"doodon2whls" (doodon2whls)
08/27/2013 at 00:51 • Filed to: Car Culture, DreamCruise, Detroit
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"doodon2whls" (doodon2whls)
08/27/2013 at 00:51 • Filed to: Car Culture, DreamCruise, Detroit | 0
| 0 |
...only a handful of cruisers on this moist August Monday night... The only semi-permanent evidence of the WDC are the obligatory burnout marks peppered up and down MI-1... I didn't let the scarce population of cruisers stop me from visiting my old haunts along the storied boulevard...
I'm in Day-twah for work, and have an uninspiring beige-mobile for a rental car, so no Oppo Review on this trip... It's a 2013 Chevy Impala. Not much else I really want to write about that (unless of course a fellow opponaut has a specific question).
This black/white twist soft-serve with sprinkles, however ? OMG... Takes me back...
Places like this Dairy Deluxe @ 14 mile & Woodward are key to the Woodward car culture. Families walk, drive, cycle, scoot, and skate there way to these places on hot summer eves in search of a delightfully cooling refreshment that never lasts long enough. What they also get as a bonus are the sights, smells and sounds of the magic that is car culture. Fully tubbed out Novas, Darts, Mustangs, or customs ? Yup. Alcohol burning monstrosities ? Yissss. Cars that make you go "Hmmmmmmmm". Lots of 'em. The spontaneous tire chirp into second ? Uh-huh. Nitrous ? Only for the daring, but you betcha. The periodic warble of a cop car siren ? No doubt. It's all here folks. All of it.
It's memories like these that make me wish I never left this crazy-ass town eight long years ago. We lived in Berkley in an unassuming little bungalow about a mile-and-a-half from Woodward & 12 mile. On WDC weekends, we'd be cruising with friends, dining al-fresco out in the heat & humidity just to watch/smell the Detroit iron roll by. We'd throw a bash at our house and then walk en-masse down to Woodward & 12 mile and then north along the cemetery where the car clubs had staked out their prime spots on the strip, eventually arriving at the 13 mile madness where Chrysler would take over the shopping center parking lot with displays galore. We'd marvel at all of the restored, unrestored, beautiful, ugly, cars & trucks along the way. You see, it really doesn't matter which way you swing in this car culture, there is an overwhelming theme of unity expressed here. No make, brand, style, color, or vintage of car is sneered at (in general). Sure, the kids driving a clapped out Kia in the 'cruise lanes' get an earful, but the folks that are really out for a cruise in their expression of automotive enthusiasm get nothing but cheers. It is a scene to behold.
I miss this place. I miss it bad.