Piedmont July 4th Parade
July 4, 2011
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| Two 1920s beauties (members of the Decobelles) pose with Annie as we stage for the parade. |
It has been a Bay Area Horseless Carriage Club (BAHCC) tradition to participate in the City of Piedmont's July 4th parade and celebration. For a second year Jeanne and Lynn have entered Annie in the parade. In 2010 they trailored Annie to/from Piedmont for the event. For 2011 they decide to drive the old car.
Avoiding the highways, it takes them about 2 hours to drive to Piedmont from Livermore, a distance of about 40 miles. A bulk of their trip is on Redwood Road, an area back road that winds along ridge crests and through several regional parks. It's a perfect day with bright sun and moderate temperatures, and the rural route is a perfect match for Annie.
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| The Piedmont parade is quite exciting and draws a large crowd of families with children. | ||||||
The parade organizers have produced a map with a designated staging area for each entrant in the parade. The Kissels find the spot on Highland Avenue where the horseless carriages are gathered. The BAHCC brings coffee and donuts and there is a lot of socializing.
After the parade, the horseless carriages drive a twisted tour route through Oakland for a visit to the Peralta Hacienda, an historic site that preserves some of California's 19th century history while it was still the property of Mexico.
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| Annie at the BAHCC picnic (left). Friends Pat and David Pava join Jeanne at the table (right). | |||
After the parade and tour, the horseless carriages descend on the home of John and Carolee Marrison which sponsor a picnic lunch. More quality time with friends.
The drive back to Livermore is very pleasant. Annie is a real trouper and manages the 90-mile day trip with little difficulty.
At the very end, when the Kissels are on the streets of Livermore, Annie begins to exhibit some signs of vapor lock. The car is hot and the day is warm. Lynn can see from the action in Annie's glass carburetor bowl that fuel in the line to the carburetor is boiling and disrupting the smooth operation of the engine. He pulls the car to the curb and lets things cool for three minutes, then resumes the drive home without further problems. Clearly he needs to investigate the fuel line where it runs parallel to the exhaust pipe. Rerouting or some form of insulation is clearly called for.
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Last updated: July 17, 2011