road-trip to Garlits' Museum 1/28/07

USA-1 · 11-08-2006, 08:31 AM

In early October of this year, a group of Corvette-owners gathered at Orlando Speed World Dragway, having a BBQ while running their cars at a Friday evening 'test-n-tune' session:
that event was so well-enjoyed that Forum-members litevette and Red 69 have announced another gathering at OSWD on Sunday, December 3, as part of that track's "Funday-Sunday" program.

With the Holidays just a few weeks after that, and wanting to continue 'keeping-in-touch' over the Winter, we are organizing a road-trip on Sunday January 28, from the Orlando area, to Don "Big Daddy" Garlits' Museum of Drag Racing, near Ocala

http://www.garlits.com/

where some historic drag-racing vehicles have been retsored and are on-display:
with it's huge parking-lot, we can travel caravan-style if we desire, and have ample & safe parking while visiting the Museum.....
if rain is forecasted that day, we can bring our daily-drivers instead.

After our visit, we will probably find a steak-house/rib-joint/pizza-parlor near the Museum for a late-lunch and bench-racing/lie-telling, before heading for home.

We will probably meet near the I-4/Turnpike junction that morning, and be traveling the Florida Turnpike from Orlando to I-75, then North to the Museum, which is located right-off I-75 @ Exit 341:
we can pick-up interested Corvette-owners as we proceed North along the way.

I would think if we can meet @ I-4/Turnpike around 9:00 AM that morning, we should easily arrive at the Museum by 10:30 AM, giving us plenty of time to visit the Museum and it's gift-shop:
this visit isn't 'ONLY' for Corvette-owners from the Orlando-area, as anybody is welcome to join us @ the Museum from other locales in Florida.

Garlits-himself has told me that if we can bring 10-or-more visitors, we will receive a $3-per-person discount upon entering the Museum:
those interested in joining us should please sign-in here, so we can finalize plans and confirm our intentions with Large Father beforehand.

fuzzy dice · 11-08-2006, 08:49 AM

Count me in and a buddy of mine from Lake Wales wants in as well...I would be glad to organize a meet up at an I-4 rest stop for those of us coming from the east coast...

USA-1 · 11-08-2006, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuzzy dice

...I would be glad to organize a meet up at an I-4 rest stop for those of us coming from the east coast...

..... does a meet at I-4/Turnpike at 9:00 AM sound acceptable/feasible to you, Herr Funk-meister ?

dogboy99 · 11-08-2006, 11:36 AM

This sounds like fun and the weather that time of year is great for a cruise. I have never been to the museum so I look foward to visiting the home of "Big Daddy". Meet up at rest area sounds fine.

**Rich Z** · 11-08-2006, 12:33 PM

You know, the wife and I drive by that place whenever we drive up and down 75 on our way down south from here, but have never stopped in. Maybe this would be a good opportunity to do so.....

USA-1 · 11-08-2006, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich Z

..... have never stopped in. Maybe this would be a good opportunity to do so.....

Rich, Large has some of his earliest dragsters, the front-engined car that blew part of his foot-off, leading him to design the first successful rear-engined car, his 'Side-winder' (transverse motor-mounted ) dragster, some early Funny Cars, and anything you can imagine:
perhaps his most-famous car, Swamp Rat XXX, which performed this 'blow-over' in New Jersey in July '86

is not at the Museum, being on semi-permenant display at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C.

BERNADETTE and I stopped-off on our way here in Feb '06, but only had 40 minutes before they closed that day, so I am looking forward to 'WALKING' -through this time.

CREWZIN · 11-08-2006, 06:49 PM

Count me in! I'm only about 45 minutes west of Garlit's Museum so I'll just cruise over and meet you all there.

Gannet · 11-08-2006, 07:14 PM

The Garlits museum is Great! We've only been once and drove past a couple of times this year, making me think it's time for a return trip.

Let's see if we can't get some of the Tampa and Pinellas crew to drive up together. Where's Jim Kill?

ynkedad · 11-08-2006, 07:46 PM

Looks like we're going to show up as well. We live pretty close (20-30 minutes away), yet we've never been there.?

Ray

fuzzy dice · 11-09-2006, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by USA-1

..... does a meet at I-4/Turnpike at 9:00 AM sound acceptable/feasible to you, Herr Funk-meister ?

That sounds fine to me...there is a rest area on the Turnpike called "Turkey Lake Service Plaza" which is only a couple of miles north of I-4 on the Turnpike...might be a good place to hook up...I have a PDF map but can't get it hosted to post here...oh well...