RENO AIR RACES September 10 - 14, 2008 - an invitation - Page 2

AAC Cadet Leader · 11 September 2008, 10:45 PM

i'm really hoping it won't take us more than @ $55 x 2 tanks worth at about 3 hours each way to/from reno. and hoping my rusted out exhaust system doesn't fall off...

thankfully, our hosts are promising great food on the grill and indoor camping and free entry to the street bordeing the reno-stead airport.

we are planning on leaving here mid-day tomorrow.

mike_baram · 13 September 2008, 08:21 PM

Quote:

hoping my rusted out exhaust system doesn't fall off

About 15-17 years ago I took the first wife and second daughter (elder brat was traveling in Japan with the youth symphony) and we drove from the Bay Area up I-5 to Ashland, OR to visit the Shakespeare Festival. Driving back (in our '79 Volvo 240), we took the route to the CA coast and, just as we entered CA my exhaust started making a helluva roar. We made it to Crescent City and found out the exhaust pipe had rusted through and separated from the catalytic converter. Had to stay there overnight and find a garage where it could be welded together in the morning.

Thank heaven for small town garages. The guy only charged me $5 for the work.
I was surprised, but he said that since he usually charged $60/hr and only spent 5 minutes on the car, $5 was the right price.

If your system is that bad, you're taking a risk, since a broken exhaust pipe will lead to increased fuel consumption. You might want to bite the bullet and do some pre-emptive surgery and replace the bad section before heading out.

Bueno suerte. Have a safe trip.

AAC Cadet Leader · 13 September 2008, 10:01 PM

my son and i just got back from the reno air races. the exhaust system held on my '96 rav 4, tho was loud and rattled between 60 - 65 mph. 366 miles round trip and $60 in gas @ $3.90/ gallon. will post more about the show tomorrow. dead tired now.

mike_baram · 14 September 2008, 02:54 PM

Martha,
Consider yourself lucky.
Not about the car, though.
Last time I went to Reno I came back married.

karrart · 17 September 2008, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AAC Cadet Leader

my son and i just got back from the reno air races. the exhaust system held on my '96 rav 4, tho was loud and rattled between 60 - 65 mph. 366 miles round trip and $60 in gas @ $3.90/ gallon. will post more about the show tomorrow. dead tired now.

Well? Where's the pics and stories?
Robert Karr
OLD BIRDS STAYING ALIVE - THE AVIATION ART OF ROBERT KARR

AAC Cadet Leader · 18 September 2008, 05:05 AM

sorry, in the process of moving our residence the last several days. putting all our eggs in one basket so to speak by moving into our art gallery and above it. now we've got the whole 1912-built building. the art gallery will move upstairs as well and we'll reside in the back rooms...anyway, the back to the story of our reno air races party adventure...

there were highlights and lowlights. i'll begin by refreshing that first e-mail invitation...

Quote:

Hi Martha - You up for another offer of High Adventure? A friend of mine, Bob the Builder has a house right on the race course of the Reno Air Races. He bought the house especially because of the races and has a party every year. Only home owners are allowed on the course and you can get some great pictures. Sometimes the Unlimiteds fly 100 feet right over your head at 500 mph. Bob has a lot of room at his house and the kids might have fun too. Anyway you're invited and it would be great to see you again.
Your friend, Butch

i made apologies to the school administration and his teachers for busting my son out of school on a friday as i explained to them that the famed reno air races were part of a lifetime goal (mine) and were extremely educational. permission to play hooky was granted.

before leaving on our journey, i reviewed the last email from butch which gave directions to his buddy's party house. "...when you get off the highway, turn down any street and go to the last house on the right on osage" it said. if you have any probs, my cell phone number is..." easy enough. i wrote down his number and put it in my pocket.

after moving a load of furniture to our new house, we began our drive to reno around 1 pm. i drove. traffic kept moving throughout sacramento and through the beautiful sierra mountains. it was a little scarry at times through the tight, windy, fast narrow passes, but we made it and our muffler held. in the late afternoon we approached reno and we could see several miles in the high desert, including the reno-stead airfield (elevation @ 5000') with encircling mountains in the background. we could also see all the many motorhomes and party-minded people camped out along the fenceline and houses with their barbeques and festivities going on up and down all of osage street. we were really excited - and hungry! we caught the tail-end of the pre-qualifying air race activity just as we were arriving, just enough to get our adrenilin up.

we pulled in to the last house on the right on osage and found a couple of dusty, lonely old horses but no people. the place sort of looked like it could've been pancho barnes' "happy bottom riding club," except with none of its patrons.

charlie and i purposely didn't eat on the way as we were saving our appetite for the big juicy steaks we envisioned to be on the grill as our prize for making the long journey to get there.

we got back in the car and we searched up and down osage street to three private house parties asking if anyone knew our friends, butch and bob. no luck and the piece of paper i wrote butch's number was nowhere to be found. so we stopped at the last house on the other end of osage and the nice couple there was also not butch and bob, but they allowed us to look up butch's cell number in my email from their laptop. we called butch and he clarified that bob's house was the last house on osage where the pavement stoped and the dirt road began. i told him that we saw that house, but there was no party going on there, just a dog and a cat.

butch said, "well, bob was there, but he's not now...i will explain when i get back... much to tell... i'll meet you back there in a bit, i am dropping off irene and have to pick up a few groceries."

and so, it turned out that bob the builder did in fact have a house bordering the stead-reno airport and it did have a lot of room - especially since there were no people in it. we waited in the driveway for an hour as it got dark. did i mention we were hungry?

story continues...

(more to come in a few days...still moving furniture and boxes and must get some sleep now. )

karrart · 18 September 2008, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AAC Cadet Leader

sorry, in the process of moving our residence the last several days. putting all our eggs in one basket so to speak by moving into our art gallery and above it. now we've got the whole 1912-built building. the art gallery will move upstairs as well and we'll reside in the back rooms...(more to come in a few days...still moving firniture and boxes and must get some sleep now. )

Wow! In that case, take your time and get your "new" abode abidable! 'Course we'll need pics of all this too........
Robert Karr
OLD BIRDS STAYING ALIVE - THE AVIATION ART OF ROBERT KARR

AAC Cadet Leader · 18 September 2008, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by karrart

Wow! In that case, take your time and get your "new" abode abidable! 'Course we'll need pics of all this too........
Robert Karr
OLD BIRDS STAYING ALIVE - THE AVIATION ART OF ROBERT KARR

yoy! just hoping i find my camera amongst all the boxes.

FliegerJG1 · 20 September 2008, 06:34 AM

Martha,

Glad to hear you returned home safely! I too will enjoy photos as they're available.

FliegerJG1

AAC Cadet Leader · 20 September 2008, 07:28 AM

k,
thanks. still looking for my camera. i used to love moving. now i hate it. i am a paque rhatt.