November 27, 2024

Hittin’ the Road – Reliving the Journey on the 2024 Cruise to Columbus

With millions of people hitting the road for Thanksgiving weekend, we thought back to the good times on the road trip between Des Moines and Columbus. Follow along with Julia and John Ashenberg!

After a long holiday weekend spent enjoying cars and friends at the 2024 Speedway Motors Heartland Nationals in Des Moines, it’s understandable if you don’t want the fun to end. And with the Summit Racing Nationals only a few days away in Columbus, Ohio, you know that more Goodguys Good Times are on the way. So, what’s the best way to bridge that good-time gap? With the annual Cruise to Columbus, of course!

The Cruise to Columbus is a good-time caravan of hot rods and vintage vehicles traversing the open highways between Des Moines, Iowa, to Columbus, and an opportunity to travel with fun-loving enthusiasts who make it a hot rod vacation like no other! Remember, the journey is just as important as the destination.

Dave Ruhs is the longtime leader of this tour and never fails to find new and interesting ways to venture across Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. He mapped out a great itinerary for us again this year. Not only that, but he also welcomed tour participants to his shop on Sunday evening for a customary kickoff party, where everyone had a chance to meet, reconnect, and relax before our journey.

The Tour provided a few more fun fueled days on the road with fellow rodders and vintage car fans before the festivities of the Summit Racing Nationals kicked off in Columbus! Many great friendships were rekindled on the road, and more new ones were created along the way! We highly recommend you join in with a road tour, even for a couple days to enjoy your car, but more importantly the people that make our hobby so much fun. Here’s a few pics of each day to relive or enjoy.

Kickoff Party
The cruise adventure began with a kickoff party at the shop of tour leaders Dave and Sandy Ruhs on Sunday evening. We enjoyed a great barbecue cooked up by Dave’s good friends Tony and Mike along with fantastic salads and deserts made by Dave’s wife, Sandy. Sunday evening is where the cruisers receive the itinerary and credentials for the stops for the next four days, along with the opportunity to meet and greet old friends and to begin making new friends.

Stop One: Karl Kustoms

On Monday, everyone met up at 8am at the West Des Moines Marriott for a quick driver’s meeting, where a participant sheet was handed out and we proceeded to our first stop, Karl Kustoms. Part of the Karl Chevrolet family of dealerships, Karl Kustoms is a performance parts retailer and has a complete custom shop that can handle everything from brake upgrades and engine swaps to complete custom builds.

Stop Two: John Sutherland Collection

On Tuesday, we left our hotel in Peoria, Illinois, for a short drive to the private collection of John Sutherland in Pekin. John graciously had coffee and donuts for all of us cruisers and let us explore the facility. There were two rooms chock full of vehicles, gas pumps, signs, and much more memorabilia to feast your eyes on. John’s collections in his shop and showroom were extremely nice.

Stop Three: Franklin School Museum

Our second stop on Tuesday was the Franklin School Museum in Pekin, Illinois. Roger Brotherton, along with the Mayor, Chamber of Commerce members, and other dignitaries greeted us there. There was so much to see at the building and many of the rodders started reliving memories of similar items from their youth. It was a blast from the past for all at the Franklin School Museum and spurred conversations for the rest of the day.

Stop Four: Don Pilkenton Shop and Private Collection

On Wednesday we crossed the border into Ohio and headed out for a tour of Don Pilkenton’s shop and private collection. Don has built some incredible award-winning rides through the years and he and his staff served us great dessert and beverages. Don had lots of memorabilia throughout his collection – even hanging from the ceiling. Some of the gumball machines even had collections of car parts inside the jars. Six-year-old Ms. Parker just loved the two coin-operated riding horses.

Stop Five: Lo-Man Rods

We drove a short way from Franklin to Tipp City, Ohio, to visit Lo-Man Rods, where our friends at Opposing Cylinders served us pizza and dessert for lunch. As Sam Ferrante and Rachel Reda pulled into the parking lot, the master cylinder gave out on their ’32 Ford roadster. If that was going to happen, it couldn’t have happened in a better spot. Lo-Man Rods had a master cylinder and the guys there wasted no time diving in and helping Sam and Rachel get back on the road. All of us on the tour extend a warm thank you to the Lo-Man Rods crew for their hospitality and help!

Stop Six: Garret’s Rod Shop

On Thursday morning we had a leisurely drive to our final stop of the cruise, Garret’s Rod Shop. At their shop was a tour of their shop and collection of personal vehicles. The team graciously served us sub sandwiches, pizza, and cookies. Their shop is situated on the farm grounds of Vikki Kitchen’s grandparents, which was split up between her siblings. Everyone enjoyed all the happenings in the shop and looked forward to seeing some of the creations from Garret’s during the Summit Racing Nationals at the Ohio Expo Center during the weekend.