Hello all you Healeyphiles, Plans for California Healey Week are really shaping up. At present, we have seventy-six cars and 136 people registered, fully 50% over our original estimates! The Scroggies,’ Neumeyers’ and Cindi and I visited the hotel a couple of weekends ago and it is going to be the perfect venue for the event. Plenty of space for activities, genuinely nice rooms, superb views and lots of parking. The hotel staff could not be more hospitable.
Here are some more details: - We are offering two Scenic Drive options this year.
Mike Biss and Anna Johansson have scoped out the “long drive” which will take you out past the Salton Sea, across parts of the Anza-Borrego State Park and up the “back way” into Julian. Plenty of shopping and restaurants there, not to mention their famous apple pies. The return trip will be via Anza and the Palms to Pines Highway. We’ll be starting out early to beat the heat.
-If a four-hour drive is more than you want, we will also be offering a “Homes of the Celebrities” self- driving Tour. This ninety-minute ride will take you past no fewer than twenty-seven current and former homes of the stars who made Palm Springs their playground in years past. The route directions include not only the addresses, but also some background information on each of the homes.
-We are also repeating the ever-popular Poker Run, which will end in the village of Idyllwild where lunch choices abound.
-Our final night’s banquet has a “British Dress Up” theme, with prizes for the best costumes. And for the first time ever, we will have a Live Auction for some really great vacation packages.
There is still time to register (www.austin- healey.org), but we may have exhausted our allocation of discounted rooms. I suggest you call and book what is available, and if we have any cancellations, you can switch to the lower rates.
Finally, don’t forget to visit the Regalia Store (www.healeyweekregalia.com) to pre-order your logo items. There will be few, if any, sized items for sale at the event. So, pre-order and don’t be disappointed.
The store will close about April 20 to allow time to make all the items ordered.
We are looking forward to a great, wonderful time in the desert. Hope to see you all there.