[TiMSport]

Hey at least you saved it!

I so wish I had the chance to drive the 'Ring. I had actually planned to drive up there on my first trip to Germany but I had discovered it was closed for the season. I'm also really intrigued with the Ring Taxi. The idea of at least being able to rent your own race car to drive around the track was really cool I thought. At the very least, and in case I don't have the balls to drive it myself, I could hire someone through their service I guess. I think there used to be a female German racer (Sabine Schmitz) that provided rides in her M5 but she's no longer there. Read about some of her adventures and was impressed as she apparently grew up in that town so perhaps knew that track better than almost anyone else.

I think there's a video floating around but she would post faster times than many driving Porsches in a Ford Transit. Proof she knows that track inside out. As per Wiki she has driven around the 'Ring more than 20,000 times. Wow.

[5.M0NSTER]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Hey at least you saved it!

I so wish I had the chance to drive the 'Ring. I had actually planned to drive up there on my first trip to Germany but I had discovered it was closed for the season. I'm also really intrigued with the Ring Taxi. The idea of at least being able to rent your own race car to drive around the track was really cool I thought. At the very least, and in case I don't have the balls to drive it myself, I could hire someone through their service I guess. I think there used to be a female German racer (Sabine Schmitz) that provided rides in her M5 but she's no longer there. Read about some of her adventures and was impressed as she apparently grew up in that town so perhaps knew that track better than almost anyone else.

I think there's a video floating around but she would post faster times than many driving Porsches in a Ford Transit. Proof she knows that track inside out. As per Wiki she has driven around the 'Ring more than 20,000 times. Wow.

Every time I've been there there are always ring taxis. Good way to experience race speed lap without risking your own car. They have a ton of cool cars too.

Sabine is a legend around here. I am super impressed with her as well.

I will miss this place. No other experience like it anywhere else in the world.

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by 5.M0NSTER

Every time I've been there there are always ring taxis. Good way to experience race speed lap without risking your own car. They have a ton of cool cars too.

Sabine is a legend around here. I am super impressed with her as well.

I will miss this place. No other experience like it anywhere else in the world.

One of these days I will definitely go there!
By the nuance of your remark, sounds like you're moving?

[5.M0NSTER]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

One of these days I will definitely go there!
By the nuance of your remark, sounds like you're moving?

Yes, coming back stateside in May. I had a 3 year assignment here for work, and it’s almost done.

Missed out on a lot of travel due to COVID, but at least I still got 4 days on the ring in 2020. Hoping to get one more this year, and one more at Spa Francorchamps in Belgium. That place is awesome too.

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by 5.M0NSTER

Yes, coming back stateside in May. I had a 3 year assignment here for work, and it’s almost done.

Missed out on a lot of travel due to COVID, but at least I still got 4 days on the ring in 2020. Hoping to get one more this year, and one more at Spa Francorchamps in Belgium. That place is awesome too.

Cool, thanks for sharing. That would be pretty awesome to be stationed where you're at for a few years. One thing I've been dreaming about doing is renting a car in Munich if and when I get there again and driving to Switzerland. The thought of driving a fun car in the Alps would be breathtaking I think.

Speaking of Belgium, that too was a bit challenging to drive. I happened to stay a few nights in Brussels not being aware that the Tour de France was kicking off from Brussels at that very time. What a mad house it was. Rented a nice apartment with balconies overlooking parts of the city. Anyway, my car was actually trapped inside of a parking structure our last day as I couldn't read the signs (French) allegedly warning people it would be closed. We met another couple that were in the same situation and fortunately they spoke French and after a couple of hours of investigating who was in charge of that parking garage, they moved the damn forklift that had blocked the exit! I was a bit stressed because my wife and I had to get back to Germany that evening.

I loved it in Brussels though. Needless to say the beers are fantastic and it's hard not to grab a gut busting waffle now and then. Never seen so many varieties.

[dscabra]

Brussels is my favorite city in Europe! Munich is a close second. I spent 7-1/2 years in Germany, six of those in Bavaria (Augsburg and Bad Aibling) and a year and a half in Berlin. I miss the down-to-earth people of Bavaria, awesome beer, and the food; rahmschnitzel and spaetzle!

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by dscabra

Brussels is my favorite city in Europe! Munich is a close second. I spent 7-1/2 years in Germany, six of those in Bavaria (Augsburg and Bad Aibling) and a year and a half in Berlin. I miss the down-to-earth people of Bavaria, awesome beer, and the food; rahmschnitzel and spaetzle!

I know we're straying from the original topic that I started, but this is fun, lol. I went to Munich last year for the first time and wish I could've stayed longer. It was a relatively short business trip but I ate schweinshaxe[?] (pork knuckle) for the first time in my life. We ate at this restaurant which I think is popular in Munich. It was pretty good. Everything new to me is good, especially when I'm washing it down with lots of beer!

[Machinebuilder]

Going up to Northern Maine near Portage Lake etc Its a few hours to a gas station 6 to 9 hours to the nearest BMW dealer. There is only one BMW dealership in the state in the south near Portland. The roads are beat up from the harsh winters and everyone drives trucks or Subarus. The logging trucks take up the whole road as they come barreling by you manned by tough crazed French Canadians being paid per load. Driving around in a nice BMW with no spare tire makes you feel stupid. Next time I go back up I will rent a truck or large SUV.

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by Machinebuilder

Going up to Northern Maine near Portage Lake etc Its a few hours to a gas station 6 to 9 hours to the nearest BMW dealer. There is only one BMW dealership in the state in the south near Portland. The roads are beat up from the harsh winters and everyone drives trucks or Subarus. The logging trucks take up the whole road as they come barreling by you manned by tough crazed French Canadians being paid per load. Driving around in a nice BMW with no spare tire makes you feel stupid. Next time I go back up I will rent a truck or large SUV.

Sounds like you need to drive a "I don't give a shit" jeep up there.

[Darth One]

I try to experience driving wherever I go, so I have had some stressful drives.

First off, I've lived in some crazy metro areas and drove every day in Los Angeles, DC, Miami and Manila.

Other crazy drives have been San Francisco, Rome, Naples, Rio (during the World Cup!), London to Brighton, Manhattan and Kauai.

Saving the worst for last, the craziest drive I've been on in the USA was at nighttime on the Road to Hana in Maui. Hairpins like the tail of the dragon, only blind, narrower and sometimes one lane both ways. Crazy locals sliding around in beaters with no headlights.

Craziest drive outside of US was Delhi to Gurgaon during a monsoon. This was back before their recent infrastructure boom so it was dirt roads, tuktuks, motorcycles, big trucks, open excavations and unmarked hazards...all hidden under a nice citywide flood. I think it took us 4 hours to travel 5 miles. It was both hilarious and horrifying to see pedicabs and pedestrians get swallowed whole by hidden holes under the floodwaters

[4Hockey4]

Inner city and Canada dont compare to Going to the Sun road in Glacier National. July 1st, and the curvy road, sleeting at elevation, with lil rocks on edge (no guard rail) and 3,000 ft straight down, feet from edge up from western side....not afraid of heights but that was sketch lol

[jmg]

Originally Posted by Darth One

I try to experience driving wherever I go, so I have had some stressful drives.

First off, I've lived in some crazy metro areas and drove every day in Los Angeles, DC, Miami and Manila.

Other crazy drives have been San Francisco, Rome, Naples, Rio (during the World Cup!), London to Brighton, Manhattan and Kauai.

Saving the worst for last, the craziest drive I've been on in the USA was at nighttime on the Road to Hana in Maui. Hairpins like the tail of the dragon, only blind, narrower and sometimes one lane both ways. Crazy locals sliding around in beaters with no headlights.

Craziest drive outside of US was Delhi to Gurgaon during a monsoon. This was back before their recent infrastructure boom so it was dirt roads, tuktuks, motorcycles, big trucks, open excavations and unmarked hazards...all hidden under a nice citywide flood. I think it took us 4 hours to travel 5 miles. It was both hilarious and horrifying to see pedicabs and pedestrians get swallowed whole by hidden holes under the floodwaters

Road to Hana is crazy! I told my wife I wanted to drive it but she convinced me a tour bus was better. She was right. Even our seasoned shuttle driver hit a car trying to navigate a particularly tight area. I would have been exhausted and stressed. Instead we got to enjoy the scenery and then take a nap on the long drive back to the hotel.

[spazzyfry123]

In Italy for work when a (US) coworker and I decided we should take the weekend in Florence. We had just finished touring the Ferrari museum and needed to catch a train that we were about to be very late for. Bring in the Italian coworker.

I'm convinced that he thought he was Michael Schumacher after we had just left the museum. I wouldn't consider myself a control freak, but we were double (and triple) the speed limit in some spots to make it to the train station weaving in and out of traffic.

At least we didn't miss the train

[David70]

I reserved a small car in Croatia to make it easier to deal with city traffic and parking. I couldn't understand much of what the person at the counter was saying but got through it and went to get in the car. Saw that it was a mid size SUV and went back inside to complain. They immediately said "we don't have any automatics" and wouldn't stop with this until I finally got them to understand that yes I am American and no the manual transmission is not the problem (I guess this is what brings most Americans back to the counter). They gave me the small manual car and we were off. Sometimes oncoming traffic on really small streets was a problem but nothing major. When possible I prefer to drive myself. Opposite side of the road and/or countries where they don't obey the law can be difficult.

[garyfried]

Downtown Dublin, trying to find a hotel in the rain on a Friday afternoon while driving on the wrong side of the road shifting with my left hand. Since there was no parking and it took an hour to get around a block we returned the rental car to the airport and took a shuttle back into the hotel.

[EricVR4]

Iceland just because of the insanely unpredictable weather, high winds, and narrow 2-lane roads/highways. Makes for some pretty sketchy driving at times depending on where you are.

Some of the remote parts of Alaska in December/January got a little dicey at times too because of the weather/ice/snow. Nothing like worrying about getting stuck somewhere when it's -37*F

[TiMSport]

First time going to the Big Island of Hawaii my wife and I took a drive from Kona to Mauna Kea, the dormant volcano that is one of the world's premier places to gaze at the stars.

Fun fact: Mauna Kea is 4,207 meters (13,803 feet) above sea level but when including its underwater base, it's the highest mountain in the world at 10,211 meters (33,500 feet).

There's a small, winding road that leads from highway 200 (aka Saddle Road) up to a mid-level observatory called "Onizuka Center for International Astronomy". All I can say is that it is well worth the trip up there because it's the most gorgeous view of the stars I have ever seen in my life. It's pitch black on the way up and down that meandering road (Mauna Kea Access Rd.) and its purposeful as to not disturb the hobbyists and astronomers gazing into the universe.

Anyway, the return trip down that access road was scary as shit. It got so foggy all of a sudden we couldn't see more than a few feet in front of us, including any other vehicles that were in front of us. I've driven in foggy conditions but this scared the shit out of me. I didn't know the road and it's high up so it added to the pulse racing vibe. On the way up it was crystal clear, the return? Not so much. It was just an eerie feeling that I rarely experienced while driving.

I highly recommend going to this place if given the chance. Outstanding.

[NorCalAthlete]

Iraq.

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by NorCalAthlete

Iraq.

Did you serve?

[NorCalAthlete]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Did you serve?

Yeah. 28 months total deployed.

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by NorCalAthlete

Yeah. 28 months total deployed.

Thank you for your service, sir.

[carseatsm5]

Amalfi Coast road to Positano. Terrifying.