Model T Land Lovers Become Model T Sea Lubbers
By Bernice Young
The Tin Lizzies of Albuquerque stepped up to the plate again when no other chapter would agree to host the 2014 MTFCA Business Meeting. It seems we can’t tell Jay “NO”, especially after two glasses of wine. I met with the AAA cruise agency and, at the 2013 MTFCA Board Meeting in Dallas, proposed a 5-day Royal Caribbean Cruise sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in February 2014. Although the idea was met with opposition from some board members, it was voted to accept the proposal. There was concern about guaranteeing the number of attendees, but we were pleasantly surprised to receive reservations from Australia, Germany, Canada and many from the U.S. In the end we wound up booking 49 cabins!
Rooms were blocked for both February 22 and 23rd at the Hollywood Quality Inn near the Ft. Lauderdale seaport. This was at a group rate and I arranged for those who were interested in arriving on Saturday to experience an Everglades Air Boat tour Sunday morning. Seeing the native birds and alligators in their natural habitat and boating through the Everglades at high speeds was an experience we won’t soon forget. The “Gator Boys” exhibition made us realize we were not cut out to be “Gator Wrestlers”.
As we boarded the ship on Monday afternoon, the level of excitement was high! Most of us were on deck to view the bon voyage departure and many stayed topside to witness the beautiful sunset. Seeing the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean waves was an awesome sight. We were then off to our cabins or to enjoy the ships amenities and sumptuous gourmet food and drinks. The Liberty of the Seas ship, ranked as one of the top ten best cruise ships, promised most any entertainment or activity you might imagine and we were not disappointed. How great it was to renew previous Model T friendships and make new ones! Model T friends are indeed, “Special” but then, we all knew that.
Our first destination on land was Labadee which is a beautiful private area on the island of Haiti. We were offered the excitement of going on zip lines, parasailing, or climbing cliffs, while some of us just relaxed on the crystal white beaches, floated on water trampolines or enjoyed the beautiful sunny location We don’t always think of Haiti as a vacation spot but as promised by the cruise line our visit was a picturesque and exciting adventure.
What an experience we had visiting Falmouth, Jamaica! We felt as if we were stepping back in time and experiencing Jamaica’s rich history. We explored an underground monument and then strolled through Falmouth’s cobbled streets that were laid down more then 240 years ago. The magnificent Georgian architecture there made for interesting viewing and we all enjoyed the famous Jamaican hospitality.
The last day of the cruise, Dennis Gorder (MTFCA President), and Jay Klehfoth (MTFCA CEO), conducted the Annual Business Meeting. Reports of the previous year’s business were given and those attending had an opportunity to ask questions, give opinions and offer suggestions. The Walter Rosenthal Trophy was awarded to Joe Fellin of Apache Junction, AZ by Jay Klehfoth. This was a very well deserved award as Joe has made great contributions to the national club as well as to Model T technical literature. Larry Azevedo, the 2013 Rosenthal recipient, was given a beautiful plaque. Also, the 1st place Newsletter Award was presented to our own Lorna Azevedo, also a well deserved award and makes the Tin Lizzies of Albuquerque very proud. We also were pleased to have a visit from the Captain of the Ship, and Bernice presented him with a Tin Lizzie of Albuquerque cap.
We disembarked Saturday morning, and began our trek home having gained a few extra pounds, but full of memories of a great cruise. We are all looking forward to the 2015 Business Meeting planned for Orange County, California. The 50th Anniversary of the MTFCA will be celebrated at that time and Mark Mahoney has exciting plans for all of us to enjoy while visiting sunny California.
See you there!
Bernice