Trip Report - Auto Museum and Lunch - October 4th, 2003

As this past Autumn Saturday morning started with a cool mist hanging in the air, I had high hopes the skies would clear for our Miata run to Maine.

Thirteen Miatas arrived at the Route 95 rest area just past Kittery, Maine around 9:30 including a few people from Georgia. Al and Sheila lead the pack up Route 1 to our first stop at Wells Auto Museum.

Inside the small store front was nothing I expected. There were so many antiques such as the coin operated children’s riding horse, like the ones in front of the old Bradlees Stores, pinball machines and nickelodeons. Once everyone was admitted, I dropped a quarter in a Mutoscope to view an original 1930 “peep show” that I had to hand crank to see the dancing girl move. There were so many old games to play!! Of course, Al brought a large bag of change to share with all of us so we could experience the joy of past thrills. I had to try my hand at the shooting gallery, even surprised myself with a high score. The woman, who owns the museum for many years, opened one exhibit so we could get a closer look at a 1982 brush stainless steel DeLorean. Wow, it was a flash to the “Back to the Future” film. Of all 80 antique cars, one of my favorites was a brick red 1928 Auburn Boattail Speedster. It was the same size of a Miata; two seats with no rear trunk, just a side compartment for a set of golf clubs. The other vehicle that caught my eye was the Canary yellow 1918 Stutz Bearcat, made for two people, with the glove compartment to the rear of the car. Maybe in those days, the rich people who bought these cars did not need to carry licenses or registrations. We spent about an hour seeing all there was in that antique showcase before we hit the road again.

Al and Sheila directed us up coastal Route 1A towards Kennebunkport, catching a few glimpse of the storming Atlantic Ocean and scenic landscaping but again the rain would not permit us to stop to get a closer look.

After another hour of touring, we arrived at Federal Jack’s Restaurant located on one of Maine’s prettiest piers with views of the harbor. All thirteen cars filed onto a small parking lot right on the pier behind the restaurant, while the cold biting wind forced us to seek shelter quickly. On the second level of the Pub, while eating seafood and sampling the many varieties of ale, we had a picturesque view of the quaint town of Kennebunkport. We were not the only car club daring this foul weather of Maine that day, there was another crowd of auto enthusiast that joined us in the restaurant. From what we could see in the adjacent parking lot was a huge assortment of vintage automobiles, ranging from 1950 Chevy Bellaire to 1999 Ford Mustangs. After lunch, some of us brave souls decided to explore the small village shops that blistery day while the rest of the troop wanted to travel the last coastal leg of the trip up Route 9, hopefully to see President Bush’s Maine complex. Again, the weather did not allow us to stop along the road to take snap shots of the swelling ocean tides and historical lighthouses.

Overall, the day was a lot of fun and I look forward to next spring’s lineup of Miata road trips and adventures.