Mountain Glory Drive 19-21 July 2019

Response has been great – all of the motel rooms and castle tour tickets have been filled! The fun begins in Buena Vista where 26 MBCA members from Colorado Springs, Denver, and New Mexico will meet at 11:30 am at the City Market parking lot. Lunch will be at Jan’s Restaurant in BV and then the sight-seeking for mountain glories and drive into history begins. The tour will feature a drive up to Independence Pass, drop into Aspen and drive on to the Aspenalt Lodge in Basalt on the Frying Pan River and dinner at The Tempranillo Restaurant. The next day will feature a tour of Redstone Castle, lunch in Redstone, a drive to explore Marble and maybe, for the adventuresome, a four-wheel drive trip to the Crystal Mill, then back to Basalt for cocktails along the river and dinner at the Free Range Kitchen & Wine Bar. Going home Sunday via Glenwood Springs to I -70, through Frisco to pick up Hwy 9, over Hoosier Pass and lunch at Salado in Fairplay will end our travels. Participants are encouraged to bring insect repellent since we are on the river, lawn chairs for our cocktail hours, umbrellas for late afternoon mountain showers, hiking shoes for Marble, and a warm jacket for cool mountain summits. Emails will be sent to participants by July 5 with the daily itineraries and driving directions. We know that our participants will have a great time and enjoy this scenic outing. Karen Absher is your hostess on this trip – her cell is 719-331-8605.

Welcome New Members!

Inside this issue:

Jt Section Picnic 3

Soldierstone Drive 4

Mercedes ?? 4

Leaf Peep Wkend 5

Der Marktplatz 6

Click 6

Color Drive 7

Wildlife Sanctuary 7

5thFood Group Tour 7

MHS Events 7

Rally Recap 8

Autobahn Speeds 8 Uncrashable MB 9 Off-Road Playpen 10

July 2019 2019

‘ROUND THE BENZ Newsletter of the Pikes Peak Section

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View From the Peak by Steve Dierks

My dad often said that “it’s a privilege to live in Colorado!” Where else can you live and enjoy moderate weather conditions, most of the year, and have the Rocky Mountains just a short drive away. It may seem to you all that I regularly write about driving, and particularly Rocky Mountain driving...and you would be right. I just love driving in Colorado. It is clear to me why Katharine Lee Bates was inspired to write America the Beautiful after traveling up America’s Mountain; it was an inspiring poem. Now that summer has arrived, it’s off to mountains we go.

In preparation for mountain driving, here are a few tips. It is always a good idea to have a properly serviced car with correct tire pressures and a full tank of fuel. It is important to observe the rules of the road and to observe the posted speed limits. When you’re driving in the mountains, don’t become a statistic. Weather conditions can change in less than an hour. You can have sunny skies at the midpoint of a drive to the mountains, but when you get to the top, it can be snowing. The key is to be prepared. While you may start out in flipflops and shorts, have jackets, gloves, footwear, and blankets in your trunk. Make sure you let someone know where and when you are going since you can’t always rely on cell service in the hills. Colorado has enjoyed an above average winter snowpack this year from all the precipitation and you’ll notice everything is beautifully green. As a result, the reservoirs are filling to the brim, the mountain meadows promise to be resplendent in flowers, and the aspen will be fully adorned with leaves for both summer and fall enjoyment. The Pikes Peak Section Board has planned a series of opportunities to enjoy and appreciate all this bounty of Mother Nature in the next few months and we hope you’ll join us. This month we’re headed into the heart of the mountains to Basalt and Marble where we’ll tour Redstone castle and the marble quarries. The hotel is fully booked but you can get on the wait list in case of a cancellation. In August, we’re doing a guided motor coach tour of the Garden of the Gods during our Joint Section Picnic with the Denver Mile High Section. Then later in August, we’re driving to Soldierstone south of Gunnison after our monthly breakfast. Our driving season highlight is in September with our regional Leaf Peep Weekend in Frisco. Don’t miss this unique event. It’s time to go for a drive,

Steve

‘Round the Benz is published monthly by the Pikes Peak Section of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America (MBCA). Articles and ideas are the opinions of the writers and no authentication is implied as to the validity of the information contained herein. Explicit permission to republish any article with proper attribution is given to all sections of MNCA. Articles for publication consideration should be mailed to Pikes Peak Section, MBCA, Attn: Editor, 4335 Penhurst Place, Colorado Spring, CO 80906 or, whenever possible, emailed to: bennett912@ comcast.net. Deadline for receipt is the 18th of the month prior to the month of issue.

Please support our advertisers. They help to make this publication possible.

Section Officers:

President: Steve Dierks steve.dierks@gmail.com 719-659-9959 Vice-President: Andrew Nelson ottobahn2@gmail.com 719-634-7522 Secretary/Editor: Judy Bennett bennett912@comcast.net 719-576-9737 Treasurer: Julie Nelson ottobahn2@gmail.com 719-634-7522

Directors: Karen Absher ksafinsvctax@gmail.com 719-749-2621 Wendy Adams wenpen@me.com 719-268-6806 Charlie Bennett charlesibennett@comcast.net 719-576-9737 Joyce Blutt joyceblutt@icloud.com 719-351-8283 Glenn Hamill ghamill@phillong.com 719-575-7931 Pete Kulzer, Membership Chair wgfp@aol.com 719-533-1066 Henry Russell kcØnaj@gmail.com 719-649-0276 Sylvia Russell ladygator48@gmail.com 719-649-0153 Marla Wiseman Marlawiseman67@gmail.com 719-339-3466 Webmaster: Robert Boren R_i_boren@hotmail.com Regional Director: Michael Davison Mhd539@msn.com

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Joint Section Picnic 11:00 a.m., 3 August 2019

The Joint Section Picnic is coming up fast and seats are being reserved even faster. That’s because we have a real treat in store for the Pikes Peak and Mile High Sections this year. We’re going to see our iconic Garden of the Gods as most of us have never seen it before. We will meet at the Garden of the Gods Trading Post at 11:00 where we will be met by our docent guide and board a private motor coach. He will take us on a guided tour through time as he describes the history and geology of this unique place. Garden of the Gods is a public park and was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1971. It is famous worldwide for its impressive pink, red, and white sandstone rock formations that have attracted people since about 1330 B.C. Native Americans, European explorers, trappers, and ranchers all have a unique bond with this majestic site. It hosts over 2 million visitors a year including photographers, hikers, bikers, rock climbers, and drivers. The tour will be followed by a catered lunch at the Garden of the Gods Trading Post. After lunch, there will be shopping at the Trading Post or the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center. Retrace your steps and stop for photos along the way to mark your journey into Earth’s primordial past. Cost for this event is $25 per person. Return the reservation form below. Contact Judy Bennett with questions at bennett912@comcast.net or 719-576-9737. RSVP deadline is 15 July 2019 or when all seats are reserved. Don’t delay!! Sign up today!!!

“…guided tour through time as he describes the history and geology of this unique place.”

Yes, I will participate in the Joint Section Picnic on 3 August 2019:

Name/s: ____________________________________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________________________

Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________________________

Event Fee is $25 per person. # of people ______ X $25 = $ _______

Please send this form with check or money order made payable to Pikes Peak Section MBCA, to:Judy Bennett, 4335 Penhurst Place, Colorado Springs, CO 80906

Joint Section Picnic Reservation Form

Total Enclosed: $___________

Seats are limited; please RSVP by 15 July 2019

HistoryGeology

Souvenirs Photo Stops

Private Motor

Coach TourCatered Lunch

Docent

Narration

FunFriends

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Soldierstone Drive 9:00 a.m., Saturday, 17 August 2019

We’ve got a real treat for those who have never visited Soldierstone before. This is an amazing, impressive monument on Sargents Mesa, in the middle of southern Colorado nowhere. It’s dedicated to soldiers who supported US forces in Southeast Asia in the 1970s. This low-key monument was built without government fuss or money and it is never advertised, so its location is not known to many. Join us for breakfast on the 17th and then plan to join the 3-hour guided drive to this hidden gem west of Salida. This is not a drive for convertibles or sedans. Bring your truck or SUV. The Soldierstone memorial is a 10-foot granite monolith, inscribed with quotes in various languages and the words valor, courage, and sacrifice etched in large letters. The monolith is surrounded by a triangular half wall of dry-stacked stone, and beyond the wall lie a number of small, flat markers nearly hidden amid native grasses and wildflowers. Some of the smaller ground markers are engraved with sayings of the Montagnard — the indigenous mountain people of Vietnam’s highlands. Despite being located in a national forest on public land, the remote memorial has been kept almost secret for most of its existence.

Tucked away in a stand of trees, the memorial sits at an elevation of 11,425 feet just off the Colorado Trail on Sargents Mesa. It is surrounded by the vast expanse of the mesa, and views of nearby mountain ranges, in the heart of open-range cattle country. Because of the remoteness of the location—it’s accessed via small dirt roads and a hike through difficult terrain—it offers a peaceful and serene experience, and doesn’t receive many visitors.

This is as planned. The memorial was created by retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel and Vietnam veteran Stuart Allen Beckley, working with a stonecutter. He devoted the final years of his life to the project, carefully scouting out the perfect spot in the Rio Grande National Forest near the Colorado Trail. His dream was to place it in the high Rockies, accessible to veterans and those affected by the war, but secret enough to shield it from vandals and protect the surrounding environment. He finally received permission from the U.S. Forest Service, and the memorial was completed in 1995. After our visit to the memorial, we will have a late lunch in Salida. We will leave promptly at 10:00 from The Egg & I restaurant. For more information, contact Judy at bennett912@comcast.net.

Mercedes Question of the Month Question: How many patents have been submitted by Daimler since 1886 for the purpose of refining its automobiles and launching pioneering innovations?

Answer: a. 54,000 b. 114,000 c. 194,000 d. 240,000

Answer to Last Month’s Question: c. Hot Air Balloon

Driving Quote of the Month:

“Civilized man has built a coach, but has lost the use of his feet.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841

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CO Leaf Peep Weekend - 13-15 September 2019

The Pikes Peak Section continues its winning ways with yet another awesome overnight event. This time we’re venturing into the picturesque scenery around Frisco, CO. Our mentor will be world-renowned photographer, John Fielder. After our included wine-cheese-pizza party on Friday evening, he will address our group and autograph his latest book in a special presentation just for us. On Saturday, we will put his tips and wisdom into practice as we drive to Leadville, CO to take a ride in a private car on the Wildflower Special train (included in your event fee). The scenery and the resulting photographs should be awesome. After lunch, our participants are free to explore historic Leadville landmarks, including the Opera House, the Nat’l Mining Museum, the Healy House, or the Matchless Mine. We’ll be staying at the historic Frisco Lodge. Contact Kristen at 800-279-6000 to get your discounted rate of $182.60 plus tax for a king room or $163.77 plus tax for a queen room. Breakfast and wine and cheese each evening are included in the room rate. The number of rooms is limited so call soon for the best selection. Your hosts are Wendy and Chuck Adams. Contact them at 719-393-2969 or wenpen@mac.com for more information.

Out mentor will be world-renowned photographer, John Fielder.”

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Der Marktplatz For Sale: 1960 190 SL with hard top. Red/tan, good condition. $98K. Call Herb for more details: 951-250-6118. For Sale: 1987 560 SEC 2-door coupe. 129,000 miles, great shape, only 2 owners. $4000 OBO. Call Walter at 719-392-2575. Wanted: C36 or C43 sedan. 300 SEL 6.3 sedan. Call Pete at 719-351-0815.

For Sale: 1992 500 SL. Black, 120,000 miles. Runs great; must see. Call Greg at 719-486-2656,

For Sale: Classic 1986 SL560 (rag and hard tops). Red with special order black interior; 68K+ miles. Show car, winner of many 1st & 2nd place ribbons. $25K or best reasonable offer. 303-437-2866.

Click This, just in from the latest edition of the MBCA e-newsletter, Click, a quick wrap-up of news, discounts, and special events:

Calling All Cars: The Hilton Head Car Club Showcase & Concours d’Elegance, a multi-regional MBCA weekend event from 1-3 Nov 2019, is looking for early sedans/coupes, roadsters/SLs, convertibles, and concours-quality Mercedes. They will be showing 40 cars in the showcase on Saturday, with 15 being selected to tell the Mercedes-Benz story. There will also be a Mercedes-only car show with awards in 2 different classes and the Silver Star Preservation judging for cars 25 years and older. Visit mbca.org (type in Hilton Head in the search box) for more information.

2018 German Trips: Germany trips are very popular and fill up quickly. These member-only trips provide direct and personal access to Mercedes-Benz facilities and museums as well as many amazing European landmarks. 2019 trips are:

• Summer: Stuttgart, 17-23 June 2019 • Fall: Stuttgart, 9-15 September 2019

Do not book your flight until your trip is confirmed. River cruises might be available. Please contact Randy Norris at Frosch Travel, 800-878-2929 ext 7105 for details.

Visit mbca.org to download the registration form. To learn more, contact trip Leiter and past national MBCA president Jim O’Sullivan at 843-671-2079 or osullivanj55@gmail.com.

“…early sedans/coupes, roadsters/SLs,

convertible, and concours-

quality Mercedes.”

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Preview of Coming Attractions

Color Drive – 21 September 2019 Yes, summer is barely here and we’re talking about the leaves changing. I know…I know. But this drive will be special – continuing the experience from the previous weekend trip to Frisco and Leadville. This time, though, we won’t drive so far afield, just up into the hills closer to home – think Teller County and thereabouts. Steve Dierks has a route in mind that will take us to where the colors will be best. Mark this date on your calendar as a must do.

Wild Animal Sanctuary Tour – 19 October 2019 Pete Kulzer is planning a rip-roarin’ time at the Wild Animal Sanctuary near Keenesburg, CO. This will be a day trip to the 10,000-acre sanctuary that specializes in rescuing and caring for more than 500 large predators that are at risk. Residents include lions, tigers, bears, wolves and other large animals.

Section Elections – 8 October 2019 Our annual Section elections will be held this year on Tuesday, 8 October at the Edelweiss Restaurant in Colorado Springs. Five directors are up for re-election and we have one vacancy on our board. If you are interested in serving, contact Steve Dierks at steve.dierks@gmail.com.

5th Food Group Tour – 16 November 2019

Here’s an event sure to tantalize your tastebuds. So, what exactly is the 5th Food Group anyway? Well, the 5th food group accents food group selections with extra flavor, but high in calories and low in nutrients. These include alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, high-fat and high-sugar extra foods such as mayonnaise, oils, butter, margarine, gravies,

cookies, cakes, candy and chips. Beat the holiday rush, be bad on your diet with us!

Mile High Section Events For more information, visit the MHS website at http://www.milehigh.mbca.org Mishawaka Drive Date: 20 July; 10:00 a.m. Location: 13714 Poudre Canyon Rd (14 mi NW of Ft Colllins) Cost: No host lunch Contact: Michael Davison, 720-233-7411, mhd539@msn.com

Durango Regional Event Date: 16-18 Aug 2019 Location: Strator Hotel, Durango Cost: $190 per person (includes dinner & train) Contact: Whitlow Wong, 303-693-9931, whitlowwong@comcast.net

“…we won’t drive so far afield, just up into the hills of southern Colorado.”

“…high in calories and low in nutrients.”

8

June Swoon Rally Recap Andrew planned a rousing, rhyming, regatta of a rally for us on June 15th. Seven cars traveled the 40-mile route (with an undetermined number of turn-arounds, of course). We wended our way up Academy Blvd to the Rockrimmon area while deciphering clues like “Pie Inn the Sky” (Village Inn), “Weapons made was its trade” (Vickers Dr), Archie’s son favored the shotgun” (Manning Dr), “yellow toy, boy’s joy” (Tonka Dr) and “skating tyke plugged the dike” (Hans Brinker). As you can tell, the rhymes were sometimes lame, but entertaining all the same – see, it’s catching! After driving through town, we ended up in Old Colorado City at the European Café where we enjoyed German specialties in honor of our beloved marque. Don’t wait, the food was great. Oh, stop it!

Then it was time for the great unveiling of the winners. Steve and Barb Dierks and Charlie and Judy Bennett tied for first place. Harvey and Diane LeCato came in third. It was, all in all, a great day for a drive and another winning rally for Andrew and Julie. Can’t wait for his next one.

New Speed Limits On the Autobahn by Gary Gastelu A heat wave that blasted Germany last month with temperatures above 100 degrees has caused one state to impose speed limits on some sections of the country’s unrestricted Autobahn network. The government of Saxony-Anhalt is concerned that the famously well-maintained road could crack due to the extreme temperatures, posing a danger to cars and trucks traveling at triple-digit speeds. As a precaution, limits ranging from 62 mph to 75 mph have been temporarily set on several stretches of road. Germany isn’t the only European country to institute measures affecting automobiles due to the heat. Paris on Wednesday banned gasoline powered cars built before 2006 and diesel cars built before 2011 from the city center to cut down on pollution exacerbated by the weather.

The continent is being hit by a plume of hot, dry air coming from African that’s been dubbed the “Saharan bubble” and is expected to cause record hot temperatures in some areas in the coming days.

“…the rhymes were sometimes lame, but entertaining all the same….”

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M-B ESF 2019 - Uncrashable Car – By Sean Szymkowski Mercedes-Benz unveiled its latest concept to showcase what future automotive safety may look like. However, some of the technology in the concept car isn't far off from production.

The brand's Experimental Safety Vehicle 2019 (ESF 2019) is based on a standard GLE. Yet, unlike the current GLE, the ESF 2019 can be a completely self-driving car. The cockpit boasts redesigned pedals and a steering wheel that can collapse in to the dash when the driver is ready give up control. That's not likely for showrooms any time soon.

Other safety elements are likely coming to a Mercedes-Benz vehicle in the near future. The ESF 2019 debuts technologies such as new airbag installations for better coverage, interior lighting to keep a driver's attention, and upgraded seat belt pre-tensioners. The latter will tighten the driver's seat belt if the car detects a corner entry speed is too fast. The system also adds a function for

children that inflates the seat belt ahead of a crash to keep them safer. Since ESF concepts are about packing as much safety technology as Mercedes-Benz can into a car, the exterior doesn't fall short. The brand engineered a digital display for the GLE-based ESF 2019 that will communicate with

pedestrians and other cars. It can also tell pedestrians they've been recognized and acknowledge their presence. The aqua blue lights placed throughout the car's exterior are also meant to mimic eye contact—they follow pedestrians as they cross to further ensure a human that the car acknowledges them.

The digital displays can also warn other drivers of dangers ahead, even if the car is parked and not active. Perhaps the wildest element is a small robot companion. The robot deploys at the site of a crash or vehicle breakdown and becomes a road hazard sign to let other drivers know of trouble further in advance. We have a feeling vehicle-to-vehicle communications could solve this problem more efficiently, but what's wrong with Wall-E directing traffic in a concept car?

Pre-Safe Impulse Rear may help drivers soon too. The system monitors the rear of the vehicle and can detect if an object or other vehicle is approaching the rear. The car will autonomously move out of the way to avoid an impact, if there's enough room. This kind of system seems like a natural next step to today's active safety technology, and it could help reduce minor rear-end crashes.

The brand promises some of these technologies are closer to production than we think. If we do see some of the ESF 2019's features make production, look for them on the next-generation flagship S-Class sedan first.

“…the wildest element is a small robot companion.”

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Off-Road Playpen By Sean Szymkowski Fans will have the chance to experience the second-generation of the stalwart Mercedes-Benz G-Class without buying one as the brand announced it broke ground on a new experience center last month. The center will open in Graz, Austria. The country is also home to G-Class production at the Magna Steyr plant. In fact, the new experience center will be just a 20-minute drive from the production plant, according to the announcement. When completed, the experience center will cover over 24 acres and feature four test areas fans will be able to tackle in the G- Class. The brand said the

complex will house a natural and artificial off-road center, a hill with various ramps and

gradients up to 100 percent, and an on-road section

complete with a slalom and areas for braking exercises.

The G-Class has always been

well known for its off-road capabilities, but the latest iteration is the first time the SUV underwent a complete redesign since it was introduced in 1979. No doubt, it was difficult to redesign an icon, but Mercedes-Benz included much of the same charm found in the previous G-Class and beefed up the luxurious touches inside. As we noted in first drive review of the second-generation G-Class, it is also much more stable to drive. That's thanks in part to the

independent front suspension that replaced the archaic solid axle. It can perform better on the road, but that didn't diminish its ability to climb rocks and blaze trails, too. Fans will be able to experience the off-road prowess baked into the G-Class when the experience center opens by the end of this year.

”…will cover 24 acres and feature four test areas fans will be able to tackle in the G-Class..”

11

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Return Service Requested To:

Calendar of Upcoming Events

The Pikes Peak Section Board of Directors meets on the first Tuesday of each month at

Mercedes-Benz of Colorado Springs, 730 Automotive Drive. Meetings start at 6:00 p.m. All Section members are welcome and encouraged to attend.

‘Round the Benz

Editor 4335 Penhurst Pl

Colorado Springs, CO 80906

On the Web at: www.pikespeakmbca.

org

MBCA Pikes Peak Section

2 July 2019 Board Meeting – 6:00 p.m. Steve Dierks – 719-659-9959

19-21 July 2019 Mountain Glory Days Drive Karen Absher – 719-331-8605

3 August 2019 Joint Section Picnic – 11:00 a.m. Judy Bennett – 719-576-9737

6 August 2019 Board Meeting – 6:00 p.m. Steve Dierks – 719-659-9959

17 August 2019 Breakfast & Soldierstone Drive – 9:00 am Judy Bennett – 719-576-9737

3 September 2019 Board Meeting – 6:00 p.m. Steve Dierks – 719-659-9959

13-15 September 2019 CO Leaf Peep Weekend Wendy Adams – 719-268-6806

21 September 2019 Breakfast & Color Drive Steve Dierks – 719-659-9959

1 October 2019 Board Meeting – 6:00 p.m. Steve Dierks – 719-659-9959

9 October 2019 Section Elections Judy Bennett – 719-576-9737