| As teenagers growing up in the early sixties, my | | | | welcomed us . . . but no one else did. One of the |
| wife and I saw Hyannis and Hyannisport as | | | | cars was an old Datsun 240Z. I was hooked. My |
| mythical kingdoms populated by the rich, the | | | | 240Z had been yellow. I wandered around. I could |
| famous, and the powerful. Except for the | | | | see the garage where I figured the cars were |
| mythical part this is probably still true.Peg and I | | | | kept, but didn't want to slide the two by four |
| traveled to Hyannis with friend and guide, Al | | | | security system out of the way. Even though I |
| Burrage. Our first stop was the John F. Kennedy | | | | could see the padlock was hanging open I was |
| Memorial. The memorial features a 12-foot-high | | | | afraid of setting off alarms.I walked into the inn. |
| fieldstone wall with a relief of JFK facing the sea. | | | | No one was there. I walked into another building. |
| There is a presidential seal, fountain, and a small | | | | No one was there, but I did find a bar and |
| pool to honor the late president, who grew up | | | | hundreds of bottles of Scotch. I kept on walking |
| nearby. Tour busses constantly drove in the | | | | and snooping. All exterior doors where marked |
| parking lot for people to visit the shrine. It is | | | | with one of two signs: "Don't let the cats in!" or |
| lovely with a great view of the beach and | | | | "Don't let the cats out!" Carefully, I complied. |
| water.Flowers form a border around the circular | | | | Everywhere I went I called out, "Hello." No one |
| monument. Al had brought us there because he | | | | answered.Eventually I heard a car drive up. I |
| thought we might have an interest. He didn't. I had | | | | walked toward the driveway and saw a red |
| to coax staunch republican Al to step into the | | | | sports car. I knew I was about to make contact. |
| memorial. We were all surprised when he did not | | | | I walked into the inn and found Bill Putman. "I hope |
| turn to stone. Perhaps, it was just the wind, but I | | | | you haven't been waiting long," he said. I replied, |
| thought I heard a low, democratic moan.Next to | | | | "No, but we did drink three bottles of Scotch." He |
| the JFK Memorial is Veterans Memorial Park. As | | | | laughed and then took us out to the garage |
| always, celebrities grab the headlines, but real | | | | where he slid the two by four out of the way, |
| people make the big differences in the world. | | | | opened the door, and turned on the lights. I was |
| There is a Korean War Memorial located at the | | | | delighted, so to speak. Really, I was spellbound. |
| Veterans Memorial Park. It was dedicated June | | | | Inside the garage were almost five dozen red |
| 25, 2000, the 50th anniversary of the start of | | | | sports cars . . . and one green one.I recognized |
| the war. The grounds, the statue, and the brick | | | | the garage for what it was . . . a growing |
| (inscribed with the names of Korean veterans) | | | | obsession. It was just the way the LeMay |
| lined walkway stir the emotions of the heart."The | | | | Museum began. Harold LeMay began collecting cars |
| memorial consists of an eight-foot bronze-cast | | | | and then needed more and more space to house |
| statue of a typical combat soldier, placed on a | | | | them. Bill Putman had a few sports cars (he raced |
| granite base, overlooking Hyannis Harbor. The | | | | two of them) and then he began finding more |
| statue was sculpted by the world renown | | | | and more that he wanted. The garage was |
| sculptor, Robert Shure whose work includes the | | | | expanded and expanded. The ceiling is maybe |
| Irish Famine, located in Boston, as well as the MIA | | | | seven feet high and there are rooms with as few |
| KIA Eternal Flame monument located in the | | | | as two cars. The dirt floor is covered with white |
| National Cemetery in Bourne."Really touching was | | | | gravel. On top of the gravel in the walkways |
| a simple message from the people of Korea | | | | between the cars are oriental carpets. I went |
| etched in granite and a stone. You can't read the | | | | crazy identifying the cars. "Here's an XK120," I |
| inscription without letting your fingers travel the | | | | shouted, "I had an XK140."In the collection there |
| once rough surface of the stone and think of the | | | | were three models that I had owned. In addition |
| sacrifices that were made by Americans and | | | | to the Datsun 240Z and the Jaguar XK140, I also |
| United Nations forces half a world away and half a | | | | found a Bug-Eye Austin Healey Sprite. This was |
| century ago.Next, we visited the Kennedy | | | | the car I had when I wooed Peg. We drove away |
| Compound, where most of the Kennedys and | | | | from the church in my little Sprite. We took our |
| other family members still have residences. You | | | | week-old daughter Andrea to a drive-in movie in |
| can see the pier built for JFK by our government | | | | that little car. I loved it and should have kept it. |
| from a nearby park, but you have to have a | | | | This is the same story that Bill hears from almost |
| resident sticker on your car to use the park. The | | | | every visitor to Toad Hall.I had to ask Bill about |
| only way to see into the compound is if someone | | | | the Scotch, "Most of the bottles look unopened. |
| has their gates open, which some did. The houses | | | | Why don't you drink them?" He even has a |
| inside the compound didn't appear any different | | | | website just for his Scotch collection. Bill replied, "I |
| from most of the other expensive, neighboring | | | | don't know." I think Bill just might be too busy. He |
| houses outside the compound. How strange.Back | | | | collects sports cars, cats, and Scotch in addition |
| in the commerical district we stopped in at a small | | | | to running his inn. I'm sure he was thinking of his |
| convenience store, which was located next to the | | | | collection of Scotch when with a whistful look in |
| Cape Cod Railroad which features a dinner train. | | | | his eye Bill said, "Sometimes I just dream of |
| We may have to try that out on our next visit. | | | | getting snowed in."Toad Hall was a delight. So, |
| At the convenience store we bought a local paper | | | | why Toad Hall? Bill likes the story of Wind in the |
| and picked up two coupon books featuring | | | | Willows and the central character, Toad, lives in |
| coupons for Cape Cod attractions. The sign at the | | | | Toad Hall. So, why the red cars? In the story, |
| store mentioned Brazilian food, which seemed a | | | | Toad was obsessed by a motor car. He got one |
| little odd. Connections with Brazil kept popping up | | | | and it was red. So, why the one green car. The |
| during our stay in Cape Cod. We saw a Brazilian | | | | previous owner had just sunk $15,000 into the |
| flag flying at a Seafood Sam's restaurant outside | | | | car and Bill didn't have the heart to have it |
| Wood's Hole, and even ate at a Brazilian | | | | painted. So, why Scotch and cats. Just |
| restaurant during a day trip to Quincy.A page in | | | | because.Looking for memories of our youth we |
| the coupon book we picked up at the | | | | visited Hyannis for Kennedy historical connections. |
| convenience store lead us to one of my favorite | | | | We ended our visit to Hyannis with so much |
| stops: Toad Hall. The coupon offered a dollar off | | | | more. Isn't that what travel is all about?Don |
| at the Toad Hall Sports Car Museum. Since I love | | | | Doman is a published author, video producer, and |
| cars and produced a fundraising video for the | | | | corporate trainer. He owns the business training |
| LeMay Car Museum, I had to at least see what | | | | site Ideas and Training ( which he says is the |
| Toad Hall had to offer. I was expecting maybe a | | | | home of the no-hassle "free preview" for |
| dozen sports cars. I was wrong.We parked our | | | | business training videos. Don and his wife Peg also |
| car at the Simmons Homestead Inn and walked | | | | travel in the Pacific Northwest writing of their fun |
| around. Five red cars including a Rolls Bentley | | | | and adventures. |