Remembering Not The 49-Mile Drive of the Past

One annual event that I always look forward to is BayArea02’s “Not The 49-mile Drive”. A great gathering of BMW 2002s driving for hours in the confines of a 6x6-mile square we call, San Francisco. Unfortunately, I have not been able to make all of the events, and this year looks to be the same. 

As I look forward to seeing the photos and videos of the event on December 12th, 2020, let us look back at the event from the past. December 8th, 2018 was the last event I was able to attend. This time, just like all the events in the past, everyone gathered in a parking lot at Ocean Beach (2020 location is different). After about an hour of friendly conversation between people who have not seen each other in a while, some since May, everyone received a set of instructions and a sheet with photos from the route. There is a task here other than just driving. Your navigator will help you with the task to put all the photos in the order of appearance on the route. That being said, you will end up in parts of San Francisco you didn't realize existed. Which makes this experience all the more captivating. 

After what looks like a disorganized Le Mans start, cars start to find their way onto the streets of Richmond District into Golden Gate Park on a route through Land’s End to Park Presidio. The view from these roads is spectacular, to say the least. If you have never been in this corner of SF, you would not believe that something like this actually exists tucked away in such a compacted city.  Vast amounts of trees and vegetation will block your view of the Pacific Ocean, Marin Headlands, and Golden Gate Bridge. Though views become obstructed, it's still quite a beautiful sight throughout the drive. 

After a short drive through what looks like a shore-side forest of magnificent trees, the manicured sites of Presidio can be a big surprise but don't be scared, you drive into an open area of sunshine, and green, green grass. 

It does not take long to get through the streets of this ex-military base of Presidio and into the Marina District towards North Beach.

The Stockton-Sutter tunnel takes you from an unusual Saturday morning serenity into a very busy side of holiday shopping in San Francisco, Union Square. A Christmas Tree and several Santas will greet you on your way through heavy traffic as SantaCon is always the same weekend. 

In attempts not to get lost, the detailed instruction will lead you to Twin Peaks. This stop is very common for this drive, in 2018 the weather was better than ever and gave us some spectacular views of San Francisco. The 2002 drivers created their own parking lot after a large bus left, and in the span of about 5 parking spaces, we managed to fit well over 25 cars.  

A large number of colorful vintage BMWs in one spot gave tourists an alluring sight that many have never experienced before. Some might have just assumed that this is a normal view in California. For all of us in the group, the site is common.

In 2018 the drive led to a charming restaurant on Townsend street where the group continued the neverending car discussion as the navigators compared the notes on the task or arranging photos.

I hope everyone will have as much fun in 2020 as I did in 2018.