Friday, May 22, 2020

Visiting Indiana after the HRPT

After the Power Tour and our visit with our Ohio family, we headed to Jenny and Mike's in Indiana.  I rode with Jenny in her car and got a break from the El Camino...and I think Kenneth enjoyed the break from ME and instead got to visit with his brother-in-law!!  We always have such a good time with them, no matter where they are and this time was no different.  Jenny had fresh daisies in our room - she's such a sweet sister...she knows how much I love them...:)  We had good food, got to travel the Michigan Wine Trail, got in some awesome back porch time and had some great laughs.  Looking forward to our next visit already!
















Mike spilled his beer on the table...AND on me!!  I didn't care - I was full of lobster and beer!!!

I have the best sister EVER!!!!

Kenneth and I had breakfast here when we tried to go look at RVs in the "RV Capitol"...but they had no dealers.  Just manufacturers and storage lots.  Sad day, but a great breakfast!

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

25th Anniversary HRPT - June 8-June14, 2019

We had decided after last years Hot Rod Power Tour that we weren't going to go in 2019, but since they were celebrating the 25th anniversary and our friends were all going, we decided to jump in again!  Stopped in and spent Thursday night with our Atlanta family then had our Platinum Club VIP kickoff dinner at the Hendrick Motorsports Team Center on Friday, June 7th and got to tour their facility then kicked off the Power Tour at zMAX Dragway in Concord, NC the next day.  We went to Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, VA, Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, TN, Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, KY, Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, IN,  Allen County Was Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, IN and ended up at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OH which is were several of my family members live!  Along the way we got to run the El Camino on race tracks, ate great food, rolled through small town America (which is ALWAYS my favorite part of the trip), hung out with old friends and made a few new ones, saw some awesome cars and enjoyed ourselves immensely!  After the tour, we visited with Norwalk family then headed to Indiana to stay with Mike and Jenny for a few days before heading over to Chicago to start Route 66...but that a whole other post!!  For now, here are some memories from the 2019 25th Anniversary Hot Rod Power Tour as experienced through our eyes...

Stephen and John 

This is Petty's Garage...out of order!


Daniel house-sat for us and took our picture before we headed out.



This was Andrea and her husband whose name I forget in their El Camino from Export, PA


Touring Hendrick Motorsports facility


One of many "car shows in the parking lot" that we experience on the Power Tour!
Our view from the hotel at the first stop - we are always so close to everything when we book Platinum!





Kenneth and I made a side trip to Petty's Garage since we missed it last year



Car used in "Days of Thunder" movie

The white house to the left is Richard Petty's grandparents homestead





We try to stop at HD shops and get a coin for Kenneth's frame!




Michelle couldn't wait to stop at a Sheetz gas station...not sure why!!!

Always helping someone...:)

Elaine, Kenneth, Jeanne and Eric at dinner on the river in some town, somewhere along the way!








We were the second and last group to get to run the racetrack at Bristol because of the rain.

Never a good thing to see this - the new transmission was acting up but this guy got us on the road again.

Kenneth makes friends even in traffic jams...









Gas station car show

Love watching the drag races at different venues and love the variety of cars even more!

Hung out with this guy several times and can't remember his name either...I should really keep up with my blog timely.

Met Steven at our first HRPT with his Grandpa and now he goes with his Dad, Jerry


Jeanne and I always have a shot together one of our nights!





Deep discussion about...cars, maybe?

Michelle and Rich

Cuttin' up in the elevator at the hotel

YAY!!  We found the bus on the last day!

Restaurant on Lake Erie Jeanne, Eric, Kenneth and I ate at before we parted ways





Look at this guy...so happy even though he was teething!!

So happy we got to meet Henry finally!!