 |
 |
 |
Cadillac Owners.com First National Meet
Des Moines, Iowa — May 18-20, 2007
|
|
|
Cadillac Owners.com First National Meet
Des Moines, Iowa — May 18-20, 2007
We left my sister's house around 8:30 Monday morning for the long drive to Denver. As was the case on Friday, we had pretty strong crosswinds driving I-80 through Nebraska.
The Cussler Museum was well worth the 136-mile detour; the collection of pre- and post-World War II automobiles is simply stunning. I've read a number of Clive Cussler novels and always enjoyed the classic cars that were incorporated into many of the plots. Several of the cars featured in Cussler's books are included in the collection. If you're ever in the Denver area, don't miss this. Thanks to the Auto Section of The New York Times online edition for its special section on auto museums across America. I would not have known about the museum otherwise.
We caught the leading edge of a cold front east of Denver, with thunderstorms building as we approachedthe city. Ran into some rain off and on, but the storms moved fast, and the sun was back out when we stopped at the Cussler Museum. From a high of 86º at the Wiggins Rest Area, the temperature dropped into the 70s when we got to Denver. By the time we reached Laramie, it was downright cold--in the 40s.
|
|
|
|
| Cruising I-80 westbound; note the gas mileage on the display to the left. | I-80 westbound through Nebraska. Thanks for a reasonable speed limit. | ||
|
|
|
|
| Cattle grazing along I-80 | Taking I-76 to Denver | Welcome to Colorado | Eastern Colorado along I-76 westbound |
|
|
|
|
| This is Colorado? Where's my Rocky Mountain high? Actually, I knew Eastern Colorado is flat; the Rockies are west of Denver. | Check out the Fishing sign | ||
|
|
|
|
| Wiggins, Colorado Rest Area | U.S and Colorado flags | Hoover tries out the dog run at the Wiggins Rest Area | |
|
|
|
|
| Looking for a place to poop. | Thunderstorms building in the west towards Denver | ||
|
|
|
|
| More thunderstorm buildup | Nailed a tumbleweed blowing across I-76 east of Denver; this is what was left | Downtown Denver from I-76 | |
|
|
|
|
| The post-World War II collection at the Cussler Museum | |||
|
|
|
|
| '54 Cadillac Eldorado | |||
|
|
|
|
| '54 Cadillac Eldorado | '57 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham | '59 LincolnContinental Mark IV | |
|
|
|
|
| This one's for you, Chad--'59 LincolnContinental Mark IV | |||
|
|
|
|
| '59 LincolnContinental Mark IV | '57 LincolnPremier | ||
|
|
|
|
| '57 LincolnPremier | This one's for you, Sandy--'59 Crown Imperial | ||
|
|
|
|
| '59 Crown Imperial | '60 Crown Imperial | ||
|
|
|
|
| Another one for you, Sandy--'60 Crown Imperial | |||
|
|
|
|
| '60 Crown Imperial | '58 Buick Limited | ||
|
|
|
|
| Harley Earl went a little nuts with the chrome in 1958, especially on the Buick Limited | |||
|
|
|
|
| '58 Buick Limited | '59 Edsel Corsair; the (in)famous horse-collar grille made the car look, as one critic put it, "like an Oldsmobile sucking a lemon." | ||
|
|
|
|
| America's first muscle car--the '55 Chrysler C300 | |||
|
|
|
|
| '57 Chrysler 300C; check out those air intakes. | '58 Chrysler 300D | ||
|
|
|
|
| '58 Chrysler 300D | Vintage license plates | ||
|
|
|
|
| '58 Pontiac Bonneville with Tri-Power | '58 Pontiac Bonneville | ||
|
|
|
|
| '58 Pontiac Bonneville with Tri-Power | |||
|
|
|
|
| The Chevy Nomad's much-more-rare cousin, the Pontiac Safari | '60 Oldsmobile 98 | ||
|
|
|
|
| '60 Oldsmobile 98 | Another example of Harley Earl run amuck--'58 Oldsmobile 98. Shouldn't there be a trebleclef on the rear fenders? | ||
|
|
|
|
| '56 Mercury Monterey wagon | Marilyn likes classic cars, too | ||
|
|
|
|
| '63 Studebaker Avanti | '57 Studebaker Golden Hawk | ||
|
|
|
|
| Supercharged Studebaker Golden Hawk | Fifties Packard | ||
|
|
|
|
| '65 Corvette Sting Ray | |||
|
|
|
|
| '60 Corvette | Vintage traffic signal | ||
|
|
|
|
| Vintage traffic signal | '52 Allard J2X | ||
|
|
|
|
| '32 Pierce Arrow V-12 Berline | |||
|
|
|
|
| '37 Pierce Arrow Travelodge | |||
|
|
|
|
| '51 DaimlerGreen Goddess | '30 Cadillac V-16 | ||
|
|
|
|
| '30 Cadillac V-16 | |||
|
|
|
|
| 1906 Stanley Steamer | '48 Packard | ||
|
|
|
|
| '37 Cord 812 Berline | |||
|
|
|
|
| '37 Cord 812 Berline | '21 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost | ||
|
|
|
|
| '32 Stutz DV-32 Towncar | '29Packard 640 Roadster | ||
|
|
|
|
| '33 Cadillac V-12 Town Car | |||
|
|
|
|
| '28 Cadillac V-8 Town Car | '33 Lincoln KB Series V-12 | ||
|
|
|
|
| '29 Duesenberg Model J | '29 Duesenberg Boattail Torpedo | ||
|
|
|
|
| '29 Duesenberg Boattail Torpedo | '32 Auburn Boattail 12 Cylinder | ||
|
|
|
|
| '32 Auburn Boattail 12 Cylinder | '30 Bentley Speed Six | ||
|
|
|
|
| '30 Bentley Speed Six | |||
|
|
|
|
| '36 Rolls Royce Phantom III | '39 Rolls Royce Wraith | ||
|
|
|
|
| '55 Rolls Royce Silver Dream | '39 Mercedes-Benz 540 K | ||
|
|
|
|
| '39 Mercedes-Benz 540 K | '48 Delahaye Type 135 | ||
|
|
|
|
| '39 Bugatti Type 57 C | '48 Talbot Lago T-26 Grand Sport | ||
|
|
|
|
| '46 Ford Club Coupe | Fill it up with Ethyl | ||
|
|
|
|
| Burma Shave signs | |||
Back to top.
Send me an e-mail: gary@gdwriter.com
 |