SuperTour 2005

The Pioneer Group, which included the Legge, Marshall, Wright, Allen, Bunce and Quirk vehicles, left for Maine this morning. The Legges met the Bunces at The Grange at then proceeded to the Wright's home in Wilmington where they met the Quirks, Allens and Wrights. This group then proceeded to North Andover where they met the Marshall vehicle.

From there we went northeast through Haverhill, Groveland, and Newburyport on our way to New Hampshire. The weather quickly warmed up and we made good time until we ran into some heavy "beach traffic" while going through Hampton, Hampton Falls and Seabrook, NH.

We finally cleared all of this congestion and took route 111 toward Rye Beach, NH. The ride along the beach road was just great and the cool air was refreshing. After Rye Beach we took route 1B that winds down past Wentworth By The Sea for some more spectacular scenery.

We cruised through downtown Portsmouth, NH and then went over the bridge into Kittery, ME. The

drive past the outlet stores went pretty quickly and we were on our way to Drakes Island for lunch at the home of Leslie and Dave Robbins. We arrived around 1:30 PM and we were treated to a wonderful lunch at Dave and Leslie's summer home. What a great stop! The Robbins '31 A-400 Convertible Sedan was all packed up and ready to go so after lunch our group of six cars became seven.

From Drakes Island we drove around Portland, ME on our way to Freeport and a one hour stop at LL Bean. The stopping for shopping took one hour and just as we formed up to depart Freeport the voice of Jack Stokinger crackled on the radio. The so-called Sons of the Pioneers group was just outside of Freeport and we decided to wait a few minutes for them to arrive. It didn't take long for the Stokinger, Champagne, Goldberg and Berry group to rendezvous with us and we all had a nice ten minute meeting! The whole group of eleven cars then left the outlet shopping area and cruised up route 1. The Sons of the Pioneers dropped off when they got to their motel in Freeport but the Pioneers pressed on towards points north.

We got as far as Rockport, ME before stopping for dinner at a nice little local seafood place on route 73 near Owl's Head. A tired but still enthusiastic group (hey it's still just the first day) arrived in Camden, ME and the Cedar Crest Motel at 9 PM. It's off to Bar Harbor tomorrow.

Day two (Bar Harbor, Maine)

We left Camden after spending the night and having a great breakfast (I had the blueberry pancakes) at the Cedar Crest Motel right on route 1 just south of downtown. It was a beautiful morning as we headed northeast for Bar Harbor. We drove through some pretty down east towns like Lincolnville, Belfast, Searsport and we crossed the Penobscot River at Bucksport going over the big suspension bridge. We took a scenic side tour towards Sedgwick and Blue Hill past blueberry patches and cute farms. We even saw a doe and a young fawn cross the road about 150 feet in front of us!

Route 172 north eventually took us into Ellsworth and then it was right down route 3 into Bar Harbor. Route 3 appeared to have been recently resurfaced and the ride was a smooth one. We checked into the Wonderview Inn and Suites (it does have a wonderful view of Bar Harbor) and then it was off to downtown for some lunch and shopping. Most of us took the shuttle because parking can be challenging in the town center. Bar Harbor is a mix of restaurants, bed and breakfasts, hotels, gift shops and other shopping opportunities. I arrived back at the Wonderview around 5 PM. By this time the Sons of the Pioneers and the Die Hards had all arrived and our full compliment of thirteen cars plus one more (they had to leave for home on Monday morning) was ready for the early morning departure to Nova Scotia on Monday. Frank Buckley was there also having driven up from the Belfast area to meet with us. Some had pizza for dinner and refreshments were enjoyed by all before we all turned in for the night.

Day three (the CAT ferry and Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia)

Monday morning dawned foggy and cool as we packed up and drove the 1/2 mile to the ferry terminal. All thirteen cars lined up in a row by 7 AM and we waited for the signal to board the ferry bound for Yarmouth, NS. I cannot believe how many cars and passengers that they fit onto that ferry! Our cars were all in a group in the aft of the ship. I think I heard someone say that the $242 we spent saved us about 700 miles of driving! The ship is relatively new and moves along at approximately 40 - 50 MPH. The trip takes 3 hours and a nice breakfast was available on board. The ship has two areas where you can sit and watch a movie if you like. Some of our group got a little woozy but after taking some medication they were OK. Many of the group played the slot machines and Joyce Bunce ended up being the luckiest of the bunch.

It took us a while to get out of Yarmouth (traffic) but once clear of the metropolitan area, it was smooth sailing along route 3 east. For a couple of hours we didn't see much scenery due to the heavy fog but we made pretty good time on our way up the coast. Unfortunately we kind of lost the Allens and the Quirks when they missed a turn but eventually caught up though when we stopped for a quick lunch at a Subway in Shag Harbor (nothing but the best for this group). After lunch the fog eventually lifted and we were treated to some great views along the rugged coast. It's amazing how the temperature varies as we go from the seaside to just a mile or two inland.

We are getting many "smiles per mile" as we pass through the many small towns and

villages along the coast. The people here are very friendly and are waving to us all the time as we drive by. When we stop the locals inquire about the cars and our trip and always wish us well. Met some folks today from New Jersey, Ottawa, Ontario and Newfoundland.

We arrived here in the picturesque town of Mahone Bay by 7:30 PM and headed out to a wonderful dinner at a local pub. I remember that Doug Linden and I had the homemade fish cakes and baked beans!

Day four (on to Port Hawkesbury, NS)

The first thing we did was take the short ride to Chester, NS. Harold Legge spent Summers there from the age of six until he was twenty. It is a beautiful little town and at one time was considered the most affluent town in the province. We traveled along the coast from Chester with some spectacular views along St. Margaret's Bay. At 10:45 AM we arrived in Halifax and went over the McKay bridge which spans Dartmouth Cave and The Narrows.

We stopped for gasoline and then took Marine Drive and the Natural Tour. Shortly before noontime we heard a loud boom from Ed and Pat Quirk's car and they pulled over to the side of the road. After a quick look under the hood, it was decided to push the car up the road and off the shoulder to a small parking lot in front of some local offices. Two locals hearing all of the commotion came out of one of the office to see what was going on. One man turned out to be an MLA in the Nova Scotia assembly!

After asking the usual questions about us and the cars he said "wait a minute, I have something for you" and disappeared into his office. A minute later he returned with Nova Scotia pins for everyone in our group! We, in turn, presented him with a Minuteman MAFC pin and many photo opportunities followed. As if that wasn't enough, we were also presented with a large Nova Scotia provincial flag! By the way, in true Minuteman style, our ace mechanics fixed Ed's car (ammeter) and we were all once again on our way headed for a lunch stop in Sheet Harbor.

There were many great sights to be seen on the way to Sheet Harbor but unfortunately the fog was pretty thick and obscured most everything. Lunch was pretty good and once again we were on the way headed north and east. I think it was at this stop when Dick O'Brien's CB radio went up in flames...literally! Dick yanked all of the smoking wires out of the car to avoid a major problem. We had a pit stop for more expensive gasoline ($4.25 per gallon) and met a local who owned a 1930 Model A Tudor. He pulled the car out of his barn next to the gas station and followed us to the cable ferry in Port Bickerson. Somehow we squeezed all thirteen Model As and two modern vehicles onto a twelve car ferry. At the next fuel stop the Robbin's A400 ran out of gas 20 feet from the pump. Many of us were almost out of fuel at this stop.

The rest of the ride was kind of a blur as we covered over 300 miles in twelve hours. Whew!

Day five (Cape Breton Island)

After a well deserved night o' rest, the thirteen As and twenty six passengers set off for various destinations on Cape Breton Island. Ed and Pat Quirk visited an 86 year old cousin in Anitigonish, NS, a group visited Fort Louisburg and environs and a third group traveled to Margaree Harbor on the Cabot Trail with stops at several gifts shops. The Cabot Trail group enjoyed a nice lunch at The Island Sunset Restaurant (and Spa!) in Margaree Harbor. The luncheon was excellent and the views were the same.

A local newspaper reporter happened by and took many pictures of the Model As and later called me on the telephone and did a phone "interview". (Now that I have arrived home, the reporter has indeed sent me a copy of the article that ran in the local newspaper. Click on both links here for the two pages.) As I have said before, the presence of the caravan of Model As always creates a stir wherever we go. As we drive along the back roads of Nova Scotia we encounter many locals waving and cheering us on. By 8 PM everyone had returned to Port Hawksbury safe and sound. Later we all met for dinner and refreshment at a local spot.

Day six (Pictou, NS at the Pictou Lodge Resort www.maritimeinns.com)

A little over one hundred miles was the anticipated "easy day" to Pictou (pronounced Pic-toe) Lodge Resort. Nine cars left Port Hawksbury at 9 AM and the four other cars stayed until a local quilt shop opened and then departed at approximately 11:00 AM. We headed out the Sunrise Trail and arrived at in Antigonish for some shopping. I finally found a place with internet access that actually worked and managed to upload some stuff to this webpage. After shopping for a while we drove to Cribbons Point for lunch at the suggestion of a local police officer in Antigonish. The restaurant was called Boyd's Seafood Galley and we had another wonderful lunch overlooking the little fishing harbor. The chowder and fried clams were great! After lunch we drove a few miles down a road the locals call the mini Cabot Trail to a pretty lighthouse way up on a point and down a gravel road overlooking St. George's Bay. The views were absolutely breathtaking. We got some great photos that I'll try to post at some point. I had planned to post photos on a regular basis but I do not have a photo editing program with me so it is difficult. I'm going to try posting some thumbnails of some of the shots I have in a table above and see how that works out. After lunch we drove for a couple of hours and eventually stopped for ice cream at a local store. We were there about 15 minutes when I saw a car approaching us and a Model A horn "ahooga-ing" at us. It was Harold and Sally Legge! They had left Port Hawksbury with the later group but then took a side trip to see a relative and then took a Nova Scotia Shortcut and caught up with us.

At about 3:30 PM we arrived at Pictou NS and the Pictou Lodge Resort. The lodge is right on the ocean and the views were unbelievable on a very sunny afternoon. The main building is built in log cabin style and houses the dining room and large screened veranda lounge. Sleeping accommodations are provided in cabins of four, six and ten rooms. After settling in, we had a little cocktail party out on a bluff overlooking the water. Most of us sat in Adirondack chairs watching the Sunset reflect off of Northumberland Strait. There were two sittings for dinner in the Great Dining Room and with three birthdays (Wayne, Bruce and Maria) and one anniversary (Harold and Sally) being recognized, we all enjoyed what was probably the best dining of the trip so far. Some enjoyed an after dinner libation in the Veranda Lounge as the Sun sank into the Northumberland Strait.

Day seven (Prince Edward Island)

We hated to leave the Pictou Lodge Resort but we had to catch 9:30 ferry to Prince Edward Island. We were all ready to go by 8:45 AM when Ed Quirk reported that his battery was dead and the car wouldn't turn over. Apparently he had left his ignition on all night and the car was D-E-A-D! We tried pushing the car to get it started but it just wouldn't catch so Doug and Nan Linden volunteered to stay with the Quirks and try to get the car started. Well, while we waited in line to get on the ferry (we all like ferries) along came Ed and Pat with Doug and Nan. They had managed to get the car running so we were all together once again - that's a good thing. We were blessed with another fabulous day as the weather was superb with bright sunshine and blue skies. The ferry dropped us off in Wood Island East after being on the waves for ninety minutes. Some of us enjoyed the sunshine outside while others sat at tables inside. The "voyage" was smooth and we were in PEI before we knew it. We were then off to Charlottetown for lunch and shopping. Some of us ate at The Lobster Wharf and others ate at The Merchant's Pub (great fish cakes). We then headed to Cavendish, PEI on some wonderful roads past some really great scenery. There are stunning farms, fishing villages and little towns. Everything appears well kept with not a spot of litter by the roadside to be found anywhere. In the afternoon we all arrived at the Bay Vista Motor Inn.

After settling in, Doug and Bruce attempted a repair to Mr. O'Brien's CB radio setup. Upon close inspection we found melted wires inside the radio and outside going to the converter. The six to twelve volt converter (inverter really I guess...) was only putting out eight volts so Doug and Bruce hooked up Doug's spare unit. Going with no wiring diagram, we hooked the "new" inverter up the same way the old inverted was hooked up and immediately one of the electronic components started smoking. I think some smoke is stored inside the components when they manufacture them. So, that was the end of that. Good try.

People were on their own for dinner and we kind of scattered for dinner in the evening.

Day eight (Prince Edward Island)

It was raining heavily by 5 AM. The upside is my car needed a carwash and after it let up around 9 AM I dried the car off and it was somewhat clean again! We split up into a number of smaller groups. We saw Anne of Green Gables home and museum, stopped at antique shops, gifts shops, had lunch, toured the National Park down by the beach and had a good "off day" from touring. I'm sitting out on the porch now and the Sun and the Moon has already risen. This is such a beautiful place. Temperature here this AM is about 60 degrees but it's supposed to top 70 today on our way to New Brunswick. We're going there via the Confederation Bridge that I think is around 13 miles long. Three of the ladies had to leave today for home - Sue Champagne, Maria Berry and Patti Papernow and they were off to the airport in Charlottetown early this AM.

Day nine (PEI to Sussex, New Brunswick)

We had Cavendish, PEI in the rear view mirror by 9 AM and we were (sadly) on our way to New Brunswick. The ride through the PEI countryside was great as we motored by many beautiful farms and through charming villages. We made a fuel stop and then stopped at a gift/antiques/quilt shop where some last minute PEI shopping was done. While there, we decided to look into a whistling noise that was coming from my engine.

First we disconnected the fan belt and started the engine - whistle was still there so it couldn't be the water pump. We then decided to replace the distributor because the noise seemed to be coming from that area. I went under the seat of my coupe and pulled out a rebuilt distributor that I had brought and in 10 minutes we had it in and timed. I started the car and the whistle was still there! Well, someone had the idea to spray some WD-40 on the gasket between the carburetor and the intake manifold to test for a vacuum leak. Dave Robbins furnished the WD-40 and Harold Legge did the spraying and bingo the whistle went away. So, that mystery solved we were on our way again to NB.

After leaving the shopping we were on our way to the Confederation Bridge ($39.50 CDN) and the info center on the other side. The trip on the bridge was very windy with white caps visible on the water below. The cars got their usual lots and lots of attention at the stop and after about 15 minutes we bid a last farewell to beautiful PEI as we tooled down the road towards Sussex.

At a gasoline stop in Moncton, NB we got a lead on a "good restaurant" in Hillsborough, NB called

Patti's Place where we would have lunch. On our way to Patti's we passed Johnson's Antique Store and Museum which we took note of and would visit after lunch. Lunch consisted of sandwiches, yummy french fries and hamburgers (overcooked). Backtracking afterwards, some of use visited the Johnson's Antique Store and Museum and some continued on to Sussex. The museum had lots of interesting stuff inside including a 1929 Model A Station Wagon which is 90% original and a very original, early 1928 Tudor serial number CA253. After the museum stop I cruised into a kind of retro garage with an old restored filing station gas pump out front for a "photo op". No sooner had I parked than the owner, his wife, son and some grandchildren came over from the front porch of the house next door to greet us. He is a semi-retired insurance man who now does just antique car insurance in the Maritimes. Inside his garage was some very cool stuff including a restored visible gas pump that must have been over eight feet tall sporting an Indian Gasoline globe on the top. There was another restored gas pump inside and this one was for White Rose gas. He had a Ford Ranchero (restored) and a 1953 Chevy coupe that he was doing a retro hotrod restoration on.

It was now about 4 PM or so and we took off in our little coupe Thelma for Sussex via the Bay of Fundy National Park. The ride through the park was very hilly with a real steep climb up a small mountain almost as soon as we were in the park! The little car performed well though and got us over the big hills and back down again and by 7 PM we arrived at the motel in Sussex. Three other cars had stopped at the Hopewell Rocks and didn't get into town until much later. The motel had a 50s type decor in the restaurant. Later that evening we did some brake adjustments to Dave Robbin's and Ed Quirk's car. What a long day!

Day ten (Sussex to Machias, Maine)

Guess what? We were up early again the next morning for the ride to Machias, ME. Everything was going OK until we reached the outskirts of St. John's, NB when it started raining. We decided to stop at a local Wal-Mart (really) to pickup some yarn for the ladies (you had to be there...). Doug was talking to a lady in the parking lot who had some questions about the cars and the tour when he asked her for some direction out of town. She volunteered to lead us to the Trans Canada highway on some roads that would take us around construction areas. That was nice of her and we then started buzzing down the two lane highway in the traffic and in the rain. We "slammed" a local restaurant with 25 customers (this happened all the time) but they were up to the task and setup a private room for our hungry and noisy group. They next stop was the Deer Island (not to be confused with Deer Isle, Maine) ferry for the crossing (did I say we like ferries?). All thirteen cars piled on easily and we made the crossing without incident. We were only on Deer Island for a short period of time going the length of the island to catch yet another ferry, this time, bound for Campobello Island. We had to wait 45 minutes for the ferry to arrive but by this time the rain had stopped. The Canadian custom's officer informed us that the ferry was designed for only eight cars and we wouldn't all be able to cross at once. It was decided that some of us would stay behind and catch the next ferry at 5:30 PM while the others continued on to the Roosevelt Summer home at the Campobello International Park. Well, the ferry arrived and the operators moved a dinghy in order to make more space and felt confident that they might get all thirteen Model As on board. We formed three rows of cars and easily fit everybody on board. In fact, the operators of the ferry said thirteen cars was an all time record number of autos for that ferry! We were very happy to make the crossing together.

Campobello did not disappoint. The staff was very informative and, as usual, very interested in our cars and journey. We asked if we might be allowed to park all of the As in front of the house on the circular drive for a few photos.

After checking with the administrator we were told that after the 6:00 PM closing time we could pull the cars in front of the house. I can't tell you what a thrill it was leading the group up the driveway. Many staff members stayed late to watch the cars. Many photos were taken but by 6:30 PM we bid the house and visitor center goodbye and we headed for the border crossing at Lubec, Maine. We cleared US customs and reset our watches to EDT from ADT gaining an hour.

We had another long scenic ride led by Doug Linden stopping at the West Quoddy Lighthouse which is on the easternmost spit of land in the United States.

We also passed the massive antenna towers (1000' high) at the US Naval Station in Cutler, Maine. You have to see these towers to believe how incredibly high they are. How they installed this massive array at this location is beyond me.

After a very full day we finally arrived at the motel in Machias, ME and had dinner Helen's Restaurant. Now, Helen's is famous for their blueberry pie and other desserts. By 8:00 PM it looked like the supply was running low. Some got the pie and others didn't but it wasn't that great anyway in my opinion. The pot roast dinner though was very good.

Day eleven (Machias, ME to Boothbay Harbor, ME)

Tour Director Dick O'Brien allowed us to sleep in a little this morning by scheduling a 9:30 AM departure for Boothbay Harbor. There wasn't a whole lot to see o the way down route 1 except for lots of fast moving modern cars and trucks intent on passing our group. We stopped at a place called Cook's Corner for lunch. I had the crab roll that was pretty good. After lunch we headed for Boothbay but just before we got there the Quirk's '31 SW sedan conked out. Most of the group continued on to the Rocktide Inn in Boothbay while Harold Legge, Doug Linden, Bruce Marshall and Bill Allen stayed with Ed and Pat trying to figure out what was wrong. By the way, Nan Linden drove Bruce's car on to Boothbay! It was determined that Ed's fuel pump supplying gas to his downdraft carburetor was dead so the fuel pump was bypassed and the car ran fine with just the gravity feed from the Model A gas tank. Bruce got in Doug's car and the group then proceeded to Boothbay Harbor.

The hotel, right on the harbor, was really great and we all decided to meet on the deck overlooking the water and have a cold beverage before deciding what to do for dinner.

By this time, Jack Stokinger and Jo Johnson arrived and joined us. It was good to see them but we were still sad that the loss of Jack's mother changed their plans and they weren't able to go on the whole tour.

Day twelve (Boothbay Harbor, ME)

The whole day could be spent just relaxing and doing nothing, shopping, touring, taking a harbor cruise, changing your car's oil or whatever you wanted. The only thing scheduled was a sort of

farewell dinner at the Rocktide's restaurant at 6:30 PM. Dick O'Brien reserved two long tables on the outside porch overlooking the harbor. It was a fitting end to a fantastic trip. Our Tour Director, Dick O'Brien, proposed a toast to all thirteen cars, drivers and passengers who made the trip. In answer to that toast, Mr. O'Brien himself was toasted by the group for the splendid job he did planning (with much help from Doug Linden) the whole adventure. Shortly after this we were all treated to another tremendous thunderstorm that rumbled through the area - what a light and sound show!

Epilogue

We left the Rocktide in Boothbay Harbor on Thursday morning headed home after a long and successful tour. We did approximately 2100 miles of driving and who knows how many miles we traveled on the many ferry rides we took. Thirteen cars with four tires each and not a single flat tire. What kinds of problems did we have with the cars?

Margaree Harbor, Cape Breton Island	Three cars on a cable ferry	Lighthouse on St. George's Bay	This is a very large 3 MB group picture at FDR's Campobello home. Wayne Champagne photo
We arrive at Pictou, Nova Scotia	On the road in New Brunswick	Bruce Marshall at the Pictou Resort	Steve Goldberg's waterproof top.




	Waiting for the ferry.	More waiting	At Campobello.