(To go to story click arrow next to title)
Skyline
Caverns, September 22, 2007
Pine,
Pork, & Peanut Festival, July 21, 2007
Run
to the RivahFest, June 16, 2007
Stratford
Hall, Boyhood Home of General Robert E. Lee, May 12, 2007
Lake
Anna Winery Cruise, April 21, 2007
“Real
Roads Don’t Have Lines” Cruise, March 24, 2007
Tappahannock
Run, June 17, 2006
Christ
Church & Merry Point Ferry, May 20, 2006
Spring
Ride & Dominion Car Show, April 29, 2006
Ride
in the Hills, March 25, 2006
Miatas
in Independence Day Parade - Beaverdam, Virginia, 2005
Memorial
Day Weekend Ride with the Maniacs, May 28, 2005
Rain
Delay Ride, May 7, 2005
Uncovered
Bridge Tour, March 19, 2005
The
Fourth Annual Polar Bear Ride, January 1, 2005
Drive
to VIR, August 7, 2004
Charlottesville
to Amherst Ride, July 24, 2004
"Gimmick
Rally", June 26, 2004
Hot
road trip to Flying Circus Airshow, May 23, 2004
CVMC
Monthly Ride-Lake Anna Loop, March 27, 2004
PBC
and the Dark Castle, February 21, 2004
Polar
Bear Ride, January 1, 2004
Flagging
at the Turkey Bowl, November 8 / 9, 2003
Deals
Gap, North Carolina, July 24 / 27th, 2003
Miata
Club's Trip Back into Time.... In
Search Of Fall Foliage, October 19, 2002
Saturday's
Trip to Elkton, April 20, 2002
Virginia
International Raceway, March 30, 2002.
The
"Fredericksburg Regional Miata Club" MADS Alternative
Drive on Saturday, March 30, 2002.
Miatas
In The Blueridge, October 19 / 20, 2001, Chris Kearns
Time
Travel... June 6, 1944 -- D-DAY, June 16, 2001
Sherwood
Forest Plantation, May 19, 2001
Daytona
2000 - Miatas In Paradise, October 24/27,
2000
Our
September Winery Trip, September 23, 2000
Strip
Poker In The Country, August 19, 2000
OpSail
2000, June 17, 2000
Show
Up and Drive, November 13, 1999
The
Miata Picture Rally, October 23,1999
Clueless
Rally, September 25, 1999
Lee's
Retreat, August 21, 1999
Natural
Bridge And Beyond, June 19, 1999
North
& South Meet West, Miata '99, May 6-9, 1999
In
Search Of The Govenor's Cup, October 24, 1998
Miata
Mountain Madness, June 30-July 3, 1998
Scavenger
Hunt, April 15, 1998
Our
"Almost Annual
"Monterey Maple Festival Trip,
March 14, 1998
Ronald
McDonald Day, November 22, 1997
The Picture Rally,
July 19, 1997
Frederick
MD, April 19-20, 1997
FUN
in the SUN, Fun Rally, March 22, 1997
MIATA
Games '96, October 3-6, 1996
Just Add Lime.....,
April 6, 1996
2nd
Annual Miata's On The Mountain,
October 14-15, 1995
Hot,
Hotter And Hottest!,
July 15, 1995
Impromptu's Can Be Fun,
February 1995
Fine Miata Roads And Fine Wine
- You Can't Beat It!,
October 15, 1994
A
Loaf Of Bread,
A Little Nutmeg,
And Some Margaritas,
September 17, 1994
Kilmarnock Bound,
June 25, 1994
Miata's At Indy
II, June 9-12, 1994
Lime
Drop Rally / Mexican Fiesta, April 30, 1994
What Do Doughnuts And Hairpin Turns Have In Common?,
March 12, 1994
Apple
Festival At Graves Mountain Lodge, October 9, 1993
First
CVMC Overnight Train
A Success!!!,
August 28-29, 1993
Battlefield Tour Rally
& Picnic, May 22, 1993
The Miata Train To Jamestown
& Williamsburg To Meet The Tarheel Chapter,
April 24, 1993
The
Miata Train Heads To Charlottesville, March 21, 1993
The
Miata Train To The
8th Annual Richmond British Car Day,
September 1992
CVMC
1st Dinner Cruise to Williamsburg, April 12, 1992
Ride The Miata Train To Fredericksburg
Skyline
Caverns, September 22, 2007 (Pictures)
Seven Miatas participated in our September event. The meeting place turned out to be full not only of Miatas; but also dozens of college football fans linking up to head for Charlottesville for a Saturday battle on the gridiron. The MX-5s headed out from Goochland County with white NAs leading and running sweep with one NB and five NCs in the middle. First time ride leaders Tim and Buddy led us on a beautiful and well-conceived route northwest of Central Virginia with a destination of Griffin Tavern in Flint Hill, Virginia. Despite a very fine mist as we got started, the weather stayed dry and even got sunny as the morning progressed. Traveling through horse country made for spectacular scenery and enjoyable driving. We arrived in picturesque Flint Hill around Noon and settled into the historic tavern for an authentic British lunch. Around two o’clock we headed west for Front Royal, Virginia and Skyline Caverns. The caverns were fascinating (and a very cool 54 degrees) and a willing tour guide did his best to make the experience educational and entertaining. Tim and Buddy did a commendable job organizing the day and all participants thoroughly enjoy the club’s September event as a result of their efforts.
Pine,
Pork, & Peanut Festival, July 21, 2007 (Pictures)
Eight Miatas participated in our July event. Unseasonably cool temperatures and sunny skies greeted us as we gathered in Mechanicsville with a destination of Surry, Virginia; home of the Pine, Pork, & Peanut Festival. Just before leaving we received a call that Iris and Bruce had a flat tire and would not make the trip. Lynnette and Jim led us on a tour of the backgrounds of eastern Hanover County before we turned south and then west to Jamestown. In quick succession we were challenged first with a huge piece of farm machinery taking up three quarters of the road immediately followed by a pair of deer crossing in front of the lead car. Once we got our hearts restarted we settled in to try to answer a challenging list of trivia questions concocted by our ride leader. There were vague promises of fabulous prizes for the trivia contest winners. It was a beautiful day for a ride on some of Virginia’s best scenic byways. After a quick pit stop in Jamestown, we drove on to the James River ferry for a river crossing to Scotland. We pulled in to Chippokes State Park only to see directly in front of us in line, Bruce and Iris with a complete set of new tires! We arrived at the festival in the park to discover that a few thousand other Virginians had made the trip also! After awarding the not-so-fabulous-after-all prizes to the trivia contest winners, we split up in to smaller groups to fan out and enjoy the event. There were scores of arts and crafts booths, dozens of food vendors, an antique and classic car and tractor display and parade, farm animals, mule wagon rides, and the world’s largest peanut on display which was about 3 or 4 stories tall. The setting was the Chippokes Plantation State Park; a plantation that has been operating continuously since 1611. All participants seemed to enjoy the club’s July event.
Run
to the RivahFest-June 16, 2007 (Pictures)
With beautiful weather on a late spring day, a small group left Ashland after a hearty breakfast at The Cracker Barrel, destination Tappahannock. First-time event leaders Mike and Marilyn Beckwith led us on a well-conceived route through the country arriving in a very crowded town of Tappahannock, Virginia in time for lunch on the riverfront. We stopped for a moment near the strawberry farm in Hanover County to admire an old MG roadster for sale along the road (an early 1950s T-series model). Radio chatter encouraged MG enthusiast Jim Godwin to go ahead and make a deposit for pick up later in the day, but navigator/wife/boss Lynnette quickly quashed the notion and we were on our way again. Despite a goose and hound dog in the road, having to follow a hay truck for a few miles, and a brief encounter with a monster truck on a trailer in front of Kings Dominion, we managed to stay on schedule. At the RivahFest, we took a school bus shuttle from the satellite parking lot over to the heart of Tappahannock. There were hundreds of vendors and organizations represented plus a collection of classic and antique cars on display that included another classic MG roadster (early 1960s MGA) and four 1964 Chevrolets, among others. Club members shopped and purchased a few treasures to take home, enjoyed lunch and refreshing cold lime aide, listened to a variety of live music, and marveled at the crowds. CVMC welcomes Cory and Cindy Brown and their stunning silver NC who joined us on a monthly ride for the first time. The club thanks Mike and Marilyn for planning and hosting the June event.
Stratford
Hall, Boyhood Home of General Robert E. Lee, May 12, 2007 (Pictures)
Nine Miatas left Glen Allen, Virginia on a spring day under a threat of rain led by Lucinda & Dick McRoberts. One NA, three NBs, and six NCs headed west out Pouncey Tract Road. The rain held off until late afternoon allowing a beautifully planned, scenic, and interesting ride through the countryside northwest and northeast of the Richmond metropolitan area; all of it with the tops down. Dick’s directions were excellent with only two missed turns along the way, one unfortunately by Dick! Many beautiful horses and one ostrich greeted us as we buzzed by the farms. Dick even arranged for us to briefly join the King and Queen County parade complete with beauty queens, classic cars, and fire engines. At the first pit stop a local red Miata owner and his son stopped to trade stories and compliments with us. By lunchtime we arrived at Stratford Hall, a beautiful and enormous plantation on the shores of the Potomac River. This is the ancestral home of General Robert E. Lee, originally encompassing nearly 1500 acres. Construction was started in the late 1730s and the house was occupied in 1742. Five generations of Lees occupied the great house including the only two brothers who signed the Declaration of Independence. Lunch in the dining room held for us a wonderful buffet with traditional Virginia fare. After lunch, we toured the mansion and grounds, shopped in the gift shop, walked on the shore of the river by the old mill, and enjoyed the peaceful and historic setting. The club thanks Lucinda and Dick for organizing and leading the May event.
Lake
Anna Winery Cruise, April 21, 2007 (Pictures)
Eight Miatas left Glen Allen, Virginia on a beautiful spring day led by Chip Lamb and Karen Pearson. Before departing Chip distributed a quiz and explained a rolling scavenger hunt for the navigators to participate in while riding. There was a “vague” promise of extravagant prizes to be won for those getting the most answers correct. Then the two NAs, four NBs, two NCs, and a guest RX-7 with a V-8 conversion headed west out US-33. Chip led us on a well-conceived route through the woods and farms of central Virginia. Bicycles dominated the roads as we were slowed several times by groups of athletes out enjoying the warm weather, and then we shared the road with a bike race heading in the opposite direction. The Lake Anna Winery proved to be an idyllic setting as we rested outside in the sunshine. Chip scored the scavenger hunt and prizes supplied by MazdaUSA were available for all participants; most displaying the Mazda or “zoom-zoom” logos. After tasting some Virginia wines and purchasing a few bottles, we headed out for a restaurant on the lakeside. Lunch was peaceful and tasty as we sat beside the lake and watched the boats, enjoying one another’s company. After lunch, most joined Chip for a spirited ride home while others headed out for individual adventures. The club thanks Chip and Karen for organizing and leading the April event.
“Real
Roads Don’t Have Lines” Cruise, March 24, 2007 (Pictures)
Seven Miatas headed southwest on a cool March morning with a destination of Bedford, Virginia to tour the National D-Day Memorial. Only one NA and two NBs were present as the new third generation MX-5s have joined the club in droves! First time event leader Joel Handwerk, aka “the Five-Speed Squirrel”, and his saucy navigator Christy Walker led us on a well-designed and interesting tour of the countryside. Curvy roads and more cows than this reporter has ever seen (or smelled) greeted us as we toured some of the most beautiful parts of the Commonwealth. A few raindrops greeted us in the mid-morning, but not enough to slow us down or cause us to abandon our pledge to go topless. Our Treasurer, Christy, demonstrated some exceptional driving skills and won the SPCA award for narrowly missing a black and white cat darting across the road and a teenager in an out-of-control Honda Civic; our only wildlife encounters of the day. Joel also demonstrated some craftiness when he drove through a large patch of dirt effectively enveloping Mike’s formerly white Miata in a dust cloud. Negotiations began immediately on the radio as to who was going to pay for a now much needed car wash. By the time we reached Bedford the rain was gone. An entertaining and knowledgeable tour guide led us on a walk through history as we toured the National D-Day Memorial. This is the second time the club has toured the park; last attending nearly six years ago. Many new features have been added since that time. Following the tour we headed to the Liberty Station Diner and enjoyed a tasty lunch and good company as the newcomers and longer-term members got to know one another better. After lunch, most headed back to Central Virginia while some headed out for other adventures. We left home at 7:15 AM and it was nearly 11:00 PM and 450 miles later when we arrived home in Glen Allen; top down for every mile of course; although Lynnette did enjoy her new electric blanket that plugs in the cigar lighter after the sun went down.
Tappahannock
Run, June 17, 2006
Seven Miatas left Short Pump led by Dick and Lucinda Roberts on a warm summer day-destination Tappahannock. A new face, Christi, arrived in her red '93 asking if she could ride along and was warmly welcomed. Chip found us just before we pulled out after a quick search of downtown Short Pump. Dick and Lucinda repeated a popular and curve-filled course we ran a couple or years ago through the Hanover County countryside, then up past Fort AP Hill, before turning East to head towards the bay. Animal incidents included a near miss with a turtle and a bumblebee attack on Lynnette Godwin (Score: Lynnette 1, Bumblebee 0). Tom drove his red '93 Special Edition with the red leather seats (with 4 Miatas to choose from, Tom has more decision making to do than most of us). Lunch at Lowry's (circa 1938) was full of good food and friendly banter enjoyed by all. Some members headed back to Central Virginia after lunch, but others stayed and enjoyed the Tappahannock-Essex County "RivahFest". The riverfront festival was large with big crowds and included antique and classic cars and a few hot rods. The Tappahannock "Idol" contest was in full swing; arts and crafts were for sale everywhere; food vendors filled the air with enticing aromas, and horse drawn carriages passed by from time to time. All of those on the ride wish to thank Dick and Lucinda for hosting this fun-filled event.
Christ
Church & Merry Point Ferry, May 20, 2006 (Pictures)
Ten Miatas and nineteen people took advantage of a perfect Spring day to head Northeast from Mechanicsville led by Jim and Jackie Colonna for an encore to a popular ride they led several years back. All three generations of Miatas were represented as we headed out US 360. Following several miles of country roads we came to a dead end on the river where a couple of fishermen were found trying to catch their lunch. Across in the distance came the Merry Point Ferry, a somewhat rusty and simple looking cable ferry big enough for one school bus, two regular cars, or three Miatas. It took four leisurely trips back and forth across the river to get all of us across, perhaps an hour in all. The ferry "captain" seemed to enjoy the diversion from his normal duties and was friendly and accommodating. While waiting on either side we all got to know each other a little better and snapped lots of photos.
After a successful crossing we headed out through the back roads and ended up at Christ Church, a beautiful brick Anglican church built in 1738. Following a short movie in a rather stuffy and hot little theatre, we toured the small museum. Then, a tour guide in period costume took us through the history-filled church telling fascinating stories of its construction, graves, and rich past. The tour guide was heard to ask several times if we could "leave one of the red ones" for him in the parking lot when we departed. Before leaving the Miatas lined up in front of the building for a group photo.
We sped away on a short trip to the nearby Tides Inn for a five-star meal overlooking the water. After lunch we walked along the docks looking at the boats and enjoying the completely perfect weather. After lunch we split up and headed out for individual adventures or back to Central Virginia. Jim and Jackie were wonderful hosts and all of us on the ride thank them for arranging this unique experience for us.
Spring
Ride & Dominion Car Show, April 29, 2006 (Pictures)
A total of seventeen Miatas participated on the April 29th event. Eleven cars left Glen Allen on a cool but sunny Saturday morning led by Jim and Lynnette Godwin. All but one car had their tops down. It was brisk, but wonderful! After a one hour romp through the countryside to the northwest of Richmond, a pit stop at a marina along Lake Anna resulted in picking up six additional Miatas from Fredericksburg and Charlottesville. That made for an impressive line of the little roadsters as we headed west along the lake and then stopped in Orange for another break. Following a loop out to Stanardsville through farm country and within site of the mountains, we headed back towards Louisa County. Despite having "lost" a couple of cars along the way, we attracted quite a bit of attention pulling in to the Dominion Car Show in Mineral at the high school. Members had a quick lunch at the concession stand and then meandered around the show looking at everything from a Ford GT and a brand new Corvette, to cars, trucks, and motorcycles from every decade back through the 1920s.
Ride
in the Hills, March 25, 2006
Saturday morning nine cars, 5 CVMC members and 4 Fredericksburg members, departed from the Cheesecake Factory at Short Pump. Led by Jeff and Lauren our leisurely ride thru most of the counties north of Richmond led us to the Café on Main Street in Bowling Green for lunch. After lunch the ladies, led by Pat migrated across the street for a little shopping. Lucinda returned first, empty handed, stating Dick told her not to buy anything and she listened can you believe that. We reassembled in the parking lot and our Fredericksburg companions and Dick and Lucinda departed for home. We continued on our final leg to St. Stephens Church where we thanked Jeff and Lauren for their efforts and said goodbye to Bud, Susan, Bill and Kris. As we departed I glanced in the rear view mirror and found the group was still admiring 2K6MX5.
Saturday was also a milestone in the life of TOP1ESS, pulling into our driveway she tripped 100000 on the odometer.
Patty-Lou
The first Central Virginia Miata Club drive of the 2006 season has come and gone, but the clouds broke a bit and some sun, good roads and friendly conversation was had by all.
Starting in Short Pump, our group of nine cars wound our way through Beaverdam, Ladysmith and Milford before rolling into Bowling Green for lunch at the Main Street Café. We pretty much had the run of the place and the employees were very accommodating with our requests. The conversation completely died out at times, so the food must have been pretty good. I know my bacon cheeseburger sure hit the spot. After lunch we toured one of Virginia's Scenic Byways, route 721 through Sparta. All in all the days drive was a relaxing drive in the country.
Joining CVMC were members of the Fredericksburg club, Jay Stringer, Al Spindle Greg and Lisa Stocksdale, and Dave and Debbie Kimmel. CVMC members included Bud & Susan Deihl, Lou and Pat Guthrie, Lauren and myself, Dick and Lucinda McRoberts, William and Kristine Osborne and Bud and Susan Deihl.
To those who made the drive, thank you! And for those of you who did not, we'll see you at the next drive.
Jeff
10
Miatas in Independence Day Parade - Beaverdam, Virginia, 2005 (Pictures)
Five Miatas from CVMC and five more from the club in Fredericksburg participated in the July 4th parade in Beaverdam. CVMC member participants included new members Julia Mills and her son Geoff Mills, along with Stef Spindle, Jim and Lynnette Godwin, and David Jones who led the parade. Samantha Schaeffer drove her new Mini in the Mini Club contingent, 4 cars strong. While it was a little hot and traveling in 1st gear at 5 mph or less wasn't something you'd like to do often; it was fun and the suprisingly large crowds in Hanover County enjoyed the Miata spectacle. One parade watcher was overheard guessing that the little roadsters "must be Pontiacs"!!! The cars, drivers, and passengers were adorned with countless American Flags, along with the CVMC logo, Deals Gap magnets, and the Fredericksburg Miata Club banner. Following the equestrian units did create some roadway obstacles, but fortunately due to the Miatas' superior road handling characteristics, there were no unpleasant mishaps. Many thanks to the Beaverdam Ruritans for inviting the Miatas to participate in their parade.
Note: Just learned that the combined Miata Clubs of Fredericksburg and Central Virginia collectively won the Judges' Award at the parade! None of us stayed for the awards ceremony so we have no idea what that means or what the prize is!!!
Memorial
Day Weekend Ride with the Maniacs, May 28, 2005
Lynnette & Jim Godwin responded to a Miata Forum invitation from the Rappahannock Miata Maniacs up in Fredericksburg and joined in on their club ride on Saturday, May 28th. Stef Spindle, who holds "dual citizenship" in both clubs, held down the last place in line. Our leader was PiperDave in his red '04 Mazdaspeed with the bold black stripes. What a great time! Thirteen cars participated. They came from Virginia Beach, Charlottesville, Richmond, Glen Allen, and the rest from the Fredericksburg area. We drove west through the countryside and over the mountains into West Virginia crossing back and forth through the mountains on step curvy roads, including some white knuckle sections. We had a big buffet lunch just west of Harrisonburg. This was an all day ride under beautiful skies and warm weather. We already knew several of the other people from prior CVMC events and also made many new friends. Many thanks to our friends to the North. Miata people are great people aren't they?!?!?
A rain delay forced the April monthly ride to May 7, 2005. By then the skies were clear, the temperatures warm and the tops were down as a small group left Montpelier and headed for points west and north through the countryside. David and Samantha planned and led a wonderful route of winding roads and beautiful scenery. Animal sightings included a couple of llamas in addition to the usual buzzards. David's modifications and enhancements to his green NB attracted much attention during the pit stop. Participants joined Samantha in mourning for her now wrecked and sold red NA. Although, her grief seemed to be fading in light of the new yellow Mini Cooper in her driveway. Perhaps Lauren will invite her to join the secret Mini club in Charlottesville! Many thanks to Davis and Samantha for being willing to move the event to the next weekend and for planning an enjoyable route.
Uncovered
Bridge Tour, March 19, 2005 (Pictures)
Five cars and nine club members left Glen Allen on a sunny Saturday headed west. We zigzagged back and forth across the James River testing each and every bridge for a total of six river crossings. Sticking to the back roads we passed by farms and woods, small towns and country crossroads, not to mention a fair number of horses and buzzards! Some of the hardier souls had their tops down the entire way, and as it got warmer most of the rest of us joined in. Breaks in Goochland Courthouse and Buckingham County were brief and traffic was light so we actually were ahead of schedule by half an hour or so. We dined and shopped with the tourists at Michie Tavern in Charlottesville enjoying the country fare including fried chicken, barbeque, and cobbler. Lauren met us there for lunch. She told Jeff that she didn't feel well, but we all suspected that she was secretly on a ride with CVMC (Central Virginia Mini Club). After lunch, some stayed to look around the Charlottesville, others took scenic routes back to the Richmond area, and the Charlottesville residents headed home to finalize the wedding preparations! All seemed to enjoy the route and the fellowship.
The
Fourth Annual Polar Bear Ride, January 1, 2005
The poles flipped again for the CVMC's fourth annual polar bear ride. We may have to rename the run to the Koala Bear Ride. I lost count on the number of cars and may in fact have inadvertently lost some cars, but one count was 15. Many members and new members came from as far away as Charlottesville. It certainly was a stellar turn out for a drive around Lake Chesdin. There were no wrong turns or dirt roads but I was able to find some dusty roads non-the less. Several animals were spotted along with hunters brandishing firearms! Yes, we were in the country. After a good hour of twisty fun, we ended the ride at the Dove's country home for the traditional black-eyed peas and stewed tomatoes along with ham sandwiches and miscellaneous leftover Christmas goodies. Several of the men braved the trek to the back woods to view the Spitfire restore and tour the "barn". Jim Godwin especially enjoyed the "yard art". Yes, Jim we do live in the country. The club coffers were enhanced as several new and existing members paid dues for the New Year. Finally, directions for how to get back to civilization, were given and the participants returned home or to do some shopping. Thanks to all for making the New Year another warm, friendly, CVMC Miata year.
Dan and Diane provided a beautiful; almost fall like day for their drive to VIR. Eight cars showed up with tops down. The participants all bad jackets on for a brisk drive from Chesterfield to the raceway. Diane even arranged free entrance to the park. If you have visited The Virginia International Raceway, then you are missing a great opportunity to see some great racing at a park like setting. This is truly one of the best race sites in the country. We all picked a site under the trees and enjoyed a picnic lunch while watching the cars wiz by through two turns. In-between the races, we took the opportunity to check out the gift shop. I was unable to get Iris interested in a pair of earrings in the shape of miniature brake rotors (I thought they would make a good 25th anniversary present). We then had a chance to tour the pit area and look at the racecars and talk to some of the drivers. One of the more interesting cars was a spec Miata painted "John Deere" green. During the lunch break, the track was opened for visitors to take a drive. Several member cars were spotted going around the track, at not quite break neck speeds. The day whizzed by while we watched several races. We split up at the track, some had to head home, some stayed for the final race. The Judkins, Jim Colonna & his friend & Iris & I naturally headed to Ernie's for dinner. Good food. Good weather. Good friends, & a cool drive home, another Miata Day.
Charlottesville
to Amherst Ride, July 24, 2004 (Pictures)
Six Miatas left the rains in Richmond to enjoy the sun and cool temperatures of the mountains. Jeff and Lauren prepared a ride that included wine tasting and several mini dragons' tails to drive on. Eight of us met at the Short Pump Wal-Mart to caravan to Jeff and Lauren's new home in Charlottesville. Yours truly led the pack, and in keeping with the slogan on my new shirt, we made a wrong turn in the parking lot but eventually found our way to 64 for an uneventful drive to Charlottesville. We made good time so we took a pit stop for gas at the station a block form Jeff and Lauren's new home where we met Jeff also filling up. As we lined up at the condo, Pat and Lou arrived making a total of 12 intrepid Miataphiles to enjoy the day. Lauren and Jeff showed us their lovely new home with views of Monticello. Lauren took the ladies upstairs to see her craft room while the men went down stairs to see the garage. The perfect home.
We proceeded to line up and off we headed down backcountry roads for a pleasant drive to the Wintergreen Winery for some wine tasting. Then it was off to the Blue Ridge Parkway via a mini dragon's tail drive up route 56. With no traffic to slow our progress, and Jeff's expert leadership, we had an exhilarating ride to the Parkway, waking up those of us that tasted too much wine. We quickly pulled into an overlook, as it was so cool that we had to pull jackets and blankets out for the passengers. Then, it was off down the Parkway to RT 60 and the town of Amherst. Although very quaint, there were no restaurants in Amherst, so we proceeded south on RT 29 till we got near Lynchburg and stopped at the Country Cooking for a hearty lunch.
After lunch we split up, Dick and Lucinda headed to Peaks of Otter for the night, the Deihls headed to Lynchburg and home via 460, Jeff and Lauren headed home up RT 29, while George and Chris and the Guthries were fool enough to follow me. One would think the tee shirt would give one pause to think, but perhap s they were looking for some adventure. Several miles of head scratching and numerous flips of the coin at the intersections, we found our way to a great road that followed the James River east to RT 60. Proof again that there are "no wrong turns, only new adventures". We followed RT 60 home to Chesterfield without incident. A long but fulfilling Miata day.
"Gimmick
Rally", June 26, 2004 (Pictures)
The June ride was a gimmick rally put together by Phil Innis and Bruce Dove. Six cars participated in what turned out to be a fun rally in which the questions were too easy and the directions were too hard. Unfortunately when I typed up my half of the directions, I left out the change from 644 straight into 616. In our later test drive Iris apparently pointed out this error, but we all know that any time a TV or a steering wheel is in front of us, we are not paying attention.
Anyway the ride was fun ("there are no wrong turns only new adventures") and the restaurant at the end was well received.
The winners, by the way, were Bud and Sue Delhi, who not only answered all the questions correctly but also guessed which way to go at the 644 intersection and finished with the correct mileage. In spite of the confusion, a divorce attorney was not required and we only lost one car.
Dick, I owe you a beer.
Hot
road trip to Flying Circus Airshow, May 23, 2004
Kendall Tarkington hosted a great trip to the Flying Circus Air Show in Bealeton off RT 17. Six cars braved the hot weather for an incredible drive from Short Pump to Bealeton on two lane twistys the entire way. The route was so enjoyable that Iris and Bruce followed much of it back home. As many of us know this area is short of pit stops, but we were able to pull off at a small store for cold drinks and the use of a one holer.
We arrived at the airpark early enough to get some good parking spots under the trees in the picnic area where we spread out lawn chairs, opened our picnic baskets and enjoyed watching the planes take up enthusiastic riders before the show. The Deihls took a turn around the field for a "flight of the lifetime".
The Ferrari club was stationed next to us, so we had ample opportunity to peruse the red beasties and talk to the drivers. Many of them came over to look at our cars and expressed envy of owning a sports car you can actually enjoy driving without the fear of expensive breakdowns. The circus itself was corny but well worth the $5 admission price. All in all it was a very laid-back, sultry kind of day to relax and enjoy some entertainment and car comradery.
CVMC
Monthly Ride-Lake Anna Loop, March 27, 2004
The March Ride got off to a good star with dry, warm weather, 9 cars including a guest M-Edition, and an excited first-time ride leader. About 3 miles out we were delayed by not one, but two trains. Two cars got through in-between before the second train came. Once reunited, we resumed the route. Things went well for the first hour, but then the rains came. After a somewhat hectic stop to get boots off, tops up, finding a lost car, and finding our way back on to the course, we continued on to Lake Anna. Despite the rain, we had a covered shelter to look out on Lake Anna, including a Great Blue Heron, some Jet Skiers, and a few fishermen. It was beautiful.
As we headed back east we enjoyed the country roads and scenery. The tour of Beaverdam, Virginia took about 26 seconds. A close encounter with a tractor pulling a very wide plowing apparatus gave us a chance to demonstrate our emergency wet road braking skills! After a few final tight curves we arrived in historic Ashland. Lunch at Ruby Tuesday’s yielded good food, old and new friends, and we heard the good news of Lauren and Jeff's engagement; Congratulations and best wishes from CVMC. We can’t wait for the wedding shower. The happy couple will be registered at Jackson Racing, MMMiata, Moss Motors, and Flyin’ Miata. Contact Jeff for his VIN number before ordering!
March Ride: Around Lake Anna
Jim and Lynnette Godwin planned the perfect spring ride for CVMC, a spirited ride around Lake Anna. It started out a beautiful Saturday morning at the Market Cafe in Innsbrook. Nine cars showed up all with tops down ready to enjoy a day of Miata fun. After some coffee and pastries we were ready to start the drive. The Godwins provided exceptional directions, maps and leadership keeping the group together through Glen Allen and two train stops. The ride gained speed and excitement as we headed through the fields of Hanover County ending at our first pit stop in Montpellier. Jim warned us that the ride traversed through a rural part of Virginia that had few pits and we would “stop at both of them”. From Montpellier we continued west. The weather decided to change and in light showers no one wanted to be the first to suggest pulling off the raise our tops. Finally when full wiper speed was required we stopped in the middle of Rt 33 to quickly cover up. We had to reorganize at a small store that was one block past our scheduled turn and we lost the Guthrie’s. Thanks to missing our turn in the confusion we found the Guthrie’s and circled back to continue the drive. Our second pit was on Lake Anna where we wondered who had less sense, sports car drivers with tops down in the rain or boaters fishing in the rain? At the second pit we lost the Guthrie’s, hope you feel better Lou, though I still think you really wanted to fish. The Passuts also took a detour to check on their future home site (still no road?). From the last stop the roads really got twisty. We had a good long stretch of exhilarating Miata driving all the way to Ashland were we stopped for lunch at Ruby Tuesdays. Charlie and Genie rejoined us at the restaurant and we enjoyed a meal and conversation. In the parking lot, preparing to go our separate ways, we all expressed to the Godwin’s how well they had set up their first ride. We look forward to many more!
PBC
and the Dark Castle, February 21, 2004
Five cars showed up on an unusually warm February Saturday morning for a trip to Performance Buyers Club in Chantilly Virginia. A quick run up RT I95 and RT 17 where we finally got on to some back road twisters. With only one U-turn when the pavement ended on the planed route (those USGS maps just don’t show the detail very well), more back roads and then RT 15 and RT 50; we were getting close. There were some disparaging remarks as to the knowledge of the ride leader, but as luck would have it he found PBS after all.
The Performance Buyers Club showroom was not quite the size expected, but they were very gracious giving us free excess to the shop to view the cars. The ladies quickly disappeared to a stained glass studio around the corner (I knew that was there) leaving the men to look over a Spec Miata and a 92 getting its fourth engine after an ill-advised powder coating of the intake manifold. We had an opportunity to price exhaust systems, pick up some new brake pads and some very nice fitting seat covers. The seat covers were so tight Dan had to buy them or leave his drivers seat at the shop. The ladies returned and we drove a few blocks looking for a place to eat, settling on Ruby Tuesdays. Thankfully Dan and Diane knew their way around, as the ride leader clearly did not have a clue. We decided to stop off at an interesting antique shop on the way back. The shop was in a stone castle just off RT 15. The owner/builder met us at the entrance and it was immediately obvious that this was not your normal quaint and inviting antique shop. After being doggedly followed by the proprietor frequently commenting that he was not running a museum and if you wanted to see the castle come to a scheduled tour, we decided to make a hasty retreat. There was not much of interest to bother with.
We continued on south making a quick pit stop at Opal and then safely home. I hope all those that came had a good time. The March ride is in the newsletter and looks to be quite nice. I hope all of the members can detail their cars, drop their tops and come out. Bring a friend. See you at the next event.
Polar
Bear Ride, January 1, 2004 (Pictures)
Caught on film. If you missed the 3rd annual Polar Bear ride, you may have seen us on channels 6 and 12. Both news crews came out and filmed as we took off on a beautiful, not very polar, January 1st afternoon. Five cars showed up to start the New Year off with a top down drive around Lake Chesden and a bowl of black-eyed peas and stewed tomatoes. The sun was out, the air was warm and the roads were clear and curvy. Most of the cars were cleaned and shined; some had new ornamentation that Santa Clause had brought. Back at the starting lot, after a refreshing 1 1/2 hour ride we discussed the hope that all our 2004 Miata rides will enjoy the same good weather. Thanks to the Godwins for not:fying the news and promoting the club. Perhaps next year we will have some real polar bear weather to drive though. See you at the next ride.
Flagging
at the Turkey Bowl, November 8 / 9, 2003
Through my membership in the Richmond Triumph Register I received a flyer soliciting flaggers for the "Turkey Bowl" sports car and races at the Summit Point Raceway. I circulated the flyer at the October CVMC meeting. As a result, I contacted Howard Weiss, the Safety Director, and signed on for the weekend. Kendall signed on for Saturday only. This was the first experience as a corner worker for each of us.
The Turkey Bowl is a varied annual event (this was the 7th one) presented by the Vintage Sports Car Club and the Mid-Atlantic Legends Club. There were two classes of vintage cars including the usual makes such as MG, Jaguar, Porsche, Morgan, Austin Healey, Alfa, Lotus, Elva, Daimler, Aston Martin, Saab, Abarth, Mini, etc. and some other less common ones such as a Dupont Indy Racer, a Maserati, a Crosley, and a Miller-Ford. Oddly, I did not see one Triumph. There were also two classes of modern cars including Miata, Lotus, VW, Honda, Sunbeam Tiger, Porsche, Corvette, Camaro, Firebird, and Mustang.
The Legend cars are fiberglass bodied downsized replicas of 1930's era American cars powered by 1200 cc motorcycle engines. This group is serious about their racing and very competitive.
There were 12 lap feature races and 25 to 45 minute enduro races for each class. There was also a 944 Porsche Cup and a zany Australian pursuit race (they eventually asked the corner workers to vote to pick the winners as Timing and Scoring gave up). It was a very busy schedule.
Our group of corner workers gathered each morning at 7:15 AM and we left the course both days after 5:00 PM (basically dawn to dusk at this time of the year). We had two very busy days. I learned that a corner worker is not a glorified spectator. You are responsible for the safety of the drivers on your section of the track and the condition of the track in your area. You are equipped with a headset radio and are in direct contact with the race controller. You're also equipped with a set of flags, a push broom, a fire extinguisher, and heavy gloves. During a race you must constantly watch your area and react to any occurrence with the proper flag while informing race control of the situation and aiding the driver. You also get to clear debris from the track including sprayed oil, dirt & grass, etc. It is a great responsibility and at times it can be real work. I also learned that it can get very cool (maybe even cold) in West Virginia in November.
The job also has some great benefits. You have the best seat in the house, your own Armco and tire barrier, and your own private porta-jon. You are in contact with race control and constantly up to date with what is happening. We were fed very well. How often are you served from a track side grill by the race director and owner of the pace car (a BMW Z8)? The major perk was the worker ride in a racecar after lunch on Saturday. My ride was about 15 minutes in a Healey 100. Kendall wrangled his laps in a 289 Cobra. We were also given a delicious barbecue dinner funded by the drivers on Saturday night and given a token gift.
In summary it was a great experience and I came away with a new appreciation of what is involved in running a race event. I also have a new respect for the race officials and corner workers at the track.
Jim Colonna
Deals
Gap, North Carolina, July 24/27, 2003
Members in attendance:
Stephanie and Al Spindle, Dave and Deb Kimmel,
Diane and Dan Judkins, Kendall Tarkington, Bruce and Iris Dove,
Lauren and Jeff Harrison.
People found along the way:
Spec Racer Bill, RX8 Dan
Club phrase to remember:
Eat to drive, drive to eat
Key phrases to retnembcr:
Fontana Village aka Fontana Village
Tapoco Lodge aka Tapioca Lodge
Microtel aka Microwave
Tellico Plains Beach aka Taco Beach
Cherohala highway aka Cherry-Cola highway or
Chulupa highway (Depends on what you had for lunch.)
Robbinsville aka Baskin-Robbinsville
Thursday July 24
Stephanie and Al, met with Dave and Deb in Fredericksburg early the morning of July 24th and after breakfast headed to Ashland's Ukrops where Diane and Dan where having breakfast, then headed for Hardees and picked up Kendall, also having breakfast. Already this is stop #3. Road trip officially starts with 4 cars heading West on RT 360 towards South Boston. Fed the cars Exxon while picking up more coffee and donuts. A spec racer, Bill notices us at Exxon, u-turns, grabs sonic coffee and donuts and asks where we're heading. He also is going to the Gap so joins in. Stephanie and Kendall know Bill from Auto-Cross.
Next stop NC for the ABC store for Happy hour supplies, and then lunch. (Note: NC makes flnding an ABC store very difficult. The sign for the store was only about 30 feet tall). Continued driving on Rt. 40 West until Asheville, where our guide Diane, third car back, took us around and around and around Asheville, with no food in site. Dave spoke up, he had a local map and took over as guide and headed us back on to Rt. 40. While making these corrections both Spec racer Bill and Kendall got separated. Kendall re-navigated after 2 wrong turns due to his cell phone ringing...( thanks Dan ) but Bill was long gone.
Finally arrived at Fontana Village and checked in. Met with Bruce and Iris. Found out that Spec racer Bill had beat us there, according to Bruce he arrived before we lost him in Asheville? Time warp? With everyone there we headed out for dinner. We passed the Crossroads of time and Tapioca Lodge heading for the restaurant "The Dungeon" which seems to have closed late last year but was now re-opened as a Mexican restaurant. Food was good. Now time for Happy hour!! We all met in the lobby of Fontana Village and re-modeled the furniture to suit our needs by moving the couch and chairs outside onto the balcony overlooking the pool where we met a lawyer?? and then met RX8 Dan. Rx8 Dan, who, yes, just bought his new car had been on the internet with Stephanie and joined in with us for part of the weekend. We looked and looked and drooled over his new car, pictures available for inspection. But the true test will come tomorrow when he runs the Dragon. Happy hour ends at 12 Midnight. What a long day.
Friday July 25
7AM Dan runs the Gap early.
8AM Some of us dare to eat the breakfast buffet.
Some of us just wait.
9AM All gather in the lobby and plan the day. We
start by heading to the Crossroads of time to run the Gap or proceed
to Tapioca Lodge. Most of us run the Gap. On top of the run is a pull
over where we met some New Yorkers with brand new Mini's. Rx8 Dan
took a ride in the turbo mini while we listened to his girlfriendtell
us her life history of how her 1st husband turned gay !! After the
story we understood why. RX8 Dan returned and said he wished he
looked at the Mini's prior to his RX8 purchase. At this point we
headed back down the Gap and to the Tapioca Lodge for lunch. Beware
of the waitresses who are very hostile, ask Kendall. Don't ask for
soup of the day! After lunch we visited with the Knobmeister who gave
Dan a free beer for only $50 worth of merchandise. The beer was
defective, the bottle had a hole in it and and it all spilled down
Dan's throat. The Knobmeister, upon hearing this quickly replaced the
beer, in hopes of another purchase. Next stop down the Cherry-Cola
highway to Taco Beach for ice cream, only 100 miles or so round trip.
The highway has beautiful scenery, bears and motorcycles. Not to
mention the occasional RV. After ice cream, found the first waterfall
and then back to Tapioca Lodge and then to dinner in Baskin
Robbinsville, We found a new restaurant, Sweet Magnolia, along with
several other Miata's. The 10 niinute wait was only 35 minutes long.
Well worth the wait, the food was great. Now back to Fontana Lodge
for Happy Hour, and yes once again we moved the furniture.
Saturday July 26
7AM Dan and Kendall run the Gap.
8AM Some of dare to eat the breakfast buffet again.
9AM Gather in lobby for the days events. Plan of
action: to find more waterfalls. With our fearless President in the
lead we headed ??? somewhere! After seeing signs for Jackson Hole
(Wyoming?) and Atlanta With only 1 small U-turn and many map stops:
Bruce: just checking the map, (very confused look on face), we found
the Dry Falls. These falls were extremely wet! The path led down
behind them, very cool. Next stop Bridal Falls where we proceeded to
drive behind the waterfall. Note: Dry Falls was far wetter than
Bridal Falls, go figure!! Still heading somewhere, we decided to look
for lunch. After a short while we found Highlands and Don Leon's
restaurant. Very nice, very small, and to our amazement the waitress
knew the soup of the day !! we even ordered before the biker gang
arrived. Now for our return trip to Fontana Lodge and/or Tapioca
Lodge. The evening ends with everyone meeting at Papa's Pizza. Some
of us declined the cuisine and it was probably a good decision.
Although the pizza looked good. happy hour tonight hosted by Jeff and
Lauren in their cabin which according to Bruce was just a short walk
from the lodge. Well.... After finding Dave we strolled down the
hill, up the hill and further up the hill and up the hill even more,
we came to Jeff and Lauren's place. We did ask them to send a car but
no luck considering all the cars were only 2 seaters. Imagine that!!
happy hour ends with plans for a 9AM check out.
Sunday July 27
12:30 AM Looking for the naked midnight run,
Kendall runs the Gap. With no one else in sight, Kendall runs the gap
being the first car to run on Sunday. He admits to being fully clothed.
8AM Stephanie and Al, Dave and Deb are able to
sleep in and stay an extra day.
9AM Check out time for Kendall, Diane and Dan, Jeff
and Lauren, and Bruce and Iris. Bruce heads West and the rest of us
head home. First stop gas station 10 miles away for the cars and then
another 20 miles for people food. Still trying to live up to our
motto of "drive to eat, eat to drive". After several pit
stops (we avoided Asheville) we had lunch in Winston-Salem and
proceeded North East to Danville. At this time we said our goodbyes
to Jeff and Lauren and made yet another recycle stop, no food. Next
stop, Richmond, where Kendall, Diane and Dan had dinner at
Silverado's. This was just a ploy to delay going home. Kisses and
hugs in the parking lot and we each headed home.
Final (Drive time --- ???
Final miles driven --- over 1,000
Gallons of Gas --- Unknown and scared to tally.
Meals eaten --- Also scared to tally ( but most
likely over 60)
Friendship and Fun --- Priceless
Miata
Club’s Trip Back into Time.... October 19, 2002
Lou and Pat were our hosts for the Saturday drive. Although a bit chilly, there was a great turnout -- starting with 9 cars and then later meeting up with Jeff to make it an even 10!
All hats are off to Bruce and Iris for being the only hardy souls to start out with the top down. Of course, we lost track of the number of layers Iris piled on in the process, but that seems to be her standard operating procedure anyway when riding with Bruce! The rest of the group waited until the sun had been out a little longer and the temperature rose above freezing before venturing into a top-down mode.
We were glad to see that Lucinda McRoberts’ arm is on the mend and her cast is gone. Hooray! Life is good!
Lou’s trip took us through some really nice back roads to Rockfish Gap Country Store where we met up with Jeff and Lauren. Now Lou, always the consummate planner, knew that this would be the perfect spot for our prerequisite pit stop. Not a problem, right? Well, we have to say that the accommodations were unlike any we have seen on ANY of our other trips. (That Lou is always looking for ways to stand out!) You see, the pit stop was literally that -- a PIT stop! The facilities were only a tad bit rickety and you could see through only about 90% of the wooden walls (must have been a new form of AC). From what I understand, at least the Ladies had a seat over the pit; the Gents had a pit and no more.
Yes, leave it to Lou to include something intellectually stimulating on his trips. He knew we would appreciate being a part of living history which allowed some of us to reminisce over the good old days — going “out” in the middle of the night; Sears catalog pages; fear of snakes, etc. Ah, yes, those were the days. Needless to say, Lou will go down in history himself for giving “pit stop” a whole new meaning.
Having survived our history lesson, we went on to Humpback Rocks Visitor Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway (which, by the way, had a regulation Ladies room). We spent most of the time in the parking area drooling over a 10AE turbo that belonged to a nice couple from Dinwiddie who ended up joining us for the day. It was still quite breezy and cool, but a few sturdy, and possibly crazy, individuals went to look at the farmstead there at the Center.
Lunch followed at the Eidelweiss. This was also interesting because Lou set it up so that we got to see ourselves coming and going. We knew that he made the wrong turn on purpose (yeah, right) just to see if we could all do a U-ie! Kendall (why is it always Kendall?) had to do some fancy driving to avoid a very large box that fell off of a truck right in front of him. I guess autocross really does pay off. At the restaurant, we had an upstairs room and our own personal waiter. Never mind that he was 200 years old; he assured us that he had to take the upstairs because the other waiters were REALLY TOO OLD to handle it! Talk about your living history!! Aside from the waiter, the highlight of the restaurant was the video of the “LIVE MUSIC” they have every weekend. Accordion music. Bad accordion music. VERY BAD accordion music. (We think we saw Lou on the video as one of the accordion players! Figures, huh!)
After lunch we took the scenic route to Wade’s Mill for an apple butter festivaL There was also a great herb farm next to it. Quite a few of us started our Christmas shopping on this trip. Pat G bought a huge jar of freshly made, still warm, apple butter to snuggle up to for the ride home. And Sue T found a rocking cow to add to her collection. And, no, it did not resemble Kendall — it was much cuter!
As always, it was a great ride and Lou and Pat did an outstanding job. Well, Pat did; Lou has a few glitches he’ll need to work on before his next outing. Other than that though -- it was a WONDERFUL MIATA DAY!
(Thanks goes to senior field reporter, Chris Kearns, for providing all of the factual content for this article. Only slight exaggeration and embellishment was provided by Bertha Stevens. Believe me, this story stands on its own and didn’t need any help!)
Saturday's
Trip to Elkton, April 20, 2002, Stef "Ragtop Girl" Spindle (Pictures)
The Fredericksburg contingent - three of us - met at the Wawa on Route 3 and headed out to meet with the rest of the CVMC folks at Barboursville. Jay led Dave and I over some really nice twisty roads on the way and not one road was gravel! He's really making good use of his mapping software program! We pulled into Mary Lou's where the rest of CVMC was waiting for us. We all gathered 'round and talked and visited for several minutes, catching up on news, etc. Then off we went, tops all down despite the cloudy looking skies. As we drove along, however, sunlight burst through the clouds and made driving along the twisties even more enjoyable. The trip up and over the mountain was the best drive I've taken so far in my baby. It was quite a sight to see our line of Miatas zipping along in the left lane, passing the slower SUV's.
Lunch in Elkton was in a combination restaurant/antiques store so we had lots of stuff to look at while we ate. Our crowd must have been the largest the restaurant has ever seen because we ended up eating lunch in shifts - the cook couldn't keep up. But that was okay - that gave us lots of time to peruse the antiques that were everywhere. Several folks bought something and there was some real interest in a stainless steel "beer cooler" that looked an awful lot like an old washtub! That's when we found out there were two prices for everything - the non-negotiable price (lower) and the negotiable price (noticeably higher!).
Prior to going into lunch we all reluctantly put up our tops. It's good that we did - the threatening skies finally let loose while we were in eating. When we came outside again the sun was out but nasty-looking storm clouds were piling up over the mountains and starting to head our way. We defiantly put our tops down again anyway and started back towards Montpelier. By the time we got there the rains came in earnest and the tops went back up again for good this time. At this point the Fredericksburg Miatas headed back towards home, having had a good time with good friends and great cars!
ZOOM-ZOOM (AFO-OFA)
Virginia
International Raceway, March 30, 2002
The weather channel predicted rain as we met at 8:30am on Hull Street.
Total attendance was 4 cars. Departure time 9:07am. All tops down as we headed West on Rt. 360 to South Boston. Making only one “pit stop” along the way we reached our destination at 11:30am in time to catch the last race before lunch. Peeking though the clouds the sunshine finally broke loose to give us great temperatures and high spirits. Dan and I had heard at our last visit to VLR that if you meet all the requirements (long sleeves, pants and a helmet) sometimes one could catch a ride with a race driver. Well, smooth taking and about 1 hour later we were watching Bruce, Dan, Mike and Charlie each take turns around the race track with our new friend Tommy Wilson, President of the Porsche Club of Tennessee. Now we realize that his car was no Miata but it did reach speeds of 85MPH in the curves and topped 120MPH on the straight. Tommy was an instructor whose students did not show up. He was very willing to share his track time with us. Each rider had at least 6 laps around the track and a great big smile and memories as we left at 4PM. Next stop was Ernie’s Restaurant in South Boston for a very late lunch?, OK early dinner. We departed Ernie’s still with all tops down and headed back to Richmond. We made our last contact by radio about 8PM as we reached the Brandermill area. Still no rain.
Many thanks to our new friend Tommy Wilson, and his Porsche 911, to Charlie whose helmet we borrowed, and to the other members who joined us for our first planned event. It was fun and we hope to plan another event next year.
Diane and Dan Judkins
Well, most of you missed a really fine day! We had 4 Miatas travel “top-down” both ways, good food, good conversation and a special treat at the track ...but we’ll let Dan & Diane tell you about that. Thanks for another nice “Miata” time and special thanks to D & D for setting it up.
Genie & Charlie Passut
About the VLR ride, What can I say, FANTASTIC!!! We braved the poor weather forecast and dropped our tops anyway. The clouds quickly broke and the sun came out with gusto. We had a very spirited ride with one stop to VLR. After walking the paddock and drooling over the many RX7s and Miatas with turbos. We watched some of the action on the track. All of us wishing we could get on the track ourselves. Dan, who I believe could talk his way into anything, quickly worked his magic and talked an instructor, Tommy Wilson, into taking two no three no four of us for some laps in his Porsche 911. What a blast. I still have a grin on my face. We finally had to head home with a stop at a nice restaurant on the way. Great food. Then home. The Judkins get the checkered flag for this ride.
Bruce Dove
The
"Fredericksburg Regional Miata Club" MADS Alternative
Drive, 3/30/02, Stef
"Ragtop Girl" Spindle (Pictures)
The day was cloudy when we all met at Earl's in Fredericksburg but we "dropped top" anyway! Off we went to Stratford Hall, in the Northern Neck. Thanks to Jay Stringer, our official drive-mapper, we had some great twisty roads to run and all managed to keep up with one another, with Dave "Lead-foot" Kimmel in the lead. Jay also managed to find us some dirt/gravel roads to drive on so eventually all our cars ended up the same color - "Dust"! We walked around Stratford Hall marveling at how people lived back in the 18th century with no lights, no running water, no indoor plumbing! Grateful for our Miatas, (and the now sunny skies) we headed back out on the road for more spirited driving. Our favorite road by far was "Wild Sally Road". The name says it all! We saw another white M1 and waved and "meeped" - we got an answering meep and wave back! As we drove through the town of Montross (speed limit 25 mph - horrors!) a pedestrian was heard to count down our line of cars,
"There goes another Mazda Miata, and ANOTHER Mazda Miata and ANOTHER Mazda Miata...." We ended our drive in Tappahannock, where we all had lunch at the famous Lowery's restaurant. Actually, some of us had breakfast - the lunch special was eggs, sausage, and toast! A grand time was had by all and we look forward to our next adventure.
Zoom-zoom!
Stef "Ragtop Girl" Spindle
Miatas
In The Blueridge, October 19 / 20, 2001, Chris Kearns
It was a perfect weekend for a trip to the mountains. Bright, sunny days, albeit chilly mornings, fall foliage, and plenty of Miatae to play with. Since those that planned to go were all following different schedules, George & I decided to get an early start on the festivities and hit the road around 11am on Friday. We decided to take one of our favorites , the Blueridge Parkway, down to Roanoke. We were pleased to find that we had little company headed west, or on the parkway, and could enjoy the ride minus traffic. The colors were less than perfect, but just driving through the countryside this time of year is a pleasure in itself.
We found the Holiday Inn with little difficulty. The view of the mountains from the hotel was spectacular...at least from the front of the building. Wouldn't have wanted one of the rooms in back, that's for sure. Mike Phillips was already at the hotel, and we were expecting Jim & Jackie Colonna to show up at any time. ( None of us had gotten Jim's message that they weren't going to make it before we had left.) Pat & Lou Guthrie were staying at a different hotel, and would meet up with us Sat. morning. The plan was to meet with the Blue Ridge Miata Club at the local Thunder Valley Go-Cart emporium, so after a quick supper the three of us set out in search of the place with Mike in the lead. Sounded simple, go to Main Street, turn right at Fast Freddie's, a couple of minutes and you're there. That's assuming you can FIND Fast Freddie's! Well, Mike missed it. We missed it. Somehow, we swapped lead, and then we LOST MIKE. George figured he had gotten hung up at a light, so we pulled over & waited. And waited. We decided to move on, and after another wong turn we finally found the Go-Cart place, exactly at the apponted time. There was not one other Miata there. Finally, one of the Blue Ridge Miata Club members showed up, and as we were getting acquainted, along came Mike. And there went Mike, right past the place. And there he went again, and again! I think it took him about 4 drive-bys to finally find the entrance! Can't really blame him, it wasn't marked well at all. But he sure was fun to watch! Some other BRMC members finally arrived, and the fellas decided to drive the track a couple of times. There was some serious competition going on out there, by the look of it.
Saturday dawned clear and cold. We all were glad to have packed some heavier jackets. We headed downtown to Fast Freddie's, the starting point for the day's activities. (It's much easier to find in daylight, especially when you located it on the ride home the night before.) Pat & Lou arrived, as did Marvin & Iris Coan, who had been CVMC guests on the trip to Lake Anna. One of the BRMC members had stocked up on fresh, still warm from the oven, Krispy Kreme donuts, which was a delicious way to start the day. Car by car, the Miatae arrived. We ended up with somewhere between 26 and 29 cars. Never did get a good count, as cars kept coming & going for a while there. It sure was pretty in that lot though! The local Miata dealer brought an 2002 for us to drool over...I mean look at. George's trailer came in handy as mobile office/donut bar. With so many cars, we were split into 2 groups. Pat & Lou's group were taking many of the same roads George & I had traveled the previous day, so we opted for the second, "more spirited", tour.
We did a pretty good job of keeping together getting through town. Even most of the traffic lights cooperated, and we were quickly into the hills. I have no idea what routes we took, but there were lots of twisties and elevation changes. We even crossed over for a bit into "West-by-God-Virginia", to quote George. We stopped at a Trout Hatchery to take a break from the curves and regroup. Roger, our leader, said we would be deviating slightly from the printed route sheets we had been given, in order to make a detour to Humpback Bridge. Then we were off again towards lunch. Traffic lights cooperated more than slow moving trucks, and we managed to get separated from the rest of the group. Then we came to the proverbial fork in the road, with not a Miata in sight, and no idea what the detour was to be. We took a guess and traveled on, only to see one from our group headed back the way we had come. Confusion. We figured we might not find the group on the road, but we'd be able to find lunch, so we kept going. A few more turns, and as luck would have it, there was Humpback Bridge and a slew of Miatas waiting in the parking lot. The bridge is one of the few covered bridges in Virginia. It gets its name from the bowed road bed. It is not open to traffic, but you can walk across it. There's a nice stream to walk by, and picnic tables available. After posing for pictures, it was off to Cucci's for lunch. An Italian restaurant, it lived up to its promise on the menu.....Cucci's does not serve FAST food. The breads were fabulous, portions were huge and delicious. The club was invited to come back, and to let them know in advance so they could have a photographer available.
After lunch we headed back towards Salem to meet up with the other tour group for the Saturday Night Cruise In at Fast Freddie's. I understand that during the summer there is not a parking spot to be had on Saturdays. I know there was plenty to look at the night we were there, from muscle cars, to Model T's, to Miatas. It was quite a sight, and a lot of fun checking > out all the cars. We had dinner at Fast Freddie's. The menu is a far cry from a hamburger joint, the prices were quite reasonable and the food was great.
Sunday we started home with a stop at Cracker Barrel for breakfast. Lou led the way, which is a good thing because I ALWAYS get lost going to a Cracker Barrel, and I needed my COFFEE! Amazingly, we beat the church crowd and were seated right a way. They sure serve big breakfasts, that's all I can say. We decided to travel to Walton's Mountain and stop at the museum there. There was a huge line around the building, people waiting to get autographs from some of the cast members that were there for the weekend. The museum was interesting, but very small. If you were a fan of the show you might consider it if you're in the area. We headed back Route 6, and took Mike for a tour of the prison and across the little bridge on the way back. He thought it was cool, but Pat said it always gives her the creeps. Generation gap or gender gap?
For those of you that couldn't make the trip, we missed you. But YOU missed a good one. BRMC plans to do it again next year. See you there.....
FROM BRMC
Here is a summary of the weekend's activities. A lot of work went into this event, and special thanks go to Larry Martin, Sarah Liddle, Roger Huffman, and others for helping us have a great time. If anyone sees any inaccuracies in this post, please let me know.
Jonathan Shewbridge
Held on October 19 and 20, 2001 the "2nd Annual Miatas in the Blue Ridge" was a success. The weather fully cooperated with a gorgeous blue sky and 70+ degree temperatures. (There won't be many more top-down days like that this year.) As a special bonus, this year's event attracted even more people and cars than last year.
Sarah Liddle and Larry Martin arranged discounted lodging for out-of-town visitors at the Salem, Virginia, Holiday Inn, situated on a hill with a great view of the autumn foliage.
On Friday night, several Miata enthusiasts met at the Thunder Valley go-cart track. Roger Huffman, Larry Martin, and others joined in the driving competition, taking turns racing each other and chasing the track regulars. Martin Maples and Sarah Liddle dropped by for some social activity later in the evening.
On Saturday, 26 Miatas converged on Fast Freddy's. Many regulars from Roanoke attended the event: Roger Huffman (who borrowed a brand new Zoom-Zoom from Berglund Mazda), Larry and Barbara Martin, Jonathan and Tammy Shewbridge, Nancy Behrens, Eunice Hale, Martin Maples, Sarah Liddle, Sheldon and Dao Ybanez, Robert and Jean Guthrie, and Joel Barnette. Other attendees included John Kuykendall from New River Valley, Richard and Donna Givens from Lynchburg, and Edward Von Saher also from Lynchburg.
The Danville Chapter had a good representation (bringing 8 of the 26 cars) including: Jeff and Debra Dodson, Bryan and Janet Gregory, Jack Walters, Ed and Cindy Wilbourne, Dan Goren, Bill and Ann McCaw, Ron and Sharon Estock, and Hannah Fuller (a brand new member at her first event).
The event also drew several people from out of town, including the Central Virginia Miata Club's George Ferrell and Chris Kearns and Lou and Pat Guthrie. Others from the Central Virginia area included Michael Phillips and Marvin and Iris Coan.
Yorktown, Virginia, Mike Keefe, Tennessee, Nancy's sister and brother-in-law and others (sorry, I don't have all the names).
Over coffee and Krispy Kremes, the drivers selected their choice of two routes and eventually split into groups. One group, lead by Roger Huffman, had 14 cars and followed SR-311 from Hanging Rock to Crows, VA, then SR-159 and US-60 to Covington, VA. The group ate at Cucci's, a favorite Italian restaurant in the area, and returned by taking US-60 to SR-696, to SR-616, to SR-621, to SR-615, to US-220, to SR-43 to Buchanan, VA, to US-11, to Cloverdale, VA, and back to Fast Freddy's.
The other group, led by Larry Martin, sported 12 cars and took US-460 to Shawsville, to Alleghany Springs Road, to SR-653 <SOAPBOX ON> a thousand plagues to the road crew that decided to "pave" right quarter of both lanes-what a gooey mess, but who would ever guess that they would pick the previous day or so to do their dastardly deed-Larry had already checked out the route a week or so ago, and the road was in fine shape then <SOAPBOX OFF> to SR-610 (near Simpsons), to US-221, down Bent Mountain (with a quick stop at a Mexican restaurant where the employees grinned a lot at our Miata "train"), to SR-419 to Buck Mountain Grill (which unfortunately was closed, however, we found a good substitute, with surprisingly quick service, at the Tanglewood Western Sizzlin'), to the Blue Ridge Parkway, through the Roanoke Mountain loop, to Peaks of Otter (which was JAMMED with leaf peepers) to SR-43, to Buchanan, to Eagle Rock, US-221 back to Cloverdale, VA, and US-11 back to Fast Freddy's.
On Saturday evening, many of the participants formed a "Miata Corral" back at the Star City Cruise-in at Fast Freddy's, and our little cars drew their share of attention amongst all the classics, muscle cars, customs, street rods, race cars, Cobras, et al. Several partook of the "gourmet drive-in" food and reflected on a day well spent.
Time
Travel... June 6, 1944 -- D-DAY, June 16, 2001, from Bertha Stevens (Pictures)
The day dawned clear but the knot in my stomach warned me of what was to come. We were supposed to have gone ashore yesterday but the tide was high hiding those deadly hedgehogs placed by the Germans to take a ship down. So we're going in this morning at low tide. No one got any sleep last night. I look around at my buddies, all of us between eighteen and twenty years old, and all of us seasick and scared, but we're determined to take this enemy out. We've heard that this is the largest invasion ever undertaken and we know that many of us won't make it through. But by God, we're going to oust Hitler's troops or die trying! The gunfire started earlier as the first troops hit the beach. As we move into place to make our run, I see to my horror that every inch of the beach is being riddled with bullets and the troops are being mowed down like blades of grass. My God, how will any of us cross that beach alive much less scale that fortress! At the command, I jump overboard. The water is deep and I have a hard time keeping my equipment above my head. Bullets are raining down on me, but I keep going. Out of breath, I somehow make it to the beach which is by now shrouded in smoke and strewn with bodies. I have to make my way across them -- oh I want to stop and help them, but I can't. Got to keep moving. Suddenly I feel a sharp pain in my arm as a bullet grazes me. Dazed for a minute, I manage to stumble on. The sound of gunfire is deafening but still I hear the cries of those who have been hit. The smoke clears slightly and I can see the fortress just ahead. Others are already scaling the wall; I'm right behind them, gun in hand....
June 16, 2001 ... Eleven Miatas met at the K-Mart on Route 60 to head to Bedford to see The National D-Day Memorial which had just been dedicated on June 6th. Ron and Sally were our illustrious leaders and had arranged for us to meet up with the Blue Ridge Miata Club at the Memorial for a tour. As always, they go the extra mile (pun intended) and so had come up with a contest: (1) how many miles to the Memorial, and (2) what time would we arrive. I've never seen so many map miles being added up (where's the calculator when you need it) and the creative ways people calculated an arrival time. Of course, no one realized that our leader was into time travel and would soon have us traveling at warp speed killing any chances of us even coming close to an arrival time.
Aside from our Captain and First Mate (Ron and Sally Marchand), our travel companions for our trip back into time were: Prez Kendall Tarkington, Rodger "stand in for Susan" Connelly, Jackie and Bob Shaw, Jim and Jackie Colonna, Roy and Geneva Whitley, Richard and Jo Owens, Dick and Lucinda McRoberts, Dwight and Sue Johnson (the tire experts), Mike Phillips, Chris Kearns, George "wildlife sighter" Ferrell, and me and Greg.
Although it was really overcast in Richmond, we were optimistic that we would find the sun as we headed west (and we did). We took great back roads designed just for Miatas. But like I said, once we hit the road, Ron got us up to warp speed pretty quickly. We did see some of the countryside (I think) but I can tell you, it was a bit of a blur. At a pit stop 1-1/2 hours into the trip, George asked if we had seen the wild turkeys and deer on the side of the road. Well, I didn't see the deer (no one else did either except Chris who was riding with George!), but I did see the wild turkeys. They were in the car in front of us and looked a lot like Kendall and Rodger. (Susan, you have nothing to worry about. Rodger will never replace you as navigator extraordinaire. He never once hung off the back of the "moving" car to try to take pictures of the rest of the Miata train. Of course, he had never ridden with Kendall before, which is a little unnerving, so perhaps I should cut him some slack this time.) Later in the trip, we saw quite a few deer but they were of the concrete garden variety. Makes you wonder about George's and Chris' sightings, doesn't it. The whole time we're breaking the sound barrier on these back country roads, Sue was trying to knit a sweater. Never mind that it now has 3 arms and 2 necks and is a little lopsided - it will still make a great present for Dwight. Watch for it at our next Christmas Bash.
We made it to the Memorial a little before noon. It is on a hill with the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop. What a gorgeous sight. We drove the loop around the Memorial and found the Blue Ridge Club cars (hard to miss, there were 18 of them)! Luckily there were still plenty of parking spaces for us right beside them, so you can imagine how nice that parking lot looked with all those multicolored Miatas gleaming in the sun. (Where's the media when you need them!!) We had arrived just in time - our guided tour was just starting. Our guide was wonderful and very informative. EVERYTHING at the Memorial is symbolic, even down to the style and type of railings used. And I think we were all moved by the sculptures of the men going ashore on the beach - they were powerful. There is still some work to be done, but the Memorial is very impressive and very well done. It's a trip worth making!
After exploring the Memorial, we gathered back in the parking lot before heading out to the Golden Corral for lunch. As we got to the main road, some of us had no clue which way to turn (several other "non-Miata" cars having blocked our view of the Miatas leading the group). So we turned right and came upon a small shopping center with a restaurant -- just not the right one. Oh what to do..... stay here and eat; try to find the Golden Corral; sit in the cars and melt! I would have loved to have had a video camera. Picture 10+ cars all coming into the Shopping Center and all taking different routes to converge in a heap in the center. No one was quite sure what to do, so some were parking, others were just driving around aimlessly, while others were starting to look panicky. It was hysterical -- looked like a miniature demolition derby!! Finally someone took charge (not sure who this brave soul was) and led us back down the street to the left to the Golden Corral where the others were patiently waiting knowing that we would eventually find our way. The AC inside the restaurant felt wonderful and the food was fine - especially the desserts! You can never say that Miata owners do not like to eat. Driving is their first passion, but eating must be at least a close second!
After our meal, Ron announced the winners of the contests. Greg won the mileage (obviously the only one with a calculator that day) and Jim came in second. Jackie S. won the time (apparently having had experience traveling at the speed of light) and I came in second, just one minute behind her. This was the first event Greg and I have been able to participate in this year, so it was especially nice to be contest winners (our bribes obviously paying off)!!
After this heady experience of triumph, we all met back in the parking lot where some would go on to Eagle Rock before returning home, and others would head home to feed livestock, etc. before dark. Greg and I were among the latter. Unfortunately, as the others were returning from Eagle Rock, Richard and Jo were involved in an accident and Jo had to be rushed to the hospital for x-rays. Roger Huffman and the Guthries of the Blue Ridge Club led our group to the hospital, and all stayed to make sure Richard and Jo were OK. Other than being bruised, cut, and badly shaken, there appeared to be no serious injuries. They were going to stay in a hospitality house that night and their son was going to drive them home on Sunday. The rest of the group headed back to Richmond late that night thankful that everyone was going to be OK.
Our sincere thanks to Ron and Sally for planning such a wonderful trip, and to the Blue Ridge Club for their hospitality (with special thanks to Roger Huffman and the Guthries for their help in our time of crisis). And thanks to all of you who stayed to make sure Richard and Jo were going to be OK. Your caring and selflessness may not be attached to a national monument, BUT it is still a powerful statement and means as much to those in need.
.... I feel the tears burning my eyes as I look at this new Memorial. Who would have thought that I would be standing here today in the shadow of this great monument. I remember all too vividly that day in '44 when we stormed the beach, my fallen buddies, the bullet grazing my arm, and the pain and effort scaling the fortress. I remember the fighting ... how long did we fight ... and I remember the sheer relief when it was finally over and I was still alive. And just a few minutes ago, when the veterans present were asked to raise our hands, what a thrill to hear that applause ... and humbling! Words can never describe the overwhelming emotion I feel standing here today remembering all of those who lost their lives and those, like me, who were lucky enough to make it.
(Article written by Bertha Stevens and dedicated to all veterans of wars and conflicts. Never having experienced the horrors of war, I am in awe of their courage and sacrifice. And it makes me realize how very thankful I am to be living at this time and in this location ... knowing that I've got miles of beautiful Miata roads awaiting!)
Sherwood
Forest Plantation, May 19, 2001, from Chris Kearns (Pictures)
Eight cars gathered under threatening skies on May 19th for a trip down Route 5 to Sherwood Forest Plantation that was led by Bob & Jackie Shaw. Jeff Harrison drove all the way down from the mountains to ride with us. That's dedication. Joining us for the first time were new members Dan & Diane Judkins and soon-to-be members Dick & Lucinda McRoberts. Jim & Jackie Colonna were the only brave souls to arrive top-down. Ron & Sally Marchand, Kevin ???? and myself rounded out the roster. Substituting for the M.I.A. Johnsons, the Colonnas managed to pick up a nail and were going to have to bow out of the trip since the wait time for tire repair was 1-2 hours. To the rescue came new member Dan Judkins, who volunteered to plug the tire. Emergency repairs completed, we hit the road less than 10 minutes behind the scheduled 10AM departure.
Sherwood Forest Plantation is the home of President John Tyler, the first vice president to ascend to the presidency after the death of the President. The home has remained in the Tyler family since 1842, and a decendent of Tyler's is still in residence. The staff was gracious enough to allow CVMC to pull up in front of the plantation house and 'pose' our Miatae for a group picture. (Of course, Bob Shaw's mentioning the possibility of posting the pictures on our web site might have had a little something to do with getting their permission!) Our guide was fun, and very knowledgeable, and answered all of our questions. She even told us the story of the "Gray Lady", the ghost of a governess said to haunt the premises. I asked her if she had ever had encountered the ghost, and she said on several occasions she had, "well, felt.....SOMETHING".
After our very enjoyable tour, more of us decided to brave the elements and dropped the tops for a trip to Surrey House for lunch, via the Jamestown Ferry. I'm sure it was good planning on Bob's part, because we only had to wait about 5 minutes for the ferry and the temperature was about 35 degrees cooler than the last time we tried that! I don't know about everyone else, but I certainly had more than enough to eat, and it was very good.
The trip back home was over some TERRIFIC miata roads...lots of scenery, lots of curves, no traffic. What more can one ask for? More of the same, of course!
Daytona
2000 - Miatas In Paradise, October 24/27,
2000, from Dwight & Sue Johnson (Pictures)
Four of us (Chris, George, Sue and Dwight) in two Miatas made the trip to Daytona together. Due to work schedules we left Richmond at different times on Friday and met in Roanoke. Saturday morning we headed out on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The fall colors were beautiful and it was well worth the extra miles, but we have miles to go as well. Darkness ended our Blue Ridge trek at Asheville, so we hopped onto more direct and less scenic roads for the remainder of Saturday's jaunt and landed in Cherokee, NC for the night.
The next morning we drove thru Great Smokies National Park for more beautiful scenery and (believe it or not) Christmas shopping at the gift shop. Not to worry, George was pulling a trailer on this trip. That meant Chris and Sue could do some shopping! We drove around the far side of the park and entered the area known as the Dragon at Deal's Gap. I can't speak for our lead car, but the non-existent brake pedal on the passenger side of our car was worn out on this 11 mile stretch of road with 318 turns all in mountain terrain. We had to stop at the motorcycle shop here and get stickers for our Miatas to prove that we had "done the Gap". Eat your heart out, Kendall. Now, the compass inside my head has gone kerflooey, so I don't done what direction we headed next. I do know we left Virginia, entered the Carolinas, touched Tennessee and now we're back in the Carolinas. What direction are we supposed to be going and what's our final destination?
Does the navigator in the lead car really have a map or is she a hostage of the Miata fanatic behind the wheel? We found some more curvy road, even though it looked straight on the map. We stopped at Bridal Falls for pictures. You drive behind the falls just off the main road for the Kodak moment. Now into Georgia for another overnight. At some point in Georgia (due to some strange highway leapfrogging) the lead changed. Why is it that the first lead driver spent two days and we were still in the Carolinas? Our second lead driver took about four hours to get us the rest of the way thru Georgia and across the Florida State line! We arrived at the Adam's Mark on Monday afternoon.
The registration desk would not open until 1PM on Tuesday, so that morning one car from the Virgina group drove north to the World Golf Village for a tour of the Golf Hall of Fame. I wonder who?
That afternoon we met up with the other two cars from CVMC (Pat, Lou, Jo and Richard). Wednesday all the Miatas went to the Daytona Speedway for an impressive group picture. We then did a parade lap around the track and were impressed by the site of those walls on the curves. Our tour of the track facilities included the plush suites where the VIP's and money people get to watch the races and also a trip up the circular stairs to the roof where the cameras record the race for the TV audiences. Now for the Miata events. No one in our group did the autocross this year. We did have some entries in the rally, but no winners. The scenery was beautiful thru some State Parks with live oaks draped in Spanish moss and just a multitude of back roads. Back at the racetrack others from our group were checking out the race museum where you can actually try your time in the Pit Stop area and also see the history of this racing town. We also had some entrants in the Funcana, again no winners, but they enjoyed the event and I'll let them tell you about it. On Thursday we joined a caravan with about 75 Miatas driving south to the Kennedy Space Center for a full day tour. Remember that Virginia played a very big part in the Space race. Many of those rocket scientists graduated from a very fine university in Virginia. Virginia has many fine schools, so I won't bandy about any names here, but we all know who I'm talking about.
Friday we said our goodbyes. We had talked with friends from other clubs who we had met at previous nationals, and we had made some new friends. We hope that Kathie and Bill Truxall of Reedville, VA will be able to join us on some of our drives in the future.
The trip home for this group of two cars plus one (Jo and Richard joined us for part of the trip) was a two day drive on Interstate 95. We did make a stop at JR Cigar (wonder who planned that) where we were joined by two cars from Quebec making their way home. Thankfully we didn't have that far to drive. We had lots of fun. The Florida clubs put a lot of hard work into this event and they deserve a big thank-you. My regret is that there was so much to do that there was just no way to take part in all the events, tours and games. But, there's always next year. Think about it.
Miatas in Paradise 2000, from Richard Owens
A brief account of "MIATAS in Paradise 2000" for those who not able to attend.
Our club was represented by four couples, Dwight and Susan Johnson, George Ferrell and Chris Kerns, Marcus and Josephine Owens, Lou and Pat Guthrie.
Due to our inability to make travel arrangements to caravan together we each journeyed to Daytona on our own. The Adams Mark Hotel was an ideal place for the event. The hotel accommodations were very nice. Check in was easy enough at the hotel but trying to check in to the event was a little time consuming due to the large number of people who all seemed to arrive at the same time. We were greeted by a member of one of the Florida MIATA Clubs,and signed forms to release from liability the Daytona Speedway. We were issued tags to be worn at all times which with proper stickers attached admited us to the race track and all the events held there. Each car was given a yellow tote bag which contained an assortment of "goodies". We also were given a sticker to place on our windshield, which depending on the color code signified An event staff member, a garage parking pass, a vendor, or speedway pass. There was a two page schedule of events which gave you many ways to enjoy the millennium gathering.
The opening ceremonies were held in a large hall which show cased the vendors wares. Club banners were hung on the walls. The hotel has a strong union which controled the number of hours members could work. Our banner was not hung until Friday.
The first event was a Buffet of fruit,cheeses,potato chips,egg rolls,and mixed salad. This was followed by a welcome speech given by the event chairman. Attendees were briefed on how cars should line up for the caravan to the speedway the following morning. Door prizes were given and so ended the first day.
Breakfast on Wednesday was served from 5.30 to 6.30. At 6.30 the caravan began to form for the ride to the Daytona Speedway. The caravan was headed up by a Florida State Police MIATA,who had 299 variously colored fun machines following closely behind. The police blocked off all side streets and turned all traffic lights to green for the caravan. If it had been daylight at that time the local inhabitants would have been in for quite a treat,but it was a little to early for most people.
The cars paraded to the speedway and were lined up in rows of 15 cars wide by 20 cars long. A photogragher high in the stands took several photographs to mark the occasaion. When the photo session was over a track pace car led the caravan around the race track. Most of the cars got up to 25 or 30 mph. I cheated and slowed down so that the car ahead of me got far enough away so that I was able to get my speed up to 60 mph on the straight stretch by the stands. When the parade lap was over everyone was on their own to choose what they wanted to do. Josephine and I decided to try the MEGAFUNCANA. I for one had no idea what a megafuncana was. It turned out to be a lot of fun.The first phase of the event was to drive through a maze of cones blindfolded with the passenger giving the driver directions on which way to turn and how far. It was necessary to put your faith in your partners directions. Several times I had to reverse and alter our course to get to the end. The next part of the course the driver had to get the car near enough to a cone for the passenger to place a furbee on the t