DINO RALLY TO THE GRAND CANYON

    For those of us who wanted to enjoy more sunny days and scenic drives after the FCA National Meet, fellow Dino owner Scott McClure organized a Dino Rally for November 10 through 13, 2019.

    Eight Dinos and a handful of modern Ferraris gathered in the host hotel parking lot on Sunday for a scheduled 9:30 am departure.

    While most of the Dinos came from the western U.S., Jamie Holmes brought S/N 06640 from Ontario and I shipped S/N 04004 from Charlotte, NC.

    However, I think the long distance award would have to go to Wolfhard and Renate Wiese for driving their 512 BB all the way from Sarasota, FL, en route to the West Coast before turning around and heading home.

    Having previously owned a 512 BBi, I was envious of all the miles they were racking up in such a wonderful touring car.  The rest of the Dinos departing from Sedona that morning were S/N 03110, S/N 04370, S/N 06146, S/N 06422, S/N 06472, and S/N 04610.

    On tap for the first day was a scenic 211 mile route with a lunch stop in Prescott, AZ, followed by twisty roads through the Arizona mining country, then entering Oak Creek Canyon and the stunning Red Rocks of Sedona.

    Rally master Scott McClure had meticulously planned all the details, including convenient fuel stops, great dining options, two support vehicles, and even free roadside service from Hagerty in the event of a mechanical issue.

    Fortunately, no one had to utilize the previously mentioned benefit as there were no breakdowns over the entire length of the rally, which was approximately 800 miles.

    We arrived at our hotel, The Amara Resort and Spa in Sedona, with enough time to check in, freshen up, and attend a complimentary wine reception.  Scott came through with his choice of hotel while providing everyone with secure, private, covered parking and a nice goodie bag to greet everyone in their rooms.

    On day two everyone got an early 8 am start as we had nearly 250 miles to cover and we were all anxious to see the highlight of the trip, the Grand Canyon.

    Leading the way was Matthias Bartz, author of the Dino Compendium, who made the trip all the way from Germany.

    Thanks to the generosity of Verna Griffiths, Bartz  was driving S/N 06146, a beautiful silver GTS, for the length of the Rally.

Heading north out of Sedona, our route took us through Oak Creek Canyon ascending to the high desert plains of the vast Colorado Plateau.

    We turned off Route 89 in Cameron, AZ, and headed west: after about 30 minutes we entered the national park, and stopped for scenic photos at Navajo Point.

    Scott managed to get his drone out and take some phenomenal footage of all our Dinos with the Grand Canyon in the background!

    Back in our Dinos, we made a beeline for our lunch stop at Bright Angel Lodge.  A leisurely stop allowed everyone to enjoy a wonderful sitdown meal and afterwards soak in the scenic views and explore the areas around the lodge.

    Around 2:30 pm we had to make a choice of heading back with the main group or sticking around for dinner and sunset views at El Tovar Dining Room.

    I decided to head back and those of us that did enjoyed a spirited drive through the Arizona high country to our planned fuel stop in Flagstaff. An hour after dispatching the twisty canyon roads, we arrived back in Sedona just in time for happy hour.

    Each evening the group tended to congregate at the hotel bar to socialize, and tonight was no exception.  Unlike the previous night when several people had dinner reservations, most of us decided to eat at the hotel after a long day driving.

    It was a fun evening filled with fine food, drink, and of course Ferrari and car talk in general.  When everyone turned in, it was agreed that we would have a leisurely 9 am start for the final day.

    Even though we got a late start, we were still planning to cover some 200 miles, with our primary destination being Route 66 and a particular corner in Winslow, AZ.

    We covered ground fairly quickly, given a significant portion of the drive was on I-40 towards Winslow.  Nevertheless, it was entertaining cruising between 80 and 90 mph in a long line of vintage Dinos.

    After a fuel stop, Scott planned for each Dino to be photographed at the famous “corner in Winslow, Arizona.”

    While we tried to take over the corner with Dinos, there was a flat-bed Ford parked in the background – at least we were all taking it easy, just like the famous Eagles song.

    After lunch at The Torquoise Room at La Posada, the group split with several of us heading directly back to the hotel while others took the scenic route over the Mogollon Rim to Montezuma Castle National Monument.

    Once back in Sedona, we had an impromptu cocktail party at the home of Jim and Sandy Weder.  Their home was the perfect location to enjoy an incredible Sedona sunset and was the perfect culmination to a very enjoyable rally.

    Thanks for your hospitality, Jim and Sandy!

    Back at the hotel we reminisced about the previous three days and the new friendships made.

    Arizona was truly a wonderful destination to enjoy the pleasures of a vintage Ferrari and Scott McClure did an incredible job organizing and making the rally happen without any hiccups.

    Everyone had such a good time that there are already discussions about holding future Dino Rallies.