We held our 5th Annual Fall Scenic Cruise on Sunday, 09 Nov 2003. The huge turnout and stellar autumn weather combined for a typically perfect NOVAMOG event. We had a total of 10 Merkurs (9 XRs and 1 Scorpio) and several members brought a spouse and one even brought two kids who seemed to have a great time!
Our starting point was the Starbucks Centreville, VA and our route took us over 70 miles of lightly traveled back roads through Virginia's horse country to the Naked Mountain Winery in Markham, VA.
Many of us had the opportunity to arrive at the starting point early and that turned out to be a mini-meet all by itself. We commandeered several tables and spent as much as an hour updating each other and sharing notes on our Merkurisms.
Our route out of Centreville took us right through the Bull Run Battlefields under crystal clear blue skies and seasonal temps that are just perfect for making boost. The scenery was beautiful and it required strong concentration to keep eyes on the driving task at hand. At one point as we approached a series of S turns, a long line of Chevy Corvettes passed in the opposite direction at a high rate of speed so we knew we weren't the only car club out enjoying the day in spectacular style.
We arrived at the winery on time and spent nearly 30 minutes there enjoying the wine tasting, beautiful scenery and great conversation. There was also a very interesting 1973 911S parked out front, which got everyone's attention. From the winery, we headed over to the Ruby Tuesday's Restaurant in Warrington, VA for lunch where we had an extended wait for a table because of the other large group to get there just ahead of us. Yup, you guessed it, the same Corvette Club!
Thanks to everyone who participated and especially Richard Curtis who was indispensable in assisting with the preparations for this year's cruise.
Additional information about the Naked Mountain Winery can be found at http://www.nakedmtn.com
Click here to download the Route Directions |
