posted 01-09-2002 06:30 PM                  

Welcome to “PROWLIN’ THE COLORADO ROCKIES 2002”.

This exciting trip will provide a fantastic opportunity to experience spectacular sights and wild cruising with great people. We are planning sightseeing and cruising over the roadways of the majestic Colorado Rocky Mountains with other Prowler owners and friends from across the U.S. and Canada. Feel free to join our planned cruises or have fun exploring on your own. Please plan to join us on Sunday for the grand finale dinner and group picture. Most activities are free, but please be aware that there are a few park and entrance fees that will be the responsibility of each driver (more detailed info later). We will have a moderate registration fee to cover our group dinner on Sunday and the reception and welcome package.

Our event begins Thursday, June 6, 2002.

The host hotel is The Westin, Westminster, Colorado located in the Westminster Promenade Complex at 104th Avenue and U.S. 36. This beautiful hotel has plenty of secure parking (our parking area is on the east side of hotel for those wanting to keep an eye on their cars). There are many outdoor restaurants and cafes in the immediate area. Please call The Westin Central Hotel reservations number at 800-937-8461 for reservations at the Prowler Owner Association group room rate of $99.

Complete contact information for The Westin is:

The Westin Westminster
10600 Westminster Blvd.
Westminster, CO. 80020
Reservations: 800-973-8461 (Please use this number for reservations)
Phone: 303-410-5000
Fax: 303-410-5005

Preliminary Itinerary:

Thursday, June 6th 2002

3:00 p.m. Check-in at The Westin Westminster Hotel,
6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. - Reception and registration, snacks and a cash bar will be available.

Friday, June 7th 2002

9:00 a.m. – Prowler Cruise: Grand Lake, Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, and Trail Ridge Road.

The Rocky Mountain National Park offers great access to stunning Rocky Mountain scenery and hiking trails for walkers of all abilities. Lakes, meadows and forests are home to abundant wildlife. Covering the 48 miles between Estes Park on the park’s east side and Grand Lake on the west, Trail Ridge Road more than lives up to it’s advanced billing. Eleven miles of this highway travel above timberline, the elevation near 11,000 feet where the park’s evergreen forests come to a halt. As it winds across the tundra’s vastness to it’s high point at 12,183 feet elevation, Trail Ridge Road (U.S.34) offers visitors thrilling views, wildlife sightings and spectacular alpine wildflower exhibitions.
(More detailed information and Lunch and Dinner arrangements will be announced later.)

Saturday, June 8th 2002

9:00 a. m. – Prowler Cruise: Mount Evans, Golden, Colorado, and Coors Brewery Tour

Mount Evans Scenic Byway is America’s highest paved automobile road. All 14 miles of the road from the entrance station to the Mount Evans summit parking area (14,130) are paved. From there, you can hike the last 130 feet (about ¼ mile walk) to the top at 14,264 feet. After you have made this climb, you can tell all your friends: “I climbed a 14,000 foot mountain in Colorado on my vacation!”

After the trip to top of the mountain, we will cruise to Golden, Colorado. We will have lunch (ala Carte) and a tour of the Coors Brewery.

On your own, you may want to explore some other areas of interest including Buffalo Bill’s Gravesite and Museum and the Colorado Railroad Museum. If you chose to display your Prowler or just want to check out the 300-400 cars, this weekend is the annual “Brag and Drag” car show on Main Street in Golden (information for those who want to participate will be posted later). As there are no organized plans for dinner, you may want to stay in Golden and visit their great restaurants and shops. Your ride home is an easy 20 minutes to The Westin from Golden.

Sunday, June 9th 2002

We are planning several cruises for Sunday all ending up at the Flying “W” Ranch. You will be able to select from any of the exciting cruises we are planning, or tour on your own, all ending up at the Flying W in time for dinner. “Tour A” The Rocky Mountain High Tour and “Tour B” The Colorado Springs Pikes Peak tour are just a couple of the routes we are working on.

Prowler Cruise A: The Rocky Mountain High Cruise

(Departure time to be determined) heading southwest on Hwy 285 to Salida and on to Royal Gorge, Canyon City and back to Colorado Springs & the Flying “W” Ranch for a western dinner and show. The elevation of the Salida, Colorado area ranges from just under 7,000 to over 14,000 feet on its highest peaks, providing some of the most spectacular views to be seen anywhere in the world. In fact, Chaffee County where Salida, Colorado resides has more mountain peaks of 14,000-foot or more than any other county in Colorado.

We’ll cross the Royal Gorge Bridge (the world’s highest suspension bridge). We can walk or drive the quarter-mile bridge that spans the gorge 1,053 feet above the Arkansas River. Other attractions at the park include an aerial tram and the world’s steepest incline railway. Another (optional) attraction or side trip that may be of interest to some would be to ride the Royal Gorge Route and experience a two-hour train ride journey through the heart of the Royal Gorge, over the famous “Hanging Bridge,” and along the Arkansas River. The boarding area is in Canyon City.

We’ll travel through Canyon City on the way to Colorado Springs and the Flying “W” Ranch.

Tour “B” The Colorado Springs Pikes Peak Cruise & Tour

8:30 a. m, - Cruising south on I-25 toward Colorado Springs we’ll drive through the United States Air Force Academy. From the Academy, we’ll travel to Manitou Springs and the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. This is the World’s highest cog railway. Since 1891 this railway has taken millions of passengers to top of Pikes Peak (14,110 feet). You’ll be able to relax, enjoy the views, watch the wildlife and share some good times with your Prowler friends. We have to arrive at the depot by 11:15 am and will be taking the noon train. The trip takes 3 hours and 10 minutes (this provides 30 to 40 minutes on the summit). The group rate for the Pikes Peak Cog Railway is $23.00 for adults & $13.00 for children (3 to 11). A box lunch is available for $7.50. We have tentative reservation made and are required to pay 10 days in advance. We will let you know the date payment is required as we get closer to the event departure time.

The Colorado Springs area has many other attractions. There will be the opportunity to make other side mini cruises or trips including Pikes Peak (drive or take the Pikes Peak Cog Railway (reservations needed), Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Seven Falls, Garden of Gods, North Pole – Santa’s Workshop, Cave of the Winds, the United States Air Force Academy and U.S. Olympic Training Center. In addition the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and the Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb Museum are located in the area.

After the return from the Mountain, we’ll cruise through the Garden of Gods and stop at the Garden of Gods Trading Post (Colorado’s largest gift shop). From there we’ll cruise on over to the Flying “W” Ranch.

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Arrival for Dinner at the Flying “W” Ranch

Please be on hand to be part of the group photo and browse through the old western town. At 7:15 p.m. have a BBQ beef or chicken dinner (plus all the fixins) and then sit back and enjoy a western stage show featuring the Flying “W” Wranglers music and cowboy humor. (Dinner and show will be included in the Event Registration fees to be announced later.) After the show we’ll have about an hour drive back to Westminster.

Monday, June 10th 2002

11 a.m. - Hotel checkout

Time to say our good byes and make plans to see all our new friends at the next Prowler Event…

For those arriving early…

Some of us are going to the Bandimere dragstrip (www.bandimere.com) Wednesday night (June 5, 2002) for some racing. The track is open from 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. for Test-and-Tune night. The cost is approximately $25.00 to race and $15.00 for general admission. (last year if you wanted to be a passenger on the track you had to pay the racing price and sign the waiver form). I suggest we all gather earlier and get to the track by 3:30 p.m. as it can get crowded. We will be able to set up in the parking lot at the back of the staging lanes. For those that don't want to race, you can go to trackside and watch the races or move around in the staging area. The track is 25 miles from The Westin hotel (all highway) and is located in Morrison, Colorado (www.town.morrison.co.us/), one mile from Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater, a must see!

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posted 01-13-2002 10:52 PM                  

Another little side trip around the Coors brewery would be a cruise up Clear Creek Canyon to BlackHawk and Central City!

posted 01-13-2002 11:04 PM                  

quote:

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Originally posted by REBELBOB:
Marc
sorry we won't be able to see you there this year. We had a couple of other cars interested but with the timing of Thur-Mon we would all have to head back on Fri am for Monday work (Deadwood's mid week schedule was perfect for EC travelers). Maybe something to keep in mind when planning next year.

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Bob and Carole,, You got to be there,,,!!!!!!!! This time theres going to be a track,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, timing lights,, NO EXCUSES !!

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See me WAX a Roush
See me WAX a Cobra

CAR & DRIVER of The Month

posted 01-13-2002 11:30 PM                  

I just wanted to thank Marc for posting my preliminary plans for the Friday event. I have been working diligently on these plans for the last few months and I think....no, I know, we are going to have a blast that day! There are some great things in store! The Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Lake, Estes Park, etc. area is absolutely spectacular and has some of the most beautiful roads for cruisin'.

Looking forward to seeing everyone there. This is a beautiful area and there are spectacular sights, great cruisin' and lots of things to do.

As plans are confirmed, I will post all Friday activities with specific information.

Here are some links to some of the areas that we will be visiting. Take some time to browse these sites and get ready for a great time!!!

http://estes.on-line.com/rmnp/

http://www.coloradoguide.com/rmnp/frame1.htm

http://www.rmnp.com/

http://lamar.colostate.edu/~ttracy/rocky/

http://www.grandlakelodge.com/

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/destinations/Rocky_Mountain_Na tional_Park/Trail_Ridge_Road_Scenic_Drive.html

http://www.coloradoguide.com/rmnp/highroads.htm

http://www.estesnet.com/

http://www.swparks.com/us/travel/colorado/trailpics.html

posted 01-18-2002 06:36 AM                  

I know how these Prowler drivers are (me included) and it would be bummer for a lot of us to break our cars at the race track before even one Mountain tour??

Just kidding...let's hang with Wednesday night at Bandemere..but I'm not going to let you do any neutral drops!!

posted 01-28-2002 04:36 PM                  

I'm hoping I can get a few owners to car-avan out there.

posted 03-13-2002 05:15 PM                  

quote:

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Originally posted by CJ:
in my heart it is home!

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Does that means our Av's also have a place in your heart?

LOL

Alex

posted 03-13-2002 07:42 PM                  

quote:

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Originally posted by JKrehel:
Add two more Texans to the list!!! Mike and I will be there. This trip sounds like to much fun to miss!

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Judy and Mike,,

Great! Awesome! Wonderful!

I promise to keep Ed's behavior under control

posted 03-14-2002 10:03 AM                  

Alex