Board Botschaft (Executive Board Member Column

by Chris Flaugh, Maverick Region Treasurer photos provided by author

Wow, have things changed since I last wrote one of these articles, for the August 2022 edition. Back then, I was writing about the Dog Days of Summer, and the need to protect ourselves, our Porsches, and our pets from the hot Texas sun. Today, I’m writing about snow! Well, not here in Texas, but anyone who attended Porsche Palooza on November 10-13 saw some of the white stuff.

What is Palooza? According to the official PCA Palooza website, Palooza is “An occasion for feasting or celebration, especially a time of almost religious significance that occurs at regular intervals.” And feast and celebrate we did, with some of the many Mavericks in attendance!

For those of you who might not have experienced PCA Palooza yet, it is an annual, multi-region PCA event located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, hosted by the White River Region, Cimarron Region and Ozark Region. Typically held over a 4 day period, Thursday through Sunday, Palooza consists of a variety of scenic drives through the surrounding countryside, a car show, a parade through the charming and historic town of Eureka Springs, an awards banquet, and much more.

We didn’t arrive in time for the 159 mile Canyons and Cuisine Tour we had signed up for on Thursday, so we took that as an opportunity to explore around the Eureka Springs area and meet up with fellow Mavs for dinner that evening. Friday morning, we did participate

in the 95 mile Valley View Tour, which included a lunch stop at the Hindsville Café, where the staff greeted all of us warmly, wearing their special Palooza shirts. After a very tasty lunch with some new friends, we were back on the road, with only a brief stop to let about a dozen wild turkeys cross the road…..thankfully our tour leader was able to bring his Porsche 930 to a stop in the middle of the road, quick enough to avoid the turkeys, but also allowing ample space for the rest of us to stop in time. Saturday morning, we woke up to snow covered cars. Membership Chair, Tom Gomer apparently broke his Sam’s Club card, using it to scrape the ice from the windshield of their 997 cabriolet. Fortunately, the roads were relatively clear, and most of the snow melted away. Tours continued that morning, others visited the

Thorncrown Chapel, with the Parade and Car Show in the afternoon. More food, beverages and cigars that evening…..then packed up the car Sunday morning for the five hour drive home. It’s amazing how much you can stuff into the 2 trunks of a Boxster. We had brought quite a bit of food and beverage with us; but the space vacated by 3 days of consumption was more than taken up by purchases of 4 pairs of shoes and 1 sweatshirt.

But no room for my art purchase from the Saturday silent auction, which had to ride home on Frank’s lap.

What a great time with our Maverick friends and new friends…..looking forward to next year!

Mark your calendars, 2023 PCA Palooza is November 9-12, 2023!