On Saturday, May 5, between 8 and 9:30 a.m., more than a dozen area car clubs will depart from the San Antonio Botanical Gardens parking lot (555 Funston) on their journey along the historic Alamo-La Bahia Corridor for AACOG’s 18^th Annual Classic Car Cruise.

This year’s Classic Cruise is charted down back roads lined with south Texas wildflowers, and encompasses many of the charming historic communities of the Alamo La-Bahia Corridor. Attractions for the participating car clubs will include Panna Maria, which is known by some as the "Polish Plymouth Rock"; a beautiful kaleidoscope of colors in stained glass in a picturesque church in Cestohowa; catfish swimming lazily in a basement viewed through a window (a hole in the floor of a former hardware store in Karnes City); museums (the former courthouse for Karnes County in Helena, a former firehouse in La Vernia, and the Longhorn Museum in Pleasanton, which also serves as a visitor bureau); the authentic ghost town of Helena, which was the victim of an early rancher’s revenge; missions, battlegrounds, Cinco de Mayo Celebrations, brush country panoramas and ranchland. All these attractions are part of a virtual hotbed of Texas history, and all are on the schedule for members of the Alamo Area Council of Car Clubs participating in the cruise.

Participating communities on the Corridor are Elmendorf, Dewees, Floresville, Pleasanton, Jourdanton, Falls City, Karnes City, Cestohowa, Panna Maria, Helena, Goliad, Stockdale, and La Vernia. Besides the refreshments served at local hospitality stops, many of the communities will feature other activities such as live entertainment, historic tours, community museums, and shopping in unique venues.

On the day of the cruise, the clubs will crisscross the Corridor, following their pre-selected routes. One happy veteran commented, "It’s really neat meeting the other clubs along the way." Many of the member clubs have been participating in the Classic Cruise Along the Corridor since its inception in 1989! Reasons range from "the folks are so friendly" and "a beautiful drive," to "It’s just plain fun!"

Sponsored by AACOG, the San Antonio Botanical Center, the communities of the Alamo-La Bahia Corridor and Gunn Honda, this event is unique because it is open to all car clubs--from Alamo A’s to Z-Sports and the great variety in between (running the gamut from elegant "classics" to new hybrids.) For more information, please contact AACOG Tourism at (210) 362-5220 or visit www.aacog.com/tourism.