Milford NJ June 13

[Al N.]

I'll be there to send you all off, I think. Anyone coming back to the area is welcome to come by Alexandria Township Park to eat/vote in the Chili Cook-off...all proceeds support local school district and it's people's choice so the more ringers I have, the better.

 

The event starts at 4:30, but I need to get into the approved Board of Health kitchen at noon...fortunately, it's in Milford, where the rendez point is.

 

See you tomorrow! Yes, I'll bring stickers and such.

 

---

 

FYI, I got Alan & Kathy's info from Bill T. in F-town and sent them the deets and a link to this thread.

Edited June 12, 2009 by Al Navarro
More info...

[BruceBowker]

We are back and dry from the actual drive. Not sure how everyone made it back home though???!!!

 

I met a great bunch of people and have been wanting to do a drive like this for a long time. Had one the best times of my life.

 

Thanks everyone.

 

Bruce

[S1Steve]

Bruce,

You and your wife showed all of us a great time, I like the Ship Inn, the roads that we took were

some of the best I have been on. As for the ride home, I hit very hard rain and alot of flooding, glad I was driving the S1 with no doors or top. Again, Well done, let's do it again !!!!

Thanks to all that made the drive, Steve

[jvbtte]

Bruce,

Thanks for the great blat. The country side and roads were fantastic!

Your a lucky guy to have a wonderful wife who understands and accepts your minor car obsession LOL, which by the way, is quite a collection. I would really like to go for a ride in that mini someday, and the red jag really does need to have some run time. Im sure any of us would be willing to do this for you since you are not home much and we all know jags need to be run to maintain a good state of tune

 

It was really nice to have met all the other guys as well.

 

It started to rain pretty hard on the way home, so we just took the highway back.

 

Steve, your car sounds great and sorry you forgot to bring your coast guard approved vest for the ride home.

 

Al Navarro was there to support the group as usual. Sorry I didn't get to stop by and visit your chili cook off, it started to rain pretty hard.

 

Kyle and Box, I hope you get your cars on the road soon. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to call.

 

Mike, it was good to see you again. If it weren't for you, I would not have a 7.

[KStier]

I agree with all of the above. Thanks to Mike for the seat in his car and to Bruce for the route. The only thing missing was my car and a little better weather...I thought about you all while I was driving home in the Mini!

 

Thanks again.

[Croc]

I just want to echo everyone else with thanks to Bruce for putting this all together. I had a great time!

 

For those that did not make it some photo links to enjoy:

 

We started at Milford NJ, a sleepy little town on the Delaware river:

http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a354/mjohnson555/seats/Milford%20NJ%20run/?action=view&current=DSC05608.jpg

 

And proceeded to drive what I though Bruce described as "Tail of the Gecko" I could have misheard.....but it was fun!

 

Some pics from the drive:

http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a354/mjohnson555/seats/Milford%20NJ%20run/?action=view&current=DSC05611.jpg

 

During the drive we passed Bikie diner heaven on Rt 32 - there had to be at least 100 bikes at this diner - even a dealer would not have a forecourt so crowded. Plenty of waves from those guys - they get our "habit"!

 

http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a354/mjohnson555/seats/Milford%20NJ%20run/?action=view&current=DSC05610.jpg

 

This is Steve (and Boxologist) smiling just before my car decided to give him his cardio workout for the day - yes the brake lights decided to go to lunch early on the drive...oops! Sorry Steve.

http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a354/mjohnson555/seats/Milford%20NJ%20run/?action=view&current=DSC05609.jpg

 

Steve then caused alarm at the front by disappearing from the rear vision mirror. Was it mechanical problems? Was it electrical? Had his passenger puked? Noooo.....he saw a port-a-potty! Pit stop:

http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a354/mjohnson555/seats/Milford%20NJ%20run/?action=view&current=DSC05613.jpg

 

http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a354/mjohnson555/seats/Milford%20NJ%20run/?action=view&current=DSC05614.jpg

 

http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a354/mjohnson555/seats/Milford%20NJ%20run/?action=view&current=DSC05615.jpg

 

Post drive we ended up at Bruce's house to redecorate the driveway before then adjourning to the Ship Inn for some lunch, tall stories and lots of laughter:

http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a354/mjohnson555/seats/Milford%20NJ%20run/?action=view&current=DSC05617.jpg

 

http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a354/mjohnson555/seats/Milford%20NJ%20run/?action=view&current=DSC05620.jpg

 

Due to the threat of impending rain Jack and I did decide to use our hoods as a preventative measure - good idea since it bucketed down while we were in the Ship Inn having lunch

 

Following lunch we had a peek at Bruce's exquisite taste in motor vehicles - original Mini Cooper, Austin Heally in stunning Pacific Blue ("No its not an Aston Healy Jen":D), a gorgeous cream Jaguar E-type V12 convertible, and a concours condition red Jaguar E-type coupe.

 

At this point its time to leave and its still raining. Bruce was concerned about Steve's ability to swim while driving and had a brilliant solution:

http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a354/mjohnson555/seats/Milford%20NJ%20run/?action=view&current=DSC05623.jpg Other suitable captions are welcome for this pic

 

I decided to drive home (with hood up) by way of a lengthy detour. I retraced Rt 32 and 611 north to I-78 and headed west to bond with my inner red neck at Cabela's at Hamburg PA. Wrong move. The rain was torrential and I was leaking everywhere. I know I did not have the James Bond's Lotus Esprit submarine car but geez the water coming in from the top of the pedal box was like a rushing tap! I also discovered that while it is more fun to have 2 people in the car heavy breathing really only 1 person is needed to fog up the windows so you cannot see where you are going. Good news is the windscreen wipers worked well on the outside but the running water on the inside of the screen (yes hood was installed correctly - the rain was that bad!) meant that the wipers were about as useful as boobs on a bull. Still the car handled beautifully in the paddling pool that was I-78 - plenty of traction - better than I expected.

 

At Cabela's I had fun viewing the stuffed wildlife, checking out the fish tank and BBQ section, viewing the guns, and generally pretending to be a red neck Q:"So you say you can fit gun racks to any car? I have a Caterham will that work? A: "Wha type of hoity toity pick up is thart? Is it a furriner vehickle?"

 

For the drive back to NYC I took the hood off to drive au naturel. Well that lasted 20 mins before I ran into the back of the rain front that I passed through on the way to Cabela's. Hood back up, I then experienced the joy a submariner has on discovering his submarine has an open porthole! Has anyone installed a bilge pump in a Se7en? I actually wrung a boatload of water out of the carpets last night!

 

If anyone is interested I can email around the "rally book" of the driving route that we took.

 

Should we use our rain day on June 20 to do another drive - I had a lot of fun!!!

Edited June 14, 2009 by Croc

[jlbtrans1]

Ironic?? Some times the writing on the road can be taken to the extreme. JK We love ya Steve. Beside, your tag does say that your car is quick.

[S1Steve]

Hi,

I really enjoyed looking at the great photo's, that really was a fun time.

Dear Jen, I will find a much nicer place to pitstop next time, sorry !!

Mike you get the iron butt award.

Bruce, You don't know it yet, but WE are coming over to drive the Jag's, and the rest of the fleet. Please fill them up with gas before you leave for Bonaire.

Look foward to Box and Kyle leading the pack next time.

 

Your's truely, A dryed out Steve

[Boxologist]

Jack and Jen since they don't have pic of them on this trip yet

http://inlinethumb28.webshots.com/42651/2736088530099946657S600x600Q85.jpg

 

said pit stop

http://inlinethumb16.webshots.com/44239/2765199280099946657S600x600Q85.jpg

 

this one is nice

http://inlinethumb23.webshots.com/40726/2943525060099946657S600x600Q85.jpg

 

re-evaluate your selfimage!

http://inlinethumb17.webshots.com/17744/2253254280099946657S600x600Q85.jpg

[Boxologist]

Scenery

http://inlinethumb10.webshots.com/43657/2986788460099946657S600x600Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb06.webshots.com/36741/2024212020099946657S600x600Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb40.webshots.com/18279/2629742220099946657S600x600Q85.jpg

[jlbtrans1]

Box, thanks for photo recording the memory for Jack and I. That is a great shot, wish the camera wasnt in my face though

 

You got some great shots.

 

Im working on a little video, but who knows with my technological know how, when that will be done LOL

 

Thanks to all of you guys for a great day. Thank you Bruce and wife for being great hosts. I never laughed so much in my life. Thanks Al for the send off. Hope your chili was a hit.

 

Hope to do it again.

[Al N.]

Great to see everyone again (Bruce, it's been like what, at least 8 years). We have some nice roads up our way, no? I could host the next USA7s national at my house, if people are interested ;-P

 

For the record, we took home the top prize in the chili-cook off. With a very "dark horse" I might add: Chicken with roasted poblano and posole.

 

Bruce, if your water bottle is too leaky, I have a few spares at my office. Just shoot me an email. And thanks for organizing and becoming an official club member (you too, Kyle!).

[BruceBowker]

Al - congratulations on your win and glad to see you again after almost 9 years! Lets make it a bit less next time.

 

I was at the Hellertown show Sunday and met the owner of the green 7 with claim shells whose car picture appeared in one of these threads. I gave him this website and hopefully he and friends may join us next year with 3 more 7's.

 

Bruce