Land Between the Lakes Tour

Its sure a long way from Clay City to Cadiz, especially in a Model A Ford. Traveling 300 miles at 45 m.p.h. there had better be something interesting to look at along the way and something great when you get there. The thirty-three members who were fortunate enough to make the trip unanimously agreed it was well worth the effort. The weather and scenery was perfect for the trip down and back, and our tour of the trace was beautiful even through the rain. The western side of our state was unfamiliar territory for most of the group and we certainly enjoyed exploring part of it.

We planned on seeing a lot and we did. We planned on several good meals and we had more than we should have. As with many Model A tours what you dont plan often turns out to be the best part. A day or so before the trip, contact was made with Gary Bloomingburg, the president of the Western Ky. Model A Club, to see if anyone wanted to to join   our trip down the trace. Although it was very short notice he he graciously agreed to check around to see if anyone would be available. You can imagine what a pleasant surprise we had upon arriving at Ky. Dam Village to be greeted by several members of the local club, many in their A Models. It didnt take long before everyone felt as if they had been friends for years. Several were able to join us at the lodge for the evening buffet and even more joined us on Saturday for breakfast and the drive down the trace. Reading the history of an area in the visitors center can be informative, but theres no comparison to hearing about it from those who lived it. East or west, Kentuckians love their land and take pride in sharing it with others. Visitors to LBL seldom consider the sacrifice made by the families forced to sell their home place to make way for the lakes and the park between them. Getting to know some of the people who lived through that experience gives you an even greater appreciation for what they have shared.

You meet the nicest people driving a Model A and that is certainly true of our new friends out west. They have invited us back and we have invited them to come and see us. Theres a lot of this state left to explore and hopefully we can join forces to do it. Like the ending of a family reunion we parted company with a lot of good memories and the satisfaction of knowing we would be getting together again before too long.

Red River Gorge Tour

October is a perfect   time to visit Red River Gorge Geological Area. With its autumn colors at peak it made for a wonderful Model A tour. The gorge covers 25,630 acres in Powell, Menifee, and Wolfe counties, so obviously you're not going to see it all in a day. Fortunately we had Jerry and Vern Kelly who live in the area to guide us to their favorite spots. With over 700 miles of cliff line, many along the roadside, it was comforting to have someone leading that knew what was around the curve or over the hill.

There's a lot of history in the gorge and the Gladie Cultural and Environmental Learning Center that opened in May did a good job helping us to better understand it. The center is located on an old farmstead that is also home to a tobacco barn and log cabin from the late 1800s. The barn was filled with machinery common to the era when energy was provided by a mule, coal oil, and a strong back. Most of our group could identify the implements and a few had even used similar ones many years ago. While examining a hillside plow, Charley Spurlock told of a distant relative that held the patent for this clever device, using the proceeds to educate his children. Ray McCoy shared a story about his father looking for work in this area during the depression. When he heard about a CCC camp opening at Natural Bridge he told his family he was going down to sign up for work and would return on the weekend. He got a job all right, but not there. Ray said, They loaded my dad on a train and shipped him to Salt Lake City, it was six months before the family saw him again. It was a blessing though. He learned to be a carpenter and was able to send money to the folks back home.   Seeing an opportunity for a little extra cash on the side he ordered a set of clippers from Sears & Roebuck and started cutting the hair of the other men in camp.

Its amazing how many memories and stories can be evoked with a few old farm relics. Thats also part of the Model A Fords charm . Its seen people through the roaring twenties, the hard times of the Great Depression and the rationing of WWII. Many of them have survived the hot rodders of the fifties and the street rodders of today. Nearly everyone has a story about one. One of the rules of ownership is to avoid driving your Model A when youre in a hurry. This is not due to any mechanical limitations of the car, but to allow time for those who want to share with you their Model A memory. This tour provided for a lot of these sharing opportunities. It reminded us how fortunate we are to live in such a beautiful part of Gods creation and to be able to enjoy it from behind the wheel of such a special old car. Thanks Jerry and Vern for a great autumn tour!

Christmas Dinner

Come celebrate the holidays with your Model A buddies Saturday Dec. 11th at the Paris Church of God. Lunch is planned for 12:30 but the doors will be open at 11:00 if you would like to come early and visit. The church is located just off highway 27/68 on Bethlehem Rd. behind McDonald's. The club will furnish the meat, bread, coffee and tea. You're invited to bring your favorite side dish or dessert.  

Following lunch we'll enjoy a silent auction. Look around the house and garage for something your Model A friends might be willing to spend a few bucks on and bring it to the auction. Proceeds from the auction help us meet club expenses without raising dues.

Be thinking about some activities or places you would like to visit next year on our tours. Those who will be developing the activity calendar really need your ideas to make the club enjoyable to all the members. Election of officers for the coming year will also take place. Dont miss this great time of fellowship, especially if you haven't attended a club activity for a while. Your friends miss you.