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By Sam Surprise Photos by Tom Letourneau, Lauren DeWaele, and Dave Dugan Well, friends, what a fun day we had, and a great turnout too! First, I must thank EVERYONE who made the effort to drive up from all parts south to make this event a memorable one. Thanks! And to all of our friends from Maine, thanks! And to my very best friends Rog & Rebecca for trailering their Spider out from Michigan, a double thanks! And a big thanks to Steve, Kathryn, and Keith Woodsum for generously hosting the club! It took all of you to make this event memorable. Now to the brass tacks: What a day! Hot as a diner griddle by 10am, but no storms in the forecast and enough shade trees at the Maine Tourism Center to not have people swearing under their breaths at me. Whew! We had a couple of caravans coming from the south and a scattering of Mainers roll in between 9:15 and 10:45. Steve Woodsum delivered Fred Wigand’s lovely cream Duetto to the Center so they could join the fun. We headed north at 11am sharp and within 1.5 miles had the last four cars separated from the pack. (I take the blame, it being my first time doing this kinda thing.) Anyway, Fred Wigand saved the day; he’s from Brunswick and was the last to leave. He picked up the lost stragglers and took a shortcut to get them AHEAD of us, unbeknownst to him. I led the rest of the pack along on the original route and we hooked back up within ten minutes, bringing us together and not to part again for the rest of the day. Fred took the lead because he recommended a side route, which hugged the Maine coast even tighter than I had planned. We all nipped and tucked the shore, in and out of neighborhoods, over hill and dale and rustic bridges. We didn’t hit high speeds but the shade we drew from the plentiful woods was a blessing for all of us with our tops down. After a charming one-hour cruise, we landed at Bailey’s Island and Cooks Lobster House at high noon. 32 of us piled in, and the dining room was set and ready for our posse. I could be wrong, but I believe that two fully capable staffers waited on us hand and foot for the next two hours. Great view, and I heard no complaints about the food or assorted beverages. We hit the road again at 2pm. Tom Letourneau wanted us to ride out to the point so he could shed a few more nostalgic tears about the land he sold for a song many years ago and how much he missed the stunning Maine coast. I’ve lived here for 25 years and am still awestruck when I take the time to ride the backwoods coast, so I know why Tom was weepy. I will never live anywhere else. Period. I digress. Anyway, we made the islet loop and headed inland on Route 24. My biggest fear of the day was getting through Bowdoin College and downtown Brunswick midday on Saturday. But we did it in record time and together — 10 minutes, and I had figured it at closer to 30. After we crossed the river and headed north into the countryside, we were able to air it out a bit. I kept the lead at about 10 to 15mph over the posted speed, which ranged 45 to 55. It was a true joy for me to look into my rearview mirror and see so many multicolored Alfisti stretched out behind Karen and me on some of those beautiful, long, banked, farm roads. After about an hour, we took a short break outside of Richmond, relieving and replenishing fluids, both mechanical and bodily. My only regret was that I hadn’t scouted out a shaded area for our crew to rest. At this point, Bruce and Jane Murray headed south early because of the heat, and I can’t blame them — it was HOT & HUMID. By 3:30, we were on the road again and headed out on the final leg, destination Kents Hill. Again, I had the repeated pleasure of viewing our crew from the rearview mirror on many long country roads, a shot I wish I could have captured on film beyond my wine-soaked memory. I called ahead and told Steve that I estimated our arrival at around 4:20. We rolled in at 4:30. Keith Woodsum and Kai Dugan greeted us with hand signals, directing the caravan to the back yard and a final resting place up on a lush, grassy knoll overlooking a fabulous northern mountain vista. Dave Dugan, a professional photographer and fellow Alfista, directed us strategically into position for a grand photo of us with and without our cars. I don’t know how the rest of you felt, but the pool was a total delight. It didn’t take long for me to find my bathing suit and dive in, and I wasn’t the first or the last. After about an hour in the pool, I started to feel normal again and could look around at the gorgeous spread the Woodsums enjoy every day. The burgers and dogs were excellent along with all the fixings. Of particular note was the cake that Kathryn Woodsum had made up with Alfa colors and a big “Welcome Alfa Owners” written across the top. First class! Steve gave multiple tours of his new shop, Great Northern Motor Works, just a short hop down the road and much conversation was had by all, not only about our penchant for all things Italian but for just the genuine camaraderie of good friends. I hope that everyone found their respective accommodations pleasant and enjoyed the day half as much as I did. Steve and I are already talking about making this an annual event with many more roads to conquer.
Ciao and hope to see you all at Tutto Italiano August 5th. [And a huge helping of thanks goes to Sam Surprise and his coconspirators for staging this event — etched in our memories by the coastal drive, fresh seafood, romp in the Maine hills, the Woodsum hospitality … and the incredible heat! — Ed.] Road Rally Attendees
Karen St. Clair & Sam Surprise (Blue/slate Spider '88), Portland Cars: 16 — People: 32 Joined us in Kents Hill
Grier Merwin (Red Spider '91), Rockland Cars/Vehicles: 8 — People: 12
Event Grand Total
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(Click on the thumbnails below for a larger view, and then
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