Off We go Again!

    Before the sun came up we were at the car warehouse to leave to take the 1936 Cabriolet, the 1951 Victoria and the 1962 Impala to the AACA Fall Meet in New Bern North Carolina.  The meet is August 11-13.


     In April we took the Cabriolet to Charlotte, NC to her first show and she got her First Place Junior.

 I started out riding with Zeno in the excursion. We talked about so many things including Jesus.  Zeno is an interesting man that has been married to his wife Reba for over 40 years.

    We stopped in Montgomery for a break at a truck stop.  At breakfast Jim told us about his first camping trip.  We laughed about it.

 
    Jim said it was back in 1962 he had a brand new station wagon, a company car.  He was going to the Optimist convention in Ontario, Canada.  His club was one of 12 out of 4000 to get a gold watch for their achievements.  He had found a pop camper to rent for $35 a week. He knew he could not afford tho stay in hotels and eat at restaurants.   He thought well we can all go and stay in the camper at night and we can cook dinner right out side it.  Nancy was a city girl and had never been camping.  Jim was a farm boy and thought this can't be that hard.  Nancy packed the camper.  At the time they had three children and Scott was just a baby.  

    Nancy invited her mom and sister to go with.  That made 7 people in the station wagon.

    Jim went to work that Friday and Nancy finished packing everything.  Jim left work early around 3 or 4.  On his way home with the brand new car a guy passed him in the left lane but before he could clear him he realized he needed to turn right so he did. Right into Jim.

   The whole front end of the car was tore off, radiator was steaming.  It had to be towed. 
In those days the wreckers raced to the scene of an accident and the first one there got the job.

    Jim needed the car to leave on his camping trip first thing in the morning.  He interviewed each of the drivers to see if any of them could fix the car by morning.  One driver called his boss and told Jim they could do it.  Jim was also told that his boss said he could not ask how much it was going to cost. 
Before agreeing Jim talked with the owner to make sure the car would be fixed.  Jim was also asked if it was important how the car looked and his reply was as long as it was operational and safe.

    Early the next morning as promised the car was delivered.  It ran but was a wreck.

    A metal I beam was used for the front bumper, there were two rods sticking out of the bumper with the head lights welded to them. What ever it was that was used for a hood was strapped down to the I beam. There wasn’t a grill on the car and the left front fender was half cut off.

    Nancy said “I am not going anywhere in
that thing.”

    They left for their vacation in that car with the family and towing the camper. When they
pulled in anywhere people would get out if the way. Cars would swing wide around them, Of course neither Jim or Nancy new much about camping. But so many campers would take care of them at each stop. Other campers would share with them and teach them how to camp. They even sent them out with lists of what they needed to buy to get through their vacation.


    When they got home they liked camping so much they bought a Zipper Camper.

    We stopped in Augusta Georgia to have dinner with Jim"s sister Jane, cousin Clair and friends Joe and Ann.  We ate at a little bar and grill called the Village Deli that turned out to be the local family hang out. The food was excellent and the atmosphere was cool.

    Before we left more of family came in.  I could hear people saying I think Jimmy is in town.
 
    We went up the road to Columbia and stayed for the night.  I called my cousin Karl and he came to the hotel to visit