Hot Rod Power Tour, Day 3

Today was really our first cruise day, traveling 231 miles from Arlington, TX, to Texarkana.  Jim says, and I agree, that the most fun part of the HRPT is the cruising.  It is fun to be in a line with hot rods stretched for a half mile.  It was especially fun to be lined up with 1200 cars in one parking lot this morning.  The route was through small towns such as Mineola, Pittsburg, Terrell, Great Saline, and Atlanta.  At farmhouses, corners, and small towns, groups of people were sitting, ready to wave at us. I saw the turn off for Canton and the small towns we drove through had frequent antique stores.  Jim and I had never been through east Texas and we thought it was pretty country.  Lots of trees and hills.  I reminded me of where I grew up in West Tennessee.  We left Arlington at 9:00 and arrived in Texarkana at 3:00.  We heard later that many in the HRPT were unhappy with the route and how long it took.  Jim and I, as newbies, were just happy to be on the road.  Traffic did slow down as 1200 cars passed through the small towns.  We just thought that was part of the package.


We haven't learned the names of many people, but we are naming people.  There is the Buick Guy, who drives a 68 Buick stationwagon and let us back into line when we tried to take a wrong turn.  Unfortunately, he wasn't there when we made our next wrong turn.  That error was corrected with a quick turn around.   The Mustang Guys are a father and son team were at the starting line with us.  Son just graduated from high school the night before.  Mustang Guy Dad saw me 100 miles later and said, "Your husband just pulled into the parking lot."  Everyone watches out for each other.  I met one guy, who looked like he was under 40 years old, who said he had been on the HRPT since 1999.  There is 'Kuda Man, who drives a 2009 Barracuda with his 11 year old son.  There are several children on the Tour and obviously, some of them have grown up on the Tour, because the celebrities have commented on how fast they are growing.  Jim and I agree that our 14 year old would not have been interested this year.  She would have loved it a few years ago.  

One of the top braces of the Buick top has broken.  It doesn't keep us from traveling or from putting the top down.  Jim has been pleased with the Buick's performance.  We travel the long distances with the top up.  No point in riding without shade.  The car has been quite comfortable without AC.  Occasionally, it's been hot while stopped for traffic.  I have glanced longingly at some rolled up windows.   At one point on a four lane, "running with the big boys", Jim was going 115 mph for a brief period.  The car handled it well, obviously, because I had no idea.  I would have been yelling.  After he told me he had done it, I watched that speedometer more closely.  The four lanes roads in east Texas are 70 mph, and I'm not referring to the interstates.  Highway 80 is a pretty, narrow four lane, 70 mph with driveways right and left.  Swoosh!

Tell me this: why are I always on the sunny side of the car?  Jim finally commented how hot the sun was today, when he was in it for the first time of the trip.

Snapshots of the day:

The "what the heck" look we saw in some of the small towns.  Many people read Hot Rod magazine and many people do not.  

Driving in the middle on the middle of no where, with only an occasional farmhouse, we would smell BBQ.  Texas BBQ is great.  

Favorite road signs of the day:

"Willie Nelson for President" and "Smiths Funeral Home...A Better Funeral Experience"

I am delighted with the HRPT.  I don't expect us to go next year, but I'm already ready to find out where the tour 2014 will travel. It's Americana at it's best.  Old cars, small towns, roads with stories to tell, people watching out for each other, good food, what's not to like?

Thumbs up today - 13