The 2002 Gene Berg Memorial Cruise

Jim Kikuchi's Picture Gallery

The 2002 cruise ran from Gene Berg Enterprises in Orange, CA to Vancouver, B.C., with overnight stops in Sacramento and Eureka California and Eugene Oregon.

The adventure actually began a week before our departure from Orange. Part of the planned route from Eureka to Eugene ran along route 199 to Grants Pass. That area was smack-dab in the middle of multiple forest fires then burning in Oregon! We therefore changed the route to avoid that area. Our alternate route turned out to contain some of the best scenery of the entire cruise! More about that later.

The group starting in Orange included Dee, Clyde, Joell, Gene and Courtney, Jim Lynch, Andy and Elaine Knebel, Robert Knerr and Rhonda. Steve Hollingsworth and Deena Reese had driven in from Phoenix in Steve's 69 and a group of four KGs came in from Colorado.

The Colorado group left Golden on Friday the 9th of August. This allowed 3 days to reach Orange. This group included Arnica Klinger and her sister Cambria in Arinca's 69 KG, their parents Constance and Ralph Klinger (in a 74 KG) and the dogs Razzle and Zainie. Mike Needham in a 74 KG Cabrio and Max Welton in his 67. The CO group followed the 2001 route in reverse, stopping in Grand Junction and Mesquite on the way to Orange. This leg featured heat and plenty of it. Temps across the desert hung around 110º. There were some minor mechanical issues, but nothing serious. We weren't in a big hurry and made some side-trips along the way.

Anyway, we all made it to Orange for the start of the official Berg Cruise!