SPYING A SHINY RETRO MACHINE... rolling down Route 66 is one of the pleasures of an adventurous life on the road. Vintage wheels and the vintage highway go together like old rock 'n roll and the AM dial, and getting the chance to admire some 1950s-style chrome in the vicinity of the famous thoroughfare is a pleasure for both car buffs and people who don't know much about cars alike. But you don't have to hang out around the edges of Route 66 to spy the big fins and huge hood ornaments of the days of yore: The Route 66 Cruisin' Reunion welcomes hundreds upon hundreds of cars and thousands of fans for three days of look-closer, whistle-in-appreciation car love. And, yes, it is all happening within honking distance of the Chicago-to-LA stretch of asphalt, in beautiful Ontario, California. But this isn't some in-a-parking-lot festival deal, oh no. There are...
TWENTY TWO BLOCKS... of autos to take in during the Friday, Sept. 18 to Sunday, Sept. 20 car party. "(O)ver 200,000 people" attended in 2014, so count on enthusiasts vrooming in from all over Southern California, either to eye autos or show off their own. But where to begin? Well, don't make for Foothill Boulevard, which is where Route 66 flows through the area. Rather, think Euclid Avenue in the area of Ontario City Hall.
IT ISN'T ALL CARS ALL THE TIME, of course. There shall be live tunes that summon the rockin' spirit of the radio of yore, and a neon light contest, and other happenings throughout the three-day run. But if you just need to lean down and eye some well-upholstered backseats and overly large steering wheels and glove boxes the size of a mailbox, that can absolutely be done. Aren't we lucky to live in the Land o' 66? It's called the Mother Road for a reason: It has spun out countless car stories and myths. And we SoCalers are rather enamored with car stories, and anything retro, fun, and fast.
