Perfect last-day-of-summer weather  graced this year’s running of the AONE Hyland Hillclimb on Saturday, September 20th. Gene & Judy Durso and Dan & Debby Donovan collaborated to put together this multi-faceted outing on an ideal morning and afternoon. Our hearty thanks go out them!

We gathered at 10 AM at the Wachusett Brewery in Westminster, MA, where our event planners had arranged for a private tour of their facility. Since we were there a few years ago, the microbrewery has become noticeably less micro, with the addition of more fermentation and bright tanks, automated bottling and packaging lines, a tasting room, and company store. We were given a guided tour of the operation and got to learn a lot about the process. At the end, we were treated to a couple of tastes of Wachusett’s wares (which we swirled and spat, of course) and purchased some of their product, glassware, etc.

Then it was time to hit the road! It was only a few miles to the entrance of Mount Wachusett where, once inside, some of us immediately managed to get lost. But before long we all had made the scenic drive up the mountain (which is a somewhat optimistic term). In fact, we picked up a few more Alfas at the summit! These included two members from Long Island (Rob Rizzo and AROC National Director Fred Frey in their GTVs, having missed the first ferry to New London), and a guy in a white Giulietta Spider who happened to spot us on the road (he’s not a member but soon will be — right, Joe?)

It was a very clear day and the views were terrific in every direction. There was an older couple at the top who were up there to watch hawks in flight, but they wandered over with expressions of rapture on their faces. Turns out that they had owned a baby blue Giulietta Spider many years ago, and had nothing but fond memories of it, including ski trips, journeys to Nova Scotia, and using its large trunk to haul rocks for a stone wall. We made their day, and they helped make ours!

But the road beckoned again, so we saddled up. Our tourmasters had laid out an enjoyable route that was virtually all back roads and wound through many small towns of central Massachusetts. The drive of around an hour and twenty minutes landed us at Hyland Orchard in Sturbridge, our destination for the day. Here, our entourage was given its own special parking area near the festivities, where the less fortunate (that is, non-Alfa owners) could admire our fine Italian machinery. We snagged a pair of picnic tables in the sun and set up camp. We then proceeded to enjoy some barbecue, live music, pumpkin and apple picking, and offerings to quench the thirst.

Dan had prepared a surprise quiz for us, namely: "How many times did our route cross the Mid-State Trail?" The guesses ranged from none to seven, but the correct answer was eight, so RJ Horwitz went home with a pair of Wachusett Brewery pint glasses for coming the closest.

The cast of characters partaking in this retreat came from five states! Besides the aforementioned Gene & Judy (‘74 Spider), Dan & Debby (‘88 Spider), Fred (‘72 GTV), and Rob (‘74 GTV), they included Guilherme & Barbara Bonatto (‘74 GTV), Peter Walker & Meg Anderson (‘77 Spider), Rich Rumelt (‘79 Spider), Rod Burdick (‘63 Giulia Spider), Doug Sondak (‘69 Roundtail), Mark Ziburis (‘92 Spider), RJ Horwitz & Lisa Desrosiers (‘84 GTV6), John Paradiso (‘92 Spider), Joe Fenstermaker (lesser car), Mike Hamm (‘87 Spider), and Dave & Vi Pratt (‘61 Giulietta Spider).

And a welcome interloper in a white Giulietta………

Many thanks to Gene, Judy, Dan, and Debby — twas a great time!

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