Past Events: NorthWest Z Memorial Day Cruise - May 28, 2001
by Greg Zwart
Well, the First Annual NorthWestZ Cruise was a success! We had several new faces and some nice examples of early and late model Z's. Those who braved the weather and made it down to Eugene had the chance to experience some great roads driving some great machinery.
We left Gateway Mall at around 10:15 and headed east out Highway 126. Mike took the helm in his '70 240Z, with Ryan trailing at the back with his '90 300ZX Twin Turbo, complete with James Bond smokescreen affect after low compression in cylinder number 6 appeared a couple weeks ago. After passing through McKenzie Bridge, we headed onto the Old McKenzie Pass scenic byway. What a thrilling drive this road is! It is a narrow, two lane, extremely winding road with an abundance of beautiful scenery. If you have never gotten around to traveling this road, I highly suggest giving it a look. We stopped at the observatory near the top of the pass to check out the sites. This was an incredible viewpoint with great views of several mountains, while in the middle of an expansive lava field. Breathtaking is the only word that comes to mind.
The weather continued to be on our side as we traveled on towards Sisters. Arriving in Sisters, with the sun shining above, we found a nice parking lot to park the cars and stretch out. We perused through town and ended up at Bronco Billy's Ranch Grill for a nice lunch. After lunch we headed back towards the cars and talked about the day's happenings as more pictures were taken. We finally decided it was time to head back, so we jumped in the cars and headed out Highway 20. Halfway to I-5, mother nature finally decided to give us a hard time as we had to contend with a little bit of rain. Once out of the mountains, however, the rain stopped and it was a dry run back home. I'd like to thank everyone that made this cruise a success. Let's hope the next one is a little bit sunnier. We'll see you all next time!
The starting point... Gateway Mall parking in Eugene, Oregon. We managed to get six Zs for the first event organized by NorthWest Z... not a bad start.
We hit the road, heading east on the McKenzie Highway.
Heading up the Old McKenzie Pass highway... let the fun begin!
There's just something great about driving through the state of Oregon!
Time for a pit stop and a photo opportunity.
View from the Dee Wright Observatory at the top of the Old McKenzie Pass looking northeast.
Another view from the Dee Wright Observatory. Mt. Washington is hidden in the clouds.
The Zs off in the distance from the top of the Dee Wright Observatory.
Nice asses! After smoking a few RVs (it was Memorial Day), we finally find some sun in Sisters, Oregon.
Ryan's 1990 300ZX Stage V Twin Turbo.
Austin's Z.
Todd's 1990 300ZX 2+2.
Frank's and Melissa's 260Z.
It's always nice to meet new friends on the road... a 1990 NA we met in Sisters. The mother and son were from Lebanon, Oregon.
Mike's 1970 240Z (a work in progress).
With a little Photoshop work... Mike's Z tranforms into a classic Z dressed in British Racing Green (at Mike's request).
Of course, with any road trip in Oregon, you have to expect the unavoidable... the rain!
But, if you can look past the rain, Oregon will provide you with some great roads and some gorgeous views!
