THE SONOMA COUNTY FALCONS FOR FUN CHAPTER

RAMBLE ON…TO BEND!

By Al Aiello--10/02

A few hearty souls for the SCFF Chapter made the Trek to the Dearborn Classics Show in Bend, Oregon. The Show was held at the Dearborn facility on August 17, 2002.

We started out from Novato on Thursday night. It was a warm summer evening as we cruised north on Highway 5 towards Oregon. There were no mishaps or problems on the highway. The group spent the night at a Howard Johnson’s hotel in Redding.

We left Redding the next morning while it was still relatively cool. We did not want to travel in 110+ heat. It was a leisurely drive up to Weed, and then over to Klamath Falls. The skies were gray when we reached Oregon. The skies were gray with smoke due to the fires that were burning in southern Oregon. Thankfully, the skies cleared when we reached Bend on Friday afternoon. The fires were now south of us. The group spent the night at the local Super 8 Motel. We washed our cars on Friday night in the hotel parking lot and kicked back as prepared for the show to be held the next day.

Trevor from Dearborn Classics treated our group to breakfast at a local restaurant the next morning. Trevor’s hospitality was much appreciated by the group. After breakfast, it was off to the show!

There were many more Fords at this show compared to last year’s. There were plenty of fearsome Fords on display including a Dyno Don Nichelson’s Maverick. The legendary drag racer was at the show and autographed tee shirts and other memorabilia. There was a rumor that Dyno Don and the guy who owned the Thunderbolt were going to the nearby drags for a showdown after the show. I’m not sure if that happened, but it would have been fun to watch.

There were quite a few Falcons at the show. One of the most interesting Falcons was a foreign one. It was a "Mad Max" style model that was exported from Australia. Besides Falcons, there were Comets, Galaxies, Fairlanes, and a plethora of other Ford offerings—mostly from the sixties.

A "Mad Max" Falcon from Australia

The show ended mid-afternoon and what was left of the group headed to the Oregon Coast. Little did I know that when I packed my car cover, roll of paper towels, and coveralls, that these would serve as my bedding for the night. We had hotel reservations for the previous nights, but none for Saturday night. When we arrived at the Oregon coast at Florence, we soon found out that rooms would be hard to come by. After cruising through several towns, we finally ended up at the local Indian Casino in Coos Bay, Oregon. We were graciously allowed to spend the night in the Casino’s parking lot. I actually slept fairly well! It was an interesting night and a story that will be related for years to come.

The next morning we had a wonderful breakfast at the Casino. Then, we promptly made reservations for our next stop---Eureka. It was a scenic drive down the Oregon Coast. By Sunday afternoon, we crossed into California and were cruising the redwoods of Del Norte and Humboldt counties. By late afternoon, we arrived at the Red Lion Inn in Eureka—our home for the night.

After a great meal, and a relaxing evening, we were ready for what the next day would bring, and what a wonderful day we had, and would have the next day.

On Monday morning we departed the hotel and had breakfast at the Samoa Inn. It’s your own darn fault if you leave this place hungry. Meals are served family style, and the food keeps coming until you say "no more". After breakfast, it was off to the redwoods for a glorious cruise. The weather and company was great. The Avenue of the Giants offered many photo opportunities and we obliged with many stops along the way.

All good things must end, and so did this day. We reluctantly headed south to our homes in the Bay Area. I’m sure I speak for all that made the trek that this was a GREAT cruise. Perhaps we can do it again next year. However, advance hotel reservations are recommended!