Note: Today’s guest post is by my friend Laurie Kraynick, whose excellent 1970 Fleetwood Brougham has previously been discussed here and here. Enjoy. -TK
On a scale of 1-10 the weather was a 12, just a GORGEOUS, warm, sunny, breezy day at the beach
for a classic car parade and show. All sponsored by the Greater Hyannis Chamber of Commerce, the
folks who SHOULD HAVE HAD the annual Father’s Day Car Show this year but wilted to the wishes of all the restaurant and other common retailers on Main Street Hyannis because they lost so much
money last year and this year due to the Hyannis Puritans crushing the local economy with flu
mandates – but I digress….
We mustered by 11am at Kalmus Beach, 127 cars signed up as requested in advance, 300 showed up. Ooops. And the Barnstable PD immediately began scrambling for more units to block off the numerous intersections we’d be crossing on the parade route. We didn’t roll until noon. Up Ocean Street, to Old Colony, left on Main Street to Sea Street, left on North Main, right back on Ocean Street, back to the Kalmus Beach parking lot.
BPD units in the lead and at the stern. I was surprised so many people were on Main Street, photographing, video, clapping and cheering. It was fun! But not as fun as the Volvo with CT plates who tried to go around the fully marked and lit up Barnstable unit and take a right on Main Street from Barnstable Road. That cop might still be reaming him, 6 hours later.
Once parked back at Kalmus out came the showboards and chairs after a wiping off. 4 excellent food trucks in attendance, yes the lobster rolls were a little pricey for what you got but they were fresh. And simply MOBBED with people gawking at the cars. The DJ and MC were pure genius.
Before we left I asked the MC if he had Queen’s “I’m in love with my car” loaded on the laptop. He’s like “oh man what a great song, it will be played when you guys get back.” And he did. GREAT DJ and MC, they had a huge group of people dancing and singing right in front of their area for hours, just fabulous.
Photo’s attached. Keep in mind we have CLC members around the world that are still in authoritarian lockdowns. Let them see life going on in the world, it can give them hope, OK? That blue perfectly correct TA beside me is owned by a chick in my club, so is a correct ’70 Boss that didn’t show. We usually park together at club events, “Estrogen Avenue”. And who’s that CLC forum member with his better half and that very correct ’64 de Ville flip top?
Just a Blessed gorgeous day to be hanging out with The Ark, other Caddy’s, other great cars, great
people, over priced but yummy food, on the beach. Does it get any better? No, no it doesn’t.
While I sincerely believe our Caddys enjoy going to shows and strutting/pouting/posing like members of a hair glam band (where’s Lexi?), I think they enjoy being part of our lives too. Out for a meal, for a visit to friends and/or family, to a club, maybe getting some groceries and running errands. For us, its all about the cruise. But I think they like feeling ‘useful’ too.
That’s just me. Here’s The Ark getting groceries, out for lunch at Spanky’s Clam Shack (yes this is actually a restaurant) on Hyannis Harbor, stopping for drinks at Trader Ed’s on the other side of Hyannis Harbor, cruising up to Reid’s Automotive for the holy water engine oil, going to work occasionally, taking me to visit my family at the cemetery, and comforting me on the return trip home. DRIVE your cars, they’ll die if you don’t.