Guest post by Nate
Some of my fondest memories with my dad were from going to hot rod shows with my dad. Although I didn't share the same level of enthusiasm as my dad did on the craftsmanship of the cars, we did share the level of enthusiasm for horsepower. And, more importantly I was enthusiastic about spending quality one on one time with my dad.
Fast forward a few years and enter in my son, Andrew. Of course, being a Bailey boy he has already inherited his grandpa and my love of cars, hot rods and racing. So much so, that I'd even say his early enthusiasm is much more than mine was even in my teenage years. With that growing fascination, I was excited to have my dad join us and go to this years Sherwood Cruise In. It is held every June, but this was the first year Andrew was old enough to really understand it and appreciate it. There wasn't a specific memory that stuck out in my head. We all enjoyed a donut and walked around and looked at the cars. But, what I will always remember are the words that Andrew kept repeating over and over. He'd say "Whoa Dad, look at that yellow hot rod...it's 'beauteeful.'" My favorite was the number of times he'd comment that he had that car too. Of course, he was referring to his collection of Hot Wheels.
After a quick lap around Old Town looking at the car and a pit stop at a friend's birthday party for their daughter, we headed to my parents house in Camas for a belated birthday celebration for me. After arriving, Andrew drove his Jeep and tractor around the cul de sac like a savvy pro. When he got tired of that, my dad and I took him to "Papa's Shop" where my dad keeps a small collection of cars. Once we entered through the door, Andrew looked back at me saying nothing, but given me a look that I could tell meant "Look at this Daddy, can you believe this." Andrew oohed and awed over all the cars. He climbed in them and made car noises at the steering wheel, he looked at the motors and even took a rag and helped Papa clean some of them up. His favorite was the red 29 Roadster and the pickup truck. We left with a handful of Papa's die cast race cars that he has been given over the years. The day was pretty much perfect for Andrew, he got to drive, hang out with his Papa and his Dad, and snag 4 new race cars to play with.
It will be interesting over the years to see where this interest goes. Whether it grows or fades, one thing is for sure...I hope that he enjoys spending quality time with me as much as I did with my dad.
