September 16, 2001 Pope Valley Back Roads
This single day California Chrysler Products Club tour explored the area north of San Francisco. We met in Vallejo, had a short drive to brunch in Napa, then toured by Lake Berryessa, past the community of Pope (where an old glass topped “visible” gas pump graced the front of one building and a 1920s Mack truck peaked out from the adjacent truck junk yard). On up to the former resort of Aetna Springs to look at the old buildings and, coincidentally, meet up with a chapter of the HCCA who were on the last day of a three day tour. After departing Aetna Springs we followed back roads to the Silverado Highway and toured through the wine country.
Unfortunately, some of the maintenance and repairs I had done on my car were not properly checked so at the last minute we needed to take a new car. While it would have been more fun to be in the old car, the tour was good anyway.
The line up of California Chrysler Product Club cars. The gold 300L in the foreground has less than 40,000 miles on it and is an immaculate original car. It runs well too, driven from Detroit to California this summer with only a radiator cap and new headlight needed on the road. | |
On the left is a EMF. On the right is a Cadillac. The back of a number of these touring cars were filled to the brim with luggage for the three day tour they had been on. | |
We met up with the owner of this nice 1931 Chrysler last July. He was along on the HCCA tour as were a couple of Model A Fords. | |
Apparently this chapter of the HCCA allows cars as new as 1948 to participate in their tours. This nice Pontiac was with the group. | |
Showing the colors in memorial to those who died on September 11th. | |
This is one of the few Harley-Davidson's with the high box, complete with the original advertising. | |
A very nice 1914 Buick, filled with luggage for the tour. |