Why are we standing by a car with seaweed hanging off the bumper? Because it's an AMPHICAR, and we just drove out of the lake!!! (You can click to enlarge all these photos.)
Let me back up. This is Phylise in her driveway with her Amphicar. (I think Phylise was named after me; I was 10 years old when she was born and our parents were best friends.) The Amphicar is a German car, produced in the 60's, which means this car, which belonged to her father, is over 40 years old. I spent much of my childhood in what is now Phylise's house, playing Barbies, listening to the Beatles, watching The Wizard of Oz, and oh so much more, with my first and best friend, Phylise's big sister Annie. But somehow, though I spent so much childhood time at Fish Creek boating and fishing with both our families, I didn't remember ever actually getting a turn to ride in the Amphicar. Until tonight!
I'm excited to be going for an Amphicar ride!
Don't you love the license plate?
Here's Phylise at the wheel, while we take a spin in Saratoga Lake at sunset. Nice moon, beautiful evening! People are very surprised when they see a car driving INTO the lake!
Before going home, we stopped to take the seaweed off the bumper!
Thank you Phylise, for a delightful evening. I'm sure our daddies were smiling to to see their baby girls out there on the lake together!
It's amazing! I thought that was a mcguiver thing! What an interesting guy he must have been. Nick is going to love this. He got really into cars when we bought our house and if came with an mg 1969. Before he couldn't check tire pressure and now he's doing just about everything!! Even got it to run before taking the whole thing apart to do body work. So is there a propellor? Must be so crazy to be in a lake in a car. Ps I'm not up this late my dog just needed to be let out;)
ReplyDeleteLove It! What a fun drive it must have been, Great shape the car is in. Glad you had fun. You need to get a skipper's hat!
ReplyDeleteWhat other unique things do you have up your sleeve?
Curiously waiting for more! :)
Laura
Erica, if you look at the photo of the back of the car, beneath the "I Float" license plate and the bumper, you will see propellers!
ReplyDeletePhylise told me the traditional joke of Amphicar owners is this: "as a car, it's a really nice boat; as a boat, it's a really great car". In other words, it's not particularly efficient in either role, but it's a hoot and a whole lot of fun. People wave and take pictures...
Someone told her - "I remember seeing a car just like this one in the lake, many many years ago, with a man and his young daughter in it." Phylise replied that it had been her and her dad that this man had seen! Cool, huh?
That's so cool!
ReplyDeleteCan I come along next time...I can bring the snacks! I need some fun like this!
ReplyDeleteWOW I am in awe! That is so cool I had to show it to my husband, hes a big fisherman! I just love it and the story about someone seeing them long ago, how sweet!
ReplyDeleteWell, Mrs. Miller, I'd love you to join me, but since it's not my car(or boat) and you appear to be in Ohio, it's not too likely, is it! But if you do come this way, and bring snacks, I like chocolate! :)
ReplyDelete