Story by Vaughn Rockafellow. Photos by Mark Wing

The first major event for the Tin Lizzies 2021 driving season – that is, the Mystery Tour 2021 – is now history, and I do believe that it was well received.  Getting drivers, navigators and passengers on the road with their driving instructions on the morning of April 10 was like herding cats, but, with a few exceptions like self-unassembling mufflers and empty gas tanks, most participants’ cars made it all the way to the end for some delicious ice cream at the Cold Stone Creamery over on the west side of Albuquerque.
We want to thank everyone who came out for the tour with their Model T’s, including the Duncans, the Petersons, the Dominguezes, the Avevedos, Don Mitchell with navigator Betty Housholder, the O’Briens, the Wing/Ferro contingent, and the Willans, who drove their T a “cats are covered with this” __________ piece all the way from and back to the East Mountains.  Also want to thank all those passengers who rode along, including Fran and Sharron and Rita Loy and the lovely guest couple who rode along with the O’Briens, who all added to the fun!  And let us not forget Papa Lance and Danielle who joined us in their modern truck.  We hope everyone enjoyed the tour!!

What is a Mystery Tour you may ask?  Well, starting off at 5-minute intervals, participants are to follow a set of driving instructions handed to them immediately before leaving, but only after answering three difficult questions (like “What is your name!”).  Following these instructions, drivers and navigators/passengers find their way around town, solving obscure clues and filling in the blanks, all the while cursing the TourMaster for his “wickedly clever” imagination.  We want to thank the Azevedos for pioneering this tour way back in 2006!

After a morning’s drive we all met at Jerry Cline Park off of Constitution for lunch together – bring your own! –  before continuing on this absolutely-perfect-weather day for an afternoon of more clues and more cursing.  Finally, those of us who drove the whole tour joined for ice cream in mid-afternoon.  The Willans, having driven so far to join us for the tour, left for home after lunch, and the O’Briens, fighting a troublesome T, left us as well, choosing to show their out-of-town quests a bit more of the city before also returning home.  A rather severe gasoline shortage requiring emergency assistance was experienced, we understand, by Don and Betty (thank you, Barbara!), and a self-destructing muffler resulted in Mark Wing returning home, while Dave joined us on the west side, bringing along his new little buddy, a delightful little energy-filled Scotty puppy!!

That ’bout sums things up, with a few observations.  First, we’re all a little older, and, Second, the traffic in Albuquerque is much heavier than it was back in 2006!!  Perhaps it would have been best to end the tour and find ice cream immediately after the lunch stop, but everyone survived with stories to tell regardless.  Also, in a few areas of town, clues came a bit too quickly to gather all, so some should, we admit, have been eliminated.  We live and we learn.  Anyway, the Nasty TourMasters are considering re-running the tour later this year with these modifications for those who were not able to attend in April, so please plan on joining us if you were not able to do so this time.

Scoring results will be announced at the Tin Lizzies monthly meeting on April 22.  Maybe!! Thanks, everyone, for joining us for an “interesting experience.”  It was Fun!!