Sunday, April 2, planned departure for Texas 7 AM. Reality, it is raining and severe storms are crossing the Midwest. We wait and watch the weather channel and by 9AM it looks like the storms are crossing Interstate 35, so we head out in the ‘48 Mercury.

Rain and 38 degrees makes for and unpleasant start of our trip. We stop south of the cities to turn the water on to the heater, Mary has been reading the Sunday paper and when she finished a section she would wrap it around her legs. With the heat on we can now use the paper to sop up the water coming in everywhere. The wind is really blowing and driving the rain in the car. We get to Des Moines and have to stop and shut the water off to the heater as it is roasting in the car but not drying out very fast. We reach Missouri, the rain stops, and we still have some paper towels remaining on the roll and a couple of sections of the paper that are dry.

We continue through Kansas City to Belton, MO and stopped for the night. I was remembering the last time I drove to Kansas City in a ‘48 Mercury; the only difference was the Mercury was only eleven years old at the time, not 58 years old as our car is now. We found a motel with HBO so we can watch the Sopranos. Monday, we breakfast with Mary’s niece and son who live in Belton and then back on the road for Dallas. From KC, We traveled on highway 71, which is east of 35 and 90 miles shorter to McKinney, Texas, home of Judy and Bob Parmelee. We arrive around 5:30 and are glad to get out of the car and walk and talk to somebody new.

Tuesday was a day of clean up and relaxing getting ready to resume our journey. We had dinner with Karen Parmelee Meaders and her twin sons, Zach and Josh. Wednesday finds us following Judy and Bob in their ‘47 Mercury roaring down the interstate right through the heart of Dallas at 9AM to meet up the rest of the Dallas club on the southwest side of Dallas. We join a dozen or so other early V8’s and head off to Johnson City.

Ken Ballew once again leads the tour to our final destination in his ‘34 Ford Tudor. Ken enjoys setting up the tours and makes them educational as well as scenic. We stopped in Hico, the town where Billy the Kid changed his name, went straight and lived out his last days.

We spent the night in Johnson City, and in the morning we visited a living history farm. It was located across the road from Lady Bird’s farm. It was a working farm set in the 1900’s, very interesting and I believe a first farm visit for Bob P.

We had lunch in Frederickburg, a town set up by Germans in the 1840’s and the only people to honor a treaty with the Indians anywhere in the US.

After lunch, we went to Luckenbach for a longneck beer. Ken’s daughter, Teresa Redmond, a member of the Dallas regional group, entertained us with her violin. Teresa has played with many Nashville musicians and has a personal goal to play in many historic places. Mary and I were sitting in the shade enjoying the music and a longneck while others were changing a fuel pump on a ‘51 Ford.

On to New Braunfels and the T bar M ranch, our final destination for the next few days. This was the 33rd Texas tour and was hosted by the Capitol City Early Ford V8 Club. Gary and Cheryl Tatro, ex Minnesotans and members of the Model A Club are part of the Capitol City regional group. We have visited with them the past several years during the Texas Tour.

The facility was great! The rooms were air-conditioned, and from Fri till Sunday’s departure all the meals were furnished. (An important item for TCRG’s members).

Friday Mary and I ventured to San Antonio and the Alamo, which was only 30 some miles away from where the car show was being held, 97degrees with 7% humidity what a ride through downtown San Antonio.

Sat morning was a self guided driving tour at your leisure and the car show was at noon. Popular vote decided how the 125 Fords and Mercury’s were selected for the first and second prizes in the different classes. In our class was the most gorgeous ‘49 Mercury woody, and it took the best of everything. 225 people attended the banquet that night for the awards. Mary and I plugged the 2007 Meet and generated some interest. While we drove the furthest, 1366 miles, because our engine is orange we didn’t qualify for the long distance award!

Sunday, Continental breakfast and goodbyes said we head back north the 300 miles to Mckinney.

Ken again had a tour planned but about 6 of us opted to go direct and skip the tour. We arrived at Judy and Bob’s around 5:30 in time to meet Duane and Jean Shuck , who arrived from Minnesota pulling a trailer.

Monday was a day of rest.

Tuesday Duane, Bob and I headed for Arlington to load the ‘52 Ford business coupe Duane had purchased. Duane pulled the ‘52 out of the mud and away from the fire ants so we could load it on the trailer. The ‘52 loaded we next went to visit Antique Auto Supply and Stacy Brown. This guy has the parts for Ford, Chevy and Chrysler. Unbelievable! After a couple of hours of walking through the parts and drooling we headed back to Bob’s.

Wednesday at 7AM we are back in the car following Duane and Jean headed back to Minnesota. We timed it so we would be going through Kansas City at rush hour and were not disappointed. We stopped in Liberty, MO. got a room, had supper and crashed. Off again Thus AM and another 500 mile day to look forward too. Noon in Des Moines, Twin Cities by 4:30 in time for rush hour again, what luck!

All in all, a good trip; lots of driving, beautiful spring blooms to enjoy and the comfortable feeling of being with old friends. We traveled 2760 miles in our ‘48 Mercury on bias ply tires, and no air conditioning, what a ride!

Dobie