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What does nirvana look like? Well for the Weber’s once a year it can be
found in the resort village of Mont Tremblant and at the neighboring race
track Le Circuit Mont Tremblant. Our region’s driver education event was
scheduled for Monday through Wednesday, so we headed north on a pleasant
sunny (for a change) Sunday morning and were able to make great time arriving
at the track in six and a half hours. After a delay at the track necessitated
by the BMW club’s presence at the facility, we finally unhooked the trailer
and headed over to the resort. Once again our time at the resort coincided
with the annual ten day long Blues Festival. So after a quick casual dinner
we took some time to enjoy some great music while we sampled excellent
chocolate delights purchased our favorite shop in the village.
The next few days we had great fun driving one of the best race circuits in the country during the day, then great food and entertainment in the evening. No other driving destination combines a great race track with excellent accommodations, food and entertainment. The Mont Tremblant resort complex has grown significantly over the years, and now offers the proverbial something for everyone. Families have plenty of recreational options to choose from, or you can just wander the village checking out the shops, spas and restaurants. We probably should stay a few days longer; so we could better explore all that the resort has to offer. Unfortunately our trip home wasn’t quite so enjoyable. We made great time back to the US border only to be pulled aside for a more complete customs check. Forty-five minutes of delay ensued as two young women explored our trailer and our traveling companion’s trailer, while they asked questions as to the nature of our trip and the contents of our vehicles and trailers. I’m glad they are being more thorough at the border given the threats that seem to abound these days. So I wasn’t too upset with that delay, but my mode changed noticeable a few miles down the road when we ran into rain they stayed with us all the way home. Pulling a big trailer in poor weather is not pleasant, as you have to be on constant alert for potential traffic issues, poor visibility, and slippery roads. We made good time despite the conditions, but I was mentally and physically exhausted by the time we got home; ending a trip that was just as unpleasant as our return home from the Zone 1 event at the Glen. That trip featured a slow crawl across Massachusetts in a huge traffic jam with miserable wet weather as an accompaniment. We managed at one point to travel a grand total of eight miles in one hour. A trip that should take no more than seven hours took almost nine hours to travel home. “States Boost Speed Limits On Major Highways” was the title of an article in a recent Wall Street Journal article that caught my eye. I was particularly intrigued when I read that lawmakers in a number of states believe that “raising speed limits will make roads safer by restoring credibility to speed limit signs and making roads driving speeds more uniform.” The article went on to say that “careful studies of traffic flow and driver behavior show that most speed limits are actually too low.” I drive out to Gloucester for work nearly everyday, and my daily observations would certainly support that raising the speed limit on Route 128 would merely be acknowledging what drivers have already decided was appropriate for the conditions. That stretch of road currently has a 55mph limit, which is nearly universally ignored. With the exception of a few people who insist on driving 55 mph in the passing lane, nearly everyone drives 70-80 mph headed out to Gloucester especially in the morning when the road is lightly traveled. These drivers (and I’m one of them) have made their own judgment as to what speed is appropriate for their commute. Unfortunately a few drivers seem to think they are in the traffic enforcement business and intentionally drive at or under the speed limit in the left hand lane. These rolling road blocks quickly turn smooth flowing traffic into dangerous traffic as frustrated drivers try to force these slow moving vehicles to get out of the way. Horns are honked, lights flashed, distances between cars closed, and occasionally the breakdown lane is used to get around these obstacles. I do believe that higher speed limits would be helpful in mitigating these types of issues, as the slow moving I’m more righteous than you drivers would have less justification for their pace. It wouldn’t hurt from time to time if the police ticketed people who camp out in the left hand lane. I regularly watch state police cars close on people moving slowly in the left hand lane, who don’t see the cop in their mirrors and continue driving with the police car nearly glued to their rear bumper. When they finally wake up and pull out of the way, the police car always continues, they never pull the slow driver over. Why I don’t know, as they certainly see the negative effects these slow drivers have on traffic flow. My continuing saga of computer problems continued last month, around newsletter publication time (which is why your newsletter was a bit late to get in the mail). This time my video card failed, and I had to engage in a bit of screwing around before I could get my computer to boot up so I could remove the failed video card drivers, and then install the replacement card and new drivers. It turned into a problem that required a trip to the computer store to purchase a new video card that worked in the slot I had available in my computer, and some hardware assistance from my company IT department. It was more nuisance than major problem, but it caused me a day or two before I was back up and operating by which time the holiday weekend came into play. Finally I purchased a couple of new books this week which I can highly recommend. The first is titled Grand Prix Rare Images Of The First 100 Years by Quentin Spurring, and the second Porsche Moments by famed photographer Jesse Alexander. The latter features Porsche racing photos from Europe and Mexico between 1953 and 1962. The former features photos (black and white and color) from the earliest days of racing right up to Fernando Alonso’s 2005 championship year in Formula 1. I found the photos fascinating to view. I only wish I could have some of them framed and displayed in my offices at home and work. Both books can be purchased from David Bull Publishing www.bullpublishing.com. |
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