Atlanta Route 66 Cruise-in well attended by cars and people as well
 

[July 29, 2024]   On Sunday afternoon, the city park and parking lot across the street from the American Giants Museum and fire department respectively in Atlanta were popular locations for collector car enthusiasts.

The city was hosting its annual cruise-in downtown, utilizing the parking lot as the best display space for the wide variety of vehicles that were in town to participate in the show.

The park was outlined with vendors selling food and drink to car exhibitors and visitors there to see all the neat cars.

The day had begun with rain, enough so that the harness racing at the Logan County Fair had to be cancelled. But by noon, the sun was out, and it was warm, but not terribly hot. Even so, several exhibitors in Atlanta sought refuge under the shade trees in the park where they gathered in clusters to visit, eat, and generally speaking, enjoy the day.

The vehicles in the show ranged from one vintage rat rod to several classics and also a number of newer vehicles, including a couple of cars that had been spied on Saturday at the Mustang show in Lincoln.

Among the exhibitors, there was one fellow and his sidekick that were garnering plenty of attention.

Kirk Whittenburg and Jade Burbridge were offering up their interpretation of Burt Reynolds and Sally Field while showing off Kirk's Black Goldwing Camaro that was a carbon copy of the vehicle Reynolds drove in the popular movie Smokey and the Bandit.

Whittenburg and his Camaro caught the attention of Lincoln Fire Chief Ty Johnson, who couldn’t resist a photo op with the Reynold look-a-like. Johnson also spent a few minutes visiting with Whittenburg about his car and complementing him on his acquisition.

The parking lot was filled to capacity with cars entered in the show, and guests visiting the show were also plentiful. Folks walked around vehicles, some admiring the newer models and others gravitating toward the older ones, with memories flowing as they would from time to time identify with a particular car as one that was a part of their younger days.

Across the street, the American Giants Museum was open, and several guests enjoyed making a stop inside for a breath of cooler air and a chance to appreciate the memorabilia located inside. Outside, Snerd the giant carried his happy grin as he appeared to be watching the goings on from his loftier height.

The Atlanta Route 66 Museum was also open and provided another interesting stop for visitors to the community.

[Nila Smith]