My hat is off to anyone who tries to organize a large Corvette outing. Experience will tell you they are challenging even on a good day.
To make it more challenging, try three starting locations, different routes, all converging for lunch at a designated time.
That’s what the Amazing Corvettes Club of Atlanta set out to do on a beautiful Saturday morning in July. We were fortunate enough to tag along to enjoy the fun and camaraderie.
The goal was for the three groups to rendezvous at the Hawg Wild BBQ & Catfish House in Young Harris for lunch.
Some of the routes club members took required over an hour of driving with portions over twisty North Georgia mountain roads to make it more exciting.
With precision planning that rivaled the Normandy invasion, all three groups arrived within 15 minutes of each other. All we could do was smile, nod our head in recognition and say, “You got to love it when a plan comes together.”
In the end, all the planning paid off because we had a good lunch overlooking a picturesque Lake Chatuge with fellow Corvette enthusiasts. Not sure life gets any better than this.
To top it off, the Memory Lane Car Museum was only three miles away!
Memory Lane Museum
Memory Lane Classic Car Museum is home to the private collection of philanthropists Jerry and June Smith. Originally from Stone Mountain, Jerry Smith comes to Towns County by way of Eatonton, where he operated another auto museum in the Lake Oconee region.
The current facility, which overlooks Lake Chatuge, opened in Young Harris, Ga, on July 30th, 2020. The well-appointed museum is a great place to experience numerous historical eras filled with classics cars, motorcycles, and NASCAR merchandise.
All told, there are over 100 cars and motorcycles covering nine decades of automotive history on display. The displays change periodically with new additions added, and others shuffled through the Smith’s ever-growing collection.
While there are many unique classics to catch your eye, there are some you should make a point to see. One is Burt Reynolds’ 1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am from the movie “Hooper,” with the hood and dash autographed by Reynolds.
The other is former NASCAR driver Richard Petty’s 1969 Ford Torino. Like every one of these classics on display, those two unique cars are in like-new condition.
Admission is $5, while those 12 and under get in free. 100% of the proceeds go to charities in Towns and Union Counties. The museum is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday from 12 pm to 6 pm.
The museum’s address is 1159 Jack Dayton Circle, Young Harris, GA 30582. You can contact them at (762) 994-5474 or by email at [email protected].
ACC Expands With Chapters
The past year has been a tough stretch for many local Corvette clubs. As we slowly emerge from under the dark Covid cloud, several Atlanta clubs are starting to find their groove again.
One club that has hit the ground running is the Amazing Corvettes Club of Atlanta. So much so that they have added a Northwest and a Northeast chapter to make it more convenient for the growing member ranks.
Having just attended the various chapter meetings, we can tell you the members are having fun and are eager to get out and enjoy their Corvettes. It won’t surprise us if a North and South chapter isn’t added soon.
Lucky To Have A C7
We were lucky enough to have two 2014 C7’s in our Memory Lane Car Museum group. In the photo above, you see Rosalie & Tom’s 2014 Crystal Red coupe, and the image below is Dannie & Richard’s 2014 Crystal Red convertible.
We take the seventh generation for granted now, but back in 2007, when then the C7 was on the drawing board, its future was anything but certain. General Motors was in dire financial straits back then, and the accountants were pushing once again to drop the Corvette.
All available GM capital got diverted away from car lines not deemed to be successful. Tom Peters, the designer of the C6, was initially told to evolve the C6 platform but was later given the go-ahead for a clean-sheet design.
It wasn’t until late in 2012 that Chevrolet announced that the seventh generation would debut in 2013. The first C7s hit the market in the third quarter of 2013.
GM eventually delivered one of the most distinctive Corvettes ever and was the first to bear the Stingray name since 1976. For you, trivia hounds, the only two parts they carried over were the roof release lever and an air filter.
Many Corvette enthusiasts say the C7 walks the thin line of innovation while maintaining the brand’s legacy.
Perfect Day Trip
A drive up to the Memory Lane Car Museum combines all the elements needed for a perfect day trip away from the stress of the big city.
You’ll find your smile getting wider the closer you get to the town of Young Harris and the car museum. The twisty ribbon of highway through the North Georgia mountains will make sure of that.
Special thanks to the Amazing Corvettes Club of Atlanta for inviting us to be a part of the fun.
We can tell you from first-hand experience; the Memory Lane Car Museum should be near the top of your shortlist of Vette activities this summer.
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