Fall Colors Tour and Rally

by Fred Bell

This year's event features two (!) main driving segments. On Saturday, October 16, we'll have the rally portion. This one is a pure Time/Speed/Distance (TSD) rally, and is trap-free in honor of all of those who dislike puzzles and mental challenges. What that means is simple - you have one task, and one task only on this rally - get there on time. No more, no less. No gimmicks, no tricky course-following rules, no fill-ins from signs erected by wartime camouflage experts. We tell you the entire route, with a minimum of coding and buzzwords. We give you mileages to turn points, tell you clearly when to change speeds, and also what signs to look for and exactly where to look for them in order to assist you in confirming those turn points and speed changes. It should be virtually impossible to get lost. All you gotta do is drive the route as precisely as possible, time- and speed-wise. And if you truly hate to do even that amount of detail but you'd like a nice drive through the Des Moines River Valley and the company of great friends for the weekend, then come on along on the route without competing. Or, contact me and you can help out with the checkpoints. You don't need much for equipment to participate in the rally, but a watch with a good second hand or digital readout is helpful, along with a clipboard to hold your papers, a writing instrument, and perhaps a calculator if you want to be particularly intense about competing. If your car has a trip computer, a lot of the work can be done by electronic magic, too - we don't prohibit any equipment you might want to use. Check the chapter website prior to the event to get complete rally rules and definitions, and we'll also have copies for everyone at registration.

Meeting place on Saturday is the Walgreen's parking lot at the corner of Beaver Ave. and Douglas Ave. in Des Moines. Registration will be from 9:30 to 10:00 a.m., with a driver meeting at 10:00 and first car off at 10:30. Gas, groceries, and sundries are all available nearby if there's something you've forgotten. There will be a break for lunch partway along the route.

The second portion is our return on October 17, and will restore the Sunday group drive that we did in the first couple Fall Colors events. This one will take us down through the Loess Hills, and then lunch at the transplanted German Hausbarn in Manning before splitting up and heading for home. Dave Brighton and Gary D'Agrosa have come up with a very scenic route that most of us in Iowa have probably never gotten around to driving. If you just want to do the Sunday drive, feel free to join us in Storm Lake for the Saturday dinner and the tour the next day.

The hotel for Saturday night is the AmeriHost Inn in Storm Lake, 712-732-1000, or national reservations 800-434-5800. They have a block of rooms for us, held only until Sept 20. Tell them it's with the BMW Club, and you'll get a room rate of only $50 + tax. Please RSVP by email or phone to me if you're thinking of coming - fourbells1@mchsi.com or 515-224-4179. We don't need much notice, but any advance helps in making sure the restaurants are ready for us on the lunch stops and for Saturday night's dinner.

Meals are all on a no-host basis. The fee for rally participants will remain at the historical $10/car to cover trophies, etc.

Committee members - Fred Bell, Dave Brighton, and Gary D'Agrosa