NET at The Roadster Factory Summer Party - Jul 28 - Aug 2, 2010
Submitted by: Debbie Christopher and Stan Foster, Photos by Debbie Christopher and Karen and Dennis Sokol. (More pictures from this six-day event are included in the Photo Gallery.
Day 1/Wed Jul 28: Our trip to the Roadster Factory Summer Party in Armagh, PA got off to an interesting start. We had planned to assemble at the Blandford service plaza but it had closed the day before due to an acid spill. Fortunately everyone just continued on to the next service plaza about 20 miles away and we were soon on our way. At this stage our convoy consisted of Tom and Wendy, Dennis and Karen and Stan and Debbie. Dennis was having a problem with his starter motor and over the next six days he would become quite adept at finding parking spots on an incline so that he could do a rolling start. On at least one occasion he attempted a Flintstone-esque maneuver, opening the driver-side door and using foot power to try to get the car rolling (where was my camera!?!) but someone was always willing to jump out and give him a push, just one of the benefits of traveling in a group!
From I90 we headed south on the scenic Taconic State Parkway and then west on I84 to our overnight stop near Scranton, PA.
Soon after arriving at the hotel we met up with Bob and Margaret who had taken a more southern route to Scranton. The NET
tour group was now complete. It had been a hot day so a few of us opted for a dip in the pool and hot tub before heading
to a local Italian restaurant for dinner.
Day 2/Thu Jul 29: The itinerary for our second day followed a more leisurely route with no interstate highway segments.
Unfortunately Route 11 South from Scranton was more urban and congested than anticipated. It was slow going until we were well
south. There was one unexpected surprise along the way when we passed Sports Car Haven in Danville, PA, a business that
services and restores British sports cars. The sign out front is shaped and painted just like Dennis’ and Karen’s topaz TR6!
That certainly put a smile on our faces as we drove past and I cannot believe we didn’t stop and take a photo. (This blurry
photo is from Google Maps’ Streetview.)
Driving conditions improved dramatically once we joined routes 45 and 22 which took us the rest of the way to Armagh, PA. These turned out to be fantastic roads, perfect for Triumphs with very little traffic, lots of rural scenery and field after field of corn. (Who knew there were so many cornfields in Pennsylvania?) This was also our first introduction to the Amish community and their horse-drawn buggies, something we would become accustomed to over the next few days. We arrived at The Roadster Factory with 30 minutes to spare to pick up our registration materials and have a quick look around. Then we headed to our hotel in Indiana, PA to check in and venture out for some dinner.
Day 3/Fri Jul 30: The TRF Summer Party offers both competitive events such as drag racing and autocross and leisurely driving
events such as winery tours and a poker rallye. We did the winery tour today and had a fun afternoon touring the area and
visiting a cheese shop and several local wineries. Karen even took a turn at the wheel and did a great job after only one
lesson on a standard transmission car! The tour route included a few dirt roads and took us past farms where lime was being
applied to the fields and also to our cars thanks to the breezy conditions.
After a quick stop back at the hotel to shower and change we headed back to Armagh for the event
dinner, bonfire and movie. TRF served up a tasty meal of barbequed chicken, locally-grown corn on the cob, potato salad,
coleslaw and baked beans, served on real china with real silverware, table cloths and cloth napkins – very civilized indeed.
TRF team members were in attendance and we enjoyed having the opportunity to talk to them in person.
A few of us stayed to watch the bed sheet movie, Le Mans starring Steve McQueen, though I confess I slept through parts of it. Those who managed to stay awake through the entire film tell me I didn’t miss much plot-wise. There isn’t much dialogue or much of a story line, just lots and lots and lots of driving. But sitting outside in our lawn chairs under the stars gave the event a drive-in kind of feeling and it really was fun.
Day 4/Sat Jul 31: This day started with a visit to a car wash to remove the dust and lime from yesterday’s tour. After
breakfast we participated in the Poker rallye, another fun driving event that required us to visit five
different business establishments and build a poker hand by drawing a playing card at each stop. The stops included
a great place for lunch, an ice cream shop and a farm stand where this photo was taken. Wendy was our navigator and did an
excellent job following the rallye directions despite the pressure of having at least six other cars join our caravan
(talk about pressure -- great job Wendy!) Dennis and Karen showed just how
in synch they are by drawing exactly the same card not once but twice! But it was Margaret who led our group by finishing
the tour with three queens. We thought she had a great chance of winning the event but unfortunately someone else finished
with an ace high flush.
That evening we participated in the car show in downtown Indiana, PA where several streets were closed
to traffic so that all of these fine British cars could be put on display. In addition to the many Triumphs there was also
a Reliant three-wheeler, a Sunbeam Tiger and a beautifully restored 1959 Morgan that won best of show.
After lots of photo ops
and car talk we walked over to the Coventry Inn, a beautifully authentic British pub owned by Charles Runyan (owner of TRF)
for some refreshment and to await the awards presentation. Charles graciously allowed us to visit the function room on the upper
level of the restaurant where we snapped a photo of him looking every bit the pub landlord.
Speaking of Charles, during the awards presentation we couldn’t help but notice as he was congratulating the winners that he was wearing handcuffs attached to something concealed under a towel. The hidden object was later revealed to the crowd – it was the pewter trophy given to Triumph for winning its class with the TRS cars at the 1961 Le Mans. Charles explained the handcuffs by telling the crowd that he doesn’t trust himself when transporting the trophy, fearing that he will set it down somewhere, walk away and wonder where he left it!
Day 5/Sun Aug 1: Today was Jerry Garcia's birthday. Oh, and it was also Dennis’ birthday! We surprised him with a birthday card at breakfast. And then it was time to pack up the cars and begin the drive home. After the first hour on the road we said goodbye to Tom and Wendy who were staying in the area for a few more days. The rest of the group headed back along routes 22 and 45, then I80 to East Stroudsberg and then up Route 209 along the Delaware Water Gap to Matamoras, PA. We encountered some rain while on I80 and pulled into a rest area to put the tops up. Bob discovered at that point that he had no windshield wipers. The cause was determined to be a blown fuse, possibly due to a problem with the heater motor. After a few minutes and a couple of spare fuses we were back on the road.
Tom had warned us to be on the lookout for deer through the Delaware Water Gap. Fortunately we encountered only one and had plenty of time to slow down as it crossed the road in front of our car. Between the rain and some major traffic delays we were a bit late arriving into Matamoras. It had been a long and tiring day so we again took advantage of the pool to relax and unwind. This hotel did not have a hot tub however which we have decided is a requirement for future trips!
Day 6/Mon Aug 2: The final stretch north on Route 209 was another great road for Triumphs. While using the GPS to search
for a place to have lunch we came around a bend and spotted a classic diner!
We made an abrupt turn into the parking lot surprising everyone following along behind us! It was a great spot for lunch.
From here we headed north through Great Barrington and then east on the Mass Pike, stopping for the last time at a service plaza to refuel. Stan and Bob gave Dennis’ car one last push and we all waved goodbye and headed our separate ways home.
These trips are always an adventure and a lot of fun and this one was no exception. We had a great time both on the journey and at the Summer Party event. We’re delighted to read that TRF is talking about holding yet another Summer Party next year!
More pictures are included in the Photo Gallery.