Turn on the Lights and Cruise!

I don’t know about you but I grew up cruising my car up and down the main drag on Friday night after the football game and again on Saturday. Occasionally parking at Sonic for a Cherry Lime Slush and Tater Tots to chat or add passengers. For those generations where the right of passage was gaining a driver’s license and getting permission to use the family sedan or buy a car to fix up, we practiced our driving, built social skills, and learned some needed mechanical skills that have down us well over the years.

I love when we have a car show and cruise nights here in Lompoc. Not only do so many of you bring out your hot rods and cool cars, but the visitors it attracts and the wheels they bring are amazing. I would like to work to restore the old neon signs around town, support and add some new ones to local businesses like COLD Coast and Offbase at Hanger 7 along Ocean. Then have a monthly cruise night with options to stop next to a neon sign for a photo of you and your classic car and the neon light of choice. It would be fun to park the food trucks in the I Street and Ocean Ave public parking lot and create a drive in “restaurant” where high school students could work to deliver your food truck order on roller skates and sell car window food trays as souvenirs to fund the evenings’ expenses. This generation and future generations should have an opportunity to show off there electric cars and electric conversions while honing mechanical and social skills that come with showing it off to everyone!