63rd Revival
2008 AAA Glidden Tour
Click HERE for tour application (pdf format)
A GREAT RIVER RENDEZVOUS
Hosted by Upper Mississippi River Region VMCCA
For Stock Antique
Vehicles 1942 and Older
Tour Limited to 250 Vehicles
September 7 to 12, 2008
Tour Chairman - Ken Cvikota
608-779-1558 Home
608-780-4917 Cell
Tour Registrar - Joanne Steele
608-788-5520 Home
jtsteele@charter.net
VMCCA Tour Director - Lillian Elliott
301-334-1001
HOST HOTEL
200 Harborview Plaza,
La Crosse, WI 54601
1-608-784-6680
radisson.com/lacrossewi
OTHER HOTELS
200 Pearl St.
La Crosse, WI 54601
608-784-4444
holidayinn.com/lacrossewi
500 Front St.
La Crosse, WI 54601
608-782-1000
Marriott.com/LSECY
525 N. Front St.
La Crosse, WI 54601
608-796-1615
grandstay.net
CAMPGROUND
333 Park Plaza Drive
La Crosse WI 54601
608-782-5858
pettiboneresort.com
WELCOME TO THE 63RD REVIVAL AAA GLIDDEN TOUR. THIS IS ALSO THE 70TH BIRTHDAY OF THE VMCCA.
Every day is a full and exciting day of touring and sightseeing, see below for daily tour details.. Because of requests we have added an optional tour on Wednesday to THE HOUSE ON THE ROCK. However it is 100 miles each way on 2 lane roads and therefore we recommend you use a modern car. This tour is not part of the regular daily tours. When you arrive at the host hotel, please do NOT drive into the hotel parking area to unload. We have space on Front St. for you to unload. This is on the west side of the hotel. Directions for parking your car and trailer will be in with your registration.
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REGISTRATION
Registration for the Great River Rendezvous will be held in the lobby of the Radisson Hotel on Saturday from 1pm to 4pm and on Sunday from 9am to 4pm.
VEHICLE CHECK IN AND TRAILER PARKING
After you have unloaded your car you can have your vehicle checked in and receive your TOUR BANNER. Remember you must have a fire extinguisher in your vehicle. Both the foot brake and emergency brake should stop your car within 75 feet at 20 mph.
NAME BADGES
You must wear your name badge as it is your
ticket to coffee stops, some meals and other events that are planned.
TICKETS
Tickets will be in your registration packet and are required for many events. Please have them with you.
GLIDDEN GAZETTE
The daily Glidden Gazette will contain all the latest news and updates for tour routes. Your copy can be picked up in the Hospitality Room each morning after 7am.
AWARDS
In addition to the regular awards, we will be giving an award for best-dressed lady and man in period attire.
PHOTOGRAPHS
Photos of each entry will be available at the awards banquet.
DRIVING SUGGESTIONS
Feel free to set your own pace for the daily tours. Coffee stops and lunches are set for a certain time frame. These times are listed in your daily schedule. Most of the roads are two lanes wide so please spread out and allow enough room for more modern or faster cars to pass with ease.
HOSPITALITY ROOM
The hospitality room, located in the Radisson hotel first floor, will be open at 7am Monday through Friday and close at 10am. It will reopen each day at 3:30pm and close at 9pm. Stop in for snacks and information. Be sure to check your mailbox for last minute updates.
Tour Itinerary
Sunday, September 7th
For all the EARLYBIRDS we have a full day of touring or you can do any part of the tour. The tour begins with:
Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe:
Nestled amid 70 acres in the bluffs along the Mississippi River, the Shrine is a place of solace, pilgrimage and prayer. Devotional areas such as the outdoor Stations of the Cross and the Mother of Good Counsel Votive Candle Chapel are located along fully paved pathways that wind through beautiful woodland.
Grandad Bluff City Park:
The 540-foot-high bluff overlooks La Crosse. The view of the Mississippi River Valley includes the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa.
St. Rose Convent:
The Mother House of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, The Chapel of Angels is recognized as one of the most beautiful in the United States.
Hixon House:
The Italianate-style residence gives an authentic glimpse into the elegant Victorian lifestyle enjoyed by lumberman-financier Gideon Hixon. The beautiful woodwork, period furnishings and charming gardens make the tour very worthwhile.
This evening the opening banquet will begin with a cash bar at 5pm and dinner at 6pm.
Monday, September 8th
We will be touring north of La Crosse. The tourists will be divided into two (2) groups. The group going north on the west side of the Mississippi River will be going by numerous apple orchards, then will be following the Mississippi River into Winona, Minn. There you will recross the river into Wisconsin and proceed to Elmer’s Toy and Auto Collection. Afterwards you will go to Arcadia, Wis., and have a walking tour of a very unique city park. At this park we
will have a catered lunch. After lunch, you will head south on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi, towards La Crosse, with a stop at Brush’s Animal Museum. These are all mounted animals.
For the other group going north on the Wisconsin side, you will be doing the same but in reverse. The roads you will be traversing today are nearly all back roads with a lot of turns and many hills. It will be very scenic.
Tuesday, September 9th
Today we will tour south of La Crosse traversing both the west and east side of the Mississippi River. Our southernmost destination is Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. The entire tour will involve approximately 150 miles over the hills and coulees of the Mississippi valley. To ease accommodations, the tour is divided into two groups. Coffee stops are planned in the morning, along with stops during the day at a Mississippi lock and dam, Effigy Mounds National Monument which has some of the largest Indian mounds in the U.S. and Villa Louis which is one of the most authentically restored Victorian house museums in America. All tour participants will have a lunch break at the Barn restaurant while in Prairie du Chien. This tour offers beautiful rural vistas while providing some insight concerning the influence that the great river has had in the region.
Wednesday, September 10th
Today’s tour “Heritage Day” is quite long at 165 miles so you will want to start early.
We will be traveling through southeast MN and northeast IA, along river valleys and atop ridges with great views. At our coffee stop in Spring Grove, MN, you will sample Norwegian baking; then it’s on to the predominantly Czech village of Spillville, IA. A woodcarving and clock building hobby by two Czech brothers created an amazing collection that now awes and inspires. An exhibit of the world-famous musician and composer Antonin Dvorak is also there. The oldest Czech Catholic Church in the United States, built in 1860, houses the original pipe organ installed in 1876. Many graves in the cemetery have ornate cast metal markers which were crafted locally. Lunch, a traditional Czech meal, will be served at the Inwood Ballroom in Riverside Park where many famous bands provided the music in years past: the Dorsey’s, Guy Lombardo, Glenn Miller, & Lawrence Welk, to name just a few.
The OPTIONAL tour, PRICE NOT INCLUDED, is for anyone wanting to drive 100 miles each way. This tour will take about 2 hours to get to the House on The Rock. For over 60 years the House on the Rock has been a majestic work in progress that began as the dream retreat for visionary architect and collector, Alex Jordon. True to his inspiration, this renowned attraction continues to evolve, displaying unique exhibits and collections of the rare, exotic and amazing that can be viewed as three separate self-guided tours. It is recommended a more modern car be used for this tour.
On the application you will choose which of these tours you wish to take.
Tonight you will enjoy a German dinner and Ice Cream Social, followed by a program to recognize freshmen. The program will close with entertainment by ‘The Rivertown Revue’, a fast paced variety show.
Thursday, September 11th
Today’s tour will take you through the scenic coulee region on your way to cranberry country. Coffee will be at the Sparta area Chamber of Commerce/Trail Headquarters, trailhead of the Elroy/Sparta bike trail. We will then proceed to the Habelman Brothers Co. for a tour of the cranberry marsh and packaging plant.
On the return trip to La Crosse, tour the Little Falls Railroad and Doll Museum, and the Wegner Grotto that provides a fascinating example of grassroots folk art. Your route then will pass through the Mindoro Cut, the second largest hand-hewn cut in the nation.
Friday, September 12th
This day is the shortest; however it will be a very good day to tour. We will start with a tour of the Mississippi that will include breakfast or brunch. You will also see an auto collection and tour the manufacturing plant of Skipperliner Houseboats. For your cruise on the Mississippi you will leave from Riverside Park. Your button will guide you to the proper boat for your cruise. During the cruise you will be entertained with some fine banjo music. The evening banquet will begin with a cash bar at 5pm and dinner at 6pm.