The "Found" Henrietta

When I found Henrietta in March 2007 she wasn't ready for the Lobsters and Lighthouses Tour. Not even close, have a look:

The Journey Counts

I'm sure most folk have read variations on the theme that it's not the destination but the journey that counts; for me this line of thinking applies to the Lobsters and Lighthouses Tour. Julie and my route to Kennebunkport will be a fun part of the Tour. We'll take NY Route 7 and then VT and NH Route 9 directly to Kennebunkport. We're planning to enjoy scenery and the history these routes offer. Meandering along these old state highways in the '31 should be a gas.
Route 7 in NY runs northeasterly from the PA border south of Binghamton, NY to the NY/VT border east of Albany, NY. Its history isn't as colorful as Route 9, but it has roots as far back as 1688 when it was built as a "public manor road" (I assume this means that the general public was given a right-of-way to use the road). It connected over time with other old turnpike roads that eventually made up Route 7. It passes through the Leatherstocking area of NY named for the unique leather leggings worn by frontiersmen and made famous by the work of author James Fenimore Cooper. The drive will also pass through part of the Mohawk Valley which is sandwiched between the gorgeous Adirondak Mountains and Catskill Mountains.
We LOVE NY!!

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Mapping the 1931 Route

Part of the fun of making this Lobsters and Lighthouses Tour is seeking out and finding some Model A era maps of the states we'll be driving through in less than three weeks. Our route will take us along state routes, no Interstates, and these highways have history as well as easy stops, plenty of eager roadside assistance, wayside surprises, and eateries. Below are several maps that Julie and I will keep up front as we drive along NYS route 7 from Bainbridge, NY which then morphs into VT route 9 and NH route 9. Through VT the route 9 is referred to as the "Molly Stark Highway" and in NH route 9 is the "Franklin Pierce Highway" (more on those names later). Such fun it is in many ways.

Driving a Model A

The Lobsters and Lighthouses Tour begins in under just three weeks. I'm eager to get on the road and although the distance I'll drive isn't terribly long, maybe 450 miles from home in Ithaca, NY, in 1977 I would have had to be drugged and dragged into a Model A to drive 1% that distance. I bought my first "A" in 1977, a Special Coupe, and I wasn't a car guy and the car was in pieces. I bought it from my Model A Guy father who had two A's simply to build a relationship with him. I learned what the parts were by asking dad but also by looking in a Snyder's and a Rick's catalog. By 1982 I had the car running and on the road, but every drive made my knuckles white, made my anxiety high, and made my fear of either crashing or stalling a mile from home almost unbearable. I never felt comfortable driving the Special. Fast forward to 2004 when I restored the Special and then to 2015 with two more As in the garage including Henrietta and many driven miles behind me (99.999999% trouble free). I wonder how many other Model A owners like me were afraid to drive their As to the corner convenience store (in '82 I'd leave the Special running while I went inside to get a Sunday paper, feared if it stalled I'd be stranded and die) during their newbie years.
Practice makes repetition and fear disappears when you face it. I'm eager to drive to Maine to see the beautiful sights and activities Maine has to offer and have no worries about Henrietta. I want to drive the Molly Stark Highway (VT route 9) and the Franklin Pierce Highway (NH route 9) to Kennebunkport in the old '31 and feel only excitement about the adventure. By golly I'm going to do that.
Below are a couple photos of the Special. The young guys are my two sons, Kevin and Scott, and my father. They didn't know how anxious I was!

c1977

1982

She's Ready!

Am still experimenting with this! Thought I'd post a photo or two of my beautiful co-pilot on the Tour, Julie Costie, she's excited to go on this adventure and will be making a period c1931 dress to wear during the Tour. We took Henrietta out for a drive a Sunday ago and I snapped some pix of her in a 1930s look outfit. What a pretty lady!!!

Planning ....

Had a local car meeting last night. Spoke with Don Bushart who will be driving his 1929 "A" Pickup with Julie and I to and from Maine. We'll leave for Kennebunkport on Friday June 5 and stay over in Brattleboro, VT Friday night and head to Kennebunkport the following morning. We need to coordinate on who is bringing spare "A" parts so we don't overdo it with duplication. I rebuilt Henrietta's entire braking system over the winter so we'll be able to stop safely (especially when we see a photo opp. or a lobster shack)! More prepping and planning lies ahead for Julie and I.

The Beginning

Okay, first stab at a blog. Will be adding more as Friday June 5 nears, this is the day that my girlfriend Julie Coste and I begin our drive to Maine in our 1931 Model A Ford Deluxe Tudor Sedan known by us as "Henrietta." We'll be participating in the Model A Ford Club of America's Lobsters and Lighthouses National Tour June 7 - 12, Kennebunkport, ME to Bar Harbor, ME. More later!