I think Frank may be planning pie fest in Anza for November.
For the last 4 years I've set up a trip either on the weekend before or immediately after Thanksgiving to Fish Creek and Sandstone Canyon in Anza Borrego. It started out the first year as an informal thing (not the regular monthly "club run"), when a few of us had out-of-town family that we wanted to take to the desert. I think there were 6 or 7 trucks that year. The last couple years it's been more like 15 or more.
This is a very easy route, with care it can be done in 2WD, and certainly totally stock. It's more of a social event than anything else. I pick up a few fresh-baked (as in still warm out of the oven that morning) apple pies from the Julian Pie Company main bakery in Santa Ysabel, and we find a nice spot in the Canyon for a long lunch. Some folks will camp, others will make it a day trip.
Right now I'm thinking about doing this on Sat 20 November, since I'm not available the weekend right after Thanksgiving. I'll post more details as we get closer. If you want to see what it is like, just look back through the Pictures forum.
One thing that may make this year a little different is that there was a large rock fall that blocked Sandstone Canyon on Easter Sunday. I have not seen it for myself yet, but I'm told it is about a mile or so in. If so, our traditional (nicely shaded) lunch spot may not be accessible. There are lots of other spots though, but that narrow canyon was really fun to drive through. Hard to say, but those days may be gone. I'm hoping to get out there and look around in the next few weeks, just waiting for temps to cool down a bit more.
