DFW Chapter 2Q Douglas H. Thompson Cafe Cruise #10

Join the Cadillac V-Club for our 2nd Quarter event on Saturday, June 7, 2025 for a something a little different than our normal meet 'n greet events. We are participating in the annual Douglas Thompson Road Rally CAFE CRUISE #10.  

RSVP registration is mandatory to attend and all RSVP's must be received before Friday, June 6 at 5PM.

The cruise will start at Bent Bucket Bakery in Palo Pinto County off US 281 and south of IH-20. We will begin meeting up in the parking lot at 8:00 AM. Make sure to park in front of the buildings that sit to the south of Bent Bucket Bakery, so that we can make room for their regulars to park out front.

Bent Bucket Bakery is a great place to grab a quick breakfast and a coffee (you will not be disappointed in the quality of their food).  Breakfast is "dutch treat" and will not be covered by the Cadillac V-Club.  Lunch will be covered compliments of the V-Club during the cruise after lunch we will cruise to Mel's Sweets & Eats in Strawn for ice cream (dutch treat).  The official Q2 event will end at this time.

We’ll have our drivers meeting outside by the rockn’ chair and split up in smaller groups at 9:30 AM. The first small group will leave at 10:00 AM. The cruise will wind through the North Texas Hill Country before we stop for lunch in Thurber/Mingus. We always split up in three groups to avoid overcrowding The Smokestack Restaurant, New York Hill Restaurant and Mel’s Diner. We’ll start back up after lunch and cruise in our small groups to Mel’s Sweets & Eats in Strawn. As always, we’ll finish up with a few raffle drawings before sending everyone on their way. The route will be provided at the driver's meeting.  

We are adding a longer route from breakfast to lunch this year. And we will end with a new route that will wind through Stephens County and that will end in Strawn with ice cream and raffle drawings

All Cadillac V-Club members who RSVP register will receive an email with any updates to the route map or cancellation in case of inclement weather.  For those members that would like to meet and cruise out to Lipan as a group, meet at Racetrack off Western Center- 2921 Western Center Blvd, Fort Worth at 6:45 a.m. to fill up on fuel (they have E-85).  The group will depart promptly at 7:00am for the 60 minute cruise to Lipan, Texas.

All Cadillac V-Club members and sponsors are invited to join us for lunch compliments of the Cadillac V-Club.  If you plan to bring a guest, your guest fee is due at the time of your RSVP registration.  Prospective members are also welcome to join us at this event and you may bring a guest for a nominal fee payable at the time you RSVP register.

If you RSVP and then your plans change, please be sure to cancel your registration so we have an accurate count of attendees.

SCHEDULE:

Breakfast & Road Rally Launch Point 
Bent Bucket Bakery
19280 US-281
Lipan, TX 76462
https://www.facebook.com/bentbucketbakery

8:00AM Arrival time in Lipan for breakfast & photos

9:30AM Mandatory Driver's Meeting and Break Out Into Smaller Groups

10:00AM Departure time from Lipan

11:00AM Estimated Arrival time in Thurber/Mingus
Our V-Club group will be assigned to one of these restaurants and will be seated as a group.  The Smokestack Restaurant, New York Hill Restaurant, Mel's Diner
https://www.thurbersmokestack.com/
https://www.thurbernewyorkhill.com/
https://www.facebook.com/melsdinermingus

12:00PM Departure time from Thurber/Mingus

1:30PM Estimated Arrival time in Strawn

https://www.facebook.com/p/Mels-Sweets-Eats-61561223187401/

2:30PM Road Rally Ends 

NOTE: All of the above times are estimates and will vary based on our speed, traffic, etc..

ABOUT DOUGLAS H. THOMPSON ROAD RALLY

On December 7, 1969 while conducting a routine traffic stop 4 miles east of Weatherford on U.S. 80 (modern-day U.S. 180) four miles east of Weatherford., TX, Trooper Thompson was struck by a hit and run driver.  The Douglas H. Thompson Road Rally is held annually in his honor.  Gone but not forgotten.

As he was talking with the driver of a car he had stopped for speeding, the suspect car came up from behind him, struck his cruiser, and then him as he stood beside the speeder's car.

Six months later, a car found abandoned on a street in Fort Worth led police to the 44-year-old owner, who was arrested after an investigation revealed that damage to his car matched the paint and parts from the car that fled from the accident scene. He was convicted of failing to stop and render aid and sentenced to two years.

Trooper Thompson had served with the Texas Highway Patrol for four years and was stationed at Weatherford. He was survived by his wife and son.