Collector Car Appreciation Day Cruise-In, July 13, 2024

Greeting Cruisers!
   Has it been HOT ENOUGH for ya’s? Yes, it does seem hotter than usual, or perhaps we’re all getting older and crankier!

If you have been a Lake Country Cruiser for a while you know that the Caladium Car & Bike Show will be Saturday, July27, 2024 at the DeVane Park in downtown Lake Placid.

But, if you are just itching for a car show, what are you doing this Saturday?

To see the large version of the poster, CLICK THE IMAGE.

The 15th Annual commemoration of Collector Car Appreciation Day is being celebrated in Sebring on July 13, 2024, to raise awareness of the vital role automotive restoration and collection plays in American society and to honor our Veterans and benefit Southwest Florida Honor Flight.

Free to Entrants and Spectators, with a suggested $10 Donation.

All Proceeds benefit Southwest Florida Honor Flight

We are inviting all of our Lake Country Cruiser friends to meet up in the Moose Lodge on Rt. 98 in Sebring at 8 am for an 8:30 am departure for the track. That way everyone can park together.

What: 15th Annual Collector Car Appreciation Day Cruise-In

Where: Sebring International Raceway, Gate 4

When: Saturday July 13th, 9 am to 1 pm

Who: All collector vehicles are welcome, including modern, antique, original survival cars, modified, customs, rat rods, sports cars, muscle cars, modern and classic trucks, as well as motorcycles.

For Additional Information, Contact: pappysmad@gmail.com

* Door Prizes * D.J. Music * 50/50 Raffle * Food Truck Eats *

The next Lake Country Cruisers Car & Bike Show will be Saturday, October 12, 2024, 11 am to 1:30 pm at the American Legion Post 25 on Rt. 27 in Lake Placid, Florida. – Scott, Pete, & Ron

80TH Anniversary of D-Day Commemoration Event

Greetings Cruisers!

   This post has nothing to do with car shows, but we wanted to let you know about this because we know that many of you are Veterans and we are all patriots.

This Thursday, June 6, 2024, at 2 PM, American Legion Post 25 will be hosting a special D-Day 80th Anniversary Commemoration Event. Our very special guest of honor will be 101-year-old Tomoka Heights resident, Chester Barber.

In 2023 Chester and Lake Country Cruisers co-founder, Ross Longo participated in the rededication of the Flag Pole at Hendrick’s Field at Sebring International Raceway a few days before the big 12 Hours of Sebring event.

On D-Day, Chester flew a DC3 at night over France with a plane full of American paratroopers.

We invite all of our members, as well as the general public, to this special event.

The Legion Kitchen will be open for Daily Kitchen Items, so food will be available.

On Wednesday we will publish more of Chester Barber’s amazing life and times.

See you all at Post 25!

PS – Here’s Chester, back in the day!

Saturday’s Lake Country Cruisers Show is ON!!!

Greetings Cruisers,

Just a quick post to let you all know that this Saturday, May 11, 2024, our monthly Car & Bike Show is ON! The show is from 11 am to 1:30 pm at the Lake Placid American Legion on Rt. 27.

The Legion’s backyard grill is getting a make-over and will be open for burgers and dogs from 12 Noon to 2 PM.

If it gets too hot, we’ll wrap things up at 1 pm.

This will be our last Car & Bike Show for the first half of the year. We’ll be back October 12, 2024same time, same place.

And don’t forget that we will be helping out at the July 27, 2024, Caladium Car & Bike Show at Devane Park in downtown Lake Placid. For registration info, CLICK HERE.

See you all this Saturday!Scott, Pete, & Ron

PS – We know that many of you have motorcycles. If you do, bring your bike! We like motorcycles too!

Our April Show Was Perfect!

It was a PERFECT day for a Car & Bike Show!

Greetings Cruisers!

Ahh, if we could only can last Saturday’s beautiful Florida weather so we could open it up for every show. We want to thank everyone who came out to the show. We had around 75 cars and well over 100 people in attendance.

Our next Cat & Bike Show will be Saturday, May 11, 2024, 11 am to 1:30 pm at the Lake Placid American Legion Post 25 on Rt. 27 in Lake Placid.

We took a lot of pictures, so enjoy the below slide show!

See you at the next show! – Scott, Pete, & Ron

PS – ATTENTION Corvette fans! The next Highlands County Corvettes show will be on Saturday, April 27, 2024, at the Lake Placid American Legion Post 25.

Lake Country Cruisers Car Show This Saturday, April 13, 2024!

Greetings Cruisers,
   The warm, but not “hot” Florida weather is with us, so let’s have a Car & Bike Show!

Our next Show is THIS Saturday at the Lake Placid American Legion Post 25, starting at 11 AM and wrapping up at 1:30 PM.

Registration is just $5 and we will have neat Door Prizes, a 50/50 raffle with a restaurant gift certificate for the 50/50 runner-up.

The Legion’s backyard grill will be serving up burgers, cheeseburgers, and hot dogs. If you are a Legion member, you can go into the Legion Bar for an adult beverage. They also have soda pop and bottled water.

We are family-friendly, so bring the kids, the grand-kiddos, and we like dogs too, just keep them on a leash and clean up after them.

The Ladies Auxiliary will also be inside selling deserts!

See you all this Saturday! – Scott, Pete, and Ron

PS – If you have a motorcycle, bring it!

Here’s why America’s Memorial Day car parades are great!

Greetings Cruisers!

As a fellow car enthusiast, I think you will enjoy this story about why “classic cars” have become part of the fabric of our nation. CLICK HERE!

Our next Lake Country Cruisers Show will be June 10, 2023, at the Lake Placid American Legion, Post 25, from 9 am to 12 noon.

We are working on Car & Bike shows through the summer in various locations and times. Lots coming up and we’ll get back to you.

We hope that everyone enjoyed their Memorial Day. – Scott, Pete, & Ron PS

The AMAZING Harold LeMay Car Collection VIDEO

A “Trash Man” Makes Good!

Greetings Cruisers and Happy 2023! We hope that everyone had a happy and safe New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

It’s no secret that “there’s BIG money in trash!” Harold LeMay was an amazing car guy. Born in 1919 in Yakima, Washington, Harold was into cars as a kid. As soon as he graduated from high school he went into the auto business. This was just Harold’s first enterprise.

After WW-II, Harold launched Lucky Towing, HELM Trucking Company, and Lucky Sales & Service. Eventually, Harold started his refuse company, Harold LeMay Enterprises, in Tacoma Washington.

Lots and LOTS of Cars!

Along the way, Harold bought cars, trucks, and motorcycles. LOTS of them! At one time, Harold’s collection numbered over 3,000! In 1997, three years before his death in 2000, the Guinness Book of World Records listed the LeMay Collection as the largest privately-owned car collection in the world.

Typically, car collections are sold-off after the owner passes. In 1996, Harold came up with the idea of starting a non-profit museum so that his collection would not be broken up and sold off. But as they say, “Life got in the way”. Harold didn’t live to see his museum idea work out. However, later, his wife Nancy and son Doug made his dream a reality.Of course, the entire collection was left to his wife, Nancy. Talk about a strange inheritance!

80 Acres of Cars!

In 1991 the “LeMay Family Collection Foundation at Marymount” in Tacoma, Washington opened an 80-acre estate that was once a military academy-style school for boys. Marymount was founded by Dominican nuns in 1923. In 2012 the establishment was renamed, “The LeMay America’s Car Museum.”


With 80 acres and thousands of vehicles, it must be a marathon to take in or an all-weekend experience. Clearly, Harold’s family also has gasoline in their veins too. You’d have to, in order to make such a thing come together. Of course, Mecum or Barrett Jackson would have loved selling off all those vehicles! Continue reading “The AMAZING Harold LeMay Car Collection VIDEO”

Luxury Hotel With “Car Furniture”!

Dateline: 8-25-22 – This is just too charming to not share with our fellow Motorheads!

Big THANKS to our buddy, Jack Murphy for passing this to me.

If any of you come across any fun, car YouTube videos that you’d like to share, send me the link via e-mail at ” lightoak@comcast.net “, and I’ll get right back to you and share it on the site.

The only “trouble” with the Car Hotel is that you’ll have to go to Germany to enjoy it!

All the reasons to build a “Car Hotel” in Sebring. It could be cool! Enjoy the video. – Scott

 

 

PS – Just a reminder that Lake Country Cruisers will be having a Car & Bike Show on the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend, September 3, 2022. American Legion, 10 am to 2 pm. The Legion Mess Hall and Bar are open for lunch, and hard-drinks-to-soft-drinks, beer, and water too! Party with the Cruisers!

Party With the Cruisers on Saturday of Labor Day Weekend!

Special Labor Day Weekend Summer Event, Lake Placid American Legion, September 3, 2022

Dateline: 8.15.22 – We got some interesting questions at the Caladium Festival Car & Bike Show, as well as several of our breakfast and Meet’n Eat luncheons. Basically this, “When is the next Lake Country Cruisers Car & Bike Show?”. And we answered, “Well, on October 8.” Then we hear, “Oh, no shows until then?”

So, we got to thinking.

Last year we had two summer special events at the Plaza Journal, one on Independence Day Weekend and the other on Labor Day Weekend. The grassy courtyard next to Wet Dogs Brewing is torn up and under construction. After a new building is up, the courtyard will be restored.

Since we had a Father’s Day Show and the Caladium Show Car & Bike Show, let’s do a Labor Day Show at the American Legion! The American Legion management agreed and asked us to remind everyone that the Legion’s kitchen Mess Hall and Bar will be Open For Business!

So, here’s the deal! The “Lake Country Cruisers Show’n Shine Labor Day Car & Bike Show” will be at the Lake Placid American Legion, on Rt. 27, on Saturday, September 3rd, 2022, from 10 am to 2 pm. We will announce Door Prizes around 12-noon and announce the 50/50 Winner at 1:30 pm. And don’t forget, there will be a sweet 50/50 Runnerup Winner!

Admission will be $5 at the Sign-In table; Door Prizes will be given, and very generous 50/50 tickets will be available under the tent. 50/50 tickets are 10-tickets for $10 and 40-tickets for $20. Our 50/50 ticket payouts have been growing, so be sure to get some!

So shine up your ride, and bring your cooler and tent! It’s a Labor Day Car Show Party!Scott, Pete, & Ron

PS – Bring your flags to the car show!

PSS – Our next Cruisers Meet’n Eat is this Thursday, August 19th at Dock 633, on Lake June Rd., in Lake Placid. Bring your appetite, the foods is GOOD! See map below.PSS

Cruisers Partied Hardy For a Saturday Meet’n Eat!

A BUSY month for the Cruisers…

Dateline: 7.2.22 – It had been a year since we hosted a Meet’n Eat event at our house. This was Karen’s idea, but unfortunately, she was feeling under the weather but is doing fine now. It was a REALLY hot day, so we all stayed inside and enjoyed a few hours of laughs, good conversation, and eats.

Everyone brought something and everything was REAL GOOD!

On a personal note, Karen and I are just thrilled with the Lake Country Cruisers community. We lived in New Jersey for a long, long time, and there was nothing like this there.

The more we attend car shows and luncheons, the larger everyone’s social circle becomes. And I don’t mean those faceless “social media” circles. Almost every time I go out and about, I see “someone” connected to either Lake Country Cruisers or Highlands County Corvettes. It’s a good thing!

So, if you would like to host a Meet’n Eat event at your abode, let us know, we’ll work out a time, and let everyone know!

July is shaping up to be a busy Cruisers month. We are working on a Cruisers Pool Nite at Warehouse Billiards, in downtown Lake Placid.

Also, we will be announcing the date of our next Meet’n Eat Luncheon, this time at Cowpokes Watering Hole, in Sebring. Hope you like steak! Their new Cuban Sandwich is awesome!

Dates for “Pool Nite” and the “Watering Hole” luncheon will be announced soon.

And then there’s the BIG Caladium Festival Car & Bike Show on July 30, 2022. There are already more street vendors signed on than last year and we are anticipating more cars and motorcycles. More details to come.

Y’all stay hydrated and cool. We want to see you at our next event! – Scott, Pete, & Ron

PS – Everyone had a wonderful Independence Day weekend with those you love!



 

Father’s Day Car Show at the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Placid this Sunday!

Are You Busy Father’s Day Morning?

Dateline: 6.15.22 – The nice folks at Highlands News-Sun were kind enough to publish our announcement for this Sunday’s Father’s Day Car Show at the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Placid.

We will be having the show in the grassy courtyard in front of the Genesis Center. We invite you to have some family fun and fellowship. Reverend Drew will be having a special service at 10 am and Cruisers are welcome to attend. Continue reading “Father’s Day Car Show at the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Placid this Sunday!”

Lake Country Cruisers Family Father’s Day Car Show!

Bring Your Ride! Bring the Kiddos! Bring the Grand Kiddos! Bring the Nieces and Nephews!

Dateline: 6.5.22 – Well Cruisers, we told you that there will be Car Show action during the summer months. Actually, we will be sponsoring four shows, with our first summer show being, the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Placid Family Father’s Day Car Show. For Father’s Day, there will be a special one-hour church service from 10 am to 11 pm. Cruisers, you are welcome to attend! Typically, the church has two services, one at 9 am and the other at 11 am.

The date is June 19, 2022 (obviously) and the show will be on the church’s courtyard lawn and there will be NO CHARGE for the show.

The Car Show starts at 9:15 AM and will run to 12 Noon. The church will be supplying hot dogs, bottled water, and “maybe” even ice cream!

The First Presbyterian Church of Lake Placid address is – 118 N Oak Ave, Lake Placid, FL 33852.

When we hold our Cruisers Car Shows at the Lake Placid American Legion we are always delighted when Cruisers bring their young children, adult children, and especially grandchildren.

We believe that the Car Show Culture should be a family affair because it provides an activity that encourages the bonding of the generations; parents, children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews; with America’s favorite pastime, cars! Continue reading “Lake Country Cruisers Family Father’s Day Car Show!”

Lake Country Cruisers May 2022 Car & Bike Show – BIG Slide Show!

Dateline: 5.15.22 – South-Central Florida dished up another spectacular summer-like day for Lake Country Cruisers’ last Lake Placid American Legion Car & Bike Show for the season. We will be having four events before we start up at the Legion again on October 8, 2022.

Officially we had 60 cars registered. When you register, you get a car number, later in the show, we pull numbers for Door Prizes. The Cruiser that came the farthest was Ted Pierce, from Alva, Florida (just west of LeBelle) with his 1948 Chevy Pickup. Thanks, Ted!

We also had special guests from South Florida State College, in Avon Park. Professors Dave Alvarez and Garrett Lee brought along some of the students from the Automotive Vocational Training school. Thanks for being with us, guys! After you build your ride, we want to see you and your machine there!

And Dave brought his 2020 Harley-Davidson Livewire electric motorcycle. While we all have “gasoline in our veins”, the new era of electric cars is just around the corner and many of these vehicles are brutally quick and fast. It’ll be an interesting time. Continue reading “Lake Country Cruisers May 2022 Car & Bike Show – BIG Slide Show!”

Win a 1940 Ford Cookie Jar Full of Mini-Cheer!

Dateline: 5-11-22 – Greetings Cruisers! Just a quick reminder and a few updates. At this Saturday’s Lake Country Cruisers Car & Bike Show we will be raffling off 1940 Ford Cookie Jar stuffed with little bottles of Cheer for just $5 per ticket! Big THANKS to Gary Pigman for donating the sweet car cookie jar.

We are still working on a possible Father’s Day Car & Bike Show on June 19, 2022.

Also, we are close to getting a date for our next Meet’n Eat luncheon event. The location will be either Beef O’Brady’s or Jaxson’s On the Lake. We’ll let you know as soon as the date and place is confirmed.

This Saturday’s Lake Country Cruisers show at the Lake Placid American Legion, on Rt. 27 in Lake Placid, Florida will be our first Car AND Bike show. So, if you have a two or three-wheeler, bring your machine to the show! We love machines!

So, bring your bike pals, bring the kids, bring the grandkids too!

The Weather Channel is forecasting a partly-cloudy and warm day this Saturday. Lucky for us we can go into the Legion Lounge to cool our heels and get some lunch and beverages.

The show starts at 11 am and we wrap it up around 1:30 with the 50/50 drawing and the runner-up prize of a local restaurant gift certificate. See you Saturday! – Scott, Pete, Ron, Christy, & George

 

Lake Country Cruisers Car AND Bike Show 5-14-22

We like motorcycles too!

Dateline: 5.7.22 – The Lake Country Cruisers crew and other volunteers will be managing the Caladium Festival Car and Bike Show this year, as Bob Larson has stepped down after many years of running the Car and Bike Show portion of the annual festival.

So, that got us to thinking; we all love machines and many of the Cruisers have motorcycles, so why not expand the Lake Country Cruiser shows to include motorcycles? After all, two and three-wheel motorcycles are very popular in our area.

So, if you have a motorcycle, in addition to your cruiser car, bring your bike! And if you have friends that have motorcycles, tell them that the Lake Country Cruisers car shows are now “Car AND Bike Shows”!

May 14, 2022, will be our last show for the season at the Lake Placid American Legion on Rt. 27, in Lake Placid. Our American Legion Car & Bike Shows will start again on October 8, 2022. Continue reading “Lake Country Cruisers Car AND Bike Show 5-14-22”