Contributed by Hugh and Nancy Calvin
It was a beautiful clear morning in Felton, California as the sun rose early over the Roaring Camp & Big Trees Railroad yard – site of the 2021 PCA Loma Prieta Region Membership Appreciation picnic. As cars began to rumble in around 11:00 am, the prevailing coastal breezes swept in and stayed with us most of the day. Under the direction of Doug Ambrisko, Tony Vanacore and a host of others, each car was assisted into a parking spot. Thank goodness for the help – we don’t drive our car backwards very often!! Once parked, it was hard to move on as our attention was captured by the panorama of ‘P-car eye candy’ on the surrounding lawn. Models ran the full spectrum from pristine 356 antiques to Vince’s stunning brand new Gentian Blue Metallic 992S. Seeing old friends and meeting new ones, we could ‘car talk’ indefinitely in the parking lot. Our conversations were punctuated by the nearby steam engines beginning their mountain ascent with carloads of visitors. They demanded our admiration with lots of chugging and occasional whistles. So fun!
Although not much could compete with our conversations around the cars, our exit from the parking lot was finally motivated by our empty stomachs and we gravitated toward the picnic area. When we got there, it was immediately evident that some faithful LPR worker bees had been up at the crack of dawn, slogging cases of cold beverages, snacks, and games (nature hike, bean bag toss, bocce ball, volleyball, horseshoes, corn-hole toss and BINGO) that would make this a memorable day. The large PCA banner flying high above the registration table made it clear this was Porsche country! The banner, we guessed, was put there for any curious onlookers who missed Clue #1 – the more than 45 beautiful Porsches parked around us! We were welcomed by Jacqueline, Peter Ridgeway, Kris and Dana Ambrisko behind the registration table checking highly organized lists to be sure everyone had or made a name tag and got the right wrist band for their food selection.
Spotting a great shaded table, we parked ourselves on the bench and caught up with Homer and Cindy Pitner. The Chuck Wagon soon opened for lunch and we joined the swift-moving line picking up silverware, BBQ lunch, beverage and condiments. As we relaxed over lunch we enjoyed noticing the activities of the other 83 family members and pets in attendance. The little ones and several dogs entertained us as they chased floating soap bubbles from some soap bubble ‘guns’ strategically placed on some of the picnic tables. Capturing the good times as always was John with his trusty camera. John, thank you in advance for helping our future-selves remember this day!
After lunch Peter gave special recognition to Ken and June Isles as they celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary. Peter spoke a few words and handed them an incredible scrapbook of their years with the organization they had co-founded in 1970. The theme of the picnic, ‘Membership Appreciation’, couldn’t have been illustrated any better by this recognition. Everyone found plenty of opportunities to congratulate them, mingle and make new friends. Margie & Kris started a BINGO game by handing out Bingo cards and tokens. A group of die-hard players made it clear they had no intention of leaving, even after Tony shouted a ‘last call’ for beer! Are these people still playing?
When all was said and done, it was so clear to us why the Loma Prieta Region gained its reputation as the “Good Times Region.” LPR is so much more than a car club – it’s a group of fun-loving people who genuinely care about, and enjoy each other’s company. Member Appreciation isn’t just a maxim, it’s a deep-seated LPR tradition.
That’s our story and we’re sticking to it!
