2017 Austin GP?

[cxa0897]

I got the approval for a week off in April, and am starting to plan a trip from NJ to Austin to catch the races on Sunday.

It's just shy of 1800 miles direct so it's going to be a grind to get there and back, but should be worth it.

Anything I need to know from guys in the Austin area or guys that have been to a race before?

Am I going to be eaten alive by mosquitoes if I camp in the south east at the end of April? I was planning on stopping in the Chattanooga area, new Orleans and somewhere near the Texas border before 2 nights in Austin. The way back will be a "wing it" deal

[Camo]

Need calscrazy to weigh in here I'd reckon, sounds like a great trip though mate.

[calscrazy]

Been to COTA every year for both races except last year when I skipped the MotoGP. The biggest questions are where are you sitting? Where do you want to stay?

Seating: Turn 15 grandstands are pretty cool if you want an actual seat. Turn 1 is an ok viewing point but its not like the pit area is insane with stuff going on during the race. The GA seats are sweet though. At 1/2 the price I think buying grandstand seats is foolish. With GA seats the esses looking down to turn 11 is most popular spot. Plus you can walk down to 11 and watch them grab and handful of throttle and disappear down the backstretch. With GA the only problem is 12-16 are a pain to see. You can see them walking around but the bridge over 15 gets so packed its just not worth it to try to watch from there.

Sleeping: Everyone stays somewhere different. Most like to stay outside Austin and drive into Austin for the races. I think AG stayed in Round Rock last year. My buddies and I usually stay in Elgin when we go to F1. Motogp we stay in Round Rock or drive down day of race. Its just 2.5 hours down unless we stop for BS. Hotels in Austin will be "special event" priced.

Things to do: I have a love/hate relationship with Austin. I love how diverse it is with soooo much to do. It's a ton of fun. I hate the congestion and some of the assholes living there. My wife has tried on 3 different occasions to get me to move to Georgetown...... NOT HAPPENING!!!! Let me know where you are staying and what days you intend to be there. I can help even more. Plus 3 sisters is 2 hours from Austin!

[cxa0897]

Right now, the plan is to get a tent site at one of the two Koa's in Austin for Saturday and Sunday nights. One is about 45 minutes Northwest of cota, the other is 25 minutes or so east. Neither is a big deal to me. If those fail, there's a few other camping opportunities in the area.

I was considering getting a turn 15 seat, but wouldn't mind getting general as I'm likely packing a camp chair for the trip anyway. The difference in price between GA and a cheaper seat isn't too much of an issue, as I should be able to keep the rest of the trip "cheap". That being said, if the views from general aren't bad, a bit of mobility would probably be nice.

I'm on a really tight schedule trying to squeeze this all into 7 days, so a 3 sister's trip is pretty out of the question. After 3 consecutive 600 mile days, I don't think I'll even want to be bothered. Two down days in Austin will be really nice before two very long, very boring days back.

[calscrazy]

I can tell you the "cheap" grandstand seats are just that. You are sitting at ground level and can only see the section in front of you.

[cxa0897]

Dec 16, 2016 0:00:06 GMT 10 calscrazy said:

I can tell you the "cheap" grandstand seats are just that. You are sitting at ground level and can only see the section in front of you.

Roger that. That's pretty much exactly what I needed to know.

I'll just pick up a GA ticket, get there early and scout it out. Just have to make up my mind on which campsite I want to get, and then it should all fall into place.