MICHIGAN MITTEN PROMO TOUR:
June 17 - June 26
Registration is $35 by May 15 (After May 15 add $15)
http://backtothebricks.org/events/MichiganMittenPromotionalTour.htm
PROMOTIONAL PACKET INCLUDES:
Tour Agenda/Itinerary
Two Name Lanyards
One T-shirt
One Screen Print Hat
One 3in x 3in Participant Window Cling
One 4in x 30in Windshield Window Cling
Last year's promotional tour traveled the Lincoln Highway to New York. This year, it's a shoreline tour of the Michigan Mitten, and Suzanne Sherman is ready to go again. She thinks it will be a lot different than last year's tour. "It will, because there will be so many more people involved. They're telling us there's already over 100 cars, and we only had 25 last year."
Last year, Suzanne and her husband Larry drove a 1981 Corvette. This year, they expect to take their 1952 Chevy pickup.
There will be a 1966 Pontiac GTO owned by Rhonda Rau of Burton, and it's going on the promo tour. "I decided to take part because Al Hatch told me to spend my money on Michigan instead of going on the Hot Rod Power Tour, where I'd be spending it in other states."
Back to the Bricks Chairman Al Hatch is all about helping the local economy. "That's the number one goal of everything that's involved in Back to the Bricks."
Like the Power Tour, you can participate in as much or as little of the promo tour as your schedule permits.
"Every city is highlighting what they're known for. Caseville, for instance, they're cheeseburgers. They're putting on a cheeseburger luncheon for us -- free," Karen Borton said.
There are eight overnight stops on the Michigan Mitten Promotional Tour, but some 30 stops planned along the way. You decide which stops appeal to you. "The boat ride under the bridge, under the stars in Mackinaw. The canoe ride in Oscoda. MIS, we're gonna have an opportunity to run the track. We've got a wine and cheese tasting tour up in the Leelanau Peninsula," Borton said.
At each overnight stop, there will be a cruise-in open to the community. Graff Chevrolet on Wilder Road will host the event when the promo tour overnights in Bay City on Saturday June 18.
"We're gonna have all of the cars off of the lot and the car cruise will be welcome to come here. They're going to be able to park up front. We're gonna have a couple of bands playing. We're gonna have concession stands. We're gonna have inflatables for the kids, and we're, basically, gonna make this a part of the Mitten Tour show in Bay City," Lisa Rechsteiner from Graff Chevrolet said.
There are no restrictions on what kind of vehicles can take part in the promo tour. If this year's travels around the Mitten are anything like last year's trip along the Lincoln Highway, there will be some breakdowns.
If you register for the promo tour by May 15, the fee is $35. After that, it's $50.
The promo tour is June 17-26, but the actual Back to the Bricks event is in August as always.
"You get a free shirt, you get a free hat," Borton said with a chuckle.
Borton is busy handing out participation packets to the more than 100 car owners who have already registered for the tour.
"Some of the events will be totally free to everybody who comes through who is a tour participant," Aileen England said. "Others will be limited to the first 100 or the first 200. But those who buy the packets will know all of that information."
A 1953 Chevy pickup is one of the vehicles that will participate in the promo tour. At least part of it. It's owned by bob Ayre. He's a bit worried about making the trip with the 58-year-old truck. "I sure am. I'm hoping that she does all right. It will be her first long road trip."
A semi will make the trip as well, to help rescue vehicles that do encounter mechanical problems. Not surprisingly, breakdowns were an issue last year along the Lincoln Highway. The semi will carry a complete tool box, extra oil, an air compressor, a battery charger and a winch, in case any of the vehicles need a lift to a repair facility.
If you can't make the entire trip around the Michigan Mitten, you can easily catch up with the group at any of the eight overnight stops.
Rechsteiner is excited about the Bay City stop. "We'll have food, we'll have entertainment. They're talking anywhere from 100 to 2,000 people, so we're not sure what to expect here."
The tour will leave from the corner of Saginaw and Hemphill on Friday morning, June 17. The participants will depart from the parking lot of the Insight Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience. You've gone right by it during the Back to the Bricks rolling cruise.
When the Summer Auto Fair ends on Sunday June 26, it's down to the bricks for a welcome home party for the promo tour, with participants knowing they did all they can to spread the word through Michigan about the event that will bring thousands of cars and hundreds of thousands of people to the bricks in August.
