Viewfinder: Vintage Cars Come to Watkinsville

The Cabin Fever Car Club made a quick stop in Watkinsville at on April 12. Members of the club are mainly from the mid-west, but hometowns range from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, New York, to Georgia.

Of the 20-50 participants that are part of the club, this year 13 members traveled on the annual Cabin Fever Car Tour.  The tour usually takes place at the end of March or the beginning of April, and south of the Mason-Dixson line is a favorite area to tour.  

Patrick and Sandy Ainslie, this year's tour organizers, said that the club loves coming to Georgia for the abundance of paved back roads and the hospitality of the people.  Usually a home-base town, or "tour central," is designated and each day the tour drives 30-45 miles an hour in a different direction anywhere from 50-75 miles in a crooked line to various planned car viewing stops and destinations for food, shopping, and exploring.

All of the cars in the Cabin Fever Club are from 1914 and older, so some are already 100 years old.  The cars are in great mechanical shape, though, to be able to drive the 100-125 miles a day.  They are equipped with modern driving advancements like turn signals.  To avoid possible broken wrists that can happen from manually cranking the early cars, electrical starters are also common on these cars that are meant to be enjoyed and driven. 

The Ainslies, who are from Michigan and own a 1911 Model-T said that they had participated in the tour seven years ago when it came through Watkinsville. When they organized the tour this year, they wanted everyone to be able to experience and enjoy the beauty of Ashford Manor and the town.  

Ashford Manor organized morning refreshments for the group and viewers with coffee from cinnamon buns from , and chilled mimosas.