It’s fall here, and that means that at Cool McCool’s Garage, it’s time for a road trip. This year, I left Kim at home to keep the pellet stove going, and I went to Las Vegas to visit our son Craig. We’d originally planned a grand tour of national parks but certain members of Congress (specifically the Tea Party caucus) shut down the government (and thereby the National Park system), requiring we come up with “Plan B”.
That turned out to be driving to Petaluma California, just north of San Fransisco, the heart of Sonoma County wine country. After VIP tours and tastings a two outstanding wineries, “Ferrari and Cerano” and “Holdredge” wines, we ate and drank our way from there down the California coast. We spent a day in Monterey, with supper at our favorite restaurant, “Monterey Fish House”, and a beautiful drive down Highway One. Spent a night in Pismo Beach and a day in San Lois Obispo wine tasting. We had lunch in Malibu at “Neptune’s Net”, and spent a night in Burbank with my niece Meghan and her husband Ron, with a side trips to “Old Crow Speed Shop” . The next day across LA and finally got to meet my long time pen pal Larry Wood (of Mattel “Hot Wheels” fame) at Elwood’s Garage in Long Beach.
Back in Vegas after 2100 miles on a rented Impala, we took in a show, “War Horse”, visited the Mob Museum, and I wasted some time people watching and visiting “Counts Kustoms” and Ricks Restoration, made modestly famous by “reality” shows on TV.
Whew.
A picture is worth a thousand words, they say, so lets get started with the pictures…
A hearty breakfast is the proper way to start a road trip.
My co-pilot Craig and his girlfriend Kathleen at Bellagio.
On the road to Petaluma
Over 10,000 gallons of Pinot Noir.
I am trapped in a wine cellar. Do NOT send help.
Craig and I at “Zazzle” in Petaluma.
I become a migrant laborer
Frank invited us in for lunch
Who has a Tucker in a wine tasting room?
When I come home to you, San Francisco…
Sea side, Monterey.
Off Highway One, north of Big Sur.
We stopped here to let the tailgating car behind us go by.
Panorama prank
Fly’n Brian flies from left to right.
National Forest Service site, “Mill Creek”. We moved the barricades and walked down to the sea.
They didn’t know the shore line was closed either.
Unfortunately, Hollywood Hot Rods was closed on Saturday. So…
…we wrangled an invite next door at “Old Crow Speed Shop.”
Another cool project, here a ’36 three window.
Baby chicks, fresh eggs, delivered right to your door.
I need this.
Amidst all this tradition, a REAL hot rod engine. LS Chevy truck engine.
Larry Wood’s garage. I wonder where he used to work?
Who besides me crashes a car INSIDE their own garage by starting it in gear?
The wagon backed itself right into Larry’s ’34, taking the left front fender and hood with it. Ouch. Nothing money wont’ fix.
Thank goodness this wasn’t in back of the wagon.
Larry’s custom Spartan 5th wheel.
Inside
Back in Las Vegas, I took the short bus to Rick’s Restoration’s.
“But honey, I HAD to take their picture, they were TALKING RABBITS!
How to get all this home?
Hey! They sell oysters in Vegas too!
It’s all over now, other than paying the MasterCard bill and sorting through hundreds of photos. It was a great trip, Craig and I had a ball, and we drank a lot of really great wine. Maybe next year, Kim and Kathleen can come too!
Cool McCool's Garage 
Looked like you had a great time! When I grow up I want to be Brian! LOL! There’
s only one! OH MMMMM Oysters!!!!!!!
What a DREAM
trip…..
Define wack job.
Same as insane inflation or gas 3x cost before election? being abandoned as crazy by everyone who voted for him?
Easy Mike. Lead by Cruz, it’s 30 House Republicans who feel it their mandate to force by political gamesmanship, the rest of their party, the Democrats, both houses of Congress and the President, to reverse or de-fund the affordable healthcare law. The fact that what they’ve really accomplished is to fracture the Republican party even further, and accomplish nothing by holding the rest of the government, and thereby the rest of the country hostage, is a widely acknowledged.
Further, I don’t remember gas costing $1 a gallon at any time in the past 15 years, inflation is flat, interest rates are a at the lowest point they’ve been in decades, and I’d like to see the poll showing the “everybody” who voted for Obama now thinks he’s crazy.
My inconvience at having to change my vacation plans is nothing compared to those who were truly hurt by the two week shut down. I still got my paycheck, had food, and if anything, drank much better wine than I usually do. I should thank the Tea Party Caucus for making my vacation better, but others were much more severely impacted, and suffered hardship. That’s what’s wacky about it.
I’m just say’n.
And I believe it John McCain who referred to Cruz as a “Wack job” long before I did…
Subject: Amazing … Shutdown signs appear so Quick???
This is just another step in Obama’s plan to destroy our Country! He’s sitting back blaming all this on congress as if he’s the good guy! Right!
Take a look at this from someone who wanted to remain anonymous
This is a great question that deserves some pondering. I smell a rat in the wood pile, don’t you?? The attorneys I’ve sent this to, it has got to set your minds to thinking, yeah, How did that happen so fast??
Did anyone besides me wonder how they got all those signs printed and distributed far and wide, including to all the national parks and cemeteries overseas only eight to ten hours after the government shut down? .
I have worked in the government on and off for 40 years. During that time I became quite familiar with requisitions, bidding, awarding contracts etc. It is a time consuming process with bean-counters and pencil-necked bureaucrats every step of the way. The simplest request takes months not days or hours.
In less than 8 hours of the shutdown, miraculously, professionally printed 3X4 foot signs appeared all over the country in the tens of thousands saying-“this [park, facility, etc. with custom logos] closed due to government shutdown.” There has not been a government shutdown in 17 years.
These signs were designed, specifications were determined, signs were then requisitioned, bids were posted and vetted, government contracts were awarded. The materials were then ordered and the signs manufactured then distributed U.S. Mails or freight companies.
This shutdown was orchestrated and planned well in advance at least 6-8 months ago. Millions of tax dollars were appropriated and spent in this process. There is a paper trail a mile long leading directly to the White House.
You stated “The Tea Party” is to blame–I don’t think so!!
Scott, you’re entitled to your beliefs, although I have to say the “Closed” signs we saw in National Park Service sites in California were not the elaborate ones you mention, they were simply police tape on barricade saw-horses. We moved them to go where we wanted.
Great set of pics.