Most people go to museums to view art, and I am no exception — except that some of my favorite pieces of art of functional, rolling sculptures of steel, vehicles that not only take people from Point A to Point B but do it with style and fun.
One thing I always look forward to when visiting foreign countries is checking out the different vehicles. Roads in the U.S. crumble under the weight of minivans and SUVs; Italians favor small, sporty runabouts in addition to their scooters and motorcycles; and in China the only automobiles dicing it up with the bicycles and buses are four-door sedans. What is Vietnam like? Sort of a combination of all three, but dominated by scooters and step-thrus. Continue reading »
It took me a little while just to find the Palo Alto Concours D’Elegance as it was moved to a different, more hidden location at Stanford since the last year I went to the show (2001). At last, I found it in a field somewhere between the Med School and the Stanford Shopping Center, and the search was well worth it. I was amazed at how large the event has gotten since I went there last, with hundreds of top-quality restorations and originals. This year had a special emphasis on British iron, which of course made me happy. :) In addition to classic cars there were also several exotic supercars; e.g., the Ferrari Enzo shown here. With good weather and a band playing music in the background, it was a festive atmosphere and a pleasant way to spend a Sunday morning. More photos are here.
What an eventful weekend for Fort Collins! First there was a big Corvette Car Show just a few miles from Old Town, and then there was the Taste of Fort Collins just two blocks from Old Town. Concurrently, there was the Old Town Car Show — which could be almost considered competition for the Taste of Fort Collins, since it occurred right by all of the downtown restaurants, and also had live music. I attended both (when they are just two blocks apart, it would be silly not to), but actually enjoyed the Old Town Car Show more since 1) there were cars and 2) it was free! Maybe about 200 cars of all vintages (mostly classics) were present. More photos are here.
I was driving down College Ave. in Fort Collins to see a friend when something in the corner of my eye caught my attention. At the local Chevrolet dealership (Dellanbach’s), there seemed to be a lot more cars parked along the street than usual, and almost all of them were Corvettes. Most were new but there were a few from the 1970s, indicating that this was not business as usual. Of course I had to stop and see what was going on. :) It turned out that the Northern Colorado Corvette Club of Fort Collins was here with members en masse. There must have been at least 75 Corvettes. I have never seen so many ‘Vettes in one place before. My favorites remain the C5s and C6s but I like the convertibles of virtually any vintage. More photos are here.
This year I had the pleasure of finishing two books (which I highly recommend!) entitled Leanings
It was fortuitous, then, that after his stories had peaked my interest in these two-wheeled motorized creations that I’d have an opportunity to visit Sturgis, the “motorcycle capital of the world.” Continue reading »
