The 2005 PSVCOA Regional Meet was full of fun beginning with the Friday night registration and welcome reception, to the Sunday breakfast buffet and awards ceremony, both at the Emerald Queen Hotel/Casino. Of course, there were plenty of serious moments too as Volvo owners scurried to rub the travel dust off their cars and tidy up the last minute details before the actual Saturday show at Volvo of Tacoma at Fife.
We were delighted to see our out-of-state guests, Peter Eulan, Jim Harrison & Ronda Coverdell, Jerry Palfernier and Colin Roberts; and those from our sister Club (VCBC) in Canada, Bob & Lucy Cuthill and Dave & Louise McAree.
For many, preparations for the event began at least a year ago. Some purchased their first Volvos, new or used, some found different vehicles that would work better, while others added new chrome, fixed leaky cylinders, quieted squeaks and groans, and washed away all traces of grease and dirt on existing vehicles. Then it was time for getting out the polishing clothes and q-tips for waxing and detailing, brushes for scrubbing wheels and tires, Castrol Super Clean and pressure washers for the engines. A bit of Armor All on the hoses, leather cleaner and polish for the seats, and upholstery shampoo for the carpets, and you’ve got a good start for the show.
Registration Packets of information distributed during the registration process assisted participants in getting last minute details together: included were dash plaques, name tags, directions to car wash, meeting schedule, car ID card, car number card, judging forms, map of Point Defiance Park, sponsors/donors list, comment form, and brochures for local attractions. Tables laden with delicious meats & cheeses, fruits, veggies and dips, and a no-host bar gave registrants the energy to complete the various forms and plan for the next day. And if the protein and veggies weren’t quite enough there were several varieties of cheesecake to top off the treats. Members were able to renew friendships and make new acquaintances.
After registration and hors d’oeuvres, several registrants enjoyed the nightlife of the casino for a bit of fun, but most of the gang headed for their beds in order to get up early in the morning, wipe the last teensy bits of dirt off their babies, and perhaps swap generic batteries for the most-prized Volvo ones.
Many thanks go to Steve & Jean Yabroff, and Gene Dvorak, for their many hours of organizing, typing, retyping, printing, web designing, before, during and after the meet, and choosing locations for the meet and overnight stays. Thank you to Pat and Jay Holland for scouting out easy, close, but scenic drives and leading the way. Thank you Rick Tartar for acquiring the huge, gorgeous Volvo truck and displaying it at Volvo of Tacoma. Thanks also go to all the judges who spent over two hours in the hot sun going in and out of cars, checking for the smallest of details and giving kind compliments and useful suggestions on the judging sheets. Thank you Heidi and Zach Lovett for handling the many raffle ticket drawings and announcing the winning numbers with zest! And last, but not least, we really appreciate all the photographers who spent special time taking pictures of vehicles, people, activities, and scenery and then sharing those photos with all of us.
As cars arrived for the Concours, they were divided into those being judged and those for display only. The Concours had both stock and modified classes, including cars ranging from vintage 544s to 2005 beauties. Several Masters cars graced the lot with their elegance and gave all of us something to strive for in the future. Although regular Concours judging was used, the public was allowed to vote for People’s Choice awards in both stock and modified classes also.
Volvo of Tacoma supplied yummy submarine sandwiches and pizza for lunch to keep everyone fueled for the long, but exciting day.
After completion of the difficult judging, we had a short break to clean up/pack up before we took off for a drive to a wonderfully, cooler part of Tacoma, Point Defiance. The relaxing drive took us into a quiet part of Tacoma, then through the short, but dark Asarco Tunnel, and along the waterfront filled with skaters, joggers, walkers, dogs and lots of sightseeing cars. Our 30 (plus or minus) cars wound around the curves in a gentle dance with the crowd until we reached Point Defiance. Once there, we slowly toured the pullouts by way of Five Mile Drive; we could appreciate distant sounds of bands playing, people singing. One of our group spoke with local authorities about the necessity of having a front license plate, current registration and proof of insurance as we paraded along the waterfront (he was able to give us a quick educational experience later at dinner and we all thanked him heartily for the current information and his thoughtfulness at stopping to glean these facts; he suggested his name could be changed to “ticket boy,” in honor of the $600+ “donation” he was requested to make). Our group stopped on a hillside at Owen Beach and after a slight hesitation in understanding orders for “forward” and “backward”, we had our group parked sideways down the hillside. (The beach was named in 1959 in honor of Floyd Owens, a 47-year Park District employee who served as the Superintendent of Parks and lived in the Point Defiance Lodge. Access to it was by boat or rough trail until a connecting road from Five Mile Drive was built in the 1930s.) It would have been fun to linger in the coolness of the shady trees, but we had a schedule to keep, so we ventured forward once again. We stopped at a final viewpoint to see the Narrows Bridge in the hazy distance. The Puget Sound’s breezes were definitely desired here, but by this time, dinner was sounding pretty good so we hurried onward. The next highlight was driving by Fort Nisqually, the first European settlement on Puget Sound – maybe next time we’ll have time to stop and wonder through it. Soon afterwards, we were out of the park and on our way home.
We had a brief stop while awaiting a train to pass by – that gave a couple of us time to take shots of an interesting suspension bridge just a short distance away. The rest of the drive was uneventful as we approached the hotel.
Although dinner was “on your own”, quite a few of us spent the evening together in the Bridge Room enjoying all sorts of tasty dinners. We shared Volvo stories, pictures of animals, techie phones and all sorts of stories and were able to make new friends and get to know one another better. After dinner we split into the “night” people and the “morning” people with some going off to dance and visit, others going to bed, and a few going home to work on their cars until the wee hours of the morning.
8:30 A.M came really early Sunday morning, but the eagerness to find out who were going to earn awards brought the majority out on time. The buffet of several types of fruits, sweet rolls, muffins, scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon with three types of juices, AND coffee really hit the spot and woke us all up. Wes Urbanec started the award ceremony while Don Johnston announced the award winners and Mary Lou Johnston handed out personalized certificates – plaques will be engraved and sent to the winners very soon (certificates will be mailed to absent winners). The last of the raffles were held with many more great gifts distributed to the breakfast crowd.
A short windup meeting was held to discuss the pros and cons of the meet. Steve would appreciate everyone completing the comment form and returning it to him.
Goodbyes were said with vows to get together soon and planning for the next meet is beginning to start
Carol Fleming
Newsletter Editor
Volvo of Tacoma Fife Sales & Service
Volvo Finders Sales and Service
Marine View Beverage Company; Lance Kahn, President
Sandberg NW Volvo
Husky Truck Center
Bradley’s Detail
Viking Gold Plating Service; John Carlton Lacy, WA
Larry’s Volvo Repair
Griot’s Car Care
Joe Hilsinderger (Formerly Joe’s Auto repair and Volvo): South Hill, Puyallup, WA
Join us for a run to Cates Park in North Vancouver. This is an annual event for the VCBC and they have graciously invited us to join them. "Bring a picnic lunch, shine up the Volvo and bring the family." There are always raffle prizes, dash plaques and trophies.
CARAVAN's: South end residents will leave at 6.00AM sharp from the parking lot of the Shari's Restaurant at 348th and 16th (end of Hwy 18)
North end residents will leave at 7.30AM from the Smokey Point Rest stop on I-5 Northbound. IF you're late you're on your own! ... and DON'T forget to bring your Passport or Birth Cirtificate & Photo ID.
For more info: VCBC Events
Map w/ directions from Blaine Truck Crossing to Cates Park
 This is Indy, a chocolate lab belonging to Aaron Fleming |
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Photos of the 2005 Regional Meet are now available - see 2005 Regional Meet.
WASHINGTON