The Donut Run

Some of you may have already heard about this trip being organized, but just in case you haven't, here's a quick rundown. The Donut Run is a FREE road trip which will be held May 12-26, 2007. It is being "organized" by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts. There is no cost to sign up to participate (though you do have to pay your own expenses). Another really neat thing about this run is that participants are not required to do the entire trip. You can join up with the group at any of the checkpoints and participate in smaller parts of the trip if you are unable to do the whole thing!

The spirit of the run requires that participants drive vehicles which would be considered "innappropriate" for a road trip taken across the continent and back. Sports cars, exotics, hot rods, sport imports, classics, 4x4's, motorcycles, art cars, and jalopies are all welcome to participate. RV's, camper trailers, SUV's, etc. need not apply. We already have about a dozen RSVP's from people who intend to participate in various cars (multiple Ariel Atoms, several Lotuses, several Classics, and several imports so far). There has been some interest already expressed by your fellow FerrariChat members, as well. So get those vacation days set aside, and be ready to sign up for this event!

The website has already been established at http://www.thedonutrun.com, though it is only just the beginning's of a website so far (still under construction).

Here's the latest news about The Donut Run's route and it's developments:
In an attempt to make include as many locales as possible for the trip, I've revisited the route and came up with this:

PART I (West to East)
-Depart Newport Beach, CA (start) Leave Saturday morning ~8AM
-Las Vegas, NV (overnight) Arrive Saturday, leave Sunday--this leg is 276 miles, ~5 hours drive
-Grand Canyon, AZ (overnight) Arrive Sunday, leave Monday--this leg is 276 miles, ~4 hours drive
-Albequerque, NM (overnight) Arrive Monday, leave Tuesday morning--this leg is 367 miles, ~6 hours drive
-Witchita Falls, TX (overnight) Arrive Tuesday, leave Wednesday morning--this leg is 509 miles, ~8 hours drive
-Memphis, TN (overnight) Arrive Wednesday, leave Thursday--this leg is 591 miles, ~10 hours drive
-Deals Gap, NC (overnight) Arrive Thursday, leave Friday--this leg is 468 miles, ~8 hours drive
-Washington, DC (overnight) Arrive Friday--this leg is 574 miles, ~10 hours drive

I replaced Charleston, NC with Washington, DC to try to get more requested content/interesting stops into the trip. I also added Las Vegas, but am unsure whether we should spend the night there since it's such a short leg from the LA area. If we do Reno instead, we could go direct to the Grand Canyon as the first stop, gain a day for a more liesurely pace for the rest of the trip, and spend some more time in Washington DC or take our time through some areas along the way.

PART II (East to West)
-Depart Washington, DC Saturday
-Indianapolis, IN (overnight) Arrive Saturday, leave Sunday--this leg is 592 miles, ~10 hours drive
-Kansas City, MO (overnight) Arrive Sunday, leave Monday morning--this leg is 484 miles, ~8 hours drive
-Denver, CO (overnight) Arrive Monday, leave Tuesday morning--this leg is 604 miles, ~10 hours drive
-Salt Lake City, UT (overnight) Arrive Tuesday, leave Wednesday--this leg is 533 miles, ~7 hours drive
-Reno, NV (overnight) Arrive Wednesday, leave Thursday--this leg is 518 miles, ~7 hours drive
-San Francisco (overnight) Arrive Thursday, leave Friday--this leg is 218 miles, ~4 hours drive
-Newport Beach, CA (end) Arrive Saturday morning ~8AM--this leg is ~400-500miles, depending on your route. I've given us a day and a half to get from SF back to SoCal, so that we can meander down PCH at a leisurely pace and still arrive during the Crystal Cove Car Show on Saturday morning. This also gives us a little padding should we fall behind schedule during the trip.

This is still a route which is "in the works". I'm open to any input to visit better places, reduce distance, do better routes. Should I do any more shuffling/remove stops/add stops?

 

Because of the route, we may be able to stop by, but we won't actually be able to eat a donut...which might be perfect for comedy value. We won't be able to eat a donut until we reach Washington DC, stopping by Krispy Kreme in NC would be torture...sweet torture.

The Ultimate Temptation.

 

Rethought the route, and here's the latest one. I really like it.

The Donut Run
General Schedule

Part I
(West coast to east coast)​

Day 1 (Saturday 12th May): Crystal Cove Car Show and beginning of run. Depart car show at 8am. Stop at "The Baghdad Cafe" (actual diner used as set for the film, but in reality called The Sidewinder Cafe) and have early lunch. Begin Route 66 portion of run. Drive to Grand Canyon & enjoy sunset. Camping at KOA campgrounds in Williams, AZ (alternative motels available to non-campers).
Miles driven this day: 460 miles, ~7 hours

Day 2 (Sunday 13th May): Enjoy Grand Canyon sunrise. Depart 9AM, drive route 66 to Winslow, AZ (remember that Eagles song?) for lunch. Continue to Albuquerque, NM and visit National Atomic Museum. Stay in Route 66 themed motel in Albuquerque (suggest the El Vado Motel).
Miles driven this day: 370 miles, ~5 hours

Day 3 (Monday 14th May): "IRON BUTT" leg of tour, longest leg of the trip! Depart EARLY (5AM or 6AM?) and conquer the Texas panhandle...or will it conquer you? Road games planned. Lunch at a “mom & pop” place along the way. Stay in nice Dallas area hotel at end of this leg, host group dinner. I'll buy a round of drinks for those who did the IRON BUTT leg if I can afford it.
Miles driven this day: 650 miles, ~10 hours

Day 4 (Tuesday 15th May): Sleep in a bit, depart Dallas at 11AM. Drive to Texarkana TX/AR, have lunch and pay "tribute" to Burt Reynolds & "Smokey and the Bandit" movie. Continue to Jackson, MS. Stay at a motel.
Miles driven this day: 465 miles, ~8 hours

Day 5 (Wednesday 16th May): Depart Jackson 10AM, drive to Atlanta, GA. Stay in Atlanta area hotel. Possible meet at The Varsity (world’s largest drive-in restaurant) or Andretti Speed Lab Wednesday night for unhealthy food, car show, and fun.
Miles driven this day: 380 miles, ~6 hours

Day 6 (Thursday 17th May): Depart Atlanta at 10AM, drive to Charleston, SC. Stay in Charleston area hotel. Thursday night, The Donut Run East Coast Arrival Party will be held at host Charleston hotel banquet hall or at a local restaurant that’s large enough to host the group (pay for your own meal/drinks).
Miles driven this day: 325, ~5 hours

Day 7 (Friday 18th May): Trip to the donut shop, ceremonial Eating of the Donuts. I'll buy one donut for each registered participant in attendance who made at least one leg of the run. Much celebration, eating, and frivolity may occur. Depart Charleston at Noon for Robbinsville, NC.
Miles driven this day: 350 miles, ~6 hours

Part II
(East coast to west coast)​

Day 7 (Friday 18th May): Depart Charleston at noon, drive to Robbinsville, NC (Deals Gap). Stay in Robbinsville, NC area motel.
Miles driven this day: 350 miles, ~6 hours

Day 8 (Saturday 19th May): Rest Day in Robbinsville, NC (Deals Gap). Drive the "Tail of the Dragon", visit Dollywood, relax, etc. Generally relax and take in the interesting stuff nearby.
Miles driven this day: N/A

Day 9 (Sunday 20th May): Depart Robbinsville at 10AM. Drive to Chattanooga, TN for lunch. Continue on to Memphis, TN. Stay in Elvis themed motel/hotel if possible (I will try to book The Heartbreak Hotel, encourage others to do so as well).
Miles driven this day: 470 miles, ~8 hours

Day 10 (Monday 21st May): Visit Graceland in the morning. Depart Memphis at noon, drive to Branson, MO. Dinner and a show in Branson. Stay in hotel.
Miles driven this day: 300 miles, ~6 hours

Day 11 (Tuesday 22nd May): Depart Branson at 10AM. Drive to Wichita, KS. Stay in motel.
Miles driven this day: 400 miles, ~6 hours

Day 12 (Wednesday 23rd May): Depart Wichita at 9AM. Drive to Pueblo, CO. Stay at Pueblo KOA campgrounds (hotels/motels available nearby for non-campers), Fireside party, marshmallows, and s’mores for those who choose to camp with us!
Miles driven this day: 430 miles, ~9 hours

Day 13 (Thursday, 24th May): Depart Pueblo at 10AM. Drive to Grand Junction, CO. Stay in motel.
Miles driven this day: 280 miles, ~5 hours

Day 14 (Friday, 25th May): "IRON BUTT PART DUEX!" Depart Grand Junction 8AM. Drive to Las Vegas, NV. Stop only for gas and food on the way to Vegas, because you'll need time to rest up in Las Vegas if you want to do the last leg of the run. Gamble, eat, and be merry once you reach Vegas! Then TAKE A NAP & prepare for the final leg of the trip.
Miles driven this day: 500 miles, ~7 hours

Day 15 (Saturday, 26th May): "FINAL NIGHT, HOME RUN!". Hopefully you've taken a nap, because we’re going to depart Las Vegas at 2AM! Drive to Newport Beach, CA to arrive just in time for the Crystal Cove Car Show exactly two weeks after we departed. Saturday night-- end of Donut Run party/awards ceremony held at Newport Beach Venue (pay for your own meal/drinks).
Miles driven this day: 275 miles, ~5 hours