My wife & I had an awesome dinner at this place. Great steaks, service and a fun atmosphere. The restaurant at the Inn just plain sucked ass though.
I'm going to try and respond without being defensive. Food. Yep we know it. The fairgrounds supplies the food vendors. Everyone, including the WCK did not expect the gate turnout that we got. Next year there will be at least twice as many food vendors, and a lot more "water, soda, and juice" vendors. It was very frustrating for everyone, to wait in a food line for an hour just for a water. Cruise. . . Maybe after a couple years, we may bring it up with the city. Paso did not have the cruise for at least 15 years. Small town atmosphere . . . I fully agree. It's no Paso. Larger City. Larger fairgrounds, etc. If you hung around the Inn, it felt just like hanging around the Inn at Paso. We lost the A&W in Paso couple years ago. There are several places that will become hang outs over a few years. I personally go to a car show for Cars and friends. There were plenty of those in Santa Maria. Gang Presence? That is one of several misconceptions in Paso. To the city council of Paso, LowRiders = Gang problems. Tattoos = Hells Angels. They hated the LowRiders for bouncing, loud music, etc. They hated the Rat Rodders for the loud attitudes, and cases of beer bottles remaining in the parking lot after they left. In both cases, it was a selective few that ruined it for everyone. If we don't keep it in check, it's only a matter of time before S.M. comes to the same conclusions. Snugglers: I can't say enough about these guys. Completely out of control. Random snuggling all over the place ! One of them most certainly had some "Louisiana Leg-Hound" in him. Damn fool sprinkled on my leg. And I won't start calling anyone a "dirty" name, but someone missed their work bull-horn a little too much. That's all I've got for now. I'll be glad to answer any more questions directly. Craig
I guess I ruined it for everyone,huh!!! Maybe next year i'll just quit my job and GO! Besides...I would NEVER stay in a dumpy room.....I'd sleep in my dumpy car,before paying to stay in a dumpy room!!! But,that's just me, LOL!!!!
It was a fantastic show for the first time out. Needs some tweaks. I will definitly be going next year. I brought some of my own scooby snacks, and drinks so I wasn't hurting. I could see the food lines. More porta johns. Entry fee I think is a little steep , since we are bringing in the cars. Santa Maria inn was happening. All in all a great show. There still was alot of cars ,and people even though the weather wasn't great. If it was sunny we would have been mobbed. Again , I think it will only get better. Same as Good Guys??? NO WAY . Far from it.
I and the misses stayed at the Rose Garden Inn, room next to Candy Clark and we enjoyed our stay and the show......see ya next year.
This was the topic on everyones minds it seems. I went down with 3 buddies and even though we had to send one car home from San Jose on the back of a AAA truck we had a ball. For me it was about the road trip in my hot rod, hanging with some pals and having a lot of laughs. Oh yeah and looking at some cars. After going to Paso for years I had a real hard time with the idea of Santa Maria, but I think it went well. I find myself growing weary of the larger events, stopped going to GG shows several years ago, last year at Billet Proof I found myself thinking that might be it for me, and even last couple of years at Paso were just way to crowded for my taste. I really am preferring the smaller events, Asphalt Invitational, Revolution, Nor Cal Reliability Run are becoming it for me. So from the crowd and show size perspective I am not sure I would go back, but from the drive the car somewhere and hang with pals perspective I would go back. I think they did an Ok job considering it was a first time thing and I wish them well with it in the future. Now how about Jay's idea, small show in a small, cool (as in climate) coastal town ? Come on Jay, Asphalt Invitational II ?
Santa Maria was a great show. There are a few minor things that need to be worked out but all in all I thought Penny and WCK's did a great job! My buddies and I had lots of fun too, but we can have fun anywhere as well! But then again, we know that anything is really what you make it kinda like what Kirk said. And if you go somewhere looking for a crappy time or things to complain about or be unhappy about I guarantee you'll find something. I'm sure if this show was still in Paso and nothing had changed, the same people would be on here saying how Paso just isn't as fun anymore and they'd have a big long laundry list of complaints about it too! Bottom line if you like Hotrods and Customs and fun then go back next year because all were present at Santa Maria! And yes after carefully evading them all day Saturday, I had a run-in with some Snugglers at the bowling alley and got caught up in one of their infamous Snuggle-sandwiches. Needless to say, I'll never be the same again! THESE GUYS ARE BRUTAL!
Thanks Ric-- The thought of a smaller, "quality over quantity" central coast show had crossed my mind a few times over the weekend! jay
Thank you Craig for addressing some of these issues! We really had a great time from the time we got there to the time we left Santa Maria ! I think the Santa Maria Inn was a little overwhelmed on Friday night but they seemed to handle things pretty well, I also think the Santa Maria cops were pretty decent with the cars as well, there was plenty of cars double parked but they ask a few people to move and then the cops left. For the first show at a new location I think it went WELL and I know it will get better. 60'
thanx HAD A GREAT TIME AND WILL BE BACK NEXT YEAR!!!!!!!! santa maria will be what WE make it ,so lets make it into a great show . i see whole lot of folks cryin on here and complaining , probley the same complainers that complained about paso as well , how about helping to make this a great show instead of complaqining about it and sitting back and do nothing .the secusess of this show needs our sapport santa maria will be what we all make it and like it or not this year ruled for being a first! are there things that need improving yes ,and they will be improved apon.dose anyone even know what it takes to put on a event like this ,theres more to than you know ,they were definatly over welmed and the turn out was greater than expected! , the bottom line is it was a hudge sucssess and it will be made better! i here folks complaining about having to pay to get in , you got a free ride for 20 + years , now that you have to pay to get in you say you wont be back next year , GOOD cause i always had to pay for you to see my car for free i brought 3 cars and payed for all of them to get in just like every year! any one complaning about there wasnt nothing to do didnt try to do any thing THERES plenty to do ,and plenty of good places to eat..friday night at the santa maria inn was the place to be it ruled and it was packed and the partyin was havey !the shifters threw a kick ass party at the bowlin alley sat night witch kicked ass thanxs axel, then there was the dice party as well !any one that TRYED to have a kickass time did!i heard the best western was a nother hot spot .this is only gona get better and its gona take time .im sure next year will be more organize and there will be even more to do. then i here people tryin to compare this show to a good guys event ONLY because it has a fence around it . thats fucking rediculass !DIFFERANT PEOPLE DIFFERANT CARS thats an insult ,face it the parks gone and the fair grounds is what you make it , if you dont like the food lines bring a damb ice chest or a small BBQ , the calavaras were ruling it big time i dont think they were complaning they came prepared , i was like shit why werent we bbqing?and for all those partisapints that finialy had to pony up GOOD its about time you help saport this thing of ours! then there was complaints about the cars ,personaly you dont know shit .awhole lot of people HAVE steped up there game and are leaning towards finished cars and thats kick ass for the scene it makes for an even better reason to come to this show. i seen MORE bad ass cars than i seen shit !heres to every one who busts there ass on there rides soley for a show like this .i know i want to see what everyones buiding , what finialy got finished , thats realy what this shows all about ,theres always certain cars from diferant builders your wanting to see.and that my friends will never change dont matter if its a park or fair grounds it is what it is.oh ya paso wasnt always in the park! i love this show because it lets me see people and friends i havnt seen for awhile . i mean come on people and car clubs come from all over the world to congregate here ,there a big part of what brings me back year after year were one big family right!then theres the fresh cars and builders and painters,people build cars exclusivly for this show and i want to see them. penny and the wcc crew deserve our saport for giving us a cool place to go year after year they bust there asses every year to put on this event and they want nothing more than to make this show even better than paso was .if it wasnt for this show all the othere shows probobly wouldnt egzist ,wcc events have been the core of the scene and the catalist for othere great shows.bottom line is were all in this thing together,so stop complaining and help make this better , no lets make this great. so lets stand together and help make santa maria great i know i am! and so will gambino kustoms and the road zombies!
I'd love to continue this line of thinking! I think the people who say the location does not matter must be kidding. I've always gone to Paso for the whole experience, not just the cars. I'm sorry to say that I won't be looking forward to my Memorial Day weekends as I have for the last 12 years. I'll still head down there to see family and friends, but I'm not convinced I'll go to SM. Too bad. Its now a fairgrounds show. If you like that kind of thing, then go. Its no longer a small town, charming, significant other-friendly show. Kudos to the WCK for keeping it going. You guys did a great job. The show has become something entirely different in my opinion, but life is about change. Good luck to the WCK.
Paso never made it Paso for me. My friends and the cars made it Paso. In fact we call Santa Maria, Paso most of the time when we talk about it. People have mentioned Santa Maria not being wife or girlfriend friendly. If your chick doesn't like car shows get a new one or don't make her do something she doesn't like doing. Mine digs hanging out looking at cars just fine. She doesn't need distractions to get her mind off of the fact that it's a car weekend. You didn't like Santa Maria because you couldn't go antique shopping or walk from the show to a restaurant? Those aren't the things I went to Paso Robles for - I went for friends and cars. There were plenty of both in SM. I can go shopping or eat at a restaurant any day of the week. There aren't 900+ cars in one place everyday. Maybe you guys need to take up wine tasting or something. I also don't care if a show is at a fairgrounds or in a high school parking lot. I want to be where the cars and my friends are. So what if there's a fence around the venue and you have to pay a measly twelve bucks to come in. Going to a small town and hanging out with friends would be rad also, but I really like looking at cars...good and bad. Plus, an unsuspecting small town definitely won't have the tolerance for loud hot rods and goofing around like one that is welcoming something like WCK's show with open arms. Like has been said, the more of you who don't go, the better it will be for the ones who do. PS. Get over the whole hotels raising prices and asking for 3-night minimums. EVERY hotel in the world does that when any big event comes to town or even just on a holiday weekend that they expect to be filled up. Do you think the hotels in Vegas are the same price everyday? Try going during a convention like SEMA or MAGIC, the prices are through the roof. It's called capitalism. There's a rodeo in SM next week and I'll bet good money that the hotel prices go up.
We had a blast! Another goodtimes weekend had by me and those close to me, I have to agree that it's not really about where the show is but who you are with and what you make of it, Paso is gone and I think Santa Maria will be a good replacement, we've been going to Paso for more than ten years and I had just as much fun if not more in this new Paso Maria gig! Next year will probably be better now that we know what to expect.
good job bad bob and zombrian,ditto to alex,kirk and all the guys that liked the show and will be back next year. cars,friends, old friends and the new friends we make are the reasons why i love this show and will continue to support it, everybody else stay home.
Whoa! you tried the Chinese food!! We were there and there were spiders at every corner, yeah a bit dumpy! Though we were surprised to get a room Sat morning just driving up. It we nice getting seranated by the Mariachi band. The villa did have a lot of visitors with cool cars. It was walking distance from the Inn and from the Dice party, also Jack in the crack was walk in past midnight! But we'll also go up the street next year.
No problem. By the way, THAT ZEPHYR IS NAAAAAEEEEEEESSSSEE! One of these days I'll see it up close. One of these days.
Exactly!! I thought the quality of cars went up as well, definitely more finished cars! Cool meeting you and your talented staff Alex!
My wife and I went and we both had a great time. I felt that for the first year at a new venue WCK did a real good job putting the show on. I overheard coversations between club members about the goings on at the show, and they are fully aware of this years shortcomings. I believe that next years show will be better just by their informal stand up meetings, a whole year to organize the next show should be a noticable improvement. The only thing that would need a huge amount of planning and organizing would be a cruise on Fri. or Sat., but it was the only thing lacking in my opinon. I don't agree with the replies that the cut off years and type of cars were inforced though. I saw everything form a "Herbie" clone to late '60's odd ball crap that I would'nt let in the gate. There were some really cool looking rides parked in the spectator lots that impressed me more. We are planning to go next year and will base our future plans then, after all you don't get married after the first date.
I had a great time even though I had to leave Saturday night. Hung out and met more cool HAMBers. The WCK reps that I knew asked me how everything was going and truely care about this show. It was worth the extra hour drive. Going next year for sure......... Brian
The Jalopy Journal
