Ha ha! Fooled you! No Orillia Show to report on. That morning, Marty and Sandy Davis (who host the post-show barbecue) woke up to a deluge of rain which hadn't yet reached the Lindsay area (Ken, Roberta, Harm and I were planning on going). Between texting back and forth at 5:30 and checking the weather network, it was obvious that the day would quite simply be a wash-out. We decided we wouldn't make the trip (not that our SC 360 couldn't use the bath) and instead headed back to bed. It's too bad because the Orillia event is always a great time - lots of amazing cars, fabulous downtown shopping and dining, and of course good friends to chat with! We'll be there next year - don't forget to register early to ensure a spot.
Orillia Classic Car Show
Orillia Classics Car Show 2015
The day promised to be hot and sunny, and it didn’t disappoint! The convoy to Orillia started at 6:30 a.m. at the farm of Barb and Harm’s. Ken and Roberta arrived in Roberta’s Pacer and Jodee, who had stayed overnight, drove her Ambassador. Given the road construction, Harm and Barb chose a different route which was very scenic, not only for us but the local wildlife. As we approached one of a number of osprey nests, one of the birds poked his head up out of the nest and you could just imagine what he was saying: “Hey, Larry, there’s three AMCs! Boy, they’re pretty rare birds now eh?” The route brought us driving under one of two lift locks in Ontario just outside of Kirkfield. (Note: If you’ve never experienced going through the lift locks, you can always take a small cruise in Peterborough, the other lift lock location. These locks were built over 100 years ago!). We ran into quite a bit of fog so that slowed us down a bit but we were still able to make the downtown in good time at 7:30 a.m.! By that time, over 200 cars had already arrived! Thanks to Marty, we had our traditional spot on Peter Street just off the main street where he had saved seven spots! Marty (this year’s Best in Show for Limited Class of Bricklin – congratulations!) had driven his Bricklin to ensure the rest of us would be all lined up together. In addition to our cars, Sandy drove her 1987 Eagle station wagon; Ken and Irene in their AMX; and Gary and Sonia in their Ambassador. A good showing for the club!
Annual Downtown Orillia Classic Car Show – August 16, 2014
When I hit the road at 5:30 that morning, the sun was trying to peep over the horizon and it honestly looked like we might even have a nice day. This held true until about 9am when serious clouds started to move in and by about 10 we have full-fledged rain which lasted for the rest of the day.
The brave and intrepid club members that attended the event were Ken Edwards and Roberta Sommerville, Marty and Sandy Davis and me. We were also joined by Sandy’s best friend Marie and her friend Don Today (he kept changing his name and when we pinned him down he said his name was Don , today so….). Fortunately, we had an abundance of umbrellas and other rain gear. It was also quite chilly so our club jackets kept us warm and dry for the most part.
I would estimate that about 200 vehicles turned out for the event and actually, we were surprised at how many spectators turned out! We were in our usual spot, on a side street just around the corner for our favourite watering hole – The Brewery Bay Food Co. We were able to get in there a little earlier than we had reserved for and enjoyed libations and excellent fare – as always.
The rain was pouring down and around 2 we decided we had enough. So we packed up and went back to Sandy and Marty’s. We spent the afternoon chatting, watching The Expendables 2 and finished off with burgers, dogs, salad and deserts.
Even though we were a small group and the weather was miserable, we had a great time, saw some very nice vehicles, got to display ours and enjoyed the day!
By Jodee Scott
