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Small Group of BAMA members managed a weekend away during this crazy year...

BAMA FORT BRAGG WEEKEND AWAY 2020
August 28-30 Leader: Rollo Dowling

​12 BAMA folks participated with 8 shiny MX-5’s. We had two new members, Martin Boersma and Trent Eves, and enjoyed their company. The route to the coast was modified from the original plan to avoid areas significantly impacted by the current forest fires. The air quality and visibility were good, and the weather was pleasantly mild.

​The restaurants and attractions were very accommodating, had outdoor seating and service, clean bathrooms, and all followed the CDC guidelines, as did we as a group. Dinner on Saturday at Silver’s at the Wharf was as close to normal as we could get, good food, and in a beautiful outdoor setting on the second floor, overlooking the end of Noyo Harbor!

​There were several highlights on the run. We all toured the Mendocino Botanical Gardens, a totally amazing and very well kept place, with many acres of trails, including some with cliff overhangs at the Pacific Ocean! After lunch, several of us, in small groups, toured the northern coastal highway for 12-25 miles. A beautiful ride overlooking the ocean breakers, farm and ranch lands, all on some of the very best maintained Miata-style windy and hilly roadway!

Glass Beach Inn hosted 10 from our group, and they provided excellent accommodations and recommendations, acting as our home base for activities.

The other two members stayed close by in an air B&B and Country Inn, also rating well.

​Before leaving for home on Sunday morning, many of us took a walk down the street to Roundman’s Smoke House, where we purchased some smoked meats for ourselves, and smoked bones for our dogs.

Detailed Trip Itinerary:
BAMA FORT BRAGG WEEKEND AWAY, CDC COVID 19 Guidelines apply at all times!
August 28-30, 2020. LEADER: Rollo Dowling

Friday
11:30 AM Meet at Railroad Station Bar and Grill, 114 Railroad Ave, Cloverdale, CA
12:30 PM Drive meeting, introductions, Club and CDC guidelines, sign-in document.
12:45 PM Leave for Fort Bragg.
1:00 PM Meet up with Martin Boersma Hwy 101 x Hwy 175 (Hopland, CA, 15 miles)
2:45 PM Arrive Glass Beach Inn, 726 N. Main St., Ft Bragg (or where you are staying) (71 miles). Check in, refuel, rest, or tour on your own.
6:00 PM Meet at Glass Beach Inn parking lot, facing the street.
6:10 PM Leave for dinner at Caspar Pub House, 14957 Caspar Rd, Caspar, CA
(6 miles south of Ft. Bragg)

Saturday
8:00-9:30 AM Breakfast.
9:30 AM All meet at Glass Beach Inn to go to Mendocino Botanical Gardens in Ft Bragg. Reservations (on-line, www.gardenbythesea.org) are required, limited tickets left. Opens at 10 AM. 18220 CA-1, Ft. Bragg, CA.
12:30 PM Leave for Jenny’s Giant Burgers, 940 N. Main St., Ft. Bragg, CA.
1:30 PM Independent touring, see suggestions.
6:30 PM Leave Glass Beach Inn for dinner. Silver’s at the Wharf, 32260 N. Harbor Drive, Ft. Bragg, CA. Sunset dining, of course. The rest of the evening is open; if there’s adequate space at the Inn at the breakfast area, some may choose to visit using CDC guidelines.

Sunday
8:00-9:45 AM Breakfast
10:00 AM Line up our special cars next to Glass Beach Inn. Closing meeting.
10:15 AM Depart for home. Those wishing to head back together toward the bay area may do so. Head south on CA-1 (Main Street) to CA-128 (23 miles). Take CA-128 to Hamburger Ranch and BBQ, 31195 N. Redwood Hwy, Cloverdale (75 miles).
12:00 Arrive. Enjoy the brisket, etc. End of event. CA-101 South is really close, head north on Redwood Hwy for a couple shifts, then veer to the right at the sign!
Have a safe and beautiful trip home.

Suggested places to tour or explore in or near Ft. Bragg:
Glass Beach (it’s a real place)
Skunk Train (call for information, times, costs)
Pacific Star Winer (north of town about 12 miles)
Cowlicks’s Handmade Ice Cream
Noyo River Harbor
The Brewery Tap Room
Ricochet Ridge Ranch (reservations required)
Pudding Creek Beach
Guest House Museum
And, a variety of small stores of every interest.
Marijuana stores are closed. Sorry.

Temporary Suspension of Club Activities due to Covid-19

I know everybody already knows the extent to which there is concern over the spreading of the Covid-19 virus. 

Even though driving 2 seat cars, this limits our exposure, the board believes that it is best to be cautious and suspend official club activities for 30 days, we will then review the situation and inform the members of when we hope to resume drives.

As 30 days brings us close to the 30th Anniversary Picnic, we think it is best to reschedule that event and hopefully we can arrange a drive for that date and re-visit the picnic later in the year. (please think about how we can make the re-scheduled event even better, we need volunteers to offer ideas and help with the planning, please reach out on Slack with your comments).

I really hope this is a very short term curtailment to our active club events and you understand our decision to suspend activities.

Reno / Tahoe Weekend

On Friday a small but mighty group departed from Livermore and twisted pass the windmills to have lunch at Waterloo Restaurant in Stockton where steak and pesto are the specialty.

On Friday a small but mighty group departed from Livermore and twisted pass the windmills to have lunch at Waterloo Restaurant in Stockton where steak and pesto are the specialty.


After lunch we enjoyed a drive up to Tahoe via Hwy 88 through the beautiful forests of the Sierras.

Friday night a few people enjoyed a Duran Duran concert in South Lake while the others enjoyed dinner and games of chance in Reno at our home base hotel the Silver Legacy.


Saturday morning was a leisurely drive from Reno, over Mount Rose and back down to Lake Tahoe. It a warm, clear, wonderful day to drive the perimeter of the lake. We enjoyed lunch at a Tap Room and continued around the lake with stops to enjoy the grand views.
Saturday night we strolled to Reno's River Walk and had a delicious dinner on the patio over looking the Trukee River.

Sunday morning we traveled back in time at the American Automobile Museum in Reno and admired 200 or so cars from the 1800s to the 1970s that were part of Mr Harras (of Harras Casino/Hotels) personal collection.
After the museum we filled our tummy's with from local Cantina before we headed back to the Bay Area via Hwy's 395 & 50.

Harris Ranch

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We had 13 people with iron backsides face the 300 mile drive. 

After a fuel up of the Miatas and ourselves in Gilroy we headed east on Hwy 152 past the Garlic processing plant.

After a couple turns we dropped into Hollister via San Felipe Road to Hwy 25. We had a quick but needed nature stop at the Paicinas County Store where a few of us purchased some delicious homemade Tomatillo hot sauce.

From there we continued south on Hwy 25 past the Pinacles National Park and then took a left at Hwy 198. 

Both of these highways provided beautiful views, a rather large snake in the road, and great twisty curves without traffic.

We rolled through down town Collinga and could start to smell something slightly offensive at first. But then realized Mr. Harris of Harris Ranch would say that the odor we found foul smelled like money to him because it was the stock yards of Harris Ranch and our lunch destination. 

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Luckily the restaurant was not down wind of the yards, instead we our olfactory sensors were welcomed with Tri-tip BBQ’ing over a wood fire.  Needless so say, we enjoyed our carnivorous lunch at Harris Ranch.  After stuffing ourselves we waddled back to the Miatas and began our journey home.

Back through Collinga and west on Hwy 198. This time we passed by Hwy 25 and continued on 198 into King City for a nature & beverage stop. From King City we meandered along the east and west foothills of the Salinas Valley until we reached Aromas and Hwy 101. Then it was back to reality, goodby to the twisty good times, and a pillow of ice for our backsides.

Roll-on iron butts, roll-on.

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Annual Picnic

BAMA members and friends gathered for our annual picnic on Saturday, April 27, 2019 at Huddart Park, Woodside, CA.

Thirty-five (35) attendees signed up for the picnic with 19 cars for the “Show and Shine” event. 

Attendees were asked to bring a dish to share (chips, dips, veggies, salad, main/side/dessert or cakes) and items they wished to grill on the BBQ.  We had sodas, water and other drinks to share as well.

This year is the 30thanniversary of the Miata, so the trees were adorned with spinners, streamers and gold and black 30’s. A few attendees played a corn hole game while others traded stories about their cars, various drives and adventures while feasting on shared picnic delights.

We welcomed three new members, one couple signing up the night before the picnic!  The weather cooperated this year, it was warm and the sky was a beautiful blue.  

This year’s BAMA 2019 Miata ‘Show and Shine’ car show was judged by votes from those attending the event.

All took the opportunity to show off their Miata, at its best, with various categories offering chances to win trophies for Best in Show, Best Unmodified, Best Modified, Best NA, Best NB, Best NC and Best RF. Photos of the winners are attached to this article. 

We were treated to Egg-stra special goodies donated by Mazda thanks to our BAMA President, Gary and our Event Coordinator, Wendy, for contacting them. All were delighted with the SWAG and it is all truly appreciated. 

Scott was the winner of the “Guess the number of candies in the jar” contest. He won the jar of candy (Hershey kisses) and special Mazda donated goodie bag full of Mazda SWAG.  

Special thanks to Joy R. for ordering the trophies for the Show and Shine.  Thanks to Wendy, our event coordinator, for another special event. Thanks to Paula G. for coming early to help set up and bringing the table covers and BBQ paraphernalia. 

Thanks to all who attended and provided fellowship, food, delightful conversation and having a really great time.  

Best NA, Best Unmodified

Best NB

Best NC

Best ND

Best RF

Best Modified

Best of Show

 

North Bay Coastal Drive

We met at Pacifica Safeway parking lot on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. to socialize and give pre-drive briefing. Club President Gary Allen spoke about the rules of the road and Gorkem who was leading the drive provided details about the route and meet up points if the group got separated.

We left Safeway with the total of 16 Miatas and started driving to our first meet-up point in ocean beach. We hit traffic in Pacifica due to a pole being down which took a bit of a time to clear out. We took couple of pictures, enjoyed the beach scenery and started driving to Panaromic Hwy in Marin county.

We drove across Golden Gate bridge, through Mill Valley, past Stinson beach and continued driving on Hwy 1. After about an hour we met at Nicks Cove for lunch.

Phil’s Fish Market at Moss Landing Drive

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The very popular Phil’s Fish Market at Moss Landing drive, which had to be rescheduled due to inclement weather, began at Starbucks early Saturday morning. Fifteen cars arrived, including three new members who were welcomed to their first BAMA drive.

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It was a clear, sunny, cool morning and we headed out around 9:30 am to Phil’s Fish Market and Eatery at Moss Landing. Matt, our lead driver, took us on a twisty, turning Soquel road which delighted all the drivers. The extra potholes and debris alongside the road were clear indications that there had been rain storms in the area. 

First stop was Phil’s Fish Market. The weather warmed enough for us to sit outside at the picnic tables and enjoy our delicious lunch and get to know our new members.

From Phil’s we drove to Succulent Gardens in Castroville where we found a large green house filled with beautiful succulent plants. Some of us bought plants to add to our home gardens and promised to return for more.

We then drove to Gizdich Ranch in Watsonville and introduced our new members to the Ranch’s fabulous pies. We enjoyed apple, dutch apple, berry & strawberry rhubarb, ala mode optional. 

Our bellies full of really good food and happy the weather cooperated providing us some sunshine, we headed to our homes. And, yes, most of us carrying additional Gizdich pies.

We drove on to Uvas Reservoir to check out the height of the water after all the recent rains. 

Annual Meeting at OakTree Mazda

BAMA held its annual meeting with a full house of attendees and welcomed the new BAMA board of directors for 2019 on Sunday, January 20.

The agenda covered exciting plans for new drives and some overnight trips to be coordinated by our event committee. New ideas were proposed for recruiting new drive leaders and providing them with planning support. Be sure to check the event calendar on the website and look for notifications on the BAMA Facebook page for scheduled events.

We want to give a big-shout out to the generous hospitality of OakTree Mazda for making their conference room available to us and for providing tasty sandwiches for lunch. Thanks to Gary and Wendy for bringing coffee and breakfast treats.

Left to right: Kirk, Paula, Gorkem, Susan, Gary

The election results for the BAMA board of directors were confirmed and the board of directors for 2019 are:

Elected Board

  • President: Gary Allen

  • Vice President: Kirk Wilson

  • Treasurer: Gorkem Cakir

  • Membership Coordinator: Susan Bean

  • Recording Secretary: Paula Glen

Appointments

  • Media Coordinator: Steve Bean

  • Event Coordinator: Wendy Allen

  • Event Committee Advisors: Walt Lightfoot, Rollo Dowling, Paula Glen

  • Hospitality Coordinators: Ed and Rosa Aguilera

Thanks to those of you who voted in this election. Your participation in the club is valuable.

Polar Bear Run

It's the First of January, so time to continue the "tradition" that was started last year... take the Miata's out for a top-down run to begin the year.

We met at woodside, there was quite a few polar bear's in attendance... then we headed off towards our first stop at La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve, it was nice and clear but quite a fresh breeze bringing the temperature down.

After a quick stop for photos and to use the restroom, we continued on to San Gregorio general store.

The next stop was at Camerons Pub in Half Moon Bay for lunch, we got split up as there was an accident in the other direction which happened right in front of some of our members. Luckily none of our members were involved but a couple did have to make evasive maneuvers to avoid being caught up into the accident. Several members stayed at the scene of the accident until emergency services arrived.

This served as a reminder that we are all vulnerable, especially when you are in a convertible and a pickup is heading towards you having been hit from behind. 

After this incident, we regrouped at Camerons and had lunch, before heading off home.

Drive Leader: Gary

Christmas Luncheon & Poinsettia Drive

The Bay Area Miata Association members, almost 40, had a marvelous luncheon at the Livermore Campo di Bocce Restaurant on December 9, 2018. 

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We feasted on delicious fresh salads, pasta dishes and to top it off a plate of wonderful desserts to include Tiramasu, New York Cheesecake, cannoli, flourless chocolate torte, etc. 

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Many thanks to Rollo & Penny for the party favor snowflakes, and to Shirley for her creative peanut butter cup Christmas trees.  

Shirley directed the raffle, we had many happy winners of some really creative, generous prizes.

Special thanks to Penny who made two “Cars” blankets this year for the raffle. Thank you to Mike, Shirley, Laurette, Joy, and all who helped with this year’s delightful Christmas party. 

After the party, eight of us braved the Livermore fog and drove to Duarte’s Poinsettia Nursery. We all filled our Miata trunks, best we could, with lovely Poinsettias and cyclamens.  Thank you Mike for leading this drive.

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Happy Holidays!  

 

 

 

 

Delta Drive

A group of old and new BAMA friends gathered early on a Saturday morning in Pleasanton for a day of backroad adventures on California’s scenic highways and byways. A total of 21 Miatas and 30+ people joined in on the fun-paced journey. We got started with conversations and coffee at Starbucks while welcoming new members and catching up with longtime friends. We were delighted to see serveral established members participate in the day’s drive. Gary (VP) presided over the driver’s meeting reminding everyone of the rules of the road, no speeding, arms up when spotting a bicyclist, lights on, and how to follow the leader and sweep car when pulling out onto the road after a regroup stop.  Matt and David the first time leaders of a BAMA drive gave a brief overview of the days events and we were off on the day’s adventure.

We survived the freeway traffic and once off the main highways were treated to vistas of rolling hills of golden grasses that help give California the name “Golden State”.  The rolling hills gave way to beautiful lush green trees, farmland with saplings and vineyards full of grapes not yet ready for harvesting. We saw sheep, dozens of goats along a highway fence, many cows, and enjoyed the special aroma of farmland. We passed the slowly churning wind turbines generating electrical power for the state. Every now and then we spotted a palm tree or two just to let us know, yes, we’re still in California.  

 Our first stop was in Rio Vista for a pit stop and a visit to a bakery, but the town decided to have a carnival in its center that left little parking for our large bevy of cars. We regrouped and headed to our lunch designation in the small town of Isleton. All 30+ of us lined up outside of the My Sweet BBQ to place our orders. A neighboring establishment opened its doors to accommodate our crowd. We enjoyed touring the little town and visiting small unique shops while waiting for our lunch. Conversations led to learning about summer vacations in Bryce & Grand Canyons, cruises to Cabo San Lucas and droning and scuba diving in in warmer waters off the coast of Mexico as well as future vacations to Portugal and beyond.  

Matt and David the dynamic duo pulled double duty and helped My Sweet BBQ staff pass out our lunches. We were delighted with delicious Tri-tip and Chicken BBQ plates, as Gary said you could cut the meat with a spoon.  The BBQ was served with ample sides of potato salad, macaroni salad, cole slaw, range beans & collard greens. 

Fueled by happy stomachs full from a delicious lunch we headed off to have dessert at Mel’s Mocha & Ice Cream in Walnut Grove. Enjoying more spectacular scenery we feasted on delicious ice cream and shakes. Our dessert cravings satisfied we headed to our next destination in Clarksville, the Old Sugar Mill.  We were treated to live music, and an array of shops full of olive oil & wine to purchase and enjoy at home.  There was a couple of enticing food trucks, however we were so full from lunch and ice cream we just couldn’t.  

 We decided to save the Grand Island Mansion and the Western Railroad Museum for another drive and all headed to our homes happy from a wonderful day of driving top down and enjoying the fabulous weather and food that California has to offer.  

Many thanks to Matt & David for putting together a fun and adventurous drive through the Delta region of California. We sincerely hope this is the first of many adventures from this dynamic duo.

 

 

 

 

Hop, Loop & Shake Drive

On Saturday, September 29, 2018, we met at the Starbucks in Morgan Hill. Around 10:00 am twelve cars and twenty-one people were off on a wonderful adventure driving the backroads of South Bay. 

We drove along the east foothills of Morgan Hill and Gilroy down to Hollister. While driving through Gilroy we enjoyed the usual delicious smells of rows and rows of garlic. We saw wonderful farms full of galloping goats and other livestock.

All stopped at the Paicines General Store on Airline Hwy 25 for a break and stocked up on snacks and sodas.

We drove South on Highway 25 and back through downtown Hollister to our lunch destination, Dunneville Café & Market. 

Several were treated to delicious sandwiches full of tri-tip beef. Others decided to have breakfast, chicken sandwiches, and other delightful dishes.

There was a Bocce ball court on the premises, however, we all were anxious to get back on the road for more adventure.

We took the Roop Loop through the foothills past Coyote Lake and the old Gilroy Hot Springs.  We crossed west through San Martin and those that continued the drive returned to San Jose and were treated to “custom make your own milkshakes” at My Milkshake.  

Thanks to Kurt for planning and leading another wonderful drive. The weather was just right, and we couldn’t ask for a more pleasant day and drive in our Miatas. 

Miatas at Laguna Seca

Several BAMA members joined hundreds of Miata enthusiasts at the world famous Laguna Seca raceway for a fun packed weekend. A number of longtime BAMA members also volunteered at the event.

Lining up for a parade lap.

Those with a need for speed had an opportunity to do hot laps and test their driving skills. Some got to ride along with a pro driver on the track. Others chose to enjoy the easier pace of the popular parade laps. There were vendors on site with displays and demos and product specials. People enjoyed tasty barbecue and the car show provided opportunities to show off the prized Miatas while sharing stories and good times.

Making a pass by vendors alley. All tuned up and ready for the track.

Making a pass by vendors alley. All tuned up and ready for the track.

Historical MX-5s on display in the paddock.

Historical MX-5s on display in the paddock.

In Memory of Peggy Fung

Dear BAMA members:

It is with much sadness and a heavy heart that we announce that our member Peggy Fung passed away on August 23. She and her husband Allan have been members for many years. Peggy will be remembered as a lovely lady, someone you would enjoy sitting next to at lunch. Easy to talk with fun to be around. I personally will miss her and I am sure our club will also. We extend our heartfelt sorrow and condolences to Allan and their family.

Mike Abell

BAMA Club President

Peggy's obituary can be read on SFGate.com.

Scavenger Hunt

Nine Miatas met at Starbucks in San Jose at 9:00 a.m. to go on an adventure, a Scavenger Hunt, in our roadsters. Gary & Wendy Allen led the hunt and provided the rules and list of 50 items/places to be hunted and photographed. We all departed at or around 9:30 a.m. with plans to meet up again in Niles for a picnic lunch with our list of photographed  items. Some stayed around the San Jose area as items on the list included a “Google bike”, an Apple icon (not on an iPhone or iPad), a donut shop, an In-n-Out burger & a Philz coffee, none of which were in Niles. Others headed to Niles to hunt & photograph.  

Some of us were lucky enough find parking  close to Niles and walk around town before lunch time. A crowd of car enthusiasts were having an antique car show which was a photography jackpot for our scavenger list which included a California license plate in the old blue & gold colors, a non-Miata convertible, and a car older than 1970.  However, a California state flag (on the list) was nowhere to be found.  Other items on the list were: a "do not enter" sign, something that flies, train or bus transportation, auto parts shop, graffiti, public art, a "one way" sign, drive thru, mailbox, etc.  

The most difficult item to find was a public phone which was worth 50 points, two participants were lucky enough to find one.  Most items were worth 5-20 points.  The object was to reach 400 points at, not before or later, than 12:30 p.m. and to have the least amount of miles getting those 400 points. The directions and rules were a bit fuzzy for most of us, but all in all everyone had a great time.  

We had a wonderful picnic lunch at Quarry Lakes Park, it was a CA beautiful day. Participants were polled for their number of points and their mileage. The winner of the day was Brad Rex who was presented with a Gary Allen original wood worked BAMA logo. We hope Gary still has the pattern as this will more than likely be commissioned as a prize for future contests.  

Huge thanks to Gary & Wendy for arranging and leading the Scavenger Hunt. With a little clarification of the directions and rules we could definitely make this an annual event. 

Mazda Miata Summer Tour

With little notice, we received an invite from Mazda to attend a small fan event on Treasure Island. Driving up the coast from San Diego to Seattle, the Mazda Miata Summer Tour made a pit stop in San Francisco to show off their 2019 Miata models.

It would have been great to get more members of the club to join us, as it appeared that Delta was well represented, even at short notice we showed up with 5 or 6 cars. Having made personal contact with the Mazda PR team, they are keen to help promote our club as they understand the reason the Miata has been so popular for almost 30 years is the loyal collection of owners and enthusiasts. 

Who will be first to get one?

Who will be first to get one?

We appeared to be the only club to arrive with, not 1 but 2 supercharged Miatas, an NA and and RF. The Mazda PR team were keen to chat and obviously fans of all generations of the Miata not just the latest. 

2019 Miata ND2

2019 Miata ND2

2019 RF2 with BBS / Brembo and Recaros

2019 RF2 with BBS / Brembo and Recaros

Along with the main attraction, a Soul Red ND2 (Auto) and the Ceramic RF2 there were Food Trucks and Pizza, what more could a Miata owner ask for... (well maybe some decent twisty roads and not just the Bay Bridge and construction site that Treasure Island  is currently).

The external changes to this years models are almost invisible from the any distance. The most obvious one is the addition of a rear view parking camera (a requirement by law on all 2019 vehicles).

You can spot the 2019 by the rear camera. not as obvious on the Soul Red as the Ceramic.

You can spot the 2019 by the rear camera. not as obvious on the Soul Red as the Ceramic.

Most people will be excited by the modifications to the engine, more power, higher revving, lighter flywheel. All welcome changes, whilst not huge changes, the continuing evolution of the Miata line. This is now the most powerful stock Miata ever released at 181 BHP (+26HP over the 2017/2018 models).

Zoom Zoom...

Zoom Zoom...

Unfortunately we were only able to look and not test drive these cars. maybe next time Mazda will stop by a local track and show us how they really can perform. (Hint Hint) 

I do like these seats...

I do like these seats...

It was a short couple of hours, but nice to see the new cars and for Mazda to recognize how much local clubs do to continue the Miata legacy. 

I would like to thank Shannon, Tim and the rest of the Mazda PR team for arranging the event and for inviting us along.  We look forward to attending future events and including many more of our members in them.

Long Live the Roadster 

 

Coastal Drive

We met at Pacifica Safeway parking lot on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. to socialize and give pre-drive briefing. Club VP Gary Allen spoke about the rules of the road and Gorkem who was leading the drive provided details about the route and meet up points if the group got separated. We left Safeway with the total of 12 Miatas and drove to our first meet-up point in ocean beach. 

We took couple of pictures, enjoyed the beach scenery and started driving to our next destination Rodeo Beach over Marin headlands.

We drove passed golden gate bridge,  took bunker tunnel and arrived to Fort Cronkhite. 
We stayed at the beach and socialized for about an hour and started driving to our next destination Marshall store.

We passed through Mill Valley, panoramic highway and Stinson beach and continue driving in HWY 1. After about an hour we hit the Marshall store however since it was very crowded, we decided to improvise and eat at Nicks cove a mile north our final destination.

Fort Bragg Weekend

It was a sunny, warm morning at our meeting point by Stow Lake Boat House in San Francisco. Jim H. was a surprise addition to the group headed north, and he graciously supplied the sustenance we needed: donuts! With 5 Miatas, we began the run.

The view as we passed over the Golden Gate Bridge was superb, as were those along the Hwy-1. Jim came to the rescue when my gpslost connection, getting us back on the correct trail. Thanks, buddy!

At our stop by Point Reyes, Jim said his goodbyes as he only wanted to go for a short run with the Club, heading back to San Francisco. We then met up with two more BAMA cars just north of Point Reyes, andcontinued in wonder at the ocean and cliff scenes.

At the Dog House in Bodega we met up with one more car. Now, we had a caravan. The stripmall restaurant had a great view to the ocean, and some birds that came with the territory.

With “Grad-Night” being a big event in Fort Bragg, we decided to dine early and avoid the crowds. D’Aurelio’s Italian Restaurant supplied our needs with pizza and such. We had travelled 179 really windy, hilly, intense miles, getting to Glass Beach Inn B&B just in time to wind down for the evening. Our last car arrived (had a late start due to a family emergency; all’s well now) and we settled in for the evening. Seven Miatas and one "other" vehicle!

The B&B more than met our expectations. The owners were greathosts, providing for our every need. Breakfast was a happy time.

During the day we visited the Mendocino Botanical Gardens (need a day or two to do it justice) with its many floral displays and gardens, then toured parts of Noyo Harbor, dining at the water’s edge, partaking of locally caught fish.

Most of us took a break at the B&B while others explored Glass Beachin search of little treasures that wash ashore. Seems there are fewer nowadays. We traveled south about 20 miles to dine at the Albion Restaurant (casual to semi-formal) for the evening meal, enjoying specialties of the house made by Chef Steven and Sous-chef Torri. The sunset on this cliff-side was stellar. Some of us gathered for a chat session and some California wine. Good way to end the day.

We had another great breakfast on Sunday. Sure looks like this was a culinary discovery trip. Maybe. After 10am we began our homeward route, this time going inland to enjoy the coastal Redwoods along HWY-128.

Our final stop as a group was at Hamburger Ranch BBQ. Great BBQand really good Root Beer!

My thanks to those that participated, especially our youngest at 14: Graham L.

'Til next time.

By Rollo