{"id":25401,"date":"2020-05-19T14:07:04","date_gmt":"2020-05-19T18:07:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=25401"},"modified":"2020-05-19T14:07:04","modified_gmt":"2020-05-19T18:07:04","slug":"payne-cruisin-away-the-covid-19-blues-on-woodward-and-beyond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2020\/05\/payne-cruisin-away-the-covid-19-blues-on-woodward-and-beyond","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Cruisin&#8217; away the COVID-19 blues on Woodward and beyond"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"speakable-p-1 p-text\"><em>Birmingham \u2014\u00a0<\/em>The Woodward Dream Cruise may look a little different this August as communities cancel events over COVID-19 virus concerns and corporate sponsors keep their distance. But\u00a0the cruisers will come anyway.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-2 p-text\">Michigan motorheads are already hitting the streets this May as a cure for months of cabin fever.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-StfsuraH2fs\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/15\/PDTN\/06c1ec52-52dd-486a-b1b9-5a53ec642366-cruise_lot.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"About 100 cruisers gathered in Auburn Hills May 13 to enjoy their cars after the COVID lockdown.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/15\/PDTN\/06c1ec52-52dd-486a-b1b9-5a53ec642366-cruise_lot.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/15\/PDTN\/06c1ec52-52dd-486a-b1b9-5a53ec642366-cruise_lot.JPG\" \/>About 100 cruisers gathered in Auburn Hills May 13 to enjoy their cars after the COVID lockdown.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Woodward Avenue \u2014\u00a0nicknamed \u201cThe COVID 500\u201d by local residents \u2014\u00a0has been busy\u00a0as spring weather brought out everything from classic sedans to modified hot rods to modern muscle cars. The Michigan Car Cruise Calendar Facebook page is teeming with posts as members share\u00a0car gatherings and personal car updates.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">In Rochester Hills last Wednesday a group of enthusiasts organized the \u201cAfternoon Cruise\u201d which attracted some 100 cars for a leisurely\u00a0mid-day drive up and down Hamlin Street. Well, mostly leisurely. Some\u00a0participants couldn\u2019t resist the occasional\u00a0tire-squealing\u00a0burnout.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-StfsuraxtGY\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/15\/PDTN\/91ce6b62-26d5-4440-a508-1b89f7287045-cruise_woodward2.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Muscle cars and street rods crowd Woodward as the cruising season starts in earnest.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/15\/PDTN\/91ce6b62-26d5-4440-a508-1b89f7287045-cruise_woodward2.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/15\/PDTN\/91ce6b62-26d5-4440-a508-1b89f7287045-cruise_woodward2.JPG\" \/>Muscle cars and street rods crowd Woodward as the cruising season starts in earnest.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cWe thought is was a cool idea, so quite a few of our staff members participated,\u201d explained Kim Zeile, founder of Trans-Am racing engine maker Prefix Corp., who helped organize the event. \u201cThe area is slowly beginning to open back up, and this was a safe and fun way to get some cool vehicles out and interact with fellow car enthusiasts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Enthusiasts gathered over\u00a0a typical smorgasbord of dream rides \u2014\u00a0Porsche 911s, Jeeps, jacked-up pickups, Ford Focus pocket rockets, ol\u2019 &#8217;50s jalopies \u2014\u00a0in the Prefix parking lot before cruising. Prefix provided a food truck for attendees to grab a quick lunch, and Mother Nature cooperated with a beautiful\u00a0afternoon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cIt meant a little taste of feeling back to normal,\u201d said participant Jhan Dolphin. \u201cAfter all, not much can compare to the freedom of rolling down the windows and going for a drive in your favorite ride.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-Stfsuraqwgc\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/15\/PDTN\/0e6b1a58-bdeb-4742-bfa8-7d2221f2723b-cruise_truck.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"A hot rod pickup attracts attention at the Auburn Hills &quot;Afternoon Cruise.&quot;\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/15\/PDTN\/0e6b1a58-bdeb-4742-bfa8-7d2221f2723b-cruise_truck.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/15\/PDTN\/0e6b1a58-bdeb-4742-bfa8-7d2221f2723b-cruise_truck.JPG\" \/>A hot rod pickup attracts attention at the Auburn Hills &#8220;Afternoon Cruise.&#8221;\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Woodward Avenue is Michigan\u2019s cruising main street and recent weekends have been busy. Growling street rods have been doing patented loops around the traditional, 16-mile parade route that runs from Ferndale to Pontiac. Others have gathered in Woodward parking lots \u2014\u00a0hoods propped open to display\u00a0sparkling engines underneath \u2014 as owners swap\u00a0stories and urge on passing classics.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The activity starts a slow build to the official, 26th annual Dream Cruise on Saturday, Aug.\u00a015\u00a0this year. The cruise reportedly attracts up to 1.5 million people.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-StfsurbqyoY\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/15\/PDTN\/dbb8a291-db64-4c6c-9cb9-c41ed4a61d4c-cruise_rs.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"A Ford Focus RS looks rad in green at the Auburn Hills &quot;Afternoon Cruise.&quot;\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/15\/PDTN\/dbb8a291-db64-4c6c-9cb9-c41ed4a61d4c-cruise_rs.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/15\/PDTN\/dbb8a291-db64-4c6c-9cb9-c41ed4a61d4c-cruise_rs.JPG\" \/>A Ford Focus RS looks rad in green at the Auburn Hills &#8220;Afternoon Cruise.&#8221;\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Those numbers may be down this year as enthusiasts \u2014 especially older demographics\u00a0\u2014\u00a0weigh\u00a0the risks of COVID-19 and as\u00a0authorities pressure organizers to social distance. Organizers have declined comment to date, citing the virus\u00a0situation as too fluid to make plans three months out from the Cruise.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">An announcement is expected in early June. Insiders say\u00a0there will be changes, with participants urged to stay in their cars while communities cancel most official events.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Woodward Dream Cruise Parking, which helps cruisers find spots on the crowded route, posted on its\u00a0Facebook page this week that the \u201cWoodward Dream Cruise is going to happen this year &#8230; however, you will see big changes. Most of the organized community events will be canceled, including entertainment, concerts, car shows, vendors, Emergency Vehicle show, kid zone, etc., to keep large crowd gatherings to a minimum.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-StfsurawnjM\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/08\/17\/PDTN\/e64c9a52-e7f6-4c73-ae57-ede6d0c78960-081719-tm-Dream_Cruise_Saturday136.jpg?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"An orange Lamborghini passes a parked boat along southbound Woodward in Birmingham during an August Woodward Dream Cruise.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/08\/17\/PDTN\/e64c9a52-e7f6-4c73-ae57-ede6d0c78960-081719-tm-Dream_Cruise_Saturday136.jpg\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/08\/17\/PDTN\/e64c9a52-e7f6-4c73-ae57-ede6d0c78960-081719-tm-Dream_Cruise_Saturday136.jpg\" \/>An orange Lamborghini passes a parked boat along southbound Woodward in Birmingham during an August Woodward Dream Cruise.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Todd McInturf, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The Dream Cruise has always been controversial among some local residents who object to the noise and odors that the rolling traffic jam brings each summer. With added concerns over COVID-19, nerves are more on edge this year.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-StfsurbahPE\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/08\/18\/PDTN\/ffe43a9a-fefd-4b1f-a129-4a5fd9e1958f-Seen-on-Woodward-41.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"FILE - Classic and modern cars cruise down Woodward Avenue in Ferndale during the Woodward Dream Cruise.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/08\/18\/PDTN\/ffe43a9a-fefd-4b1f-a129-4a5fd9e1958f-Seen-on-Woodward-41.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/08\/18\/PDTN\/ffe43a9a-fefd-4b1f-a129-4a5fd9e1958f-Seen-on-Woodward-41.JPG\" \/>FILE &#8211; Classic and modern cars cruise down Woodward Avenue in Ferndale during the Woodward Dream Cruise.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: David Guralnick, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Paul Canvasser, a resident of Poppleton Park in Birmingham, recently wrote on Next Door that \u201cI am fed up with\u00a0the noise and racing that has overtaken Woodward. It is even more annoying since I have been isolated at home for several weeks. Everything else is shut down, but the cruising is the first thing to come back. It is time to alter this situation!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The post received 310\u00a0community responses.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">More gatherings are scheduled this weekend from Rochester to Woodward as the weather warms to 70 degrees. But critics\u00a0may get their wish for a respite\u00a0from the COVID 500 on Sunday. The chance of rain\u00a0is 100 percent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Birmingham \u2014\u00a0The Woodward Dream Cruise may look a little different this August as communities cancel events over COVID-19 virus concerns and corporate sponsors keep their distance. But\u00a0the cruisers will come anyway. Michigan motorheads are already hitting the streets this May as a cure for months of cabin fever. About 100 cruisers gathered in Auburn Hills [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25401"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25401"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25401\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25402,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25401\/revisions\/25402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25401"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25401"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25401"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}