[JONAT] Deliberations on Lessons Learned

[Christina D Lilienthal]

Listening to Craig and Mark discuss the pros and cons of the tour, I agree
that there are many lessons to be learned from the experience.  With the
diversity of people participating in the tour, I have no doubt that the
final resolutions for Tour 2006 will have the benefits of "whole-brained"
thinking.

(1) Craig's point about costs on the road vs. a "real" vacation is
well-taken.  By the time I added together my expenses, I could have gone on
a 10-day vacation to Hawaii.  However, JONAT was a very interesting
experience that pushed me to the edge of ability and resolve...that was
worth it.  And I found out who my friends were (grin).  To expect someone
to make a vacation of the tour might be too much to ask...because there is
nothing restful about it and the miles that need to be covered are too
lengthy to do much sightseeing.  To do this tour, I think a person is
looking for challenge, and they would like to share the experience with
others -- but not necessarily their partner, who may or may not have the
same interests.

(2) Mark's comment about getting the tour in place a year ahead has it pros
and cons.  I enjoyed the "winging it" approach, but also enjoyed the
planned side-trip activities with a designated guide.  I did not like the
long journey where I couldn't stop and enjoy something for a little
while....and deviated a little near the end to sightsee because a rest day
was coming up -- too soon, for me.  There would certainly be advantages to
having plans figured out ahead of time...as long as it wasn't boring (some
of us enjoy the impromptu).  Most people will have already journeyed
through the country where the route goes....because they already live
within a few days drive of the sector they will typically negotiate.  I
think the biggest attraction is social....getting together with other
like-minded people and enjoying a favorite possession, while tooling
through the countryside or stopping to see attractions.

(3)  Good idea to have SC's in place in advance.  The idea of "scrounging
up SC's" I think is a put-down.....namely because I think your SC's are
some of the most critical positions for success of the tour...along with
communications and ongoing national updates through the internet.  The SC's
are the field officers that know the route and have the necessary contacts
for a safe and successful trip.  Those positions should be highly valued
and should be skilled at communications and operations.  They may or may
not double as the host or hostess for the route.  During the Oregon Sector,
we had a local "host" for the Newport area and that was excellent.

(4)  Mark's idea of a "continental relay"  -- excellent idea.  Make a game
of it!  Make it fun!  And make it enjoyable!  I loved seeing the ornaments
that came to adorn Jay the Jaguar as he travelled through the different
areas -- and I was regretting we hadn't "pinned" him ourselves as he passed
through.

(5)  Each sector could be a "loop" -- may work in places.  Certainly worth
analysis.  That worked for me -- would have been better had my car not
needed to be serviced which resulted in a deviation from the route.

(6)  "different roads than the sector route" -- I think this may be an
option, but I wouldn't push it, because the social experience is very
important and touring together is valuable.  That is what brings you
publicity opportunities if you want to have an effect on others with your
jaguars.  Anyone can do a solitary tour anytime -- the point is to tour
together and have a social time enroute...and find ways to have a
"together" experience while in individual machines.

(7)  "something that a lot of people are going to want to do on every
sector"  -- absolutely!  Attractions should be planned -- whether it's to
sightsee--shop-- gather together for meals, or to round up the wagons for a
public show--and I would identify all the attractions along a given route
and over the years, mix and match the combination available for tour stops.

(8)  "information early" -- YES!!!  "Word-of-mouth" is the least expensive
advertising.  People need time to plan ahead and work things into their
schedule -- price breaks and availability comes when you schedule in
advance.  For example....if someone wants to stay at the Historic Crater
Lake Lodge on the rim of Crater Lake, they are booking their premier rooms
($169-187/night) right now for a year from September......

(9)  "a route to get them excited" -- YES!!!  I wouldn't even waste my time
on a dull route -- and I would certainly skip a freeway unless I was in a
hurry to get from Point A to Point B.  I would utilize the extensive work
that has already gone into the national scenic byways program for
development of scenic routes and the extensive tour material that is
already published and available.  I would try to link together as many
scenic byways as possible that also provide critical services and support.
The Pacific Coast All-American Road was what we drove through the State of
Oregon.  We benefitted from the published materials and information already
available -- although people need that material AHEAD of time, so they can
look forward to the journey, and decide what they want to see and do.  All
of those are paved routes -- and the whole collection is on the internet
with vast information available.  Go to www.byways.org (for the public) or
www.bywaysonline.org (for the byway community).  Pull up the State of
interest and check out what is available in your area.

(10)  "avoid a mid-week" sector -- absolutely!!  Even Thursday and Friday
was a drag -- truly a dilemma.

(11) Affiliation with JCNA -- excellent idea!!  Many benefits and mutual
objectives could be achieved.

(12)  Target advertising to the specialized niche that is this market.
Don't waste entry-fee money on advertising -- get corporate sponsorships to
help advertise.  Different media provide public service announcements that
are free-of-charge.

(13) Understand that there are many pressures on people with less free time
than ever  -- it is imperative to focus on what people want.  What will
cause them to want to spend time and money to participate?  It might be
worth putting together a survey and doing a little checking.....might be
surprising what creative responses you get.

(14) "We aren't going to have a big showing in the middle of the week in
the middle of nowhere!"  -- Absolutely correct!!  Don't let the little
participation in some of these segments get you down.  On the contrary --
perhaps a special award or recognition is given "tongue-in-cheek"  to the
individuals who are willing to haul through a particularly long or
uninteresting stretch of road (or conversely, a complicated one, like WA
DC) to make the tour work -- and deliver Jay to the next segment.  Maybe
something like a miniature "golden spike" award -- for contributing toward
the achievement of the team destination or the real "golden spike" at the
final destination.  These could be rotated from year to year -- and hang in
people's shop or offices throughout the year.

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I also have a few separate ruminations of my own:

(1) I felt bad about the little participation in Victoria when I think that
is one of the most glorious places on earth to visit.  So I thought about
that -- and wondered if I would have felt satisified blowing through there
when the destination of the place itself is so very special.  That is a
place where I would want to spend some time -- and enjoy myself, like on a
vacation or visiting people or whatever.  That is something I might want to
save for a more special time and purpose.  Perhaps there are other places
like this where planning a car tour through the area may not be all that
appropriate.  There is also the consideration of maneuvering through the
alternative travel route of the ferries...which is time-consuming.  Perhaps
some of these places should just be a couple days of lay-over -- like they
did in San Francisco....or plan a major event to attract participants, like
occurred in Vancouver.

I also wondered how it would be travelling through the vast expanses of
Canada -- when I think my preferred route would have been via rail -- so I
could relax and enjoy the beauty.  I will be interested in hearing the
experiences of travelling through Canada -- and seeing the pictures.

(2)  The other thing is that springtime is a very busy time of year for
alot of organizations and businesses as they gear up for the field season.
I think it would be interesting to reverse the tour and start it in the NE
in late summer, travel through Canada in the early fall, then drop down the
West Coast in late fall, through the southern states, and then up the east
coast, finished by Thanksgiving in time for the annual turkey gathering.
Another alternative is to begin the tour in late summer in Victoria and
drive through Canada, first, then down the East Coast, the South, then up
the West Coast, arriving back in time for Thanksgiving (again, considering
the weather).

(3)  The other thing -- I am wondering what the long-term vision is for
this event, or is it a day by day evolution of ideas?  I think a strategic
plan of what purpose this tour actually fulfills, or vital human need that
it meets, would be worth expanding on.

I leave you with a quote:

"Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood, and probably
themselves will not be realized.  Make big plans, aim high in hope and
work, remembering that a noble logical diagram, once recorded, will never
die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself
with ever growing insistency."  Daniel Burnham, 1907.

Christina Lilienthal
Oregon ASC
1978 XJV12L



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Christina D. Lilienthal
Umpqua National Forest
Forest Landscape Architect
Voice:  541-957-3358
FAX:  541-957-3495

clilienthal@fs.fed.us
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"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"    Anon