Mike's 'A' FORD-able and Grandfather's Day

6 June 2009 Maysville, GA to Mountain City, GA 98 miles

Pictures L to R: Mike's 'A' FORD-able Parts (logo on his deluxe delivery); parking lot shot--still more cars to show up!; tow-truck; Ramblin' Reck from Georgia Tech; 1929 fire truck

GRANDFATHER'S DAY CELEBRATION

What a day! We went to the Grandfather’s Day Celebration at Mike’s ‘A’ FORD-able Parts in Maysville, GA. Mike, of Mike’s ‘A’ FORD-able Parts has been putting this event on for the past 6 years, ever since he moved to Maysville, GA. Apparently Mike’s business grew from a restoration project he started years ago. According to Benny, of Bentley’s Antique Auto Service, Inc., Mike, while working on his project car bought the parts he needed in bulk to get the better price. He was soon selling the extras that he didn’t need to his local club members. This became so successful that over the years he has expanded to an entire warehouse. Mike’s ‘A’ FORD-able Parts is the shop that supplied us with all the parts and pieces we needed for our engine “tune-up” over at Bentleys. After the BBQ event, Mike gave Dave and me a “tour” of his stock room. For you Model A enthusiasts, it is a sight to behold! Mike told us that he strives to have virtually everything you need when placing an order, and that realistically, he has a 97% success rate. (For us, that number was 100%!) Quite an amazing feat!

Back to Grandfather’s Day…We got there shortly before 10 AM—we were the 41st A to come in. Cars began arriving from all over Georgia, as well as from South Carolina and Alabama. I’m sure there are some other states that I missed. The Ramblin’ Reck from Georgia Tech was there, as was rival Old Miss from Mississippi. A retired fireman from Oxford, Alabama brought his 1929 Model A Fire Truck (which was a personal favorite of mine!) We also saw a 1931 Deluxe Pickup. These are just a few…there were over 130 amazing A’s at this event—everything from original rusted “found in the barn” project cars to high point show cars. I’m not sure, but I think we got the prize for the most miles traveled!

Bobby, from Bentleys’ Antique Auto Service, Inc. had made arrangements for a reporter to come talk to Dave and me about our trip. We had the opportunity to feel famous for 10 minutes or so, with all the cameras clicking. Our very own Paparazzi! Dave even took Katie (the reporter) for a quick ride in our car, since she had never ridden in one.

After the interview, we spoke with many of the other Model A’ers in attendance. The most common comment/question was, “You trailered that from California, right?” Surprisingly, we met many who are planning, or are thinking of planning a similar adventure of their own. In fact, one couple, from South Carolina were just finishing up a month-long tour to NYC, Canada, and down through Michigan. So you see…we are not the only crazy adventurers! We were surprised when Gerald Grizzard, the owner of the fire truck, presented us with a trunk tray that he had made for us after discovering our blog last week. We also received a “Touring Passport” from Tom Smith of Minford, Alabama. This looks like a US Passport, but with the Model A on the cover and a place for car and owner information inside.

SHIELDS-ETHERIDGE HERITAGE FARM (car tour)

Pictures L to R: Bobby and his parents, Darrell and Susan Chaisson--the owners of the family farm; Two of the three cotton gins; Front of the general store


After the BBQ, about 30 cars headed out on a short tour to the Shield-Ethridge Heritage Farm for a “homemade” ice-cream social. This farm is owned by Bobby’s family, and has been in their family since 1792! A registered historical landmark, they have restored many of the original building to their original locations and looks. These include a working grist mill, a general store, the tractor barn with a 10hp hit-and-miss engine, the school teachers house, the school house, and a building which houses three original cotton gins. They even have the original last bale of cotton that was ginned here! I’m sure there is more that I have missed. This site is a true treasure to Early American history. You can visit their website at: shieldsethridgefarm.org.

After a quick tour of the farm, Dave and I headed out, hoping to make at least 30 miles north into the Georgia mountains before dark. When we reached the campground we were aiming for, there was “no room at the inn,” so we continued on until we found a place to pitch our tent. Overall, it was a very busy, but great day. Dave got his Model A fix for awhile. Something we’ve noticed here in the south…where in California we refer to our car as a “Model A,” here they say “A Model,” or “T Model.”

7 June 2009 Mountain City, GA to Ashville, NC 133 miles

NC and the Start of the Blue Ridge Parkway

Pictures L to R: View of the Smokey Mtns from the Blue Ridge Parkway; Us at the high-point on the parkway.

We broke camp early, and continued our journey north. Since David was not in an oatmeal mood, we had decided to eat out. When we reached Dillard, GA, we stopped for gas, and then went to a flea market (swap meet) for a bit. We didn’t find anything we couldn’t live without, but we did run into another Model A’er who was with two other cars from South Carolina—one of them broken down. He was looking for a front outer wheel bearing and race. Never to leave another Model A’er stranded, we unpacked our car to get our spare out from under the back seat—yes, under all our gear!

After breakfast at a small café in Dillard, we soon crossed into North Carolina. Our goal was Cherokee, NC, which is on the Cherokee Reservation—part of the Smokey Mountains National Park—and is home to the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Blue Ridge Parkway is 469 miles long—or there abouts. As we headed north on the parkway, we passed by and stopped at many incredible vistas of the Smokey Mountains. Unfortunately, the climb from this end is pretty steep in places, and much of today’s mileage was at 25 mph. After 133 miles, traveling most of the day, we stopped at Lake Powhatan National Forest Campground, which is near Asheville, NC. Our average speed today, according to Hannah, our GPS, was 19 mph.

Temporary Recharge Needed...of the electronics!

Hi All...We have about 5 minutes of battery power left on the computer--We've been camping in the non-electric campgrounds along the Blue Ridge Parkway for the last few days, so computer time is limited! There is a detour off the parkway due to road maintenance so we'll be heading down the hill soon. Cell service is sketchy as well. As soon as we find an electric outlet, I'll be updating our adventures including the Grandfather's Day Celebration.

We hope you are enjoying our travels....Dave and Peggy

Bentley's Antique Auto Service, Inc. to the Rescue!

4 June 2009 to 5 June 2009 Maysville, Georgia and surrounding area

I spent the day Thursday in the hotel relaxing—reading, organizing the pictures, and catching up on my journaling. Friday morning I finished my book, and quickly was at loose ends since I didn’t have access to a car. Benny (owner of Bentley’s) offered to come pick me up so I could go to lunch with the crew, and after that, I just hung out at the shop—making a pest of myself and asking questions. It was really kind of interesting, because they had a number of cars in various stages of restoration and I was able to see how these are put together.

David spent Wednesday afternoon and all day Thursday and Friday at Bentley’s shop working on the car. Initially, we stopped by Mike’s 'A' Ford-able Parts to get the new tires for the car. Benny said he had the mounting and balancing tools to put the new tires on the wheels. (By the way…David is SOOoooo excited about finally having black-walls!) From there, David asked them if they could possibly give the car a quick listen-to/look-over. Benny and his crew are amazing! What started as a quick tune-up turned into a 2 ½ day overhaul of the entire engine.

On their recommendation, we decided to have the bearing clearances checked and adjusted. While checking this, they discovered that the rod bearings were fractured and needed replacing. Benny’s staff dropped other projects and in the 2 ½ days that the car was in their shop, new tires were mounted, the engine had new connecting rod bearings, new rings, and a complete tune-up. Benny’s response to Dave’s anxious questions was always, “Relax, Dave, we can fix anything!” Scott, Benny’s engine man, has the car sounding and running better than it ever has! If you’re ever within 1,000 miles of Bentley’s Antique Auto Service in Maysville, GA, we highly recommend them for anything from minor maintenance to stunning high-point restorations. These men are true professionals!

Baby's Got A New Pair of Shoes!

3 June 2009 High Falls, GA to Maysville/Commerce GA 108 miles

The drive was nice—cool temps this early in the day, and through two-lane winding roads. One reason we headed to Maysville is because Benny Bohanan and his lovely wife Pam had invited us to the Grandfather’s Day Celebration, sponsored by Mike’s A-Ford-able Parts.
We made it to Maysville by noon, so David stopped by Benny Bohanan’s restoration shop, Bentley’s Antique Auto Service, Inc., and introduced himself. Bentley’s is a complete Model A restoration shop—body and paint—as well as a full engine shop—doing minor repairs to complete new engine building. The cars they have in the shop which are in progress are incredible—the paint and interiors are stunning! Clearly top quality work.

It is supposed to rain here Thursday and Friday, so we decided to get a hotel room for the next few days—so David can work on the car, and we can have a “vacation” from setting up the tent each day. We are staying at The Days Inn in Commerce, GA, just 5 miles away from Mike’s A-Ford-able Parts and Bentley’s Antique Auto Service, Inc. Gordon Eanes, the General Manager/Owner of this hotel is a true gentleman! In true southern style, when he found out that our car was in the shop and we were without transportation, he offered us the use of his “service” car that he keeps at the hotel for running errands during the day. He also made it a point to let his staff know that if we needed the keys for the car at anytime, we had his permission to use it. Thank you Gordon!

We've Got Georgia on our Mind!

Pictures L to R: Welcome to Georgia; Andersonville National Cemetery; High Falls State Park

Eufaula, AL to High Falls State Park, GA 198.6 miles

My, oh my! What a long day of driving. We had this many miles because the first campground we started looking at in Andersonville, GA (at mile 88) and the next 5 we could find were just not something we’d want to stay at. Nothing against our RV family and friends, but camping on solid concrete, next to the interstate, and surrounded by RV’s that are blocking any hint of wind there might be did not seem enticing. A friendly Georgian finally told us about High Falls and it is much more to our liking…but it did entail another 95 miles or so—which equated to about another 2 ½ hours. All in all we had 5 ½ hours of driving time today, 9 ½ hours trip duration—including the stop at Andersonville National POW Museum and National Cemetery.

We left Eufaula this morning early and crossed the lake into Georgia. We found a small restaurant, Michelle’s, where we stopped for breakfast in Georgetown, GA. The drive was quiet as we headed north toward Plains, GA, the hometown of President Jimmy Carter. We stopped to stretch our legs and wandered through the museum and the town of Plains. They have turned Plains High School, where both Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter attended both grammar and high school into a museum which highlights President Carter’s life and career.

From Plains, we continued on to Andersonville, Georgia where the National POW Museum and Andersonville National Cemetery is located. This is an amazing museum, honoring all of the American POW’s from all wars--from the Revolutionary War to present. They have an incredible display of artifacts and information about POW’s. It was very moving and gave pause for reflection. We also stopped at the Civil War Cemetery to take pictures of Peggy's Great, Great, Great, Great ? Grandpa Monthy’s gravestone. Grandpa Monthy was a Union soldier during the Civil War, and was imprisoned at Andersonville where he died in captivity.

From Andersonville, we continued our journey north, and finally landed at High Falls State Park, GA. It was nice to finally stop, and set up our tent so we could relax. It isn’t nearly as warm here as Eufaula, AL was last night. We felt like we were camping in the mountains, surrounded by pines and sycamores. It was fun watching as the squirrels cavorted through the trees. The falls are a natural rock stream bed, that ultimately falls about 100 feet.

Since we drove so far today, we'll probably head directly into Maysville, GA tomorrow. It is supposed to rain Thursday and Friday, so we will live in the comfort of a hotel for a couple of days. Dave is antsy about some minor car issues--sounds he is hearing, general maintenance, and tires---and he is hoping to have another set of Model A ears listen to it.

Caution...Alligators Present!

Pictures L to R: Danger sign; Allie

1 June 2009

David and I went for a walk around the campground after it started to cool down some. We walked toward this beautiful lake—the water was smooth as glass, and you could see the trees and grasses reflecting on it. As we approached the area where boats could be launched, we noticed a sign:

DANGER
Caution
Alligators present

No kidding! Even so, earlier in the day we had seen some children playing on the banks of the lake. Anyway, we began walking along the lake's edge, and started talking about this. Why, I wondered, would anyone swim, or water ski in a lake that was known to have alligators? Just then, we noticed a “log” in the water, floating out of the reeds. Turns out, it wasn’t a log, but our first “wild” alligator sighting—the first for us other than at the zoo that is. We watched this gator, about 5 feet long—maybe 6, swim along the shore about 20 feet away. He would stop periodically and sink a little so that just his eyes were showing, and then he would start swimming along again. We also saw what looked like another kind of animal in the water—I think they were snakes, based on the S shape path they were making across the water. David thinks that maybe they were just water bugs...it doesn't matter who is right, because we're not going swimming! NO, HENRY...neither are you!

We're Headed North!

Pictures from top to bottom: A Catfish Farm in AL; The Piggly Wiggly and car for sale; Our Camp Site at Lake Eufaula State Park (notice Henry doing his job as permit holder)

1 June 2009 Andalusia, AL to Eufaula, AL 126 miles

Boy is it hot and muggy! Thundershowers are in the forecast beginning Wednesday, so it looks like we will be dodging rain again. The drive today was pretty—we went through so many small towns, that we had some trouble finding a place open for lunch.

As we were driving along, I was watching the scenery change—rolling hills of pine forests to cleared fields for farming and cattle. This is really beautiful country. I’ve decided that Hollywood has done a disservice to the American people. My whole perception of the geography of the South is based on movies and television shows—this is not something that is taught in California public schools. As we are traveling through these different geographical regions, I realize just how great our country is with it’s diversity of flora, fauna, and dialects. Woody Guthries poem/song “This Land is Your Land,” keeps popping into my head. We really are fortunate to live here.

Things I’ve discovered since being in the South:

Crawfish is the proper name for these little critters, not crawdads!
I never knew that this area (Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama), is covered with pine forests. (There are other trees mixed in.)
Not all of Louisiana is swampy bayous.
Alabama is hilly—constant rolling hills!
Alligators, it seems, have a dormant period—not really hibernating, but not real active. (They are just now beginning to get active.)
There are a myriad of poisonous snakes in the south, and they go in the water—I’m so used to just worrying about the diamond back rattlesnakes of California and Arizona—I’m amazed that anyone goes swimming here!

The Piggly Wiggly is actually a market here, not just a fictional store in literature!

I’m sure I’ll discover more things about this great country as we head north.