For anyone with an affection for Amercian muscle and a love for all things hot rod, getting over and seeing the land where it all started will have always been on that to-do list, but actually making it happen can easily be pushed to the side and forgotten. It’s a big place, and knowing when, where, and how to go can be a pretty daunting task by yourself. Thankfully, we have local agents Scottz Tours running annual tours of the best-to-see features. The 2020 dates have been locked in and are ready for you to pull trigger on! Here’s what to expect:
Hot August Nights USA Tour (23 July – 17 August, 2020)
Promising a 26 day blast of hot rod attractions, along with some iconic tourist destinations, the Hot August Nights USA Tour will run between 23 July and 17 August, 2020 (arriving back in New Zealand on 19 August, 2020, due to the travel time) and is centred around the largest nostalgic car show in the world: Hot August Nights. Located in the Reno/Sparks area of Nevada, the event is a week-long celebration of cars, entertainment, cruises, and music that promises a ton of industry vendors, drag racing, and some of the hottest hot rods America has to offer. The tour also offers an itinerary of some of the best hot rod ‘must-sees’ Los Angeles and Las Vegas have to offer, including visits to Hollywood Hot Rods; Jimmy Shine, one of America’s top car builders; Welder Up in Las Vegas; Richard Petty’s NASCAR experience; Count Kustoms, and much more.
Covering over 3500 miles, some of which is rugged, some beautiful, but all vast and big — just like you’d expect in the land of opportunity. The tour consists of six nights in Los Angeles where you can experience Hollywood. A guided tour of the Los Angeles Police Department and SWAT team will give you a behind the scenes look at the crime fighters of California, as well as a tour through the LAPD Police Academy. Las Vegas follows for four nights before heading to Bishop via Death Valley, visiting Bodie Ghost Town on the way, before heading to Lake Tahoe for two nights. From Tahoe you’ll drive to Reno, via historic cowboy town Virginia City, for four nights at Hot August Nights. Leaving Reno, the tour will spend a night in Old Sacramento before heading to San Francisco for four nights where you’ll see Alcatraz Prison and the Golden Gate Bridge. A personal American Graffiti tour here will bring the iconic movie back to life. From San Francisco, you will spend a night in Monterey before heading back to Los Angeles. Free time built into the trip will also allow you to head out to the Grand Canyon, Disneyland, or Universal Studios, if you wish.
There’s a ton of smaller attractions and locations to see along the way, too — the list could almost go on forever! It’s a proper USA experience that is roughly 50 per cent car-related with the remaining allowing you to experience real Americana, and at $8,950 NZD per person based on twin-share, it’s a bargain. If you want to go it alone (joining the larger group as a single) a single supplement is $11,500 NZD — this includes return flights from Auckland to Los Angeles, 26 nights’ accommodation, breakfast (excluding Las Vegas and Reno), daily drinking water, van hire, fuel costs, drivers, and a tour T-shirt. Meals (excluding breakfast when supplied), spending money, and personal travel insurance are travellers’ own responsibility.
For further information and availability of both the Hot August Nights and Texas Lonestar Round Up tours, contact via email Scottztours@gmail.com or call Scott on 027 599 9587 and Carolyn 027 327 8988