Don & Donni
On the road 2001

Whew!  What a great “season” we had this year….starting with the Ghost Riders’ “Push it Pull it Drag it or Tow it” show on a rainy Satuday in February, then Kool April (windy) Nites, and right up through the fantastic finale of Joe Bailon’s Blast from the Past in Auburn on October 21^st . …

We drove both our modified ’29 Model A 5-window coupe (TIZ HIZ) and our radically customized ’41 Chevy sedan (TIZ HERZ) on most of our trips, communicating via our two-way radios.  It isn’t quite the same as being in the same car, but when you have two cars you want to show, it makes it possible to do that and converse at the same time.  (And eliminates the “back-seat driver” comments!)

We put a lot of miles on the cars and didn’t have any major mishaps or mechanical  malfunctions, so you can say that it was pretty much a successful year for us.  We went on a few fun runs, and attended and participated in lots of shows across Northern California.  We took a few awards, saw lots of really great cars, and met and traveled with a lot of wonderful people  along the way.  We always tried to make the most of each trip by taking the scenic routes whenever possible.  Might as well make it as fun as you can, right?  You’re gonna be “bug magnets” anyway, and  no matter what, when you “get there” there’s going to be plenty of cleaning and polishing to do before you can relax and really get into the festivities!

This year was our first for Fortuna, and it was great!  It was a long, winding road getting there and back, but worth every mile and every switchback The people are friendly, and the town is set up perfectly for cruising.  With the wide grassy median running down the middle of the cruise strip, you can actually see all of the other cars while cruising yourself, so  you don’t have to get OUT of the cruise to watch it!   We’ll definitely have do that one again! 

And Paso Robles…..the year wouldn’t be the same without that long trip.  That is by far one of the greatest shows on the west coast!  The Kustoms of America Director’s Pick for the ‘41 was only icing on the cake for us….last year we didn’t even take a car and enjoyed it just as much.  If you want to see creativity in motion, that’s the place to go.  There is a cross-section of people and cars that can’t be beat.  There are tons of teens driving their low-budget, thought-provoking designs, and everything in between  right on up to the really big buck designer customs.  And still, everyone has that one thing in common….a true love and respect for classic and customs cars, no matter what their taste in design and style.

And, of course, the grand finale was Joe Bailon’s Blast from the Past in Auburn CA.  Joe and Marie have got to be two of the most gracious, relaxed hosts on earth, and everyone who attended was made to feel like old family friends.  There’s just something about “Car Folks” that makes for great company and instant friends.

For now, we’re trying to remember what we do when we AREN’T on the road or planning our next trip.   Gee, I wonder how the Chevy would look if we……

 Cruiser's Comments:  What can you say--this is what it's all about!