Cruise nights and antique car shows are a fun trip down memory lane. An outing to the antique and classic car show is a nostalgic journey into our automotive past. It’s an opportunity for people to see (but don’t touch unless you have a death wish) the vehicles that our parents, and our grandparents drove on the highways and byways through the last century. Americans love affair with the automobile becomes abundantly clear when one visits an antique auto show. They are everywhere, and can be found all over America, from small rural towns, to large metropolitan areas.

Near where I live, In the little town of Merrimac Massachusettes, about a forty-five minute drive from my house, there is an old hamburger stand: Skip’s Snack Bar. Skip’s Snack Bar has been in business since 1947 serving Hamburgers, milk shakes, and their special curly French fries to several generations of hungry people. It is also the home of, in my humble opinion, one of the best auto shows in our area. The shows run every other Saturday throughout the summer months.They have Hotrods, and muscle cars, there are antique cars, and novelty vehicles; they also have an area set aside for vintage, and antique motor cycles. It makes for a fun afternoon wandering around through a field full of rolling artwork.

After we get our fill of automotive nostalgia, we stop in at the restaurant for a burger, fries, and a milkshake. It’s one of our few decadent treats.

Then, after we've eaten, we head back out to the field where many more cars have been added to the collection. As we stroll through the field of auto history, we listen as the prideful owners talk about their cars and trade ideas, tips, and secrets.The announcer’s voice can be heard echoing through the pasture full of shiny, colorful, metal boxes. Interrupting the fifties music that has been playing over the loud speakers, he says. "Hey folks, there’s over three hundred cars on the field right now, and there’s more on the way…The fifty fifty raffle is at one hundred and forty five dollars, hurry and get your ticket…You need to put your hoods up if you want to be judged, you won’t be judged unless your hood is up…."

So, if someday you're looking for something to do, and there happens to be an antique auto show in the area, check it out, it's a lot of fun, and worth the trip.