MI Fall Color Tour 2010....

[wildswing]

Another very exciting development!

The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Center has agreed to keep someone around for us just in case our late afternoon visit runs a little over their closing time of 6 pm on Saturday. They're also going to provide a tour guide. Admission fee is $10.50 for adults, $9.50 for those over 55. I'm going to see if we can get a group deal.

I slid in the suggestion of getting a picture of the cars with one of their aircraft. I included a pic of a Cobra of course. After his initial reply of, "Wow! I want one!" He said pictures would not be a problem and then asked if we would mind pulling a car INTO THE HANGER beside one of the planes!

They're stoked for this for sure. Enough so that they've asked if we mind if they invite the press! It's not often that we see a group of cars like this around here.

If this is your first time checking recent updates, you'll have to go all the way back to reply #10 on page 1.

[wildswing]

Update: The Bushplane center is dropping the price of admission for us to "Buy 1 get 1 FREE". They're also hoping to get all the cars inside with the planes.

This just keeps getting better!

T-minus 28 days... that's only 4 weeks folks!

[wildswing]

BUMP!

Dinner location for Saturday evening, Dock's Riverfront Grill, has agreed to cordon off a section of their parking lot just for us.

T minus 21 days and counting !!!!

[wildswing]

T minus 14 days and counting

The the weather forecast for the cruise weekend will finally show up on SooWeather.com over the next few days.

EDIT: Keep in mind that it is a long term forecast. It's not perfect and changes frequently. When I originally posted earlier this morning, the end of that week was partly cloudy with seasonal temps. Now just 2 hours later, it shows above average temps but with light rain. Cross yer fingers!

Reminder: The hotel reservation deadline is Monday September 6th.

[wildswing]

T minus 12 days and counting

The complete weekend is now in the long range forecast. Predicted conditions have improved. Let's hope it stays that way.

Normal daytime temp for this time of year is about 21°C (70°F). For the benefit of the metrically challenged...



My photobucket account stats show 70 views of my posted pictures. I'm curious... are you just browsing, sitting on the fence, or definitely coming? Talk to me.

[wildswing]

T minus 11 days and counting

Some more info for those coming from the US. Crossing the border can sometimes take a while. It's a bit of a crap shoot. there doesn't seem to be a predicable pattern. Friday evening can be busy at times. If any of you are traveling with a mobile internet capable device, you can check the following web sites when you stop for fuel in the Michigan Sault...

Border wait times...
Entering Canada: http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/bwt-taf/menu-eng.html
Entering the US: http://apps.cbp.gov/bwt/index.asp

Bridge web cams (both are pointed northward, so the right lane is going to Canada): http://www.saultbridge.com/

The local guy's 2 week forecast is swinging like a pendulum between party cloudy and rain. Others, that have forecasts that go that far out, are looking better: http://www.theweathernetwork.com/fou...qlink_st_14day

[wildswing]

T minus 6 days and counting

I'm posting this for those watching the thread instead of getting their info from Todd and his emails to GLCC and Michigan FFROG and members. Todd is emailing members right now with questions about peoples plans vs the weather forecast. The tour IS NOT canceled yet. We're just gathering info on which we'll base decisions in the next few days.

The weather forecast is not looking good, with cool temps and rain on at least one or more of the 3 days.

http://www.shieldsweather.com/soo/ (check out his 2 week, 3 day or 7 day links)

OR

http://www.9and10news.com/weather/ (based in Cadillac MI)

It's still a week away so the forecast can change, but the hotel booking deadline is in 2 days (Monday). Here's an option for those sitting on the fence watching the forecast. Book your room before the Monday deadline. You can always cancel later in the week. That will give you a couple days to keep watching the weather. Right now there are only 4 rooms booked.

I will need final numbers by Wednesday or Thursday so I can confirm group size with the restaurants and the Bushplane museum.

I've discussed with others here and have spoken to Todd about this today. If the weather forecast remains unfavorable, my recommendation is that you do not come at all. I know y'all drove SUVs to Traverse City in the past when it rained, but this is different. Only a couple of our stops on the tour are places where you can go inside, unlike TC where we went inside at the wineries. Most of this tour is outside, and the Lake Superior shore is not a place to be in lousy weather. There's not a whole lot to do in the Soo in the rain. Coming in a covered vehicle does not improve things.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Todd or me directly.

Hopefully this weather pattern changes and we'll be able to pull this off. Stay tuned.

[Todd Baumann]

Well everyone this following weekend after the holiday is supposed to be the Fall Colour Tour to Sault. Ste. Marie.

There seems to be a few wrenches in the works so far.

The first one is more for me than you. My wife and I will not be able to attend this year. Lisa got thrown from her horse last week and broke her collarbone and shoulder blade in 3 places as well as had some blood on the brain with a pretty good concussion. She is home now from the hospital and doing much better, but she cannot take a 5 hour drive in the roadster, let alone in a regular car. Not to mention she needs help getting things done personally and around the house so I would not be able to come and travel alone either.

The second is the weather, right now it looks like it is going to rain for a better part of the weekend, and pretty steady at that.

So here is what the guys in the Sault are asking and suggesting.

Anyone who was or is interested in going, please still make a reservation, you have till Monday to do that and still get rates for the group. I know a few people were holding out to see what was going to happen first before making reservations or plans. As of right now we only had 4 people make reservations to date with the hotel, although a dozen + were interested in going.

While in the same sense we do not have to cancel until 4pm on Thursday, so you can wait till the last moment to cancel if the weather is not going to cooperate.

So my question to all of you is, even if it rains, is anyone going to attempt to go?

If it does not rain, will you still plan on going even though I cannot lead the group up?

Do we try and reschedule for another time? Possibly in the spring or summer of next year.

We had not planned anything special along the lines of a rain out date, because, for us (my wife and I), we did not have any open weekends until well into Nov. to even consider doing that other than this one.

But a rain date can be done for you guys if you would like. Not to mention you can still make the trek without us.

Mark Koski and the guys in the Sault are more than willing to accommodate you and still do the cruise. He has graciously agreed to take anyone around that does still want to come up, or do on another run date if you still would like to go, and weather prevents us from doing so for our scheduled weekend.

They have mentioned that if raining most of the stops would have to be cancelled because they are outdoor stops. They even went as far as to say if it was raining that they suggest we shoot for another date and sunshine, not many stops and sights to see if there is rain.

As for the trip up for us from down here I had not made any reservations for lunch going up, so that would not be that big of a deal to cancel plans there. The stops on the way up were just going to be at a decent place around 1pm for lunch and then for fuel as needed. I was just kind of winging it with the plans on that end of things this year.

In any case please reply via this to Mark and I, or even give Mark a call directly. We need to know something by Wednesday from everyone interested. So if you are still interested in going or have more questions please contact Mark directly. Contact me with a PM and I will give you his numbers.

If no one is going to go, we will also need to cancel the reservations for dinner, breakfast, as well as a couple of the stops for photo ops that we had tentatively made as of right now.

One way or the other, the guys up in the Sault would like to get an idea and gage interest of who is still interested in making the trip up at one time or another.

Thanks, and sorry for the bad news, and please let us know.

Todd

[wildswing]

T minus 5 days and STILL COUNTING !!!!

As I mentioned earlier, it's still a few days away so the forecast can change, but the hotel booking deadline is TOMORROW (Monday). For those sitting on the fence watching the forecast I recommend that you BOOK YOUR ROOM. You can always cancel later in the week. That will give you a couple days to keep watching the weather. We'll make the final call by Thursday, if not sooner.

The weather forecast is still not looking good, with cool temps and rain on at least one or more of the 3 days. For weather info, I recommend...

http://www.shieldsweather.com/soo/ (check out his 2 week, 7 day or 3 day links)

OR

http://www.9and10news.com/weather/ (based in Cadillac MI)

[Todd Baumann]

Cancelled

Well everyone due to the weather threat we have decided to cancel the Tour up to the Soo.

I am sorry that this did not work out. We really had a great cruise planned out. Seems more and more where interested in going than were registered. But overall you don't want to get wet and cold up there at the same time.

There had been some interest in possibly doing this in the spring or early summer to try and avoid the weather issues possibly. If you would be interested in this please let me know and we will get to work on setting up some timing. I know that we would need to avoid LCS and Woodward but it should be able to be done without too much of a problem. Even if you have some dates in mind let us know too.

Once again everyone sorry for the inconvience.

Todd

[wildswing]

Great call folks! Here's the weather radar at 12:15 this afternoon. That mess is moving northeast. We would be somewhere around the turn-around point about 1.5 hrs north of the Soo...