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My wife Pat and I had long since decided we were going to attend the Branson convention and we would extend our stay to at least one week. We have been to Branson several times before and enjoy the shows and other activities the town has to offer. I reached out to host Fred Roman early on in the process and offered my help, eventually volunteering to be the Chief Judge for the car show.
I debated taking or not taking the '55, and then toyed with driving or....? Then, several months ago, our 31-year-old son moved back in while working through marriage difficulties. I'll spare you all the drama, but along with him came his 2015 GMC Yukon Denali XL. It's decked out with all the latest trailering options and my son uses it regularly to pull his boat. As they say, "paybacks are hell", so I informed my son that he was going to loan me his Yukon as a tow vehicle to Branson.
Then I had to find a trailer. I had helped an AACA Region buddy pick up an enclosed trailer in eastern NC after the Charlotte Auto Fair. The enclosed trailer, although used, was an upgrade for him from the open equipment trailer he had previously used to haul his cars. In fact, I road with him when he towed his full size '77 LTD to an AACA meet in Bettendorf, IA, so I knew the open trailer could handle a big car. I asked to borrow the trailer and he was very generous to agree, even installing new tires on the trailer. For added experience, we used my son's Yukon and my buddy's trailer when we went to Gettysburg for another AACA meet. I had just agreed to buy a low mileage '86 Pontiac Parisienne, also located in PA. The seller drove that car to Gettysburg and I got hands-on experience loading, maneuvering and driving the Yukon hauling a big car on the open trailer.
The plan was set. We would leave Saturday, August 19, for Branson. My buddy brought the trailer to my house Friday night and we loaded the '55. He guided me lashing it to the trailer, as well as several other pointers. I had contacted Fred Roman and informed him that I would be arriving late Saturday and might need a hand unloading from the trailer.
We left early Saturday morning, and following my buddy's advice, stopped often to check the secure fit of the ratcheted tie down straps. We hit rain along the way, and the GPS routing took us on some narrow two-lane roads and two narrow bridges around Cairo, IL, that must have been built close to 100 years ago. White knuckles until we hit US 60 in southern MO. Everything seemed to be going fine, and we stopped for gas at a quickie mart/truck stop along US 60 in south central MO. I was tightening the hold downs and one had a lot of slack; too much in fact. It had come loose! I changed into some old clothes and crawled underneath and reattached. Good to go! We stopped a couple more times to ensure everything was secure and rolled into the Stone Castle around 4:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon. After checking in the hotel, I texted Fred Roman and he graciously agreed to help me unload that evening.
We ate dinner and then I moved the GMC and trailer to a reasonably flat area of the trailer lot. I began to lay the ramps and disconnect the tie downs. As I loosened the front straps, Fred arrived. I noticed the car wanted to roll backwards as I loosened the straps. I vividly recall setting the park brake, didn't I? I opened the car door and, can you believe it, I trailered the '55 over 500 miles to MO without the park brake set? Prayer works!! Fred was a great help unloading and parking and disconnecting the trailer.
We now had the GMC to roam around Branson on what turned out to be a rainy Sunday. After some early showers Monday, the rest of the week’s weahter is looking pretty good. Hope you enjoyed this story and the accompanying photos. Looking forward to seeing many of you this week in Branson!
Mark
Bobbi and Joe Youngblood arrived last night. They trailered Bobbi's convertible. Saw them this morning at breakfast. Fred Roman busy today getting the hospitality and registration room ready for Wednesday.
Mark
Tuesday, August 22 Update: Several more members arrived today, many in their DeSotos. We were out seeing shows and having dinner with the Youngbloods half the day and evening and did not return until dark. Found these DeSotos in the parking lot. The ones I recognize are:
Modified '39 = Roger Van Arsdale, Granger, IN
'59 Fireflite sedan = Hennie Joacobs, Greenville, SC
'57 Firedome 2-dr = Tim Michel, Bulls Gap, TN
'54 Firedome hardtop = Kent Nichols, Wichita, KS
Mark
Quite a few more DeSotos arrived today, and the daylight afforded the opportunity to photo the cars that appeared yesterday. Here are some pics.
Mark
Thanks Mark,
Great overview of the cars, fun, and excitement Branson has to offer. So far all is going well. Here are a few pics of the social gathering Wednesday evening - the first official day of the National Convention.
It's great to have all the members enjoying themselves.
Thank you all for attending.
Fred Roman, Chairman
"It's delightful, it's delovely, it's DeSoto"
A few photos from today's events. We toured the Titanic Museum and rode on the Branson Scenic Railway.
Thanks for sharing all the photos!! Great job!
Jim
Following posts will show cars on the show field at the Auto & Farm Museum. We'll start with Class I, '29-'40.
Next, Class II, '42-'48.
Now, Class III, '49 - '54.
Class IV, '55 - '56.
Class V, '57 - '58.
Class VI, '59 - '61.
Class VII, Modified, was the largest class at the show. We will upload those photos in two batches. The first batch is pre-war.
More Modifieds, all post-war.
