AACA Western Tour-Santa Rosa, California

Well guys, we arrived in San Francisco’s airport Saturday after a long 5 ½ hour trip non-stop trip. The convenience of the bus trolley that took us the balance of the 59 miles to the Flamingo Hotel, our host hotel, can not be over emphasized for any tourist lost in California as we would have been. At once, all of us notice the strange looking plant life. I point out to Mike the familiar ice plant I had found so fascinating back in 1967. We also saw the colorful housing in that area as we traveled by bus along the ocean front, where all of the young people were surfing. Of course they were in wet suits as the air temperature was only 65 degrees on this day. It took the rest of the night to recuperate from the jet lag.

Sunday
It’s been in the upper 70’s today and we managed to make a great day out of the Charles Shultz Museum and Research Center. Some of Mr. Schultz’s earliest works were on display along with his reconstructed drawing studio, complete with many signed pictures from Presidents, foreign dignitaries, and people in the know from around the world. Mr. Schultz was a quiet man, happiest at his drawing board, the one he brought with him from his home in Minnesota. This museum was very user friendly and everyone associated with it were very knowledgeable about the man.
We ate our lunch, or was it supper, at the Redwood Empire Ice Arena, the arena built by Mr. Schultz. Our meal was eaten one table away from the “reserved table” of Mr. Schultz. He spend many of his meals at this table where he could watch people come and go or watch the skaters inside the ice skating rink.
Well, it’s 4:30 their time and...... I don’t know what time it is at home. I told Gloria I’m going to just get a banana split next door and call it a night!!

Wayne

Monday,

Today was registration day, but we'll also have a bar-b-que tonight.

We met up with Dave Chiotti today. Dave is AACA Vice President of Development and Support. Mike and I helped him move some of his "small car fleet" over to the hotel. I also checked out Dave and Marilyn goodies at their home in Santa Rosa.

The train pictures looks like I got caught speeding again(the little red car caught by the cop, Is that MC Hinson? ).

Some of Dave's cars. Mike says he likes the big '55 Caddy!

Wayne

The picture of Dave Chiotti's Studebaker above shows the advanced laid back window design. Also, did you notice how much the front end looks like a Cord? Past AACA President Jim and Sharon Raines got to drive this beauty for the week.

Wayne

Wayne... Can't be me. I drive an unmarked car....

MC, didn't think that cruiser would run that far west anyway.
Did I tell you about the bar-b-que???

My life is complete. I met my first hippy since 1967. I almost asked her to prove it with a look at her "vintage tatoo", but thought better of it.

By the way, she is a member of the Redwood Empire Region!

Wayne, thanks for posting as it sounds like a great tour with a lot of interesting sites, now tell us about the hospitality room.

Ron, first, let me say that Barbara Hollingsworth (pictured above) and I were really having fun with each other. After thinking over my post last night, it may not have sounded like that. Dave Berg came by and wanted to know if she still had her hippy wagon!????

Ron, the hospitality suite (sure glad you spelled that word Ron, I got hung up on the i's, l's, and, t's ) will open for the first time this morning, and then we'll probably "swing" tonight.
We're to have a little mystery tour today. My son, Mike was asked to co-pilot for a lady that's driving a 60's? Roller (Rolls Royce)today. I also want to thank Alan ? for bringing over a guitar for Mike to play. He was starting to get withdrawal symtoms.

Criminy, here it is 9:54 am, and the sun isn't even up.

Going touring guys....later,

Wayne

Tuesday,
Traveling the country side west of Santa Rosa today. It was a treasure hunt of sorts as we had to fill-in-the-blanks of different sites throughout the day......


..Like pic 1, what's on the ceiling of the Washoe House?

..Like pic 2, got the time?

..Like pic 3, cool country side

We lunched at Occidental, Ca at the Union Hotel built in 1879.

Pic 1..following Eric Marsh of China Grove, NC in Dave Chiotti's beautiful little Buick convertible. Eric and I spent the day following each other at one time or another throughout the day. While looking for those elusive mystery items, either he or I would have to "turnaround" more than once going over "old ground". I figure that with the day's milage being about 70 miles, that Eric and I certainly doubled that. Dave Chiotti said he wanted us to exercize his car collection. We held up our end Dave!

Pic 2..Does this bar at Union Hotel look 128 years old?

Pic 3...Closeup of signs!

Pic 1..A beautiful Simplex behind the Union Hotel.

Pic 2..parking lot of the winery!

One shot of the hills above Santa Rosa. This picture doesn't really do justice to the view up there. The roads were very steep and narrow, the houses rather large and I'm sure expensive. The fellows back in Occidental were quoting acreage at about $500,000 up for less than a acre. Is this what the East Coast has coming?

Mike helped soothe nerves with some guitar picking at the hospitality suite later this evening. He also met a new friend from Stuttgart, Germany who recognized a few of Mike's songs.

Wayner,

Looks like you are having a wonderful time out there. Thanks for sharing the pictures for us worker bees to drool over.

No problem Tom. The weather is wonderful, the friendship even better. Hitting the road again in a few!!!

W.

Ok Wayne what are we up to today, inquiring mines want to know!

Not so loud Ron!!
Stayed up late last night at the bar with some new friends from Sonora, Ca. Sang a few songs, looked around, friends were gone, and my watch said 3:00am Virginia time....Ouch.
My phone rang at 5:10 this morning...darn trucks!

We had a big day yesterday, traveling through the eastern Sonoma County country side. We were mostly together starting with the early cars....pic 1

I want to also say that West Peterson's "I don't have an FN button!" finally got me. My "N" button fell off this week on this laptop. COOL!..... NOT

Wayne

Following the different cars overland was fun. We were on some of the worst roads I've seen on this trip. We're poking along trying to keep out fenders on, and this 4X4 diesel Ford blows by 3 of us in a row....tires more off the ground than on.

W.

PS, sorry about the finger print on the Lincoln, Barry!

I want you fellows to try this photo technique on your next tour....pic 1

pic 1..
What a view. I knew we'd get to the ocean eventually. We're still up on a hill at this point. Oh, we had to miss two sheep on the way through the farming coutry(couNty..darn N).

pic 2...
Our first view of the harbor surrounding Bodega Bay, really pretty...surf pictures coming up arouNd the corner/hill.

pic 3..
The cliffs and Japan...that way!!

pic 4..

Belva Baltzar, Mike's first ride of the week, in her 1959 Rolls Royce LWB. You'll also notice a painter in the background. Ok, maybe he was an artist, but he was painting. Also asked him if he did porches to see if I could get a rise out of him!

pic 1..
After viewing the bluffs/cliffs, I left a little early to stop and take some pictures of the cars going by.

pic 2..
Almost left out this picture of a beautiful '33 Packard Sedan (hope that's right) owned by Paul Williams of Sonoma, CA.

pic 3..

More cars coming off the cliff...

pic 1..

Trying to get the perfect picture of "my" '55 Caddy, thanks David Chiotti.

pic 2..
Redwood City? Actually Guerneville (I think).We had traveled along the coast on route 1 making about 1000 turns, left and right, left and right, until we started inot the Redwood Areas. Wild, dead grass and countryside into the lushest greenery you've ever seen.

pic 3..

Our lunchstop, Bud Chenoweth's Chenoweth Grove, a private ranch in the redwoods that caters to parties and weddings (1 a week, woah!!). This picture showed the narrow confines of running my caddy between the "big trees". Someone mentioned to me that the Caddy's fenders looked awful close to those trees. I answered that it was ok, "They're Dave's fenders, not mine!"

Dave Chiotti was my gracious host and he took my teasing very well.

pic 4..

Chow time in the quiet woods

Wayne, thanks for the updates. I'm pretty decent at the through the windsheild, over the should, "driving shooting", and the "dog's head out the window" shots. Being the webmaster and newsleter editor and being single requires learning to take the moving shots. Also, fun working with the GPS on the laptop while driving too.

Looks like a lot of fun including the hospitality suite. Thanks again for posting, keeping us up to date and reminding me that I am stuck at work.

Hey! I represent that remark!! After three years of doing Antique Automobile, I still don't have an FN button!!
Nice photos and report, Mr. W. Congratulations. You've just secured a job as roving reporter for Antique Automobile.
Would love to play cat and mouse with you on a tour some day. Ask Earl about his "fun" following me in my Packard on the last day of the Glidden Tour. We got the cob webs out of his Buick. Surprisingly, we gave a Model A a good run for his money, too. (Earl said it must have been "juiced.")