We arrived Friday morning to greet the other Members of the two Imperial Clubs before we all drove to the Estrella Warbirds Air & Auto Museum. We arrived just in time to see a historic aircraft leaving for Normandy, France for the reenactment of D-Day. We had a nice lunch after touring the 4 buildings with memorabilia for WWII and a large number of Classic Cars including early racing vehicles and a few customs. It was great having our finned Imperials in a row in front of the jets that inspired their design. Friday evening was spent catching up with old friends and making a few new ones.
Saturday morning, we lined up in front of Atascadero City Hall. Twelve Imperials, two DeSotos (one a 1936 Airflow) and an exquisite 1966 Dodge Charger. I won’t go into detail here, but if you have not seen one of these early Chargers you have no idea what you’re missing. Front and rear bucket seats that fold down with the rear center arm rest to provide a large carpeted cargo area. If that weren’t enough, the panel behind the rear seats folds down into the trunk! Here’s a high-performance car you can go camping in. Sleeping comfortably in the back gazing at the stars through the huge rear window. Believe me there is much, much more to appreciate in this automobile. The Imperials were of course Magnificent! Kevin enjoyed the show from the cushy rear seat of my Imperial. Mom’s & Dad’s both loved the cars. But the kids were saying Mom, Dad there’s a Dinosaur in that Car.
Sunday afternoon, Kevin and I set out for home. A number of travelers took pictures of the Imperial and a second set of Kevin, the T-Rex hatchling riding in the back. The Imperial handled wonderfully and Kevin enjoyed the ride and our visits to the Miner’s Hardware Stores where we met some new Prehistoric Pals. Six of these Pals decided to join the Park. So, Monday morning I arranged for a high-top cargo van to pick-up our new friends. Enterprise in Ventura came through Again!
I arrived back in Atascadero Tuesday morning around 7:30 am. David the Manager of the Atascadero Miner’s Hardware Store and one of his Team Mates helped getting the Six Dinosaurs into the van. Stuart, a 7-foot-tall 8-foot-long Brontosaurus was the first to hop in. Stan the Stegosaurus was next followed by 4 Raptors. One has selected the name Alan, after Dr. Alan Grant the paleontologist in the 1st & 3rd “Jurassic Park” movies who specialized in Raptors. I will need to have another name the Raptor contest with 6 Raptors that haven’t yet selected names! One of the Raptors was a little feisty with David before getting in the Van. The rear windows on this van are large. I’m sure travelers were curious about the 3 Raptor heads they could see through the windows.
The trip home was otherwise uneventful. We arrived at the Park where Kevin and the little Raptors were excited to meet the newest residents of the Park. The new arrivals spent some time checking out the Park for their favorite spots to hang out.
The Raptors like the Raptor Range, Stan the Stegosaurus met a reptile friend on his rock and Stuart likes the view from Tyrannosaurus Terrace.
May All Your Journeys Be Rewarding!
Stay Tuned for Dinosaurs in School and a Visit to Another Prehistoric Park.
“Encouraging the Appreciation of Art and Education through the Inspiration of Dinosaurs”
Paul & Prehistoric Pals
Your feedback is appreciated, Thank you!