Since you all were so helpful with suggestions about my last big trip, I thought I’d ask you about the next one. In early May we (my husband is coming this time) are flying low and slow to California from southwest MO. We’ve never flown out that way before.

We like to stop at small airports with character (and characters), and we aren’t into museums or large airports with fancy FBOs. If we can hook up with friends along the way, then the trip will be even more fun and rewarding. We prefer to stop about every 200 miles (or even less than that).

Because “somebody” has a body that doesn’t handle altitude well, we hope to find routes that will enable us to stay lower when possible. We will be flying near gross in our 150 HP flapless Citabria (7GCAA), so we aren’t looking for short fields, especially at higher elevations.

Attached is a tentative map of the general route. If it’s anything like my grass strip tour last year, the before and after maps will likely be different.

After leaving Marfa, we plan to follow I-10 to the L.A. area, then north for awhile and then over to Yosemite. We’d like to stop on the western edge of the mountains (can’t decide which airport) and rent a car and drive into and around Yosemite for a few days. Any suggestions for what would be the best airport to stop at for the big Sequoias?

Then it’s on to the Grand Canyon; we’ll take along the Grand Canyon VFR chart. A friend suggested checking out the Bar 10 Ranch (1Z1) on the north side of the Grand Canyon. Anybody know anything about it?

Things get fuzzy after that, but depending on how much time we have left, we’d like to check out Marble Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Sedona, and Meteor Crater and then follow I-40 back east.

We would love to hear any suggestions you all might have. You were great at providing ideas last year, and I’m looking forward to any input you might be able to provide.

Thanks!

Diana,

I see you have WVI on your list. I have my Citabria based about 15 minutes over the hill at RHV. I'm not quite sure of your date to hit the west coast in May, but WVI has an airshow on Memorial Day Weekend.

San Luis Obispo is great. I can't see what's under SBP, but you might want to try to stop at Oceano, if you haven't planned on it already. It's a short walk to the beach and restauraunts, and you can camp onsite. At SBP, you'll probably need a car to get to Pismo and a place to stay if that's an overnight destination.

As with all coastal airports, fog can kind of be a pain in May as it rolls in and out during the day.

Fresno or Visalia are probably your best bets to head up to Kings Canyon and see the Sequoia's.

Let me know if there's anything else I can help with!

Chris

Santa Ynez (IZA), Oceano (L52), and Santa Paula(???) are all good little airports to visit. I did all my flight training at IZA back in 2002/2003, and it was a fun, low key field with some nice wineries and dining nearby. It's very close to the little town of Solvang.

Oceano is very small, but right on the beach near Pismo. It's fun flying over the dunes and the ocean. Watch for the Vandenberg AFB restricted airspace.

Santa Paula has a good sized American Champion dealer, and is the home field of aerobatic instructor Rich Stowell.

Hi Diana,

Sounds like fun! Bar 10 has a website: http://www.bar10.com/

In May you can get anything from hi 80's to snowstorms in the AZ plateau & canyon country, so flexibility is the word. If you get shunted way south by weather, Bisbee (P04) is an interesting place to visit...old mining town with flavors of 1970's hippiedom mixed in. Tombstone is nearby, too.

Have a great trip!

Rocky

I just got done buzzing arround utah and a couple days there would definately be worth it. Monument Valley airstrip, angel point, mineral canyon. I will be writing a trip report soon. Check it out

No advice to offer, just hearty wishes for another enjoyable trip, and hopes for more fun stories out of it that we'll be able to follow.

Clear skies and tailwinds,

yes I agree do Sana Paula, a great strip. Rich Stowell Runs his spin training program from there. He was CFI of the year a year or two ago. They use citabria's for this training.

I think it is the first Sunday of the month there is an antique plane show there by the folks at the field. It is great, for example there are several Howard DGA'a there, beavers etc.

Just a few miles from Ventura, a nice place to spend a night on the beach.

Diana - Have a fun and safe trip. And how about that 496 I talked you into buying??? Also, are you guys going to Oshkosh again this year? John

sticknrudder wrote:
Fresno or Visalia are probably your best bets to head up to Kings Canyon and see the Sequoia's.
Let me know if there's anything else I can help with!
Chris

Chris, thanks for the great information! Landing at Oceano sounds like a must! I wonder if you can rent a car at Visalia? I'll check into that.

1SeventyZ wrote:Santa Ynez (IZA), Oceano (L52), and Santa Paula(???) are all good little airports to visit. I did all my flight training at IZA back in 2002/2003, and it was a fun, low key field with some nice wineries and dining nearby. It's very close to the little town of Solvang.

I flew into IZA a few years ago with a friend in a T-28 and we walked into town. There were horses tied up to the hitchin' post in front of the saloon. It was great! I loved that town and hope to land there on this trip.

RockyTFS wrote:
Sounds like fun! Bar 10 has a website: http://www.bar10.com/

Now THAT looks like a fun place to visit! I'll check with them to see how far in advance a person would need to make reservations.

RockyTFS wrote: In May you can get anything from hi 80's to snowstorms in the AZ plateau & canyon country, so flexibility is the word. If you get shunted way south by weather, Bisbee (P04) is an interesting place to visit...old mining town with flavors of 1970's hippiedom mixed in. Tombstone is nearby, too.

Have a great trip!

Thanks Rocky! The snow part I hadn't expected...I just assumed it would be hot everywhere. Good thing I asked! Bisbee might be a fun diversion.

Renegade wrote:I just got done buzzing arround utah and a couple days there would definately be worth it. Monument Valley airstrip, angel point, mineral canyon. I will be writing a trip report soon. Check it out

I'm looking forward to reading it. Did you land at Gouldings? Is that UT25? Did you fill out those forms first? Somebody mentioned somewhere that they ask you to fill out forms before you land there.

denalipilot wrote:No advice to offer, just hearty wishes for another enjoyable trip, and hopes for more fun stories out of it that we'll be able to follow.

Clear skies and tailwinds,

That's sweet, thank you!

soaringhiggy wrote:yes I agree do Sana Paula, a great strip.
I think it is the first Sunday of the month there is an antique plane show there by the folks at the field. It is great, for example there are several Howard DGA'a there, beavers etc.

That sounds like even more reason to stop in there. My dad used to own a Howard DGA-18.

Thanks everybody for all the great information!

patrol guy wrote:Diana - Have a fun and safe trip. And how about that 496 I talked you into buying???

Hey John! I'm very glad we got the 496! If I would have had it on my grass strip tour last year, I might have made it all the way. Well, at least we'll have it on this trip.

patrol guy wrote:Also, are you guys going to Oshkosh again this year? John

Yep, that 's the plan. I'll fly up 3 days before it starts, and Tom will hitch a ride up sometime during the show. Are you going to be back from Alaska in time to go?

Diana

I go to UT25 quite often. Never been asked to fill out forms, or heard of that being done.

If you would like to swing by Durango, Colorado and fly SE Utah, I am pretty familiar with it. Can show you places to go/camp/explore. I would highly recommend Galen's book, Fly Utah. It would give you a lot of good info before you got there.

You could crash here for a couple days if you wanted a break and do a little looking/flying around.

Gary

shortfielder wrote:
I go to UT25 quite often. Never been asked to fill out forms, or heard of that being done.

Seems like I read about it somewhere on the AOPA forum. A guy posted it that had never been there before and he had to fill in some forms. I'll have to go back and see if I can find it.

shortfielder wrote: If you would like to swing by Durango, Colorado and fly SE Utah, I am pretty familiar with it. Can show you places to go/camp/explore. I would highly recommend Galen's book, Fly Utah. It would give you a lot of good info before you got there.

You could crash here for a couple days if you wanted a break and do a little looking/flying around.

Gary

Gary, thanks so much for the offer! We might get in touch with you if we decide to go that route.

I'll try to find that book...sounds like a good one.

You can call Galen Hanselman at 208.788.5178 for the book. Get the map also. Very handy, high quality, well worth the extra $20.

I had the Fly Utah book with me and I recomend it highly. Gouldings does not require a form but they did ask for a copy of my insurance before I came in. Mine was not acessable in the amount of time that I had so they told me that a letter saying that I recognized that I was landing on private property at my own risk was good enough. Wrote a four sentence letter and was cleared to come on in.