Catching Up

Friday, August 19th, a few of us gathered for the cruise to Ashland, VA. Dale, Fred and the Princess & I left WAWA and picked up Bill & Linda on Rt. 2 in Fredericksburg then proceeded to Bowling Green and Rt.207. The weatherguessers had forecasted that we might get some rain..And the sky looked ominous but we were still dry after traveling about 25 miles. When we were on Rt. 207, running toward Rt. 1, we ran into some minor sprinkles, nothing to get excited about but by the time we reached Rt. 1 and turned south for Ashland it started to rain….a lot! Dale drives a MG/VW and is topless....so when it rains he gets very wet. He turned around and headed back north, we slowed down….tried to come to a decision about the rain but pressed on for a mile or so. Then the rain started coming down like the monsoons in Arizona! We made a hasty U turn and when we got about 2 miles north the rain stopped….and we met Dale coming south, looking for us! We all decided that to venture south that night would be a really dumb thing to do….so….we decided to do what any self respecting hot rodder would do….we started looking for somewhere to eat! Food always makes the soggy shoes feel a little better…I read that on the internet so it must be true! So we found a really nice Mexican restaurant called The Mexican Restaurant in Cosner’s Corner, VA and ate enough Mexican food to last all weekend….yeah I feel drier now….burp.

So after dinner we all said our goodbyes and each headed home in a little different direction. Fred was following us all the way up I 95. I decelerated for the Rt. 610 off ramp and when I got back on the throttle I heard a loud explosion…really loud, and we were going under an overpass and it seemed to get lighter outside? As we went around the off ramp the car was constantly shuddering and popping? I nursed it around on Rt 610 then to the Target parking lot, popping out the exhaust and shuddering all the way. Each time it popped fire would shoot out the side pipes! Fred, who was following us, said the fire shot out a few feet each side….that must have been something to see! I remember a long, long time ago in a place far far away (Newport Beach, Ca) I would be driving a little English Ford with the near stock 4cyl motor. I had a ‘special’ exhaust system with four zoomies out the passenger side in front of the rear wheels. And if I got over 25-30 mph and turned off the ignition key, coasted a little, then turned the key back on….KABOOM. And fire would shoot out the pipes about 2-3 feet….sometimes setting fire to the acuminated debris by the curb! That sturdy little motor accepted the abuse for a while but eventually it would cost me many quarts of oil to make the trip to the beach and back!

Back to the Target parking lot….Fred and I were trying to determine what was going wrong with the Princessmobile but nothing looked out of place. I had trouble with the HEI module before and thought that might be the problem, but there were a few miles between the parts, my tools and where we were now. And I was still wet, full of Mexican food that was rapidly aerosolizing and tired…So for the first time in 7 years and 35,000 miles I called AAA. Yeah we were going home on a roll back tonight. This is why I like to run with friends, Fred stayed with us through the ordeal and let the Princess ride with him to our home as I rode in the Eddie’s Repair roll back.

I worked on the car for a week, changing the module, cap, rotor, plugs, cleaned the carb, fuel filter, tested the ignition switch and the problem still persisted. A few years ago the Princess had won an MSD billet distributor at the Richmond NSRA event but I didn’t want to use it since the stock HEI unit was working just fine. But now, after all the troubleshooting I had done proved to be hopeless, I decided to change out the old unit with the new unit. So after I changed the unit Dan came over to help me index the distributor and the car now runs better than it did before! A side note that the “new” unit had a bad vacuum can and we had to use the ‘old’ can on the ‘new’ unit….it works just fine!

The next few weeks were tedious for us….The RedRat was taken to Canada, we had an earthquake, hurricane Irene paid us a visit and is seemed to rain almost every weekend but we did venture out a couple times to the Burger King in N. Stafford. We have decided to support the cruise every Friday night we are in town. It is a lot closer to us and the traffic is a breeze to get there. We have about 10-12 cars showing up and we have taken a page out of the PWC Glory Days Friday cruise in that we are setting up our chairs in a circle in one of the parking places. If/when the cruise gets bigger we may have to do something else but for now this works. We have also been attending the Bruster’s cruise more on Saturday evening….but we need to “fix” the meal options in the future and the parking lot lights are not being turned on….it gets really dark….maybe some small bonfires to illuminate the parking lot would work?

Fast forward to Sunday, September 11, 2011. The weather guessers said late afternoon showers….when I opened the garage at 5:15AM the ground was still wet from overnight showers! But we launched anyway and met Jim at WAWA then headed out the back way from Stafford to Herndon, VA and the 10th annual Classic Car Show sponsored by AARP. Along the way we met Dan & Ramona who took the lead to the event since they both attended Herndon HS a long long time ago and knew their way around up in yuppieville….grin

We had attended this event a couple years ago and had decided then that if we were ever going to attend the event again, we would have to park on the street and not in one of the lots. But to ensure that location we would have to get there very early….7AM early after cruising for about an hour from Stafford! After a little friendly persuasion from Dan, the gatekeeper let us park where we wanted to park. We set up and got ready to enjoy a day in the sun.

This event is in the “Town” area of Herndon and the vehicles are parked on the street and in lots all around the area. It is a spectator intense event which means a lot of “non-car” people mingle around and ask questions about your vehicle, we like that concept much better than a car people only event. It is sponsored by Wiygul Automotive Clinic and managed & sponsored by the Dulles Area Chapter of AARP. AARP does a great job with the event. This year they had some roller derby ladies that took the food orders and delivered it to us at the cars! Kinda cool! The Chorus of the Old Dominion was strolling around singing at some of the cars and the beneficiary of the event, GMU School of Nursing, provided blood pressure and sugar level testing. Music was provided by Retro Sounds and there was a group of Swing Dancers giving us demonstrations of their craft.

Since it was the anniversary of the tragedy of 9/11, the event was stopped at 10AM to reflect on and commemorate the date. They had first responders on stage and the Color Guard. They invited Veterans and active duty members of our Military to join the First Responders and one of our group, Jim, joined with the group. There is usually someone in our group that has served our Country….we must never take their service for granted and always acknowledge their service to a grateful Nation. They are the ones that keep the wolves from our door. The ceremony was ended with a long moment of silence while taps was played….very reflective.

The event cranked up again with the music, dancers, roller girls, strolling singers and a hula hoop girl. This girl did things with the hula hoop, while keeping time with the music that was playing, which defied physics….at least MY physics. We ran into many old friends from our past sojourn through this hot rod adventure we are living that we don’t see often enough. The Porta Potties were kept clean and for the more sensitive among us (I don’t know who that would be?) you could go to the Dairy Queen and use their restroom facilities, we always bought something from them anyway.

And we saw many very nice vehicles. One of the early Mustang’s radiator hose blew off as soon as he got parked, see the pictures, but he went on to win an award in the end! There was a 1989 Chrysler TC Maserati…the owner said it was one of three produced in that color! Then I saw a ’57 Merc with factory installed ’58 headlight group, very unusual. The antique Kenworth from the Smoky and the Bandits movie took up a large part of one lot but it was very special and fit in just fine. Then Tim and his friend brought some vintage Army Jeeps to share with us, complete with machine guns! The red ’59 Caddy was long enough to be in two zip codes at the same time and the white ’57 bathtub Porsche was just squeaky clean and tidy. But of the 114 vehicles attending the event, I liked the red & white ’60 Corvette the best….the Princess says she would like one like that….so now she has a hot rod, Mustang GT and she wants a Vette….but Hey, I have my KIA. Is there something wrong with that picture? Like I said those Princesses are very high maintenance, you have no idea….grin

The roller girls and the Swing dancers all seemed to flock around Jim’s PU….is it the color of the truck? Or is it the owner? I’ll let you decide…. We had a great day and will return next year….this is one of the top 3 “must attend” shows around here….if you want to have a day enjoying your vehicle with hundreds of other people you have to put this show on your event calendar.

Deep Breath

I have been remiss with my story writing….I am distracted.

This blog is not meant to have a political overtone….but…. While this administration has been trying to destroy our Country, it has also been steadily draining our personal resources as well as my motivation to keep going. When I loaded the RedRat on the transport bound for Canada a couple weeks ago it pushed me over the edge. Doing most anything with a hot rod is now a chore. I really have to force myself to endure what has been such a blessing to us for the last 7 years. I am not trolling for sympathy or advice….I just wanted you to know where I’m currently at.

I should be up to my new normal in a couple weeks....

Thanks, chuck

To infinity and beyond....or was that Maine and beyond....

The Princess and I were sitting around, like old people do, and I asked the Princess where she would like to go for a vacation this year….she said “I want to see a lighthouse”….huh…. A lighthouse? Yes, I never saw one and I want to do that, she said. So I started planning a lighthouse vacation. The following is a brief outline of our weeks adventures….please take the time to look at the pictures we took along the way. But be warned, it will be like looking at “family movies”….you may get bored….just take it in sessions, there are 551 pictures! A lot….we both like to take pictures, most are “documentary” but some are artsy fartsy. The link is; http://family.webshots.com/album/580685325Uhrrfg

I had wanted to visit Maine for years since I thought it should be similar to Newfoundland where I had good memories of living there for a while in the 50’s. After some preliminary planning we decided to visit AAA in Fredericksburg to take advantage of their travel planning expertise. We were in luck because Ben Bell was available to assist us. He made some good suggestions about the route we wanted to take. Then he made the reservations and got the best prices for the accommodations. We had some surprises the last time we used AAA in ’07 but this time everything worked out as advertised, Thanks Ben. After we locked in how we were going to get there I decided to check out what was going on around there when we were there…. The annual Lobster Fest was going to start that Wednesday! WOW! Now the Princess really likes to eat the little crawly sea creatures like crabs & lobster. So this was going to be a great week for eating….burp! I didn’t believe it but by Friday I was tired of eating lobster….really.

We launched Monday, August 1, at 0430 and headed to the Cracker Barrel in Winchester, VA. We then drove via the “northern route” and the Tappan/Zee bridge to Strubridge, MA for overnight. The next day we left for Rockport, ME and The Country Inn on Rt. 1. We stayed here for three days and it was a great place to come home to each night. The staff was helpful, the rooms were perfect and the breakfast was just what we wanted.

We arrived on Tuesday around 2PM and had time to check in, unload then do some local exploring. We tried some of the local fare at the Elm Street Grille for dinner. We had Lobster (what else?) and Maine baked potato. I didn’t know Maine was famous for potatoes? The other two nights we had dinner at The Offshore Restaurant, very good food and fun waitresses. We also “found” one of the local ice cream establishments, Dorman’s Dairy-Dream on Rt. 1 in Thomaston.

Wednesday we struck out to visit some lighthouses and the first one was Owl’s head lighthouse. This was a fun place….a long walk but very rewarding with the scenery. Check the pictures. After we took in this we drove to the Owl’s Head Transportation Museum. Many interesting things there and 80% of the vehicles run including the airplanes! Have you ever seen a 4dr MG or a Model T snowmobile? Check out the pictures.

We left the museum and decided to try a lobster roll at Miller’s Lobster Co for lunch. This place sells lobster to area seafood houses and has a snack area near their wharf, the food was great! Check the pictures please.

The next lighthouse was the Marshall Point Lighthouse. It too was a neat experience, the water is so clear….almost mesmerizing. There was a gentleman inside the home that could answer any questions about the lighthouse and Maine in general. And the lighthouse is famous….remember Forrest Gump? I did and we had to watch the movie again when we got back…. We made our way back to the Offshore Restaurant for dinner then went back to the room for the evening….to plan for the next day.

Thursday we left for Rockland and the annual Lobster festival but first we stopped in at the Maine Lighthouse Museum, it was right outside the entrance to Lobster festival. After cruising the museum we finally entered the Lobster festival….it was a hoot. Like a carnival only nicer. They had crafters, artists, fish vendors, cheese vendors and many other kinds of things to eat. The Princess bought a lobster hat!? Huh….? And walked around the rest of the day with it on….about 10 steps behind me….I do have some standards! Grin After we left the festival we tried to visit one last lighthouse, the Rockland Breakwater lighthouse. But the path out to it was way too long and dangerous looking so we opted to take some pictures instead.

Friday we left in the fog and drove to our room for the night in Newark, DE….a nice stay at the Country Inn & Suites with dinner at Michaels Bar & Grille….great food and just across the street.

Saturday we cranked up the KIA and headed to Richmond….yes Richmond. We wanted to attend the KIA Soul gathering at Pearson KIA in Richmond. This is the first long trip we have taken with the Soul and have found it to be comfortable and fun to make an over the road trek with.

When we arrived at the dealership there were already 7 of the little beasts parked and a few more came later. The dealership was a great host feeding us burgers & hot dogs then mingling with us to talk about our experience with the Soul. I think the service manager, Bobby, drew the short straw because he was the cook….on a very hot day….thanks Bobby! They also acquired a 40’ blow up hamster! Check the pictures. http://rides.webshots.com/album/580693667sMblMp
They also had a 2012 Soul so we could check out what was changed on the new model. We wandered around and checked out the modifications some had made to their Souls and one had made a bigger than life hamster costume….check it out! Since this gathering was an internet based exercise the attendees came from all over….NJ, DE, MD, VA, NY were all represented. It was a hoot and we hope to attend more in the future.

We finally got back home Saturday in the rain….home….our castle in Stafford. It’s always good to be back.

Cranking back up!

We got back from our Maine vacation last week and finally got the hot rod out this weekend. Going anywhere around here on Friday night is problematic at best….But we met some cruisers in Stafford and snaked around the back roads to Dale City, VA and the Prince William Cruisers weekly cruise near Glory Days. When we arrived there were already some cars parked and the ubiquitous ring of folding chairs near Steve’s ’40 Ford. We unpacked our gear and set up with the group. But before we got settled in Steve started whining about when were we going to eat….so….we trekked to Glory Days and got reacquainted with their menu for the evening. When we rejoined the talking group another 15 cars had come to visit. This cruise is always fun for us because we enjoy the conversation and conversationalists! We stayed till after 11PM….we totally lost track of time catching up with the others….a very pleasant evening.

The black ’66 Chevy Impala with the big block was so very squeaky clean and Bill’s orange Willys is always fun to look over, yeah it’s got a HEMI. Jimmy’s blue ’71 Ranchero is the nastiest sounding Ford around….and it is no stranger to massive amounts of torque either. This is a nice friendly cruise on the back side of Potomac Mills in Dale City, VA so if you are near there on Friday night….stop in and say hey….they always have room for another new friend.

As I said earlier, we just got back from our vacation and were anxious to get back into playing with the hot rod. So Saturday we met some cruisers from Stafford at Bob Evans for breakfast then cruised 22 miles to Spotsylvania and the annual show put on by the Fredericksburg Classic & Muscle Car Club. I never considered checking with the weatherguesser….maybe I should have!? As we were leaving Bob Evans, the rain started….just a little….then when we got on I95 it poured. I figured that we couldn’t get any wetter so we pressed on south. The rain stopped before we got to Fredericksburg so maybe the day was going to unfold well….maybe not.

We have attended this show for a few years and it always is a show that we recommend. I think they had about 150 cars in attendance this year which is about 35 more than last year! WOW….they must be doing something right!? They always have a lot of vendors and this year I think they had about 13. Of course that meant the Princess had a lot of choices to get rid of some of that nasty old money she totes around in her bag that’s the size of Vermont. I had to remind her that since we were both riding in the Princessmobile now, she had to keep her treasure purchases to a minimum. She said that if she wanted something she would just have the vendor UPS it to our home….I’m doomed!

This show always attracts a lot of VW’s because of Pop & Sue’s Baja Bug and I think there were 8 of the little wheezers present. There were some cars we had not seen before like the slammed, peach ’61 big block Chevy and the very cool pearl ’65 Riv….I always like these cars. There were 3 little Cobras among the cars which is unusual for a show of this size. The little white and yellow Metro was very nicely done as was the two tone green ’50 Chevy coupe. There were many “regular” cars that didn’t attend….I guess we know who watches the weather channel!

But the coolest deal at the show was the blue ’54 Chevy PU that belonged to Terri and her husband. It was given to Terri by her dad as a graduation gift and has since been driven all over the Country by Terri & her husband….he is a Marine and travels a little….grin. It was Terri’s 54th birthday on the 13th so they brought their ’54 Chevy and had a birthday party at the show….check out the cake….very cool! That’s what makes this hobby fun and interesting.

Coach did the DJ/announcer deal when the live band, Rt. 66, wasn’t playing. This group plays at most of the shows put on by Prince William Cruisers and they also play other places around Northern Virginia. They are the best….I’m going to shoot some video of them at their next gig during the show in Occoquan on 9-18-2011. Some people come just to watch them and don’t know that cars are here too!

It sprinkled a little right after we got there then cleared up….but around1PM it started to rain….and rain….like Ramona said it was coming down in Biblical proportions! I think there was 459 people huddled under two leaking 8’ canopies. Its funny how many people will come over to talk when the rain starts….chuckle. So we waited for the rain to slow down then broke camp and ran for home. We usually don’t leave a show early but we thought it best to get going before the “real” rain started. Of course when we got 10 miles from the show it stopped. We don’t know how the awards went but the judges had their hands full with the rain. This is a nice show and the proceeds go to needy families in the area….which in our present economy is something that I’m sure is way underfunded.

Be sure to check out the pictures;

http://rides.webshots.com/album/580719920QwhugG
http://rides.webshots.com/album/580716588qBOaNo

A Full Saturday

Friday evening we met at WAWA and cruised 50 miles to Colonial Beach, VA and the bi monthly cruise hosted by Colonial Beach Cruisers. We have attended this cruise a few times and always had a good experience but Friday was a little different. We arrived around 6PM and parked among the cars already there. Fat Freda’s restaurant is part of the cruise and as always we had dinner there. In the past the food and service was great but Friday the service was very poor. We waited about 1 ½ hrs to get our food! We waited so long for everyone in our group to eat that when we came out of the restaurant it was too dark to photograph the cars! The restaurant sold us our food for ½ off….but it can’t replace a missed opportunity to photograph the cars of Colonial Beach! We had brought a couple new cruisers with us and I don’t think they will be back. And I think we will eat before we get to the cruise next time.

Saturday we met at WAWA then cruised 14 miles to Fredericksburg, VA and Big Daddy Leather’s shop. This motorcycle accessory and biker meeting place is well known around these parts. The store is about ¼ mile from the MOST well know ice cream joint on the planet….Carl’s Ice Cream….but that ‘s a story for another time.

Today we were to participate in the first annual Dawgs for Paws poker run. The Lost Dawgs MC group had set up a poker run primarily for motorcycles but Mike, one of the insiders, had invited hot rodders to join in with the bikers. I liked the concept of riding with kindred spirits again….we sold our last Harley in ’05 after riding for 44 years….so the sound of shifters clunking and the squeak of leather was nothing new to us. I have always said that most bikers are a very intimidating bunch by design and that persona is nurtured by the bikers for the benefit of those not in the “group”. But if you bother to get to know most of them you will find that they are normal people doing something they are very passionate about. The Lost Dawgs MC is no exception. I know some in our group expressed a little apprehension when I floated the idea about running with a group of “bikers” on a poker run. But after spending an afternoon with a great bunch of kindred souls I think their mind has changed. We love our cars like they love their bikes and we all face the same hazards and uncertainties on the road. And we certainly enjoy the same freedom to run. Like I said, Kindred Spirits. And another reason I like to associate with bikers is that most of them have done their time in service to our Country and they are usually very Patriotic and their love of Country is conspicuous.

So our group decided that since Jim & Linda had the GPS we would ask them to lead us on our adventure for the day. The run was about 80 miles, start to finish, which was a nice length. Since the run was to benifit the regional SPCA shelters it made a lot of sense to make the run stops at one of the shelters! What a concept!? The first one was in Caroline County and was open so we could see/hear some of the dogs they had. The second one was in Fredericksburg and was nice new looking building but it was closed so we didn’t get to see any puppies. The third one was in Stafford but the shelter road was impassable for us so we never saw the shelter. The run ended up at Barefoot’s Seafood restaurant in Fredericksburg. The club had stop workers that were very helpful and informative to talk to….you could tell that they were well prepared for the participants. We checked in at the last stop early, around 1PM, so we ate while we waited for the winners to be announced around 3PM. They ran a 50/50 and various silent auctions. They gave out many door prizes….I was hoping I would win one of the bike helmets….so I could use it when I was the rider in the Princessmobile….I didn’t say that! They had music while we waited and free snack bar….have you ever eaten alligator sausage? It’s not bad, no bones but the gator teeth get stuck under my denture! grin One of the highpoints that made the afternoon much more fun was the Emcee….Mike Omeara from the Kirk and Mike Morning Show on 105.9. The guy is a hoot….I didn’t know it was him or I would have asked him to autograph Dan’s Speedo or something….


The club ran a well organized event and in the end they were able to donate $4,451 to the Fredericksburg SPCA shelter….a pretty good day by anyone’s standards! They had 74 vehicles (cars & bikes) with 97 registered participants….not bad for the first time! Of that 74 vehicles only 5 “special” vehicles….5! Not a very good showing for the hot rod community around here….when this event comes around again next year be sure to put it on your calendar, you won’t be disappointed.

After the main part of the event was over for us we cruised 39 miles to Orange, VA and the Orange County Cruisers monthly cruise event at the Burger King on Rt. 15. We have been attending the event for a few years now and it is always a fun and interesting event. DJ Ron keeps the music hopping and the event moving along all night. Yes Ron, I knew it was Marty Robbins singing White Sports Coat….I have most of his tunes on my mp3 player! I’m old remember?

This night the cars kept coming in….it’s difficult to tell exactly how many cars attend because some stay for an hour or so then leave. I think there were about 260 cars by the time we left at 8:30, not a bad night!? Sometimes this cruise has a lot full of pro streets but tonight that was not to be the case….just mostly road cars came to visit. It seemed like the Barracuda owners go the memo, I counted 7 of the little Plymouths. There was a line of 4 traditionally hot rodded 30’s Ford pickups that was very cool; I have seen them grow to 4 during the last 3 years. A white ’55 Chevy Cameo came and parked in the line to add some rarity to the night. But the star was the ’64 Olds Jetfire with the very intricate paint…some of the details hearken back to the ‘60s design schemes but the rest is refreshingly new….kinda new & old at the same time! The choice of the Jetfire is unusual as it was only built for a few years before morphing into the Delmont…. a very interesting car.

About 8:30 we pulled the plug on the cruise and motored home. It was a cool evening and the Princess let me drive! Whoopee….

Batman Returns....kinda

Saturday our small group left the WAWA in N. Stafford and cruised 32 miles to the Burger King on Rt. 28 in Manassas VA. The Bull Run Street Rods Club has managed a weekly cruise at this location for a lot of years. Years ago this cruise started at Jerry’s Pizza on the corner of Rt. 28 & Manassas Dr. in Manassas Park. Then they moved to Chubby’s restaurant on Rt. 234 across from Prince William Hospital. From there they moved to the present location right off the end of the Manassas Regional Airport’s runway! We have cruised all the locations but years ago it was with our Harley. This cruise always attracts a large crowd and in that crowd we usually find a rarely seen vehicle. This afternoon was to be a real surprise.

We were all sitting behind our cars with the umbrellas blocking the sun, it was hot. The sun was beginning to set so the umbrellas were down low, which meant we couldn’t see the cars as they came into the cruise. We were talking and almost oblivious to the vehicle traffic coming in when the ground shook! It was the black Model A sedan with the killer, 540 inch blown Rat motor. That car is a piece of work and about the neatest, meanest car around. It was almost 5PM and since we were going to leave around 5:30 I decided to get up and take some pictures of the noisy beast! But….when I got out in front of our cars I noticed a crowd gathered around something but it wasn’t the noisy beast? Something had attracted people so thick that I couldn’t see the vehicle. Holy flashback Batman whatever could it be?

The Batmobile! I had seen this car about 4 years ago at a cruise in Centerville, VA….I just noticed it as it was leaving! But now….in all it’s tricky Batmanness here it was again. Robin must have cloaked the owner, I waited a while to talk to him/her and no one knew where they went!? So I just fought my way close enough to take a lot of pictures and had to be satisfied with that. WOW, you have to check out the pics. Then wandering around the lot, I came across a traditionally hot rodded ’40 Ford PU….with a blown flathead! It had a lot of soldered copper in the engine compartment….and a very kool cutout setup. There was a green ’49 MGTC, very sophisticated in a snobbish sort of way. This cruise attracts a lot of blower cars and they started coming in as we were leaving, I guess as the weather got a little cooler they came out on the prowl. Just as we left a neat flat head Harley showed up…. another seldom seen vehicle!

We had picked up a new cruiser, Aaron & his daughter, with a black ’69 Chevy PU at WAWA when we left Stafford earlier in the day. The truck belongs to his buddy, who asked him to drive it around a little before he got back, from Afghanistan. Aaron’s wife, Anita, and their other daughter met him at the cruise in Manassas, then they followed us back to Stafford and the cruise at Bruster’s. We parked the cars way out in the end of the lot and walked to Sam’s Pizza for dinner….when we came back we were surrounded by other cruisers and their cars, and a very large dog! This cruise usually gets 70-90 cars. It’s not like some cruises in that they play music and give out trophies. The winners are picked by the other participants voting…. We stayed till the bitter end to watch the awards then wrapped up the evening. This is a friendly, dependable cruise that should not be missed when you are in N. Stafford, VA on any Saturday evening from April to October.

Birthday for the USA....

Friday evening our small group; Ron & Jean, Fred, the Princess & I left Stafford, VA and cruised to Fredericksburg to meet up with Bill, another cruiser. We all motored our way the 68 miles to Central Garage in King William, VA and the weekly cruise at the King William High School. We have never attended this cruise and our friend, Larry talked us into checking it out….a good decision.

It was a nice cruise through the rural Virginia countryside to the HS and when we arrived the cruise was in process. I counted 82 cars in the lot with a high percentage of Mopars….why? Maybe it didn’t help that we brought three with us! The only cars we had seen before was Chuck & Cindy’s Chevelles and Bob’s Ford 5w….the rest were new to us! That’s one of the reasons we like to go to out of the way cruises….different cars and people. A car you don’t see much was the red ’60 Edsel but a really rare car was the red ’60 Ford Starliner, with the SB Chevy motor! I had to do a double take then scratch my head….why? I guess that’s what makes hot rodding so neat….everyone has a different idea on what they like to drive….choices. There was also a tricked out blue Chevy Van….Far Out! A couple of copper Corvettes and a very slick dune buggy. But the car that was the best in the lot for me was the black ’34 Ford Sedan, with 5.0 Ford power….a very nice ride.

Jean and the Princess started whining about dinner? Yeah they are high maintenance; we have to feed them now and then. So we asked Chuck & Linda if there was a good eatery close by and they directed us to a Vinny’s about a block away….a great choice. The food was good and the service was fun….our waitress was just as ornery as me and we had a good back and forth all during the meal….fun, ever heard of it? So after the meal we cruised home and put the Princessmobile in the garage about 11:30….it was a long day!

Since I have the RedRat up for sale the Princess and I are sharing her ’33 now. We both drove it years ago but we have had our own cars for the last six years and getting used to one car again is tedious and fun at the same time. We have taken a queue from one of our friends with the blue Vette that cruises with us in that I drive to the event and the Princess drives home….I think it will work? The Princess was a little under the weather Friday so I drove both ways this time. Her car is so different from the RedRat but in some ways better….it has A/C and is much quieter, we don’t have to yell at each other to be heard when we are both in the car! And I can hear her much better….I think that’s a good thing?

Monday, the Fourth of July, we met Fred & Debie at the WAWA in Stafford, VA and cruised 37 miles to the ice cream store in Bealeton then we hooked up with Steve & Sally, Dennis, Tommy and Jimmy & Cindy to cruise to Culpeper, VA and the Renaissance Fourth of July celebration. This is the 12th annual event and we have attended the last two. This event is hosted by the town of Culpeper and is a really big event around here.

This year there was 220 cars registered which was a record. The featured vehicle this year was the air cooled VW….which is near and dear to my heart. I had a ’57 bug that I raced in D/A when we first got married in ‘65. I never won anything but it was a fun car to race….that translates to cheap to race! grin There was a high quality and much varied collection of the little wheezers including the one on a lazy susan that I shot a quick video clip of….a very good representation of the “Peoples Car”. There was a Drum & Fife Corps that marched up Davis St. that I shot a short clip of too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZjiWvde37I

There was a nice collection of motorcycles but I liked the Honda CB750 the best….we bought a new one in 1970 when we lived in Riverside, CA and it was very fast for the time….I think the only stock bike that was faster was the Kawasaki 3cyl 500, that two wheeler was a rocket.

The cars varied from the black ’29 Lincoln original to the near new red, white and blue Corvette. The little red Angila was a killer as was the pink ’59 T-Bird. Donnie’s orange ’62 Chevy wagon had the best graphics in my opinion…. he is a local pinstriper…. ya think!? The red’ 61 Chevy PU with the Cadillac motor was special along with Jim’s black ’31 Ford Delivery. There was a whole bunch of blower cars/trucks and a soap box derby race car….truly something for everyone to enjoy. When I take photos at a car show or cruise I usually take like a documentary deal. I try to take the very best photo I can given the sun conditions and the way the vehicle sets and the position of the crowd or owners. I will wait for as long as five minutes or so to have the people move on so I can get a clear shot…. but…. sometimes the owner will lean against his/her vehicle and will not move away from it. And sometime the crowd will not leave the car quick enough so I can get a shot before the next wave of people get in the picture. This is what happened in Culpeper. The crowd was so massive and the “Best of Show” winner always had a crowd around it. The green ’69 RoadRunner deserved a better photo but I couldn’t get it! Fortunately the car is a regular around here and it can be seen in other shows I have photographed. Please take the time to look at the pictures there were many very nice representations of the car culture in our corner of the world. http://rides.webshots.com/album/580469703ZbeDka

The weather was in and out sunny and very hot….we were glad when it was over. It was a show not to be missed next year! Did I mention that the Princessmobile has A/C?