Updated 8/9/14

Central Texas

Welcome to the Central Texas Caravan web page! My name is Chuck Smith, and I am the Captain of the Central Texas (or "CenTex") Caravan. My wife, Mary, and I live in Denton, Texas, and we are long-time members of the North Texas Corvette Club. We look forward to working with every Corvette Club in Central Texas to make our 2014 Caravan a memorable event. If you have not yet visited the National Corvette Museum, then you will not want to miss out on the 2014 NCM 20th Anniversary Caravan!

The National Corvette Caravan website link is:
https://nationalcorvettecaravan.com/

If you have questions about the Central Texas Caravan, please email Doug Light, our Communications Co-Captain at:

CenTex Caravan Route: Our Caravan will take us on a direct route to Bowling Green from Denton. Our travel time from Denton will be about 1-1/2 days. We will depart on Tuesday morning, August 26th and spend that night in Jackson, Tennessee. Generally, from Denton, our route will be US 380 to I-30 to I-40 to I-65 to Bowling Green. We will arrive at the National Corvette Museum on Wednesday, August 27th at 12:30 pm (NOTE: This is our Official Assigned NCM Arrival Time).

The Official CenTex Caravan Route Book for the Central Texas Region is now available on line. Please download a copy so you will be familiar with the operating structure of our CenTex Caravan and for your use along the way. Knowledge of the route book will be essential for drivers and navigators.

Download the Central Texas Caravan Route Book

TRIP ITINERARY

August 25 (Monday)
For Denton & Metroplex Area participants and those within the Central Texas Region traveling appreciable distances to and planning to spend Monday night in Denton, we will have a "welcome" gathering late Monday afternoon. James Wood Chevrolet will be our host from 4:30 tp 7 pm and the staff there will be cooking burgers & brats for us. The James Wood Chevrolet dealership is located at 3906 I-35E South, Denton, TX 76205. RSVPs REQUIRED. If you will be in Denton late Monday afternoon, August 25th, and would like to a part of our CenTex Karavan Kick-Off, PLEASE ADVISE CENTEX CO-CAPT. SAM PASCHAL BY RETURN EMAIL NO LATER THAN AUGUST 18th. Contact Sam at:

August 26 (Tuesday)

• We will gather and depart from the west parking lot of the Prairie House Restaurant in Crossroads, TX, ZIP 76227. This is 6 mi. east of Denton on US 380 at the intersection of Naylor Rd/Tex 424. Arrive before 5:45 am. Our departure time from the Prairie House/CVS Drug will be at 6:15 am SHARP!
• NE MetroPlex participants may join us in McKinney in the parking lot of the new WinCo food store at 1435 W. University (on the SE corner of the intersection of US 380 and Graves St.)
  We will continue east on US 380, arriving at Britain Chevrolet in Greenville, TX about 7:45 am for a breakfast/brunch hosted for us by their dealership.
• CenTex participants preferring to arrive Greenvile/Britain Chevrolet via I-30 will exit at #92, Monty Stratton Blvd.
• We will depart Britain Chevrolet about 9:00 am and continue NE on I-30, I-440 (around SE Little Rock) and east on I-40 to Jackson, TN.
• Our third "join location" will be Flying J Travel Plaza east of Texarkana, Arkansas at I-30 Exit #7. We will be at this scheduled Rest/Fuel Stop from approx 10:45 to 11:15.
• Lunch will be in Arkadelphia, AR from about 12:15 to 1:30 (I-30 Exit #73, Pine St.). Enjoy lunch in small groups at various "fast casual" restaurants in the immediate vicinity - refer to the map & list in the Route Book.
• Our afternoon Rest/Fuel Stop will be at Love's in Palestine, AR (I-40 Exit #233) from about 3:30 to 4:00.
• We will arrive in Jackson, TN about 6:00 pm and proceed directly to the Chevrolet dealership, Serra of Jackson, who will be hosting a supper for us.
  Hotel check-in at the DoubleTree will be following our visit to Serra.
• Travel distance Tuesday will be approximately 550 miles.

August 27 (Wednesday)

• Leaving Jackson, TN at 7:00 am and traveling to Serra of Nashville in NE Nashville (Madison, TN) via I-40, TN 155 (around NW Nashville), I-65, Vietnam Veterans Blvd/TN 386 to Exit 3 (Bypass US 31E), then NE on Gallatin Pike N (US 31E) to Serra of Nashville where they will host a reception for the CenTex Caravan. Serra of Nashville Chevrolet is the initial staging point for the CenTex Caravan. Their physical address is: 2340 Gallatin Pike N, Madison, TN 37115 (@ Riverchase Blvd). We plan to arrive Serra of Nashville at 9:00 am.
• NOTE: Any CenTex participants electing a different personal schedule or route from the above should plan on arriving Serra (Chevrolet) of Nashville no later than 9:45 am, Wednesday morning.
• Depart Serra Chevrolet at 10:25 am SHARP. We will proceed via I-65 to the OFFICIAL CENTEX FINAL STAGING LOCATION which is the first KY I-65 rest stop. The CenTex Caravan Trail Boss will brief drivers on the details of this stop before we depart Serra Chevrolet. The KY I-65 Exit #1 Rest Area is just 1000 ft. N of the TN-KY state line. We will arrive there at 11:15 am. We will stage from the passenger car lane (the one to the left).
• As soon as the CenTex Capt. receives the call to move out from the Nat'l Caravan Chairman (anticipated at about 11:40), we will promptly depart the Rest Area en masse and in Section order: A, B, C & D.
• Arrive the National Corvette Museum at our Official Assigned Arrival Time: 12:30 pm SHARP!
• At the National Corvette Museum (12:30 pm+), check in and pick up your credentials and event packets; lunch on your own following check-in, either at the Museum cafe or in Bowling Green, your choice.
• Hotel Check-In: At your leisure (Please see Bowling Green hotel information, below.)
• Total travel distance Wednesday will be approximately 210 miles.

The updated official NCM 20th Anniversary Agenda is available at -
http://www.corvettemuseum.org/registration/celebration/agenda.shtml

August 28 (Thursday) & August 29 (Friday)
Visit the NCM, MSP, vendors and area attractions - on your own or in your own small groups.

Friday Evening - 5:45 to 9:00 pm The Hall of Fame Reception (cash bar in the Atrium) & Banquet at the Sloan Convention Center.

August 30 (Saturday)
Visit the NCM, MSP, vendors and area attractions - on your own or in your own small groups.

August 31 (Sunday) Check out and return home as you wish.

Hotel Information

Denton, TX: We have a block of rooms at the Best Western Premier Crown Chase Inn just a short distance across I-35E from James Wood Chevrolet. This hotel is located at 2450 Brinker Rd, at the intersection of Colorado Blvd. The rate is $82/night (+ taxes) and it is good for reservations made by or before 8/15/14. To book, call ; ID yourself as with the Central Texas Corvette Caravan.

Jackson, TN: We have arranged for a block of more than 25 rooms at the DoubleTree Hotel/Jackson. The rate is $96/night (+ taxes). To make and personally guarantee your reservation, call the hotel at or and i.d. yourself as being with the "Central Texas Corvette Caravan." Please call during business hours (9:00 to 4:30), M-F.

Bowling Green, KY: If you have not already made arrangements for your hotel room in the Bowling Green vicinity, the Bowling Green Convention and Visitors Bureau has established a website showing those hotels that have rooms available. The BGC&VB will maintain this page and update it periodically as they receive inputs from the hotels. The URL is www.vettecaravan2014.com.

As time progresses we know that cancellations will be occurring and when they do, the hotels will provide the information for the BGC&VB page. We anticipate the most active time for these will be during June, July and the first week or two of August. As of the last update (mid-January), there were over 10 various properties listed within 25-30 minutes of the NCM with multiple rooms available.

IMPORTANT: Please do NOT call BGC&VB for information; the above site was established in order to limit contacts with them, the NCM, and your CenTex captains.

ALSO, from time to time, your CenTex captain will receive from the Nat'l Caravan chairman "leads" on hotel rooms available in the Bowling Green and Nashville vicinities. I have been forwarding these to those registered on the CENTEX listing. To get these notifications, please be sure you are registered to receive email from . Please contact Bryce Burklow at if you need assistance in getting added to CENTEX.

Caravan Merchandise

2014 Caravan Flags and Static Clings are available for your purchase.

Flags are $15 each; Clings are $10 each. Cash on delivery.

NOTE: ORDERS RECEIVED AFTER AUGUST 11TH, WILL BE HAND-DELIVERED TO YOU BY YOUR SECTION LEADER ON AUGUST 25TH, 26TH OR 27TH.

Mail your order by August 15th to:
NCM Caravan CenTex
301 Matthew Ave.
Denton, TX 76210

Between August 15 and August 20, you must email your order to Merchandise Co-Capt. Jim Gentry at:

NCM Membership: Are you a member of the NCM? We are, and proud of it! Join Now! http://webservices.corvettemuseum.org/PortalTools/NCMF/membership.cfm

Bricks: Personal, special edition and club bricks now adorn the walks and pavilions of the Museum --the Walk of Fame. If you would like to enjoy the excitement of sharing your own 8" x 4" brick with your friends and fellow Corvette enthusiasts, order your personal or special edition brick at www.corvettemuseum.org/brick/index.shtml. If your Corvette club already has a "club brick" on the NCM Walk of Fame, be sure to request that your brick be installed as close as possible to your club brick.

Keeping Up: Please make sure you are signed up to keep current on National Corvette Caravan news:

Join our CentralTexas Caravan and be a part of Corvette History as we travel to the National Corvette Museum next August,

Chuck and Mary Smith
Central Texas Captain

Please make sure you are signed up to keep current on National Corvette Caravan news:
    

Chuck & Mary Smith