Santa Paula Chevrolet Tent Sale & BBQ
Story and Photos by Scott Gregory
For those that were craving more Bar-B-Que, a short trip up the 126 was all it took! On an overcast but pleasant Saturday morning, we gathered at our usual meeting spot at the Copperhill Walmart in preparation for the short drive west to support our friends and neighbors at Santa Paula Chevrolet.
When thirty of us arrived in eighteen cars, the front lot of the dealership was ready for us, as their usual inventory of cars and trucks had been relocated to the K-Mart lot as part of their annual tent sale. Of course, the friendly dealership staff were there to help us park, and throughout the afternoon they proved to be gracious hosts.
A substantial influx of Corvettes from the Redline and Ventura Corvette Clubs were already onsite, and after we got parked, the front lot of the dealership contained at total of forty-two visiting Corvettes! There was also a half dozen more really shiny ones that still had that new car smell, window stickers, and big orange discount tags hanging from the mirrors. It was a worthy line-up indeed. The event was a great opportunity to not only support the dealership, but to meet our friends from the other clubs as well.
We were presented with an excellent lunch from the very popular, Laird’s BBQ, who we will see again in June at our annual picnic. The spread provided for us included sausage, tri-tip, and grilled chicken, along with all the fixin’s, including some spicy beans and potato salad. 
After lunch, John Macik, of Santa Paula Chevrolet, offered some words of appreciation for our support throughout the year, and to further emphasize the point—as if the great lunch wasn’t enough—he held a raffle for a number of prizes that included, free oil changes, alignments, and air conditioning services.
Oh, and did I also mention there were donuts? Yeah, it was a good day…
The amazing spring weather made for a perfect evening of conversation, laughs, and biscuits n’ butter!
The members’ dinner choices ran the menu from freshly battered southern fried chicken strips, to the crispy Caesar salad, and many of the house favorites such as the fried chicken and gravy, smoked beef brisket, and baby back ribs, all of which included the full complement of side dishes and beverages.
The friendly wait staff worked hard to set up for our group, and they helped make our meal enjoyable with friendly and efficient service.
After dinner, the evening was just too beautiful to call it a night, so a small but dedicated team set out on a reconnaissance mission to Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, where the mission was deemed successful.
The trip up was great, and as usual it required some experienced coordination between Mark Ware in the lead car and the tail gunners, Tom and Elke Couples, to keep everyone in formation as we made our way through some coastal traffic along the Ventura and Santa Barbara stretch of the 101. But once we cleared the traffic it was time to set the cruise control and enjoy the ride.
The museum, for those that have never there, is an amazing private petroliana collection of gas pumps, signs, and racing related memorabilia, much of it from the central California region. It is also home the Dry Lakes Racing Hall of Fame.
The museum was gracious enough to let us park inside, where we spent the next couple of hours getting a private tour by our hostess, Misty, the daughter of the owners, Mark and Vicki Mendenhall. She was not only very knowledgeable about the collections on display, but she shared many family memories related to growing up around the museum that was originally started by her grandfather, a Buellton gas station owner, and himself a land speed record holder.
After our visit to the museum, we took the short drive to Morrell’s Farm Fresh Dining where twenty-seven of us descended on the restaurant for brunch. Parking had been pre-arranged in front of the restaurant, and our tables were ready and waiting.
The relaxed brunch was excellent and offered a wide range of menu choices from traditional breakfast items to locally selected specialties – either way, we could not go wrong.
After brunch some of the group headed off to the casino to try their luck, which I understand went well, while others went shopping in Solvang, and a few of us caravanned home along the Chumash route through Ojai, bringing a close to another great run.
We started out on a really nice Saturday morning with twenty-five Corvettes, which included seven cars from the Ventura County Corvette Club, all gathered in our usual meeting spot next to the Outback Steakhouse. Mike and Judy joined us for a little while to greet our Ventura guests and to see us off before they had to breakaway for a prior engagement with the Solid Axle Corvette Club.
After the drivers meeting, we gathered up, lined up, and radioed up, before rolling out
It’s always a challenge to keep a caravan of Corvettes together, and more so after encountering some Saturday morning traffic along the 210 corridor. But good coordination kept everyone on track, and we arrived together at our destination.
Once we pulled into the grounds at Santa Anita Park, we were welcomed by personalized signs that directed us to our reserved parking area.
A short walk to the prestigious Club House entrance put us inside where everyone went their own way for a little while to visit the restrooms, restaurants, bar, or find the clubhouse seating.
Some of us also found our way to the Winner’s Circle Championship BBQ area to sample the wide range of treats prepared by the competitors.
By post time, we had gathered back in the grandstands for a full afternoon of more fun, food, drink, conversation,
Our group’s luck—or dare I say skill—with betting the ponies was not without its highlights. Some of us did quite well, some did okay, but most broke even. As for those of us who didn’t quite have the equine touch, we still came out winners by enjoying good times with good people!
The servers got us started with water, wine, and other beverages, and of course as a ravenous crowd, we dove into the warm bread and whipped butter. 
Overall it was a great evening, and we are already looking forward to next month’s Taste of the Town, which will be at Lucile’s BBQ on April 18th, so mark your calendars, and we’ll see you there!
Being the first ones in the door made it easy for everyone get their shoes and begin selecting that perfect bowling ball.
Midway through the afternoon, we took a break for some quality food and libation. The snack bar offered-up some pretty tasty burgers, pizza and beer that hit the spot before getting back on the lanes.
The top score of the day is a well-guarded secret that has been kept in a mayonnaise jar on Funk and Wagnall’s front porch since noon today, and where only Carnac the Magnificent, and the event organizers, know the contents of the envelope, which will be revealed at the general business meeting on April 4th.
The caravan extended far behind in my rearview mirror as we headed west toward our destination in Ojai and really looked great. The only downside was the driver of a dirty black pickup yelling undiscernible complaints at me at the light in Piru. You can’t please everyone I suppose, and experienced road captains can handle it.
All of those unending February rain events paid many dividends with the fresh green that was evident along the entire route. Even with the several storms, the roadway was clear of debris and the curves on CA 150 were delightful in our worthy Corvettes.
Once in Ojai, we took over the city lot on the east side of “downtown” and took a 3-block hike to Farmers Market for a look-see for items of interest. Being a little early in the season, the strawberries were bright red, but tasteless. I passed on them and opted for the terrific blackberry pie which is my usual purchase and “Boss Lady” found some great olive oil to use in her home cooking. You will have to ask the rest of the 44 attendees what they bought.
Then, it was off to lunch at the nearby Sea-Fresh restaurant. The name might suggest it would be at the Ventura Pier, but there were plenty of other choices on their extensive menu. The spot was new to most of us, but it is now another place I may visit again on another trip to Ojai. Overall, the staff did a good job taking care of a party of 44 in my opinion.
Following lunch, your board members took the opportunity of all being together to discuss an urgent matter of interest concerning our monthly meeting location. The discussion will continue at our next general meeting and I encourage all to attend with your input.
Some say we are a drive and eat club, but I say no. It’s about the driving, the caravan, the beauty of our surroundings, the camaraderie, and maybe some food too! My vote is “yes”, we had a great day. Thanks to our Activities Committee and especially Karen Jewett for the planning and a final thanks to Al Aird for performing tail gunner duties.
The popularity of these TOT events never disappoints, and neither does Maria Bonita’s. Baskets of crunchy chips and tasty salsa got everyone started, as did the cold cervezas and salty margaritas. The food was hot, the guacamole was fresh, and the staff was friendly and attentive.
Your writer missed this one but dispatched the lovely Virginia to take copious notes and to document the event with dozens of photos. But alas, notes were taken per directions, but camera/phone was forgotten at home. No problem here though with all of our modern members equipped with photo equipment!
Our Taste-of-the-Town events are always a lot of fun, so join us! Plan ahead with our upcoming events schedule here in the newsletter. Of course, plans do change occasionally, so always be sure to confirm the date and location by checking the events section of the webpage at scvcc.org.