③ A Laid-Back Gathering

The other day, my mother-in-law asked, “Are you going to a meetup at Royu today?” and I replied,

“No, it’s not an official meeting or anything, we’re just going.”

She said, “Oh, that’s interesting!” with a laugh.

Of course, some people do arrange to meet up, but usually it’s more like “we just gather casually, chat, take a little drive on Royu, and then head home when it’s time.” The last time we were there, we arrived at 8:30 a.m., and after 10 a.m., people gradually started leaving, so we headed home around 11 a.m.

Also, many decide based on the weather—“I was planning to go, but it rained so I didn’t,” or “It’s sunny today, so I’ll go after a while.”

I really like this relaxed vibe. It’s not like “I signed up, so I have to participate!” Anyone can come anytime, and unless the weather is bad, there’s always someone there.

I think this easygoing atmosphere is another big part of Royu’s appeal.

④ If You Get Friendly, You Might Get a Ride in the Passenger Seat

After going to Royu several times and chatting with people, some kind souls have invited me, “Would you like to ride shotgun?” So far, I’ve been lucky enough to ride in cars like a Ferrari California, Ferrari 488 Spider, McLaren 600LT, McLaren 720S, Abarth 595, 718 Boxster GTS, and 911 GT3.

Of course, since these are precious cars, proper manners are essential, and I only accept when the owner kindly offers, “Would you like to?”

On this day, after I wrote on the blog that I wanted to try riding a Roadster at Royu, a kind Roadster owner who reads the blog said, “You’re welcome to ride it,” so my husband and I both got to test drive it.

I’ll write a separate article about my impressions of the Roadster test drive.

Other: Beware of Sunburn

This isn’t exactly a charm of Royu Driveway, but… you get seriously sunburned at Royu Driveway in summer. I’d only been there in spring or autumn before, but recently, just spending 2–3 hours at the observatory gave me quite a burn (I should have put on sunscreen on my arms, which I didn’t).

Though it’s not visible in the photos, my décolletage was bright red too, and of course, my face took a hit as well. Since I have freckles, I’ve been trying hard to improve my skin, but it all went down the drain in an instant…

Now I have to work hard again. Sorry, this turned into a total rant (-_-)

That’s the charm of Royu Driveway as I see it so far. That said, I’m still a beginner who hasn’t been there many times, so I’m sure there are many more charms of Royu I don’t know yet.

By the way, I’ve finally gotten a bit better at driving the Boxster GTS (MT), and now I can take the kids along and go with both the Boxster and GT3, so I’m thinking of trying that challenge soon.