The weekend of April 25th through the 27th saw Porsche replica Speedster and Spyders gather for food, fun, fellowship, and tours along the California central coast in and around Morro Bay. This is an annual gathering of the Porsche replica folks who visit each other regularly on the Internet forum site found at SpeedsterOwners.com (SOC). [If you have never visited this site you should check it out. These car enthusiasts discuss a wide range of topics and seem to have more fun than most with entertaining information and barbs tossed at each other. They welcome anyone to join in ... with or without a car.]
The weekend was organized by Dusty and Sharon Johnson from Loveland, Colorado, and was strongly supported by the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce and the local merchants. Morro Bay is known for its friendly, small-town atmosphere and is recognized in photos by the jumbo "rock" sitting squarely in its bay surrounded by many small watercraft and sailboats. Photo ops abound and the Speedster Owners all carry calendar-grade photos of their individual cars at the waterfront.
The weekend gathering began with a showing in a designated area convenient to the waterfront visitors so that they could enjoy seeing the cars and asking questions of the owners. The first evening's dinner was hosted at the Great American Fish Company with a delicious selection of fresh fish and steaks for the "landlubbers" in attendance. After dinner the participants gathered at the hotel for drinks and tire kicking. Though there were numerous new attendees most knew each other from prior gatherings and there was much discussion of personal events from past years and renewal of old friendships.
On Saturday, all the cars were decorated with streamers and joined in the Morro Bay Kite Festival Parade. This was very impressive-with 37 cars proceeding two-by-two through town with a band in front and floats in the rear. The cheers of the townsfolk were evidence of their enjoyment at seeing so many beautiful cars. After the parade, we returned the Speedsters and Spyders to the town show area, while everyone went off for lunch. In the afternoon, there were a number of tours throughout the inland countryside over some of the most beautiful roads in America. Many wineries hosted wine tasting along the routes. That evening a dinner was served in a private room at the Embarcadero Grill, again with a view of the beautiful sunset over the Rock. Dinner was capped off with a surprise gift exchange for all, plus a Speedster-labeled bottle of California wine for each attendee.
Sunday began with a private brunch at Ciao Bella, a local restaurant known for its fine cuisine. After the brunch, a tour was conducted north along Highway 101 through Cambria, past Hearst Castle and with a stop to view the elephant seals along the coast. Afternoon saw everyone off to their home grounds with bottles of wine, souvenirs, and many bugs on the front of their Speedsters that weren't there Friday.
Total attendance was 37 cars and 55 people. Speedsters ranged from traditional appearance to semi-radical "outlaws" with enhanced motors, custom wheels, and flared fenders. The weekend was voted a resounding success by all and is one event that everyone should put on their calendar for next year. Dates will be announced after January.