any experts on the Woodward cruise out there please

[ukchevybuilder]

The Corvette forums have helped me a lot on building my C4 here in the UK but now I am wondering if anybody can help me with viewing the Woodward cruise this August in Detroit My wife, son and myself are transiting through Detroit on the way from the UK to vacation in Alaska and ... guess what... we have a one day break in Detroit on Saturday August 20th which is , I hope the main Woodward cruise day. Our problem is that we have never been to Detroit and want to see the Motown Museum in the morning then go to see the cruise. As we fly in late Friday and out early Sunday you can see this is very precise timing! I understand the cruise goes from downtown Detroit north up Woodward and that parking can be hard to find near the route. We also need to get back to our hotel near Detroit airport afterwards. Can anybody recommend a good place (places) to see the cruise which a stranger to town can find easily off the freeway system? Any ideas would be much appreciated.

[JohnZ]

Actually, the Cruise doesn't involve downtown Detroit; it starts several miles north of the Detroit border, at Nine Mile Road, in Ferndale, and runs north from there through Pleasant Ridge, Huntington Woods, Royal Oak, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, to Pontiac and back - the full loop is about 22 miles round-trip. The heaviest concentration of cars and spectators is from Royal Oak to Birmingham, about 10 miles round-trip.

The most convenient entry point for out-of-towners from the freeway system from downtown would be to go north on I-75 to I-696, then west on I-696 to the Woodward Avenue exit, and head north on Woodward "in the flow". Nice little party - 50,000 hot rods and classics, and 1.5 million of your closest friends Parking directly on Woodward is hard to find, but off-Woodward parking a block in either direction (east or west) is plentiful. Bring your camera - nobody back home in the U.K. will believe it!

[LemansBlue68]

I hope you have lodging arranged as finding a room in the area at last minute will be difficult. Many people from around the country drive here to participate.
It gets very crowded and Woodward moves at a crawl for most of the day. An incredible number of very nice and very rare vehicles attend. My favorite location to view is between 14 and 15 mile roads.

[Ironcross]

Many of my friends in the Michigan Hot Rod Association started this Cruise. The "main" day is Sunday. However this event has grown so much that it is unofficially starting nearly the full week before Sunday. The actual center of the cruise is the "Norwood" shopping center at 13 Mile rd. and Woodward just south of Birmingham MI. at 15 mile rd, or Maple, where many Corvette Clubs will be set up. Any where between 13 and 14 mile rd. are the best spots for a first time visitor. And Larry Pains "Dugans Pub" just about a 1/4 mile north of 13 Mile has been the location of the television broadcasts. A unique Pub with dragsters hanging from the ceilings and one of the best hot spots not to miss. The evenings of any day preceeding the Sunday Cruise will be full of cars. Most of the cities that are along the route will have there own events starting on Friday. Stay out of Detroit, [ie] below 8 Mile rd. Baghdad is probably safer. The airport is a good 20-25 miles southwest of the event. Going to the event a few days early can help with your orientation if you can make it. Freeways like I 275 and I 696 can get you safely back and forth.
Dearborn Mi. where i`m from is 5 miles from the airport and the home of the world famous Greenfield Village and Museum created by Henry Ford. Another must see if you have the time. enjoy,

PS, the 62 Vette in the picture below was used by one of the TV stations Channel 7 by Eric Smith as a backdrop for there broadcasts.

[JohnZ]

Originally Posted by Ironcross

The "main" day is Sunday.

Wally, I think you really mean Saturday (August 20th)

[rws.1]

sent you an e-mail yesterday... did you receive it?

[JohnZ]

Who'd you send it to?

[rws.1]

ukchevybuilder