Training Day
I like mechanical transportation. All mechanical things are interesting, but if it can take you somewhere? Even better. So when I was offered a chance to get a behind-the-scenes tour of the Caltrain maintenance facility, I was very intrigued.
Snow on Mt. Hamilton
For a Californian, that white lump of ice is practically a pile of gold coins in Aladdin’s cave. Multiple signs warn “THIS AREA IS OFF LIMITS” and “SNOW PLAY IS PROHIBITED AT LICK OBSERVATORY” which is a bit of a tragedy when snow is more of a curiosity than an annoyance to us in the SF Bay Area.
Nationals Treasure
If you want to see proper cars, go to a track. Even if that track actually consists of cones on an empty airfield, you’ll still be in for a treat.
Drew and I met up in east San Jose and took the twisty route up and over Mt. Hamilton to the tiny town of Crows Landing to check out an SCCA Solo (aka Autocross) Championship Tour event. I’ve participated in a few autocrosses throughout the years in my Miatas and FR-S, but I’d never been out to Crows Landing nor had I seen a national-level event.
More Crap For Your Buck: Radwood at Hooptie-Con
Despite the growing–some might say exploding–popularity of Radwood, when the opportunity was presented for it to be part of a “festival” of other car events, it was readily accepted, despite having proven it could exist as a standalone event.
This festival of sorts was called Hooptie-Con, which as evidenced by the name, is not something to be taken seriously.
Star Road 