When the warm breezes of spring approach a man’s thoughts turn to love and pretty women in flowery dresses. That’s if you are a normal person. If you are an old car nut than your thoughts turn to Spring Carlsile. Now don’t get me wrong your ole buddy Carlisle Johnny is just as hornified at the sight of a sheer dress on a curvy beauty as the next dude but after a long cold winter it was time to look at old cars and 150 acres of parts and cool junk. This being my 28th time attending Spring Carlisle I can tell you it was one of the best in memory. 
The weather was perfect and the Carlisle Fairgrounds was packed with over 100,000 car crazy maniacs. I needed as usual assorted parts and collectibles for projects or just personal memories. Despite alll these years going to Spring Carlisle I’m always amazed at the amount and diversity of the car, parts and junk for sale. Vehicles ranging from a 2013 Camaro SS to a 1929 Willy Knight were for sale in the car corral. The swap meet was cramed with old, used and new items. People sell everything there. One space offered old phone booths and WWII bombs..deactivated I hope. Not sure how that got past security. 
I collect old licence plate toppers and was able to buy 4 very cool old ACCA and CCOA type all for $10.00 each. I always visit the “Sticker Guy” and purchased old VW dealer stickers from the late 1960′s for the back window of the Beetle and the Schnitzel Wagon. Found very nice 1929 New York licence plates for the Peerless at a not to bad price. 
With over 8000 vendor spaces you can log more miles than Lewis and Clark but its worth the aching feet and back. Part of the fun of any Carlisle Fairgrounds car event is the food. My favorite on the Fairgrounds food place is Horner’s Corner BBQ. The make a BBQ pulled pork sandwich topped with grilled onions, mac and cheese on buttered Texas toast. Delish to be sure but I’m sure I clogged my arteries. Outside of the Fairgrounds a must visit is The Market Cross Pub. 100′s of different beers and a find English Pub menu. 
Quite by mistake I found a superb Morroccan Restaurant in Carlisle called Argana. Moroccan food in Carlisle? Yes and it was amazing. I just made sure I didn’t mix English beer and Moroccan food. The results could of been deadly. Part of the thing that keeps me coming back to The Carlisle Fairgrounds is the huge amount of memories. Most great and some sad. It is sad memory to see as the years pass we are losing some of the older people or Mom and Pop vendors that made it special. Sad memory because of our need for social networking and the internet it has become more corporate than I would like. 
Bittersweet memory that even after all these years I still expect to see Chip Miller riding around in his golf cart with his straw hat and ‘Life Is Good” smile. Him like other loved ones was taken at a much to early age. I think he would be proud of his son Lance and what the Carlisle Fairgrounds has become. Happy memory that I patched a long thought of dead relationship with the grace of God and some luck. I hurt this person badly with my own bad choices and he got destroyed in the wake that became my life at the time. 
You sometimes make choices to survive and loved ones can get hurt. That was eight years ago and I guess healing takes time. Happy memory of seeing old friends and enjoying old stories. Happy memory of all the cars and junk I purchased and sold over 3 deacdes. Happy memory to see the Carlisle Fairgrounds packed and alive with people and cars. Happy memory of another Sunday at The Tree Of Life Church remembering all the people they have saved. Including me. Sad memory because I had to leave. Go home, get back to work and reality. But I don’t worry because Import Carlisle is only a few weeks away and I can re-fill my memory bank. See yall around the Carlisle Fairgrounds..
ENJOY A GREAT SLIDESHOW FROM THE 2013 SPRING CARLISLE
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