ANNUAL MOAB TRIP – SEPT. 10-14, 2009
Once again the MG Car Club will be heading out on the annual
fun filled fall "Moab
trip" and, believe it or not, this year we are going to Moab, Utah. If you like beautiful scenery, fall colors,
fun loving people and great curvy roads for small cars, then you need to join us. This year Jack and Cathy Knopinski will be
your tourmeisters, the originators of the Moab Trip in the late 80’s
Day One: Thursday, Sept 10: Most of the Denver
area drivers will depart from The Fort Restaurant in Morrison at 3:00 PM and
travel to Salida, CO with a stop at Augie Burgoon's house for
happy hour before going to dinner. This
portion of the trip is about 2.5 hours and 124 miles. The first night's stay
will be at the Silver Ridge Lodge, 545
W. Rainbow Blvd aka US Highway 50. For reservations call 877-268-3320 or 719-539-4170.
Mention the MG Car Club for a discount.
A room with queen-sized bed will be $55 + tax and will include breakfast. The website for the motel is www.silverridgelodge.com
Day Two: Friday Sept
11: Anyone unable to leave on Thursday can meet us Friday morning, Sept. 11
at 9:00 AM, in Salida at the Visitor’s Center at northwest corner of the intersection
of Hwy 285 and Hwy 50 for the day’s trip to Moab. We will travel over Monarch
Pass, through the Black Canyon
of the Gunnison to Montrose, south thru Ridgway then head west to pick up
a few more folks from the southwest corner of Colorado,
near Naturita. With the new people
in our gaggle, we will travel west to La Sal, Utah,
and then north to Moab.
Today’s trip will be about 296 miles and should take around 6.5 hours plus
stops.
While in Moab,
we will be staying at the Redstone Inn for 3 nights, Sept. 11, 12 & 13th,
departing on the 14th. For
reservations, call 800-772-1972 or 435-259-3500 and mention the MG Car Club
group. Make reservations early (we
had a hard time getting a large block of rooms in any motel in Moab since the
Moab Musical Festival is taking place at the same time and many motels were
almost full by January). The address
for Redstone Inn is 535
S Main St, Moab,
UT 84532. Rooms are $69.95 + tax. There is a hot tub at the motel and guests have
access to a pool across the street at a sister motel. We reserved 18 rooms and these are filling fast
so get your reservation now. We may
be able to get more rooms if needed but that is not guaranteed. The website
for the motel is www.moabredstone.com
Days 3-4: Sat. &
Sun, Sept 12 and 13: If you have never been to Moab before you are in for a treat.
There are numerous activities in and around Moab,
starting with the two national parks, Arches and Canyonlands. In Arches
National Park there are
scenic hiking trails and fabulous red rock formations and numerous natural
sandstone arches. One of the special trails is a ranger guided tour of the
Fiery Furnace area. You will need to
sign up at the ranger station a day ahead of time for this trip. Many arches are accessed by a short 10 minute
hike but others are of the two hour variety so bring snacks & water. Another must see area is Canyonlands National Park. It is a beautiful area with awesome panoramic
views similar to the Grand Canyon.
If that doesn't keep you busy, any of the following might:
- Take
your golf clubs and play at the local golf course.
- Rent
bicycles and try some of the famous mountain biking trails around Moab.
- Pack a
picnic lunch and walk some areas of Arches National Park.
- Rafting
on the Colorado River.
- Jeep
adventures.
- Wine
tasting tours at the Castle Creek Winery.
- Or
join us for a hardy sunset trek to the world famous Delicate Arch (bring a
flashlight if you wait until the sun has set to return).
- Check
out the Moab Music Festival (classical music). May need to check the internet for time
and prices if you are interested.
We will be within walking distance of the restaurants and
city markets and the downtown Moab
area from our motel.
Day Five: Monday, Sept
14: We will be returning to Denver after
breakfast. Instead of the scenic backloads,
we usually take the I-70 to get home quicker. Those interested may stop on the
way back in the wine country for their cases of wine as in the past.
We look forward to a large contingency joining us for a fun
time with great people and more fond memories in our MG’s. If your MG is not quite ready for a long road
trip, any car is more than welcome. If
you have some doubts if the MG can make it or are not mechanically inclined, we
enjoy the expertise of a group of dedicated mechanics who seem to love the
challenges of these road trips. No one
has ever been stranded yet and we have had more than a few challenges.
Safety Fast,
Jack & Cathy Knopinski
303 779-8739
jknopins@jeffco.us
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