Locust Grove Cruise

In our part of Virginia the rain deficit is about 2.5 inches for the year and the weatherguessers said we may fix half of that this weekend….starting about mid-day Saturday! So most outdoor events were cancelled or modified because of that threatening forecast. But we had planned to attend the first cruise of the season at Locust Grove, VA so we left Stafford around 3:30. This cruise is hosted by Locust Grove Town Center and managed by the Orange County Cruisers led by D.J. Ron and his traveling music machine. D.J. Ron’s playlist is always comfortable and suits the car cruise just right….it is a welcome addition to any cruise or show. This night he also had some organized line dancers of all ages demonstrate their skills…I don’t have the requisite amount of eye/ear/feet coordination to survive at that….I think I would make it look like a geriatric tumbling act gone very wrong….so I’ll just watch!

Since the Cruise Missile is apart for repairs….again….and because of the impending rain, we decided to hitch a ride with Dan & Ramona in their Silver Bullet (Chrysler Mini-Van). We arrived about 4:15 and there were about 15 cars parked already! One of the reasons we wanted to attend the cruise was to support them by patronizing the restaurants in the complex. Being an organized person I decided to try the eateries in order, left to right so tonight it was Mama’s Pizza. The food was scrumptious for a pizza place but our waitress made the experience at our table unforgettable. She could give the harassing comments of an old ornery guy right back to me….I love social interaction….the Princess says I’m getting better at playing with others….chuckle

After we finished eating and we came back out to the cruise there were about 37 cars in the lot! The sky was becoming very ominous and the wind was picking up….I decided to take my pictures quickly before people started leaving. The further out in the country an event is, the more pickups that usually attend….not that I have anything against pickups or anything….I really like the black ’55 Ford with the wood stake sides. As I walked around taking pictures I was able to reestablish friendships the winter had put on hold….spring is always a good time to talk. Some cruisers from the Fredericksburg Classic and Muscle Car Club were present along with some from the Orange County Cruisers. Even Hoppy and his rowdy yellow ’55 Ford came to see what was going on. About 6:30 the wind picked up to Cat 5 velocity and the black clouds were getting lower, faster and rolling right toward us….we packed up the silver bullet and scooted back home. When you consider all the reasons the people in the 37 cars could have used to rationalize not supporting the cruise it is refreshing that they chose to come out and play. This cruise is very comfortable with parking on asphalt and sitting on grass or mulch, a very vehicle/participant friendly venue. It has the paved space for over 100 cars with a lot of overflow capability. This cruise has the potential to be big when the weather cooperates!