6/7/11
Pat has been doing a wonderful job detailing the logistics and specifics of our trip so far but I wanted to chime in with my $.03 worth from an operational (Driving) perspective. As Pat pointed out the first day of our journey was highlighted by the stifling crawl through the seat of our gubmint, and we all know what makes up a seat. Sunday though was a different story.

If you ever motor west forget about what that Bobby Troup fella wrote about that other highway, after all it only goes from Chicago to LA. Route 50 will take you from the Atlantic to the Specific ocean, you know the one on the left coast. Now we have only reached St Louis but the drive from Winchester VA through WV and then from the Indiana border through eastern and central Indiana is worth the price of admission. As Pat said WV was up and down with a bunch of 180 steeply banked switchbacks that make you feel like Jim Clark or at least Juan Manuel Fangio. I still have the finger nail marks in my right arm from Pat's reaction to one particularly tight corner. If you can only do a part of WV try Winchester to Grafton. The rest of WV and Ohio was "Lovely" but not as much driving fun. The real surprise came in Indiana from Seymour to Shoals. Route 50 wound through beautiful rolling hills with enough corners to keep your interest up. The best part though were the trees, they covered the road in many places effectively making tunnels which shaded and cooled the road. Too bad we didn't have that kind of cover this afternoon trough the remainder of Indiana and all of Illinois, it was hotter than
H-E double hockey sticks.

Well that's about all from the operational (fun) side of the trip, the Midget is running great, only two small problems so far, a loose exhaust clamp and throttle return springs that decided to lose their "springyness", and as my friend George says " Fixing problems makes men feel like men.

I'm feeling manly now.

6/9/11
We have now made it to Canon City, CO and finally out of the heat of the Plains. As many of us have talked about in past philosophical discussions about driving a sports car or a motorcycle through the Rockies and down the left coast, it would be a great trip if not for the 1000 miles or so of the Midwest that is flat, featureless and HOT. While I'm here to tell you we were correct. We drove through IL, MO, and KS in relentless heat and for the most part it was flat and almost featureless. MO was a nice surprise with rolling hills and sufficient corners to keep you interested. Of course there was the 30 minute stretch where we were trapped behind a wide load truck averaging 10 MPH with no where for one to pass, never mind all five of us. Once we were finally by most of the nice driving road was lost and we were back to the flats. The Flint Hills of Kansas would have been at least acceptable if not for the direct crosswind, 25 gusting to 40, from the left all along the 100 or so miles of US 56. The 18 wheelers passing by in the opposite direction combined with the wind to make it feel as if we were going to get airborne and wind up out with the grazing cattle. Today we caught a break in the weather cool and dry and now we are headed in the area we have always talked of in our past discussions. I will fill you in on the driving experience when I next write in a couple days.

How Hot Can It Get?!?

The last two days have been a mix of friendly people, beautiful scenery, and hot, hot driving days!! We started out yesterday from Newport, Kentucky and drove through part of 5 states--Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and finally arrived in St. Louis, Missouri. We connected up with five other cars for this part of the trip--Dennis was the lead driver. I have to admit that I slept for a lot of this part of the trip because I stayed up until 2:00 a.m. the night before---blogging. I did, however, get some nice pictures, and I will share a few with you. At about 11:30 a.m. we pulled into Shoals, Indiana where we met some great people in the Hoosier A's club. They had set up a very nice reception for us. They offered a place for us to get out of our cars, stretch out legs, and go to the bathroom--always a welcome relief! They also had fruit, water and gifts besides being very friendly. We then ate at a local restaurant called "The Sugar Shack." It had great food, even better desserts, and friendly people. We even met one very nice state trooper who agreed to pretend he had stopped one of the MGers. It was a great photo op with handcuffs and everything. Of course, I didn't have my camera--who needs a camera to eat? Anyway, one of my friends said she would email me the picture, so when I get it, you will also.

While in Shoals we stopped to see an interesting natural rock formation the locals call "The Jug." There was also a beautiful area where the trees seemed to form a tunnel. I tried to capture the beauty of the picture, but it just doesn't capture the Ahhhh! factor, However, below are a few of the pictures of that area of the country.

Eventually we headed across the flat lands of Indiana and Illinois--just in time for the temperatures to reach 96. I was wearing a sundress, so I was relatively cool, but poor Dennis was roasting. We wet his handkerchief and wrapped it around his neck. This gave him some relief, but not much. I know we used to travel before air conditioning, but why?!?

After a long hot day, we finally reached St. Louis, Missouri. The arch was lovely as we entered the city. When we got to the hotel we just relaxed and enjoyed the cool air for about an hour, then it was out to an Irish pub to enjoy the hospitality of the St. Louis MG Club. Again, great food arrangements, a few drinks and some very lively car talk--it is really amazing how long guys can talk about a car!!! After that, we hit the sack.

This morning we start our day with a nice breakfast and then headed to the top of the garage for the famous St. Louis Arch for a photo op--can't wait to get the photos, they were taken from a helicopter. There must have been fifty cars! We couldn't get to the bottom of the arch, which was the original plan, because there is still some flooding in the area. Then we headed out for Lenexa, Kansas--just outside Kansas City. There isn't much I can say about this part of the trip--not many pictures, but it sure was hot--in the upper 90's! When we arrived we went to a barbecue provided by Victoria British Ltd. It was delicious, and they gave us a t-shirt--who can argue with that?!

With all the sweating, I had laundry detail tonight, but it wasn't too bad.

Dennis wants to add his $.03 to our blog, so you will hear from him tomorrow--sorry for the shortage of pictures, this Internet connection is giving us a little trouble, so I have stopped with just the two. I'll be back in a couple days. Have good ones!!

Day one and Two Rallye to Reno

I didn't add anything yesterday because I thought it would be more interesting to do two days at a time. So, I will tell you a little about what has happened for the last two days, and Dennis will add his two bits in a couple days. It has been an interesting two days.

Yesterday, Saturday, June 4th, was the first day of the Rallye. It really was fantastic. We had approximately 50 cars ready to leave Ocean City, MD. We actually drove up the board walk!!! All the people on the board walk were so friendly, waving and encouraging us on. What a great start. Check out the great pictures of the cars on the board walk, and the pictures of the Atlantic Ocean--what a beautiful city!!!

Next we drove to Washington D.C. I have decided that the roads through Washington are just as confusing as the elected officials we have in that city--perhaps they are just frustrated about how to get around the city. Do you think that could be the problem in Washington--I know there has to be something wrong, they just can't seem to get it together, and they have completely forgotten that we are supposed to have a "government for the people by the people." I think they think they are the only people that count, but after trying to follow route 50 through the city, I feel their frustration. Anyway, hereis a picture of us in front of the Washington Monument. The hood of the car is up because Dennis is checking to make sure we can make the rest of the trip.

After leaving Washington, we returned to Virginia and drove through Fairfax--what a mess! There was so much traffic that we had a hard time making any progress, but we stayed true to Route 50, one of the first highways to cross the country. After getting out of the traffic, we drove through some really beautiful towns--very scenic and small town feeling. I think we wanted to stop and live in some of the towns. Then we passed through horse country. Really, there were so many horse ranches--they were just beautiful, and our house--not tiny at 2400 square feet--would have fit three times in some of these houses. Surely one of the more affluent areas of the country. We finally arrived in Winchester, VA at around 5:00.

The local MG club had arranged for the Rallye cars to drive down to a mall and park in an area that is usually closed to cars. All the people were fantastic--they loved the cars and were just so nice. We were welcomed at a pub called the Union Jack. The local MG club provided snacks (more like dinner) and drinks, so we had a great time. Later Dennis and I along with a couple other MGers watched some Civil War reenactors perform. It was interesting to hear a different point of view from the actors, and the costumes--particularly the hoop skirts of the girls--were beautiful. All in all, a wonderful day.

Today we got an early start because it was one of the longest drives on the trip.It rained last night, and the day was over cast--which was a blessing in disguise because it stayed cool most of the day--a blessing because this car does not have air conditioning. We left Virginia at 7:15 a.m. and arrived in Kentucky at about 6:15 p.m. It was a long drive, but what beautiful country. The road in West Virginia was very scary to me--a lot of cut backs through the mountains. The road was also very steep. I've added some pictures to show our altitude, and the grade of the roads--very steep. Not only were the roads very winding, but a deer jumped out right in front of our car and Dennis had to break and steer carefully to miss it. A very scary moment indeed. We saw some huge windmills--which shows that states have not forgotten about alternative means of power (I have included a picture of one of the windmills). Then, in Ohio, the rolling farm lands were just beautiful. I've added some pictures I think you will enjoy

We finally arrived in Kentucky where we are staying for the night. It was a great day of driving and socializing--all our stops were at least a half hour because we just talk too much. We could make better time if we just didn't talk so much, but what fun would that be?!? Tomorrow we are on to St. Louis where we are getting a group picture of the MGs under the Arch--what a hoot. Below are those pictures I have mentioned above, but I still haven't figured out how to label them, so bear with me--maybe by tomorrow I will figure it out. At any rate, it was a beautiful day.

Some of you were concerned about whether or not Dennis would be married at the end of this trip--well, so far so good, no signs of trouble! Dennis is great to travel with--he'll have to tell you if he feels the same way about me!!!

I'm sorry this blog is lacking details, but I am tired, and I am going to bed. Until next time.

Getting Started

We were counting down the days, preparing the car, deciding how to fit six weeks of clothes into an MG Midget and before we knew what happened, the first day of or trip had arrived. Well, to be honest, it is just the day we get into position to start. Let me expain by telling you how our day went....

This morning we got up, brushed our teeth and showered--always a good thing to do when you are spending the day sitting next to another human being for several hours..in a Midget! Anyway, we then packed our car. Now below is a picture of the trunk of a Midget, and keep in mind that we will be six weeks on the road.

Now, that may look like a lot of space, but we had to take the spare tire out to get that much room! We decided we needed clothes a lot more than we needed a spare tire. Dennis was pretty amazing, he found space in the rear fender wells and in various spaces under the hood. He stuffed parts, tools, and anything else he thought we might need. Then he put our one suitcase--yes, that is right, one suitcase for both of us for six weeks (my laundry job is following me across the country)--into the trunk and surrounded it with our computer, our toiletries, and a pair of exra shoes. What more could you ask for. I was so impressed, I had him take pictures so you could see what a great job he did. Check it out!

Finally we got in our car and drove away. We met up with one MG nut in Fuquay and three more in Wilson, which means there were half a dozen MG nuts running around together. The weather was beautiful and our trip was pretty uneventful. We drove through North Carolina to Virginia. The proof is in the picture.

We crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel--an amazing feat of engineering. The bridge is 17.6 miles long and has two tunnels under the water to allow ships to pass. It was pretty cool. Then, to top it off, there was a restaurant on the bridge--who puts a restaurant on a bridge?!? When we stopped for lunch--on a bridge, we met other MG nuts--including the number 1 Rallye car--who knew so many people like to eat on a bridge. Anyway, we took a picture--of course.

After lunch we drove on to Maryland--another poto op!

After entering Maryland, we found our hotel, and I started blogging--what else could I do. But the thing is, this is an extra day on our trip--the real journey starts tomorrow when 24 cars leave from Ocean City, MD--the Atlantic Ocean--I can hardly wait. In just a couple weeks we will be in San Francisco, CA--the Pacific Ocean. It was a wonderful day, and I hope all the ones to follow will be just a nice.

If there is anything you specifically want to know about, please send me a comment and I will try to add that info. I am new at this blogging business, so please bear with me--I promise to get better!

You're Invited to Come Along

This Summer Dennis and I will be driving ocean to ocean with other MG enthusiasts. We start our trip from the Atlantic Ocean in Ocean City, Maryland and complete the trip in San Francisco, California when we dip a tire in the Pacific Ocean. We are planning to take this trip in our little yellow MG Midget (you can see the picture below). The challenge will be to pack enough clothes for a 6 week trip for two people in just one suitcase! It could be difficult, but we are up to the challenge.


Every 5 years the MG Council of North American MG clubs hosts a grand festival celebrating the history and character of motorcars built by the M.G. Motor Company in Abingdon, England. This summer it will be held in Reno, Nevada. Some very ambitious planners came up with the idea of driving coast to coast and the Rallye to Reno was born. We will be crossing the United States on Highway 50--also known as the "lonliest highway in the world." I am sure we will have many adventures along the way, and we invite you to join us via this blog.

AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU

This adventure across U.S Highway 50 through thirteen states and the District of Columbia will also provide a platform to raise awareness and hopefully generate donations in support of the research efforts funded by the Alzheimer's Association with a companion event--Rallye for Research. Dennis and I have both lost our mothers to this devasting disease, and we were happy to join the cause and will be known as "Team Born Again."

Alzheimer's disease is a brain disease that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior and it is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other symptoms that interfere with daily life. We are asking you to partner with us as "Co-Drivers" by contributing at $.01 per mile, or $32 (3200 miles), or any amount that you are comfortable with. To donate to the cause and to support our team, please use the following link:

http://rallyeforresearch.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=474772&lis=1&kntae474772=0988B615EDEE4B41B76C07B2607AE1A7&supId=327081603

Thank you for your generosity. We look forward to hearing from you and we will keep you posted on our progress.