2011 Woodward Dream Cruise Pictures

The 2011 Woodward Dream Cruise will be one to remember. First and foremost, because the turnout was great! The majority of the cars cruising were either classics, or destined to be classics in the future. Traffic didn't seem quite as congested as years passed, even though turnout seemed higher than ever. I hit the cruise Friday evening, then returned early Saturday morning for a full day...at least until the storm hit.

The storm was unlike anything I had experienced first hand while stuck outdoors. Listening to the advice of my mom and wife, my wife and I took our 9 month old daughter to my Camaro, parked within the show area. The only thing is, we didn't make it to the car before the storm hit hard.

I had been watching the radar on my phone, and for the most part, the storm was dying down as it approached, and seemed to be approaching at a snail's pace. By the time that last bit of red on the radar was about to hit, we headed to my car, even though things seemed calm aside from a light rain. As we were about half way to my Camaro, Mother Nature unleashed her full fury upon us, and the three of us took shelter in the men's restroom near the ballpark. My parents, along with my neighbors, had remained with the chairs, still watching the cruise, expecting little more than a light rain. What actually hit was a torrential downpour, lightning, and winds that were likely 60-70 mph.

After the worst had passed, my concerned mom called, crying. Seems that multiple 40-50 foot trees had fallen throughout the park, one of which was lying across the path we walked. Somebody up above was looking out for us today, as this monster of a tree would have taken us out had we been just a few seconds later. I've included a few post-storm pictures at the end.

As for the show, as I said, it was the best show in years, and my internal clock is already counting down until next year. As for how my Camaro did, that's for another entry, as I have plenty of concerns to sort out in the off season, and I have decided that for me, the off season started with the conclusion of Woodward. Now, enjoy the pictures, and stay tuned for more wrenching and modifications over the coming months.

Shined and ready to show, one last time for the year.

This orange looked sweet on the Firebird.

This Lingenfelter Camaro took some old styling from the 69 Camaro, and applied them to the new Camaro. After some careful review, I determined I liked it, other than the chin spoiler in the front, which was a bit much.

I'm by no means a big Thunderbird fan, but this car was extremely nice!

The Bird's engine.

The original Boss.

A 1948 Desoto. I had a nice chat with the old guy who owned it, and also mentioned the 1951 that sits nearby me.

A coworker's Cutlass.

Couple of Classic Fords.

Pair of Mopars.

Always loved this generation. Sexiest Vettes ever built in my opinion.

Karmann Ghia drag car. I always liked the styling of these.

Another Ghia.

Nice Olds.

Nice Cuda.

I love this rod, even though the flames look outta the late 80's/early 90's.

Surfs up.

Just when you thought you've seen it all at Woodward, here comes a monster of a street rod, powered by a Caterpillar engine.

I didn't realize Plymouth ever built trucks.

Here is the monster of a tree that fell across the path we walked, probably just seconds after we passed by.

I can't remember the last cruise where it DIDN'T rain. While we were among the last to leave the show area, the storm didn't dampen our spirits, as we all had a fun time and look forward to next year. As we headed out, cruisers and spectators were already returning to the street/sidewalks to get a few more hours in.

2011 Woodward Dream Cruise Photos