Brian’s Blog/ I Miss Cruise Nights [VIDEO]

Cruise nights on Yakima Avenue revived a time honored tradition. It's a shame they aren't happening any more. Growing up in the Yakima Valley and coming of age in the '70s, cruising (or dragging) Yakima Avenue on a Friday or Saturday night was a fantastic experience. It really was a simpler time, when great cars, great music, and guys looking for girls and vice versa all came together on Yakima's main street. Heck, my sister in law Mary met her husband, Gary, while dragging the Ave! Unfortunately in the '90s, crime caused the city to curtail the practice to the point it disapeared.

A few years ago the late Ron Bonlender, then serving on the Yakima City Council, revived the practice a few nights a summer. By and large, they were orderly and well attended, mostly by an older crowd showing off their classic cars and reliving some good times. Since then, budget cuts gave eliminated the official city participation in cruise nights, and they gave been discontinued.

I miss those cruise nights. My wife Sandy and I would shine up our '68 Chrysler convertible, load up the cd changer with classic '70s tunes and hit the Ave. It was great fun.

Here's our cruisemobile.

I hope that someday, Yakima Avenue cruise nights will return. Or maybe we children of the '50s, '60s and '70s should go outlaw and do it anyway!

By the way, this song was one of my favorites to cruise by.