Introduction | Purpose/Theme | Initial Planning | Dates | Sizing | Announcing | Advertising | Registration | Lodging | Departure Point - Planning | Route Planning | Dining | Club Requirements | Cost | Fellowship | Snacking | Comfort | Entertainment | Packets | Contingencies | Departure Point – Day of Your Trip | Miscellaneous | Wrap-Up | Send Mail
The idea for this planning guide came about when I overheard comments from another Windy City Miata Club member to the effect of "I could never plan a trip like this." It struck me that, for the WCMC trip participant, it must seem a little overwhelming! They are presented with a packet of instructions, the CB channel to tune to, and off they are taken on any one of our club’s wondrous, twisty-turny, fun-packed trips, only to return at the end of the day or weekend richer in experience, poorer in pocket book, and usually pretty tired. "How do they do that?" someone asked. I hope this guide can help to answer that question.
I had put an announcement in the newsletter earlier in the summer of 1998 to gauge interest in holding a trip-planning meeting, but summer being what it is for WCMC members, the meeting itself didn’t get held until November! Autumn and I were well into planning our 3rd club trip (Toronto, Mac’n’Back ‘97 and now "Say Ya! To da UP, eh? ’99) when I realized that the key to developing (or planning) a trip is knowing what questions to ask. First you need a list of questions, and then you can work on the answers.
Why questions instead of lists and tips? Well, if you’ve ever been on more than one WCMC trip, you know that there are some things in common, and some things unique to the trip and the folks who are sponsoring it. The purpose of this guide is definitely not to encourage folks in the "one right way" to do a trip. There is no one right way to do a trip! I would say that all good trips have certain things in common (some detailed things, and some general principles) as well as some Club requirements, but there is a lot of room for individuality. Questions will promote you to think about planning details without prescribing an answer. The question may, or may not, apply in your circumstances, but you will have the comfort of having been asked it. It actually may trigger another question in your mind, or a series of questions, which will lead you to discover a unique opportunity for your trip. Thus, the questions are presented to stimulate your thinking. This is not an essay test.
This first edition of the guide comes from the experience over 3 summers of participating in many WCMC trips and sponsoring a couple along the way. It is by no means complete. I hope you find this guide useful, and that you will provide me, or the future owner of this guide, with feedback on how to make it more useful. Add your questions! The club members, and future trips, can only benefit!
What is the rationale behind your trip?
What is the theme or purpose of your trip?
What is the Title of your trip?
Can you have fun on your trip?
How soon should you start planning?
What factors (e.g., hotel availability) dictate how soon you should start planning?
Are there detailed maps of the area available? State? County? City?
Have there been other/similar WCMC trips done in your area?
How can you build on what has been done in the past?
How will you take notes or capture ideas as they come up?
Have you put together a "project plan" with lists of tasks and completion deadlines?
Will there be road construction along your route?
How will you store and organize information you gather about your trip (brochures, menus, hotel/motel info, etc.)?
How many times should you test your trip?
Where will you stay when you are planning your trip?
Where will you dine when you are planning your trip?
Are there other WCMC events planned for your date?
Are the hotels you want available for your dates?
Are any special events/activities scheduled for your dates?
Is the weather a factor in your dates?
Is the sun a factor in your dates?
Is the length of daylight a factor in your dates?
Are there any regional events that may interfere with your dates?
Are there any major road closings or environmental concerns that may interfere with your dates (e.g., high water in the springtime over roads)?
What are considerations, if any, that may force a limit on a) number of cars or b) number of people?
If you have an "unlimited" size, how big should you plan for?
Are there any special considerations given the size of your tour (time to dine, time to check in, time for breaks?)
How soon should you announce your trip?
Who should you check with first, before announcing your trip?
What do you want to say about your trip at the Membership Meetings?
How much time should you spend announcing your trip at the Membership Meetings?
Have you bothered to notify your significant other about your trip?
What will your flyers say?
Do you need to promote your trip in the newsletter? How often?
Should you have a Web Page?
Is registration (or pre-registration) a requirement?
How will you gauge interest in your trip?
Should you ask for a deposit?
How will you separate those who are "interested" from those who will commit to go?
How will you communicate with those who have committed?
How late before the trip begins do you need to close registration?
Does your public deadline need to correspond with your internal deadline?
Are the hotel rooms available for your desired dates?
How far in advance do you need to investigate hotels before setting your date?
How many rooms should you initially request?
Does the hotel have a deadline on when all reservations must be made by?
What form of payment does the hotel accept?
Will the hotel share the list of WCMC guests with you?
Are there sufficient smoking and non-smoking rooms available?
Did you inspect the rooms? Are they modern, clean, in good repair?
What is included in the price of the hotel room? (e.g., breakfast)
What facilities/amenities does the hotel offer (e.g. pool, whirlpool, etc.) Indoor/Outdoor?
Is there a room/lobby for group activities?
Where will people park?
How will people locate the hotel? Are there any pertinent landmarks?
What is the hotel phone number?
Does the hotel have a toll-free number for reservations?
Are the hotel staff/manager friendly and accommodating?
How will a large group of tired club members check in quickly?
Are there any special instructions/restrictions to share about registration?
What is the starting point? Can people find it easily? Can people get to it easily?
Is the starting point equitably accessible for the geographic distribution of the club?
How will you notify people of your departure point/departure time?
Is there sufficient parking/staging at the starting point?
What time should people arrive at the starting point vs. what time you want to leave?
Where will people use the bathroom at the start location?
Where will people get gas at the starting point?
Where will people get food at the starting point?
Are there points along the route where people can join?
How early will folks farthest from your departure site need to leave?
How many miles should you drive before the first bathroom stop?
How much time should you plan between bathroom stops in the morning? In the afternoon?
How many miles should you drive before lunch?
How many miles should you drive before arriving at the hotel?
How many miles should you drive in a single day?
What direction will you be driving?
How will local rush hour affect your plans?
What about other cities you will be driving through/around and their rush hours?
Will you be driving into the sun?
Will you arrive before dark?
Where are the gas stations?
Are the gas stations a major brand?
Are the restrooms clean?
What format will you use to communicate your directions?
What do you do for folks that have different diameter tires?
What landmarks do you see that will help people find their way?
Can people find their way on their own, with just your directions?
Can someone find their way to the destination, without your directions?
How will you get people in the middle of the pack to pay attention to the directions?
Does everyone have a C.B.? What about those who do not?
Are there dangerous driving situations or intersections on your route? How can you avoid them or handle them safely?
How will you handle people who are driving recklessly or unsafely?
What lane will you caravan in on multi-lane roads?
What will you do at toll booths? After toll booths?
What will you do if you encounter a detour?
How will a detour affect your route planning? Arrival time?
Are there any dirt/gravel roads in your plans? Have you driven them?
If you are using dirt/gravel roads, what condition might they be in the day of your trip?
Are the maps or map segments marked clearly?
Is the typeface legible by all age groups/vision capabilities?
If intersections lack signs/markings, how will you indicate them?
Are the routes marked clearly?
Have you driven all the routes?
Have you timed all the routes?
Have you estimated the route timing for the number of people in your tour vs. just by yourself?
What average speed do you assume you will travel over various legs of your trip?
How will you package your material?
Are your pages numbered?
Are the maps and the detailed instructions together?
Are your directions useable by solo drivers?
Did you "walk through" your directions for left/right turn confirmation?
Which meals will your trip include?
How many people will each restaurant accommodate?
Do the restaurants handle smokers and non-smokers?
Are example menus available to take-with (for the packet)?
Are the prices reasonable?
What payment methods/credit cards do they take?
Separate checks? One check/table? Pay by group?
What is the automatic gratuity charge, if any?
Did you eat there? How was the food? The service?
Can they accommodate vegetarians?
If the portions are large, where will people store their doggie-bags?
Where will people park?
Is there sufficient parking available?
If the restaurant will be used at night, are the parking lots well lit?
Do the restaurants know you are coming? What time you’ll arrive? How many to expect?
Have you made reservations? Did you confirm them?
Did you talk with the proprietor or simply the hostess?
Are there any "Specials of the Day" you should know about?
Are there serving options available – limited menus, buffets, etc?
Will the restaurant be open when you arrive (seasonal aspects, holidays, vacations, etc.)
Is the restaurant owner interested in hosting our group? Or could they care less?
Do you have sufficient waiver forms?
Has everyone signed the waiver?
Have you turned in the waiver forms?
Have you gone over safety considerations with the participants?
What up-front costs, if any are there?
What costs should you include in your registration fees?
Do you get reimbursed for advertising materials?
How much expense should you plan to bear for organizing the trip?
Do any aspects of your trip (dining, entertainment) benefit from pre-payment?
Does everyone know all the participants?
Are there new club members on your trip?
Does everyone have nametags?
Does everyone know which people go with which car?
How will people identify the cars on the trip?
How will people contact each other?
Does everyone have a C.B.?
What’s in your packet?
Did somebody say cookies? Did somebody say candy?
What time of year is your trip?
Are you stopping for Ice Cream?
Are you stopping for liquids?
Are there places to wash hands or use bathrooms before snacking?
Is there a gas station near by?
Is there sufficient parking at the snack stop?
How often should you plan for bathroom/snack breaks?
How much time between reststops in the morning? In the afternoon?
Have you shared a timetable so people can plan their food intake?
What items should you advise people to bring along?
How much lead time should you give people to gather comfort items?
How does temperature, sunshine or the prospect of rain affect your plans?
If there are boring stretches of road, what will you do?
Can everybody participate? Solo drivers? Tops up/tops down?
If you are staying overnight somewhere, what will people do in the evening?
Does the restaurant offer entertainment? Do they know who will be booked when you are there?
Are there cover charges involved? Can you get group discounts on tickets?
Should everyone pay, or should it be optional?
Does the entertainment relate to the theme of the trip at all?
What are the things that you need for the packet?
Is there anything special in the packet that people should be aware of?
How will you know who gets which packet?
When will people be able to review packet material?
Is the packet material relevant/required or optional/FYI?
How will you handle detours?
How will you handle bad weather?
How will you handle medical emergencies?
What will you do if the group gets split up?
What will you do if people get lost? If you get lost?
What will you do if you get seriously "off schedule?"
Do you know where to call for current road conditions/construction?
What will you do if the restaurants are full? Closed? Not expecting you?
What will you do if the hotel is full? Closed? Not expecting (all) of you?
What will you do if your car breaks down? If other cars break down?
How will you handle misunderstandings between club members and service providers?
Departure Point – Day of Your Trip
What will you do if people arrive late? Don’t show up? Call because they’re lost?
What time should you arrive at the starting point?
Who will handle waiver signing? Has everyone signed the waiver?
Who will pass out the directions/packets?
Who will decide when to leave?
How will you know when everyone has arrived/checked in?
What time are you leaving?
How much time should you leave between the stated arrival time and actual departure time?
Should you leave on time or wait a little bit?
Who is leading? Who is bringing up the rear?
Will you have a Drivers’ Meeting? What will you say?
What safety aspects do you need to cover before you leave?
How many cars are you leaving with? How many will join you along the way?
Do participants know how many cars to expect?
What if extra, last-minute people just show up?
What if non-club members show up? If Mustangs show up? RX-7s?
What items should you remind people to bring for comfort/safety/pleasure?
Did you remind people to bring fresh batteries?
How soon before the trip should you plan to be done with your planning?
Have you considered a post-tour survey for participants to get [anonymous] feedback?
Did you unplug the iron?
Did you bring your C.B.?
Do you have the packets assembled? Labeled?
Have you reimbursed yourself for the pre-paid insurance fee?
Have you turned in the waiver forms for the participation contest?
Have you done a WRITTEN post mortem on what went well, what could be better?
Have you thanked everyone who helped you? Have you thanked your significant other?
Have you thanked (in WRITING) vendors/restaurants/hotels who gave you great service?
Have you asked someone to talk about your trip at the next club meeting?
Have you written a newsletter article extolling the wonder of your trip?
Have you refunded people’s money, if any, due to change in plans?
Have you washed your car yet?
Did you have fun? Will you host the same tour, or a new tour?
What do you wish this document asked you to think about beforehand?
Have you shared your new-found questions with the document author?
Can you think of any other items or categories for this document that will improve it for the next time?
Send Comments, New Questions or Improvement Suggestions to Dave Schumacher: