Payne Road Trip

Surf's up in South Dakota, June 29-30

2007-07-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

We head straight west out of Monona, Iowa and a brief 400 miles later we are thinking, "sailing would be fun".

Oh ye of little faith. You say South Dakota and water sports don't go together. While South Dakota may not be known for great water sports, it has a fabulous large reservoir near Pickstown on the Missouri River. The Fort Randall Dam and Lake Francis Case are a sight to behold, over two miles wide and forty miles long. We also have a connection there. My college roommate of 40 plus years ago has a beautiful 32 foot sloop docked at the aforementioned reservoir. Old friends, a stiff wind and plenty of grog and we're off for the final weekend of our trip. Bill (Pig Willy) and Joyce spend most summer weekends on the lake after traveling three hours from their home and farm in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Bill, a purveyor of pork, learned his sailing techniques on Long Island Sound as a lad. Joyce has also learned well and the master and mate titles are interchangeable in that household.

The 'ol Cobra got a days rest as we explored the length and breath of the lake on the good ship "Hog Tide". We met many friends of our hosts and, naturally partook in too much good food and drink. This was a perfect finish to our month long odessy.

Sunday we arrived home in Castle Rock, Colorado where we started on June 3rd. We have traveled 6180 miles, used 300(299.3) gallons of gas, and averaged 20.6 miles per gallon. We estimate we have scraped 6 pounds of bugs from the car. We were rained on only once while driving for about 15 minutes. Our only repair was the welding of a crack in the exhaust system ($35.00). Are we ready to go again? Check back next year.

Thanks for following us on this blog. May all your journeys be as much fun as this one was for us. This is a beautiful country to see, with the top down.

Best regards,

Bob & Peg

Boy, da corn is everywhere. June 27

2007-07-03T13:22:00.005-07:00

We are headed west to Iowa. Agriculture is the predominant feature of the countryside. After struggling for several years of the last decade, the farmers have finally won one. It would appear that every square inch of the midwest is planted in corn, and the price is twice what it was last year. The methanol plants, the live stock farmers and the food producers are all buying as much as they can get. That's a long political discussion that my wife has instructed me not to get into. Whatever turns your crank.

We crossed over the Mississippi River at Praire du Chien, Wisconsin and stopped at the "Pikes Peak State Park". It would seem that old Zebulin Pike spent some time here on his way to Colorado. Not much of a peak by Colorado standards, but a great view of the upper Mississippi River, from a bluff several hundred feet above.

We continued on to Monona, Iowa, a small town where Peg's aunt and uncle, Lynn and Jack hosted us for the night. Good conversation, great food and a wonderful bed. What else could we ask for.

Tomorrow it's South Dakota and water sports. Sound strange?

The ferry to Cheeseland, June 27

2007-07-03T12:25:00.000-07:00

Bright and early, we boarded the 410 foot "Badger". It is the last coal fired, steam powered commercial vessel operating in the U.S. It took a bit under four hours to traverse the 60 miles across Lake Michigan to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. After landing and getting our bearings, we headed south along the edge of Lake Michigan, through Sheboygan, the bratwurst capital of the world, and on to the Milwaukee area, where, yours truly spent about 14 of his formative years prior to the time when I left for college in Colorado.

We drove around the Village of Elm Grove, where I lived, and I managed to remember an incredible number of names of former friends and neighbors, to the resounding yawns of my wife.

We spent the evening with old friends John and Gail, he being a dyed in the wool Ford flathead V-8 maniac. Everybody should have two garages full of '36 & '37 Fords in pristine condition. Gail is a master gardener and the yard is a thing of pure beauty. Needless to say, we had a great time.

Tomorrow we continue to head west across Wisconsin and into that zany madcap land called Iowa.

Detroit on a hot day.

2007-06-26T18:38:00.000-07:00

We drove along Lake Erie, then north along Lake St. Clair toward Detroit. Along the way we passed one of the rarely seen, railroad nuclear reactors. The logo on the side was a dead give away. Peg gets the credit for catching this one while we were at highway speed.

We decided to check in with young Bill Ford, so we made a detour through Gross Pointe, but he was otherwise occupied, updating his resume. Nice neighborhood though.

We stayed with Cobra friends Bill and Karen, who attended our Colorado Cobra Cruise last summer, (see, we're all a little crazy with these cars). Unfortunately, other commitments prevent them from attending this years event in Colorado, but we are hopeful for 2008.

We had another very enjoyable dinner and evening of conversation about family and Cobras, well into the night. They are also on the short list for most comfortable bed competition.

Tomorrow it is off to the west coast. That is of course, the west coast of Michigan. Our sights are set on scenic Ludington, where we will catch the ferry to Cheeseland or Wisconsin as it is also known.

Yes, Cleveland Rocks

2007-06-26T17:41:00.000-07:00

We traveled from Rochester, New York west and crossed the northwest corner of Pennsylvania, into Ohio. A very pleasant drive along the shore of Lake Erie, where we saw the lake through the haze. Cleveland is a real renaissance city. It makes you feel really good to see a city reinvent itself and emerge as a beautiful, cultured and diverse place. It is also the home of the Rock'n Roll Hall of Fame, which is a real shrine for folks my age. It is not to be missed. We, however, actually missed it this trip, but have visited it the last time we were here. Fabulous, simply fabulous.

We stayed with our long time friends Patti and Herb, and well, did our normal "too much great food and drink thing". We were able to catch up about families and careers that have continued to progress, since our last chance to get together. They are just beginning to enter the empty nest phase as both of their children are college students. Been there, done that. The quiet can be deafening.

We head to the Motor City next. Tomorrow it's off to see friends and fellow Cobra owners in suburban Detroit.

Wednesday June 20th - Rochester, NY

2007-06-26T17:01:00.000-07:00

Well, you all probably thought we drove off the end of this big flat world. Actually we have been masquerading as maintenance contractors at my son's new home in a suburb of Rochester. The town is called Chili, pronounced Chy-lie, and yes they have an annual Chili chili festival. I guess they couldn't pass that one up.

Our son is getting married in September to a wonderful gal and we had the chance to spend some quality time with them. We ate too much and drank too much and had a really great time.

On Sunday the 24th we head to Cleveland to see friends and to see if "Cleveland Rocks", as is purported by Drew Carey.

Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont roads can be lots of fun.

2007-06-22T14:09:00.000-07:00

After completing our small repair, we headed west for the first time in two weeks. We have set a course for our son Brian's home in Rochester, New York. This will take two days with an interim stop in Castleton, Vermont, close to Rutland. This small college town is only about 20 miles from the New York border.

The drive was slow by most standards, but was both beautiful and fun with the winding roads to test our attention. Probably the most fun I've had under 50 MPH, in recent memory. We arrived in the late afternoon just as the skies became overcast and the humidity jumped well into 3 digits. Boy can it get humid in those parts. We unpacked the car and decided to put up the top in case of evening rain. Just as we finished the skies opened up with a real frog strangler which continued most of the night.

This B&B, built in 1790, was another remarkable restoration. The accommodations were superb and we will recommend it to our son as a stop on their honeymoon trip to Maine in September.

The morning brought overcast skies, cooler temperatures and a suggestion from "trusted co-pilot" that leaving the top on could be more comfortable than not. I agreed and we headed into the Empire State.

Off to the Maine coast

2007-06-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

We left Cape Cod feeling relaxed and headed to Freeport, Maine, the L.L. Bean mother lode. Here is a tiny town with a massive corporate campus and the flagship store for this catalogue retailer, that is open 24/7. Upon arrival, we heard a small exhaust leak emanating from under the hood. As it turns out we cracked an exhaust pipe where it enters one of the catalytic converters. Our B&B host for the evening, a former Navy fighter pilot, mobilized the locals and we had it welded the next morning before our departure. Small towns rock! We did manage to visit the L.L. Bean store and had a great dinner in a 1770's inn, so no major loss on the enjoyment front.

We will head inland next on our trek, and experience yet another scenic drive across Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Cape Cod, the vacation segment

2007-06-17T19:03:00.000-07:00

Now that the pressure of making it to the Open House is over, we are kicking back and relaxing. We have toured the Cape from one end to the other and even took a boat ride past the Kennedy compound to wave at Ted. Didn't see him wave back, but that's ok. The food here is wonderful. Peg keeps telling me to leave some for the other visitors, and that's a pretty good idea. We also visited several museums, beaches, marinas and have gotten lost on occasion. The weather could not be better and the car continues to run great.

Factory Five Racing Open House

2007-06-17T18:06:00.000-07:00

This is why we came 2970 miles. Free hot dogs. And of course about 200 other Cobra people from the New England area and a few crazies, like us, from other places a long drive away. We did get an honorable mention in the "long distance drive category", which was very nice. Chris & Donna Mann from Corvallis, Oregon, yes, you heard correctly, drove almost 4000 miles and won top honors. There were lots of neat cars and neater people. It was a great experience and a lot of fun to meet some of the folks that we have talked to over the years, but never seen. To finally put a name and face together led to a lot of high fives and back slapping.

It was a great open house and we are very glad we made the trip. Dave Smith (President of Factory Five) is a very genuine guy and it is evident why this company is so successful. He really sounds like a fun person to be around. I'm happy to have been able to meet him.

Tomorrow a day to kick back on Cape Cod.

We've made it to Cape Cod!

2007-06-15T18:32:00.002-07:00

We left Connecticut under bright blue skies and with the top neatly folded in the trunk. The road today was one of our few encounters with the Interstate Highway System. It was still a very pleasant and scenic drive through Providence, Rhode Island and the ever scenic Wareham Industrial Park where we stopped by Factory Five Racing to check in for the Open House tomorrow. Only 2970 miles for 4 hours of free hot dogs and soft drinks. Sounds like a good deal from where I'm standing. Seeing the whole crew at FFR is the reason we came, really.

We then headed over to our accommodations in the Town of Sandwich on the Cape. Another great B&B, this one built in 1818. Beautifully restored and furnished, we will base our activities for the next three days from here.

Connecticut, derived from the Greek, meaning "land of bad streets".

2007-06-15T17:20:00.000-07:00

We left the Pottstownians for the Poconoians, (this is getting really silly). This was the first day of driving with the top on the car. It was overcast, cool, with a little drizzle from time to time. We were dry and comfortable and only in New Jersey for about 8 miles. We headed north through the Poconos, east to West Point, and then south next to the Hudson (River not Hornet).

Our final destination is Westport, Connecticut, where our daughter is happily employed, socially active and totally self-sufficient. We were spending two nights, chocked full of visits with friends, food and merriment on many levels.

For all the other Cobra owners, we did spend some time on the Merritt Parkway, which is like Watkins Glen with more trees that are much closer to the road. Exciting in a death defying kind of way. The surface streets in Connecticut are possibly the roughest paved roads in the western hemisphere. If you could pave a cow pasture without smoothing it out first, well, you get the picture.

Tomorrow Cape Cod, or we aren't going any further east cause the car don't float so good.

Au revoir Delawarians, Hello Pottstownarians

2007-06-14T12:44:00.000-07:00

We're off again. This time we leave the Delaware coast, parking ticket in hand (thank you Rehoboth Beach and your invisible parking meters), and head north past the nuclear power plant funnel of Salem, New Jersey, where we had the ceremonial "placing of hands in the super heated water". We have our sights on the nuclear power plant funnels of Limerick, Pennsylvania. That's were "the old pirate name Bates", etc., etc. must have originated. More scenic back roads and some heavier traffic this time. We hit some serious congestion, but fortunately we, (my idea), were able to duck into a Hooters restaurant, for the air conditioning. That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

We arrived at John and Jamie Heine's home before they were home from work and just before the sky opened up. We put up the top, stacked our stuff on the covered front porch and checked our email, while it rained like crazy four feet away. We had a chance to get caught up on the past year with our hosts over great Mexican food and a couple of pitchers of margaritas. Good times. We are nominating their guest room bed for "most comfortable in Pennsylvania" and it will be a run away winner.

Tomorrow its off to see our daughter in Connecticut.

Delaware, Delaware, Delaware

2007-06-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

With the expert advice of Jamie Willams, we negotiated the D.C. inner beltway and the Chesapeake Bay bridge with narry a scratch or delay.

We left Maryland for fair Delaware and we found our next adventure at the Georgetown, Delaware Airport where we were invited by old friend Garrett Dernoga to take a ride in his flying machine. What a trip! We flew back to Maryland to lunch on crab cakes and tea.

On our return trip we stopped by the Dernoga home, (grass landing strip and all) to meet his wife Elaine and make plans for dinner. Then a short spin over Rehoboth Beach to check out the beach and the restaurant for dinner, and finally back to the Georgetown airport with PAYNE AT THE CONTROLS. No injuries or property damage reported. What a great afternoon and evening with the Dernogas.

Hot Springs, Virginia to Leesburg, Virginia

2007-06-11T19:07:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, the trans Virginia drive. The most beautiful drive to date. After a morning walk in the Virginia woods to view the numerous and beautiful waterfalls, we adjourned to the Homestead Resort (Google Homestead Resort) with our hosts, the Wilson's, for a breakfast buffet par excellence. We were joined by NBC's Willard Scott (well not exactly, but he was in the room), and I watched to make sure he ate some Smuckers jam, (his sponsor). Charlie Wilson gave us some additional pointers for an in-route course adjustment and we left for the Blue Ridge Parkway. Thank you Charlie! Each day we are convinced the scenery can't get any better, but it always does.

We arrived that afternoon at Jamie Williams' farm outside Leesburg and were treated to a tour of this unique property overlooking and bordering on the Potomac River. What a great place to get away from the pressure cooker of the D.C. area .

From Kentucky to Virginia

2007-06-09T19:31:00.000-07:00

Before we left Kentucky, we made a short visit to the "Payne Cemetary" in Augusta. We don't think we're related to these folks, but we are going to check it out.

We then headed across the Ohio River via a 6-car ferry to the Ohio side. We followed the river for about 100 miles to Huntington, West Virginia and then through the West Virginia mountains. The drive was spectactular in terms of the scenery and the winding (Cobra friendly) roads. The temperature has been adjusted down slightly which made the day close to perfect.

Our destination today was the home of Charlie and Becky Wilson in Hot Springs, Virginia. After a delightful dinner at a local eatery, we caught the last couple of performers at a local Jazz & Blues festival. We are spending the night in the Wilson's home across the road from the famous Homestead Resort. Their home, built in 1925 by the owner of the Homestead, has been meticulously restored over the past three years to reflect the very unique and special place that it holds in the history of the community.

Leaving Cadiz heading for Augusta Kentucky

2007-06-08T19:38:00.000-07:00

We leave Cadiz and head across Kentucky on the Scenic Byway. This is a pretty good two lane road that winds through the rural countryside. An excellent drive in the Cobra. We always slow down for the many small towns we go through, out of respect for the residents' peace and quiet. Temperatures continue to rise and are expected to be in the 90's with proportionally high humidity. Wet towels and sun screen will save the day.

Spending some time in an old Kentucky home

2007-06-08T19:00:00.000-07:00

We have landed at the spectacular 1856 home of our good friend Jen Hedgecock in Augusta, Kentucky, situated on the banks of the Ohio River. We are located in the horse country of northeastern Kentucky. Today we paid our respects to Secretariat at his final resting place at Claiborne Farms. We also visited Woodford Reserve Distillery, producer of the offical Kentucky Derby Select sipping Bourbon. The tour was inspiring and ended with a traditional sampling of the goods. Wow. It has been a really fun day and Jen has been a delightful hostess. We are off in the morning for Virginia after taking the 2 car ferry across the river. This a beautiful part of the country and is on our list of places to visit again.

Day 4 Missouri into Kentucky

2007-06-08T16:48:00.000-07:00

We are in Cadiz, Kentucky on Lake Barkley. We are at a spectacular B&B, having just had a great dinner and watched a beautiful sunset. Internet access out here in the woods is limited so this will go out on the 7th.
Revisiting the Missouri naming towns thing. We did stumble on to an exception to the otherwise stellar job this State has done. We saw a sign that indicated 11 miles to “Halfway, Missouri”. Does that mean that after 11 miles you will be halfway there or what. I think Abbott & Costello have been in these parts. Does the Halfway elementary school only go to third grade? What about the Halfway bank. Do they only pay half the interest on half the deposits? The mind boggles. Never let it be said that driving is boring.

The drive has been good so far with no rain other than the brief shower the first day. The temperatures today were in the low 90’s so wet towels around the neck and lots of sun screen were the order of the day. Tomorrow it is on to Augusta, Kentucky and the Rosemary Clooney Museum, really. We look forward to seeing our good friend, Jen, and her funeral home of significant reputation. We just hope she is thinking outside the box, for our visit.

Day 3; On to Missouri

2007-06-07T20:03:00.000-07:00

We left Moran, Kansas headed to our next destination, Eminence, Missouri. We crossed the border after driving through Fort Scott, Kansas, where we toured the restored and reconstructed Army post from the 1860’s that served a significant role in the opening of the West. Interesting.

The topography of Missouri is a combination of rolling green hills and dense green deciduous forest. It’s tough to get much of a panorama as you are usually surrounded by vegetation. The farms are many and smaller than we have seen to this point. Lots of curious goats, everywhere. The road kill has changed from rabbits and the occasional deer to lots of possum, raccoon, and the occasional box turtle. That’s probably more than you wanted to know.

The folks in Missouri can really name towns that sound like towns, not names that sound like your long lost great aunt. Names like Stockton, Buffalo and Salem really work for me. We also passed some real traditional eateries like the Lizard Lips Bar and Grill, which we unfortunately, were not able to eat at due to a scheduling conflict.

Well, here we go to Eminence. Do you suppose this might be the summer retreat for the Pope? Probably not.

Kansas is almost behind us

2007-06-04T17:22:00.000-07:00

We are 30 miles from the Missouri border in Moran, Kansas. I know we should all be thankful for the bread basket of the country and all that, but we went past some of the numerous cattle feed lots, in the open car, and I can safely say it would gag a maggot. I can only think that the folks that live near these things must have had their sense of smell shot off in the war.

Kansas has been, well, interesting. It varies between flat and very flat with incredibliy green fields, with lots of cattle. Some on a green back ground,(grass), and some on a brown background,(see paragraph above). The rest is all corn or wheat. That's it. If there's a little land that's not suitable for cattle or crops, they put small groups of people there and name these places after Eastern European relatives and call them towns. Interesting concept. My co-pilot and tour director(Peg), managed to book us into yet another stellar B&B for which I am eternally greatful.

Tomorrow we enter Missouri, or as some would call it Missoura. We are leaving Kansas on our own. No, we haven't been asked to leave.

The car continues to operate flawlessly within it's full operating range, Mike. It continues to get 24+ MPG even with the luggage rack piled rather high and the supercharger scaring wildlife along the route. We have managed to collect several pounds of windshield salad, so fear not, there will plenty to go around at the 4th of July Mile Hi Cobra Club picnic.

Stay tuned.

Day 1-- Castle Rock, CO to Lakin, Kansas

2007-06-03T15:38:00.000-07:00

Well, today we prevailed. We navigated through 7000 bicyclists who were headed east on a ride that began in Castle Rock, so the first 7 miles were a little slow. Once we got around them it was smooth sailing. We did have some highlights today including encountering a cattle drive in eastern Colorado, and the very large airborne bugs in Kansas that hit the windshield in an explosion that looks much like a raw egg. Near the end of the day we met a Kansas thunder storm with rain drops of the very large variety. It did do a pretty remarkable job of cleaning up the car.

We are staying at a delightful bed and breakfast in Lakin, Kansas, run by Chuch and Dianne Jaeger. If you're ever in Lakin, Kansas, well you know where I'm going.

We press on eastward in the morning. We're looking at another full day in Kansas, and will end the day very close to Missouri.

"Well, here we go, where no one with average intelligence has gone before."

2007-05-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

This blog is to document Bob & Peggy Payne's road trip from Castle Rock, Colorado (20 minutes South of Denver), to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and back. The purpose of our trip is to attend the annual Factory Five Racing Open House in Wareham, Mass. on June 16th, 2007.

We are making the trip in a Factory Five Roadster, which is a replica of a 1966 Shelby Cobra, that we built ourselves in 2001 from components provided by Factory Five Racing. The folks at Factory Five and the five thousand or so other owners have become somewhat of an extended family. We have been encouraged to bring car # 2143 "home for a visit". Seems like a reasonable proposition, after all it's only about 2500 miles each way; in a car that you "put on" rather than get into, and that sounds like a DC-9 on final approach. This might really be fun. We've got some ear plugs. It probably won't rain. Gas prices are poised to go down any second. Do we sound like we are trying to convince ourselves of anything? Nah, this could be really good. Really. Come on.

Check back with us from time to time, as our launch date is June 3rd, and we may need you to call AAA for us.