Day 44 – We Made It – Almost

OK, today was going to be the last day of our adventure that started 6 weeks ago. We left Albany and continued on RT 20 through the city without any trouble other than a few turns that weren’t marked very well. The GPS got us over the river and past the hustle and bustle of the city.

The Model A’s were running well and we were just enjoying the drive. The weather forecast was for temperatures in the 90’s and as it got later in the morning we could tell it was getting hotter. The miles ticked away and soon we crossed back into Massachusetts. We stopped to take a picture as we crossed the border but the sign was pretty boring. I guess the sign with more glitz was probably on the Mass Pike. But, we are now back on home ground.

The western part of RT 20 through the Berkshires to me is one of the nicest drives in the state. The road follows the Housatonic and West Rivers with high rock walls in many places. It was in this area the Dick had to remind me we were passing through Blandford, where my troubles started on the first day of our journey. We were about to get on the bypass around Springfield when I hit a pothole while braking and I heard something break and then a scraping sound. Dick was already on the bypass when I radioed that I had to pull over. A quick look showed that the left front brake rod had broken and the scraping noise was the broken piece, which got bent, dragging on the ground. I pulled the two clevis pins and was ready to go by the time Dick circled back to me. A test of the three brakes remaining seemed to be fine, no pulling noticeable. Nan also commented that we now knew which brake was making the squealing noise, because it was now gone.

Our lunch stop was at the Steaming Tender (http://www.steamingtender.com/) in Palmer. The restored old train station looked great and while we were eating an AMTRAK passenger train went roaring by which startled many of us.

The CB crackled with Dick saying he needed to check a rear tire. We pulled into a gas station and sure enough it was low. A little air and we went another 10 miles before Dick radioed that the tire was going low again. We pulled into a parking lot and put on the spare. Good thing Dick fixed that tire a few days ago.

It wasn’t long before Nan & I turned off to head home. It seemed strange to break away from Dick & Barbara as both of us went our separate ways. The good thing is that we would both be going home after an unbelievable Model A adventure.

We pulled into our driveway and got a reception from our neighbors, our daughter and grandkids who gave us huge hugs. Ah…it’s good to be home.

Day 42 & 43 - Homing in on Home

The first thing Dick did in the morning was check the tire pressure in the spare. The patch was holding as the pressure was the same as he measured last night. He was feeling better about having a spare again. At breakfast we got talking to some guys who were here for the week fishing on Lake Erie. They were happy they had caught their limit on Perch and Bass; I think they had hundreds of each. They reminded me of the guys returning from a fishing trip with all those boxes of fish with them in Vancouver. They had been fishing Lake Erie for years, sounds like us going to Hershey.

We followed the Lake Erie Ohio Coastal Trail which afforded us a pleasant drive through some nice towns and great views of the lake. We managed to make good time and didn’t get caught up in traffic in Cleveland or Erie PA which was good. We stopped in Dunkirk, NY to visit the Historic Dunkirk Lighthouse. We got a history of the light house and how it came into the hands of the Veterans group who now help maintain the light which is still active, although it is now fully automatic. Some interesting points: the lens that multiplies the power of the lamp cost $10,000 in 1857, about a Million dollars in today’s money; and local fishermen still use the light house tower as a reference when establishing fishing locations. I asked about taking some pictures of the Model A’s at the light and was given the green light. Even the lighthouse staff came out to take some pictures. We bid the lighthouse good bye and off we continued, eventually stopping in Henrietta, NY for the night.


Off and running in the morning we could really feel the call of home. We thought today would be a good day for some antiquing. We managed to find some interesting shops along the way, with Nan & I buying some old magazines. We took a pleasant break in Skaneateles, NY for lunch at our favorite place in that area, the Sherwood Inn. Lunch was great, especially since I was able to get a Yuengling beer, which is not available outside of NY and PA. We also did some shopping in the town before continuing.

We have been travelling on RT 20 for much of the time since leaving Yellowstone NP. In this section of NY it is quite hilly and some of the grades really tested the Model A’s strength. I think we went over the Rockies easier. We forged on and eventually put the “big” hills behind us and finally stopped for the final time in Albany.

Day 41 - Gilmore is more!

It was another beautiful morning and we were looking forward to our visit to the Gilmore Museum. The motel was close by so it was a short ride back to the museum. As we were entering the grounds we could see the motorhome so we knew that Jack & Jo were here. The first thing we did was to head to the vintage Shell Gas Station to take some pictures of the Model A's in front of it as the sun was just right for pictures. How convenient that admissions was inside the gift shop. Oh well, we all managed to find something we needed to take home with us.

The first thing I noticed in the gift shop was a huge car door, then the rear seat area of a Yellow Rolls Royce which was a set used in the Disney movie the "Gnome Mobile." It was fun to check out the detail of this 4 time normal set. The detail was really great. As for the museum itself, I must say that my first impression of this place was "Top Shelf" as everything was at this facility was done with the highest quality and attention to detail. Those of us who are MAFFI members are excited about our museum to be built on the grounds of this beautiful facility.

We headed out to visit the rest of the buildings to check out not only the amazing cars but also the beautiful buildings (barns) in which they are housed. It was nice to see everything from a Waltham Orient Buckboard to Duesenburgs and everything in between. Some of the cars I liked were; the beautiful unrestored 1935 Ford with only 20K miles on it, the Tucker exhibit, and all of the very early vehicles from 1903. I have to say there wasn't any area I didn't like, the whole place was amazing.

When it was time for lunch, what better place to have it then at the 1940's restored Silk City diner. Great atmosphere and food.

Leaving the museum we headed the Model A's southeast towards Ohio. We circled around Toledo and got on the Shore Route and arrived in Port Clinton for the night. Since we got in early Dick wanted to repair the flat tire he got a few days ago. We got the tube out and repaired a 1/2 inch cut on the tube. With the tire remounted Dick filled it up with air. Hopefully it will still be holding air in the morning.

Day 40 - Just in Time

Our ride thru Madison last night was a "white knuckle” trip for sure. The traffic was very heavy and in the dark it was even more of a concern. BUT, we made it to the hotel without any incident and got settled in for the night. We did this in order to get closer to the Ferry terminal in Milwaukee. Only problem was we had no ferry reservations. So, first thing in the morning I called the ferry office and when I got the agent to make a reservation for the two Model A’s I was told I got the last two spots on the 12:30 ferry. Boy what luck! Just in time again. We had to be at the terminal 1 ½ hours before which would be easy to do if we got back on the interstate. We did and fortunately we didn’t have any problems getting to the ferry terminal in time, in fact we were the first two cars in line. When we got loaded on the ferry we were parked up against the front door.

We found seats in the main cabin and settled in for the 2 ½ hour ride across Lake Michigan. What a difference between this ship and the S.S. Badger we took earlier which was huge and slow. This ship was a catamaran and fast. The other difference was the lake was pretty rough today and the ferry was really rolling with the swells. You needed sea legs if you tried to walk around. Dick and I hoped the emergency brakes held with all this movement. When we were asked to return to the cars we were glad to see them still in the same place. Dick was first off the ship and I was right behind him.

About the time we got off the ferry the phone rang; it was Jo who was at the Gilmore Museum and told us about the Cruise night tonight. It would be great if we could make it. We set the GPS to Hickory Corners and the Gilmore Museum and headed the Model A’s in that direction. Oh but wait…one thing did manage to stop us and that was the Whippy Dip for ice cream. Dick says a day isn’t complete without Ice Cream. We also got the ROCK weather. On the road again we eventually arrived at the museum just around 6:45. When we pulled in we could hear the PA announcer say the Model A’s from Boston were now pulling into the show. Just in time again. Dick and I found spots to park and we were greeted by Jack & Jo. It was good to see them again. We answered lots of questions from other visitors about our trip which is always fun. We loved looking at the cars and especially liked eating at the restored diner. Edsel even got a chance to ride on an Edsel! We had a wonderful time and looked forward to returning to the museum for a full visit in the morning.

Leaving the museum for our motel we were warned about the deer and to be careful driving the roads. We were only gone a few minutes when we spotted 3 deer on the side of the road, but that was it. No more sightings all the way top the motel.

Day 38 & 39 - Trouble in River City

Leaving Valentine, NE there was no specific plan other than crossing the state and over the border into Iowa. RT 20 continued its straight and fairly flat terrain. With more farms and equipment. We changed direction in Sioux City, IA and adjusted our route to US RT 18 in order to make our trip to Milwaukee more direct. Unfortunately the road was not as good as RT 20 but since this was a travel day it wasn’t much of a concern. We stopped for the night in Spencer, IA





Packing up in Spencer, IA the next morning, we were given a note from the local paper looking to do an interview on our trip and stay in Spencer. I called the reporter and did an interview over the phone. Randy, reporter for the Spencer Daily Report, also came by to take a few pictures. While talking to Randy he asked if we were here looking for “Dewey the Cat”? Well, no, who is Dewey? Turns out it was a story about a cat that was abandoned at the library and lived there for 15 years. When old Dewey went to Kitty Heaven, the librarian decided to write a book about Dewey and it became an international best seller. Well, we had to go to the Library to see where the story began. Pictures were taken and then it was off on our eastward trek.







The eastern part of Iowa was dominated by farms, LARGE farms. Fields of corn stretched as far as you could see. We had set our sights on a Pioneer Museum in the town of Mason City, but when we got there it didn’t open until 1:00 PM. Nuts! Oh well, it was time for lunch so we hit our first McDonald's of the entire trip. Mason City was the boyhood home of Meredith Willson (yes, two LLs). Name doesn’t ring a bell? How about the musicals “The Music Man” and “The Unsinkable Molly Brown”, he was the author/composer of both of those hit plays. We stopped at the museum dedicated to his life and works, which was complete with a Streetscape of the town of River City and the infamous Pool Hall that was going to bring “Trouble to River City!” It was a great stop and all we could think of was our Super Tours to Watkins Glenn, NY when we attended the play of The Music Man at the Summer Theater in Auburn. The gift shop was calling Nan and she managed to find some items that she just had to bring home with us.




Continuing on after “River City” we were cruising along enjoying the ride. The CB woke up with a call from Dick saying the woody was acting funny and as we were pulling over he realized it was a flat tire. The right rear tire was flat as a pancake, so out came the jack and we changed it without any trouble. Now we just need to hope he doesn’t get another.



The weather had changed after some rain last night and the driving was very comfortable. As a result we made a decision to reach Madison, WI for the night. A phone call got us rooms, which meant we would be lined up for our trip to Milwaukee and hopefully the ferry ride to Michigan.

Day 37 - Jackalope?? what's that you say!

OK, leaving Douglas we had to go downtown and check out this urban legend. Actually, the Jackalope was the brainchild of Doug Herrick of Douglas, WY and thus Douglas was named "Home of the Jackalope." Doug and his brother were on a hunting trip and tossed a jackrabbit carcass into the taxidermy store and it landed by a pair of deer antlers. That gave Jack an idea and the first Jackalope was sold for $10. As they say the rest is history. Douglas issues thousands of Jackalope hunting licenses every year. BTW the state trademarked the name Jackalope in 1965.



Leaving Jackalope Park we continued east on US RT 20. The landscape continued to be pretty barren and the hills were somewhat challenging to the Model A's, nothing that they couldn't handle though. The biggest issue we had was with the weather. It was clear, but hot and VERY windy. The wind was really strong and seemed to blasting us constantly. We needed a break and found Fort Robinson near Crawford, NE. We parked the Model A's under some large Cottonwood trees. The Fort was just what we needed; a place to stretch and walk about and also to get something cold to drink. Reading the history of the Fort we found it had one significant event that linked it to one of our earlier stops. Fort Robinson was where the legendary Sioux warrior Crazy Horse was brought to when he was captured and it was also where Crazy Horse died while trying to escape. It seemed appropriate to have the rest of the story after visiting the Crazy Horse memorial near Rapid City.





The other thing we noticed was the size of the trains. They were huge and mostly carrying coal from the local mines. It was nothing to count over 100 cars. Incidentally, we were told that the cities were spaced about 25 - 30 miles apart in Wyoming and about 15-20 mile in Nebraska. This was primarily due to the distance steam engine could go between water stops. Development occurred first in NB and moved west to WY and as steam engines improved the distance between towns also extended. Makes sense to me...




The heat and wind forced us to seek refuge and we stopped early in Valentine, NE. Even Edsel and Squeek were running low on energy. The Dunes Inn was a welcome stop. It also gave Nan & I a chance to do laundry. Dinner with Dick & Barbara at the Peppermill was great. The Prime Rib sandwich was huge, good and priced right, what more could you ask for. OK, want more, our waitress came for Portsmouth, NH and has relatives in Kittery Point.

Day 36 - History and Buffalo Bill

The Model A’s were all packed and we headed downtown to visit the Buffalo Bill Historical Museum. Downtown Cody was pretty quiet Saturday morning, so quite that Dick thought he might stop for a haircut when he saw a sign Cowboy Haircuts! What ever that meant? He decided to keep his hair.

The museum is a major attraction in Cody and the facility is extremely nice. Our plan was to stay only an hour as we had to head east, but this is one place where you could spend a day or more if you wanted to absorb all the information. Nan & I focused on the William F Cody and the Plains Indians sections. The displays were interesting. I liked the saddle with all the silver dollars that Buffalo Bill shot when tossed in the air. The Indian display did a great job showing their daily lives. And Nan found the dresses worn by the daughter of Buffalo Bill interesting. I believe Dick & Barbara and Jack & Jo did the same sections. I also did a quick pass in part of the Firearms collection which I also thought was very good. Nan also found some time to visit the outdoor gardens which she said were very good too.


We were back in the Model A’s after our visit and continued our journey east on US RT 20.
RT 20 headed into the Wind River Canyon area. What a beautiful location. We also know why the place got its name. Boy was the wind blowing in that canyon. The road actually went through three tunnels that were carved out of the granite. It looked like the railroad tracks on the other side of the river also went through tunnels in the mountains too.

Unfortunately once we left the canyon, the landscape was pretty barren and it was very warm. The roads were also very straight and hilly. The conditions really made travel uncomfortable so we made the decision to stop ealry. We stopped for the night at the Best Western in Douglas, WY. The parking lot contained a number of Street Rods, which turned out to be a meeting of the Wyoming Street Road Association.

Tomorrow we will be another travel day as we head east.