Memories of Marauderville X (MV10) -- By the Day

Bluerauder

Bluerauder

CAMaraudin' in Virginia
MEMORIES OF SOUTH HAVEN, MI
MARAUDERVILLE X (MV10), 12-16 September 2012
“They Came by Air, Land, and Sea !!” (The 10th Anniversary)​

Pics for the MV10 trip are here >>>> http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=82213

Tuesday, 11 September 2012 (On the Road)

• Planned departure of 8:00 AM. The Bluerauder wheels actually roll at 8:45 AM. Not too bad considering my wife’s time and mine are usually off by 30 minutes minimum.
• Looks like a nice day shaping up. Blue skies all around and the map looks clear for the entire trip. GPS Jill says our 1st day of travel to the Hampton Inn in Toledo-South/Maumee is 487 miles or 8:45 hours. Oughta get to the hotel right around 6:00 PM. Hammerdown/Fordfrk are about 3 hours ahead of us in the DTR. Should be able to catch them on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. ;)
• Am taking the I-95 North to I-495 to I-270 to I-70. Pick up the Pennsylvania Turnpike I-76 at Breezewood, PA and then I-80 west.
• Total trip estimated at 687 miles one-way (11:45 hours).
• Hit my first traffic jam about 2 blocks from the house. This doesn’t look good. It takes 30 minutes to get 3 miles to I-95. Good news is that it is now after 9:00 AM and I can jump into the HOV-3 lanes headed north. The bad news is that there is a major probem in all lanes. Takes me 2 hours and I am not even to my work exit yet. That is normally a 45 minute trip. If this doesn’t ease up soon I am gonna go home and try again tomorrow.
• I hate Northern Virginia. The right offer would get me outta here in a heartbeat.
• Traffic eases considerably after Tyson’s Corner and the Dulles Toll Road. Hey, we’re moving and finally on our way.
• The unforeseen delay puts us way off schedule so we decided to make an “early” stop for lunch between Frederick and Hagerstown. After a quick gourmet meal at Mickey D’s, we head out to the parking lot.
• A black Ford Explorer rolls into the lot and the driver is familiar. It is Ladyhawke. She recognized the Blue Marauder and came over to wish us happy motoring.
• Haggis is working today and they won’t be able to leave until 3:30 PM. They’ll see us at the hotel.
• Still 417 miles and a little over 7 hours to go. We’ve lost an hour. Gotta make up time.
• Stop at the Shell station in Breezewood, PA and fill her up. $4.359 per gallon for 93 Premium. This price will be pretty standard for the rest of the entire trip.
• Uneventful trip on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Same, same as we blend onto the Ohio Turnpike and I-80. Run 75-80 MPH the entire way except for the frequent 50 MPH construction zones and a 20 miles parade behind an Ohio State patrol car.
• Arrive at the Hampton Inn at 6:30 PM and call Hammerdown/Fordfrk. They are staying at the Fairfield about 0.9 miles away. We will check in, drop our bags and meet them for dinner near their place. Call BigDogJim’s room … no answer. JCMM (Joe) and his wife are headed out to do some shopping. Meet BigDog in the lobby after freshening up a bit and dropping the luggage. He follows us over to the Fairfield.
• Dinner with Connie, Jack and Jim at the Applebee’s across the parking lot from the Fairfield. Exchange stories of the road trip thus far. Planned departure from the Hampton Inn is 8:30 AM.
• Jack tells us the story of “The Melon Lady” that he sees at the gym. This is gonna be an inside joke for the remainder of MV10.
• Jim and I both top of with gas before heading back to the hotel. BigDog jumps on the computer to check stuff. We head to the room for a good night’s sleep.
• Haggis and Ladyhawke arrive after 11:00 PM. DWSTANG67 (Dean) will arrive about 2:00 AM after getting his gas tank repaired.
• In bed by 10:30 PM. Driving all day has really tired me out. Night All !!
 
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Wednesday, 12 September 2012 (Arrival and Registration) Part 1

• Up at 6:30 AM and head down to the lobby to check out the activity. Looks like I am it. No one is around. I see the B26S of Haggis in the lot so I know they arrived after 10:30 PM.
• Pick up two cups of coffee and head back to the room. Bernie is slow this morning and sleeping in a bit. I decide to shower and shave.
• While the wife is getting ready, I head back down to the lobby and then out in the lot to wipe off the Bluerauder just as the sun is coming up. Lots of dirt and dust in this area. JCMM tells me later that there are several grain elevators and silos in the area. Sure looked like dirt and dust to me.
• See Haggis, Ladyhawke, DWSTANG67, and BigDogJim in the hotel dining area eating breakfast. I join them. Departure is planned for 8:30 AM. That ain’t happening. This is Marauder time.
• Haggis and Ladyhawke get on the road at 8:30 AM enroute to a stopover at an unknown destination. They are hoping to catch up to us at “Spectator’s” restaurant later this evening. Departure time is slipped until 9:00 AM. I call Hammerdown/Fordfrk to let them know. They say that if they are not there at 9:00 AM to roll without them and they will catch up.
• JCMM and wife initially decided to go to the Toledo Zoo but changed their minds to convoy with us. He heads over to get gas. DWSTANG67 needs a gas stop too since he got in very late. So far no Hammerdown/Fordfrk. They must have gotten delayed.
• BigDogJim tells me to take the lead, then proceeds to pull out of the hotel ahead of me in a different direction. WTF??? I turn around and fall in the 3rd spot. We pick up DWSTAMG67 at the Raceway just before the toll booths.
• It’s 9:15 AM and we are enroute to South Haven on I-80 West (Ohio Turnpike). GPS Jill says this leg of the trip is 199 miles or 3:18 hours. We should arrive right around 12:30 PM.
• Rolling at a steady 80 MPH headed west. Black, Black, Blue, Black MMs all in a row. We pay the toll at the Ohio-Indiana line. About 1 mile past the toll, we hear a big bang. A large rock hit something. No visible damage to the windshield that I can see – but it sounded horrible. We’ll check later.
• BigDog slides into the right lane and pulls into one of the Indiana rest stops. Glad he did. I wasn’t gonna be the one who called for the stop; but was VERY appreciative of the decision.
• Headed immediately to the restroom. 50 more feet and it would have been a major problem. ;)
• Found out what the rock hit. A major gouge in the hood about 3 inches past the front edge. About 1 inch long and 3/8 inch wide down to the bare metal. Ouch !!! I am crushed; but will make the most of it.
• After a brief and sad stop for me, we are back on the road and up to speed. The trailing cars swap positions a couple time; but Jim maintains the lead. I am not even sure he looked in his rearview mirror.
• In South Bend , IN at the toll booth, it looks like we have caught up to a DTR. Sure enough, it is Hammerdown and Fordfrk. They thought that they missed us at the hotel and went straight to the highway. They were probably about 10-15 minutes ahead of us to start. We made up that time easily.
• Hammerdown falls into the 4th position and Bluerauder brings up the rear. We turn north on Route 31 to I-196. Only about 50 miles to go. Still on target for a 12:30 PM arrival.
• Pull into the Baymont Lighthouse Inn – 1555 Phoenix Road, South Haven, MI at 12:30 PM exactly. The TMF Prorauder is sitting near the entry to the lot. Guess who is already under the canopy --- yep …. DOOM. We tuck in all around the canopy and go in to check on rooms. I notice that the lobby is quite warm. I hope that the A/C in the rooms is better than this. :P
• Others already here include 03mmmonroe (Russ) and his dad, Gigan (Joel), and MyBlackBeasts (Bill). Bill came over from Wisconsin on the “Badger” with SC Cheesehead (Rex). Rex and Terri are on target for a 1:00 PM or a little later arrival.
• Fortunately, our room is ready. Yeah, we got a first floor room midway between the lobby and the MV10 conference room. This is gonna be convenient.
• JCMM’s room will not be ready until 2:00 PM. Hammerdown and Fordfrk had room issues and changed 3 times because of problems. Others likely had similar issues. Seems the transition from Ramada to Baymont didn’t go smoothly.
• Our room is OK with two Queen-sized beds and a small desk with chair, 32 inch flat screen TV, microwave, refrigerator, coffeemaker and a tiny open bar closet.
• No major problems considering the $79.00 rate. It wasn’t a Hampton; but I really didn’t expect it. It’ll do.
• Unload the car, unpack the bags and set up “house” for the next 5 days. Pops (John) and Hack Goby (Paul) pull in and start unloading boxes of T-Shirts, raffle prizes and goody bags.
• Pull the Bluerauder into the spaces across from the room. Room for about 12 cars out front. One under the “No Parking” sign under the canopy. About 12 more in the side lot and plenty in the back. The front spots were at a premium. Even the non-Marauders (i.e. other guests with Hondas, Nissans, and Toyotas) jumped into them as they opened up.
• SC Cheesehead arrives and unloads a little after 1:00 PM. It is time for lunch … overdue by my clock.
• We head downtown to “Clementine’s” Restaurant. On the corner of Phoenix and Center Street. Wow … what a nice place. It is an old bank building with real tin ceiling and atmosphere out the Wazoo. Really good food. Thanks Pops for the recommendation.
• Get the waitress to take a picture of the gang – BigDogJim, Hammerdown, Fordfrk, Gigan (Joel), Mr. and Mrs. Bluerauder and Mr. and Mrs. SC Cheesehead. Yep, all 8 of us. We pass on the recommendation to others as we see them. This is a great place !!!
• There is a blackboard in the Men’s Room, so I take the opportunity to write “Welcome to Marauderville 10” in chalk. MERCMAN asks me later if I wrote that on the board at Clementine’s. Yep. I dood it.
• Bernie and Hammerdown decide to walk down toward the lighthouse. Fordfrk and Bluerauder take the car. Catch up to them on Water Street about ½ way there.
• “Hey Little Girl, want a ride ???” “We have candy !!” A couple walking behind Bernie and Connie laughs and says that they have Mace if those nasty old men are bothering you. They get into the car and we drive about ¼ mile to the parking lot.
• As we are taking pics of the lighthouse, catwalk and inlet, the same couple walks by and just smiles. A lady sitting on a bench in the park offers to take our pics and then we walk out to the end of the jetty for more pics. Absolutely beautiful down here.
• Back to the hotel to register and pick up goodie bags. Have a little time to hang around out front to greet the other arrivals as they pull into the lot.
• James79Stang and Laura make the trip from Texas in record time. Can’t keep track of all of the arrivals. Blown3.8 and Shermanator pull in. They are staying with family about 30 minutes away. Mike Brown and family arrive in their DTR. Gryphonus and JoAnne are here too. Now Ken and Debbie. TAKEDOWN and family are in the house. P71 George and his bride roll in. 1 Bad Merc introduces me to Baaad GN. gohogs is here too. The place is filling up quickly.
 
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Wednesday, 12 September 2012 (Arrival and Registration) Part 2

• The convoy to Spectator’s Sports bar and grill is scheduled to depart at 6:30 PM. Pops asks if I have a radio and to fall in behind TMF’s Prorauder who will be leading the pack. My job is to pass radio instructions back though the convoy. Ken drops in behind TMF and I am in the 3rd position. Me, Ken, and Hammerdown seem to be the only ones on the radio. Due to road construction at the I-196 intersection, we’ll be getting off before Saugatuck and taking the Blue Star Memorial Highway about 5 miles to the restaurant. The convoy enroute goes very smoothly. The parking lot has been reserved for us and all of the MMs (about 25-30) pull into the pre-arranged and cordoned off area. This is great. We lined up in 2 rows about 12-14 cars deep.
• I meet TAKEDOWN’s Dad in the lot and find the story on his son who is the “real” TAKEDOWN.
• The Marauderville X (MV10) group files in and occupies the entire dining area that was reserved for us. Dinner and drinks for about 80 people.
• Shermanator introduces his brother who has come along for the ride. Seems his daily driver is a Toyota Prius that gets 49 MPG. Just proves how different brothers can be. ;)
• Hack Goby is at the bar with his camera. He’ll be taking pics for the entire week capturing all of the photo ops and videos that he can.
• We grab a booth with Hammerdown and Fordfrk. I order dinner and head out to the lot before it gets dark to take some pics of the lot full of MMs. Oops … I waited too long. It was already getting dark. Ron from Jersey comes in late after making the run from New Jersey.
• This has been another long day. So after dinner, some more pics and a couple Adios’, we head back to the hotel about 9:00 PM. Lots of bugs on the highways after dark around here. Found that out the next morning across my bumper and the windshield.
• Back at the hotel around 9:30 PM. Hang around out front for awhile shooting the BS with the gang and watching other arrivals. Marauder (Danny) has now checked in. A roar in the lot signaled the arrival of Ladyhawke (in her new Kenny Brown GT4S California Special Mustang) and Haggis in the B-26S.
• Hack Goby rolls in and says that TMF locked his keys in the ProRauder at Spectators (Strike 1).
• FastMerc (Mark), CRUZTAKER (Barry in a Subaru WRX), and N40GL (Mark) also arrived about this time as I remember.
• Beverages are flowing and stories are getting louder.
• I decided to call it a night around 11:30 PM. It has been another long day in Marauderland. See you in the morning.
 
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Thursday, 13 September 2012 (Kalamazoo Air Zoo and Gingerman Raceway) Part 1.

• Up early and in the lobby at 6:10 AM. Today is the Kalamazoo Air Zoo. Departure is set for 8:00 AM. We’ll be pushing it this morning to get ready.
• Breakfast is kinda lean at the Baymont. Bagels, toast, and waffles. Juice machine is not working. No eggs or bacon or sausage or fruit. Oatmeal and cereal.
• Fix two cups of coffee and head back to the room to get ready. The wife is already in the shower. She’ll be pressed to make the 8:00 AM roll out I suspect.
• I’m ready at 7:15 AM and head back to the lobby. James79Stang and Laura are eating breakfast. Talk briefly with Gryphonzus and JoAnne and comment on their matching shirts. He donated a couple of them to the raffle. Rick-n-Miami is out front near the canopy.
• Hang around out under the canopy for awhile as more and more folks come out and get ready. Not enough time to mess with the car today. We’ve only got 10 minutes. Surprise, surprise … the wife walks out of the lobby with time to spare.
• 03mmmonroe is leading this convoy. It is supposed to be 44 miles (about 1 hour).
• The convoy pulls out at 8:06 AM …. Not bad. Most of the trip is along M-43. I am about 10th in the line. Lots of cars behind me in the rearview mirror. The convoy gets chopped a couple times at the first traffic light and turn; but the others catch up easily on this 35 mile stretch of M-43.
• 03mmmonroe, Bluerauder, Hammerdown, SC Cheesehead and Ladyhawke on the radios. Maybe the others were just listening or forgot them.
• Get a phone call from Blown3.8. He is sitting along M-43 with the Shermanator and another car at a gas station at the intersection of M-43 and Route 40. “Where are you??” “How long until you will pass?” Arrival scheduled for 9:00 AM, we are on track. Probably about 10 miles from you …. No wait, we’ll be there in 2 minutes. Hey, we just passed by. Blown3.8 and Shermanator fall into the convoy.
• The rest of the trip is uneventful until we merge onto US-131 South. We’re only gonna be on this road for 3 miles. Lots of traffic. The lead car pulls left to go around an 18-wheeler. One by one the other cars start to go around the exit is coming up soon. My turn to move with only about a mile before the exit.
• I pull out fast and drop in front of the truck and slow a bit to leave room for more cars. I start waving for others to roll. Ladyhawke and Sergeant Mac take my signal and about 5 other cars follow.
• I get back on the radio and tell everyone else to stay in the right lane and take the Exit 78 to I-94 East toward Kalamazoo. Turn right on Portage Road. It’s about 1.5 miles on the left.
• Radio call from the lead car “DO NOT, DO NOT turn where I did”. “This is the airport. TAKE THE NEXT LEFT to the Air Zoo. I just went from 10th to 3rd spot.
• We pull into the parking lot and start to fill all the spaces in the side lot. Easy pull in for 2 rows of cars. We’ve got about 12-14 rows filled. Easily 30 cars overall.
• Our group heads into the lobby of the Kalamazoo Air Zoo after a few pics in the lot. We get a wrist band upon entry. We get the “all inclusive” package which includes all the rides and simulators.
• The museum staff is ready for us at the main desk and give us a welcome. We are broken down into three (3) groups each with their own tour guide.
• We walk through a curved hallway that has clouds on both sides. Looks like we are flying.
• Lots of planes and air history are here. There’s a replica of Wilbur and Orville Wright’s famous “plane” from Kitty Hawk. I am standing near a bi-plane from the WW I era. Else where in the museum are hot air balloons, P-51, F-14, FA-18, B-25 Bomber, and the SR-71B. Far too many to mention. There’s also an Apache helicopter and a V-1 rocket. Hard to listen to all of the details from the tour guide. I am snapping pics and looking forward to the simulators.
• One area of the museum is marked to look like the deck of an aircraft carrier … I believe it was the USS Intrepid. The mural on the far wall gave the impression of an F-14 about to land. Very well done.
• Other period displays showed WW II vintage cars, ambulances and a quansut hut.
• Having no real breakfast is starting to take its toll. My belly is rumbling. So is Bernie’s. We break off from the tour and head back to the lobby and upstairs to the café to grab a bite. Still too early for lunch so I settle for a soft pretzel and a coke. She gets a muffin and a water. We grab a table on the upper level that overlooks the museum floor. Some good pics from this vantage point. BigDogJim and JCMM join us.
• Back down to the floor to check out the simulators. We opt for the flight over Michigan first. This is an 8-seater with a pretty calm motion flight over the Michigan countryside showing all the fall colors. Pretty nice. If anyone starts to get sick, there is a red button on the ceiling of the simulator. We don’t need no stinkin’ button.
• We stroll over to the more sophisticated flight simulators. This one is an F-14 fighter. A 2-seater. There is a line of people since only 2 simulators are in operation. In the waiting line are some stations to get some practice on the controls before entering. 03mmmonroe and his dad are in line. Someone tells me that stevengerard may be looking for a partner to fly with. I ask and join him in line.
• We get strapped into the simulator. Seatbelt, crotchbelt, and shoulder harness bar. There are duplicate controls for the 2 seats and a trigger in the center console to switch control from the right seat to the left seat. Stevengerard takes control for the first part of the flight. We’re chasing bandits on the horizon. It feels pretty real to me especially in the banking and the turns. We start a steep climb, then the “stall” warning light comes on. Didn’t think you could stall an F-14 …. Where is the afterburner button.
• Uh Oh, we nose over and are headed straight to the ground at full speed. Pull Up, Pull up, Oh No …. S.H.I.T. It seems that in the excitement of shooting bandits, stevengerard accidentally switched control to me. That’s why he couldn’t pull out of the dive …. I was in control and blew it.
• Reset ….. Now its my turn to fly. Barrel rolls and loops. Hard to keep these bandits in the crosshairs. I am shooting lots of rounds; but so far no hits. Close but no cigar. We are sideways, upside down and looping all over the place.
• People outside can see our “flight” and are chuckling. Maybe not going to the US Air Force Academy in 1968 was the right move for me after all. It was fun; but I think my shoulders got bruised from bouncing and hanging upside down.
• On a positive note, stevengerard didn’t get to see any of the pretzel and coke that I just ate. Now that would have been embarrassing. :o
• Next we head over to the space flight simulator and join Hammerdown, Fordfrk, Daily03, Nellie, Ken & Debbie, MyBlackBeasts (Bill) and others in line. This one seats 16 in four rows. It’s a little tight. This was not built with Marauder sized people in mind.
• We board our spacecraft for a quick ride to the International Space Station.
• If anyone starts to get sick, there is a red button on the ceiling of the simulator. We don’t need no stinkin’ button.
• Hey, I don’t remember any red button in the F-14 simulator. :dunno:
• The launch and spaceflight were kinda cool. Not as much motion as the other simulator but noticeable movement.
• We learn about the space station, its construction, and inflatable 8-man living compartment and do a docking maneuver. Very strange to be flying over the earth and looking down at the globe. Weird sensation … That’s cool.
• Gotta head outside for a break.
• They’ve got the 4-colors Black (FastMerc), DTR (Blown3.8), Silver Birch (N40GL), and Blue (Daily03) lined up in front of the air museum. Time for some photos.
• Back at the desk, I ask about the Cessna 172 flight. Apparently, it is in another building. It is a simulator too. Dang …. I thought it was a real plane.
 
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Thursday, 13 September 2012 (Kalamazoo Air Zoo and Gingerman Raceway) Part 2.

• It’s nearing 12:00 PM and we have to get some lunch. Time to head out on our own. Based on the holes left in the parking line, it seems several folks have departed already. This is the first time I notice all the bug carcasses on my front bumper from the trip home from Spectators last night. Must have been several hundred of the buggers stuck to the front bumper. It’s about an hour back to South Haven. We head out on our own.
• Pretty soon I see some familiar cars in the rearview mirror. CRUZTAKER and FastMerc have caught me about ¾ of the way back. I think Ladyhawke and Haggis are somewhere behind them.
• At Phoenix Road, we make a left to go downtown for lunch. The others make a right to go to the hotel. Its about 1:00 PM. This will be a late lunch.
• We opt to try out the Phoenix Street Café as recommended by Pops. Very nice. Only a handful of people in there. Zack and Becky are here now after a stop at Joe's Bar and Grill.
• Back to the hotel and a little nap before the 3:30 PM departure for Gingerman Raceway.
• All of the sudden I hear the roar of engines starting in the lot. They are gonna leave without me. Gotta get ready quick. Bernie is gonna pass on the road racing and just hang out at the hotel.
• As I make it to the lot, the last cars are pulling out. I jump in at the very tail end of the convoy behind a DTR … I think it was “pem” and his wife.
• This is a short ride. Only about 4-5 miles east on Phoenix Road. No problem. We pull into the lot and line up in the parking area. There are about 30 MMs there. Of course, the Mustangs of Sergeant Mac and Ladyhawke are there as well and CRUZTAKER has his Subaru WRX ready for the track.
• MM03MOK passes out the Technical Inspection sheet. Brakes, clutch, loose items in the trunk (you gotta be kidding). I look in the trunk and then the overcast skies and decide that I don’t want to empty the trunk. I offer my slot up for someone on the waiting list. Hey, Barry …..
• I am kinda disappointed that we didn’t get to do a parade lap and check out the track when we arrived. I think this was pushed until later since the weather was chilly and threatening. The rain came later after I left so I don’t think anyone got to do the parade lap. Most of the people who were there had already signed up to run the track anyway.
• Everyone at the track has to sign a waiver. We sit down and get a brief overview of the track layout. Where to pass and where not to pass. Use your turn signals to indicate which side you want the trailing driver to pass. Give ‘em some room.
• Next we get some instruction on the various flags to be used Yellow (caution), Red (stop and stay in car), Red & Yellow striped (debris on track), Red & Yellow folded and pointed skyward (rain on the track), Blue & Yellow (let the guy behind you pass), Black (problem -- don’t do that again), and Black pointed at you (get off the track).
• There’s gonna be about 30 cars on the track. They are broken into groups. “A” group is intermediate and advanced … no pace car (8 cars in this group). “B” and “C” are novice class (11 cars in each group). Cars are marked with an appropriate class letter and number.
• Round robin turns on the track. Lots of photo opportunities from the vantage point of the bleachers between turns 1 & 2, the front stretch and the corner at turn 2. Course is 2.5 miles long. Can’t see about ¾ of the track once the cars turn over the hill until they begin the climb up the main front stretch.
• The intermediate and advanced “A” group takes to the track while the novice group goes back to the classroom for some training.
• Sergeant Mac, 03mmmonroe, stevengerard, FW_Linc/Merc, James79Stang and CRUZTAKER are in the first group to take the track.
• Wow, these MMs really lay on that left front tire making that curve in Turn 2.
• I notice that one guy is wide on every pass coming out of Turn 1 and has used the overrun strip twice. On the 3rd pass he kicks up some dirt and dust … way wide. Probably building up way too much speed on that long front stretch, coming off the gas too late, or making a steep entry. Hope he holds it on the track.
• CRUZTAKER makes a move on James79Stang between Turns 3 & 4 going into 5. He makes the pass easily as James comes off the gas and lets him slide by. Only the “A” group can pass in this area since it is really 2 short segments with a slight bend at the mid-point.
• This really looks like fun. Maybe I should have just gone out anyway with Jack in the trunk holding down all my “loose” crap. ;)
• The track controller announces the “5 minute call” for Group B. They start lining up in the staging area. This group gets lead onto the track by a bronze-orange Corvette driven by the melon lady’s daughter. No helmets required for this first time out for the novices. Hell, I could do this.
• Race track instructors/trainers get into the first 2 cars to give the drivers tips on the tracks, speeds, entry and exit points and other information on the track. After each lap, the pace car stops between turns 2 & 3 and the trainers go back to the next 2 cars in line. The original 2 cars with trainers now fall in on the rear of the line as the cars make the second lap. This continues until all cars have had an instructor ride-along. Sessions are about 30 minutes each and continue from about 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM or later. Every group gets out on the track 3 or 4 times.
• The novice group needs helmets after their first training session and basically run at their own pace under the rules of the track for flags and passing, etc.
• I head back to the hotel after the first full run by groups “A”, “B”, and “C”. It is about 6:00 PM.
• Meet Hammerdown and Fordfrk in the lobby. We are gonna head out to dinner. This time I suggest “Maria’s” Italian Restaurant around the corner from Clementines. This was also on Pops recommended list. We ride in the DTR.
• Small place, lots of atmosphere. We get a table in the back near the fireplace. It is not lit … that’s a good thing.
• Excellent dinner. I had the Chicken Parmesan and a glass of red wine. No beer or liquour. Sitting across from me, there was a Jack and Pepsi. That’s the closest I got to a Jack and Coke. Jack does like his Pepsi !!!
• After dinner, it is starting to drizzle. Uh Oh !!! Tomorrow is the car show.
• Back at the hotel the gang is rolling in from Gingerman. Seems the rain held off just long enough to finish up.
• BradleyG tells me that after that, he got an opportunity to ride on the wet track with N40GL and one of the instructors driving. He said it was a real thrill ride with the car hitting speeds of 115 MPH in the rain. Unbelievable !!! BradleyG said it really scared the crap out of him but he was giggling like a schoolgirl.
• Don’t think any of our guys got up that fast and I recall someone saying that they were topping out around 97 MPH before having to get on the brakes.
• CRUZTAKER said that his Subaru WRX was stuck to the track like glue.
• Ladyhawke didn’t remember … she said “I don’t know what I am doing out there !!” She looked pretty good to me in the Kenny Brown GT4S Mustang.
• The rest of the evening was a blur. A little hanging inside, a little hanging outside under the canopy watching the rain. DOOM was parked under the canopy. No surprise here.
• Off to bed around 10:30 PM. Another long day in Marauderland.
 
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Friday, 14 September 2012 (Michigan Maritime Museum, Car Show, Tall Ship, and MacIntosh Orchards) Part 1.

• Up at 6:05 AM. No one in the Lobby. P71 comes down for coffee. I look outside. It has stopped raining. Bluerauder is parked in the first spot in the right side lot next to Curless and Haggis B-26S bomber. Too early to do a wipe down. Will wait for the sun to pop up so the dew doesn’t reform on the car. Have a couple cups of coffee then head back to the room to get ready to roll.
• Today is the car show downtown. After a shower and a shave, I am out in the lot drying off the Bluerauder.
• Curless (Chris) and his wife are working on their car next to mine. Looks like Chris talked his wife into doing all the hard stuff like trim and door jams.
• He looks over at the Bluerauder and wants to know if I do detailing on other cars too. ;)
• Some cars have already pulled out of the lot. Departure is set for 9:00 AM; but I notice DOOM and FastMerc have left. Marauder (Danny) also pulls out. Probably a good idea to miss the crowd, pick a prime spot, and avoid the parking nightmare in the small lot.
• We head over to the Michigan Maritime museum at about 8:45 AM. There are already about 10 cars in the lot including Kirk’s 63 and ½ beautiful Peacock Blue Marauder. Pop’s T-Bolt is next to Kirk.
• I find a space next to a handicapped spot out front of the museum and back in and unload the chairs and stuff.
• Pull up and lay out the 9’ by 18’ checkboard mat in my space and adjust it to suit. My kids gave me the mat for Father’s Day after they saw pics of FreddieH’s display at Carlisle. Gotta stay competitive. FreddieH and I have been trading “secret weapons” since MV5 in Hagerstown, MD in August 2007.
• The Bluerauder looks nice on the mat. Shermanator says it is “cute”. MM03MOK says it is a nice touch to the display and SergeantMac comments that he likes it.
• Start to do some finishing touches on cleaning up the car and setting up the display. The rest of the cars begin filing into the lot and pulling into the open spaces. Glad I missed out on this cluster.
• Bernie and Hammerdown pass out the Car Show placards for the dashboard. Somehow Shermanator’s card is missing. Hack will fix this.
• At about 9:30 AM, Pops calls a parking lot meeting to introduce the museum curator who welcomes the Marauder.Net gang.
• There is a sign-up sheet in the museum for the “Good Will Friends” tall ship cruise and the Lindy Lou Black River shuttle ride. Cruises are at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM and 6:30 PM sunset cruise.
• Bernie and I opt to take the early tall ship cruise and sign up for that. Partly to keep the rest of the day open for other activities and partly to take advantage of the calm winds and water.
• We head off to the picnic area down near the dock. We are told to wait here until the crew is ready. Steve & Carol Babcock, Shermanator, Blown3.8 & family, P71, Pops, BradleyG, JCMM, J-Man, Rick-n-Miami, Guspech750 and many more are on this cruise. The ship is limited to 28 passengers. That’s why the groups were split out.
• We get a rundown on the ship from the First Mate. This is a replica of a ship built in the early 1800’s. It was originally a merchant ship that was captured by the British during the War of 1812. It was put into wartime service probably for transport or cargo. It had a 9 pounder cannon and two 6 pounders. The ship is a sloop with one main mast.
• We get a safety talk before boarding. This is a working ship with lots of lines and hazards. Keep certain areas clear for the crew. Don’t get tangled in the line. Go below decks backwards like a ladder. Watch out for the “big black stick” (the main sail boom). It does move during the cruise and will hit you in the head if you are not watching the maneuver. It will hurt. Life preservers are located along the gunwales and are covered with canvas.
• We moving away from the dock on engine power. The crew is checking out lines and responding to order from the captain. The captain mans the tiller (one of the largest that I have seen with a 6-8 foot handle. Must be a handful during rough weather.
• I notice a vintage 1812 GPS and navigation screen hidden in the captain’s panel. Must be original OEM equipment. ;)
• Along the shore we pass by the Idler Riverboat restaurant, many sailboats, a 1930’s yacht and several pricey waterfront homes. Pops points out one that lists for $1.3 Million. I am reading the names of all the boats docked at the marinas.
• We pass by the South Haven Yacht Club. We’ll have the wrap-up/farewell breakfast there on Sunday morning.
• We are approaching the lighthouse at the mouth of the inlet. The crew prepares to set sail. The captain begins barking orders that sound like a different language to me. Sails start coming down or going up. First the main sail, then the top sail, then the two foresails. The motor is cut and it is really quiet except for the normal chatter of MM people.
• There are about 3 foot swells on Lake Michigan and our ride is nosing into waves and we are riding up and down.
• I go below decks to check out the accommodations down there. The is a dining area in the stern and a galley in the bow. The middle section where cargo was haul has been converted into bunk space for 8 on extended trips. Pretty nice accommodations. I can hear voices above through the cargo hatch cover.
• Blown3.8’s wife is up and down about 4 times chasing Halley.
• Shermanator and Blown3.8 want to swing the 9 pound cannon outboard and take some pot shots at the kayaker off our port side.
• The captain goes toward the bow and pops off a small cannon. The smoke curls out in a big smoke ring for about 50 feet. The kayaker scurries off into the distance. Arrrrrrrrrr !!!!! Why’s the rum gone??
• On one cruise, CRUZTAKER captured the exact instant of the cannon firing and it shows a stream of fire out the barrel of the cannon. Wow !!! Great timing Barry.
• I head to the stern to check out forward progress. We are not very far from the inlet. Calm seas and little wind don’t make for much progress. It is close to 11:00 AM and about time to turn around and head back to port.
• “Boom Ho” as the ship turns and the boom swings over to our side of the ship.
• We head back to the lighthouse under full sail and several people on the jetty are taking pictures and waving. The captain keeps most of the sails set as we enter the inlet.
• Several of the MM.Net members are enlisted to help with the lines to raise the sails. There were 4-5 on our side. I assume the same on the other side. I am next to BradleyG and Blown3.8 waiting for the command of the captain.
• Raising the sails back up is a little more difficult than when gravity helps them unfurl. BradleyG’s line is crossed with the flag line and gets tangled. The rest of us have to take a strain on their line until it can be untangled.
• We are back under power and headed back to the museum dock.
• As we approach the dock, the crew lowers a small outboard powered dingy that will be used as a crude bow thruster to turn us around to back into the dock for the next cruise.
• Shermanator comments to the captain that she should get the water pump checked out on the outboard motor ‘cause it ain’t pumping much to cool the engine.
 
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Friday, 14 September 2012 (Michigan Maritime Museum, Car Show, Tall Ship, and MacIntosh Orchards) Part 2.

• We are back on shore around 11:30 AM or so. Nice ride …. Very enjoyable and lots of great pics of the trip.
• Back up to the car show lot. Not too many people around. I use this opportunity to check out some of the other cars set up for the car show. There are about 30 of them. Competition is really stiff this year.
• 03mmmonroe, gdmjoe, and SC Cheesehead have been “volunteered” as car show judges and are walking the lot with pen and paper jotting down numbers and moving on. Not sure how the judging worked; but the results won’t be announced until Saturday night. Can’t be worried about this. It is what it is.
• Starting to get hungy so Bernie and I head off to town. Not too far of a walk. We head up over the small draw bridge over the Black River. We see Hammerdown and Fordfrk returning on the Lindy Lou cruise. We take a pic and Connie gets her feet tangled and almost falls out the back of the boat trying to get a pic of us on the bridge. Fortunately, she is OK.
• The plan is to head up the hill to Clementines. It is less than a ½ mile or so. On the way, the plans change and we end up at the Black Water Tavern for a change.
• We didn’t know it at the time; but I think this was when several members ended up on the Idler Riverboat to check out their S.H.I.T. among other things.
• After lunch, we stroll back down Williams Street along the riverside. We notice that it is getting louder as we approach the Riverboat …. I wonder why???? MM.Net ???
• Back in the car show lot, we sit down in the folding chairs for awhile and just watch the crowd. Some passersby stop in to find out what is going on and why we are here.
• We go behind the museum, get a Coke and chat with J-Man and his wife and some of the others as the 12:00 PM cruise is heading back to the dock. Everyone is having a great time.
• Don’t think that I even got a chance to check out the museum. Just the walk through the gift shop to the restrooms.
• Pops announces that the cruise to MacIntosh Orchards will be departing at 3:00 PM. I wait until 2:30 PM to start packing up the display and load up the car.
• After folding up the checkerboard mat and loading it into the trunk we are ready to roll. About 10 cars pull out of the lot right at 3:00 PM.
• The trip to MacIntosh Orchard and Winery is about 11 miles. All back roads. The last segment was on a small 2-lane road with barely enough space for two cars to pass. Road was crowned very steeply to allow for rain runoff. I drove down the center of the road to keep from pulling to the right. As we approached hills and blind spots, I would move back to the right. I figured that Hammerdown in front of me would keep ‘em in their lane.
• Make a left and pull into the field behind the winery. There are initially about 10 cars in the front row. Another 10-12 would show up over the next 30 minutes.
• We are directed to the wine tasting area in the shop and are given tickets and wine ballots to mark off any of the wines we wish to taste. There is no limit. Oh, then this is gonna be easy.  There are about 20 people on stools around a very long L-shaped bar. Tasters are 2 deep behind those fortunate enough to get stools.
• I notice a nicely shaped bottle of Iced Apple Cider for $28.00 and put that on my list to taste. Peach, pear, Balaton cherry, apple cinnamon, cranberry, blueberry, red & black (raspberry & blackberry), Blushing Bare (pear & cranberry) … we try them all.
• I am starting to get a headache. Probably too much sun. Mixing 12 different kinds of wine probably didn’t help. We pick up four bottles of wine and head back to the hotel taking the narrow washboard road only about a ½ mile and then cutting over 66th Street to Phoenix Road. We make a right on Phoenix about 2 miles from Gingerman Raceway. Only about 3 miles to the hotel.
• We pull in about 5:00 PM and take a prime parking space out front. We plan to meet up with Hammerdown and Fordfrk for dinner about 6:00 PM under the canopy. Back to the room for some rest and some Tylenol to ease the headache.
• TMF has locked his keys in the ProRauder again (Strike 2).
• We take the Bluerauder downtown at 6:00 PM. Concensus is to go back to Clementine’s for dinner since lunch was so nice on the first day. We park in a spot near Maria’s Restaurant. They are doing a good business tonight.
• So is Clementines. There are about 20 people sitting out front on the benches and milling around. This doesn’t look good. I go inside and am told that there is a 45 minute wait for a table. We get concerned that we might not be able to get back to the hotel for the 8:30 PM departure for the Mayor’s house. So, we look for other options and head toward the Black Water Tavern. Bernie mentions that there was a place on the river that we passed this afternoon and might want to try that.
• We turn down Williams Street and walk along the river until we find the Idler Riverboat. We ask for a table for four on the first deck out of the sun. We end up on the lower deck on the small porch area out back.
• We check out the menu and see S.H.I.T. as one of the drinks. I elect to go for the Lienenkuhler Summer Shandy. We order dinner … everything that Jack orders comes back as “out of stock”. Seems this is the last full weekend for the Idler to be open and their stocks have been depleted. After 3 tries, Jack finally hits on something that they still have in stock. Food is OK. Nothing special.
• As we are on the back deck, the tall ship departs for the 6:30 PM sunset cruise. As they pass, I take pics and yell to the members. Seems there are some others above us also waving and cheering. As we depart, we see Curless, his wife, and Ron from Jersey on the upper deck of the Idler. We stop briefly and chat.
• It is after 7:30 PM so we start to make a leisurely walk back up the hill in time to catch some sunset shots from the town above the inlet. Must be beautiful from the ship cruise.
• We get back to the hotel after 8:00 PM and get ready for the cruise down to the Mayor’s house. We depart at 8:30 PM. Turns out that where we are heading is just across the bridge and down the street from the museum and car show area. Hope the folks on the cruise know this so they don’t bust their azz to drive all the way back to the hotel. Some do. Some don’t.
• Weather is a little cool so we take jackets. There’s about 10-12 MMs in the lot across from the Mayor’s place. We cross the street and enter the side yard.
• There is a huge bonfire going and chairs set up all around Pops is chatting it up with Jerry Barnes. Linda is sitting with the Mayor’s wife (or someone).
• Fire Pit is roaring. It’s about 6 feet in diameter with firewood stacked 3 feet high. It is rather warm. I take the jackets back out to the car.
• Me, Pops, and Guspech750 walk over to The Depot for some beverages. We pick up a couple cases of beer, some Coke and diet Pepsi and mixers, a bottle of Buffalo Trace Special Select and some Malibu Passion Fruit Rum. The rum doesn’t work …. ;)
• All together there were about 30 people at the bonfire. I talked with gdmjoe for a long time. SC Cheesehead had staked out a spot near the fire AND the cooler. 03mmmonroe and his Dad were in the side chairs, along with James79Stang and MyBlackBeasts. Some of us sat on the dock away from the fire. Lots of boats here.
• A little later, I hear a blast from a boat horn and announce that I think the drawbridge is going to open to let a sailboat through. The bridge tender waited about 5 minutes for another sailboat, then slowly opened to let both of them pass.
• I think that we hung around BSing and chatting until 10:30 PM. Told Rex to bring me what was left in the Buffalo Trace bottle when he departed. Pops hears this and says “You want Rex to watch your bourbon? Good luck with that!!”
• We get back to the hotel at about 10:45 PM and have to park in the back lot. Marauder (Danny) comes out to the car and says that we are invited to the lobby. Seems there is a party going on in there too.
• Bernie grabs a cup of coffee and heads to the room. I hang out in the lobby for about 30 minutes. Pantheroc and Diane are here now. So is Motorhead350 and his wife. Haggis and many others have all the tables lined up.
• Back to the room at about 11:30 PM. Whatever.
 
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Saturday, 15 September 2012 (Steve and Jerry Show, Roscoe’s Cruise, Awards, Raffle and Live Entertainment – Part 1.

• Up at 6:45 AM. This is a lazy day. Nothing planned until 11:00 AM. I head out front to the canopy.
• TMF and 03mmmonroe and a few others plan to meet Pops for breakfast downtown at Captain Nemo’s around 7:00 PM. Jerry Barnes comes out of the hotel and asks me if we are going to breakfast at Nemo's with Pops. I think that I'll pass on this one. They pull out of the lot one by one. I thought it was 8:30 AM … oh well, I guess the time changed after I left the Mayor’s party.
• Back to the room for a shower and shave. Some of us are gonna go over to Big Boy’s next door for a real breakfast at 8:30 AM. Omelettes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, waffles, pancakes, fruit, etc. etc. etc. plus some coffee and juice. I am looking forward to this.
• Hammerdown, Fordfrk, me and Bernie are escorted to a booth. James79Stang and Laura are here. MERCMAN and MERCMA’AM are here too. So is Steve Babcock and Carol. I load up a plate from the buffet. The others at my booth order Al La Carte off the menu.
• Connie and Bernie decide that they are gonna go downtown and do some shopping while the guys hang out and talk to Jerry and Steve. I tell them that they have to be back before 12:30 PM for the departure to Roscoe’s Cruise.
• I let the huge breakfast settle and then hang out front for awhile until folks start filing into the conference room to hear Steve Babcock and Jerry Barnes talk and answer questions. chapel1 (Gary) is now here just in time for the conference and Cruise to Roscoe's.
• Steve Babcock talks about the beginning of the Marauder program dating back to 1998-99 timeframe and how the program evolved until production started in 2003. He discussed the addition of other colors, options and changes in 2004. Lots of questions from the floor.
• Jerry Barnes talked about his friendship with Steve and his association with Ford and how the concept for the supercharger came about. Trilogy Motorsports sold 250 S/C kits. There were 12 Trilogy Marauders at MV10. More questions from the floor.
• Pops jumped in an limited the discussion to two more questions since roll out time for Roscoe’s was fast approaching.
• The convoy lines up out front for a 12:30 PM departure. I am about 20 cars back in the line. The trip to Roscoe’s is about 8 miles up I-196, then a mile on 109th Avenue and another mile on 66th Street. About 40 MMs, vintage Marauders, T-Bolt, and Mustangs pulls into Roscoe’s yard at 1:00 PM. There is already a wide assortment classic cars on site in about 6 rows. We fill a good chunk of real estate. About 150 cars overall. 1 Bad Merc pulls in alongside me and asks what I have in my MM 'cause I was moving out smartly enroute. "Just a tune and 3.55's". :D Tents are set up and the barbeque trailer is being backed into position. MM.Net has taken care of all the food and beverages for our contingent for the Pot Luck dinner.
• We have about an hour before the cruise departs, so I take the opportunity to walk around and take some pics and chat with some of the owners. For a kid that grew up in the 50s and 60s, this was a real treat to see some very well kept examples of automotive styling from that era. I loved it. Fairlanes, Bel Airs, Polaras, Mustangs, Corvettes, old Chevy, Ford, and GMC pick-ups and stake beds, a black and red ’56 Ford Town Sedan (predecessor of the Town Car??), an Oldsmobile 442, ’57 white Ford Fairlane, a ’61 Ford Falcon convertible, ’65 Ford Galaxie 500 XL in black (beautiful) … and many more.
• Getting close to the 2:00 PM step off. The two porta-potties have large lines. I’ll have to wait. We are rolling.
• The first row peels off and turns right on the road in front of Roscoe’s. More cars are rolling. Then the Marauders start to roll. DOOM lays down a huge smoke cloud that cover the entire field. There goes about $200 of rubber. Hammerdown and Fordfrk are behind DOOM but can’t move until the smoke clears. I am back another 10-12 cars. More burnouts on the exit. It takes awhile for all of the cars to clear Roscoe’s lot. In fact, we pull over and wait for about 5 minutes in a line waiting for something. Not sure what the delays were. Motorhead350 pulls out of line and backs down the road about ¼ mile until he can find a place to turn around. He is headed back toward Roscoe’s. Maybe Zack had a problem. Never do find out what that delay was all about.
• Over the course of Roscoe’s Cruise, I think we travelled about 35-40 miles. Every stoplight (about 3) and every stop sign (about 15-20) were controlled by police or fire department vehicles with flashing lights. We never stopped at all on this entire road trip. Initially we went north and east and rounded part of Hutchin’s Lake, through Fennville, over to Douglas and then south on Lake Shore drive. This trip went through some beautiful scenery. My co-pilot was snapping lots of pics especially along the lake.
• About ½ way into this journey, I started looking for a gas station, a 7-11, a country store or a fruit stand that might have a bathroom handy. My decision not to wait in the porta-John line was a big mistake. I found this out 5 minutes ago and it ain’t getting any better. I haven’t seen any suitable place on this entire trip. We are way out in the sticks.
• Finally, I have to turn down a side road for relief. I wave the trailing car by me as I make the turn. Head about 1/8 mile up this road. Fortunately, it is pretty deserted here except of the houses across the street but I am OK on this side. Finally, Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah !!!
• I swing the Bluerauder around and cars are still passing. As I approach the main road, I see SC Cheesehead. He slows to let me in line and then comes on the radio. “Having problems, buddy??” “Nope, just the call of nature.” “I understand, Out !!”
• About 2-3 miles up the road we roll into the town of Douglas with a Shell station on the corner. Go figure. I probably wouldn’t have made it another mile anyway.
• We wind around some more and finally turn onto Roscoe’s road. I finally recognize where we are. The place is on the left about a mile ahead.
• We pull into the lot at about 4:00 PM and everyone is ready for the BBQ.
• The cars in the lot are now quite jumbled. Not as neatly ordered as our original arrival. The entire lot is full front to back and many cars are blocked in and the lanes crammed all the way back to the beet field or whatever the heck is growing back there. It’ll be OK.
• Chicken and salmon have been cooking on the grill since our departure. Pops donated the salmon from one of his recent fishing trips. All the other food is laid out self-served buffet style in a huge 4-6 car garage. Plenty of drinks in coolers along the wall.
• Folks start lining up for food. There’s gotta be 200 maybe 250 people here or even more. We jump into line with about 125 folks in front of us. The line moves well and it doesn’t take too long to make it into the garage. It feels good in the shade.
• All kinds of food here .. chicken, salmon, hotdogs, sausages, sauerkraut, potato salad, pasta salad, salads, everything that you can name. Then down to the desert aisle … cakes, pies, brownies, jello …….. Wow !!! By the time I hit the end of the line, my plate was piled high and wide with a little sampling of nearly everything. It’s been a long time since breakfast remember …. No Lunch.
• We grab a table under the tents and chat with some of the locals who asked about Marauders and Marauderville and where we are all from. Jerry Barnes, Steve Babcock, BradleyG, Guspech750, Curless, Gigan, Pops, Linda, kirk, Hack Goby and MyBlackBeasts and some others have staked out a nice table in the garage. More Q&A.
• We finish eating and start to meander through all of the cars again and just hang out and talk.
• Blown3.8 directs a local news/camera guy in my direction. The guy is doing an article for the locals and starts asking questions about our club and participation in the cruise and the history and specs on the Mercury Marauder. I talk with him for about 10 minutes.
• We head back to the car at about 5:30 PM and try to figure out how to get out of the lot. SC Cheesehead finds a way out by crossing the drainage ditch onto the main road. He didn’t have any problem at all. Plenty of clearance.
• Two cars in front of me leave and open a direct line to Roscoe’s driveway. I’m outta here. Roscoe is standing at the entrance and is saying goodbye to everyone and thanking them for their participation and donations to the Diabetes Foundation charity. They collect about $1,200.00 with a big chunk coming from the Marauderville gang.
 
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Saturday, 15 September 2012 (Steve and Jerry Show, Roscoe’s Cruise, Awards, Raffle and Live Entertainment – Part 2.

• Back at the hotel around 6:00 PM. Not too much time until the Banquet tonight. There will be the car show awards, raffle and live band entertainment beginning around 7:00 PM or was it 7:30 PM I forget.
• The festivities kickoff in the big conference room, we have the whole place and the round tables are decorated for place of 8 each. Must be 15 or more tables in here maybe more.
• MERCMAN has been drafted to be the EmCee for the awards and raffle. He does a great job as a stand-up speaker.
• Here is a breakdown of awards from the car show

Car Show

Here is the breakdown.

Marauder Naturally Aspirated Class.

FW_Linc/Merc -- 1st Place N/A
Bluerauder -- 2nd Place N/A
FastMerc – Best Engine N/A

Marauder Supercharged Class.

Shermanator -- 1st Place S/C
P71 George -- 2nd Place S/C
SC Cheesehead – Best Engine S/C

Highest mileage class.

James79stang -- 1st Place Marauder
Gdmjoe -- 2nd Place Non-Marauder

Non Marauder Class.

Ladyhawke -- 1st Place Kenny Brown GT4S Mustang
SergeantMac -- 2nd Place Shelby GT500 Mustang

Rarest Marauder.

Kirk – 1963 & ½ Mercury Marauder S-55, Super 406

Most Unique Marauder.

Too Many Fords -- Prorauder

Innovation Award

Jerry Barnes (for the Trilogy S/C kit)

BEST OF SHOW

DOOM with the BlingMobile

• Lots of very nice prizes for the vendor raffle, door prizes, and the 50/50 raffle.
• Tickets were $5.00 for one and $20.00 for 5. I bought two sets. One worked, one didn’t.
• P71 George cleaned house on raffle prizes (he got so many I couldn't keep track including a ProGard. He then won the 50/50 Raffle. George donated his portion back to the MM.Net (50%) and the Diabetes Foundation (50%). Nice touch George.
• SC Cheesehead gets a 600 Watt sound system from Pops Stereo. Now he’ll have power in the trunk as well as under the hood.
• 03mmmonroe took home a braided stainless steel brake line kit and one of the Brown Line digital torque wrenches.
• Too many prizes to mention including coil cover plates, Croftgate products, Sweet Tea Vanilla, T-Shirts from Mike Brown and Gryphonzus, oil filters, Car Care Wash Packs with brushes and nozzles, and lots, lots more.
• Jerry Barnes made the rounds of the tables and gave everyone a Trilogy Motorsports key ring. Quite nice.
• Following the formal part of the festivities, the live entertainment came alive with a band called “Wheelhouse”.
• DOOM seeks out an opportunity to catch a pic with him, Steve Babcock and Jerry Barnes with his car out in front of the bank drive through just before dark.
• My bottle of Buffalo Trace turned up from SC Cheesehead. Thanks Rex. Our table put it to good use. Worked much better than Passion Fruit rum.
• Pops and Linda trying to encourage people to get up and dance. The closest I came was during the playing of “Mercury Blues”; but my partner just wasn’t up for the Texas 2-Step.
• Motorhead350 and his wife joined the band during the break and did a couple songs. Meet Greek God for the first time at the banquet.
• A wedding party was down the hall in a smaller conference room and listening to a boom box for music entertainment. We talked to a couple of these people outside and gradually they got invited to join in with us. I think that had a great time and are now probably honorary Marauderers ….
• We hang out for awhile until the days activities starts to catch up with me. It’ll be a long drive and a long day tomorrow.
• We head up to the room around 11:00 PM. This has been one great day at MV10.
 
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Sunday, 16 September 2012 (Farewell Breakfast, Goodbyes, and Departure).

• Up at 6:30 AM. Make a quick trip down to get two cups of coffee from the hotel MV10 semi-breakfast room.
• Some people with long trips are packing up and heading out already. They’ll miss the breakfast.
• Back to the room to get showered, dressed, and ready to roll after breakfast. Start to pack up and take some things down to the car. Make two trips by 7:30 AM.
• Bluerauder and the Mrs. head over to the South Haven Yacht Club just before 9:00 AM. Breakfast runs until 11:00 AM. Looking forward to another nice breakfast buffet this morning. We sit down with BigDogJim and Guspech750. Lots of people here this morning including: Pops, Linda, TMF, James79Stang, J-Man, Steve Babcock, FastMerc, CRUZTAKER, gdmjoe, SC Cheesehead, Ken, N40GL, chapel1. P71 George, Hammerdown, Fordfrk, MM03MOK, Mike Brown, Hack Goby, TAKEDOWN, pem, and BradleyG. Coffee and Juice and a little chit chat.
• Lots of people here for breakfast and after we are done, we go from table to table to say our “Goodbyes”. Thanks Pops and Linda for a great time !!!
• Headed out to St. Basil Church at about 10:00 AM. Only about ½ mile away. Have about 30 minutes to kill before the services so we swing by the beach near the Lighthouse and Inlet to take a couple pics then up the hill to the church overlooking Lake Michigan. We arrive in plenty time and pick a prime parking spot out front and enjoy the scenic view from on top the bluff and the little memorial porch jutting out toward the beach below. Absolutely beautiful.
• We hit the road at 12:30 PM. Hit a massive 3 mile traffic jam on I-196 south the eats up about 30 minutes at the beginning of the trip. We jump off and take 31 South and traffic eases considerably. The plan is to run as far today as I feel good at and then find a place in Pennsylvania to stay over night.
• It is 397 miles and right at 7 hours to the Hampton Inn in Cranberry Township just outside Pittsburgh, PA. We arrive right around 7:30 PM not too bad considering the late start and the delay on the road.
• We check in and get another first floor room. The car is parked right outside the window. We take the luggage into the room and get set up for the night.
• Head over to the Primante Brothers restaurant for dinner. The Pittsburgh Steeler have just beaten the Baltimore Ravens and the place is crazy. Bernie and I are the only ones there not wearing Black and Yellow shirts.
• Back to the room and some relaxation. I fall asleep early. Out like a proverbial light. This has been a really busy week.

Monday, 17 September 2012 (On the Road Home).

• Up around 7:00 AM. Make a quick trip down to get two cups of coffee from the coffee bar. Already folks eating breakfast and heading out.
• We head to breakfast around 8:00 AM and then back to the room to pick-up luggage, pack the car and hit the road.
• We depart about 8:30 AM. GPS Jill says it is 277 miles and just over 5 hours to home. We’ll be taking the PA Turnpike to Breezewood, PA then I-70 past Hagerstown and Frederick, turn south on I-270 to the Capital Beltway. With luck we will miss most of the traffic during the middle of the day. Let’s hope so.
• We get to our exit off I-95 right on time at 1:30 PM and stop to get a quick bite for lunch.
• Arrive at Home at 2:00 PM exactly. Not a bad trip at all.
• Total of 1,612 miles door to door. About $319.00 in gas alone. Averaged about 21.4 MPG. Memories = PRICELESS.
• If you missed Marauderville X (MV10), you sure missed out on a Great time.
• Don’t be missin’ the next one. Ya hear.
• Marauderville XI (MV11) plans are already in the works. Expect an announcement before the end of the year. Already looking forward to next year.

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES GANG & A SPECIAL THANKS TO POPS, LINDA, HACK GOBY, GDMJOE, KIRK, AND MMO3MOK FOR DOING ALL THE PLANNING, COORDINATION, LEG WORK AND THE SET-UP ON THIS EVENT. YOUR EFFORTS PAID OFF IN SPADES AND THIS WILL GO DOWN AS A REALLY ENJOYABLE EVENT FROM START TO FINISH. THANKS TO ALL WHO MADE MV10 IN SOUTH HAVEN, MICHIGAN A TRULY MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE. WE HAD A GREAT TIME. HOPE YOU ALL DID TOO.

IT WAS A REAL BLAST !!!

South_Haven0022.JPG
 
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Holy Cow Charlie - it's gonna take all weekend to read that! LOL

Looks like it was fun!
 
nice write up, im upset i couldn't go. mv11, hopefully will be closer to home and i'll have money to go.
 
Dang Charlie you have a little note book in your pocket and right all this stuff down.Its funny that no one got pics of me Barry and John throwing a frisbee around the back lot,lol :)
 
Charlie,
Thank you so much for the excellent narrative of MVX, I appreciate your attention to detail, it was fun reliving the weekend again, what a great time we had!

George
 
FastMerc said:
Dang Charlie you have a little note book in your pocket and right all this stuff down.
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Nope. No notebook. Just recall.

I didn't park out back except one night after the bonfire at the Mayor's house when we got in late. Never saw the frisby games.
 
Charlie, as usual, you captured the "essence" of this fabulous trip. thanks for the memories, and yes, everyone, if you can plan on it for next year, gotta try. Always a blast when us 'rauders' get together.

HammerDown & Fordfrk
 
Pops said:
Very well done Charlie!

John
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Thanks John. I tried to capture as many points from the events and highlight the folks that were there as best as possible. Hope I didn't overlook anyone. The memories are mine; but it may help others who missed some of the events or couldn't make it to South Haven for the fun.
 
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