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

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Day Three
Evanston, WY to Loveland, CO
385 miles

Although we are driving modern cars, there is excitement and there are adventures.

Here is how our day went. We rolled out of Evanston with the wind at our backs. The extra push helped us get 10 miles to the gallon compared to 9.5 when we drive into the wind. We crossed the Continental Divide twice since we drove through the Great Divide Basin. We stopped for lunch and found a cool little restaurant called Buck's Bar & Grill. The decor and food was excellent. We then swung by the Wyoming State Penitentiary and say some cool photos, tommy guns and a working example of the traveling gallows. We gassed up and continued east on to Laramie when we learned our son was returning from Nebraska and he was traveling west and we were going to cross paths in Laramie. What are the chance? What a great Father's Day surprise for Mark. Nate couldn't stay long and nor could we, we had a friend to go back and help because their modern car was having problems. All in a day of traveling with Model A friends.

Once we got them situated, we continued onto Colorado. Wow, Colorado is wonderful!
So now, the week begins. We experience our first National Model A Ford Club of America Convention in Loveland, Colorado.

The second divide after crossing the Great Divide Basin

Beautiful Wyoming scenery

The decor at Buck's Bar & Grill in Rawlins, WY was fun to look at

More of the decor at Buck's

The Wyoming Pen

Mark behind bars

Father and son. Such a cool surprise to cross paths with Nate

Finally we arrive in Colorado

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Day Two
Winnemucca, NV to Evanston, WY
434 miles

Today was a full day of driving with some time spent in the Northeastern Nevada Museum in Elko, NV. We crossed two state borders today, Utah and Wyoming. We are working our way closer to Colorado to join the other SCVC members attending the national.

One of the 180 pieces exhibited at the NNM in Elko

A beautiful peacock

The Northeastern Nevada Museum features both art and history exhibits as well as extensive wildlife habitat dioramas.  Six different galleries occupy more than 20,000 square feet.  There is something interesting for everyone at the museum.

Ventured into Utah twice in one day. The highways are well maintained and clean.
We wish CA could get with the program.

Traveled along the salt flats.

The trains in Nevada and Utah go on and on.

The moon rising as we leave Utah.

Entering Wyoming

We reach our destination in Evanston, WY and find a Sinclair dinosaur begging to have his picture taken.