - coming out at Ranchester, Wyo and continuing home to Billings on Interstate 90. Those that care to continue to their homes from Ranchester, since they will already be 2 hours out of Billings, will have to take their luggage with them and travel top up on this trip.
June 16: travel home.

Hotel info:

June 9, 12-15:
The Big Horn Resort
1801 Majestic Lane
Billings, MT 59102
1-877-995-8999
www.thebighornresort.com

Ask for the "Cadillac XLR Group" rate
$99/night + tax, full hot breakfast included.
--------------------------------------------------------------
June 10-11:
Bucks T-4 Lodge
Big Sky. MT
1-800-822-4484
www.buckst4.com

Ask for the "Cadillac XLR Driveup" rate
$99/night + tax, full hot breakfast included.
Right now is their off season; office hours for reservations are Monday-Thursday 10AM-6PM.

 

[BusaMan]

Closer = Better

I'd sure be a lot more interested, given that it's much more "geographical desirable" for those of us who live out west. Suggest you add Glacier to your list of places to see.

Great thought!

Tim

Another option:
How about coming to Montana for a Spring Drive in 2013. We have some fantasic sights (Yellowstone National Park, for one) and some GREAT roads (Beartooth Highway, Chief Joseph Highway)...
Anyone interested????

 

[graytoad]

Sounds good to me too, all depending on the timing and if I can make it. For me it would be a 2 day drive out and 2 day drive back! Sounds like it would be fun to organize and eastern group ride to get there together if there are others from this way attending!

 

[sschooley]

Another option:
How about coming to Montana for a Spring Drive in 2013.
Anyone interested????

Don't think I have ever been there. If so it was an accident....
I would hate to miss the opportunity.

Steve

 

[ChicagoDave]

Another option:
How about coming to Montana for a Spring Drive in 2013.
Anyone interested????

I'd consider following a line of XLR's from the midwest area - out to Montana. I'd love to take a drive through that beautiful part of the country.

 

[Cadillac Tech]

Another option:
How about coming to Montana for a Spring Drive in 2013. We have some fantasic sights (Yellowstone National Park, for one) and some GREAT roads (Beartooth Highway, Chief Joseph Highway)...
Anyone interested????

What dates are you thinking about for the event?

 

[Tiffany's Dad]

Haven't been to Montana since 1973 when i was in the NAVY.(that was for Schooley) Drove up with a shipmate from San Diego to take his jeep home before heading back to Vietnam. He lived in Whitefish. Loved it back then but would sure appreciate it alot more now.

 

[mtrocket]

What dates are you thinking about for the event?

I'm thinking either the second week in June, 2013 or the second week in July, 2013. This year the Beartooth Pass didn't open for the season until late the first week in June. It usually opens Memorial weekend, but we had a late snow which hampered the highway clearing. Whichever works best would be great!!!!

 

[BusaMan]

I love the prospects for this drive.

I went through Glacier one year on the July 4th weekend, and it was snowing at the top. Montana weather is impossible to predict, methinks. This drive may be what it takes to get me off my duff and install a rear anti-sway bar, just to keep up.

Tim

I'm thinking either the second week in June, 2013 or the second week in July, 2013. This year the Beartooth Pass didn't open for the season until late the first week in June. It usually opens Memorial weekend, but we had a late snow which hampered the highway clearing. Whichever works best would be great!!!!

 

[Hatty]

Sounds interesting...

 

[mtrocket]

I love the prospects for this drive.

I went through Glacier one year on the July 4th weekend, and it was snowing at the top. Montana weather is impossible to predict, methinks. This drive may be what it takes to get me off my duff and install a rear anti-sway bar, just to keep up.

Tim

The probelm with Glacier is that it is about 7 or so hours one way from Billings, and accommodations are very hard to get unless they are booked about a year ahead. Yellowstone is only about and hour & a half away which makes it very reachable for a day drive, granted a long day drive to go through the park, but a day drive all the same.

 

[BusaMan]

Glacier

I've driven the "Going to the Sun" road twice now, but I've always done it west-to-east; i.e., climbing. That puts you on the outside, and gives you the breath-taking views of the valley, just over the edge. There's no lead-footing that drive, 'cuz it's full of "flat-landers", RVs and tour buses. It's been several years since I've been there, but I recall a couple of places that, were one to lose it and go over the edge, you'd possibly die of hunger before you hit the bottom. Still, it's a drive that you'll never forget. I'd suggest you try to do it on the way TO Billings.

I wasn't suggesting that we could include Glacier for the group on this "go-round". I agree w/ MT: it's way too far for starting off in Billings, and there are some super roads between Yellowstone and Billings that I'm confident MT already has scoped out. I only intended to point out that the weather in the mountains can vary wildly, so pack a "just in case" bag.

Hmmm... Now to get busy looking into the anti-sway bar installation...

Tim

Tim, I have wanted to drive the "Going to the Sun " road for years, and this spring trip may allow me that opportunity to do it on the way home. If it works out perhaps we can do Glacier together.

 

[Popbigguy]

The probelm with Glacier is that it is about 7 or so hours one way from Billings.

Maybe, make it a "traveling" vacation. If these places are so far apart, we could go to each place, stay a day, sight see, travel a day to the next place. Maybe in a six to seven day vacation we'd stay in three or maybe four different locations. For example, if a lot of us were going west, we could meet up and start say,,,, Mt Rushmore and keep going west.

Just a thought,,,, But I've never been to Montana, Wyoming, or S Dakota. I'd like to see these states!

Chad

 

[CoCoXLR]

Montana is one of my most favorite states for a great drive. That I90 through Montana is the closest thing we have to the Autobahn, here in the states. Just keep the speed to two digits, and you're good to go!

 

[JohnWB]

This might be a longer trip than I was thinking of for next year. However, Merilee and I will keep an open mind. One never knows how things might work out next year. It certainly sounds like a very interesting trip and is in a part of the country I probably wouldn't think of going to on my own.

John

 

[mtrocket]

bump

 

[professor]

Sounds interesting...

Dave, I was thinking the same thing. Sounds interesting. A little far from Florida but I have been known to do the impossible!
Henry (Professor)

 

[mtrocket]

Dave, I was thinking the same thing. Sounds interesting. A little far from Florida but I have been known to do the impossible!
Henry (Professor)

Hey Henry... from what I've heard, with you in the pilot seat nothing is impossible!!!

 

[professor]

Thanks Rod.

Hey Henry... from what I've heard, with you in the pilot seat nothing is impossible!!!

Thanks Rod for the kind words. I won't promise yet, but I will try to be a part of your "Montana spring drive". So far my XLR is doing fine and will probably be pushing close to 300,000 miles by then! Nearly 267,000 right now. Will stay in touch when it gets closer to time. It has been about 40 years since I last explored Montana!
Henry (professor)

 

[mtrocket]

Thanks Rod for the kind words. I won't promise yet, but I will try to be a part of your "Montana spring drive". So far my XLR is doing fine and will probably be pushing close to 300,000 miles by then! Nearly 267,000 right now. Will stay in touch when it gets closer to time. It has been about 40 years since I last explored Montana!
Henry (professor)

Would be GREAT if you could make it... haven't seen you since San Antonio!!!