The departure location for the tour is the Ohio History Connection at 800 East 17th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43211.

Please plan to arrive by 6:30 am on Monday, July 13th. We will begin loading the bus at 7:00 am and we will leave promptly at 7:30 am. We are unable to wait for late arrivals!

The bus will return to the Ohio History Connection in Columbus at approximately 11:00 pm on Saturday, July 18th.

If you would like, you can leave your car in the parking of Ohio History Connection free of charge. You must complete the parking release form online or download the PDF below and e-mail it to Toni. The Ohio State Highway Patrol’s headquarters is located in the same lot as the Ohio History Connection. This lot is occasionally monitored. Note: OHC, Heritage Tours, Heritage Projects, its sponsors or affiliates are not responsible for lost or stolen items or damage to vehicles.

It is recommended that you bring casual clothing and comfortable shoes suitable for walking. You will experience sitting on the bus, walking from venue to venue, and standing throughout the tour. We encourage you to check the weather for the week and pack accordingly. We recommend you dress in layers. An an umbrella and/or jacket for rain is highly suggested. On the fourth night, we will be in Louisville, KY we will arrive quite late, after 10pm. There will be some local clubs and restaurants open, so you may want to bring fun evening attire for one night.

There will be coffee and a complimentary hot breakfast included at each hotel. Please pay attention to the schedule as the bus will depart promptly at the designated times on the itinerary for the Tour. Traditional sweet treats such as granola bars, pop, and bottled water will be provided on the bus. If you have dietary restrictions, please bring snacks that are pleasing to you. It will be your responsibility to pay for your lunch and dinner, and any additional snacks you desire, when the bus makes designated food stops

For any passengers on the Tour that have dietary restrictions, it will be important for you to prepare for accommodating your needs. If you have dietary restrictions, please be certain to inform the Tour no later than 3 weeks prior to departure. We will do our best to accommodate you.

Most venues accept cash and credit card. Few, if any venues accept check. Please bring payment to cover your lunch and dinner for each night.

Since lunch and dinner are not included in the cost of the tour, you will need to cover the cost of six lunches and four dinners. Most places we frequent are fast food or fast casual restaurants that you find as you travel along most major highways in the US. Dinner is often at casual places such as Outback Steak House, Applebees, etc. It is appropriate for us to tip the bus driver at the end of the trip. The customary amount is $15 per person per day in cash. Please provide what you can. There are gift shops at every venue we visit. If you would like to purchase souvenirs, t-shirts, etc. to commemorate your visits, please budget accordingly.

As we travel, relevant movies will be provided. For example, as we are traveling to the Tuskegee Airspace, we will be playing a movie about the Tuskegee Airmen. Our docents aboard the bus will provide tips of history and information to prepare you for the upcoming stops along the way. We often engage in reflection throughout the tour. Some of this conversation will occur on the bus. You may consider bringing noise-cancelling headphones if you need silent time; or earbuds for listening to cell phone music.

The Tour has requested a bus from Lakefront Lines that will be equipped with Wi-Fi. There are also a few power outlets on the bus.

Storage on the bus is similar to an airplane. You will have a small amount of space under your seat and in an overhead.