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You Are Here: Home » Things to Do » Attractions and Family Fun » Car Culture »
Car Culture
by Mischa Kirby
Not long ago my husband took my father to a car race and that seemingly innocent event awoke the 16-year-old car lover in Dad. That's how my dad and I wound up on an unconventional, but enjoyable, father-daughter auto trip that took us from the southern tip of St. Petersburg to the northern docks of Tarpon Springs.
Dad decided he wanted to experience an Indy car race, and fortunately St. Petersburg, just to the north of our Sarasota homes, hosts The Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg March 31 - April 2 in 2006 (dates for 2007 are March 30 - April 1). To start our daytrip we drove to downtown St. Pete to map out the race so Dad could pick out the best spot to watch the event. (It was now obvious as we walked the course three months before race day that I inherited my planning skills from Dad.)
This will be the second year the Indy cars have torn through the city's downtown streets. Out of 14 races, The Honda Grand Prix is by far one of the most grueling with 14 turns over a 1.8-mile track that winds past baseball's domed Tropicana Field and along the blue waters of Tampa Bay. Dad thought about bringing his sailboat to the marina that overlooks turn 10 (tickets are available for
the yacht basin and an RV campground), but decided he would rather be on land to explore downtown during breaks between qualifying rounds and watch the air stunt shows.
We completed the reconnaissance mission checking out the dining possibilities at The Pier, a shopping and dining center within walking distance of the race. The five-story Pier has 14 stores, four sit-down restaurants, five restaurants in the food court area and an aquarium. Also nearby is BayWalk, which is stuffed with shops and restaurants that run the gamut from Dan Marino's Fine Foods & Spirits to Johnny Rockets.
Dad was excited to see the Florida International Museum was just off the racecourse. Years ago we had seen an exhibit of ancient Egypt artifacts there, and during the race an exhibit of scrolls and tablets from biblical times will be on display. Just a stone's throw away is the Salvador Dali Museum, with hundreds of paintings by the famous surrealist.
With race week itinerary set, Dad and I drove to Pinellas Park and the Tampa Bay Auto Museum to see early 20th century vehicles that paved the way for racecars.
The museum opened March 2005, and is the private collection of Alain Cerf, whose fascination with vehicle engineering during the first half of the 20th century has escalated into a passion. At the museum entrance
is the vehicle that started it all for Cerf – a Peugeot DarL'mat from France. The baby blue, two-passenger car is only one of 103 built between 1937 and 1939.
We glided through the 12,000-square-foot gallery between the glimmering bodies of cars I'd never heard of: Czechoslovakian Tatra limos that chauffeured communist dignitaries and the French-made Citroën 7CV that looks like a prequel to the punch buggy. All of the cars are registered and are driven regularly by Cerf through the streets of St. Petersburg and Clearwater.
In the Greek community of Tarpon Springs, we strolled along the famous Sponge Docks, a village with more than 100 shops and restaurants, before venturing into Classic Corvettes & Collectibles. Owned by Al Wiseman, who is featured in car magazines with other collectors like Jay Leno, the 120-car showroom is more than a dealership. The staff will sell a floor model or hunt down a specific model for their customers.
All of the cars for sale are pristine muscle and classic cars; not a single one has four doors. My dad eyes lit up when he found a light blue '67 Dodge Coronet. It was the first car he owned and the one he was driving when he and my mom started dating in the early 70s. He also came across a '68 Oldsmobile 442 that was in much better shape than the one he won in a poker game at 15. ("It was four deuces against a full house," he said with a dreamy smile.)
To my father's dismay, we left in the same car we arrived in.
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