Pittsburgh Grand Prix Countryside Tour

Montse with our flight

Last July we drove out to join the Countryside Tour put on in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix.  The Grand Prix is a huge event over several days but unfortunately we had other commitments and could only make it there for the Countryside Tour.

This year, the tour began at the Century Inn in Scenery Hill, PA and ended at the Coventry Inn in Indiana, PA.  That is quite a hike out into western PA from where we live so we left the morning before and planned on spending the night at the Century Inn to be where the action was the following morning.  As luck would have it, rain followed us all the way from home until we got there but fortunately it let up shortly before pulling into the Inn and it didn't rain again for the rest of the trip.

Our flight catches a faster flight at a light

The following morning there were quite a bit of cars for the tour and we selected to go with a slow flight composed of a Healey, a TR3 and a MGA.  The flights were generally made up of four cars and were divided into fast, moderate and slow categories.  The run out to Indiana took us through some very nice back roads and very scenic terrain.  We left around 09:00 and got there at about 13:00.  If we had gone on a straight line it would not have taken half that long but the purpose of the thing was to run out and have a good time on the back roads.

Ed's car

We met a bunch of really nice people at breakfast at the Inn.  We also met a couple of the guys from the MGTDr forum.  It was great fun and could not have asked for a nicer day for a run like this.  Unfortunately, we needed to be back in Philly by evening so we left right after lunch for the long ride back home on the turnpike.

Montse behaved admirably, even in the rain on the Turnpike on the way out.  We had no issues but it sure was a major beating driving all the way there and back.  I've bought a tow bar to use on trips like this from now on.  The long distances on the interstate are just not fun at all.  We are planning on going back next year and stay for at least a couple of days to join in on the festivities.

To see more pics from the run, please, checkout my Flickr Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Album.

Tail gun Charlie

   

At the midway point

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Great Valley Baptist Church, Valley Forge, and Deer

At the Baptist Church in the Great Valley

Yesterday we took the MG out in one of our early evening spins.  Instead of heading out to the Goshen loop we took the Darby Paoli Rd route to go Valley Forge Park.  That route goes out to Church and then Waterloo following Waterloo until it merges with 252 and goes into the park.

I was very surprised to see that road conditions on Waterloo have not improved very much since the last ride we took there.  The road is still full of pot holes on torn up in several sections, especially on the return side.  I thought that by now this would have been repaired but it doesn't appear that they have done much work at all.

As we passed the Great Valley Baptist Church I made a quick decision to stop and take a couple of shot there.  I've been wanting to do that for the last 3 years and have never stopped.  Not the best or most dramatic shots ever but they will do.

From there we continued on to Valley Forge and did a couple of loops through the inner and outer defense lines.  The light was falling dramatically, especially under the canopy, and we had seen several small group of deer on the way in so I did not take the twists as hard as I would have liked for fear of having a close encounter of the deer kind.  However, it is still a nice fun drive on the MG with all the tight hair pin turns and hills to climb.

On the way back I wanted to avoid Waterloo because of the road issues so I went under 202, took the left and followed that to the West Valley Rd for another left under 202 in the opposite direction to get to Swedesford Rd.  Once there I followed it out to Walker and took that towards Old Gulph Rd.  On the way out we noticed more deer in small packs and somewhere on Walker we drove up to a doe and fawn sitting no more than 10 feet from the edge of the road.  They look at us as we slowed down and didn't even blink and eye.

Once on Old Gulph we took the left to South Wayne and took that across downtown Wayne and into the Louella neighborhood.  We followed some side roads, instead of cutting across to Conestoga, that wound us around back to 30 over by Chamonix.  From there we just took 30 to Radnor Chester Rd and Newtown Rd to home.

A great ride, specially in the park.  At this time of day there was hardly anyone else on the back roads at the park and even if I couldn't go as fast or as hard as I would have liked, it was a very enjoyable ride.  Other than the concern about keeping an eye out for deer we could not have asked for better conditions.

I made an appointment to take the MG in today for a complete check before we head out for Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix next week.

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Running with the Top Up

After I got home from my Bishop Hollow Rd run we took the MG out to do a test on the chrome edging and to see how riding with the top up felt.  I am afraid that the chrome edging will not hold up to road shake but on our short run it stayed in place.

We just ran out Goshen to Garrett Mill and took that to the Pike and did a reverse run to get home.  It was close to 20:00 when we left so although the sun hadn't gone down yet it was beginning to get dark and in the wooded areas it was really dark.  Driving with the top up is a little different, it feels weird not to have a 360 degree view and there are some serious blind spots at 5 and 7 o'clock that the mirrors just don't cover.

Obstinate goose

When we passed the Red Barn the white goose that has chased me before was there sitting on the side of the road.  Of course, he was camera shy and refused to let Charlene take his picture but at least we got him despite his refusal.  We stopped at Garrett Mill Park where I checked the chrome and snapped a couple of shots of the MG.  That was our turn around point.

It was a great ride, the chrome stayed on, and having the top up did not kill me.  I will try to get the rest of the car's edge chromed because it does look much better and maybe I won't regret the effort and lost time.

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Más Mexicali Cantina

Courthouse Clock Tower from the Terrace

Despite our previous misadventure with dinner in West Chester we took a ride out there on Friday night to eat at the Más Mexicali Cantina on State Street.  We took the MG on our regular West Chester route, up Goshen/Strasburg to the Pike and then straight into town on Gay Street.  All the parking spots in the downtown area were full so we had to find alternative parking in a structure on the corner of Walnut and Chestnut.  This arrangement worked out pretty well because, as long as one doesn't stay for more than three hours, it's cheaper to park here than in the open lots.

Dinner at the Cantina was good, not the best Mexican I've ever had but not bad at all.  We sat on the terrace which is a happening spot for the younger crowd but since the weather was so good it was a shame to sit inside.  After dinner we took a walk to Gemelli for gelato, great as always and then a short passeggiata through the downtown area.

On the way back we took a short ride around the University area and then headed out Market to the Pike.  I overshot Strasburg but got on it from Ellis and then did the reverse ride home.  I am really loving the rides in the early evenings.  The weather has been great at this time of day, even when it has gotten hotter during the day, and it is really an enjoyable experience.  

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Antique Plates (Part I) & The Paper Mill House

Paper Mill House, St. Davids Road

Yesterday Charlene and I took a little drive during lunch just because we could.  We didn't have a lot of time so we just went to the Wawa's on 352 and 3 to get a frozen mocha drink.  We took the regular loop up Goshen/Strasburg and headed back the same way.  We had a little extra time so we continued on to First Class Auto Tag Service to see if we could get an antique plate for the MG.  To get to First Class we continued on Goshen to Malin and then took Bryn Mawr Rd to Sproul following that all the way to West Chester Pike.

I've been checking the PennDOT site for the requirements for antique plates and have found them just a little confusing so I called the lady at First Class and she said all I needed was the title, proof of insurance, and my driver's license.  So armed with all that stuff, we stopped to see her.  Coincidentally, she also remembered having registered the car last year when we first got it.  She made copies of my driver's license and proof of insurance and took the original title giving me a copy for my records.  According to her, PennDOT will mail me the new title in about 10 days.  She will get the new plate from PennDOT and call me to come pick it up when she has it.  PennDOT charged me $75 for the plate, $50 for the registration, and Fist Class took $25 for their time and trouble.  If this works out, I will be a happy camper.  With an antique plate I won't need to do a yearly inspection or registration.  I plan to have yearly safety checks but it's nice to know that some of the paper work requirements will be cut out.

Paper Mill House and bridge over Darby Creek

The transaction took a lot less time than I'd imagined so we still had a little time for a small loop.  We headed back on Sproul to Godfrey and Darby Paoli.  At Darby Paoli and Saw Mill Rd we saw what appeared to be an orange McLaren going in the opposite direction on Darby Paoli.  We continued to St. Davids and stopped at the Paper Mill House to take some shots. I've ridden by the Paper Mill House countless times on the Bullet but I've never pulled in because the parking lot is loose gravel and I just don't like that.  From there we took a little loop to the end of Paper Mill Rd and back and then just headed up St. Davids to Newtown Street Rd, Waterloo, and Church for a complete loop back home with enough time to spare.

A short ride but much fun and I am hopeful that it will lead to antique plates on the MG.

The exotic tally stands at 16 Teslas, 15 Ferraris, 11 Maseratis, 5 Bentleys, 4 McLarens, 3 Cobras, 2 Austin-Healeys, 2 Lambos, 2 Unknowns,1 Rolls Royce, and 1 DeLorean.

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Carlisle... Not!

Got all packed and rolled down the road to our meeting point with Royal and Billnparts (two guys from the MGTDr forum that were also headed to Carlisle) in Denver, PA, at the Turkey Hill just off the Penna Turnpike, Exit 286.  We got there in just over an hour, at 11:00. with no problems or issues.  Pulled in the lot, talked to the guys for a couple of minutes, and then got ready to roll out.

That's when things started going down the Turkey Hill path.  The MG would not turn over.  There was some juice because the gauges would move but no cranking or anything.  So the guys proposed to give us a push, get to Carlisle, and there see if the pool of VW guys at the show could figure it out.  That sounded that a good plan to me.

They gave us the push, the MG kicked over, and we rolled of the lot to the Turnpike.  We got as far as just the other side of the toll both when the MG died on the roll.  I pulled over to the side of the road as I watch those guides sail on to the west.  Billnparts called in a few minutes and offered to turn around to come help me but that would have been a 44 mile trip all told and I did not see the sense in that.  I told him that they should go on and I would follow if I could.

Called AAA.  They put me in contact with the Turnpike Patrol which turned up in less than five minutes to guard my six and told me the tow would be there in 15 to 20 minutes.  I fooled around with what I could, mainly the fuses, and found the second from the left fuse had burned.  This is the same fuse I had problems with before.  I replaced that but that fuse but that did not do any good so it was just time to wait for the tow.

The tow got there and the driver could do no more than I did so I asked him to tow it back to Gene's.  I talked to Harold and he said he would look at it.  That's were it is now.  Harold said he had to track the problem down and he hopes to have it ready for tomorrow.

Carlisle is off the plate this year.  I will try again next year but I may tow the MG instead of trying to drive.  It's a big disappointment, I really enjoyed meeting those guys in person and was looking forward to meeting the others that would be there but there's nothing to be done.  At least the ride out Denver was nice and enjoyable.

Such is life.

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Replacement Tank - Part IV

3407 miles!

In preparation for the trip to Carlisle, I took the MG to the Gulf station on 252 just past the West Chester Pike.  I wanted to fill up the tank to see if it was still leaking.  The tank took 5.729 gallons at $3.499 per gallon for $20.05.

We had run 53.8 miles since the fill-up last Friday but, since Harold took out 2.5 gallons to fix the leak, I can't calculate the mileage.  The odo was at 3407 at the gas station.

The good news is that on the short trip back home there was no leakage or spillage from the tank so I guess I can call this problem solved for now.  That is good thing because the trip to Carlisle would not have been very enjoyable if I had to stop for fuel every 500 feet.

Below are some shots of the clean engine that I neglected to include with the last post.

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Replacement Tank - Part III - plus Hubcaps

New Tank

  This morning at 10:00, Jan from Gene's called me to say that the car was ready to be picked up.  I was going into a meeting at the time so at 11:00, when the meeting was over, I asked one of my co-workers to give me a ride to pick it up.

Harold had replaced the tank, adjusted the front and rear brakes, cleaned the oil screen, changed the oil, fixed the head lights by replacing the second fuse from the left, replaced fuel and vacuum hoses, and replaced the sending unit.  All of this plus labor and tax came to $227.77.

He had put $10.00 worth of gas in the tank so I headed out to fill it up and see if the previous leakage problem was solved.  I could have gone to a station on the West Chester Pike but I wanted a little bit of a test ride so I took Sproul up to Bryn Mawr, Darby-Paoli, and Goshen all the way up to Strasburg and 352 to the Wawa at the turn pike.

Refueling at the Wawa - 3353 miles

I stopped there for gas and while gassing up had a couple of guys come over to ask questions and chat about their sports cars.  That's one of the great things about this little car, you get to talk to a lot of people.  Now for the bad thing.  As soon as I filled the tank, gas started spilling out from under the silver cap over the sending unit.  The old tank had some black sealant gunk all over that spot but Harold had not sealed this thing.  I called Jan and she asked me to bring it back over.  On the way back, I just headed down the West Chester Pike straight to Gene's.  The brakes are working great, much stiffer than they have been and with plenty stopping power.  I got it going up to 70mph on the straightaway without any problems.

Black sealant gunk on the sending unit cap

When I got to Gene's Harold took over while I walked over to the Country Squire Diner for a little lunch.  I came back a little less than an hour later and he had sealed the sender unit cap with black gunk and taken 2.5 gallons out of the tank to give the gunk time to seal.  I will let it sit until Sunday and then I will refill it and see what happens.  Harold said to bring it back if it still leaks but I think it will be fine.

From there I headed home to get my truck because the Bullet was still at work and I did not want to have both the Bullet and the MG in the lot.  I will ride the Bullet home after work and then come back and pick up the truck later with my wife.

New MG hubcaps

Before going back to work, I took a couple of seconds to put the MG hubcaps on the MG.  I think they look rather nice.  I still like the original wire hubs that came with the car better but I like these hubcaps well enough and I think I will keep the on for now.  I know it was no big deal to make them but I'm pretty happy with the way they turned out.

Next I'm going to need to wash this thing to get all the yellow pollen off it.  I will have to do that this weekend to be ready for Carlisle.

Tank with black gunk sealant

Close up of new hubcaps

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Follow On MG Ride

Random photo of Charlene on the Bullet in front of Bartram's Covered Bridge

On Tuesday afternoon, after I got back home from my ride on the Bullet, my wife and I went out for a ride on the MG.  I am trying to burn as much gas as I can because I got an appointment for next Tuesday at Gene's to install the new tank.

We wanted to go out to the Starbucks in Edgemont, on the West Chester Pike, but I did not want to drive out there on the Pike.  We headed out Goshen to Providence and took that to the Pike.  At the Pike I wasn't sure if the Edgemont was East or West of the Providence intersection so I chose West.  Wrong answer.  We followed the Pike all the way to 352 and made a right for Strasburg Rd.  We followed that down past Providence and then took the right at Boot Rd just past Bartram's Covered Bridge.  Once we reached the Pike again we stopped at the Starbucks and got some coffee.

From there we took the Pike to Providence and followed that all the way to Sugartown and then took the right to Spring/Jaffrey.  At the intersection of Spring and Warren we ran into a pelotón milling about, one of the guys was wearing an ONCE (the National Organization of the Spanish Blind - also the people that run the lottery in Spain) jersey which I found amusing, but they cleared the way and took off down Warren. I was glad for that because I did not want them in front of my on Jaffrey and I would have then taken Warren instead which is not as much fun on the twists and turns.  I followed Jaffrey to Grubb, mimicking my earlier ride, and took the right there.  However, at the link up with Davis and White Horse I took White Horse to Grubbs Mill and that to Goshen for the ride back fearing that we were losing light fast and keeping in mind that my head lights are still out.

Before we left I put on the original hubcaps to test them out.  They held up pretty well until we got less than a thousand yards from the house.  At that point on Earles Lane I lost the left front and the left rear within seconds of each other.  So much for my fix.

We saw a black Maserati on Goshen very near to 252 and a white Tesla on Earles Lane when I stopped to pick up the first runaway hubcap.  This may be the same white Tesla I've seen in the neighborhood before.  We also so a late 60s/early 70's Pontiac and a red GTO on Goshen on the way out.  I'll count the exotics but I don't think I'll count the other two in the classic tally.  Today on my commute home on the Bullet I saw a metallic blue Ferrari on Sproul Rd.

The ride on Spring/Jaffrey is almost as much fun on the MG as it is on the Bullet.  The roads back there are just the right amount of twist and hill to really make a fabulous ride.  I will miss that when we are gone.

That brings the exotic tally to 10 Ferraris, 8 Teslas, 2 Lambos, 6 Maseratis, 2 Cobras, 2 Bentleys, 2 Unknowns, 1 Rolls Royce, 1 DeLorean, and 1 Austin-Healey.

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GE 4415A Amber Fog Light

GE 4415A

Saturday we were in DC most of the day but we got back early enough that I had enough time to fool around with the car.

The fog light on the MG has been out since shortly after I got it and I've been meaning to replace it.  My idea was to climb under the car and take it off because you can't just undo the screw holding the rim of the light together because the badge bar and apron are on the way.  I didn't jack the car up, just got under it, unfastened the bolt holding the light, and then removed the rim.  The light is held in place by three spring clips, one of which managed to sail off into the unknown not to be found again until the following day.  But I can't complain, I found the dammed thing.

I took the bulb to my local Pep Boys but I did not expect that they would have it in stock.  I was not disappointed.  They did search the net and found the bulb I needed listed in several places.  I could have done that myself but I appreciate the extra effort.

I found the bulb at Replacement Light Bulbs for $8.49 plus shipping.  It's not a GE but a Wagner but I don't really care so long as it works.  I ordered right away and got confirmation today that it would be here in 3 to 5 days.  Just in time for the weekend.

My plan was not to separate the fog light frame from the car but, as things would have it, re-assembling the whole contraption proved harder than I imagined.  So I cut the wire and took the fixture off.  I didn't see the point of reassembling until I had the new light so all the parts are sitting now in a bag on top of my workbench.  We'll see what the weekend brings.

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Valley Forge Ride

Sans hubcaps

Saturday was a beautiful, clear, blue sky day so we took a ride out to Valley Forge National Park in the early afternoon to take advantage of that great weather.

We headed out Darby Paoli/Church to Waterloo and followed Waterloo all the way out to Valley Forge.  On the way out, I noticed a gun metal gray Maserati a couple of cars ahead of me at the intersection of 30 and Waterloo.  I followed him for a bit but he peeled off and we continued on Waterloo.  We stopped at Mike's Consignment Shop in the Gateway Shopping Center because it's one of our favorite consignment shops in the area and it's on the way.  We weren't there long but when we came back to the car I noticed a big pool of liquid coming out from under the front.  I freaked out a little bit but on closer examination I realized that it was antifreeze.  Montse doesn't use antifreeze, it was probably from the car parked in that spot before us.  A little bit of a scare but nothing to it.

From there we continued on to the Park, it was full of Scouts and people with kids and dogs.  We got lots of thumbs ups and waves.  At one point a group of Scouts held their thumbs up asking for a ride so I pulled over and offered them all a ride if they could fit in the back.  We all had a big laugh over that.

We looped all over the park enjoying the twisty roads and then headed back home on a reverse route.  We had a short deviation, following Church to Conestoga and Wayne Street to check out a big manor house that is now visible because the leaves have not returned.  On Conestoga, we saw a blue Tesla and a blue Maserati in short succession.

A great ride even if not very long we were probably out for about an hour and a half to two hours.

The exotic car tally now stands at 9 Ferraris, 6 Teslas, 2 Lambos, 5 Maseratis, 2 Cobras, 2 Unknowns, 1 Bentley, 1 DeLorean, and 1 Austin-Healey.

Valley Forge Farm House

Abandoned restaurant on the edge of the Park

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The Feast of St. Patrick

2675.1 miles at 13:00 on 16 May 2015

Yesterday the temps were not as high as expected in the morning, at 09:00 the hovered around the mid 30s, so there was no riding to work in the Bullet at that time.  However, by lunch time they had risen to the mid 50s so that was enough to take the first commute of the year. The odo before the ride read 2675.1 miles so that is the mileage that we accumulated in last year's season of riding since buying the Bullet in early April.  The photo shows the clock at the right time, I guess it payed off not change it last winter.  XD

This morning, on St. Patrick's Day, I rode the Bullet to work in low 60s temps.  I didn't have time to come home for lunch but I came home early from work to take the truck to the shop.  After we returned from that, my wife and I took a short spin on the MG to take advantage of the great weather.  We headed up Goshen to Sugartown and came back via Providence Rd to Goshen.  We stopped at The Institutes for a couple of shots; no pics, it didn't happen.  On the way out on Goshen, I saw a guy on his Austin-Healey roaring in the opposite direction, we exchanged waves, and I bet he was loving being out as much as we were.

At The Institutes

At The Institutes

The forecast for the next seven days is not good, maybe snow on Friday but I can't imagine it will be much.  by this time next week the temps are forecast to start climbing again to the mid 50s low 60s.  Soon, soon!

The exotic car tally now stands at 9 Ferraris, 4 Teslas, 2 Lambos, 3 Maseratis, 2 Cobras, 2 Unknowns, 1 Bentley, 1 DeLorean, and 1 Austin-Healey.

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Cave Idus Martias!

On the Ides of March we had two rides on the MG to celebrate the coming Death of Winter.  It was actually a little colder than ideal with temps in the low 40s, overcast, and very windy.

My wife and I took another quick loop around the neighborhood around 11:00  but it quickly turned more uncomfortable than we expected and we returned home.  At noon, I took a ride out 252 to the Paoli Shopping Center to take some film to be developed at Ritz Camera and fueled up at the Luke Oil on the corner of Leopard Rd. and 30.  I filled the tank all the way to the top since I had made a patch on it last December where I thought the spout was leaking.  It turns out that the leak is still there.  It may be from a bad cap, that will be the next step.  If changing the cap does not work, I will replace the tank.  On the way back I took the Sugartown Rd/Church Rd loop and stopped at The Willows for a photo from my phone.  No photos, it didn't happen so that was a necessary stop.  The pond at The Willows is still completely frozen over.

Speedo/odo with mileage at fill-up

Tomorrow the temps are forecast to go as high as the low sixties so I am thinking it's time to take the Enfield out.  We'll see.

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Winter is Dying!

It was a balmy 62 degrees today and all that snow was melting like there was no tomorrow.  I got home a little after 17:30, rolled the MG out of the garage and turned her over.  After a couple of false starts she caught on and began to purr.  So taking advantage of the good weather my wife and I went for our first ride of the year.  Not much of a ride and not very long, we just did a big loop around the neighborhood.  We got lots of waves and smiles from everyone we saw on the road and we really enjoyed having the car out.  First ride on the season under our belts and Spring is on her way!

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The Seventh Day of Christmas - The Solemnity of Mary, Holy Mother of God

Graham at Villanova Law

It's also the Feast of the Blessed Waldo but the Solemnity of Mary, Holy Mother of God sounds so much better.

The temps were much better on the first day of 2015 so my stepson and I took advantage of that to get two rides in on the MG.  Our first ride was out on my regular commute route to work because I needed to bring some things in to my office.  We did that around 11:00 and when we figured that the temps were bearable (probably somewhere in the low 40s) we took a longer ride.

The second ride started out Goshen toward Grubbs Mill Rd.  We took a that turn and followed Grubbs Mill past Kirkwood Preserve to White Horse Rd.  I thought we would go out to the Melmark School on Wayland to get a few pics in front of the building but when we got there we found the circular drive blocked off so we headed back Wayland to White Horse.  At White Horse we took a left back to Grubbs Mill and followed that past where it turns back into White Horse Rd and then to Davis out towards Warren.  That road eventually leads to Providence Rd where we made a left and stopped at the entrance the Radnor Hunt Club where I stopped for pictures.

At Devon Hunt Club

We followed providence back to Goshen for the road home.  We saw a fairly big herd of deer in a pasture close to Grubbs Mill Road but they were too far from the road to make a good picture.  I figure that ride was a little over 20 miles by the end the cold was starting to become and issue but luckily we never strayed too far from an easy return home.  I regret not having taken the bike for a quick loop earlier because the future forecast does not look good.

At Villanova Law

At Villanova Law

At Radnor Hunt Club

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The Second Day of Christmas - The Feast of Saint John the Apostle

Baldwin's Book Barn

The Feast of St. John the Apostle turn out to be an even more beautiful day than St. Stephen's.  Clear blue sky and temps in the mid 50's, probably as high as 56 or 57 at some times.  A great opportunity to take the MG out for a spin.

We headed up Goshen to gas up at the Wawa on 352 and 3 and to gauge how feasible a longer ride would be.  My wife bundled up fairly well and brought along a riding blanket; I didn't wear thermals just a t-shirt, hooded sweatshirt and my old A2 leather flight jacket.  That turned out to be enough for the weather.

After gassing up we decided to continue on with the ride since the weather was so good.  We headed out on 352 to 926 and followed that to the Brandywine where followed Creek Road north along the east bank of the Brandywine to 52.  At 52 we made a right towards West Chester and headed to Baldwin's Book Barn.  Surprised to find it open, we stopped and went in for a browse.

In the parking lot of Baldwin's

We left Baldwin's and headed back on 252 but instead of going all the way back to Creek Road we made a left on Birmingham Rd.  This is a really nice windy country road.  I've been on it once on my regular car, the first time we came to Baldwin's, but now I realize I need to added to my Bullet rides.  Birmingham took us back towards 926, which was not marked at that intersection (the street sign just said "W New Road") so I overshot but once I was over it I realized that I needed to turn around.

At the foot of the Lafayette Memorial

Fortuitously, the next possible place to make a turn around was the Birmingham-Lafayette Cemetery.  It is an odd little graveyard that played a part in the Battle of the Brandywine as its stone walls were used by the American Revolutionary Army as its first line of defense during the battle.  At the entrance there are two monuments to two Colonels that fought in Wayne's Division at the Battle, beyond that there are monuments to two Revolutionary War Generals, the Marquis de Lafayette and Count Casimir Pulaski.  It is a little cemetery attached to a Quaker Meeting house and there is what looks like a single room octagonal school house in the back.  A place well worth returning to for further exploration.

From the we headed back to 926 and the way home stopping at the Goose Creek Grill for a little late lunch.  Monste got at sorts of attention when we pulled in the parking lot, some ladies coming out of the restaurant stopped to chat with us about the car, the chef came out to look at it, the bus boy told me it was "bad assed", and while we were inside some guys milled about her checking her out.  The lunch was good, we both had steak salads which were pretty good.  While sitting in the restaurant I noticed a red convertible Ferrari pull into the parking lot.  After we finished lunch we drove around the back of the restaurant and saw the Ferrari parked in the back.  Its license plate read "SNAIL", yeah, right!

From there it was just a quick jaunt down 926 to Garret Mill Rd and the Goshen for the way home.  A great day for a ride and a fabulous ride.  The Birmingham-Lafayette Cemetery is definitely going on the list for places to explore.

The exotic car tally now stands at 9 Ferraris, 4 Teslas, 2 Lambos, 2 Maseratis, 2 Cobras, 2 Unknowns, 1 Bentley, and 1 DeLorean.  The MGA I removed from this tally and put in the Classic Car tally.

Col. McClellan - Birmingham-Lafayette Cemetery

Baldwin's Book Barn

Baldwin's Book Barn

Birmingham-Lafayette Cemetery

Birmingham-Lafayette Cemetery

Birmingham-Lafayette Cemetery

Birmingham-Lafayette Cemetery

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