An accounting of our day trip to the Gold Rush Oroville Car Show.
Story by Steve O. and Photos by Steve O. & Edie Heller

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Seventeen cars arrived at Kmart and were on their way at 6 am on a great day for driving up valley. Three more added to the group at Pleasant Valley Road and one more at Smartsville bringing the happy traveling gaggle to a total of 21 car. At least we think that was the size of our entourage, which would prove to be a very award winning group.

Once we arrived in Oroville it took about 45 minutes to get parked which lead to a slight overheating problem for the Landon & Karens '57 Ford and the Steve & Susan's '57 Golden Hawk leaving large puddles on the street which required a hazmat detail to clean up the mess. I guess 1957 turned out to be a pretty Hot Year.

Den R. showed up but with only a motor home and brand X. Seems he's too busy playing on his tractor, pushing rock around his property, to get his Packard rod on the road and to a car show. Seems like we all had the same idea when it was time for lunch as we pretty well filled up the Mexican restaurant just up the street from our cars. Dusty S. and Bill R. had obtained one each of 150 tee shirts that could have won them $1,000 so at one o'clock they left the restaurant to see what their fortune may bring them. If they were the first spotted in one of these tee shirts they would bring home the bucks. They returned much quieter than when they left, being without the loot. Of course with those two the quiet didn't last for long. Since we knew we had some award winners in the group, since small cards were put in the winners windshield, we all waited for the 3 o'clock awards presentation.

As the presentations wore on they finally started calling names familiar to our group. In the pickup class Rod M. got a plaque for his Study Pickup. I only missed one of the winners pictures which isn't bad, of course unless you're the one left out. (Edie took Rod's picture after the Friday morning breakfast. It's in the car show's photo album.)

When they finally positioned the big trophy winners in the circle of winners one of our members was front and center with his car. Dick S. stood back and waited to see what the 'car gods' would bestow on him and his car. When they finally called his name it was for Second Place, Best of Show.

What on outing with 8 out of the 21 cars venturing to Oroville collecting trophies. A proud day for the owners and the Roamin Angels.

With all the fun of the day over with we piled in our cars to start the trip home. The first group of cars pulled off to the side of the road heading out of town to wait for the stragglers. As the temperatures rose on the Golden Hawk, Steve and Sue pulled out of line and headed up the road on their own in order to keep the car from overheating the second time in one day. We arrived home about 6 p.m. and about ten of the others stopped for treats in Penn Valley. You just can't keep the Roamin Angels away from food for long.

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