We rolled in to VA BBQ Friday afternoon….it was warm but the
humidity was way low….nice and comfortable.
The Princess & I set up camp and soon Ron joined us and the circle
just kept getting bigger. Bill &
Jo-Ann joined up then Susan, Walter & Jackson set up chairs. Susan is Bill’s daughter….AND it was Bill’s
birthday! Jo-Ann had donuts for us….then
Susan brought out an ice cream cake! So…..we
had a party….as much of a party as people over seventy can have, in public….hehehehehehehe
The lot began filling up with some new to us rides. Jim C. brought his white ’67 Plymouth
Belvedere wagon that he is restoring….drive train first! The yellow Ranchero was back but I couldn’t
track down the owner….next time…. A
nice red ’31 Ford sedan, Jim’s yellow ’72 RoadRunner, Bob’s yellow SSR, Marla’s
red Chevy pu….just a lot of visitors made up the over 60 cars for the
evening. The last one was the red,
traditional ’32 Ford 5 window with the killer Ford motor….more on this piece another
time.
I think we were almost the last people to leave the lot beside
the host club….a very cool cruise. You
have to visit if you are in Fredericksburg, VA on a Friday evening….it’s a lot
more fun than staying home and mowing your lawn ya know…..grinning
Saturday we cruised to Fredericksburg, VA to help manage the Cruisin
For Heroes, 2nd Annual Mid Summer Thunder Cruise. Our group, Cruisin For Heroes, puts on events
to help support our Veterans, in particular the Fisher House Foundation. You can read more about our group here; http://www.cruisinforheroes.com/ . Last year we cruised to the Meems Bottom
covered bridge near Mt. Jackson, VA….it was a well attended, much appreciated event
so we wanted to try to conjure up something special for this year. The Princess & I had attended the Labor
Day picnic at Jim Stills Antique Motors in Colonial Beach, VA a few times in
the past and always had a good time. And
whenever we are in Colonial Beach we try to parlay the visit into lunch or
dinner at Wilkerson’s Seafood Restaurant.
We needed to plan an event that incorporated both deals…. I began to make contact with Jim Stills in February
this year and shortly after he & I had a date set I contacted Jay Wilkerson
to see if we could work something out that would complement the museum visit. In March I began designing the advertisements
to include the internet ad and then the flyer handout. We were on a roll. The only thing we had to stress about was the
weather….but it was 5 months off! Yeah
right…. Friday, one day before the
event, we found out that there was another event planned at the museum the same
day as ours! It would begin in the
morning but our group would arrive around 12:30 and they were expecting 10-12
cars from us. When we left the start
point I got a call from Wilkerson’s asking if the event was really cancelled
for the day???? We had 44 vehicles
rolling toward Colonial Beach by then….stress….you have no idea…. I assured them we were still planning on
being there around 3PM. They wanted a
number of people that would be attending and I had to remind them I didn’t know
because the amount of people at the museum that would be going to the restaurant
with us was still unknown until we got to the museum! And the new revelation that the museum would
be having their own event and we didn’t know how many of those people would be
attending the restaurant with us. Stress….hmmmm It’s a balance we try to achieve by not
making people commit to our events for our convenience. We know life throws things at people that
they have no way of knowing about and we feel they don’t need the stress of whether
to break their commitment to us or to deal with their personal problems. We take the stress instead….it’s how we roll.
The start point was a Sheetz gas station on Rt. 3, in the Ferry
Farms area of Virginia. Lou & Fred
quickly realized the cars that began to show up were more than the Sheetz could
safely handle. They decided to gather
across the street in a large truck parking lot….that would work! To be honest I expected 25-30 cars to show up….was
I wrong! We ended up with 45 special cars
(Wes would join us soon after we left the start point) and a couple daily
drivers, all rolling to the beach. We tried
to plan for that many vehicles even though we didn’t really expect that
many. We had set up two intermediate
leaders, Lou & Fred, to be in the group about 12-15 vehicles apart. They knew the route we would take, in case we
got separated. They could lead everyone
behind them to the destination. Dan was the Vulture, he was the last car in the
group, so he could check on anyone that dropped out while keeping in contact
with me as we rolled. We did get separated
a couple times but we always reconstituted the group. I love it when a plan works….
When we arrived at the museum I knew parking would be a little
tricky….but I also knew that Jim had more than adequate parking around the museum
and across the street around his business.
Jim frantically welcomed all of us while JV and some of the other Colonial
Beach Cruisers helped park all the unexpected vehicles. They “got er dun”. We were parked in under the trees and all
around the two lots….no “scheduled”, in between the lines parking….no
siree! It worked out very well and the
people began strolling through the museum.
I really like a “cruise” instead of a show. In a cruise all different kinds of rides can
enjoy the day. New cars, old cars, stock
cars, modified cars, done cars and in progress cars….everything. No competition or testosterone involved thank
you very much! We ALL play together well….just
to enjoy the hobby and each other’s company.
Jim’s museum is like a time capsule of a Ford dealership in 1954….complete
with wall murals and display engines. Period
memorabilia was placed all around the museum as were pristine examples of the
1954 Fords. Jim also has a whole herd of
’54 Fords outside; waiting to receive the TLC they need to take up residence
inside. Jim is an enthusiastic owner….literally
running around making sure everyone is getting the attention they require and
answering any questions about his little piece of automobile heaven. He is a really great host. Around 1:45 I began noticing people clumping
and talking….a sure sign that some were ready to move on. I called the restaurant to let them know we
would be leaving the museum at 2PM instead of 3PM. Then we announced to everyone that we would
be leaving at 2PM (an hour early) to cruise to the restaurant. Some would leave early….”to beat the rush”
???? Since they arrived early at the
restaurant they would have to wait a little till the restaurant got geared up
for us being early. The owner of the restaurant
had agreed to begin the normal Saturday buffet at 3PM instead of 5PM….just for
us! When the main group arrived, parked
and moseyed inside….the restaurant was just about ready! They called their wait staff to come in early
and really flexed to our early arrival time.
I would actually take my last picture outside in the parking lot at 2:42
before I went inside the restaurant.
The buffet fare was great but some would order off the menu
instead (why? Grinning). When the wait
staff got control of the group they were superb…. Everyone that stayed had a great time and probably
ate too much while enjoying the relaxed ambiance. Be sure to check out the pictures….I think a
lot of blue point crabs died Saturday! A couple people have allowed me to share the
pictures they took at the event, Kendra Sullivan and Ron Lacasse both
contributed to the image collection, thank you for adding to the day’s experience
for all. The view across the Potomac is just too
cool….you have to visit this restaurant when you are in the area….you won’t be
disappointed.
Around 4:30 we formed up to cruise back to Fredericksburg and
visit the world renowned, Carl’s Ice Cream shop. Most of the Fredericksburg Classic &
Muscle Car Club would attend but Rick would lead the dash to the ordering
window. I think that would be a very
dangerous place to be, between Rick & Kim’s truck and the ordering window
of Carl’s….hehehehe We all tested the
ice cream at Carl’s….to make sure it was still ok, it was! It’s a public service we provide, you’re
welcome!
After Carl’s we all cruised home and recounted the days activities….a
great time with old friends and new friends while lazily cruising the Virginia
Byways…..I love this hobby.
