The January edition of Car and Driver in 1983 hit the news stands in late November of 1982. This was C&D's first "Ten Best" edition. In it, Larry Griffin wrote about the ten best roads in America. Jack was the Sales manager of Giles Porsche in Lafayette, LA.
Arkansas 7 made this list and was within a day's drive of Lafayette. Jack was inspired and soon recruited several local Porsche owners as well as Larry, himself. Larry has since made six more trips.
Through the years, the format has changed and been fine tuned to the point where Jack has a 150 page book full of tips and details for the trip that should satisfy even the most particular customers.
All of the selected routes are accomplished without the aid of maps. Jack knows the roads and the combination's most likely to avoid the long arm of the law while providing the most smiles per gallon. Stealth driving has become an art. If you've never gone on a road trip or even if you have, this is a unique experience.
One of the themes that helps define Porsche is the process of continuous improvement. Porsche makes changes on the fly; they don't wait for model year change, government mandates, or the competition to dictate change. So goes the tour. Recommendations are proposed by the participants constantly, but a camel is a race horse designed by a committee. The basic formula for the trip is tweaked every year to hopefully create a better product. Early participants would hardly recognize the present trip as the one they took in the 80's.
It takes an iron will to rein in the exuberance of some of the drivers. Safety is a no nonsense subject that has to be preached constantly. Banishment, jail, and law suits need to be brought up early and often. Compromise on any issue is an invitation for problems. Therefore, the 21 prescribed safety rules must be observed and obeyed.
Whether it's common sense or divine intervention, these propositions evolved from many years of, shall we say, screw ups. Safety is paramount.
For the gourmets, eating is not a neglected subject on these tours. Every evening is a different dining experience, but all the dinners include some form of meat, fish and fowl. Non-scheduled breakfasts and lunches are off the menu at the Ozark Café in beautiful downtown Jasper. All of the food and accommodations are what a Porsche owner would expect.
Two resorts host our group. For the fourth year, we will start the tour at the Lodge at Mt. Magazine. This resort is situated on top of Mt. Magazine, Arkansas' highest elevation. The view of the Petite Jean valley is spectacular. We've been driving 309 for years and occasionally enjoyed the views, but never imagined staying at such a beautiful place.
Big Cedar Lodge is the experience that may be like nothing else in the country. The resort has been referred to as "America's Premier Wilderness Resort". It is. The setting alongside Table Rock Lake is gorgeous. The buildings and grounds are immaculate. The food is gourmet. Almost everyone who has visited the resort with our touring group has returned on their own.
If one were to envision the perfect environment for a "get away", this is it. That's why we've added a fourth night this year; we can't get enough of this place. Satisfaction has been defined as performance minus expectation. No matter how much we build up this place, it will not fail to satisfy.
The roads in-between these two resorts are the real stars. Four of these roads have made Car and Driver's Top Ten at one time or another. If you enjoyed roller-coasters as a kid, then you will love the way these roads are laid out. Of course we have some neat stops along the way. Bring your camera. The amount of fun being thrown at you almost puts your senses on over-load.
There is no adequate way to describe this experience. It certainly showcases the engineering that has gone into your Porsche. One thing is for sure: if you weren't totally in love with your Porsche before the trip, you will be after the trip. We couldn't imagine doing this in any other car.
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