Evolution of the Cruise Route

Evolution of the Cruise Route. Historic Graffiti Cruise Route. ”The Modesto ‘cruising’ that showcased in the film American Graffiti was originally called ‘Dragging 10th’…”, The Modesto "cruising" that was showcased in the film American Graffiti was originally called "Dragging 10th". As soon as World War II ended, as fuel and tires became available, the cruisers drove 10th Street. It was a two-way cruise anchored by Burge's Drive-In, where kids from Modesto High School and from around the region would congregate, sometimes 3 to 4 cars deep in a dance that would finally get your car to the front. The original cruise was from 10th and O and down around the Modesto Fire Station block between F and G. Dragging 10th was a regular weekend ritual all year long, but the first weekend after the end of school was the most popular. Over the years, this weekend became known as "Graffiti Night"., In 1957, 10th Street had reached total gridlock with the two- way cruisers stopping to talk and, according to police, during that time, no cars would move through the intersections for multiple light changes. To ease the congestion, Downtown Modesto implemented a conversion to one-way streets and 10th and 11th Streets were changed from two-way to one-way (10th heading south and 11th returning north). This was a major disruption in the traditional drag where the slow drivers talked to the cars in the opposite direction, but the number of cruisers increased dramatically. There were pranks and protests over the new one-way route, but soon the loop became a regular happening, with Burge's still anchoring the west turnaround and drivers even looping up to A&W at 14th Street and G., Following the opening of Downey High School in 1951, Downey students adopted Al's and Felix's Drive-Ins on McHenry. Al's Drive-In became a destination and the cruise route became a T-shaped loop that traveled J Street and McHenry and included both Felix's and Al's. Al's was located at McHenry and Francis Street and cruisers circled around the drive-in to head back the other way, looping through Felix's parking lot on the way., In the mid '60s, the cruise began to stretch out to McHenry Village, with the parking lot being a major turn-around. After 1962, as Davis High began to influence the cruise, coupled with the fading of Burge's and Al's as gathering places, the cruise would extend all the way out to Sylvan/Standiford Road where there was a Frosty Top Drive-In, and on the north-east corner, where the Sylvan Clubhouse was then located. One of the major turnaround points was the parking lot of the Briggsmore Theater at McHenry and Briggsmore, across the street from where a second A&W Drive-In was located., In the mid '60s, the cruise began to stretch out to McHenry Village, with the parking lot being a major turn-around. After 1962, as Davis High began to influence the cruise, coupled with the fading of Burge's and Al's as gathering places, the cruise would extend all the way out to Sylvan/Standiford Road where there was a Frosty Top Drive-In, and on the north- east corner, where the Sylvan Clubhouse was then located. One of the major turnaround points was the parking lot of the Briggsmore Theater at McHenry and Briggsmore, across the street from where a second A&W Drive-In was located., During the 70s, '80s and early '90s, the large parking lots at the then-Mervyn's (McHenry and Rumble) and GEMCO (McHenry and Sylvan), were major turnaround points. The cruise attracted the largest number of people during this time and increased in popularity with out-of-town drivers until 1993, when an oversized event led to the end of cruising in Modesto., Were You There? Tell is your story at: [email protected] , Researched by: Chris Murphy . www.ModestoCruiseRoute.com