20 | SEPTEMBER 2016
CHINOOKOBSERVER.COM
Rod Run Cruise:
Cruise night is a spectacle of color and motion.
Your car’s opportunity to shine
PENINSULA — The Peninsula’s
annual Rod Run weekend is a loud,
proud tribute to the golden age of
American car manufacturing.
Car-lovers from all over the West
roar into town to take part in one of
the largest hot-rod shows on the West
Coast, for a weekend of car shows,
cruises and annual events, including
the “slow drag” at the Port of Ilwaco.
There are more than 800 official Rod
Run entries at Ocean Park’s Wilson
Field, plus many who bring pet vehi-
cles to the beach for informal cruises
and showing off.
As early as Thursday evening,
spectators begin setting up tents and
RVs in relatives’ yards, and staking
out good curb-side seats for the tra-
ditional Friday and Saturday evening
cruises in Long Beach.
The official Saturday cruise high-
lights the communities of the Pen-
insula’s north end, starting at the
Beach Barons’ Wilson Field, motor-
ing north through Nahcotta, through
the historic village of Oysterville,
and then out to the Pacific shore
communities of Surfside and Ocean
Park.
Starting as early as Thursday but
reaching a crescendo on Saturday
before receding Sunday, unofficial
cruising is a fun and exciting activ-
ity up and down U.S. Highway 101/
Pacific Avenue.
Especially with so many cars and
people in close proximity, it’s im-
portant to obey all traffic laws and
Though some car fans bring souped-
up new or foreign cars, most of the
models cruising Pacific Avenue are
American cars from the 1920s to
1970s.
resist the temptation to burn rubber
or engage in other tomfoolery that
might place spectators or vehicle
occupants at risk. Don’t plan on
getting anywhere in a hurry on this
jam-packed weekend — passing the
car in front of you won’t accomplish
anything.
Some see Rod Run as an opportu-
nity for a boozy farewell-to-summer
party, cheering the cruisers on with
red plastic cups in hand. But the men
and women who have invested tens
of thousands of dollars in their lov-
ingly restored rides tend to take the
event much more seriously. From
Friday evening until Sunday after-
noon, they stand at attention by their
Bel-Airs and Mustangs and Darts
and Model-Ts, with chamois cloths
in hand, ready to spit-shine at a mo-
ment’s notice.
The view
from inside
a cruising
bus.
The annual Rod Run Cruise is a fun parade
of fantastic cars, pickups and other vehi-
cles — one of the most popular aspects of
the entire famous September event. The
formal cruise takes the route shown here,
allowing residents and visitors to set up
lawn chairs and cheer their favorites. Else-
where on the Peninsula, there is a constant
informal cruise throughout Rod Run week-
end, drawing throngs of happy spectators.