I'm back home now, no dramas with lost baggage or long delays on this leg!
I was in the US for 2 weeks, and managed to meet up with the thicko crowd
at a vintage race meeting (Grattan, Michigan - an earlier message about
this one), took the ferry across Lake Michigan with Peter C. and family,
and met up with Phil Vanner and his family in Minneapolis for
a observation/navigation rally run by the local Healey club.
We (Phil as driver, me as navigator, and spouse Darcie & 3yo daughter Lily
along for conversation and distraction!!! :-), were in Phil's Volvo station
wagon, but most of the others did the event in misc British cars with a
couple of other modern cars to fill out the field. It was great to see so
many spridgets doing the event. Only one car had problems (as far as I know),
and that was a 100-4 that had rear brake problems. He was local to the area
(Western Wisconsin near Redwing), and his parents were doing the event in
their BRG Bugeye. He left the car by the roadside and joined us in the back
of the station wagon.
I tried pretty hard to get a rise out of him, but he ignored my taunts about
big Healeys! I hope he realised it was all in good humour!
The roads were pretty, good quality, fun rural roads in an area that had
gentle winding roads through an area with lots of corn and cattle and pretty
woods.
The event was a well run, fun event. Not particularly tricky (it seems most
people must have got all the questions answered correctly), but very well run
with clear instructions, and lots to keep the crews busy!
So I was really lucky on this trip -- A vintage race weekend, a fun and
interesting trip across Lake Michigan on the SS Badger with Peter C and his
family, and a fun rally with Phil & family.
Luckily enough for me, it was a successful and productive trip for work as
well.
I drove over 900 miles doing the Chicago/Grattan/Ferry/Chippewa
Falls/Minneapolis
leg of my trip!
Oh, and Peter -- the advice about Liney's beer was great. I did my best to
sample as much of the Linenkugel's beers as I possibly could. Nice beers!
Chippewa Falls was much more fun that I thought it would be -- lots of little
taverns with friendly locals and plenty of cheese curds!
I *hope* to be back in the Nov/Dec timeframe -- if there is anything in that
timeframe, let me know and I'll tweak my schedule to try and hit any events.
I say "hope" because with the IT industry as it is, it is conceivable that
the company may try and cut travel further...
Mike
p.s. really sorry to hear of Darcie & Lily's car accident -- glad there were
no serious injuries
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