A Break in the Weather

by Nancy DeWitt
© Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum

The weather in Fairbanks this summer has been much rainier than usual, which means our opportunities to get cars out on the road have been severely limited. We finally had a two-day stretch of sunshine last week, so Willy and the Pit Crew prepped and drove three cars. I had to get in on the action!

First out was the 1905 Franklin. Until we purchased it this summer, the Franklin had been sitting in storage since 1991. The car is in great shape but needed a bit of work to get it running. Once cranked and on the road, it zipped right along as it motored around Wedgewood Resort. I love air-cooled Franklins and it was a treat to go for a ride in this newest addition to the museum collection.

Next up was a faster and louder ride in the 1927 Stutz Black Hawk boattail speedster. It was lunchtime, so I had Willy take me to the Tanana Valley Farmer's Market for a little "guerilla marketing" and some of Lane's Quickie Tacos. We can't go anywhere in this car without people honking, waving, and flashing us thumbs-ups! Willy thought it needed more exercise, so he took it on the local car club's run-around that same evening. Hardship duty.

Then it was on to one of my favorite automobiles in the museum: the 1918 Biddle Town Car. Women love this Biddle, which looks like a motorized version of Cinderella's coach. If you haven't already, be sure to look inside the Biddle when you visit the museum, because the interior is exquisite. The only thing missing is a speaker tube for me to order the chauffeur where to take me next (and no, I didn't ask anyone if they had any Grey Poupon).

We enjoy driving the museum cars, and not just because it's fun to do so. We love seeing the surprise and excitement on people's faces when one of these classics rumbles past, and giving them a chance to hear their old engines in action. We hope you time your stay at Wedgewood Resort and a visit to the museum when we have one of these beauties out for some exercise!


Coming to Fairbanks to see the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum and other area attractions? Support the museum by staying right here at Wedgewood Resort. All guests receive half-price admission to the museum!