Blog

By Reid & Dana Smith

What a way to kick off September. A full week of driving, eating and enjoying incredible scenery. The following is a daily recap of highlights.

Day 1: We officially kicked off our tour on Labor Day, September 1^st, with a meetup at Love’s Travel Stop on US-93, north of Las Vegas. We started with four Porsches, picked up two more in Ely, headed north to Twin Falls and on to the Boise area. Most of our tourers decided to start their vacation early, taking two or more days to get to Idaho. We met for a get-acquainted dinner at LandOcean Restaurant in Meridian with 18 people.

Day 2: We finally had our full contingent of 21 members in 13 Porsches at our Day 2 meetup. After a 650-mile run the previous day, everyone smiled when we announced only a 200-mile trek today! Our route included heading north on US-95 to Cambridge and west with a stop at Woodhead Park and Hells Canyon on the Snake River. Crossing the river into Oregon, we took less traveled windy forest service roads which included awesome panoramic views of the canyon. We had time on our own to check out the Joseph – Enterprise area. Lake Wallowa was a perfect location to take in the mountain sunset.

Day 3: Heading north over Rattlesnake Pass provided as many curves as a Las Vegan can take in one day! Mystic Café was ready for us to enjoy an excellent lunch in Lewiston Idaho. Then we traveled east along the Clearwater River. Our fearless leader decided to take some roads less traveled for our last 15 miles of the day. The narrow windy roads were fine until we reached an unplanned 2 ½ mile stretch of gravel road. I am certain many were thinking of other adjectives than “fearless” for our leader! Luckily, the small town of Orofino where we overnighted had a touchless car wash across the street from the only place with premium fuel. We had dinner at Fiesta en Jalisco. The River’s Edge Hotel had incredible views of the river with a large patio for an evening get-together by the firepit. Lonnie Roy had stowed away his foldup guitar so we could enjoy some great music by the river after our dusty-trail day.

Day 4: Heading east on US-12, the highway departs Clearwater River for the Lochsa River. Incredible roads with sparse traffic provided us with Porsche-fueled fun. We stopped at Lolo Pass Visitors Center and then continued to Hamilton Montana. Dinner was out of town about 10 miles, at Skalkaho Steakhouse. The family owners of this gem on their farm closed the restaurant to provide us with a unique dining experience. Can’t ask for better hospitality!

DAY 5: We headed south and had planned to have lunch in Ketchum – Sun Valley. Road construction in town was horrendous, so we continued to Twin Falls. Elevation 486 for dinner was recommended. We were not disappointed.  The view was breathtaking, complete with waterfalls along the Snake River. 

DAY 6: The culmination of our tour brought us back to Las Vegas via US 93. How can we sum it up? It was fabulous! Perfect weather, beautiful scenery, special people, good food. It was a huge success.  If you have never taken a Porsche club multi-day tour, you are missing out. The friendships gained and roads traveled will be an unforgettable experience.