Getting ready to roll

Just a few more days to go before the Central Coast cruise weekend! At this point we have over 20 cars and over 30 people confirmed.

If you don't already have a place to stay you may have to look outside of Cayucos to Morro Bay or San Luis Obispo for a place, since there are a number of Central Coast events over the weekend (including Sunset Magazine's "Savor the Central Coast" festival -- yes, we may be rubbing shoulders with some "foodies"), and there are always a lot of tourists, roadtrippers and weekenders on the coast this time of year, so most of the hotels are already booked solid. Tom alerted me to the possibility of a very limited number of tent camping spots at the Bella Vista in Cayucos, so if you're interested in finding out more you should contact Tom asap. There are also campsites available at Morro Strand State Park, which is at the very north end of Morro Bay, for about $36 a night (plus $10 for each additional vehicle). It's only 4 miles from Cayucos, so not bad option if you're into camping. Whether or not you plan to camp it would be a good idea for everyone to bring a folding camp chair or two.

There are a few things to be prepared for this weekend. One is the weather: the Central Coast is a little cooler than points south -- below 70°F during the day and low 50s at night. You San Diego dudes will probably wear shorts and flipflops no matter what, but as for the rest of you be advised that it might get a little chilly at night, so prepare accordingly. At least there's no rain in the forecast at this point.

Also, be prepared for higher gas prices than you might be used to, especially as we drive up the coast on Highway 1. The price for regular in Cayucos is about $4.20 and prices will go up as we go north. There are a limited number of gas stations between Cayucos and Big Sur so it's always a good idea to keep your tank topped up.

There's always the question of what tools and spare parts to bring. A basic road tool kit should be fine, and between all of us I'm sure we'll have the tools to handle whatever may come up. When it comes to parts and expendables it couldn't hurt to bring ignition parts (points, condenser, rotor, plugs), fuel hose, bulbs, and some oil. The better prepared among us might also consider a generator belt, clutch and accelerator cables, valve cover gaskets, etc. Again, between all of us we'll probably have everything covered.

Looking forward to seeing everyone there!