Caravan from Illinois

[SmokeHouse]

Bill Sampognaro has asked me to put together caravan info from IL to Dallas. We are planning to leave early Monday morning on Sept. 6. We are planning two nights on the road with arrival at the Gaylord Texan Hotel early on Wed. morning.
Initial plans call for a rendezvous in Channahon, IL just south of the intersection of I-80 and I-55 at 7:30A. We will spend the first night in Rolla, Mo. and the second night somewhere about two hours outside of Dallas.
I need to know how many people are interested in joining this caravan a.s.a.p. so that I can block rooms at hotels.

 

[Y2K5SRT]

That's a lot of road time for a 14 hour drive (from Chicago). In the event you decide to leave Tuesday, we will be hooking up with the Gateway folks and many, many others on I-44 near Springfield, MO on Wednesday around 10:00 AM. From there it is a 7 hour drive - in a sedan. This will put us into the hotel around 5:00 PM (and the route should avoid rush hour traffic). Realize that the hotel check-in time is 3:00 PM and that VOI registration is open from 4:00 PM until 9:00 PM on Wednesday evening - not before.

While I certainly won't try to influence your caravan (much ), if it were me I would leave Tuesday morning and make the planned stop in Rolla, then rendezvous with the Gateway Vipers as they pass through on the way to Springfield. There you could hook up with the Kansas City Vipers (18 at last count), and very probably Vipers from Iowa, Minnesota, the Dakotas, and even Canada that will be coming down through Kansas City on I-35. We could then hook up with others along I-44 and in Oklahoma.

Just thinking out loud, but the idea of more Vipers sounds pretty good to me. They have a VERY large check-in area at the front desk, and there is always a line for VOI registration regardless. We will look forward to seeing you on the way or in Dallas!

 

[SCLSSRT10]

Tom, This is the first I've heard about leaving on Monday. Why so early?, it's only 980 miles from Gurnee, that's an easy two day drive. If we left on Tues. morning we could still get there by dinner time on Wens. Does Bill just want to get there early on Wens.? Registration doesn't open until 4:00PM on Wens anyway. I was at Bills place all morning today but we never discussed the caravan. Let's talk about the departure date on Sunday.

 

[SmokeHouse]

Steve, this could be a fair sized caravan with a good number of trailers. A large caravan can be difficult to manage particulary if we pushing to make time. No one wants to try to pull a trailer at Viper speeds on this one as quite a few of us have new trailers and are not used to hauling them over such a distance.
Bill wants to be there on Wed morning for several reasons. I believe there may be some meetings he has to attend. I wanted to get there a little early just to unwind and see some of the hotel and area before the actual start of the Invitational. I think most felt the same.
As of right now, I am planning the first night about halfway through Missouri and the second just north of the TX and OK border putting us about 1 1/2 to 2 hours from the hotel on Wed morn.

 

[Y2K5SRT]

Just an FYI, we discussed officer meetings taking place prior to VOI (including Wednesday morning) and it was vetoed at the VOI preview by all of the officers in attendance. The reason was that we wanted to be able to travel with our clubs during the various caravans to Dallas. There are no "official" officer meetings on Wednesday, just in case that was a concern (I don't think Bill was able to attend the pre-VOI meeting in person). There are no events or meals planned for VOI on Wednesday, as the invitational doesn't officially start until Thursday. Confess: You just want to get a sneak peek at your VCA SRT!

 

[Viprrrrr]

Chris,
Sounds as though you have a route and timing in place for a caravan from your region to Dallas. We will have Vipers making the trip from MN and I would appreciate you sharing what your plans are. We are looking to leave Tuesday a.m. in hopes of hooking up with any IA / NE members making the trip and then continue into your region. I am curious as to where we might meet you and at what time? Have you had any discussions with the IA / NE region?

 

[Y2K5SRT]

Mike -

As you know, that Iowa/Nebraska group can be a pretty secretive bunch. I have had a couple e-mails from folks in the Dakotas and even up in Canada that would like to hook up with us along the way. My thoughts are that with both I-29 and I-35 feeding directly into Kansas City from the north and I-70 coming in from east/west, we would be delighted to arrange a "Viper friendly" hotel (parking and price) for that Tuesday night. At this point we have 18+ Vipers going from Kansas City, with at least four of them on trailers and one guy with his family in his SUV. We kept a similar group together with no problem for VOI 7, including the driving rain as we got to Nashville - 575 miles in one day and no "rushing".

Right now our thoughts are to leave Kansas City around 7:30 AM. While you would think that taking I-35 from there would be the easiest/quickest, we determined that I-35 from Kansas City to Oklahoma City is virtually a mirror image of the Highway 71 / I-44 route - same distance. We also know that we would like to hook up with our friends from Gateway (St. Louis), Illinois, Michigan, etc. a little earlier for a bigger and better caravan. This means that we would take the largely 4-lane Highway 71 from Kansas City down to I-44 and arrive around 10:00 AM not far from Joplin. There are a few good places to meet in that area and I would even go so far as to drive down and scout out a spot beforehand.

We will then continue down I-44 and possibly pick up more Vipers in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. From our meeting spot at 71 & 44 it is a simple 6 hour (or less) drive to Grapevine - which is located on the north side of Dallas and should be away from the heavier rush hour traffic. Throw in a nice stop for lunch and we should be at the Gaylord Texan no later than 5:00 PM. Still four hours of daylight, registration, and relaxation to enjoy at the hotel. The hotel check-in is only two hours earlier and registration starts at 4:00. VOI 8 officially starts the next morning, Thursday, September 9th with the VCA SRT delivery.

Let me know if this sounds good to you and I will start checking for a Viper friendly hotel near our meeting point Wednesday morning. You will get to sleep in later than anybody in the caravan! I will also check in with the Iowa/Nebraska crew and circle back with the folks that wrote me from the Dakotas. Hope we can put together one awesome drive to Texas!

Chris

PS. This caravan is open to ALL Vipers nationwide that would like to join us. If we have folks arriving in the Kansas City area on Tuesday afternoon/evening, the Kansas City VCA will host a dinner in your honor on Tuesday night. No, we are not buying.

 

[Viprrrrr]

Sounds great Chris, thanks for the info. Let me know if I can be of any assistance with the interested parties in Canada, the Dakotas, and IA / NE. We would be very interested in meeting up with any of them ... the more the merrier. I know VCA MN has several members going to VOI8 from North Dakota, but I believe they are flying.

 

[NascarDave]

How about a stop in St. Louis to break up the trip?

Gateway will have about 20 cars to join the caravan.

We could meet up with the KC group in Spfd or OK City-
whichever works best.

Let me know,
DN

 

[Y2K5SRT]

Actually, that was kind of my thought and that was to have the Illinois, Michigan, and other NE Vipers that pass through St. Louis hook up with the Gateway Club and then rendezvous with the other clubs coming down from Kansas City (Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, etc.). Could be an impressive group to say the least!

 

[NascarDave]

Sounds Great! Why don't I be a point person for Gateway. If anyone is interested in joining us, feel free to PM or call me to arrange details.

What do you think would be the best place to rendenzvous- spfd or okc?

Dave Naeger
Gateway VCA President
314.504.6301

 

[Y2K5SRT]

What do you think would be the best place to rendenzvous- spfd or okc?

Of course I will assume that the people passing through St. Louis will probably want to hook up with you there. As for the KC folks and the others joining us, as per my post above:

Right now our thoughts are to leave Kansas City around 7:30 AM. While you would think that taking I-35 from there would be the easiest/quickest, we determined that I-35 from Kansas City to Oklahoma City is virtually a mirror image of the Highway 71 / I-44 route - same distance. We also know that we would like to hook up with our friends from Gateway (St. Louis), Illinois, Michigan, etc. a little earlier for a bigger and better caravan. This means that we would take the largely 4-lane Highway 71 from Kansas City down to I-44 and arrive around 10:00 AM not far from Joplin. There are a few good places to meet in that area and I would even go so far as to drive down and scout out a spot beforehand.

I think OKC will be a good place to hook up with some folks, but I kinda like the idea of a six hour caravan in a big group vs. the three hours from Oklahoma. I suspect we will pick up a few cars along the way, but if we do this right we should have an EASY 50+ Viper caravan - maybe closer to 100 if the Illinois/Michigan folks join up. VOI on wheels!

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

maybe closer to 100 if the Illinois/Michigan folks join up. VOI on wheels!

Chris,

I relayed the proposed rendezvous of 71/44 to both clubs. I had already been looking at St. Louis as a Tuesday night stop. That's about 660 miles from here.
I know that both groups are so far planning on leaving Tuesday morning. We belong to the MCVO, but would be coming down through Chicago as that is much closer for us. We may spend an additional night in Chicago on Monday and leave with their group from there. If that's the case, then I think a motel right at/close to the junction would work out great.

Steve

 

[SCLSSRT10]

Chris, I am heading up the Tuesday departure from Illinois group. I sent you an eamil last week regarding same. I will be passing the word within the Il. group and we can "talk" later. I will be back in town on 7/27. Down at Viper Days @ VIR right now

 

[SmokeHouse]

LOL...Guilty as charged.

 

[LittleFish]

I can't head to Dallas but do hope to join the caravan around Springfield for a 'cruise'. I'll keep watching for times and places.

 

[NascarDave]

I will arrange a hotel for people to stop Tuesday
night in St. Louis.

Steve,
let me know how many rooms you'll need. I'll make sure
there is secure parking as well.

SCLSSRT10,
Keep me in the loop and we'll pull out of St. Louis with
75 cars on Wednesday morning!

Dave Naeger
314.504.6301

 

[SCLSSRT10]

The plans for the Illinois Tuesday Caravan departure have been made . We will depart from Exit # 248 on I55 @ 9:00AM on Sept. 7, head south on I55 through St. Louis and spend the night in Mt. Vernon, MO. Exit # 46 on I44. Depart Mt. Vernon @ 8:00AM Wednesday morning for affival at Gaylord Hotel around 5:00PM . We will have both cars driving and cars being hauled in trailers in this group. Any one wishing to join up with us is welcome , for more information or questions contact; [email protected].

 

[Y2K5SRT]

Sounds great! I will be arranging a Viper-friendly hotel on Tuesday night in the Kansas City area for all Vipers coming in from the north. I will also scope out a meeting spot on I-44 for the Gateway, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, etc. clubs to hook up. Should be the biggest caravan and one heck of a great time!

Chris

 

[Chuck 97 GTS]

I can't make VOI but I'll wave to my Viper brothers as I make my way home from Wichita on Tuesday.

 

[NascarDave]

Where in the world is Chris Marshall?

Any guesses?

call me man!

DN

 

[KurtZ RT-10]

He on vacation in Canada

 

[NascarDave]

Is the KC club/caravan going to meet up with the Illinois club/caravan in Mt. Vernon on Wednesday morning? If so St. Louis will either meet their as well or come down Tuesday night. Meeting there Wednesday morning and being able to leave at 8-9am will be a challenge though.

If we could all meet Tuesday morning at Mt. Vernon by say 10am, that would put us in Dallas around 7pm with a massive group. No events on Wednesday. That would give us time that we could stop for lunch (30 min) and dinner (45min) and still arrive at a decent hour.

Does that work for your group Steve? Chris?

Dave
314.504.6301

 

[Y2K5SRT]

Just got back from Canada and will be arranging the Kansas City hotel for Tuesday, September 7th. This will be for anybody coming down from Iowa, Minnesota, Canada, Dakotas, etc. I will make sure it is a "Viper friendly" property (newer with safe parking for Vipers and trailers) and will negotiate a better rate. Will e-mail the various presidents on the hotel, as well as the planned departure/rendezvous points. I will also post the information here.

Speaking of which, Mt. Vernon is NOT on our planned route, as we will be meeting about 30 miles west of that at Highway 71 and I-44. Our plan is to leave Lees Summit, MO at 7:30 AM. Figure no more than two hours to I-44 via Highway 71. We could probably bump that a little earlier and leave at 7:00 AM. For those arriving in that area earlier (Illinois), you can amuse the wives (and others) by touring the Precious Moments Chapel in Carthage, MO (located off I-44 on Highway 71). While not our personal cup of tea, Precious Moments figurines are among the most popular collectibles on the planet and this is their headquarters. Should keep you busy until the Northern Vipers arrive...

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/MOCARprecious.html

 

[SCLSSRT10]

Chris, Welcome home. I just got off the phone with Dave. Give me a call to get your contact numbers. Steve 800-352-3300

 

[Viprrrrr]

Any news on a hotel in KC for Tuesday evening Chris? I have been in contact with the IA / NE members who are driving to VOI 8 and they are looking at this hotel as their place to meet up with the caravan.

 

[Y2K5SRT]

Any news on a hotel in KC for Tuesday evening Chris? I have been in contact with the IA / NE members who are driving to VOI 8 and they are looking at this hotel as their place to meet up with the caravan.

Wow, timing is everything! I was literally on the phone with the hotel as you typed. Right now we are leaning towards the Hampton Inn in Lees Summit, MO. It is located at I-470 and Douglas Road. Plenty of Viper-safe parking in a good neighborhood. There is even extra parking at the office complex immediately next door if there are a lot of trailers. We can secure permission from them as well. The Hampton Inn will hold 30 rooms for us initially (18 Kings, 12 Doubles - all nonsmoking) for a rate of $69.00 per room ($10 below their discounted corporate rate). It is located right next to the Outback Steakhouse, which is our meeting and departure location for Wednesday morning. We could even set up a dinner there (Outback) for those that would like to have a little gathering Tuesday night.

If you could let me know tentative numbers as far as cars and trailers, that would be awesome. That will help me arrange additional parking if necessary. I will try to stop by there in the next 24 hours to personally inspect the layout and make sure there isn't a better property nearby. Hope this helps!

 

[Viprrrrr]

Is this the place you have talked with? About how much farther than KC is this?

Hampton Inn
1731 NE Douglas St
Lees Summit, MO 64086
(816) 347-8600

 

[Y2K5SRT]

Is this the place you have talked with? About how much farther than KC is this?

Hampton Inn
1731 NE Douglas St
Lees Summit, MO 64086
(816) 347-8600

This is the place and it is in Kansas City. Lees Summit is to Kansas City what Bloomington is to Minneapolis. In this case, it is east of I-35 and just south of I-70. The I-435 corridor is a slightly more direct route to our Wednesday departure road (Highway 71), but is not very Viper friendly (wouldn't park a Viper there on a bet). We use the Outback Steakhouse parking lot as our regular departure point for road trips, as it is easily accessible and can handle trailers with no problem. It is right next door to the Hampton Inn.

As I mentioned, I will be traveling over there tomorrow morning (Saturday). I will make sure it is up to our standards and that the hotel offers the parking we need. I will also scout to see if there are any better places to stay, but this one is the best on paper. If you are planning to book prior to that visit, be sure to mention the booking code of "VCA" to get the discount. Yep, the manager has three-digit codes for block rooms and still had this one available. Cool! I will post the final KC arrangements no later than Sunday.

Chris

 

[Viprrrrr]

Thanks Chris, I will wait for your assessment prior to passing the word. Couple of other things and then I think we are set.
What time are you planning your Tuesday evening dinner, if it is still on?
What is the expected departure time Wednesday morning?

Maybe these items will be answered in your final KC arrangements. Thanks again.