Rally Cry

So you want to show off your sweet new ride before the next severe storm riddles the paint job with hailstone dimples? Of course you do. You've washed and waxed it; you've put the ragtop down. And, thanks to Lil' Flip or the Darkness or NPR's Morning Edition (speaking strictly for ourselves), you've got bump in the trunk like, as Big Boi says, "two midgets in the back seat wrasslin'." The only problem? You've got nowhere to go.

Don't panic. St. Louis County Parks has the solution. And we're not talking about a mosquito-bitten picnic or a "pleasant" hike in 97 percent humidity, either. We're talking about a race that will put to shame every one of those stage-managed, edited-for-commercials reality-show competitions. We're talking about games and puzzles that will challenge your brain. We're talking about a barbecue and (perhaps) a prize. Yes, we're talking about the parks' "Road Rally 'Round the County."

Hear that? Your sweet ride is so excited, its engine started itself.

The rally begins this Saturday, June 26, at 10 a.m. in Queeny Park (550 Weidman Road) and, before it concludes at 6 p.m., it will send you and your ride on a scavenger hunt through many of the 71 parks in St. Louis County.

There are a few catches, however. First, each participating car must have at least two occupants, including the driver, but no more than four (so leave the stretch H2 at home, pal). Second, you must be 21 or older to participate. Third, you must reserve your place in the road rally by calling 314-355-7374. Reservations cost $40 per car, and this includes the barbecue at the rally's end.

Finally, and perhaps most important, make sure you and your sweet ride bring your "A" game. Because, you see, we'll be there in our sweet ride -- an '87 Subaru Justy with ground effects, a custom "Ain't Skeered" paint job and a Hartford Whalers antenna ball -- and we play to win.