The Ten Days of Car Week — Don’t get me wrong, I love classic cars as much as the next gal, but I’d rather see them in the Auto Museum in Reno than in all the venues spread out all over the Peninsula for ten days. Did you look at that interactive map on the website of Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau (http://seemonterey.org)? Lordy, someone bled all over that map.

Navigating Car Week

Just for grins, let us say I needed to go to my doctor’s office at the VA clinic in Marina. What day and time would be my best bet? I have to take Highway One all the way. I count a minimum of sixteen events along that path. Granted, they are not all on the same day. But is there even one day without any events along that path? Amazingly, I found two days with no events along my path to the doctor’s office — yesterday and today. Too bad she isn’t open on weekends.

So what is going on those two days? Hmmm…I am sure many of them are driving up the coast on those days to get their vehicles and themselves to this ten-day Car Week, well, except those who are bringing their obscenely expensive cars in on transports, which will be lined up next to or on the Monterey Fairgrounds, if prior events are any indication. 

Is Car Week the height of hypocrisy?

Nothing symbolizes our love affair with cars and the fossil fuel industry quite like car week. California and Monterey like to hold themselves out as forerunners in the “green” movement and eco-environmentalists, and yet, for 10 days every August, we are anything but. People put their love-affair with the automobile front and center. They drive up and down the Central Coast to show off their “baby” using up gasoline and fouling our air. Yes, they bring in money for a lot of people, from the service industry to the businesses who thrive on tourism, to the County coffers. Is it worth it? Do we sell our clean air and water and environment out to the auto and fossil fuel industries? Apparently, the answer is yes.

How does a local cope?

My plan has always been to withdraw as much as possible during Monterey Car Week. I do not want to endure nor contribute to the craziness of these events. Unfortunately, I must venture out one day this week, as my iPad, upon which I work exclusively, is now on life-support. Fortunately, in addition to the Apple Store in Monterey, there is one in San Luis Obispo. Guess which one I am going to?? I prefer to see my classic automobiles at the Automobile Museum in Reno (https://www.automuseum.org/) or in one of the auction tents in Quartzite, AZ in January. But just in case you can’t get either place, and don’t want to venture out, here are a couple shots of classic cars for you to enjoy.