CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF A CHRISTMAS KIND Spooktacular Drive and Party Saturday, November 12th proved to be a great day for the rescheduled, because of SNOW, Spooktacular event. It was sunny and close to 60 degrees. Fourteen cars, some with scary people, drove a short 41 miles to end at the Lookingbill's for a huge assortment of food and fellowship. Upon arriving back there were other PACErs waiting for the party. We enjoyed Garryburgers through desserts with ice cold drinks and everything in between.
YUM!!! Fall Breakfast Meeting After an early officers meeting, the annual PACE breakfast was held on November 5th at the Brickerville House. It was attended by 46 PACERS, including veterans and Pace rookies. The food and facilities were great as usual.
The attending officers gave their reports when called upon by President Bob Gresh after the breakfast feast. Nominations were opened, which will be voted on at the kick off dinner on March 31st at Scooters in Lititz. The 20th anniversary of the PACE MIATA CLUB will be next year. Discussions started to plan this celebration. Garry zooooooooooooooom zooooooooooooooom zooooooooooooooom Brady’s High Performance Shop Dyno Day
We had 5 Miatas and drivers show up for the Dyno Day at Brady’s High Performance Shop, and we had 4 of the Miatas run on the dyno. It was interesting to see them position the cars on the rollers and strapping them into place. We got to tell the shop owner how high we would let him rev the motor, as safety and keeping the car together was the top priority. We had my 2006, two 2005 MazdaSpeed’s and one earlier NA run on the Dyno. We were all 
There was a wide mix of cars there. One was a late 60’s orange Camero that looked like it just came off the showroom floor, but sounded like it was fully built. One was a factory stock Corvette with a LS9 Turbocharged big block motor. It produced 565 horspower at around 6,000 RPM. Another was a fully  Bill's Old Bike Barn
Thanks to Brian and Carol Piersol for leading 17 PACErs to Bill's Old Bike Barn in Bloomsburg on a crisp autumn day. The drive featured lots of twisties along with at least 3 U-Turns making Brian and Carol finalists for the annual U-Turn Award. Landisville Car Show, September 18, 2011
We had a total of 3 Miatas show up to display at the Landisville Car Show.  Bill Latsha Wheaton Glass Museum Despite the concerns of road issues from the previous monsoons and a marginal forecast Carol and I decided to go for it. The trip down and back was a nice ride and not as pretty as most and that may be attributed to the fact that we were in New Jersey. (no offense Governor) Joe Golesh noticed and commented at all the debris you could see as we went over the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Its a bit hard to see over the sides when your eye balls are so close to the road in those Zooms! The WheatonArts museum and village was great. They had a charming picnic area where we enjoyed a very nice lunch. The glass blowing show was at 1:30 and it was very interesting. Following that we toured the museum, gift shops and general store. We managed to stay top down the entire way despite some black clouded threats. The zooms mysteriously all turned off Route 41 cutting a diagonal onto 896 and ending up at The Creamery in Strasburg. Imagine that!!! Dessert on the front benches watching the sunset. It was a very nice day with the PACE gang. Thank you for coming. Brian & Carol Piersol Hurricane, What Hurricane Who says something like a major hurricane can dampen the spirits of PACE Miata club members? Seven cars left the Eden parking lot on August 27 for an unplanned run to Kauffman’s Chicken BBQ. I say unplanned because we were supposed to head to Valley Forge. But since VF is east and had a greater chance of getting rain from Hurricane Irene, we made a unanimous decision to head west. Since the only run we knew off the top of our heads and without written directions was to Kauffman’s, with a few change-ups along the way from our usual run, that’s where we landed. We had a delicious meal there, and then six cars headed for a little surprise stop about 10 miles away at Roadside America. Several of us had been there as children, some of us had been there in years past as adults, and some had never been there before. It’s a bit of Americana you might want to check out for yourself sometime. Of course we had the ever popular ice cream stop at the Twin Kiss in Myerstown on the way home. Although Irene tried her best to ruin our day, she was not successful. We had a great time together. It was kind of nice for a change without the sun blazing down on us. A little drizzle at one point was all the rain we saw the whole day until the very end, a few miles from home, when we had to put the top up. So next time there’s a run scheduled and the weather doesn’t look good, come anyway. You’ll be surprised at the fun we have in spite of what might seem like adverse conditions! Bob and Sue Autocross at Weaver’s Market.
There were 6 PACE cars with their drivers that showed up for autocross at the Weaver’s Market. Only 2 of us drove in it, and the others came to watch. The course was three tenth’s of a mile long and it serpentined between and around orange cones in the store’s parking lot. Each person ran alone and was timed by an electronic stop watch which timed to the thousand’s of a second.
They had several classes for the different Corvettes, and an “Open” class for the other cars which included Miatas, a Mustang, and a Ford Thunderbird. For example the fastest overall time was about 32 seconds for a highly modified Corvette. Our Chip Heagner did the fastest time in the “Open” class at around 36 seconds. This was the first I ever tried this and my best time was 42 seconds. The slowest overall time was about 50 seconds if I remember right.
Our cars got a good workout, and we all had fun. It gave us a good chance to see and feel just what the Miata was designed for! The Corvette Club is scheduling another one for September, so keep you eye on the newsletter and web page for more information.
Bill Latsha PACE PICNIC ALMOST PERFECT WEATHER
We had somewhere between 50 and 60 people at the annual PACE Picnic. The weather was "almost" perfect till the rains came. But as is often the case with PACE Events we lucked out. The day started with nice temperatures and low humidity and an overcast that made it very pleasant. We were able to enjoy the plentiful food and drink before the rains finally arrived. Thanks to a nice empty garage and the front and rear porches the party continued while the downpour took over the yard. Special thanks to everyone who helped. Carol and Brian Piersol for hosting and Mary and Gary Lookingbill for providing the usual chairs and tables.
Almost Heaven West Virginia
John Denver recorded a song many years ago called "Almost Heaven West Virginia. The club experience some of the "heaven' this past weekend. The amazing smooth and winding roads. The incredible mountains and the scenery. The "interesting" accommodations. The almost celebrity status we enjoyed by being that Miata group here for the weekend in those little cars. Feeling like we were going back in town with the lack of cell phones, wi-fi, commercial radio, no 24/7 stores and no multiple restaurant selection. We discovered The National Radio Astronomy Observatory at the Green Bank Science Center a short way from our motel. This facility use radio telescopes of various sizes to listen to radio waves coming from millions of light years out in space. Since electronic devices interfere with this process they located between the mountains to block man made signals and no cell towers, wi-fi, commercial radio and other sources of radio waves are allowed in the area. The grand daddy of all the telescopes is the Green Bank Telescope standing 485 feet tall and weighing 70 million pounds. The group enjoyed a ride up the mountain, an outdoor buffet with blue grass music and a ride back down the mountain on the Cass Scenic Railroad. The railroad is beautifully restore and features the largest collection of operating Shay Geared Steam Engines in the world. There were 10 PACE member cars and we were joined by Jeff and Joanne Cox from The Ridge Runner and Carolina Miata Club. The weekend featured much laughter and fun. The suggestion has already been made for another West Virginia Experience.
Christiana Breakfast Drive
12 cars and 22 people made their way to the Christiana Fire Company for Breakfast on Saturday morning. We left the meet point of the Eden Resort at 7:31 am and headed for Breakfast. We got there just before 8:30 and they had a large table set up for us as I told them we would be coming. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food as it got quiet after all was seated. We left at 9:30 and did the return drive. There are some great roads in Southern Lancaster County! We got back to Lancaster just before11:00. I had a lot of positive comments on the food and the drive, so I will probably do it again next year, as they have this breakfast the 3rd Saturday of every month. (Or an impromptu drive over the winter on a nice Saturday morning). Keep your eye on the web page or the newsletter on the upcoming schedules for the next time. Tropical Treat Drive
On Saturday July 9th, Garry and Mary Lookingbill led a group of 14 Miatas from the Rutters Farm Store on Cool Springs Road in Wrightsville through curves, woods and bridges to one of the clubs favorite pasttimes, FOOD, at the Tropical Treat in Adams County.
The long drives through wooded areas were cool on the warm day. Comments from the vendors at the rest stop, a flea market, showed we were welcome and better than their own car shows.
The food and fellowship at the Tropical Treat was outstanding. Because of busy schedules only 6 cars did the return, which was done in record time and ended at Jim Macks for what else, ICE CREAM. What a day was had by all.
17 Miatas drive around aimlessly have a great time
17 cars gathered in Dauphin for this seasons edition of The Mystery Drive. We had a selection the usual characters plus a brand new member and some "old" members that haven't been around in a while. We could not have asked for a better day.........sunny but not to hot. The roads were all nice 2 lane with a collection of 25's as in 225, 125, 25 and 325 with a little taste of 209 and 443. This years drive was about driving and of course eating. The group had lunch at The Red Lion Restaurant just outside of Pine Grove and finished the day with a stop at 3 B's Ice Cream.
Herr's Plant Tour and Chesapeake Inn for Lunch
Finally. A perfect topdown day. No rain, no lightning, no blazing heat, no Okefenoke Swamp humidity. And as luck would have it, we had a PACE drive scheduled. Even though the drive was on a Tuesday we had a great turnout—17 Miatas—for our Herr’s Factory Tour/Chesapeake City run. The weather did, however, have a deleterious effect on the health of some PACE members. A few, who shall remain anonymous, had such a bad case of topdown fever that they had to take the day off work to recuperate. Hope to see more of you malingerers on future PACEmaker drives!
After a nice drive to Nottingham we joined the mobs of pre-schoolers checking out the machinery and people who produce our snack foods. Did you know that the average American eats 2 pounds of pretzels a year? What’s wrong with them? People in our area however eat 20 pounds a year. That’s more like it!
Then off to Chesapeake City, Maryland. Here the clouds conveniently rolled in just in time to provide pleasant shade on the deck at the Chesapeake Inn where we could choose from crab cakes, crab salad, crab pizza, crab dip while watching the boats in the marina and on the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. No commercial vessels but lots of private craft. Since we were right there we couldn’t leave without checking out the small but very good nearby museum with lots of exhibits on the history and workings of the C&D canal which connects the Delaware River and the Chesapeake Bay.
After such a long day we had no time for any other stops on the way home. Wrong! The magic words—ice cream—were mentioned before we left the parking lot so we enjoyed some fun driving on a few southern Lancaster County back roads to work up an appetite (since when did a group of PACErs need to work up an appetite?) for homemade ice cream at the Village Creamery in Strasburg.
Thanks to everyone who came out. It was a great day!
Andy Nelson's BBQ Drive
The return trip was uneventful, but it got hotter outside as the sun came out. About ½ way home we stopped at Maple Leaf Farms and Orchard. They had fresh home made Black Raspberry ice cream along with 5-6 other flavors. Plus they had fresh picked sweet cherries for sale too. The stop was a place to cool off and enjoy dessert. If you didn’t make it this year, watch the calendar, maybe we will do it again next year. Longwood Gardens
IT WAS A LITTLE FOGGY, A LITTLE DRIZZLY, A LITTLE RAINY
In spite of the soggy weather some tops went down and everyone voted the day and the event a resounding success. Eighteen cars showed up to join John and Lois Gregor on a tour of the roads through the orchards of Adams County. Many of the roads were being visited for the first time by the club. Thanks to John and Lois for their efforts leading the first club event for them. There was some knowledgeable commentary along the route and an interesting history lesson at a stop at St Ignatius church in Buchanan Valley. Lunch was enjoyed by the group at Herr's Tavern.
Thanks Mr. Mason and Mr. Dixon
Twelve cars gathered at Burger King in Columbia Saturday morning with the usual enthusiasm that always accompanies every PACE event. The morning was a little cool and breezy but the tops went down and off we went. The first stop was the ever popular Holtwood Overlook for the ever amazing view of the muddy Susquehanna. Soaring birds and very brisk breezes add to the always awesome scene. The next stop was an impromptu stop at the Fiori Winery in Maryland for some wine tasting and the purchase of some bottles of wine. The group crossed the famous Mason-Dixon line 4 times while enjoying some great 2 lane twisties. Most of the group opted for a stop at a local roadside BBQ after arriving at Gettysburg. Coincidentally the commemoration of the 150 year anniversary of the Civil War was underway at the Battlefield so there was limited parking available at the visitors center. Our thanks to Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon for their assistance in planning this event. Perry County Drive
John Saltzer led a drive through Perry County on Saturday, April 16th for those who didn't travel to Watkins Glen. Although the weather was rather dreary, everyone had fun. Here are some pictures:
Rain, Wind, and Big Smiles– PACE at the Glen
What an experience. We left from the TurkeyHill in E-town – tops down. I am told we had an unfortunate club firstwith the engine issues in Brian and Carol Piersol’s NB. This preventedthem from continuing with the group. Fortunately, they got home safely Fridaynight and Brian is working on getting his Miata back on the road. Keeping topsdown all the way to Bath, NY – some found the sun could stillburn even on a cool day. The group arriving at Bath had dinner at a local restaurant –the Chat-A-Whyle.
Saturday was a very different day weather-wise.Temps in the 40’s, driving rain, and winds gusting to 40 mph. But we cameto take on the Glen. And take it we did. After a very nice Club breakfast, webraved the weather and got ready for our runs. All I can say is WOW – it was great! I do want tomention that some our PACE ladies (no topless this day) also enjoyed the Essesof Watkins Glen. We were joined on the track by the Mid –State NY MiataClub, combined we were the largest car make represented.
After the laps were completed, the combinedClubs split-up: some to lunch, some to the Glenn Curtis Museum, some to the RockStream Winery. Several of the “lunch group” then joined the winery tourat the second winery, Fox Run. More good wine was tasted and then came the winerytour - up the hill in the rain and wind. Two couples braved the elements andhad a great tour.
All groups then converged on the CobblestoneRestaurant in Geneva.Forty-one Miata club members had a great meal and fellowship. It was agreedthat the two clubs should look to do more of this type of combined event in thefuture.
For the return there was an early group thatdid some antiquing on the way back. A second group came back via RT 147 –did a little twisty-curvy and ended the run with ice cream at 3Bs.
I think everyone had a great time –this event will be done again. The opportunity to get your Miata on the trackis too good to pass up!
Snow Geese, Tundra Swans and PACEmakers
Eight PACErs gathered for a short drive and a visit to the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area to see the large flock of Snow Geese and Tundra Swans taking a rest stop on their annual migration north. Of course after serveral hours of driving and watching what else would PACE do but eat so a stop at the Brickerville Family Restaurant satisfied everyone. Thanks Jerry and Lynne Long for a nice weekday diversion.
Cabin Fever No More...
On a blustery winter night 33 PACErs gathered at the Great American
Hopfully the worst of the winter weather is behind and we can start looking forward to the spring and the annual kickoff dinner on Saturday, March 26th. January 2nd and Tops Down???
There were 23 member's cars present for the 2nd Annual Polar Bear Run and yes there were a least 5 cars that braved the road spray more so than the temperatures and went topless. In the words of the weather folks....."unseasonably warm temperatures", made this year's drive not so polar bearish. What a great start for 2011 for PACE with so many enthusiastic members there to begin the New Year. Here is hoping this turnout is a preview of the level of involvement with this season's upcoming regional event Buggies and Bridges II. The group filled the backroom of the pub with 46 members and enjoyed some good drink, food and fellowship.
Here are some pics....
Enjoy a short video of the meet point gathering:
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