According to our rotation schedule and regional map, the 2024 Gathering (our 20th!) should be in the Western region.

By looking at our Member Map, we have a pretty strong grouping of members in California and Arizona - two states we have yet to visit.  Being more specific, Phoenix, AZ, San Diego, Los Angles and Sacramento, CA all have a strong grouping of members.  Would members from those areas (and from around the country) be wanting and willing to visit any one of those four cities?

Also, since our membership has grown/changed from simply a bunch of C3 owners to a owners of multiple generations of Vettes, I'm thinking maybe it would make sense to also include members from C4VR & C6VR to the 2024 Gathering.  I'd like your thoughts on that, too.

-Adam Wartell
NCM Lifetime Member #1222
Founder: C3 Vette Registry 
C4 Vette Registry, C6 Vette Registry

My first Vette, now owned by JB79:

For me it’s a no-brainer. It would be Phoenix as my choice. Have relatives in Tuscan and friends is Phoenix. I could be talked into going there. 

   

DanT

Having attended 4 of the 5 Gatherings held in the West Region I can attest to the fact that they were all fun events.  It was a bit disappointing, if memory serves, that there were no attendees from west of the Continental Divide who attended the 13th Gathering in Colorado. 

The "Left Coast" certainly has a bunch of interesting places but I personally would be a bit hesitant to venture into the major population areas.  I have been to San Diego, LA and the SF Bay areas and the things that stick in my memory are - LOTS of people and traffic!  I have also been to the Phoenix area and the same can be said for there.  But get out of those main areas and I'm sure there are lots of fun and interesting things to do and see.

That being said, Salt Lake City, UT and Lost Wages, NV, er, Las Vegas, would be of interest to me.  Both are still good sized metro areas but on a smaller scale than those farther west and south.

Adding the C4VR and C6VR folks would be interesting.  Looking at the member maps for those two groups they have pretty much the same groupings of members that C3VR has.  While there have been many events mentioned by those folks I didn't see a specific Members Gathering ever put together.  Could be fun to have them.

My 2 pennies worth.

Jim Olson 

"The Toys"...!!!  Save the Wave!

Where I've been in a Corvette...!!!

I’ve been in favor of adding C4 and C6 folks for years. The more the merrier!

As far as location, there are plenty of Route 66 places to explore in the southwest. If we narrow things down to that area, I’d be glad to give some input 

I wanted a Corvette my whole life, but I never dreamed of all the wonderful people I would meet because of it!

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target=_blank>Click for another pic!���� And yet another!

We may venture to Phoenix, have a Corvette buddy there and would be a nice visit. I agree with Norsky on traffic concerns. 

It would be nice to add the other groups, but good coordination would be needed for roads. We had a 35 cars last week and it's just not possible to keep them all together. 

 😈 ebo

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ebo

I agree with Norsky to avoid the big cities. Southwest would be great for me as I have many relatives and friends in NV and CA.  Just don’t plan it for the summer. I plan to attend the NCM caravan in Bowling Green on Labor Day weekend, so avoid that time. Spring might be the best time for the southwest. 
Many C3 members drive their newer Vettes, so having C4 and C6 members join us would be great. 

 

Save the Wave!
Support the National Corvette Museum   

If we do West Coast, who is bringing the Gas Tanker truck with cheaper gas?  As others have stated, we have no desire to be in any of the major West Coast Cities with the huge crowds/traffic - will leave those to the younger members.  A smaller mountain town/resort area in their off season perhaps, on either side of the mountains.  We are also planning to do the NCM Caravan next labor day and think it is a good idea to include the C4/6 people.

Lifetime Member #58
Our 82CE

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Being out here for the last 8 years the biggest concern I have would be the heat. It's glorious in the valley(Phoenix) November thru early April but outside those months your tempting mid 90's(very possible)- low 100's(unlikely but possible). If you've never been out here, the landscapes are mesmerizing. From the desert of Tonto National Forest to the tall pines in Sitgreaves NF...well, that's one heck of a drive. Driving from the Valley to Sedona, then Flagstaff along 89 is memorable and loads of fun as well. Gas prices suck unfortunately.

Dave

Lifetime Member #192

Just a thought, but what about Flagstaff?  Sedona, Grand Canyon, Meteor crater, Cottonwood, Jerome,  are all in range.

Any good roads in Texas?

I'm all for inviting C4 & C6 members.

Dan

There are some good, and lonely, roads in Texas.  But since they are all in the Middle Region you'll only use them to get to the West Region for the next Gathering.

Jim Olson 

"The Toys"...!!!  Save the Wave!

Where I've been in a Corvette...!!!

It hits 100 in late April and it’s still 100+ today as we’re driving back.   Best time is Oct-Nov with snowstorms possible for visitors from the north to deal with.  March-April is good with snowstorms still possible north of Sedona.

Upon futher thought, spring training runs the end of Feb thru the end of March.  Hotels get premium pricing and fill up along with restaurants.

Ok folks, time to put away your Halloween costumes...!!!  👹👺💀👻👽  

Interest seems to have waned a bit regarding the 2024 Gathering.  Most every Gathering I've attended one of the topics of conversation has been "So where are we going next year and when?".  Some folks want to plan ahead for how to spend next year's vacation budget.  Some folks need to plan ahead for a vacation to accommodate work schedules, family schedules, etc.

Selecting a location and time is just the tip of the iceberg.  Once that is done the bulk of the work can get underway.  Checking out and selecting a host hotel takes time, researching venues to visit takes time, researching places to eat two meals a day takes time and scoping out fun routes to get every where and back takes time.  All of this is made a bunch easier when there is a member, or members, in, near or familiar with the place that was selected to help with, or take on, the planning.

So far only 10 folks have taken the time to reply to this topic.  That doesn't seem enough of a number to warrant investing all the time and energy into planning a Gathering, at least to me anyway.  Don't get me wrong, small groups are fun.  Big groups are even more fun! 

The suggestions so far have been good ones, but more are needed.  So spread the word and see if some more interest can be generated on where and when to have a Gathering next year...!!!

btw - a huge THANKS to all the folks who have been a part of planning a past Gathering.  You ROCK...!!!  🤜🤛 👍 👏

Jim Olson 

"The Toys"...!!!  Save the Wave!

Where I've been in a Corvette...!!!

Having just planned 2023 Gathering I can attest to the amount of time it takes for the planning portion. We started in April and only completed the final arrangements less than 2 weeks prior to the gathering the last week of September. To have a spring Gathering it should pretty much be started to be planned very soon. That may be a problem at this point. Maybe not depending on the availability of venues available in the chosen area. I would suggest getting the area of the next gathering determined as soon as possible along with a tentative date. If it ends up being another fall meet then there would be no rush to get plans started.

As far as locations, Utah is on our bucket list of states we have not been to along with New Mexico, though I know very little about NM. Been to Arizona in the Grand Canyon area and we loved it, and I stated earlier we have friends in the Phoenix area, and relatives in the Tucson area. I totally agree with the opinions that we not do it near a big city. Large cities have the advantage of more possible things to do, places to see, but they make logistics a nightmare. 

Including C4-C6 people would be a good thing to meet more people and more possible people pool for that would be willing to take on the planning. Only drawback would be the increase in the number people/cars to contend with.

And that's my $.02 worth at this point.

   

DanT

Good evening to all. KUDOS to Dan. His words are Very true. It's not an easy road,  but someone has to do it. Glad the mugs are all sold. 

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I know nothing about areas west of the Mississippi so I am afraid I am not gonna be much help with any type of planning. Depending on how far away it is I am not 100% certain I will be able to make it. I already have a few trips on the books for next year. I will come if I can though.

My $.02 worth - Utah and Idaho are scenic and have great roads plus much to do on a lonely quiet evening (chuckle, two vettes together lonely & quiet are hone).  Utah has the mountains east of Salt Lake for touring while Idaho has an nuclear reactor museum out in the middle of nowhere which makes for a quick potty stop. 

The more the merrier for adding on to the participants IMHO.  Always fun to talk with all about the cars 🚗 and adventures.

finally arrived and rarin' to ride 
- SAVE THE WAVE -

   

Love to see it in LA/Orange County or San Diego.

Thanks, 

Don DiCarlo

Honestly it would be great to attend, and the closer to Colorado the better.  My car is not yet ready for one of these, probably another year.  But having one out west here is a great idea as I don't travel east unless I'm chasing a part.

Hello, In interest of a local for a Gathering,  I've not been any farther west than the central region indicated by the map. So...The four corners would be interesting to see for us. Depending on dates that is. 

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I agree with you Gary. Flagstaff or Sedona would be a much better choice than Phoenix. I can tell you one thing,  you won't be disappointed by picking anywhere in AZ 👍

MARK
LIFETIME MEMBER #117

Click here to see my new friend P-Racer
"Keep up the Pace"

I like Tucson or Phoenix area myself.

Laughlin, NV.

Kingman, AZ. (Route 66)

Lake Havasu City, AZ. (Colorado River)

Flagstaff, Sedona, AZ.

Would be nice to do you have the gathering on the West Coast.

We live in San Antonio so anywhere within a radius of 1,200 miles is OK. I would recommend New Mexico, Arizona or Southern California and select the smaller cities in AZ or CA.

My wife and I went on the Museum In Motion tour of the National Parks.  We met in Williams, AZ.  Nice accommodations in town, close to the Grand Canyon (great one day trip).  Route 66 goes through there, it does get a lot of tourists and you have to watch the time of year, it is cooler up there but there can be snow and during the summer it is much cooler than the Valley but it can get warm.  Flagstaff is close as is Sedona, the drive from Flagstaff to Sedona is spectacular.  Sedona itself is very conjusted, you would have to consider arranging parking ahead of time or you will be spread out all over town.

Lots of opportunities in Arizona for drives.  

Mike Rowley

Mike & Marcia


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I'd be interested depending upon when and where of course- the devil is in the details!  Kind of hard to commit this far out and without dates but I'd certainly be interested!

Mario

We are definitely interested in attending a west cost event. All comes down to timing for us. Agree with the majority in reference to staying away from the big cities. Route 66 locations sound like fun through the areas already mentioned.

Mel
Lifetime Member #90

Unfortunately I had to miss the last gathering.  I’m interested in something like Phoenix or a little bit closer to the east. I haven’t spent much time in that part of the country.  Adding C4 & C5 groups would be great.

Living in Phoenix, I say yes!  It would be great to have a meeting out here.  I would be willing to go elsewhere in the west but I think the Phoenix area is best, obviously. 

However, when is the meeting?  If between May and September, Phoenix would NOT be the ideal location.  If the meeting is any other month of the year, Phoenix would be ideal.  The combination of urban, suburban and rural areas would make driving out here fun and there are several tracks we could access as well.  Plus, if members want to play golf, Phoenix is a golfer's paradise.

Best,

Jeri

jeri@sdmrinc.com 

I vote for Phoenix in the winter. It's always sunny and daytime temperatures in the 70's.

The RT66 sounds very interesting, as well as the surrounding area AZ.

Being dead center in the east, out west is someplace we would enjoy.

It is a bit far, so I would not drive, even in a metal car. 

The event 2023 was amazingly organised and planned, so that is a factor for deciding to visiting out west. 

I say include the newer years too, I do think they would enjoy anything Corvette. 

Bruce
72 Coupe L48 4sp
Custom Blue/Silver/Pearl

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Route 66 has the 60s and 70s nostalgia factor but no great airports if people fly in from the east.  You need to fly into Las Vegas or Phoenix and then catch a hopper into Flagstaff or drive to whichever location 2.5-3.5 hours away from either airport.  Logistically it is not a great spot for meetings like this.  And there are few "events" to attend and often quite remote.   If this were a Jeep or similar type of meeting it would be more practical for Route 66 but frankly, we could do a day in Sedona.  The biggest towns along the way are Flagstaff, Winslow and Kingman.  None of which are known for their great variety of meeting options.

Just sayin'...

Jeri

First weekend in May is the RT66 Fun Run.  Always 100 degrees.

https://www.historic66az.com/33-fun-run.html

We stay in Williams for the better lodging.  Williams has a nicer downtown then Seligman.  Sunday end up in Lake Havasu midday.

We are not familiar with the S/W. That being said, we try to make as many gatherings as possible. Don’t care for big cities, time and place is important. C-4 and 6 are welcome. 

I see most are open to inviting C4 and C6 owners. Wondering why leave out C5? 

Arizona sounds nice, except for heat.  

Mark mentioned 4 Corners, but there is nothing there and it's dirt roads all around there.

I don't want to be in a urban area at all. And I'm all for the other year Vettes to join us!

 

Lifetime Member #116
Dave's '82

   

Hi Dave, I'm completely ignorant on the environment of that part of the country. I was thinking of the access to multiple states. Any of the four are of interest to me. 

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I live in the Phoenix area, so that would be an obvious choice, but I think a location in Northern AZ would be great for the East Coasters.  

Along with C3VR, sister sites are C4VR and C6VR. Even though unfortunately there’s not (at least not an affiliated) C5VR site, that generation is more than welcome. There have been plenty of C5s at recent gatherings 😁

I wanted a Corvette my whole life, but I never dreamed of all the wonderful people I would meet because of it!

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target=_blank>Click for another pic!���� And yet another!

Most of the suggestions so far have not just been West, but SOUTH West. I did see one person mention Idaho and having recently visited (but not knowing much and not able to really plan), it was very scenic. In particular, the road around Couer D’Alene lake was great and there is an old (but well maintained) switchback road taking you down (or up) into the valley that is Lewiston.

I would guess that looking a bit farther north might help keep us from the heat or at least open the dates up a bit

I wanted a Corvette my whole life, but I never dreamed of all the wonderful people I would meet because of it!

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target=_blank>Click for another pic!���� And yet another!

Yup, this! ^^^^^
Many members of all the sites also own C5s, so I'm sure will see them too. All generations are welcome. Non- Corvettes are welcome. We're just looking for members to be a part of the event no matter what they drive. Very often there are a handful of members there with metal cars. 

-Adam Wartell
NCM Lifetime Member #1222
Founder: C3 Vette Registry 
C4 Vette Registry, C6 Vette Registry

My first Vette, now owned by JB79:

How about including us C2 owners too?

You are a member of C3VR.

It is a gathering of C3VR members.  Some don't even own a Corvette.

As a F.Y.I. to the above query,  we have in the past had a member who only had a C2 and was a creator and organizer of a eastern gathering in South Carolina. Did a fantastic job. We didn't go away hungry, and enjoyed many miles of roads and sites at his direction. A fantastic three days. Please consider attending. You won't ve sorry. 

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It would be great to have it at an of those locations. Me and my 68 would be able make it to one of those locations. 

I am in Southwest Wyoming.  I would be interested in traveling to the Flagstaff/Sedona area, or even north of Flagstaff into southern Utah, in September-October.  I really do not know the area well enough to propose a good suggestion.

 I travelled from Phoenix thru Flagstaff a few years ago late November; but, November weather traveling north of Southern Utah can have travel issues with snowy roads.   I have some cousins in the Phoenix area I could plan to visit.

I'd love the West Coast gathering to be near Los Angeles, CA as that is where I live :) As for having other Corvette owners joining us, sure thing!

hi there, my name is Patrick and I live in Ohio. We have an annual event in Berea Ohio called Corvettes at Corsa every July. It’s a huge Corvette celebration at Corsa performance manufacturing. They were close to 250 Corvettes last year alone. C1 through C8s were represented. and I was fortunate enough to take second place in the C3 class. I think it would be a wonderful place to have the C3 registry at.😎

I'm with you Dan, but I don't think it'll fly...😁

   I know the voices aren't real, but they have some pretty cool ideas...

One thing to note about the next Gathering, it will be our 20th!  Seems like the right time to bring in folks from C4VR & C6VR.  I mean, after all, many C3VR members have C4s, C6s, (or other generations) too.  The Vettes at our C3VR Gatherings have not been all C3s for a LONG time!  

-Adam Wartell
NCM Lifetime Member #1222
Founder: C3 Vette Registry 
C4 Vette Registry, C6 Vette Registry

My first Vette, now owned by JB79: