8 motorcycles and 11 people participated in the ride to the Roaring 20s (http://www.roaring20spizza.com/default1.htm)  in Ellenton. We left Fletchers in the heat of the day at about 3 PM but as soon as we got rolling we all knew it would be a great ride. As always the trip over the Skyway bridge provided us with one of the best views available in Florida. The Bay and the Gulf with their little islands and dozens of boats as well as the beaches and the piers loaded with fishermen is always a sight that reminds me exactly why I live here.

            I saw a “Silver Alert” sign blinking it’s warning and immediately thought of Ado but then remembered he was in the pack behind me. Sorry Sharon, better luck next time.  After a short stop at the rest area Jim Wattam took over the lead and drug us thru Terra Ceia and a section many of us had not been on before. It is the residential area between US 19 and 41 that starts at Bayshore and 19 and winds eastward under 275 and ends up at Moccasin Wallow on Rt 41. It’s a 20-minute diversion but some nice windy roads at that.

            At Perrish we turned on to Erie Rd to avoid the 301 construction and arrived, following an obligatory “U-Turn” at the Roaring 20s. I anticipated a fairly huge crowd but we were delighted to see that we had nearly the whole place to ourselves.  We figured most of the snowbirds must have returned which left lots of room for us.

            As promised, the organ recital was very entertaining and everyone seemed to enjoy the food.  The pipe organ was originally installed in the Paramount Theatre in Oakland California in 1931 at a price of $20,000 this Mighty Wurlitzer enjoyed only a brief period of glory before the theatre closed in 1932.    By the late 1950's, the organ was sold and placed in storage. Around 1960 it was installed in its first restaurant venue, 'Ken Melody's Inn' in Los Altos, California, where it remained until purchased for the Paramount Music Palace in Indianapolis. At this point, it was greatly enlarged and rebuilt by the Crome Organ Company. Upon the Indianapolis restaurant's closure in 1995, it was purchased to be installed in a musical museum in Germany. When plans for this fell through, it was purchased for use in the Roaring 20s Pizza and Pipes. It has 4 keyboards that play a combination of over 85 different instruments in accompaniment. It truly has to be heard to be appreciated. It is one of only 10 models ever built by Wurlitzer in this style.