Friday, March 29, 2024

Ever see a Torpedo, a Bentley, or a Packard?

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Billed as the "ultimate road trip for enthusiasts with automobiles" the Pebble Beach Motoring Classic made a pit stop in Leavenworth on Tuesday, August 5. Starting near Seattle, the classic covers approximately 1,500 miles winding through a multitude of terrains including mountains, beaches and countryside on it's way to Pebble Beach automotive week. Twenty-eight parking spots downtown were cleared to make viewing for spectators and participants safe and convenient and also as a way to view these automotive spectacles from all angles Leavenworth was featured as one of the 12 highlights of the tour that included such marvels as Crater Lake, Mount Hood and the Golden Gate Bridge.

                  Dan and Monica Rodriguez were visiting town from Seattle and were glad to come across the tour. "I never would have expected to see something like this up here," Dan delighted as he checked out a vintage gray Mercedes, "this is very impressive." While Monica confessed that she could hardly be called a car enthusiast, she admits that the show was one of the highlights of their trip to Leavenworth, "Dan's definitely the motorist of the family, all I know how to do is fill up the gas tank and kick the tires." 

                  One thing that is clear is that to participate in the Pebble Beach Motoring Classic, one has to be much more than just a vintage car enthusiast. The love and dedication that it takes to upkeep not only the appearance of the vehicle, but to keep them in working order for the 1,500 mile journey takes true passion and the price tags are nothing to scoff at. The total cost of participating in the Classic starts at $13,000 for 9-Day drive to Pebble Beach and when you ad in meals, gas and incidentals in the end, the bill likely ends up running to being closer to $20,000 per entry. 

                  Another pleasure of the show was experiencing the comradery between the participants and learning that they have travelled far and wide to enter into this elite spectacle that is famous not only in the United States, but worldwide. The entrants this year brought cars from Switzerland, The Netherlands, the UK and Germany and even though they sometimes might have a little difficulty understanding each others accents, their love of motoring really brings them together. Heather Winthrop and her family decided to mirror their American summer vacation on the route of the Classic by checking it out at a few stops along the way. "My husband and my boys really love all things automotive so we decided that this year we would have a bit of a different holiday than we would normally take." Even though they wouldn't be going to the typical holiday stops like amusement parks, she explained that she was very happy with the decision "I've always wanted to see Seattle and the Golden Gate bridge, this really is a trip we'll never forget." Heather also added that they were very happy to have discovered Leavenworth, "It's a great little town, one we wouldn't have even heard of if it weren't for the classic."

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