2024 Recent Club Events
Our Visit to the Garst Museum and
National Annie Oakley Center
Our club activity for the month of August was a visit on the 10th to the Garst Museum and National Annie Oakley Center located in Greenville, Ohio.
Our group formed up six Thunderbirds and two corvettes just outside Englewood, Ohio before making our way on back country roads to Greenville. Club members participating included Scott McGaha and his brother Todd, Dave & Deb Harvey, Brett & Peg Andrews, Mark & Jackie Allen, Dave & Susan Menke, Jo & Larry Doelker, James Russell and guest Paula, and Ron & Linda Prater. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. The sun was shining, and the air was cool. Upon arrival we paid our fees, signed the guest log, and was given a short orientation on the history of Greenville and the museum by Mike, one of the docents. The volunteers running the facility surprised us with a table containing coffee, bottled water, molasses cookies and a placard that read “Welcome Southwest Ohio Thunderbird Club”. We were soon free to wonder about the facility at our leisure as Mike patrolled the hallway with us to answer any questions we may have. His assistant, Marilyn, was available to do the same in the Lowell Thomas exhibit.
Following the nearly two hours we spent touring the facility, we regrouped, loaded into our cars, and headed off to the Montage Café in Greenville for lunch. During lunch Jackie, one of the event planners, distributed free passes to the museum that she was given by the museum staff. She also surprised us with a name draw out of a hat for a prize which our club secretary, Dave Harvey, won. After lunch, members were free to do as they wished. Several choose to visit the historic Bear’s Mill and gift shop located east of Greenville which, built in 1849, is still a functioning mill.
We want to give a big thanks to Mark and Jackie for all their efforts in planning and organizing this event for our club.
TSWO Thunderbirds Cruisin’
Southwest Ohio Covered Bridges
It was a beautiful summers day when on July 20th seventeen members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio and two guests, cruising in nine T-birds, wound their way around the back roads and farmland of Southwest Ohio while visiting some of the state’s oldest covered bridges. This was the third time in the clubs sixteen year existence that the club has taken such a tour. Members participating included Scott McGaha (club president) accompanied by his brother Todd, Roger & Lisa Hamm (Treasurer), Brett & Peg Andrews, Mark & Jackie Allen, Jo & Larry Doelker, Dave (Secretary)& Deb Harvey, Mike Hall (Vice Pres), Charlie & Becky White, Adam Guldan, James Russell, and Ron Heinz joined by his son Doug. The T-birds on the cruise included one '56 and one '57 babybird, one '60 squarebird, one '90 superbird, and five retrobirds (three '02's and two '04's).
We rendezvoused at Rob’s Restaurant in Brookville, Ohio and after a short orientation about the tour and the distribution of walkie-talkies, we were off on our adventure. We were made aware by a member that there may be route deviations due to constructions, so we planned accordingly.
The tour covered approximately 73 miles from our departure location to the final bridge and took about 3 1/2 hours to travel. The covered bridges visited included the Warnke Bridge, Geeting Bridge, Christman Bridge, Harshman Covered Bridge, and the Hueston Woods State Park Covered Bridge. It was here at the Hueston Woods Bridge where we parked to stretch our legs, see the bridge up close, and take some photos. We then proceeded to the final two bridges on our tour - - the Brubaker Bridge and the Germantown Bridge. It was the Brubaker Bridge that earlier indications hinted that it may be closed, but thank goodness upon our arrival it was not. This was the most scenic of the bridges due to its location in a valley and where we recorded a video of our cars passing through and exiting the Brubaker thanks to our club member, Jackie, for running down the hill, through the bridge and positioning herself on the exit side to take the video..
We were fortunate to be able to visit the Brubaker this year since in August of 2022 a tractor trailer driver attempted to pass through the bridge without confirming his trailer would clear the bridge opening. It didn't. He struck the bridge doing major damage. The bridge was closed while the local Government debated whether to restore the bridge or construct a modern one. They opted to rebuild the Brubaker and it reopened on February 13, 2024, hence our surprise to have hear it may be closed again. Lucky for us it wasn't.
We departed the Brubaker and headed to our final bridge on the tour, the Germantown Covered Bridge. This was the only bridge of the seven we visited that was limited to foot traffic only. The bridge had been moved from its previous location and converted to a foot path across the river in the town. We parked, walked around on the bridge, and talked of our day's experience.
Our tour of Southwest Ohio covered bridges had come to an end. At this point, members were on their own but were invited to participate in the Germantown Saturday Night Out being held that afternoon that included live music, food & craft vendors, and a classic car cruise-in.
Below is a short file showing pictures of each of the covered bridges we visited along with some brief background information on each (click on "Download File" to view). Also, below are photos taken during the covered bridge cruise event.
Southwest Ohio Covered Bridges
It was a beautiful summers day when on July 20th seventeen members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio and two guests, cruising in nine T-birds, wound their way around the back roads and farmland of Southwest Ohio while visiting some of the state’s oldest covered bridges. This was the third time in the clubs sixteen year existence that the club has taken such a tour. Members participating included Scott McGaha (club president) accompanied by his brother Todd, Roger & Lisa Hamm (Treasurer), Brett & Peg Andrews, Mark & Jackie Allen, Jo & Larry Doelker, Dave (Secretary)& Deb Harvey, Mike Hall (Vice Pres), Charlie & Becky White, Adam Guldan, James Russell, and Ron Heinz joined by his son Doug. The T-birds on the cruise included one '56 and one '57 babybird, one '60 squarebird, one '90 superbird, and five retrobirds (three '02's and two '04's).
We rendezvoused at Rob’s Restaurant in Brookville, Ohio and after a short orientation about the tour and the distribution of walkie-talkies, we were off on our adventure. We were made aware by a member that there may be route deviations due to constructions, so we planned accordingly.
The tour covered approximately 73 miles from our departure location to the final bridge and took about 3 1/2 hours to travel. The covered bridges visited included the Warnke Bridge, Geeting Bridge, Christman Bridge, Harshman Covered Bridge, and the Hueston Woods State Park Covered Bridge. It was here at the Hueston Woods Bridge where we parked to stretch our legs, see the bridge up close, and take some photos. We then proceeded to the final two bridges on our tour - - the Brubaker Bridge and the Germantown Bridge. It was the Brubaker Bridge that earlier indications hinted that it may be closed, but thank goodness upon our arrival it was not. This was the most scenic of the bridges due to its location in a valley and where we recorded a video of our cars passing through and exiting the Brubaker thanks to our club member, Jackie, for running down the hill, through the bridge and positioning herself on the exit side to take the video..
We were fortunate to be able to visit the Brubaker this year since in August of 2022 a tractor trailer driver attempted to pass through the bridge without confirming his trailer would clear the bridge opening. It didn't. He struck the bridge doing major damage. The bridge was closed while the local Government debated whether to restore the bridge or construct a modern one. They opted to rebuild the Brubaker and it reopened on February 13, 2024, hence our surprise to have hear it may be closed again. Lucky for us it wasn't.
We departed the Brubaker and headed to our final bridge on the tour, the Germantown Covered Bridge. This was the only bridge of the seven we visited that was limited to foot traffic only. The bridge had been moved from its previous location and converted to a foot path across the river in the town. We parked, walked around on the bridge, and talked of our day's experience.
Our tour of Southwest Ohio covered bridges had come to an end. At this point, members were on their own but were invited to participate in the Germantown Saturday Night Out being held that afternoon that included live music, food & craft vendors, and a classic car cruise-in.
Below is a short file showing pictures of each of the covered bridges we visited along with some brief background information on each (click on "Download File" to view). Also, below are photos taken during the covered bridge cruise event.
| the_covered_bridges_on_2024_bridge_tour.pdf |
The Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio
Roll in the Dayton Airshow Parade
On the evening of June 21st, 2024, eleven members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio, driving eight Thunderbirds, participated in the kickoff parade for the 50th CenterPoint Energy Dayton Air Show in Vandalia, Ohio. Club members participating included our club president, Scott McGaha ('02 retrobird), our club Secretary Dave Harvey ('57 babybird), Lisa Hamm, our club Treasurer and her husband Roger our immediate past president ('02 Retrobird), Brett Andrews (’66 Flairbird), Paul & Sherry Loschi (’94 Superbird), Dave Menke (‘03 Retrobird), Charlie White (’04 Retrobird), and John & Linda Prater (’04 Retrobird).
The group gathered in a local church parking lot near the parade route. Once assembled, the members caravanned to the parade registration tent, signed in, then proceeded to our spot in the parade staging area where we waited for the parade to start. To say it was a hot day would be a grave understatement. It was 95 degree and felt like it was over 100, but the excitement of the day seem to somewhat quell the discomfort.
After waiting for better that an hour, parade time finally arrived. We watched as the stream of parade participant ahead of us flowed like a long snake toward the parade route. Eventually it was our turn. We started our engines and moved into the flow. Once on the parade course we proceeded at a walker’s pace on our trek through the heart of town. In spite of the heat, hundreds and hundreds of people lined our path on both sides of the street. The time spend preparing our vehicles, the torturous heat, and the long wait were all worth it just to watch the excitement on the kids faces as the parade passed before their eyes as we heard shouts like "look at that cool car". The parade route through town was slightly less than a mile. Soon we had reached the end and our part in the parade was over. For those of us who participated, it will forever remain as one of the highlights of our club - - to have driven and showed off our Thunderbirds in an internationally known air show event.
As the driver of the '66 flairbird, one concern that was always present was the possibility of the car overheating caused by the high outside temperature and the 3 mph stop and go pace at which we were traveling. Older cars are prone to overheat in such situations. It didn't take long for my flairbird to prove that to be the case as the needle on the temperature gauge began migrating closer and closer to the "hot" side of the gauge. I heard that to slightly reduce the possibility of an overheating, turn your heater on full blast. This setup forces some of the hot engine coolant through the heater core and the fan blows air across the core extracting some of the heat which unfortunately ends up blowing into the car. I did it and it seemed to help. Now I know what it would fell like to be in an air fryer. But what a day, what a memory.
Below are some pictures of our T-birds at the event.
Roll in the Dayton Airshow Parade
On the evening of June 21st, 2024, eleven members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio, driving eight Thunderbirds, participated in the kickoff parade for the 50th CenterPoint Energy Dayton Air Show in Vandalia, Ohio. Club members participating included our club president, Scott McGaha ('02 retrobird), our club Secretary Dave Harvey ('57 babybird), Lisa Hamm, our club Treasurer and her husband Roger our immediate past president ('02 Retrobird), Brett Andrews (’66 Flairbird), Paul & Sherry Loschi (’94 Superbird), Dave Menke (‘03 Retrobird), Charlie White (’04 Retrobird), and John & Linda Prater (’04 Retrobird).
The group gathered in a local church parking lot near the parade route. Once assembled, the members caravanned to the parade registration tent, signed in, then proceeded to our spot in the parade staging area where we waited for the parade to start. To say it was a hot day would be a grave understatement. It was 95 degree and felt like it was over 100, but the excitement of the day seem to somewhat quell the discomfort.
After waiting for better that an hour, parade time finally arrived. We watched as the stream of parade participant ahead of us flowed like a long snake toward the parade route. Eventually it was our turn. We started our engines and moved into the flow. Once on the parade course we proceeded at a walker’s pace on our trek through the heart of town. In spite of the heat, hundreds and hundreds of people lined our path on both sides of the street. The time spend preparing our vehicles, the torturous heat, and the long wait were all worth it just to watch the excitement on the kids faces as the parade passed before their eyes as we heard shouts like "look at that cool car". The parade route through town was slightly less than a mile. Soon we had reached the end and our part in the parade was over. For those of us who participated, it will forever remain as one of the highlights of our club - - to have driven and showed off our Thunderbirds in an internationally known air show event.
As the driver of the '66 flairbird, one concern that was always present was the possibility of the car overheating caused by the high outside temperature and the 3 mph stop and go pace at which we were traveling. Older cars are prone to overheat in such situations. It didn't take long for my flairbird to prove that to be the case as the needle on the temperature gauge began migrating closer and closer to the "hot" side of the gauge. I heard that to slightly reduce the possibility of an overheating, turn your heater on full blast. This setup forces some of the hot engine coolant through the heater core and the fan blows air across the core extracting some of the heat which unfortunately ends up blowing into the car. I did it and it seemed to help. Now I know what it would fell like to be in an air fryer. But what a day, what a memory.
Below are some pictures of our T-birds at the event.
TSWO “Thunderbird Appreciation Day”
Donut Run 2024
It’s has been several years since our club has done a donut run, so we decided to do one in conjunction with Thunderbird Appreciation Day this year (May 19th). However, we discovered that a few of the shops we wanted to visit were not open on Sundays and others of them closed early. So, it was determined that it was best if we observe Thunderbird Appreciation Day during our donut run on Saturday, the 18th. The weather appeared iffy the entire week leading up to the the big day of the run, but almost miraculously the weather changed for the better. The day turned out to be beautiful, and we didn’t see a single drop of rain.
The rendezvous point for club members joining us on the donut run was the first of our eventual eight donut shop stops - - Jim’s Donuts in Vandalia, Ohio. Club participants gathering at Jim’s included our president (Scott McGaha), our VP (Mike Hall), Mr. Secretary (Dave Harvey), Brett & Peg Andrews, Mark & Jackie Allen, James Russell, and Charlie White, along with Scott’s friend and highway navigator Nick Fullenkamp. Our first surprise of the day was an unexpected guest, Shane, who saw the club Thunderbirds parked at Jim’s Donut Shop, went home, got his T-bird, joined us at Jim’s, and traveled to several of our other stops with us.
Thunderbirds brought to the event included Scott and Nick in Scott’s ’02 Retrobird, Mike’s rolled along in his ’60 Squarebird, Dave’s cruised in his ‘57 Babybird, Brett & Peg toured in their ’04 Retrobird, James shifted those manual gears in his ’56 Babybird, and Charlie sported around in his ’04 Retrobird. Joining the car group was Mark & Jackie in their honorary T-bird Corvette.
As mentioned, our day started with our 9:00 am showtime at Jim’s Donuts. Here's where our group enjoyed their coffee and first donut of the day. It was soon time to be on our way. Our meanderings started north of Dayton and eventually ended well south of Dayton. Shops we visited after Jim’s included in this sequence: (2) The Donut Palace (Huber Heights), (3) Baker Benji’s (Dayton), (4) Duck Donuts (Dayton), (5) Ashley’s Bakery (Oakwood), (6) Stan, The Donut Man (Dayton), and (7) My Favorite Muffin (Centerville). It was at this point we made a slight change in plans. Originally, we were to visit nine donut shops, but while at My Favorite Muffin, our president suggested, and the group agreed, to skip Bear Creek Donuts in Miamisburg due to a town festival which may have made our movements through town and parking difficult.
Our options then were to visit Bill’s Donut Shop just round the corner, in lieu of going to Miamisburg, or just move on to our last stop - - The Donut Haus in Springboro. The group elected the latter option. With My Favorite Muffin in the process of locking their doors, we knew it was time to move on to our eighth and final stop. During our days’ travel, unfortunately Charlie and Dave had to leave us at earlier stops due to prior commitments, but the remainder of the gang held on to the end.
After making our final purchases at The Donut Haus, and as we discussed the day’s events, Scott suggested, for those interested, that we have a late lunch together a short distance up the road at the Warped Wing Restaurant. There was a unanimous “yes” and soon we were at the eatery, sipping a cold beer, eating non-sugar chow, while in engaging in friendly banter and the rehashing the days events.
As this author thought about our day, three special moments stand out. The first, already mentioned, was having a stranger to our group, Shane, who owned a T-bird, join us for part of our day. The remaining two incidents show the true character of classic car folks and specifically our club members. The first took place at Baker Benji’s. As we were leaving the bakery, we noticed three young boys, who were riding by on bikes, spotted Jim’s ‘56 Babybird and stopped to admire it. Jim approached the boys and began a conversation. We couldn’t hear what was being said but it was soon clear these boys were about to have a great experience. Jim talked to them about the car, let them sit in it, and even took their pictures using their phones while they sat in his car. This will be a long time memory for those boys and a great way to foster love of older cars in today’s youth.
The second event occurred at Stan The Donut Man’s shop. As we stood in line to order our sugary treats, we noticed a little 7 or 8 year old boy, Hunter, behind the counter playing with a diecast model of a 1930s Chevrolet. A few of our members questioned him if he liked old cars. He was invited outside to see our cars. Before long members had him sitting behind the wheel in most of our cars. They demonstrated some of the unique features of their vehicle, while club members and Hunter’s grandma, who apparently worked at Stan’s, took pictures. As a reminder of that day, which Hunter will remember for a long time, one club member removed the Thunderbird wings pin from his hat and affixed it to Hunter’s shirt.
What at first appeared would be a bust day due to the weather turned into a fantastic day which both club members and those with whom we interacted will fondly remember. See the photos below of our TSWO Thunderbird Appreciation Day Donut Run 2024.
Donut Run 2024
It’s has been several years since our club has done a donut run, so we decided to do one in conjunction with Thunderbird Appreciation Day this year (May 19th). However, we discovered that a few of the shops we wanted to visit were not open on Sundays and others of them closed early. So, it was determined that it was best if we observe Thunderbird Appreciation Day during our donut run on Saturday, the 18th. The weather appeared iffy the entire week leading up to the the big day of the run, but almost miraculously the weather changed for the better. The day turned out to be beautiful, and we didn’t see a single drop of rain.
The rendezvous point for club members joining us on the donut run was the first of our eventual eight donut shop stops - - Jim’s Donuts in Vandalia, Ohio. Club participants gathering at Jim’s included our president (Scott McGaha), our VP (Mike Hall), Mr. Secretary (Dave Harvey), Brett & Peg Andrews, Mark & Jackie Allen, James Russell, and Charlie White, along with Scott’s friend and highway navigator Nick Fullenkamp. Our first surprise of the day was an unexpected guest, Shane, who saw the club Thunderbirds parked at Jim’s Donut Shop, went home, got his T-bird, joined us at Jim’s, and traveled to several of our other stops with us.
Thunderbirds brought to the event included Scott and Nick in Scott’s ’02 Retrobird, Mike’s rolled along in his ’60 Squarebird, Dave’s cruised in his ‘57 Babybird, Brett & Peg toured in their ’04 Retrobird, James shifted those manual gears in his ’56 Babybird, and Charlie sported around in his ’04 Retrobird. Joining the car group was Mark & Jackie in their honorary T-bird Corvette.
As mentioned, our day started with our 9:00 am showtime at Jim’s Donuts. Here's where our group enjoyed their coffee and first donut of the day. It was soon time to be on our way. Our meanderings started north of Dayton and eventually ended well south of Dayton. Shops we visited after Jim’s included in this sequence: (2) The Donut Palace (Huber Heights), (3) Baker Benji’s (Dayton), (4) Duck Donuts (Dayton), (5) Ashley’s Bakery (Oakwood), (6) Stan, The Donut Man (Dayton), and (7) My Favorite Muffin (Centerville). It was at this point we made a slight change in plans. Originally, we were to visit nine donut shops, but while at My Favorite Muffin, our president suggested, and the group agreed, to skip Bear Creek Donuts in Miamisburg due to a town festival which may have made our movements through town and parking difficult.
Our options then were to visit Bill’s Donut Shop just round the corner, in lieu of going to Miamisburg, or just move on to our last stop - - The Donut Haus in Springboro. The group elected the latter option. With My Favorite Muffin in the process of locking their doors, we knew it was time to move on to our eighth and final stop. During our days’ travel, unfortunately Charlie and Dave had to leave us at earlier stops due to prior commitments, but the remainder of the gang held on to the end.
After making our final purchases at The Donut Haus, and as we discussed the day’s events, Scott suggested, for those interested, that we have a late lunch together a short distance up the road at the Warped Wing Restaurant. There was a unanimous “yes” and soon we were at the eatery, sipping a cold beer, eating non-sugar chow, while in engaging in friendly banter and the rehashing the days events.
As this author thought about our day, three special moments stand out. The first, already mentioned, was having a stranger to our group, Shane, who owned a T-bird, join us for part of our day. The remaining two incidents show the true character of classic car folks and specifically our club members. The first took place at Baker Benji’s. As we were leaving the bakery, we noticed three young boys, who were riding by on bikes, spotted Jim’s ‘56 Babybird and stopped to admire it. Jim approached the boys and began a conversation. We couldn’t hear what was being said but it was soon clear these boys were about to have a great experience. Jim talked to them about the car, let them sit in it, and even took their pictures using their phones while they sat in his car. This will be a long time memory for those boys and a great way to foster love of older cars in today’s youth.
The second event occurred at Stan The Donut Man’s shop. As we stood in line to order our sugary treats, we noticed a little 7 or 8 year old boy, Hunter, behind the counter playing with a diecast model of a 1930s Chevrolet. A few of our members questioned him if he liked old cars. He was invited outside to see our cars. Before long members had him sitting behind the wheel in most of our cars. They demonstrated some of the unique features of their vehicle, while club members and Hunter’s grandma, who apparently worked at Stan’s, took pictures. As a reminder of that day, which Hunter will remember for a long time, one club member removed the Thunderbird wings pin from his hat and affixed it to Hunter’s shirt.
What at first appeared would be a bust day due to the weather turned into a fantastic day which both club members and those with whom we interacted will fondly remember. See the photos below of our TSWO Thunderbird Appreciation Day Donut Run 2024.
Crusin’ with the Birds to the
2nd Street Market
On April 13th, a gorgeous Saturday morning, 12 members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio meet at the 2nd Street Market in Dayton, Ohio: a popular weekend spot. This day was originally planned to be enjoyed at a Mustang Appreciation Day Cruise-in at the Gale Halderman Barn Museum in Brandt, Ohio, at which we had been invited to participate. We were disappointed when that event was cancelled due to excessive rain during the week making the parking area unusable. However, those of us electing to attend the 2nd Street Market event soon realized our morning was turning out to be every bit as enjoyable.
Members who participated included Scott McGaha (Mr. Prez), Dave Harvey, Lisa & Roger Hamm, Brett & Peg Andrews, Mark & Jackie Allen, Larry & Jo Doelker, Dave Menke, and Paul Loschi) bringing with them 6 Thunderbirds. With such a beautiful day, it was no surprise the place was quite crowded. As expected, members visited the many booths, sampling tasty goodies and window shopping to their hearts content. Our group coalesced around several tables while some of us enjoyed breakfast or pastries and fresh brewed coffee as we exchanged stories and listened to the music performed by a young man and women. After a few hours, we reached the end of our time together as members were off to other activities for the day.
2nd Street Market
On April 13th, a gorgeous Saturday morning, 12 members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio meet at the 2nd Street Market in Dayton, Ohio: a popular weekend spot. This day was originally planned to be enjoyed at a Mustang Appreciation Day Cruise-in at the Gale Halderman Barn Museum in Brandt, Ohio, at which we had been invited to participate. We were disappointed when that event was cancelled due to excessive rain during the week making the parking area unusable. However, those of us electing to attend the 2nd Street Market event soon realized our morning was turning out to be every bit as enjoyable.
Members who participated included Scott McGaha (Mr. Prez), Dave Harvey, Lisa & Roger Hamm, Brett & Peg Andrews, Mark & Jackie Allen, Larry & Jo Doelker, Dave Menke, and Paul Loschi) bringing with them 6 Thunderbirds. With such a beautiful day, it was no surprise the place was quite crowded. As expected, members visited the many booths, sampling tasty goodies and window shopping to their hearts content. Our group coalesced around several tables while some of us enjoyed breakfast or pastries and fresh brewed coffee as we exchanged stories and listened to the music performed by a young man and women. After a few hours, we reached the end of our time together as members were off to other activities for the day.
Our Culinary Visit to Chicago & New York
Our club activity for February was a trip to Two Cities Pizza in Mason Ohio on the 24th to sample their New York and Chicago style pizzas. Nineteen TSWO members participated in our first major activity for 2024. Those attending included Scott McGaha ( club president), Roger & Lisa Hamm, Dave & Deb Harvey, Brett Andrews, Jim Ross & Beverly Knauper, Mark & Jackie Allen, Ron & Linda Prater, Dave Koehler, Becky & Charlie White, Owen & Carol Taylor, Ron Heinz, and Adam Gulden.
Thanks to Ron & Linda for doing all the leg work and coordination of the arrangement with the restaurant which resulted in a private room for our group. They also provided each participants a name tag since we had newer members attending. Ron & Linda mentioned at our February club meeting that the restaurant’s pizza was different and really good - - they weren't kidding.
For those who have never experienced true Chicago deep dish pizza or New York’s thin crust pizza, they soon realize it was not like we were accustomed to in Ohio. You could chose from a standard pizza construction from the menu or build your own. The most unusual ingredient this author saw and ordered was a pizza with a main topping of mashed potatoes. It was fantastic. They also had a variety of appetizers, salads, calzones, and other delectables from which to choose.
Prior to the food arrival, we heard a presentation from an invited guest, Eric Kosi, who gave us a run down on the “Cars & Coffee” event that is conducted on the third Saturday of the month, 8:00 am to 12 pm, from May through October at the Liberty Center in Liberty Township. He noted there was no admission fee, but they accept donations which are given to the Freedom Flight organization in Dayton. Eric also distributed flyers describing the event and a map to its location. After the presentation the food began to arrive and we all settled back to enjoy the meal. Lively conversation continued from the moment we arrived until the meal was over.
Soon it was time to head home but several of us took a slight detour in our departure to see the Thunderbirds that four of our club members drove to the event. Scott brought his ‘02 Retro Bird, Ron and Linda arrived in their ’04 Retro Bird, Dave K. drove his 1963 Bullet Bird, and Ron H. cruised in with his ‘78 Town Landau, Torino Bird.
2023 Recent Club Events
TSWO Annual Christmas Party
Twenty five members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio gathered together on December 14th for our annual club Christmas party and White Elephant gift exchange at the MCL Cafeteria. Members attending included Roger & Lisa Hamm, Scott McGaha, Dave & Deb Harvey, Brett & Peg Andrews, Nancy & Julie Blake, Jo & Larry Doelker, David Koehler & Barbara Kraemer, Dave & Susan Menke, Carol & Terry Powell, Mike Hall, Gayle Conrad, Paul & Sherrie Loschi, James Russel, Mike & Donna Bach and Adam Gulden.
As they have done for so many years, Nancy and Julie, assisted by Brett and Peg, decorated the dining tables and proved each member present a cup filled with Christmas goodies. As has also become an annual tradition, Nancy provided a hand-made Christmas ornament to each club member group. With such a large number of attendees this year, the White Elephant gift table was overflowing with packages. The evenings activities began with dinner when attendees were invited to make their way through the MCL serving line. After the meal and prior to commencing the gift exchange, Scott presented Roger with a gift from the club as a token of esteem for his efforts serving as our club president for the last two years. To reciprocate, Roger presented Scott, our new club president for 2024-25, with the mantel of power, the club gavel. Before starting the gift exchange, Scott discussed the possibility of a club outing in January to view the recently released movie “Ferrari”. Additional information will be forwarded to club members as to a proposed date(s). Nancy, Julie, Brett, and Peg were then thanked for their efforts in arriving early to set up and decorate the party room.
It was now time for the White Elephant gift exchange to commence. Lisa had each participant select a number from 1 to 24 from a basket. Once all numbers were selected the person with the number 1, this year it was Barb Kraemer, was given the opportunity to select the first gift from the table. Because no other gifts had yet been selected, Barbara had to keep that gift, at least for the moment. If at any time during game play a subsequent player took her gift, she could then select another gift from the table or take an already opened gift from any player. However, if no one took her original gift throughout the entire game, at the end she would have the option of retaining her originally selected gift or taking any gift in the room. As you’ll see from the party pictures below, Barbara had her gift stolen more than once. If you see a picture of an individual displaying a gift more than once that means one of their gifts was taken and they had the opportunity to select again. Suffice it to say, several gifts changed hands multiple times.
Upon completion of the gift exchange, it was time for the finale event of our celebration -- having a slice of the delicious Christmas cake provided again this year by Nancy & Julie. The evening ended with wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year as we departed for our homes.
Twenty five members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio gathered together on December 14th for our annual club Christmas party and White Elephant gift exchange at the MCL Cafeteria. Members attending included Roger & Lisa Hamm, Scott McGaha, Dave & Deb Harvey, Brett & Peg Andrews, Nancy & Julie Blake, Jo & Larry Doelker, David Koehler & Barbara Kraemer, Dave & Susan Menke, Carol & Terry Powell, Mike Hall, Gayle Conrad, Paul & Sherrie Loschi, James Russel, Mike & Donna Bach and Adam Gulden.
As they have done for so many years, Nancy and Julie, assisted by Brett and Peg, decorated the dining tables and proved each member present a cup filled with Christmas goodies. As has also become an annual tradition, Nancy provided a hand-made Christmas ornament to each club member group. With such a large number of attendees this year, the White Elephant gift table was overflowing with packages. The evenings activities began with dinner when attendees were invited to make their way through the MCL serving line. After the meal and prior to commencing the gift exchange, Scott presented Roger with a gift from the club as a token of esteem for his efforts serving as our club president for the last two years. To reciprocate, Roger presented Scott, our new club president for 2024-25, with the mantel of power, the club gavel. Before starting the gift exchange, Scott discussed the possibility of a club outing in January to view the recently released movie “Ferrari”. Additional information will be forwarded to club members as to a proposed date(s). Nancy, Julie, Brett, and Peg were then thanked for their efforts in arriving early to set up and decorate the party room.
It was now time for the White Elephant gift exchange to commence. Lisa had each participant select a number from 1 to 24 from a basket. Once all numbers were selected the person with the number 1, this year it was Barb Kraemer, was given the opportunity to select the first gift from the table. Because no other gifts had yet been selected, Barbara had to keep that gift, at least for the moment. If at any time during game play a subsequent player took her gift, she could then select another gift from the table or take an already opened gift from any player. However, if no one took her original gift throughout the entire game, at the end she would have the option of retaining her originally selected gift or taking any gift in the room. As you’ll see from the party pictures below, Barbara had her gift stolen more than once. If you see a picture of an individual displaying a gift more than once that means one of their gifts was taken and they had the opportunity to select again. Suffice it to say, several gifts changed hands multiple times.
Upon completion of the gift exchange, it was time for the finale event of our celebration -- having a slice of the delicious Christmas cake provided again this year by Nancy & Julie. The evening ended with wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year as we departed for our homes.
TSWO Members Join in on Dayton Pumpkin Carving
On Halloween weekend, five members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio (Scott McGaha, Roger & Lisa Hamm and Dave and Deb Harvey) participated in a Dayton community activity to carve pumpkins at the Dayton Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church. Once carved all the pumpkins became a part of a gigantic display of nearly 1000 lighted pumpkins at the annual Stoddard Avenue Pumpkin Glow held on October 30-31.
You can see more highlights of this event on line at:
https://www.facebook.com/TheStoddardAvenuePumpkinGlow/
On Halloween weekend, five members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio (Scott McGaha, Roger & Lisa Hamm and Dave and Deb Harvey) participated in a Dayton community activity to carve pumpkins at the Dayton Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church. Once carved all the pumpkins became a part of a gigantic display of nearly 1000 lighted pumpkins at the annual Stoddard Avenue Pumpkin Glow held on October 30-31.
You can see more highlights of this event on line at:
https://www.facebook.com/TheStoddardAvenuePumpkinGlow/
TSWO 2023 Visit To Valley Vineyards
Over the years one of the favorite spots of TSWO club members to gather has been the Valley Vineyards Restaurant in Morrow, Ohio. This year was no different. On Saturday, October 21st, seventeen club members participated in our annual fall pilgrimage to the restaurant. Participants in this now annual excursion were Roger & Lisa Hamm, Scott McGaha, Dave and Deb Harvey, Brett & Peg Andrews, James Russell, Mike Hall, Charlie & Becky White, Ronnie & Linda Prather, Michael & Donna Bach, and Terry & Carol Powell. Although many members were looking forward to driving their Thunderbirds to the event, the rain put a damper on that idea. Though many of the attendees experienced rain on their travel to Morrow, by early evening the weather cleared, and the sun came out as we gathered around the outdoor grill to cook our own main course. Members were thrilled at the size of the turnout. It was especially gratifying to see that over the half the participants were new members who joined the club within the past few months. As usual the food was great and our evening together was filled with lively conversation.
Prior to participating in the Valley Vineyards dinner, Mike Hall (our new incoming club vice president) attended the Young's Dairy Car Show. There, he and his flawless 1960 Square Bird, won one of the top trophies - - the Young's Jersey Dairy Choice award, which he proudly brought to the restaurant to show. Congratulations, Mike!!!
Before we knew it, the evening had slipped away, and it was time to depart. Knowing our group, I'm sure there will be a return visit next year. Below are a few pictures from this event. If anyone has additional photos from our visit and wish to share them here on our website; just send copies to our club webmaster for posting.
Over the years one of the favorite spots of TSWO club members to gather has been the Valley Vineyards Restaurant in Morrow, Ohio. This year was no different. On Saturday, October 21st, seventeen club members participated in our annual fall pilgrimage to the restaurant. Participants in this now annual excursion were Roger & Lisa Hamm, Scott McGaha, Dave and Deb Harvey, Brett & Peg Andrews, James Russell, Mike Hall, Charlie & Becky White, Ronnie & Linda Prather, Michael & Donna Bach, and Terry & Carol Powell. Although many members were looking forward to driving their Thunderbirds to the event, the rain put a damper on that idea. Though many of the attendees experienced rain on their travel to Morrow, by early evening the weather cleared, and the sun came out as we gathered around the outdoor grill to cook our own main course. Members were thrilled at the size of the turnout. It was especially gratifying to see that over the half the participants were new members who joined the club within the past few months. As usual the food was great and our evening together was filled with lively conversation.
Prior to participating in the Valley Vineyards dinner, Mike Hall (our new incoming club vice president) attended the Young's Dairy Car Show. There, he and his flawless 1960 Square Bird, won one of the top trophies - - the Young's Jersey Dairy Choice award, which he proudly brought to the restaurant to show. Congratulations, Mike!!!
Before we knew it, the evening had slipped away, and it was time to depart. Knowing our group, I'm sure there will be a return visit next year. Below are a few pictures from this event. If anyone has additional photos from our visit and wish to share them here on our website; just send copies to our club webmaster for posting.
Thunderbird Reunion
On 22 through 27 August a reunion of Thunderbirds was held at the Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. Our club president, Roger, attended the event and shared the following in his "President's Message" in our club's September newsletter.
"August 22-26, in Dearborn, Michigan, all of the national Thunderbird clubs came together to have the 2023 Thunderbird Reunion car show in front of the Ford World Headquarters building. They had several nice trips and venues set up, which many members attended. It was very well attended and I was able to count at least 190 Thunderbirds present at the show. After the show ended, they had a nice banquet set up at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel, where they also did a raffle where participants could win some nice prizes. It all ended on Sunday morning, with a nice breakfast buffet before everyone went back to their homes."
Below are a few photos taken at the event.
On 22 through 27 August a reunion of Thunderbirds was held at the Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. Our club president, Roger, attended the event and shared the following in his "President's Message" in our club's September newsletter.
"August 22-26, in Dearborn, Michigan, all of the national Thunderbird clubs came together to have the 2023 Thunderbird Reunion car show in front of the Ford World Headquarters building. They had several nice trips and venues set up, which many members attended. It was very well attended and I was able to count at least 190 Thunderbirds present at the show. After the show ended, they had a nice banquet set up at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel, where they also did a raffle where participants could win some nice prizes. It all ended on Sunday morning, with a nice breakfast buffet before everyone went back to their homes."
Below are a few photos taken at the event.
Return Trip To the Richardson Car Collection
May 20, 2023 was a chilly and misty morning. Eleven members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio gathered for the club’s third trip to the Sugar Creek Packing Company in Washington Court House to tour the John Richardson automobile collection. Participants included Roger & Lisa Hamm, Brett Andrews, Mark & Jackie Allen, Jay & Bea Walsh, Jim Russell, Dave Menke, Paul Loschi, and Mike Hall. This tour was to be our celebration of Thunderbird Appreciation Day which was to held on May 21, but the weather hindered most from venturing out in their prized beauties. However, we still had a few that took the risk. Roger & Lisa came in Tweety Bird, their 2002 Retro Bird, Brett ventured out in his 2004 Retro, and Paul made the trip in his 1994 Thunderbird LX.
Mr. Richardson, President of Sugar Creek Packing Company, is the owner of the collection we were visiting. His collection consists of nearly 300 vehicles housed in a private facility with tours available by appointment only. Brett working with Mr. Tim Bateson, the auto shop manager, coordinate an available date for our visit. To assist, Mr. Bateson made available two shop restoration specialists, Kent and Rob, to answer our many questions. The shop crew not only does all the car restorations and upkeep, they are also responsibility for the maintenance and servicing of approximate 80 packing company vehicles. The Richardson collection is an eclectic assemblage of finely restored cars, boats, motorcycles, and travel trailers/campers across many eras. There appeared to be job security for the restoration crew for out on the back lot, and even some indoors, were nearly a hundred unrestored vehicles just waiting their turn. Naturally we were curious if there were any Thunderbirds among all these classics. Although there were none that had been restored, were did spot one unrestored Bullet Bird inside and fourteen outside which were mostly Bullet and Flair Birds and two T-birds from the early 70's.
After the tour, ten members of our group descended on the Rusty Keg Tavern in Washington Court House for lunch and lively conversation; much of which was still talking about what we had just seen. Our glass enclosed patio with the sun streaming throw the windows burned off the morning chill. The tavern's menu was extensive and the food was great. It was obvious to any observer that we were having a wonderful time. All too soon the day's adventure was over. We said our goodbyes, see you at the next meeting and ventured off on our separate ways. It was a wonderful day to remember. Below are photos from the tour.
May 20, 2023 was a chilly and misty morning. Eleven members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio gathered for the club’s third trip to the Sugar Creek Packing Company in Washington Court House to tour the John Richardson automobile collection. Participants included Roger & Lisa Hamm, Brett Andrews, Mark & Jackie Allen, Jay & Bea Walsh, Jim Russell, Dave Menke, Paul Loschi, and Mike Hall. This tour was to be our celebration of Thunderbird Appreciation Day which was to held on May 21, but the weather hindered most from venturing out in their prized beauties. However, we still had a few that took the risk. Roger & Lisa came in Tweety Bird, their 2002 Retro Bird, Brett ventured out in his 2004 Retro, and Paul made the trip in his 1994 Thunderbird LX.
Mr. Richardson, President of Sugar Creek Packing Company, is the owner of the collection we were visiting. His collection consists of nearly 300 vehicles housed in a private facility with tours available by appointment only. Brett working with Mr. Tim Bateson, the auto shop manager, coordinate an available date for our visit. To assist, Mr. Bateson made available two shop restoration specialists, Kent and Rob, to answer our many questions. The shop crew not only does all the car restorations and upkeep, they are also responsibility for the maintenance and servicing of approximate 80 packing company vehicles. The Richardson collection is an eclectic assemblage of finely restored cars, boats, motorcycles, and travel trailers/campers across many eras. There appeared to be job security for the restoration crew for out on the back lot, and even some indoors, were nearly a hundred unrestored vehicles just waiting their turn. Naturally we were curious if there were any Thunderbirds among all these classics. Although there were none that had been restored, were did spot one unrestored Bullet Bird inside and fourteen outside which were mostly Bullet and Flair Birds and two T-birds from the early 70's.
After the tour, ten members of our group descended on the Rusty Keg Tavern in Washington Court House for lunch and lively conversation; much of which was still talking about what we had just seen. Our glass enclosed patio with the sun streaming throw the windows burned off the morning chill. The tavern's menu was extensive and the food was great. It was obvious to any observer that we were having a wonderful time. All too soon the day's adventure was over. We said our goodbyes, see you at the next meeting and ventured off on our separate ways. It was a wonderful day to remember. Below are photos from the tour.
Visiting Piatt Castle Mac-A-Cheek
On Saturday, 22 April, ten of our club members visited Mac-A-Cheek, one of the two Piatt Castles in West Liberty, Ohio. Those participating in this club event included: Roger & Lisa Hamm, Dave Harvey, Brett Andrews, Mark & Jackie Allen, Larry & Jo Doelker, and our newest club members Mike & Jeanne Hall. With the weather being questionable, only two Thunderbirds made the trip: Roger & Lisa in their ’02 triple black Retro Bird and Mike & Jeanne in their ’60 Square Bird.
The are actually two Piatt Castles (Mac-A- Cheek & Mac-A-Chee). The two sat close to the Shawnee village of Mackachack. The houses were built by brothers Donn and Abram S. Piatt in the 1860s and 1870s, and were designed in a Gothic style. Mac-O-Chee (the home built by Donn) and Mac-A-Cheek (built by Abram) were begun in 1864 and were built about 3/4 of a mile apart. Mac-A-Cheek was completed in 1871 and Mac-O-Chee in 1879. Abram's home was built slightly smaller but is more secluded and set away from the road. Donn's home is larger and sits closer to the road. Both homes have three stories and towers, boast painted ceilings, and have intricate woodwork. On October 19, 2019, Mac-O-Chee Castle, along with its farmhouse and land, was sold at auction to two brothers from West Liberty, Ohio for $561,000, who also purchased most of the estate's antique items for approximately $30,000. The Piatt family plans to restore their remaining castle, Mac-A-Cheek, by using funds from the auction. Mac-A-Cheek has been a tour location for over 110 years.
Our tour began with a short briefing about the castle given to us by Logan, one of the site docents, after which we were free to roam the castle at our leisure. Room after room contained an awesome collection of historical artifacts, photographs, paintings, and exhibits much of which are supported with explanatory text. As we wandered the site, Logan made himself available all along the way to answer any questions we had. Although the outside of the castle was interesting to look at and wander around, it was the interior furnishings that made the tour experience a sheer pleasure. As we each ended our self-guided tours, we slowly made our way outside. While gazing over the sprawling grounds, you could close your eyes and for a brief moment imagine yourself wandering among the tall trees and over the manicured lawn in this quiet countryside setting.
We all loaded into our cars and headed a short distance into the town of West Liberty for lunch at the Liberty Gathering Place Restaurant. Dave, hearing many of the Piatt family were buried in a cemetery nearby, made a brief visit to that cemetery, took a few photos, then joined us for lunch. Having called ahead, the restaurant graciously had a table all set up and ready for us. For the next hour and a half we talked, joked, and ate. The food was great and our server, Stacey, with a big smile on her face, took care of our every need. I won’t mention names, but the various flavors of pies listed on their menu board were too titillating for a few of our members to resist. As in all our club excursions, the time eventually came for us to depart. We said our fond goodbyes and “see you at the next meeting” and soon we were on the road again. Below are photos from our adventure. To learn more about the Piatt Castles, see their website at https://piattcastle.org/.
On Saturday, 22 April, ten of our club members visited Mac-A-Cheek, one of the two Piatt Castles in West Liberty, Ohio. Those participating in this club event included: Roger & Lisa Hamm, Dave Harvey, Brett Andrews, Mark & Jackie Allen, Larry & Jo Doelker, and our newest club members Mike & Jeanne Hall. With the weather being questionable, only two Thunderbirds made the trip: Roger & Lisa in their ’02 triple black Retro Bird and Mike & Jeanne in their ’60 Square Bird.
The are actually two Piatt Castles (Mac-A- Cheek & Mac-A-Chee). The two sat close to the Shawnee village of Mackachack. The houses were built by brothers Donn and Abram S. Piatt in the 1860s and 1870s, and were designed in a Gothic style. Mac-O-Chee (the home built by Donn) and Mac-A-Cheek (built by Abram) were begun in 1864 and were built about 3/4 of a mile apart. Mac-A-Cheek was completed in 1871 and Mac-O-Chee in 1879. Abram's home was built slightly smaller but is more secluded and set away from the road. Donn's home is larger and sits closer to the road. Both homes have three stories and towers, boast painted ceilings, and have intricate woodwork. On October 19, 2019, Mac-O-Chee Castle, along with its farmhouse and land, was sold at auction to two brothers from West Liberty, Ohio for $561,000, who also purchased most of the estate's antique items for approximately $30,000. The Piatt family plans to restore their remaining castle, Mac-A-Cheek, by using funds from the auction. Mac-A-Cheek has been a tour location for over 110 years.
Our tour began with a short briefing about the castle given to us by Logan, one of the site docents, after which we were free to roam the castle at our leisure. Room after room contained an awesome collection of historical artifacts, photographs, paintings, and exhibits much of which are supported with explanatory text. As we wandered the site, Logan made himself available all along the way to answer any questions we had. Although the outside of the castle was interesting to look at and wander around, it was the interior furnishings that made the tour experience a sheer pleasure. As we each ended our self-guided tours, we slowly made our way outside. While gazing over the sprawling grounds, you could close your eyes and for a brief moment imagine yourself wandering among the tall trees and over the manicured lawn in this quiet countryside setting.
We all loaded into our cars and headed a short distance into the town of West Liberty for lunch at the Liberty Gathering Place Restaurant. Dave, hearing many of the Piatt family were buried in a cemetery nearby, made a brief visit to that cemetery, took a few photos, then joined us for lunch. Having called ahead, the restaurant graciously had a table all set up and ready for us. For the next hour and a half we talked, joked, and ate. The food was great and our server, Stacey, with a big smile on her face, took care of our every need. I won’t mention names, but the various flavors of pies listed on their menu board were too titillating for a few of our members to resist. As in all our club excursions, the time eventually came for us to depart. We said our fond goodbyes and “see you at the next meeting” and soon we were on the road again. Below are photos from our adventure. To learn more about the Piatt Castles, see their website at https://piattcastle.org/.
Lunch at the Ford Garage
The club activity for March was a lunch outing on Saturday, March 11th. Fourteen club members gathered at the Ford Garage Restaurant in Norwood, Ohio on a bright, sunny, day that had a little nip in the air. Members participating included Roger & Lisa, Scott, Brett & Peg, Jim & Bev, Jim R, Dave & Barb, Larry & Jo, and Dave & Susan. Jim Ross told us that this was a popular place and he wasn't kidding. Our wait for tables was nearly 45 minutes. The outside of the restaurant was decorated with a few old cars, gasoline pumps, a tire air pump, and a bell that dinged every time a car drove over the hose just like in gas stations of old. The restaurant permitted Jim Russell to park his ‘56 Baby Bird and Scott to park his newly purchased ’75 Big Bird immediately outside the restaurant doors. Clearly these vehicles drew a lot of attention. Once inside we were fortunate to be seated at two side-by-side large booths. The interior decor was wall-to-wall automobile memorabilia. There was even three old Ford car bodies circulating around the room on an overhead chain conveyer system mimicking an old Ford plant assembly line. The service was excellent and the food was great. After about an hour and a half of munching and a lot of catching up with friends, it was time to go. As we departed, we had to meandered our way through the waiting crowds. Once outside, we said our goodbyes and headed home.
The club activity for March was a lunch outing on Saturday, March 11th. Fourteen club members gathered at the Ford Garage Restaurant in Norwood, Ohio on a bright, sunny, day that had a little nip in the air. Members participating included Roger & Lisa, Scott, Brett & Peg, Jim & Bev, Jim R, Dave & Barb, Larry & Jo, and Dave & Susan. Jim Ross told us that this was a popular place and he wasn't kidding. Our wait for tables was nearly 45 minutes. The outside of the restaurant was decorated with a few old cars, gasoline pumps, a tire air pump, and a bell that dinged every time a car drove over the hose just like in gas stations of old. The restaurant permitted Jim Russell to park his ‘56 Baby Bird and Scott to park his newly purchased ’75 Big Bird immediately outside the restaurant doors. Clearly these vehicles drew a lot of attention. Once inside we were fortunate to be seated at two side-by-side large booths. The interior decor was wall-to-wall automobile memorabilia. There was even three old Ford car bodies circulating around the room on an overhead chain conveyer system mimicking an old Ford plant assembly line. The service was excellent and the food was great. After about an hour and a half of munching and a lot of catching up with friends, it was time to go. As we departed, we had to meandered our way through the waiting crowds. Once outside, we said our goodbyes and headed home.
Our Visit to the Mike Butler Car Collection
One event the club has wanted to do and been discussing for 2 years finally come to fruition. On February 11th thirteen TSWO club members and two guests visited the Mike Butler Car Collection in Erlanger, Ky. Attending club members included: Roger & Lisa Hamm, Scott McGaha, Dave Harvey, Brett & Peg Andrews, Jim Ross & Beverly Knauper, Jim Russell, Dave Koehler, Dave Moore, and Larry & Jo Doelker. Accompanying Larry & Jo was their daughter Maria and grandson Fernando.
It was a beautiful, slightly brisk, sunny day as members arrive mid-morning. After receiving a brief orientation from museum staff about the collection and museum layout, club members went their separate ways to begin their meanderings through this multi-room facility. The collection was absolutely awesome. Time and time again the question was ask, "Which of these gorgeous vehicles would you want?" and the answer was always the same, "I couldn't pick just one". It would be very easy to become jealous considering all these fantastic specimens belong to one person. The collection consisted of nearly 250 American built cars and trucks dating from the 1900 to 1980. There was no entry fee. They asked for a $15 donation with 100% of those proceeds going to Housing Opportunities of Northern Kentucky.
After nearly two hours, our wanderings were complete and we assembled around a 1957 Thunderbird (what else?) for our customary group club photo. We were soon on our way to lunch at Dewey’s Pizza which was just a stone’s throw from the museum. The pizzeria was quite busy, so we had a little bit of a wait, but it was worth it. The food was great and the conversations were lively. All to soon it was time to leave. We said our goodbyes and headed off on our separate ways. Below are photos for our adventure.
One event the club has wanted to do and been discussing for 2 years finally come to fruition. On February 11th thirteen TSWO club members and two guests visited the Mike Butler Car Collection in Erlanger, Ky. Attending club members included: Roger & Lisa Hamm, Scott McGaha, Dave Harvey, Brett & Peg Andrews, Jim Ross & Beverly Knauper, Jim Russell, Dave Koehler, Dave Moore, and Larry & Jo Doelker. Accompanying Larry & Jo was their daughter Maria and grandson Fernando.
It was a beautiful, slightly brisk, sunny day as members arrive mid-morning. After receiving a brief orientation from museum staff about the collection and museum layout, club members went their separate ways to begin their meanderings through this multi-room facility. The collection was absolutely awesome. Time and time again the question was ask, "Which of these gorgeous vehicles would you want?" and the answer was always the same, "I couldn't pick just one". It would be very easy to become jealous considering all these fantastic specimens belong to one person. The collection consisted of nearly 250 American built cars and trucks dating from the 1900 to 1980. There was no entry fee. They asked for a $15 donation with 100% of those proceeds going to Housing Opportunities of Northern Kentucky.
After nearly two hours, our wanderings were complete and we assembled around a 1957 Thunderbird (what else?) for our customary group club photo. We were soon on our way to lunch at Dewey’s Pizza which was just a stone’s throw from the museum. The pizzeria was quite busy, so we had a little bit of a wait, but it was worth it. The food was great and the conversations were lively. All to soon it was time to leave. We said our goodbyes and headed off on our separate ways. Below are photos for our adventure.
2022 Recent Club Events
On December 8th, fifteen club members and one guest gathered at the Florentine Restaurant in Germantown, Ohio for our annual club Christmas Party and White Elephant Gift Exchange. We had a great turnout which included Roger & Lisa Hamm, Scott McGaha, Dave & Deb Harvey, Brett & Peg Andrews, Nancy & Julie Blake (quest: Nancy’s daughter Sharon), Jim Ross & Beverly Knauper, Jo & Larry Doelker, and David Koehler & Barbara Kraemer.
This was a new TSWO Christmas Party experience for many of us. Those who have been in the club for a while have been accustomed to walking through a buffet line for our meals. This year we ordered from the menu and the Florentine had some delicious choices. Although we didn’t have the pretty table decorations from previous years, we still had our Thunderbird cake provided by Nancy and Julie.
Nancy, once again this year presented club members a Christmas ornament which she personally hand made. As is also becoming a tradition, Julie provided a beautifully decorated cake for all to enjoy. Brett distributed Thunderbird of Southwest Ohio 2023 Calendars that he had custom made. The White Elephant gifts were all neatly stacked on the table while members enjoyed friendly conversation as we waited for attendees to arrive. Our club president, Roger, welcomed everyone to the festivities as we scanned the menu and placed our orders. After the meal it was time for the gift exchange. Prior to starting the gift exchange, Roger recognized those of our members who were celebrating birthdays in December which included Darrell York (9 Dec), Lisa Hamm (10 Dec), Beverly Knauper (15 Dec), Julie Blake (17 Dec), Dave Moore (24 Dec), & Brett Andrews (31 Dec). We had no anniversaries this month.
It was now time to begin the gift exchange. Participants select a number (1-15) from a basket to determine order of gift selection. Beverly drew number “1” and so he had the honor of choosing the first gift from the table. With no other gift having been open yet, Beverly had to be content with that gift until after the last person had selected, then she got to select from any gift in the room, if she still possessed the original gift she had selected. She selected a music box with a rotating Baby Bird on top which played the Beach Boys,” Fun, Fun, Fun”. She was soon robbed of that gift. Time no space does not permit a blow-by-blow description of each selected and stolen gift, but suffice it to say there were a lot of gifts changing hands before the game was completed. The pictures below tell the story. When a person picture is shown more than once, they had a gift taken from them and had to select again.
Having given our meals the opportunity to settle, the gift exchange having run its course, and the restaurant’s closing time fast approaching, it was time to enjoy a piece of that delicious Christmas cake. The evening was soon over. We wished each other Merry Christmas and Happy New Year as we went on our separate ways.
This was a new TSWO Christmas Party experience for many of us. Those who have been in the club for a while have been accustomed to walking through a buffet line for our meals. This year we ordered from the menu and the Florentine had some delicious choices. Although we didn’t have the pretty table decorations from previous years, we still had our Thunderbird cake provided by Nancy and Julie.
Nancy, once again this year presented club members a Christmas ornament which she personally hand made. As is also becoming a tradition, Julie provided a beautifully decorated cake for all to enjoy. Brett distributed Thunderbird of Southwest Ohio 2023 Calendars that he had custom made. The White Elephant gifts were all neatly stacked on the table while members enjoyed friendly conversation as we waited for attendees to arrive. Our club president, Roger, welcomed everyone to the festivities as we scanned the menu and placed our orders. After the meal it was time for the gift exchange. Prior to starting the gift exchange, Roger recognized those of our members who were celebrating birthdays in December which included Darrell York (9 Dec), Lisa Hamm (10 Dec), Beverly Knauper (15 Dec), Julie Blake (17 Dec), Dave Moore (24 Dec), & Brett Andrews (31 Dec). We had no anniversaries this month.
It was now time to begin the gift exchange. Participants select a number (1-15) from a basket to determine order of gift selection. Beverly drew number “1” and so he had the honor of choosing the first gift from the table. With no other gift having been open yet, Beverly had to be content with that gift until after the last person had selected, then she got to select from any gift in the room, if she still possessed the original gift she had selected. She selected a music box with a rotating Baby Bird on top which played the Beach Boys,” Fun, Fun, Fun”. She was soon robbed of that gift. Time no space does not permit a blow-by-blow description of each selected and stolen gift, but suffice it to say there were a lot of gifts changing hands before the game was completed. The pictures below tell the story. When a person picture is shown more than once, they had a gift taken from them and had to select again.
Having given our meals the opportunity to settle, the gift exchange having run its course, and the restaurant’s closing time fast approaching, it was time to enjoy a piece of that delicious Christmas cake. The evening was soon over. We wished each other Merry Christmas and Happy New Year as we went on our separate ways.
Our Return To Valley Vineyards
Saturday, November 12th, was our return to Valley Vineyards as a club activity. Ten TSWO members met at the Restaurant in Morrow, Ohio for what has become one of our clubs almost annual go to places. Those in attendance included Roger & Lisa Hamm, Dave & Deb Harvey, Brett & Peg Andrews, Tom Tirey & Gina Hoctor, and Dave Koehler & Barbara Kraemer. This visit was a month later than we normal would do. As such, rather than experiencing the nice balmy weather we had in October, we were subject to on and off snow and temperatures near freezing. The weather was nice and comfortable during the first 10 days of November, but on the 11th it all came crashing down.
It was Valley Vineyard's policy to not fire up their indoor grill until the outside temperature hit 30 degrees, so we found ourselves grilling outdoors in 32-33 degree temperatures. Fortunately, the grilling area was fairly warm with all the heat from the grill fires. Upon arriving for our 5:00 pm reservation it didn't seen to busy, but it didn't take long an the place was crowded. We got our salads, did our grilling, grabbed our side dishes and dessert, and settled in for pleasant conversation and a good meal -- many of us with wine in hand. Two and a half hours we realized we needed to depart since the second seating of diners were due in shortly. We said our goodbyes and headed home. Below are pictures from the event.
Saturday, November 12th, was our return to Valley Vineyards as a club activity. Ten TSWO members met at the Restaurant in Morrow, Ohio for what has become one of our clubs almost annual go to places. Those in attendance included Roger & Lisa Hamm, Dave & Deb Harvey, Brett & Peg Andrews, Tom Tirey & Gina Hoctor, and Dave Koehler & Barbara Kraemer. This visit was a month later than we normal would do. As such, rather than experiencing the nice balmy weather we had in October, we were subject to on and off snow and temperatures near freezing. The weather was nice and comfortable during the first 10 days of November, but on the 11th it all came crashing down.
It was Valley Vineyard's policy to not fire up their indoor grill until the outside temperature hit 30 degrees, so we found ourselves grilling outdoors in 32-33 degree temperatures. Fortunately, the grilling area was fairly warm with all the heat from the grill fires. Upon arriving for our 5:00 pm reservation it didn't seen to busy, but it didn't take long an the place was crowded. We got our salads, did our grilling, grabbed our side dishes and dessert, and settled in for pleasant conversation and a good meal -- many of us with wine in hand. Two and a half hours we realized we needed to depart since the second seating of diners were due in shortly. We said our goodbyes and headed home. Below are pictures from the event.
Brunch at Clifton Mill
Our club event for October was a trip to the Historic Clifton Mill for brunch in Clifton, Ohio. On Saturday, October 22nd, twelve members of our club and seven Thunderbirds gathered at Clifton Mill at 11:00am. Club participants (and which T-bird they drove) included Roger & Lisa Hamm (‘86 T-bird Elon), Dave Harvey (‘57 Baby Bird), Brett & Peg Andrews (‘04 Retro Bird), James Russell (’56 Baby Bird), Jo & Larry Doelker ('02 Retro Bird), Mike & Donna Bach (’66 Flair Bird Landau), and Terry & Carol Powell (’57 Baby Bird). You couldn't have asked for a better fall day. The sun was shining and it was just warm enough to be comfortable. The trees around the eatery were in full fall color and the smell of fall was in the air. The restaurant was quite busy and we ended up having to wait nearly an hour and a half before being seated. However, that delayed played to our benefit. While waiting outside for our table, we had the opportunity to meet and talk with several of our newest club members. With our seven Thunderbirds parked on each side of the road in front of the restaurant, we were able to watch, and in some cases talk, to other restaurant patrons and town sightseers as they walked down our row of T-birds to check our these classics . You could see the appreciation in their eyes of these vehicles, and in some, a little envy.
Although it took a while to get seated, and then a slightly longer time to take our orders and bring the meals, it was all worth it. We continue our conversations from outside while enjoying some really good fixins’. Soon it was time to leave. We slowly wandered out to our T-birds, talking all the way. I think it can said, without challenge, fun was had by all. Below are pictures from that day’s event.
Our club event for October was a trip to the Historic Clifton Mill for brunch in Clifton, Ohio. On Saturday, October 22nd, twelve members of our club and seven Thunderbirds gathered at Clifton Mill at 11:00am. Club participants (and which T-bird they drove) included Roger & Lisa Hamm (‘86 T-bird Elon), Dave Harvey (‘57 Baby Bird), Brett & Peg Andrews (‘04 Retro Bird), James Russell (’56 Baby Bird), Jo & Larry Doelker ('02 Retro Bird), Mike & Donna Bach (’66 Flair Bird Landau), and Terry & Carol Powell (’57 Baby Bird). You couldn't have asked for a better fall day. The sun was shining and it was just warm enough to be comfortable. The trees around the eatery were in full fall color and the smell of fall was in the air. The restaurant was quite busy and we ended up having to wait nearly an hour and a half before being seated. However, that delayed played to our benefit. While waiting outside for our table, we had the opportunity to meet and talk with several of our newest club members. With our seven Thunderbirds parked on each side of the road in front of the restaurant, we were able to watch, and in some cases talk, to other restaurant patrons and town sightseers as they walked down our row of T-birds to check our these classics . You could see the appreciation in their eyes of these vehicles, and in some, a little envy.
Although it took a while to get seated, and then a slightly longer time to take our orders and bring the meals, it was all worth it. We continue our conversations from outside while enjoying some really good fixins’. Soon it was time to leave. We slowly wandered out to our T-birds, talking all the way. I think it can said, without challenge, fun was had by all. Below are pictures from that day’s event.
Off to The Rip-Rap Roadhouse
Not only is the Rip-Rap Roadhouse in Huber Heights a great place to get some good food, but on Friday nights during the warmer months they host a cruise-in. The club has met at the roadhouse on several occasions throughout the years and this year was no different. On August 26th ten TSWO members again gathered at the Roadhouse in their T-birds, and one Corvette. Club members in attendance included Roger Hamm, Dave Harvey, Brett & Peg Andrews, Jo & Larry Doelker, Paul & Sherry Loschi & grandson, and Mark & Jackie Allen. Speaking of the Allens, though they lost their beloved retrobird in an accident a few years ago, they have remained with the club and we're so pleased to have them. They soon replaced their T-Bird with a Miata. We accepted it as an orphaned child and treated it as one of our own. Well, to our surprise, on this night what did they show up in -- a "95 Polo Green Corvette. It has been Mark's desire to own a corvette for a long time. He can now scratch that off his bucket list. Our line up of Thunderbirds included the near twin ’02 Inspiration Yellow retrobirds of Roger & Lisa and Jo & Larry. Dave brought his ’57 Desert Rose babybird, Larry & Sherry came in their ‘94 Emerald Green T-bird LX, and Brett & Peg arrived in their 04 Merlot retrobird. After all had arrived and had walked around looking at and talking about each others cars, we made our way into the restaurant where we enjoyed a wonderful meal and further lively conversations for the next hour and a half. We eventually made our way back out to our cars and after another short period of conversations we headed home. Below are a few pictures of the T-birds and Corvette.
Not only is the Rip-Rap Roadhouse in Huber Heights a great place to get some good food, but on Friday nights during the warmer months they host a cruise-in. The club has met at the roadhouse on several occasions throughout the years and this year was no different. On August 26th ten TSWO members again gathered at the Roadhouse in their T-birds, and one Corvette. Club members in attendance included Roger Hamm, Dave Harvey, Brett & Peg Andrews, Jo & Larry Doelker, Paul & Sherry Loschi & grandson, and Mark & Jackie Allen. Speaking of the Allens, though they lost their beloved retrobird in an accident a few years ago, they have remained with the club and we're so pleased to have them. They soon replaced their T-Bird with a Miata. We accepted it as an orphaned child and treated it as one of our own. Well, to our surprise, on this night what did they show up in -- a "95 Polo Green Corvette. It has been Mark's desire to own a corvette for a long time. He can now scratch that off his bucket list. Our line up of Thunderbirds included the near twin ’02 Inspiration Yellow retrobirds of Roger & Lisa and Jo & Larry. Dave brought his ’57 Desert Rose babybird, Larry & Sherry came in their ‘94 Emerald Green T-bird LX, and Brett & Peg arrived in their 04 Merlot retrobird. After all had arrived and had walked around looking at and talking about each others cars, we made our way into the restaurant where we enjoyed a wonderful meal and further lively conversations for the next hour and a half. We eventually made our way back out to our cars and after another short period of conversations we headed home. Below are a few pictures of the T-birds and Corvette.
Lunch at the
Warped Wing Restaurant
On Sunday, May 15,2022, ten members of Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio (Brett Andrews, Scott McGaha, James Russell, Dave Harvey, Mark & Jackie Allen, Larry & Jo Doelker, Roger & Lisa Hamm) celebrated Thunderbird Appreciation Day by taking their Thunderbirds (and one Miata) out to show the public. The members all met at the Warped Wing Restaurant in Springboro, Ohio and decided to partake of some of their delicious food. Thunderbirds present were Brett's 2004 Merlot, Scott's 2002 Blue, James's 1956 Red, Larry & Jo's Inspiration yellow and Roger & Lisa's 1986 Blue Elan. At the conclusion of the meal, Jackie had a little surprise gift for one lucky member. All attending club member names were put in a bag and our waitress drew the name of the lucky winner. As you'll see in the picture below, that winner was Scott. His gift was a Thunderbird Christmas tree ornament. After some additional conversation, Mark & Jackie, Scott, James, Brett and Roger & Lisa decided to go on a nice drive in the countryside.
We left Springboro and headed east to Waynesville, Ohio and drove through the downtown area and then headed down the winding country roads where we end up going our separate ways once we reached Wilmington Pike outside of Bellbrook, Ohio.
Warped Wing Restaurant
On Sunday, May 15,2022, ten members of Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio (Brett Andrews, Scott McGaha, James Russell, Dave Harvey, Mark & Jackie Allen, Larry & Jo Doelker, Roger & Lisa Hamm) celebrated Thunderbird Appreciation Day by taking their Thunderbirds (and one Miata) out to show the public. The members all met at the Warped Wing Restaurant in Springboro, Ohio and decided to partake of some of their delicious food. Thunderbirds present were Brett's 2004 Merlot, Scott's 2002 Blue, James's 1956 Red, Larry & Jo's Inspiration yellow and Roger & Lisa's 1986 Blue Elan. At the conclusion of the meal, Jackie had a little surprise gift for one lucky member. All attending club member names were put in a bag and our waitress drew the name of the lucky winner. As you'll see in the picture below, that winner was Scott. His gift was a Thunderbird Christmas tree ornament. After some additional conversation, Mark & Jackie, Scott, James, Brett and Roger & Lisa decided to go on a nice drive in the countryside.
We left Springboro and headed east to Waynesville, Ohio and drove through the downtown area and then headed down the winding country roads where we end up going our separate ways once we reached Wilmington Pike outside of Bellbrook, Ohio.
A Visit to the
Middletown Horsepower Farm
On April 30th six TSWO club members ventured to the Horsepower Farm in Middletown, Ohio to participate in their monthly cruise-in event. Club members present include Roger Hamm, Dave Harvey, Beverly Knauper & Jim Ross, and Tom Tirey & Gina Hoctor. Below are some photos our president, Roger, took at the event.
Middletown Horsepower Farm
On April 30th six TSWO club members ventured to the Horsepower Farm in Middletown, Ohio to participate in their monthly cruise-in event. Club members present include Roger Hamm, Dave Harvey, Beverly Knauper & Jim Ross, and Tom Tirey & Gina Hoctor. Below are some photos our president, Roger, took at the event.
Lunch at the Historic Florentine Hotel
Saturday, 26 March, was a cold, windy and snowy day in Ohio. Ten hearty souls from the our club braved the elements to gather at the historic Florentine Hotel Restaurant in Germantown, Ohio for lunch as our March club activity. The participants included Roger & Lisa Hamm, Scott McGaha, Dave & Deb Harvey, Brett & Peg Andrews, Nancy & Julie Blake, and James Russell.
To say the place was reminiscent of days gone by would be an understatement. Before it was converted to a restaurant, the Florentine was a hotel. In fact, it was the second oldest inn in Ohio and was opened in 1814-1816 by Philip Gunckel, the founder of Germantown. In 1862, the new owner, William Leighty, changed the name to the Leighty House. The Florentine has hosted several famous Americans including Henry Clay, Secretary of State to John Quincy Adams and Clement Vallandingham, a notorious Southern sympathizer. The hotel was again sold in 1911 and renamed The Florentine Hotel.
The hotel’s most impressive features are the beautiful wooden center staircase, the ornate wrought iron rail balcony on the hotel front, and the main room fireplace which is original to the building. The most recent addition is the picturesque bar that reportedly has origins in Europe and once served in an ice cream parlor in New Orleans before finding its home in Germantown.
By 1940 the hotel was primarily a local bar with a few live-in tenants. It closed in 1974 until purchased and restored by locals in 1976 and re-opened as a restaurant in August 1979.
By all accounts, from our club participants, the food was wonderful and what a location to see the architecture from earlier times. Our waitress was extremely friendly and joked with us repeatedly. She took interest in our car hobby and shared pictures of vintage vehicles in her family inciting several club members to quickly begin retrieving pictures of their Thunderbirds to share with her. As you'll see in one of the pictures below, one of our members didn't need a picture; our own James Russell drove his 56 Babybird to the restaurant.
With the quality of the food and the ambiance provided by the rustic decor, it wouldn't be a surprise if our club visited this off-the-beaten-path gem again.
Saturday, 26 March, was a cold, windy and snowy day in Ohio. Ten hearty souls from the our club braved the elements to gather at the historic Florentine Hotel Restaurant in Germantown, Ohio for lunch as our March club activity. The participants included Roger & Lisa Hamm, Scott McGaha, Dave & Deb Harvey, Brett & Peg Andrews, Nancy & Julie Blake, and James Russell.
To say the place was reminiscent of days gone by would be an understatement. Before it was converted to a restaurant, the Florentine was a hotel. In fact, it was the second oldest inn in Ohio and was opened in 1814-1816 by Philip Gunckel, the founder of Germantown. In 1862, the new owner, William Leighty, changed the name to the Leighty House. The Florentine has hosted several famous Americans including Henry Clay, Secretary of State to John Quincy Adams and Clement Vallandingham, a notorious Southern sympathizer. The hotel was again sold in 1911 and renamed The Florentine Hotel.
The hotel’s most impressive features are the beautiful wooden center staircase, the ornate wrought iron rail balcony on the hotel front, and the main room fireplace which is original to the building. The most recent addition is the picturesque bar that reportedly has origins in Europe and once served in an ice cream parlor in New Orleans before finding its home in Germantown.
By 1940 the hotel was primarily a local bar with a few live-in tenants. It closed in 1974 until purchased and restored by locals in 1976 and re-opened as a restaurant in August 1979.
By all accounts, from our club participants, the food was wonderful and what a location to see the architecture from earlier times. Our waitress was extremely friendly and joked with us repeatedly. She took interest in our car hobby and shared pictures of vintage vehicles in her family inciting several club members to quickly begin retrieving pictures of their Thunderbirds to share with her. As you'll see in one of the pictures below, one of our members didn't need a picture; our own James Russell drove his 56 Babybird to the restaurant.
With the quality of the food and the ambiance provided by the rustic decor, it wouldn't be a surprise if our club visited this off-the-beaten-path gem again.
Touring the American Sign Museum
On Saturday, February 26th, 10 members of our club were able to make it to our February club event to the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio. The members in attendance were Dave and Deborah Harvey, Dave and Susan Menke, Jim Ross and Beverly Knauper, Mark and Jackie Allen, Roger Hamm and Scott McGaha. Everyone had a great time viewing all the amazing signs inside the museum. Some of these were old-time wood signs, then some were the old incandescent bulbs and, then some of them were of the neon type. We also got to watch a couple of the neon glass blowers heating up and bending pieces of glass into different shapes and sizes. The museum also provided a nice video explaining some of the signs they had and how and where some of them were acquired.
After spending about two hours at the museum, we all then drove a short distance to the Camp Washington Chili House restaurant for a nice meal before heading back to our respective homes. Some of the nice meals we enjoyed were 4-way chili with spaghetti, chili, cheese and either beans or onions, chili dogs, chili, and some decided to enjoy a nice breakfast. After spending almost two more hours eating and telling some great tales, we decided it was time to head home. Additional photos of the museum will soon be available on our club website.
In addition to the photos taken and included during this club visit to the museum, additional photos have been added that were taken several years earlier during a previous TSWO club visit.
Club Brunch
at Christopher's Restaurant
On a very cold final Saturday of January 2022, eleven members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio gathered at 10 a.m. for breakfast at Christopher's Restaurant in Kettering. The temperature outside may have been below freezing, but the hospitality and fellowship inside was warm and generous. A large table in a cozy front corner of the restaurant was ready for our arrival and nearly everyone arrived within 20 minutes of the appointed time. In attendance were Tom Tirey, Paul and Sherry Loschi, Roger and Lisa Hamm, Dave and Deb Harvey, Dave Menke, Mark and Jackie Allen, Scott McGaha, and Jim Russell. The food was excellent, and service was prompt despite a full restaurant and customers waiting outside for available seating. After our empty breakfast plates were cleared away and checks were settled, the majority of club members continued chatting and enjoying each other's company at the table for some time. But eventually the time came for everyone to bundle up again for the outside temperatures and get on with the rest of our various and sundry Saturday plans. Only a few club members had been to Christopher's prior to our club outing today, but everyone agreed after this outing that it was worth a return visit either as a club or individually. It was indeed one of "Dayton's hidden gems," as the restaurant's website had proclaimed.
at Christopher's Restaurant
On a very cold final Saturday of January 2022, eleven members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio gathered at 10 a.m. for breakfast at Christopher's Restaurant in Kettering. The temperature outside may have been below freezing, but the hospitality and fellowship inside was warm and generous. A large table in a cozy front corner of the restaurant was ready for our arrival and nearly everyone arrived within 20 minutes of the appointed time. In attendance were Tom Tirey, Paul and Sherry Loschi, Roger and Lisa Hamm, Dave and Deb Harvey, Dave Menke, Mark and Jackie Allen, Scott McGaha, and Jim Russell. The food was excellent, and service was prompt despite a full restaurant and customers waiting outside for available seating. After our empty breakfast plates were cleared away and checks were settled, the majority of club members continued chatting and enjoying each other's company at the table for some time. But eventually the time came for everyone to bundle up again for the outside temperatures and get on with the rest of our various and sundry Saturday plans. Only a few club members had been to Christopher's prior to our club outing today, but everyone agreed after this outing that it was worth a return visit either as a club or individually. It was indeed one of "Dayton's hidden gems," as the restaurant's website had proclaimed.
2021 Recent Club Events
Annual Christmas Dinner &
White Elephant Gift Exchange
On December 9th, we held our annual Christmas party and White Elephant gift exchange at the MCL Cafeteria. The eighteen club members who attended included Brett & Peg Andrews, Roger & Lisa Hamm, Dave & Deb Harvey, Nancy & Julie Blake, Jim Ross & Beverly Knauper, Guy & Jan Gifford, Dave & Susan Menke, Karl & Meritta Eby, and Paul & Sherry Loschi.
Guests began arriving around 5:30 pm and were treated beautifully decorated tables thanks to Nancy, Julie and Beverly. As has become almost a tradition, a tasty looking Christmas themed cake provided by Nancy & Julie was the center piece. As she has done for many years, Nancy also provided each member family a Christmas ornament that she hand made. Other members also shared Christmas candies and cookies with all. The White Elephant gift were all neatly stacked on the table while members enjoy some punch and friendly conversation while Christmas music softly played in the background Once all were present, all were asked to proceed to the serving line to get their meals.
Prior to the main event, the gift exchange, Brett, the club president, made a few announcements. He by mentioning some of the regrets he had received from members who were unable to attend for various reason and then noted that December was a huge month for club member birthdays, but no anniversaries. Individuals getting Happy Birthday wishes from the club included Darrel York, Lisa Hamm, Beverly Knauper, Julie Blake, Dave Moore, & Brett Andrews.
Soon it was time for the gift exchange. Lisa had numbers in a basket and went around the room having each participating member draw a number. Dave Menke drew the number "1" so he got to go first only selecting a gift from the table since no other gifts had yet been opened and therefore were ripe for the taking. However, he was in the catbird seat to make the last selection at the end of the game of any gift in the room. However, at the end of the game he was content with what he had. During the White Elephant game play several gift were taken from one member by another forcing the member stolen from to go hunting for another gift (from the table or a gift that had already been opened). You can tell from the pictures below who had the opportunity for multiple gift selections.
Having given our meals time to settle and once the game was over, we all settled down and had a piece of that delicious Christmas cake. In his last few words spoken to the assembled club members before the night was over, Brett thanked Nancy, Julie & Beverly for the wonderful decorations. He noted that stepping down as club president brought with it some mixed emotions. He relayed how the last two years have been very trying on the club having not been able to meet for such a long period, but we have been resilient and survived to only grow bigger. He totally enjoyed his time a president and looks forward to what's in store for the club in the future.
Then it was then time, as has always been done at the Christmas Dinner in the election year, to pass the mantel of office - the meeting gavel - on to Roger, our new incoming president. Brett emphasized that Roger had previously been our club's president as well as the president in other car clubs, so we'll be in good hands.
The evening soon ended. Everyone pitched in to help clean up. We wished each other Merry Christmas and Happy New Year as we went on our separate ways with gifts and goodies in hand. Below are photos from the event.
White Elephant Gift Exchange
On December 9th, we held our annual Christmas party and White Elephant gift exchange at the MCL Cafeteria. The eighteen club members who attended included Brett & Peg Andrews, Roger & Lisa Hamm, Dave & Deb Harvey, Nancy & Julie Blake, Jim Ross & Beverly Knauper, Guy & Jan Gifford, Dave & Susan Menke, Karl & Meritta Eby, and Paul & Sherry Loschi.
Guests began arriving around 5:30 pm and were treated beautifully decorated tables thanks to Nancy, Julie and Beverly. As has become almost a tradition, a tasty looking Christmas themed cake provided by Nancy & Julie was the center piece. As she has done for many years, Nancy also provided each member family a Christmas ornament that she hand made. Other members also shared Christmas candies and cookies with all. The White Elephant gift were all neatly stacked on the table while members enjoy some punch and friendly conversation while Christmas music softly played in the background Once all were present, all were asked to proceed to the serving line to get their meals.
Prior to the main event, the gift exchange, Brett, the club president, made a few announcements. He by mentioning some of the regrets he had received from members who were unable to attend for various reason and then noted that December was a huge month for club member birthdays, but no anniversaries. Individuals getting Happy Birthday wishes from the club included Darrel York, Lisa Hamm, Beverly Knauper, Julie Blake, Dave Moore, & Brett Andrews.
Soon it was time for the gift exchange. Lisa had numbers in a basket and went around the room having each participating member draw a number. Dave Menke drew the number "1" so he got to go first only selecting a gift from the table since no other gifts had yet been opened and therefore were ripe for the taking. However, he was in the catbird seat to make the last selection at the end of the game of any gift in the room. However, at the end of the game he was content with what he had. During the White Elephant game play several gift were taken from one member by another forcing the member stolen from to go hunting for another gift (from the table or a gift that had already been opened). You can tell from the pictures below who had the opportunity for multiple gift selections.
Having given our meals time to settle and once the game was over, we all settled down and had a piece of that delicious Christmas cake. In his last few words spoken to the assembled club members before the night was over, Brett thanked Nancy, Julie & Beverly for the wonderful decorations. He noted that stepping down as club president brought with it some mixed emotions. He relayed how the last two years have been very trying on the club having not been able to meet for such a long period, but we have been resilient and survived to only grow bigger. He totally enjoyed his time a president and looks forward to what's in store for the club in the future.
Then it was then time, as has always been done at the Christmas Dinner in the election year, to pass the mantel of office - the meeting gavel - on to Roger, our new incoming president. Brett emphasized that Roger had previously been our club's president as well as the president in other car clubs, so we'll be in good hands.
The evening soon ended. Everyone pitched in to help clean up. We wished each other Merry Christmas and Happy New Year as we went on our separate ways with gifts and goodies in hand. Below are photos from the event.
Touring Historical Ohio Covered Bridges
Saturday October 16th was a chilly and blustery day, but that didn’t stop 15 hearty TSWO club members and a guest, along with 7 Thunderbirds, in cruising around 73 miles of the back country in southwest Ohio visiting seven of Ohio's historic covered bridges. Club members participating included Brett & Peg Andrews ('04 retrobird), Roger & Lisa Hamm ('86 T-bird Elan), Dave & Deb Harvey ('64 T-bird convertible), Paul & Sherry Loschi ('94 T-bird LX), Dave and Susan Menke ('02 Retrobird), Jim Ross & Beverly Knauper ('04 retrobird), Jim Russell ('56 babybird), and Nancy Blake and daughters Julie & Sharon.
The crew gathered in a restaurant parking lot in Brookville, Ohio and departed on their 3 1/2 hour tour promptly at 11:00 am. The full tour took the group on a counter clockwise route west, then south, and finally back to the east. Covered bridges visited (and driven through) prior to stopping for a photo opportunity and leg stretching respite were the Warnke, Geeting, Christman, Harshman, and Hueston Woods bridges. After the restful stop, we were off to the last bridge we could transit through, the Brubaker Covered Bridge.
After parading through this final open-to-car-traffic bridge, we made our way to the last stop on our tour, the Germantown covered bridge in the heart of the city of Germantown. This was the only bridge on the tour that was pedestrian traffic only, so again we parked the cars and slowly meandered over the bridge taking in the view of the stream below and the colored leaves on the trees. By the time we reached this point on the tour the weather had warmed considerably and the wind had slowed down to a moderate breeze, making the last of our bridge visits quite enjoyable. This being the last stop on the tour and after leisurely taking in this historic landmark and the surrounding scenery, members said their goodbyes and dispersed to the four winds. Below are a few of the pictures taken by various members of the group.
Saturday October 16th was a chilly and blustery day, but that didn’t stop 15 hearty TSWO club members and a guest, along with 7 Thunderbirds, in cruising around 73 miles of the back country in southwest Ohio visiting seven of Ohio's historic covered bridges. Club members participating included Brett & Peg Andrews ('04 retrobird), Roger & Lisa Hamm ('86 T-bird Elan), Dave & Deb Harvey ('64 T-bird convertible), Paul & Sherry Loschi ('94 T-bird LX), Dave and Susan Menke ('02 Retrobird), Jim Ross & Beverly Knauper ('04 retrobird), Jim Russell ('56 babybird), and Nancy Blake and daughters Julie & Sharon.
The crew gathered in a restaurant parking lot in Brookville, Ohio and departed on their 3 1/2 hour tour promptly at 11:00 am. The full tour took the group on a counter clockwise route west, then south, and finally back to the east. Covered bridges visited (and driven through) prior to stopping for a photo opportunity and leg stretching respite were the Warnke, Geeting, Christman, Harshman, and Hueston Woods bridges. After the restful stop, we were off to the last bridge we could transit through, the Brubaker Covered Bridge.
After parading through this final open-to-car-traffic bridge, we made our way to the last stop on our tour, the Germantown covered bridge in the heart of the city of Germantown. This was the only bridge on the tour that was pedestrian traffic only, so again we parked the cars and slowly meandered over the bridge taking in the view of the stream below and the colored leaves on the trees. By the time we reached this point on the tour the weather had warmed considerably and the wind had slowed down to a moderate breeze, making the last of our bridge visits quite enjoyable. This being the last stop on the tour and after leisurely taking in this historic landmark and the surrounding scenery, members said their goodbyes and dispersed to the four winds. Below are a few of the pictures taken by various members of the group.
Picnicing with Mustangers
At the invitation of the Tri-State Mustang Club, eight TSWO members joined the Mustangers at a joint club picnic at the Gale Halderman Barn Museum in Brandt, Ohio on September 19, 2021. Approximately 40-45 Mustang and Thunderbird club members converged on the museum on a somewhat warm and humid day. As can be seen in the pictures below there was a bevy of Mustangs and five TSWO Thunderbirds parked on the museum lawn.
In addition to a group of classic and muscle cars to ogle over, there was a presentation made by John Clor of the Ford Motor Company talking about the Ford Performance Club Connect program and website. John explained that the primary goal of the Ford Performance Club Connect program is to get everyone to register their club – at no cost – and get themselves on our Ford enthusiast group map so that we can all connect with each other. Once there, members will be able to see all of the other clubs and groups who have registered in your region – not just Mustang clubs, but ALL Ford vehicle organizations. Mr Clor followed his explanation of Club Connect by share a few glowing remembrances of Gale when he worked with him at Ford.
After the presentation, it was time to eat and was there a plenty of food. Members of both clubs sat around picnic table in a section of the museum barn and ate and talked and ate and talked. As attendees finished their meals they began filtering into the museum where they were treated to what appeared to be hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces of concept car design artwork, photos, various pieces of automotive memorabilia, die-cast car models, a couple vintage mustangs, and a Ford Thunderbird (retrobird) parked outside.
For the unknowing reader, Gale Halderman, for whom the museum is named, worked at Ford Motor Company for 40 years as a design engineer, as is credited with the design of the Ford Mustang. Prior to his passing on April 29, 2020, for many years Gale and his family would sponsor an annual cruise-in for charity at his museum as well permit the scheduling of a limited number of selected car events at the property. Having attended several of these events, this writer was fortunate, as were many others, to have met and listened to the many stories Gale would tell. This humble man never tired of sharing those stories of what it was like to work with people like Henry Ford's descendants, Lee Iacocca, and other big names in the Ford hierarchy and how he burned the midnight oil in preparing those first mustang designs
As the afternoon wore on, the food settled, the heat was increasing, and for many nap time was fast approaching, this collection of gear-heads went their separate ways many thinking about next year. Below are a series of photos of the event. In addition to the below, more detailed pictures of the cars can be found in facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Haldermanbarn
At the invitation of the Tri-State Mustang Club, eight TSWO members joined the Mustangers at a joint club picnic at the Gale Halderman Barn Museum in Brandt, Ohio on September 19, 2021. Approximately 40-45 Mustang and Thunderbird club members converged on the museum on a somewhat warm and humid day. As can be seen in the pictures below there was a bevy of Mustangs and five TSWO Thunderbirds parked on the museum lawn.
In addition to a group of classic and muscle cars to ogle over, there was a presentation made by John Clor of the Ford Motor Company talking about the Ford Performance Club Connect program and website. John explained that the primary goal of the Ford Performance Club Connect program is to get everyone to register their club – at no cost – and get themselves on our Ford enthusiast group map so that we can all connect with each other. Once there, members will be able to see all of the other clubs and groups who have registered in your region – not just Mustang clubs, but ALL Ford vehicle organizations. Mr Clor followed his explanation of Club Connect by share a few glowing remembrances of Gale when he worked with him at Ford.
After the presentation, it was time to eat and was there a plenty of food. Members of both clubs sat around picnic table in a section of the museum barn and ate and talked and ate and talked. As attendees finished their meals they began filtering into the museum where they were treated to what appeared to be hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces of concept car design artwork, photos, various pieces of automotive memorabilia, die-cast car models, a couple vintage mustangs, and a Ford Thunderbird (retrobird) parked outside.
For the unknowing reader, Gale Halderman, for whom the museum is named, worked at Ford Motor Company for 40 years as a design engineer, as is credited with the design of the Ford Mustang. Prior to his passing on April 29, 2020, for many years Gale and his family would sponsor an annual cruise-in for charity at his museum as well permit the scheduling of a limited number of selected car events at the property. Having attended several of these events, this writer was fortunate, as were many others, to have met and listened to the many stories Gale would tell. This humble man never tired of sharing those stories of what it was like to work with people like Henry Ford's descendants, Lee Iacocca, and other big names in the Ford hierarchy and how he burned the midnight oil in preparing those first mustang designs
As the afternoon wore on, the food settled, the heat was increasing, and for many nap time was fast approaching, this collection of gear-heads went their separate ways many thinking about next year. Below are a series of photos of the event. In addition to the below, more detailed pictures of the cars can be found in facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Haldermanbarn
Brunching at the
First Watch Restaurant
Our club activity for August was a bring your T-bird to brunch event. The club selected the First Watch Restaurant in Centerville as the location and ten members of the club including Brett & Peg Andrews, Roger & Lisa Hamm, Scott McGaha, Tom Tirey & Gina Hoctor, James Russell, Dave Harvey, and Dave Menke participated. As seen in the pictures below there were six club T-birds on display (Brett & Peg's and Scott's '66 flairbirds, Dave Harvey's 57 and Russel James's 56 babybirds, Roger & Lisa's '86 Elan, and Dave Menke's retrobird. Food is known to always be good at First Watch and we were not disappointed. Following the meal we gathered in the parking lot to say our goodbyes but naturally spend a far amount of time talking, mostly about cars as several passersby ogled our cars. The most memorable of the admirer contacts was a mother with a young daughter who asked if she could take pictures of our cars. Seeing an opportunity both Brett and James offered to let the daughter sit in their Thunderbirds while mom took the photos. It was obvious the mother had a healthy respect for these classic vehicles and we're hoping now the daughter will, as well.
First Watch Restaurant
Our club activity for August was a bring your T-bird to brunch event. The club selected the First Watch Restaurant in Centerville as the location and ten members of the club including Brett & Peg Andrews, Roger & Lisa Hamm, Scott McGaha, Tom Tirey & Gina Hoctor, James Russell, Dave Harvey, and Dave Menke participated. As seen in the pictures below there were six club T-birds on display (Brett & Peg's and Scott's '66 flairbirds, Dave Harvey's 57 and Russel James's 56 babybirds, Roger & Lisa's '86 Elan, and Dave Menke's retrobird. Food is known to always be good at First Watch and we were not disappointed. Following the meal we gathered in the parking lot to say our goodbyes but naturally spend a far amount of time talking, mostly about cars as several passersby ogled our cars. The most memorable of the admirer contacts was a mother with a young daughter who asked if she could take pictures of our cars. Seeing an opportunity both Brett and James offered to let the daughter sit in their Thunderbirds while mom took the photos. It was obvious the mother had a healthy respect for these classic vehicles and we're hoping now the daughter will, as well.
Rip Rap Roadhouse Cruise-in
On July 23rd eleven TSWO club members meet at the Rip Rap Roadhouse in Huber Heights to participate in the weekly cruise-in. Members who attended included Brett & Peg Andrews, Roger & Lisa Hamm, Dave & Deb Harvey, Scott McGaha, Frank & Sherry Loschi, and Mark & Jackie Allen. If was a beautiful, virtually cloudless summer evening and we all looked forward to looking at cars, eating a scrumptious meal, and enjoying each others company. Well, the evening didn't quite go as planned, but it was never-the-less still enjoyable. Although we were able to park our 5 Thunderbirds together by a tree line, the sun angle meant the trees provided very little shade. Our adopted pseudo t-bird (known as a Miata), owned by Mark and Jackie, arrived early and ended up parking elsewhere in the field of classics, muscle cars, motorcycles, and even a WWII Army Troop Truck.
With the size of the crowd, it didn't take long for us to realize that we may have a problem getting indoor setting for dinner. Soon our fears were confirmed. We learned that a major indoor seating area was shut down. The reason was unknown, but it was suspicioned it was likely due to personnel shortages. So, we were relegated to ordering meals from the outdoor drink shack. We pulled two picnics table together in a shady area on the grass and enjoyed our evening together. Other than the occasional gear head wanting to show off how loud thier muscle car was, the environment was peaceful. Our group enjoyed the outdoors, the cars, and most importantly, each other’s company until time to say good bye and go our separate ways. Here are a few photos to commemorate the event. Not pictured is our club president Brett (the photographer) and Lisa, our treasurer, who the photographer did not notice was away from the table at the time of the photo.
On July 23rd eleven TSWO club members meet at the Rip Rap Roadhouse in Huber Heights to participate in the weekly cruise-in. Members who attended included Brett & Peg Andrews, Roger & Lisa Hamm, Dave & Deb Harvey, Scott McGaha, Frank & Sherry Loschi, and Mark & Jackie Allen. If was a beautiful, virtually cloudless summer evening and we all looked forward to looking at cars, eating a scrumptious meal, and enjoying each others company. Well, the evening didn't quite go as planned, but it was never-the-less still enjoyable. Although we were able to park our 5 Thunderbirds together by a tree line, the sun angle meant the trees provided very little shade. Our adopted pseudo t-bird (known as a Miata), owned by Mark and Jackie, arrived early and ended up parking elsewhere in the field of classics, muscle cars, motorcycles, and even a WWII Army Troop Truck.
With the size of the crowd, it didn't take long for us to realize that we may have a problem getting indoor setting for dinner. Soon our fears were confirmed. We learned that a major indoor seating area was shut down. The reason was unknown, but it was suspicioned it was likely due to personnel shortages. So, we were relegated to ordering meals from the outdoor drink shack. We pulled two picnics table together in a shady area on the grass and enjoyed our evening together. Other than the occasional gear head wanting to show off how loud thier muscle car was, the environment was peaceful. Our group enjoyed the outdoors, the cars, and most importantly, each other’s company until time to say good bye and go our separate ways. Here are a few photos to commemorate the event. Not pictured is our club president Brett (the photographer) and Lisa, our treasurer, who the photographer did not notice was away from the table at the time of the photo.
2020 Recent Club Events
Country Cruise & Lunch on the Road
The Covid-19 pandemic has curtailed much of the worlds social activities and the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio certainly has experienced that isolation first hand. But, after many months and the establishment of risk mitigating safe socializing criteria (distancing, masks, outdoor activities, hand washing, etc), TSWO members were ready to embark on a long overdue club gathering. The club has not meet or participated in any activities since February 2020, so we were ready to safely venture out from their semi-hibernation.
So, on Sunday, August 23rd, nine of us TSWO club members (Scott McGaha in his 66 Flairbird, Dave & Deb Harvey in their '57 Babybird, and Karl & Meritta Eby and Dave and Susan Menke both in their 2003 Retrobirds, and Roger & Lisa Hamm in their 2002 Retrobird) gathered for the clubs first event in five months. The days activities would consist of a traveling tour of Warren County, Ohio with a few stops along the way.
We met in the parking lot of the Bob Evans Restaurant in Springboro, Ohio and discussed the drive directions and sites to look for along the way. Soon we were headed out. Our first stop was the Little River Bar & Grille where some members ordered lunches to go while other had brought lunches with them. We were soon on our way to the Flat Fork Ridge Recreation Area at Caesar’s Creek where we were fortunate to be able to park our five Thunderbirds together in the spacious parking lot. Chairs were retrieved from trunks and a socially distancing circle was formed under several large shade trees where the we enjoyed our lunches and exchanged stories. After eating and socializing we were back on the road and head to the next stop in Lebanon, Ohio -- the Village Ice Cream Parlor. We enjoyed ice cream cones, banana splits and various other ice cream treats. The parlor staff was very friendly and observed proper Coronavirus protections with face masks and gloves while providing wonderful service.
Once we all had finished, it was time to bid farewell to our dear friends until we are able to meet again. When the virus is but a distant memory, those of us who participated in this event felt this just may be something we'd want to do again next year. (Below are a few pictures from the day's activity)
The Covid-19 pandemic has curtailed much of the worlds social activities and the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio certainly has experienced that isolation first hand. But, after many months and the establishment of risk mitigating safe socializing criteria (distancing, masks, outdoor activities, hand washing, etc), TSWO members were ready to embark on a long overdue club gathering. The club has not meet or participated in any activities since February 2020, so we were ready to safely venture out from their semi-hibernation.
So, on Sunday, August 23rd, nine of us TSWO club members (Scott McGaha in his 66 Flairbird, Dave & Deb Harvey in their '57 Babybird, and Karl & Meritta Eby and Dave and Susan Menke both in their 2003 Retrobirds, and Roger & Lisa Hamm in their 2002 Retrobird) gathered for the clubs first event in five months. The days activities would consist of a traveling tour of Warren County, Ohio with a few stops along the way.
We met in the parking lot of the Bob Evans Restaurant in Springboro, Ohio and discussed the drive directions and sites to look for along the way. Soon we were headed out. Our first stop was the Little River Bar & Grille where some members ordered lunches to go while other had brought lunches with them. We were soon on our way to the Flat Fork Ridge Recreation Area at Caesar’s Creek where we were fortunate to be able to park our five Thunderbirds together in the spacious parking lot. Chairs were retrieved from trunks and a socially distancing circle was formed under several large shade trees where the we enjoyed our lunches and exchanged stories. After eating and socializing we were back on the road and head to the next stop in Lebanon, Ohio -- the Village Ice Cream Parlor. We enjoyed ice cream cones, banana splits and various other ice cream treats. The parlor staff was very friendly and observed proper Coronavirus protections with face masks and gloves while providing wonderful service.
Once we all had finished, it was time to bid farewell to our dear friends until we are able to meet again. When the virus is but a distant memory, those of us who participated in this event felt this just may be something we'd want to do again next year. (Below are a few pictures from the day's activity)
A Day at the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal
The monthly club activity for TSWO occurred on Saturday, February 15th, when six club members (Brett & Peg Andrews, Roger Hamm, Scott McGaha, and Tom Tirey & Gina Hoctor) meet at the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal with the primary objective being to hear a lecture from a noted participant in the 1969 moon landing and to tour the Apollo 11 exhibit. Our first order of business upon arrival was the lecture by Marion Lee Johnson.
From 1967 to 1969, Mrs Johnson worked as a mathematician with Boeing, a leader in the building of the Saturn V rocket used to launch each of the Apollo missions. She worked on the Apollo program at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center under the direction of rocket designer Wernher von Braun. As part of the team, Mrs Johnson was responsible for calculations to simulate vehicle piece impact trajectories. She recorded an incredible perfect score over her 20 successful missions and was included in the Apollo/Saturn V Roll of Honor. Following her stint with Boeing and NASA, Mrs Johnson spent 26 years at Pfizer, Inc. as a project leader and was later a computer networking and security instructor at Branford Hall Career Institute in New Jersey.
After the hour long presentation our group wandered around the main floor of the terminal marveling at the buildings architecture, decor, and wall murals. We then made our way to the bottom floor where we toured the Apollo 11 exhibit which was on an extensive around the country tour to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the U.S. landing on the moon on 20 July 1969. The crystal clear large photographic images and three dimensional depictions of the moon's surface were impressive, but by far to this author the most impressive item was the actual Apollo 11 command module, Columbia, that Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins occupied during there trip to and return to earth and splash down on July 24, 1969.
After our tour of the exhibit we gathered together to select a location for a late lunch. It was decided to try something different so we selected the Highland Stag, a Scottish/Celtic restaurant in Springboro. Upon arrival at the restaurant we discovered it was closed (Note: After the fact it was discovered that the Highland Stag had been closed for several months but their website which was visited just the night before made no such mention of the closure). We quickly altered our plans and soon we were making our way a short distance up the road to the China Cottage. After a delicious oriental meal we said our goodbyes and headed home. What an interesting day we had hearing about and see such history. Below are a few photos from our days activity.
The monthly club activity for TSWO occurred on Saturday, February 15th, when six club members (Brett & Peg Andrews, Roger Hamm, Scott McGaha, and Tom Tirey & Gina Hoctor) meet at the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal with the primary objective being to hear a lecture from a noted participant in the 1969 moon landing and to tour the Apollo 11 exhibit. Our first order of business upon arrival was the lecture by Marion Lee Johnson.
From 1967 to 1969, Mrs Johnson worked as a mathematician with Boeing, a leader in the building of the Saturn V rocket used to launch each of the Apollo missions. She worked on the Apollo program at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center under the direction of rocket designer Wernher von Braun. As part of the team, Mrs Johnson was responsible for calculations to simulate vehicle piece impact trajectories. She recorded an incredible perfect score over her 20 successful missions and was included in the Apollo/Saturn V Roll of Honor. Following her stint with Boeing and NASA, Mrs Johnson spent 26 years at Pfizer, Inc. as a project leader and was later a computer networking and security instructor at Branford Hall Career Institute in New Jersey.
After the hour long presentation our group wandered around the main floor of the terminal marveling at the buildings architecture, decor, and wall murals. We then made our way to the bottom floor where we toured the Apollo 11 exhibit which was on an extensive around the country tour to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the U.S. landing on the moon on 20 July 1969. The crystal clear large photographic images and three dimensional depictions of the moon's surface were impressive, but by far to this author the most impressive item was the actual Apollo 11 command module, Columbia, that Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins occupied during there trip to and return to earth and splash down on July 24, 1969.
After our tour of the exhibit we gathered together to select a location for a late lunch. It was decided to try something different so we selected the Highland Stag, a Scottish/Celtic restaurant in Springboro. Upon arrival at the restaurant we discovered it was closed (Note: After the fact it was discovered that the Highland Stag had been closed for several months but their website which was visited just the night before made no such mention of the closure). We quickly altered our plans and soon we were making our way a short distance up the road to the China Cottage. After a delicious oriental meal we said our goodbyes and headed home. What an interesting day we had hearing about and see such history. Below are a few photos from our days activity.
Movie and a Late Lunch
On Saturday, January 11th, eleven TSWO members (Brett & Peg Andrews, Roger & Lisa Hamm, Dave & Deb Harvey, Guy & Jan Gifford, Mark & Jackie Allen, and Scott McGaha) gathered for our first club event of 2020. Originally scheduled for this weekend was a trip to the Cincinnati Museum Center but the impending inclement weather on both the primary and alternate dates necessitated a change to our plans. At our January club meeting members agreed it would be safer to stay closer to home. So our plans were altered and we agreed to go to a movie and a have a late lunch together. After some discussion it was decided we'd go to the Danbarry Theater in Dayton to see Ford v Ferrari. Being a Ford Thunderbird club, it seemed an appropriate movie to see. We met in the lobby of the theater around noon; purchased our tickets, popcorn and drinks and settled in for the 2 hour and 32 minute show.
The movie is based on the true story of visionary American car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and fearless British-born driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale), who together build a revolutionary race car for Ford Motor Company and take on the dominating race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966.
From all accounts everyone enjoyed the movie. Realizing that popcorn and a drink just wasn't a very hearty lunch, we bundled up and made our way, in the rain, to nearby O'Charley's Restaurant where we spent the next hour and a half enjoying some pretty good food and pleasant conversation. We eventually said our goodbyes and headed home after another fulfilling afternoon with friends. Below is the happy crew with menus in hand.
On Saturday, January 11th, eleven TSWO members (Brett & Peg Andrews, Roger & Lisa Hamm, Dave & Deb Harvey, Guy & Jan Gifford, Mark & Jackie Allen, and Scott McGaha) gathered for our first club event of 2020. Originally scheduled for this weekend was a trip to the Cincinnati Museum Center but the impending inclement weather on both the primary and alternate dates necessitated a change to our plans. At our January club meeting members agreed it would be safer to stay closer to home. So our plans were altered and we agreed to go to a movie and a have a late lunch together. After some discussion it was decided we'd go to the Danbarry Theater in Dayton to see Ford v Ferrari. Being a Ford Thunderbird club, it seemed an appropriate movie to see. We met in the lobby of the theater around noon; purchased our tickets, popcorn and drinks and settled in for the 2 hour and 32 minute show.
The movie is based on the true story of visionary American car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and fearless British-born driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale), who together build a revolutionary race car for Ford Motor Company and take on the dominating race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966.
From all accounts everyone enjoyed the movie. Realizing that popcorn and a drink just wasn't a very hearty lunch, we bundled up and made our way, in the rain, to nearby O'Charley's Restaurant where we spent the next hour and a half enjoying some pretty good food and pleasant conversation. We eventually said our goodbyes and headed home after another fulfilling afternoon with friends. Below is the happy crew with menus in hand.
2019 Recent Club Events
January Club Outing: Movie & A Pizza
January's club outing was an optional movie followed by lunch together. Originally scheduled for Saturday the 19th, it was postponed until the following weekend due to impending heavy snow conditions. So, on Saturday, January 26th, nine club members including, Scott. Brett & Peg, Roger & Lisa, Mark & Jackie, and Dave and Deb ultimately meet up at the Pies and Pints Restaurant at the Greene Shopping Mall for lunch. A few of the participants did attend a movie prior to lunch while others selected alternate activities. A club member or two had eaten at the Pies and Pints Restaurant before, or had friends who had, and all gave a raving report on the eatery. They were not wrong. If anyone had the slightest displeasure with their food, they did not express it openly. As one of the participants, I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious the food was. Only a few pictures were taken, but as can been seen, the primary meal of choice was pizza, augmented by a few with a salad or chicken wings. Some folks even sampled the restaurant's craft brewed beer. Clearly we all had a good time together.
January's club outing was an optional movie followed by lunch together. Originally scheduled for Saturday the 19th, it was postponed until the following weekend due to impending heavy snow conditions. So, on Saturday, January 26th, nine club members including, Scott. Brett & Peg, Roger & Lisa, Mark & Jackie, and Dave and Deb ultimately meet up at the Pies and Pints Restaurant at the Greene Shopping Mall for lunch. A few of the participants did attend a movie prior to lunch while others selected alternate activities. A club member or two had eaten at the Pies and Pints Restaurant before, or had friends who had, and all gave a raving report on the eatery. They were not wrong. If anyone had the slightest displeasure with their food, they did not express it openly. As one of the participants, I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious the food was. Only a few pictures were taken, but as can been seen, the primary meal of choice was pizza, augmented by a few with a salad or chicken wings. Some folks even sampled the restaurant's craft brewed beer. Clearly we all had a good time together.
Our Day at Carillon Park
On Saturday, April 27th, members of TSWO met at Carillon Park for our monthly club outing. This was the club second visit to the park. Our first visit was in 2015. While inside the main museum building we took a leisurely walk through the facility enjoying the artifacts and videos on the history of Dayton and its impact in the city, the state and even the country. As the photos will attest, a few of our members couldn't help but the ride operating carousel. We then made our way outside to visit the numerous other buildings. Our club president's goal for the day was to climb the Carillon Park clock tower, which he and another member of our group accomplished. Especially interesting attractions at the park, besides the main building, were the buildings dedicated to the Dayton flood of 2013, the Transportation facility, and the Wright Brothers Bicycle Shop that among other things houses the original Wright B flyer II. After touring the park, we retired to the Carillon Park Brewing Company where we enjoyed some delicious period cuisine.
On Saturday, April 27th, members of TSWO met at Carillon Park for our monthly club outing. This was the club second visit to the park. Our first visit was in 2015. While inside the main museum building we took a leisurely walk through the facility enjoying the artifacts and videos on the history of Dayton and its impact in the city, the state and even the country. As the photos will attest, a few of our members couldn't help but the ride operating carousel. We then made our way outside to visit the numerous other buildings. Our club president's goal for the day was to climb the Carillon Park clock tower, which he and another member of our group accomplished. Especially interesting attractions at the park, besides the main building, were the buildings dedicated to the Dayton flood of 2013, the Transportation facility, and the Wright Brothers Bicycle Shop that among other things houses the original Wright B flyer II. After touring the park, we retired to the Carillon Park Brewing Company where we enjoyed some delicious period cuisine.
Cruising to Metamora
On a cool July 27th morning thirteen TSWO members (Scott McGaha, Brett & Peg Andrews, Nancy & Julie Blake, Mark & Jackie Allen, Dave & Deb Harvey, Roger & Lisa Hamm, and Jim Ross & Beverly Knauper) made a sightseeing trip to the historic city of Metamora in Indiana. Nine of us members from the Dayton area rendezvoused at Tim Horton’s in Miamisburg where at 8:45 a.m. we began our back country cruise to Metamora. Along the way we were joined by two more club members with the last two of the our party joining us in Metamora. Of the seven cars on the excursion, five were thunderbirds, one an SUV, and a Miata. The caravan from Dayton traveled the back country wheeling our way through scenic small towns and rolling country roads. The hour and half trip to Metamora took us through Gratis and Camden, Ohio and over to Liberty, Indiana where we headed south past Brookville Lake to the town of Brookville and then west to Metamora.
Our first adventure upon arrival was an attack by tiny flying insect critters. The rising warmth of the day eventually drove the critters away. Rather than trying to keep our gaggle of thirteen together as a group, we split up and set a meeting time and location. Most of the group's first venture was to buy tickets on the ½ hour train excursion along the remnant of the Whitewater Canal that was a focal point in Metamora along with its horse drawn canal boat. At the conclusion of the ride, we again split up and scurried off in all directions to continue our sightseeing and shopping. The group did decide to extend our departure time from Metamora to give us a little more time to see those sights we hadn't seen yet and spend more money. We eventually banded back together, made our way to our cars, reformed the caravan lineup, and headed to Ainsley’s Café at Brookville Lake for lunch.
Having spend many a joyful day at Brookville Lake, Mark and Jackie took the lead in getting us to the restaurant at the lake marina. To say the marina was packed would be an understatement. Members drove in circles looking for a place to park. Thanks to Jackie, while others played musical parking spaces, she went in to the restaurant and secured tables for our group. By the time we all had made our way to the restaurant, our tables were ready and we went right in. The food, the service and the view were fantastic and the conversations were free flowing. After completing our meal and the interchange of a last few stories, we said our good-byes and headed for home at our own leisure. Below are pictures taken by various members on the trip.
On a cool July 27th morning thirteen TSWO members (Scott McGaha, Brett & Peg Andrews, Nancy & Julie Blake, Mark & Jackie Allen, Dave & Deb Harvey, Roger & Lisa Hamm, and Jim Ross & Beverly Knauper) made a sightseeing trip to the historic city of Metamora in Indiana. Nine of us members from the Dayton area rendezvoused at Tim Horton’s in Miamisburg where at 8:45 a.m. we began our back country cruise to Metamora. Along the way we were joined by two more club members with the last two of the our party joining us in Metamora. Of the seven cars on the excursion, five were thunderbirds, one an SUV, and a Miata. The caravan from Dayton traveled the back country wheeling our way through scenic small towns and rolling country roads. The hour and half trip to Metamora took us through Gratis and Camden, Ohio and over to Liberty, Indiana where we headed south past Brookville Lake to the town of Brookville and then west to Metamora.
Our first adventure upon arrival was an attack by tiny flying insect critters. The rising warmth of the day eventually drove the critters away. Rather than trying to keep our gaggle of thirteen together as a group, we split up and set a meeting time and location. Most of the group's first venture was to buy tickets on the ½ hour train excursion along the remnant of the Whitewater Canal that was a focal point in Metamora along with its horse drawn canal boat. At the conclusion of the ride, we again split up and scurried off in all directions to continue our sightseeing and shopping. The group did decide to extend our departure time from Metamora to give us a little more time to see those sights we hadn't seen yet and spend more money. We eventually banded back together, made our way to our cars, reformed the caravan lineup, and headed to Ainsley’s Café at Brookville Lake for lunch.
Having spend many a joyful day at Brookville Lake, Mark and Jackie took the lead in getting us to the restaurant at the lake marina. To say the marina was packed would be an understatement. Members drove in circles looking for a place to park. Thanks to Jackie, while others played musical parking spaces, she went in to the restaurant and secured tables for our group. By the time we all had made our way to the restaurant, our tables were ready and we went right in. The food, the service and the view were fantastic and the conversations were free flowing. After completing our meal and the interchange of a last few stories, we said our good-byes and headed for home at our own leisure. Below are pictures taken by various members on the trip.
TSWO Combined Club Meeting and Annual Picnic
On September 12 the monthly meeting of TSWO was held in the clubhouse at The Estates at Willow Creek community. Prior to the meeting, the club indulged in its annual picnic gathering. Club members provided the meal for the occasion and it should be obvious from the photos below that there was way more more food than could be consumed by a group twice our size. The bill of fare consisted of everything from fried chicken and pulled pork, to a variety of salads, pastas, deviled eggs, cakes, and brownies. Such a feast!!!. Although most attendees found it compelling to make a second trip back to the serving table, there was still large amounts of food remaining. After all the eating and pleasant conversation, it was time to get down to business. Scott banged the gavel and the meeting began. For the next hour members discussed club business and plans for the remainder of the year. The full minutes of the meeting can be read in our October newsletter. When the final gavel for adjournment fell everyone pitched in to clean up the clubhouse. Prior to the start of the clean up the remaining food needed to be cleared. Scott, the club president, provided a packet of plastic bowls with covers so members could take home some of the remaining goodies. When all the work was done we said our goodbyes and headed for home thinking about the great meal we just had and our next event together as a club. Below are a few photos from our gathering.
On September 12 the monthly meeting of TSWO was held in the clubhouse at The Estates at Willow Creek community. Prior to the meeting, the club indulged in its annual picnic gathering. Club members provided the meal for the occasion and it should be obvious from the photos below that there was way more more food than could be consumed by a group twice our size. The bill of fare consisted of everything from fried chicken and pulled pork, to a variety of salads, pastas, deviled eggs, cakes, and brownies. Such a feast!!!. Although most attendees found it compelling to make a second trip back to the serving table, there was still large amounts of food remaining. After all the eating and pleasant conversation, it was time to get down to business. Scott banged the gavel and the meeting began. For the next hour members discussed club business and plans for the remainder of the year. The full minutes of the meeting can be read in our October newsletter. When the final gavel for adjournment fell everyone pitched in to clean up the clubhouse. Prior to the start of the clean up the remaining food needed to be cleared. Scott, the club president, provided a packet of plastic bowls with covers so members could take home some of the remaining goodies. When all the work was done we said our goodbyes and headed for home thinking about the great meal we just had and our next event together as a club. Below are a few photos from our gathering.
TSWO Annual Christmas Dinner
On December 12th twelve members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio car club gathered together again at the MCL Cafeteria for our annual Christmas Dinner and White Elephant Gift Exchange. Members in attendance included Scott McGaha, Brett & Peg Andrews, Nancy & Julie Blake, Jan & Guy Gifford, Beverly Knauper & Jim Ross, Tom Tirey, and Jim Hayden & Beverly Lake.
As guests arrived around 5:30 pm they were welcomed by a room that was festively decorated thanks again to Nancy, Julie and Beverly. The center piece was a beautiful Thunderbird Club themed cake once again provided by Julie & Nancy. Showing true Christmas spirit, several club members brought additional small gifts (Christmas candies & cookies, handmade ornaments, and more) for all the attendees. As members arrived they stacked their White Elephant gift on the table, grabbed a glass of punch, and enjoyed casual conversation while Christmas music played in the background After everyone had arrived our president, Scott, invited all to go through the serving line to get their meals. For the next 30 minutes or so we enjoyed each others company as we conversed over a myriad of topics.
After the delicious meal, it was time to start the White Elephant gift exchange. Numbers were placed in a hat and drawn by each member. Roger, although not able to attend, had sent a White Elephant gift to be placed in the mix and asked that someone serve as his proxy. Scott became that proxy and selected two numbers; one for himself and one for Roger. Tom, having #1, drew from the stack on presents since there was no other open presents at this stage of the game for him to steal. However, he was in the catbird seat since the rules of the game stated that after all members had selected a gift, if his original gift had not been taken from him he had the very last selection from all the gifts in the room. As it worked out, no one took his gift during the game, but at the end he was content with what he had originally chosen, so all other member's gifts were safe. The winner this year for the member who had their gift taken from them the most was our Cobra Kid, Jim Ross. He made three trips to the table. Once everyone had their gift and the game was over we enjoyed a slice of that delicious Christmas cake.
This was the last gathering of the club at which Scott would preside as our club president. As is our club tradition, the outgoing president is given a parting memento to recognize his efforts in guiding the club over the last two years. While members enjoyed their cake Brett took to the floor to recognize Scott for all he has done for the club and thank him for his gracious offer to continue as the club's activity planner. Brett then presented Scott his memento; a carved wooden plaque that highlighted his service as president to the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio from January 2018 to December of 2019.
As the evening came to an end everyone pitched in to help clean up. We then wished each other a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and departed with our gifts and goodies in tow.
Below are a few pictures from the gathering.
On December 12th twelve members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio car club gathered together again at the MCL Cafeteria for our annual Christmas Dinner and White Elephant Gift Exchange. Members in attendance included Scott McGaha, Brett & Peg Andrews, Nancy & Julie Blake, Jan & Guy Gifford, Beverly Knauper & Jim Ross, Tom Tirey, and Jim Hayden & Beverly Lake.
As guests arrived around 5:30 pm they were welcomed by a room that was festively decorated thanks again to Nancy, Julie and Beverly. The center piece was a beautiful Thunderbird Club themed cake once again provided by Julie & Nancy. Showing true Christmas spirit, several club members brought additional small gifts (Christmas candies & cookies, handmade ornaments, and more) for all the attendees. As members arrived they stacked their White Elephant gift on the table, grabbed a glass of punch, and enjoyed casual conversation while Christmas music played in the background After everyone had arrived our president, Scott, invited all to go through the serving line to get their meals. For the next 30 minutes or so we enjoyed each others company as we conversed over a myriad of topics.
After the delicious meal, it was time to start the White Elephant gift exchange. Numbers were placed in a hat and drawn by each member. Roger, although not able to attend, had sent a White Elephant gift to be placed in the mix and asked that someone serve as his proxy. Scott became that proxy and selected two numbers; one for himself and one for Roger. Tom, having #1, drew from the stack on presents since there was no other open presents at this stage of the game for him to steal. However, he was in the catbird seat since the rules of the game stated that after all members had selected a gift, if his original gift had not been taken from him he had the very last selection from all the gifts in the room. As it worked out, no one took his gift during the game, but at the end he was content with what he had originally chosen, so all other member's gifts were safe. The winner this year for the member who had their gift taken from them the most was our Cobra Kid, Jim Ross. He made three trips to the table. Once everyone had their gift and the game was over we enjoyed a slice of that delicious Christmas cake.
This was the last gathering of the club at which Scott would preside as our club president. As is our club tradition, the outgoing president is given a parting memento to recognize his efforts in guiding the club over the last two years. While members enjoyed their cake Brett took to the floor to recognize Scott for all he has done for the club and thank him for his gracious offer to continue as the club's activity planner. Brett then presented Scott his memento; a carved wooden plaque that highlighted his service as president to the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio from January 2018 to December of 2019.
As the evening came to an end everyone pitched in to help clean up. We then wished each other a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and departed with our gifts and goodies in tow.
Below are a few pictures from the gathering.
2018 Recent Club Events
TSWO Annual Christmas Dinner
On December 13th eighteen members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio car club and one guest gathered at the MCL cafeteria for our annual Christmas Dinner. Members in attendance included Scott McGaha, Brett & Peg Andrews, Roger Hamm (and guest Mark Stacy), Nancy & Julie Blake, Jan & Guy Gifford, Beverly Knauper & Jim Ross, Jackie & Mark Allen, Tom Tirey & Gina Hoctor, Jim Hayden & Beverly Lake, and Dave & Deb Harvey.
After our president's initial welcoming of members and guest everyone proceeded through the MCL serving line. While enjoying a delicious meal, members talked about everything from club events of the past year to their plans for Christmas and the New Year all while being entertained in the background with Christmas music. As seen in the below pictures, once again Nancy and Julie had the room dressed up in a holiday decor. Scott extended the club's appreciation to Nancy and Julie for their hard work and for providing the punch and traditional holiday cake we'd be enjoying for our after dinner dessert. In a true Christmas spirit several of the club members also brought additional small gifts (Christmas candies & cookies, handmade ornaments, a 2019 club calendar, and more) they presented to all the attendees.
Soon it was time to start the White Elephant gift exchange. Number were drawn and play began. Beverly Lake selected the first gift from the table. The game then moved on to #2 and so on. As each person’s number was called, they took a gift from the table or claimed one from someone who had a gift. As the game initially members seemed to be content to select from the table and keep that gift. That approach soon changed. Eventually a few gifts started changing hands with several items exchanging hands twice or more. It will be easy to tell from the party photos below who had their gift taken the most. Once everyone had a gift and the game was complete we all enjoyed a slice of that delicious Christmas cake. As the evening drew to a close everyone helped clean up and then wished each other a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year until we see each other next year.
Below are a few pictures from the gathering.
On December 13th eighteen members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio car club and one guest gathered at the MCL cafeteria for our annual Christmas Dinner. Members in attendance included Scott McGaha, Brett & Peg Andrews, Roger Hamm (and guest Mark Stacy), Nancy & Julie Blake, Jan & Guy Gifford, Beverly Knauper & Jim Ross, Jackie & Mark Allen, Tom Tirey & Gina Hoctor, Jim Hayden & Beverly Lake, and Dave & Deb Harvey.
After our president's initial welcoming of members and guest everyone proceeded through the MCL serving line. While enjoying a delicious meal, members talked about everything from club events of the past year to their plans for Christmas and the New Year all while being entertained in the background with Christmas music. As seen in the below pictures, once again Nancy and Julie had the room dressed up in a holiday decor. Scott extended the club's appreciation to Nancy and Julie for their hard work and for providing the punch and traditional holiday cake we'd be enjoying for our after dinner dessert. In a true Christmas spirit several of the club members also brought additional small gifts (Christmas candies & cookies, handmade ornaments, a 2019 club calendar, and more) they presented to all the attendees.
Soon it was time to start the White Elephant gift exchange. Number were drawn and play began. Beverly Lake selected the first gift from the table. The game then moved on to #2 and so on. As each person’s number was called, they took a gift from the table or claimed one from someone who had a gift. As the game initially members seemed to be content to select from the table and keep that gift. That approach soon changed. Eventually a few gifts started changing hands with several items exchanging hands twice or more. It will be easy to tell from the party photos below who had their gift taken the most. Once everyone had a gift and the game was complete we all enjoyed a slice of that delicious Christmas cake. As the evening drew to a close everyone helped clean up and then wished each other a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year until we see each other next year.
Below are a few pictures from the gathering.
TSWO Annual Club Picnic
On Saturday, September 8th, the annual TSWO club picnic was held at the home of Brett & Peg Andrews. Members participating included Brett & Peg, Scott, Guy & Jan, Nancy & Julie, Roger & Lisa, Tom & Gina, and Jim H. and Beverly L. It was a very rainy day and the festivities were forced indoors. Although a rain date of the 9th was originally set the nasty weather projected for the entire weekend lead to the decision to go with the picnic on Saturday. The rain may have affected where the picnic was held, but it didn’t diminish those attending from having a good time. Peg cooked a 9 1/2 lb pork shoulder for 14 hrs and made the most mouthwatering pull pork as well as grilled hot doors and Italian sausages. Attending members brought a variety of delicious side dishes and there was more than enough desserts to go around. As has become the custom, Julie made the Thunderbird Club cake which was used as the centerpiece. Being captive indoors and on a Saturday during college football season ultimately resulted in the TV being tuned to a game. Unfortunately some of our members were unable to attend due to the severe weather hindering travel in their locations. Those members were greatly missed. Below are pictures from the gathering.
On Saturday, September 8th, the annual TSWO club picnic was held at the home of Brett & Peg Andrews. Members participating included Brett & Peg, Scott, Guy & Jan, Nancy & Julie, Roger & Lisa, Tom & Gina, and Jim H. and Beverly L. It was a very rainy day and the festivities were forced indoors. Although a rain date of the 9th was originally set the nasty weather projected for the entire weekend lead to the decision to go with the picnic on Saturday. The rain may have affected where the picnic was held, but it didn’t diminish those attending from having a good time. Peg cooked a 9 1/2 lb pork shoulder for 14 hrs and made the most mouthwatering pull pork as well as grilled hot doors and Italian sausages. Attending members brought a variety of delicious side dishes and there was more than enough desserts to go around. As has become the custom, Julie made the Thunderbird Club cake which was used as the centerpiece. Being captive indoors and on a Saturday during college football season ultimately resulted in the TV being tuned to a game. Unfortunately some of our members were unable to attend due to the severe weather hindering travel in their locations. Those members were greatly missed. Below are pictures from the gathering.
Butler County Donut Trail
On Saturday, June 30th, nine TSWO members (Scott, Brett & Peg, Roger & Lisa, Mark & Jackie, Nancy & Julie) and Scott’s friend Eric participated in the popular Butler County Donut Trail sponsored by the Butler County Tourism Bureau. The challenge is to visit eleven pre-identified donut shops across Butler County and get your Donut Shop "passport" stamped. The stops we made included two shops in Middletown, one in Trenton, three in Hamilton, two in Fairfield, and three in West Chester. Apparently many folks had the same idea on that day for we kept running in to the same groups of folks shop after shop. The coveted prize we were after was not the donuts purchased, though delicious they were, it was the colorful Butler County Donut Trail shirt which gives the wearer bragging rights of having completed the circuit. The challenge our club faced was to do it all in one day.
We gathered at our first stop in Middletown at 8:00 am. Since it was the first stop, nearly everyone indulged in a morning donut or two. We could not linger for long because we had ten more stops to go. Is wasn't like we had all day to make the rounds. The closing times for the shops varied widely; some as early as noon. Others closed when they ran out of donuts. So we were fighting against both time and how hungry the local communities were for donuts that day. We had a five vehicle caravan with four of which were Thunderbirds. This was another opportunity to show off our classics.
One of the most fun parts of running the gauntlet was seeing many of the same people shop after shop. We quickly became friends as if we’d known each other for a long time. We became a bit concern on our ability to complete the donut trail on our projected time schedule. Some shops were so full we had to stand outside (in the heat) waiting our turn to get in. Not only were we battling time, we were also battling the temperature. As the day progressed it got hotter and hotter. By the time we arrived at our last stop the temperature was in the high 90's with a heat index in the 100's.
As photos of the event will show, the last action we took at each location was to gather for a group photo under the shop sign outdoors. By the time we reach the last two shops, the group elected to have pictures taken indoors. We did have to modify the route of our last three stops so we could get to them while they were still open. At our last stop we gathered around a big table in the air conditioning and discussed the events of the day and where we were going to have lunch. The place of choice was Red Robin just 300 yards down the road. As we finished our meal, the Red Robin staff sang a modified version of happy birthday to our own recent birthday boy, Mark Allen. We said our goodbyes and all headed for home where for many of us waited a cold drink and nap.
After mailing in our completed passports, in a few weeks we’ll be wearing our proudly earned blue Donut Trail T-shirts. The camaraderie, the building of short term new friends, and the satisfaction of knowing that as a group we succeeded in our venture made the day worthwhile. Maybe in a few years, we’ll try it again.
On Saturday, June 30th, nine TSWO members (Scott, Brett & Peg, Roger & Lisa, Mark & Jackie, Nancy & Julie) and Scott’s friend Eric participated in the popular Butler County Donut Trail sponsored by the Butler County Tourism Bureau. The challenge is to visit eleven pre-identified donut shops across Butler County and get your Donut Shop "passport" stamped. The stops we made included two shops in Middletown, one in Trenton, three in Hamilton, two in Fairfield, and three in West Chester. Apparently many folks had the same idea on that day for we kept running in to the same groups of folks shop after shop. The coveted prize we were after was not the donuts purchased, though delicious they were, it was the colorful Butler County Donut Trail shirt which gives the wearer bragging rights of having completed the circuit. The challenge our club faced was to do it all in one day.
We gathered at our first stop in Middletown at 8:00 am. Since it was the first stop, nearly everyone indulged in a morning donut or two. We could not linger for long because we had ten more stops to go. Is wasn't like we had all day to make the rounds. The closing times for the shops varied widely; some as early as noon. Others closed when they ran out of donuts. So we were fighting against both time and how hungry the local communities were for donuts that day. We had a five vehicle caravan with four of which were Thunderbirds. This was another opportunity to show off our classics.
One of the most fun parts of running the gauntlet was seeing many of the same people shop after shop. We quickly became friends as if we’d known each other for a long time. We became a bit concern on our ability to complete the donut trail on our projected time schedule. Some shops were so full we had to stand outside (in the heat) waiting our turn to get in. Not only were we battling time, we were also battling the temperature. As the day progressed it got hotter and hotter. By the time we arrived at our last stop the temperature was in the high 90's with a heat index in the 100's.
As photos of the event will show, the last action we took at each location was to gather for a group photo under the shop sign outdoors. By the time we reach the last two shops, the group elected to have pictures taken indoors. We did have to modify the route of our last three stops so we could get to them while they were still open. At our last stop we gathered around a big table in the air conditioning and discussed the events of the day and where we were going to have lunch. The place of choice was Red Robin just 300 yards down the road. As we finished our meal, the Red Robin staff sang a modified version of happy birthday to our own recent birthday boy, Mark Allen. We said our goodbyes and all headed for home where for many of us waited a cold drink and nap.
After mailing in our completed passports, in a few weeks we’ll be wearing our proudly earned blue Donut Trail T-shirts. The camaraderie, the building of short term new friends, and the satisfaction of knowing that as a group we succeeded in our venture made the day worthwhile. Maybe in a few years, we’ll try it again.
Thunderbird Appreciation Day at the National Museum of the United States Air Force
On Sunday, May 20th, five Thunderbirds from the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio car club were placed on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in honor of National Thunderbird Appreciation Day. Club members participating in the event included Scott McGaha, Roger & Lisa Hamm, Mark & Jackie Allen, Tom Tirey, and Guy & Jan Gifford. Though anticipating possible rain, the inclement weather held off and it ended up being a nice day. What made this event special was the fact that the infamous Memphis Belle B-17 World War II bomber was unveiled at the museum this very same weekend, so attendance was high. In addition to being able to share their classic T-birds with the public, our club members were also able to see this piece of history from WWII and visit this awesome museum.
As described by Scott, our club president, upon their arrival at the museum around 9:00 a.m., they were escorted by a museum volunteer in a golf cart to special parking area at the front of the museum, near the control tower, where the Thunderbirds would be parked and be more visible to other museum visitors as they entered the museum regular parking lot. This parking area was actually a taxiway for the museum. You can see a few planes on the tarmac behind our T-birds in some of the photos below. By the time the club members left in the early afternoon, the back lot was full and the museum was parking additional visitor in the lot where the Thunderbirds were parked. This close proximity brought a lot of people over for a better look at the cars.
Following the display at the museum the club members then ventured over to the Rip Rap Roadhouse where they enjoyed lunch together. All in all it was a pretty fun day, and it was great to have our T-birds out in a group.”
On Sunday, May 20th, five Thunderbirds from the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio car club were placed on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in honor of National Thunderbird Appreciation Day. Club members participating in the event included Scott McGaha, Roger & Lisa Hamm, Mark & Jackie Allen, Tom Tirey, and Guy & Jan Gifford. Though anticipating possible rain, the inclement weather held off and it ended up being a nice day. What made this event special was the fact that the infamous Memphis Belle B-17 World War II bomber was unveiled at the museum this very same weekend, so attendance was high. In addition to being able to share their classic T-birds with the public, our club members were also able to see this piece of history from WWII and visit this awesome museum.
As described by Scott, our club president, upon their arrival at the museum around 9:00 a.m., they were escorted by a museum volunteer in a golf cart to special parking area at the front of the museum, near the control tower, where the Thunderbirds would be parked and be more visible to other museum visitors as they entered the museum regular parking lot. This parking area was actually a taxiway for the museum. You can see a few planes on the tarmac behind our T-birds in some of the photos below. By the time the club members left in the early afternoon, the back lot was full and the museum was parking additional visitor in the lot where the Thunderbirds were parked. This close proximity brought a lot of people over for a better look at the cars.
Following the display at the museum the club members then ventured over to the Rip Rap Roadhouse where they enjoyed lunch together. All in all it was a pretty fun day, and it was great to have our T-birds out in a group.”
Visit to the Dayton Art Institute
On April 21st ten TSWO club members (Scott, Brett & Peg, Mark & Jackie, Guy & Jan, Beverly & Jim (version 1), and Roger) participated in a two hour self-guided tour of the Dayton Art Institute (DAI). In addition to the artwork owned by the museum, there were also three limited time exhibits there to enjoy. These exhibits were the “Above The Fold, New Expressions in Origami”, “Buddhist Art: An Enlightened Thread Through Asia”, and “Art of the Ancient Americas”. The intricacies of some of the origami pieces were a sight to behold as were the beautiful sculptures and carvings displayed in the Asia exhibit. After our walk through history marveling at the collection of masterpieces, our tour came to an end and it was time to break bread together. The entire group loaded in our cars and headed for Brixx Ice Co. Restaurant in Dayton. This well known establishment is across the street from the home of the Dayton Dragons Fifth-Third Field. Brixx is a noted popular eating spot, especially before and after Dragons games. Needless to say, we had a great meal and wonderful conversation.
On April 21st ten TSWO club members (Scott, Brett & Peg, Mark & Jackie, Guy & Jan, Beverly & Jim (version 1), and Roger) participated in a two hour self-guided tour of the Dayton Art Institute (DAI). In addition to the artwork owned by the museum, there were also three limited time exhibits there to enjoy. These exhibits were the “Above The Fold, New Expressions in Origami”, “Buddhist Art: An Enlightened Thread Through Asia”, and “Art of the Ancient Americas”. The intricacies of some of the origami pieces were a sight to behold as were the beautiful sculptures and carvings displayed in the Asia exhibit. After our walk through history marveling at the collection of masterpieces, our tour came to an end and it was time to break bread together. The entire group loaded in our cars and headed for Brixx Ice Co. Restaurant in Dayton. This well known establishment is across the street from the home of the Dayton Dragons Fifth-Third Field. Brixx is a noted popular eating spot, especially before and after Dragons games. Needless to say, we had a great meal and wonderful conversation.
Richardson Car Collection Tour
On March 24th eight members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio (TSWO) joined by members of the Miami Valley Car Club, the Tri-State Mustang/Ford Club, and several invited guests assembled at the SugarCreek Packing Company in Washington Court House, Ohio for a tour of the Richardson Car Collection. This is not an open-to-the-public museum, but rather a private collection of the Richardson family which can only be seen by appointment only.
Of greatest concern to us all in the week leading up to the visit was the predicted Saturday weather forecast -- snow and possibly ice. It was not known almost until the morning we were to leave on the visit as to where the worst part of the weather would hit and how bad would it be. As it turned out, the bad weather stayed south of Dayton and Washington Court House but unfortunately for our members and friends coming from the Cincinnati area, they were not spared. As such, they felt it more prudent to opt on the side of safety and forego their participation in the tour. However, one Mustang Club member did make the trip and hopefully returned home safely.
Once all assembled, our group consisted of approximately 18-20 car enthusiasts. Though many members in the group had toured the collection before, it was an absolute treat to be there again. Since TSWO’s visit in November of 2013 they had sold 30 cars out of the collection and added many new ones; some of which will be restored over the coming years.
By 11:00 a.m. the group had all arrived and we were greeted by our tour guides Alan Fultz, Derry Hummel, and Andy Young. We were lead in to the first showroom area where we had a short question and answer session with our guides after which we were released to browse the entire facility. The guides remained with us and answered the many questions we raised about the collection of cars, boats, motorcycles, campers, etc. What was most surprising about our free-wheeling browsing was that were were allowed to sit in the cars and get a good close look at the interiors. It was quite evident to all members present that our guides absolutely enjoyed their jobs, not only as restorers of these vehicles but also meeting and talking with the multitude of people who tour the collection annually. For over two hours our group meandered through the rooms talking cars and taking pictures.
Upon completion of our tour, we extended a grateful appreciation to our tour guides Alan, Derry and Andy. We would be remiss if we didn't also give Mr Tim Bateson, the curator of the collection, a tremendous thank you for working with us weeks in advance to coordinate our visit. To close on day together, our group headed off for lunch at Werner’s Smokehouse BBQ in Jeffersonville. We called ahead to let them know we were coming and they surprised us by having their backroom area set up for us upon our arrival. For the next hour or so we enjoyed a great meal and continued our discussions about the collection. Below are photos taken while on the tour.
On March 24th eight members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio (TSWO) joined by members of the Miami Valley Car Club, the Tri-State Mustang/Ford Club, and several invited guests assembled at the SugarCreek Packing Company in Washington Court House, Ohio for a tour of the Richardson Car Collection. This is not an open-to-the-public museum, but rather a private collection of the Richardson family which can only be seen by appointment only.
Of greatest concern to us all in the week leading up to the visit was the predicted Saturday weather forecast -- snow and possibly ice. It was not known almost until the morning we were to leave on the visit as to where the worst part of the weather would hit and how bad would it be. As it turned out, the bad weather stayed south of Dayton and Washington Court House but unfortunately for our members and friends coming from the Cincinnati area, they were not spared. As such, they felt it more prudent to opt on the side of safety and forego their participation in the tour. However, one Mustang Club member did make the trip and hopefully returned home safely.
Once all assembled, our group consisted of approximately 18-20 car enthusiasts. Though many members in the group had toured the collection before, it was an absolute treat to be there again. Since TSWO’s visit in November of 2013 they had sold 30 cars out of the collection and added many new ones; some of which will be restored over the coming years.
By 11:00 a.m. the group had all arrived and we were greeted by our tour guides Alan Fultz, Derry Hummel, and Andy Young. We were lead in to the first showroom area where we had a short question and answer session with our guides after which we were released to browse the entire facility. The guides remained with us and answered the many questions we raised about the collection of cars, boats, motorcycles, campers, etc. What was most surprising about our free-wheeling browsing was that were were allowed to sit in the cars and get a good close look at the interiors. It was quite evident to all members present that our guides absolutely enjoyed their jobs, not only as restorers of these vehicles but also meeting and talking with the multitude of people who tour the collection annually. For over two hours our group meandered through the rooms talking cars and taking pictures.
Upon completion of our tour, we extended a grateful appreciation to our tour guides Alan, Derry and Andy. We would be remiss if we didn't also give Mr Tim Bateson, the curator of the collection, a tremendous thank you for working with us weeks in advance to coordinate our visit. To close on day together, our group headed off for lunch at Werner’s Smokehouse BBQ in Jeffersonville. We called ahead to let them know we were coming and they surprised us by having their backroom area set up for us upon our arrival. For the next hour or so we enjoyed a great meal and continued our discussions about the collection. Below are photos taken while on the tour.
A Visit to the "Jungle"
It was not the best weather on February 17th, but nine hearty TSWO club members braved the "wintry mix" of precipitation to trek to Jungle Jim's International Market in Fairfield, OH. Although grocery shopping may not be high on your list of fun things to do, once you have been to the jungle you'll soon realize food shopping can be fun if done at the right place. For those club members unable to join the group and those of you who have never been there before, it is highly recommended as an activity to put on your bucket list. As can be seen in the pictures below, there are many things to see while have an international selection of items to buy.
It was not the best weather on February 17th, but nine hearty TSWO club members braved the "wintry mix" of precipitation to trek to Jungle Jim's International Market in Fairfield, OH. Although grocery shopping may not be high on your list of fun things to do, once you have been to the jungle you'll soon realize food shopping can be fun if done at the right place. For those club members unable to join the group and those of you who have never been there before, it is highly recommended as an activity to put on your bucket list. As can be seen in the pictures below, there are many things to see while have an international selection of items to buy.
Tour of Green Sales Ford Auto Parts Company
On Wednesday, January 24th, six members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio traveled to Cincinnati to tour the Green Sales Ford Auto Parts Company. Though the weather was cold and heavily overcast and from time-to-time we were hit with some heavy squalls of snow, the trip was well worth the traveling experience. Those club members participating in the tour included Scott McGaha, Brett Andrews, Jim Ross, Darrel York, Mark Allen, and Dave Moore. Mr Tim Yeoman, the current owner of Green Sales, served as our tour guide.
In consulting their website, we discovered that Green Sales was originally founded and operated by John Greenleaf in 1957. As the business grew bigger and bigger, Mr Greenleaf partnered with Tim Yeoman in 1980. Upon John’s retirement in 1986 Tim purchased the remainder of the business and has been operating it ever since.
The Green Sales Company is an independent Ford and Lincoln-Mercury parts warehouse who has bought from and sold to Ford and L-M dealers, service centers, hobbyists, and individuals around the world. Their inventory, housed in a 95,000 square foot facility, is estimated at 220,000 current and obsolete part numbers with an inventory of over 1,938,000 parts that are 99% original stock covering 1950 to present. They also offer a wide selection of reproduction parts. In essence, they carry almost anything a dealer would have normally stocked over the last 51 years. To read more about the fascinating start up and growth of Green Sales or to look for some parts for your Ford, Lincoln or Mercury, go to their website at www.greensalescompany.com or to the "Parts Supplier" menu item on this website and click on the Green Sales Logo.
In consulting their website, we discovered that Green Sales was originally founded and operated by John Greenleaf in 1957. As the business grew bigger and bigger, Mr Greenleaf partnered with Tim Yeoman in 1980. Upon John’s retirement in 1986 Tim purchased the remainder of the business and has been operating it ever since.
The Green Sales Company is an independent Ford and Lincoln-Mercury parts warehouse who has bought from and sold to Ford and L-M dealers, service centers, hobbyists, and individuals around the world. Their inventory, housed in a 95,000 square foot facility, is estimated at 220,000 current and obsolete part numbers with an inventory of over 1,938,000 parts that are 99% original stock covering 1950 to present. They also offer a wide selection of reproduction parts. In essence, they carry almost anything a dealer would have normally stocked over the last 51 years. To read more about the fascinating start up and growth of Green Sales or to look for some parts for your Ford, Lincoln or Mercury, go to their website at www.greensalescompany.com or to the "Parts Supplier" menu item on this website and click on the Green Sales Logo.
2017 Recent Club Events
Annual Christmas Dinner Party
Holding with our club tradition, on Thursday, December 14th, in lieu of conducting our monthly club meeting, we held our annual Christmas dinner party and White Elephant gift exchange at the MCL cafeteria in Kettering. Club members in attendance included Roger & Lisa Hamm, Scott McGaha, Brett & Peg Andrews, Nancy & Julie Blake, Jan & Guy Gifford, Beverly Knauper & Jim Ross, and Jackie & Mark Allen. The room was decorated in a Christmas festive setting thanks to Nancy and Julie while Christmas music played softly in the background.
Once everyone had arrived, our President, Roger Hamm, welcomed all and extended his appreciation to all those who helped plan the event, setup the decorations, and provided the cake, punch, and extra little gifts and treats. Roger then announced it was time for dinner. Members proceeded through the buffet line and returned to the party room to indulge in a delicious meal and friendly conversation.
After the meal, it was time for the White Elephant gift exchange. Numbers were drawn for the order of gift selection. As each person’s number was called, they could take a gift from the table or claim one from someone who had previously opened theirs. As the game progressed, the partiers were selecting a gift from the table rather than taking one that had already been opened. As more a more gifts were opened the urge to take one that someones else had opened took over and soon gifts started changing hands with a few gifts finding new owners more than once. The party photos below show the White Elephant in action. After completion of the gift exchange we leisurely relaxed while enjoying a slice of that delicious Christmas cake.
As the members finished up their desserts, Brett reminded everyone that we would have a new president in January, Scott, but Roger was still our leader for another 17 days. To recognize Roger for his efforts as our President over the last two years, he was presented a parting memento on behalf of the club—an inscribed set of stainless steel porthole window retrobird bookends. These particular bookends were original stock made prior to the sale of the 2002 retrobird. They were given to purchasers of the 2002 Thunderbird as a gift, along with other miscellaneous related thunderbird items, to soften the impact of having to wait so long for the delivery of their newly purchased T-bird. Because Roger now owns a 2002 retrobird, it was only fitting he should have a set of these bookends.
As the evening ended we all wished each other a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year until we see one another again next year.
Holding with our club tradition, on Thursday, December 14th, in lieu of conducting our monthly club meeting, we held our annual Christmas dinner party and White Elephant gift exchange at the MCL cafeteria in Kettering. Club members in attendance included Roger & Lisa Hamm, Scott McGaha, Brett & Peg Andrews, Nancy & Julie Blake, Jan & Guy Gifford, Beverly Knauper & Jim Ross, and Jackie & Mark Allen. The room was decorated in a Christmas festive setting thanks to Nancy and Julie while Christmas music played softly in the background.
Once everyone had arrived, our President, Roger Hamm, welcomed all and extended his appreciation to all those who helped plan the event, setup the decorations, and provided the cake, punch, and extra little gifts and treats. Roger then announced it was time for dinner. Members proceeded through the buffet line and returned to the party room to indulge in a delicious meal and friendly conversation.
After the meal, it was time for the White Elephant gift exchange. Numbers were drawn for the order of gift selection. As each person’s number was called, they could take a gift from the table or claim one from someone who had previously opened theirs. As the game progressed, the partiers were selecting a gift from the table rather than taking one that had already been opened. As more a more gifts were opened the urge to take one that someones else had opened took over and soon gifts started changing hands with a few gifts finding new owners more than once. The party photos below show the White Elephant in action. After completion of the gift exchange we leisurely relaxed while enjoying a slice of that delicious Christmas cake.
As the members finished up their desserts, Brett reminded everyone that we would have a new president in January, Scott, but Roger was still our leader for another 17 days. To recognize Roger for his efforts as our President over the last two years, he was presented a parting memento on behalf of the club—an inscribed set of stainless steel porthole window retrobird bookends. These particular bookends were original stock made prior to the sale of the 2002 retrobird. They were given to purchasers of the 2002 Thunderbird as a gift, along with other miscellaneous related thunderbird items, to soften the impact of having to wait so long for the delivery of their newly purchased T-bird. Because Roger now owns a 2002 retrobird, it was only fitting he should have a set of these bookends.
As the evening ended we all wished each other a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year until we see one another again next year.
TSWO Dayton Donut Run
On Saturday, November 14th, nine members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio were joined by four members of the Miami Valley Car Club on an excursion to ten donut/muffin/bagel shops in and around Dayton. Several TSWO members had previously participated in the Butler County Donut Trail which was a event sponsored by Butler County. That tour consisted of visiting eight specifically identified donuts shops in Butler county and getting your donut passport stamped. Once all eight shop stamps were obtained, the passport was submitted to Butler County and the participant received a free Butler County Donut Trail t-shirt to acknowledge their efforts. Although the TSWO Dayton Donut Run was not a formally sponsored event, it was great fun.
Our adventure began at Bear Creek Donuts in Miamisburg and ended 5 ½ hours later at Jim’s Donuts in Vandalia. The weather was fantastic. As you'll see in the pictures below, the number of participants varied from locations to location with some participants joining us a little later while some had to drop off early.
Not only did we have a fun day, but it was made even better when a new prospective TSWO club member formerly submitted his membership application and officially joined our club.
The shops we visited included: Bear Creek Donuts (Miamisburg), Bill’s Donuts & My Favorite Muffin (Centerville), Barry’s Bagels (Kettering), Ashley’s Pastries & District 6 Donuts (Oakwood), Stan, The Donut Man (Kettering), American Classic Donuts (Dayton), Donut Palace (Huber Heights) and Jim’s Donut Shop (Vandalia). After all this, eleven of made our way over to the Rip Rap Roadhouse for a cold drink and late lunch.
On Saturday, November 14th, nine members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio were joined by four members of the Miami Valley Car Club on an excursion to ten donut/muffin/bagel shops in and around Dayton. Several TSWO members had previously participated in the Butler County Donut Trail which was a event sponsored by Butler County. That tour consisted of visiting eight specifically identified donuts shops in Butler county and getting your donut passport stamped. Once all eight shop stamps were obtained, the passport was submitted to Butler County and the participant received a free Butler County Donut Trail t-shirt to acknowledge their efforts. Although the TSWO Dayton Donut Run was not a formally sponsored event, it was great fun.
Our adventure began at Bear Creek Donuts in Miamisburg and ended 5 ½ hours later at Jim’s Donuts in Vandalia. The weather was fantastic. As you'll see in the pictures below, the number of participants varied from locations to location with some participants joining us a little later while some had to drop off early.
Not only did we have a fun day, but it was made even better when a new prospective TSWO club member formerly submitted his membership application and officially joined our club.
The shops we visited included: Bear Creek Donuts (Miamisburg), Bill’s Donuts & My Favorite Muffin (Centerville), Barry’s Bagels (Kettering), Ashley’s Pastries & District 6 Donuts (Oakwood), Stan, The Donut Man (Kettering), American Classic Donuts (Dayton), Donut Palace (Huber Heights) and Jim’s Donut Shop (Vandalia). After all this, eleven of made our way over to the Rip Rap Roadhouse for a cold drink and late lunch.
TSWO Annual Club Picnic
On September 16th we held our annual club picnic at the home of Brett and Peg Andrews. Unlike our last picnic where the weather was cool and somewhat humid, this year was fantastic. The wonderful weather and balmy temperatures we have been experiencing for most of this summer continued on the day of our picnic. Club members in attendance included Roger & Lisa, Scott, Guy & Jan, Darrel, Nancy and Julie, Beverly & Jim, and Tom & Gina. Brett and Peg provided the main course for the meal which consisted of sloppy joes, spiced chicken salad for sandwiches on crescents, and hot dogs with all the fixins, and the refreshments. Each club member brought a covered dish or other party edibles to the festivities. We had enough food for three meals. We indulged on pasta salads, potato salads, fruit salad, baked beans, macaroni & cheese, chips, and several desserts to include our decorated club cake.
Although the weather was absolutely gorgeous, several members couldn't help but sneak (well actually blatantly go) in the the family room where "The Ohio State" football game was on against Army. Besides a periodic update of the score, there was plenty of conversation and second samplings of the desserts.
There are some pictures below of the event. One picture bears a little explanation. During an earlier club meeting, Brett had stated that there should be plenty of parking at his home, one member (not mentioning any names, I just say some Guy) jokingly indicated he'd just park in the front yard. Brett decided as a bit of humor and to beat him to the punch, he parked his retrobird right in the middle of his front yard. Everyone was sure to now be able to find the picnic.
Thanks to all who came for contributing to another successful picnic and wonderful meal. To those unable to attend, we missed you and hope you'll be with us at next year's picnic.
On September 16th we held our annual club picnic at the home of Brett and Peg Andrews. Unlike our last picnic where the weather was cool and somewhat humid, this year was fantastic. The wonderful weather and balmy temperatures we have been experiencing for most of this summer continued on the day of our picnic. Club members in attendance included Roger & Lisa, Scott, Guy & Jan, Darrel, Nancy and Julie, Beverly & Jim, and Tom & Gina. Brett and Peg provided the main course for the meal which consisted of sloppy joes, spiced chicken salad for sandwiches on crescents, and hot dogs with all the fixins, and the refreshments. Each club member brought a covered dish or other party edibles to the festivities. We had enough food for three meals. We indulged on pasta salads, potato salads, fruit salad, baked beans, macaroni & cheese, chips, and several desserts to include our decorated club cake.
Although the weather was absolutely gorgeous, several members couldn't help but sneak (well actually blatantly go) in the the family room where "The Ohio State" football game was on against Army. Besides a periodic update of the score, there was plenty of conversation and second samplings of the desserts.
There are some pictures below of the event. One picture bears a little explanation. During an earlier club meeting, Brett had stated that there should be plenty of parking at his home, one member (not mentioning any names, I just say some Guy) jokingly indicated he'd just park in the front yard. Brett decided as a bit of humor and to beat him to the punch, he parked his retrobird right in the middle of his front yard. Everyone was sure to now be able to find the picnic.
Thanks to all who came for contributing to another successful picnic and wonderful meal. To those unable to attend, we missed you and hope you'll be with us at next year's picnic.
Visiting the Gilmore & Auburn, Cord, Duesenberg Museums
For better than a year the club has been planning a visit to the Gilmore Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, northwest of Battle Creek. Finally at noon on Friday, June 23rd, seven club members (Roger & Lisa, Scott, Brett & Peg, and Guy & Jan) headed north for our three day trip. Our first stop would be the Gilmore Museum with follow on plans to also visit the Auburn, Cord, Duesenberg Museum in Auburn, Indiana which was directly on our way home. With the aftermath of the southern tropical storm making its way through Ohio we realized we would likely experience some rainy weather on our trip north. Little did we know that for about the first hour of our drive we would be pelted with on-and-off torrential rains. The rain then weakened significantly until by the time we arrived in Battle Creek the weather was great.
We arrived in Battle Creek in the early evening, quickly settled into our hotel rooms, and then we set off to “Clara’s on the River” for a dinner. Clara’s in an old converted railroad station in the heart of Battle Creek located right next to the Battle Creek River. After dinner we enjoyed a pleasant walk along the river park while listening to a jazz quartet playing at Clara’s. On Saturday we drove to the Gilmore Auto Museum and commenced our seven hour tour only stopping for about a half hour for lunch at an old fashioned diner at the museum. The manicured 90 acre Gilmore Museum site housed over 300 vehicles in a half dozen, or more, buildings. The beauty and quality of the restoration of the majority of vehicles is indescribable. I’ll let the pictures below show the nearly breath-taking nature of the cars. After a full day of walking we returned to the hotel, relaxed for just a little while then off to dinner at an Irish Pub again next to the river in Battle Creek. What a meal!
The next day, five of our crew continued our excursion by driving to Auburn, Indiana to tour the Auburn, Cord, Duesenberg Museum. The cars here, though not as plentiful as at Gilmore, were just as fantastic. There was another small museum in Auburn (The National Automobile and Truck Museum) that three of us visited. It contained a few older cars, but also a variety of muscle cars and other unique vehicles, hundred and hundreds of die-cast models, and a collection of peddle cars and other automobilia. After the last museum, we made one last stop for a quick hamburger lunch and we headed home. What a weekend it was!!!
(Interesting Note: Each of the three museums we visited had a Thunderbird on display)
Thunderbird Appreciation Day Rolling Cruise-in
On Saturday June 17th, a warm "almost summer" day, eleven of our club members members (Roger & Lisa, Scott, Brett & Peg, Jim & Beverly, Guy & Jan, and Mark & Jackie) along with a guest (Dave Harvey) from the Classic Car Club of Dayton took their Thunderbirds on a rolling cruise-in to several establishments in the Dayton area. National Thunderbird Appreciation Day was May 21st, but due to inclement weather weather, we were forced to cancel our participation in this nation-wide event. However, the club agreed that we could hold our own T-bird Appreciation Day. So, on June 17th a baby bird, a bulletbird, a flairbird, and four retrobirds met and began our rolling cruise to show our Thunderbirds to the public and celebrate the uniqueness of this classic vehicle. We began our adventure at a local Sonic Restaurant where we talked and enjoyed a cool beverage as patrons couldn't help but see the line up of T-birds as they visited the eatery. After displaying for about 90 minutes, we caravaned to our next location, the Hasty Tasty Restaurant we all decided to have lunch together while other restaurant guests and passer-bys viewed the cars. We moved on next to a local iconic spot, the old fashioned drive-in, "the Root Beer Stande". As at the previous two locations, all the cars were lined up in a row right by the highway for all to see. While we enjoyed cold root beers (or root beer floats), the management took pictures of our birds and placed the photos on their website. Our final stop was Ritter’s Frozen Custard where, needless to say, most of our members consumed their favorite ice cream treat. Everyone enjoyed the day and we look forward to celebrating Thunderbird Appreciation Day again next year. Below are a few pictures from the day’s stops.
On Saturday June 17th, a warm "almost summer" day, eleven of our club members members (Roger & Lisa, Scott, Brett & Peg, Jim & Beverly, Guy & Jan, and Mark & Jackie) along with a guest (Dave Harvey) from the Classic Car Club of Dayton took their Thunderbirds on a rolling cruise-in to several establishments in the Dayton area. National Thunderbird Appreciation Day was May 21st, but due to inclement weather weather, we were forced to cancel our participation in this nation-wide event. However, the club agreed that we could hold our own T-bird Appreciation Day. So, on June 17th a baby bird, a bulletbird, a flairbird, and four retrobirds met and began our rolling cruise to show our Thunderbirds to the public and celebrate the uniqueness of this classic vehicle. We began our adventure at a local Sonic Restaurant where we talked and enjoyed a cool beverage as patrons couldn't help but see the line up of T-birds as they visited the eatery. After displaying for about 90 minutes, we caravaned to our next location, the Hasty Tasty Restaurant we all decided to have lunch together while other restaurant guests and passer-bys viewed the cars. We moved on next to a local iconic spot, the old fashioned drive-in, "the Root Beer Stande". As at the previous two locations, all the cars were lined up in a row right by the highway for all to see. While we enjoyed cold root beers (or root beer floats), the management took pictures of our birds and placed the photos on their website. Our final stop was Ritter’s Frozen Custard where, needless to say, most of our members consumed their favorite ice cream treat. Everyone enjoyed the day and we look forward to celebrating Thunderbird Appreciation Day again next year. Below are a few pictures from the day’s stops.
Joint Club Visit to the Gale Halderman Museum
On Saturday April 15th, ten TSWO club members (Roger, Scott, Brett, Mark & Jackie, Guy, Nancy and Julie, and Beverly & Jim were invited by the Tri-State Mustang/Ford Club to join them in visiting the Gale Halderman Museum in Tipp City, Ohio. Several of our club members participated in Mr. Halderman's annual cruise-in last year and were familiar with this small but highly interesting museum. To this narrator this event was so much more exciting. Our participating club members brought three retrobirds to the event but we were well outnumbered by the group of beautiful Mustangs that had assembled. Initially the attendees roamed around the grounds looking at the cars and meandered through the museum. Although there were only a few cars in the museum, the hundreds of pieces of wall art, auto related advertisements, and original car design artwork (some done by Gale himself) were an awesome sight to behold. During the walk around period our own Jim Ross did a short video taped interview with Gale for his Tri-State Club. The group then moved to a seating area in the garage portion of the museum where Gale entertained us with stories about his early life, how he ended up a car designer at Ford, and his extensive involvement in the design of the original mustang. He shared stories about such well knowns as Lee Iacocca and Bill Ford. Gale followed his remarks were a question and answer session. What at treat to set and listen to an individual who had such a drastic impact on the automotive world. Gale confirmed that he will again have his annual cruise-in at the museum in this July. Below are a few pictures from our visit.
On Saturday April 15th, ten TSWO club members (Roger, Scott, Brett, Mark & Jackie, Guy, Nancy and Julie, and Beverly & Jim were invited by the Tri-State Mustang/Ford Club to join them in visiting the Gale Halderman Museum in Tipp City, Ohio. Several of our club members participated in Mr. Halderman's annual cruise-in last year and were familiar with this small but highly interesting museum. To this narrator this event was so much more exciting. Our participating club members brought three retrobirds to the event but we were well outnumbered by the group of beautiful Mustangs that had assembled. Initially the attendees roamed around the grounds looking at the cars and meandered through the museum. Although there were only a few cars in the museum, the hundreds of pieces of wall art, auto related advertisements, and original car design artwork (some done by Gale himself) were an awesome sight to behold. During the walk around period our own Jim Ross did a short video taped interview with Gale for his Tri-State Club. The group then moved to a seating area in the garage portion of the museum where Gale entertained us with stories about his early life, how he ended up a car designer at Ford, and his extensive involvement in the design of the original mustang. He shared stories about such well knowns as Lee Iacocca and Bill Ford. Gale followed his remarks were a question and answer session. What at treat to set and listen to an individual who had such a drastic impact on the automotive world. Gale confirmed that he will again have his annual cruise-in at the museum in this July. Below are a few pictures from our visit.
Club Bowling Outing
On Saturday, March 11th, nine members of the club (Roger & Lisa, Scott, Brett & Peg, Guy & Jan, and Nancy & Julie went on a club bowling outing. We were joined by our dear friend and long-time club member E.D Brown (Brownie). It was wonderful having Brownie with us. What a great time we all had. The gentlemen elected to throw caution to the wind and try to bowl, though that wasn’t much of a stretch for Scott and Brownie since they both bowl on leagues. It was a different story for the other three of us. I, for one, can attest that I haven’t bowled in years and my sore body confirmed that to me the morning after. Our lovely ladies enjoyed visiting with each other and served as our motivators and supporters although I must admit we didn’t give them a tremendous amount to cheer about. However, I must repeat, what a wonderful time we had. We ended our day with a trip to Marion’s pizza and treated ourselves to a very tasty lunch. The consensus seems to be that this should be a re-occurring event, assuming our bodies can take it. Here are some live action photos from the days events.
On Saturday, March 11th, nine members of the club (Roger & Lisa, Scott, Brett & Peg, Guy & Jan, and Nancy & Julie went on a club bowling outing. We were joined by our dear friend and long-time club member E.D Brown (Brownie). It was wonderful having Brownie with us. What a great time we all had. The gentlemen elected to throw caution to the wind and try to bowl, though that wasn’t much of a stretch for Scott and Brownie since they both bowl on leagues. It was a different story for the other three of us. I, for one, can attest that I haven’t bowled in years and my sore body confirmed that to me the morning after. Our lovely ladies enjoyed visiting with each other and served as our motivators and supporters although I must admit we didn’t give them a tremendous amount to cheer about. However, I must repeat, what a wonderful time we had. We ended our day with a trip to Marion’s pizza and treated ourselves to a very tasty lunch. The consensus seems to be that this should be a re-occurring event, assuming our bodies can take it. Here are some live action photos from the days events.
Tour of the American Sign Museum
Our first club event of 2017 was a visit to the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati Ohio. Thirteen members of the club and one guest made the pilgrimage to Cincinnati on January 21st to see first hand that which was so colorful on the museums website (www.americansignmuseum.org). The mission of the museum is to celebrate the rich history of American signage through preservation and education with their vision to be the premier institution for preserving historic signs and promoting the contributions the sign industry makes to commerce, culture, and the American landscape. Highlights of this new museum site include 19,000+ square feet of exhibit space, with another 20,000 waiting for development; 28-foot ceilings to accommodate large signs; a working neon shop; event space for your meeting, workshop, party, and reception; and archives of books, photos, and documents reflecting the art, craft, and history of sign making.
After approximately an hour long guided tour by a museum staff members we were free to wander the museum at our leisure and purchase memorabilia from their gift shop.
Following our excursion through the museum, the group then proceeded to the Greyhound Tavern across the river in Kentucky for a hearty lunch together. What a wonderful day we had. The museum was fascinating, the meal was wonderful, and the camaraderie was priceless. I'm already looking forward to our next club outing.
Enjoy the photos below taken at the museum.
Our first club event of 2017 was a visit to the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati Ohio. Thirteen members of the club and one guest made the pilgrimage to Cincinnati on January 21st to see first hand that which was so colorful on the museums website (www.americansignmuseum.org). The mission of the museum is to celebrate the rich history of American signage through preservation and education with their vision to be the premier institution for preserving historic signs and promoting the contributions the sign industry makes to commerce, culture, and the American landscape. Highlights of this new museum site include 19,000+ square feet of exhibit space, with another 20,000 waiting for development; 28-foot ceilings to accommodate large signs; a working neon shop; event space for your meeting, workshop, party, and reception; and archives of books, photos, and documents reflecting the art, craft, and history of sign making.
After approximately an hour long guided tour by a museum staff members we were free to wander the museum at our leisure and purchase memorabilia from their gift shop.
Following our excursion through the museum, the group then proceeded to the Greyhound Tavern across the river in Kentucky for a hearty lunch together. What a wonderful day we had. The museum was fascinating, the meal was wonderful, and the camaraderie was priceless. I'm already looking forward to our next club outing.
Enjoy the photos below taken at the museum.
2016 Recent Club Events
Annual Christmas Dinner Party
As has been the club tradition for many years, we held our annual Christmas dinner party and white elephant gift exchange at the MCL cafeteria on December 8th. During our gathering we celebrated Christmas, shared stores of the past years'club events while enjoying a scrumptious dinner and dessert. Club members in attendance included Roger & Lisa Hamm, Scott McGaha, Peg Andrews, Nancy & Julie Blake, Jan & Guy Gifford, Beverly Knauper & Jim Ross, Jackie and Mark Allen, Darrel York, and Jay Walsh. Brett was unable to attend due to illness.
As usual Nancy, Julie & Beverly did a wonderful job of preparing the room and decorating the hall for the Christmas festivities. We also want to thank Peg for supplying the Christmas music for our listening enjoyment and Nancy and Julie for the beautifully decorated Christmas cake for dessert. As has also become a tradition, many of the members brought additional small gifts and goodies that they distributed to the members. The generosity and caring efforts of our members served well to put us in the Christmas spirit.
Once all had arrived, we were welcomed with a greeting of Christmas cheer by our president and a heart felt thank you to all who helped plan the event, setup the decorations, and provided the cake and punch. It was time to eat, so all proceeded to the buffet line. With the holiday music playing in the background members enjoyed friendly conversation with our fellow birders with our meals.
After dinner we moved into the fun event of the evening, the white elephant gift exchange. Numbers were drawn for the order of present selection. As each person’s number was called, they either took a present from the table or claimed one from someone who had previously opened one. As the game progressed some items changed hands several times. Thank goodness for the limit rule where a gift could only change hands three times. Peg seemed to be the one who had to make the most return trips to the table.
After completion of the white elephant the members enjoy a piece of the Christmas cake while Scott discussed the possibility of a club trip to the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati on the Saturday after our January 12th club meeting. As the evening ended we all wished each other a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year until we see one another again next year.
Enjoy the photos below of the party.
As has been the club tradition for many years, we held our annual Christmas dinner party and white elephant gift exchange at the MCL cafeteria on December 8th. During our gathering we celebrated Christmas, shared stores of the past years'club events while enjoying a scrumptious dinner and dessert. Club members in attendance included Roger & Lisa Hamm, Scott McGaha, Peg Andrews, Nancy & Julie Blake, Jan & Guy Gifford, Beverly Knauper & Jim Ross, Jackie and Mark Allen, Darrel York, and Jay Walsh. Brett was unable to attend due to illness.
As usual Nancy, Julie & Beverly did a wonderful job of preparing the room and decorating the hall for the Christmas festivities. We also want to thank Peg for supplying the Christmas music for our listening enjoyment and Nancy and Julie for the beautifully decorated Christmas cake for dessert. As has also become a tradition, many of the members brought additional small gifts and goodies that they distributed to the members. The generosity and caring efforts of our members served well to put us in the Christmas spirit.
Once all had arrived, we were welcomed with a greeting of Christmas cheer by our president and a heart felt thank you to all who helped plan the event, setup the decorations, and provided the cake and punch. It was time to eat, so all proceeded to the buffet line. With the holiday music playing in the background members enjoyed friendly conversation with our fellow birders with our meals.
After dinner we moved into the fun event of the evening, the white elephant gift exchange. Numbers were drawn for the order of present selection. As each person’s number was called, they either took a present from the table or claimed one from someone who had previously opened one. As the game progressed some items changed hands several times. Thank goodness for the limit rule where a gift could only change hands three times. Peg seemed to be the one who had to make the most return trips to the table.
After completion of the white elephant the members enjoy a piece of the Christmas cake while Scott discussed the possibility of a club trip to the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati on the Saturday after our January 12th club meeting. As the evening ended we all wished each other a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year until we see one another again next year.
Enjoy the photos below of the party.
"Gale Halderman Cruise-in and Museum Tour"
On July 13th Gale Halderman, one of the original designers of the Ford Mustang, held his fourth annual cruise-in at his museum in Tipp City, Ohio. Although a very warm day, the significance of the event and name draw of the sponsor stimulated a large turnout. As one would anticipate there were more mustangs there than any other make/model of vehicle, but that was to be expected since Gale has a giant Mustang emblem painted on the side of his garage. Although the event was held in the middle of a work day, TSWO was well represented. Our club president was there with his recently acquired 2002 retrobird as was Beverly and Jim with their 2004 retrobird (one of three they own). Brett brought his 66 hardtop and Jay Walsh with his El Camino.
Needless to say to any car buff, it was tremendously enjoyable looking at all the cars, but the real thrill was touring Gale's small but packed museum. There weren’t many cars in the museum, previously a barn. There were a couple of mustangs, a 2002 red retrobird (vin# 123), a Farm-All tractor, and a few old motorcycles. The truly interesting stuff was hanging on the walls. There was picture after picture of all kinds of cars, mostly Ford products, but the most amazing of all were the drawings made in the 50s by Gale of his conceptual designs of various Fords. What a piece of history.
On July 13th Gale Halderman, one of the original designers of the Ford Mustang, held his fourth annual cruise-in at his museum in Tipp City, Ohio. Although a very warm day, the significance of the event and name draw of the sponsor stimulated a large turnout. As one would anticipate there were more mustangs there than any other make/model of vehicle, but that was to be expected since Gale has a giant Mustang emblem painted on the side of his garage. Although the event was held in the middle of a work day, TSWO was well represented. Our club president was there with his recently acquired 2002 retrobird as was Beverly and Jim with their 2004 retrobird (one of three they own). Brett brought his 66 hardtop and Jay Walsh with his El Camino.
Needless to say to any car buff, it was tremendously enjoyable looking at all the cars, but the real thrill was touring Gale's small but packed museum. There weren’t many cars in the museum, previously a barn. There were a couple of mustangs, a 2002 red retrobird (vin# 123), a Farm-All tractor, and a few old motorcycles. The truly interesting stuff was hanging on the walls. There was picture after picture of all kinds of cars, mostly Ford products, but the most amazing of all were the drawings made in the 50s by Gale of his conceptual designs of various Fords. What a piece of history.
"Donut Trail Tour"
On June 18th eleven members of TSWO (Roger & Lisa, Scott, Beverly & Jim, Brett & Peg, Nancy & Julie, and our newest club members Mark & Jackie Allen) embarked on a decadent culinary adventure. In one morning we visited eight donut shops across Butler County on the now infamous Butler County Donut Tour. The adventure began at the Stan the Donut Man shop in West Chester and ended at Milton’s Donuts in Middletown. As an added unexpected adventure as we approached Martin's Shop in Trenton our convoy became the tail end of the city’s bicentennial parade. The three retrobirds driven by Roger & Lisa, Beverly & Jim, and Mark & Jackie became part of the parade waving at the spectators until we arrived at the shop. At each of the eight shops we had our Donut Trail Passports stamped. The completed passports are then sent to Butler County and in a few weeks each person would receive a Donut Tour tee shirt to commemorate our accomplishment. At the completion of the tour seven club members enjoyed a relaxing lunch at O’Charley's in Middletown. Evidence of accomplishment is shown in the photos below.
On June 18th eleven members of TSWO (Roger & Lisa, Scott, Beverly & Jim, Brett & Peg, Nancy & Julie, and our newest club members Mark & Jackie Allen) embarked on a decadent culinary adventure. In one morning we visited eight donut shops across Butler County on the now infamous Butler County Donut Tour. The adventure began at the Stan the Donut Man shop in West Chester and ended at Milton’s Donuts in Middletown. As an added unexpected adventure as we approached Martin's Shop in Trenton our convoy became the tail end of the city’s bicentennial parade. The three retrobirds driven by Roger & Lisa, Beverly & Jim, and Mark & Jackie became part of the parade waving at the spectators until we arrived at the shop. At each of the eight shops we had our Donut Trail Passports stamped. The completed passports are then sent to Butler County and in a few weeks each person would receive a Donut Tour tee shirt to commemorate our accomplishment. At the completion of the tour seven club members enjoyed a relaxing lunch at O’Charley's in Middletown. Evidence of accomplishment is shown in the photos below.
2015 Recent Club Events
"Annual Club Christmas Dinner"
On December 10th, rather than our monthly club meeting we gathered at MCL cafeteria to celebrate our annual Christmas Dinner. As seen in the accompanying pictures, the tables were festively decorated and full of goodies and gifts given by club members in the wonderful spirit of Christmas.
Once everyone had arrived, we made our way through the buffet line. With the holiday music in the background we had rousing conversations and a delicious meal ending with a big slice of the Christmas cake. Before starting the white elephant exchange our president, Beverly Knauper, welcomed everyone to our festivities and thanked all who helped with the decorations. She highlighted that although our group is small we are close, fun loving, and freely give to each other as seen by the outpouring of gifts.
During the celebration our incoming president, Roger Hamm, presented to Beverly, on behalf of the club, a token of our sincere appreciation all she has done for us. The remembrance was a lighted replica of a RetroBird which was inscribed “TSWO President 2014-15, Well Done Beverly”.
The group then participated in white elephant gift exchange. As was expected to be the case, a few items were in higher demand and therefore changed hands several times. After the white elephant it was time for the final act of the evening. Being the end of Beverly’s tenure as the club president she officially presented the club gavel to Roger who will assume the presidency on January 1st, 2016. Beverly will become our immediate past president and will continue to serve the club on the Board of Directors for the next two years. Thanks Beverly for all you've done for the club.
Once everyone had arrived, we made our way through the buffet line. With the holiday music in the background we had rousing conversations and a delicious meal ending with a big slice of the Christmas cake. Before starting the white elephant exchange our president, Beverly Knauper, welcomed everyone to our festivities and thanked all who helped with the decorations. She highlighted that although our group is small we are close, fun loving, and freely give to each other as seen by the outpouring of gifts.
During the celebration our incoming president, Roger Hamm, presented to Beverly, on behalf of the club, a token of our sincere appreciation all she has done for us. The remembrance was a lighted replica of a RetroBird which was inscribed “TSWO President 2014-15, Well Done Beverly”.
The group then participated in white elephant gift exchange. As was expected to be the case, a few items were in higher demand and therefore changed hands several times. After the white elephant it was time for the final act of the evening. Being the end of Beverly’s tenure as the club president she officially presented the club gavel to Roger who will assume the presidency on January 1st, 2016. Beverly will become our immediate past president and will continue to serve the club on the Board of Directors for the next two years. Thanks Beverly for all you've done for the club.
"Annual Club Picnic"
On Saturday, September 12th, twelve members of our club gathered at the home of Brett and Peg Andrews to participate in our annual club picnic. After more than a week of desert like temperatures and rain forest type humidity, we finally got a reprieve from the heat. Unfortunately for most in attendance the weather changed a little too much too quickly. A cold front had moved in. It was heavily overcast with the ever present possibility of rain. The temperature had plummeted more than 20 degrees into the mid 60's accompanied by periodic heavy breezes. However, luck was with us; it never rained. Despite the less than ideal weather conditions, it didn't dampen the spirits of the group. We filled our plates (sometimes more than once) with wonderful food while we listened to oldies music and participated in spirited discussions on a myriad of topics. The crowning centerpiece topping off the meal was a beautiful T-bird model decorated cake that Julie provided. Even a few members challenged themselves to rip-roaring games of bean bag toss.
For those of you who attended, thank you for making our picnic so enjoyable and for the delicious dishes you brought. We'd also like to extend our appreciation to Brett and Peg for all their efforts in planning and preparing for the event and for opening their home to us. For those of our membership who were unable to attend, we missed your company and hope to see you at our next meeting.
On Saturday, September 12th, twelve members of our club gathered at the home of Brett and Peg Andrews to participate in our annual club picnic. After more than a week of desert like temperatures and rain forest type humidity, we finally got a reprieve from the heat. Unfortunately for most in attendance the weather changed a little too much too quickly. A cold front had moved in. It was heavily overcast with the ever present possibility of rain. The temperature had plummeted more than 20 degrees into the mid 60's accompanied by periodic heavy breezes. However, luck was with us; it never rained. Despite the less than ideal weather conditions, it didn't dampen the spirits of the group. We filled our plates (sometimes more than once) with wonderful food while we listened to oldies music and participated in spirited discussions on a myriad of topics. The crowning centerpiece topping off the meal was a beautiful T-bird model decorated cake that Julie provided. Even a few members challenged themselves to rip-roaring games of bean bag toss.
For those of you who attended, thank you for making our picnic so enjoyable and for the delicious dishes you brought. We'd also like to extend our appreciation to Brett and Peg for all their efforts in planning and preparing for the event and for opening their home to us. For those of our membership who were unable to attend, we missed your company and hope to see you at our next meeting.
"Classics on the Lawn"
On Sunday, August 23rd four TSWO club members (Gary, Wayne, Scott, and Brett) displayed their classic Thunderbirds at an "invitation only" event sponsored by the Oakwood Historical Society and held on the grounds of the Long-Romspert Homestead House Museum on Far Hills Ave. As well as the display of some 25-30 cars, the historic house was open for tours and the Central Perc European Café provided a free luncheon buffet to the automobile exhibitors and their guests. This show was non-competitive and was mainly focused on classic original, restored and special interest automobiles. The cars, display on the tree shaded lawn of the museum, ranged from the early 1900's to present day. What a beautiful day, what beautiful cars, and what a joy to talk cars to so many classic car enthusiast, both owners and spectators.
Below is a slide show of photos taken at the event.
On Sunday, August 23rd four TSWO club members (Gary, Wayne, Scott, and Brett) displayed their classic Thunderbirds at an "invitation only" event sponsored by the Oakwood Historical Society and held on the grounds of the Long-Romspert Homestead House Museum on Far Hills Ave. As well as the display of some 25-30 cars, the historic house was open for tours and the Central Perc European Café provided a free luncheon buffet to the automobile exhibitors and their guests. This show was non-competitive and was mainly focused on classic original, restored and special interest automobiles. The cars, display on the tree shaded lawn of the museum, ranged from the early 1900's to present day. What a beautiful day, what beautiful cars, and what a joy to talk cars to so many classic car enthusiast, both owners and spectators.
Below is a slide show of photos taken at the event.
Trip to Carillon Park
On Saturday, August 15th, six members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio car club (Roger & Lisa, Jan & Guy, Scott, and Brett) participated in our club excursion to Carillon Park in Dayton. Scott, Brett and Roger & Lisa brought their T-birds. It was a beautiful day for a walk through the park. Although a German festival was going on while we were there, the vast majority of the thousands of festival attendees focused their time and attention on the numerous food and craft vendors along the midway resulting in an easy walk for us through the park grounds. There is so much to see and read at the park it would require a full day or more to take in all in. Some of the more memorable highlights were the fantastic collection of ornate cash registers on display, the collection on old toys, the operating carousel (which one club member couldn't resist riding), the Wright Brother 1905 Wright Flyer III, the building dedicated to Dayton flood of 1915, and the transportation facility with its trolleys and ornate train car. After several hours of walking around to the various buildings on site we decided to have lunch in the brewery.
On Saturday, August 15th, six members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio car club (Roger & Lisa, Jan & Guy, Scott, and Brett) participated in our club excursion to Carillon Park in Dayton. Scott, Brett and Roger & Lisa brought their T-birds. It was a beautiful day for a walk through the park. Although a German festival was going on while we were there, the vast majority of the thousands of festival attendees focused their time and attention on the numerous food and craft vendors along the midway resulting in an easy walk for us through the park grounds. There is so much to see and read at the park it would require a full day or more to take in all in. Some of the more memorable highlights were the fantastic collection of ornate cash registers on display, the collection on old toys, the operating carousel (which one club member couldn't resist riding), the Wright Brother 1905 Wright Flyer III, the building dedicated to Dayton flood of 1915, and the transportation facility with its trolleys and ornate train car. After several hours of walking around to the various buildings on site we decided to have lunch in the brewery.
Putt-Putt Golf Outing
On July 11th eight members of TSWO meet at Young's Dairy in Yellow Springs, Ohio for a delicious lunch followed by a rousing 18 hole game of Putt-Putt golf. The sun was shining brightly and the temperature was in the high 80's/low 90's but it felt even hotter with the high humidity. Undaunted by the conditions, we tackled the course with reckless abandon. Throwing caution to the wind, shots were attempted that seemed impossible, and they were. We all survived the heat and rewarded ourselves with a cold, homemade ice cream from the dairy. Below are some highlight photos of the grueling event.
On July 11th eight members of TSWO meet at Young's Dairy in Yellow Springs, Ohio for a delicious lunch followed by a rousing 18 hole game of Putt-Putt golf. The sun was shining brightly and the temperature was in the high 80's/low 90's but it felt even hotter with the high humidity. Undaunted by the conditions, we tackled the course with reckless abandon. Throwing caution to the wind, shots were attempted that seemed impossible, and they were. We all survived the heat and rewarded ourselves with a cold, homemade ice cream from the dairy. Below are some highlight photos of the grueling event.
Displaying at Sonic Drive-in
At the request of the Sonic Drive-in in Franklin Ohio, five club T-birds were on display at the restaurant during the evening of July 31st for patrons to see. Beverly and Jim brought one of their retrobirds; Scott, Roger & Lisa, and Brett & Peg brought their flairbirds; and Guy & Jane brought their bullet bird. It was a nice evening as we all sat out front and talked while enjoying a free meal and ice cream provided by Sonic. The evening was cut a little short when the threat of rain appeared. No respectable Thunderbird owner would willfully subject their classic to mother nature's precipitation. So we headed for home. Here a few photos of the evening.
Lebanon Ford Pig Roast and Cruise-in
Six members of the our club (Jim Lenz, Jim & Beverly, Roger & Lisa, and Brett), with their Thunderbirds, attended the annual Lebanon Ford Pig Roast and Cruise-in on August 1st. Although he they did not bring their bird, Wayne and Ruthie also attended in support of the club as well as to see the cars and sample the pig. It was a bright sunny day and the food was pretty good. It is estimated that there was approximately 125-150 cars at the show. What was terrifying for those of us who drove T-birds was that we were surrounded by a sea of Mustangs from the 60's to the most recently production models. Our saving grace was that we all bore Ford logos. It was quite a sight to see such a variety of pony's. There were some car heads in attendance that still had an appreciation for the Thunderbird and showed great interest in our birds, so we did get to talk about them fairly frequently. Below are pictures of the birds from TSWO that were present at the event and shots of the lineup of cars.
Thunderbird 60th Anniversary Celebration
On 25-27 June 2015 the Water Wonderland Thunderbird Club hosted the 60th anniversary celebration of the Ford Thunderbird in Dearborn, Michigan. The Double Tree by Hilton served as the host hotel. Seven members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio (Brett, Peg, Beverly, Wayne, Ruthie, Roger & Lisa) attended the event, though only Beverly brought a T-bird to show. Activities over the three day period included tours of the Meurer Automobilia Collection, the Piquette Ford plant (the first facility to build Fords), and the Edsel and Eleanor Ford Mansion. There was also a T-bird parade through Hines Park to Nankin Mills Pavillion for a pig roast. The major activity was to be a cruise-in at the Ford World Headquarters building consisting of more than 200 Thunderbirds that had registered for the event. Unfortunately, inclement weather forced the cancellation of the cruise-in. However, that didn't dull the enthusiasm of most of the participants who later that night attended the Fifties Dinner Dance at the hotel. Please read our club's August 2015 newsletter under the newsletter menu item for more personnel and detailed insights into this weekend event. Below are pictures taken at the Muerer collection, Piquette Ford Plant, and T-bird parking area at the Double Tree hotel.
Meurer Car Collection
Ford Piquette Production Plant
T-Bird parking coral at the Double Tree
2014 Recent Club Events
Club Picnic
On September 7th TSWO club members once again gathered together for our annual club picnic at Scott McGaha's home. Scott fired up his grilled an made, with the help of some friends and family, some of the most mouth-watering chicken wings you've ever tasted. As in previous years the amount of food brought by club members was significantly greater in volume then our combined ability to consume it - - though we gave it a game effort. The weather couldn't have been more pleasant. Though bright and sunny, the temperature was comfortable which made the afternoon all that much more enjoyable. Many of our Thunderbirds were on display on the roadway and received compliments from the local neighbors. The below pictures tell the story of how great a day of fun and food we had. We missed those club members who were unable to attend. Thanks Scott for again opening your home to us. We appreciate all the time and efforts you put in to making this years picnic so enjoyable.
On September 7th TSWO club members once again gathered together for our annual club picnic at Scott McGaha's home. Scott fired up his grilled an made, with the help of some friends and family, some of the most mouth-watering chicken wings you've ever tasted. As in previous years the amount of food brought by club members was significantly greater in volume then our combined ability to consume it - - though we gave it a game effort. The weather couldn't have been more pleasant. Though bright and sunny, the temperature was comfortable which made the afternoon all that much more enjoyable. Many of our Thunderbirds were on display on the roadway and received compliments from the local neighbors. The below pictures tell the story of how great a day of fun and food we had. We missed those club members who were unable to attend. Thanks Scott for again opening your home to us. We appreciate all the time and efforts you put in to making this years picnic so enjoyable.
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Tour of the OSU Center for Automotive Research On October 25th seven members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio along with members of the Cincinnati Mustang Club and a member of the Ohio Cobra Club meet at Ohio State University to tour the OSU Center for Automotive Research (CAR). The one hour guided tour took us through several of their research, testing and production facilities and showed us several of the interesting projects they are now working. The following partial excerpt form the Mission Statement and Values portion on the OSU CAR website (http://car.osu.edu/about/mission) summarizes the objective of their organization. To learn more about this organization, click on this website (http://car.osu.edu) “The Center for Automotive Research (OSU CAR) is a multidisciplinary research and education center within The Ohio State University devoted to educating the future generation of automotive leaders. The center, established in 1991, focuses its mission on providing worldwide dissemination of technical knowledge by means of actively responding to the needs of clients and partners by involving its faculty, staff, and researchers in pursuing cutting-edge research in the areas of energy, environment, and safety. … Program strengths include an interdisciplinary preparation emphasizing integration among the disciplines of energy systems, electromechanical systems, modeling and simulation, and sensing actuation and control, while providing depth of knowledge in fields such as combustion, fluid and thermal sciences, electro-mechanics, control systems, and software engineering.” OSU CAR has won numerous awards and accolades for their accomplishments. It was a pleasure and quite inspiring to see what these young men and women have done and are continuing to do. We sincerely want to thank the Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research and our tour guides Sarah Jadwin and Andrew Huster for giving up their Saturday time to take us on this most informative and interesting tour. GO BUCKS!!! Following the tour we meet at a local Bob Evan's restaurant for a late afternoon lunch and enjoyable conversation with fellow car buffs. Below are some photos from the tour |
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2013 Recent Club Events
Visit to Grandpa's Garage
On March 16th twelve TSWO club members participated in a trip to Grandpa’s Garage in Springfield. Prior to heading to our final destination, ten members of our group enjoyed friendly conversation over a tasty meal at the Sweet Home Family Restaurant in Huber Heights. From the restaurant, our group drove to Grandpa’s for the afternoon. Athe the same time we were there there was a “Model Car Cruise-in” going on. What is that , you say? It was a collection of model car builders and vendors selling plastic and die cast model cars and related accessories. Grandpa's is a antique store that deals with automotive, train, and airplane memorabilia. The visiting club members spent nearly two hours touring the halls and in some cases buying memories. The photos below show a group picture and a sampling of items for sale at Grandpas. For more details about Grandpa’s Garage, see their website at http://www.i70grandpasgarage.com.
Preble County Covered Bridge Tour
On May 11th nine members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio went on a tour of five covered bridges in Preble County, Ohio. Although we didn't have the turn out we would have like to have had, those who went had a great time. The weather cooperated and it ultimately turned out to be a beautiful day. The only unfortunate situation in the whole tour was that two of our family participants were unable to bring their birds. Brett and Peg’s ‘66 hardtop was in the garage for repairs and Wayne and Ruthie’s ’65 hardtop is in the midst of restoration. But our beloved T-bird was well represented by Jim & Beverly with their 04 Retro Bird, Nancy & Julie in their 66 Town Landau, and Scott with his ’66 hardtop. The trip began with a great meal at Rob’s Restaurant in Brookville. There sure was a lot of laughing going on around that table. Once on our way, we visited the Warnke, Geeting, Chrisman, Harshman, and Brubaker Covered Bridges in Preble County. Below are a few pictures and a video from that excursion.
Club Picnic
On June 30th twelve TSWO club members descended upon the home of our own Scott McGaha with covered dishes, desserts, punch, and a variety of other eats in hand for our annual club picnic. Not only was Scott our host but he also served as the grill-master and whipped up some fantastic burgers and dogs. Though we gave it a game effort, there was just to much delicious food for us to consume it all. At times it looked like it may rain, but the weather did cooperate and we didn't get a drop. The calming atmosphere on Scott's back patio was quite inviting for a nap, but the conversations were to lively for anyone to consider taking 40 winks. We did have a few of our Thunderbirds on display on the roadway and we soon found out they were being noticed. One neighbor made his way over to our gathering to humorously announce that Scott had won the neighborhood beautification award for the T-birds parked around his house. The pictures below pretty much tell the story of how fantastic a day of fun and food we all had. We certainly missed those of our club members who were unable to be with us. There will always be next year.
Thanks Scott for opening your home to us. We truly appreciate all the time and efforts you put forth to make this event a roaring success.
Thanks Scott for opening your home to us. We truly appreciate all the time and efforts you put forth to make this event a roaring success.
Kettering Classic Car Show
On July 21 the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio hosted the Kettering Klassic Car Show for the Ohio Sons of Italy in America as part of their annual Bocce Classic event. The heat wave had finally broken and the weather was reasonably cool though still a little humid from the previous days torrential rains. The setting for the show was the large expanse of the tree shaded grass area at the John Pirelli Lodge in Kettering, Ohio. Fifteen TSWO club members participated in the planning and executions of this first time car show event for the Pirelli Lodge. A grateful thanks and well done is extended to all those club members who worked to make this event a success. Although we only had 52 cars registered, what made this show successful was the unique ability of the TSWO crew to rapidly adapt to a previously unknown location setup in a way that made the whole operation appear routine. Based on word-of-mouth, the car show participants appreciated the pleasing setting and the professional manner in which the show was conducted while enjoying the entertainment of a Bocce Ball Tournament. There was a lot of good oldies music and plenty of fantastic food to go around. Special mention needs to be made of those TSWO members went above and beyond to help the show be a success by scurrying around in the eleventh hour to obtain additional door prizes. It was reported that every car show participant received a door prize. We also wish to thank the Sons of Italy for providing us the really nice dash plaques, the top 25 trophies, and the awesome Best of Show trophy. The good will generated between our two organization will go a long way to establish a long term relationship between us for future show events. To view photos of the event, click on the "Kettering Klassic Car Show" link on the main menu.
Sugar Creek Packing Company Car Collection Tour
On November 16th, 2013 thirty nine members and friends of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio of Dayton, Ohio and Old Car Club of Wilmington, Ohio had the pleasure of touring the private collection of John Richardson, President of the Sugar Creek Packing Company. The collection, located at their Washington Court House, Ohio facility, contains nearly 300 vehicles -- some restored and others awaiting restoration. In additon to the cars, the collection also includes motorcycles, boats, buses, campers, and various other memorabilia -- a truly eclectic collection.
On November 16th, 2013 thirty nine members and friends of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio of Dayton, Ohio and Old Car Club of Wilmington, Ohio had the pleasure of touring the private collection of John Richardson, President of the Sugar Creek Packing Company. The collection, located at their Washington Court House, Ohio facility, contains nearly 300 vehicles -- some restored and others awaiting restoration. In additon to the cars, the collection also includes motorcycles, boats, buses, campers, and various other memorabilia -- a truly eclectic collection.
TSWO Christmas Dinner 2013
On December 12th, 2013, fourteen club members gathered at the MCL Cafeteria for our annual Christmas Dinner. Thanks to several members of the club, the tables were brightly decorated ready for our festive event. Our evening began with a wonderful meal while holiday music played softly in the background. After dinner we all posed for a group photos and sang "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" to one of our club members via a phone call to his hospital room where he was recovering from a recent surgery. We all then enjoyed desert; a Christmas cake provided by a one of the club members. After desert, we had a white elephant Christmas gift exchange. Members drew numbers and gifts were selected in numerical order. Once a gift was selected, your chance of keeping it was in jeopardy since the next selector could take your gift, someone elses' gift, or draw an unopened one from the table. As expected, a few gifts exchanged hands several times. The process did generated some anxiety if you wanted to keep the gift you had, but it also stimulated a lot of laughter.
TSWO club officers are elected every two years and assume office on January 1st. So, it has become a tradition that the outgoing president turn the club gavel over to the new incoming president at the Christmas Dinner. Prior to the passing of the gavel, the incoming President, Beverly Knauper, presented our outgoing President, Brett Andrews, with a momentos from the club -- a beautiful lighted etched Thunderbird plaque and a bottle of infamous Thunderbird wine. After a few parting words from Brett and grateful thanks to those who worked so hard to set up the party area, the gavel was passed to Beverly who pounded the Christmas dinner adjourned. According to the attendees, this was the best Christmas dinner/party we've ever had. We'll see if we can top it next year.
TSWO club officers are elected every two years and assume office on January 1st. So, it has become a tradition that the outgoing president turn the club gavel over to the new incoming president at the Christmas Dinner. Prior to the passing of the gavel, the incoming President, Beverly Knauper, presented our outgoing President, Brett Andrews, with a momentos from the club -- a beautiful lighted etched Thunderbird plaque and a bottle of infamous Thunderbird wine. After a few parting words from Brett and grateful thanks to those who worked so hard to set up the party area, the gavel was passed to Beverly who pounded the Christmas dinner adjourned. According to the attendees, this was the best Christmas dinner/party we've ever had. We'll see if we can top it next year.
2012 Club Events
TSWO Joint Event with Maumee Valley T-bird Club
Full moon over the Museum
On June 9th, 2012 club members from the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio gathered at the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta, Ohio with members of the Maumee Valley Thunderbird Club from Maumee, Ohio . The weather couldn't have been more beautiful. Our club brought 7 T-birds or 7 ¼ if you include Bob Mlinar’s junior reproduction of his 63 convertible that he towed to the museum enclosed in a plexiglass case. The Maumee Valley T-Bird Club, who are members of the Classic Thunderbird Club International (CTCI), brought 5 T-birds to our get together (4 baby birds and a bulletbird). Upon arrival we socialized outside the museum for a while to get acquainted and then spent 90 minutes or so touring the museum. After the tour, we all went to lunch together at Bob Evans. The Maumee T-birders are a great bunch of folks. Hopefully we’ll have another opportunity in the near future to meet with our new friends again. Click on the link below to view a short video of our birds in the parking lot at the museum.
The two clubs before the tour
Warbirds Cruise-In
On August 4th, 2012, at the invitation of our Indiana sister chapters of the Vintage Thunderbird Club International, six members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio brought three classic T-birds to the annual Warbirds Cruise-in at the Grissom Air Museum in Peru, Indiana. Though it never rained during the show, the sky was always ominous and the day was hot and muggy. However, the weather conditions did not deter the participants nor detract from the awesome environment in which the show was held. As can be seen in the pictures below, it was an absolutely breath-taking scene to see nearly 200 beautiful class cars, 24 of which were Thunderbirds, parked all around the military fighters, bombers, and cargo aircraft on the grounds of the museum.
Lions Club Festival Car Show, Bellbrook, Ohio
On August 18th, 2012 twenty four members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio hosted the annual car show in conjunction with the Lions Club Festival held at the Sugar Creek School in Bellbrook, Ohio. Ninety three vehicles were registered and judged. Each registrant received a dash plaque commemorating the event while throughout the show more than 50 door prizes were distributed as participants and spectators were serenaded with oldies from the 50s & 60s. At the end of the day trophies were presented to the top 40 cars. See the "Bellbrook Car Show 2012" menu link for car show photos.
Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio members at 2012 Bellbrook Car Show.
Ford Sharonville Transmission Plant Car Show
The Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio were well-represented at the Ford Sharonville Transmission Plant Car Show on September 15. Proceeds from the show are donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund. TSWO participants included Roger Hamm, Bob Mlinar, and Jim Ross & Beverly Knauper - - all in their 60's T-Birds. See pictures below
Tour of the Jim Walker Car Collection
Mr Jim Walker, the collection owner and our host.
On September 27, 2012 members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio and the Old Car Club of Wilmington, Ohio had the pleasure of touring the private classic car collection of Mr Jim Walker of Dayton, Ohio. Not only did Mr Walker's garage contain approximately 40 beautifully restored cars from the 1930s to the 1950s, but as can be seen in the photos below, it also housed countless other pieces of memorabilia such as children's pedal cars, gas pumps, bicycles, an untold number of automotive related signs, and many other nostalgic items. Being in this environment was like stepping back in time. Mr. Walker answered questions from the group and explained the history of several of the cars. Two of his cars that stood out were the 1954 Lincoln Capri convertible that was used by Dwight Eisenhower during his presidential campaign and a Muntz "Jet" of which only 394 were built. Click the "play" button in the large photo below to see a slide show of what we saw in person.
Halloween in the Park, Bellbrook, Ohio
On October 20th, 2012 twelve members of the Thunderbirds of Southwest Ohio put seven of their classic cars on display at the Halloween in the Park festivities held at Saggett-Wright Park in Bellbrook, Ohio. Although the day was cloudy, a little cold, and somewhat windy, that didn't dampen the spirits of the club members as they passed out halloween candy to the costumed trick or treating children and discussed their cars with those with questions. The afternoon events included a Costume Contest, a Pumpkin Decorating Contest, Wagon Rides, Face Painting, Games & Crafts, and Refreshments. Below are a few pictures of the club cars on display. To enlarge a picture, just click on it.
TSWO 2012 Christmas Dinner
Eighteen members of our club attended this years annual Christmas dinner on December 13th at the Milton Club in Dayton, Ohio. The evening began with a social hour followed by a delicious dinner. Members discussed the status of their Christmas plans, events of the past year, and ideas for future club activities. As has become an annual treat, Nancy Blake presented all the club ladies in attendance a homemade Christmas ornament. We missed all our club members who were unable to attend and wish them a happy and prosperous new year.
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