Convention1

It's Coming Pretty Darn Quick, So Get On The Stick...Start Packing Your Suitcases for......
The 2004 California SHODown
SHO Club's 12th Annual International SHO Convention
July 12-15, 2004
Hosted by BaySHO, Northern California's Premier Regional SHO Club
Sponsored by SHO Club
Also Sponsored By
Midwest SHO Specialists
DC Car Care
..more to follow

Page Rebuilt March 3,2004

This is your first destination, the Holiday Inn in Vallejo.

Here's where we 'll be staying. It's adjacent to 6-Flags Marineworld, located just to the right of this picture. Check-in will be on Sunday and Monday, the 11th and 12th of July, then, depending on what time it is, one can either hit Marineworld, or ride around the area, checking out some of the sights.

Tuesday

Events for the week include a concours carSHO on Tuesday morning, where outstanding examples of Taurus SHOs will be on display and competing for prizes. Classes will consist of the three generations of cars, with subdivisions for stock/original cars, and those modified for higher performance and durability. After the carSHO there will be a tech session where questions will be answered by one or more SHO Gurus who have spent years repairing and modifying our cars for maximum performance and enjoyment. In the early afternoon, continuing through the rest of the day, there will be a guided tour of San Francisco, led by BaySHO members, which will hit most if not all of the most interesting and scenic places in the city. The tour will wind up at Fisherman's Wharf, where dinner and shopping will be available. After dinner the route continues over the Golden Gate Bridge, probably the best known symbol of the Bay Area, before heading back to Vallejo.

Wednesday

Pictures to be added

Wednesday will be spent about two hours north of Vallejo, near the north end of the Sacramento Valley, at Thunderhill Raceway. For many, this will be the high point of the convention. Participants will have been divided into several classes, ranging all the way from 'novice', to allow first timers the ability to push their cars harder than they'd ever get a chance to on city streets, to 'advanced', where those who have built their cars into screaming (!) monsters can see exactly what kind of drivers they really are. There will be two intermediate classes, where drivers with experience on a track but who drive less modified cars can try their hand at some fast corners and cop-free straightaways. On the way back from Thunderhill, we'll stop (as of now, at least) at a Cattlemen's Steak House, located about 2/3 of the way back to Vallejo. Here you can enjoy Harris Ranch steaks and prime rib from some of the finest beef cattle on the planet (It helps to be "Happy Cows"!). Lobster, crab, pork and fish are also offered.

Thursday

Thursday will be a tour through the Napa Valley, including several winery tours, which will include wine tasting. The scenery is very beautiful, and the winery tours are very interesting. There are good restaurants up and down the valley, for lunch. In the evening, back at the hotel, will be the banquet, where speakers will be heard, awards will be presented for the CarSHO, the silent and audible auctions will be held, and the announcement for the 2005 convention will be made.

Additional Activities

For those folks who plan to either arrive a few days early, or stay a few days afterward, or both, there are PLENTY of sights to see in addition to what is planned specifically for the convention. Several drives will be planned, including mileages and instructions, so that those who have never been to California before, and who want to explore a bit, can see more of the Golden State. Routes will hopefully include Highway 1 along the coast, both north and south, which explores the California coastline; Highway 101 north, which explores the Redwood forests in horthwest California; Highway 101 south to Monterey, which offers an excellent aquarium and fabulous restaurants, and Santa Cruz, with its excellent Boardwalk and pleasant beach, and which is a great place to spend part or all of a day. Inland routes will also be developed, leading to Reno, Lake Tahoe, and Yosemite and Kings Canyon/Sequoia National Parks.

Click on the links below to find additional information about the events currently scheduled for each day. The link labeled 'Routes to California' are for planning your trip, and are compiled from my experiences crossing the country by car over the years, and more recently from my drives to East Coast conventions.

When time and the weather permit, I'll get pictures and text for the inactive links.

Convention Entry Form

Hotel

San Francisco Tour

Napa Valley Tour Thunderhill Raceway

Arriving By Air?

Routes To California Monterey Bay Tour Sierra Parks Tour Lake Tahoe Tour Reno/Tahoe Casinos/Shows

6-Flags Marineworld