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