Memories of Our Cruises.....

This picture is similar to the first car I owned, back in 1961. A 1957 Ford Custom, 2 dr. Sedan. My dad got it used for me and I made monthly payments to him to pay him back, plus paid for my own insurance. Price of vehicle was $600. Memories.....priceless.

I was fortunate enough to experience some of my memorable teenage years during 1958 through 1962. It was a wonderful time and although it may bring unhappy memories to some (Vietnam War era), for a lot of us, it was a time like no other. Cruising was all the thing back then. Shiny cars, no cares and great music, cruising along Woodward Avenue between our burb and the next, ..….where all the kids went, ending at the most popular local drive-in restaurant for a 5x5 (big hamburger) and a coke.

One weekend in August a bunch of years ago, some car enthusiasts got together and decided it would be fun to make “the old run”, cruising the highway again….and even do it in some vintage cars. Even though the drive-in is no longer in business, the memories hang in the air. The idea caught on. And now this event has gone from a small one, to one known world-wide. The air is filled with the music of the late 50’s through the 70’s. A lot of people dress just like we dressed back then. For about two weeks prior the event, you can see the cars from that era being driven around town, so shiny they hurt your eyes. The local radio stations have hopped on the band wagon and play all the music from those years we loved so much. At any given moment, you can turn on your radio, close your eyes and travel back in time 40 years or more. Yesterday I was behind a fine looking ’56 Chevy on the way home from work, listening to the Beach Boys.

This weekend is going to be a nice one, even though it won’t be a typically blazing hot August day. The temp should top out at a perfect 80, and the sky is the purest blue and the sun is bright and inviting. I always feel badly for the participants who often trailer their vehicles across country and then have to put up with rain, which has happened frequently. But not this year!

I don’t personally attend anymore; my knee has decided that for me. But I still enjoy the event by watching some of it on TV and listening to all those wonderful songs. I remember driving to work in my senior year, listening to the strains of “Runaround Sue” and “The Wanderer”; I hear them again and my mind travels back….to a simpler time. True, no cell phones, no computers, no video games but we often left our homes unlocked and the keys in the ignition of the family car sitting in the driveway. All of you my age know what I’m talking about. I’m glad I was blessed enough to experience it.

So, if you want, you can check out Dream Cruise and get a glimpse into the past. I often wonder exactly what today’s teen thinks of all this. Probably about the same way I used to feel when my mom talked about the “Big Band Era”, and dancing “The Charleston”.