We We have several good activities for the Corvette Atlanta members to participate in coming up. Get out your planning device (formerly know as a calendar) and make sure you come have fun with your friends.
Upcoming Activities
• July 17 -- Lake Party at the Morgan's house on Lake Oconee
• July 24-30 -- Palm Beach, FL -- 51st NCCC Convention !!!
• Sept 24 & 25 -- Blue Ridge Parkway Trip - Little Switzerland Inn
Other Local Upcoming Activities
• July 18th- KewlRides cruise in, Christmas in July
Corvette Atlanta has been invited to participate in the 58th annual Old Soldier's Day Parade sponsored by American Legion Post 201 in the City of Alpharetta. This year's events will be held on Sat., Aug. 7, 2010 beginning at 9:45 AM. The Legion is looking approximately 17-20 Corvettes to begin their parade and drive out American Legion, Legion Auxiliary Unit & Son's of American Legion local & state representatives.
I will coordinate with Bob Votta, General Chairman of the parade. Please let me know if you can participate in the parade. All vehicles would be requested to be at American Legion Post 201 by 7:00 AM to be decorated with red, blue and white streamers and to pick up their individual. The Post is located at 201 Wills Road, Alpharetta.
Your support is appreciated.
Twelve club members (from the Clans of Adcock, Blancato, Brownell, Cowan, Clark and Watkins) headed north on Sunday, May 23rd to Bowling Green, KY. We convoyed up in almost perfect driving weather and our progress reflected a sympathetic group driving style that proved safe and comfortable. We watched out for each other, and the few stops we made for fuel, food and relief were just about right.
Our destination for the first day was the National Corvette Museum. Many of us had been there before, but the expanded facility was a new treat to most of us. Ed Clark and his family were to take museum delivery of a new Grand Sport convertible, so that experience was a shared treat and learning experience. For the first timers, the walking about the Museum was a lesson in Corvette history.
On Monday, we were early in line to tour the assembly plant. Only half had done that before, and the sights, smells and sounds of parts being made in Corvettes were impressive. Several spouses became skilled in spotting the variations of parts and equipment on the cars being produced, and more than a few wished were made out loud for that next Corvette purchase. These tours are the ultimate sales promoters for people who like Corvettes, and GM know it.
After the plant tour, we all went back to the Museum to witness Ed Clark become the owner of another Corvette. While I was there, I used the new resource library to gather some information about three of my older Corvettes, and make a few purchases at the gift shop. None of this was essential, but simply added something new to a very pleasant Bowling Green visit with friends.
Several folks stayed an extra day in Kentucky, enjoying the experience of a slower and different life-style than the one in Atlanta. We'll all probably go back because we've all been inducted into that strange family of Corvette enthusiasts. Besides, most of us think that our cars have a magnetic attraction to the place, less than a five hour drive from home.
Seven cars motored in a caravan to Wolf Mountain Vineyards - Winery north of Dahlonega on a sunny Saturday morning. Those on the drive were Michael Campsnith & Myra Wisotzky, Dave Brownell, Frank & Deve Boduch, Ann & Ed Clark, David & Nancy Morgan, Jack Filippone & Stephanie Strauss, and Bob & Lanie Sprock. Jim & Marjie Tucker got stuck in traffic and took a more direct route to join us for lunch. The rest of the group drove a very winding route through the back roads of north Georgia, sometimes on roads only one lane wide. I confess to recycling the route from a different car club and there were several comments along the line of "how in the world did someone figure out where those roads go?" I have no idea, but we all arrived safely and had a fun time doing it.
At around 1:30 we were seated in the restaurant (beautiful view overlooking a valley). (There is an expansive outdoor patio at the restaurant, but our group was thankful to be seated inside with the A/C!) The restaurant offers many tasty dishes & everyone seemed to enjoy their lunch. After lunch, Karl Boegner - owner of the winery - let us take a peak into the garage on his property. Inside were a 1958 Porsche Speedster, a limited edition Boxter, & a 1920's Ford woody with a hot rod motor. Evidently he has a few other "toys" since he is building another garage on the property.
There were suggestions to repeat the drive in the Fall when the leaves are in full color and Karl said we are welcome any time. If you are looking for an excellent place for fine wines and fine dining I heartily suggest the Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery; it is well worth the drive!!
Fellow Corvette Atlanta members and travelers of the world, you missed a hellava road trip. Please read Michael Campsmith's write up for who attended and the bit about the winery. I want to share my personal thoughts of the trip and Michael's excellent planning. An old saying that is used in my business is, "why reinvent the wheel?". Michael used some excellent directions he obtained from another of his car clubs. Somebody went to an awful lot of trouble to come up with a wonderful road trip.
Y'all have to understand that I have been a traveling salesman in Metro Atlanta and North Georgia since 1971. A good salesman can always find his way home, once he has been somewhere once. This trip was a real challenge to even my great powers of direction. As usual, for road trips and rallyes Nancy is driver and I am navigator. This was our maiden excursion in our used, but new-to-us 2006 Corvette Convertible. We met at the Starbucks at the corner of Hwy 9 (Alpharetta Hwy) and Mansell Road (in Roswell). We went west on Mansell and then north on Houze Road (Hwy 140), turned right onto Crabapple Road ("at the Silos local landmark) and then left (north) onto GA 372 (Birmingham Hwy) in the community called Crabapple. Folks, that is the horse farm estate country of North Fulton County, now know as the City of Milton. What beautiful places and several of them for sale -- for $1 mil and way up!
We keep north and I won't give all the details, but will say, I was following the detailed road instructions and kept saying aloud, "oh, yeah, I've been on this road, I know where we are, until we past Big Canoe. Then we entered the part were the instructions had such helpful hints as, "Right on Miles Berry Toad, CAUTION: very narrow". Folks, very narrow translates into, "ONE Lane", no passing. We were on the most curvy, narrow, tree lined roads I have been on. This was followed by, "RIGHT on Camp Washega Road at STOP sigh; no road sign is present:. It was about now that I an saying out-loud, where the heck are we? And Wondering, how the heck did the person who laid out this trip ever find this road. We were deep, deep in the hollows of the edge of the North Georgia mountains These were roads that were made for a sports car. However, once again, curvy roads are like high speed race tracks in that the driver has a lot more fun than the passenger. While the driver is enjoying seeing how close he or she can cut the corner, the poor passenger is hanging of for dear life and trusting the driver really does have the situation under control.
About the time I felt that we might come upon the filming crew of Deliverance, lost in the mountains all this time, we turned up a steep driveway to the magnificent winery restaurant. Perched on the side of a steep slope, with a view of the North GA mountains is the Wolf Mountain Vineyards, with excellent food, and Air Conditioning inside. After a lovely meal and nice time visiting with our good Corvette Atlanta friends, Nancy & I headed home for my Father's Day dinner. We set the Apple i-phone GPS for go straight home and discovered that we were only minutes north of Dahlonega and easy access to GA 400. We put the top up, the A/C on high and cruised home in a short while.
I have already decided as the Prez, that we will offer this exact trip again as a fall, leaf season trip. Even going the winding and curvy route, it was only 75 miles fro the Starbucks to the winery, so as easy ride up and ride back one day trip. I am hoping that the route has such obscure roads that perhaps all the tourists who clog up the roads in leaf season will not know those roads.
My sincere thanks to Michael Campsmith for organizing an excellent road trip.
On Saturday, July 17, Classic Glass Corvette Club is holding a Cruise-In at Andretti Indoor Karting & Games, locate at 11000 Alpharetta Highway (Hwy 9) (traffic light at Houze Way intersection)
The event will be from 11 AM to 3 PM with discount spedicals on karting, food (Ethyl's) and games. This will be a chance to do some open-air driving in air conditioned comfort!
Go to http:// www.cgcorvetteclub.com/2010_Events/july17/.pdf for additional info.
On Sunday, July 18 there will be a Toy Drive/Charity Cruise-In sponsored by KewlRides and the Marine Corps. Location is Miller's Ale House on 10750 Davis Drive, Alpharetta 30004 (GA 400 to Exit 8 - turn west onto Mansell Rd - first traffic light turn right, then left and Miller's is on the right.
Noon - 3 with trophies awarded at 2:30. Registration is a new un-wrapped toy or toys.
Contact numbers: 770-829-6569 (Mark Holte), 770-778-4310 (Don Luther), 404-441-8696 (Joe DeGumbia).
Past Competition Events
June 5,6 -- 7 High Speed Autoxs - Putnam Park Rd Course - IN. Fun to Go Fast!!
June 19, 20 -- 14 Autoxs - Twin Fountain Raceway Park - Shelbyville, TN- A few pylons "pointer" cones -- It was a fun course! Look for another weekend in October!
Upcoming Competition Events
July 24-30 -- Palm Beach, FL -- 51st NCCC Convention !!! It's not too late to join in on all the fun, so get going. There are seven of us CA'ers already signed up!!!
