The NHRA Wally Parks Museum is celebrating their 10th Anniversary this year. The museum has become a showcase for the history and heritage of the sport of hot rodding and drag racing. In honor of this milestone, it was decided that a Street Rodder Road Tour to the California Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield would be a fitting tribute to their first decade. Beginning at the NSRA Golden State Nationals in Sacramento the Tour route would include stops in Lake Tahoe, Reno, Yosemite National Park, Fresno and then on to the California Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield.
It was a fun weekend at NSRA the Golden State Nationals. The Sacramento Vintage Ford Tour was just wrapping up its journey from Pomona to Sacramento and some of the Road Tourians from that journey were joining the trip to Bakersfield. We gathered at the Street Rodder hospitality tent at the Cal-Expo grounds on Sunday afternoon for a drivers' meeting and participant get-together. There were 20 registered vehicles set to head out after the awards ceremonies.
The two hour trip on Route 50 from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe is beautiful. The air was cold as we crossed over the mountains and into the Lake Tahoe area. Those of us with heaters had them cranked up but the best way to appreciate the scenery is with the top down. We arrived at our evening destination of the Horizon Hotel and Resort as the sun was beginning to set. Our view of Lake Tahoe was fantastic.
Monday morning we gathered in the lobby for our daily drivers' meeting. These get togethers give us a chance to go over the routes and schedule for the day. We can also address any questions or problems that anyone may have before we head out. Our route for the day would take us around Lake Tahoe across Mount Rose Highway and on to Virginia City for lunch. We would then make the shot trip to Reno and visit the National Automobile Museum.
The trip around Lake Tahoe is breathtaking and we made a stop at Emerald Bay for some pictures. We made a quick visit to a shop that specializes in classic wooden boats. While most of the boats had been put into storage for the season we were still able to see a number of these beautiful vintage watercraft. Traveling on of the Lake Tahoe area we crossed the mountains on Mount Rose Highway. The view of Reno from that elevation is spectacular. It was then up the long climb to Virginia City for lunch. This former silver mining town was the site of the famous Comstock Lode strike in 1859. In its heyday 25,000 people resided in this hilltop town. It really is taken right out of the pages of a western novel.
After lunch we drove back down the winding highway to our destination of Reno, Nevada. After checking in at the hotel we made the short trip to downtown Reno and visited the National Automobile Museum. The museum includes many vehicles from the famous Harrah Collection. After a brief movie about the history of Bill Harrah's Collection we spent about two hours enjoying the vehicles and the displays. It was great to see Ed Roth's original Beatnik Bandit and the Beatnik Bandit II hat Ed had completed and donated to the museum before he passed away in 2001.
It had been a long but very beautiful day on the NHRA Museum Tour. Tuesday our travels will take us to Yosemite National Park. Check back here and we will keep you updated on our journey to the California Hot Rod Reunion.
Jerry Dixey