May 2010
Volume 30 Issue 1 Club Officers President: Marlene Coder Vice President: Dean Stokes Secretary: Mike Porter Board Members 1 Year -- Dale Peterson 2 Year -- Marlene Coder 3 Year -- Russ Armstrong Mailing Address: Three Rivers Model T Ford Club P.O. Box 7083 Kennewick, WA 99336 Editor/Webmaster: Dale Peterson dpeters0258@gmail.com
April 15, 2010 Minutes
Old
Business
Larry Coder mentioned that the Club
Scouts of America are interested in Model T's and want to learn
more about our cars and go for a Model T ride. President Marlene suggested
that we do a tour and give rides to the scouts in a park. More about this
later.
Jim Langdon's tour to Mecham,
Oregon leaves 9:00 a.m. from Herministon April
17th. There are 12 members going on this beautiful
tour. Thank you Jim and Phyllis.
New Business
Dale and Sharon Peterson's tour to the San Juan
Island "Seat of Your Pants tour" is scheduled for
September 19-24, 2010. Dale passed out a
complete itinerary of this great tour. Make plans to go on this tour
to beautiful San Juan Islands. The tour
will start in Anacortes, WA with a place to park truck and trailers. If
you want to go on this tour, you will need your passports. There will be
more information following as the date comes closer. Thank you Dale &
Sharon
The Christmas Party is
scheduled for December 12, 2010 at Canyon Lakes Retirement
Center. Thank you Wayne and Lorraine Williams for your
generous hospitality.
A car show is scheduled
June 19, 2010 at Canyon Lakes with lunch provided.
This is something to think about and plan on attending if
interested.
May 1, 2010 will be a
Swap Meet at the Benton County Fair Grounds.
A 4th of July Parade was mentioned, but not too
much interest, so we will forego this.
Jane Armstrong said the City of
Richland will be celebrating their 100th
anniversary at Howard Amon Park May 8,
2010. There will be quilting, weaving and other items of
interest at the Community Center beside Crest Museum. If you are
interested, please contact Jane Armstrong.
Russ Armstrong went to Hood River to check out the
Transportation Museum. There was some discussion about the club going to
see this interesting museum.
Ernie Ferguson has helped our club in the past
many times has terminal cancer. The club will send him a "thinking of you
card".
Please know that you are in our
prayers.
We do not have anything scheduled for a June or
July tour. If you have some place you think the club would like to see,
please speak up. Dale Peterson thought about a tour to Soap Lake or a tour
to Union, Oregon.
With nothing more to come before the club, the
meeting was adjourned.
Respectively Submitted, Dean Stokes for
Wanda Stokes, secretary.
Birthday's for May
are:
Judy Danko - 5/6, Wanda Stokes 5/16, Russell Armstrong 5/27 Happy Birthday to you
all!
Anniversary's for May
are:
Ralph & June Anderson 5/08, LaMar and
Faye Barnes 5/12, Ivan and Judy Dike 5/25
Happy Anniversary to the happy
couples!
For our meeting in
May, snacks will be provided by Russ and
Jane Armstrong.
The Three Rivers Model T Club tour for the month – March Madness – kicked off on Saturday morning, March 13, despite bluster and threats from the weather man. There was a definite nip in the air as drivers and passengers bundled up and set off from Jim & Phyllis Langdon’s place in Hermiston, bound via the back roads for Pendleton.
As soon as we were able to see the Blue Mountains, the reason for the nip became apparent – Ma Nature had dumped a late snowstorm on them. Very pretty to look at, but the occasional chunks of snow on the road (fallen from other vehicles – not ours!) reminded us that winter wouldn’t officially end for another week.
The roundabout route, over Despain Gulch Road, took us into Pendleton on Hwy. 37, past new baby calves, bright green fields of winter wheat, and even a few buffalo.
We got into Pendleton in mid-morning – earlier than anticipated for our arranged tours – so trooped off on a coffee run to thaw out and re-energize. Some of the polar-bear figures, peeling off layers of cold-weather gear, actually turned out to be people we knew! Dean & Wanda Stokes, Fred & Mary Fraser, Russ & Jane Armstrong, Jim & Phyllis Langdon, Bill Sheller & son (and grandson), and Fearless Leaders John & Lynda Carraher were all present and accounted for.
About half the group had opted for the Pendleton Underground Tours, while others took a quick run out to the Pendleton Woolen Mills. Lynda thought she was going to be the single participant in the Heritage Station Museum tour, but was later joined by the Frasers.
Lunch at Great Pacific on Pendleton’s Main Street was followed by free time. Some of us wandered up Main Street, checking out the galleries and stores, until we got to Court Street and journeyed up Antique Row. We also spent a fair amount of time at Hamley’s store and gallery, seeing lots of neat Western wear and some amazing bronzes, including a life-sized bronc rider that the clerk said weighs about 4 tons and was a real production to get into place!
Most folks wandered back to the Oxford Suites to get cleaned up for dinner, bearing our spoils with us. We know that the booty included a cookbook, a DVD, a red hat with peacock feather, a vintage LP phonograph record, a classic old National Geographic magazine, Pendleton Woolen Mills earmuffs and other wool goodies, and who-know-what-else. Oh, one couple was observed sneaking into WalMart for some Genuine Eastern Oregon Oreo cookies…. Dinner at Rooster’s was followed by a few glasses of wine back at the hotel, plus lots of good conversation and plots for Sunday activities. We grudgingly set our watches forward so everyone would be on the same time, though we hated to lose an hour of tour time!
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Breakfast was at the hotel, and once we got everyone running again – Russ had a little difficulty getting his car to start in the crisp morning air – we left for a tour of some of Pendleton’s grand old homes. Some members chose to walk while others drove. The drivers got to see more houses and discovered some hills that had sneaked in from San Francisco, but the walkers had the chance to talk to a lady who lives in one of the homes.
Pendleton is a small enough town that it’s pretty easy to get around, and the business community is well aware of the value of the tourist dollar. We could easily have spent another day there and still not seen everything.
But we did decide to start home mid-morning, and John led the group back along old Hwy 30, which follows the Umatilla River via a winding, often rock-filled road with genuine Eastern Oregon potholes artistically scattered at various spots, coming out in Echo. Despite a major blooper in the written tour route (no, you DON’T turn at the high school!), we all got back to Hermiston and stopped for provisions at Roy & Venita’s Restaurant there. Good grief, those people put on a feed! Don’t go there if you’re not hungry!
When we finally waddled out of the restaurant, folks were ready to go home. The Carrahers peeled off for Umatilla and everyone else followed Jim & Phyllis to re-trailer their cars and head north. All got home safely, thawed out, and tired but happy.
Tour May 22-23
At the March 15 meeting, a tour to Hot Lake Springs was
discussed. A call to the resort the next day revealed that they are
currently remodeling the Bed and Breakfast rooms so we would be unable
to stay at the resort. An alternative mentioned at the meeting was a
trip to Soap Lake so this tour headed by Dale and Sharon Peterson will
head north out of Pasco rather than southeast. We will be staying at
the historic 1905 Inn at Soap Lake. There are 10 more rooms are on
hold for us until May 1, Dale and Sharon already have the jacuzzi suite
with the king size bead reserved. There are a number of other rooms
with mineral hot water soaking tubs and two more jacuzzi suites. The
rates are from $59-$125/night. Two of the rooms do not have mineral
water baths, so get yours reserved soon. We were unable to reserve any
of the cottages but some of the rooms do have a stove and if weather
permits we will have a waffle breakfast compliments of Dale. Call 1
800 557-8514 to make your room reservation before May 1.
Plan to meet 1PM on May 22 at the Wallmart Supercenter parking lot
on Route 68 to drive to Soap Lake together. If there is anyone that
would like to drive a trouble truck instead of their T (or if they have
sold their T--Ivan) call or email Dale.
The Masquers Theater has no planned performances this weekend, but
there are several attractions in the area we may be able to enjoy if it
is not hot enough yet to take a dip in Soap Lake. Be sure to bring
your bathing suits, modern or period.
Upcoming San Juan Island Tour
San Juan Island T Tour by the Seat of Your Pants September 19-24, 2010 Sept. 19 Anacortes to Coupeville Meet for lunch 1PM at Deception Café & Grill four miles north of Deception Pass State Park on Route 20. After lunch, drive to Rosario Beach Marine Biology station (Walla Walla University) to park vehicles/trailers. Drive to Coupeville and spend the night at Captain Whidbey Inn, an Historic 1907 log inn. Rates are 93.50 garden view, 109.00 water view, 165.00 delux. Phone number is 360-678-4097/800-366-4097. Sept 20. Rise and shine early to drive to the Anacortes ferry. Ferry ride to Lopez Island For lunch and short drive before reboarding the ferry and cross to Orcas Island. We will spend the night at The Outlook Inn, in the 1888 main building. Rates are 74.00-89.00/night and we will be staying two nights here. Phone numbers for reservations 360-376-2200/888-688-5665. Sept 21. Drive around Orcas Island and up to Mt Constitution for a view of the Puget Sound from its 2400 ft summit. Sept. 22. Board the ferry to San Juan/Friday Harbor. Drive around the island, visit the British and American Forts and learn about the boundary dispute and the “Pig War of 1859” and its one casualty: the pig. We will spend the night at the 1886 Hotel de Haro in Roche Harbor. Rates: 99.00/night. Phone numbers: 360-378-2155/800-451-8910. Sept. 23. Board ferry to Sidney B.C. Visit Butchart Gardens and Victoria Butterfly Gardens. Spend the night at Motel 66. Rates: 85.95/night, reservation phone number 250-652-4464. Sept 24. Board Anacortes ferry in the morning to the return trip to our vehicles. The Nov/Dec Horseless Carriage Gazette contained and article about a trip undertaken by Edsel Ford and five friends. The trip started in Detroit June 17, 1915 and they traveled to San Francisco. Three cars were involved, Edsel’s 1915 Model T Touring, an 8 cylinder Cadillac and a Stutz. And wouldn’t you know, the Stutz had the most mechanical problems and the Model T the least. But this may be less than fair, since the purpose of the drive was to visit Ford dealerships along the way and several repairs were made to the T during these visits. Of special note, the T started out with wire wheels and ended the trip with more durable wood spoke wheels. This article was the inspiration for this tour, with a minimum of planning other than for where we will be going and sleeping the night. This will be a hopefully fun trip in the spirit of touring in the early part of the century. Unfortunately, I do not know of any period dirt roads for this trip. However, other than the above, there will be no pre tour drive and the routes will be determined by the maps available and sightseeing books you may wish to check out before hand. Stops will be determined at the time. Since it costs close to $100 each way for a truck and trailer, we will not have a trouble trailer. If the worse happens, the islands are small and a tow strap will get us back on the ferry. We will be able to leave our tow vehicles at the WWU marine biology research station where they should be secure and will not incur a parking fee. Motels except at Sidney are chosen for their historic as well as scenic value. Some other nice places were available but these were in the more affordable range. Blocks of rooms have been set aside up to 30 days before hand at the above agreed prices. Mention the Three Rivers Model T Club when making your reservations. We will need to have a passport or enhanced ID to board the ferry system, even if not leaving the US. These take a minimum of 6 weeks to obtain so plan ahead and make a trip to the county courthouse if you do not already have one of these. |
