Sacramento Area Miata Owners Association
SAMOA Capay Valley Saturday 26th February 2022–A Run to Remember!
Adi & Parvin Damania
They say third time is the charm. The third Capay Valley Run on Saturday, February 26 had 31 members and was overall a smooth event. Two earlier runs in 2018 and 2020 had fewer participants.
Miatas started arriving at the meeting time and place from 9:15 AM at the Westgate Shopping Mall in Woodland. Parvin and I were pleasantly surprised to find that our estimated count of ten cars was exceeding as more cars arrived. Final count was 19 Miatas, including one renegade Mini Cooper.
After introductions and signing of the attendance forms, our convoy exited the meeting place driving westward on State Road 16 towards Esparto. We arrived in Esparto, drove by the Esparto Community Park where vendors were putting up stalls for the Almond Festival culminating on Sunday. Continuing on SR16 towards Capay we passed through green hills with fields of brassicas, pear and almond blossoms on either side of the road. The Capay Valley Almond Festival (26 and 27 Feb) is being celebrated in the towns of Esparto, Capay, Brooks, Guinda, and Rumsey hence our drive through these town was at a very sedate posted speed limit or 35 mph.
After passing through Capay we continued towards the Cache Creek Casino and to our first leisurely stop at the Seka Hills Olive Oil & Winery for some shopping, wine and olive oil tasting, and restroom break. Despite reminder the week before by us, they were not ready and did not open their doors till we threatened to water their garden!
We departed the Seka Hills Olive Oil, turned left on SR 16 towards Guinda. The drive was on a smooth run when the sweep in the Mini Cooper had a fire truck and ambulance on our tail with sirens blowing and lights flashing! We pulled over, like conscientious motorists, at the next best section of the road and allowed the ambulance to pass. Soon the flashing lights stopped, as the ambulance arrived at its home in Rumsey. With no traffic at all to impede pace, we winded thru hillsides on twisties in true “zoom zoom” fashion till we reached the junction of SR 16 and Hwy 20. At the junction (50 miles from Woodland) we turned right on Hwy 20 going towards Williams.
With another lovely stretch of no traffic on Saturday morning, we reached Williams at 12:30 pm. After a couple of stop signs in the town we came to Louis Cairo’s Restaurant, parking right outside the diner. However, the restaurant was not open as we were early but when they saw all our cars parked right in front with a raucous crowd of 31 hungry souls, they let us in.
They had arranged their main dining room to accommodate about 20, but all 31 of us fitted in nicely and the waitress started taking our drink orders. In the meantime, a second group of cowboys with Texan hats turned up and occupied the other half of the restaurant. One of the bolder of the bunch, who perhaps had never noticed a Miata before, even asked us for a drive.
After lunch everyone one was free to return home either on I-5, Hwy 99 or return the same way we came. In conclusion everyone had a good time in the end.
