Maine Lobster Trip Report

Well it's time to enter another successful club event into the logbooks thanks to Art & Priscilla Caira. This time it was the Maine Lobster Road trip on Sunday June 23rd. My report begins on an overcast day at the "northern" meeting point in Epping NH.

As we waited for the southern group, it gave us first year club members (of which I am one) time for introductions. The waiting time was well spent separating the "Bob's" from the "Rob's", the "Kathy's" from the "Karen's" and the "Shelly's" from the "Sheila's"! As this was the first social "day trip" of the year, there was a large contingent of "Newbies" on this trip. I was very impressed with the friendliness of the existing club members. Everyone went out of their way to make us feel part of the group and comfortable.

When the "southern" crew joined us, efficient Art passed out detailed directions with times & distances, but more on that later! A stream of 23 Miata's headed out to our first stop at the Flag Hill Winery in Lee, NH.

There, winery owner Frank Reinhold gave us an informative wine tasting session. The 18 acres of winery are located on what was Frank's father's dairy farm. Growing grapes since 1990, 2800 cases of wine are produced each year, all from locally grown grapes. Frank, (a former career military man, and it shows!), educated us on his passion of wine and the local economy. First he warned us of placing wines in our trunk and baking the taste out of them, then, he lectured us on the importance of supporting the local economy. This lesson was diminished when a club member reminded Frank that we all drove Japanese cars!!!

Our tasting included a semi-dry white Seyval Blanc, a fruity Cayuga White, switching over to a merlot type red, Marechal Foch, and then ending with a sweet red Dechaunac. I purchased 2 bottles of Cayuga white and immediately placed them in the trunk for the next 2 hours. But even though the wines baked, they were still better than the stuff in the gallon jug with the twist-off plastic cap that I normally drink! So much for being the wine snob!

With so many Miata's, we decided to split the club in half for our trek to Maine. With Art in the lead of group one, and yours truly heading group two, we set out for York. Thing's went well until a junction in South Berwick. The debate will rage on whether it was my navigator, my indecision, the instructions, or Art not having his CB adjusted correctly, but group two took a brief, but unplanned tour of the Maine countryside!!! Back on track, we took some scenic Miata roads to Sun n' Surf Oceanfront Restaurant where we rendezvous' with a few other members. Thanks to Art's friend Eileen Latimer, manager of the restaurant and a Miata owner, our function room overlooked the ocean, but due to the heavy fog, we were not able to verify an ocean existed! Undaunted by the weather, we donned the tacky lobster bibs', and had a very enjoyable meal while swapping Miata stories and checking out personalized Hildene tee shirts!

After digesting our crustaceans, it was off to search for what I have found to be is our Club's second favorite mandatory activity. I swear there must be a hidden bylaw in our charter that specifies the club priorities of Miata's, having fun, and ice cream!!! With the good weather encouraging us to go topless, we followed great twisty Miata roads to the Demeritt Hill Farm in Lee, NH. The farm consists of an orchard, country store and, yes, ice cream parlor! Here we met "Jack" the Maine coon cat on a leash. But leash or not, Jack seemed indifferent to the herd of Miata's that descended on him. After pictures in an "Edith Ann" type Adirondack chair, we all bid farewell to another successful trip.

Again, thanks to Art & Priscilla for planning a very successful trip. Also, a sincere "thanks" to all the club members that made us "Newbies" feel welcome. Maybe next year we should have a day trip sooner in the season! Finally, if you do attend a club trip, bring along a CB radio if you can. It allows us to keep in touch and the club "banter" is quite entertaining. However, if you do bring a CB, please don't let Art adjust it for you!!!!

Respectfully,

Al Meola