Our 10 day Kentucky Model A Tour was cancelled due to the uncertainty of the pandemic. We decided to venture back to one of our favorite places - Blowing Rock, NC. This was part of our tour down the Blue Ridge Park a couple of years ago.
On July 11th we took off from various locations. Our club (being from the Eastern Coastal NC area) had us all rendezvousing at different times and various locations. Don and Judy started from Bath, NC met up with Dannie and Maxine in Ayden, NC then off to Kinston, NC to meet all of the New Bern, NC members (Richard & Vicki, Bob & Geri, Larry (and Randal from Hubert, NC riding with Larry)). Then we (Grier & Kristin) started from the Doghouse (Hampstead, NC) to meet everyone in Newton Grove, NC. From that point on our caravan of 6 Models A's made its way to Blowing Rock venturing through the back roads of North Carolina. The next day John and Sue trailered their Model A to Blowing Rock too. We also had a few guest accompany us, Mark with his Model A from the Skyline Model A club (Staunton, VA) and close friends of Don and Judy from Tennessee (Eric and Angie) that rode as passengers in our Model A's. Our trip measured about 250 miles from Hampstead to Blowing Rock.
The following are a few pictures our trip along the way with some annotations. We used Blowing Rock, NC as our base and did various day trips.
Travelling in NC, I think Rt 421.
We found this neat old drive-in restaurant to have lunch (Siler City, NC). Even though they no longer served you in your cars, it was a great place to go and park.
Our Motel in Blowing Rock, NC. We became a tourist attraction! Numerous cars would drive by through the motel parking lot and take pictures. Some even stopped to chat while we rested in the outdoor chairs every evening.
July 12th we went to Mast General Store, unfortunately I did not take any pictures. The original store is located in Valle Crucis, NC. Below is a picture from the internet.
Later that evening we all met up for dinner at a family style restaurant near Crumpler, NC Shatley Springs Inn, the food was good ole home-style cook-in. Here John and Sue catch up with us for the first time.
July 13th, we go see the actual "Blowing Rock" where Indian legend has said that a Chickasaw chieftan, fearful of a white man’s admiration for his lovely daughter, journeyed far from the plains to bring her to The Blowing Rock and the care of a squaw mother. One day the maiden, daydreaming on the craggy cliff, spied a Cherokee brave wandering in the wilderness far below and playfully shot an arrow in his direction. The flirtation worked because soon he appeared before her wigwam, courted her with songs of his land and they became lovers, wandering the pathless woodlands and along the crystal streams. One day a strange reddening of the sky brought the brave and the maiden to The Blowing Rock. To him it was a sign of trouble commanding his return to his tribe in the plains. With the maiden’s entreaties not to leave her, the brave, torn by conflict of duty and heart, leaped from The Rock into the wilderness far below. The grief-stricken maiden prayed daily to the Great Spirit until one evening with a reddening sky, a gust of wind blew her lover back onto The Rock and into her arms. From that day a perpetual wind has blown up onto The Rock from the valley below. For people of other days, at least, this was explanation enough for The Blowing Rock’s mysterious winds causing even the snow to fall upside down.
Kristin and Grier sitting on the Blowing Rock.
Here Larry is trying his luck, hoping the winds keep him from falling off the cliff!
Our group photos at the Blowing Rock overlook.
And a group photo of our Model A's at the Blowing Rock attraction parking area.
July 14th, we tour in our Model A's to Grand Father Mountain - elevation about 5900 feet. Our 90 something cars made it to the parking lot - elevation about 5250 feet. Below are some images of this feat!
On our way down the Blue Ridge Parkway to Grand Father Mountain.
Going up the last leg to the visitor center parking area.
Pictures from the swing bridge area of the parking lot. How many Model A's can you find?
As you can see, we were perilously close to the edge. Some of us had to push the cars away from the cliff!!
We made our way to Linville, NC for lunch before venturing off to see the Linville Falls.
Later that evening we visited another Model A enthusiast that Don and Judy knew, Bill Sims. He and his wife have a place in Blowing Rock and they are members of the George Washington, DC Model A Club. Below are some pictures of four of our Model A's parked in his front yard.
HAY! That guy on the right looks like that guy on the left !!!!
July 15th we venture back to the Linville, NC area down the wonderful Blue Ridge Parkway to see the Linville Caverns. We all brought our jackets thankfully because the temperature in the cavern was a cool 51 degrees. I only took a few pictures.
Then back to Blowing Rock via the Blue Ridge Parkway. The following pictures show our Model A's travelling over the famous Linn Cove Viaduct near Grand Father Mountain.
Down the Blue Ridge Parkway.
And finally back to our motel for one least night before we travel back home the next day.
All in all our trip covered anywhere from 950 to over a 1000 miles for some of our cars, only minor issues that a little tweaking here and there and a little water didn't solve. It was a very successful trip and all had a grand time together eating Kilwin's Ice Cream :)
