[Dave Fields]

Western National Tour 2009-Colorado Springs

“The Peak Experience”, July 12-17, 2009

hosted by

Pikes Peak Chapter, VMCCA

PO Box 1251

Colorado Springs, Colorado 80901

REGISTRAR: Velma Naber (719) 495-4372 vnaber@aol.com

Registration forms available on this site in November, 2008

Chairman: Mike Davis (719) 488-2267 mwdavis@pcibroadband.net


Theme and Dates for Tour

The Western National Tour for 2009 is scheduled for July 12-July 17, 2009 in Colorado Springs. The tour theme is “The Peak Experience”, taken from the idea that the last tour day is either a drive up to the top of Pikes Peak (14115 feet altitude) on the toll road or a ride up the COG Railway. The other tour days take in many of the venues around the southern Colorado area and there is a free day scheduled in the middle of the week. The tour is limited to 125 cars of age 25 years or older, unmodified.



Host Hotel

The host hotel is the Crowne Plaza (formerly the Sheraton) and it is located in the southern end of the city. It is undergoing a very nice renovation and is a very large hotel with 500 rooms. We have reserved 60 rooms for this tour but we can book more than the reserved number of rooms, per the hotel management. The hotel has large parking areas and a space in back for trailers. If the trailer area overflows, then we have Harrison High School across the street. We can park the cars in a contiguous area and we plan on hiring a security person to oversee the parking area from 10PM to 6AM every night. Chapter volunteers will provide oversight at the other times. Two hotel banquets are in the plan and we have a very nice hospitality room lined up. The hotel is willing to extend the special $99.00 rate to those who arrive early or leave later.



Registration Day

Registration is on Sunday, July 12 and will be set up near the front lobby or in the hospitality room. Signs will direct people as appropriate. There is an opening dinner that evening and this dinner is optional for participants. There is a room planned for a National meeting on the arrival day, Sunday, from 9AM to Noon. We are willing to do some early registration on Saturday from 2-5.



Tour-Day 1

The first day tour is about 120 miles total taking us north. There is a coffee stop at Castlewood Canyon State Park and then we go to Elizabeth, CO to “Rambler Ranch” This is an astounding and fine collection of over 400 AMC vehicles in a very nice setting. There will be a catered lunch and a return via the Air Force academy for a visit to it. This day is mostly on two lane roads.



Tour-Day 2

The second day is a run west to Cripple Creek. On the way is a photo opportunity for all the cars and a coffee stop in Woodland Park. Cripple Creek is a gambling town at about 10000 feet of altitude. In Cripple Creek, there is a guided tour down into the Molly Kathleen gold mine. People will have lunch and gambling on their own. The tour is about 80 miles that day.



Tour-Day 3

Day three is a free day and we will provide lots of brochures for folks. They can visit Manitou Springs, see various sights like the Garden of the Gods, hang around the pool, or fix their cars that day! In the evening is an optional and highly recommended chuck wagon dinner and show at the Flying W Ranch which is in the foothills in town. People would drive their cars to the Flying W. We do not plan to do any VMCCA car judging on this tour, so Wednesday is indeed a free day.



Tour-Day 4

Day 4 is a drive south to Canon City. The tour length is about 80-90 miles round trip and will have a coffee stop. The tour event is a train ride into the Royal Gorge, a spectacular canyon. It will include a box lunch. Upon completion of the train ride, people can return the same way, go to the antique stores in Florence, or take a scenic drive through Guffey, Colorado and back down Ute Pass. Guffey once had a cat elected as mayor.



Tour-Day 5

Day 5 is indeed the Peak Experience. It is not a long mileage tour, but it is a tough one that is a drive to the top of Pikes Peak at 14115 feet. Special plaques will be given to those who make it, in addition to the regular tour plaque. If one does not want to make the drive, then an optional trip to the top via the COG Railway will be available. If enough people select this, the railroad will put on a special train for us. Bus transportation to the train station will be provided since parking is limited. The completion of the day is a banquet at the hotel, where some awards will be provided. We have also obtained an actress, who will play Katherine Lee Bates, who wrote “America the Beautiful”.



VMCCA

Pikes Peak Chapter

PO Box 1251

Colorado Springs, Colorado 80901

Click HERE for Tour Application



REGISTRAR: Velma Naber (719) 495-4372 vnaber@aol.com

Chairman: Mike Davis (719) 488-2267 mwdavis@pcibroadband.net

[R W Burgess]

Your link did not work, Dave!!!