Illinois - Iowa - National Corvette Caravan 2014

2014 Caravan Registration:
The registration is now closed. You can go on the Caravan, but you will have to register on site at the Museum.

Hotel Info Bowling Green Don't Panic:
It seems as of now that a lot of the large blocks are being released. Even though there are a lot of hotels in the Bowling Green area that are booked, there are rooms available. If you keep checking from time to time, you should be able to get a room. Click on the Bowling Green Icon on the left side of the page for updates on rooms. I have 20 rooms blocked at the Holiday Inn Express &am; Suites in Elizabethtown, Ky. It is about one hour North of Bowling Green. Lots to do, I have been there before. You can cancel 10 days prior with no charge. The price is 115.76 with tax. If you are worried about a room, book this now. The number is . Just mention the 2014 Caravan for the rate.

Hotel Updates For LeClaire, IA.
We have hotels secured for those coming from Western IA. We have 20 rooms at the Holiday Inn Express (on the river) $129.95 per night. Cut off for reservations and cancellations is July 25, 2014. We also have rooms on top of the hill at the Super 8, . The rooms are 70.00 per night. Mention the 2014 Corvette Caravan when booking. We are working on an event for Monday evening in LeClaire. More to follow.

The Country Inn and Suites in Effingham () has blocked off 55 rooms. Group rates are: $94.35 w/tax for a standard room and $105.45 w/tax for a suite.

The Holiday Inn in Effingham (Former Hilton Garden Inn) has blocked off 74 standard rooms and 38 Suites for us. Group rates are: $109.89 w/tax for a standard room and 143.19 w/tax for a Suite.

The Hampton Inn & Suites (newest hotel in Effingham) has blocked off 50 rooms.The group rate is $120.99 w/tax for a standard room.

The caravan participants just need to reference: Corvette Caravan 2014. The rooms will stay blocked until 30 days before the event.

Remember to check the expiration date on the credit card that you use to reserve your room. If it expires before the reservation date, your rooms will probably be automatically cancelled. The hotel doesn't usually notify you of the cancellation either.

My name is Thomas "Glen" Rowe. My wife, Christine and I live in Port Barrington, Illinois. That is about 45 miles Northwest of Chicago. When I saw that Illinois / Iowa needed a Captain, I couldn't resist. Tim and Mary Gertz (brother/sister-in-law) who went on the 2009 Caravan with us offered to help co-chair and Steve Green (the 2009 Captain) said he had my back. What more could I ask for? Check out our starting areas below and see what fits best for you. The Local Leaders for the areas are listed on the right side of the page. If you have any question, please contact them. I can always be reached at Illinois and Iowa participants may also wish to "Like" us on Facebook at .

Bloomington, IL
We are pleased to announce that Dave Crull and Steve Tribble have joined the team as Local Leaders and will help with the Bloomington area. These guys are active with the Corvette Club of Illinois and will do everything they can to make our stop at Leman's Chevy City a pleasant one.

This is the stop where Northern Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Western Michigan will join us. We will have lunch, a break, gas up, and restage to caravan to Effingham.

Champaign, IL
We are pleased to announce that Doug Hanner and Art Rapp have joined the team as Local Leaders and will help with the Champaign area. Doug is the President of the Corvette Club of Illinois and Art is the Vice President. They will set up and organize the merge of the Caravan in Champaign along with other things.

The Champaign group will meet at Planet Fitness 2002 Glen Park Drive. This is a big parking lot just east of the interstate of I-72 and I-57.

Joliet, IL
The Joliet group will meet at the Autobahn Country Club in Joliet at 7:30 AM. There will be a $20.00 cost to get in and do some laps. The café will be open. We will leave there about 10-10:30 AM and caravan to Bloomington, Il where we will meet up with the other groups for lunch at Leman's Chevy City. Here is a link for additional info on directions as the GPS does not always work well in this new industrial area: http://www.autobahncc.com/Information.html#Directions

Naperville, IL
We are pleased to announce that Patricia Horwitz has joined the team as Local Leader and will help with Naperville and the surrounding areas. Patricia has served as a Caravan co-captain and belongs to the Chicago Corvette Club. People in her area are going to meet in Joliet at the Autobahn Country Club on Tuesday morning August 26th at about 7:30 AM.

Peoria, IL
We are pleased to announce that Roger and Elaine Kasky have joined the team as Local Leaders and will help with Peoria and the surrounding areas. They are members of the Mid-Illnois Corvette Club.

The group will stage at Gary Uftring Chevrolet Dealership in Washington Il. The address is 1860 Washington Rd. We will depart at 10:00 a.m. We will take business Rt. 24 to Eureka Il. We will take Il. Rt. 117 to Goodfield Il. We will take Il Rt. 74 to Veterans Parkway exiting to go to Sam Leman Chevrolet

Rockford, IL
We are pleased to announce Steve and Annie Green as Local Leaders in the Rockford, Illinois, area. Steve and Annie led the way to Bowling Green for the 2009 Caravan as our Captain. We are excited to have them back.The Northern Illinois contingent will be meeting at the Maggio Auto and Truck Center. It's located off Exit #115 (Baxter Road) on I39 just south of Rockford. Exit the Interstate, and turn east. Turn left (north) just as the divided highway ends. We'll depart for Bloomington between 10 and 1015 AM. If you are interested in a little ride before we head to Bloomington, we're planning a 'scenic' route to Baxter Road from Freeport, IL. Join us at the Freeport/Stephenson County Convention and Visitor's Bureau for an 8 AM start (since I need to get to Baxter Road a little early). Our route will start on Hwy 20 East then cut south to Mt. Morris, where we’ll head east to Oregon. We'll pick up IL Hwy 2, and follow that to IL Hwy 72 East in Byron, IL. After passing through Stilman Valley and Davis Junction, we'll head north on IL Hwy 251 until we turn east on Baxter Road, leading us to the Maggio Auto and Truck Center. Depending on traffic and timing, we found a very nice place to get a group picture with the Rock River in the background just north of Oregon. If you're interested and can make it, we'd love to see you there!

West Dundee, IL
We are pleased to announce that Ron and Mary Krause of Sleepy Hollow has joined the team as Local Leaders. They will help in the West Dundee and surrounding areas.

They will be staging at Rt.31 and I-90 at Alexanders Café at 8:30 leaving by 8:45 to meet up with the Rockford group. They will depart with them at 10:00 from Exit 115 off of I-39.

Iowa
We are pleased to announce that Randy and Jane Huber of the Mid-West Corvette Club in Milan, IL, and residents of Davenport, IA, have volunteered to be Local Leaders. They will be a great addition and are in a great location to coordinate the Iowa caravans.

There will be a meet and greet on the Levee in Le Claire, Monday the 25th at 6:30 PM.

The Mississippi River Distilling Company is prolonging their hours/tours and tastings. The times will be, 3:00, 4:00, 5:00 and 5:30. The American Pickers, Antique Archeology is always a draw for LeClaire and will be open until 6:00pm.

There are ample shops to browse in, along with great restaurants and bars. www.visitleclaire.com

We will stage starting at 8:00 am on the Levee in LeClaire and leave at 9:30 to get to Bloomington, IL. It is a straight shot down I-74 with 2 rest areas along the way.

North Central Iowa
We are pleased to announce that Mike and Linda Etherington of Titonka, Iowa have joined the team as Local Leaders and will help with Northern Iowa. They are members of North Iowa Corvettes. Mike and Linda's group will start at Lake Chevrolet 3005 Willow Creek Ct. Clear Lake Iowa on Monday August 25th. They will meet at 6:15 AM for coffee and donuts. They will stage and leave the dealership at about 6:45 AM take I-35 South to I-80 East to meet up with Ron and Jan's group at the Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa at about 9:00 AM.

Western Iowa
We are pleased to announce that Ron and Jan Arends of Brooklyn, Iowa have joined the team as Local Leaders and will help with Western Iowa.

Ron's and Jan's group will meet at the Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa, Monday August 25th 2014 at 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM. For 20.00 per car you can take 5 laps around the track and then do a tour of the Speedway. Then you will depart to Brooklyn, Iowa and park on Main Street from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM where you will have lunch at the Classic Deli and Ice Cream Shop. Then your group will travel East to Le Claire, Iowa to spend the evening with other like minded caravaners and get ready to depart on Tuesday morning from the Le Claire staging area to Bloomington, Il.

Assembly Plant Tours
The Bowling Green Assembly Plant has just informed us (the NCM) that the Thursday and Friday tours, August 28th and 29th, 2014 are at the maximum. They will no longer be taking tour scheduling during these days. Will update when info becomes available. You can visit the site at: .

Update On Assembly Plant Tours

The Bowling Green Assembly Plant Tour office has started the process of filling cancelled tour spots by contacting those who have emailed them and asked to be put on a waitlist for the plant tour. If you would like to be put on this waitlist please email

The assembly plant's tour office is handling all aspects of the plant tour and they request that all tour requests come through this email address.

Sponsorship
A big key for the success of this Caravan is sponsors. If you are interested in a sponsorship or if you know a Corvette Club, business, or individual, who would like to provide a Sponsorship, please contact me at or call me at . Sponsors will be acknowledged in the Illinois/Iowa Handbook.

Please welcome our Major Sponsor:
Single Source and PPG have graciously stepped up in support of the Illinois/Iowa Caravan. Their generous donation will help us fund our route books and other areas of need to make our trip more pleasant.

	www.chevycity.net
Casten Body Shop, Inc. www.castenbodyshop.com	www.cichicago.net

Special Thanks to "Friends of the 2014 Illinois Iowa Caravan" for Their Donations:

Ron and Jan Arends
Ken and Wendy Nelson
Mike and Linda Etherington
Ralph and Linda Kordas

Flag & Rear Window Static Clings available for order:
The Flags and Static Clings may be ordered from the Illinois/Iowa Captain Glen Rowe.
To place your order:

Going on the 2014 Caravan will be an experience that you will never forget. Chris and I went on the Caravan in 09. We talked Tim and Mary into going along since this was our first long Caravan trip. I went to the library and got some books on the old Route 66 since our plan was to hook up with the Caravan in Bloomington, Ill.

We started in Chicago staying overnight downtown. Had breakfast at Mitchell's and started at the beginning of Route 66. Spent the whole day on the old road in and out of small towns and stayed at a Bed and Breakfast in Bloomington. It was amazing at the old dinners and the historical stops along the way. We hooked up with the Caravan in Bloomington the next morning and traveled with them to Bowling Green, Ky.

We went to Nashville one day, toured downtown, checked out the night life, and stayed overnight at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. And Resort. Hooked up with the Caravan Tour of the General Lee, and went back to Bowling Green for the rest of the festivities.

I thought I would share this as to encourage you to make a "Va-caravan" out of the 2014 Caravan to Bowling Green. Set aside as much time as you can, and plan a vacation using the Caravan as something you can join in on, jump in and out of, and use it to your likings as you see fit. You might want to not miss the last leg going into the Museum for a welcome you won't forget as you roll in with thousands of others. It is a sight to behold.

I know 2014 seems like a long time away but it will be here before you know it. Get the word out now to your Corvette Club and friends. Start planning now! Get a Banner, for your Club and spread the word throughout your area. Call me or email for flags, and decals to promote the Caravan locally. Let's have a grassroots movement and make the 2014 Caravan the biggest and best one ever.

On Monday August 25th the Des Moines group leaves and travels I-80 E. to hook up with the Iowa City group, then continues on I-80 E. to hook up with the Le Claire group. Enjoy the festivities in Le Claire, spend the night, gas up and get ready to leave on Tuesday morning.

On Monday August 25th 2014, Corvettes will roll into town. The parking lots along the levy and others will be filled with these beautiful American icons. The streets and shops will be busy as people from miles away come into town a day early to enjoy a beautiful, hidden treasure nested along the Mississippi River. The treasure is Le Claire Iowa
( http://www.visitleclaire.com/ ).

People will book rooms for the night; Bed and Breakfasts will be filled. Stories will be shared by like minded people, friends meeting friends and making new ones, and everyone full of anticipation for Tuesday morning, August 26th, when the Illinois/Iowa Group of the 2014 Caravan will stage and depart Le Claire, stop in Bloomington Illinois for a break and restage in route to Effingham Illinois where they will check into their hotels, and B&Bs.

Also on Monday August 25th, American icons will be rolling into Joliet, Illinois. With the Des Plaines River running through the city and all the attractions associated with the Old Route 66, a day seems to zip by as fast as you can get around the Autobahn Motorsports Road Course ( http://www.autobahncc.com/ ). That's exactly what the plan is for the morning of August 26th as Corvettes will meet there and have a chance to see this unique Automotive Country Club that boasts a North and South Circuit that make up a combined 3.56 miles. Fear not, no racing allowed, just a chance to get your car on the track for a little fun prior to staging and caravanning on to Bloomington and Effingham.

In Rockford and Northwest Illinois, for those that choose not to leave on Monday, Corvettes will stage on Tuesday morning August 26th at Maggio Auto and Truck Center (Exit 115 off Interstate 39). We will be joined with groups from UP Michigan/Wisconsin to caravan to Bloomington for a catered lunch at Leman's Chevy City, Part of Sam Leman Automotive Group, one of the largest Chevrolet dealers in downstate Illinois and hook up with the caravans leaving Le Clair and Joliet. Gas will also be available next door to Leman's Chevy City. All will restage in Bloomington after a break and depart for Effingham. Other feeder routes will be joining us as we caravan.

Those who haven't had enough for the day will depart for a short ride to the famous Tuscan Hills Winery ( http://effinghamwinery.showitsite.com ), where they will enjoy socializing, tasting, and dinner, with our friends from the Wisconsin/Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan Caravan.

On Wednesday morning August 27th we will meet at Mid America in Effingham and spend some time there browsing around before staging again for the next leg of the caravan which takes us to our destination, the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green Kentucky.

The Wisconsin/Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan group at that point will hook up with us and we will do an Illinois highway run through southern Illinois, catching the Interstate at the Illinois/Indiana border. There will be a lunch and bio break before the final Kentucky Turnpike run to Bowling Green on Wednesday afternoon. Again, other feeder routes will join us as we caravan. At this point, we should have hundreds of Corvettes stretched out for miles!

If you want to have a time you'll never forget. Join the Caravan in 2014. The Illinois/Iowa Caravan Leaders as well as other Leaders are putting together a fun filled trip that will offer you many options for as much fun as you can handle in a day or as much leisure as you want.

Rockford Illinois Group will leave the staging area off at the Maggio Auto and Truck Center (Exit 115 off Interstate 39).around 10:00 AM and merge with the Wisconsin, Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan for an arrival time of 12:30 PM in Bloomington Illinois. Le Claire Iowa Group will leave staging area at 10:00 AM for an arrival time of 12:30 PM in Bloomington Illinois.

Joliet Illinois Group will meet at 8:00 AM at the Autobahn for some coffee, donuts, and have some fun with a couple trips around the track with a pace car. The cost will be 20.00 per car to get in the Autobahn. Pay cash at the gate when you sign in. We will leave the staging area at the Autobahn at 10:30 AM for an arrival time of 12:30 PM in Bloomington Illinois. Combined groups will have a catered lunch at Leman's Chevy City, Part of Sam Leman Automotive Group. Plenty of time to take a break, gas up and restage.

Caravan will leave Bloomington Illinois at 2:00 PM for an arrival time in Effingham at 4:30 PM. Upon arrival in Effingham people will go to their hotels and check in.

After you check in and freshen up a bit, we will head out to the beautiful Tuscan Hills Winery for some wine tasting and a great buffet dinner. The tastings are $5 and are not included with the buffet. The Winery will collect for the tastings. Tastings can start as early as 5:00pm. It is a beautiful place to relax. We will have the Winery all to ourselves from 6-9 PM. for those that sign up. To sign up send me an email with name and how many.

The buffet will be catered by Niemerg's Steakhouse. The cost will be 15.00 per person cash only payable at the door. This is a great value for our caravan. The menu will be Fried Chicken and BBQ Pork Loin. Mashed Potatoes & Brown Gravy, Corn, Green Beans, Noodles, Cole Slaw, 7 Layer Salad, Rolls & Butter. Desert will be an assortment of Niemberg's famous Homemade Pies. Coffee, Ice Tea & Lemonade. Real Plates, Silverware, Cups. A great way to finish the day chatting with like minded people, sharing stories of the road and those Corvettes we all love.

Speaking of LOVE! Everyone loves ELVIS! Yes, Scott Wattles of the Blue Suede Crew will entertain you with a solo performance of the King himself. From Vegas to the Winery you will love this show. No charge to you, thank you PPG and Single Source our Major sponsors. http://www.bluesuedecrew.com/schedule

Joint Caravans will leave Mid America in Effingham about 10:00 AM and arrive in Bowling Green at the Corvette Museum about 4:30 PM. There will be a lunch and bio break at The Red Wagon Restaurant in Poseyville, Indiana. http://feedmillposeyville.com/pages/contact.htm Once in Bowling Green the caravan will officially be over and you can enjoy the activities at the museum and in the Bowling Green area.

Look over our agenda, we offer a lot of options depending on the time and place you want to start.

We look forward to having a great trip in 2014 and working with all of you to make this a fun, memorable, safe, and exciting experience.

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Illinois & Iowa