Back Where It All Began
Last week I was in Crystal Lake, Illinois attending the national convention of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club US; this year it was hosted by the Chicago Alfa Romeo Owners Club (CAROC). CAROC was the first chapter of what became a national organization, thus the name of this year’s convention. I was lucky enough to be able to rent an Alfa Giulia through Turo.com and enjoyed several days of driving a wonderful Alfa through the countryside outside of metropolitan Chicago attending the various events. I had not had the pleasure of driving a Giulia for any amount of time, I was very impressed with the ride and handling. The 2.0 liter turbocharged engine was very responsive and the suspension just ate up the bumps in the road with no problems at all. On several of the farm roads, I was able to let her sing!
Day Zero was just getting from Chicago O’Hare airport to the Crystal Lake Holiday Inn and Resort which was the HQ for the meeting. Even though it was a weekday, I did not find the traffic as horrendous as some people warned. The worst part was finding my way out of the parking garage and on to the state route highway that took me up to Crystal Lake avoiding any toll roads. Even on the two lane roads, traffic moved right along and was nothing compared to what we are used to in SoCal everyday and night.
After checking in to the hotel, it was then time to check the Vendor and Goodie Room and see the national organization’s table for the Foundation silent auction and raffle. Then on to the parking lot to check out the Alfas of the early arrivals.
