Bowling Green Journal
Part Three of Three
Posted: Sept. 15, 06
THE ADVENTURE HOME
June 19 - Monday morning, a gang of us decided to head for the General Motors Bowling Green manufacturing plant, where they build Corvettes and Cadillac XLR. The poor gal we had as a tour guide really had a tough time with this bunch of racers and mechanics. We were like kids in a candy store with all the tools, equipment and processes we were seeing. It really was fascinating and I would recommend it. Did you know that there is a $500 option on a new Corvette where you can come to the plant and witness your car on the assembly line, affix the Corvette badge to the front of it and drive it off the line ?
Our time in Bowling Green had quickly come to an end and the gals headed to the airport in Nashville, Tennessee while the guys went back to the track to jump in the trucks for the drive home to California. You'd think my story would end here. NOT !
I boarded my small plane for the short hop to Cincinnati, where I would get on the big plane for the flight home into Orange County Airport. Remember - this is an adventure story. As we approached the end of the runway for take - off the pilot informed us that due to thunderstorms, Cincinnati was not allowing planes to land. We were on hold on the tarmac for about a half hour hoping the weather would clear. After an hour, I heard the engines roar back to life and was glad to finally be underway. But, the pilot took us back to the terminal, whereupon he informed us that we would have to wait another half hour before we could deplane, as the terminal was overwhelmed with all the passengers from the delayed flights. By this point, I had missed my connection in Cincinnati, which was the last plane into Orange County before the nightly airport curfew. Are you getting the picture here ? Bugsy was going to pick me up Monday night at the airport and bring me back to the Bugsy Chalet (as I like to call it) and I was to catch a train home on Tuesday morning. My perfectly scheduled travel arrangements were junk. So….I did what anyone would do. Call the guys !! By the time I was let off the plane, Dusty was approaching Memphis. Given the myriad of arrangements I would have to piece together, the fact that all I had was a small overnight bag (my luggage was going back to California in the truck) and realizing that the trucks would now be arriving in California just one day after I would if I could get the flights rebooked, I decided to rent a car. Yep - I managed to find a one way rental to Memphis (3 hour drive) and I chased down the trucks. Did you know that a Jeep Liberty can be driven at 90+ miles an hour for an extended period of time ? I made it in just about 2 hours.
I met up with Dusty and Tuesday morning the rental car was returned and we were headed West. But not before the desk clerk at the hotel in Memphis, who had assured us that he had ample truck parking (not even close) then claimed that he was, "so perfect that even God can not deny me anything."
After calling my boss and explaining to her that I would not be back at work on Wednesday as planned, the trip home was a more leisurely pace than the one coming in. We passed such wonders in Arkansas as the Adult Book Store, so large that it looked like a truck stop - with plenty of trucks parked there. . . . . . . . and don't forget Toadsuck, AR. I giggled about that sign for quite a number of miles. Further down the road, we passed Whatalotawata, Oklahoma. Having been delayed several hours in dead stopped traffic due to several truck wrecks, we made it to Oklahoma City by Tuesday evening - June 20. The Holiday Inn where we stayed, it turns out, was having a DARE officers convention. Some of those cars the officers drive are pretty tricked out ! The hotel itself was an adventure - at least in my book. In addition to the pool and jacuzzi, they had pool tables, air hockey table, pinball games and Ms. PacMan…….and a warning on the desk in the room about Tornado sirens and what do if they went off.
On the road Wednesday, we stopped at a rest area that had swings. Yep - swings. Dusty had to come fetch me off them before I looped myself around the top bar I was going so high. A few hours later at a rest stop in Texas educated us about the Palo Duro Canyon (second deepest canyon in US), the Goodnight family (these guys rock) and their contributions to the local community, the buffalo population and wind farm projects. We pulled into Gallup, New Mexico for the night, but not before I made a couple laps through the local native american gift shops.
But the adventure isn't over yet ! On Thursday, while driving down I-40 we decided to stop at the Bellemonte, AZ (just outside Flagstaff) Harley Davidson shop / Route 66 Roadhouse Grill. It's one of these places Dusty has driven by with each trip back east and wanted to stop, so we did. It was lunchtime and we figured we could get a bite to eat. First of all, the place is huge - with one whole wall nothing but beer taps ! They've got a circle of TV's hanging from the center of the room. There is a stage for a band in the middle room. The back room is a hot rod restoration shop. The whole place is decorated with automobile and motorcycle memorabilia. And the food…..is cook it yourself ! Chris, the bartender, takes your order and brings you your meat and orients you to the grill in the corner - already hot and ready to go. There are also sides of beans, corn and salad. The beer was cold and the conversation was animated. A stop worth fitting into your schedule on any trip.
We parked the truck at the NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona on Thursday night at 9 pm. I boarded an Amtrack train on Friday for the 6 hour trip home to the central coast. It was such a relaxing ride and most of the trip north of Ventura, the tracks are right near the beach. I was back at the ranch by 11 pm.
Best quotes of the trip - "We don't know where we are but we got some neat s@#t" Cindy Gibbs on getting lost in Indianapolis. On the subject of gray hair, the salesman at the Harley Dealership outside Flagstaff, AZ commented, "I'm just installing more chrome."
