Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Historic Auto Club's 'F'-Tour!


And by 'F', I mean Food, Flowers, and Fleas (flea market)..... The weather may have been less than desirable, but spirits were high and everyone was happy to be driving their classics! Starting out bright, well, not so bright, but still early, we departed with 7 cars and met up shortly after with 3 more classics. Travelling with a caravan of classics through the country side of southern Indiana doesn't get any better than this! As people drove by, they would stare at the cars and look into the windows trying to get a glimpse of who was driving these mysterious machines. My wife, Courtney, and I sat in the back seat of Gerald and Ann's Plymouth pretending we were celebrities on a date. It was so nice to ride in a piece of history, hoping someday we will have a classic of our own.

The trip was planned extremely well, with rest stops along the way to our first major stop of the day, FOOD! We kept hearing it was going to be good, but home cooked Amish food? How do you beat that? After my third trip to the buffet, I was filled to the brim and wanted to loosen my belt a couple notches. There's nothing better to wear off your meal than shopping.....so it was off to the flea market at the Gasthof to find some hidden treasures! As I waddled my way through all the 'stuff', I started wondering how all of it was collected and now for sale. It's almost similar to people with their classic cars: collect them, fix them up a little, and either keep them or sell them. Either way, they are both preserving a piece of history.

As the weather took over and the storms rolled in, it gave everyone a chance to talk for a while and discuss their projects. It's always interesting to hear how certain cars were obtained, or what kind of opportunities people have been faced with while restoring a car. After the rain let up, we drove over to Bill Larkin's home to see his beautiful flowers. And when I say, beautiful, I mean AMAZING, UNBELIEVABLE!! Take a look at the video below to see what I'm talking about. He's located in the town of Loogootee, IN and I strongly suggest getting down there to check it out. It's worth the drive, even if you go JUST to see his flowers and bird houses.

To see some video with commentary on the flowers, check out this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXjuMWIKBo8

So, this is what the Historic Auto Club (HAC) does. They drive their classics to visit unique areas and pieces of history. They also do a great deal of community service, driving their cars to events and fundraisers. The HAC promotes the hobby and the enjoyment of the automobile! They are an amazing group of people who are always courteous and willing to help. Consider joining the club: http://www.acc-indiana.org/members_db/database1_interface/Results/results_page.asp. Hopefully you can join them on their next adventure!