By Allan Frickey, Tour Leader
Fifty-six members and guests, including four new members met Saturday morning on September 12th in the Starbucks parking lot at Cascade Village Shopping Center. Thirty-three Porsches were beautifully prepared for the drive . . . passers-by may have thought they were at a car show.
Important formalities, including hand shakes, hugs, back pats and Porsche-speak consumed the first 15 minutes while insurance forms were signed and tour directions were distributed. A drivers’ meeting was conducted to address safety, responsibilities when driving in a group, sharing the road, driving etiquette, and observing traffic signs and speed limits. President Pete Olsen introduced Allan and Geri Frickey, Roger and Mary Sanders, and Tim and Sue Hagner as Tour Group Leaders. Sweep car drivers were assigned.
The tour commenced at 9:00 am. It was a three-hour tour, 130 miles in length.
The first leg took us through Alfalfa east to Hwy 27. We traveled north from that point, down the canyon, across the dam at Prineville Reservoir, and continued down the canyon following the Crooked River to Prineville. We proceeded to the east end of Prineville to Ochoco Creek Park . . . beautiful lawns, a super fort for grand-kid play, and (really important) a clean toilet facility. Water and cookies were provided. Wow, that was a quick 62 miles!
From the West end of Prineville we turned onto O Neil Hwy and followed it’s twisty pavement for 17 miles to Hwy 97.
Next, we went north through Terrebonne, then west toward Crooked River Ranch. We waved “Good Bye” to the slow pick-ups that had been in front of us as they exited to CRR, and proceeded on Lower Bridge Road through many a corner, over many a road name change until we got to Hwy 126. A spectacular drive!
Time to go east . . . so we did. A beautiful highway, up and over, then down . . . way down there is the Deschutes River, there’s Cline Falls State Park. Soon we were approaching Redmond, but turned right across from Santa’s Reindeer Ranch (where were the reindeer?). We found rural residential areas with paved turns on our way south toward Bend.
Suddenly, OMG, we were heading south on an on-ramp onto Hwy 97 and the end of our tour.
The tour ended in the parking lot at Cascade Village Shopping Center. (It was very important that the tour ended in the parking lot as our post-tour lunch site is famous for beverages other than water).
Over thirty of us joined for lunch at El Rancho Grande. We were greeted with sincere handshakes, hugs and beautiful smiles. Porsche-speak that had been interrupted by the start of the tour some three hours before resumed during lunch. The food was great! The drinks were great! Thanks El Rancho Grande staff for making our lunch as wonderful as our tour.
Geri and I are looking forward to the next Arrive & Drive Tour. Hope to see you there.