MINI agreed to lend me a 2025 Cooper S so I could drive 3,100 miles to cover the action during Monterey Car Week. Follow the entire series by clicking here.
So I decided to limit today’s drive and make it easier to stop at things I saw along the way and not just make miles on I-80. I did not have a real plan, but it turned out that there was plenty to do and there were some fun photo ops as well.
After leaving Salt Lake City, Utah, I took a short detour to the Bonneville Salt Flats, where the fastest people on Earth look to set records. The Bonneville track has been raced by just about every notable racing driver in the world. There are definitely ghosts at this place and it has a really cool vibe. There was some testing going on, but the officials were nice enough to let me pull next to the sign for a cool photo.
From there, I got back on I-80 and started heading towards Reno, Nevada. About 40 miles later, I saw a sign for Historic Wendover Airfield. As I drove by the sign, I realized what this place was and turned around at the next exit to see it.
For those of you who do not know, Wendover is a World War II-era Army Air Base that was used for bomber training. To my knowledge, it is the only intact base from that time and has not been converted to a modern facility. About half of the original buildings are there, including five hangars as well as the control tower. You can hear the ghosts at this place and if you are a WWII aviation fan, you really need to go.
In addition in the old officers’ club, there is a museum of various memorabilia as well as a replica of “Little Boy,” the first atomic bomb. This is not just here for decoration as Wendover is the base where General Paul Tibbets Jr. and his crew departed the U.S. in their Boeing B-29 Superfortress, the Enola Gay, for their mission to end the Japanese war. This is both chilling and interesting and this place is simply amazing in its preserved history that you can see everywhere.
From there, I headed to Reno for Hot August Nights. I got in at around 3:30 p.m., checked in, and watched a few circus acts, including a terrific aerial acrobat who performed on the midway of my hotel, the Circus Circus. Yes, I really do love this place and yes, I know it needs some work, but it still seems cool to me. It is also on the strip where the car cruise happens.
If you have not checked out Hot August Nights in Reno, it is also something to add to your list. It is the biggest cruise-in I have seen personally and brings in about 5,000 cars, all cruising on the street. It runs from 7 until around 10 and is great fun to watch.
After that I wrote this story and went to bed as tomorrow is my final short leg to Monterey, California. I hope to see some of you there next week. Be sure to drop by the Classic Motorsports Monterey Kickoff show in Pacific Grove Tuesday afternoon.
