Re: Great River Road Rally

The Hooptie Garage wrote:

I won't be taking a hooptie on this rally either--it'll be the daily driver...

For some of us this is a distinction without a difference.

1982 MG Metro 1300: IOE 2015 Pacific Northworst GP, Longest Distance 2010 Cd'L Box Wine Country Classic
1980 KV Mini 1: Worst of Show and Fright Pig Supremo 2009 Concours d'Lemons
1978 H Special: Second-Round Elimination 2010 Lemons Pinewood Derby at Sears Pointless
1967 SAAB 96: IOE 2012 Pacific Northworst GP, Organizer's Choice 2022 Hell on Wheels California Rally

Re: Great River Road Rally

mharrell wrote:
The Hooptie Garage wrote:

I won't be taking a hooptie on this rally either--it'll be the daily driver...

For some of us this is a distinction without a difference.

True dat. big_smile

And it's all relative. Our newest cars are 2009, built only a few weeks apart.  And not a single one is under 170k miles.  Even kiddo's TSX is probably around 210k.  I do keep all of the cars--err, hoopties?--mechanically in top condition.

I remember growing up, the GMs my dad owned would get to maybe 7-8 years old and 75k miles and they'd be completely done--rusted out with mechanical issues that weren't worth fixing.  I remember the '71 LeSabre was a Flintstone car--I always sat with my feet on the transmission hump since the passenger's side floor was separated from the pavement by carpet and a not-so-strategically placed square of sheet metal.  Watching the pavement flash by in the small holes in the carpet was a bit unsettling to say the least.

The saddest day was, in 1975, when he drove the '65 Wildcat off to the junkyard.  Despite the rust, it was still the coolest car we ever had...and I don't have the time, patience or money now to find one to restore.

--Rudy

Driver of soul-sucking appliances in the Rust Belt.
Instagramz: @thehooptiegarage

Re: Great River Road Rally

The Hooptie Garage wrote:

BTW, I did book mostly affordable rooms around the checkpoints on this rally.  If anyone is interested, I can list them out.

yes please

I Survived Hell on Wheels, Car Weeeak, Route Sucky Suck, etc.

Re: Great River Road Rally

squirrel wrote:
The Hooptie Garage wrote:

BTW, I did book mostly affordable rooms around the checkpoints on this rally.  If anyone is interested, I can list them out.

yes please

I've been tied up on a project at home (painting three rooms--new furniture incoming), so I didn't get a chance to check in and reply.  Good thing, though, as my room in LaPlace (near New Orleans) was cancelled since the hotel is "still closed," as the phone message said.  I rebooked another room closer to the rally start--hopefully it's a nicer hotel.

All of these are about 20 minutes ± 5 minutes from the downtown areas.  And I'm giving the "official" location name as it appears in Google Maps.

  • Best Western Bayou Inn (in Westwego, LA)

  • Best Western Vicksburg (in Vicksburg, MS)

  • La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham West Memphis (in West Memphis, AR)

  • Drury Inn & Suites St Louis Brentwood (in Brentwood, MO)

  • Comfort Inn & Suites Riverview near Davenport and I-80 (in Le Claire, IA)

  • Econo Lodge Inn & Suites Eau Claire (in Eau Claire, WI--I'm getting a head start on the drive home)

--Rudy

Driver of soul-sucking appliances in the Rust Belt.
Instagramz: @thehooptiegarage

Re: Great River Road Rally

I had found this really cool place called the Lookout Inn of New Orleans which is about a mile from the Jackson Barracks and has themed "suites" for about $100 a night.  I was gonna book it for Sunday and Monday night (they didn't have anything for Saturday night but I wasn't worried about lodging for that night) when I got the news that my rally partners had to cancel.  Good thing that I didn't book it, because deep-sixing my plane tickets cost me a LOT of money.  I got $20 back from Spirit Air (but that ticket was only $60 to begin with) and I only got about $100 back from Delta and that's only in a credit towards a future ticket.  So if I don't want to lose my ass entirely on that ticket I'll have to fly Delta somewhere within the next year.  I'm not mad, tho.  I knew what I was getting into with plane tickets. 

I like to try to find the hole-in-the-wall locally owned places (restaurants and hotels) when I travel, though I recognize that can mean sketchy quality.  But the chain places can also be iffy, so ya never know.

Re: Great River Road Rally

What time do we meet on Tuesday?

57 (edited by squirrel 2022-10-29 04:47 PM)

Re: Great River Road Rally

plan on getting there early, 7-8 is usually a good bet.

An upcoming email might mention the time...

I Survived Hell on Wheels, Car Weeeak, Route Sucky Suck, etc.

Re: Great River Road Rally

The Hooptie Garage wrote:

All of these are about 20 minutes ± 5 minutes from the downtown areas.  And I'm giving the "official" location name as it appears in Google Maps.

  • Best Western Bayou Inn (in Westwego, LA)

  • Best Western Vicksburg (in Vicksburg, MS)

  • La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham West Memphis (in West Memphis, AR)

  • Drury Inn & Suites St Louis Brentwood (in Brentwood, MO)

  • Comfort Inn & Suites Riverview near Davenport and I-80 (in Le Claire, IA)

  • Econo Lodge Inn & Suites Eau Claire (in Eau Claire, WI--I'm getting a head start on the drive home)

thanks.

I got some different places the first two nights, and still don't have one for memphis, the internets weren't working. Funny story...stayed at that hotel in Le Claire last month on Drag Week.

I Survived Hell on Wheels, Car Weeeak, Route Sucky Suck, etc.

Re: Great River Road Rally

I found a room by graceland in Memphis, which is fine with me, I always wanted to say I'd been there.

I Survived Hell on Wheels, Car Weeeak, Route Sucky Suck, etc.

Re: Great River Road Rally

squirrel wrote:

I got some different places the first two nights, and still don't have one for memphis, the internets weren't working. Funny story...stayed at that hotel in Le Claire last month on Drag Week.

By chance, the Le Claire hotel I picked is right across the street from the recommended hotel, if I'm not mistaken.  One advantage to being on the outskirts of the cities during the week is avoiding rush hour.  I didn't look in the Graceland area for a hotel, but when I saw the La Quinta was one of the new "Del Sol" designs, I booked it immediately.  (I've stayed at a handful in Utah, including the "prototype" Del Sol design in Cedar City.) 

Gas pricing will be in our favor--the Costco in New Orleans is $2.90, and other stations start around $3/gal.  The price is within 10-15 cents all the way up the river until Minneapolis, where it's about the same as the Mitten State (about 60 cents more than New Orleans). 

I'll be in New Orleans arriving Sunday late afternoon, so most of Monday is free for sightseeing.  I'll probably head down to the gulf for some photography. 

Which reminds me, I still have to pick a room between home and New Orleans.  Nashville is halfway but I prefer driving further on the first day.  It's about 20 hours total.  I was thinking more like Athens, AL, although with it being a college town, rooms seemed like they were booked up.

--Rudy

Driver of soul-sucking appliances in the Rust Belt.
Instagramz: @thehooptiegarage

Re: Great River Road Rally

puttcharlie wrote:

So if I don't want to lose my ass entirely on that ticket I'll have to fly Delta somewhere within the next year.  I'm not mad, tho.  I knew what I was getting into with plane tickets.

My better half has an unused Delta ticket she has to use by March, so we're thinking Arizona maybe in February when we're stir-crazy here.  I have enough Wyndham points for about eight free nights, so other than my gas driving out there (I make a road trip out of it and stop at national parks and monuments along the way), and food, it'll be a cheap-ish getaway.  We're also scouting for places to relocate, so that's another motivation to head out there.

--Rudy

Driver of soul-sucking appliances in the Rust Belt.
Instagramz: @thehooptiegarage

Re: Great River Road Rally

I don't know why you'd want to move to Arizona, it's a two day drive (at least) to get to the start of any Lemons Rallys from here.

I Survived Hell on Wheels, Car Weeeak, Route Sucky Suck, etc.

Re: Great River Road Rally

squirrel wrote:

I don't know why you'd want to move to Arizona, it's a two day drive (at least) to get to the start of any Lemons Rallys from here.

The only nearby rally for me is the Rust Belt Ramble, with the start literally 20 minutes from my house.  The Rocky Mountain and Great River Road both require about 20 hours of driving to get to the start, so I know the feeling.

--Rudy

Driver of soul-sucking appliances in the Rust Belt.
Instagramz: @thehooptiegarage

Re: Great River Road Rally

One curious thing about the rally schedule is that Wednesday is Nov. 8th.

https://24hoursoflemons.com/rally-details/?id=340

I Survived Hell on Wheels, Car Weeeak, Route Sucky Suck, etc.

Re: Great River Road Rally

Probably just a typo. Nonetheless, I double-checked my reservations to make certain the days are correct.

--Rudy

Driver of soul-sucking appliances in the Rust Belt.
Instagramz: @thehooptiegarage

Re: Great River Road Rally

I think it's just a typo too, designed to keep us on our toes

I Survived Hell on Wheels, Car Weeeak, Route Sucky Suck, etc.

Re: Great River Road Rally

Transposition error, longer story than it's worth.

I didn't realize the overnight meetups weren't posted, nor was the pre-rally meetup. Those are updated, we'll see you in NOLA in a few days. Email is sent. Small rally but a good one. We've got 18 paid right now, might snag 1-2 late entrants.

Eric Rood
Everything Bagel, 24 Hours of Lemons
eric@24hoursoflemons.com

Re: Great River Road Rally

disinfo wrote:

What time do we meet on Tuesday?

7 am @ Jackson Barracks, 6400 St. Claude Ave, New Orleans LA.

I Survived Hell on Wheels, Car Weeeak, Route Sucky Suck, etc.

Re: Great River Road Rally

What time ya'll meeting at Lafitte bar? Right around the corner from my house BUT MNF is in Superdome so I will be heading there at 5ish. Phish

Re: Great River Road Rally

We are debating if we want to fight football crowds.  How bad does it get down there for a game?

1975 Chevy LUV.  1 Corinthians 13:7
1999 Chevy Blazer

Re: Great River Road Rally

Not bad, game 2 miles away

72 (edited by Spyphish 2022-11-04 08:15 AM)

Re: Great River Road Rally

Also I have a car ready but my guys had schedule conflict. I could jump back in if someone has extra driver/nav etc. I have the gas etc covered I could bring a cot as have no hotels or I will start lining some up. 70 year old retired TC cleared defense contractor, no smoke, like to have fun. Stephen Hebert 337-499-44 three five Built 6 Lemons 24 cars to date, skipping Houston this weekend.

Re: Great River Road Rally

I'll probably drive past Lafitte's between 7-8pm to see if anyone is still there--I'll be elsewhere throughout the day. Otherwise I'll meet up with everyone at the Barracks in the morning.

--Rudy

Driver of soul-sucking appliances in the Rust Belt.
Instagramz: @thehooptiegarage

Re: Great River Road Rally

Spyphish - I'm certain I speak for everyone when I write: thanks for the easy cryptogram.

v2d753lm6 d1z9m0o4s

;-)

Re: Great River Road Rally

WHO DAT!!!!!