[VChula]

I finally got home from my trip to Camaro5 Fest III and the visit to my dad's.

As you can see in the pictures below, the car is a mess!

The fest was great!! (even though I didn't participate in any of the racing).
I did enter the car show (probably the final entry for the event). I didn’t know how the cars were going to be judged. I guess it was on the 100 point system. For this type of judging, I was quite unprepared. (still would like to know how I did though..)

Was the drive worth it, you bet! To me, it was about the journey and meeting the great people that attended.
This was my very first time driving across the country.

Instead of listening to my CD collection, I decided that it would be fun to listen to the local radio stations.
Along the way, I encountered great bits of Americana such as “Curb Your Dog” and “(I’d like to check you for) Ticks”.
My personal favorites were “She’s Rockin’ the Beer Gut” and “Double D-Cups” (a very funny song).

Seeing Dave Hamburger, Becky Rodgers, Pete Basica(sp) and Scott Settlemire again was well worth the trip.
Meeting Hank (hrpiii) and his wife, hanging out with Charles and the rest of the Virginia group was nice, as well as husband and wife Camaro owners Mike (MP51998) and Christine from Texas.
To the others I forgot to mention; sorry, I have forgotten more names than the ones I remembered.
It was also nice to see Guillermo (Tribone) and the rest of the moderators, although I never did get a chance to meet Mindz.
Last, but not least, it was nice to chat with Randy (PQ) and Bonnie. In short, I feel as though I met new friends!

Many thanks to the Moderators, the GM Group and to the sponsors for putting this event together!!

After the fest, I stopped by the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green KY. They had an exhibit that included artifacts from 9/11. I saw several people crying.

I then went down to visit my dad, where I was immediately welcomed to Florida by his dog Sam, who within minutes lifted his leg and anointed my passenger side fog light… (picture of the offender below)

Five days later, I began my trip home. Along the way, I saw a sign for the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola.
If you are in to planes, you can’t miss this (turns out I missed seeing the main outdoor display).
There is no admission fee to tour the museum.

Total miles driven: 5284.4

Total hours spent driving: 80 hours, 25 minutes.

For the entire trip, I averaged 24.98 mpg. Not bad for going 75-80mph with the AC always on. The highest being a fill-up between Fabens, TX and Gila Bend AZ, where I obtained 28.65 mpg (calculated)!

Alas, I did not escape damage: I got a major rock chip (see picture) to the front windshield driving through El Paso, TX. The windshield will have to be replaced.
Also, the “Check Engine” light appeared before leaving in Yuma, AZ this morning.

Will I drive a long distance again for the next fest?
Absolutely – provided I can wrangle vacation approval.