mickeykelley

Wife and I just got home from picking up Crystal (CRM coupe, Z51, MN6) from the museum and we thought we took a wrong turn Friday and were in Kansas with Dorthy and Toto. Instead we were in Jackson, MS. We had just pulled into a Starbucks when it hit. Pieces of roof were flying off the buildings, the manager telling everyone to get in the bathroom hall, the Taco Bell sign was swaying big time and the rain was coming down sideways. I told the Starbucks manager that he had better get out and pickup that piece of roofing before it hit my new car or I would, well I better not say.......Actually, he did it before I even said anything. I guess he saw me looking out the window instead of being in the bathroom hall with the women and watching my new car and that piece of roof. As I started for the door, he decided to be my hero and ran out and got the piece before it could fly around more. After about 10 minutes, the rain slowed down so we hit the road again. Not a scratch. As we drove west on I 20, we saw sign after sign ripped off. We saw probably 50 or so trees just snapped like tooth picks, and these were 12 to 18 inch pine trunks chopped off at about 20-30 foot up. The rain had soaked the temporary license plate and that night realize it had ripped off sometime during the wind. Over the next two days, I had one cop follow me for blocks as we viewed old historic homes in Natchez. I never got stopped, but at least the top part that said Wisconsin Temporary Plates was still there. Rick Conti already has a new one on the way.

The next day we are on Hwy 61 between Natchez and Baton Rouge (in the middle of Deliverance nowhere) and pull in to a gas station to relieve ourselves. My wife was not excited about it but since we parked right in front of a local sheriff's car, we figured we would be safe. When we walked in and we were the only ones of our persuasion, and that included the 2 sheriff's deputies. I told my wife to go first and no sooner did she get to the bathroom when two of the local patrons decided to go outside arguing. I am a large person at 6'1" and 225, but I was small compared to one of them. As everyone started to pile outside, I noticed they were over by the sheriff's car and guess where I had parked. So I went outside to protect Crystal, although I have no idea on earth what I was going to do. The big one was pounding the crap out of the little one and his shirt was half ripped off when the women started to get into it. One of the deputies had handcuffed the big guy and the other was trying to hold the little one down and get between the women folk, when the little gut gets up and acquires bravery (since the big one was in handcuffs) and starts after it again. By now several of the 'ladies' had their shirts half ripped off. No kidding!!! Naturally, all of this was happening all around Crystal. By now there were more and more of the locals pulling in and piling out of the store. There had to be 30 people screaming, yelling, crying, waving their fists, etc. About this time my wife comes and and just looks at me. I told her "I did not do this.......but we needed to leave RIGHT NOW". As a side note, Crystal was my present for having passed my black belt test the weekend before, but I had no desire to try the skills in this situation. As tiptoed our way towards Crystal, I hit the unlock button twice. I slide in and my wife was trying her best to open the damn door. I hit the button again but she is still outside clawing at the handle, I say the hell with it and lean over and open the door and told her to "just get your butt in the car and quit screwing around". She said "I was trying, dammit". I don't know if my finger missed the button, she was not getting the right part of the handle or Crystal was just playing around, but what ever it was, it was not funny. I fire her up and do my best to back out with out running over any of the mob including the sheriffs. We get the hell out of there and we hear a siren coming down the road and I remember my torn license plate. Great. But I never actually see a cop car and I don't stop to look. Up to this point I had totally forgot why we pulled in there until my wife says she "is glad she got to go first".......Now I am in real pain........but I figure I will wait for civilization before I pull in again. Which did not happen for a good 30 minutes.

Needless to say we were able to arrive home in one piece and not a scratch on Crystal. I am not exaggerating a bit. If I had not been there personally for this trip, I would assume this would be a tall tale, but it is not. It added to an already memorable museum delivery experience that neither of us will forget.

Gannet

Of such memories is REAL Corvette ownership made!

RicK T

Youch! Sounds like a good story to document for the grandkids.
Glad Crystal, you and wife are okay. Thanks for sharing. I wouldn't want to experience it for real.

MrEldo

Only in America, the land of fruits and nuts

I'm very happy you and yours came out of this adventure with only some wacky memories...

RadarP3C

Adventures begin with a corvette.......

rakuhn

The story is almost as good as picking up the new car!

johnodrake

You are one lucky dude!

mkerouac

I picked up my JSB Z06 at the Museum this past Friday and all I had for an adventure was a couple of torrential down pours and a woman in a VW slam on her brakes in front of me when i was doing 80mph. My 1070 mile trip home was very mild in comparison.

mickeykelley

Your right....I almost forgot that we did pick up a new car. Ron and the staff at the museum were absolutely fantastic. The plant tour was really neat and Ron got a few neat things added but I can't elaborate or he may get in trouble........But he was great......

Corvette Junkie

Now that was some trip.

dvilin

Wow that was quite an adventure, one I hope I never experience,happy to hear it ended well.

mud flap

Back when I was married my wife and I would need to go out for whatever and a LOE would pull up behind us she could tell I'd get nervous till one day she asked me if I'd done something wrong, I told her of course not. She said why do you get nervous than? Were innocent, we've done nothing wrong. Ever since she told me I never got nervous again.

Victoryred 08

Well, if you ever write a book on your life, you've got one chapter already written. Congrats on your new ride and experience.

CHASLS2

Sounds like a hairy trip home, but glad the Vette is safe and sound.

bradc6

SorcererXIII

HOLY COW. That is nuts. Hopefully the humor of getting to tell this story over and over helps compensate for the tauma of having lived through it!!!

dpigguy

that is some story to say the least. glad you made it home safely with the new ride - great color as well!

I will be headed up through Jackson later this month. If you want, I can stop by the sheriffs office and see if you are wanted for anything

moolys

sounds like a adventures trip enjoy your ride

mikejpss

On Hwy 61 between Natchez & Baton Rouge- you were probably in Woodville, Mississippi. You are right about the deliverance thing- but what you experienced was common, you were probably witnessing a Sunday brunch fight-common after the Saturday all-night drunk party. Come share the south experience with us, folks. Nothing like it in the world !!!See why some of us like to vote Republican..........
Glad youe\r trip ended well, last time that happened to me in that area I almost went to jail.......

EuroRod

Heck, Man, you're from TEXAS ! I thought this kind of action was a routine Saturday night affair in TEXAS !!






Really glad you're both okay!