Ocean City, Maryland
Thursday, May 14, 2015

CRUISIN OCEAN CITY MARYLAND MAY 14-17, 2015 The trip down to Ocean City Maryland went amazingly well, having encounteredonlya couple of minor traffic jams, and no mechanical failures.Once we arrived and got checked in, we immediately went out to the Parking Lotin front of our Apartment, and I began capturing images of the classic cars, Hotrods,modifieds, and Rat Rods passing by the road in front of our residence for the weekend.After having spent a good amount of time photographing whatever I could catch passingby.We wandered down the Boardwalk to an Italian restaurant for food.Once fed, weheadedback to our cars, and took a tripdown Coastal Highway (the main thoroughfare inOcean City), stopping first at the Cruise Night by the now closed Hooters. Our next stopwas yet another Cruise Night down the street at a Quik Chek, where we not only checkedout the dozens of nice vehicles there, we also did some more observing of what wascruising on by. We headed back to our Apartment around 11:30 P.M., watched yet somemoreof the cruising action, and finally went to bed, rather late.I had great plans to be up at 5:30 A.M., but a late night turn in, somewhat changedthose plans, and so I didn’t get to the Boardwalk Parade line up until 7:00 P.M., which putme at 1st Street. The parade starting point is 25th Street, and so, as onemight havefigured out, I was wayyyyy back in the line-up. The Parade stepped off at around 8:30A.M., and I got to the end around 9:30 A.M. By that time, the Inlet Show Parking Lot waspacked, and had I not planned on hitting the Convention Center Show, I would have hadto anyway.The Lot at the Convention Center filled up for the most part, by around 11:30 A.M.,with vehicles coming and going all day, then finally peteringout around 5:00 P.M.Once I left the Convention Center Show, I headed back to our place, parked thecar, and watched some more of the cruising action.At around 8:30 P.M. our crew headed up the Coastal Highway to a place calledDumsers for dinner. We stopped off again briefly at the Quik Chek Cruise Night, thenheaded back, and this time I made it into bed, somewhat early, so I could do the SaturdayBoardwalk Parade, and get in the Inlet Show.Unlike Friday’s planned wake-up time, Saturday’s was meton time, and once I gotmy Parade Pass at the Convention Center, I lined up for the Parade, this time only twoblocks from the Starting point. Having completed the Parade, I proceeded to head intothe Inlet Show, and ended up parked in the third row from the entrance to the Show.There were sooooo many cars, trucks, and hotrods to see, and I finally headed out of thatShow around 4:30 P.M. We hung out for a while by our Apartment, I photographed yet even more of thepassing classics, hotrods, and rat rods, finally walking to a Irish Pub call Shenanigans fordinner.On Sunday we packed up, bid our temporary home goodbye, and started on ourjourney home. We didn’t go far before our luck ran out. About 5 miles out of town, mySon’s Cutlass ate its Power Steering Belt. Fortunately he had a spare, and tools, so thatproblem was quickly taken care of, and we were on our way again. Unfortunately, our badluck streak hadn’t ended. The electric Cooling Fans on the Malibu my Son’s friend wasdriving, just up and quit. We all pulled over, and after the problemwasconfirmed, yes,the Fans had quit, a little temporary wiring was run, the Fansreenergized, and once againwe were on our way. We made it almost to our planned rest stop at the Milford DelawareDiner, when weran into acolossal downpour. At least dinner went well, and we got backon the road home, stopping just before the Delaware Memorial Bridge for gas. When Iwent to fill up, I discovered Transmission fluid all over the back Bumper. A brief undersideinspection revealed fluid had been leaking from the TransmissionTail Shaft seal, and theundercar air currents had carried it back, and on to the back Bumper of the car. Wedecided to press on, having first checked the Trans fluid level, and findingitto befull. Thetrip didn’t last long, and just past Exit 4 on the New Jersey Turnpike, we had to pull in tothe Rest Stop, since the leak had worsened enough by then, to cause the car to leave asmoke screen behind it, like a WWII Destroyer, as the fluid hit the hot exhaust. At thispoint I decided that not having yet damaged the nearly new Transmission, that I wouldcall Hagerty roadside, and get the car Flatbeded the rest of the way home.Since Hagertyroadside wasn’t sure if they could get an authorized Turnpike tow company, we toppedoff the Transmission fluid, and drove slowly to exit 5, where we found an Applebeeswhere we could wait for a Flatbed Tow Truck. A phone call again to Hagerty roadside, andwithin 4o minutes, a Flatbed Tow Truck arrived, I finished up my cleaning and detailing Iwas doing while waiting, and we loaded and strapping the car down. The rest of the ridewas uneventful, we off loaded my Trans Am by the driveway to my Garage, I drove it overand in to the Garage, covered the car, and went in.Our time down in Ocean City Maryland was fun, the ride home, anything but fun.