The Weston drive ending at the Riverwood Winery is always a club favorite. And honestly, it is one of mine too.
We have done this drive a lot. In fact, I think almost everyone has the drive memorized. That being said, there are always a few surprises.
We gathered again this year at the Walmart parking lot just north of The Legends. It is big, spacious, and easy to get organized there. I always arrive early to make sure we have space to gather.
It is always fun to watch the club members roll in. The variety of cars is what always impresses me. There is everything from Boxsters and Caymans to Macans and Taycans. Members hop out of their respective Porsches, wave to each other, and shake hands with friends. I’m proud to see how welcoming everyone is, especially to the new members and drivers.
We had enough members on this drive so we had to split into two groups. Special thanks to T. Jones, Fred Quintana and Jim Cummings for helping with lead and sweeper.
In case anyone is wondering, I drive every route one to two days before the club driving tour. You have to do this. I can’t count how many times a highway is closed, there are repairs going on, a road has been flooded out, the list goes on. This drive was no exception.
I ran the route the week of the drive. It was all good. The day of the drive (wouldn’t you know it) the county was repaving a section of the road. Luckily it was a short stretch. The workers were removing the top layer of asphalt, but not tarring or laying down fresh blacktop. Still, I don’t like surprises when I am leading a drive. The tour slowed down and I radioed the second group to be on the watch for the road construction, while the workers waved at all the cars as they passed. It was all good.
The rest of the drive was pure Missouri rolling hill goodness. There is something that happens when you are meandering along on a country road. The fields look greener. The clouds seem to float by. The farm kid stops in his driveway to wave at the cars as they drive by. A slice of Americana? Whatever it is, I think “it” is part of why we get such good turnouts on our driving tours. Don’t get me wrong; driving my Cayman rocks, but the whole involvement of the drive is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
Arriving at the Riverwood Winery, I led the procession of Porsches to the front lawn. There is a large front lawn perfect for everyone to park and display the cars. Soon after the first group was parked and members headed into the winery the second group arrived. I stayed outside to chat with the lead and follow cars, making sure there were no incidents. With everyone arriving safely, the drive was over. Members are free to do what they want; go home, eat lunch, or explore the winery.
Riverwood’s tasting room was full. Many patrons chose an ice slushy beverage to battle the heat. Others decided to try small flights of bourbon, whiskey, or scotch. Everyone decided to stay for lunch and continue to enjoy each other’s company.
Jim Cummings, Stan Thorne and myself decided to partake in some Riverwood Winery’s flatbread pizzas. I can highly recommend the prosciutto pizza. It is covered with fresh mozzarella, red onions, extra virgin olive oil and to sweeten it up a bit, a drizzle of honey.
The KCRPCA crowd hung around for quite a while. Maybe it was the live entertainment. Maybe it was the food. My guess is that it was the comradery our club has. Everyone is friendly and welcoming to members new and old.
I’ll see you on the next tour.
~ Mike