Mr. Roarke and Tattoo welcomed guests to our own private island at the Embassy Suites as LCCI-Central Arizona Region kicked off our regional invitational for "FantAZy Island". Unlike the popular TV show, guests were treated to a picture-perfect weekend to have fun and enjoy.

Old and new friends alike found their way to the main "watering hole" and snackies for the Thursday night reception. The hotel served as the launching place for the weekend’s events and got everyone together for their weekend events.

Friday dawned early with a beautiful sunny day. Following through with the "fantasy" theme, participants could either satisfy their "golden age of iron" fantasy (i.e. the salvage yard), or head on the Phoenix Light Rail system over to the Hall of Flame Museum. People got the chance to see the city from the comfort of their train seat and we were treated to a private tour of the Hall of Flame museum. The crowd was so enthralled with the exhibits and big trucks that I didn’t even hear one "big hose" joke! I’m sure it passed through some people’s minds, though. On the other side of town, a large contingency descended on Desert Valley Auto Parts. I know of several people who found pieces and parts to make their beauties complete.

The groups took the light rail back to the designated lunch stop at Old Spaghetti Factory. Forty plus gay men descended upon the Italian eatery and the eatery didn’t disappoint by providing us with "family" for our servers. Servings were generous and the meal was topped off by a bit of ice cream—perfect to set off the afternoon.

Everyone had the afternoon to themselves and then made the trek WAY across town to the Rustler’s Rooste. Of course that meant more food and guests were treated to a full "meat and potatoes" meal, complete with all the fixins’. The staff there got everything set up and even called everyone together with a good ole’ fashioned dinner triangle! During the entire evening, guests could look over the entire city of Phoenix and the incoming planes to Sky Harbor International Airport.

Saturday’s big event was the "Car-Tiki Car Show". Cars from all makes, models, and years graced our presence. The 50’s and 60’s were a definite favorite with a staggering array of chrome, paint, and grills. We truly had a great gathering of vehicles and visitors.

Saturday night’s banquet was a wonderful time with a truly amazing set of auction items. Bidding was frenzied, right up to the last 10 seconds with the countdown to auction close. Guests were treated to the prime rib buffet and lots of food. Mark Howard and Jorge Ibarra (AKA Mr. Roarke and Tattoo) served as the award presenters for the evening as we had a full slate of trophies and trophy winners. Entertainment for the night was capped by our own club comedian, Lou Dellera.