Touring the Palmetto State

[R W Burgess]

Gloria and I arrived at Easley, South Carolina yesterday after an 8 hour drive from Virginia. An unexciting trip other than the fact that our trailer decided to lose its brakes before we got out of Virginia. At least my pickup brakes have been duly seated in.

I just took this picture of the front of the Jameson Inn a few minutes ago. We still have a lot more members to arrive yet.

[R W Burgess]

The front of the Inn with the lobby in the background. This is where you get to meet the friends that you haven't seen for a while.

[R W Burgess]

AACA President, Sharon Lee showed up driving her "Convert", followed later, by husband, Leonard Lee in his cute little Chevy II!

Leonard wants everyone to know that he had a theft last week. Someone stole his original Chevy wheels on his Chevy wagon (pictured left), so he had to buy these cheapo non-originals just to get by!

Sure Leonard! And, I thought those southerners were straight shooters!

[R W Burgess]

Here's the story;

Tom Holt and Gene Roy traveled up from Florida together, along with Earl Beauchamp. Somewhere along the way, Gene's generator gave up the ghost. Gene located a voltage regulator, but that didn't completely fix the problem. Here we see he and Tom under the hood, yet again, replacing the generator. Well the replacement generator didn't preform any better than the old one. As they were discussing sending someone to a automotive store to find more parts, I figured it was time for me to leave.

Gene Roy and his hightech tools!

"Wayne, hold the end of this wire on the ground cable. Sorry about the "ice pick" on that end of the tester being missing."

"Oh, watch out for that spinning fan, too. It'll get your fingers!"

[Guest Dr. Strangelove]

As the song goes: <span style="font-style: italic">Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina...</span>

(Dr. Strangelove lives in the Palmetto state)

[R W Burgess]

Sunday Night Social!

A packed house. This tour is about 15 over the suggested 100 cars, but everybody wanted to come.

See anybody you recognize???

The side church parking lot.

Two Packards on the street!

[R W Burgess]

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I've been Coppered!

Well guys, I didn't even get out of the Inn's parking lot this morning, when officer Marshall VanWinkle pulled up beside me in his cruiser and started writing citations for various offences on my Corvette, including loud exhaust noise, no inspection sticker (officer, I'm not from this state!???), dangerous knockoff wheels (a pedestrian problem in South Carolina, evidently), and a host of other trumped up charges. If it had not been for Wanda and Willis Blevins from down near Roanoke, Virginia sticking up for me, he would have written me up for mistaken identity. He said just cause I thought I looked like Todd Palin, didn't mean I would be sleeping with Sarah tonight!!!!

Thanks Wanda, Willis, this cop from the

Carolina's is a real badaXX.

Hey, I just noticed this cop has Jersey tags on his cruiser. Can I make a citizen's arrest???

[R W Burgess]

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Breakfast break at the Old Pickens Presbyterian Church. This is the second church visit in two days for us. Gloria told me that I could use all the religion that I could get.

[R W Burgess]

Chasing Earl and Judy Beauchamp's '81 Buick and a beautiful green Mercury on the back roads of South Carolina.

[R W Burgess]

A striking mountain top on the highway this morning.

[R W Burgess]

Leonard and Pat Parquette with their 1967 Ford Mustang. Leonard's the bravest man in the AACA, to ride in a pink car all day. I suggested he trade seats with my wife, Gloria, to give him a little break from the embarrassment.

[West Peterson]

The Parquettes (and you) are taking chances letting Earl lead.

Just jabbin' you Earl, for that little mistake on the Glidden Tour.

[R W Burgess]

I caught the wife and Judy Beauchamp trying to steal these pumpkins while waiting for our lunch at Aunt Sue's. Aunt Sue wasn't happy, but the food was great.

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A shirt for sale in Aunt Sue's place. A little too chilly to be running around like this, I'd say.

[West Peterson]

I'm kind of wondering how the "chief" got his nickname.

[R W Burgess]

You trying to start something, West?

Wayne

[R W Burgess]

With the highs and lows of life in general, I had forgotten to make mention of Ron Barnett in this thread.

At the Sunday evening social, Sharon Lee reminded all of us of the fact that we all must mourn Ron this week, while touring. But, we are to continue touring and enjoying each other's company, because it's the right thing to do.....and because Ron would have wanted it that way.

Wayne

[R W Burgess]

We made a stop at the Hagood-Mauldin House today, a National Registered Historic Place.

We were met on the front porch by a true Southern Gentleman, who explained some local history to us. Interestingly, he kept referring to the first and then, the second "revolution". The first against England, the second, against those darn Yankees...seriously.

I fully expected him to say more about that "unpleasantness" set upon his fair state.

Say what you want about Americans forgetting their past, there are a few who will never forget.

Can't you imagine him chastising those dang Yankees!!!!

Wayne

PS; Above statements made with tongue firmly inside cheek!

[R W Burgess]

I forgot to mention that Gloria and I noticed the Palmetto State signs on entering the State of South Carolina Saturday. So, I was looking for the Palmetto tree? bush? Hey, even a Palmetto Daiquiri would work after 8 hours of driving down the Interstate.

The only one that I found was on the Hagood-Mauldin front porch today on this flag. Just wanted you guys to know that I had found it.

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Wayne

[novaman]

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but the Alamance Region took a tour to Danville, VA a couple of years ago and we visited the "last capital of the confederacy", which was a house that is now an art museum. This house was the last place Jefferson Davis did any offical business. At any rate, I had arranged to have them provide a guided tour of the house talking about it's history. The gentleman's name......Mr. Grant!!!

Back to your regularly scheduled program......

[R W Burgess]

We had another breakdown yesterday with Tidewater Region's Wally?????

The resident mechanic replaced the fuel pump, after shooing way the spectators so he could find the car.

Today, Wally's Ford broke down again, requiring the hook truck to get into action.

[R W Burgess]

The leaves are turning down here guys. I'm following this good looking convertible this morning, letting his navagator do her thing.

[R W Burgess]

We had lunch today at Collins Old Towne. A reconstruction antique town with stores, a school house, barber shop, and other early farm type building.

The sign below was posted in the school itself. Discipline was tough in the early days.

School Marm Joanna Cooper has just rang that darn school bell telling everyone that "recess" is over. Back to the books kids!!

[bill pritchett]

Hi Wayne,

I enjoyed reading your posts. The pizza was good tonight. The tour has been very good so far.

[Ron Green]

Thanks for keeping us up to date as it is enjoyable.

I find item 12 (8 lashes) under the punishment board interesting. Item 8 & 9 could be applied to moderate some of the form posts.

[Guest Dr. Strangelove]

Great folks, good fun and pizza for all to enjoy.

The Great Smoky Mountains Region partipated in the Founders Tour by putting on a Pizza Nite at the host hotel in Easley, SC. Go to this link to see pictures of the event: http://local.aaca.org/gsmr/EventsPics2008.htm.

Be sure to visit the rest of the GSMR web site too at: http://local.aaca.org/gsmr/

Thanks to all!!

[R W Burgess]

We left a little late this morning. After being lost for a few miles, we caught up with Herb and Fran Oakes in their 1959 Ford retractable.

[R W Burgess]

Our breakfast break at the Benson Museum. Pictured are Janet Ricketts and Jim Raines. The '60 red Chevy was for sale for something over $30,000.

[R W Burgess]

A beautiful Buick Skylark at the Benson Museum!

[R W Burgess]

A beautiful 57 Pontiac Fuelly!

[R W Burgess]

I found this Pontiac's engine interesting. It's a fuel injected engine, but Pontiac decided to cover the fuelly manifold with a metal box and hide the nice manifold from the public eye. Ummm?????

[R W Burgess]

I found this museum picture interesting. We've had our own pictures like this while down here. We have had more than 2 cars not running correctly down here. My Corvette started back-firing on startup 2 days ago. Yesterday afternoon, it began to get a dead spot in the mid range, and back-firing on "off throttle". Some are blaming these symptoms on the local gas. I put my car in the trailer and will be riding with someone else today.

Is this where I say..."Thank you ethanol????"

[Dandy Dave]

Dear Wayne, I wish I was there so you could take a ride in a real tour car, My 1915 Buick performed beautifully this past year at the Buick pre war tour centered in Fenton MI. What a ride!!! Dandy Dave!

[R W Burgess]

Parked around the Old Mill this morning, Don Barlup, Pontiac and the Parquett's Mustang.

[R W Burgess]

Getting late guys, but I can't stop without posting this picture at a local town square today. (I'll add correct names later!)

This XK Jag is owned by an AACA member from Puerto Rico. A real knockout, I was told that this car is garaged in California. I'll leave it to someone else to add info.

Since Gloria and I have been here in Easley, we have been asked more times than I can remember, "Where's the car show?"

Of course the explanation I give them confuses them even more...."How many states are you guys from again?"

Had a fellow come up to me tonight while topping my pu gas tank off and asked that same question. He said he saw those wide whites on my pu and just knew that I had to have an antique car in the trailer.

He lives in Easley and never paid any attention to the big sign at the Comfort Inn welcoming us to town. Boy, do we have an advertising problem. We need to think seriously about correcting this problem.

Wayne

[R W Burgess]

Missed this picture guys! Gloria won't be happy, as she hates pictures of herself on the forum.

We toured the BMW plant in Spartanburg, SC. We expected to be able to see the plant itself, but they were in the middle of a year change, and the dealers were to see them first. Does anyone ever notice a a change anymore? The picture below was in the lobby. The cute little Isetta with camper (for pets? ) was really cool. I tried to buy a model of this setup, but that darn Joanna Cooper beat me to it and bought the last display model in the souvenir store.

[R W Burgess]

So, we're riding the last day with Barry and Dian Gendler (remember my gas problem ?)and I have lots of camera opportunities. Here's Bull Run Region's Franklin Gage playing catch up behind us in his early 50's Chevy with powerglide.

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I really liked the color of this 1959 Chevy sedan. Although the early morning shading doesn't show it, the car has a subtle two tone yellow paint scheme.

[R W Burgess]

Past AACA Presidents, Howard Scotland and John Meyer at the mill site. Howard had a fall earlier in the week at a gas station, but was walking pretty good by the end of the tour. He and Judy tooled around all week in their little Chevy Corvair.

[R W Burgess]

It ain't fun, unless you're lost at least twice a day.

Harford Region's David and Alice Oberender seem to be telling us that something is very wrong here??????

[R W Burgess]

Old railroad towns are cool. Old railroad overpasses are even cooler!!

[R W Burgess]

Other than my touring friends, this plantation home, Astabulah, was the highlight of the week. Our interpreter in the master bedroom was giving us a little history lesson about how this plantation home was the summer home for wealthy landowners and importers. Since we were in the foothills of South Carolina, good old Sherman did not get a chance to burn this beautiful home down. The interesting statement was that local rumor had it that Astabulah was the setting used for Gone with the Wind. You realize that Rhett Butler was a known gunrunner and blockade runner in the book, as surely these mansion owners were, since they owned a shipping company. I love a good story!