Friday, March 13th was beautiful and sunny when we met together at Casey’s in Cookeville Tennessee for a pop‑up ride to Sugar’s Ribs and the International Towing Museum in Chattanooga. Our group must have been experiencing a little cabin fever (it’s been a month since our last ride!!) because we rolled out with 15 beautifully gleaming Corvettes carrying 28 Plateau Corvette Club members.
And honestly… it seems our little poem must have scratched an itch, because everyone showed up ready for sunshine, backroads, and a whole lot of fun.
The drive down was smooth and spirited, the kind of ride where the line of Corvettes in the mirrors looks like a ribbon of color winding through the hills. Sugar’s Ribs didn’t disappoint—great food, great views, and plenty of laughter drifting across the tables.
After lunch at Sugar’s, our caravan naturally branched into three cheerful directions. A few Corvettes headed home, windows cracked and bellies full, enjoying an easy glide back up the mountain. Another group peeled off together for a special destination farther down in Georgia — and let’s just say something very exciting happened there. Les and Kelly Rhoades purchased a 2024 Corvette Z51, HTC in Cacti Green.
The rest of us pointed our hoods toward the International Towing Museum, where the afternoon unfolded at an easy, curious pace. It’s one of those places you don’t expect to love as much as you do — rows of vintage wreckers, heroic rescue stories, and machines built with equal parts muscle and heart.
Inside, we learned something that stopped us in our tracks: a tow truck operator is killed every 6–10 days while helping or rescuing stranded motorists. It’s a sobering reminder of the danger behind the flashing lights — and it gave even more meaning to the museum’s tributes.
Chattanooga is the birthplace of the tow truck, thanks to Ernest Holmes, who designed the original twin‑boom wrecker in 1913 and later patented the very first tow truck. Standing among his early creations felt like stepping right into the moment an entire industry was born.
We also got to see the world’s fastest tow truck, officially clocked at 109.330 MPH (NASCAR timing) on August 1, 1979 at Talladega, Alabama — a quirky, grin‑worthy surprise tucked among the history.
Our final stop inside the museum was the deeply moving Wall of the Fallen, brought into existence on February 9, 2006 to honor towing operators killed in the line of service. The purpose of the memorial is: “To honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, to generate public awareness of the dangers involved in the towing and recovery industry and to permanently record and commemorate those involved in fatalities in the towing and recovery industry.”
Standing before the names, stories, and etched tributes was a quiet moment of gratitude — a reminder of the courage behind a profession most of us only think about when we need help.
As we headed home after the museum, we couldn’t resist one more bit of fun: a drive‑by of the famous Spaceship House on Signal Mountain. And of course, no “Roger ride” is complete without its signature finale — ice cream. Our last stop was at the Udder Yum Ice Cream Shoppe, where we happily upheld tradition. (Some of the folks who headed home after lunch clearly had the same idea — because they also stopped for ice cream. After all, that’s how you end a Roger ride! – check the comments for the photo of where they enjoyed their sweet treat!)
It was the perfect ending to a perfect day with truly awesome people! If you missed this ride, you missed a great day together — and we missed you!
Thank you to everyone who came out, showed up, and participated. It wouldn’t have been the same without you. We can’t wait to see you on our next Plateau Corvette Club Adventure!!
Plateau Corvette Club 