These are about 5 months late!
Clue! That would be Mike Black in his 15!.
Hershey is nice and big (I sold both of my toys), but for peace and tranquility, there's no place like Petit Jean. Still my most relaxing and enjoyable week of the year!
Gotta make it back there. It's been ten years.
You might as well join us next June, Steve. As Mike B. says, it's real relaxin'.
What is Petit Jean??
Petit Jean is a flat top mountain in west central Arkansas. There is a state park with camping and cabins and the Museum of Automobiles. They have a swap meet starting the Wed before Father's day and culminates with a show (with drive thru judging) on Sat. The swap meet is in the trees with lots of shade. Many folks do like I do and get there the weekend before and set up camp and get around all week using the T. Town is 25 miles away, but there's a store and restaurants and a lot of good T driving without leaving the mountain. If you register your car for the show, you can drive it in daily and don't have to worry about parking. Here's the link: www.MOTAA.com
Been going to Petitt Jean 34 years. Ive been setting up at the swap meet for 33 years. Petitt Jean has a large swap meet and also the car show. The show is all antiques and no street rods. The show was started by Arkansas governor Winthrop Rockefeller back in the 50s as his fathers day picnic. Its just a real nice week long get together. It useally rains at least once during the meet and it can get hot sometimes. The last couple years have been pretty nice weather. There is not as much T or A parts as used to be but there are useally some good finds made. Mike Black, where do you stay when you are there. I always have my travel trailer. This icy weather we are having, is making me want Chickashea or Petitt Jean to hurry up.
Donnie -- Since you've been there that many years as a vendor, I'm sure I've seen you there, just didn't know who you were. Where's your swap meet space(s)?
Paul's pics are of our spaces on row H, I believe, up toward the highway end of the row. You can see the trees Mike B. mentioned, lots of shade so it's a really nice place to be. A few of us drive our T's from Fayetteville to Petit Jean (about 150 miles) and stay from Wed. thru Sat. We used to camp out at the swap meet spaces, but now that we're getting older we stay in one of the cabins. The old sleeping bag on the ground scenario has lost its appeal lately.
BTW, lots of folks stay in motor homes (like Mike B. and his wife) or campers or tents, in the camp grounds. There are cabins for rent as well, but you need to call on Jan. 1st to reserve one. There is also a large lodge which rents rooms and has a decent restaurant.
As Donnie said, there aren't nearly so many T parts as there used to be, but there are enough to make the trip worthwhile. I usually take a few small parts to sell, as seen in some of Paul's pics above. We go there mostly to tell lies and eat steaks, otherwise known as "the camaraderie."
Mike Walker: I am in space K5 and K6 I think the photos were take looking straight at my spaces. I am near the porta toilets in the middle and near the water faucet on the high road. My spaces are between the high road and low road. I set my travel trailer up on the spaces and still have enough room for a ton or two of parts. All week from Sunday to Sunday cost me 100.00 (some people think that is too high ??) I used to haul 3 loads up with a one ton flatbed and a 20 ft flatbed trailer and hope to get back home with 2 loads. One year it took four loads as I bought 2 loads from people who had brought all the T parts they had got from there uncles or fathers estate to sell and had no spaces. I used to be the biggest model T parts vender there. I still have tons of T parts but do not haul them anymore. I got tired of people wanting to give 1.00 to 5.00 for good quality useable T parts. I told everyone if they did not want to give a decent price. (I was always the cheapest on T parts there) I would not bring them anymore. The next year I did not bring any T parts. You should have heard the crying, whinning, and sniveling. That has been about 5 or 6 years ago. I still hear crying every now and then. I do not have as much as I used to as I have not been buying large estates anymore but I do sell a lot of stuff from home now (or E-bay). Most of the T people that need anything will come to the house now. It may not be as bad now but a lot of the older T people still want the stuff for what they got it for before WW2. That may be why we do not see it as much at swap meets other than Chickashea or Hershey. Hope to see all there next June. If for some reason someone wants a space call the Museum of Automobiles the first business day of Jan 2014. Call as close to 8:00 AM as you can get thru. They sell out useally by 10:00 AM. They take a phone call and then a person standing in line, ect ect, till there all gone. As we say in Arkansas. Ya'll Come on down now and stay awhile. Ya here Ya'lls always welcome
We are in spaces H23,24 and 25. Forum members are always welcome to stop by and visit!
Donnie -- Thanks for the info on your spaces. You're only a couple of rows over from us and down at the bottom of the hill. We'll hook up while we're there next June, if not before when you're headed to Bender's.
Paul -- Thanks for posting the swap meet spaces. I didn't remember the numbers. (I thought I was doing well remembering the row. )
I went to that museum in 2008 on my way back from Chickensaw.
Nice place.