Dream Diner Car Show

August 22, 2020 — I didn't expect much from this show which I just learned about a couple of days before it was scheduled, but I had a beautiful Saturday with nothing better to do, so I figured there was nothing to lose in a half hour drive down to Tyngsboro, Massachusetts. If it was a disappointment, I'd just turn around and come back home. That's almost what I did upon driving onto the lot at the Dream Diner, sponsor of the event. There were about ten show cars there when I arrived. The trophies to be awarded far outnumbered the cars.

I took a few photos of the few cars that interested me, thinking I probably wouldn't end up with enough to make a page out of. But cars kept drifting in, and eventually about 60 to 70 filled the lot. There were the usual muscle cars and customs that have dominated every show this season, but also a number of cars from the mid-20th Century and a 1923 Model T Ford, overall as good a mix as any show this year.

Near the end of the show, ominous clouds darkened the sky. They rushed through trophy presentation, and just about completed it when rain started coming down in buckets, causing a rush to the exits. A few convertibles didn't get their tops up in time.

So the show I was afraid wouldn't fill a page on my site ended up filling two pages. You can see them all at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/dreamdiner/

Hot Rods, Muscle & More

August 15, 2020 — It's been a famine of car shows in this season of coronovirus, but on this Saturday, there were two New Hampshire shows in close enough proximity that I was able to cover both. First was a show called Hot Rods, Muscle & More, hosted by North East Motor Sports Museum in Loudon. This proved to be the largest show I've attended so far this season, with over 300 cars counted by late morning.

I was able to get all the photos I wanted before noon, then made the 40-minute drive south to Manchester for Salute the Troops Car & Motorcycle Show, hosted by JAK Kustoms, on the banks of the Merrimack River, under the Notre Dame Bridge in the old mill district. This a smaller show, but still featured some interesting vehicles and many good photo ops.

Photos of Hot Rods, Muscle & More can be seen at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/hotrodmuscle/

Photos and a video from Salute the Troops are at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/salutetroops20/

Classic Cars at the Aviation Museum

July 25, 2020 — It was the first time I'd been to the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire's annual car show since 2014. That show was so small I by-passed it every year since in favor of bigger shows. It's still always worth a visit to the fascinating museum. I decided to check out the museum's car show in this year of COVID-19 when there aren't many shows to choose from. I was pleasantly surprised. At the time I left, they announced they had 260 cars. That would be a good turnout in any year.

The building that houses the museum was built in 1937 as the control tower for Manchester Airport in Londonderry, New Hampshire. When a new control tower was built for what is now known as Manchester-Boston Airport, the old one was moved to the outskirts of the airport and converted to a museum in 2004. Currently, because of the pandemic, visits are restricted to Saturday only, face masks required, with only 10 visitors at a time admitted.

My photos of the car show can be seen at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/aviation2020/

Cruisin' the Tree

July 16, 2020 — The popular weekly cruise night called "Cruisin' the Tree" in Danvers, Massachusetts, seems to be surviving the coronavirus very nicely. A warm, sunny evening drew a good turnout of show cars and spectators. Located in a parking lot at the edge of Liberty Tree Mall, all the mall stores, shops and restaurants are a short walk away. I'm still avoiding stores and restaurants as much as possible until the pandamic threat lessens, so I spent just two hours in the parking lot, enough time to get all the photos I wanted, and then got out and had a late supper at home.

You can view those photos, the best variety of any show so far this season, at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/libertytree20/

Seacoast Cars & Coffee

July 12, 2020 — Seacoast Cars & Coffee, a morning show hosted by the Mall at Fox Run in Nashua, New Hampshire, featured the greatest number of cars I've seen at a show so far in this pandamic-reduced season. The show also had the widest variety seen so far. The plan was to park show cars every other space to allow for social distancing. This plan quickly fell through as the number of cars quickly exceeded expectations, and almost all side-by-side spaces were taken.

The ratio of those wearing masks to maskless was no better than 50/50. Still, as with other shows, I've found it easy to maintain safe social distancing. I just back away from the rare maskless individual who finds it necessary to get a foot from your face to talk to you.

Seacoast Cars & Coffee is held 8-11 a.m. the first Sunday of every month through October, weather permitting. You can see my photos of their first show of the season at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/seacoast/

Moo's Ice Cream

July 6, 2020 — Continuing my tour of cruise nights in this year of coronavirus when most of the big weekend shows have been canceled, I landed at Moo's Place Ice Cream in Salem, New Hampshire. Specializing in mouth-watering ice cream concoctions, Moo's did a swift business on this very warm evening. The combination of ice cream and a car show was a sure winner.

There was a good turnout of cars and spectators. A collection of antique military vehicles, an Austin converted for racing and a rare 3-door Saturn were highlights. You can view my photos at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/moos/

First Stoppe Cruise Night

July 2, 2020 — I used to include cruise nights on my itinerary, but the big weekend shows began taking up so much of my time, both the shows themselves and sorting my photos and building my web pages afterwards, that I simply didn't have time for cruise nights any more. But in this year of coronovirus, with most of the major weekend shows for the whole season canceled, I'm getting re-acquainted with cruise night, and I must admit I like what I'm seeing.

You won't find Duesenbergs, Pierce-Arrows and Packards at cruise nights, but you will find lots of GTOs , Mustangs and other muscle cars, and colorful, sometimes whimsical customs and street rods, the work of talented and creative individuals. As the name implies, most cruise nights are held for a few hours in the evening, but there are also a few morning shows. Most are held on a particular night (or morning) every week, some well into the fall.

Most recently, I attended the First Stoppe Cruise Night in Candia, New Hampshire on a 90-degree evening. The oppressive heat and humidity eventually drove me out, but until then I had accumulated over 50 photographs. You can view them at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/firststoppe/