If any of you have been following the Sentimental Tour post on this forum, you'll notice that there are some of us who may not be able to go because of the size restriction (100 cars).

There can be many reasons for this restriction, but the point is that our hobby has become very popular and everybody wants to join in and have fun. My own region situated, in the country, does not have enough motels nearby to handle a large group, plus there is a problem with a banquet room for anything over 100 members. I'm seriously concerned about this issue. The Northern Neck of Virginia has a lot to see and do. I'd like our region to host a tour or meet sometime in the near future, but this problem keeps coming back to haunt us. Any opinions or help with this situation?

Wayne

Wayne, are there any business conference centers in the area that you could rent banquet space from? Some of them rent out space when they are not using them to bring in extra cash. Or a local church? Those church ladies, and some of the guys, can cook some awesome home cooked meals and for large groups.

Just a couple ideas.

Some volunteer Fire Companies have banquet halls that can serve large groups of people.
These Fire Companies use their banquet halls as a source of extra income.
Be advised that some of these banquet halls have to be booked fairly far in advance due to their busy schedules.

You might want to look into this as a possible solution to your facilites problem.

Along those lines there are also the clubs like Moose, Shriners, etc. Many of them have facilities that they rent out. Or a business with a large cafeteria/meeting hall or even a public/private school or college might work. Also to consider would be the local National Guard unit. Several of them here have large areas that they can rent out for local events. Again, to bring in some extra cash.

Thanks guys!
I'm taking notes!

On another note, have any of you had local regions share an event with your region, so that you have enough man power to host a show or tour?

Wayne

Wayne, do you have a local tourism bureau? Chamber of Commerce? One of your first steps might be to enlist their help in identifying what is available. If you have such an organization in your area they may take an active part in supporting you.

If no local agency you might try a state organization for some help.

Wayne,

The 2007 Eastern Spring Meet at Binghamton was co-hosted by the Iroquois Region, Tioga Region and Onaquaga Regions.

Three regions in the New York Southern Tier area.

It was the only way we saw possible to have enough manpower to host the meet.

Was a great experience, got three regions in rather close proximity working together as one.

Only good things are coming out of the effort.

Thanks guys!

Yes Steve, there is a Chamber of sorts to check with.

Also, Steve B, I understand that your concerted effort worked so well, that you guys are considering something else in the future.

This consolidation of regions may be a coming thing for the AACA. Posting all the avenues available here on the forum, will help others when they use the search function.

Thanks again,
Wayne

Also many churchs have facilities, often complete with kitchens, that can be rented as well. Some (like mine) even have shower facilities and emergency bedding that could be used to supplement hotel accomodations. In suburban/rural VA that might very well be your best bet.

From the first time I had the confidence to drive a car that I restored across the county to the area’s only antique car show, I fell in love the idea of touring in antique cars. In those days we drove to where the Glidden Tour might be gathering, just to see the cars that we had
only seen in pictures. What a treat, real cars being used for what they were designed for. Then our local club started doing afternoon drives that grew to overnight tours.
The problem was organizing a tour and doing all the work to make arrangements for good destinations, bathroom stops, dining, fuel, motels and interesting stuff to see along the way that could accommodate a large group all at once. After doing a few tours it became easier. But, getting
new people to do the next tour became a challenge unless they had a format to follow.
This is were I see a problem with AACA touring. Each new tour committee basically has to re-invent touring from scratch, or with the help of somebody in their group who had been on a good tour.
I propose that AACA, with the help of this Internet Community, draft tour guidelines and eventually offer a program to guide Chapters in the set up of tours. The
tour programs and directions seem to follow in a similar
pattern lately, so I hope this is already occurring in that area.
I remember from the early Glidden Tours that we took, all the information Packages were sent out together and no entrants where accepted before a set date, giving all an equal shot at registration. This could be part of the
guidelines along with all the other suggestions in this thread.
I also think a set of Tour Guidelines & Suggestions would become the first step in getting local Chapters to consider hosting a tour. If they know what’s involved and have something to follow, they’ll be more accepting.
We once heard that only 5% of members every do a National Tour, which tells me that 95% of us are missing the best part of the hobby. We had some excellent tours with people that say they would love to share what they learned in doing a tour. I propose a way for them to do that.
Do we have a National Tour Committee who could spearhead this? Guidelines for Chapters to Host a Divisional or National Tour.

Paul,

First, let me say that I have no official capacity with making decisions or changes within the AACA. I just love the people and like to see things run smoothly. So, as far as having guidelines, they are all written out in the AACA Policy and Procedure Manual listed below. Tour information begins on Chapter 4 and goes through each tour that the AACA offers. It, by no means, covers everything. I understand that some proven factors are passed along by those in the know and experienced in touring.

Tour Guidelines!

I notice you mentioned times/postmark registration guidelines. I think this has been done before, but probably before my time.

If anyone has anything to add, please feel free to do so, as this forum is an excellent way to improve the operation and efficiency of the AACA.

Wayne

There have been mailing instructions with "do not mail before" at least as far back as the 1999 Glidden Tour. You were there, Wayne, when we at Northern Neck Region ran the first prototype Sentimental Tour in 2001. We had not only a date that you couldn't mail back before, but also we did not allow the motel (very limited space) to assign rooms until the person calling them had a registration number. You're getting forgetful old man --- and I'm a good bit older than you are.

Since 2001 the only motel complex capable of hosting a Tour on the whole Northern Neck (Windmill Point) has been torn down. It was getting dilapidated when we had our Tour. Somebody started a new motel, but I hear they ran out of money or something. The Beacon Restaurant on the other side of the Rappahannock can seat 300 people. We did a lunch there, but Dewey wanted something more high class for the end banquet. The Country Club seated the people, but I felt it was more jumbled because of columns in the room. That said, we had around 200 people to seat. Isn't there a new Holiday Inn in Tappahannock now? There is one in Kilmarnock too, but I don't think either is big enough. At Dahlgren there is a Holiday Inn and a Comfort Inn. I would guess that as of today, with the loss of Windmill Point, there is no place on the Northern Neck to handle any size Tour. I've been gone 3 years, but unless there is new construction I don't know about you'd be limited to a school or church cafeteria---neither of which I found willing to work with us on the 2001 Tour. The Callao MOOSE saved us for a coffee break, but their hall couldn't handle over 200 people I'm sure, although it is a pretty big hall. Fredericksburg, Richmond and Gloucester who have AACA Regions are too far away, unless, perhaps there are enough rooms in those two motels at Dahlgren. That's about 20 miles from Fredericksburg, but it's 75 miles from White Stone...a long day's round trip drive and 85 miles from the Beacon. But, there may be a banquet facility in Fredericksburg. There's lots of traffic in Fredericksburg.

Thanks Earl,
I don't think a lot has changed since you were here. I'm just testing the waters at this time.

Wayne

Wayne,
I'm glad to know there are written guidelines, do they also have all that stuff formatted on a CD for easy asssembly of a tour and all the components?
The computer offers ways to make life easier and this might be one way to encourage more tours.
Thanks for your prompt reply.

Paul, I'm not sure it's on a C/D, but I'll bet one of your grandkids can cut, paste, and burn one, before I can correct my spelling mistakes on this post!

All kidding aside, myself or anyone can make a C/D for any region that needs one. That's a good point too, as you can go over every point of the rules with your region while considering taking on a hosting job.

Thanks for your interest.
Wayne

being on this Sentimental Tour committee, what I would have liked to seen was a report from prevoius tours as to what they have seen on previous Sentimental Tours. For example if they have seen a friutcake factory last year, they might wnat to see one this year. Two years ago maybe since it is likeley we'll have some different folks.
Also, reports from all the different types of AACa tours saying we did this and it worked great, we did this and it was a flop, and we found that is planning you need to watch for thus. Also being able to get in touch with folks from the prevoius tour would be nice. As a route chairman I could call John Doe who was a route chairman last time as quiz him on how he planned the route, events, etc. I flet like I was feeling my way in the dark to a degree other than I have planned a local tour to Danville, VA by myself and it was sucessful.

One of the hardest concepts I felt my group had to learn was on a national tour it is self-guided (with the tour book). The comments and questions towards the beinging of planning indecated the group would be traveling nose to tail as a group which is the way Alamance Region normally does since when we do a tour here are 10 - 15 cars in the group most of the time.

I feel the more past tour infromation you can pass on, the easier it is on the next group and they know what mistakes not to make.

Wayne, another idea. What about state and/or federal parks in the area that have lodging and banquet facilities?

Susan,
Only one park with mostly log cabins, nothing like what we'd need. I'm taking notes, though.

Wayne

I just re-read the thread and there is one thing that was never mentioned. The concern seems to be about a place to feed everyone. The thing that is being forgotten is coffe break in morning and break spot in the afternoon, along with enough trees for the guys while the ladies comandeer the restrooms. This can bee a real headache. Having been on the 2001 Founders tour with over 200 cars and being invovled in the planning of this Sentimental Tour, the one thing I can see is don't stop anywhere within about a 45min to hour drive from the host hotel unless you have a slew of things to see and can divide the group. The one day on the Founders Tour we stayed in Rochester not far from the hotel we were split into three groups for the George Eastman house, Planetrium and the museum, all within something like 3 blocks of each other. Two of the days on this tour, you'll only drive about 15 min to the first stop. On my day most people will want to hit the restroom before going since it will be a considerable drive out through the sticks (might even hear a little bango playing from a front porch, you'll be so far out ).

Here's one thing I'd do knowing what I know now, if I was able to re-plan my day. Make the route a long fairly skinny route, head out the "boring" route to the way out points, wee them and see stuff on the return trip. This way it will quickly thin out the crowd and/ or plan all the local stuff in one day to make it short jaunts between and head half the group on the route in reversed order, meeting/using the same spot for lunch.

There you go, David. Good points, every one of them. What will become necessary in the future (assuming the gas crises doesn't hit our hobby)are ideas like this written down in the National Tour Procedures and Bylaws to use as guidelines.

Thanks, Wayne

forgot to include one other thing.

If planning a tour, It would be easier if your region already has done the places as a region tour. Unfortunely Alamance has only done three one day tours in the past 6 years and the NC region's last tour was a successful, multi-day tour was held for the 50th anniversery of the NC Region in 2004. All those stops were east /southeast of the area we'll be covering. At our very most SE point, we just might get to the NW edge of that tour's area if I remember things correctly.

For what it is worth I will throw in my two cents here. My wife and I have planned a number of national tours for a couple of other clubs.

I know VMCCA has a guide for tour planning that they give to anyone who volunteers to plan a tour. I have not seen one for any other club but if you know someone in VMCCA maybe they can get a copy as a place for AACA to start. A little cooperation amongst clubs is always good for the hobby too!

Tour planning is a lot of fun, is time consuming and not too hard at all. Just a lot of common sense and experience as a tourist will guide you for the most part. We all remember what we like from past tours and know our area to plan similar days. Just get out there and start! Pay attention to detail just like restoring a car and you will do fine!

All information from previous tours is/was available for the asking from previous Tour Chairpersons. Pat Paquette provided budget and tour planning information to Gene Roy and when asked he provided it and I provided it to the 2010 Sentimental Tour Chairpeople.