FUEL FOR THE FIRE. The auto industry’s very public struggle to right itself has taken on the added weight in recent months of serving as one of a handful of canary tests in the darkness of the recession. It’s almost as if the fate of the entire world hinges on whether the once mighty automakers can continue their business as usual, if at all. It’s a strangely ironic predicament for a country that has made no secret of its love for big, bold, beautiful vehicles, even when it stood in direct defiance of the best interest of the greater good. When Al Gore began screaming, “The sky is falling, the sky is falling,” what did Detroit do? It rolled out modern versions of the Mustang and Shelby, two of history’s meanest — and most gas-guzzling — hot rods. But love tends to blind us like that. Even now, in the midst of this meltdown, it’s hard to look at a menacing chrome grill, to hear the vicious gurgle of a V8 engine, to feel the supple caress of a calfskin leather interior and feel anything but deep, unabashed lust. The New Hope Automobile Show, August 8 and 9, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., New Hope-Solebury High School, 180 West Bridge Street, New Hope; 215-862-5665; www.newhopeautoshow.com.

LOST AND FOUND. What began as one woman’s modest plan to share her love of Princeton, NJ, has blossomed into quite the enterprise practically overnight. Mimi Omiecinski, a transplant who says she fell in love with the town in “about two seconds,” founded Princeton Bike Tours shortly after moving to Princeton in 2006. She collaborated with the public library and the historical society to make sure that she had the background down and then she bought a fleet of bikes through the town’s two cycling shops. The response proved so resounding that Omiecinski this spring expanded the company’s reach to include walking tours and its name, now Princeton Tour Company. Today, she offers a truly diverse range of options for seeing Princeton from just about every angle, from pub crawls (“This is how history was meant to be learned,” she says) and ghost tours to the “Literary Greats Biking Tour” and the “Ultimate Insider’s Tour,” proving that, even for the most loyal townie, there’s something to be learned in a community as textured as Princeton. Tours are offered year-round. For a complete schedule, call 609-902-3637 or visit www.princetontourcompany.com.

STILL CAPTIVATING. How we celebrate holidays changes with age. To a degree. Our childhood memories of the Fourth of July, for example, consist of wrapping our bikes in red-white-and-blue crepe paper and proudly riding them in the local parade, then heading to a pool, any pool, and losing the remainder of the day in a blur of laughter, splashing and sunburn. Today, the Fourth, first and foremost, means a desperately needed break from work and daily stressors. But age and maturity mean nothing come nightfall, when the goal for everyone becomes one and the same: Find the fireworks. For those of us who will be forsaking the Shore and staying close to home, the clear choice is Peddler’s Village. For one, its fireworks are extensive. They start at 9:15 p.m. and are expected to go for a full 45 minutes. For another, they’re convenient. Part of the beauty of Bucks is the rolling landscape, so use those hills to your advantage. Avoid the traffic altogether and find an isolated perch nearby. The sixth annual Celebration of Freedom, July 4, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Peddler’s Village, Route 202 and Street Road, Lahaska; 215-794-4000; www.peddlersvillage.com.