Sun, Sea & Sausages Camp Out & Drive It Weekend – A Weekend to Remember

When we first came up with the idea for the Highway 63 Sun, Sea & Sausages Camp Out & Drive It Weekend, we honestly weren't sure how it would be received.

Would people fancy swapping a traditional car show for a weekend of camping?

Would they enjoy spending an entire day simply driving some of the finest roads Yorkshire has to offer?

As it turned out... the answer was a resounding yes.

What followed was a weekend that perfectly captured everything Highway 63 stands for – great people, incredible cars, stunning roads, plenty of laughter and memories that will last long after the tents have been packed away.

Friday – Camp H63 Comes to Life

Friday afternoon saw members arriving at Oliver's Mount, Scarborough from across Yorkshire and beyond, all accompanied by smiling faces and plenty of excitement for the weekend ahead.

As tents, awnings and gazebos began appearing (with varying degrees of engineering expertise!), the conversations soon started flowing. Friends were reunited, new faces were welcomed into the fold and before long the campsite felt less like a gathering of car enthusiasts and more like a group of old mates escaping for the weekend.

That's exactly what Highway 63 has always aimed to be.

There were no cliques and no egos, just a fantastic bunch of people enjoying each other's company... although there may have been the odd debate over whose tent had been erected using the official instructions and whose had been inspired by wishful thinking!

Saturday – The Drive It Day

Saturday morning was the moment we'd all been looking forward to.

After a quick drivers' briefing, the convoy rolled out of Oliver's Mount and headed north along the stunning Yorkshire coastline towards Sandsend before continuing across the North York Moors, on to Helmsley with a stop at Hutton-le-Hole, through Dalby Forest and back to Scarborough.

Months of planning had gone into creating a route that would showcase some of the very best driving roads our region has to offer, and thankfully it more than delivered.

The weather couldn't really have worked out much better. We left Oliver's Mount under a blanket of cloud, but as the convoy rolled into Sandsend the skies began to clear and, almost as if someone had flicked a switch, the sunshine arrived. From that point on we enjoyed glorious weather for the rest of the day, making the coastal roads, sweeping moorland and breathtaking Yorkshire scenery look even more spectacular.

Every stop became another opportunity to admire the cars, chat with fellow members and watch members of the public wander over to admire a line-up of American machinery that certainly isn't an everyday sight.

The convoy attracted smiles, waves and plenty of camera phones wherever we went. It's amazing how a line of rumbling American V8s can brighten people's day.

More importantly though, it reminded us why we own these cars in the first place.

Not to sit behind ropes, not to spend their lives hidden away in garages, but to get behind the wheel, turn the key and drive them.

Saturday Evening – Food, Laughter & Great Company

After several hundred enjoyable miles behind the wheel, everyone returned to camp where the BBQ was fired up and the evening became exactly what we'd hoped it would be.

Cold drinks appeared, stories from the day's drive were talked about and the banter became louder.

It wasn't long before Darren uttered what would become the phrase of the weekend...

"You're my kind of weirdos."

Judging by the laughter that followed, we think it's safe to say that slogan has already earned itself H63 folklore status and a place on a future Highway 63 T-shirt or hoodie!

There were conversations about cars, future road trips and favourite driving roads, interrupted only by the occasional bout of laughter as someone became the latest victim of a bit of friendly mickey taking.

Nobody cared, nobody judged, just everyone laughing, it summed up the spirit of the weekend perfectly.

More Than Just Cars

One thing became abundantly clear over the course of the weekend.

The cars may have brought everyone together...but it was the people who made the event special.

Highway 63 has always been about creating a welcoming, family-friendly club where everyone feels part of something.

No pressure. No politics. No trophies. No egos.

Just genuine people enjoying fantastic cars exactly as they were built to be enjoyed.

Seeing a convoy of American classics, customs, muscle cars and hot rods covering hundreds of miles together was everything we'd hoped this event would become.

Thank You

We'd like to say a huge thank you to every single person who joined us for our inaugural Camp Out & Drive It Weekend.

When we first announced the idea, we genuinely didn't know how it would be received. The support, enthusiasm and feedback since the weekend has completely exceeded our expectations.

As we've joked since...

You were all our guinea pigs... sorry, inaugural participants!

The overwhelming response since returning home has simply been:

"You're doing it again next year... aren't you?"

The answer? Absolutely.

Plans are already underway for Sun, Sea & Sausages II, and thanks to everything we learned this year, we'll be making it even bigger and better.

Finally, thank you to everyone who travelled from near and far to be part of something that, if we're honest, exceeded every expectation we had.

The cars were superb, the roads were outstanding, the weather, once we reached Sandsend, couldn't have been much better, the BBQ kept everyone well fed, the laughter never really stopped, but above all else, it was the people who made the memories.

If this inaugural weekend proved one thing, it's that you don't need trophies or competitions to create an unforgettable event. Give people great roads, great scenery, fantastic company, plenty of laughs and the freedom to simply enjoy driving their cars, and everything else takes care of itself.

Here's to many more miles, many more smiles, many more unforgettable adventures...

...and many more weekends spent with our kind of weirdos.