LOG 31 Las Vegas or Bust...

 Mr. C and I have just returned from a road trip.  I was without computer access the entire trip and I missed my blogging friends very much.  Here are some photos of the trip highlights.  We actually never went into Las Vegas as the conference was in Summerlin at the Red Rock Resort which was very nice.  LOG 31 stands for Lotus Owners Group and this is the 31st annual gathering.  This is the closest West Coast venue and that is why we attended.  Mr. C can now check this off his list.  :o)  The top photo is of his beloved Lotus.  I think it is the prettiest Lotus ever built.  Mr. C loves it for the technical supercar that it is.  He is an engineer and extremely hands on!  He has made improvements to this car that no one can believe he did so amazingly well and efficiently.

 Here we are all packed and ready for the +/-600 mile drive to LV.  As you can see I have tons of room.  My family and friends tease me that I have to wear lots of layers in order to have any change of clothes for the trip.  There really was plenty of room this time in the trunk for some clothes.  As for shoes I pack them carefully in the tiny side windows next to the engine which is right behind our heads. 

 I got a tickle out of this little sign one of the cars had displayed.  Cars and owners came from all over the United States and some people came from Europe but without their cars.  Lotus is British afterall.

An overview photo.  There were approximately 200 cars in attendance and that is a lot!  All colors and models and years.  It really was awesome to see so many in one place. 

 Mr. C looking very dapper and ready for the awards banquet. 

 This was the dessert and it was not only clever but very delicious.  My photo is blurry but the cheesecake on shortbread cookie with the glazed fruit complete with real gold on the tip of the strawberry was quite yummy.  I wanted to save the clever little white chocolate welcome sign but knew it wouldn't make the trip home so I ate it!

 This is us and another Lotus on our way home.  We stopped near Mammoth in the high country and the view was gorgeous.  The weather was crisp as we were over 8000 ft elevation here.  The Fall colors along Highway 395 were gorgeous.  We met this couple and ran in tandem to and from the conference.  Very charming husband and wife that I feel certain we will see again and again as we truly enjoyed their company.  For me that was the best part of this trip...meeting some wonderful people and exchanging contact info so we can stay in touch.  We really did have fun and lots of great stories and laughter were shared.

An overnight stay in Bridgeport before completing the trip home.  We always stay and eat at the Bridgeport Inn as it is charming and historic.  As you can see the car is covered in ice and this was later in the morning about 9 AM.  Brrrrrr...  I had flip flops on and told Mr. C that if he found any toes please gather them so they could be reattached.  LOL  It was COLD!!!  Thank goodness the car has a great heater and warmed us up.  On to Reno and them home.  It is always so good to get home after being gone.
Now for completing my household and pet chores, errands, grocery shopping, bill paying and what nots. I am looking forward to catching up on emails and blogging.  I hated missing so many days being offline.  Addicted?  Yes and proud of it.  Where else can you be part of such a wonderful community of caring and cleverly talented people? 
I do hear my studio calling me however it will have to wait...if I go in there I may never come out and take care of my responsibilities...hmmm...
Our Fall weather is just right and the colors are spectacular.  It is time for Mr. C and I to take our annual tour around town and just enjoy it all.  Maybe in the next few days.

Road Trip Continues...

Our destination was Scottsdale Arizona for the Barrett Jackson Auto Auctions. This is the mecca of collector cars. About 200 acres filled with giant white tents and hundreds of amazing cars and other collectible items. Mr. C had this as one of his top ten bucket list items so we had to see it in person. We have watched it on TV however you can multiply that by 100 and still not get the true dynamics until you experience it in person. Overload would be quite an understatement!

Just on Saturday over 160,000 people attended. This gorgeous 1956 De Soto convertible auctioned off at $340,000 plus commission fees of 10% paid by the buyer. Who would have thought an orphaned De Soto would bring such money?!! It was so beautiful in person and every detail was perfect.

Silly me thought I wanted a Smart Car when I was traveling in Europe and saw them everywhere. Now that I have sat in one I cannot imagine driving 70 mph on the freeway in traffic with merely my a$$ being the bumper. Yes it has heated seats because the engine is directly behind your seat so you could also bake dinner on your way home from the market. :o) Too cute but not for me.

I did take a side trip to do some shopping. No photos of this so as not to incriminate myself. I visited a bead store in Scottsdale. This is a beautiful store with fabulous finds. However for me it was super intimidating. I have never gone in a bead store where you must put your purse in a locker and then you have an attendant hovering over you every minute. Who can relax and shop in that environment. Needless to say I bought very little especially after I saw the prices! One short strand of copper curved caps was $175. Ouch!

Let's continue our drive up to Sedona Arizona. This is the sacred place of red rocks and lots of lore. It is truly beautiful. Mr. C and I used to stay in Sedona several times a year until we moved north. We had not been back in about 14 years and lots had changed. Growth, commercialism and generally a sad depleted economy has taken its toll. Oh the beauty is still here however the ambiance has changed.

We managed to visit our old haunts, galleries, restraurants and the scenic rocks. The photo below is the famous Eagle rock which presides over the chapel built in the hills.

This entire area is said to be very sacred.

Enough road trip for now.

How many of you have ever been to either Barrett Jackson or to Sedona? Each is unique and well worth the trip if you like the venues.

Now I am off to the studio to finish some Valentines which must get into the mail today. I am only sending to family this time since I was gone so much.

Happy Hearts to all...

Clara's Big Day Out...

Let me introduce you to Clara. She is a 1969 Rambler American and that is the last year built. Isn't she beautiful? Well to me she certainly is! Clara is a true survivor. You are viewing a complete original vehicle. She only now has almost 38,000 miles on her. We purchased her with only 27,000 original miles. Mr. C drives her all over the place. Yesterday Clara had her big day out as she took us to the National Rambler Meet in Sacramento, California.

We arrived early and Barcelona Rose is the first Rambler Clara met. 1965 Rambler 990 and her owner Tracey was very sweet and friendly (and young).

This is the row that Clara was part of as it was mostly Americans of similar vintage. Being in the shade was very nice as it was an extremely warm day.

Oh this row...the testerone row as it was full of fabulous Javelin and AMX Ramblers. Now these owners are serious car club show people. I also got the feeling that they are serious road racers too but shhh we won't tell that.

This is a very cute Nash that a young family owns and enjoys. That was an interesting part of Clara's big day out meeting the variety of people and cars that enjoy Ramblers.

And this has to be the cutest and nicest Metropolitan I have ever seen. It was flawless in every way.

Clara had a good day and enjoyed the meet. When we left Sacramento Clara took us to Costco for a few items I had to pick up. You know her trunk can hold a lot of volume so I bought some large boxed items I needed.

Then on our way home Clara stopped for us to enjoy a nice late lunch/early dinner at one of our favorite spots. We filled our tummies and then onward Clara delivered us home safe and sound. I must thank Mr. C for driving as Clara can be a handful with no power steering, no power brakes and "three on the tree" with no syncro gears first or reverse. I forgot to remember I wanted an automatic when I was searching for a Rambler. However I wouldn't trade Clara as she is the most reliable and wonderful and affordable car we own.

Thank you Clara and what a fun day we had.

Happy traveling...

Road Trip...

This photo from my July calendar says it all.
We Saucy Chicks, Lorraine and Sherry, are heading out on the first annual Road Trip in July. We have over 1000 miles to cover just in getting to our destination and returning home. Then of course we have lots of side trips in between. We will be visiting with family of each of us and friends. It will be so much fun to meet people we don't know, see areas we grew up in and listen to lots of stories of our separate youths.
Southern California here we come. Thank goodness we are not flying as we could not afford all of our baggage. Since we will have the car we can take as many bags as we deem necessary. One each just for shoes, one for snacks, one each for clothes, one each for toiletries, one each for chargers for electronics, a small ice chest etcetera. Some how it just adds up. And who knows what we will find along the way that we acquire and must bring home!
We might not post to our blog while we are gone but we know you will understand.
We will update when we return and fill in the fun stuff we did on our adventure.
Hmmm...what ever will our dear husbands do for so many days? I know mine will enjoy the peace and quiet!