Memorial Day Car Show

Americans have been in love with their automobiles since Henry Ford first made the Model T, available to the average working man in 1908.  It changed the way Americans lived, worked and traveled.  As time went on, bigger and faster cars came along, roads were paved and by the 1950's that phenomena known as car cruising was at its height. Clear up through the 70's Small towns all over America were filled on Friday nights with cars cruising up and down their main streets.  The small city of Everett, WA was no different.  And while those cruising days have quietly disappeared, every year on Memorial Day people come from all over the state to show off their cars.  The city has grown and the cars are parked now.  The roads are thronged with people instead, but the memories are present and stories of cruising glory are shared with complete strangers as everyone enjoys a look at automotive history from days gone by.  The Investigator and I were a part of the fun as we took a stroll along Colby Avenue in Everett this afternoon.

 

 There were people as far as the eye can see all down the avenue, as well as the side street all the way down to the bay.

There is The Investigator heading towards the old woody on the right.  He used to be a surfer boy in his high school days and before moving north. 

Here he is  posing in front of this Chevy Camaro,  similar to one he owned when he was in the service.  I think I am married to a pretty handsome guy.

 The Investigator could just about name every type of car there.  I just took photos of the ones I thought were either unusual looking or painted pretty colors.

 Here was a car that could be driven on either land or water.  Just think, you could drive to the lake, into the lake, drop anchor and go fishing and then drive home, all without leaving your car.  Pretty cool.

Of course, car cruising wasn't complete without car hopping at the drive-in restaurant, having your order of burgers and a shakes brought to you by a server on roller skates.

 

 That was all just a little bit before my time but these skates did remind me of when I got my first  pair of shoes skates for Christmas when I was ten.  I loved them.  I skated in them until I finally wore them out.

Here is your classic "Gangster" car.  Can't you just see this roaring around the corner with a man hanging out the window with a tommy gun in hand and sirens blaring behind him?

 The Investigator was pretty impressed with the "First Aid Kit" fastened to the back.

But of everything we saw today I think this was the car that he enjoyed looking at the most, a 1950 Chevy painted the same color and looking almost identical to the 1951 Chevy which was his very first car in high school.  It brought back a lot of good memories of cruising around town with his buddies.

So that is how we spent our holiday.  How about you?  Do you remember your first car?