der Bayerische July/August 2021 - 17

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age, they'll tell me what's happening at
school, we'll discuss our favorite
movies and music, and we'll talk
about cars. It seems the topics and
conversations are endless, which is a
good thing. If you haven't already, I
highly recommend bringing friends
and family on an NCC tour for an
enjoyable experience and quality
bonding time.
Like most tours, each segment
of the Dashing Through the
Mountains Tour was about 60-90
minutes of driving, followed by a 3045
minute rest stop. And like most
tours, the day went by very quickly
due to all the fun we had. The first
segment took us from the starting
point in Frederick, MD, past Harpers
Ferry, to our rest stop just outside of
Winchester, VA. This gave the group
time to get out and stretch, continue
conversations from earlier, and line
up the cars for a photo op.
The second segment of the tour
took us from Winchester, VA, past
Round Hill and Capon Springs, and
into Moorefield, WV. This was both
Carter's and my favorite segment. The
roads were outstanding with constant
twists, turns, and elevation changes.
The landscape was once again
becoming green with leaves sprouting
and flowers blooming everywhere
we looked. The 318is' M42 engine
hummed through the upper limits of
its RPM band to keep up with the long
caravan of BMWs in front of us. It
was quite entertaining! At our next
rest stop Carter ate a snack in the
driver's seat while I stood outside and
chatted with fellow enthusiasts.
The third segment turned us
northward on South Branch River
Road. We traveled through Romney,
WV, and we arrived for our lunch stop
in Sunrise Summit, WV. After we
grabbed a blanket and our lunches
from the trunk of the car, we found a
nice spot in the grass to eat and
enjoyed a socially distanced lunch
with the other tour-goers. Once we
finished eating we decided to skip the
last segment and start our two-hour
journey home. We caravaned back to
Virginia with Douglas Lerner in his
July I August
O F
1989 325i - one of Carter's favorite
cars of the day.
We pulled into our driveway
around 4 p.m. with nearly 300 more
miles on our car than when we set out
in the morning. Aside from needing
a brief impromptu rest stop, Carter
didn't complain once - and given he's
only four years old that's saying
something! It speaks volumes about
how engaging and fun these tours
are, even for passengers.
When reflecting on this tour a
few days later, Douglas Lerner commented
that " after a long winter of
small tweaks and maintenance, it was
great to finally get out and drive. And
what a drive that was - incredible
roads that exceeded my expectations. "
He added, " Carter is a trooper
and a real car guy! " Yes, and Avery
is certainly a real " car girl " as evident
by her writing and enthusiasm to
participate in so many of my automotive
activities. I consider myself very
fortunate to be able to share my hobbies
with both of my kids as it makes
these experiences that much more
enjoyable. With the school year
coming to an end and summer plans
and activities starting to ramp up, I'm
hoping our next NCC tour will be the
Creamery Tour. I think I'll have to
bring both kids along for that one.
A fun day of driving AND ice cream
(Right) Avery takes a photo of the
group atop a hill on the Dust Off
Tour, photo by Avery Bevels.
(Below) The first rest stop on the
Dashing Through The Mountains
Tour (Group B), photo by Mike
Bevels.
T W O
T O U R S
might blow their minds!
A special thanks to our lead
tourmeister, Robert Hopkins, who
charted an exceptional course for this
event. The group's leads, mids, and
sweepers did a great job of setting the
pace and making sure no one got lost
(thanks to Steven Pera, Roger Lie,
Raymond Junkins, and Steve
Grumbach). A lot of time and planning
goes into these events - dry
runs, driver's meetings, providing
directions in various digital formats,
handing registration, payment, and
waivers, and much more. We're truly
(Right) A caravan of BMWs drives
through the countryside, photo by
Mike Bevels. (Below) One of
Avery's favorite cars on the Dust
Off Tour, photo by Avery Bevels.
fortunate to have so many dedicated
volunteers in our great chapter that
organize so many quality events
across the automotive spectrum.
17
der Bayerische July/August 2021

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