NAR Activities: Local Tours

Summer 2017 Tour to Tupelo Auto Museum and Natural Bridge

NAR members and guests enjoyed a great tour to Tupelo Auto Museum. They stopped at the Natural Bridge near Haleyville first and had a great lunch stop. Then on to the museum with lots to see and do.

The Natural Bridge formation is the longest natural bridge east of the Rocky Mountains in North America. A few were brave enough to take the slippery path beneath the bridge to experience the majestic formations. Everyone worked up a healthy appetite and enjoyed one of the best meat and two buffets in the south at the Bama-Q Pit and Grill.

At the Tupelo Automobile Museum, the group received an introduction about the Museum by Terry Easterling. Before being set free to explore the museum, Terry agreed to open the back room for the group to get a behind the scenes viewing of the cars undergoing restoration - what a bonus! The Museum is organized in chronological order and features about 150 cars. This month's theme was orphan cars, so there was a special display of orphan cars. However, a Dodge and Buick snuck into the lineup. Maybe it was a test to see if we would notice. Not a chance of slipping that one past this group!

We arrived as a group and scattered like cats at the end of the day. Some continued to Missouri, others stayed in Mississippi, Clem and Bud left a little early in hopes to attend Eli's "The Eliminator" Memorial Service, and others headed back to Madison.

Thanks to Nell and Randy for pulling it together.

Spring 2017 Tour to Grant, AL

Oh, wow. What a great day for touring (although a bit chilly) and what a GREAT tour we had! Thanks to Dick and Jane H. for suggesting that we tour the Car Show Products facility in Grant.

The first stop was at the Natural Rock Bridge and Ghost Creek Falls (near the Honeycomb Creek/Snug Harbor area of Marshall County). We learned that Mr. Meekins who bought the property about 20 years ago and who had allowed folks to still view the natural rock bridge formation and waterfall had died last year and his widow told us she was working with the Land Trust of North Alabama to allow them to take over the property at some point in order to preserve it for generations to come. It was great scenery even though most of the foliage was not out yet. She invited folks to bring a picnic lunch any time and sit on the porch or near the falls and enjoy the area.

Next we made our way on the backroads to the Car Show Products facility. We learned a lot about the almost 130 products they make and sell. The owner, Randy, must have been a good salesman because all the trunks were full of products when we left. It was quite interesting and the group had lots of questions.

Since shopping makes everyone hungry we next stopped at Porky's BBQ to fill up our "tanks" for the trip home. What a yummy menu. There was something to please everyone since their menu contains many more items than BBQ.

After lunch most of the group took to the backroads once again to follow another scenic path back to where we started. This included crossing two one-lane bridges and seeing an old Gulf sign still hanging at an old store.

Thanks again to everyone who made this tour possible.

Visit to Triple C Ranch

Fall 2010 Tennessee Tour

We started out with 16 cars but one had to leave us early in the tour. Riding through the Paint Rock Valley was so relaxing and enjoyable although the fall colors were not strong. We had a deer jump into the road in front of our car, but luckily Randy's quick reaction saved us from hitting the deer as it ran up the other side.

Others joined us in Cowan for the tour of Leonard Brown's garages which was fantastic! Dee B. saw a car like one she had as a child and Ron D. was taken with the lamp made of 1936 Chevy Hood ornaments and shifter knobs.

There were 37 folks at the lunch stop in Cowan where the food was superb. Then several of us headed back to Huntsville while the remainder went on to the Jailhouse Museum in Winchester and the Beechcraft Museum in Tullahoma.

Thanks again to Dan and Jacqui for hosting! What a great way to spend a Saturday in Fall. They did an outstanding job of putting the tour together.

Paint Rock Valley Craft & Bluegrass Festival

September 18 dawned bright and cool-perfect weather for touring! And that's just what 17 NAR Members did as we met east of town to attend the 10th Annual Old Timey Craft and Bluegrass Festival at the Paint Rock Valley Lodge near Estillfork, Alabama. Tourists included Janet and Ron A. in their 1949 Ford; Maxine and Pat P. in their 1957 Chrysler; Gene and Russell K. in Gene's 1964 Buick Riviera; Martha and Ron D. in their 1950 Buick; Linda and Keith H. in their 1950 Buick; Russ and Sherry L. in their 1975 Corvette; Wayne S. in his 1931 Cadillac; Carolyn and David M. in their 1931 Model A; and Rob S. and Jim M. in Rob's 1966 Buick. We were given a parking area adjacent to one of the three main stages, so other festival goers had an easy walk to see our cars, which were joined in the display by several others from outside NAR.

The three music stages had different bands playing in 30-minute shifts throughout the day, and the stages were located just out of earshot of each other, so that if you didn't care for what you were hearing, you could either wait just a few minutes, or take a very short stroll, to hear another group. Away from the main stages, every porch, gazebo and shade tree had its own group of musicians playing an impromptu concert.

The Festival also hosted a fair-sized craft show and flea market, as well as a working blacksmith, beekeepers, a Civil-War cannon brigade, antique tractors, and a recreation of an Old-West gunfight.

The NAR members drifted away from the festival at various times, so there was no caravan back to Huntsville, but everyone made it home safely. The 90-mile round trip was by far the longest journey Wayne's Cadillac has undertaken, and it complained a little bit in the afternoon heat, but finally survived the trip.

2007 Coker Challenge

On Saturday, September 22nd, several NAR members assisted Coker Challenge driver and fellow NAR member Jeff S. in hosting a rest stop along the Coker Challenge route through Huntsville, AL. There was good barbeque and fun for all. Many NAR members brought out their own vehicles for display at the event.