Petersen P800 Rally | Event Recap
P800 Rally Recap
Thank you to all of our P800 Rally participants for joining us on this memorable and eventful experience! In our inaugural trip, we managed to spend 5 days back-to-back with some of the world’s most amazing roads, finest dining, and beautiful collections. Let’s take a look back and review our trip.
P800 Rally Day One | Monterey
We started our trip in Monterey, where we visited a private collection, sighted a Carrera GT out in the wild, and went for a spirited drive through verdant forests. The weather was especially clear for this time of year, and we had great visibility crossing over the Golden Gate Bridge. The rolling hills of Northern California are a sight to behold, and we made sure to explore their twists and turns on our way to our hotel in Napa.
Respecting the privacy of the owners, we won’t share any of our photos of our private collection tours, but it’s always a pleasure to see someone meticulously collect their favorite cars and brands. Hearing the stories behind the cars, and seeing the care and consideration put into keeping these cars alive and pristine, it takes more than just a desire — it requires true passion.
P800 Rally Day Two | Napa Valley
After getting some rest at the Four Seasons, we head out for a spirited drive. Napa Valley is well known for its wineries, and driving through the rolling hills, we saw plenty of them. After arriving at our destination, we enjoyed some lunch and a personalized tour of the collection.
Castello di Amorosa was absolutely a highlight. Breathtaking in the twilight, we got to explore the beauty of the castle from both the inside and the outside. A 13th-century style castle, it gave us the opportunity to travel through time and space. Inside were beautiful decorations and art pieces, and from the outside, beautiful ramparts and stone walls.
Day two of our inaugural P800 Road Rally was truly something special. We look forward to more opportunities to explore all kinds of destinations to create a lifetime’s worth of memories. Collections, castles, cars.
P800 Rally Day Three | Mendocino
No doubt about it — Mendocino is spectacular. A coastal county, Mendocino has no shortage of lovely places to stop and stare out into the ocean. Unique rock formations along the coast can be observed for hours on end, and we made sure to take it all in.
We’ll be sticking around Mendocino for one more day to explore everything it has to offer, but the roads around here are fantastic. Plenty of twists and turns, we had no shortage of appreciation for the cars we chose to bring. Any car will take on a corner; but leave it to a sports car to really savor it.
P800 Rally Day Four | Mendocino & End of the PCH
Continuing on in Mendocino, we had plenty of sights to see for the day. More coast and more verdant vegetation, including none other than Chandelier Tree. We went whale watching, cruising, and of course, a spirited drive.
After a long day, we returned to our hotel and took some time to ourselves. We had dinner, and enjoyed a very lovely chat while watching the sun set on the coast. We’re very fortunate to have caught some great weather thus far, but what we would face tomorrow would remind us how fickle Northern California can be. Eager to get some rest, we finished up our conversations and turned in for the night.
P800 Rally Day Five | Point Arena Lighthouse
Though we lament the end of the trip, we head to our final destination. Faring the fickle coast, we drive through downpour in search of the Point Arena Lighthouse. Much like the mariners seeking this historic lighthouse, we found great reprieve in the beacon in the distance. We thoroughly tested out the weatherproofing on our P800 Rally branded jackets, and left the comfort of our cars to see the lighthouse.
After finding respite in the lighthouse, we hungrily headed out to lunch. We found ourselves at Izakaya Gama, a Japanese sake bar & restaurant that wonderfully complimented the coastline. The chefs, specialists in their field, treated us to a meal that we won’t soon forget; fresh fish sliced so thinly that it melted in our mouth. The overall ambience was spectacular, and served us well on our last day of the trip.
As we arrived at our hotel on our final night, we look back on a brilliant trip. We had a lot of fun, and we’re definitely looking forward to the opportunity to go again. From wineries to coastlines, treacherous waters and stormy lighthouses, we were able to experience the full range of what Northern California offers. As we explored the iconic landscape, we became inspired in much the same way that many designers right before they came up with vehicles that we know and love today. Taking on this road trip through the P800 Rally showed us the beauty of the sports car, and why we’ve come to love them so much.
