Apple Hill Tour 2016

Day Four

The tour is over and today is the day we travel home. Mark and I enjoyed the drive out of the foothills in the cool shadows of the trees into the big valley. The grasses and golden hills were really beautiful.

Here's some of the road and small hills before we got to the steep hill that gave two of our cars some trouble.

And the last photo of the odometer before the car is washed, covered and put back in the barn. The "Black Beauty" drove like a champ. Now she's home sweet home.

Until the next adventure!

Apple Hill Tour 2016

Day Three

First thing after breakfast was the Gymkhana Car Games. Here is where Model A owners are tested with their driving skills and ability to work together while driving their car. Mark and I were the first ones to go through the course. This is considered to be a disadvantage because you can't watch to see and get ideas to perfect the skill. 
The first test was to drive the car between two rows of cones and the passenger has to toss three rings over a cone off to the side, but the car can't come to a stop. – We got one ring on the cone.
The second test was to spot the driver so he could get the two right wheels on a 2x4. – We didn't do it.
The third test was a timed test. When told to start, the driver gets out, runs to the passenger side and unscrew four spark plugs from the top of a head, then run to the driver's side and screw in the spark plugs in another head. He rushes back to the car and once he closes the door, the passenger can jump out and do the same series of step. The team with the fastest score wins. – Our time was 46.40 seconds.
And the last test, we drove forward keeping the car moving and stopping as close as you could to a bar extended in front of the car. – We came within one inch of the bar.
We hung out and watched the other cars go through the course and then we went on to the NCRG meeting.
From there, we went to the barbeque dinner and awards presentations. We had a nice dinner, visited with friends and learned we won First Place for the Gymkhana games. It's all luck! And it's all fun!
After dinner, SCVC members and Sonoma A members sat around the pool and played "What's It?" Patti found this gadget at the trading post and we passed it around try to guess what it is or does. Do you know what it is?

And from here, we head back to our rooms to get ready for the return trip home.
Thank you Hangtown A's for the fun weekend.
 

Apple Hill Tour 2016

Day Two

We got up this morning to learn one of our car's developed a smoking problem. This is going to be a hard habit to break.

While getting ready to have fun today, another friend gave us his mug shot. 

 

Then after breakfast, a group of us set out to tour Apple Hill country. But we had to stop off at the famous hardware store in Placerville. Oh and we were in town, we had to check out the antique stores. Then we went on a tour of the Gold Bug Mine. 

But we are in apple country so we had to stop for lunch and apples:
apple cider, apple empañadas and apple pie.
But we didn't stop eating there. Fourteen of us in seven cars visited the famous local eatery, Poor Red's before heading back to the host hotel for the Hubley car races. SCVC took 2nd and 3rd place in the regular class and 1st in the modified class. We finished off the evening visiting with friends from SCVC
and other chapters.

Tomorrow we look forward to the Gymkhana car games, and BBQ dinner to wind up the weekend.

Apple Hill Tour 2016

Day One


We left San Jose to drive to Placerville with nineteen SCVC members to attend the 2016 Apple Hill Tour. The odometer reads 24,593 as we leave the house.

We meet up with our traveling partners in Milpitas and are back on the road by 9 am.

By 12:30pm we are in Ione, CA having lunch at the golf course.

We drove on some of the smoothest roads. These roads make the roads in the Bay Area feel like roads from a third world country.

The scenery was stunning. We saw two large raptors with their eyes open for an easy meal and a gorgeous fox trampling through the tall grass trying to catch his breakfast. Our car handled great and had no problems with the warm weather. Unlike the trip up over Lolo Pass, the car loved the hills today.

Ever wonder what it's like riding in an eighty five year old car?
Catch this video to see the other A's following us.

All in all, we had a great day. We had dinner at Casa Ramos with some of our friends, strolled back to the host hotel where we had ice cream sundaes, played Bingo and socialized with our other friends from other Model A chapters. Mark's even won a Bingo game and the prize was three lotto Scratchers - two were winning tickets. 

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Day Twelve
Winnemucca, NV to San Jose, CA

The last leg of our trip. We stopped in Lovelock, NV and fastened a lock to the chain to commemorate our 28 years of marriage.

Mark and Jill's silver heart-lock

2016 – 28 years and counting
Lovelock, Nevada

Next stop was Truckee, CA for lunch at Jax on the Tracks.

Home Sweet Home

California State Flower–Poppy
Growing wild on the side of the road in Truckee

Seven engines on this train

Looking westward on the main rail

Monday, June 27, 2016

Day Eleven
Evanston, WY to Winnemucca, NV

I am beginning to see symptoms of "wanna get home-itis". This is the last night on the road, the last motel for a while.

Today we saw some cool places. We tried to visit the Tooele, Utah Railroad Museum but learned they weren't open on Mondays. We cruised through Grantsville, Utah and found the Donner Reed Museum. But they weren't open on Mondays. We called the Salt Flats Restaurant and they were open. We had lunch and visited the Bonneville Salt Flats. Stopped in Elko, NV for pie and coffee and a stroll through one antique shop. We got back on Interstate 80 and drove all the way to Winnemucca where we had dinner at "The Pig" a BBQ joint that came highly recommended by our fellow Model A friends, Gene and Pat Hawkins.

We even ran into two Model A's parked in the hotel parking lot. We are all making our way home after a fun week in Colorado.

L-O-V-E

The first phone booth we've seen in years

This is the site that holds many of the land speed world records

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Day Ten
Loveland, CO to Evanston, WY

Heading home today.

Rock formations in Colorado

We stopped at the Laramie Wyoming Territory Prison. Saw a side of life that was raw in 1890. The State of Wyoming did a nice job of restoring the prison.

And we stopped at Bart's Flea Market in Laramie. Doesn't everyone need a chair like this? Why didn't I think of these for the 2018 National Convention?

Do I need to say any more?

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Day Nine
Loveland, Colorado

This was a day to relax and see Loveland and Fort Collins.
We shopped for antiques, had lunch and shopped in Fort Collins with the Innamoratos and Colbecks and then Mark and I visited the Benson Sculpture Garden.

Old Town Fort Collins

Mark and a Great Dane sculpture

Jill dancing with the children

Crows and the sunset in the background

After our day of fun, it was time to load the car up and get ready to depart on Sunday.

All packed and ready to go back to California

Friday, June 24, 2016

Day Eight
At the National Convention

Today was the Gymkhana, drive out to the Terry Bison Ranch and the Awards Banquet.

Mark and I entered the gymkhana, which were six games to test your skill with your A. The first game was keeping your front wheel on a board as the board narrowed and curved. The second game was a parallel parking game. The game the passenger picked up and put down fish with a line and hook. Then the driver was tested to see how slow they drive with out stalling the car. They weren't allowed to use the pedals or clutch. And we tossed piston rings but weren't allowed to let the car stop.  And finally there was a coasting game to see how close you came to a designated finish.
Very fun but our score won't be high enough to post.

Tossing rings at the Gymkhana

After the car games we drove out to the Terry Bison Ranch and then went on into Cheyenne for lunch and a day around town.

How do I describe the Terry Bison Ranch?
Is it a rough bison centered theme park or a working ranch?

The Coles

Wildflowers

Giant jackalope?

And then we attended the awards banquet and said goodbye.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Day Seven
At the National Convention

Today was the Grand Tour. We drove out to Estes Park for a BBQ lunch. Car drove like a dream.

The Grand Tour

And that evening we raced our Hubley cars. The Hubley race is similar to a pinewood derby. We race diecast cars on a gravity fed track. We raced and sold two cars. Our SCVC club members, Glenn Wildman took first place. This was a big turn out for our club where we cheered on each other.

Club members checking out the track

Derailed race car

Our cars for the 2016 National Convention
Won a couple race but not enough to move on

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Day Six
At the National Convention

Today Mark judged the Model A cars and we attended the Fashion Tea Awards and Luncheon.
And the results? We earned an Award of Excellence and the Marshall and Veta Lewis Era Fashion Couples Award.

1929 Era Image Fashion
Award of Excellence
Loveland, Colorado

I have to thank all the SCVC members who have help me learn about era fashions and have been so generous in gifting us clothes.

What's planned for tomorrow? It's the Grand Tour and Hubley races.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Day Five
At the National Convention, Loveland, CO

Today was fashion judging day. Mark and I entered as a couple with 1929 clothing. We will have photos tomorrow. We were so busy, we didn't take a picture of ourselves. Tomorrow at the tea, we will get some photos to share with all of you.

After the judging, we hung out with friends and discovered that there are two Judy Coles at the convention. They even have the same middle name.

Judy Cole Judy Cole

When Mark was done with his judging meeting we went antique shopping with the Coles. My loot included a Nebraska license plate, a three-strand string of era pearls ($3) and an era child's t-shirt.

My finds for today

Monday, June 20, 2016

Day Four
At the National Convention, Loveland CO

Today the car is out and we are rolling. Mark arranged for a guided fishing trip so that meant I had to get up early to drop him off at the fly shop. It also means I am on my own for transportation and I get to drive the car back to the hotel and over to the convention.

I dropped Mark off, jumped in behind the wheel and took off to the hotel. At the first stop sign, I discovered the sedan brakes are a little different than the brakes in the truck. That's okay, I figured it out and made perfect stops from there. I was looking for the road back to the hotel. The road I thought was the road I was going to turn on had a different name than I expected. I kept going thinking my street would be the next street. Nope, that street with the different name must have been my turn. I work my way over to the left lane of a four-lane highway in the middle of the morning commute hour and the engine make a little hick-up sound like you hear before your car runs out of gas. I look at the gauge and discover I am on "O", like zero, no gas. I make the U-Turn and am heading in the opposite direction with finding a gas station my number one priority. I find the station, pull in and get to pumping gas. I discover the gas cap is vapor locked on the tank since we are at 4800 feet elevation. And then this man walks out of the station and says, "I like your car!"

I reply, "Thank you, do you have a second? Would you like to help me remove the cap?" He came over and removed it. I thanked him and put in 9.5 gallon. I had 1.5 gallons of gas to spare. How nice the 1931 sedan comes with a "low gas" warning.

I pull out of the station and the car starts sputtering and looses all power. I am now blocking the entrance to the freeway in the middle of the morning commute. I limp the car off to the side of the road and I am almost committed to entering the freeway. I clear the sediment from the bowl on the carberator that I kicked up when I added gas to the tank. I wait for the cars to pass, pull back onto the road and finally get myself back to the hotel.

From there, the day went fine. The car ran fine. She started every time and she tuned heads when we drove through town.

It's a good thing "This Lady Drive a Model A".

Mark fishes a private lake with his guide