We have multiple social events during the year, either a fun run to some local attraction or on rural roads where we can operate our cars in an “enthusiastic” manner. We also put on one Corvette centric event a year we call the Blast. We invite Corvette owners from all over the area to join us for two days of fun. This includes an evening of socialization, food, drinks and games, a car show, a poker rally, funkhanna, a gimmick rally, raffles and an awards banquet.
The last Wednesday in October was our last Drive and Dine event. Members gathered in Santa Maria for a scenic run down Foxen Canyon and Alisos Canyon Roads to Los Alamos’ County Park where we enjoyed lunch, games and chatting in a relaxing environment.
On September 18th Mary Carson led some members on a Drive and Dine to Jalama Beach. They had a great time on the route and the conversation during lunch. The drive in and out offers great views of the local landscape.
We tried a weekday Drive and Dine and had a good turnout. On August 21st we gathered at the Pismo Beach Outlets parking lot and then drove up the coast to San Simeon to have lunch at Sebastian’s Cafe. As always, the views along highway 1 were fantastic. The socializing during lunch was a nice break from our daily routines. Afterwards we walked across the street to the Hearst Ranch Winery terrace that overlooked the cove. Next door were buildings left over from when Hearst built his famous castle. One was a warehouse that stored items brought in by boat that he had collected from around the world. There was also a church for the workers who were building the estate. Afterwards we headed south to Cayucos to enjoy ice cream and look around a bit. After that repast we made our separate ways home.
As we have done for many years, Club members and friends gathered to adorn their cars in preparation for the Solvang 4th of July parade. We decked out our cars in festive colors, chatted, compared adornments and waited for the start of the parade. We were lucky that most of the cars were in the shade as the temps were in the 90’s. Missing this year was permission to throw out candy to the children lining the parade route. We honked horns and revved engines instead. Afterwards we quickly took the decorations off and most drove over to Buellton to have lunch and socialize.
On June 22 several members convoyed down to the Murphy Auto Museum in Ventura. The group stopped to have lunch before going to the museum. They enjoyed the socializing opportunity. When they got to the museum they found that a model kit club was having a special event, so many of the cars had been moved outside or moved next to each other to make space for the event. The members still had a great time looking at the cars and discussing what they liked/disliked or memories of similar cars in their past. Driving back up the coast they enjoyed the scenery and seeing a Ferrari, Aston Martin and Bentley as they passed thru Santa Barbara.
April 27th saw us enjoying a Drive and Dine gimmick rally laid out by Mary Carson. This took us to many places along the coast as participants gathered names of places, streets and answered trivia questions. Everyone ended up at Depalo & Sons where lunch items were purchased and then on to Ebb Tide Park for social time.
We started the year on January 27th with a Drive and Dine run up to Creston for lunch at the Loading Chute restaurant. Once we were able to get off the freeway, we enjoyed the back roads of central CA. Lunch was good as always and the social time was great as well.
On October 28th, members convoyed down to the Mullin Automotive Museum in Ventura, stopping in Carpenteria for a meal and social time. The main exhibition at the museum was “L’epoque des Carrossiers: The Art and Times of the French Coachbuilders”. The cars were all very special 1920 & 1930 era cars with frames from manufacturers like Bugatti, Avions Voisin, Delahay and Hispano-Suiza. The coach builders included Bugatti, Citroen, De Villars, Figoni and Falaschi, Henri Chapron, Henri Labourdette, Million, Guiet & Cie., Pourtout, Jacques Saoutchik, Vanvooren, and Gabriel Voisin. Needless to say, the cars were fantastic and we all came away with a greater appreciation of the artistry from the height of the coach-built car era.
We held the 17th Annual Vapor Trail Vettes Blast on September 15 & 16. There were entries from clubs all over southern CA. The Friday night meet and greet was held in the cabana next to the pool. Everyone had a great time talking about how they spent the past year and finding out what others had been up to. As in past years, the Car Race game proved to be a lot of fun. The weather on Saturday cooperated with a cool morning during the tech inspection and Car Show. The Cornhole and Rolling Thunder games provided entertainment as well. Then the sun came out so that participants could enjoy the countryside as they tried to follow the clues in the Gimmik Ralley, and Poker Run. Then folks had a bit of relaxation time until the banquet started. After an enjoyable dinner the Car Show winners were announced, followed by the Raffle Prize winners and the 50/50 winner.
Congratulations to our WINNERS:
C2 – Greg Allington
C4 – Charlie Huereque
C5 – Steve & Karen Stevens
C6- 1st Place ~ Tom Catone
2nd Place ~ Phil & Sheena Caughey
C7 – Juan & Martha Ortega
C8 – 1st Place ~ Bill & Ursula Van Tongeren
2nd Place ~ Charles & Gail Boekenoogen
Games:
Rolling Thunder Bud & Shannon Norris
Cornhole Barry & Karen Misiuk
Poker:
Hidden Hand 1st Place ~ Bud Norris
2nd Place ~ Charles Boekenoogen
Poker Rallye 1st Place ~ Charles Spetnegel
Poker Rallye 2nd Place ~ Steve & Karen Stevens
Gimmick Rallye: 1st Place ~ Bud & Shannon Norris
2nd Place ~ Mark Gheno & Jeannie
Furthest Distance Traveled John Schembari
Club Participation Pomona Valley Corvette Association
The club and fellow Corvette owners joined to drive in the annual 4th of July parade in Solvang. We decorated our cars and tossed candy to the children lining the streets along the parade route. After the parade we drove over to Buellton to have lunch and social time.
The last social event of the year was the Christmas Party. Members met to enjoy their company and a fine dinner. The gift exchange was a hit with several takes amid much anticipation of who would take what.
The 16th Annual Blast was held on 14 -15 October. The Friday night social saw the participants enjoying catching up on what everyone had been doing over the last few years. As usual, there were a lot of raffle prizes and the 50/50 game was very popular. As always, the most popular game was the car race. As in prior years, everyone crowded around to participate or just watch. The Saturday car show is always a hit with attendees cleaning up their cars in preparation for the event. The Cornhole and Rolling Thunder games were also a hit. After lunch, the cars were sent out on a combination poker rally and gimmick rally which took the cars through some of the back roads around Santa Maria. The banquet was a great time. The food and service was excellent and everyone enjoyed talking about the day’s events. The following awards were handed out: (Missing some names)
Car Show
C5 1st place – Steve & Karen Stevens 2nd – Bob & Diana Davis
C6 1st place – Charles & Patricia Johnson 2nd – Richard & Jan Royal
C7 1st place – Juan & Martha Ortega 2nd – Bill & Ursula Van Tongeren
C8 1st place – Scott & Nancy Erickson
Cindy Orrico Award for Best of Show – Juan & Martha Ortega
Gimmick Rallye
1st Place – Doug & Sue McElroy 2nd Place – Steve & Karen Stevens
Hidden Poker Hand
1st Place – Mark Gheno 2nd Place – Bill & Ursula Van Tongeren
Poker Rallye
1st Place – Doug & Sue McElroy 2nd Place – Barbara Potter & Jean Alba
Furthest Distance – Daniel & Gina LeSueur
Club Participation – Pomona Valley Corvettes
Members and friends met up in Solvang to drive in the 4th of July parade. We enjoy dressing up our cars and throwing candy to the children along the parade route. Afterwards we drive over to Buellton to have lunch and chat.
Members gathered for the first Drive and Dine of the year, a drive up to Paso Robles and a tour of the Firestone Walker Brewey followed by a lunch at the Taproom Restaurant. The tour was very nice and the size and number of tanks used in the process awed all. Lunch was a time of chatter and enjoying each others company.
Members met for the 2021 Christmas party. Great conversation and good food was the order of the evening. We hope that next year more members will be able to join the event.
For the October Drive and Dine event club members Clay Beck, Holly & Jeff Palmer, Larry Wright and Chuck Robertson met up for a Drive out to Creston for lunch at the Loading Chute, a club favorite. We took some of the very twisty driving roads in the hills East of Santa Margarita up to Creston. We had a great time chatting about cars and past events.
Club members participated in the 9/11 memorial event at the Lompoc airport. There were four sets of parajumpers, each representing the impacts to the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and the brave passengers on Flight 93. Each event on that day was remembered with a minute of silence at the time the event took place. Club member Jeff Palmer flew his Citabria as part of the Missing Man formation honoring the first responders who lost their lives trying to save others.
With the restrictions lifting in June some members participated in the Solvang 4th of July parade. As in the past, we enjoyed showing off our cars and tossing candy to the children along the parade route.
