Write-up provided by MCC member Mike Martin. Photos provided by MCC member Ray Welborn.
The May 25, 2013 MCC GARAGE TOUR was the biggest and best ever!
A big crowd of MCC members and others enjoyed a great 2013 Garage Tour on Saturday, May 25th. We had just a few folks less than 100 and about 50 cars to participate. A number of folks from the Antique Motor Vehicle Club traveled with the club.
Starting at about 9AM from the parking lot of Mac’s Supermarket in Ridgeland we traveled to the Studios of Mark Millet. Mark, an award winning watercolorist, is a gear head to boot. He has a wonderful studio/garage that everyone should visit. He has a wonderful collection of signs and memorabilia, plus hundreds of the wonderful paintings that he has created. Although the Tour is over, Mark’s place is open every day and he invites you by to look and shop in this special shop.
Leaving Mark’s the group traveled through Madison and out Hwy 463 toward Ingleside subdivision to the home of Lana and Allen Carpenter. The Carpenters have a beautiful home on several acres of land there. Allen built a wonderful garage in the rear and there he does his own work on a number of vehicles, including not one but two 1936 Chevrolet pickup trucks, these in addition to a wonderfully stock 1955 Chevrolet 4 door sedan and a completely modernized 1955 Chevrolet Bel-Air convertible (Corvette engine, all new suspension).
The group next moved west on a really pretty drive heading toward the home of Bill and Nancy Howard and family. The Howard’s live on Virlilia Road north of Flora in a house built in 1842 and owned by the Howard family since 1901. This is a working Angus cattle ranch. After a catered meal done by Chick-Fil-A, the Howard’s and their family gave guided tours (one special item was their pet Blue Jay!) of their wonderful home. In addition everyone got to tour Bill’s garage which was filled with a couple of classic Fords and two really fine classic Pontiac GTO vehicles.
MCC is certainly appreciative to Mark, Allen and Lana and the Howard family for letting our Club come and visit their special places. It was a great day, enjoyed by all. As a kicker, the Club picked up 7 new members! The only question is, “Where will we go next year?”