Spending a Saturday at the Hemi Hideout!

This past Saturday was Drive Your Studebaker Day, so James and I celebrated by hopping in his 1985 Avanti and cruising across town to the Studebaker Club meeting at the Hemi Hideout, an awesome collection of Mopar muscle and vintage automobilia. Neither of us had ever heard of this place before, so we were eager to check it out. It was about a 55 mile drive from our house, so it was a great test for the Avanti, and one of the longest trips it has been on since James has owned it. We had no trouble from the car at all, and there were a handful of other local Studes that showed up as well. There was a chance of rain that day, so I can understand the low turnout. We almost left ours at home, too - but the rain stayed away and we had a beautiful day!

The complex is located off of I-10 West past Houston and Katy, in the town of Brookshire. It is only open for pre-arranged group appointments, but it seems like you would be able to sneak in with a club, as they tend to host more than one at the same time. When James and I first entered, they even asked us if we were actually with a club or not. Entry is $5 per person, and they match that amount and donate it to a local charity, which is pretty neat. There were many tables and coolers set up that featured a spread of breakfast items (we had the morning slot), as well as juices, coffee, water, beer (never too early?), and sodas. All were free for the taking, and there was plenty of indoor and outdoor seating available for the club members to mingle and get to know each other. 

Our slot was two hours long, and we saw the next round of people pulling in as we were leaving. Somehow we got directed to park alone in the main parking lot and not with the other Studebakers, who were allowed to line up in front of the building for photos, so that was kind of a letdown. We didn't realize they were allowed to do that until we were walking out and saw them all. 

The collection is awesome and contains lots of vintage cars (Including 3 Hemi 'Cudas!), ads, signs, gas pumps, pretty much anything you can think of. Everywhere you turn there is something new catching your eye. I would love the opportunity to visit again and would strongly suggest for anyone who is in the area to try and find a way to see it. $5 to see this place is a bargain! Their website can be found at www.hemihideout.com/