Canyon Lake Car Club

Rett and I packed the car, kissed the girls and were on the road by 7am….IN THE RAIN. We hit rain all the way to the AZ boarder and immediately hit 45 miles of sand storm but when the end of the world ended it was beautiful. We landed in Casa Grande, grabbed gas and lunch and joined up with Dannie and Barry. We jumped back on the 10 fwy headed East and decided to detour to Tombstone, ya, that Tombstone.

Day 1 San Diego to Lordsburg, NM Pictures

During our 611 mile trip we racked up the following stats: average 61mph (fairly good considering rain and sand storm, stopping for lunch and gas plus the back roads to Tombstone), 23 mpg and used 26.8 gal of gas.

The pictures tell the rest of the story.

Sunday San Diego to Lordsburg, NM

Monday Lordsburg, NM to San Antonio, TX

Tuesday San Antonio, TX to New Orleans, LA

Wednesday New Orleans to Tampa (Rett and Donnas’ condo)

MORE TO COME.   Wake up call in for 5am (5.5 hours from now)

I'm packed and ready....wait, did I put my razor in my bag? a screw it, who needs to shave anyway.

Joe, Rett and I spent a few minutes setting of the Car Club Fiesta Days booth over at the Lodge but mostly BS'd about tomorrow and the Power Tour.

Saturday May 28 is the Canyon Lake Summer KICK OFF party, otherwise known as Fiesta Days. Our car club is providing 14 convertibles for our dignitaries and 10 cars for the Car Club entry complete with two Earleywine girls carrying the banner. The parade last from 9 to 10 ending at the Lodge where the entire City's set up camp for the Memorial Day weekend. We'll be hanging out at the Car Club booth from 10 to 4pm when we're quickly tear down the EZ-up, drop the truck at my house and head down to Rett and Donnas' for the night. We'll most likely pass out shortly after walking thru the door and then wake up early like's it's Christmas morning.

Sunday morning is when we depart on the quest. I spoke to Dennis in Houston today who says "It's hot and dry, people here are praying for a monsoon". Dennis went on to say that "weather" hasn't come as low as the 10 fwy yet this season meaning that we have a clear path to Florida. I heard a rumor Texas has not speed limit, is that true? Just in case I withdrew another $300 for bribe money in case we get pulled over.

Stay tuned because we are moments away from the POWER TOUR 

Nine days until we leave on the HRPT.   I dialed in the last bit of the electonics and even started packing.  Packing for 16 days will be tough. 

Some of you have been asking if I'm taking the Falcon, well the Falcon is not a long hauler.  We're taking Rett's 2006 Shelby Mustang GT-H.   The H stands for Hertz, as in rental cars.   Back in 1966 Shelby converted some stock mustangs to GT350s (pluls a little) and sent them to Hertz so people could "rent a racer".  Remember, back in 1966 the Pony car was brand new, a new concept.   People started renting these hipo rod rods and racing them on the weekends.  Some even swapped the Shelby 289 engine for their stock engine.   Hertz started placing lockwire from the shock tower over to the engine block as a tell-tail of an engine swap.   For the 40th aniversary Shelby decided to make a commemerative GT-H in the classed gold on black.  Only 500 were produced which even included the same lockwire as the 1966s.

Back in December Rett and I visited Vegas and the Shelby American factory.  We also did SEMA for 3 days and even ran into the management of BangShift.

As most of you know, Rett and Chuck leave May 31 for a 6000 mile 20 state tour around the United States focused on the ROT ROD POWER TOUR which leaves Cocoa Beach, FL on June 4. We'll represent Canyon Lake and Southern California (because we're one of the few CA fools making the trip) and we're "on a mission". Nearly 1500 drivers are expected to complete the entire trek with over 3000 joining from City to City winding up the Eastern portion of the USA on back roads and thru small town.

Rett and I will leave California headed straight East on the 10 fwy on a leisurely drive thru the country side as other Power Tour cronies join our mission arriving at the "starting line" in Cocoa where the real "HRPT" starts on June 4.

The Power Tour will take us to seven Cities in seven days driving up thru Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan with our final destination in Detroit on June 11. Each City will present unique surprises and massive parties and car shows. Major sponsors will stop at nothing to impress the Tour enthusiast.

Over the 16 days I'll be writing this Blog both to document our travel and for you to track our progress. With certain hysterics, unknown adventures and countless memories ahead, check back daily as we mark off one more "bucket list" item in 2011.