The Iowa Route 6 Tourist Association invites classic car owners to get their motors running and head on down America’s Longest Highway, Historic US 6.
The event kicks off in downtown Davenport, with the latest addition to their popular River to River Retro Road Trip –“Cruising the Ones”, which is open to anyone with a classic car. Come visit Downtown Davenport, where there will be hundreds of classic cars cruising Third and Fourth Streets, just like in the good old days. A complete schedule can be found HERE.
Sargent Peppers and Klemme Motorsports will have a DJ and special Cruiser Parking on the 300 block of East Third Street, while downtown restaurants will be open for the event.
“We feel there are many Quad Citians that have never been to some of these terrific restaurants downtown. This is your opportunity to come cruise, watch the cars, and grab a delicious meal.” says Dave Darby, Executive Director of the association, which is devoted to preservation and economic development along the Iowa stretch of America’s longest highway. “We are excited to make Downtown Davenport a focal point of our Iowa experience this year.”
The cruise, which is scheduled for Thursday evening from 6 -9 PM on October 9th, is “pre-party” for the annual “River to River Retro Road Trip, now in its fourth year. The road trip invites anyone with a classic car to join them in a trip across Iowa on the original historic alignments of US Highway 6. The credo for their road trip is “No Interstates – No Chain Restaurants. Just Mom & Pops and Two Lane Blacktop”.
“Most people’s perception of Iowa as a flat, boring state stems from the fact that they’ve only seen it from Interstate 80. The Iowa you’ll discover on Highway 6 is rich with history, scenery, small town friendliness, and great food.” says Darby. “It’s a completely different driving experience. Many of our participants are repeats, some having been along for every trip.”
Darby notes, “Most of today’s travelers are in a rut. They hop on the interstate to get where they are going, and have onlythe same old chain restaurants they have at home to choose from. They come home from their trip with only a fraction of the experience they could have had.”
The River to River Retro Road Trip begins Friday morning October 10th, and concludes Sunday, October 12th, after a visit to the Freedom Rock, and the Covered Bridge Festival in Winterset. Participants are invited and encouraged to dress in clothing that matches the era of their cars.
Overnight stops are in Grinnell and Council Bluffs this year, withevents and activities planned for each evening. Some of the proceeds, as in years past, will benefit the Children’s Therapy Center of the Quad Cities.
The past three cruises were filmed for the upcoming documentary River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 by award-winning filmmakers Kelly & Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films. The film will be released in the Spring of 2015 and screen in venues and theaters along Iowa's Historic Route 6.
For details on joining the 2014 River to River Retro Road Trip, visit www.usroute6iowa.org or contact the Route 6 Tourist Association via email [email protected] or by phone at (563) 499-8211 (after 4:30 PM on weekdays).
The Route Tourist Association is a nationwide 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. For more information on the Route 6 Tourist Association, visit www.route6tour.com.
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