The Utah Cobra Club took an unforgettable seven-day adventure from July 5th-11th for their 2024 Summer Cruise, the Ultimate Idaho Road Trip.
For the drive, 35 members came together to explore Idaho’s landscapes. There were 17 Roadsters, a Corvette, a Subaru BRZ, and a Ford Explorer chase car, Starting in Brigham City, UT, and ending in Lava Hot Springs, UT. Each car clocked 1,344 miles, with participants collectively traveling over 22,848 miles.
The trip began with a drive from Brigham City to Twin Falls, ID, stopping at historic sites like Promontory Point and Shoshone Falls. Day two included visits to the Shoshone Ice Caves and a live performance of “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” in Garden Valley, nestled in the Sawtooth Mountains.
The third day, the group followed the Lewis and Clark Trail along the Salmon and Clearwater Rivers, enjoying a night in Salmon, ID. Then, the fourth day featured a scenic drive to Stanley, ID, followed by twilight river rafting on the Yankee Fork of the Salmon River.
On the fifth day, the group visited EB-1, the first nuclear plant to power a city in 1951, and took a picture in front of the first nuclear-powered jet engines, a proof-of-concept endeavor from the Cold War.
This year’s road trip not only brought together car enthusiasts from across the country but also included four younger participants, fostering a love for cars in the next generation.
A special memorial was held for Larry Johnson, a long-time member of the Utah Cobra Club who recently passed away. Larry was a long-standing member of the Utah Cobra club and recently passed away completely unexpectedly. The trip shared the spirit of the Factory Five community and larger car community, creating lasting memories.
Karen Salvaggio says, “The cars bring us together, but it’s the people that keep us coming back year after year. We’ve built lifelong friendships through this experience. I’m eternally grateful to everyone at Factory Five for their courage, genius, and determination. These cars bring joy, camaraderie, and irreplaceable life experiences. You touch lives in ways perhaps never imagined, and I feel incredibly lucky to be part of something so wonderful.”
