Well, it’s been a busy few weeks since the 25^th annual Hot Rod Power Tour ended and yes, we completed it – seven cities in seven days!

We left on Friday, June 7 to arrive in Concord, North Carolina, for June 8. Our ‘66 Chevrolet Impala was loaded down with tools, a floor jack, an ice chest, chairs, umbrellas, suitcases, and snacks – roughly 300 pounds of extra weight.  Jacob was in contact with other travelers from the New Orleans area, and they waited for us to catch up with them so we could travel in a caravan. These other travelers immediately became our friends.

We arrived in Concord and received our credentials – long haul passes, goody bags and a car identification sticker. At each stop, we picked up magnets, had our passes punched and checked out the vendors.

Each day was mapped out for each route to the next city. Most days we drove two to three hours. One day, we drove five hours through small town USA.

This ultimate American road trip took us to Concord, North Carolina; Martinsville, Virginia; Bristol, Tennessee; Sparta, Kentucky; Indianapolis, Indiana; Fort Wayne, Indiana; and ended in Norwalk, Ohio.

At each stop, there were activities and a celebrity guest. The daily trips through small town America were filled with people sitting on the side of the road cheering the caravans on. Since Jacob’s car was set up like a Fire Department car, he sounded the siren and the kids went wild.

The only issue during the trip was the higher altitudes that created a problem of airflow for us and some of the other cars, but we all made it.

We had a great time together and we made lots of new friends. It is a fast-paced ride, exhausting but very fun.  Next year it starts in Norwalk, Ohio, where it ended this year.

By Faron Duhe, contributing writer