SNOW!!?? Day 5& 6&7

ON THE WAY TO YELLOWSTONE

Day 5

 I was so amazed that there was still snow remaining on the ground from the winter.

 Oh and look we are getting snow flurries, Aren't they beautiful on the windshield?

Oh this isn't good, my side of windshield, the important side for helping

Dave to drive, became totally obliterated with a sheet of snow ice. 

We managed to keep Dave with a swipe peep hole thanks to the handy dandy, 

Wife cranked windshield wiper.  That is wife cranked not cranky wife. 

 Finally Yellowstone and this was our official first park greeter

And our second greeting was old Faithful located immediately

adjacent to our hotel, the Old Faithful Inn. 

 It was erupting as we pulled in to the parking lot.

We watched many more from the deck with beer and wine.

                                     

                                     Day Six 

Litte Red loved the sights of Yellowstone

In front of some geyser, with geiser driving.

Lake Yellowstone, a gigantuan lake, though it has  thermal spouts

( underwater geysers) deep down it is very cold. 

 Gorgeous . 

We had lunch overloooking the lake.

Dave and his best mate in front of the

Yellowstone Grand Canyon Water Falls

A line up of about half the cars in front of Old Faithful Inn

Leaving Yellowstone.  See no snow.  Weather warmed up nicely, 

 The road was a bit steep and a few curves.  But no snow.
On our way down to Cody Wyoming

More on this center next time.  This blog is becoming way too long.

It is 10pm and Dave has just left with the "trouble truck"

to return to East Gate of Yellowstone to rescue

one of our travel mates who has a broken axle something.

AAA failed to respond to his call and he has been stuck since noon.

The first trouble anyone has had.

On to Gillette Wy in the morning. 

I don't mean to offend anyone but the drive from Reno to Elko Nevada is filled with nothing.  Even Gloria Jean ( our GPS) gave up the ghost half way across and refused to report where we were.  The morning directions were I-80 East 289 miles.  Next turn 289miles.  Oh well, Day Four had a little more excitement as you shall see below. 

Scenery between Reno and Elko ( the entire 289 miles) 

Change of scenery between Reno and Elko, NV!! 

Before I leave Elko, I will add a little of the fun side.  We were the first to arrive at the hotel ( remember the early morning men I am travelling with...  so no surprise.)  The lady clerk who greeted us said in a gruf voice"you with that model a group?"  yes we said, " humph, thought you were all coming in a bus!.  Will you all want separate room checks?"  Then when our room wasn't ready yet, I said in my most cheerful voice, " well okay, we will just go across the way there and have a beer,  how long to you think it will be?  Lady clerk "you do that, I have no idea, I'm short a girl and the other two are working hard."  I just hate that phoney customer service stuff you get in other places.  Elko is for real folks.

NOW TO DAY FOUR FROM ELKO TO POCATELLA, ID



 Charlie, my "other man" travelling with me.  The road wasn't on such an angle just my Instamatic.  Please note the bridge behind Charlie.  We were driving thru a deer migration area and there were bridges crossing over the road for the deer!!.  I do not know how they tell them to use the bridge.

 You folks from the Plains, doesn'that stand for plain boring?. have seen these kind of clouds before.  The picture above is the beginning, of a storm coming.  I was fascinated by looking across the vast open space to see where rain was falling and where it stopped.

 Then we drove thru one of the down spouts.  Note the absence of windshield wipers.  Rain-ex is a great product.  This one turned into a little hail, Charlie said sleet.  the side winds gave me sideways whiplash.  Fortunately didn't last too long and we drove thru it.

 Snake River.  sorry so small, I wasn't ready with the camera, I had spotted a lunch spot ahead.

Entering Idaho.  Dave's idea of slowing down so I could get the picture.

I love these guys. 

Tomorrow Grand Tetons, and on to Yellowstone. 

Charlie leaves us to visit his Mom in Thermopolis, WY.

Day Two - America the Beautiful

The drive between Bishop and Reno is the reason they wrote the song America the Beautiful.  My Instamatic can't begin to capture it but use your imagination.  We had long slow climbs to our highest peak of 8,136 elevation.  Cars are perfect.  Though to hear the lunch conversation we may need to look at points, can't believe they have a problem but  etc.etc.etc.

 I cannot capture the panoramic views of high dessert floors, tall peaks and perfect blue sky.

 This stream with lots of fly fishing spotted ran along the road for many miles.  Gorgeous, peaceful, tranquility.  Could almost eliminate the need for wine. 

We have arrived in Reno, along with 50 or so of our closest friends.  We had privileged reserved parking in the valet area at the El Dorado.  Though you can't see them, the couple way down front is Tom Yendes and his friend Kaye who came over from Tahoe to visit for a while.  Nice surprise.

This is DAve, my view for many hours every day....   I think he and Charlie are already down sitting in the cars, ready to go.  For my next trip across country I need men who think 7 am is early!!!  not 5!

Ispeming or Bust Day One

Tell them there will be food and they come in droves.  

Thanks for coming out to send me and my two men out in grand friendship style.   

Like finding Waldo, Can anyone find Dave? 



All this and gifts too?  A Model A air condition sysytem.  

So far weather has been perfect 

That lucky girl Carol.........  REALLY??????????

On our way out across to Mojave, we came across

this giant red ant hill.  Not really...

 but it looks like one and my seat mate could not tell me what it is.

 



The picture is hard to figure out

 but does anyone know what this is?

No prize for being right. No Ken it isn't the salt flats.

All the road gas taxes have been spent keeping 395 in perfect condition.  

Arrived in Lone Pine!! 

neat car wash on edge of town.

Stopped for gas and met George Brown, resident of Lone Pine;

of course we had to follow a stranger to his "shop. 

He has been restoring this A for past 3 years.Nice!

Sorry for the fuzzy picture. 

Those Instamatics just aren't as realiable as they claim. 

Who knew, Lone Pine has a Film Museum.  Why? 

Answer at bottom. 

 Between Lone Pine and Bishop is the Manzanar Relocation Center from WWII days to contain the Japanese citizens.  112,000 were confined during the war in about 10 camps.  10,000 were here at Manzanar.  While very sobering, and a true injustice - they were treated humanely though confined.  Unlike Concentrations camps we visited in Poland and Germany.

On that cheery note, we arrived in Bishop, took a nap then found Creekside Saloon, watched the Kings lose game 4 and drank some local brewskies. 

Have seen several other A's parked in motel parking lots on our walk about town. 

On to Reno.

Oh the answers:  Film museum because lots of film making in the Alabama hills & theyhave a festival every year.  We are told stars come to town.  Roy Rogers dedicated the museum.

48 HOURS and COUNTING Plus more!

Clothes are selected, unselected and selected again.  Suitcases are measured and fit in the back of the truck. And final load of laundry is in the wash.  Now what will we do for the next 48 hours?  Maybe we should make more lists of things to be done?  Yes all is ready at the Freeman Household for the Driving adventure to Ishpeming, MI and the MAFC Convention.  Charlie has it easier than Dave, no woman around making lists. 

In the meantime a few folks enjoyed a couple hours at the Four Seasons on Saturday displaying our cars for guests arriving for the St. John's Hospital 100th anniversary celebration.  Amazing our grand our cars looked parked in front of the Four Seasons, next to Bentleys, Ferraris and the like.  Judge for your selves.

 All in a row1

 Sweet and sassy.  ( I'll let you guess which is which)

 Loverly with an original 1930 cell phone attached to his belt.

 Nice bow tie. 

 Laurie Eberst, CEO of St. John's and Pleasant Valley Hospitals. 

Very nice, and the car isn't bad either!

 A fine couple in their shiney new car.  Looking good!



The Lutz and Lillybean!  ( That is the car folks) 

Mr. Charles Butler, looking mighty dapper. 

 

And a drink on the house!!  Actually courtesy of St. Johns.  But we'll drink to anything.

MARATHON TINKER DAY

Tinker Day was more exciting than usual. First the gang adjusted Art Landry's wheel alignment, ( successfully ) then a new car arived. Sorry no picture but it is the 1930 sedan formerly owned by Dave Matthews and purchased a couple years ago by Todd Bender. Todd had had some work done but it wasn't right, a familiar story to many in the club. The masters of mechanics soon had it humming or chugging like an A should. THEN the excitement. That's right, Gloria was on her way over in her 1931 roadster when it died on Olson Road. AAA towed to the Tinker Day garage!!

Gloria meets Todd. Not sure if she is giving him encouragement or stories of the adventures of owning an A.

The master mechanics at work. Looking on from the front and trying to soak it all in is Todd in the green shirt and Robbie, Gloria's son in the ballcap. Diagnosis, short in the distributor. Miraculously, Dave had another one in his garage and soon they were on their way.

Gloria teaching Al Koch the wonders of the "popout" ignition. Al was the official "okay start it up" mechanic. CAr fixed, everyone drove off happily in their newly adjusted and now running A's. NOT SO FAST GLORIA AND ROBBIE.

After all were gone, back Gloria and Robbie came sputtering and muttering. Seems the replacement distributor had a problem also. But of course "ole Dave" had another one on site. Replaced again and merrily on their way - without returning.

Join us for next Tinker Day but be sure to stay till the end.