After what seemed like the entire summer off, it was time to head out again on the Street Rodder Road Tour. During the second week of September, street rodders in the North and Midwest all converge on Kalamazoo, Michigan, the home of the NSRA Nationals North. I called my buddy, artist Guy Shively, and let him know that the passenger seat in our Coast-to-Coast convertible was open for the trip to the "Zoo." He jumped at the chance and we were on the highway by 7:00 am Wednesday morning.
The trip to Kalamazoo is a relatively short one, by Road Tour standards. The 320-mile trip went by quickly under sunny blue skies. We got to the Fairgrounds by 3:00 pm and immediately put the top down, which is where it stayed all weekend! It was another great Nationals North event. Over 3,300 street rods covered the Kalamazoo Fairgrounds. You can check out the February '03 issue of Street Rodder for complete coverage.
Our good-weather luck ran out about an hour away from home on Sunday night. A classic Ohio gully-washer hit, but we made it through. Great lights from Vintique and windshield wipers from Specialty Power Windows helped us deal with the inclement weather. I didn't have a lot of downtime at home before the next event. The NSRA Northeast Nationals was about to take place in Burlington, Vermont, the following weekend. I was up and rolling at dawn on Wednesday for the 600-mile trip to New England. My route took me up to the New York State Thruway and across the state, almost to Albany. Then, I headed further north where I took a ferry boat from New York across the lower section of Lake Champlain into Vermont. I was standing in the parking lot of the headquarters hotel by 6:00 pm Wednesday evening.
The Northeast Nationals is a show that combines great scenery and cool cars. Since it's only 90 miles from the Canadian border, many of our street rod friends from the "Great North" made the trip to Burlington. It was a good weekend in Northern New England. As with the Kalamazoo editorial, you can also find the complete coverage from Burlington in the February '03 issue of Street Rodder. Under cloudy skies on Sunday, I started my journey home. The Adirondack Mountains that had been so beautiful on the previous Wednesday turned ugly on Sunday, with rain, fog, and darkness setting in. I made it to Saratoga Springs, New York, by Sunday evening. By the next morning the weather cleared and I had a fine trip home. Again my time at home was short. With just five days to unwind from Burlington, I soon found myself behind the wheel again, this time, on a very long journey to Sacramento, California: the site of the new NSRA Golden State Nationals. Then, we're planning a very quick 3,000-mile trip to the Southeast Nationals in Tampa, Florida. This will be a true test of man and machine.
Log on to www.streetrodderweb.com and get updates on our adventures. Dubbed the "Iron Man Run" this final two weeks should be exciting. See you on the Road Tour!
Across the Ohio Turnpike and...
Across the Ohio Turnpike and on into Indiana is the route that Guy and I took to Kalamazoo. The third lane that they have added to the Ohio 'pike really speeds things along.
The sign says, "Michigan:...
The sign says, "Michigan: Great Lakes, Great Fun." They should add: "Great Street Rod Runs!"
There were 3,344 street rods...
There were 3,344 street rods registered at the Nationals North this year. This is one of those events where people come and stay for all three days.
I was only home for two days...
I was only home for two days before I had to head east to Burlington, Vermont. This was the beautiful Ohio sunrise when I left that Wednesday.
I traveled on the New York...
I traveled on the New York State Thruway for most of the day, and came across some fellow street rodders who also had their sights set on Burlington.
I made it to the ferry dock...
I made it to the ferry dock in Essex, New York, by 5:00 pm. This is the quickest route to Vermont.
The crew was nice enough to...
The crew was nice enough to let me position the Road Tour 'Vert at the front of the ferry. The 20-minute ride was a nice change of pace, and also lots of fun.
Burlington, Vermont, sits...
Burlington, Vermont, sits on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain. The waterfront area is undergoing renovation.
This classic diner sits on...
This classic diner sits on a side street in downtown Burlington. It was opened 50 years ago, and serves a great breakfast.
This is one of Burlington's...
This is one of Burlington's most famous landmarks. The church sits at the end of the downtown Promenade shopping area.
The Champlain Valley Exposition...
The Champlain Valley Exposition Grounds was again the site of the NSRA Northeast Nationals. Over 1,500 street rods were registered this year.
I traveled under blue skies...
I traveled under blue skies and sunshine for my journey home on Monday. These rodders also had a fun weekend in Vermont.
I jumped off I-90 at Northeast...
I jumped off I-90 at Northeast Pennsylvania. Lake Erie is very picturesque in this area. It's known as America's "North Coast."
These are the guys who helped...
These are the guys who helped keep me on the road all summer. B.M.S. Engineering, Customs and Restoration in Youngstown, Ohio, consists of (left to right) Brian Mulichak, Mark Lucicosky and Sam TuFaro. Thanks for a great job guys!