Organized by Mark Sperduti
MOTHER ………. Nature must have misread my memo and turned on the water dispenser vs the color one.
However, the weekend was not a wash and the dry Sunday drive gave us a glimpse of Fall colors just north of Leland. Maybe we’ll rename the event with an environmentally friendly spin: The JAGM “Green” Drive 😊.
Saturday, October 6th started with most members independently making the drive to Holland. With 48 Jag folks, the Curragh Irish Pub handled lunch in a surprisingly quick fashion. After lunch, most people walked around downtown Holland, checking out its many unique shops. The drive to Manistee, with less humidity than the morning drive, was a quick couple of hours up US-31. Dinner at the North Channel Brewing Company was very enjoyable as the food and environment were both great. The combined groups filled the entire back room with conversation, comradery, and introductions. We were not a quiet group!
Sunday, October 7th was much drier. We lined up at the foot of M-22 and were off! Our first stop was at the Pierce Stocking National Park/Scenic Drive, which had many look-out points over the dunes and Lake Michigan. Continuing on M-22 to Leland, next stop was in Fishtown for lunch. The Harbor Master did us right with a large reserved parking area and the Cove Restaurant provided a warm and welcoming atmosphere for a wonderful lunch and continued opportunity for more introductions between both club members. Many wanted to linger a bit longer and shop in old Fishtown, but our schedule called for moving on (maybe next trip?). JAGM’s next stop was at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse. The Chicago Club chose to visit a winery, so we split up to join later at the hotel. At the lighthouse, people toured the main building, and some squeaked their way up the staircase for the view. M-22 ended in Traverse City with a visit to MFD Classic Motors. The facilities theme was clearly retro and contained some very interesting cars and car related items. We saw some unusual and well-maintained cars. It was extremely nice for the owners to open their facility and entertain us on a Sunday afternoon. A very interesting couple. Dinner at Harrington’s on the Bay, only a few miles away from the hotel, was very enjoyable. We spent a few hours in conversation while enjoying the restaurant’s food and service.
On Monday, October 8th, Hagerty opened their “Garage” and welcomed us with coffee, donuts and cider. Again, many interesting vehicles on display and valuable information directly from the three Hagerty reps on site plus goodie bags for everyone. We didn’t get the Fall colors, but I hope the success of merging two clubs (with considerable participation from both) made up for it.
I want to acknowledge Mike and Kris for their seasoned advice and support on trip planning, Thank you! Also, a thank you to Rod for coordinating with the Chicago Club, The Curragh Restaurant lunch and suggesting The Pierce Stocking stop.
I took notes (Saturday’s sleep adventure will NOT happen again) …Happy motoring……
Marco and Kelly