Our club's official website is: www.oilleak.org
Photos by Bruce Marshall and Sally Legge
The legendary Pioneer Group, which included the Marshall, Tallone and Allen
vehicles met at Johnson's restaurant on route 119 in Groton, MA at 10 AM bound
for Bennington, VT in the south western corner of the state. To our
surprise, Dolores and Gene Ervin were waiting there to give us a Minuteman send
off.
While some were having coffee, Bill Allen said "Hey Bruce, it looks
like your rear tire is really low on air." Sure enough, my left rear tire
was flat!
We were hardly underway and I was changing a tire. Gene Tallone had a jack and we had the wheel off the car in no time. Instead of
putting the spare on, Gene Ervin offered to drive home and return with a wheel
from his Roadster. Bill Allen went with Gene and Dolores and in about 30
minutes they were back with the spare and by 11 AM we were finally underway.
Thanks Gene!
So, after stopping at a gas station in Groton to inflate my "new" tire to 35 lbs., we were finally headed northwest again. Just outside of Townsend. MA my windshield wiper blade flew off the car but was retrieved about 100 feet from where it bounced off the hood of my car. Then just south of Fitzwilliam, NH the Allen's car almost lost a license plate but Bill pulled over in time to save the tin tag.
We made good time through southern, NH and then crossed the Connecticut
River and wheeled into Brattleboro, VT at 12:45 PM. There was an art
festival going on with a "sidewalk sale" downtown. We all grabbed a bite
to eat at a nice lunch place while a light rain started falling. After the ladies did some shopping for shoes
we headed out of town on route 9 west and in short order we were climbing
Hogback Mountain testing our little model As on the hilly terrain.
Shortly after cresting the mountain it really started raining hard with
thunder and lightning.
We toughed it out for a while but had to
eventually pull over because the Allen's roadster was getting flooded (no side
curtains) and visibility was getting dangerously low. The heaviest rain
soon stopped but it rained on and off all the way through Wilmington and over
the hills into Bennington.
We arrived in Bennington at 3:30 PM in a driving rainstorm (again) and
checked into the Kirkside Motel.
After we unpacked the cars we called Ed
and Pat Quirk who had arrived in town the night before after driving north
from Georgia. They were staying at the Paradise Motel across the street
and up the hill.
We decided on dinner at Carmody's Restaurant and met fellow Model Aers from Lee, MA Roger and Linda Newton and their 1930 pickup truck. We all had a great time at the restaurant and I really enjoyed my a birthday cake (thanks everyone).
After a great breakfast at the Blue Benn Diner we were on our way to
Howe
Cavern, NY.
We went west on route 9 VT and that connected to route 7
west as we crossed the border into NY State. We then turned on to
route 22 and headed south. It was a beautiful morning as we rode through
some pretty farmland and cute NY towns. Out next stop was Stockbridge,
MA for some required shopping and sightseeing.
I had a cool beer at the
Red Lion Inn. Some of the ladies bought hats, gloves and other
necessities and we just plain enjoyed our time in the Berkshires.
Leaving Stockbridge, we proceeded west on route 23 headed for the Rip Van Winkle Bridge and the crossing of the Hudson River. On the way we looked for a good light lunch and ice cream place and sure enough we found the Dutch Treat about 25 miles to the west. Our small group stopped and while we were enjoying everything from cheeseburgers to ice cream, much to our astonishment Dick O'Brien and the rest of the group pulled in to the parking lot! They had left Sudbury early that morning, had a picnic lunch in Westfield, MA thanks to Dave and Leslie Robbins, and then went west through the Berkshires on route 57. They said that they had been going along and someone in their group crackled in on the radio "Hey, there's a Model A in that parking lot!" After a good lunch and reconnecting with everybody the group of nine cars now, was again on the road to Howe Cavern.
Before getting to our motel we hit a big thunderstorm that forced us to pull over but by 5 PM we arrived at the motel and caverns. We had dinner at the restaurant attached to the Howe Cavern complex and the next morning many of us went underground 190' and took the tour of the cavern. It was better than most of us expected really! The cavern was fascinating and there is even an underground boat ride. Early the next morning some work was done on Bucky's roadster. It's been idling poorly so the points were changed and a "new" carburetor installed. The car is now running a little better but the problem is still not 100% fixed. By 10 AM we bid farewell to Howe Cavern bound for Norwich, NY.
Another beautiful day greeted us as we pulled out of Howe Cavern headed for Norwich, NY. We were no more than a mile from the motel when the Allen's car died on a hill but it just turned out to be a small fuel problem and we were soon underway. The ride to our lunch stop was uneventful as were rode through many small towns and took in some beautiful scenery. Our lunch stop was at Brooks House of Bar-B-Q and everyone enjoyed a delicious lunch of everything from ribs to salads.
On arriving on the outskirts of Norwich, we stopped at the
Northeast Classic Car Museum where the folks in
charge were very friendly and informative.
They charged us the "senior
rate" and although there was only one Model A, a Cabriolet Convertible, in the
collection we had a great time looking at all of the Franklins, Packards,
Pierce Arrows and many other fine automobiles.
We arrived in Norwich, NY about 4 PM and it looked like the town is celebrating its' 150th anniversary this year. There wasn't much going on and most had dinner at a local Italian eatery. The town did have a big Walmart store where I was able to re-supply with bottled water and other travel supplies. A local ice cream stand supplies pineapple sundaes and big cones at a reasonable price.
We had breakfast at the hotel and we were all set to go when the Legge's coupe was D-E-A-D! The battery wouldn't turn the car over at all and even giving the car a push start wouldn't work. Fortunately, Gene Tallone had one of those 12 volt jump start gizmos on board and after disconnecting the alternator the car was successfully started. As we headed out of town most of the group went to gas up while Harold, Bruce and Gene stopped at the local NAPA store to look for a new battery. They were out of stock but directed us to a Tractor Supply store and for about $40 Harold had his new battery. We then drove to the Walmart to meet the others and Harold and Dick O'Brien worked on getting the new battery into the car. By about 10:15 AM we were underway headed for Watkins Glen.
The ride to Watkins Glen was an easy one through more great NY State
countryside, past pretty farms and through more rolling countryside. We
arrived in Watkins Glen around 1 PM and went directly to a good lunch place
where we all cooled down and refueled.
The weather is getting even
hotter than it has been with temperatures is the mid 90s with high humidity
all the time. The afternoon was spent shopping, talking and then dipping
in the pool at the motel. We are on Lake Seneca with views of the water
and the hillside across the lake. It is spectacular!
Dick and Barbara O'Brien hosted a cocktail party on the deck (in the shade)
where everyone enjoyed snacks and assorted beverages. At 6 PM we were in
the cars again headed for Seneca Lodge to have dinner.
Seneca Lodge
provides both lodging and dining. The dining "room" is a big, rustic
dining hall of sorts constructed of native wood and "outdoorsy" furniture.
We all sat at one very big table. I had a large NY sirloin steak that
was one of the best steaks I have ever had. Suffice to say that nobody
left that table hungry!
After dinner some went in search of ice cream while other went back to the motel to hang out, listen to the Sox game and talk about the day we had planned for Tuesday.
I know Gene Tallone was really excited about the prospect of going to the Watkins Glen International Speedway to drive his Model A sedan around the track. I have to admit I wasn't very interested in spending the $25 to do three laps around the track but figured I'd go along with what the group was doing. We stopped first at a gift shop (aka "junk shop") on the way to the track and while I was sitting outside in the 100 degree heat a guy in a 1930 Roadster pulled up. He introduced himself as "Jim" and told me to "hop in" for the short ride to where our cars were parked. Seems Jim had received a call from a judge who presided at the courthouse across the street telling him that there were a bunch of Model As in town. He quickly got in his car and rode downtown to meet and greet our group. We chatted for a while and then his cellphone rang and he said he had some "work to do." In a couple of minutes a police car pulled up and Jim, the local coroner, went with the officer. We also met Mark Hearth, a local sheep farmer, who said he owned four Model As and invited us to stop by and see his collection. We told him we'd try to come by after we took a spin around the racetrack.
The trip to the racetrack was only about 5 miles but all uphill. When
we arrived we were asked to sign some sort of waiver (uh oh) and then we drove
to a staging area to wait until 12 noon. While waiting for our turn on
the track we watched some Porches, Corvettes, Ferraris and other hot cars
practicing on the track at very high speeds and decibels. Our turn
finally came and the pace car told me that he would lead us through the first
lap and then follow us for the next two laps. I was the first car in
line with Harold and Sally behind me. Behind the two coupes were the
Lindens, Wrights, Quirks and Tallones in their four door sedans. Dick
and Barbara O'Brien were riding in the Wright's sedan. The guy in the pace car asked
me how fast he should go and I said "about 50 - 55 MPH." <grin> As
soon as I pulled on the track I really "gave it the go" and we took off like a
shot. I looked in the rear view mirror and I was astonished to see
Harold right behind me but after about 30 seconds the sedans were nowhere to
be seen! I picked up some ground going through the "S" curves and then
we roared down the straightaway and past the grandstands.
I had opened up a
little distance on Harold but by the time went dropped the pace car and zoomed
up the hill he was right on my bumper again. All this time our
passengers were screaming telling us to slow down! We had so much fun
were couldn't stop laughing the whole time. I have to think we were
going 70 MPH some of the time and my little coupe did a great job staying
together and staying on the track. Everyone said that this was the best
part of the trip so far and after the "race" we were all talking and laughing
SO MUCH!
On the way back we decided to go back through town and find a lunch place that was located on the east side of the lake. Doug and Nan led us on to a beautiful road the overlooked the lake and wound past many NY wineries. We ended up at Wagner's Winery and Brewery and decided to get out of the blazing heat and have lunch inside the magnificent restaurant building with panoramic views of the lake and the countryside. The lunch was excellent and so was the service. Afterwards we toured the winery and brewery (Doug and I did some beer tasting) and then headed back towards Watkins Glen.
After leaving the restaurant some of us decided to visit Mark Harth
and his wife Carole at their sheep farm which is about 5 miles outside of Watkins
Glen. The farm was way up on the side of a big hill overlooking Lake
Seneca.
Mark did inded have a garage full of old cars including a 1929
Tudor, an early 1931 Cabriolet Convertible, a 1931 Phaeton and a cute 1930
pickup truck. There were also many classic Volkswagons and some other
cars under restoration in the garage. Some of the ladies bought some
beautiful yarn from Carole Harth's shop and then we left for the trip back to
our motel over a dusty backroad.
After returning to the hotel some enjoyed a dip in the pool, some went to dinner and Cookie, Bruce and Barbara (Tallone) went to the The Glen movie theater to see Prairie Home Companion on the big screen. It cost $5 each for the tickets and the refreshments (popcorn, etc.) were very reasonably priced unlike the theaters back home. After going to the movie Bruce treated the girls to ice cream where we saw Ed, Pat, Irene and Bill.
By 9:30 PM it was time to head back to the motel to collapse for the night.
More hot and steamy weather greeted us Wednesday morning as we packed the cars and prepared to head off to Skaneateles, NY. The O'Briens lead the group as we bid farewell to Watkins Glen and drove on the east side of Lake Seneca headed north and east. As usual the group passed many pretty farms, vineyards and small towns. We saw some young Amish men directing a team of horses pulling a mowing machine through a field. Soon we stopped at a place advertising they had "The largest number of Amish items for sale in New York." That was quite a claim but they did have three big, long buildings full of all kinds of things. The rocking chairs were especially comfortable as most of the men can attest. We sat and rocked while the ladies shopped. Eventually we ended up outside in the steaming heat and we were ready to hit the road again.
The rest of the ride to Skaneateles was "easy" and we arrived in town about
noontime. Some stopped at a local restaurant - I think it was called the
Hilltop - while others continued on to the Sherwood Inn.
We
only had about a 60 mile trip from Watkins Glen so it was a very quick trip.
The short jumps we have been making this year are in stark contrast to the
long driving days we had on our trip to the Canadian Maritimes last year.
I'm not making any kind of judgments it's just that this trip was specifically
planned for much shorter driving days. In the trip to Canada, we had
much more ground to cover and that's just how it worked out.
The Sherwood Inn
did not disappoint.
The rooms were really nice and everyone was excited
about staying there for two days and nights. The group that had gone on to the
inn had lunch in the tavern. I had the tasty salmon club sandwich!
Most of us got to check into our rooms early and we all had a fun time looking
at all of the varied "sleeping rooms."
The
rest of the group arrived well fed at around 1:30 PM and proceeded to check
into their rooms. For the balance of the afternoon, many sat in the
lobby, toured the town and/or relaxed in the tavern with a cool beverage.
Fourteen of us were scheduled to leave at 6:15 PM for the
Merry Go
Round Playhouse in Auburn.
Promptly at 6:15 PM six (6) Model A Fords left the Sherwood Inn led by Bruce Marshall (me) and his little coupe "Thelma." I had programmed my GPS unit for what I thought was the theater address but in fact, the address I used was the downtown business office for the Merry Go Round. After arriving in downtown Auburn, NY it became obvious to Cookie and me that I had made an error with the address! The GPS rarely leads one astray and now I started doing some quick recalculating on the little Tom Tom unit. About that time, we asked a guy for directions (old fashioned method) and while he told me how to get to the theater he said "Better still, follow me - I'll take you there." What a nice guy! In 10 minutes time we arrived at the playhouse, thanked the Good Samaritan and proceeded to our reserved parking spaces right next to the theater - you didn't think we were going to park just anywhere did you?
The show that evening was one of the most endearing and popular musicals to ever grace the stage. Meredith Willson's The Music Man took us to 1912 "I-o-way" to picturesque River City to meet the unique townsfolk and that most captivating charlatan Professor Harold Hill. Featured songs included Till There Was You, Goodnight, My Someone and the triumphant Seventy-Six Trombones. I think everyone really enjoyed the live theater experience and the energy that the cast exuded throughout the performance. When we went to our cars after the show we found that we were actually parked just outside the stage door so we were able to mingle and interact with the cast as they left the theater and we waited for most of the traffic to clear. The cars, as always, were a hit with everyone and we fielded the usual questions about gas mileage, top speed and "how far did you come?!"
For the drive back to the Sherwood Inn I took the back roads down by the lake. It was dark but the Tom Tom GPS guided us safely home though many had their doubts!
After a big thunderstorm last night and some rain in the early morning,
things appeared to have cooled off a bit in the weather department. It's
only in the 70s this morning although still a little humid. Highs today
are supposed to be in the high 80s. After a great breakfast
(complimentary) at the hotel that included scrambled eggs, yogurt, muffins,
pastry, ham, cereals and fresh squeezed juices (!) we were ready for another
great vacation day in the Finger Lakes Region.
Today is Irene Allen's
birthday so one of the items on the agenda is getting a birthday cake.
Part of the group, led by Dick and Barbara, are going to take a tour around
Skaneateles Lake. Some of the others are going to find a replacement
microphone for Doug Linden's CB radio, an external speaker for Harold's CB
radio and we are also planning on visiting a local shopping mall that includes
a Jo-ann's Fabric Store and a Bass Pro Shop. I was in the group going
shopping. We dropped the ladies off at the mall and went in search of a
Radio Shack and using the GPS unit we arrived at our destination in no time at
all. The Radio Shack didn't have the microphone but it did have an
external speaker for Harold's CB radio. The guy at the Radio Shack sent
us to a Land Mobile dealer that was - you guessed it - almost right next to
the shopping mall. So back we go to the mall area and visit the 2 way
radio shop. The owner fixed Doug up with a replacement mike in no time
so now Doug's CB radio sound OK again. We also looked at some used VHF
Land Mobile equipment that would sure work better than the CB radios we have.
This might be a future possibility.
They guys now went into the Bass Pro Shop and did some shopping of their own buying an assortment of shirts, shorts, pants and other "can't live without" stuff. Lunch with the ladies followed at a pizza joint in the mall.
By the time we got back to the inn it was about 1:30 PM. Some car maintenance and CB speaker installation ensued. Harold says the new external speaker setup is his coupe is a huge improvement. I found some time to update this web page and then we all met in the tavern and proceeded to buy each other various drinks. Dinner at the Sherwood's restaurant wasn't until about 6:30 PM so we had plenty of time to tell some tall stories and watch sports on the TV at the bar.
We had the whole group seated
at two big tables for dinner on
Thursday
night. The service was great and I think everyone enjoyed a great meal
that was reasonably priced given the setting. I had the stuffed pork
loin and it was just delicious! Our birthday girl Irene was brought not
one but two birthday cakes that she shared with the group and the wait staff.
We were all sad to leave the Sherwood Inn after two great days in
Skaneateles and many photos were taken out front before Doug and Nan Linden
led us out of town. It was another great day to travel the backroads to
picturesque Cooperstown, NY and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
We stopped for lunch at a kind of 50s motif "roadhouse" restaurant. The
owner had us park most of the cars on the side lawn.
Many got to meet
and greet a life size Elvis inside. I took the time to tighten up a
front wheel bearing on my car with the help of Doug and Harold. I
managed to get things snugged up and only cut myself once. First aid was
administered by Dick O'Brien in the form of a large adhesive bandage - a true
team effort and I still had time for a great tasting frappe. We were
only a few miles from Cooperstown at this point and when we arrived in town
there were tourists everywhere and there was no place to park at all.
We
cruised by the Baseball Hall of Fame and then went down a side street. I
told Doug to hold up and my idea was to go back to the Hall of Fame and talk
somebody into letting us park right next to the building in a private parking
area usually reserved for Hall of Fame executives. In the meantime Dick
O'Brien discovered that his fan belt was shredded and needed to be replaced.
Once again the Model A "Passport" worked and we were allowed to park in the private parking lot right next to the building. As baseball announcer Mel Allen used to say "How about that!" Some decided to tour the Hall of Fame while others just went into the gift shop. The shopping and strolling of the pretty main street continued for a while until it was time to leave for Little Falls. Most enjoyed the Hall of Fame and if you ever need baseball stuff Cooperstown is the place to go. Want a baseball theme tee shirt? Cooperstown is the answer!
We left town around 4 PM and wound our way along Lake Oswego past the Farmers' Museum and the James Fenimore Cooper House. The combination of the afternoon sun, the crystal clear skies and winding Model A roads made for a wonderful ride.
Little Falls, NY is located on
the Mohawk River and the Eire Cana
l.
It once an hummed with 19th century industry making everything from Civil War
army uniforms to hammers in great quantity but the town lost all of that heavy
industry years ago and now struggles along like most Northeast towns. It
relies on tourism and light industry. We arrived at about 5:45 PM thanks
to my GPS unit really. Somehow we got going the wrong way and had to
make one of those U turns to get back on track. After that, TomTom
guided us right to the motel. Most had dinner at the motel restaurant.
Before leaving the next day for Saratoga Springs, my car wouldn't turn over. The battery voltage was apparently very low and would not turn the engine. After putting some water in the battery (it was low) I suffered the humiliation of "the push start". The car started right away and gave me no starting problems the rest of the trip. Ed Quirk also said his starter wasn't working and he had to be push started too.
With all the cars gassed up, oil topped off and running, the coolers were filled with ice and we were on the road again being led by the O'Brien's. The humidity was down considerably and the sun was shinning brightly as we put Little Falls in the rear view mirror. The ride to Saratoga Springs and the great car museum at an old bottling plant didn't take very long and the GPS unit put us in the neighborhood. There were lots of racing cars on the first floor and some other, more traditional antique classics, on the second floor. The pride of their collection has to be the 1931 Pierce Arrow dual cowl phaeton that is right in your face as you step off the elevator. What a magnificent machine.
We went from the museum to the Saratoga Diner for lunch. Each lunch special included the soup of the day and dessert and once again, nobody went away hungry. After lunch part of the group decided to skip stopping in Saratoga Springs and just go directly on to Bennington hoping to hit a quilt shop before it closed for the day.
I had never been in Saratoga Springs before so we stayed with the group that stopped downtown for some shopping and sightseeing. The streets and sidewalks were crowded with shoppers and traffic but we found parking spaces right in the downtown area. The ladies got some "good shopping" in while the the men tagged along and watched pretty ladies in great hats! This is the height of the racing season and you have to have a good hat to wear to the races. Gene Tallone bought some of us gellato just before we left (thanks Gene) and then Doug and Nan led us on a beautiful bunch o' back roads all the way to Bennington, VT.
Just before we got into town Doug turned right and then we went over a
hundred year old covered wooden bridge. A serious "photo op" ensued with
ordinary townfolk and visitors snapping pictures too.
We finally left
the bridge, turned right, climbed a hill and passed the Bennington Monument on
our way down town. The Paradise Motel was to be our home for this last
night of the trip and by 4 PM we were all checked in and relaxing by the pool.
Some decided to go out to dinner at Carmody's while others ordered Chinese
take out (it was good) from a local place. The mosquitoes finally sent
the group back to their rooms for the night about 8:30 PM. Some of us
took a walk down town and even stopped at Carmody's just in time to see that
group order big desserts.
We were up pretty early Sunday morning and had the pretty good Continental
breakfast at the Paradise Motel. Afterwards the vehicles were gassed up
and most went over to an antiques store a bit west of town. We all
headed for home around 11 AM stopping at a diner just west of Brattleboro for
lunch. I ordered the fried clams and they were terrible - what was I
thinking? Most had a good lunch though and after leaving the diner we
negotiated the traffic through downtown Brattleboro, crossed the Connecticut
River and headed on route 9 east in Hinsdale, NH.
I was the "tail
gunner" in the line of As as we drove along and then all of a sudden the Legge's coupe in front of me got a flat tire. Harold wasn't very happy
to say the least but we switched the flat for the spare and were underway
again in less than 20 minutes. There's no planning against getting a
flat tire because that kind of stuff just happens.
Well, by 5 or 6 PM most everyone was home safe and sound and another Minuteman Super Tour was in the books.
-----------------------
I'm having a little post Super Tour separation anxiety now a week later. I cannot believe after all of the planning and anticipation that this year's big trip is over already. The good news is we have a few weekend Model A trips left before we have to put the cars away in a few months.
In general our cars performed very well for the 1000 mile journey with only a few minor problems. We had two flat tires, one defective battery that caused a failure, one dead battery that only needed water and charging, one shredded fan belt, a loose wheel bearing, a bad CB microphone, a stubborn carburetor and a stuck accelerator linkage.
Seeing this great country of ours while touring in a Model A Ford is one of the great joys of owning one of these automobiles. People that wouldn't normally even say "good morning" to you or make eye contact with you regularly connect with you through a common love of these old cars and a curiosity about the journey. To quote Ron Cloat of Peoria, IN "If you're just using your Model A to support a car cover in your garage your missing the best part being a Model A owner."
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