The Bandit Run 2008

Oh.  My.  Goodness.  On the soul of Jerry Reed, how did I not know about this????

"The good folks at YearOne, along with Restore A Muscle Car, Motortopia, and 78TA.com, have organized the first Bandit Run to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the release of the original Smokey and the Bandit film. It'll be a recreation of the route Burt Reynolds took in that American cinema classic, taking participants from Texarkana, Texas to Atlanta, Georgia, passing through Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama along the way. East bound and down, indeed.

The cruise is open to all makes and models, but Trans Ams are especially coveted, particularly black '76-'81 T/As and SE models. The Bandit Run starts on May 15 and ends in Atlanta on May 17."

Smoke. Key.  And.  The.  Bandit.  Cross.  Country.  Road.  Trip.  Trans.  Am.  I.  Can't.  Breathe...  Skip to the -6:00 minute mark on this clip to see the part that almost literally made me pass out:



I left out a detail up there. It was on May 15-17, 2007.  MY 30TH BIRTHDAY WAS THE SAME DAY AS THE 30TH BIRTHDAY OF SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT AND I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE BANDIT RUN AND I MISSSSSED IT!!!!!!!!!

But you know what?  Just like their was a sequel to Smokey and the Bandit, they're doing it again this year.  Vacation plans and birthday present to self for 2008?  DONE.