TRAVEL TALES : JOIN CRUISERS FOR ROUTE 66 KICKS.Byline: Susanne Hopkins Daily News Travel Editor OK, guys and gals, dust off those saddle shoes saddle shoes an oxford, usually white, with a saddle of contrasting color, usually brown; a favorite fad of the 1940s and 1950s. [Am. Pop. Culture: Misc.] See : Fads , pull out those poodle skirts, rev up Verb 1. rev up - speed up; "let's rev up production" step up increase - make bigger or more; "The boss finally increased her salary"; "The university increased the number of students it admitted" 2. those '55 Chevys and get ready to cruise Route 66. It's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a once again for the Route 66 Rendezvous. The eighth annual car festival - which last year drew 1,700 vintage vehicles and 200,000 people - shifts into high gear Thursday through Sept. 21 in downtown San Bernardino San Bernardino, city, United States San Bernardino (săn bûr'nədē`nō), city (1990 pop. 164,164), seat of San Bernardino co., S Calif., at the foot of the San Bernardino Mts.; inc. 1854. , where 19 streets are closed to traffic for the event. Closed, that is, except to those vintage pre-1972 cars (and Corvettes from any year) that go cruising. While there are a variety of activities, from bands and carnival rides to a generous amount of Route 66 memorabilia featured at the event, cruising is really what this event is all about. ``Cruising E Street in San Bernardino used to be a legend in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, ,'' said Dan Stark, executive director of the San Bernardino Convention & Visitors Bureau, which started the festival. ``Route 66 went through here, and Route 66A - the business route - went through E Street. ... You came out of the Mojave Desert Mojave or Mohave Desert, c.15,000 sq mi (38,850 sq km), region of low, barren mountains and flat valleys, 2,000 to 5,000 ft (610–1,524 m) high, S Calif.; part of the Great Basin of the United States. , and this was really the first city where you could say, `Hey, I've reached California.' '' So it seemed natural to Stark that, in an attempt to get tourists to San Bernardino, the city should put together a festival that would combine two of the things the area was noted for - cruising and the historic highway millions of people from the East traveled on to reach California. ``It would be a nostalgia and Americana festival The Americana Festival is help annualy in Centerville, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton, Ohio. The festival always starts with the American Parade early in the morning. There are usually over 100 floats or groups in the parade each year. - a little bit of longing for the old days and cruising E Street to see and be seen,'' Stark said. And that's what the free event, which was first held in 1989, has become. With its parades of colorful cars, nostalgic music, events for kids, car contests, food and vendors showing off Route 66 memorabilia, it was selected as Best Special Event for 1997 by the California Division of Tourism The California Office of Tourism, popularly referred to as the Division of Tourism,[1] is an office within the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. . The division cited inventiveness and commitment to quality as well as its family orientation and positive effect on the community as reasons for the honor. Each day features cruises with vintage vehicles, hot rods, motorcycles, antique fire engines, even a restored garbage truck, rumbling through town, much to the delight of onlookers who park themselves on curbs and sidewalks to watch the cars roll by. ``You see the old cars cruising downtown, and I think that's the distinction between this and any car show,'' Stark said. While some of the show cars (whose owners pay a $40 registration fee to participate) are parked along the streets, most do run the cruising route, he continued. Some of the participants really get into the '50s spirit - slicking back their hair or pulling it into ponytails, rolling up their T-shirt sleeves and pant pant v. To breathe rapidly and shallowly. legs or donning saddle shoes and poodle skirts. ``These guys get behind the wheels of their cars and they're 16 again, not 66,'' said Stark. On Friday and Saturday, the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdale horses will lead the cruising. On Saturday, there will be a variety of car contests, including a street-legal open-header cruise and contest, where participants can remove their cars' mufflers and make a little noise. And the 1997 inductees into the Cruisin' Hall of Fame will be honored at 11 a.m. Saturday at City Hall on Court Street Square. The city established a wall in the Route 66 Plaza outside City Hall which includes the names of those who've made contributions to cruising. Honorees this year will include Hot Rod magazine Hot Rod magazine is a popular American monthly magazine devoted the the hobby of hot rodding, or modifying automobiles for performance and appearance. History Hot Rod magazine is the oldest magazine devoted to hot rodding having been published since 1948. Robert E. ; the Camaro, called the ``original muscle car,'' which celebrates 30 years of production this year; Carroll Shelby Carroll Hall Shelby, (born January 11, 1923 in Leesburg, Texas) is an American racing and automotive designer and former racing driver. Life before racing After graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, Texas, Shelby enlisted in the United States Army Air , race car driver and automotive designer; and Les Richter Les Richter (born October 26 1930 in Fresno, California) is a former Los Angeles Rams National Football League football player turned auto racing president of the Riverside International Raceway. , pioneer of the Riverside International Speedway and executive vice president of the California Speedway The California Speedway is a two-mile, low-banked, D-shaped oval superspeedway in Fontana, California, similar to that of "sister track" Michigan International Speedway. It is located approximately 40 miles east of Los Angeles on the site of the former Kaiser Steel mill. . On Sunday, a cruise of all-new Corvettes is planned, and there will be a Locals' Only cruise. Kids can participate in Cruisin' Kids Town, featuring games, carnival rides and a special kids' stage with entertainers at Meadowbrook Park, corner of Sierra Way and Third Street downtown. ``Some people are just interested in cars, other people come for the nostalgia, and some come because it's a Route 66 event,'' said Stark. ``There's something for everyone.'' Get your kicks - for free Route 66 Rendezvous will be Thursday through Sept. 21 along 19 streets bounded by E Street and Sierra Way and Second Street and Fourth Street in downtown San Bernardino. Hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, noon to 10 p.m. Sept. 19, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sept. 20 and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 21. Admission is free. To reach the area, take Highway 134 east to Highway 210 east, follow it to Highway 10 east, then take Highway 91 north into San Bernardino. Take the Second Street offramp, turn right and follow the signs to free parking. Information: (562) 997-9817. CAPTION(S): Photo, Box Photo: The Camaro, the ``original muscle car,'' will be honored at this year's Route 66 Rendezvous. Box: Get your kicks - for free! (See Text) |
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