Welches, Oregon! Every so often, NAMGAR tries to get a GT location for members on the West coast. This location was visited by NAMGAR once before in 2003 for GT-28.

Although Diane, PRNCZ and Steven have traveled to locations on this edge of the Pacific Rim in the past, we're afraid that this trip, over 4200 miles, is beyond our driving capability now. Paraphrasing Jimmy Buffett: The wrinkles can no longer go where the smiles have been.

Diane and Steven contemplated taking Amtrak again, but we abandoned the thought when the Accordionists and Teachers Guild scheduled its convention the following week. Steven was scheduled to play in an ensemble and in the Festival Orchestra and didn't think he could be away from practicing that long. So we decided to fly. As it turns out, even that was more of a task than we had imagined. Stay tuned...

Diane broke a bone in her foot a month before the trip, which necessitated a special boot. That meant that walking a normal pace was reduced significantly and walking long distances was difficult. Steven arranged for a wheel chair at the airports. Since our O'Hare flight left in the early morning, we stayed the night before departure at the hotel on the airport property so we didn't have to race around in the morning for the limo to the airport. Once in the airport, Diane was wheeled through security and departures to the gate, without any hassle. She was also one of the first to board the plane. Always a good thing.

The weather into Portland Airport was so clear that we felt like we could reach out and touch Mt. Hood on the left and Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier on the right as we were coming in for the landing. Breathtaking!

But, there was a problem at the Portland end. Steven had booked a car though the airline, and he believed it was just a matter of picking up the keys and walking to the car. But no, since this was the first time with this particular rental car company, they needed to see and touch him, too. The line was massive. Apparently, there were a number of delays, and all of the delayed planes (and trains) arrived at the same time: mass confusion. There was a vehicle there; others weren't as lucky. Since the rental car line was still very long, we convinced Bruce and Willie Mann, who had just arrived from the train terminal (they had opted to take Amtrak) to abandon their car and ride with us.

We arrived at The Resort a bit later than anticipated. Diane was tired, dragging that boot around all day, and Steven was tired from standing around, waiting in lines. We got settled in our room, which was also very tired: it hadn't been updated since we were there for GT-28. We quickly got settled and then headed out for a pre-arranged dinner with Bruce and Willie at The Rendezvous, a very lovely restaurant a few miles from The Resort. Soon it was time to hit the sack for a few zzzzs.

We had forgotten, but were quickly reminded, that The Resort is spread out, with rooms in different buildings, distances away. It was a challenge for Diane so she got alot of rest during the week in our room.

Monday morning we wandered over to the hotel lobby to get our registration packet and then hung around to chat with the folks arriving that morning. Several of the Michigan Rowdies took Amtrak so we compared notes from our experiences. Things hadn't changed a great deal. It was a relaxing ride with scenery zipping by. The meals were good, and there were opportunities to interact with folks from all walks of life. But true to Amtrak tradition, the train fell behind schedule. By the time they arrived at the Cascade Mountains, it was dark and there was little to be seen. Diane was absolutely thrilled with the design of the dash plaque for the GT. Along with the one for GT-17, it is a favorite. Thanks to Bill Enright for the design.

For dinner we decided to try the Naan & Curry Indian Restaurant we had spotted the day before, and then headed to the Hospitality Room for the Orientation to hear the details about the week's activities. We then hung around a bit to chat with some first timers and also with Greg Poffenbarger, NAMGAR's new Communications and Marketing Manager, our new boss. Best to get off on the right foot, even if it is broken. (sigh)

On Tuesday the first activity for Steven, after breakfast of course, was the Chapter Contacts meeting. Having recently becoming Editor of NAMGAR's MGA! magazine again, he wanted to be there to field an questions about the publication.

John Twist did his Rolling Tech Session thing, but since we were driving a Toyota, it didn't make much sense to have him evaluate that. We did chat with him though, reminiscing about the very early days of NAMGAR and of the Michigan Rowdies, NAMGAR's first chapter meeting back in 1976. It was held at Bruce Nichols' in-laws' lake house, in the rain. John was proud that he joined NAMGAR on May 21, 1976, with #321; we joined on July 8, 1976 with #344.

Steven next attended a workshop on the MGA engine and transmission by Keith Ansell. In the mean time, Diane attended the Olympic-themed Funkhana which didn't require a lot of walking since it was held just a few short steps from our room. This was an obstacle course for the driver and the passenger. Each time a contestant car completed the circuit, the Olympic theme was played. It looked like fun!

Steven then attended a workshop on taking good pictures with a smartphone with Mike Ulin, a professional photographer. Steven's pretty handy with a digital camera and a smartphone, and has several photography classes under his belt, but he feels there's always something else to be learned. The next issue of MGA! will contain his article about writing for MGA! so the workshop was timely.

The afternoon events included a Guided Tour to Timberline Lodge and instructions on how to Lawn Bowl, a favorite British pastime. Then there was the afternoon tea. Since we'd been to the lodge and with Diane's foot and Steven's allergy to lawns (he hates yard work!), we bypassed those activities, electing instead to chat with some folks we hadn't seen in years.

That evening was a dinner dance with featured speaker Keith Martin, the owner/publisher of Sports Car Market magazine. The food and speaker were fine, and the dance band was great, but again, no fun if you can't dance. We did chat with folks we hadn't seen in years: Peter and Anne Tilbury and Pat Orrino and later with Arnie Kump.

Wednesday started early with breakfast at a local restaurant near the car show field: the Barlow Trail Roadhouse. Bruce and Willie joined us for the fun banter with our waitress who gave each of us a hug! We could have walked to the field, it was that close. Diane was disappointed that the show was not at the elementary school as indicated in the program: she just could not navigate the uneven grounds, worried about breaking her other foot or losing her balance altogether. So, Steven drove her back to The Resort early to rest. He went back to the show.

A highlight for him was seeing Scott Philiben's Elva Courier, an MGA Variant, and chatting with him. We hadn't seen an Elva since Verl Wilkins' at GT-6. Hopefully, this chat will end up as an article in MGA! since there are probably quite a few members who have never seen an Elva or know much about it. In the afternoon Steven attended another tech session by Keith Ansell on transmissions. After visiting the vendors and viewing the silent auction items, we drove to La Bamba Mexican Restaurant in nearby Sandy, OR, for a nice meal and adult beverage. A quick visit to the Hospitality Suite and then off to slumberland.

Some Show Field Images

Mk IIs and 1600s	You just have to love the driven
Peter & Ann Tilbury's Monte Carlo Rallye Car	This little Triumph caught our eye

 

Thursday began with the Board and Staff Breakfast. Well, not really. There was no food and especially no coffee in the designated conference room. Willie ordered a pot of coffee from the hotel while we waited for cold food to arrive from the caterer. Everyone introduced themselves and their roles; then Bruce thanked each one for their contributions to the Register.

In the afternoon Steven and Dave Smith drove to the WAAM, the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum. They came back wishing they had their MGs as the roads and scenery were best enjoyed in an MG. They had a great time, also reminiscing about the early Rowdie days and hosting GT-10 in Plymouth, Michigan. Diane spent the time hobbling around the room, packing and getting ready for the banquet.

Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum Images

WAAM's High Flyers	Brits in the U.S.: American Austin
Looks like Steve's opened a business	The airplanes here have babies

 

We always look forward to the banquet, trying to guess who all these dressed up people are! We sat with Cecelia Bruce and caught up on family news. We also met several new people, including Dave and Diane, with whom we were able to "maybe spark some business." Soon it was time for the usual awards and recognitions.

Could anything else go wrong? Oh, yes! There was a software glitch affecting all the airlines, especially Delta Airlines, and airports Friday morning. We lucked out as we were only delayed by three hours. Bruce and Willie were flying Delta and didn't arrive home until Sunday, with bags following on Monday.

Now, this was a real MGAdventure!

See you at GT-50 next year in Traverse City, Michigan. The Rowdies promise a great time! We hope PRNCZ will want to come along and enjoy another sail on the S.S. Badger across Lake Michigan.