GT-49 in Sports Car Heaven
Reid Trummel
President, Columbia Gorge MG Club
The Columbia Gorge MG Club is excited and proud to host GT-49 in Welches, Oregon, July 15-19, and our very active club is looking forward to sharing the sports car heaven that we enjoy here. In fact, it’s difficult to overstate the attraction of holding a GT in Oregon in July. Let’s break it down:
Obviously weather is an important consideration for any event centered on convertible (and coupe!) sports cars, and July in Oregon is absolutely ideal. In July, the average high temperatures at the venue are in the mid-to-high 70s, with lows in the mid-to-high 50s. July is also the month with the least chance of rain.
Speaking of the venue, we’ll be at the beautiful Mt. Hood Oregon Resort. Located one hour from Portland in the Oregon high country, our destination resort is a Best Western Premiere Collection property. Tucked away among lush evergreen forests, majestic mountains and exhilarating waterfalls and waterways, it is “Mt. Hood’s Premier Resort Destination.”
The resort features numerous recreational options including a year-round heated outdoor pool and the best 27 holes of golf in the Mt. Hood Territory. With 18,000 square feet of event space and a 5,000 square foot spa retreat, this wonderful destination resort is ideally suited to host GT-49.
What about the roads? Glad you asked! Here in northwest Oregon we are blessed with some of the best sports car roads anywhere in the world. Traversing mountain passes, motoring through rich forests, crisscrossing the rolling hills of farms and pastures, every road is a calendar photo op! The term “twisties” must have been coined by someone enjoying northwest Oregon’s network of low-traffic and scenic asphalt ribbons.
What’s on the schedule? Another great question! This is a full-featured GT with everything you’ve come to look forward to at this premier annual gathering of MG owners and enthusiasts. Let’s take a look at some highlights:
Monday, July 15, begins with registration packet pickup, and the afternoon includes the always-popular Hospitality Suite. You can also wash your car that afternoon, and self-guided tours are on offer for those who want to get an early start enjoying the great roads you’re read so much about. In the evening we’ll hold a first-timer’s reception followed by the event orientation meeting to help get you ready for a spectacular event in a spectacular setting.
Tuesday, July 16, begins with the Magnette Breakfast followed by the Funkhana, several tech sessions, a guided tour to iconic Timberline Lodge on the slopes of Mt. Hood, lawn bowling instruction (more on that below!), and it wraps up with a dinner dance that is nicely capped off in the Hospitality Suite.
Wednesday, July 17, begins with the car show, always a centerpiece of GT, a tech session and the Lawn Bowling Tournament (aren’t you glad to attended the lawn bowling instruction on Tuesday!). The Hospitality Suite will be open all day, and self-guided tours are available for those seeking more twisties.
Thursday, July 18, highlights include the Rally, a guided tour to the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum in the city of Hood River (do not miss this!), afternoon tea, vendors, hospitality, self-guided tours, and the grand finale Awards Banquet.
Friday, July 19, is for our traditional Winners’ Circle of selected cars arranged in a circle on the lawn for a final admiring look while enjoying coffee and pastries prior to beginning the trip home.
We’ve got the climate, the venue, the roads and all of your favorite GT features to make this a really memorable week in sports car heaven. GT-49 Chair Donna McNabb and her team, and all of us in the Columbia Gorge MG Club, are looking forward to welcoming you to Welches, Oregon in July for a vacation of a lifetime!
P.S. To make your lodging reservations for GT-49, please see the back cover of this issue of MGA! magazine. Please do not delay – we expect GT-49 to fill early!
