OMG - I have so much to catch up, I hope my memory can recall the end of our holidays as well as the other great tours and day trips we have been on during the 2009 Touring season.
First though let me finish the Oldsmobiles, Locomobiles and Fruitcake story. I think I had explained the wonderful tour our host gave us of his collection of brass era cars, as well as all the research that went into reconstructing these beautiful collector items. Well once we finished with the cars it was time to walk down to the fruitcake factory. Fruitcake? Why fruitcake? Well that is exactly the myth that Bill is out to debunk. Most people think of fruitcake as the gift they don't want to receive, that will be used as a door stop, or repackaged to give to someone that you really don't want to spend any money on. Well Bien Fait Fruitcakes and Tea Cakes http://www.bienfaitfruitcakes.com/ not only dispelled the myth but also 100% of the proceeds go towards Bill's charitable foundation "Greensboro Wonder & Wisdom, which serves young and old, and seeks to ” inspire lives and communities of purpose and meaning by providing intentional, innovative, learning opportunities in which people of all ages discover who they are and are encouraged to realize their full potential.“ They provide year-round and summer programming for children, and enriching programs for seniors. Very imaginative, engaging, whole-life learning kind of stuff." The new bakery still under construction, felt like anything but a chimerical bakery. It had the warmth and atmosphere of a cozy home kitchen and although nothing was being baked at the time, you could imagine it filled with the scents of Gran's house. Of course Bill would not allow us to leave with out a few loaves of fruitcake which I will admit were excellent, very moist and light compared to the "traditional" fruitcakes.
A wonderful day and I am so honoured to have the privilege to see these rare beautiful cars, to have met and been inspired by Bill and his achievements. Thank you for making our holiday extra special Bill xoxo
First though let me finish the Oldsmobiles, Locomobiles and Fruitcake story. I think I had explained the wonderful tour our host gave us of his collection of brass era cars, as well as all the research that went into reconstructing these beautiful collector items. Well once we finished with the cars it was time to walk down to the fruitcake factory. Fruitcake? Why fruitcake? Well that is exactly the myth that Bill is out to debunk. Most people think of fruitcake as the gift they don't want to receive, that will be used as a door stop, or repackaged to give to someone that you really don't want to spend any money on. Well Bien Fait Fruitcakes and Tea Cakes http://www.bienfaitfruitcakes.com/ not only dispelled the myth but also 100% of the proceeds go towards Bill's charitable foundation "Greensboro Wonder & Wisdom, which serves young and old, and seeks to ” inspire lives and communities of purpose and meaning by providing intentional, innovative, learning opportunities in which people of all ages discover who they are and are encouraged to realize their full potential.“ They provide year-round and summer programming for children, and enriching programs for seniors. Very imaginative, engaging, whole-life learning kind of stuff." The new bakery still under construction, felt like anything but a chimerical bakery. It had the warmth and atmosphere of a cozy home kitchen and although nothing was being baked at the time, you could imagine it filled with the scents of Gran's house. Of course Bill would not allow us to leave with out a few loaves of fruitcake which I will admit were excellent, very moist and light compared to the "traditional" fruitcakes.
A wonderful day and I am so honoured to have the privilege to see these rare beautiful cars, to have met and been inspired by Bill and his achievements. Thank you for making our holiday extra special Bill xoxo
Not only did Bill give us a wonderful day during our holidays but he also recommended some other day trips for our holidays that did not disappoint. He suggest that we go to Barre Vermont, the Granite Center of the world to visit the Hope Cemetery. Seems like an unusual place to visit on holidays but truly worth the trip to see the hobbies of the deceased are perpetually preserved through ornate stone carvings in the shape of soccer balls, bi-planes and even a racing car. You will notice as you wonder around the lack of written information on the stones, the carvings and the shapes say all that needs to be said about the person at rest. http://genealogy.about.com/od/cemetery_records/ig/hope_cemetery/
On advice we also visited Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont on Lake Champlain, what a pleasant surprise this was. Shelburne Museum is not your conventional museum, it is hands on, interactive and contains pieces of American History that you will not see anywhere else. I particularly enjoyed stepping back in time and touring the Ticonderoga
Restored 220-foot side wheel passenger steamboat. A National Historic Landmark as well as the Locomotive 220 and Private Rail Car Grand Isle 10-wheel steam locomotive and luxury rail car. The really knew how to travel back in the day, they didn't get there as fast but they certainly did get there is style. We also really enjoyed Horseshoe Barn and Annex
The country's finest collection of carriages, wagons, and sleighs; stagecoaches and farm, trade, and Conestoga wagons. This was especially interesting after seeing Bill's collection of cars and the similarities and differences that took place in the transition between horse and carriage and horseless carriage.
Our final day trip in Vermont was to Warren Vermont, the quintessential small Vermont town and what a treat. I just spied it off the main road on the way to Stowe and it looked worth a trip back to see and it was. Nothing special just pristine and pretty, with the Mad River running through it, cascading down falls, under a covered bridge. The lovely Warren General Store, right next to where the Mad River falls several feet, with a little patio with a few tables and chairs to enjoy there mouthwatering fresh baked goods and home made sandwiches .. mmmmm who could ask for anything more!!!!! http://www.warrenstore.com/
The only other things are can mention about Vermont are GO! The people are friendly, warm and welcoming, the food is fantastic, it is a down to earth state that I love more and more with each visit and just writing this makes me ache to return soon. I won't lie to you, leaving Vermont was hard, as soon as we crossed Lake Champlain on the ferry to NY I just felt very sad leaving Vermont behind. The drive back to Newmarket was split in two with a night booked in Prescott Ontario. This was our longest day driving yet and it was HOT, very hot almost 250 miles in the Model A through very flat and deserted roads. We left early with a power outage in Stowe so were unable to get any breakfast. No problem, we'll get something on the road, well it was not till 2:30 in the afternoon that we finally found a truck stop to pull over and eat - it was a good job too or I am was about ready to call CAA and say ... BRING FOOD! Anyway, we made it to the bridge to Canada which was restricted to one lane and the poor Model A, idled in almost 100 degree heat on the bridge as we waited out turn. That was the only time she gave us trouble on the whole trip, as we finally got through customs and pulled on Hwy 2 to get to Prescott she did a lot of backfiring but once she got some air going through the radiator she smoothed out and we arrived at Dewars Inn on the River http://www.dewarsinn.com/ about 6:00 and were happy to stretch our legs and enjoy a beer and glass of wine. On the Inn Keepers advice we went to the Red George Public House http://www.redgeorgepub.com/index.html again a great choice, the location was perfect on the River, the food was good and as always the A got lots of attention including the chef leaving the kitchen to come and take a peak.
The last leg of the journey back to Newmarket was almost as long 210 miles and just as hot if not hotter. The top had to stay up on the A just to keep the sun off us. Another holiday behind us and what a great time it was.
Total 1900 miles on the A, and other than the backfiring on the 2nd last day she ran just perfectly, was a pride and joy and allowed us to meet lots of fantastic people. We did lose an original 1931 hubcap on a bumpy road in Vermont travelling to the Hope Cemetery in Barre but ..... happy trails all around.
Whew now I am caught up to the middle of August I will have to get to the rest of the tours and day trips soon. Also I will be updating the photo's in the next week or so.
Stay tuned and again sorry for the delay in getting this information out.
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