Organizing a successful car cruise takes a rare blend of planning and intuition.
Even for the most experienced among us, juggling all the relevant factors can leave you pulling your hair out one strand at a time.
Toss in a cruise made up of trophy-winning classic rides, and your job just got incrementally tougher. Fortunately, David Riser, Vice President of the Georgia Street Rod Association (GSRA), was up for the challenge.
As we walked around the Hot Rod’s Diner staging area in Social Circle, GA, we knew this caravan was going to turn heads. Each of these vehicles was a show-stopper in their own right.
Roll this collection through quaint Georgia towns, and people are going to stop and stare, which they did often. In many ways, it felt like we were on a leg of the Hot Rod Power Tour without the traffic jams.
Which is to say, it was legitimate fun from start to finish.
Organizing A Classic Car Cruise
Rod Worley – Editor – What were some challenges organizing a cruise for classic show cars?
David Riser – Event Organizer – The first challenge was finding a group of classic car owners willing to get out and drive their trophy-winning vehicles.
As you can imagine, a cruise with classic cars brings a whole new dynamic to the planning. First, gas mileage is a concern because some of these vehicles only get 10 miles to the gallon.
So, you want to make sure there are gas stations along the route. Overall mileage is also a factor to consider because these are older cars.
Some are over 50 years old, so you’re always thinking about mechanical reliability. From there, it’s your usual concerns with planning a cruise.
What are the conditions of the roads? Is there a mix of scenic country road driving combined with a small town or two?
And, of course, you’ve got to find the right place to break for lunch. I always look for obscure, off-the-beaten-path restaurants with great food, unique atmosphere, and good parking.
The Grillmaster
The Ripe Thing Market has small-town charm at every turn, but make no mistake; Chef Ken McCord brings this down-home dining experience to life.
For 38 years, he owned a restaurant in the heart of Charleston, South Carolina, and it shows.
There’s an ease to his open-air grilling that captures your attention immediately. Rain or shine, year-round, you’ll find him conversing with clients and working his culinary magic outside in front of his restaurant/market.
From his well-organized cooking station, he turns locally grown, farm-fresh ingredients into entries that will keep you coming back for more.
In talking with Chef McCord, we learned that he retired with his wife to Lake Oconee in Georgia a few years ago. They built a lake-front home and set out to enjoy the good life.
However, it was only a short time before he was drawn back and eventually opened Ripe Thing Market with a partner.
This Market is more than a restaurant. It is a hub for locally grown produce such as green beans, squash, and cucumbers. Also neatly stacked are rows of unusual and exciting jams, pickles, and preserves.
They also stock products made by farms nearby, including honey products, moonshine jelly, watermelon rind jelly, and jalapeno bread.
Aso in stock were local free-range chicken and eggs, miscellaneous syrups, and Jittery Joe coffee.
Trust us, even that list doesn’t begin to cover everything they have available. If you’re an aspiring dinner party hostess, their ever-changing assortment should make you smile.
Caravan Turns Heads
All the stars aligned for this rolling car show through the less-traveled back roads of central Georgia.
The lazy days of summer were true to form, with thermometer readings north of 90 degrees and abundant sunshine. Even that couldn’t stop our air-conditionless classic owners from smiling.
The day ended with a quick visit to The Caboose restaurant in downtown Rutledge, GA, for some well-deserved homemade ice cream.
Best of all, everyone enjoyed hitting the road for a short jaunt. And, for the record, we turned many a bystander’s head while doing it.
Ripe Thing Market
Location: 112 W Broad St, Greensboro, GA
Phone: 706-454-2155
Facebook: RipeThingMarket
Email: [email protected]
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