100 mile gt4 loop + made kid's day

Took the wife out for a little drive up to Tenaya Lodge just outside of the Yosemite Park entrance. This is just a little over a 100 miles from Fresno to Tenaya Lodge and then back again. Temperature was in the high 70's in Fresno and in the high 60's in the mountains.

The car ran great. Unfortunately, I had to take the less twisty route this time due to the fact that my wife gets a little car sick. I usually take the back roads (on my weekly loop drives) which are lightly traveled and the curves are a bit more entertaining.

We pulled into the Tenaya Lodge parking lot and before I could even get out of the car a young boy and his dad came right up to the car. The boy was about 10 years old and was dressed from head to toe in Ferrari swag (pants, shirt, and I think his shoes also). His dad told me that his son was a Ferrari nut and could not believe that they happened upon one in the middle of nowhere.

This kid was the real deal. Tifosi written all over him (literally and figuratively). He would have given Mr. Garvin a run for his money in the fanaticism department . The kid even made his mom use the password "Enzo" for her phone.

I asked the boy if he would like to sit in the car. He started to open the door on the passenger side to sit in the passenger seat. I told him that you don't sit in gt4's, you drive them...come around and sit in the driver's seat and grab onto the steering wheel. I think that you can tell from the photo below that he was thrilled.

I then asked his father if it would be OK for them to go for a ride. Without hesitation they said "sure". I abandoned my wife in the parking lot and took the father and son up the road for a 25 minute drive. Unfortunately there weren't any real straightaways, but I managed to get it revved to 6,800 quite a few times, which really got their attention.

My wife and I plus the other family ended up eating lunch at the same restaurant (however, not together). The family left the restaurant before we did and on the way out the mother of the boy sincerely thanked me and said "you don't know how much that meant to my son for you to take him for a ride in the Ferrari. It was the first time he had ever sat in or rode in a Ferrari."

Hopefully 20 years from now this kid will be driving a $395,000.00 gt4 and will be telling all his friends that "I still remember the day that this old man (I resemble that remark) gave me my first ride in a Ferrari. Man, the sounds it made were glorious".

All in all a great drive, great company (yes, my wife), great lunch, and got to meet the new generation of Tifosi.

Here are a few pics:
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