Gang, When the Hot Rod Hill Climb in Georgetown was announced, I immediately decided to attend. What a great idea! In the time that followed I planned a route WNW from Florida and back that would also let me see old friends, museums, famous sites, etc., along the way. I left in early September and on the way out stopped first at the Barber Motorsports Park Motorcycle and Mercedes Museums near Birmingham, AL. The Barber Museum was simply FANTASTIC. All kinds of bikes (and great cars, too!) from all over the world, in a MOMA-worthy building / setting. The Mercedes Museum was kinda small and dull (probably in place only to treat the watch your Benz built and take delivery folks), but they do have a Mercedes DTM style racer in the lobby that was amazing (see the spec sheet). Next up was Macon, MS to visit an old art school bud and blues musician (Big Joe Shelton, google him!) and then I stopped at the Tupelo Auto Museum (amazingly, there was a Roth car there) the next day. Then on to Memphis and Graceland (I enjoyed the house, not so much the rest of the tourista stuff), Sun Studio (WOW!) and the Rock N Soul Museum. After that came Daryl Starbird's place in OK. Being a long time model car guy, I just loved the clone Big T and Lil Coffin. Then out to Speedway Motors Museum in Lincoln, NE a totally amazing and super cool place as many of you know. On the way to Georgetown and the Hill Climb the next day I stopped at several places along US36 in Kansas - my Aunt & Uncle's old bowling alley in Mankato, the "Center of the US" photo op landmark and the Belleville Midget Museum (which was not open as advertised, dag nab it). I stayed with old friends in Frisco, CO and they also joined me for the Friday train ride on the "Loop" and the main event on Saturday. They just loved it, too! I posted pix of that elsewhere. After the Hill Climb, I visited a couple of model train-related stops in Denver before heading to Dallas for the NHRA race. Unfortunately, my friends (Elite Racing / Rick and Rickie Jones) were out after the second round (massive red light, very embarrassing). But they did qualify 2nd (a very big deal!) and had some of the top speeds in Pro Stock that weekend. The drive home from there was mostly interstate... ho hum. The 27 ran great but I replaced the front tires in Denver when they finally decided to go square on me. Other than all the dead bugs and a stone crack in one headlight, it purred right along, out n back. With the heat going west, and all the rain in Colorado and the way back, it was very interesting some days. I kept to back roads when I could and some were just wonderful. Others not so smooth. I really like trips like this, wandering around and combining events with sites and old family or friends. I'll post some pix next. I'm going all the way to California next year!!! Gary
Hey Gary : What a great trip...great pics & story.. Sounds like you had a blast and the truck performed well... Hope to see you at Daytona T/Run in Nov... Got parking from Gregg again Stan
Glad you guys enjoyed the read. Stan I'm not sure where I'll end up this year inside Daytona... I'll let you know. Gary
Har har... I'm pretty sure it was Elvis that slept there! Except for the Jungle Room, Graceland wasn't nearly as tacky as I thought it would be. Gary
Finally found this thread....great trip and pics. We did a few back road trips through N Fla,Alabama,Tenn, and Kentucky on the way to & from the NSRA Nats In Louisville in the late 80's & early '90's Even got invited to come over to supper in Lineville Alabama by some one that knew my ex-wife's father.....he even said " Ya'll can still come" while looking at the floor after he found out I wasn't still married to THAT gal!!! I love small towns & back roads
This just in... pix of me and Neal East. It was great to meet him and I really appreciated his interest in my little truck. Gary
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