Western National Tour 2010
The Model T Ford Club of America (MTFCA) 2010 Western National Tour will be held in and around Whitefish, Montana hosted by the Rocky Mountain Model T Club.
August 1-6, 2010 at Whitefish Mountain Resort www.SkiWhitefish.com
Registration has been closed. If you wish to be put on the wait list please send an email or contact Mike Cuffe.
General information:
• email mmmtt2010@interbel.net
• Mike or JoAn Cuffe - Phone: (406) 889 5777
Montana Majestic Mountain T Tour Daily Outline
Details and daily itinerary will be provided upon arrival at Whitefish Mountain Resort. Model T friends will be on hand to help direct or guide you to the check in station, the parking areas, the RV location, the condominiums, hospitality room and the opening barbecue. Although each driver is responsible for the safety inspection and safety condition of their Model T, we will have a team on hand to offer a courtesy check “for advice” only.
Sunday, Aug. 1 is registration, learn the layout of Whitefish Mountain Resort and opening BBQ.
Monday, Aug. 2 is north to Eureka and the Canadian border on Highway 93. It will be a busy day with about 150 miles total. First stop will be at Lundeen Brothers Heritage Museum with lots of equipment, vehicles, tools, household items, etc. plus some black powder shooting, and yes, that means for you who want to shoot. Those who wish to visit British Columbia can take a short trip into Canada, probably with a drive over to a small community near Lake Koocanusa. Those who stay in Montana will visit the state fish hatchery.
Then all of us will gather at Montana’s highest longest bridge across Lake Koocanusa (off Highway 37) for a photo shoot before returning to downtown Eureka for shopping, a tour of Historical village and a “Taste of Eureka” meal where you can purchase from a variety of food court vendors. Or you can dine at any place of your choice between Eureka and WMR.
Tuesday is the big drive into Glacier National Park, over the Going to the Sun Road to St. Mary’s, then south to East Glacier and back to Whitefish on Highway 2 along the bottom edge of GNP. Total is about 230 miles, and meals are on your own but spectacular scenery is free. Also expect to see lots of wild life. This will be a long but exciting day. Hills on the east side of the park flatten out into the plains on the Blackfoot Indian Reservation at St. Mary’s Lake. The trip from St. Mary’s to East Glacier will be via the Kiowa Trail, and it offers different but still spectacular views. Anyone who chooses not to drive through the park may choose to park their Model T and climb into a tour van or one of the old Gear Jammer buses with tour charges on your own. You can make a snow ball at the Big Drift near Logan Pass for a unique souvenir to put in your pocket and take home. (Only a joke, guys)
Wednesday--Some may choose to rest, while others will drive back to Apgar-Lake MacDonald-Avalanche Creek in GNP. These are in the flat area of the park near West Glacier with the Lake MacDonald Lodge being one of the grand old hotels built by the Great Northern Railroad. Total round trip 100 miles or less, depending how much wandering you do in that area. By mid to late afternoon, we will begin gathering at DePratu Ford in Whitefish for a car show, soft drinks and something to eat.
Thursday will feature a drive around Flathead Lake with cherry stands all along the way. Distance is about 150 miles. A lunch can be picked up at the Miracle of America Museum on the south side of Polson. The museum features an old time ice cream fountain and a huge display of vehicles, airplanes, boats, Indian artifacts, tools, and other stuff for a $5 entry fee. Those who choose not to tour the museum may wish to take their lunch to a park beside the lake. Dinner this night will be at the Summit House on the top of the ski mountain, and access is by the chair lifts. The Summit House offers views back into GNP, into the Bob Marshall and Great Bears Wilderness areas as well as across the Flathead Valley to Flathead Lake.
Some may choose to rest Friday, while others return to Bigfork on the north end of Flathead Lake. Main destination will be the Ford V-8 Museum, although the village features lots of other fun shops and parks. MMMTT Co-Chair David Cooley will host a garage tour of his antique car collection (18 at last count) at Creston which is between Kalispell and Big Fork. We will return to WMR by mid-afternoon to get ready for the closing banquet at the Lodge on Whitefish Lake Friday evening.
Since parking is limited and many will have loaded trailers for departure, coaches will provide transportation to and from WMR.
That marks the official end of the national tour.
Saturday morning--For those who want more, a separate return to Eureka Montana Quilt Show, and a drive along Lake Koocanusa to Libby Dam will be offered. There will be some charge for tow trucks, and meals will be on your own.
For those going south on Saturday, there is a large car show called Cruising by the Bay at Polson. Details will be provided at MMMTT registration.
Extra note: Whitefish Mountain Resort is a year round resort that originated as Big Mountain Ski Resort. It remains a major destination ski area, but it also features a variety of summer time activities including a hiking trails and bike trails including trips off the top of the mountain after a chair lift ride to the top. Also a Zip Trip down in a harness attached to overhead cables, a hike in the tree tops on suspended cat walks, a sled on wheels down a track, chair lift rides and more.