We ended our tour at Wodies on the Wharf in Santa Cruz where our family came down and we crammed into our hotel room and had a blast! We even had sun!!! I even finally got sunburned! My legs finally have a color other than WHITE!!! YEA!!!!!
We had a special place on the wharf for the cars that traveled the US and they did a little interview of the travelers. Thanks Roland, and Santa Cruz Woodies for making the end of our trip so special....
Well, its here....the end of the trip..... tomorrow I go back to work....
That month flew by and the one thing I learned on this trip is that I can't wait to retire!!! Three more years, yes Gary, that's TH R E E and I will retire.... :o) :o)
This trip was amazing! Gar and I saw and did so many things and a little (ok, alot) of rain didn't stop us at all. We met great people along the way (you know who you are!) and the people that traveled with us were awesome, and I hope will be life long friends. Ralph, Marie, Mark, Nance, Wayne and MaryJane were great traveling companions and we couldn't have asked for a friendlier group. Considering we all met that day in Washington (and Rapid City) without knowing each other, I feel like we are old friends....
Again I say, if you have a chance to visit these wonderful United States, do it. It will renew your faith in this country and its wonderful people. I know I've said it before in this blog, but the people we met along the way who stopped and chatted in parking lots and gas stations all had a story about their Dad or Uncle's Woody car and they remember it fondly and with a smile. That was one of the totally cool things that happened on the trip, the stories from folks who just stopped to say hi! Oh crazy people yelled at us and homeless people gave us the thumbs up sign too... It was way cool....
Thanks to all who followed us on our adventure and especially to Bill and Laurel who loaned us their laptop so I could blog my way across the US....
Oh Yeah, Did I mention I met "The Ace of Cakes" ?
Bye till the next trip....
Ter :o)
Monday, June 29, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
End of the road........
We made it!!!!! We left San Ramon this morning, crossed the Bay Bridge and then all traversed the crooked part of Lombard Street and passed through Golden Gate Park which opened up on the glorious Pacific Ocean. A quick drive down the coast and we pulled into the Ocean Pacific Lodge!
Ralph was sick last night so he and Marie stayed in bed for a few hours before leaving for Santa Cruz. They rolled into town while James and I were at the car wash getting rid of 4000 miles of bugs and grime. Wayne and Mary Jayne went to visit their daughter in SF and arrived just as we were leaving the car wash. Nance and Mark wanted to find their own way to Santa Cruz and had arrived late in the evening.
Tomorrow our group is going to be the toast of the town at the wharf with a special parking place for the tourers....more after the show. Gotta get up early.........
Ralph was sick last night so he and Marie stayed in bed for a few hours before leaving for Santa Cruz. They rolled into town while James and I were at the car wash getting rid of 4000 miles of bugs and grime. Wayne and Mary Jayne went to visit their daughter in SF and arrived just as we were leaving the car wash. Nance and Mark wanted to find their own way to Santa Cruz and had arrived late in the evening.
Tomorrow our group is going to be the toast of the town at the wharf with a special parking place for the tourers....more after the show. Gotta get up early.........
Thursday, June 25, 2009
On the eve of the conclusion of this cross country tour, I am amazed by how quickly it passed by. I am also amazed by how close the tourers have become, even though we were all strangers a month ago. I am amazed by the generosity of strangers who wanted to be a part of the tour by hosting us for a dinner, a cruise or a party. I am amazed by the reliability of the four cars...every morning they started right up and drove the 100, 200, 300 or 400 plus miles each day with just a few very minor hickups.
It has been a great time!
It has been a great time!
Reno, Danvile and on to SF and Santa Cruz
We left Reno today after I won all the money there! HA! Just kidding, Ok, I love gambling, and let me say that this trip made me love it more! That sentence will scare Gary! :o)
We drove thru Carson City,and then to Lake Tahoe and on to Danvile to the Blackhawk Museum. Now I have said that I am car'd out, but I love this museum as it truly gives the wonderful cars in it the respect they deserve. A beautiful building with low lighting and black floors. If you get the chance to go there, do. For $10.00 you will definitely get your money's worth and more....
We are leaving tomorrow to head to SF to go down Lombard St, Coit Tower and Golden Gate Park, down Hwy 1 to Santa Cruz....
More on the Great event Woody's on the Wharf tomorrow..........
Ter :o)
We drove thru Carson City,and then to Lake Tahoe and on to Danvile to the Blackhawk Museum. Now I have said that I am car'd out, but I love this museum as it truly gives the wonderful cars in it the respect they deserve. A beautiful building with low lighting and black floors. If you get the chance to go there, do. For $10.00 you will definitely get your money's worth and more....
We are leaving tomorrow to head to SF to go down Lombard St, Coit Tower and Golden Gate Park, down Hwy 1 to Santa Cruz....
More on the Great event Woody's on the Wharf tomorrow..........
Ter :o)
WED. Reno.....
A nice relaxing day in Reno. We all went different directions...Mark and Nance went kayaking,
Wayne, Ralph and I went to the National Automobile Museum, Terry and Mary Jayne hit the slots
and Marie spent the day at the pool. Wayne, Mary Jayne, Terry and I ate dinner together and then
Wayne and I headed for a local car show. We then went on a quest to find some Reno stickers
to no avail.
Terry was very successful on the slot machines (I'll let her tell you tomorrow)
We'll be back in the Bay Area tomorrow visitin the Blackhawk Museum in Danville, and then
ending our tour in Santa Cruz Friday....already?????
Wayne, Ralph and I went to the National Automobile Museum, Terry and Mary Jayne hit the slots
and Marie spent the day at the pool. Wayne, Mary Jayne, Terry and I ate dinner together and then
Wayne and I headed for a local car show. We then went on a quest to find some Reno stickers
to no avail.
Terry was very successful on the slot machines (I'll let her tell you tomorrow)
We'll be back in the Bay Area tomorrow visitin the Blackhawk Museum in Danville, and then
ending our tour in Santa Cruz Friday....already?????
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
A bad day and a great day......
Yesterday was an awful 'car' day. It could have been a lot worse but it was very frustrating. I suddenly had an engine miss again and I tried to fix it on the road but it wasn't to be. The plug wire which got burned in Lincoln had deteriorated to the point that it wouldn't light the plug. We limped along at 60 or so for a hundred miles or so with Mark and Nancy and Wayne cruising with us to be sure we arrived at the hotel. Also during the drive I noticed my hood ornament 'flame' flopping about so I stopped to check it and it came off in my hand! Glad I checked.....
Despite their denials, I was getting heat from my trip-mates for the initial looks of the motel in Winnemucca but it turned out to be the favorite of the trip, a true step back in time to the 40's and 50's. The rooms have been very well maintained, keeping their originality intact. Scott Shady Court in Winnemucca ...too cool for words.
On the way into town I noticed a hot rod shop at the east end of town and since we planned to leave late I hoped that I'd have time to visit.
This morning I found an auto parts store where I was able to buy one plug wire (who'd a thunk it?) and reattach the flame and we were 'ret-ta-go'!
On the way back, I stopped back at the hot rod shop and peered in the window.....there were three Ed Roth cars sitting there in front of me!!!!!! The Rodar, Mysterion and Druid Princess!!! Now, if you don't follow this stuff it won't mean much but to a car guy it was unbelieveable ..... these milestone cars!!! In Winnemucca!!!! A young guy working there came to the door and invited me in to look around. I was amazed but that was just the beginning of this hidden treasure trove. He pointed to a '32 roadster which in 1944 was the first car to beat a horse in a drag race and setting 1/4 mile as the length universally used for the last 60 years. I was flabbergasted by the history sitting in this garage. Then he said "We have a few more cars in a back building ..... would you like to see them?" "Ummmmm.....YEAH!!!" We walked across a gravel parking lot to a non descript white building, but there was a box truck with "Ohio George Montgomery" on the cab....hmmmmm. When he opened the door, I almost fainted. There, double stacked before me, was Ray Farner's pick up and 'Boot Hill Express', Al Teague's Land Speed Record holder, Boyd Coddington's first roadster, Tony Nancy's 22Jr roadster, Von Dutch's van, Larry Watsons first panel paint job on a '58 T-Bird, two Jungle Jim Lieberman funny cars, Harry Westergarrd's first custom, the 'Big T', Ohio George Mongomery's last gasser, the '60 Ranchero he won that year with less than 10,000 miles on it, The Alexander Bros. Adonnis custom and their '32 Ford 'shop truck', the first 'rat rod' pick up, one of the cars which raced in the first 'legal' drag race in the '40s, a tank lakester and a variety of less famous but equally beautiful cars. I asked if I could return with my camera and some friends and he said "Sure", chuckling at my state of shock. When we all showed up, the care taker, Mike, told us the story of each car. We were in there for about an hour..... I was in 'car guy' heaven. So many of the cars I remember from the magazines I read as a kid, right there in front of me.
We walked back to the main shop and spoke to another employee who asked "Did you get to see this garage?"....WHAT???? MORE?????? He opened the door and there sat the Deora, a custom truck built by the Alexander Bros in the '60s, which, in my opinion, is the most beautiful custom car ever built. Terry made sure I was still breathing and we walked out the door and back to our cars. Our host thanked us for stopping by and gave us some stickers from their shop. I could barely believe what I had seen.
We hit the road and our cars were all running great again. It was an uneventful trip until our group was 'buzzed' by a military jet, not 200 feet above us!!! He roared over us, 'waved' the wings back and forth and then disappeared!! It was exhilarating!!!!!!
We all eventually got to the hotel, had dinner with our newest tourer, Wayne's wife MaryJane, did a bit of gambling and finally are ready to hit the sack.
I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow!!!!!!
Despite their denials, I was getting heat from my trip-mates for the initial looks of the motel in Winnemucca but it turned out to be the favorite of the trip, a true step back in time to the 40's and 50's. The rooms have been very well maintained, keeping their originality intact. Scott Shady Court in Winnemucca ...too cool for words.
On the way into town I noticed a hot rod shop at the east end of town and since we planned to leave late I hoped that I'd have time to visit.
This morning I found an auto parts store where I was able to buy one plug wire (who'd a thunk it?) and reattach the flame and we were 'ret-ta-go'!
On the way back, I stopped back at the hot rod shop and peered in the window.....there were three Ed Roth cars sitting there in front of me!!!!!! The Rodar, Mysterion and Druid Princess!!! Now, if you don't follow this stuff it won't mean much but to a car guy it was unbelieveable ..... these milestone cars!!! In Winnemucca!!!! A young guy working there came to the door and invited me in to look around. I was amazed but that was just the beginning of this hidden treasure trove. He pointed to a '32 roadster which in 1944 was the first car to beat a horse in a drag race and setting 1/4 mile as the length universally used for the last 60 years. I was flabbergasted by the history sitting in this garage. Then he said "We have a few more cars in a back building ..... would you like to see them?" "Ummmmm.....YEAH!!!" We walked across a gravel parking lot to a non descript white building, but there was a box truck with "Ohio George Montgomery" on the cab....hmmmmm. When he opened the door, I almost fainted. There, double stacked before me, was Ray Farner's pick up and 'Boot Hill Express', Al Teague's Land Speed Record holder, Boyd Coddington's first roadster, Tony Nancy's 22Jr roadster, Von Dutch's van, Larry Watsons first panel paint job on a '58 T-Bird, two Jungle Jim Lieberman funny cars, Harry Westergarrd's first custom, the 'Big T', Ohio George Mongomery's last gasser, the '60 Ranchero he won that year with less than 10,000 miles on it, The Alexander Bros. Adonnis custom and their '32 Ford 'shop truck', the first 'rat rod' pick up, one of the cars which raced in the first 'legal' drag race in the '40s, a tank lakester and a variety of less famous but equally beautiful cars. I asked if I could return with my camera and some friends and he said "Sure", chuckling at my state of shock. When we all showed up, the care taker, Mike, told us the story of each car. We were in there for about an hour..... I was in 'car guy' heaven. So many of the cars I remember from the magazines I read as a kid, right there in front of me.
We walked back to the main shop and spoke to another employee who asked "Did you get to see this garage?"....WHAT???? MORE?????? He opened the door and there sat the Deora, a custom truck built by the Alexander Bros in the '60s, which, in my opinion, is the most beautiful custom car ever built. Terry made sure I was still breathing and we walked out the door and back to our cars. Our host thanked us for stopping by and gave us some stickers from their shop. I could barely believe what I had seen.
We hit the road and our cars were all running great again. It was an uneventful trip until our group was 'buzzed' by a military jet, not 200 feet above us!!! He roared over us, 'waved' the wings back and forth and then disappeared!! It was exhilarating!!!!!!
We all eventually got to the hotel, had dinner with our newest tourer, Wayne's wife MaryJane, did a bit of gambling and finally are ready to hit the sack.
I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow!!!!!!
Shady Court & some town we passed thru with a giant cowboy... Photo Op!!!!
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