Friends, good food, drink, an interesting inn, winding roads, warm sunny skies, and Porsches: the Monterey Tour was all of them in a weekend.
Highways 250 or 220 and smaller back roads provided a warmup of turns and beautiful scenery. The Highland Inn and town of Monterey are quaint. The entire population of Highland County is fewer than 2200 folks. The town is nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains and looks like a scene from Switzerland.
The 1904 Highland Inn is a work of art awaiting revival. It has hosted famous personages such as Ford, Firestone, Bell, and Sousa. The accommodations are quaint (e.g., no air conditioning). The food is very good. The lamb “slider” appetizers on Saturday were outstanding, made from locally raised lamb.
The inn served a nice wine and a variety of beers. A few steps away in town is the tasting room of the Big Fish Cider Co. Their offerings of ciders are unique, refreshing, and a pleasant change from wine.
The ride to the Homestead on Saturday was as exciting as any roller-coaster, and perhaps a bit faster. It was designed for Porsches by motorcycle rider Brian Richardson of the Highland Inn with help from Shenandoah Region PCA President Clint Shuler and Membership Chairman Hank Weil. Clint met Brian last year when Clint was working on a renovation project to convert an unused Monterey school into a conference center. Now that Monterey has a modern conference center, it needs a modern hotel, so the Highland Inn is up next for restoration.
All of the cars (and drivers) performed flawlessly and arrived safely to park in front of the luxurious Homestead Resort. Needlessly to say the guests of the hotel enjoyed looking at the cars and talking to the owners. A classic hotel and Porsches combined with a great buffet lunch made a fantastic break in the day.
The ride back to Monterey was as challenging, however, as reaction times were probably somewhat slower. Back at the Highland Inn the day was capped by appetizers, a couple of drinks, filet mignon, and pleasant conversation.
Sunday’s drive home provided more wonderful scenery and winding roads.
