Help with my road trip

[Robert0013]

I planning on going to the Nascar weekend at Watkins Glen on the weekend of the 7 and 8 on August 2010 and as i'm coming from England i was thinking of making it a good road trip holiday. As well as the nascar at the glen i'm thinking of taking in the AMA outdoor motocross the following weekend at Unadilla 14 August. Then the next weekend down to Bristol tennessee to finish off with the sprint cup. Then home on the monday. Looking to flight into Washington dulles international airport and home fron there. So i need some tips on roads to use and cool things to see on the way to the race meetings. Please help if you can.
THANKS

[Easy Drifter]

Can't help too much but put aside some time to actually walk through the Glen State Park. Try and drive the original real road course.
Go to Letchworth State Park and tour it. Fairly close to the Glen.
Try and see Niagara Falls. Avoid most tourist traps but the Maid of the Mist is worth it.
Driving up from Washington to the Glen you just might have a chance to take in a local Sprint Car race in PA. There are several tracks not far off the normal route. The PA. Posse are just about the only group who ever beat the WOO drivers. Several of the PA boys are former Outlaw drivers.

[Mark in Oshawa]

I planning on going to the Nascar weekend at Watkins Glen on the weekend of the 7 and 8 on August 2010 and as i'm coming from England i was thinking of making it a good road trip holiday. As well as the nascar at the glen i'm thinking of taking in the AMA outdoor motocross the following weekend at Unadilla 14 August. Then the next weekend down to Bristol tennessee to finish off with the sprint cup. Then home on the monday. Looking to flight into Washington dulles international airport and home fron there. So i need some tips on roads to use and cool things to see on the way to the race meetings. Please help if you can.
THANKS

I am thinking flying into Washington and driving up is a bit of hike. That said, I suppose NY is almost as far. IF you fly into DC, you should spend some time there if you can, since it has lots of touristy stuff. Then again, with the heat of Early August, you might want to escape the heat and humidity. You will travel north out of DC into Maryland and north. Gettysburg is something to see if you ever read about the US Civil war and it is a nice town. From there, you will be in central PA. Lots of antiques and that sort of stuff to check out. Heading north up past Williamsport and the like, there isn't any major touristy attractions, but lots of camping, small resorts and the like. When you get up to the Watkins Glen area, you have the Glenn Curtiss museum over in Hammondsport NY, the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, and in Watkins Glen Itself, Watkins Glen State park where they do a laser show (at least they did a few years ago) at dusk in the Gorge, and the cruises out on Seneca Lake.

You are only 2 hours and change from the border and Niagara Falls if you choose to come north as Driter pointed out. The Canadian side is more scenic but there is good stuff to do on the US side as well.

As for then going to Unadilla, that is east..so you may skip Niagara and go that way. I don't know much over there since that part of NY I am not as familiar with. I suggest lots of visits to the NY State tourism website. IF you are heading to Bristol from there, well there is a lot of stuff down I -81 in Virginia in the way. Luray Caverns I HIGHLY recommend, and you can find any number of outfitters for rafting or canoeing on the Shenendoah or Potomac in Virginia. Also, lots of Civil War stuff in that part of the world heading south to Bristol.

I wish you luck, and I know most of these roads you will be on from my trucking days. I can personally vouch for Niagara Falls, Luray, Gettysburg, the Glen, Corning Museum, the canoeing on the Shenandoah River, and I wish you luck. Hope you are getting a good car rental program, you will have a few good trips in there....

[edv]

The Smithsonian Museums in DC are stunning! And the annex at Dulles is also worth it, if you like aircraft. (although if you REALLY like aircraft, then the AF museum at Wright-Patterson Base in Dayton Ohio would be a good side-trip)

[Easy Drifter]

How come it is all Cdns. giving advice?

[MD24]

How come it is all Cdns. giving advice?

Canadians rule
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b59/5242548/canada-1.jpg

[MD24]

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b59/5242548/caflag.gif

[NickFalzone]

How come it is all Cdns. giving advice?

I went last year, can't say I was too interested in anything but the racetrack though :) When I was much younger I did the Corning museum, I think the Kodak one is around there too. Honestly though driving around the area nearby the track it's pretty rural. Hanging out at the track is cool because they don't really block off the transporters/trailers so I found it pretty easy to walk by a lot of crew members and some drivers just hanging out. Didn't bother them, but I guess you could if you wanted. Unlike NASCAR, I've found that IRL people are pretty fan-friendly and don't have a whole lot of security things to deal with. Also a lot of the reporters hang out back there without much to do apparently, robin miller, curt cavin, and bruce martin were just hanging around and you could probably have a brief conversation if you wanted.

[NickFalzone]

I went last year, can't say I was too interested in anything but the racetrack though :) When I was much younger I did the Corning museum, I think the Kodak one is around there too. Honestly though driving around the area nearby the track it's pretty rural. Hanging out at the track is cool because they don't really block off the transporters/trailers so I found it pretty easy to walk by a lot of crew members and some drivers just hanging out. Didn't bother them, but I guess you could if you wanted. Unlike NASCAR, I've found that IRL people are pretty fan-friendly and don't have a whole lot of security things to deal with. Also a lot of the reporters hang out back there without much to do apparently, robin miller, curt cavin, and bruce martin were just hanging around and you could probably have a brief conversation if you wanted.

Heh ignore second half of that that post by me Robert, just realized you're going to the NASCAR race. I have not seen NASCAR there.

[harvick#1]

I went last year, can't say I was too interested in anything but the racetrack though :) When I was much younger I did the Corning museum, I think the Kodak one is around there too. Honestly though driving around the area nearby the track it's pretty rural. Hanging out at the track is cool because they don't really block off the transporters/trailers so I found it pretty easy to walk by a lot of crew members and some drivers just hanging out. Didn't bother them, but I guess you could if you wanted. Unlike NASCAR, I've found that IRL people are pretty fan-friendly and don't have a whole lot of security things to deal with. Also a lot of the reporters hang out back there without much to do apparently, robin miller, curt cavin, and bruce martin were just hanging around and you could probably have a brief conversation if you wanted.

I don't think there is more fan-friendly than ALMS. my trip to Petit was fantastic, They never even checked my backpack, extremely fan-friendly atmosphere with paddock access the entire day and autograph sessions on a certain day. also the before the start in the pre-race, they open pit road to everyone and a true chance to see the cars up close, talk to the crews/engineers, and sometimes drivers. as well as you can go just about anywhere and everywhere in the track.

I've been to an IRL/ARCA weekend at Joliet and realized that on ovals, a ticket only gives you a seat and thats it, although the IRL had a driver autograph session, it was during the ARCA race :mad: thats pretty poor management on the marketing crew

[call_me_andrew]

I don't think there is more fan-friendly than ALMS. my trip to Petit was fantastic, They never even checked my backpack, extremely fan-friendly atmosphere with paddock access the entire day and autograph sessions on a certain day.

I'd say NHRA was the most fan-friendly. You can cross velevet ropes and no one gets mad.

[harvick#1]

I'd say NHRA was the most fan-friendly. You can cross velevet ropes and no one gets mad.

actually a few teams let me get up close, and basically all the support series' teams were all walk ups as well, only the ALMS were roped off, but you were still about 5 feet from the car :laugh:

[Mark in Oshawa]

How come it is all Cdns. giving advice?

That isn't all accurate. That said, we are used to being strangers in a strange land down there.....

[Easy Drifter]

It was when I posted the comment. :D

[Mark in Oshawa]

Saw on Facebook that NASCAR Scene is merging with NASCAR Illustrated and they laid off some of the best racing journalists in the business. Apparently Jayski and other net sites have helped kill interest in actual magazines. Sad isn't it???? I am hoping writers such as Bob Pockruss and Steve Waid find new employment and are still out there for us consumers of media.

I have learned a lot from these guys, the gang at Sirius NASCAR Channel and other media people, and this is a sport that deserves good coverage. Hate to see some people gone. Bad enough we lost David Poole last year..hate to see good people losing their jobs as well.

Hey Guys, I am new to this forum and throught I would try to contribute. If anyone is looking for reapir manuals, owner manuals or service manuals for virtually any type of car, there is a FREE ebook at the address below. I asked him could I download and share it, but he said he prefers to have people come to the website. The site itself isn't the best, Sometimes there are annoying ads and surveys. The ebook is only a couple of pages, but it gives a list of places online where you can find almost any service and repair manuals, even for very old models and trucks. I would highly recommend to download it and keep it on your computer.

Website - hxxp://ebook-files.info/freemanuals/

All the best
james