Page 16 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • May 23, 2012 Car enthusiasts enjoyed being ‘Chattanooga bound’ by Chuck Lippmann (The following article includes excerpts from Chuck’s extensive travelogue.) My wife Mary and I joined the Pine Barrens Touring Region in 2011 after having such a good time traveling with them last year to Byron, Georgia for the annual Area 9 Meet in April. We also went with them in October on the “Wright Around the Corner” tour in Pennsylvania. We realized then that owning a classic car means to take it out of the garage as much as possible so that others can enjoy your car as well. How better to accomplish that then to take it on a leisurely drive of about 1,800 miles with old and new friends through the back roads of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Tennessee. This tour was put together by Dave & Bennie Cavagnaro, but unfortunately a few days before the trip they had to cancel due to illness. They were missed by all. Since the tour was to start at 8 a.m. in Exton, Pennsylvania, some of us opted to stay overnight in a hotel so we didn’t have to leave our houses in the wee hours of the morning to get there at 8 a.m. The overnighters included Sue and Dom Speronza from New Jersey and Jane and Larry Jamaitis from Connecticut. We met the rest of the travelers in the nearby town of Gap. After greetings were exchanged, we fueled up our chariots and started our parade. Steve and Theresa Jones took the lead in their ‘57 Bel Air, followed by Sid and Shirley Jones in a ’53 Bel Air Convertible. We were next in our ’55 two-door 210, then came the Speronzas in their ’65 Nova SS, followed by the Jamatis’ ’74 Caprice Convertible. Bringing up the rear for the trip were Chuck and Joyce Gibson in their ’51 Deluxe Sport Coupe. The Gibsons had the important job of making sure no one got left behind at any of the turns or traffic lights. Everyone had walkie-talkies to keep in contact. First stop was the National Air & Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia. This museum opened in 2003 and provides enough space to display thousands of aviation and space artifacts that cannot be exhibited at the Smithsonian National Mall. There were larger aircraft on the main floor & smaller ones suspended from the arched ceiling. Many engines, helicopters, ultra-lights, and experimental aircraft were on exhibit. Our guide led us through the museum stopping along the way at points of interest. All the aircraft and artifacts were impressive, but some stood out: the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest jet in the world; the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay; and the space shuttle “Enterprise.” We then left for our hotel in Waynesboro Virginia. After we arrived, Bob and Wendy Emerson joined us. A new alternator had been installed and their car was ready for the rest of our trip. On Tuesday morning, we headed for the Woodrow Wilson Museum in Staunton, Virginia. This museum was opened in 1990 in a renovated house adjacent to Woodrow Wilson’s birthplace. The first floor is open to the public and visitors can learn about Wilson’s life from his Princeton studies to his service as the 28th U.S. President from 1913 to 1921. The big draw for us was in the garage: his 1919 PierceArrow limousine. It was purchased new and added to the presidential fleet. Wilson rode in it frequently on official business. The presidential seal is on each of the rear passenger doors. On the front of the radiator panel is the AAA symbol. Wilson was the first president to join the Automobile Association of America. He liked this automobile so much that when he left office, his friends bought it for him to use. The limo has been completely restored and the engine is in working order. The car is often driven in local parades. Wednesday morning we started our trip from Salem, Virginia to Chattanooga, Tennessee with a stop in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. After lunch, we were off to the Y-12 History Center in Oak Ridge. In 1942, the government began acquiring more than 60,000 acres for the Manhattan Project. Many residents came home to find eviction notices tacked to their doors. Most were given six weeks to evacuate, but some only had two weeks. Oak Ridge was an official government secret. It didn’t appear on maps and wasn’t named until 1949. The factories were built to extract isotope uranium from natural uranium for use in the atomic bomb. The news of the use of the first atomic bomb against (continued on page 19)