There were almost as many cameras as vehicles when the Lincoln Highway Association’s Henry B. Joy Tour came through Greene County Tuesday.
Although there were more than 50 cars on the tour, some drivers bypassed Grand Junction, Jefferson and Scranton and stayed on Highway 30 instead. Those who stayed on the old Lincoln Highway graciously allowed their cars to be photographed and several shared stories of their car and their journey.
One of the most eye-catching cars on the tour is a mustard-yellow 1930 Model A Ford. The car, named “Charlotte,” is owned by Chuck and Nora Elderton of San Jose, CA. Charlotte and her owners are on the last leg of a 48-day tour that will total about 9,000 miles.
The trip began with a Model A meet in Sacramento, a tour with a Model A club in Maine, a Model A convention in Canada, the Lincoln Highway Association national conference in Detroit, and finally, the Henry B. Joy Tour. Their farthest point east on the tour was Caribou, Nova Scotia.
Charlotte hasn’t always been vibrant yellow. She was formerly a police car in Mexico. When the Eldertons purchased here, she was “a strange blue green,” Chuck said. Together, they’ve covered more than 100,000 miles. It was not their first visit to Grand Junction. They drove the 2013 Lincoln Highway Centennial Tour.
It was a repeat visit for Owen and Linda Clarke of Staatsburg, NY, as well. They own two vintage vehicles, but decided this time to drive a contemporary car. “We wanted the air conditioning,” Owen explained.
He said Grand Junction was his favorite stop on the 2013 tour. “The museum here is great. You get coffee and donuts in the front, you can check out books in the middle, and you can get your hair cut in the back,” he said.
It was the first tour for Mike Madden of Lake of the Ozarks, MO, and his red 1968 Ford Mustang. He said the tour was measuring up to his expectations. “You know it’s a good tour when you get to your motel and you’re tired. I’ve been exhausted,” he said.
The Clarkes of upstate New York were among the 10 or so travelers who also stopped in Jefferson. Owen photographed the courthouse and the Lincoln statue while Linda shopped at Linda’s Fashions. “Linda saw the store in 2013 and wanted to stop because of the name,” Owen said. “She bought clothes then, and she wanted to stop again this time.”
“This store’s the best. I love the clothes. I’d buy a lot more if I had more time to shop,” Linda said as she left the store with her purchases.
Others who made the stop in Jefferson went to the top of the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower and RVP~1875. “If anyone else on the tour stops, be sure to tell them they have to visit RVP,” one enthusiastic traveler said to Bell Tower coordinator Pat Richards.
