Hi all!
In line with the thread on Triumph memories, I had a few good ones this
weekend! The plan was to leave Rowlett, TX (east of Dallas) Saturday
morning early and drive down to the Scarborough Renaissance Faire (about
60-70 miles), leave the faire at the end of the day and drive about 20
miles to Lake Bardwell and camp with a renaissance group, then leave
early the next morning and head north about 30 miles to the start point
for a Red River Triumph Club spur-of-the-moment rallye to Corsicana, TX
to the famous Collin Street Bakery there, then turn around and head home
that afternoon (another 100+ miles total).
All that we did!
Elliott was packed to the gills -- tent, double air mattress, bedding,
towels, personal effects and toiletries, ice chest, two folding chairs,
and several other smaller things. Not to mention Phil's hat with
sweeping plumage and sword/belt for the faire. I managed to fit
everything into the trunk/cockpit except for the chairs, which we
bungeed to the luggage rack. We drove to the faire in full costume (got
some looks at the gas station!), enjoyed the day there, then headed to
camp. The park was gorgeous, with tall trees at each site and all the
sites were waterfront. Several people came by with comments and to say
they too have or had Spitfires, and I had a nice conversation with a
fellow who put an aluminum Buick V8 into a '77 Spit. Major skinny
dipping went on right next to our tent later that night, with one fellow
even tossing his clothes ONTO our tent with us in it! A good time was
had by all.
The next morning we struck camp and headed for DeSoto for the rallye.
We were four cars -- a TR6, a TR8, a modified Spit 4, and us. It mostly
involved trying desperately to keep up with the bigger-engined guys
doing well over the speed limit on winding back country roads, until we
got to our destination and had lunch, then bought delicious pastries at
the bakery. The drive home was more sedate, and I actually got a chance
to enjoy the countryside. The weather was gorgeous -- actually cool on
Sunday morning -- and I am now sporting a steering wheel sunburn on my
accelerator leg (a lovely criss-cross white stripe).
Elliott performed beautifully the whole weekend, and we thoroughly
enjoyed the time spent out in him. It was so nice to wake up at the
campsite, eight feet from the water's edge and under the tall trees,
look up to the picnic area and see Elliott waiting there, gleaming in
the sunrise. Easily the most beautiful car at the camp. And it must
have been Classic Car Sunday or something, since we saw quite a few
good-looking classics out on the roads, including two fully-restored
gorgeous 1955 Crown Victorias -- one convertible, one hard top.
Motoring down the country roads with the wind in our hair and the song
of the exhaust in our ears was exhilirating!! And when the four of us
on the rallye would stop for a red light and start off again, the four
exhausts were almost perfectly in tune and we all hit our shift points
at about the same times several times, so the sound synchronization was
beautiful to behold (belisten?).
I hope you all had as wonderful a weekend as we did!
Keep Triumphing,
Susan Hensley :)
1968 Spit Mk3 Elliott
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