We were out for a walk in Stockbridge, when I spotted this car outside the historic Red Lion Inn. I felt sort of weird snapping a photo with the trunk open but couldn’t resist.
Where I come from, it’s not every day you see an Alfa Romeo cruise down the street.
What fun it would be to put the top down for a tour of the countryside in this little Italian roadster!
It’s going to be 72 and sunny today and perfect for heading out on a roadtrip. Hope you get to take advantage of this perfect fall day and maybe spot a cool classic while you’re out and about!
That moment you realize this seventy year old station wagon is cooler than anything will ever drive. No offense to my White Lightening but this Chevy Beauville is fabulous.
I saw her cruising in the wild in Frankenmuth, Michigan a couple of years ago and it was quite the treat.
You can’t talk about Cincinnati history or the city’s history museum without discussing the Crosley automobile. The Crosley Corporation produced a series of subcompact cars that are as cute as can be. They didn’t operate for a long time (1939-1952 with a break during the war years) but they certainly left their mark on the automobile industry.
They made the first mass produced automobile with an overhead camshaft engine that was affordable to the masses. They made a sports car, a truck, a convertible and station wagon like the one on display at the Ohio History center.
This 1951 Super Station Wagon is part of the permanent collection at the Cincinnati History Museum. It got an impressive 30- 50 miles per gallon at a top speed of around sixty miles per hour. According to the signage with the vehicle, the 1951 and 1952 models of this car came with this nifty little propeller on the front of the car.
Crosley Corporation and company founder Powell Crosley gave us the Shelvador refrigerator, a first to offer shelves inside the door. Powell owned the Cincinnati Reds for a while, broadcasting the games on his powerful WLW AM radio station which broadcast to homes across the Midwest on inexpensive radios he manufactured and sold to households nationwide.
The pictured vehicle was donated to the museum in honor of Jean and Houston Crosley. Houston was the grandson of Powell Crosley, Jr. Incidentally, they are buried at Spring Grove Cemetery along with many other members of the Crosley family.
I don’t know who needs to hear this but car show season will soon be upon us. With it will come tail fins, hood ornaments and opportunities to make new friends who are excited to talk about their classic cars. Not to mention all the photo ops!
Sit tight friends. It will be here soon.
Meanwhile, here’s a beaut I photographed in Boyne City, Michigan last year. We were on our way somewhere else but you can bet I slammed on the brakes at the sight of a park full of cars.
The fact it all took place on a lake was even better. Atmosphere counts for a lot! Here’s another shot with the water.
Phew!! It has been a long week but we finally made it to Friday. Here’s another picture from Frankenmuth, Michigan to brighten your day. Tomorrow, we will move on from Frankenmuth to another destination from my journey through Michigan.
A week ago today, I was winding down vacation and exploring Frankenmuth, Michigan. We went for Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland and for the Little Bavaria appeal of the town but were pleasantly surprised to find classic cars everywhere we looked.
That’s because the town was preparing for an enormous weekend long auto show set to start on Friday. Many car owners arrived on Thursday and spent the evening cruising the block.
Remember cruising?
That’s when carloads of (usually) teenagers went out driving along a popular route in town, often socializing with riders in other cars. If you’re not familiar, see the movie “American Graffiti.”
Most American towns have cracked down on this activity for the last several decades and you just don’t see it done much. However, Frankenmuth welcomed these drivers to cruise the block and even challenge each other at times.
The cops were miraculously absentee while we stood and watched all those beautiful old cars go by. By the way, those drivers were all ages – from teenagers to elderly – and all seemed to be having a blast.
They were expecting thousands of cars for the weekend and I hated to leave without seeing them all. I’m thinking it would be fun to go back next year and check out all the fun they have planned.
As much as I enjoy planning a trip, there’s something special about rolling into town and encountering the unexpected. This is one of the reasons we travel and one of the things that make adventuring amazing.
