Greetings. I am signing up for my first , hopefully of many, Model T tours for the Indiana covered bridge tour. It is critical that I show my wife of 39 years a good time so she will want to do it again. Any advice to these questions will be appreciated
I understated that you register and park your car and trailer at the fairgrounds
What hotels do you recommend?
I had the assumption that on a tour I can follow the leader so that you know where to travel, stop to see the sites and eat ? Is this true? I read somewhere on this tour there is no guide and everyone is on their own to go where they wish.
Is there no established route? Are their tour maps? How do you find the covered bridges and the small creeks to fiord I see on the previous years web sites?
I have read there are trucks to assist you if you break down. If everyone is driving on their own route, how do they find you? Do they have a cell phone to call?
If everyone IS on their own, and anyone wants to lead me around it would be greatly appreciated. We do have some funny stories to tell over lunch.
ALL advice given is greatly appreciated.
Dave, did you get my e-mail?
I understated that you register and park your car and trailer at the fairgrounds
Basically, yes. I think we left the tow vehicle and trailer at the hotel, but either one works.
What hotels do you recommend?
I can't remember the name of either one we stayed in (2008 and 2011). At this point, they may be filling up and the best one may turn out to be the one that has a room available.
I had the assumption that on a tour I can follow the leader so that you know where to travel, stop to see the sites and eat ? Is this true? I read somewhere on this tour there is no guide and everyone is on their own to go where they wish.
There are too many cars for follow the leader. Everyone gets a booklet with the route description. In our case, I drove and Anja navigated. (It's not hugely difficult with so many other Ts on the same route, since a certain element of follow-the-leader creeps in. It's more like "go where the other Ts are," though.
Is there no established route? Are their tour maps? How do you find the covered bridges and the small creeks to fiord I see on the previous years web sites?
See above. There is an established route with suggested stops. ("Ice cream" comes to mind...) Same applies to the bridges and creeks.
I have read there are trucks to assist you if you break down. If everyone is driving on their own route, how do they find you? Do they have a cell phone to call?
Yes. Since everyone is driving a prescribed route (unless you get lost), they can find you pretty easily. Yes, there is a cell number to call.
If everyone IS on their own, and anyone wants to lead me around it would be greatly appreciated. We do have some funny stories to tell over lunch.
Everyone isn't on their own. You'll have plenty of lunch companions. That's a good time to get better acquainted with the other people on the tour.
You're definitely going to enjoy it.
Just show up. They will watch over you like a mother hen. Just hook up with a couple of other cars, and follow them. Great bunch of folks, a really neat tour, and the scenery is incredible! Fairgrounds is at the edge of town. The motel is just down the road, towards town. We have done the tour several times, and would do it again, if it weren't for some scheduling conflicts. We hope to do it again next year.
Dave, there are maps or directions available for this tour. The tours are usually at your own pace. The best thing to do is to get hooked up with someone and follow a group. I carry a GPS as well. I'll be there on Saturday for the day but starting a new job the next week so won't be available the other days. Look me up at the Indy swap meet and we can discuss further.
As far as Hotels go, get online and look up Rockville, In. hotels. There are only about 4 in town and maybe a couple bed and breakfast places. No 5 star hotels so don't expect too much. A lot of the tour people stay in campers and motor homes at the fairgrounds.
Thank you all for the advice. i will try and make hotel reservations today. I am very low maintenance but I find my wife to have a good time needs everything going smooth. The more I prepare the better the trip!
Dave, The Covered Bridge tour is one of our most favorite tours, you are going to enjoy it. We stay at the Parke Bridge Motel, the number is 765-569-3525, they might have a room available. You won't see many Model T's at the Motel Forest but all others in the area are good. Registration is at the fairgrounds and you can leave your truck and trailer there too. Each morning there is a drivers meeting with coffee and stuff for the day. Everyone gets a set of directions so you don't get lost and you just kind of go on your own pace. Where there is food involved we all end up together at the same time anyway.
You will have fun on this tour, it will be our 5th consecutive year and the first one we sign up for every year. We'll look for you and say hi, if you don't feel comfortable with your navigating skills you can follow us around if you'd like. It's more fun if you have someone with you when you get lost. See you there.
If there are times you are on your own to go to dinner I suggest you find someone/some couple whom your wife seems to enjoy talking to and see if you can tag along with them for the ad lib event. That is lots more fun than finding yourselves alone in a new town and random restaurant. More fun for you also as you will have someone to talk "T" to.
IMHO, TH
LOL,Rockville only has about 3 restaurants and some fast food joints. Unless you go to the Beef house or back to Terra Haute.
David
This was the first tour my wife and I attended. Like you it was critical that my wife had a good time. Well, We came back the next 2 years, missed last year and will be there again this year. Like Dan, we stay at the Park Bridge Motel and leave the tow vehicle and trailer at the fair grounds. You are sure to have a good time. It's put on my a great group of folks that will take good care of you.
We'll try to look you up.
I understated that you register and park your car and trailer at the fairgrounds
ANSWER: Yes
What hotels do you recommend?
ANSWER: I stay at the Billy Creek Inn, now an Econo Lodge. Not a lot of choices and none are "high tone", if you're into that, but most are decent and adequate. MAKE RESERVATIONS NOW!
I had the assumption that on a tour I can follow the leader so that you know where to travel, stop to see the sites and eat ? Is this true? I read somewhere on this tour there is no guide and everyone is on their own to go where they wish.
ANSWER: You can follow someone if you like but there is a printed route so, no need for a "guide". There is a schedule but it's a loose one and if you stray from it to suite your pace and interests it's no big deal.
Is there no established route? Are their tour maps? How do you find the covered bridges and the small creeks to fiord I see on the previous years web sites?
ANSWER: There's a printed route that covers all that.
I have read there are trucks to assist you if you break down. If everyone is driving on their own route, how do they find you? Do they have a cell phone to call?
ANSWER: There's a cell number for trouble truck. As mentioned there is a set route.
If everyone IS on their own, and anyone wants to lead me around it would be greatly appreciated. We do have some funny stories to tell over lunch.
ANSWER: YOU WILL HAVE A FANTASTIC TIME AND YOUR CAR WILL BE DIRTY WHEN YOU'RE DONE! SEE YA' THERE!
Oops, should have read, "... to suit your pace..."
Dave, I want to add one more thing. When I received your PM from the Forum, you asked me to call you. I wear hearing aids and phone calls are difficult for me. That's why I e-mailed you instead. I don't know if you didn't get my e-mail or why you didn't respond, but that's why I responded that way instead of calling you.
It looks like you have plenty of information for the tours....
We were going to go but work got in the way. We have been 5 times and it is one of our favorite tours.
We cancelled our reservation at Park Bridge Motel but that was 3 months ago. Maybe she has not filled our spot yet.
Please do not let the Schultz's keep you up if you go this motel. They are party animals, especially the wife!
We will miss not being there!
I have never been on that particular tour, but from experience, it is a very good to have someone in your car be a "navigator". That person will read the printed instructions and be sure to turn at the designated locations. From personal experience, following the leader will sometimes lead many cars in the wrong direction if the first car makes a wrong turn or goes straight when it should turn.
I think you will have a good time, and I have found that the other T'ers all look out for one another, and if someone has a problem, the others will help, or stand by while you get the problem solved. Most of the members are among the best friends a person can have.
Have a good time. That tour sounds like a good one, and I would like to join if it weren't so far from San Diego County.
Norm