Written by Gordie Robbins
The Hill Country – Maverick Region Pick-Yer-Tour event was held this year based in Kerrville, TX home of H-E-B and the YO Ranch Hotel and Conference Center!
The YO is known by the Porsche community as a base for thrilling technical tours in the Hill Country. It also has the capacity to handle large groups, more than adequate parking and a welcoming and attentive staff.
Beginning on April 11th, 180 Porsches with over 330 members began arriving at the YO all getting ready to sample the exciting roads and beautiful Hill Country wildflowers during the Pick-Yer-Tour weekend.
Pick-Yer-Tour is aptly named, because four distinct activities were offered, including the Twisted Sister tour, Bourne to be Wild tour, Hit the Road Jack leisure drive and the Country Roads Porsche SUV/4WD-oriented event. There were nine run groups driving the technical Twisted Sister and Bourne to be Wild routes, with 142 cars. The Leisure tour had 29 cars, allowing members to plot their own routes through Hill Country. The Country Roads paved/unpaved tour had 9 vehicles.
Six XPEL bucket prizes were subsequently awarded to the winners of the signature Pick-Yer-Tour Weekend “Dirty Porsche” event!
Both Hill Country and Maverick collaborated closely throughout the planning and execution phases of this event, both teams contributed resources and many volunteers. The result was an event that was enjoyed by all who attended.
Special thanks to our sponsors Porsche Austin and Porsche South Austin, XPEL Dallas and Austin, and Maverick Region who also provided outstanding raffle items for our participants!
Here are some members impressions along with photos of the PYT weekend:
We were impressed with the excellent organization and how efficient everything went – from check-in to the multi-group drives, and even to how the group dinner line was handled. My driving partner noted that “being able to ride in and drive a Porsche through beautiful scenery and twisty roads was a personal thrill.”
Submitted by Don Stevens
The Missing Sister Drive was a fun and exhilarating experience. The departure was very well organized and we were able to navigate our way to the open road where we were able to open our engines and gain a bit more speed. Missing Sister had just about everything that made for a good drive. There was curve after curve, elevations, scenic sights, and more curves! I hadn’t put my ‘01 911 6-speed to the shift and curve test to this level until Missing Sister and “she” impressed us and with a fun, curve-hugging ride.
Our group made the first stop at Garven’s Store. Garven’s looked like a relic from the early days of Texas. There were chickens running around the property and even a lone, beautiful peacock was a resident. The interior of the store was very interesting, and it had a collection of all sorts of food, clothing, snacks, and beverages for sale.
Submitted by Gloria Hughes
The Country Roads Paved/Unpaved tour consisted of paved highways and unpaved county roads in Kimble, Mason, Gillespie, and Kerr counties. The group was small but enthusiastic: seven Cayennes, two Macans, a RAM pickup, and a Toyota Tacoma made the 175-mile trek via Junction, Mason, and Doss, before returning to the YO Ranch Hotel just in time for the Dirty Porsche contest.
The highlight of the tour was of course the fording of the James River, not just once, but twice. For the initial crossing, we arrived just in time to see a massive number of Ford Broncos assembling on the opposite bank of the river, leaving me wondering how long it was going to take for them to cross. Fortunately, they remained on the other side to do a photo opportunity, so the nine of us splashed across and waved at the Bronco drivers as they were busy taking selfies.
If you drive a 4-door Porsche, we hope you’ll consider taking the Country Roads tour next year. The scenery is dramatic, and you will be driving slowly enough to fully enjoy it!
Submitted by Carey Spreen
