2018 NC Region 4th Annual Cruise-in Reports April 21, 2018
By Bill Cox
NC Region 4th annual Cruise in
The North Carolina Region held its 4th annual Cruise In on Saturday April 21st in Pittsboro, N.C. A spectacular, crisp sunny spring morning greeted us as we drove in from a number of locations around the state. There were about 50 Region members in over 30 cars at the event, and we met up with the AACA Pontiac-Oakland Region who were touring the middle of NC.There were only a few cars from the Pontiac group but we enjoyed meeting with folks from the club who were staying in Burlington and touring several locations around the Piedmont.
Pittsboro has always been an attractive location for folks who enjoy history. It is a small town just south of Chapel Hill with a vibrant central shopping area that includes a number of interesting shops. There are antiques, jewelry, consignment shops, book shops and a number of small restaurants and a few pubs.
After we arrived and parked in a city lot close to the main street, we spent some time talking with folks from around the Region and the Pontiac Club. There were a number of interesting cars I had not seen… I think the cruise in brings out some vehicles that folks would not normally bring to a car show, but enjoy driving on a short trip.
The cruise in idea is one I had several years ago when I was thinking about activities that would provide folks an event they would enjoy with cars they like to drive but don’t necessarily want to enter into a show. We like just getting together with friends who also enjoy driving down the road in something from a by gone era. We certainly experienced that Saturday as we saw everything from Corvettes to a VW micro bus to a 20’s era Hudson. There was a nice 59 El Camino (the first year for the model), a nice 30s era Packard and a beautiful 52 Pontiac convertible.
After spending some time catching up with everyone, we disbursed to main street to see some shops and find some lunch. Some people went to the S&T soda shop, an old drug store with the original counter and cabinetry from the 40s that now serves sandwiches, burgers and salads. Linda and I and several others ended up further down the street at the Pittsboro Roadhouse and we all enjoyed a nice lunch in the outside seating area. After lunch, the Pontiac club had arranged for Roy Underhill, the Woodwright on PBS, to provide a demonstration of wood working with tools made and used in the early 20th century. You can see Roy’s show on UNC TV, where he demonstrates his craft in the TV series. The group reported that it was an interesting demonstration and fun to watch.
Linda and I enjoyed seeing folks from Wilmington to Winston as we had a diverse crowd from a number of chapters. We decided to cruise on home about 2:00 and took the Corvette north to Hillsborough (about a 45 minute ride).
Thanks to John Allred, NC Region VP for putting together the 4th Annual NC Region Cruise in. It was fun, easy and inexpensive… and what a great spot to spend a little time downtown and have lunch. If you haven’t been to one of our cruise-ins, watch for the next one, but you’ll have to wait ‘til next spring when we’ll be holding the 5th annual event. If you have a suggestion for a location, let John know your thoughts. We’d love to see you there next year!
Happy Motoring,
Bill
See more Pictures at: 2018 NC Region Cruise-in Pictures
By Denny Oestreich
On Saturday morning 30 NC Region Vehicles and 50 members drove from many locations to meet in Pittsboro, NC join the Pontiac/Oakland Region of AACA who were on a tour of the area. An empty parking lot in downtown Pittsboro was a perfect place to cruise in, park in the shade and kick the tires on many vehicles. By 10:30 am there were 20 NC Region Vehicles cars at the meeting place choosing parking places and talking cars. As the morning went on more vehicles joined us. There were brief speeches by Bill Cox, NC Region President, Ralph Proscia, Pontiac Oakland Region Tour Director and Past President of the Pontiac Oakland Region. They described the Tour plans for the group and invited NC Region members to join them for the day. Bill Cox presented everyone with a key chain momento of the tour. .
The group then left to explore Pittsboro. They visited antique shops, viewed the Woodright’s Shop and toured the S&T Soda Shop in downtown Pittsboro. There were several places for lunch.
After lunch we watched the Tour group leave for Silk Hope, NC to visit the Farm Heritage Center.
To see more Pictures go to: 2018 NC Region Cruise-in Pictures