Valley Roadsters (VRs) hosted the 43rd Roadster Roundup (RR) within Visalia, CA over the weekend of 18th - 21st, September, 2008.  This puts another RR into the books, and represents the seventh time that California Roadsters (CRs) has been an invitee.  According to reports from those CRs in attendance, this may have been the best RR ever due to weather, good accommodations, lots of vintage tins, great tour through the Sequoia National Park, and overall good planning on the part of the VRs.
            The first day was mostly consumed by the commute up Highway 99 to the Holiday Inn in Visalia.  The CRs arrived too late for a planned run to an large auto collection, so the afternoon was devoted to a little R&R and getting settled in. Everyone made the trip without problems including: Bernie Couch & son-in-law Mike (little slow climbing the grapevine with his flatmotor), Jerry & Judy Kugel, Duane & Suzanne McKinney, Chet Norris, Don & Patti Prieto, Dick & Barbara Roseberry, Tom Schauppner, Jim St. Martin and Max & Sue Jamiesson coming in from Carmel Valley.
            Friday started off with a visit to Larry Coelho's farmhouse, with an isolated location out in the middle of nowhere.  Larry is a dairy/cattle farmer who owns quite a spread, including several facilities (15,000 S.F.) full of hot rod projects, off road vehicles, circle cars, Bonneville racers, customs and several retro-muscle cars.  It was commented that there were more projects than anyone in the group has seen in a long time.  Next, the CRs were invited to the home of Jeff Black, the current President of the VRs.  He and his wife live in a beautiful golf course fronting home within the Visalia Golf Course.    Several hours were spent with Jeff touring his vast collection of vintage auto tin.  After a tour of his home/garage, Jeff took the CRs to his storage compound, with more great stuff.  Jeff has been collecting for over forty years, with a wide range of assembled parts, barn finds, and has one of the largest collection of 32 Ford grilles around.
            Looking at cool auto stuff makes roadster guys and gals hungry, so it was decided to take a run up to Three Rivers to get a bite.  The topic of conversation was the recent Bonneville trip, which three CRs racing teams participating.  Jerry Kugel's racing team is going back in mid-October to take another assault on the salt, with his daughter Jerilyn wanting to make a 200 MPH run.  Please refer to a prior piece on 2008 Bonneville for details.
            Saturday morning the assembled RR group gathered in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn ready for the main event run. After a sausage biscuit and coffee fueling, the roadsters departed for quite a long run to Sequoia National Park to see some realllly biiiiiggg treees.    The drive was magnificent and the fact that 90 roadsters were running along a twisty mountain road made it even better.  There is something about being in an open car with the sights, sounds and smells of nature that awakens the senses.  A buffet lunch at the Alpine Lodge was better than most, with the afternoon free to continue sight seeing, shopping or heading back to the hotel for a nap.
            Saturday night, the VRs hosted a formal dinner at the Visalia Country Club, with arrangements made to park the roadsters on the grass for scenic viewing during the dinner.  The entertainment for the evening was a group of cloggers.  The leader of the group from Fresno, put on quite a demonstration on the fine art of clogging.
            Sunday morning came all too quickly, with the members of CRs that made RR, agreeing that it was one of the best ever.  Next year it will be the Los Angeles Roadsters hosting the RR, to be held at Pismo Beach.