Santa Cruz Woodies A Chapter of the National Woodie Club
THERE WAS RAIN ON OUR CARS BUT OUR ALOHA SPIRIT WAS UNDAMPENED
By: Bill Sampson, Photos by Phil Iatomase
Car Week on the Monterey Peninsula is the World Series of automobiles. Our Santa Cruz Ohana played a great game despite a threatened rain-out. Festivities commenced on August 12, 2026, with cruises to the Asilomar Hotel and Conference Grounds, ahead of the Second Annual Woodies in the Woods. The day prior, your scribe and his lovely bride enjoyed tea and pizza at a car couple’s Quail Lodge Country Club home in Carmel Valley. This greatly reduced the stress of our six-hour drive in a Prius, necessitated because certain parts on the scribe prevented us from driving our Woodie. Wednesday offered plenty of automotive action, from high-performance spectacles at nearby Laguna Seca Raceway to the Little Car Show in downtown Pacific Grove, an easy walk from our host hotel.
That evening, Asilomar’s Great Circle hosted a luau featuring more excellent Hawaiian food than any of us should eat, with music by the Ho’omana Hawaiian Band.
While few in our group burned calories dancing, the Halau Hula Hi’ilani ‘O Ke Kai school demonstrated absolute virtuosity—complete with frequent, rapid costume changes. As a Motown fan, I particularly enjoyed one hula number set to recorded music by America’s greatest folk poet, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (really!).
Many thanks to Asilomar General Manager Alex Marin and his hard-working crew for a fun evening. Ya shudda been dere!
Thursday morning brought a warm-up to our show: viewing the Tour D’Elegance in Pebble Beach. Concours cars—including Bugattis, Duesenbergs, Packards, and Pierce-Arrows—lined up before the tour. At this free event, anyone could ogle these spectacular examples of automotive art. Because most of our wallets were missing a few zeros, no notable purchases were reported. We can dream, can’t we?
Thursday afternoon belonged to us for the Second Annual Woodies in the Woods.
What began as a dreary, misty day cleared up into a typical, dry Pacific Grove August afternoon. Fortunately, many of us had utilized Asilomar’s two underground parking garages to keep our wooden beauties dry until it was time to put them on display. Santa Cruz local band Koastal Konnection provided the musical accompaniment.
While the Santa Cruz chapter brought most of the 25 woodies on display, members from the Santa Barbara, Central Valley, and Southern California chapters brought the rest—though most of the latter are also Santa Cruz members. The display delighted locals and Car Week visitors alike, giving Woodie owners hours to “talk story” as we love to do.
Spectators and members voted for their favorite cars. Don and Pat Neufeld took the Kids’ Choice award with their 1948 Chevrolet.
Greg and Carol Geide won Owners’ Choice for their 1940 Ford which was displayed alongside the late Mick Carolan’s surfboard (won at Woodies on the Wharf in 2004).
Alan and Jule Hilton were rewarded with Asilomar’s Choice for “Root Beer,” their 1948 Chevrolet Fleetmaster.
Ed Feldman and his wife, Shawn, brought their 1960 Morris Minor Traveler from Berkeley on its maiden car show voyage. They received the People’s Choice Award and a warm introduction to our club and Woodie culture. Though they previously had no idea this community existed, they were thrilled by day’s end to be part of our family. Your scribe remains equally grateful.
By Thursday evening, happy members gathered in the Great Room. Many huddled around the beautiful, stone fireplace enjoying a roaring wood fire, with laughter serving as the music of the night.
On Friday, we began dispersing, marveling once again at how fortunate we are to be custodians of these unique Wooden vehicles and part of such a special culture.
Here’s hoping for a Third Annual Woodies in the Woods in 2027.