Rumbleseat's East Coast Run 2003 Part Two

Last Run, Part Two.  Before I left Sullivan, Missouri on Monday afternoon, I tried phoning Bill in St. Louis, MO.  His e-mail had said he worked at home and could be reached there.  No answer.  Took a chance and drove to St. Louis, MO.  I stopped and phoned twice along the way.  Still no answer.  Continued on to St. Ann which is northwest of St. Louis.  Called again.  Still no answer.  Left a message saying I was sorry to have missed him and continued on the run.

Cross the Mississippi River and into Illinois staying off the interstates.  Neat drive.  Even managed to find a connecting farm road and played on the narrow crooked road.  Guess I'll never grow up.  Couldn't make time, but the drive, and sliding some corners, was super and well worth the time.  Got into a good sprinkle of rain which made sliding corners a whole lot easier on the car.  Stopped in Red Bud, IL for the night.  My usual routine each day is to find a motel first.  Then unload luggage, wash the roadster, shower, and then eat.  Later in the evening I plan the next day's route and make phone calls before resorting to some serious channel surfing.

Up early the next day, Tuesday, and headed down the asphalt ribbon.  Stopped for a quick breakfast at McDonalds (at least they're fast).  Ran into a rain squall.  Not enough to bother with, so didn't put up the top.  Down through Illinois and into Kentucky.  Kept going south and east on some winding county/state roads.  Pretty country and fun driving in the light sprinkle.  Made sliding tight corners easy.  I had the tonneau on so only I was getting wet.  It covers the seating compartment with a zip out section for the driver's side.  The rain at lower elevations is warm and I wasn't cold in the least.  The rain in good old Colorado will quickly chill you to the bone because it's always near the temperature of ice water. 

Got to the Kentucky Lakes.  This is a huge man-made lake which is in two states.  Over half is in Tennessee, but they still named it Kentucky Lakes.  It's a kind of river I guess because it has several dams due to the changes in elevation.  At each of these dams are locks to elevate or lower ships.  The lake is very deep.  Big Jim, an old Navy friend, lives on its shore in northern TN and I try to visit him every year.  He and I met in Kingsville, Texas while we were in the Navy way back in '52.  We hit it off right away and have remained good friends over the years.  He was tending bar in the Chiefs Club on the Naval base and I was playing piano.  He had a moving '40 tudor with a load in an early 21 stud engine.  I had a good running '48 convert with a few goodies and a Columbia.  We were soon racing flathead stock cars in Corpus Christi.  We raced them in Denver after being discharged.  He now lives on the shore of this huge lake.  He's got a hauling "T" roadster with a built 350 Chev.  It's running aluminum heads with an automatic trans.  Jim had broken his leg a few weeks before and was laid up.  I stopped  to spend a couple of days with him and his wife Pam.  Pam had reservations to bowl the Nationals in Nevada and caught a plane early Wednesday.  Big Jim got his name because he's a tad over 6'8" tall!  When he's in the "T", there is a lot of him sticking out.  His right leg was in a cast, so any rod activity was out.  But we did manage to get him and his cast stuffed in his Power-Stroke Ford car hauler (reminds me of something I saw in the back window of  Power-Stroke Ford pickup....."Why Ram it when you can Stroke it?")  I drove the diesel to my favorite catfish restaurant.  We always go there for dinner every evening I'm there.  It's always SUPER!  Made the usual pig of myself.  Spent Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday night with him.  Good friend and a good time.  Left Thursday morning in the topless roadster towards Franklin, TN to meet Flatiron.  Franklin is south of Nashville and not too far from Big Jim's home.  Ed said to call him when I got there.  Seems he had to work, but would take off to meet me if he could....rumble seat