Welcome to the Spring Cruise website. Each spring in mid-May, Camaro and Firebird owners from across the Midwest gather for a spring
cruise through the beautiful countryside of Wisconsin. 
After being tucked away for the winter, this is a great time to take the car out of storage and see the world come to life once again. The spring cruise will take place primarily in the eastern part of Wisconsin. Since many participants will be coming from the Chicago area, the cruise will begin just over the Wisconsin state line near Racine. Heading west out of Racine, we come to the flat farmland of southern Wisconsin. We'll then make our way up through the Kettle Moraine State Park, and take advantage of the beautiful scenery and twisting roads. We'll have a bring-your-own picnic lunch at Harnischfeger Park near Ashippun, then the cruise winds its way up to the Holy Hill area. After Holy Hill, we head further north, winding our way toward Plymouth (near Road America). From there, we'll head south to Cedarburg, where we'll wind up the cruise at Wayne's Drive-In just north of Milwaukee.
May 30, 2009
We had 24 cars for most of the cruise, which is a very nice number of cars - not too many, which can be difficult to keep together; but big enough to create a very nice reaction to many folks who waved as we went by. We ran ahead of schedule for most of the day, and people seemed very pleased at the longer route this year. There were a couple mechanical problems along the way, which were fixed quickly. A '79 Trans Am lost all 5 lugnuts on one wheel, but amazingly, the wheel did not come off before he was able to get stopped! He 'borrowed' lugnuts from the other wheels to keep going until the next stop, where he was able to get a new set of lugnuts. Unfortunately, his car died later in the day and he was unable to continue. Another 1st generation Camaro lost a belt, but it was quickly reinstalled and he was back on the road. We had a nice lunch at Ridge Run Park, and had a shelter to ourselves. Most people were able to win a prize, or take home one of the posters left over from last year's fall cruise.
Unfortunately, about 1/2 hour from the end of the cruise, one of the cruise participants was unable to navigate a curve, and ended up rolling his car. Fortunately, he was okay - after a quick trip to the hospital, he was able to go home with only a minor concussion, sore knee, and some bruising from the seat belt. This incident was a costly and somber reminder that our safety and the safety of others should be top priority for our cruises. Our safety protocol will be updated for all future cruises, and greater care will be taken to ensure the safety of everyone. In wearing his safety belt, I believe this young man saved himself from much greater injury, or worse. Safety belt usage will be greatly encouraged at all future cruises - not only can you save yourself from great harm or worse, but you save others from great pain and suffering as well!
There was very little traffic, which allowed us to move at our own pace. Congrats to those who won door prizes, which included a $50 gift certificate from Speed Inc., MFBA calendars, Chevy posters, and more. There were many memorable moments, not the least of which was the old man who literally ran out into the road, taking his life into his own hands, trying to get the cars to slow down as we entered a small town in the country! Thanks to Ron, who found a great detour around a closed portion of the route and who helped lead and keep the pack together. Thanks to Indyzmike, who scouted the park and suggested taking Hogsback Road, which although only a mile long, was a very nice rollercoaster ride! Thanks to those who helped Dan00Hawk, who had overheating trouble along the way. And final thanks to Yoosof and BW3's, which was very hospitable and gave us great service.
I also directed people where to drop off their non-perishable
food items. We took up a nice collection, and thanks to Jim (Xh2oskier) for
delivering the food to the Plymouth Food Bank near Road America. When we pulled
out of the Mobil station lot, I realized that we had a rolling car show; we
tallied at least 56 cars! We headed west from Racine on Hwy 20, made our way
over to the Kettle Moraine State Park, and then north to Delafield. Here we
took a short break, and headed north again on Hwy 83. We then wound our way
through the mountainous terrain of the Holy Hill area, and then ended the cruise
at the home of Mike (indyzmike). Throughout the entire cruise, everyone drove
very responsibly while still having fun. Many folks stopped what they were
doing to gawk, stare, and wave. Stretching over a mile, it would have been an
impressive sight! Mike put on a great cookout, and was a very generous host.
Several sponsors contributed prizes for cruise members, and everyone walked away
with several goodies. See the list of sponsors and their contributions by
clicking the Sponsors button on the sidebar. Our thanks goes out to all who
helped to make the cruise a success, including all the participants, the
sponsors, Mike, Jim, and the cruise participants who made a special effort to
help keep all the cars together.
The First Annual Spring Cruise in 2001 was very enjoyable. There were two cruises, for those who could not attend one or the other. The cruise started in Wildwood, IL, and headed north into Wisconsin, taking us by Great Lakes Dragaway. We cruised through the Kettle Moraine State Park area, and then stopped in Oconomowoc for lunch at Culver's. Then we headed north to the Holy Hill area, where we took a break at the church. We then headed south to Milwaukee, where the cruise concluded at Omega's Frozen Custard after a stop at Whitnall Park.
