After Porsche Parade 2027 in Boise, I’m taking the long way home to Texas. Six days, roughly 2,200 miles, five Colorado mountain passes, and some of America’s best driving roads. Here’s the plan. I’d love some advice from those who’ve driven them.
Travel
Peak Color, Light Throttle: 64 Miles of Mountain Madness on US 250
17,133 feet of climbing, four mountain crossings over 3,600 feet and almost no other cars between Staunton and Elkins. The best road I’ve driven in a long time, and I drove it like I had a wedding cake in the passenger seat.
Climax Before Breakfast
Maverick PCA turned a 23-mile straight shot from Fairview to Desert into 54 wet miles of North Texas back roads. We even went through Climax with 15½ miles still to go.
My Warranty Is in Limp Mode
Porsche AG blocked my CPO 911’s warranty over a DME modification made in 2021, four years before I bought it. Arbitration found nothing. The block stayed.
Racing Yellow, Now Literally
A 2:16.55 at Eagles Canyon, a promotion to Yellow, and video proof I’d been building the lap and then losing it.
The Long Way Home: Eureka Springs to Talimena
We could have pointed the Porsches toward Dallas and gone home. Instead, Shane and I left Eureka Springs at 6:00 a.m., headed south for Mena and followed the Talimena Scenic Byway across the Ouachita Mountains. The pavement wasn’t always pretty. The views absolutely were.
Aged in Oak, Ridden Hard: 245 Miles Through the Ozarks
We skipped every brewery and winery on a route built around them, climbed almost 12,000 feet without noticing, and let a Porsche app pick a better road than we could.
Curvy When It Counts: A Late-Afternoon Loop Near Eureka Springs
After the last Zoom call of the day, we grabbed a Porsche ROADS-designed loop south of Eureka Springs — 48 miles of curves, hills, and blind driveways, followed by shrimp skewers overlooking the historic district. Here’s how it went.
The Blue Ostrich Run, Breakfast, and The Long Way to Whitesboro
Fourteen cars, two routes, 208 miles, and a breakfast in the middle. Here’s how Saturday morning went with Texas Sunrise Drives — and why 6:30 a.m. keeps drawing a crowd.
The Puck Stops Here (Except It Didn’t)
I skipped the AD09s because I couldn’t find a QuickJacks puck and couldn’t be bothered to borrow one. Ran street tires instead and took two seconds off my personal best anyway. Here’s what the data says about grip that shows up early and leaves before the session ends.