The MotorIoway 500 vintage car tour gets underway today in the eastern Iowa town of Eldridge. Spokesman John Swanson says the theme fits the route of travel. “Enjoying the River Road” is the theme as they travel along the Great River Road in northeast Iowa and they’ll also cut across at McGregor and view Iowa from Wisconsin.

MotorIoway started back in 1996 and each year takes a 500 mile tour and a fall 1,000 mile tour. Swanson says those that participate find out very quickly that “this isn’t a car thing, it’s a people thing.” He says they have their own traveling band that comes along and each morning they have a meeting to talk about the day. Swanson says seeing the countryside in a car is something that seems to appeal to a lot of people.

“America has a love affair with the automobile, that’s all I can say,” Swanson explains. He says everyone remembers the first car they learned to drive or owned, and there are many found memories of cars. Swanson says the tour is a chance to relive memories. This year’s tour will have 65 cars.

Swanson says that’s about average for the summer tour. All the cars are 25 years old with the oldest being a 1928 Mercedes. The tour moves from Eldridge through eight other communities with lunch stops or overnight stays, and will end in Donahue.

Here’s the complete schedule: Wednesday, gathering day in Eldridge; Thursday, Eldridge to Dubuque with an A-M Pit Stop in Princeton, lunch in Sabula and afternoon Pitstop in Bellevue; Friday, Dubuque Loop Tour A-M Pit Stop in Balltown, lunch in McGregor and P-M Pitstop in Cassville, Wisconsin; Saturday, Dubuque to Donahue with an A-M Pit Stop in Andrew, lunch in Donahue.