[JONAT] Deliberations on Lessons Learned

[Mark Stephenson]

Wow. Good comments, Christina -- so good, in fact, that I'll comment on
some of them in within the text of your e-mail. I totally agree with the
one's I've snipped.

<(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.>

I guess this is a personal thing. I love driving. I love going places
that I've never been before and seeing things for the first time. I like
nature and I like the constructs of man equally well. I prefer driving
the wide open spaces and small towns to big cities because cities aren't
very relaxing. But the open road, the top down, 360 degree unobstructed
view, there isn't much that's more relaxing than that for me (except
when it's freezing). There's always that niggling kernel of worry about
car problems, especially when the car is over 50 years old, but as you
add hours, the confidence builds along with the relaxation. Add some
curvy stretches where you can push the car a little, and it just doesn't
get much better than that.

<(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.>

I think you've read me a tad too literally, here. I'm suggesting that
the handoffs and the main attractions of each sector -- the things that
will really draw people to the tour -- be set up at least six months and
preferably a year in advance. For example, on my sector, we knew we were
starting at Mesa Verde, going to the Grand Canyon, joining the Rt. 66
Fun Run, and ending at the London Bridge in Lake Havasu City. Four
Corners was an option, and Monument Valley was almost a certainty.
Arizona is so devoid of roads that that pretty much defines the route,
but in older, more densely populated areas, it seems that there are
dozens of ways to get from point A to point B. The specific route
doesn't have to be finalized until a month or so before the start of the
tour, and that can be changed right up to the start of the day's drive,
if necessary.

Here's Stephenson's First Law of Touring: Flexibility is inversely
proportional to participation. However, that doesn't mean you can't add
some spurs of the moment when you have the time. That's one reason why
it's important to keep the scheduled daily in-the-seat driving time
under about five hours. If gives you time to wing things. Besides, with
old Jaguars, spurs are always a possibility.

<snip>

<(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.>

I wasn't clear here. I wasn't saying that individual routes be created
for the lone wolves. What I meant was that when creating the outbound
and return links for a sector, you should take a different route than
the tour. That could be Stephenson's Second Law of Touring: Never take
the same road twice unless there is no alternative. I'd add a bit more
to it from my experience participating in tours. A tour (or in our case,
a sector) can be divided into three parts. 

1. Get out of town.
2. The fun part.
3. Get home.

As the route planner, you define the divisions between the parts. Phase
1 needs to be as short as possible and phase 3 needs to be as direct as
possible. To put it another way, people will follow you like the Pied
Piper on the way out, but once you turn around and head back, a lot of
people will be in a hurry, they'll have things to do, they'll want to
see if their house is still standing. You can plan a scenic route, but
unless (or even if) you have something really interesting planned, a
certain percentage of the tourers are going to take the most direct
route home. That percentage will depend on how interesting the planned
activity is.

<snip>

<(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.>

I'd add that because we've discovered that the sectors are mainly local
in nature, a national survey would not be very helpful. Someone in Maine
saying that we should see the Grand Canyon isn't going to mean much at
all compared to someone from Arizona saying it. Throwing out ideas and
gauging reaction at a local club meeting is going to be the most
effective, I think, and it doesn't cost anything.

<snip>

<Maybe something like a miniature "golden spike" award...>

What a great idea. Hopefully, after this year, we won't have any need
for it, though. (Well, I can dream, can't I?)

<snip>

<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.>

Time is a thief. There's always going to be a trade-off between it and
beauty. Our 292 mile leg from Mesa Verde through Monument Valley to Page
was a bit long. There were side roads I would have liked to take. I
would have liked to spend a full day at the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately
we had a schedule to keep. You also have to take into account people's
priorities. Some of us may want to tarry to enjoy a beautiful vista,
while others want to get back in their cars and drive. It gets back to
the First Law.

<snip>

<(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).>

Funny, I was thinking the fall would be busier, as people prepared for
the holidays. :-) I definitely wouldn't be on the road after November 1.
This is what I was getting at about the brainstorming after this JONAT
is over. There's a lot to consider, including how to consider it. I
think we need to start with the SCs -- who do we have and where. Then we
need to find out what there is to do in their sectors and get a bracket
of time that's best to do it. There might be some set items, like the
Van Dusen or the Fun Run, that we want to include, or not. Let's see
where the SCs come from this time.

<(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.>

My long term vision is pretty simple -- get out and drive a Jaguar with
a bunch of other people who want to get out and drive their Jaguars. I
could couch it in terms that would tie in with the stated goals of JCNA,
and I'd do that if we decide we want to pursue ties with them, but it's
just going to be a flowery way of saying a bunch of people want to get
together and drive their Jaguars.

<snip>

Mark - AZ