Yes, and you will realize how silly this question sounds after you get there Think SEVERAL SQUARE MILES. You are only limited by how far from the dumpsters and porta johns you want to be.
If you added up the total cost of the toter motor homes thru the rest of the campers setups at the bend you could pay off the Calif state debt. There are that many sites there. DW
If yould actually like to sleep and not find your rig buried in mud after a storm, might a suggest a spot furthur up the road a bit to the west. That way you can experience the bend and still sleep. Rent an SUV, sleep in the back for a few days, tape garbage bags on the floors and car wash the snot out of it before returning it & hope it doesnt have a GPS in it that tracks where youve been. Above all else bring a popup canopy for shade
well, i have called probably every hotel in wendover, and all i found was the salt flats inn for 4 night minimum at $189.00 a night, $827.00 total with taxes, and days inn wendover for $229.00 a night, and the peppermill for $719.00 for 3 nights.... WOW... i should have planned this out at the beginning of the year... i really want to go but have to weigh either staying for cheaper out in wells nevada and doing a 55 mile drive back and forth for 3 days or just pay up and stay in wendover...... really want to stay local so i could hit the rod show at the nugget..... i hope to decide by the weekend..
FYI, 50 miles might be the closest thing to Wendover. Try the Bend it is surprisingly cool at night and would cut cost a lot. Some of our guys camp and some have rooms. The ones that camp go to the rooms to clean up. You will never regret going. Hooley
It doesnt matter when you book hotels ... it is always tough for SW ... the prices are double to triple for SW because the law of supply and demand applies.
The bend is a great time and I never had trouble sleeping or getting out of the mud after the storm. Good times all around. You'd be amazed at how well you can get by with a wet wash cloth and no shower for a week. People give you a lot of room too! lol Not crowded at all.
I was camped at the Bend with my ancient RV when the storm struck Sunday night. I had a record return run Monday morning. I didn't have any problems getting out of the Bend. Easy on the throttle. But then I lived in Ireland for a few years and had plenty of practice driving in shitty weather. When I got back in the afternoon it was obvious that other weren't so lucky.
I always camp at the bend. And, I always shower at the truck stop in Wendover. It's like ten bucks and the rooms are clean and they give you a towel.
ok guys, its a done deal.... this first timer will be on the salt in august. me and a buddy are flying into SLC friday the 10th, rental car to wendover and staying at the peppermill for 3 nights, drive back to SLC on monday, stay a night there and fly back to south florida on tuesday.. is the car show every night at the nugget ? what time does bonneville open the gates each morning ? what time should i be arriving there to wait in line ? is there food and beer for sale there on the salt ? are there any cool local bars to hit in wendover ? thanks for al the info and help.... cant with until august...
Listen to what everyone here is saying. You are going to the middle of the Great Salt Lake.There is food and water available but it isn't cheap. There are no Walmarts in Wendover. It is a casino town and that is pretty much it. Dinner at the buffets is very good.The hotels make their yearly quota on Bonneville. Stop in SLC and get a big cooler and fill it with your favorite beverages. Bring lots of water too. Get an easy up tent and chairs. When you are ready to leave give it all to someone who looks like they might need it. You can't take it with you. You will be roughing it on the salt. There are no gates per say. There is an entry fee though. Be nice to everyone and they will be very nice in return. I went last year and I can't wait to get back. Hopefully helping to crew someones car this time.
Read the fine print in your rental contract as some of the rental companies track their cars with GPS.
Try the scta-bni.org website for times of activites. Don't know if that info is posted yet. Go to the suggested landracing.com site for a newcomers guide to SpeedWeek. Food available along with soft drinks. Buy your beer on the Nevada side of town, Smith's Market or the Pilot truck stop. The car show is every night at the Nugget for the first weekend. Buy a week pass instead of a daily one. Saves money and you get the official pit pass which is a hat pin, different design each year. This pass gets you into a shorter line in the morning at the end of the road. Friday is tech. Sat morning is the driver's meeting around 9 AM. If you are there at the end of the meeting you can drive on the actual race course. You will need either a CB/FM radio. The times and info are broadcast on a low freq. AM station, 1610 AM. Thats a few basics, ask questions and look at those websites. Welcome and enjoy yourself. You will find a new calling. BTW, come see me in the Impound area. Come over to the White Goose Bar for a libation at the end of the day. DW
thanks guys... wow, there"s a possibility of the rental cars having gps tracking ? is there a "clean" parking area to park ? im doubting that, but thought i would ask. i will make sure its clean before returning, but dont want any "extra" fees added to my credit card for being on the salt...
Bonneville is addictive without question. I was heavily influenced as a kid reading about the attempts by Cobb, Breedlove, Arfons Bros and of course Mickey Thompson. In 2008, I finally made it after Pebble Beach and a few days later a friends wife ran 280.508 breaking an old Don Garlits record in a streamliner running a blown Ardun. Definitely cool. Intoxicating to be honest. Unfortunately I was caught out with work or injuries the past few years -- but returning this year. If you see some Ducati motorcycles prepped for the salt -- that will be a few of us Ducatista getting our first experiences as competitors running on the salt itself. I'm sure it will escalate to a much higher level in the future... I think someone called it "salt fever"...
oh ya, plan on doing a lot of walking on the Salt too. lots to see but, not right next to each other.
go to wendoverfun.com or search wendover. Most casinos are really pretty nice to stay at. or bring your camping stuff and camp at the bend in the road.
The pits are huge. IMO it's better than the nightime car show. If you don't get an orange sticker for pit access with your car, it's a lot of walking. If you just know the car number of someone there, you can purchase a pit pass for your car at the SCTA trailer for ten bucks. An other way is to drive outside the pits along Millionaire's row and park outside the fence. And walk in. That way you can kep moving your car down the pit side. The pits are over a mile long. Spectator parking lot at the Tech area is close to the vendors and food and Impound for record cars. SCTA trailer for t-shirts is there, too. Great food at the track side Red Flame Grill. Open air breakfast as the sun comes up is great. And you will be amazed at the "Hero's of Hot Rodding" that hang there and BS with everyone!!! Spectator parking at the start line is right there at the lines. Three separate tracks and staging lanes. frank
Driving on salt not a big deal..One gal.WD-40 and a hand pump sprayer..Lather entire undercarriage,wheel house ect and salt practically falls off.Bring a pit bike of some kind for sure.Nothin like it!
You might consider to stop by a thrift shop and buy a couple cheap bicycles in SLC. The pits themselves are 1 mile length. A bicycle to get around will really save your walking. A cheap EZ-up canopy and chairs will let you rest your feet. Stop by almost any setup and they will let you have some shade if you don't want to buy a canopy. I always have room under mine with a few spare chairs, look for my COE, it is the rusty low 49 Ford which I should be driving again this year. Impound and the pits are at mile 3, start line is obviously mile 0. Long course is 5 miles plus shutdown, Short course(s) are 3 miles plus shutdown. As someone suggested, buy a cooler and bring it filled with waters, soft drinks and a few beers. It really is best to save the beer for the evenings as the heat and low humidity make it important to stay hydrated. I stock up on sandwich supplies and munchies to bring lunch with me each day. Sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses and you will have a great time. After the first year you will have a much better idea of what to do and bring, but you will have a great time this year.
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