Hang on, it's gonna be a bumpy ride. sigh...
Anywho, just the end the year right, we did our customary round of Car Stuff to end 2024.
First up was the Horseless Carriage Drive. This brings out some of the most beautiful Auld Stuff out of their heated garages and into the Public Eye and it's FREE! It all starts at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, and winds its way through Altadena and Pasadena. Some of the route is a bit tricky, and up in Altadena, they needed the help of my buddy, retired PPD cop Tom. He dusted off his traffic directing skills and got them on the right path. Mostly.
The drive is open to only pre-1936, UNMODIFIED (as in no Hot Rods) cars. Now, I suppose you could just follow along, because they are public roads, but...The drive is, of course, dominated by hoards of Model Ts and Model As, but you get to see the creme de la creme of 1930s elegance. Doozies, Packards, Cadillacs, Rolls, Bentleys...
Anyway, here's some pix:
And then, there's the other fun time. Back in my mis-spent youth, growing up in Pasadena meant you HAD to cruise Colorado Blvd. on New Year's Eve. All the Hot Rodders uncorked their cars and idled along the parade route, killing their left knees by holding down the clutch. Well, we're STILL doing it. People gather mostly at where Sears used to be on Foothill, and about 10am get going. Down to Colorado, then all the way across Pasadena. We always cross Suicide Bridge and cruise through my old neighborhood. This year, daughter Caitlin managed to drag herself 'awake' and join us. She was really little when my folks moved away from Pasadena, so I got to show her all the cool stuff in my neck of the woods. Naturally, that included the gates to the Van Valkenburg estate, AKA Batman's Wayne Manor from the TV show! Such fun.
So, here's the pix from that adventure:
