A Blessing in Disguise

The only real way to describe it

By Tom Letourneau

I'm speaking of the good fortune that befell John and Lauren DeWaele, namely having to cancel their Cider Mill Tour of October 14th due to bad weather, and what looked to be a small turnout. It was also good fortune that the Cape Crusade needed to be canceled, allowing John and Lauren to immediately hop on that date and reschedule their tour, to the benefit of all of the AONE members who wound up being able to partake.

Thirteen Alfas (and one Lesser Car) showed up for the beginning of the tour at the Gazebo in Scituate, RI — a very popular location from which the British Motorcars of New England begin many of their events. For many years, John and I have touched upon running an event (a tour, a gimmick rallye, etc.) through Western "Vode Dylin" (you need be a native to get it) and parts of Eastern CT (the Last Green Valley).

Finally, it has been done — and what a tour it turned out to be! I was so happy to see John and Lauren's efforts so well rewarded. All of us who have taken the time to do a tour, rallye, or any kind of an event do so strictly for the opportunity to bring a little joy into our fellow members' lives, and the deep-down-inside personal pride and gratification we derive from those efforts.

I was not able to complete the tour, as Saturday was my wife's 81st Birthday, and her nursing home was having a little something; obviously, I needed to be there. However, what I was able to see on that part of the tour (almost to Voluntown before I had to turn back) was nothing short of spectacular.  I knew every road John and Lauren chose, and have driven them more times then I can remember. But the layout that John and Lauren picked was absolutely brilliant — I mean brilliant. Saturday morning in that part of Rhode Island is usually traffic-free — and it was. The stretch I was able to partake in (at the tail end being the Lesser Car) saw only one vehicle cut into our group, and she was gone very shortly after we crossed the dam, in Scituate on Rt. 12.

This tour had to be the attention-getter I have been looking for, for years, to open everyone's eyes to what we have to offer here in RI (and Eastern CT) for out-of-this-world back roads, my hope being that there will be a demand for more events held here. Most enjoyable was the lack of traffic, which allowed John, who does not drive back roads like he has a raw egg under his gas pedal, to lead the group, shall I say, rather crisply!

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