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Updated 9/9/09
Ohio, Eastern Kentucky, Western Pennsylvania
Ohio, Western Pennsylvania & Eastern Kentucky Caravan Participants:
For those of you who joined us for our Caravan, we hope you enjoyed your journey, even though it
didn't exactly end the way it was planned. A fragmented caravan and the accident on I-65 conspired
against us when it came to the unified arrival we had hoped for. It was still fun to see all those
beautiful Corvettes and all your happy faces as you enjoyed the day.
Thank you to the many people who helped out when it came to parking cars, arranging for your group to
make reservations for lunch or hotels, sharing information or giving directions to others, and much
more. We definitely appreciate your efforts, whether large or small. Hopefully you all have good
memories to share, not only of the caravan, but also from the Celebration at the Museum.
Have constructive comments? Send them along to us - they may prove helpful for next time.
If you couldn't make the trip, you missed a good time. If you had a crystal ball and could see the
future though, it would be a pretty safe bet that you would see another caravan in 2014...begin making
those plans now!!!
Save the Wave,
The Caravan Crew
August 20th Corvette Caravan Update - Ohio, W. Pa., E. Ky.
Two weeks and counting!
For general information about the Museum, check out
www.corvettemuseum.com. For general
information about the Corvette Caravan and the Anniversary Celebration, go to
www.corvettecaravan.com. For a complete listing of
locations, addresses, and routes for the Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Kentucky leg of the
caravan, select that section of the map, which will direct you to our "page". There is no
reason to repeat that information here, but you will find arrival and "meet-up" information
below.
The National Corvette Museum is mailing out "hardcards" to those people who have
registered for the Caravan on their website. If you haven't received yours yet, you should receive
them soon. You will need those to pick up your t-shirt and dash plaque upon arrival at the museum.
(You do not have to have these to take part in the Caravan and you can register for the Anniversary
Celebration when you arrive).
We still have a few flags, clings, and participant wraps available, on a first come, first
served basis. See pictures and prices on the above sites. If anything is left on the day of the
caravan, we will be selling them then, until they are gone. Contact
OhioCaravan09@att.net.
Lunch reservations: We currently have more than 250 reservations for lunch at
Keeneland. We will allow for some extra meals, but reservations will be honored first. You can still
make reservations thru Tuesday, August 25th by contacting
OhioCaravan09@att.net. Lunch will cost $20. per person.
Cash, no charges.
Arrival and "meet up" information:
Kick-off Celebration: Wed., Sept. 2, Hoggy's BBQ Restaurant, 8740 Sancus Blvd. At
Polaris Blvd., Columbus 614-433-7447 (1/2 mile west of 1-71and the host hotels), starting at
5:00 p.m.
Thursday, Sept 3, Caravan departs from Quaker, Steak & Lube on Polaris Blvd., at
I-71 S at 8:00 a.m. Please be there early for staging.
Florence Mall, Florence, Kentucky pit stop: I-71 between exits 180 and 181 (look for
the Florence Y'all Water Tower). If you are joining the caravan here, please plan to arrive by 9:30
so you can use facilities, get coffee, etc. before the Caravan arrives.
Keeneland Racetrack: 4201 Versailles Rd., Lexington, Ky. (also known as the Bluegrass
Parkway). If you are joining us for lunch and the caravan here, please plan to arrive by 12:30 p.m.
See #4 above.
Caravan departs Keeneland 2:00 p.m., if all goes well. We hope to arrive at the National
Corvette Museum at approximately 3:00 p.m. EST (we gain an hour).
If you know of someone who is planning on joining us for the caravan and who is not receiving our
updates, please share this information with them.
We'll be seeing you soon! Save the Wave!
August 11, 2009 update and info:
If you are listed on the roster from the National Corvette Museum as having signed up to be a part of
the Ohio, W. Pennsylvania, E. Kentucky Caravan. You probably have read the updates on the website, but
we have some individual items to address as well:
Please contact us ASAP if any of these apply to you:
1) Clings, flags, etc: We have pretty much sold out what we ordered, so Please do not send
your check until you have e-mailed us to make sure they are available.
OhioCaravan09@att.net. The deadline for ordering is August
15, 2009.
2) Lunch at Keeneland: Our caravan will be pulling into the beautiful Keeneland Race Track for
an exceptional catered lunch provided by Turf Catering - famous for producing superior events at
Keeneland with care, quality, and style. We will be located in the Historic Keene Barn &
Entertainment Center - their largest banqueting facility. Plans call for a buffet as served at the
Concours d'elegance last month. Lunch will cost approximately $20. per person. Additionally, the entire
Keeneland complex will be open for our event. This is a great place to meet, greet, eat and stretch your
legs before the final leg of our caravan to The National Corvette Museum! There will plenty of seating
available, even if the weatherman fails to cooperate. What a great place to enjoy Kentucky's racing
heritage!
Important note: Many of you have already notified us that you will be having lunch with us
at Keeneland. If you have not told us of your plans to join us for lunch, please do so ASAP. We need
to advise the caterer of a reasonably accurate number for lunch. Please contact us at
OhioCaravan09@att.net with the number in your party. Names
would also be helpful, so that we don't "double count" anyone!
3) All pre-registrations are now closed. You can register for the Museum Celebration when you
arrive in Bowling Green.
4) When making your trip preparations, please be sure you have the following: Automobile
insurance, any maps-GPS or other directions you might need, check all vehicle fluid levels and make sure
to have a full tank of gas. Interstate exits are all adequately marked as to services available at each
exit, and the driver's handbook will be of assistance as well, but there is simply no substitute for
PREPARATION.
5) Hotels: At this late date, we urge you to try the Bowling Green, Kentucky Chamber of
Commerce web site for hotels in the area. Many rooms were released last week and others will be, the
next few weeks, so keep trying.
*****If your plans change or you are not travelling with us, please let us know at
OhioCaravan09@att.net so we don't keep bothering you with our
updates. We can still provide you with clings, etc.
We'll stay in touch - SAVE THE WAVE!
Final plans have been made for the Ohio leg of the National Corvette Caravan. Currently, we represent
Ohio, Eastern Kentucky, New York, and Western Pennsylvania (welcome!). Changes and alerts will be
highlighted.
Duffy Parsons (Captain) and Darel Bono (Co-Captain) want to acknowledge Fred Baumann of the Bluegrass
Corvette Club and Jack Buecker of the Fort Thomas Corvette Club for their efforts related to the
Kentucky leg of our Caravan. We also want to thank the Ohio Corvette Club Alliance and their members for
their help in the planning for this event.
www.ohiocorvettecluballiance.org
OK...down to business: The OH/E.KY/W.PA Caravan will begin by meeting at Hoggy's BBQ Restaurant on
Polaris Boulevard (Columbus) at 5:00 p.m., the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009 for a
Kick-Off Celebration. We have arranged for Hoggy's to host the Ohio Caravan with a Private Party
just for 09 caravan participants and local Corvette owners. We have also arranged with the Dylyn
Christin Band to play a variety of musical selections for your dining pleasure. There will be a Flat
Rate price of $10.00 for an awesome "all-you-can-eat" Pig Roast-BBQ buffet that includes
pulled BBQ pork and chicken, plain pulled pork, vegetables, corn, coleslaw, mac & cheese, and of
course, desserts (beverages and gratuity not included). Hoggy's is located at 8740 Sancus Blvd.,
Columbus, Ohio 43240, 614-433-7447. (1/2 mile west of I-71 and the host hotels, listed below). If you
can't join us for the Caravan, but want to be a part of the Kick-Off Celebration, feel free to join us
at Hoggy's for a great meal at an equally great price. There will certainly be a lot of beautiful
Corvettes in the parking lot!
Our host hotels are both located just off Polaris Blvd. & 1-71 southbound: The Comfort Inn, 8400
Lyra Drive ( 614-791-9700 or
pat.bright@comfortinnpolaris.com ) or The
Candlewood Suites, 8515 Lyra Drive ( 614-436-6600 or
cathy.cole@ihg.com ). Code to be used for both hotels is
"Ohio Caravan 09". Reservations should be made ASAP. All rooms are $85.00 and breakfast is
included at the Comfort Inn only. Pool, sauna, and exercise rooms are available at both hotels. The
luxurious Polaris Fashion Mall is across the street, so come early and enjoy the shopping
opportunities.
Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009 - We depart for Bowling Green, Kentucky, the home of the National
Corvette Museum. We will stage in the parking lot of the Quaker Steak & Lube Restaurant, next to the
host hotels. We will depart at 8:00 a.m. Even if you do not participate in the kick-off
celebration or stay at one of the above hotels, you may join our caravan here! We will travel
toward and around the Cincinnati, Ohio area via I-71 and I-275, arriving at the Florence Mall between
10:30 and 11:00 a.m. for a pit-stop. Snacks, gas, and restrooms are available in this area.
Florence Mall - Florence, Kentucky: Meet-up point. At this point, we will join
with other Caravan participants from northern Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio (and others). After a short
stop, the assembled group will again "hit the road", heading south on I-75 to Lexington,
Kentucky.
There, we will stop at the beautiful Keeneland (Horse) Race Track (meet-up point) to
join additional Caravan participants from Eastern Kentucky. A catered lunch* will be served between
12:30 and 2:00 p.m. Restrooms, gas, and mechanical assistance will be available in the area for those
who need it (see paragraph #2 above). As we travel through Kentucky and visit Keeneland, you'll have the
chance to catch some spectacular views of another kind of "horsepower".
After lunch, our combined Caravan will then proceed west along the Blue Grass Parkway to I-65 and
south to Bowling Green, arriving at the National Corvette Museum at around 3:00 p.m. Bowling Green time
(we gain an hour).
Feel free to join us in Columbus, at Florence Mall, or Keeneland - whatever is most convenient for
you.
Things to do now:
- If you are joining us for lunch at Keeneland, we need a headcount no later than August 15th, so
that our caterer can prepare an adequate amount of food for the group. This applies no matter where
you are joining (or leaving) the caravan. If you are expecting to eat lunch at Keeneland, we need to
know! Every effort has been made to keep the cost of the lunch reasonable. Tell us your lunch plans
at OhioCaravan09@att.net
Hotel Rooms: Securing hotel rooms has been a problem. If you do not have a room
yet, we suggest you get busy now. Within the next month some rooms may open up because some blocked
rooms may be released. You can contact the Bowling Green Area Convention and Visitors Bureau for
assistance. You can reach them at 1-800-326-7465 or visit their website:
http://www.visitbgky.com/caravan/
for up-to-date hotel information.
Questions? Contact
OhioCaravan09@att.net Or, if you do not have e-mail, or you
just want to talk to a real person, you can contact Duffy Parsons at 614-267-7838 or Darel Bono at
513-868-2629.
- Want to purchase Caravan 09 cling-on decals and/or Caravan window flags? Contact
OhioCaravan09@att.net before August 15, 2009.
We hope your Labor Day plans include joining us for the Caravan to the National Corvette Museum for
the 15th Anniversary Celebration! See you then!
Duffy Parsons (Captain)
Darel Bono (Co-Captain)
Ohio, E. Kentucky, W. Pennsylvania
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