The road ahead....

Friday afternoon the Princess and I ventured south to attend the weekly cruise at VA BBQ in Fredericksburg, VA.  The weatherguessers were calling for no rain but cold….and it WAS cold!  We arrived early and the club was still setting up and there were only a few cars parked….so we were able to choose our favorite parking spot.  Some of the usual suspects were already parked or soon cruised in to take their position for the evening’s activities.  One of the fresh faces was the very yellow 50 Chevy AD pickup.  I like the double park lights in the grille and the spare tire in the rear fender.  There was also a blue 1940 Chevy pickup that joined us as the cruise unfolded. 

A few of the people stayed in their vehicles….it was TOO cold to sit outside in lawn chairs.  Most of the people went inside of VA BBQ to get/keep warm and to socialize.  Naturally I stayed outside taking pictures and mingling with the hearty cruisers.  But after a while when my fingers couldn’t press the buttons on my camera anymore I decided it was time for me to seek a warmer environment.  I went inside VA BBQ and found the Princess holding court.  They were all hooting, hollering and laughing….way too much fun I think.  I stayed till I became the object of the conversation and my hands thawed enough to find my keys.  When the club started taking down the sound system and closing the cruise we decided to call it a night too.  It was just too cold to be outside when the sun started going down.  The Princess and I talked about the fun evening with friends and how it is always a good thing.  I love this hobby!

Saturday we met Dan & Ramona at the N. Stafford WAWA and began our 58 mile, over the road cruise to Tim’s Seafood Restaurant at Lake Anna, Virginia.  Bill & Linda joined us as we cruised near Fredericksburg then we picked up Fred & Debie and Ron near Spotsylvania HS.  As we turned N. on Rt. 522, Doug & Ellen and Mike & Debbie also joined us. 

The Princess and I saw this restaurant last week as we cruised around the lake and thought it might just be a cool place to have lunch.  So I called and made reservations so we could all sit together and the staff would be expecting a noisy bunch of hungry hot rodders.  The parking was great, on asphalt and away from the “normal” crowd of cars.   The staff welcomed us and had some tables put together waiting for us.  The restaurant is very informal and comfortable….no doubt in part because they are available by boat as well as land vehicles.  We all melded together and began a couple hours of conversation and eating.  The food was terrific.  I mean it tasted good, ample portions and presented impeccably.  The wait staff was friendly and attentive….Ron was attentive too….grin  We all enjoyed the lunch and decided it was time to embark on the next leg of the day’s adventure.  Some were going to go home from the restaurant so we said out goodbyes and saddled up to begin the 25 mile cruise to Orange, VA and the monthly cruise at the BK on Rt. 15. 

This cruise is managed by Orange County Cruisers and usually has 150+ vehicles in attendance.  I guess I was worn out because I only took about 110 pictures then sat to rest while another 30 or so cruised in.  I didn’t get to take their pictures….  I got to meet one of my Facebook friends, Butch, with his ’37 Chevy traditional hot rod….Butch has attended most of our Over the River cruises in November for the last 5 years but I never actually “met” him….a cool guy….be sure to check out his ride whenever you see it….it’s a road car like our truck.  I also took a picture of David’s black Fox Mustang….another Facebook friend but I didn’t get a chance to say hello to him.  Gary cruised in with his blue ’33 Ford open wheel coupe….did you know he runs a blown flattie in that puppy?  How cool is that….

We notice the ‘locals’ starting to pack up and leave so we did the same.  We had an uneventful 58 mile cruise home through the rolling Virginia countryside….living the dream….yup!

Be sure to check out all the pictures….the Princess is getting much better taking while we are on the road….her “mirror” shots are really cool.  https://www.flickr.com/photos/53063560@N05/sets/72157644110422756/