Today marks the half way point of the Model A Touring Club’s tour to visit the upper US Northwest, British Columbia, and Alberta. We are now in the central interior of BC named the Cariboo region. Overnight stops in this region include 100 Mile House, Quesnel, and McBride. After McBride, we will drive to Alberta to visit Jasper National Park, and Lake Louise. By day 18, we will be back at our starting point of Leavenworth Washington.

Here is a snapshot of what we have experienced so far. It will give you a sense of what a Model A tour is like. Each day we drive about 200 miles. A group activity is planned for most (but not all) days. Each car is given a binder that describes activities and driving directions for each day’s destination. Cars generally include two people. In most cases, participants are married couples. Typically cars pair up and drive together from one destination to the next. In my case, my husband Randy is the driver. He drives the cute red 1929 Model A coupe that you will see in the video below. We pair up with our friends Ryck and Linda who drive the beautiful blue 1930 Tudor sedan with the small US flags on the front bumper. While driving, we communicate with each other via a walkie talkie. Other cars choose to travel alone, or with up to 3 cars. It is a fun group of people. Model A people are a bit on the crazy side. You have to be a little crazy to drive long distances in 95 year old cars.

We have a Garmin GPS mounted to our windshield. Each morning Randy sets up the stops for the day in the Garmin. It provides helpful navigation as we roll along. Old style GPS devices are preferred over a smart phone GPS because they do not need a cell signal.

Our Model A is equipped with a modern set of tools. Besides the GPS mount, we also have an iPhone holder on the dash. The cigarette lighter (not shown) provides power for an assortment of devices including the GPS, a multi-plug UPS charger, and a speaker (in case we want to listen to music). Model A’s are not equipped with heat, defrosters, or air conditioning. This is usually not a problem. The heat of the car will usually keep you warm. Still, when needed, we have a small portable defroster/heater that is powered by the cigarette lighter. Note the ridiculously small windshield wiper which is only on the driver’s side.