Trip Report - Ladies Overnight - July 26th, 2003

Seven Miatas and one red T-bird (a Miata wanna-be) met at the Methuen Loop Mall Saturday, July 26th for the annual Miata Ladies Overnight. We were blessed with perfect weather. This year’s trip had a crazy hat theme and we really had some beauts. I thought the Viking hat with the horns and long blond braids was particularly fetching. Al Meola, known in some circles as the notorious Rober-ree, was also present at the rendezvous point under the pretense of snapping a few group photos of us ladies wearing our designer hats. He begged to come along but we turned him down because he didn’t have a hat or even a sun dress.

We left the mall and cruised down dozens of scenic back roads with names like Hooker Farm Road and Meditation Lane. We eventually joined up with a few of our New Hampshire ladies in Epping before stopping for lunch at Newick’s Restaurant. A little more cruising and we paid a visit to Stonewall’s Kitchen. Whoever Stonewall is, he has excellent taste. We sampled the gourmet waffles, Maine maple syrup, different types of relish and Jelly. They had really unique items like Raspberry Peach Champagne Jelly.

After we purchased our fill of food, cookware, and kitchen gadgets, we journeyed down, (you guessed it) a few more back roads, ending up at the Comfort Inn, Yokens, where we registered and took a little break before we headed out to do more shopping. At the Yokens gift shop, where a few ladies, I think it was Kathy and Lori, enlightened us on the functionality and beauty of the designer quilted handbags. Shelly bought out the store, (I hope Bob isn’t reading this). Not to worry though. Yokens was the hotel gift shop and we got a 20% discount.

We hit the Muddy River Smoke House (a haven for petit flowers such as we) for dinner. They have wonderful delicacies like pulled pork and chili. We had to try the fried pickles, an acquired taste for some. They actually go quite well with margaritas. When we first entered the restaurant, the head waiter asked us if we were the ladies cruising around town in convertibles. Maybe seeing 19 women with their wind-blown hair sticking out in every direction gave it away. We confessed.

After Dinner it was back to the hotel where we gathered in the lobby and held our Crazy Hat Contest. Kathy used her charm to coerce a few nearby gentlemen to snap more group photos of us in our hats. We voted on funniest, tallest, biggest, hat with most items, and most colorful. The winners were announced at the wonderful breakfast buffet we attended at the Wentworth by the Sea in Newcastle. Most colorful was granted to the Gloucester fisherman hat modeled by Janet. Funniest went to Deb with her Police hat complete with siren. Tallest was modeled by Pam with her flamingos and palm tree. Biggest hat was granted to Delores with her Sombrero. Most stuff on one hat went to Sheila, with her hat called Welcome to NH complete with Lobster, moose, loon, black flies & mosquitos. The day ended with about half the group meeting up with the men at BBQ/pool party at Pam’s in Haverhill. Conversation centered around a sighting by Jim that he saw Priscilla driving Art’s Miata, until they arrived about 45 minutes later and confirmed that Art finally relented the wheel.