Peter Koning in USA Peter is a long time hot rodder and supporter of Let's Go Cruisin. He's left his business, Hoppers Stoppers in the capable hands of his staff to travel the US for 12 months. Sure makes some interesting reading!

Follow Peter's Trip

Scottsdale

Hi everyone.
 This time from Scottsdale which is a suburb of Phoenix in Arizona. I left Atlanta in the east last Tuesday and headed across Georgia, Alabama, then Mississippi and Louisiana, slept the night at a rest stop near Shreveport. Next day a big drive right across Texas to El Paso, another rest stop and Thursday across New Mexico and into Arizona. All up around 2000 miles or nearly 3000 km. The east is getting colder and wetter, and as I went west the land becomes more dry, less trees and more desert. Texas in particular goes from forests in the east to deserts in the west, around Odessa west of Dallas there are thousands of those little oil rigs that stroke up and down pumping oil at a cupful each stroke. Further along many miles of cotton fields and later just scrubby desert much like the middle of Australia. More cotton heading into Arizona and more rocky mountains and hills to drive up. Most the drive was with really strong side winds and had to fight the steering a lot, got calmer around El Paso. The weather here is nice at the moment, not too hot, they say it gets extremely hot in summer and they run their air conditioners continuously for months at a time. Apparently many have holiday homes here for the winter and north for the summer. All the gardens here are rocks and cactus, not a blade of grass to be seen except the car showground oval. Just the same some nice homes and still some money around.

This show is a pretty big one, around 3000 cars mostly just from near here. The event is held at a big equestrian venue right in the middle of town, maybe 100 acres, so horses are even bigger here. I set up the RV along with a few hundred others right on the grounds, all the bigger fairgrounds have RV parks attached but they do charge extra and this one doesn't have waste water facility for each RV so I have to empty the tanks in a central facility when I leave tomorrow. No special entertainment at this one, like drags or motocarana, but a good swap meet and a lot of trade stands. Plenty of good cheap rust free Arizona cars at the swap. As usual photos follow, the hot rodders amongst you would appreciate the extra photos I took of George Poteet's Green 32 Miller Pickup, this is one amazing work of art. Supposedly worth over a million dollars. Also see the two photos of the red 32 roadster and Jerry Magnusons gold /beige 32 with the handmade Marcel Muroc steel bodies. The fit and door gaps are amazing, 1/8 inch perfect everywhere. There would not be a new company made car in the world with fit and finish as good.As usual met a few locals and had beers and dinners and things with the guys around the RV camp. Early birds out chasing trophies at 4.30 as usual. all for a $10 plastic wall plaque. Met up with an Aussie guy and his wife who had been living here for about 5 years, they came here initially when his son was entering local BMX events, stayed on to wheel and deal in used cars and the wife in nursing. She reckons the heath system here is such a scam that Obama will never get it sorted. The doctors are all working towards being millionaires and they don't want it to work because they will lose money. Example, our Aussie mate got a chest infection and went to the doc, got an Xray and five pills, cost $1000. If you have a job and medical cover you are ok but unemployed or prior injury etc no way they cover you. If you get injured the boss can sack you, no job protection at all, and then no cover. Very selfish people.

Anyway, all nice weather until the trophies, then right on cue began pouring down, stopped just as the trophies were done. A couple of give way cars, a full house Mustang and a regular Firebird.  As I trailered from Atlanta  I wasn't eligible for long distance but I suspect the guy who won also trailered but didn't let on. Show over by 3.00, found a laundromat, back here to write this and tomorrow about 5 hours to San Diego where I will relax for a while, not much planned from there except see a few sights, rod run season seems done until after the new year so might fly home for Xmas early December.

Let you know when I decide.
Take care
Peter