Gorge.

[isobars]

I disagree 1000%. No destination is worth blinders, IMO, especially if the objective is wind. Realize that weve seen the Gorge bake at >100 degrees and essentially no wind for 12 straight days in its best month, July . . . TWICE IN ONE JULY. MANY times Ive taken long road trips to one so-called windy destination, only to get skunked except en route. No way in hell Im cruisin by a windy body of water, knowing how unreliable ANY WSing spot this side of Maui or Arenal is. Just the opposite; my route is strongly influenced by lakes if theres any chance of sailable wind. Connecting blue dots on the map has gotten me marvelous sessions, sometimes days, on fresh and salt water over the years.

BTW . . . buy a van. Anyone whod displace a quiver of WSing gear with a futon needs more space.

Mike \m/

[Windlover]

Ive traveled back and forth across the country for almost 20 years and having most of your gear is a great plus. You never know when you will find wind and water. Some of my best sessions were improptu stops for a few hours of sailing. Get some good racks for that Grisom mobile and pack it up. With a cargo box you can lock up your sails, booms, and extra gear leaving plenty of room inside for clothes, food, air mattress, etc. Locks for your boards are fairly easy to find or have built.

If you just want to bring minimal gear, a slalom/freeride board around 100-125 should suffice for most areas. Bring the smaller board in case of higher winds. If you get out here to the Gorge and need a smaller board, Windance has lots of good used boards for good prices. I spent $50 for a Watson gorge/slalom 86. I also found a 78 Cascade for $100. Both boards were is great condition and I sail them regularly.

Get in your car and drive, but be sure to stop and sail when you can.

[LeeD]

Yeah, stop whereever theres wind, for sure. Best two days sailing on a 3 week sojourn to Corpus/SPID was LasCruces, NewMex on the drive down AND the drive back.

[bighalsey]

Thanks, that was the kind of message for which I was looking. Certainly the NorthWest has more to offer a visitor from the East than WS.

[wdsurf]

ENJOY THE JOURNEY!STOP AND SHRED THE WIND ACROSS THE U.S.A.!IT WILL MAKE YOU A BETTER SAILOR!

[isobars]

You read my mind. Another great stop on that trip is Amistad Reservoir on the Tex/Mex border. Its far bigger than the water at Bird Island and Corpus Christi Bay combined, and often blows better. And Ive sailed Elephant Butte north of Las Cruces well over 100 days, once in overhead swell.

Mike \m/

Mike \m/

[bighalsey]

By detouring to the Mexican border you would be adding another 500-1000 miles to your 3,000 mile (one way) trip. If preposterous isnt the word, then I invite you to replace it. Of course you could plan on taking the whole summer and emptying your bank account. That would certainly fit your advice. Often I have wanted to see Western Canada on my way to L.A. By the time one arrives in the traffic of South Chicago those desires evaporate. This thread, although interesting, has diverged from reality many posts ago.

[bighalsey]

Thats what I want to know. I find used short boards are a dime a dozen in most locations, but the good 100 to 130 liter boards are relatively rare and pricey. Packing a fold-up bicycle, golf clubs, camping gear, and an inflatable kayak wouldnt leave a lot of room for extra boards.

[isobars]

My border stop was not out of the way at all to someone passing through Las Cruces, as was the guy my post responded to. (Notice the post immediately below mine.) Our point was that driving past windy water makes little sense.

Mike \m/

[isobars]

About that camping gear . . . is it bulky? Of the thousand-way-plus nights Ive slept in the wilds in the Gorge, I can count rainy nights or days on my fingers. Just sleep in that wagon with the windows and doors open, or on the ground if you prefer, and toss in more toys and less tent.

But MAN it sounds like you need a van.

Mike \m/