BritishV8 Forum

To the place I belong, WEST VIRGINIA......

Location:  Lewisburg, West Virginia http://www.lewisburg-wv.com/Directions.aspx

Dates:  Arrive Wednesday, June 7, thru Saturday, June 10 (check out Sunday June 11)

Host Hotel:  Quality Inn, 540 North Jefferson Street, Lewisburg, WV 24901  (304)645-7722  https://www.choicehotels.com/west-virginia/lewisburg/quality-inn-hotels/wv086?source=pmfgoqil&pmf=GOOGLE&k_clickid=d75af011-dc9d-494e-a48e-06d8a10e46c6

BritishV8 Group Rate:  $85/night, breakfast included. Be sure to book under our BritishV8 Group

Feel free to book the room a few nights before or after the meet and the Quality Inn has agreed to honor our special BritishV8 rate!

We are working on some fun drives, interesting and fun things to do and some more fun drives, tech sessions, and maybe some fun drives. More information to come!!!

Thanks Dan for the hard work,  Will book room soon.

Sounds fantastic! Thank you Dan!! Really looking forward to it!

Just checked the map - almost 20 hours driving each way to get there.  Still looking forward to it!  Old stomping grounds :)!

There is a road... I've really been wanting to show you guys this one, I can't think of anyone who wouldn't absolutely love it.

US Rt. 60 used to be the main highway through the mountains. "Among the highest mountains in southern West Virginia, its mountain crossing was long the highest point on the historic Midland Trail (today's U.S. Route 60), one of the most important passages across the central Appalachian Mountains."   http://www.wvexp.com/index.php/Sewell_Mountain  Then the final stretch of I-64 was completed and the stretch of road between Lewisburg and Sam Black Church was completely cut off and almost totally isolated, relegated to local traffic only, which is to say the infrequent use of people in a completely rural farm setting. This is a major Federal Highway, 2 and 3 lanes wide with nice berms, guardrails, the whole works, and from that time forward, grass could be seen growing in the cracks of the road, traffic had become so light.

One of the big attractions is a stretch of 3 lane esses so tight that it's possible to bomb an almost perfect straight line right down the middle of them. But beware if doing this headed east and downhill! Gravel has been known to lie in the center lane at the last curve and has been known to take the uninitiated all the way to the guardrail across the opposite lane! You don't get no T-shirt for this one!

That's not to say this particular stretch is the best part of the drive, though it's got some good road and is undoubtedly the most deserted. From Sam Black Church westward traffic begins to pick up as Rt 60 heads towards I-19, Fayetteville, Gauley Mountain (a Must Drive for any W.Va.-ophile) and Charleston, while I-64 loops south to Beckley and The Turnpike.

There are many, many fun and scenic driving loops that can be routed around any destination. A typically West Virginian phrase is, "You can't get there from here." and you should let this be your mantra when driving here. It is a West Virginia state of mind. It's not so much the destination as the journey that is important.

With that thought in mind we are going to provide you with the opportunity to acquire a necessary piece of gear. For a paltry twenty bucks you can posses your very own West Virginia Atlas and Gazetteer from Delorme  https://shop.delorme.com/OA_HTML/DELibeCCtdItemDetail.jsp?beginIndex=0&item=344&section=10096  and I highly encourage you to purchase this atlas in preparation for your trip. You will be lost without it. Don't expect your GPS to get you out of this one. It might get you home, but it will never, ever find the route you will most enjoy in getting there. The atlas has those small but enticing one lane shortcut roads that form the backbone of every native's daily routes, and you owe it to yourself to explore them.

Now a word about W.Va. driving etiquette is in order, but as my schedule is busy today I must put that off for another time. I also want to tell you of a particular scenic peak that only a handful of people know about. Next time then.

Jim

"You can't get there from here."  ...unless you have a helicopter.  ;)

It's OK, Artie has a GPS!!!

QuoteIt's OK, Artie has a GPS!!!

Is Umstead close to Lewisburg? 😊

QuoteArtie has a GPS!!!  

Barring that, jest bring up Google maps on yer I-phone. (assuming yer can get a signal out in the boonies)
Here's a twisty bit like Jim was talking about.....Midland Trail, WV.

MidlandtrailWV.jpg

QuoteJust checked the map - almost 20 hours driving each way to get there.

You are in for a haul, Rob.  Hope you make it!  Still you are a bit closer, than I was to Colorado Springs. That was by far my longest trip to a V8 Meet. I don't mind a good road trip, but it is nice to have a couple close to home  :)

Jim Williams lives in Lewisburg.  He has posted here before, but a search I did only found one thread he was on. http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?2,48178

We will be using him some as a resource.

should be a great driving event

thank you Dan and Jim

Nice Photo Graham, obviously everyone can have hours of fun exploring the roads that way and I think it's a great idea. Harder to see the elevation changes, but often possible. I have not found my esses yet but will keep looking. It is 3 lane, so that's a clue. Headed east it begins with a tight left followed by a tight right hander coming around the peak of the hill and into the esses, and a tight right hander at the bottom. Let me know if anyone thinks they've found it. While you are about it, be sure to look at Rt 60 on the east side of Gauley mountain between Hawk's Nest and Gauley Bridge. It'd be a long drive from Lewisburg but some of you might want to make the trip just for the experience. It's not that common to find a 3 lane switchback road, and the WVBCC regularly schedules club drives on that stretch. Of course they are headquartered in Charleston so it's close, and it's not necessary to go that far out of your way to find a good drive, but if anyone wants to explore that far and would prefer an alternate route back I can help with that too, as there are good roads leading up into Fayetteville and Oak Hill with more southern routes back to Lewisburg. I have no doubt several of you will find roads and road combinations that Dan and I have never been on.

Now a word about etiquette is in order.

Drivers in W.Va. are typically polite and friendly. That may sometimes seem not to be the case but it will usually turn out to be a matter of misunderstood perceptions. The nature of the roads themselves have altered both driving habits and expectations so when you come into the state it is a good idea to try to conform to the local norms. You may sometimes find these a bit bizarre but be patient and understanding and you will discover why things are the way they are here. Let me start with one of the odder examples to help you get the idea. As we all know, unposted rural roads have a 55 mph speed limit and folks generally expect you to drive at or near the limit. (In W.Va. this generally means regardless of curves in the road.) In various locations W.Va. has one lane, two way paved roads with gravel berms, and because these roads typically involve travel outside the immediate neighborhood they are no exception. The difference lies in what happens when two cars meet on one of these roads. Most people would expect that both cars would slow while approaching each other, finally moving off the paved surface so each can travel a minimum of distance on the gravel before returning to the pavement and resuming speed. If you do this in W.Va. you are likely to have a very upset local on your hands and no idea why this maniac went clear off the road and blasted around you, scattering gravel into the treetops, AND YOU WILL BE AT FAULT! The accepted norm is for the two drivers to approach each other without slowing down! (we are talking about a combined closing speed of about 100 mph here) But you are most definitely NOT engaging in a game of "Chicken", nor do you want to give the least impression that this is the case. Well in advance of reaching the other car so that you have time to stabilize your car, you will move over so that your outside tires are riding in the gravel and continue past the other driver, who has done likewise, whereupon you will both regain the pavement and go on your way. This marks you as a driver who is savvy to local customs and competent to share the road with them. Now if the prospect of such a maneuver seems daunting, or you prize your paint, feel free to slow down. Just be sure to roll off the pavement early enough that you do not force the approaching driver to slow down as well.

You will find that the key element is usually to avoid inconveniencing the other driver in your vicinity, and this applies in most situations. On the Turnpike you move to the right when a car comes up behind you so he can go by, particularly if moving noticeably faster than you. You try not to be perceived as a "Flatland Tourister" if you can. Remember, West Virginians have been traveling these roads all of their lives and they are no less in a hurry than anyone anywhere else. When you slow down for a curve they tend to think you want to stop for some reason, because they see no other cause for your actions. Many of them actually speed up in the curves because there is less chance of having to deal with law enforcement. Even grannies will squeal the tires through the corners, and a hot shoe might have all four corners sliding. Oddly enough for many outsiders, this is fairly normal. Again, the basic rule of thumb is, try not to inconvenience the drivers around you. Although they are not trying to inconvenience you either you might not see it quite that way when a local comes roaring up on your bumper through the twisties and parks there. Try to see his perspective. He has to get somewhere and this is his road. He knows it well, and knows exactly where his next, slimmest opportunity is to pass. He may completely disregard the lines on the road in doing so and you should be aware of that. All he is looking for is enough room to get by you before he is in danger of a driver just like him coming around the next blind curve, and you are in a position to help him with that. So do NOT lay on the gas as you come out of the curve. Let him go. If he caught up with you he is driving faster than you are, so lay back or even slow down just long enough to let him clear your front bumper, and he'll be gone from your life. You might even move over a bit if it helps him get by.

That's not to say that you can flaunt the traffic laws. State troopers tend to be thin on the ground, polite, very professional when you meet them, and overall a credit to the state. They can be lenient if they desire. City cops can be outright jerks if you catch them on a bad day and for some of them that is every day. Best to just avoid them. Town cops are a mix. Speed traps do exist and are usually the province of the small town cop so they will be found coming into a town. Since their job is to raise revenue, your best bet is to slow down coming into small towns without exception, because if you do get stopped you will pay a fine. Not much different than anywhere else you go. To my knowledge there are no stoplight cameras. Corner speed postings are advisory only and are routinely ignored by everyone, as are speed limits where the road is curvy. The lane markings are law of course and are taken reasonably seriously by law enforcement but routinely ignored by a fairly large percentage of the drivers. More than anything else, do what you can to make life easy on the more aggressive drivers. Don't challenge them, and don't give them reasons to do stupid things. Because they are more than capable of doing just that and you don't want to be around if they do. I would say, even if it takes moving over on the berm to do it, there are times to just let them go, since the last thing you need is for someone to decide they don't like you personally. So have fun, but stay out of trouble. I don't think there is much else you need to know, the biggest complaint of the locals would be "rolling roadblocks, so don't be one. If you just do that you should be fine. You are free to drive aggressively within reasonable limits, and sometimes unreasonable ones. But when you do, just be mindful that gun ownership is considered a God given right here and though most people don't keep them in their cars, some do. Not to scare anyone but you do need to be informed.

Jim

Brushy Ridge Rd (12/1) looks like fun to me, but is it a paved road?

Not sure which one that is Carl, there are several. But the ones I looked at appear to be the 2 way, 1 lane roads I mentioned earlier and probably real light local traffic. On Google, if you see clear tire marks, the edge is sorta undefined (particularly at intersections), and the tracks follow the line through the corners you are looking at gravel. If the tire marks are dim and the edges are clear, it's going to be paved. If there is a center line it is 2 lane. It appears Google enhances the road with a highlighted shadow so you'll have to discount that, and depending on the time of year that they used photos from you often won't even be able to see the road for the trees. That is where the Atlas comes in handy. Now looking up Brushy Ridge, it looks like there are 7 of them, all on different map grids. Looking at the one near Alta the legend says, "Other road or trail", below "street or road". Kind of ambiguous, but by now most of the roads in the state that actually go somewhere other than a dead end at least have some blacktop, so that helps some I think.

Any road called something like "Brushy Ridge" is probably going to be interesting, and you're well off the beaten path with that one. My best guess is that it is going to be a real tight and twisty one lane paved road running up and down the side of the ridge, condition unknown. I'm using a well known tight and twisty section of Howell's Mill Rd near Barboursville as a reference here, that short section compares favorably with most of the Dragon and Google shows a clear lane stripe down the middle. Also an excellent reference, Rt 61 south of Montgomery between Robson and Page. A great road over Deepwater Mountain and into Fayetteville. Great curves, fantastic elevation changes, good solid 2 lane with clear markings inside and out. Some traffic, also some usable passing spots, legal or otherwise. This is the kind of road you should be looking for. There are plenty in between. Don't get too caught up on seeing lots of curves. Google shading removes a lot of that and it doesn't show the elevation changes. HTH

Jim

Have blocked the time on my work calendar.  Looking forward to it!

just from memory fro 5-7nyearsago,  a road frown near Marlington going NNE with good elevation changes made 50 miles just wide enough for tow cars to pass but only by each putting 1/2 their ca on the gravel should, in other words pavement wa 8-10 ft wide__________________ up to the top secret dish eavesdropping operation. 'll think of it , cut an old man a little slack., which I could find it again.

seemed like it was


`50 + or _ miles one pave lane with gravel shoulders to use if another vehicle is encountered,

 I recall no other car or trucks but I did have to use all my MGB braking power when I came around a blind twisty doing 60-75 mph and 50 or 100 sheep were in the road.  I stopped in time and the shepherds were friendly, the sheep were indecisive about their destination and required encouragement by stick and dogs.
after a shout chat the crossing complete and I resumed my 25-30 miles of deserted road to my self.  I was mostly on a ridge top with a few decendes to a creek the altitude gain on this very narrow lane.  reminded me of driving in rural essex around stow market.
 miles and mies of mostly deserted tiny roads, tons of fun

Wow, that will be a 36 to 38 hour drive for us both ways, longer if towing. May need to take a couple of weeks off work or more :)

I hope everyone can make it.  We have some fun ideas kicking around.  Here is something to keep in mind though, looking at maps on the internet or in the really cool atlas Jim linked.  We have just suffered the worst flood, some say in 1000 years in Greenbrier County.  Lewisburg is the county seat and was not hit much by the flood, but a lot of the  roads have suffered damage including washed away parts and bridges. Still yet there will be no shortage of twisties to play on.  My nephew works for DOT and he said it is unbelievable the devastation.  Most of it should be fixed by next June though.
Jim Williams lives there and is scouting routes.  
WV is a scenic state, Lewisburg is a cool little town.  It's gonna be fun.

Jean made our hotel reservations yeterday (I think).

Kelly Stevenson may be working on a "West Virginia Warm-Up" similar to what we did for Palestine in 2012 (Shreveport. LA) and Omaha (2013) (St.Joseph, MO)

:)

Be forewarned....

I had two roommates in college who chose to get up at 0600 every frickin' morning (Monday through Friday) and do pushups in the study area of our suite to this John Denver tune. (They were stereotypical football players names Larry and Terry. One played offensive line, the other was a running back.)

Their album mysteriously disappeared one weekend, never to be heard again.

To this day, "Rocky Mountain High" and "Take Me Home, Country Roads" sends cold chills up my spine.

Rick and Jean do have the right idea. Our schedule puts us right in the middle of the tourism season and hotel bookings do dry up. It would be reasonable to expect there to be no more available rooms as the time draws near so the smart thing to do is to book your hotel room now. I don't know how early the rooms go, but I do know that cabin rentals in the state have to be booked 2-3 years in advance, so I wouldn't wait. Better safe than sorry.

Items for the Banquet Auction should be sent to:

Blackwood Labs
9406 Gunpowder Rd.
Florence, KY 41042

I will see to getting them delivered to Lewisburg.
Dan, we may want to look into renting a storage unit up there.
Rick, I will ask you if you are willing to officiate over the Auction as in past years, first chance I get.

We haven't worked out what we are doing about the regalia. That is going to be one of the next things. There is a T-shirt shop here but they haven't impressed me with their timeliness. Some of the WVBCC have some connections. Once we sort that out we may be able to get the registration form done.

That's about where we stand on the organization at this point.

Jim

Edit
PS: I'm not a John Denver fan either. I don't think he ever set foot in the state. But the song is liked by many.

Room Booked today.  Appears to be very nice place, at least the phone lady was :-).  All ready marked on my calendar!

Actually John Denver has been to WV many times, although the first time might have been in 1973 or so when he performed the song on the Capitol steps as part of the state's 110th birthday celebration, a while after it had been a top ten hit.
The song was co written by Bill Danoff and his wife (can't remember her name) who later became the Starland Vocal Band and had a big hit with Afternoon Delight.  They had been to Harper's Ferry, the only place the Shenandoah River touches the border of WV I'm not even sure if the Blue Ridge hits WV at all.
Denver performed before the first game at the new Mountaineer Field at WVU in 1980 and every home game since they play Country Roads after the game as the stadium empties.  Seems like he came back one other time for some special occasion in the 80's. WV was always on his concert tours.  That song guaranteed a sellout.
In 2014, "Take Me Home, Country Roads" was named an official state song by the WV Legislature at the urging of Dreama Denver, the widow of not John, but Bob Denver (Gilligan).  Dreama is a native of Princeton, WV. They weren't related.  Bob actual was Denver, John was Dusseldorf or something.

More worthless trivia, huh?

Personally I'd just as soon they had stuck with, "Almost Heaven" or even, "Montani Semper Liberi" (Mountaineers are Always Free).

More to the point though, go ahead and make your room reservation. Since it doesn't cost anything, why not?

Jim

When you make your reservations, be sure to let them know you are with the BritishV8 group and the rate is $85. This is the best rate they offer, according to the manager, so you will not do better with senior citizens or government or AAA rates or booking over the internet some way.  Call 304-645-7722 and make your reservations in our group so you get the best rate and your room counts toward our block.

You should guarantee your room for arrival after 4PM.

Here is a little promo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gV8aoLYPHWc

Pretty upscale li'l WV hick town, eh?  Where's the cave?

Lewisburg is a great town...friendly people...Kay and I have been going there for thirty+ years...

Sorry, Mike, no need to leave town to find friendly folk.  Lots of 'em ritecheer.  ;)

There are a couple of good local caves for sightseeing, one is actually right inside the Lewisburg town itself. Um.. so let's see, Organ cave? I think that's one of them. There's a great saltpetre cave, in fact that might be the name of that one. Anyway, good sightseeing especially on a warm day.

Jim

I could make a career dining at "Food and Friends" restaurant in downtown Lewisburg...Oh wait, I actually have done that!
Chuckle....

There's an echo in this here cave!  ;)

The Organ Cave looks to be the one in the beginning of the video. The Confederates mined saltpeter from it. Only 10 miles from the Quality Inn.

http://www.organcave.com/

Lost World Caverns is even closer.  Only 2 miles away.

http://www.lostworldcaverns.com/


Greenbrier County Promo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjMNGz2ZEIo

But do the Spuriites really need saltpeter at this time in their life?

You mean like for gunpowder? Don't see why not...

Jim

No...pharmaceutical usage.  It's an old wives tale that salt peter (KNO3) increases in the inability to achieve erections.

Old wives are probably more effective at that....

Is it true that gynecologists are spreaders of old wives tales?

maybe Schlitz Liquors?  You're killing me :-)

Damn glad I ain't old!  :)

Carl needs the saltpeter.

Not with those jokes!

Rick I, just read of your "unfortunate" experience with John Denver music.  Is it remotely possible you gave him the safety training, before his last flight ?   Safer/faster.

John Henry competed against a steam powered drill using a sledge hammer and chisel in the rock on this tunnel on the right.  You can see the statue of John in the middle of the picture.  This park is about 30 miles from our hotel
207.jpg

hotel reservation made
STAY WITH CHOICE HOTELS IN LEWISBURG, WV

Lewisburg is a town in the beautiful Greenbriar County, West Virginia. Travelers can visit the Confederate Cemetery and see the historic Andrew Lewis Park. Shop along Apricot Lane and take a fun-filled tour of the popular Cooper Art Gallery, or take a drive through the gorgeous Herns Mill Covered Bridge and watch a show at the Lewis Theatre. Whatever your reason for visiting, there are plenty of Choice Hotels in Lewisburg that are sure to make you feel right at home.

Enjoy the great outdoors at the Beartown State Park or Greenbrier State Forest, which offers fishing, hiking, swimming, hunting and more. Voyage 120 feet beneath ground to explore the beautiful rock formations of the Lost World Caverns. Check out American history at the Confederate Cemetery and Droop Mountain Battlefield, where 95 nameless Confederate soldiers were buried after the Battle of Lewisburg. You can see a film or live performance at Lewisburg's Carnegie Hall, constructed by Andrew Carnegie in 1902 and is now operating as an education and arts center. You can also kick back at the Greenbrier Golf Course or shop until you drop at the Greenbrier Valley Mall, both conveniently located near most of our Lewisburg hotels.  If your trip includes at least one special night out at a delightful, little restaurant, you won't be disappointed here! You will find a variety of international cuisine made from local ingredients, as well as American dishes like steak, fries, burgers and so much more.  With multiple hotels in Lewisburg, WV and the outlying areas, you can find the Choice hotel that meets your travel needs. Enjoy our warm hospitality, friendly customer service and great value. Scroll through our fine Lewisburg hotels listed below and book your stay online today. We look forward to hosting you very soon!

IMG_18271.jpg
US 219 in WV last fall.

Reservations made....we will see you all next June!

We're in, too - reservation made yesterday.

Just booked a double for Artie and myself.

Couldn't be more excited about going to WVA!!!

Scott

Must be a lot to engage in around Lewisburg.  Dan visited a local brewery and distillery located within 1 mile or our hotel.  Their products were good and we enjoyed the brews. Look forward to the 2017 V8 meet. make your plans and reservation now. Join us the night before in Wytheville Va. for the "Warm Up". See separate thread later.

Jim and I spent a very full day yesterday driving WV roads and checking out attractions within about an hour to an hour and a half from the hotel.  I think you all will be pleased with what we are coming up with.  Some of the meet will remind you of Palestine, but much more mountainous. Jim Williams met with us on Tuesday evening.  Jim W is a local MG and British enthusiast who has been on this forum before.  Every suggestion he has given us has proven to be awesome so far.  Jim B has all the information we have collected and is calculating driving times from place to place before we create an agenda.  People in the area have been very receptive, maybe even excited that we are coming in June.

Sounds great Dan....looking forward to the meet!

The "Warm-Up" plans and location are w/i sight also.  Just need to get the contract and final details  worked out.  Stay Tuned!

What we have planned so far and subject to change, is the usual pizza in the parking lot on Wednesday evening along with a car washing spot set up. The Motel is an open room entrance type Quality Inn with a very nice bar and separate breakfast nook. A large second floor conference room fronted by a very nice sun room over the office and bar off to the side will do very well for out banquet. One light off the interstate in a plaza, it has a gas station/convenience and a chain restaurant on one side and just a short walk out the back door and across the lawn puts you at the door of the Wal-Mart. We suggest walking down the less steep part of the grassy bank there. Other useful places are right there also in easy walking distance. Main street is a few blocks further on. Jim Williams knows the local Chief of Police and will smooth the way for us a bit there, possibly even getting the Chief to show at our Meet-n-Greet. That isn't to say anybody can expect to get away with any monkeyshines, but it can't hurt. We will have a registration room in the strip across the parking lot from the Motel entrance and the Chamber of Commerce is going to set up a table there with flyers about all the local attractions and keep that stocked for us throughout the meet, so you will be able to find activities that interest you when you sign in, or later as well. Then Thursday and Saturday there are driving/sightseeing options which include:

1) a full day including a 2 hr drive on the loop to Cass where you can if you wish, take a ride up the mountainside on the Cass Scenic Railway to the 3rd highest point in W.Va. which is Bald Knob with a box lunch on the way. The view from there takes in 3 mountain ranges and includes the Green Bank radio-astronomy observatory which is only about 5 minutes from Cass and they do about a 1 hour tour which I believe costs $6. The train ride is about $60 and takes around 3 hours round trip. There is also a railroad shop tour which takes about an hour, they didn't mention a cost for that. There are 3 ways to get to Cass; Rt.92 is the quickest and straightest as it runs up through the bottom land between two ridges. That isn't to say it's straight by any means and any flatlander will find it interesting, and most others will as well. Higher speeds are possible. The more sports oriented drive is up Rt. 219 which is a slightly wider, more developed road with well executed curves and passing opportunities. This is the route we took on the way up and is a popular scenic drive, however we found traffic to be light. It is the road the Motel is on, and a main road into and out of Lewisburg so it does experience heavy traffic in town during rush hour, but the rest of the time it is lightly traveled. The 3rd route takes you into Virginia to Rt.220 and we hesitated to recommend it at first due to poorer roads and signage, and we just didn't expect much from it. However, what we discovered was a very nice section of mountain road about halfway down that really makes it worth recommending. There is also a nice but too short section at the far end that we followed down to the valley floor which is tight and twisty. A truck was polite enough to pull over and let us by so we could enjoy the drive. These sections are good enough to overcome the deficiencies in our opinions, including the congestion of a few towns on the route. You will also drive right by the famous Homestead Hotel resort in Hot Springs and the Greenbrier in White Sulphur. So overall, we recommend Rt. 219 going up, the Va. loop coming back, and if you want something a bit more sedate or quicker, then Rt. 92 is your best choice.

I think the train ride starts at about 11:00 AM so a relaxed morning still gets you there in time, with an Observatory tour or Cass shop tour either before, after or both. I think the observatory tours run every hour, and the shop tours would clearly be before and/or after the train ride. Or you could drive up, skip the train, find a spot for lunch and drive back. Plenty of options.

Our thoughts are to do this trip on Thursday as it is the longest day, and do the Hawks Nest run on Saturday, leaving Friday for things like a dyno session at K2 Motorsports, the Greenbrier Bunker tour, Organ Cave, or the swinging bridge run down to Paint Bank Va. on Rt 311 which shares part of the  Rt. 220 loop, or other drives or activities that you might wish to pursue either solo or in a group.

2) the Hawks Nest run is considered a "Must Drive" for motorsports enthusiasts. Part of the old Midland Trail, US Rt. 60 was the only way across the middle of the state from pioneer times up into the 70's and 80's when the last of the Interstate system was finally completed. It still remains a fine, well maintained Federal Highway winding through several mountain ranges on it's way east to the Tidewater Basin, originally connecting Virginia Beach with Los Angeles and including the famous stretch now known as Rt. 66. The run will take about an hour and a quarter give or take, depending on driving style and traffic and although the primary target destination is Hawks Nest Overlook, the run is not complete without the drive down the western side of Gauley Mountain into Glen Ferris where if you like you can view Kanawha Falls either from the park below the falls or from the Glen Ferris Inn above. We still haven't sorted out the exact plan for lunch. GFI is nice but expensive, however it does have a quite interesting history. There is also the possibility of a picnic at Hawks Nest, bring your own to the park below the falls, and a few other local options. Sewell Mountain and Gauley Mtn. are the most interesting parts of the drive, but you also pass through numerous small towns mostly starting with the letter "A" and there's a roller coaster section approaching Rt. 19 from the east. 3 lanes are common in the mountainous sections, giving good passing opportunities but do not be surprised to see a pass at any area giving adequate sight distance. You may or may not see a state trooper, they don't spend much time on lightly traveled roads. The curves on this road can be very entertaining, for variety, condition of banking, quality of pavement, and width of surface. The stretch between the ridges is less exciting but the drive at the end makes it worthwhile.

On the return you have many options. Follow the same path, or branch off to either north or south, although the northern route through Summersville is likely to take a long time and be very contorted where the southern route will take you through either Fayetteville or Beckley and have plenty of options to bail out to I-64 or back to Rt. 60. One such route veers off to the right at Chimney Corners on the way back up the mountains and will take you over the "Drys" and back to Fayetteville. (The Drys are a stretch of the New River below Hawks Nest Dam which during the summer months is bony due to the flow being diverted through the Gauley Mtn tunnel to a power station below. During Hurricane season this is a true class six whitewater run restricted to highly experienced and professional paddlers, including a one mile long continuous rapid known, appropriately enough as Mile Long and containing the infamous Multi-Ender-Bender Bowl Hole. It really is a massive bowl in the river formed by gigantic standing waves.) You won't see any rapids in June though, just a great rocky riverbed. The road winds up the other side of the gorge and joins Rt. 19 just below the New River Gorge Bridge and from there you can do many things including a drive down under the bridge to a sandy beach beside the last rapid in the Gorge, a small detour out to the "Ram's Horn" cliffs on the rim over the Keeney Brothers rapids (an initiate only sightseeing opportunity), return north to Rt. 60, or proceed south to alternate routes back to Lewisburg including I-64 and Rt. 3 up the Greenbrier river. There is also an alternate very twisty road down to Terry and back up Rt.41 towards Sewell Mtn.

We thought we would do this trip Saturday and your route could determine your starting time. Or, you could run a reverse route, coming back via Rt. 60, giving you a known return time to make it back in time for the banquet. Of course, once you have reached Glen Ferris, you do have the option of returning via the W.Va. Turnpike as well, and I believe you can head up Paint Creek from Montgomery to hit an access. I'd have to check though, it's been awhile. There is also a bridge below the falls that leads to a very twisty road up the other side to Fayetteville/Oak hill.

For those not so interested in driving, we are practically in the heart of Lewisburg and there are a great number and range of attractions to distract you. A few of the flyers we picked up include a small distillery across from a microbrewery, a hard cider facility, a BBQ called "When Pigs Fly", 2 local cave tours, numerous state parks and civil war battlefields, the Greenbrier River trail, theatre, local shops and restaurants, the state fairgrounds, and further out things like the Cranberry Glades and even Pearl S. Buck's birthplace, so there will be no excuse for boredom.

So all in all a most excellent scouting trip, and we have more to go. But I think you will all find things to enjoy and this could easily shape up to be one of the better meets we've done. Dan and I are setting the bar low. We would like everyone to enjoy their visit and don't expect any more than that, but we fully intend to leave most of it up to you. Yes, we'll organize the Banquet and the shirts and hats and make recommendations about what you can do, but the choices you make are yours. We'd suggest forming groups for the various activities, the ideal size might be anywhere from 2 to eight or ten cars, and would encourage considerable rotation among the groups formed but that's just a suggestion.

Oh, and a word or two about K2 Motorsports is in order. This is a brand spanking new facility, being completed as we stopped by. It is a "Destination" shop rather than a local garage, with state of the art facilities and equipment. As you walk in you are greeted by dark simulated marble epoxy floors fitted with carpet insets at the bay doors for the cars. An impressive rolling road dyno with large textured drums doubles down with a second movable set of drums for awd and 4wd dyno use. An engine dyno and motorcycle dyno are being installed as well, and these all have their own dedicated soundproofed rooms. The main hall is large and spacious with a 2 story overhead and a railed mezzanine around two sides. The complex forms a large "U" shape with individual garages forming two sides and the main hall and office the third with a conference type office at the other corner. Naturally there is plenty of parking out front which is adequate to accommodate our entire group. Neither of us had any idea that a facility of this type existed anywhere in the state, let alone within 5 miles of downtown Lewisburg, so we owe a great big thanks to Jim Williams for sending us their way.

Jim

Great synopsis, Jim.  

More on K2....we don't know what kind of arrangements we can make with them yet, as it boils down to costs, but they have already hosted the Jeep folks and said they could create activities for a whole day just at their shop. It is a mother/son shop.  The brochure does say "for the discerning car owner" though.
We were thinking dyno day, something like Palestine.  We will have to get rates. http://www.k2motorsports.org

Also, the Cass Scenic Railroad park attendant told us it may be possible to get an entire car on the train reserved for our group, and the group rate for the train ride should come down from the regular rate if we have a large group.  We may arrange this as a group depending on interest.  http://www.cassrailroad.com

We visited The Asylum in downtown and they wanted to keep us....
actually it is a bar and grille and has pretty good food, craft beer on tap, an outside deck, parking, etc.  The town also has a gourmet pizza shop, an Irish pub, and several other eateries including Mike's favorite, "Food & Friends."
http://www.lewisburgasylum.com
http://www.foodandfriendslewisburgwv.com

Will be visiting Food and Friends frequently while there....great food...

Now that "Buck" is finished (in race car trim) I guess I need to think about lights and mufflers so I can join the festivities.  I'm pretty sure they would frown on the open exhaust.

You can join us, John, without a British conversion! I traveled to the 1998 & 1999 Meet in my stock 1979 4 cylinder MGB & to the 2000 Meet in my Dad's stock 1963 MGB.

Here are some photos I took on part of our scouting trip, riding in the Lincoln Limo. First shot is coming into the snake on Rt. 60, which as you can see is easy to dive bomb down the middle.

IMG_0002.JPG

And I'd expect nobody in a LBC to have any problem with that but if you do it's possible to gather up a lot of speed so that the following curves can be quite exciting.
IMG_0005.JPG

IMG_0006.JPG

Only thing is, back in the 70's when quarry trucks made frequent trips here, the resultant slide into the center lane on this next curve;
IMG_0007.JPG

had you riding the marbles all the way to the guard rail. The road was clear when we were there, but bear in mind it might not always be so.

Now, as you run this section you may wonder how one slides into the center lane? Well, combine a 1970 350 Olds Cutlass with a precocious 18 year old just learning how to 4 wheel drift and the picture becomes a little clearer. I wouldn't recommend it. That curve may not be quite as blind as it looks but it is close enough that going over the line at all there isn't really the sort of thing anyone should be doing for any reason, and the snake section is there to help you slow down before this curve so it doesn't happen. Some of us just have to learn the hard way I guess.

Jim

Sounds like Fun!  My Wife and I will be there!

Made reservations for Lewisburg yesterday and just made reservations for Wytheville.  The Jag and I will see you there!!   Just installed Electric Power Steering on the Beast.  Unisteer came out with a unit for cars up to 4500#, unbelievable!!  Will be ready for the twisty roads.

Regards to ALL,

Ken Nicks

Curtis has updated the "Meetings" tab: http://www.britishv8.org/British-V8-Meetings.htm

We have not yet finalized plans for the events, so the registration form is not online yet.  Jim is working with the vendor for the regalia also.  We have scheduled another site visit for Friday to try and get some of the venues set, in particular K2 Motorsports.  Stay tuned.....

Working with K2 Motorsports, I talked to Kelvin today.  It is a brand new dyno.  He is working on grouting tile in the dyno room and working on the soundproofing. Our plan is for Friday, June 9th to spend a good bit of the day at K2, assuming we can work out the financial details.  Most likely there will be a rate for dyno day including maybe 3 pulls, with options for working with tuning at additional charges.  Kelvin says they do not have their rates set yet, but is going to send me something next week. Probably what we will do is put a place on the registration for you to register for dyno time, but pay K2 when we get there if that works for them.  Also Fridays are tasting and tour days at the local brewery.  They are eager to host us.  
June 8 is a Short Run day for Cass Scenic Railroad, which means a trip halfway up the mountain to Whittaker Station.  While the Bald Knob trip would be worth the extra money, considering driving time to Cass and back, plus a shop tour we are trying to set up, and the nearby Green Bank National Radio Observatory, the short trip is probably best.  We do need to make reservations and pay a deposit for that trip, and make the group purchase 30 days before our trip, so we will need to put the option for that on the registration form. The railroad should be sending us a contract soon.
Saturday, June 10th the West Virginia British Car Club has agreed to host us for a cookout/lunch at Hawks Nest State Park, near the overlook.  WVBCC makes that drive at least a couple of times a year.  It is a nice tour for LBCs.n Several members are anxious to see the modified/improved cars.

Making progress.  Jim has been working with TripleC on the regalia and there are bugs to work out with our WV British V8 logo, also holding up the registration form.

Thanks for the update Dan!

Sounds like we're gonna be busy!  Looking forward to it!

Dan,
Is this the correct K2? http://www.k2motorsports.org/
We may need extra days to take in everything.

That would be the one Phil.

Jim

The Quality Inn has agreed to honor our meet room rate if you want to arrive early or stay longer.

QuoteJim has been working with TripleC on the regalia ...

Interesting. When I contacted TripleC about doing the 2016 meet they said they weren't doing that type of business anymore. They did the 2011 meet, but made it clear early on that they really weren't interested in our business.  I found a local company that was very happy to have our business and worked with us well to see that we were satisfied. You might check around to see if there is a local company where you live and keep your money at home.

Everything looks great, don't forget the "WARM-UP" in Wytheville on 6/6/17 at La  Quinta.   We have special room rate also. Thanks Jim and Dan.

We have been working on the regalia and lining out what meals we will provide.  Things are getting closer to complete, but not quite ready yet.  The hope is that before long we can get the registration online.  Meals provided by the meett: the welcome on Wednesday evening in the parking lot, a picnic at Hawk's Nest for lunch on Saturday and the banquet on Saturday evening.  Breakfast each day is provide by the hotel, and there are lots of local eateries in Lewisburg including Mike's favorite Food and Friends, the Asylum, Hill and Hollers, an Irish Pub and others, so we felt like it would be best to let folks try them out.

We have a price for the Cass Scenic Railroad, scheduled for Thursday, but do not have a contract yet.  That will be additional to the registration, but we will need to collect it because it needs to be paid in advance, so it should be added to the registration form.
 
 K2 is trying to get a sponsor for our lunch at the dyno day on Friday, but if that doesn't work out they said they could get a lunch truck where we could buy a sandwich or whatever  They are offering us a special rate for the dyno,  $100 for three pulls and you will pay that directly to K2.

Thanks to Carl for getting his brother to design a shirt logo for us.  Jim is working with shirt vendors to get a price.

I hope this answers any questions about registration.  If anyone has ideas or requests, please post, IM or email Jim or me.

http://thesaltcaveandspa.com

This little spa is not far from Lewisburg.  Treat the gals to a relaxing day!

On June 8th we will be driving on curvy roads to Cass, WV and will have the opportunity to tour the shops where they repair logging locomotives from 100 years ago or so, then ride that very train up the mountain.  Also in the near vicinity of the Cass Scenic Railroad, is the National Radio Observatory in Green Bank.  Your cell phones will not work there.  http://greenbankobservatory.org

The public is welcome to self tour the facility as long as all electronics are left in the car, but they also have guided tours for around $6.  On the 8th they also have a hi-tech tour.  Here is what they told me about that:  

Hey Dan,

How many are in your group? We have general tours every hour on the hour
in the summer starting at 9am and ending at 6pm (we're open from
8:30am-7pm). We have buses to accommodate groups large and small. Tickets
for the general tours are $6.00/person. Veterans, active service, and
children 10 and under are free. Persons 65 years and older purchase $5.00
tickets. You do not need to schedule a general tour in advance.

On the 8th of June we're offering a High Tech tour which requires
background screening for persons 18 and over, to do this you must call
with names and other personal information of everyone attending the tour
at least 48 hours in advance. On this tour you will see the lab where
receivers are fabricated and assembled and the control room where
astronomers and telescope operators work with the Green Bank Telescope
(GBT). Tickets cost $15.00/person and the tour starts promptly at 3:30pm

If you are also here on the 9th, we'll have a SETI tour where you explore
two telescopes and their control rooms on site that were apart of the
first searches for extraterrestrial intelligence in the 1960s. This tour
ends with a conversation with one of the astronomers working here about
the future of SETI and the GBT. Tickets cost $40.00/person and the same
background screening process as the High Tech tour is needed in advance.
This tour starts at 1:00pm.

You and your group are more than welcome to walk our grounds, exploring
all of our telescopes and learning about their current and historical uses
with our walking tour map. So long as all electronics: phones, cameras,
fit-bits, etc. are left in the car, there is nowhere you can't explore. If
you are wanting photos up close to the telescopes be sure to bring a film
camera or a disposable camera with you.

Let me know if you have any questions regarding this information, or if
you would like to schedule a High Tech or SETI tour for your group.

Best,


Sophie Knudsen
Public Education Assistant

A little late to the party, I've reserved my room at the Quality Inn.  See y'all there!!!

Al Moor

Looks like such a great place and so much to do

Thanks guys

Here is a short video on Cass Scenic Railroad.  We will be doing the Whitaker Station run on June 8.

https://youtu.be/mgAWXiKen44

Expect an online registration soon.  We are about finished ironing out details.

Yes, I sent the info to Curtis yesterday, once he's had a chance to review and we iron out any last issues the form should go up I think.

Jim

Just made my registration not sure if my wife will be accompanying me, Is the on  line registration up yet

Tony, we are just ironing out a few final details on linking the online registration. But if we don't get it sorted in the next few days I'm sure we can post the print-n-mail version.

Jim

,Thanks Jim, I'll keep my eyes on this site. I'm pretty pumped about this years rally, nice 5 hour drive to get there, and a 2 hour drive to my brothers on the ride home

Registration is now live.  Thanks, Jim, Dan M, and Curtis!

http://www.britishv8.org/British-V8-Meetings.htm

Thanks for all the work.  Just completed the info and Paypal.  Not too  long until June :-)

Booked my room.  Haven't sent in the form yet; don't know if just me or if anyone in the family is coming with me.

Room booked.  We'll be there - Ted and Judy Lathrop

We now have about a dozen registrations, don't forget there is an early registration deadline and regalia can't be ordered after that, even though late registrations will continue to be accepted up until and during the meet.

Items have started to trickle in for the banquet auction. If you have items to include please contact me or Dan, and/or ship them to us. Here is one item we just received:

IMG_0001.JPG

And no, Steve is not going to be auctioned off. At least not without Margaret's permission that is. The stained glass "MG" artwork would make a VERY nice addition to any wall or window however.

Registration info is on this page:
http://www.britishv8.org/British-V8-Meetings.htm

Jim

We booked our room, looking forward to seeing everyone!

Wow.  Calvin & Brenda will likely win the long distance award.  Glad you two are making the trip!

Wow! That stained glass "window" looks truly awesome.


I'm so excited to see whose registered too!  

I'm pretty confident I was the first to register this year, because I had to test the online form. Usually I procrastinate for as long as I can. I'm not sure what sort of car I'll arrive in though.

Uh, rental?  ;)

I guess we will have to declare a tie for all the West Coasters.

Curtis, Dan thought you should fly into Cincinnati and drive the Roadmaster. Seems like it could be a possibility.

Jim

Hey! That's a GREAT idea. Roadmaster is a treat to drive.

Even better now. Though unless we get the pumpkin swapped you'll have to tolerate some noise.
We can put you up here and let you avoid a hotel bill.
Sort of puts me under the gun to get my software sorted but I can always drive Dan's TR4 if not. Or ride with Matt.

Guess we'd better schedule another Roadmaster weekend. Swap the pumpkin, and mount the A/C evaporator.

Jim

Sent in our registration form today!!!

In this section we need to post up who is coming to BV8 this year??

Yes....as the registrations come through, it would be great if Dan and/or Jim would post the names in a continually updated post....from the number of Spuriites who have contacted me, we will have a strong showing.

Registrations are coming to Jim, so he will need to do that.  I did just check with the host hotel and we have 38 rooms reserved to date.

Thanks Dan!!

I just printed out summaries of every registration to date through Paypal. Currently I have 15 registrations, if you don't see your name on the list and you sent payment, send me a PM and we'll sort it out.

Here's the list so far:
Curtis
Kelley
Daniel Craig
Robert Milks
Ralph Ratta
Richard Peterson
PJ
Merv
Bill Heath
Ken Nicks
Ted & Judy
Mickey
Dale
Scott C
Calvin
plus Dan and Myself of course.

I have not gotten any registrations by mail.
Get 'em in there! Reserving the room is only half the job.

Jim

Registered! Kay and I will see you all there! Trying to get my friend Dan Vloedman
to to go too...
Cheers!

We now have 22 registrations, we've added:

Charles Long
Phil McConnell
Paul Schils
Mike Maloney
Alan Moor
Artie Clark
Steve DeGroat

We have 22 requests for the Cass Scenic Railroad so far and at present 5 pre-registrations for the dyno. Dan can update you on how many rooms have been reserved.

Jim

Here's the list so far:

Dan Blackwood
Jim Blackwood
Curtis Jacobsen
Kelly Stevenson
Daniel Craig
Robert Milks
Ralph Ratta
Richard Peterson
PJ Lenihan
Merv Hagen
Bill Heath
Ken Nicks
Ted & Judy Lathrop
Mickey Richaud
Dale Knapke
Scott Costanzo
Calvin Grannis
Charles Long
Phil McConnell
Paul Schils
Mike Maloney
Alan Moor
Artie Clark
Steve DeGroat

I just called the Brier Inn, aka Quality Inn of Lewisburg.  As of now there are 45 rooms reserved.  We started with a block of 50 with the option to expand.  I hope we will need to!

If you haven't registered yet, there are just a couple more weeks to insure a place on the train.....

Quote from: Dan BPlease try to get registered by May 1.  That is when Jim and I will be buying the group tickets for Cass Scenic Railroad.

Thanks Jim & Dan, Thought were additional expense for us  :-). Carl is sharp!

The Cass Scenic Railroad excursion is extra.

QuoteA $35/person price for tickets to Whittaker Station has been negotiated for BritishV8 meet participants. We can only guarantee seat availability for registrations received by May 1. Efforts will be made to accommodate later registrants, but space on the train cannot be guaranteed

Not Dense :-)  above was n fun :-)  Ha Ha

I know.  I just wanted to clarify for anyone else that read that before their morning coffee.  :)

Time is growing short. If you miss the May 1st deadline we cannot guarantee you will get your regalia, as the shop needs some lead time to make up the shirts and hats. We have no plans to do late orders.

26 so far:

Dan Blackwood
Jim Blackwood
Curtis Jacobsen
Kelly Stevenson
Daniel Craig
Robert Milks
Ralph Ratta
Richard Peterson
PJ Lenihan
Merv Hagen
Bill Heath
Ken Nicks
Ted & Judy Lathrop
Mickey Richaud
Dale Knapke
Scott Costanzo
Calvin Grannis
Charles Long
Phil McConnell
Paul Schils
Mike Maloney
Alan Moor
Artie Clark
Steve DeGroat
Graham Creswick
Richard Moor

I have sent out inquiries to 4 registrants to clarify their options, some sort of internet glitch. A few who I think had: 1 extra banquet ticket and 2 Cass tickets, dropped the additional info:
Judy, Graham, Mike, and Paul. Please confirm the above if you would. I anticipate a few more of these requests will have to be sent out. There seems to be no other pattern to the drops, and it is only about 1/3 of identical registrations that have fallen through.

Jim

http://www.britishv8.org/British-V8-Meetings.htm

I penciled in the Lewisburg British v8 Meet some months ago but came to realize that it wouldn't happen this year a while ago.  The next best thing is a recent commitment to 13 days in Tennessee beginning on May 3rd.  The plan is to spend a few days in Nashville, take in the Corvette Museum /Plant Tour, savour some of the attractions of the Smokies and the usual things in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
Also included in the plans is to take in the Springtime in the Smokies event in Townsend.  Any of you folks planning on being there?
Any suggestions for some "don't miss this" things in the area?

Sent in our registration online this morning.

See you in West Virginia!

Phil, we plan to be in Townsend for the Brit.Car Show on 5/12/17. Maybe a MOOSEHEAD?  Definitely have the DICKEL!

Phil & Kelly (and anyone else planning to attend the Townsend show) -

Have you registered?  Got reservations at Talley Ho?  Not sure if they're full, but they usually fill up quickly.  

And Phil - lots to see.  Cades Cove is a beautiful area.  Let me know your interests and I can make a few suggestions.

Looking forward to seeing y'all!

QuoteAlso included in the plans is to take in the Springtime in the Smokies event in Townsend. Any of you folks planning on being there?

Phil,

I won't be able to make the V8 meet either, but I will be at the Townsend meet.

In addition to Kelly and Micky, Jim Watson, Charles Long, and Carl Floyd should be there as well.

" take in the Corvette Museum /Plant Tour"

Check your map, Phil, it's not in Tennessee.  ;)

"I won't be able to make the V8 meet either"

Say it ain't so, Dan.  It's our 20th Anniversary!

{" take in the Corvette Museum /Plant Tour"  Check your map, Phil, it's not in Tennessee. ;) }
My apologies Carl. I knew that when I checked Google Maps, saw that it was about an hour from Nashville and noted the broken line marking the Tennessee/Kentucky border.  I'll look for that broken line crossing I65 on the drive there.  ;-))
See you in Townsend.

31 so far:

Dan Blackwood
Jim Blackwood
Curtis Jacobsen
Kelly Stevenson
Daniel Craig
Robert Milks
Ralph Ratta
Richard Peterson
PJ Lenihan
Merv Hagen
Bill Heath
Ken Nicks
Ted & Judy Lathrop
Mickey Richaud
Dale Knapke
Scott Costanzo
Calvin Grannis
Charles Long
Phil McConnell
Paul Schils
Mike Maloney
Alan Moor
Artie Clark
Steve DeGroat
Graham Creswick
Richard Moor
Mike Moor
Lawrence Cassler
Jim Miller
Ed Peppard
Rick Ingram

None of the last 3 online registrations had info for Cass, banquet, or dyno so for any new registrations please inform me separately of those details.

Only one week remains, please try to make the deadline.

http://www.britishv8.org/British-V8-Meetings.htm

Jim

Check your mail.....I sent you an e-mail regarding this five minutes after I registered online. I copied Dan and Jean.....


Jim and Dan...

Per your request...info of my online registration:

Meet registration - 1
Additional banquet - 1
Cass Scenic Railroad - 2
T-shirt ( 2XL ) - 1

TOTAL - $198

Thanks! See you in June.

Who is bringing the Roadmaster?

Thanks for update Jim.   Noticed Lawerence Cassler (Larry).  He purchased the V8 B we converted and still drive it.  Hope to  drive it 1 more time.

Thanks Rick, got it.

Sorry for the confusion, I do have current registration info for everyone on the list. But paypal has been dropping some of the info and now appears to be doing so consistently. Sometimes I can make out the details from the numbers but sometimes not. Thanks to everyone for your consideration.

Jim

What the heck, think I'll join the fun one more time.  ;)

37 so far:

Dan Blackwood
Jim Blackwood
Curtis Jacobsen
Kelly Stevenson
Daniel Craig
Robert Milks
Ralph Ratta
Richard Peterson
PJ Lenihan
Merv Hagen
Bill Heath
Ken Nicks
Ted & Judy Lathrop
Mickey Richaud
Dale Knapke
Scott Costanzo
Calvin Grannis
Charles Long
Phil McConnell
Paul Schils
Mike Maloney
Alan Moor
Artie Clark
Steve DeGroat
Graham Creswick
Richard Moor
Mike Moor
Lawrence Cassler
Jim Miller
Ed Peppard
Rick Ingram

Ken Hiebert
Bill Yobi
Roger Haber
Tom Clark
Paul Overbeck
Max Fulton

The last 4 online registrations had info for Cass, banquet, and dyno which is inconsistent but good to have.

Only a few days remain, please try to make the deadline.

[www.britishv8.org]

Jim

Hi Jim
My wife and I will be coming from Alberta, Canada,  and signed up for the Cass railway, dyno, 2 Med Tshirts and 2 ball caps.  Hopefully you already have that info.  We don't know whether we will make it to Wyeth as we are already going pretty far.  we will try tho'.  Look forward to seeing everybody.

Roger Haber and Fiona Wildman

Add one more; I just did the online registration.  Cass, Banquet, and L tshirt in case the details didn't come through.

Glad to see Rob  will attend.  Any family members attending?  Good chance to score points for totaling the Mustang :-)

Today is the cutoff for regalia especially, however we did meet with the hotel today and they extended our registration period so you can still get the meet rate by making a reservation up until June 1.  We will be sending in the count for Cass Scenic Railroad and purchasing tickets by the end of the week..we can still get you in if you hurry.  After that there are no guarantees but we will do the best we can.

Jim and I visited some of the other attractions today.  When you register on Wednesday, the local tourism folks will be there to provide information and directions to all kinds of things to do in the area. K-2 Motorsports is right on the Greenbrier  River and rents Canoes and Tubes too, plus the Greenbrier River Trail, a Rails to Trails bike trail is right there and they rent bikes, so there is a lot to do there.

We had lunch at a restaurant out in the middle of nowhere, about 33 miles from the hotel in Paint Bank, Virginia, called The Swinging Bridge.  Route 311 has a nice twisty section over the mountain on the way to that restaurant.  https://www.theswingingbridge.com

One of the highlights of today's trip was a visit to the Greenbrier Valley Brewing Company, a microbrewery.  They are excited we are coming to town.  We plan to visit them Friday evening.

No family joining this year Kelly.  Drew really wants to but he got an internship this summer and has to start working June 1st.

Sounds like everything is coming together nicely.

It is. I have to catch up on the reservations, hope to do that tomorrow if things aren't too frantic around here.

Jim

Jim, Thanks to you and Dan for the frequent  "heads up" on what"s shaping up to be a great time.

Cass Scenic Railroad tickets have been purchased.

https://www.facebook.com/pccvb/videos/10154435044251657/

Very nice. Need more than 3 days.

I vote for 5 days, but I'm a die heart 😎

I'd rather die hard.  Hold muh beer & watch this!  😱

More registrations have come in:
47 so far:

Dan Blackwood
Jim Blackwood
Curtis Jacobsen
Kelly Stevenson
Daniel Craig
Robert Milks
Ralph Ratta
Richard Peterson
PJ Lenihan
Merv Hagen
Bill Heath
Ken Nicks
Ted & Judy Lathrop
Mickey Richaud
Dale Knapke
Scott Costanzo
Calvin Grannis
Charles Long
Phil McConnell
Paul Schils
Mike Maloney
Alan Moor
Artie Clark
Steve DeGroat
Graham Creswick
Richard Moor
Mike Moor
Lawrence Cassler
Jim Miller
Ed Peppard
Rick Ingram
Ken Hiebert
Bill Yobi
Roger Haber
Tom Clark
Paul Overbeck
Max Fulton

Carl Floyd
Pete Smith
Mike Alexander
Glen Gimbel
Dana Nicholson
Rob Ficalora
Daryl Siefert
Gary Kinney
Mack Hils
James Harbold

These registrations all have complete registration information.

The deadline for early registration has passed but we will still accept late registrations up until and during the meet. You will not be able to order regalia or reserve seats on Cass or dyno slots, but if you want standby status please let us know and we will make reasonable attempts to accommodate you. We should have little issue with add-ons for the Banquet.

Similarly, we will do what we can about late shirt and hat requests within the limitations of the vendor. We have no plans to place any late orders but as long as they let us add on we will do so.

These extras are all conditional however, so if you want to add banquet seats go ahead and pay for them. For anything else, since we cannot make any guarantees we do not want you to send money that we may have to refund. You can wait and we'll see how it goes. If it works out you can pay then.

[www.britishv8.org]

Jim

Gonna be a great reunion!

Hotel manager Matt has extended our block and given us to June 2 for his cutoff.  He also gave us the option to extend our stay at the same rate, $85.  Anyone who feels like they are out because of the missed deadline on the other stuff, PM me or Jim. We have had nothing but awesome customer service from the folks at Cass, the hotel, the brewery, K-2, etc, so we will do our best to accommodate.

Also, if any of you have Growlers, be sure to bring them to Greenbrier Valley Brewing on Friday.

Growler, mine is only 32oz.  Guess it will have to do.

Excitement has been building for me! Can't wait! I've talked with a few others and the feeling is the same with them too. It promises to be a fantastic gathering this year!

Still not sure if I'm going to make it, I'm in the middle of installing EPS and having a hard top painted, broken windshield, new tires and rims, and prep work for a season of autocross racing. So I have my reservations at the motel but I haven't made my reservation here. What am I going to miss if I register late, I don't really care about the train ride, might be interested in watching the dyno, i would probably be interested in eating a couple of times while I'm there, and you know I'd be really interested in cruising some of the back roads and sitting around exchanging lies and pounding down a few with you guys I saw on the application that there would be no refunds for cancellations after May 1st, but didn't see anything about late registrations. It's probably going to be at least another week or more before I know if I'm going to have a car or not

Come on down Tony, drive the Family car.  I've flown to one meet  in Wisc. and a member picked me up at airport.   Just have fun!

Tony....no worries about driving your mgb....just come and have fun!

Jim is handling all the registrations, but we have discussed late sign ups and are good with it.  The regalia and group rate on the train were the big things, but if there is space you can still get on the train.  T-shirt have to have time to be stitched, so if you did order too late they wouldn't be ready for the meet.

No worries Tony, they'll always find space for you on the

WVBCC visited the venue where they will be hosting our picnic on Saturday.  https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/18485992_10213317694681333_8056967412272671253_n.jpg?oh=078e3e5b60b0a6cdd7ef9ccc3e2a9e25&oe=59B95273
Hawk's Nest State Park.  Behind the photographer is a big shelter.  There is a nice overlook down a path near where the LBCs are parked.

More registrations have come in:
49 so far:

Dan Blackwood
Jim Blackwood
Curtis Jacobsen
Kelly Stevenson
Daniel Craig
Robert Milks
Ralph Ratta
Richard Peterson
PJ Lenihan
Merv Hagen
Bill Heath
Ken Nicks
Ted & Judy Lathrop
Mickey Richaud
Dale Knapke
Scott Costanzo
Calvin Grannis
Charles Long
Phil McConnell
Paul Schils
Mike Maloney
Alan Moor
Artie Clark
Steve DeGroat
Graham Creswick
Richard Moor
Mike Moor
Lawrence Cassler
Jim Miller
Ed Peppard
Rick Ingram
Ken Hiebert
Bill Yobi
Roger Haber
Tom Clark
Paul Overbeck
Max Fulton
Carl Floyd
Pete Smith
Mike Alexander
Glen Gimbel
Dana Nicholson
Rob Ficalora
Daryl Siefert
Gary Kinney
Mack Hils
James Harbold

Frank Mancuso
Ric Gregory

These registrations have complete registration information.

The deadline for early registration has passed but we will still accept late registrations up until and during the meet. You will not be able to order regalia or reserve seats on Cass or dyno slots, but if you want standby status please let us know and we will make reasonable attempts to accommodate you. We should have little issue with add-ons for the Banquet.

Similarly, we will do what we can about late shirt and hat requests within the limitations of the vendor. We have no plans to place any late orders but as long as they let us add on we will do so.

These extras are all conditional however, so if you want to add banquet seats go ahead and pay for them. For anything else, since we cannot make any guarantees we do not want you to send money that we may have to refund. You can wait and we'll see how it goes. If it works out you can pay then.

[www.britishv8.org]

Jim

It looks like there may be some free time to enjoy some of the local attractions and sites on Friday.  Jim and I don't anticipate that everyone would want to spend the entire day at the dyno.  The Greenbrier Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau will have a table and a representative at our registration on Wednesday, and leave the information until Friday.  K2 offers bikes and kayaks to rent, the Greenbrier Resort is nearby and has a lot to offer, there are several caves to explore, civil war battlefield nearby, etc.
Weather has been wet this month, so hopefully the pattern will dry out by then.  Weather.com has highs in the upper 70s forecast for that week.

Steve Carrick has put us at 50 registrations. Thank you Steve.

Jim

Thank you Steve! Better late, then never. Counting down the days. Can't wait to see everyone.

 Mike

Bring a swim suit.  There is white water rafting and hot springs near by.  


Jefferson Pools - Natural hot springs
https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/homestead-virginia/wellness/hot-springs

Ace Adventure - White water rafting and other activities
https://aceraft.com/

Driving through Kansas with our next stop in St Louis. We're driving 16 hour days. Looking forward to seeing everyone.

You must be getting there early Calvin?

Looking forward to seeing you and Brenda, Calvin!

Just a little over a week away!

Scott

I canceled my motel reservation last night, so I guess I'm going to be a no-show for this years rally. I talked it over with my wife and I'm going to chase a dream I've had since I was just a young pup. I have decided to pursue my SCCA Drivers License and do a little Road Racing. I'm pulled the trigger and blew all my throw away money on a Formula 500 Racecar
image2.jpg

The numbers are in, and it looks like the meet will be well attended. Registrations are right at 50 with 80 in the dining hall for the banquet, 58 going to Cass, and 8 dyno reservations. Hotel reservations are in the mid 50's. It's shaping up to be a very good meet. We'll miss those of you who couldn't make it.

Jim

Yes Rob....we did get an early start. RVing like old folks, going to other car shows ,  and making the rounds to see friends. Got rain blasted coming into (nice rv bug wash) MO. We started Sunday eve, stayed just across the border in Nevada. Got up at 2am, drove to Grand Junction Co, and stayed at KOA. Got up again at 2am, drove to very nice RV place here in Saint Louis MO.


IMG_20170531_111924.jpg

You stacked the cars in the trailer, Calvin?  ;)

That will be in the next trailer Carl 😀

Pulling tandem trailers, awesome!

Calvin, thats one sharp rig

Thanks PJ.

Owning our business has a vicious side to it. You need to keep buying stuff so you can write it off or Uncle Sam will take it. So that being said, this rig is a result of the vicious cycle.

Carl,

Brenda has already been eye balling the stacked tandem trailers. One more write off.

Ralph & I are heading out Monday.  Our plan is to meet up on I-20 at exit 595 (Longview TX where LeTourneau University is) at about 10am & follow the route below to get to the warm-up in Wytheville on Tuesday.  Anyone who wants to join up along the way is more than welcome.  PM me & we can coordinate.

BV8Route.jpg

Today is the cutoff date for our special rate at the Quality Inn, so if you have not reserved a room yet, do it now.

We have 58 tickets for Cass Scenic Railroad.  Anyone who did not purchase a ticket with our group may still go based on available space and pay the regular ticket price at the train station.  I think it is $37.
I

Any update to the May 22nd attendee list?

Steve Carrick was the last registrant, bringing us to 50 advance registrations. We expect there will be a few more at the meet itself.

We now have most of the materials in hand, including regalia, Cass tickets, name tags, route maps and goodie bags from Jegs. so it should run smoothly I think.

What we don't have is much in the way of items for the auction. A few, but it looks like the entertainment part might be kinda short this year. Feel free to bring items to add.

Jim

Someone usually donate a pretty cool hat for the auction don't they?

Mickey can bring an instrument & play for us.  :)

Too late.  Janet and I are already on the road - doing the Blue Ridge Pkwy. before the gathering, and the GT is pretty full.  In Asheville tonight, heading north in the morning.

Not so fast, Mickey.

What's your pleasure? Acoustic or electric?

Acoustic - 6 string, 12 string, or Johnson  Tri-Cone Bell Brass Resonator Guitar?

Electric - Gibson Les Paul, Fender Stratocaster,  Fender Tele Jr, or choice of 3 Paul Reed Smith guitars?

Amps - Marshall, Fender, or Line 6?

HA!  With all that hardware, YOU'RE the one who should be entertaining!

We're in Sparta NC; waking up and getting ready to hit the road.  Gonna see the Blue Ridge Music Center, then on to Roanoke to visit a seminary buddy.  GT's been doing well overall.  Smelled some oil yesterday, but level hasn't dropped - weird.

I don't do public performances.  No repertoire. :)

" Gonna see the Blue Ridge Music Center"

Great time to purchase a new gitfiddle!

"Great time to purchase a new gitfiddle!"

Not at THEIR prices!

Just bought a new banjo - new to me, anyway.  More than I need/deserve, but couldn't pass it up.  One of these:

http://www.wildwoodbanjos.com/traditional_banjos/trobador/

Banjo poor now.  Need to sell something!

So... is Carl bringing something to Lewisburg for Mickey to play?

If he does, I'll be happy to play if someone else plays as well.  Not much of a soloist.

I could bring my dobro, but unless we can get one or two more players to join us I'm not sure it'll work out all that well. Indy was a musical success but unfortunately a couple of fine musicians who joined up there aren't expected to be with us in Lewisburg. Carl, I know you could do it. If we only had you and one more player...

Jim

I can bring a guitar if Mickey would like.  Don't think I can get two guitars in my B.

aeHeaded out 6am.  About to connect with Ralph in Longview.  I love my BF Goodrich g-Force Rival's in the dry and haven't had any issues around town, but I had a pucker factor going on US-59 @ about 70mph with an 18 wheeler behind me.  All I could do was let off the gas.  Be care out there!
20170605_063955-1024x576.jpg

I added names of spouses that I thought were attending, as well.  Some of you may want to print this for reference.  ;)

Registration List  

Dan Blackwood
Jim & Edith & Matthew Blackwood
Curtis Jacobson
Kelly & Sandy Stevenson
Daniel Craig
Robert & Dreama Milks
Ralph Ratta
Richard Peterson
PJ Lenihan & Brenda Penney
Merv & Marilyn Hagen
Bill Heath
Ken Nicks
Ted & Judy Lathrop
Mickey & Janet Richaud
Dale Knapke
Scott Costanzo
Calvin & Brenda Grannis
Charles & Perky Long
Phil & Mary McConnell
Paul & Mary Schils
Mike & Kay Maloney
Alan Moor
Artie Clark
Steve & Margaret DeGroat
Graham Creswick
Richard & Lorna Moor
Mike Moor
Lawrence Cassler
Jim Miller
Ed & Denise Peppard
Rick & Jean Ingram
Ken Hiebert & Katie Ermakovich
Bill Yobi
Roger Haber
Tom Clark
Paul Overbeck
Max Fulton
Carl Floyd
Pete Smith
Mike & Janice Alexander
Glen Gimbel
Dana Nicholson
Rob Ficalora
Daryl Siefert
Gary Kinney
Mack Hils
James Harbold
Frank Mancuso
Ric Gregory
Steve & Marcia Carrick

We are here at Quality Inn Lewisburg Wv. It has been raining. West Virginia has been a pretty wet drive, but has been said to clear up for the rest of the week. Looking good!!!



IMG_20170605_130113.jpg


Driving 6 to warm up tomorrow noon. Safe travels everyone!!!

A bit ahead of schedule?

Always on the now program, but it will be a sleep day 😉

Welcome! See you Wednesday

I have a question for Jim or Dan Blackwood. I was wondering where you were going to setup for our cars in the parking lot? Would it be in the back or front parking lot? The hotel lady said probably in the front lot. The back dead end lot looks like it won't be big enough for our group.

Calvin

That would be correct Calvin, on all counts. The car wash area is back by the pool. Welcome room will be in the corner to the left in that picture.

Jim

Ok, there will be a Midwest contingent, Artie Clark, Mike and Al Moor, and Jim Miller,  meeting at my house near Columbus, OH tomorrow around noon. (Artie isn't from the Midwest but we'll give him an honorary membership 😊 ) We will be going down US 23 to US 35 to I-64 in WVA. If anyone else is nearby and wants to join us at my house or along the way, send me a PM and I'll give you my address and phone number. It should be a lot of fun!

On a related note, the neighborhood in my garage is improving. There's a 68 and 78 in it right now!

20170606_092652-1008x756.jpg

And both are V8s!  :)

FYI, they are doing some targeted enforcement on I-64 between Huntington and Charleston during the month of June.  Also, always be wary on the WV Turnpike if you take that route.  Drive with traffic and you should be fine.

Registration List

Mike & Janice Alexander
Dan Blackwood
Jim & Edith & Matthew Blackwood
Steve & Marcia Carrick
Lawrence & Casey Cassler
Artie Clark
Tom Clark
Scott Costanzo
Daniel Craig
Graham Creswick
Steve & Margaret DeGroat
Rob Ficalora
Carl Floyd
Max Fulton
Glen Gimbel
Calvin & Brenda Grannis
Ric Gregory
Roger Haber
Merv & Marilyn Hagen
James Harbold
Bill Heath
Ken Hiebert & Katie Ermakovich
Mack Hils
Rick & Jean Ingram
Curtis Jacobson
Gary Kinney
Dale Knapke
Ted & Judy Lathrop
PJ Lenihan & Brenda Penney
Charles & Perky Long
Phil & Mary McConnell
Mike & Kay Maloney
Frank Mancuso
Robert & Dreama Milks
Jim Miller
Alan Moor
Mike Moor
Richard & Lorna Moor
Dana Nicholson
Ken Nicks
Paul Overbeck
Ed & Denise Peppard
Richard "PJ" Peterson
Ralph Ratta
Mickey & Janet Richaud
Paul & Mary Schils
Daryl Siefert
Pete Smith
Kelly & Sandy Stevenson
Bill Yobi

QuoteFYI, they are doing some targeted enforcement on I-64 between Huntington and Charleston during the month of June. Also, always be wary on the WV Turnpike if you take that route. Drive with traffic and you should be fine.

Thanks Dan!

See you tomorrow afternoon!

Scott

Ran into a few on the way down to Wytheville. Keep eyes open for them. Roger Haber drove with us. 219 was a beautiful drive.

Wytheville Group, dinnerroundupat 6:15 in hotel lobby. See warm up thread.

what time are you guys departing the hotel in Wytheville on Wed. morning?

Brenda and I will be passing through on Wed morning coming from Winston-Salem.

We will be in a white Toyota Prius,   Hope to see you along the road.... .... .... what route???

OK keep on laughing..

The "Killer Explorer" is packed....Jean is doing some last-minute baking....we'll be out of here about 0700 CDT Wednesday....

Our ETA will be about 4:30pm to 5:00pm EDT....barring any traffic problems.

PJ - plan is to head out about 10:30 if I heard right.  Not sure of the route, but will let you know in the morning.

Scott et. al. Kay and I are planning to leave @ noon, taking route 35 from Dayton to WV....then I64 east. I think we can meet up with your contingent hopefully around route 23 and route 35...will be in contact...

We should get away around 10  - 10:30 after breakfast .

Renewed old friendships and made new ones.  Great turnout.  Several new people and  cars . Perhaps others will post additional info and pics.

Cass Scenic Railway today.  Nice ride, and the drive up there was great!
cassrail.jpg

Back home, and Janet and I are toasting Jim and Dan with a gin and tonic for a job well done.  The meet was first rate, drives were fun, and as always, great to see everyone.

After only squeezing out 20 mpg on those ~spirited~ drives this week, the GT did 29 mpg on interstate, driving between 60 and 75, partly with A/C and partly without.  Pleased with that!

Thanks again, Jim and Dan, and looking forward to seeing all here in October.

Mickey & Janet

Dan and Jim.  Thanks for hosting a great event.  I enjoyed it very much.  I am ready to turn around and do it again.


I received several questions on my 3rd brake light flasher.  Here is the company, 3rdbrakeflasher.com.  Looks like they also sell on Amazon.  
http://www.3rdbrakeflasher.com/brake-light-flasher-c-65/

The light itself was purchased off eBay.  A search on ebay or Amazon for "universal 3rd brake light led" will provide several options.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/12V-Car-SUV-Rear-3rd-Break-Light-24-LED-Tail-Stop-Lamp-Van-High-Level-Brake-Lamp-/382119793228?hash=item58f81d524c:g:htAAAOSwHPlWe6Wg&vxp=mtr

Great info Jim!

Ralph and I made it to Little Rock Arkansas today.  We each have about 6 - 7 hours more tomorrow.  Hope everyone else made it home safely or is at least safe for the evening!

Here are the few pics I took...
20170607_074801-800x450.jpg
20170607_074832-800x450.jpg
20170607_074839-800x450.jpg
20170607_074815-800x450.jpg

Thanks to Dan and Jim for their efforts...what a great meet...and got to eat at Food and Friends three times...worth the trip itself..
Kay and I made it home this afternoon but not without some trauma....my fuel pump did it's obligatory tri-annual crap out while still in WV about 150 miles from Lewisburg...Guess I really did deserve it since I had promised to install a redundant system after my 2014 Colorado debacle...thanks to Mike Moor, Scott Costanza, and Steve for their mechanical assistance, would not have made it home without them...will post a picture tomorrow showing the clever way the issue was resolved without spending hours under the battery box/fuel thank area where the pump resides....
PS...also kudos to Marsha and Kay for their moral support and ice water!

I had a fuel pump go out in about that same area coming home from Mid-Ohio in the TR4A about 15 years ago.  Mothman probably....

Mary and I made it to to Slippery Rock Pennsylvania  (just north of Pittsburg) without a single problem. The car ran great, thanks to Merv Hagen's extra ignition coil. I installed it before we left the motel.
Thanks to Dan and Jim  for a Great event. It was great seeing everyone again and hopefully we can continue this experience for years to come. We hope everyone has a safe trip home .

Paul and Mary

We arrived back home around 5 PM CDT after a day's travel. Beautiful county, but glad to get home.   Posted some additional thoughts and on the "kudos" thread.  Add your thoughts also, please.    Hope I did not disappoint anyone with brief "Styling" episode.

Dan...when we passed Point Pleasant, actually just a short distance from the fp failure..I tried to call Richard Gere to ask for advice....no luck though! Chuckle...

Ralph and I got home yesterday afternoon.  Ralph around 4 and me around 5.  I clocked 3053 miles.  Less than some, I know!  Both cars did great... although we did have to jump mine Monday morning after I left my ignition and fuel pump (recirculates) on over night.

Jean and I got home about 4:30pm CDT on Sunday.

No major road problems....a 5 minute backup in Charleston when we cam up behind a one-vehicle accident on the bridge that blocked a lane.....and a semi on one of the two-lane sections of 35 that decided he could not drive any faster than 40mph...and would not pull over.

We had a great time each and every day....and look forward to BritishV8 2018!

today Dick Lunney and I rendezvous in Charlotte, NC , pick up the borrowed trailer, load one RB MGB and prepare to depart for Savannah, GA.
For a year we have been planning the MG 2017 coast to coast Adventure and the time has come to commence.

Back in Wisconsin. Had to cut Vacation short because of medical issue. Everything "fine" now. Car ran Great after installing Merv"s coil, put on 2600 miles, temp never went over 195,even stopped in traffic in Chicago in 90 degree temps. Had a great time, good to be home.

Thanks to Jim and Dan for a well planned gathering.

Perky and I sure enjoyed getting to see past and new traverlers in there personally prepared British Cars.

Perk and I made it home Sunday evening after a stop over at the GC for an afternoon meal.

No dirt roads on the way home.

Perk and charles

Brenda and I made it back home Saturday the 17th around 11:30 am safe and sound. We ended up doing about the same miles as the Indy meet in 2015. The miles were around 5800. We spent a couple of days in Tennessee and then headed to Nellis AFB to meet our son. On the way through Texas just before Amarillo, we went in between some storm cells. On the outside of this dark black storm cell it was 91 degrees, all within about 1/8th mile the temp went down to 70 degrees and started raining pretty hard. We just made it before large hail could have dropped from what the warning said on our phones.

So it was good to make it around the storm.

Jim and Dan Blackwood had a very good and organized meet this year. Brenda and I had a great time. I would jump in the rig and do it all over again to see our British V8 6 4 family!!!!.

Meet some new friends and got closer to some of our group! As some have said, it will always keep us come back.

West Virginia, Virginia has some coolest roads I have ever seen. Had great fun on these roads with the Blackwood brothers (grin) !!

I will find some time to post some photos soon.

QuoteI would jump in the rig and do it all over again to see our British V8 6 4 family!!!!.

Always good to see the folks from the left coast. Unless you get a trailer built for two, I'm guessing that Brenda's GT will be showing up at the next meet.

Yep.  Brenda's turn.   ;)