GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!
The 2024 Oakland Tour in Auburn Indiana April 24-28
Arrive at the hotel April 24 and leave April 28
ACCOMODATIONS:
Hilton Garden lnn
10650 Diebold Road
Ft. Wayne, lndiana 46845
$159 per night plus taxes (click here for OOCI rate)
Call +1 260-399-6000 to make your reservation
This includes daily "made to order" breakfast, $15 voucher that can be used in the restaurant daily, and designated secure parking.
House keeping: If we see a threat of bad weather for Saturday (day 3), we will reverse the schedule of Friday and Saturday’s tours so that it will rain on our street vehicles, rather than chancing it with the Oaklands.
There are several wineries within a few miles of the Host Hotel but we just could not find time slots to fit them in the schedule. We figure that if we get any free time, or anyone gets “museum overload”, a trip to a winery would be an easy option.
Final thoughts: Don’t forget, to get the OOCI package deal at the Hilton, you must make reservations by March 17th and mention OOCI or the Oakland Owners Group. There is no charge to cancel your reservation, but it must be done at least 48 hours prior to your arrival date. Take note of this, since customarily it is 24 hours.
We look forward to seeing everyone at this event. Remember, it is not limited to Oakland nor do you have to have a car. If you would like to “ride along” just let us know and we will find someone who has room to spare.
We hope all of our OOCI Members will give serious consideration to participating in the 2024 Oakland Gathering in Auburn/Ft. Wayne/South Bend Indiana. It promises to be an experience to remember and tell your friends back home about!I will start by pointing out that reservations must be made by March 17th at the Ft. Wayne Hilton Garden lnn North. Call 260-399-6000. After 3/17 you will pay the normal rate which does not include the $15 meal voucher. Our OOCI package deal is $159 per night, which includes a free hot breakfast buffet, a $15 per day meal voucher, and we have a large reserved parking lot .
Plan to arrive Wed., April 24 for socializing at the Host Hotel. It is at exit 316, just off I-69, in north Ft. Wayne, IN. To the north, I-80 and I-90 intersect I-69. To the south, I-70 and I-64 intersect I-69. I-74 and I-65 all aim this direction, so it will be all highway travel until you exit for the hotel.
Thurs., Apr 25 is Day 1 of our tour. After breakfast, we will caravan the Oaklands about 15 miles on secondary roads to the ACD (Auburn, Cord, Duesenberg) museum in Auburn, IN.
Once there, we will buy dual-passes to the ACD and NATMUS (National Truck Museum) for the group rate of $20.00 p/p. This is an unavoidable price increase made by the museums since we last posted trip details. We will tour the ACD museum with our own designated Guide (or 2), or you can roam on your own. The museum itself is fantastic, with marble floors and columns, gold gilded corniches, etc. You can expect to possibly see cars owned by Clark Gable, Elvis Presley, Amelia Earhart, Babe Ruth, or Fatty Arbuckle, just to mention a few. We have reserved a private room, the “Auburn”, at the museum from 9AM – 2PM for rest, visiting, and our lunch buffet. The lunch buffet is a catered “serve ourselves” consisting of various sandwiches and 2 sides at noon. We will provide our own drinks and desert. There is an additional $25 cost per person that will cover the room, Guides(s), meal, drinks, and dessert. We determined this was the best option since there are no decent eateries within walking distance that could handle our group. We must collect and pay as a group for the special rate and services, so please come prepared to pay with cash or check. After lunch, we will wander back to the NATMUS museum on the same grounds. There you are again free to tour on your own or we have a Guide (or 2) reserved. Our guides will also take us to the lower level for a “behind the scenes” tour of the build and repair shop. Besides the numerous museum vehicles in work there, there are several vehicles that local students are working on or building for The Great Race and Bonneville Salt flats time Trials. Interesting stuff! At the end of the afternoon, we will travel back to and have Dinner at the Host Hotel.
Plan to arrive Wed., April 24 for socializing at the Host Hotel. It is at exit 316, just off I-69, in north Ft. Wayne, IN. To the north, I-80 and I-90 intersect I-69. To the south, I-70 and I-64 intersect I-69. I-74 and I-65 all aim this direction, so it will be all highway travel until you exit for the hotel.
Thurs., Apr 25 is Day 1 of our tour. After breakfast, we will caravan the Oaklands about 15 miles on secondary roads to the ACD (Auburn, Cord, Duesenberg) museum in Auburn, IN.
Once there, we will buy dual-passes to the ACD and NATMUS (National Truck Museum) for the group rate of $20.00 p/p. This is an unavoidable price increase made by the museums since we last posted trip details. We will tour the ACD museum with our own designated Guide (or 2), or you can roam on your own. The museum itself is fantastic, with marble floors and columns, gold gilded corniches, etc. You can expect to possibly see cars owned by Clark Gable, Elvis Presley, Amelia Earhart, Babe Ruth, or Fatty Arbuckle, just to mention a few. We have reserved a private room, the “Auburn”, at the museum from 9AM – 2PM for rest, visiting, and our lunch buffet. The lunch buffet is a catered “serve ourselves” consisting of various sandwiches and 2 sides at noon. We will provide our own drinks and desert. There is an additional $25 cost per person that will cover the room, Guides(s), meal, drinks, and dessert. We determined this was the best option since there are no decent eateries within walking distance that could handle our group. We must collect and pay as a group for the special rate and services, so please come prepared to pay with cash or check. After lunch, we will wander back to the NATMUS museum on the same grounds. There you are again free to tour on your own or we have a Guide (or 2) reserved. Our guides will also take us to the lower level for a “behind the scenes” tour of the build and repair shop. Besides the numerous museum vehicles in work there, there are several vehicles that local students are working on or building for The Great Race and Bonneville Salt flats time Trials. Interesting stuff! At the end of the afternoon, we will travel back to and have Dinner at the Host Hotel.
Friday, is Day 2. After breakfast, we will travel by highway in street vehicles to South Bend, IN, about 93 miles away. We’ll do a (45 min-1 hr) driving tour around the famed campus of Notre Dame College, where we will have an outside view the Knute Rockne Memorial building, view the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, Knute Rockne statue, Notre Dame Stadium-home of the Fighting Irish, Word of Life mural (“Touchdown Jesus”, Google it!), Compton Ice Arena, and several other Notre Dame College icons.
We will end up at the famous O’Rourke’s Pub, just off campus for lunch. After lunch, a short drive down the road will take us to the Studebaker Museum. Besides documenting the history of Studebaker from its beginning in the 1800’s as a buggy company, the museum always has some specialty “traveling displays”. Next to the Studebaker Museum is the Oliver Mansion; a 38 room home that once belonged to J.D Oliver of Oliver Tractor Co. Tours of the Mansion are available for small groups. Several OOCI Members had expressed an interest in this day trip either before or after the OOCI Gathering, so we just made it a part of the itinerary. After we are done in South Bend, we will return to the Host Hotel for dinner there again.
We will end up at the famous O’Rourke’s Pub, just off campus for lunch. After lunch, a short drive down the road will take us to the Studebaker Museum. Besides documenting the history of Studebaker from its beginning in the 1800’s as a buggy company, the museum always has some specialty “traveling displays”. Next to the Studebaker Museum is the Oliver Mansion; a 38 room home that once belonged to J.D Oliver of Oliver Tractor Co. Tours of the Mansion are available for small groups. Several OOCI Members had expressed an interest in this day trip either before or after the OOCI Gathering, so we just made it a part of the itinerary. After we are done in South Bend, we will return to the Host Hotel for dinner there again.
Saturday is Day 3- After breakfast, we will caravan the Oaklands about 15 miles on secondary roads to the Ford V-8 Museum. This is a newer museum where every aspect of the Ford flathead V-8 is explored, beginning with its’ introduction in 1932. Alot of interesting displays, especially for Ford fans.
We will then putt up the road about ½ hr. to an early lunch at the St James Restaurant in Avilla, IN. It’ a friendly eatery that’s family owned and been in business for generations. Clean place with great food. They are known for their broasted chicken and have a nice lunch menu. After lunch, we will continue our tour a short distance to the Mid-America Windmill Museum in Kendalville, IN. There are about 65 operational windmills of various makers on display around the grounds, with walking paths between. There is an indoor museum, with great windmill related displays and a small theater that gives a 20 minute film presentation about windmills. Interesting!
From the Windmill Museum, we will drive secondary roads to downtown Auburn, where we will eat an early dinner at The Mad Anthony’s Tap Room. After dinner, we will trip back to the Host Hotel to load the Oaklands while the sun is still up for their voyage home.
We will then putt up the road about ½ hr. to an early lunch at the St James Restaurant in Avilla, IN. It’ a friendly eatery that’s family owned and been in business for generations. Clean place with great food. They are known for their broasted chicken and have a nice lunch menu. After lunch, we will continue our tour a short distance to the Mid-America Windmill Museum in Kendalville, IN. There are about 65 operational windmills of various makers on display around the grounds, with walking paths between. There is an indoor museum, with great windmill related displays and a small theater that gives a 20 minute film presentation about windmills. Interesting!
From the Windmill Museum, we will drive secondary roads to downtown Auburn, where we will eat an early dinner at The Mad Anthony’s Tap Room. After dinner, we will trip back to the Host Hotel to load the Oaklands while the sun is still up for their voyage home.