MARCH 12, 2008TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES BUT... LOCAL APPEARANCES SOON:We are squashing those bugs in the buggy. The racer has received a state-of-the-art Mikuni Carburator! We will make an appearance in Ballarat, California on March 22, 2008. Come say hello between 8 & 11 AM and celebrate the Thomas Flyers arrival on that date 100 years ago. Ballarat is a ghost town on the western edge of Death Valley (about forty miles east of Ridgecrest, California via Trona). Click on the link below the map for our specific location. Click on the HOME sign on your left to return here. The Learning Journey only has available funds to support regional appearances when possible. It has been a wonderful dream and adventure but alas, it was an idea who's timing was misfiring. Que sera sera. At least we didn't have an adjustable-rate mortgage on it! More soon my friends... — Randy View The Ballerat Location Map — Click Here! |
Back then, fascination with the automobile gripped our nation's imagination. Thus, a race was born destined to test this mechanical prowess and the endurance of the human spirit... "New York to Paris 1908". Today, a century later, the dream of the early adventurers lives again. "The Learning Journey" project joins with international race participants and an exotic 'round-the-world' route, bringing a modern re-creation into the lives and minds of thousands of students and adults worldwide. Come join us as we recreate the spirit and route of the "Thomas Flyer", winner of the original 1908 race. Appearing at hundreds of schools and communities along the route, it's our intention to chronicle and share the experience of our visits as they are expressed through the eyes and thoughts and sounds of many cultures. Navigate our site using the roadsign on the left and explore "The Learning Journey"... a trip around the world... when the world was a much bigger place. |
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The Thomas Flyer rests with its trophy on the floor of |
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Bodie, California is a fitting backdrop to see the handiwork of the recreated White motor car. Set against the backdrop of historical artifacts and buildings of this ghost town, the White appears to come to life and seems 'at home'. Notice the hand wrought copper finishing and the brass fittings. With more thorough road testing, the White will be ready for the start of the big adventure next year! |
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Above, you see our project car as it exists in late 2006. As construction becomes more complete, our team refines the historical details and the mechanics of its technology. The 1908 race was a marvel in human and automotive endurance. In 2008, our goal is to apply an educational connection of history to technology, acting as a bridge for global learning and exchange in the amazing places we travel. |