Ferrari Mailing List: Fun Drive - NFC What is faster than a tank on an unpaved road....

[LtWacko (LtWacko]

No Ferrari content but I have to share....
 
In between business meetings, I decided to visit my mother in  Phoenix.  Late 
last night, we were trying to decide if we should make the  trip to the new 
Skywalk at the west end of the Grand Canyon.  Was it really  worth the 5 hour 
drive and the $75 per person to stand on a glass platform over  the Canyon?  
Well, at 6 am this morning, we left Mom's place in my  rental PT Cruiser.  Most 
fun on the first part of the drive was almost  getting killed each time trying 
to pass on hwy 60. Damn slow and worse with  the A/C going.  As some of you 
know, the best/only true access is  on a 20 mile gravel road just before 
getting there.  Not just any gravel  road.  We are talking rally type switch 
backs 
and elevation changes made  for a...  RENTAL CAR!!!  I would only punish a well 
prepared rally car  or my rental at the rate I was going.  My mother was 
already sort of used  to my driving on the track and highway.  Never anything 
really crazy and  nothing compared to what I put her through today.  Now I 
didn't 
totally  scare my mother the entire way.  It was an unfamiliar road so I drove 
below  50% of being an idiot...   most of the time.  I gave my mother a  
taste of out of control/in control slides.  She was screaming in terror at  the 
hand brake induced power slides.  I gave up after a dozen.  She  just couldn't 
stomach them.  Cresting the hills and getting airborne though  got her 
laughing.  God bless her!  Anyway, being respectful to the  land and the 
owners, I 
kept most of the "rally style" driving discreet.  It  didn't take much to have 
"fun" in a PT Cruiser on that road.  My only  regret is that I forgot that I 
could record the excursion both ways on my  camera.  Anyone ever tape 
themselves 
on that road?  Similar  experiences?  Funny watching all (very few in my way) 
the driver owned  vehicles very cautiously proceeding as I covered them in 
dust as I passed.   Most were driving the road at 25 mph or less.  It was that 
rough.   Best was when a great group of Chinese tourists in a club wagon van 
was 
power  sliding with me.  Alas, they just couldn't keep up.  Oh yeah, the  
Skywalk was great.  The "package deal" of the drive and unique experience  was 
worth it for me.  
 
Rodney
 
The road is very rough and I worried about puncturing a tire.  Did try  to 
remember as much of my rally buddies' words of advice as possible,  avoiding 
hazards and flip over potentials.  I would only recommend driving  the way I 
did 
if your car is prepared or you have full renter's insurance from  the rental 
company.  LOL  I used almost 4 gallons of  gas just for that portion of the 
round trip - 45 miles.  4 cyl PT  Cruiser.  



************************************** Get a sneak peak of the all-new AOL at 
http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour