A Grand Day Out

We start our trip at 7:00 am for a day filled with Bristol cars. My wife decides that a scenic back road or light traveled highway would be appropriate for the trip. We choose highway 49 for the trip. This road travels through the mountains on the eastern edge of California. It passes through many of the oldest cities or towns in California and is the main road in to some of the greatest sleepy towns in the US. Many of these towns were formed in the Gold Rush days and you can still pan for gold and walk the sidewalks that many great Americans once found as home. You can view expansion bridges for the trains that suspend hundreds of feet in the air connecting mountain top to mountain top.

On the way in and out of town you can visit the many antique shops and have a pint at the rustic taverns lining the roads. We stayed the night at a great hotel that has some 20 rooms. This is very small in comparison to the average lodge on this coast. The food is cooked to perfection and the people are friendly and eager to help out. All in all a perfect route to drive for such an event.

Our first stop after we check in to the Hollbrook was to view a 408 in need of restoration. Its quit sad to see this car sitting in the garage in such a sorry state. This car has so much potential and is awaiting someone with $5,400.00 burning a whole in there pocket. The advantages of the car is that the trim has all been redone to the highest standards and the car has a full sunroof. If this was a LHD I could sell it in a New York minute. For now it will keep his many old English motorbikes company. After spending not enough time with this chap we parts company to the second stop.

We travel about 10 miles north to visit an Arnolt Bristol owner. Rip Martin and his lovely wife are there to great us. A bottle of wine later with some talk of the great times of racing and its time to see the car. Wow, its a beautifully done A-B just crying out to be driven. This car has been done up to the highest standards and it shows. He is use to the attention to detail as he has run a restoration shop for years prior to hi moving to this new home. The house is set up for any car enthusiast as the car lock up is the bottom floor and the living quarters are above. With a lift in the garage and ample room (even for me) this could be a fun place to spend the weekends. After taking several photos of the A-B we proceed to a nice resturant for Dinner. Unfortunately the evening had to end and we retired to the hotel for the night.

The next morning we finish the trip by driving around Lake Tahoe which is split down the middle on the California and Nevada state line. Then its time to go home, only we did not expect snow. This proved to be a challenge driving on the highways with others who seemed not to notice the poor driving conditions.

I would like to thank Mr. & Mrs. Bevoir and Mr. & Mrs. Martin for their hospitality.

Sincerely
Shawn Thomas