Details of the 2003 National Pre-29 4-cylinder meet have been presented by at least two reports on both the Chevy Chat Site and will be in the G&D. But, as Paul Harvey says, “Now for the rest of the story”.
When the meet was over me and my copilot took the 1928 Touring, secured in a closed trailer, to a storage facility for safe keeping. Now solo in the Motor Home, we headed South and East.
For the first 200 miles or so we played leapfrog with MrMack and two other Texas members traveling home as a group.
We entered the state of Oklahoma by way of world famous Quail, Texas. A few years ago I managed to have dual flats on the right rear of the motor home about 100 yards from the Quail intersection. When I pulled off the road I hit a soft shoulder of sand and immediately buried up to the axle. This was on the 4th of July, a Sunday, at approximately 2:00 PM, the temperature was well over 100 degrees and we were out of service on the cell phone. You don’t even want to hear the rest of that story.
You can tell when you have entered Oklahoma because the pick-up truck in front of you will have a rifle in the rack in the back window.
Our first stop was to visit Mary’s Niece at Lone Wolf. They live on a farm/ranch, in a house built on the highest point for miles around. From the front porch you can see in all directions for miles. In the evening, while visiting on the porch, you can hear the whip-poor-wills in the distance, view wildlife traversing the front yard by shining your flashlight, and at this time of year, see the wheat harvesting teams as they cut and combine the wheat well into the night. This is not a healthy place to visit as the meals include a recently slaughtered beef, (in anticipation of our visit), fried okra, black eye peas, sliced fresh tomatoes and onions, cornbread, ice tea and loads of banana pudding with meringue on top.
After adding a few unwanted pounds to our waist it was on across the state to Sapulpa. (Believe me folks; I’m not making up these names). This stop was for a visit with my older brother. First order of business was to head to the Knotty Pine Bar-be-que where the meat of choice is served on a sheet of waxed paper, with a slice of onion, pickle and hot pepper, and side dishes of cold slaw and baked beans, slice of toasted bread and the never ending full glass of ice tea.
During our visit there, my younger brother arrived from Austell, Georgia. This is the first time the three of us have been together since 1976.
Continuing on, our next destination was Missouri. On the way I observed two different Farmall Cub tractors parked near the fence line and for sale. In one front yard was a 1954, BelAir convertible, red & white, restored and $7.5 K OBO. The convertible would really look good parked next to my HardTop and it is red and white also. In every case there was not room to pull off the narrow road and take a closer look and besides we were running late. You can tell when you have arrived in Missouri, as the TV screen will have a severe weather warning in the lower right corner.
In Branson again to see some more shows. In my opinion Yakov Smirnoff presents the best show. Following close behind are any of the “Music of the __’s”, you fill in the decade. The Shoji Tabuchi show is highly overrated in my opinion.
On to Arkansas and it is easy to tell when you arrive. Now the pickup in front of you has two rifles in the rack. Headed to Mena where I grew up along with my copilot. Neither of us have any close relatives still living so the major purpose of the visit is a trip to the cemetery to pay respects to our parents and to decorate the graves.
Time to head west and we choose I-40 for this purpose. As we near Oklahoma City I-40 either parallels the Old Route 66 or overlays it. Two of the better Route 66 museums are located at Clinton and Elk City Oklahoma. As we travel further west more of the old road is exposed. As you travel you can close your eyes and imagine the old Whiting Brothers signs which were sometimes as long as 50 yards, the Jack Rabbit fuel stops, Stucky’s, where you could pick up a pecan roll, and of course the famous Burma Shave signs.
Headed into the late afternoon sun in a motor home with the large expanse of glass allowing the sun to hit directly on the pilot and copilot is not my idea of fun. If you can’t picture this situation then think of the backseat in a 1961 Impala bubble top and you can relate to the conditions.
After retrieving the trailer and car from the storage yard we head out on the open road for home. One good thing about traveling the route from the Midwest up to the northwest is that you don’t have to waste a lot of time viewing the scenery.
Upon arriving back home it’s a quick unload of the 1928 Touring and placing it back on line in the show building. We then select the 1933 Eagle coupe for our next adventure to the Annual North West Meet in Auburn Washington, which is just days away. It’s just fun following fun.
In reviewing my notes I find I have some omissions. Although I was raised and called Mena Arkansas my home I was actually born at Ink Arkansas. Now that may raise some eyebrows so let me explain. Years ago several people lived in a community in Arkansas without a name or post office. In order to receive mail they needed a post office and in order to have the post office they needed a name. Some of the more active residents drafted a letter to the government requesting the post office. Post haste they received a form from the government to be completed and returned with the suggested name. Back in those days the main means of writing was with a #2 lead pencil, (the ball point pin was not invented until 1945), but since this was a government form, at the place to enter the suggested name was a dotted line and under the line was the notation (write in ink). Being educated folks they followed instructions and wrote in the name “
INK ”. And that’s the truth.
Also while in Mena I picked up a copy of the weekly newspaper the
MENA STAR . In the minutes of the city council it was noted that council member Hays had removed and brought to the meeting the “Deer Crossing” sign from out east of town. He made a motion to have the sign moved out to the west side of town as he had been informed three deer had been hit just in the last week at the current location.
