Oak Glen Rod Run 2021
Johnny Hunkins
A much-needed lifeline to reality is a welcome friend on Memorial Day.
Your drive starts out like any other weekend outing in the hot rod, but as the GPS takes you closer to Yucaipa, California, the mountains loom larger. Soon, the ruler-flat roads start curving. City blocks change to deleterious clumps of suburban housing, then thin out to sporadically spaced ranches and boutique farms. Gentle curves turn into tight kinks, and your pace slows as the altitude increases. The hearty scrub of the high desert changes to forest, and the engine sound turns notably labored as the air thins. The V-8 starts digging in with conviction, and you begin glancing occasionally at the temp gauge—not worried, mind you—just making sure.