With the Holidays upon us and New Year 2017 a blink of the eye away, it is time to turn our attention to the 2017 ACMOC National Show returning to the birthplace of Best, Holt and Caterpillar in beautiful sunny California. This will be the first return to California since the 2008 Best Show on Tracks which set the standard for all Antique Caterpillar Shows.
The 2017 Show will be on the stunningly beautiful Santa Margarita Ranch in San Luis Obispo County on the Central Coast of California. Many of you have ventured to our slice of heaven for the 2010, 2015 or 2016 Best of the West Antique Equipment Shows and know what I am speaking of. For those of you who have not been to San Luis Obispo County we are know for our expansive beaches and sunsets over the Pacific Ocean, highly acclaimed wine regions featuring over 400 wineries, Firestone Walker Brewing Company the most highly decorated mid-size brewery in America, Hearst Castle, the California Missions, agriculture, friendly people and a really great Show featuring "Planes, Trains, Tractors, Engines, Automobiles, Military Vehicles, Trucks, Horses and Mules" among other things. Here are a couple of links to previous discussions
www.acmoc.org/bb/showthread.p...a-Margarita-Ca
www.acmoc.org/bb/showthread.p...kend-Show-2016
The Website for the Show is
bestofthewestshow.com/
The preliminary schedule of events has been posted to the website but subject to modification as Glen, Pete and our committee flush out lots to do and see at the Show.
In addition to the usual lineup of rare and unusual Holt, Best and Caterpillar tractors, graders, scrapers, implements etc., the 2017 Show will feature the Siamese D8 that Glen Ghilotti, Ed Akin and Peterson Cat built, the Peterson Cat Double D9's and lots of newly restored or barn fresh Cat, Holt and Best tractors--many never seen before at a show. Both Glen and the Garlic Pete team have been out scouring the West Coast to appropriate new equipment that will debut at the BOTW Show. We are expanding the dirt pit as the toys have become more numerous and bigger than prior years. Glen will coordinate period specific demonstrations that will spotlight the equipment and the operators that have run this type of equipment for the last 50+ years. We will have a construction equipment parade each day together with the non-construction antiques parading at a different time each day. We will wrap up the third parade of each day with the military equipment, antique trucks and any antique cars that care to join in.
The Garlic team is rebuilding the early Harris Harvester which will be harvesting grain each day. We hope to pull the harvester with a Holt 75, Cat 60 and Best 60 at a minimum.
The antique military planes will be flying, the original Disneyland train coaches will be riding the rails, the kids will be entertained in the Kids Corral play area, the tanks will be rumbling and the tractors will be in motion.
Each day at noon we will shut everything down for a few minutes to honor our fallen heroes who lost their lives in defense of our Country protecting the freedoms we love. This is not a side note to the Show but rather a focus as we would not be able to have a Show like this if we were not so blessed to be protected by all of the brave men and women who have stepped up to answer freedom's call.
We will have more as we get closer to the show. We wanted to post this reminder so you can let special family members know that for Christmas this year all you really want is to be able to come to Santa Margarita and enjoy the fellowship with like minded collectors from around the World. We hope to see lots of old friends and meet many more in May. Hopefully I will get the opportunity to put faces with names in May as many of you venture to California for the Show.
Thank you and Merry Christmas to all of you and I hope that all of you have a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2017.
Thank you. Tom Madden