Antique auto group tours Clinton County

LOCK HAVEN, PA – Clinton County this week rolls out the red carpet for a group of antique auto lovers. About 75 members of the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) are making Lock Haven home base for what organizers are calling their “Lost in the Woods” Vintage Tour.

“We’re really excited for them to be in our area,” says Julie Brennan, Chamber/Tourism Director
with the Clinton County Economic Partnership & Visitors Bureau, who has been working with tour organizers. “The tour had been planned for 2020, but was postponed because of the pandemic. Although participants are from all over the country, tour organizers Bob and Patti Giles are from Johnstown, PA, and they have done a tremendous amount of planning to assure an unforgettable week for the group.”

Brennan says the antique vehicles are something to see. There are 35 vehicles in the tour, all of them dating from 1931 and older! Participants trailered in the antique autos and then drive them on day trips throughout the week. She adds that members of the tour welcome questions and enjoy showing off their antique autos.

The group checked into the Fairfield Inn & Suites in Lock Haven on Sunday and their week-long schedule is a busy one. Sunday afternoon, Doug and Shanan Miller of Central Pennsylvania Auto Auction welcomed the group to Doug’s father, Grant Miller’s private collection of classic cars. The group will also get to attend the Auto Auction’s 20th annual Antique & Classic Auction, which takes place this Friday and Saturday at the Auto Auction.

The Avenue B&B and Catering provided Sunday’s dinner at the Lock Haven Elks Lodge. A planned stroll along the levee RiverWalk was postponed until Thursday due to the heavy rains. However, former Lock Haven Mayor Rick Vilello, now Deputy Secretary with the PA Department of Community & Economic Development, met with the group at the hotel to offer history of the area and share some of his fun memories as mayor.

On Monday, the group traveled to Penns Cave and Graymont Lime in Centre County before returning to Lock Haven for dinner at the Dutch Haven Restaurant.

Tuesday’s itinerary includes breakfast cooked by members of the Citizen’s Hose Fire Company next door to the Fairfield, then travel to Hyner View State Park for the automobiles that are able to make the steep ascent and decent of Hyner Mountain, as well as a coffee stop at the South Renovo Citizens Hose Fire Hall where Rich Wykoff from Greater Renovo Area Heritage Park Association will offer history on the community.

The group then travels to the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon and will spend a night in Wellsboro before heading back to Lock Haven on Wednesday, via stops at the Tiadaghton State Forestry Office in Waterville, the Woolrich Company Store, and Piper Aviation Museum. Wednesday evening, participants will have dinner at Haywood’s on the Green, then walk across the lawn to enjoy the musical “Yours Sincerely: A Sentimental Journey,” the 58th season opening performance at Millbrook Playhouse.

The tour group visits Sugar Valley on Thursday. There will be a photo stop at the Covered Bridge at Logan Mills and coffee and Nan’s Donuts at Booneville Campground where they’ll learn Loganton area history from Chuck Sweeny from the Sugar Valley Historical Society. The Schrack family then welcomes the group for a tour of their dairy farm operation, followed by lunch at the Sugar Valley Fire Company’s new banquet hall.

Thursday afternoon includes visits to Kauffman’s Store, the Historical Society’s Museum and one-room Bull Run School, Fisher’s Buggy Shop, and Amish produce shops.

As they make their way back to Lock Haven, the group plans stops at Oregon Hill Winery in McElhattan, and the Wayne Township Recreation Committee treats them to a watermelon social at the Township’s Nature Park. Dinner on Thursday will be at the Sons and Daughters of Italy in Lock Haven, after which, the group will take a stroll along the levee Riverwalk with tour guides Rick and Marie Vilello, County Commissioner Chairman Miles Kessinger, Lock Haven City Council Vice President Steve Stevenson, Bonnie Hannis, President of the Clinton County Historical Society, and Brennan.

In addition to attending the Antique and Classic Auction Friday morning, the AACA group will travel to Clintondale for a tour of Snavely’s Mill, followed by a tour of the Wayne Township Landfill in McEhattan. The group’s closing banquet Friday afternoon will be held at nearby Restless Oaks Restaurant.

“This is such a great showcase of Clinton County,” says Brennan of the week’s activities. “We appreciate the wonderful cooperation and support from so many businesses, organizations and individuals. A number of businesses donated items for in the welcome bags that tour participants received. Lock Haven University is another great example – we are parking the trailers for these vehicles in a University parking lot. Without support for important details like that, a tour like this couldn’t happen. Every time we have asked for help, the answer has been, ‘Sure, we can do that!”