<– Day 24 – Mon. May 27th: Peter Debella Jeep Parts  | Trip Overview | Day 26 – Wed. May 29th: Exploring Mystic –>

I undiscovered some gems for my upcoming book on my family’s history.

Over Memorial Day Weekend we stayed  in Sea Cliff, New York, at the Guerci’s house. My relationship with the Guerci’s is another internet-sent miracle. The Guerci’s live in my great aunt Emma’s painting studio, one built on the former Eilers’ Estate.

A few years ago, Leslie contacted me and told me they were living there and were looking for a Emma Eilers‘ painting for their house. Mom and I gave them one for free that needed a little restoration work. Since then, we’ve built a very warm relationship and they have opened their home to Ann and I any time our weary traveling feet climb their stairs. Last weekend they welcomed Karson as well, which gave me a wonderful opportunity to explain some of the family history to him and show him the remaining family homes in the area. I never expected to have that opportunity.

After we said our goodbyes to Sea Cliff, we drove a short distance to Darien, CT, for a dose of family history from a man named George who married one of my father’s cousins.

Tuesday’s drive from Sea Cliff, New York. to Darien, CT.

I’d never met George and barely knew of him before we exchanged a few emails prior to our trip out here. I told him we were traveling east and he invited us to stay right away.

George Ratcliff and I

A former president of a reinsurance company, the eighty-five year old had plenty of interesting family stories from the ‘eastern Eilers’ clan, as well as pictures and information. One of the most fascinating tidbits of information was the reason behind my grandfather’s 1924 trip with his brother through Europe. His mother (my great grandmother) made him take his brother to Europe so that he wouldn’t marry the ‘wrong’ girl. That scheme didn’t work and the man returned from Europe to marry the ‘wrong’ girl anyway and have a happy long life with her.

George enjoyed painting for much of his life. He said that he couldn’t wait to retire so he could paint all the time. However, when he retired, he stopped painting altogether, something he never understood.

George told us about a house on Martha’s Vineyard he and his wife purchased (and later sold – then, it was torn down and replaced). He painted their island house and allowed us to take a picture of it. The painting is full of specific references to family members and life at the vineyard. You might recognize the house as the location used as ‘Brody’s house’ for the first Jaws movie.

George’s wife Jean Eilers passed away a few years ago. In a sweet gesture, he still kept her recipe holder on the counter that held a recipe she’d placed there before she died. The funny thing is, he never liked that particular recipe. He likened his marriage to baseball. Some batters walk up to the bases and strike out a few times. If they are lucky, they might hit a home run. With his wife, he walked up to the plate and hit a home run on the first pitch. With a batting average of 1000, he explained, he has no desire to step up to the plate again. Very romantic.

A little family history:

Below is the first page of an 1859 story that was originally written in French by my great great grandmother’s brother, Eugene Farny. In it he describes the Farny family’s move in 1959 (along with all their possessions, including horses and chickens) on a 30-foot raft from Tionesta, Pennsylvania, down the Allegheny River to Cincinnati. It was quite the journey!

Here’s a photo of my great grand parents, circa 1913, sitting at a desk. It may have been part of a photo shoot for their 50th wedding anniversary. I can’t think of another reason to create such a casual photo.

This photo of the family hiking in the Alps was likely taken in 1914, just prior to the start of the war. My family got stuck in Germany as WWI engulfed Europe.

My great grandfather Karl is far right. Next to him is my great grandmother Leonie. Their daughter Leonie is behind them, followed by their youngest son Farny and their oldest son, my grandfather, Fritz.

Another interesting piece of art was this painting by Emma Eilers showing Farny Eilers, my grandfather’s brother, riding a bike around his parents house (my great grandparents place). The house still stands in Sea Cliff.

Not the best photo of it, but it’s an unusual painting, as I believe it is one of only two paintings Emma did that included a male. She preferred painting landscapes and women.

We had a great time with George, as he was full of stories. On Wednesday, we drive to Rhode Island.

<– Day 24 – Mon. May 27th: Peter Debella Jeep Parts  | Trip Overview | Day 26 – Wed. May 29th: Exploring Mystic –>

<– Day 21 – Fri. May 24th: Jeeps, Meats, and Beeps  | Trip Overview | Day 24 – Mon. May 27th: Peter Debella Jeep Parts –>

Karson, Ann, and I on the Long Island Train heading into the city.

SATURDAY MAY 25TH: On Saturday, went to Manhattan for the day, then drove to a relative’s place in Quogue. New York.

Our Saturday travels to Manhattan, then to Quogue.

First, we joined the rest of Manhattan and half of Connecticut when we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It has been almost exactly thirty years since I’d last seen the museum at age 17. I’m pretty sure in the past thirty years the museum has doubled in size. Well, that or my 47 year old legs are a little more tired than they should be. I guess that’s the downside of spending the last three months either traveling or writing. I look forward to getting back into shape when we return to Pasco.

Continue reading →

<– Day 22 & 23 – Sat. May 25th & Sun. May 26th: NYC & Family With Karson | Trip Overview | Day 25 – Tues. May 28th: Some Family History –>

Peter Debella and I at Peter Debella Jeep Parts in Riverhead, Long Island

On Monday we drove east on Long Island to Riverhead, New York.

Monday’s drive to visit Peter Debella in Riverhead.

On Monday we dropped off Karson at his ‘home’ (an Extended Stay Inn), exchanged good byes, and headed east to meet with Peter Debella in Riverhead, New York. Peter runs Peter Debella Jeep Parts. He invited Ann and I out to see some of the jeeps and parts he has.

This unlucky parts jeep got hit by a falling tree during a storm.

Continue reading →

<– Day 20 – Thurs. May 23rd: And Then it Started Raining at the Worst Time | Trip Overview | Day 22 & 23 – Sat. May 25th & Sun. May 26th: NYC & Family With Karson –>

The new Great Willys Picnic Banner unfurled!

We started out the morning in Reading, PA. Our first objective was to meet Seth in Kempton. I felt bad about not being around for the Picnic, so meeting up with Seth was the next best thing.

On Friday we drove from Reading, Pennsylvania, to Sea Cliff, New York.

Seth’s place is hidden among some of the endless Pennsylvania hills. It’s east to see how much fun having a jeep would be for cruising all the quiet backgrounds in the area.

Another quiet Pennsylvania road.

This is one of many old barns in excellent condition set against a quaint backdrop.

By the time we arrived, Seth and his wife Heather were waiting for us at their house atop a windy hill. It’s a great vintage looking home that was built only ten years ago. Their son Levi wanted to join us, but had to go to school instead. I signed a poster and told him I’d try to get to the Picnic next year.

Seth volunteered to get his jeeps out of the shed (despite some drizzle) so we could photograph them. We didn’t have to push either of them! He’s got some additional jeeps in back that serve as parts vehicles. Seth also got a few neat signs on the walls.

Ann and I enjoyed their company very much and look forward to more time next year! Thanks for the coffee cake, too! Here are a few pics:

Continue reading →

<– Day 19 – Wed. May 22nd: Old Cars and Chocolate Shots  | Trip Overview | Day 21 – Fri. May 24th: Jeeps, Meats, and Beeps –>

Henry performing ‘toppage’ on a Jeepster in a downpour . . .

Today we plan on visit Bill and Henry at Lime Street Carriage in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

On Thursday we drove from Ronks, Pennsylvania, to Reading, Pennsylvania.

Ann and I awoke to a rainy morning in Ronks, PA. I’m not certain Ronks is a town, but it’s definitely a street. I do know for certain there’s a Waffle House off of Ronks street because we ate a midnight dinner there last night, because I wanted some grits: scrambled eggs, bacon and grits to be exact. Yeah, I know their butter is really hydrogenated oil coupled with other ingredients requiring a chemistry masters to decipher; I enjoyed my grits just the same.

Our goal today was Bill Reiss’ Lime Street Carriage in downtown Lancaster. Ronks is only a short drive away, so it didn’t take long for us to get there. When we arrived at Bill’s, he showed us around his current showroom of jeeps (and other vehicles) for sale. He explained that he’s in the middle of a renovation. His building was formerly a Studebaker dealership and other businesses. He laughed about the seven layers of carpet and three false ceilings he’s torn out of one area of the building. On the plus side, he was able to open up a great deal of space. Even though there’s plenty of work left, it’s easy to see how great the space will be when he’s done.

Here are Bill and I checking out a few of the jeeps in his shop. There are several 2As and a CJ-5 lined up there.

Here are twins Norm (on the left) and Norma. Norma is named Norma, because she’s prettier.

Bill has this vintage truck for sale.

Continue reading →

<– Day 17 – Mon. May 20th: Gettysburg and A Little Slice of Heaven  | Trip Overview | Day 19 – Wed. May 22nd: Old Cars and Chocolate Shots –>

TWO UPDATES From the original post:

1. We will spend Wednesday in Hershey, PA. We have plans for Thursday in Lancaster and Friday morning in Kempton, PA. From there we will be driving to Long Island on Friday and meeting up with my son (unless they ship him out to Oklahoma). We’ll be staying in the Sea Cliff area through Tuesday morning and then driving up to Connecticut. I hope to have a map update in the next couple of days.
2. On Wednesday morning I finished version one of the Amber Panels of Konigsberg book (YEAH!). I still need to build one graphic and dump the text into the formatted book template, but then I’ll be sending it to the publisher for printing. I plan to do a limited run of fifty books as a “Bantam Festival Special”. LIke the last book, I’m sure there are a few errors that people will find. Once I fix the text, I’ll open the book up for general sales (sometime in mid-July?).

On Tuesday we spent the day with Tom, then Merlin, then headed to Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Merlin and Ann driving in a 1941 MB down a forgotten Maryland road.

Tuesday’s drive from Gettysburg to Hershey

After we left Gettysburg on Tuesday, we drove a few miles east to Tom’s house to check out his Truck and Wagon. Tom’s 1948 truck is his daily driver. He’s added some disc brakes and a Ford 302, so it’s got some power and stopping speed. He also rebuilt the entire rear bed and it looks great!

The wagon is a cheap beast he bought that his son now plays with. It’s got lots of rust issues, but runs good.

Continue reading →

<– Day 16 – Sun. May 19th: On the Road to Gettysburg | Trip Overview | Day 18 – Tues. May 21st: Food and Jeep Rides –>

Adam, Me and Frank inside the large shop that houses their collections.

On Monday we took full advantage of a lazy morning and didn’t leave the motel until the crack of noon. Our first stop was downtown Gettysburg, where we walked around a bit. I can’t imagine why Lincoln would be so popular around this town!

Soon, we were hungry, so we stopped at  Hunts Battlefield Fries and Cafe, a place just south of downtown known (according to the internet) for it’s fresh fries and good burgers.

True to our internet source’s information, the fries were good and there were a lot of them! Ann had a grilled ham/cheese/bacon sandwich that she enjoyed. I had a burger with a good bun and tasty meat. They put no extras on the burger . . . maybe I was supposed to ask for them? It was good anyway.

After lunch we drove to the Gettysburg Battlefield National Park Visitor’s Center. It’s a beautiful new structure. While the surrounding park is free, the museum, the cyclorama and the movie at the visitor’s center costs money. We tried all three and liked the movie the best. After the movie we were whisked upstairs to see the cyclorama. We wished they’d explained what a cyclorama was and underscored how old the cyclorama’s painting was before the show began rather than at the end.

The museum had several groups of school kids completing assignments, so we moved through it rather quickly. It didn’t hit us until near the end of the museum that the different areas of the museum represented each day of the Gettysburg battle. I think it would have been useful to have a sense of nightfall and sunrise as people pass from Day 1 to Day 2 and Day 2 to Day 3.

With the visitor’s center complete, we did a quick tour of the surrounding area:

After touring the park, we headed over to visit Frank at his home, just a few miles north of Gettysburg. Frank had explained that he had some jeeps for us to see.

Entrusting our visit to Siri (iPhone), I asked her to get me directions to Frank’s house. All was going well until we turned into Frank’s long driveway. At that point, Siri warned us to park the vehicle and walk. Ann and I turned to each other and started cracking up. Apparently, Siri was concerned about our well-being and felt we were too far off the road. We were convinced Siri would start yelling “Danger, Danger” and start assimilating us to force us to turnaround. Eventually, I had enough of Siri’s warnings and shut her down.

We finally found Frank and his son Adam at their shop where they keep their collections. As Ann and I marveled at the beauty of the shop, the surrounding barns, and the rolling landscape, Frank explained that he owned three hundred acres of land. He called it a slice of heaven. We could not argue with that description.

Frank and Adam gave us a tour. As you can see in the pictures, they’ve assembled some great stuff. There jeep collection includes a few original paintings, five military jeeps, toys, models, and a CJ-2A they are restoring. They enjoyed sharing their collection with us and we felt honored to be invited. Here are a few photos.

Continue reading →

<– Day 15 – Sat. May 18th: At the Reunion; A Brick Shy of a Full Load  | Trip Overview | Day 17 – Mon. May 20th: Gettysburg and A Little Slice of Heaven –>

On Sunday, we didn’t participate in the ritual Sunday drive through Cuyahoga National Park. Instead, we headed for Gettysburg. However, I was able to get a few pics from the ride:

As folks toured in their jeeps, we exited Hudson, Ohio.

Sunday’s drive from Hudson, Ohio, to Gettysburg.

As we wound our way through Pennsylvania to Gettysburg, the toll roads lightened our wallets to the point we were considering taking out a bank loan. In addition, we encountered clouds that were as thick as fog as we traversed a few tall hills. Isn’t it summer yet?

Finally, it seems the only photo we took all day was a blurry photo a barn. On the bright side, we got a killer deal of $51/night at a Marriott hotel using Priceline, so we plan to stay two nights in Gettysburg.

Tomorrow we will see the Gettysburg battlefield and museum.

<– Day 15 – Sat. May 18th: At the Reunion; A Brick Shy of a Full Load  | Trip Overview | Day 17 – Mon. May 20th: Gettysburg and A Little Slice of Heaven –>

<– Day 12 & 13 – Wed. May 15th & Thurs. May 16th: Mixers, Foodies & Heavy Equipment   | Trip Overview | Day 15 – Sat. May 18th: At the Reunion; A Brick Shy of a Full Load –>

Friday morning we awoke in Hudson, Ohio, a short distance away from the reunion, to a beautiful sunny day. I spent the morning honing Saturday’s presentation. I will be sharing with the audience (assuming more than just Ann shows up) why I run eWillys, how I do it, the challenges, and what the future holds.

On Friday afternoon we made our way to the Clarion Hotel where the 2013 Midwest Willys Reunion is being held. After a quick practice run through the presentation with the slide projector, Ann and I went out to look at all the jeeps.

It seemed every few steps we took someone approached us to share how much they enjoyed eWillys. It’s great to know the site is enjoyed by so many enthusiastic readers and it was fun putting names to faces and shaking hands.

As you can see from the pictures, there were plenty of jeeps to browse today. More are expected tomorrow.

Continue reading →