I can't wait to get some good Southern food," was the first thing I thought to myself when I got off the plane at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport last September for the Goodguys 14th Lone Star Nationals. The airline could've lost my luggage and I wouldn't have cared as long as I got some delicious fried okra, catfish, chicken fried steak, or all of the above. People who haven't been to the South don't know what they're missing or possibly even what okra is, and they probably think a chicken fried steak is some frozen thing a diner warms up for you and dumps white gravy on. They really should teach this stuff in school. Regardless, my luggage didn't get lost, and Rob and I were going to make the most of a beautiful weekend in the Lone Star State. I ate what might be the best chicken fried steak ever made at a little place called Babe's that's not too far from the track.
Babe's means business when it comes to chicken. When you walk in their cool old building, the place is filled with banquet tables covered in gingham tablecloths, and there are two things on the menu: fried chicken or chicken fried steak. Once you make your choice, either one is served with salad, mashed potatoes and gravy, and amazing creamed corn. Believe me when I say you don't need dessert after you polish your plate, and a word to the outta-towners, Babe's is also BYOB, so plan accordingly and pick up your own ice cold Shiner Bock beforehand.
Oh yeah, back to the show. If you've never been to the Texas Motor Speedway, it's a cool site and a perfect place for the Goodguys show. There's lots of parking, hotels, and it's close to either Dallas or Fort Worth if you want to see the sights of North Texas. If you come to the show hoping to go home with an award to dangle in front of your buddies, there's plenty given out here, from our own Classic Trucks Top Ten picks to Boyd Coddington's, Rod & Custom's, plus about 50 more from Goodguys, vendors, and others.
There was a decent amount of projects in the infield at the swap meet, along with plenty of parts and some cars and trucks you could drive home, too. There were a few we couldn't believe were still there after the first day-if we could have taken them back to California with us on the plane, we would have. How 'bout the trucks in the show, you ask? Even with both Rob and I covering the event, there wasn't enough time to shoot all the feature-worthy trucks we found-looks like we'll have even more work cut out for us this year. See ya'll there!
Even though the '07 show season is just getting started, plan on making it to the Goodguys 15th Lone Star Nationals October 5-7, and make sure to register early! Go to www.good-guys.com for more info and a schedule.