Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise

[tom eisner CLC 18396]

Anybody else at the cruise last Saturday? Were you thinking what I was? Where are all the Cadillacs? It seems that the only time I get to see a lot in one place is at a Grand National.   

[Mike Welch]

Well actually, i seen alot there! I only photoed the years i liked. Some can be found here. Actually rain had an influence.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=207765&id=807583865&l=4897de9726

[David King (kz78hy)]

Well, I can't speak for Sat. as by then, I had participated all I wanted by then.
Wed. night the Motor City Region of the CLC had a burger run at Potbellys which was between 12 and 13 mile Rd there on Woodward.  Must have been 50 cars.

On Friday, there was a CLC function in that same area that had 40 cars or so that came and went through the day.  My tattered Brougham made both trips and was out and about.

Great weather before Sat. and I had a good time.

David

[kgray39011]

I was in Pontiac Friday night and saw quite a few Cadillacs', a 1960 Eldorado Convertible, 1949 Model 62 Club Coupe, couple of 1959 Coupes, a 1958 Sedan, 1964 Coupe to name a few.

Ken

[TJ Hopland]

So what and were is the cruise?   I did some work in Detroit a few years ago.  Detroit ends at 8 mile IIRC.  I remember it being a night and day transition even on the other side of the block.   Is there still burnt out buildings right on Woodward?  I remember thinking if there are this many right on the main drag how many there must have been further off the main roads.  My work was in Birmingham both times and that was something like 17 mile?  What is the name of the Hamburger joint right there?  Hunter house or was that the name of the rock star hotel across the street?  It was a little diner like place with not much room inside. Place had good burgers and that was a good thing since that is all they had.  Options were what was on it and maybe fires.  I think I sometimes ate there several nights in a row because it was so good and it was open late.  I think they were 24hr and got lots of take out orders.  One night I think they sent something like 200 cheese burgers to the hotel across the street where supposedly Aerosmith was staying and had the munchies after a concert.  Apparently rock stars often stayed there and it was tradition to order a ton of burgers from that place.    Seems like there was also a tiny walk up coney dog sort of joint on the east side of Woodward also.  The place I am thinking of was on the west side and I sort of remember a odd triangle sort of intersection. 

[David King (kz78hy)]

I do not hang out in that area, so I can't comment what is still going on there.

This is the 16th year or so for the event.  Basically now it is a week long cruise event that runs from Ferndale to Pontiac on Woodward Ave.

Here is a link from a local paper.

http://detnews.com/article/20100821/AUTO02/8210382/Dream-Cruise-2010--Wet-but-still-wild

David

[TJ Hopland]

Looks like Ferndale is just out side of Detroit proper. 

Any of you guys cruise Woodward 'back in the day'?

[David King (kz78hy)]

Nope, I grew up in hillbilly Indiana.

[kgray39011]

There cruise area is on the north side of Detroit. The Cruise starts at 8 mile (Base Line Road) and Woodward. It goes up to Potiac Wide Track Drive (aprox. 15 mile length, 30 mile loop). Birmingham is at Woodward and Maple Road (15 Mile). The fancy hotel is the Kingsley Inn. The burger place.....ummm...is it Top Hat? This cruise is 16 years old and attracts over a million people a year along the route.

Ken

[TJ Hopland]

Kingsly inn sounds right.  I was staying in a crappy motel down the road.    Top hat does not seem right.  Almost feel like making the trek just for a burger now but I suppose I should make sure its still there before setting off on a looong drive.  Too bad there is that one little lake in the way, makes the trip longer.

[Otto Skorzeny]

TJ,

You were right the first time. Hunter House Hamburgers is correct.

http://www.hunterhousehamburgers.com/

[TJ Hopland]

Yep thats the place.   Onions pressed in while cooking?  I dont really like onion so I am sort of surprised I liked them that much.  Other thing I remember is they had Tang in a fountain bubbler sort of thing.  I had never seen that before.  In my area you can buy it in the grocery store but otherwise have to go to up in space to get it as far as I knew.

So wasn't the cool part of cruising Woodward back in the day that you may have seen an engineer or executive trying out a new model?

[tom eisner CLC 18396]

Next year I'll do my homework! I was obviously at the wrong place at the right time.