Pacific Northwest Meet This Spring June 14, 2009

[Baxman]

Ingredients for a good meet are:

• A meeting place at the geographic center of attendees
• Good, inexpensive food where we can be a little loud w/o disturbing others
• A large parking lot or open area for showing off VXs w/o blocking traffic
• Located for an easy one-day trip for outlyers (Not too far from I-5)
• A good backdrop for photo op

Long Beach is beautiful and fun, but would be a entire weekend event that would be more complicated with lodging, meals and family considerations. Attendance would be lower. I think it depends on if we want a more mundane meeting place with more participants, or the converse. Just my $.02

[don moore]

portland...OMSI.<--tour on the sub...ZOO..<--look at animals.. mkminville oregon..<--big planes(sprucegoose and stuff..Columbia GOURGE<-----cool cruise and wild waterfalls...Just my .02

[KeithVXlvr]

Thanks for the input. It is all good info.

I also feel we need to keep the meeting location close to I-5. Make it a central location that participants can drive to in a couple hours.

I hate to say it but, around the Portland area may be the most central - considering those from Seattle and those from southern oregon would then need to drive a couple hours each. ( I konw that sounds self-serving, since I live in Portland but, it is not ment to be.)

We could meet at say 10:00 ~ 11:00 a.m. then go on a "drive" locally to some off-road places and hit a late lunch at a McMenamins Pub. Large rooms and noise is no problem: cheap good food and beer !!!

After that participants could still get home by late afternoon / early evening depending on where they came from. We could also have the meal at one of the McMenamins that offer lodging and those who wish to stay could get a room there and not worry about the drinking driving issue.

Let me know if the above sounds reasonable ( as a basic out-line ) and then we can get started on activities: Off-Road location, where to eat, etc.....

Input requested - all ideas welcome - we are brainstorming here so keep it coming.

[KeithVXlvr]

Thanks for the PM. Your input is well taken. I tried to respond but my e-mail seems to have some bug at the moment....

Anyway, just wanted to say thanks and that I tried to respond.

Keep the input coming !!!!!!

[rowhard]

Thanks for the PM. Your input is well taken. I tried to respond but my e-mail seems to have some bug at the moment....

Anyway, just wanted to say thanks and that I tried to respond.

Keep the input coming !!!!!!

Ah, no worries, just wanted to share what I ran into when I tried it.

Portland area is fine by me, but not being from there, wouldn't have a clue or idea on what/where/when. As Baxman indicated in the other thread, I am more show then go so any serious off-roading would be viewed from a distant's by me.

[rowhard]

bump

[Bulldoggie]

For the Portland area, I think the Old scenic Highway, in the gorge,
has many good photo opportunities.

[KeithVXlvr]

Hello all,

Just bumping the thread so you know this is still on.

I am going to get out this weekend to look for a site where we can get off road - a little during the NWVX Meet. ( I mean heck, we all have these great Vehicles so, I think we need to get them a little dusty.)

The old Gorge highway is a fine idea.

At this point the basic outline is as follows:

Meet in late morning in the Portland area, go on a drive (a little off road) stop for lunch, give Riff Raff an award for speaking his mind with no filter ( I love that guy!! ) then everybody can take off for home and be there by late afternoon.

Working on some more activities etc... and starting to think about dates.. I like Saturday because it will leave us all with our Sunday free.

Any more input ???

[AK Falco]

Maby us northern guys could meet up at Riff Raff's "Longhorn" and caravan down. ! 4 or 5 VX's driving down I 5. Yea....... we could turn some heads.

[KeithVXlvr]

Great Idea !!

[rowhard]

give Riff Raff an award for speaking his mind with no filter ( I love that guy!! )

did I miss something

[Riff Raff]

Keith--- I just found a cool website: www.Trails.com At the website you can specify "off-highway" (off-road) trails, and it will show an aerial view of WA & OR with various "icons" for different off-highway trails.

After a very quick search, I found one that may be of interest and somewhat centrally located to VX'ers in both WA & OR. It is "MARBLE MOUNTAINS" (Cougar, WA). Take I-5 Exit #21 (Woodland, WA - last chance for gas) to WA-503 (East) to Nf-90 (East) to Nf-25 (North) to Nf-25 (West - to moutain top dead-end/turn around point). According to the website, it's a 10.8 mile off-road venture with moderate degree of difficulty for 4WD's (pretty easy). The forest road is nestled inbetween Mt. St. Helens & Mt. Adams with spectacular views. Just an example for ya'.

Wherever we decide to go for our 1-day outing, it should be fairly close to a major freeway like I-5 (preferably) or I-84 or major connecting highway, etc. This will allow people to get home in a timely manner afterwards (very important). "Sunday's" would work best for me (I can't make any Saturday due to work).

[rowhard]

WOW, that is one fine site you have come across. Thanks

[don moore]

portland is fine ..gorge is great with the waterfalls..what ever im in... and a convoy going north up I5 would look good ...even the out of the area guys (nevada) could come up to my place the day before and stay the night.. then go up the next day..

[KeithVXlvr]

All,

It looks like the:

PN
VX
Meet

Will be on a Sunday, Sunday Sunday !!!!

Basic outline:

Meet in mid-morning 10:30 - 11:00 in the Portland area.

Wait around for late arrivals, say hello, shake hands, hand out maps of the course etc...

Go on a drive: mostly on-road and some off-road (basically a flat dirt field with some mud, rocks and climbs.. never need to shift out of TOD.

Stop for lunch where there is parking for everybody, space for photo ops etc...

Hand out ballots for lunch awards... Catagories like: Best hair, most likely to break their VX off-roading, best muffler sound, farthest travel distance to attend, most useless modification over $100.00, etc.. ( These awards are supposed to be meaningless and stupid, so suggestions are welcome )

Eat lunch and drink beer - hand out awards.

From there we can finish lunch and head home.

As we all know, there will be no way to get a date that works best for everybody so, PLEASE respond to the below

Sunday, May 24th
Sumday, June 7th
Sunday, June 14th
Sunday June 21st.

Let me know which days you can attend, not which day you prefer....... So respond to all dates if they are all acceptable. The date that gets the most attendees will be the date... it is that simple.

Thanks,