2025 Woodward Dream Cruise - this week

[Carfreak]

If anyone will be at this year's Woodward Dream Cruise, the Motor City Region will be gathering at Citizens' Bank on northbound Woodward at Long Lake Rd across from the Kingsley Hotel in Bloomfield Township.

The group will be there Wednesday & Friday from 4:30 pm until around 8 pm. Stop by, say hi and check out members' and guests' cars. 

Cadillac of Novi will have a new Blackwing on display, a 2008 XLR-V and maybe something else.

[TJ Hopland]

Have things kinda settled back to normal with the Cruise?  Seems like I heard that over the last several years different people were trying to make different changes sometimes conflicting with other changes so it was sort of a mess and people were not coming back. 

Whats the official area now?  Is the Hunter House still around?  Darn it now I'm hungry for a burger.       

[Clewisiii]

I am more of a Back to the Bricks in Flint person.

I was at one of the Back to the Bricks tune up shows last week. There was a 59 that backed up to a little hill. Made for a very strange angle standing down the hill behind it looking up.

[Carfreak]

Have things kinda settled back to normal with the Cruise?  Seems like I heard that over the last several years different people were trying to make different changes sometimes conflicting with other changes so it was sort of a mess and people were not coming back. 
     

Wasn't aware of anything other than vehicles over 10k lbs not being allowed on Woodward Friday and Saturday. This just means we bring our smaller Fire Brush truck (plus a convertible) instead of the 30k lb Quint Fire Truck.

Yes, Hunter House is still there and yes, still delicious.

The Cruise runs from 9 Mile Road in Ferndale north to Pontiac and using the Wide Track Loop directs traffic back south. Being in that area provides a great opportunity to visit the new Pontiac Transportation Museum.  It is directly associated with the Museum of the same name in Pontiac Illinois the CLC Route 66 Driving Tour visited almost 10 years ago. Pontiac gets really congested late Saturday so be sure to visit that area earlier on Saturday. 

The M-1 Concourse ($$$ Car Condos and Race Track) has hosted the Woodward Dream Show the past couple years which is very popular. Berkley Parade still happens with 500 to 600 vehicles on Friday evening 6:30 pm about an hour after the Ferndale Emergency Vehicle Lights & Sirens Parade. 

[tcom2027]

Hi Sue,

I know you will be coming from the north, but if you happen to get south to Eight Mile, wave to the White Castle on the corner of Woodward and Eight for me. It fed me for years while I was working for the dealership across the street from it.

Good to hear the Hunter is still open. I heard Pasqualis' is being torn down to make way for a Big Boy. I miss their Pizza..... and Detroit. 

Enjoy the cruise.

tony

[Carfreak]

Actually, we come in from the west to go to Woodward. We were out there Tuesday through Friday had a blast.

Going out to the Gilmore today with our 60 Cadillac convertible for Relix Riot an old school hot rod show.

Not too much dream cruise activities going on down at 8 mile, but we did make it as far as Ferndale yesterday.

[Carfreak]

They know a cool car when it drives by

(We had just come off a Michigan Left)

[TJ Hopland]

I'm always thinking about Hunter House but what other food or other businesses are still surviving along the route that have been there since what I assume was the golden era of the route which was the 60's?  Can't be many left.  I was only around there mid 90's and early 2000's and didn't ever go too much further north than 14 mile.   

[Big Fins]

Mmmmm! Chicken Shack.

[Carfreak]

Mmmmm! Chicken Shack.

Yeah Chicken Shack, that was late lunch Thursday afternoon with our 60 Cad convertible.  They've been around since the mid 1950s.  In 2003 when the northeast had a Blackout during Dream Cruise week, they were one of the only businesses powered by a generator.  A photo of their (yellow) building along the darkened roadway made it in Time or similar magazine. 

I'm always thinking about Hunter House but what other food or other businesses are still surviving along the route that have been there since what I assume was the golden era of the route which was the 60's?  Can't be many left.

Hunter House was close to being demolished for a new development several years ago but is still standing. Not sure what happened.

Yep, Pasquale's is gone and we mourn their closing. Great pizza, bread sticks and antipasti salad. An inflatable Big Boy was set up in the parking lot during Dream Cruise along with a BB Food Truck. 

Pasquale's prior building is now Red Coat Tavern and is still there.

Duggan's Irish Pub, often considered epicenter of the Woodward Dream Cruise offers Totem Pole-inspired menu items. I think they've been around since the early 1980s, long but not so long.

Sign of the Beefcarver lingers.  Rusty Bucket is in the former Totem Pole Restaurant location.

Como's in Ferndale has been around since the 1950s. It closed for about a year then reopened. 

[tcom2027]

AHhh, the Totem Pole, and the Wigwam, "heap good Food"  Friday and Saturday night home of the big power Mopars, Fords and Chevies along with T buckets, lots of 392 hemi, SBCs and flathead Ford powered roadsters, deuces and all manner of custom in between. Sounds of CKLW Canadian radio blaring Rock 'n Roll along with the iconic "SUNDAY AT DETRIOT DRAGWAY............"  spots,  and Jack the Bellboy on WJBK. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbrdImfvFmQ&ab_channel=primusic    (turn your sound down to  low. Commentary is energetic,)

Back in a time you might see Jack Rausch or Don Garlits at Gratiot Auto Supply prior to race weekend at Detroit Dragway.

and....  on Sundays, watching  Hodges Dodges sponsored  Ramchargers Dodges at the Detroit Dragway.

A time it was, a time it was.

tony

[TJ Hopland]

Is Birmingham the only section that got a bypass?  When did that happen?

Each time I look at this thread I'm hungry.  I want a burger and or now some fried chicken.  I never knew of Chicken Shack when I was there but I do recall eating a lot of fried chicken from the or a Coney Island joint in Birmingham.  I see there is still one listed there.  Name now doesn't ring a bell, I remember it being called 'The Greek's' but I don't remember if that was the name on the sign or just what the locals called it. 

For the months I worked there lunch every day was often Coney Island chicken and dinner was usually Hunter House which I found because it was one of the only options that was still open when I got off late.  Besides the great burgers I remember they had Tang.  Great option for a drink at midnight.

Is there still a fancy hotel in Birmingham where all the rock stars stay when they are playing in Detroit?  I remember that was a thing when I was there.  Normally when I would wander into the Hunter House around midnight things were pretty quiet but at times there would be many employees and bags of burgers stacked up on the counter and on tables.  Asked what the deal was and I guess it was a tradition that at the after parties at the hotel they would order a couple hundred burgers.     

[J. Skelly]

Yes, the Townsend Hotel is still open.