Classic Travel Tips To Arrive In Style At Lake Dora & An Update On The Tin Can Story

Yesterday, Woody Boater came up with a few ideas about how you could duck out of work for a few weeks so you could make it down to Florida for the big Sunnyland Antique & Classic Boat Show. So now that you have made the decision to go to Lake Dora and prepared your fake resignation to give to the boss on Monday, now the next step is to decide how to get down to Florida at the last minute. We have a few classic travel tips to suggest, keeping in mind that you want to show up in style and impress your buddies.

The easiest way to travel (back in the day) was by catching a plane. The friendly stewardess will treat you and your family like royalty, not to mention serve you up with a nice meal en route… and before you know it your in Tavares soaking up the sunshine at the boat show.

Or depending on your travel budget, you can always jump on the next bus heading down the coast. You can catch up on your sleep and arrive in Tavares feeling like a million bucks, stop in at the show and have some classic Chicken-on-a-Stick.

Back in the day, you could catch the Orange Blossom Special that offered daily non-stop service down the coast. You could probably ask the train conductor to stop the train and drop you off right in Tavares and catch a classic taxi straight to the boat show.

Or you can take a leisurely trip down the coast on a classic ocean liner headed for Miami. “Honey, where’s my Cabana Clothes, in the attic?”

Or there’s nothing quite like a classic road trip to Florida in March along the highways and byways of the nation.

And if you had to leave your company car at the office because you just resigned, no problem… Just go borrow Uncle Bob’s classic station wagon for a few weeks. Lots of room for the wife & kids, and the dog and hit the road.

Hey, Uncle Bob’s ’48 Plymouth has a steering wheel that looks very familiar… Where have I seen that before? I remember now, that looks just like the mystery steering wheel in “Tin Can” that unusual aluminum Gar Wood sedan.

OK – Now that we have helped you sort out your travel plans for Florida, we also have to remind everyone about the “Tin Can” story we ran last week. Thanks to the Woody Boater Community, we have received a number of comments and e-mails from folks around the country who are trying to help us solve the mystery of “Tin Can” and it’s quickly becoming one of the biggest stories on Woody Boater for quite some time. Over the last few days we have posted some additional images and information at the bottom of the original story so we can keep everything together in one place. So if you were following the story, you can see the updates there and check back for further updates as information comes in.

Here’s a few photos that we have received that show the similar steering wheel that was installed in “Tin Can”. Below is “Lynthia” a 1946 19’6″ Gar Wood Deluxe Runabout owned by Bob Stenger, of Long Lake, Michigan. This beautifully restored boat appears to use a similar steering wheel to the one shown in Jeff Knudsen’s “Tin Can” and also appears to have the same gauge cluster.

These images were taken when “Lynthia” was at the Les Cheneaux Islands Antique Wooden Boat Show in Hessel, Michigan.

And below is Jeff Knudsen’s 1946-47 Gar Wood 19’6″ Deluxe Runabout that is currently being restored. It too sports the same steering wheel as “Tin Can”.

By the way, if you decide to borrow Uncle Bob’s classic holiday trailer, there are lots of RV spots near Tavares where you can set up the rig, pitch a tent for the kids, set up a camp fire and roast some Classic Woody Boater Wieners at night under the stars. Oh, and don’t forget the cooler… Just think, antique & classic boats all day and wieners under the stars at night…

Vintage Bellwood travel trailer photo courtesy of Tin Can Tourists

See you in Florida – Texx

Vintage stewardess images courtesy of Aviation Explorer.com