Oregon and Northern California trip

mimota · 07-07-2008, 08:23 PM

Hi,

I am making a trip to Santa Cruz from British Columbia and then home along the Oregon coast, camping at Jesse Honeyman. Hope to see some Smarts on the trip.

Any advice on traveling the Siskyou's in the Smart? I am hoping that it will be fine! Also, any numbers and references for help would be much appreciated. thanks in advance.

Geraldine

**Dunerunner** · 07-09-2008, 10:09 PM

mimota - You're in for a beautiful trip. In the mountains, I've heard keep the RPMs up, I plan for 3000 - 3500, when encountering a hill. This could mean 4th gear in manual. Have fun!! Jesse M. Honeyman State Park is the most breathtaking on the Oregon coast!!

NCC1701 · 07-09-2008, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dunerunner

mimota - You're in for a beautiful trip. In the mountains, I've heard keep the RPMs up, I plan for 3000 - 3500, when encountering a hill. This could mean 4th gear in manual. Have fun!! Jesse M. Honeyman State Park is the most breathtaking on the Oregon coast!!

Hey Dunerunner, remember me? The Florida guy who has his eyes set on retiring to coastal Oregon? I take delivery on my smart this Saturday!

mendo · 07-09-2008, 10:23 PM

I run over Donner Summit regularly, it is 7200 feet at the top. the smart will carry 70mph the whole way if I stay on the go pedal.

it works both ways, either manual or auto shift.
I prefer to manual on the way up, then I can downshift a little earlier and keep the speed up. on the way down I drop it in auto and it goes great.

Kinda reminds me of driving an early Bug. you gotta downshift to keep the speed up.

I get virtually the same milage either way, auto or manual. In manual I don't have to stand on the gas pedal so hard if I downshift.

**Dunerunner** · 07-09-2008, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NCC1701

Hey Dunerunner, remember me? The Florida guy who has his eyes set on retiring to coastal Oregon? I take delivery on my smart this Saturday!

The coast is beautiful...Be prepared for 299 days of rain or mist, 60 days of overcast and wind 30 - 70 MPH, 1 day of spring and 5 days of summer.

Lost of hills on 101 to run your smart up and down.

NCC1701 · 07-09-2008, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dunerunner

The coast is beautiful...Be prepared for 299 days of rain or mist, 60 days of overcast and wind 30 - 70 MPH, 1 day of spring and 5 days of summer.

Lost of hills on 101 to run your smart up and down.

Well, you DO exaggerate just a tad, LOL. I know I was extremely lucky the last time I was there, one week before the big flood of 2007 struck. I'm well aware coastal Oregon has a wet climate (hard to have rain forests without rain). The climate is just one of many things I LOVE about the region. When I was there in August, absolutely AMAZING weather 65-70 degrees, I had to keep pinching myself to remember back home it was 98 degrees and so humid you can barely breathe. I've studied from afar for decades, you won't sway me on the grounds of the weather. And, I took several thousand photos, nearly every one looks like a picture post card. Very difficult to take a bad picture with scenery like yours. The mindset is fantastic as well. Never seen so many ol' hippie chicks in my neck of the woods ; )
I may never get around to finishing it, but I started an online photo album from my adventures you can check out at
2006 Oregon Vacation - my Oregon Adventure
and
Victor's 2007 Oregon Vacation
I should have my smart Saturday afternoon. Florida is flat as a pancake but I'm sure I'll have a blast.

mimota · 07-10-2008, 09:12 AM

Hi Dunerunner,

I absolutely love Oregon and the Dunes. I have stayed at Jesse Honeyman State Park before and love that you can go to the ocean and a few minutes away be inland enough to change the temperature. I am bringing a 12 year old boy on his first camping trip and am excited to see his face when I take him on the dune buggy ride. My kids loved it, especially the first time. I also like the lake at the campsite. Do you live in Florence? If you are in the area, keep a lookout for a white cabriolet with silver trim! It would be fun to run into other Smart owners while on the trip. The smarts are quite common where I live. Everyday I see about 4 and one day I saw 7 on the road between two communities 20 miles apart! All part of the suburban commute to Vancouver and the ever increasing cost of gas.

Geraldine

**Dunerunner** · 07-10-2008, 12:07 PM

I'll keep and eye peeled for your cabriolet!! In the three months I've had my car, I've only seen one other smart in town. Enjoy your trip!!

aviddk · 07-10-2008, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dunerunner

The coast is beautiful...Be prepared for 299 days of rain or mist, 60 days of overcast and wind 30 - 70 MPH, 1 day of spring and 5 days of summer.

Lost of hills on 101 to run your smart up and down.

Now tell them it hit 108 in Brookings two days ago.

avid
Ashland, OR

wiloran · 07-10-2008, 05:46 PM

I drove from Eugene to Reno last month. I took I-5 to the McCloud turnoff then through Susanville and on to Reno. Piece of cake. I kept it in auto all the way and just tried to get a running start when approaching a serious climb. I got stuck behind a slow truck once and had a little trouble getting up to speed, but she came through for me and soon I was blowing by other cars, keeping it at a steady 65 MPH.

I was impressed that I averaged 48.3 MPG, in spite of all the hill climbing.