Brick Oven Pizza Run

 
January 22, 2011
It was a bright and sunny day, if a bit chilly, with temperatures ranging from the upper 30s when we left Flip’s at 10:00, to the mid 40s when we arrived back home about 3:30. The procession over included: David in his MGA; Pam in her MGB-GT; Bob topless (the car – not the driver) in his MGB; Bobby in his Austin Healey 3000; Lee & Mary Ann and Russell & Cathy in their MINIs; Bill; Stephen & Tamara; and Tommy in their domestics. Ron & Lynn, Tom & Laurie fell in at the end of the queue at our meeting place in Shorter, and we met Terry & Lynette in Opelika in one of their MGBs.

The original plan was to go to the Brick Oven Pizza in Auburn. This was before we knew of Auburn University’s fan appreciation day that brought 78,000 of the orange and blue-blooded faithful home to the Loveliest Village to share in the national championship celebration. With that in mind, the decision was made avoid Toomer’s Corner and to ride on up the road to the Opelika Brick Oven location at the Tiger Town shopping center. Leaving Flip’s, we took Vaughn Road to Pike Road, through the esses in Mt. Meigs, US 80 through Tuskegee, then US 29. At Andy’s suggestion, we circumnavigated Auburn by taking Sand Hill Road over to Society Hill Road that leads to Tiger Town, aka exit 58 on I-85.

We pretty much had the upper level of the restaurant to ourselves. Everyone seemed to enjoy their menu selections. We concluded the meal with a chorus of “Happy Birthday” for Tom. Let’s just say Tom is a pre-baby-boomer.
As we were leaving, Lee upped his MINI’s British car creds with an electrical problem when his starter decided to play dead. Fortunately, there were plenty of experts on pushing it off temperamental LBCs . The only other minor mechanical incident was David’s dangling emergency brake cable bracket that was mended with the requisite road trip baling wire.

We returned via Farmville Road, just north of Auburn, through Lee County, eventually merging with AL 50 and crossing the Tallapoosa River just below Martin Dam, then south on AL 229 through Tallassee, and on to CR 4 that parallels the river on into Montgomery.    We had plenty of hills and curves on the return trip.

As always, I’m awed by the reliability of these older cars and the attention bestowed on them by their owners. Special thanks to David for, once again, pulling off an excellent road trip for the rest of us.  [photos]