AMAZON紅葉ツーリング試走で新たな出会い
- AMAZONと仲間達
- by suna
- 2010/09/19 日 17:50
９月中旬を過ぎて、やっと、秋風を感じられるようになりました。「・１２２」ＡＭＡＺＯＮは、かつてない猛暑を避けて、地下の駐車場で”夏ごもり”をしていましたが、そろそろ、、、ということで、１１月１３日（土）、１４日（日）の「ＡＭＡＺＯＮ紅葉ツーリング」の試走とコース図（コマ図）の作製に行ってきました。昨年の「紅葉ツーリング」は、福島・会津へとＡＭＡＺＯＮを連ねて楽しいツーリングを行いましたが、今年は、名古屋、静岡方面のＡＭＡＺＯＮオーナーの方々をはじめ、１３台もの参加表明をいただき、皆さんが集まりやすい東名高速・富士ＩＣを起点として、紅葉真っ盛りの富士五湖巡りをすることにしました。「日本観光百選”滝の部”」堂々１位の名漠、白糸の滝を経て、朝霧高原、本栖湖、精進湖、西湖、河口湖などを、紅葉と富士山をバックにＡＭＡＺＯＮを連ねてツーリングを楽しもう、、、というわけです。ただ、紅葉真っ盛りの日程なので、余程、コースを吟味しないと、渋滞にはまってしまうだけです。ということで、裏道から抜け道を繋ぎ、かつ、紅葉の美しいルートを探してきました。あちこち探した結果、白糸の滝では、駐車場の心配もなく、名シェフのランチを堪能し、名漠を散策（滝つぼに、７色の虹が綺麗でした）、その後は、富士五湖の湖畔を走り、瀟洒な外国へ来たようなカフェでティータイム、、、。さらには、甲州名物「ほうとう」も満喫出来るルートが出来上がりました。で、その「ほうとう」の老舗では、またまた、新たなＡＭＡＺＯＮオーナーとの出会いが待っていました。ご主人のＴさんは、とてもコンディションの良い、淡いブルーのＡＭＡＺＯＮと、もう１台、白いＡＭＡＺＯＮをお持ちでした。さらには、、これまた珍しい英国車「ハンバー・セプター」も羨ましいほどのコンディションで、ガレージに大事に保管されていました。美味しい「ほうとう」を頂きながら、ご主人の「愛車へのこだわり」をお伺いし、１１月の「ＡＭＡＺＯＮ紅葉ツーリング」が、さらに楽しいものになることへの期待に胸を膨らませた、素晴らしい出会いとなりました。
Its finally starting to get a bit more autumn-like these days and my .122 has finally come out of its summer hole where it was avoiding the heat this summer. We will be going out for a Amazon Autumn Foliage tour on the 13th & 14th of November and I needed to go out and start mapping our course. Last year, we went to Aizu Fukushima, but this year, 13 Amazons expressed their interest to participate, so I chose Fuji IC on Tomei expressway as it is easy to access from both Tokyo as it is from the West. The course will pass thru Shiraitotaki which was selected as #1 water fall in Japan, then on to Asagiri Heights, Motosu, Shoji, Sai, Kawaguchi Lakes, hopefully going thru lots of scenary in its best autumn foliage. However, as it will be the best season for sight seeing, this means we really need to be careful which roads we use or we will quickly get caught up in the big traffic jams that Japan is famous for. It took some time, but I was able to find a restaurant close by to the water fall which had plenty of parking space and a great chef where we will have lunch and walk down to the falls afterwards. The water falls were beautiful with a rainbow as an added bonus. I drove on along the Fuji lakes and decided to take a coffee break at a pretty cafe. I was also able to eat the regional dish - Hoto - for lunch. The owner of this traditional restaurant - Mr. T - was actually an Amazon owner! It was a light blue Amazon in mint condition and he also had another white Amazon for parts use. On top of this all, he was also the proud owner of a Humber Scepter which was also in envious condition. I sat for a long time with Mr. T as he talked of his love for his cars. This encounter has made me look forward with further anticipation for our Autumn outing.
Its finally starting to get a bit more autumn-like these days and my .122 has finally come out of its summer hole where it was avoiding the heat this summer. We will be going out for a Amazon Autumn Foliage tour on the 13th & 14th of November and I needed to go out and start mapping our course. Last year, we went to Aizu Fukushima, but this year, 13 Amazons expressed their interest to participate, so I chose Fuji IC on Tomei expressway as it is easy to access from both Tokyo as it is from the West. The course will pass thru Shiraitotaki which was selected as #1 water fall in Japan, then on to Asagiri Heights, Motosu, Shoji, Sai, Kawaguchi Lakes, hopefully going thru lots of scenary in its best autumn foliage. However, as it will be the best season for sight seeing, this means we really need to be careful which roads we use or we will quickly get caught up in the big traffic jams that Japan is famous for. It took some time, but I was able to find a restaurant close by to the water fall which had plenty of parking space and a great chef where we will have lunch and walk down to the falls afterwards. The water falls were beautiful with a rainbow as an added bonus. I drove on along the Fuji lakes and decided to take a coffee break at a pretty cafe. I was also able to eat the regional dish - Hoto - for lunch. The owner of this traditional restaurant - Mr. T - was actually an Amazon owner! It was a light blue Amazon in mint condition and he also had another white Amazon for parts use. On top of this all, he was also the proud owner of a Humber Scepter which was also in envious condition. I sat for a long time with Mr. T as he talked of his love for his cars. This encounter has made me look forward with further anticipation for our Autumn outing.
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