MV to BV Valentine’s Day Drive

Feb 21

Wow, what a way to kick off our first Drive of 2026. An amazing turnout ( 41 cars, 23 guests, 5 new first time drivers ). As presented prior, so many things must come together to deliver a fun and successful outing ( fun location, a great route, good weather, competent & safe drivers, a good attitude, etc ) Saturday Feb 14th did not disappoint.

This day was our first “ official “ use of the Region’s newest Radios ( the well ranked Rockie Talkies). More range, clearer sound, ease of use are some of the benefits. Thanks to the
GGR Board for making a commitment to new and improved equipment for our members. Also, a big thanks to Alan Yamauchi, Chris Aston Chen and Krish K for their early research and field trials with this product. From a real world perspective, the range improvement here is so much better than our prior solutions. This really comes into play when your group ( 10+ cars ) gets spread out or, as we often are, in curvy and mountainous terrain. As our members have come to appreciate, clear communications make for a much better and safer tour experience.

On this day, most of route was roads traveled prior, with a fun, new ending. Starting at the Good Earth Mill Valley parking lot, we got off slightly ahead of schedule ( 825 vs 830 ) which put Group 1 at our final destination, Buena Vista Winery earlier than expected ( 1045 vs 1115 ). Our route taking in the majestic views of the Marin headlands and coast, pastures and fishing villages along Tomales Bay through Pt Reyes and Marshall. Tuning east from Tomales to Petaluma, then CA 116 to a fun little section called “ Stage Gulch Road “ into Sonoma.

https://buenavistawinery.com/

BV Winery is a hidden historical gem in our midst. Wine product dates to 1857, with a complete offer including some terrific Champagne and sparkling wines. From early feed back and comments, this venue was a hit. The team there is amazing and allowed the Group 1 to park in a court yard next to our venue, with additional cars nearby. Since we arrived a bit early and they had not moved enough furniture for us to align safely, a note of appreciation to Frank & Helen Monteon, Alan Yamauchi and Tim Schlueter for jumping in to get this done. All other groups arrived by 1145. Images here can only tell part of the BV story. An amazing historical venue, friendly and easy to work with staff, great food provided by Oakville Grocery. All total, a quality experience reflective of our Region and the Porsche brand.

Again many thanks to the experienced and competent volunteers, without whom this would be impossible to pull off successfully: Route Masters Kurt Kruger and JB Ellis. My fellow leads; Kurt Kruger, Chris Aston Chen and navigator Dean Zingmond and Soah Hsu. Sweeps; Krish K, Subhendra Ghosh, Kumaar Dasanur and JB Ellis. JB also acts as our Safety Car, carrying everything from a spare tire, tire patch kit, tire inflation device to a fire extinguisher.

I’m looking forward to our annual St Paddy Day Drive March 21st. This will start in San Mateo and terminate some place south ( Davenport, Santa Cruz, ? ). Stay tuned for updates and I hope to see you there!

Never Stop Driving,

Cheryl Spott

Golden Gate Region Motoring Director

Special thanks to Laura Salo, Ken Varner, Helen Monteon and Jason and Claire Chen for the photos and video!