As we set off for our journey to Connecticut, little did we know that by the end of our visit we would be honoured by a touching rendition of “O Canada”!
12 miatas met at the Swan on the Rideau restaurant early on the morning of 13th July 2016. Lead expertly by Bob and Mimi Gauthier and swept by Merv and Peggy Embury. Our goal would be the “Cruisin’ CT 2016” event, near Hartford Connecticut, held in celebration of the Nutmeg Miata Club’s 25th anniversary.
On the first day of our trip, we wound our way through twisties in the Adirondacks and had lunch on the shady patio of the majestic Adirondacks’ Hotel at Long Lake. After lunch we continued on beautiful country roads and spent the evening near the pretty resort town of Lake George NY. This was a strategically chosen half way point because of its abundance of good restaurants and, to the delight of some participants, the presence of several outlet malls!
Day 2 started with a hearty breakfast at the Pepper Mill restaurant. We continued our journey south, cutting through a corner of New Hampshire and across Massachusetts. As we neared Hartford Connecticut, idyllic country roads gave way to 4 lane interstate highways. An unnamed participant (whose initials are DW) took a wrong exit and got an impromptu tour of the seedier side of Hartford. Despite this miscue, we reached our destination at the Sheraton Hotel in Rock Hill in the early afternoon.
165 cars participated in the three-day (July 14-16, 2016) event. Highlights included guided and self-guided tours of some pretty amazing roads, autoX and parade laps at Lime Rock Park, and a Pinewood Derby (model cars made of pine race down inclined tracks) won by our own Steven Leu . BBQ lunches catered by local boy scouts, more BBQ for supper, buffet breakfasts, and an ample Farewell Banquet filled out our waist lines.
Some of us escaped one of the BBQs, and the heat, by a drive up the coast to Mystic and a lobster lunch in Noank.
Over too soon the group took various routes for the drive home. Eight cars went by way of Boston and participation in Massachusetts Miata’s Annual Event held at the Larz Anderson Museum of Transportation in Brooklyn, Mass. The UMN crew helped push attendance over the event’s 150 car goal. In celebration, the UMN arrival was piped in by a loud rendition of “Oh Canada” through the museum’s PA system. It was a proud and touching moment for the convoy of UMN Miatas!
By Keith Vodden
