1936 Auburn

She rented us an AirBnb in Menlo Park a few minutes from the Byers Eye Institute where I was having cataract surgery.

Menlo Park is adjacent to Palo Alto, the hub of Silicon Valley and the streets are paved with gold. Property is expensive, an average suburban home can sell for 2.4M. The place is rife with Teslas, Mercedeses, BMWs and, being aware of that, she was gonna bring the Panamera. They'd bought it a few months earlier after attending the Concours at Santa Barbara.

I protested!! EVERYone around here drives a Porsche; they're like Volkswagens! So in deference to my need for distinction, she brought the Volvo.

I'm not the best planner. So I drove to the Bay Area in order to be sure I was close enough to make my evaluation appointment before the surgery. I was camping in a different park every night --- variety is the spice of life, dontchya know -- and sightseeing as I went along.

I'd arrived early at Henry Cowell Redwood State Park and as I was leaving I noticed the Auburn. As luck would have it, Erin and Brett, it's owners, came strolling up as I was photographing it. They very kindly indulged my curiosity and told how it was one of only 58 made and they were taking the roadtrip their Dad didn't live to make.

Now THAT's distinction.