Rain all day from Cambridge, OH, to Charleston, WV, to Morgantown, WV. Bill's Bird with the convertible top is leaking big time. Caravan stayed together all day -- except for one wrong turn leaving Cambridge. Lucy exchanged her two-way radios (purchased in Jefferson City, MO) at the Best Buy in Morgantown, WV, because the charging unit wasn't working. Dinner at the Texas Roadhouse.

Drove about 204 miles from Dearborn to Columbus, Ohio. Didn't have a visual on everyone most of the way. It was windy driving in Ohio. Our GPS units sent us to 77 S. High St. in Gahanna, OH, instead of in Columbus -- about 8 miles apart. When we all arrived at the Ohio Capitol, we took photos of our T-birds on the sidewalk directly in front of the Capitol building (Lucy arranged for this in advance). Due to the number of spectators, we weren't able to get a photo of just the cars and the capitol.

 

Doc, Paul and Bill went on to Coshocton to have Doc's broken windshield replaced by CASCO. Lucy went ahead to Cambridge to update the website for the last two days.

Short drive from Lansing to Dearborn this morning - about 90 miles. We were met at The Dearborn Inn by several Water Wonderland T-birders, including Marie and Nelson.

 

Lucy spent the morning at Village Ford having Betsy Bird's tires aligned and rotated. Bill, Paul and Doc spent the morning with Water Wonderland members sightseeing at the Rouge Plant (where our baby birds were 'born'), Ford World Headquarters, and the Fairlane Estate. (Note: Ford no longer allows visitors to photograph their Thunderbirds in front of the Ford World Headquarters Building.)

 

Everyone met at the American Cafe at The Henry Ford for lunch and then we toured the Henry Ford Museum. (Since Nelson volunteers at the museum, he arranged for free admission - thank you, Nelson!) Afterwards, Lucy drove over to the Rouge Plant; it has been 51 years since Betsy Bird was in Dearborn.

 

After cocktails at The Dearborn Inn, we had dinner at Opa Opa's (a Greek restaurant), compliments of the Water Wonderland chapter. Thank you! The Water Wonderland members also gave each 48 in 08 participant several Thunderbird books. Lucy also received a pair of Thunderbird socks!

 

Before calling it a night, we stopped at Steve Legal's collection of Thunderbird memorabilia. None of us has ever seen so many T-bird items -- from photos to glassware to models.

It's hard to believe, but we left 'home' a month ago today! This was a long driving day (about 400 miles) and the day became shorter when we entered our third time zone change. The weather was good all day, however, it was windy in Michigan. This was the first time on the tour the three T-birds were separated most of the day -- first when Doc/Paul took a different expressway in Chicago but they caught up at the Indiana Skyway and again later in Indiana to Lansing. 

 

Upon arrival in Lansing, we met with members of the Water Wonderland Thunderbirds and took photos of all of our Thunderbirds in front of the Michigan State Capitol. Thank you, Marie Brucker, for making arrangements with local police for our photo op. Afterwards, we gathered at Clara's restaurant in Lansing for supper. Clara's restaurant is in an old (built in 1903) train depot and there's something fasinating to see at every turn.

Went to Middleton Ford in Middleton, WI, for our oil changes early this morning. All 3 T-birds are doing well; no adjustments or repairs. People's Choice judging of 43 Thunderbirds took place from 10:00 am to Noon; it was very difficult to vote because all of the Birds were beautiful.

 

The afternoon included a tour of a local micro brewery and getting caught up with paperwork for the 48 in 08 tour. When the guys returned from the brewery tour, Dale Peck led a 6-Bird caravan to the Capitol for our photo op.

Our day started out with cloudy skies as we left Springfield. We did have some rain early morning and the roads were wet on I-55. Stopped to pick up the Budachs at Hwy. 34. Then Bert and Janet Eisenhour joined the caravan about 50 miles later. Stopped in Rockford and had lunch at Rockford College - thank you Bern!

 

Arrived in Madison mid-afternoon, picked up our registration packets for 'Birds in the Dells', and visited the hospitality room. Early evening, we went to the Quaker Steak & Lube for dinner --- 30 plus Thunderbirds and 70 people! The original plan was to go to Quaker Steak at 6:45 pm, however, most everyone arrived early -- must have had something to do with the Packers playing and their fans wanting to be back at the hotel before kick off....

Left Jeffersonville, IN, at 7:00 am and headed towards Indy. It was difficult to take photos of the Indiana Capitol due to mid-day traffic and vehicles parked all around the capitol building. After the capitol, we drove another 5.3 miles in Indianapolis to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to take more photos.

 

Shortly after leaving Indy, it started to sprinkle. It was a good thing Bill put his top up at a rest stop because we encountered our first real, steady rain. We even had to turn on windshield wipers and keep them on!

 

Around 5:30 pm Charlie Gouveia of 'For the Birds' met us at the hotel and led the caravan to the Illinois Capitol in Springfield. Upon arrival, many members of For the Birds were waiting and we took our photos in the rain -- a first for the tour! Afterwards we all had dinner at a local pub; most of us ordered a local dish called Horseshoes.

Four classic Thunderbirds joined the caravan this morning from Nashville to Bowling Green. We stopped at the first rest stop inside KY to say our farewells as we continued on and they toured a car museum in Bowling Green.

 

In Frankfort, KY, we took photos of their lovely state capitol and had lunch at Hardee's #40 at 1248 Hwy. 127 South in Frankfort. If you're in the area, stop by; the folks at Hardee's are very friendly. (Hardee's is part of the Carl's Jr. chain.)

 

Arrived in Jeffersonville, IN, around 2 pm and used the extra time to do laundry and get caught up on other matters, such as confirming oil changes in WI and hotel reservations in Dearborn.

Easy drive from Little Rock to Nashville -- about 350 miles on Interstate. Arrived Nashville just before 2 pm. Shortly after checking in, Jim Pfeffer of the Music City Thunderbirds met us at the hotel, along with Gerry Shmidt. We enjoyed chatting at the hotel's restaurant while waiting for other T-birders to arrive.

 

Around 5 pm, we gathered the flock of T-birds from the Smokey Mountain Chapter, the Rebel Classic Thunderbirds, and Music City Thunderbirds and formed a caravan to the Lane Motor Museum which has a unique collection of vehicles - everything from A to Z. Afterwards we had a delicious BBQ in the Lane Museum's meeting room. Thank you Music City Thunderbirds for hosting this event! And thank you to the Smokey Mountain chapter who will be discussing a contribution to McPherson College at their next meeting.

 

After the Lane Motor Museum, we again formed a caravan to the Tennessee Capitol building in Nashville. This was our first true evening photos of a capitol.

 

Busy and long day. Left Jefferson City around 7 am and stopped south of Branson, MO, to visit a friend of Bill's, Jerry Crawford. After lunch with Jerry, we drove out to see where Jimmy Bakker, the televangelist, broadcasts his TV show. After being interviewed on his show, and touring the Morningside facilities, we drove to Little Rock, AR. The program with our T-birds should air in about a week.

 

We met Jerry Schreurs and the Bonifant family at the Arkansas Capitol. One brought his Model T for the photo shoot.

Easy day. Left Topeka around 8:30 am and cruised to Jefferson City, MO. Arrived early afternoon. Took our first Toll Road on the tour in Kansas. Lost each other briefly in Kansas City -- 1 Bird stayed on I-70 and the other 2 Birds took I-670.

 

Lucy's 2-way radio wasn't transmitting so borrowed radios from the guys; bought a new radio in Jefferson City.

 

After checking into our hotel, we went to the Missouri Capitol for our photo op. Being Sunday, there were very few cars around the Capitol. After photos, stopped at Chili's for a late lunch. Back at the hotel, the guys serenaded Lucy with a song:

 

"Lucille Got Her Groove Back" composed by Paul and Doc (leaving Rawlins, WY on 8/9/08) and Rapped by Paul, Bill and Doc (in Jefferson City, MO).

 

Lucille got her groove back

leaving the burger shack.

Lucille got her groove back

doesn't do Big Mac.

Lucille got her groove back

heading for the passing lane.

Lucille got her groove back

flying like an aero-plane.

Lucille got her groove back

sun's shining, ain't gonna rain.

Lucille got her groove back

nothing gonna be the same.

Another wonderful day with fabulous CTCI members. Left Des Moines around 7 a.m. and headed towards Omaha, NE. Stopped at the rest area at mile marker 431 to be greated by classic Thunderbirds! What a thrill to see 5 T-birds in the parking lot. We formed a caravan to the Nebraska Capitol and it was an impressive site to see 8 T-birds cruisin' down the road. When we arrived at the Capitol in Lincoln, the street was lined with more Thunderbirds! There were 17 Thunderbirds all together. After introductions, we took photos of our Birds with and without the Capitol. The ladies of Nebraska brought all the fixings for lunch, including sandwiches, salads, fruit and pies - cherry and rhubarb. We're not saying how many or who had more then one slice of pie. The Nebraskaland Chapter announced they are making a donation to McPherson College's Auto Restoration Department. Thank you to all of the Nebraska members.

 

From Lincoln we cruised on to Topeka, KS, for the night and took evening photos of the Kansas Capitol.

Short drive (259 miles) and long day. Left Bloomington, MN, at 7:00 am and arrived in Des Moines, IA, around noon. Bob Young met us at our hotel and guided the T-birds to the Capitol for a wonderful photo shoot. The Iowa Capitol is a beautiful building with 5 domes. The main dome is covered in gold leaf. Afterwards we washed our cars; the Chick and Betsy hadn't had a bath since they left home (about 3 weeks ago). Then Bob met us again at our hotel and led the way to the first annual DeWaay BBQ and Car Show. We all had a good time and met some great car people with spectacular cars. Bill, Paul and Doc missed the SCVT monthly meeting so they phoned in their request for more funds because they have exceeded their beer budget (Bill Mann was not in the original budget.)

Stopped in Alexandria, MN, on our way from Fargo, ND, to St. Paul, MN, to have breakfast with more of Doc's family. It was fun to see Doc's sister, Iola, and her husband, Bob, again. When we arrived in Maple Grove, MN, there were 10 classic Thunderbirds waiting to guide us to the Capitol in St. Paul. The MN Mini-Birds rolled out the welcome mat for the 48 in 08 participants and presented us with MN Mini-Bird grill badges. The Kieffers hosted dinner for the 48 in 08ers in Bloomington. Lucy had the opportunity to see a former classsmate and Girl Scout in Bloomington, too. Lucy and Bonnie hadn't seen each other since 1961.

Left Bismarck late morning. Arrived in Jamestown and Bill Mann was waiting for us in his 1957 Red Thunderbird! Stopped at Casey Stoudt Chevrolet in Jamestown and they drilled holes in the Chick Magnet's cracked windshield to (hopefully) stop the webbing from traveling any further. They were most gracious and provided a loaner vehicle so we could do our sightseeing while they worked on the Chick Magnet! We are truly indebted to Casey, Sue and CJ Stoudt for their generosity. It should be noted Casey owns a couple classic Thunderbirds and the Ford dealership in Jamestown.

 

Our sightseeing for the day included the National Buffalo Museum and Jamestown College, both in Jamestown, ND.

 

We spent the night in Fargo, ND. WDAY TV came to our hotel and we were on the 10 o'clock news!

Cruised on US Highway 83 most of the day from Pierre, SD, to Linton, ND, and Bismarck, ND. The scenery was gorgeous with rolling hills and crops; Lucy's favorite was sunflowers. Stopped in Linton for oil changes at Terry's Garage and visited with the Dockter Clan (Doc's sister Iola, and brother Ray and their spouses Bob and AnnaMary, plus nephew Travis). Drove out to the Lawrence Welk Homestead to see the sod house on gravel road. Interviewed by Allan Burke of the Emmons County Record (newspaper).

 

The Chick Magnet's front window is now sporting a large crack/hole from a rock hitting it in Hazelton, ND.

 

Arrived in Bismarck early evening to take our photos of the ND Capitol. Met Daryl Dorgan, a local T-bird owner, who was most helpful with the photo op and knowledgeable about Bismarck and ND history. Had a late dinner at Casper's.

A cruisin' kind of day, mostly on US 83 in Nebraska and South Dakota - 2 lane highway in good condition, gently winding through the rolling hills. Stopped at a beautiful vista view in Nebraska. Had lunch in White Water, SD, at a place called "restaurant" - lots of locals having lunch there so you know it was good. Arrived in Pierre, SD, mid-afternoon and took photos at the Capitol.

 

Gas prices in Pierre are low: $3.699 for 87 octane and $3.899 for 91 octane. Seems cheap to Lucy after paying $4.999 for 87 octane in California on I-5 on July 24 on her way to Sacramento. The lowest for 91 octane was in Wyoming at $3.879.

For those of you who may be considering driving your classic T-bird on a long trip, here are a few things to consider:

 

1.  Carry one spare fuel pump, tools to install same, and instructions on how to replace.

2.  Know how to adjust your carburator - especially if you are changing altitude.

Paul adjusted our carburators for the altitude today. Then we were off to Cheyenne. We met Joe McCord, Facilities Manager, State of Wyoming at the capitol and he provided a personal guided tour of the capitol. We took photos of our T-birds in front of the capitol just below the steps.

Drove from Rawlins to Denver. Greg Akiyama met us at hotel and marked off parking places for our T-birds. Greg and Rich Rossi escorted us to the Colorado capitol in Denver for our photo op. Upon returning to our hotel, the CO CTCI Chapter hosted a potluck at a beautiful lakeside park and arranged for our Birds to park on the grass. They also presented each 48 in 08 participant with a gift basket. Afterwards we went to the Sonic Drive-In for ice cream and a 50s experience.

Started the day an extra hour early (6 am) to avoid rush hour traffic in Salt Lake City. Met Howard and Sally Ogilvie in Kaysville and they led the way to the Utah Capitol in their 56 T-bird for our photo op. Then we had a nice breakfast at the Village Inn and stopped to show the T-birds to Howard's parents. The Ogilvies caravaned with us to Evanston, WY. The Millers did not join us as they had their alternator replaced in Salt Lake. More showers today near Rawlins. The Millers joined us again in Rawlins at the hotel.

Finished our 2nd out of 5 long days on the tour -- over 400 miles -- from Twin Falls, ID, to Boise, to Ogden, UT. Our first rain; actually about 5 different showers while driving. Took photos of our T-birds at the Idaho Capitol building in Boise. The building is under renovation so it was difficult to find a good location but we did our best (see Tour Photos). The Millers were waiting for us at our hotel in Ogden so our flock is now composed of 3 T-birds.

This was our longest mileage day scheduled for the 48 in 08 tour -- from Helena, MT, to Twin Falls, ID -- about 435 miles. Betsy Bird and the Chick Magnet did fine. The only eventful part of the day was when someone put Diesel Fuel in the Chick Magnet. A tow truck was called, tank drained and refilled with gasoline. Wonder who is going to be nominated for the SCVT chapter's annual Blunder-Bird Award for 2008....

The day ended on a good note: photo op at the Helena Capitol was marvelous, thanks to Doug Olson, Facilities Manager, State of Montana, who gave us permission to park our T-birds on the steps of the Capitol. (Did we say we didn't think this would happen anywhere except Olympia?) Lunch at the Miller's home in Missoula, MT, was a great change from restaurant food. Early afternoon was not so great: four of the 4 T-birds in the caravan had problems. One had the fuel pump changed on the side of the road. Three had vapor lock problems. One over heated. However, all made it to Helena and the Capitol.

Drove from Olympia to Spokane Valley, WA. Stopped in Roslyn where the TV series 'Northern Exposure' was filmed; took photos at the Roslyn Cafe and The Brick. Next stop was the Telephone Museum in Cle Elum and a treat at the local bakery. Lunch in Ellensburg at Perkins. Arrived Spokane Valley around 5:00 p.m.

After saying our goodbyes to new and old CTCI members, Gordon Thorne of the Puget Sound chapter led the caravan of 10 T-birds and one trailered Bird from Portland to Olympia, WA. We took photos of the Birds at the Capitol. Gordon also arranged for two (2) T-Birds to park on the steps of the Capitol for photos. There are 42 steps and we were around step 21. Thank you, Gordon! We don't think this will happen at any other Capitol.

Today was the driving tour (110 miles) to the Evergreen Flight Museum. Those of us from Southern California enjoyed seeing the Spruce Goose in its new home. Everyone pretty much drove back to Portland on their own (only 42 miles). The CTCI Board Meeting in the afternoon was relatively short. In the evening, we gathered in the ball room for the Awards Banquet. At least 6 of the 48 in 08 participating Thunderbirds won awards!

Concours day. T-bird owners were up & out early to put the final touches on their beautiful cars before judging began. In the evening, we went to the Portland International Raceway and had a BBQ with ice cream for desert.

Judges training participants filled the room - not an empty seat! The slide show of what judges should look for was interesting. The evening Wine, Beer and Chocolate, along with a light supper, was delightful. If the chocolate wouldn't melt while cruisin' around the lower 48, Lucy would have bought boxes and boxes of chocolates.

Attended the CTCI General Meeting and had the opportunity to meet the CTCI Board of Directors and Officers. In the early evening, went on the Dinner River Cruise which was great - great food, company and scenery. The replacement 'spare' fuel pump was delivered by Prestige Thunderbirds.

A fun-filled day in Portland. Light showers in the morning. Many went on the Columbia River Gorge Tour and attended the Tech Session. In the evening, attended the Under the Big Top Welcome Party, complete with clowns, a fire eater, cotton candy, hot dogs, carnaval-type games, and lots of good company.

Leisurely day in Portland. Updated website, wrote thank you notes, visited new and old friends in the Hospitality Suite, and picked up registration goodie bags and convention shirts. Many went on the evening walking tour of Officers' Row in Portland.

Route: Weed to Salem to Portland.

Betsy Bird ran tail and less then an hour out of Weed, she just stopped at 3000 feet on I-5. Bill Mann returned and determined the fuel pump failed. He quickly pulled out a spare fuel pump from his trunk and went to work. In about an hour, Bill had a new fuel pump installed and Betsy Bird was back on the road. Thank you, Bill Mann!!!!

The Chick Magnet also had problems today. A broken wire. Between the guys - Paul, Larry, Jack and Jack - they found the wire and repaired it. Thank you, Larry Maness for carrying extra wire!

Stopped in Salem, OR, to take photos of 8 classic Thunderbirds in front of the Oregon Capitol building. We had a permit to be on capitol grounds, however, no one asked to see it - perhaps because it was Sunday afternoon.

Arrived at the Red Lion on the River in Portland about 5:40 p.m. Sue again made arrangements for dinner. Tonight it was at Salty's in Portland and included a courtesy van from the hotel. A nice break from driving and a chance to see some of Portland from another view - instead of from behind the wheel.

Route: Carson City to Weed, CA.

We drove through millions of butterflies for mile after mile through Lassen National Forest. Our cars were literally splattered with butterflies. Sue Mathieson organized our dinner plans at a local Mexican restaurant.

After breakfast at Mel's Diner in Folsom, CA, with some of the Sacramento Chapter members, we headed for Carson City. This is our second capitol and fantastic support from the Sierra Nevada Chapter of CTCI to make the 48 in 08 tour a memorable experience. Bill Goldman not only arranged for the permit to drive 10 classic Thunderbirds onto capitol grounds, he and chapter members supplied the required drip pans - one for each Thunderbird! That's not all - the Nevada Governor, Jim Gibbons, came out and talked to everyone - individually. After the photo op, we had dinner at the Glen Eagle's restaurant, in a private room, where Bill and Diane Pettitt, the Chapter VP/Acting President, presented each 48 in 08 participant with a dash plaque shaped like the state of NV and inscribed with 48 in 08 and the date of our visit to Carson City.

Route: Home to Sacramento, CA.

What a send off and fabulous start of the tour thanks to the Sacramento CTCI Chapter! Not only did they throw a fantastic picnic along the river with the best BBQ and a special cake with the 48 in 08 logo on it, they took photos as 14 classic Thunderbirds cruised past the Capitol. In addition, Loni and the ladies of the Sacramento chapter made small, canvas bags and enclosed a journal book, pen, button with a photo of the capitol and a Thunderbird, and post card of the capitol building. We cannot thank the Korenkos and Ross Woodman enough for their efforts on our behalf, along with the hard work of their chapter members. Thank you!