Sunday, June 3
Cleveland, OH to Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds, Kalamazoo, MI

“Friendly Folks”

Wow. What a day of fun. Remember yesterday’s story where I was pressed back into duty as meteorologist? I predicted a 50% chance of rain for today, and I was right. Kinda.

It rained 50% of the time today.

I guess that makes me right.

We started bright (not really, it was more like cloudy and overcast) and early with the driver’s meeting. Lots of folks, but few umbrellas.

When the rain came, drivers and passengers crowded into whatever space was available.

With a final plea from the crew, everyone that could crowded under an overhang for a quick recap of the day to come. The rest got wet.

Somewhere during this meeting, clarification of some of the directions was given. I think it had to do with an unmarked turn on one of the roads we would take. I didn’t think it was too important.

That’s what I get for thinking.

Since traveling an interstate doesn’t let you experience the true nature of an area, the Power Tour takes the back roads, those less traveled. We see the sites those consigned to the interstate system miss. But, you really need to make sure you’re going the right way. Remember that route clarification during the driver’s meeting? It had something to do with some state highway turning, but there wasn’t some sign telling you the road went to the left, instead of straight ahead.

I would have thought something as significant as this would have been mentioned in our directions. I pulled over and waited for some other Power Tourers; to show them this exciting bit of history; but none showed up. For over 30 minutes.

Isn’t that strange? Everyone else must have taken a wrong turn.

You know what else was funny? There weren’t any folks out on the street waiting to watch the Tour go by. Maybe I was just early and they were staying inside, nice and dry.

I never did see Marge’s, though. D’oh.

Figuring the others would never catch me, especially in a great handling car like the RX8, and in the rain, I stopped at a Dairy Queen. With full braggadocia, I informed the clerks I was a Power Tourer, and they should prepare themselves for thousands of hungry Tourers who would stop at their DQ on their way to Kalamazoo, all because I was there.

Silly kids these days. One of them told me Kalamazoo was West, and I had gone East.

Yeah, right. Like me, the great and mighty weatherman of the Hot Rod Power Tour could go the wrong direction by 40 plus miles.

Ha ha ha ha.

I paid for my chocolate covered strawberry blizzard and headed West at breakneck speed.

See, you’re never too old to act like a kid at the beach. I explained to Ken how the lakes were really polluted back in the ’70s, but much had been done to clean them up. Ken thought the water looked clean enough to drink.

We headed back to the highway, with Ken’s face now a shade of green matching the ’73 Road Runner we saw in the lot.

You Mopar guys know the color I’m talking about.

All those lost souls finally arrived in Kalamazoo. Since I was a little, uh, delayed, I missed my time on the stage, but Joe worked me in between sets of an Eaton employee band called Spirit of 76.

Ya gotta love that ’70s music. I know I did (and do).

Thanks, Joe, for fitting me in. Maybe next time the rest of the Power Tour can arrive at the same time I do, so this doesn’t happen.

For being over 40 years old, it looks good. I want it more than a small Visa bill in the mail, but I doubt that’ll happen, since it’s worth more than my house.

With rain once again threatening, we took a quick walk through the parking lot, and found some great bits and pieces of automotive excellence and art.

As long as it doesn’t rain we’ll be fine.

Your humble and obedient servant,

Forrest Tosie
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