Alas, the time had come. The time for the longest journey yet!! The morning bristled with excitement and a bit of apprehension. The car was packed and warming in the morning mist. The rumble of the car sounded somehow special this morning, for she was to prove her worth and that of her re-builder. Finally, everything gathered, car ready for action, the rain came. A light rain, but it meant wet roads and wipers all the way none the less. Should we chance it or not?? In to the garage the 'toy' went, out came the 'everyday' car. Off to Friendlies were were. Not without a lot of 'could've, should've, and 'want too's'!!! After a bit of an erroneous side trip to fuel the occupants we arrived............... ESSCA took our Fall Cruise on Sunday, 3 October. Meeting at the Latham Friendly’s, we had nine members and guests in attendance: Craig & Robin Shufelt, Larry & Linda Laurence, Tom Albert, Laurie Warner, Mark and Jamie Phillips, and the Phillips’s niece, Ashley. Unfortunately, due to the inclement weather (rain and mist), no “project cars” were in evidence! The weather also hindered our appreciation of the fall scenery, but made for a more efficient trip east, as no one was tempted to stop to “leaf peep”. We made it to the Yankee Candle Company in South Deerfield, MA before noon, and decided to look at the car museum first thing. The museum boasts a changing exhibit of more than 80 vehicles. At the time of our visit, there was a wide variety, including an amphicar and the “Hippomobile”. Cameras were constantly flashing, especially around the Ferrari and Rolls-Royce that were designated for visitor sitting! After everyone had (however reluctantly) exited the museum, we designated a time to meet for lunch and split up to explore. While extremely crowded, the complex offered many attractions, from the car museum gift shop, to toys, food and drink, music, Christmas displays and merchandise--and, of course, candles. No one was able to say that they had seen everything! Although the Phillips had to leave early, those of us remaining had an enjoyable lunch and then headed for home. For our return trip, the weather had cleared, and we made several stops at roadside stands and overlook areas. (Oddly enough, they were frequently located together...) Now that we all knew the route, we utilized a system of rotating leaders in order to ensure that everyone had a chance to indulge their interests. All in all, it was an enjoyable trip. Hopefully, next year the weather will oblige us, and we will be able to display our cars as well as our membership! by Tom & Laurie