They did it again!! On another beautiful, early fall evening in downtown Mayfield Heights, Ohio, The North Coast PT Cruisers assembled in the rear parking lot of the Golden Gate Plaza (behind TGI Friday’s) for another evening of fun and friendship. These people really love each other, and their cars…or maybe the food at Moose O’Malley’s and TGI Friday is THAT GOOD?

Thirty-two cars made it this evening, many of them the same group who had been together the previous day at the Geneva Grape Jamboree Parade.

As usual, we opened by asking if there were any newbies present, and there was. A gentleman all the way from South Amherst was a first-time visitor, and promised to return again soon. He better…time is running out for this year.

Our leader, Nancy Jo, gave a report on the Grape Jamboree parade. All those who had participated agreed that it was a fun day, and a wonderful experience. We all agreed to participate again next year. Thirty PT Cruisers were there, including 4 from the Penn-Ohio Cruisin’ PT’s, 1 from Erie Pa, and 1 from Aliquippa, Pa.

We won a First Place Trophy and a $50 check to go along with it. Reportedly, we beat out 3 boys on bicycles playing flute-o-phones, and a five member motorized wheel chair ensemble playing electric kazoos, The trophy and check were nowhere to be found after the parade, and we wondered if one of our members had picked them up. Note: the next day I received a phone call from the lady in charge, and she will be sending the trophy and check by mail.

Upon a motion from the floor (actually, it was from the asphalt parking lot) it was decided to donate the $50 check to the American Red Cross. In addition, a donation canister was passed around, and another $48 for the Red Cross was collected. This money, along with the $60 collected the previous week and additional funds to be raise in the coming weeks, will be sent to the Red Cross Cruise in Nelsonville on 10-21 via our emissaries, Sassy and Stef.

Ken W., our Parade Leader, was given a special award. Ken managed to lose ALL 29 cars following his lead after the parade was over, thereby smashing Nancy Jo’s previous record of losing 8 cars (Quaker Steak & Lube, July). For his outstanding effort, Ken was presented with a REAR VIEW MIRROR, and instructions on HOW AND WHEN TO USE IT.

Ken’s record will probably last for a long time, or at least until the October 14th Covered Bridge Cruise to be led by Bob S. and his Fiancée, Judy D.. Ken volunteered to lend them his rear view mirror !!

Our next event will be the Cleveland Plain Dealer Tour on Saturday, October 6. The tour will begin at 11:00 am and should last for about 1.5 hours. You can meet us there if you wish, or join us in traveling by caravan. The PD is located on Tiedeman Road, just off of I-480. The caravan will meet at the Brainard Cedar Medical Building Parking lot at 10:00 am. It will depart at 10:15 am, and should arrive there about 10:45.

Our October 14th Ashtabula County Covered Bridge Cruise plans have changed, but only slightly. We will meet at the McDonalds at I-90 and Route 45 (exit 223) at 10:00 am and will depart from there at 10:30. We will go to the Covered Bridge Festival at the Ashtabula Count Fairgrounds in Jefferson Ohio, where we have arranged for FREE admission to the fair for the first two occupants of each car. Additional riders must pay a $3 entrance fee.

We will have a munchies meet and greet at the fair until about noon or so. Everyone will be given maps and instructions for the self-guided Covered Bridge Cruise. It will NOT be possible for all of us to leave at the same time and descend on the covered bridges due to the limited parking available at each bridge, so we will leave in small groups.

There will be FOOD and CRAFTS at most of the 11 covered bridges along the 66 mile route, which normally takes 2.5 hours to drive. You can stay at the fair or at the bridges for as long as, or as little as you like. There is no way to judge the parking and driving time…..so you kind of have to wing it. We will meet again around 5:00 pm to have dinner together at a local restaurant to be named shortly. We are negotiating to have a private room for our dinner. More details will be available soon.

Some other stuff happened too…but I can’t remember what. Oh yes….we sang Happy Birthday to Emerson M. and Gary N. and everyone had some birthday cake. When the meeting was over….everyone stayed around to schmooze a while longer…and then the POLICE came. No…. not to arrest us, not to tell us about a complaint – THEY WANTED TO SEE OUR CARS.

Two of Mayfield Height’s Finest rolled up around 8:30 pm and started to talk to us. They had never been IN a PT Cruiser. So, naturally we invited them to sit in, touch, feel, and talk about the cars. We even gave them the keys to several, but they declined to take us up on our offer. One of the called me today…. guess what he is going to buy !!

The (HiYo Silver, Man !!) Stats:
15 Inferno Red
7 Cranberry
3 Patriot Blue
2 Silver
1 White
3 Black
1 Two Tone (Silver/Cranberry)

CLEVELAND ROCKS !!!! ….. COME HANG WITH THE NORTH COAST PT CRUISER GANG !!

The North Coast PT Cruisers meet every Monday evening from 6:00 to 10:00 pm in the rear parking lot, behind TGI Friday, at 1641 Golden Gate Plaza, in Mayfield Heights, Ohio (44124) at the very rear of the shopping center. Last meeting of this year is on October 29th.

To get there from I-271 (north or south) get off at the RT 322 West (Mayfield Road). Turn left at the SECOND traffic light and enter the Golden Gate Plaza Shopping Center.
Proceed to the very rear of the plaza, past the Goodyear Tire store. As you approach TGI Friday, stay in the lanes to the right of the building and proceed all the way to the back. Bring a lawn chair and some PT toys to decorate your rear shelf.

If you are familiar with the area, you can also enter from Marsol Drive, which runs parallel to Mayfield Road.