JohnD1956 Posted August 8, 2014 Author Share Posted August 8, 2014 (edited) 8/7/14That was where we ran out of daylight. Still had 50 miles to go over the Big Horn Mtn pass. It was a long day but seeing Old Faithful was well worth it. By the way, met Jim65Riv from this forum today at the Heartland Regional. He's helping out while Paul Sydral is unavailable. Also had a nice conversation with Thriller, who is in town to assist as well. Met Pauls Dad Fred, and say Kris, Kevin and a few others. I forgot my camera for the French Lake auto tour. I did take a few pics with my cell phone but this place was too big to do in one day while looking and removing parts. I thought the prices were very fair. The selection was excellent. There were more than a handful of 55's and several 54's all with complete upper mustache bars, but the pot metal is pitted on everything, and floors are almost non existent. Still I managed to score a few things while baking in the hot sun. Late today I worked on cleaning the Electra of the all the mud from South Dakota. This car is probably thinking "What the heck happened to me? I used to be in a nice dry climate, safe and sound. Now ????" I just hope it does not rebel before we get her back home. Also I have to post some pictures from Tuesdays drive. I did not take many on Wednesday as it was a straight run into Minneapolis. And I do men STRAIGHT. I may have turned the wheel a dozen times in the 8 hour ride. But I just want to leave you with one of my new favorite pictures. Edited August 12, 2014 by JohnD1956 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jscheib Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 John,Sorry now I asked you to carry my gift back. If you shipped anything let me know and I will contribute.John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan at larescorp Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 I'll be working today John, but tomorrow morning we could stop by and grab some coffee. What town are you staying in tonight? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 8, 2014 Author Share Posted August 8, 2014 We are at the Minneapolis Boulevard Hotel, the host hotel for the Regional meet. Tomorrow AM is the judges meet and breakfast. Tonight is the Firemans Museum and BBQ. If you do make it over, just look for the longest car in the parking lot. Apparently I have that distinction up to this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dan Cook Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 It sure looks like a great trip so far. I wish I had more time to spend with you at the National. Sorry I missed Derek, Larry and Mark.I already miss that old beast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 8, 2014 Author Share Posted August 8, 2014 (edited) 8/8/14Looks like I may have lost the longest car distinction as an 85 "Professional car" just arrived. Edited August 12, 2014 by JohnD1956 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 9, 2014 Author Share Posted August 9, 2014 (edited) 8/9/14The next group pf pictures are fronm the day we visited The Black Hills National forest and Mt Rushmore. And that gets me caught up till we depart Minneapolis on Sunday. It's been nice taking a few days off from the drive. But I am getting anxious to get home. So here's the last pictures for now: Edited August 12, 2014 by JohnD1956 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 9, 2014 Author Share Posted August 9, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 9, 2014 Author Share Posted August 9, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 9, 2014 Author Share Posted August 9, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 9, 2014 Author Share Posted August 9, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 9, 2014 Author Share Posted August 9, 2014 On the way towards our destination we took a wrong turn and when we turned around we saw this:Naturally we had to stop: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 9, 2014 Author Share Posted August 9, 2014 But after deciding not to buy anything we continued, stopping in Wall SD fro dinner at Wall Drug, then onto Pierre SD on a lonely Rt 14 nighttime drive of 3 more hours.The next day we drove into Minnesota but I did not take many pictures of the Prairie since it is flat and other than being loaded with farms there was not too much to see. And that brings me to the current time. Tomorrows the Big Show for the Heartland Regional. There's a parking lot full of sweet Buicks, and people who drive em. We talked to a couple who drove from Oklahoma I believe, to Portland, went on the post war after tour, returned to Oklahoma and then drove up here for the Regional. We also talked to many folks from Illinois who made the drive and related tales of driving all over for BCA shows and events. So there's much truth to the slogan, Buicks were built to be driven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 9, 2014 Author Share Posted August 9, 2014 PS: it took almost two hours to wash that SD mud off the Electra for the show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dan Cook Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Everything happens for a reason JD, even wrong turns. You were just meant to stop here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibarlaw Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Thanks for posting these as most of my pictures did not turn out as well. We did most of these sites on our way out to Portland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim65Riv Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Congrats to both John & Ed. They are bringing home Archival Awards from the Heartland Regional. It was great meeting and visiting with you, especially after following this thread since you started west. Have a safe trip home, and I hope to meet up with again down the road; "Happy Trails To You."p.s. to John - nice mirror! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 10, 2014 Author Share Posted August 10, 2014 (edited) 8/10/14Thanks to you Jim, Kris, Fred, Paul and Donna, and all the other Gopher State Chapter members, for an excellent Meet and Show. I especially want to thank Kevin Kinney, for helping to balance the Electra:And for providing me with two interior trim pieces that cover the door strap screws, And for providing Ed with not one, but two T3 headlight bulbs to replace the broken one from the Pierre to Minneapolis run. Ed also gave me one of his halogen bulbs to replace the burned out unit on the Electra so I would like to thank him too. You know, I have been a member of the BCA for several decades and I still say Buick Folks are exceptional. I'll be posting other pictures from the Heartland Regional on that thread. Tomorrow we head out through Wisconsin, to the Chicago Illinois area. That will make the 22nd State , not counting NY, for this fun run trip of my life. I'm scared that any trips after this will pale in comparison. But first we will have to complete this one. Stay tuned if so desired. PS: Thanks to all who contributed good wishes to this thread. We very much appreciate your thoughts . Edited August 12, 2014 by JohnD1956 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 (edited) 8/10/14Another Google 5.5 hr run that turned into a ten hour day. We ran at the posted speed limit for all but 20 miles of heavy traffic and construction reductions. That's been one of the biggest challenges of this trip. Those long driving days make for drowsy drivers, and future trips will have to be better planned to avoid that situation. Additionally, after the spectacular scenery of the west and Midwest, I found Wisconsin to be very much like running the NYS Thruway. It's nice but sort of bland. There were some beautiful lakes along the way but it seems they always popped up unexpectedly and we could not get the camera on and focused in time to take a picture. Also we were told that our planned run through Chicago would probably add several hours to our day tomorrow and it's getting time to get home, so Chicago is out tomorrow. It's a straight run to Norwalk Ohio, with a stop at the Chocolate Factory in South Bend. Pictures of Wisconsin to be posted soon. Edited August 12, 2014 by JohnD1956 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 8/11 Working on getting us up and going. today is a big leap Eastward to home. Our route takes us around the outside of Chicago down to Rt 80. We were advised to stay out of Chicago with rush hours being all day long, and it's raining anyways so we are just going to head towards home. In a way I can't wait to get home, for a good nights sleep. But then this has been such a nice ride that I would like to just keep going too. And as luck would have it , we are invited to an Nephews wedding on short notice in Laguna Beach California. Now to decide..how to get there...Hmmnn... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAD36 Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Ya know JD, Forrest Gump went back and forth a couple of times to California,.... and all he had was a pair of Nikes. You have a pair of Buicks... Load up that big trunk with some pop tarts and point her west. Thanks again for the pics - been enjoying them daily. The ones in front of Mt Rushmore are spectacular. Drive safe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 12, 2014 Author Share Posted August 12, 2014 (edited) 8/11/14Forest Gump eh?! If they paid me what they paid Tom Hanks to pretend he crossed this country even once, I'd be glad to re load the Buicks and give it a second go... LOL... Made it to Norwalk, Oh a few hours ago. Yet one more 5.5 hr day that turned into 8 hours on the road. I did not snap many pics today. The roads in Chicago are insane. I am sorry we missed out on a drive down the lake shore parkway and a chance to see Buckingham Fountain. But considering I've only had this car three weeks tomorrow, and the drive around Chicago was like a road rally on steroids, I am just glad we got out of there without a wreck. You know it's bad when the road has built in "accident investigation" turnoffs!!!After getting onto rt 80 and crossing to Indianna, it was a sleepy drive to Norwalk. Once again, beautiful farms and villages but not much scenic standout. Maybe it's just me? Getting weary of the trip and looking forward to getting home? But we did have a good meal tonite at the East of Chicago Italian Restaurant in Norwalk Ohio, and afterwards met up with Bill and Molly for Ice cream at Millers Creamery in this area. Always fun to sit and chat with these folks. And Bill admitted that Ed and my prior visit lit a fire in him to begin to restore his 70 GS 455 ( with factory 4 speed and A/C). Here's hoping that proceeds and we will have another car on the trip to Missouri next year. Tomorrow we face rain on the 2nd to last day of this adventure. Been gone 27 days so far. Tomorrow also marks 3 weeks of owning the 72 and we've wracked up close to 5,000 miles already. Crapola, the car's not even home yet and the warranty is expired!!! LOL ... This has been a wonderful trip...I think Forest Gump had the right idea when he crossed the country more than once. Edited August 12, 2014 by JohnD1956 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 12, 2014 Author Share Posted August 12, 2014 (edited) 8/12/14BTW: Somewhere in Wisconsin... Edited August 12, 2014 by JohnD1956 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 12, 2014 Author Share Posted August 12, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 12, 2014 Author Share Posted August 12, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 12, 2014 Author Share Posted August 12, 2014 Unlike the weather forecast from last nite, the sun is shinning and it feels like a perfect day outside the hotel. Be on the road by 10 AM and headed to Rochester NY tonight to spend some time with our son J.R. and his girlfriend Stephanie. We are looking forward to that . Hope to find better photo ops today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thriller Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Perhaps it is different scenery, but it is probably reassuring to drive now without so many guard rails obscuring the view Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 12, 2014 Author Share Posted August 12, 2014 8/12/14: AM LOL Thriller... Those guard rails are juust a false sense of security. Probably causing kids to drive faster than they ought. It is hard to get any quality pictures with em in the way. But I'll keep trying. I have a plan for today, but not sure yet if we can accomplish it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 12, 2014 Author Share Posted August 12, 2014 (edited) 8/12/14 7 pmJust arrived in Victor NY. I almost forgot how nice western NY was. When we were packing the car the sun was shining aand it felt like a beautiful day. That changed quickly. By the time we hit the road it was overcast with slight drizzle. Just for something different we drove up to Lake erie and went East on Rt 6 along the lakeshore. We saw a lot of beautiful houses and parks and were amazed at the number of businesses right along the lake front. It's not like this along the south shore of Lake Ontario. But we had a nice drive and found ourselves late getting out of Cleveland. Just as soon as we crossed the Ohio line to PA, the skies opened up. Raining so hard we had to slow to 45 on Rt 90. But it was dry by the time we got to Erie PA and stopped for lunch. Even though we ate fast the rain caught up to us and we got wet filling the cars before leaving for NY. And it was bad again, with flooded roads on the Thruway, especially through the construction areas. We did stay around 55 MPH in the rain but you could hardly see the car in front of us.When we got to Buffalo NY the rain had let up some, but the storm followed us all the way to Batavia, NY the site of the 1999 and 2005 Nationals. From there it cleared up and I could get a few pictures. It was dry when we checked into the hotel. Raining when we left the restaurant after a bite to eat, and monsooning when we got back to the hotel. The Electra is practically clean from all that rain, and Ed figures the SD mud has to be washed off the bottoms by now. This is our last stop on this trip. Ed takes his leave and travels the 4 hrs home tomorrow. We are staying here one extra night to visit with our son and his girlfriend. Then we'll return home Thursday. It's been a fun and educational trip. We saw a lot of the USA and had talked about returning to some of these things to spend some indepth time where we can see much more of what the areas offer. I would definitely want to do the Grand Tetons again, and Virginia City, plus the west coast again. There are so many sights to see that we had to just passby. But we had a great time and feel very lucky to have had the ability to make this trip a reality. I do have a few pictures to post from today, but I'll have to post them tomorrow. Sure hope everyone is doing well and enjoyed this thread as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Edited August 13, 2014 by JohnD1956 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 13, 2014 Author Share Posted August 13, 2014 Some pictures from 8/12 travel: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 13, 2014 Author Share Posted August 13, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 13, 2014 Author Share Posted August 13, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 13, 2014 Author Share Posted August 13, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim65Riv Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 I'm surprised that the right hand mirror is still attached to the Electra, considering who installed it for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 13, 2014 Author Share Posted August 13, 2014 Hey, I can drill a hole inthe car as well as any 18 yr old kid. Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buick5563 Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 ^^^^Last two posts=funny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jscheib Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 John,I am sure you are looking forward to sleeping in your bed at home after the trip.It sure was an adventure and thanks for sharing it with us as it happened. You should write a book or at east an article for the Bugle. Welcome home.John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 What John said Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38Buick 80C Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 John D. Thanks for sharing your adventure. I enjoyed it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 As an old country song goes "no such thing as too much fun", but you pushed the envelope. I have enjoyed the entire trip with you. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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