May Day Poker Run

A perfect day for drive around the foothills. Jack Parker put together a "High Stakes" poker run where the winner takes the pot. With a $5 per person entry fee and about 36 participants, the pot was pretty big. Over 20 cars showed up for the day's event. To complete our poker hand we received one card at the start, 3 (or 4) cards along the way, and the final card at the finish.

There was also a bonus location where everyone who found it got a joker. Jack had a clue hidden in the instructions that told you what to look for.

Jack had us driving though historic towns like Sutter Creek, Volcano, and Ione before finishing up in Plymoth. He found us some of the best Miata roads we've been on all year. The course was nicely layed out. Since we were all allowed to drive at our own pace, we could blast through the twisties and slow down to enjoy the scenery on the straights. Some confusion in Sutter Creek had us end up in a pack of 4 for a while.

At one point we had the option of taking a shorter, slower, twistier, and a little narrower route with less traffic or a faster, wider, less twisty, longer route with more traffic. We choose the twistier route and had to pause at one point while a deer crossed the road in front of us. After the two courses merged back together, we continued on Hale road. Here there was a dog that stood in the middle of the road watching us as approach. He moved to the other side and watched us go by and then returned to the middle of the road to watch the next Miata approach. Also on this road there is a small bridge that has the water flowing over it instead of under it. It was only an inch or two deep and no problem for the Miatas as long as you went slow.

We finished up at Marlene and Glen's Diner in Plymoth. They had no problem handling our large group and the food was tasty. Oh and the high hand? 5 Kings. The low hand? Ace, 2, 3, 4, 7.

-- Bob Paauwe