Balboa Park, San Diego, Renaissance Fair

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 23:59:59 -800

Time for a vacation!
I jumped in a plane and flew down to San Diego to visit
various friends and get away from the Portland grey. First on my list of
people to visit was Christine, who had invited me down south to attend a ball.
Since I had an extra day to hang out, we went exploring around Balboa Park.
Being a nerd, I of course went for the automotive museum. They had an
impressive collection of weird vehicles, including a Tucker (img_0133) (with the cyclops
headlight that followed the steering wheel), a Delorean (img_0134), and a 1947 car that
had been modified to run for long periods of time (img_0135). Specifically, there was a
trailer with extra supplies. In addition to a 250-gallon gas tank, there were
reservoirs of coolant and oil that were continually recirculated into and out
of the engine. The bottom of the car had retractable rollers that could be
used to keep the car moving while changing tires. The back seat of the car
had been outfitted with a clothes washer, an iron, a small oven, and even a
drinking fountain! The front seat had an enormous control panel with a
wireless telephone. End result: the owner made an ~8,900 mile trip without
having to turn the engine off or stop!