Behind the wheel of the California Mille

The Hagerty tour expert, Alison Aeschliman has planned, organized and executed countless driving tours for enthusiasts all over the United States and Canada. But her knack for convening car lovers only begins with driving tours. Since joining the Hagerty Events Team in 2018, Alison has worked on hundreds of events, is a key stakeholder in the planning of the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance and the Detroit Concours d'Elegance, and still finds time for backcountry camping, scaling mountains, cruising off-road on her BMW F650GS Adventure Bike and volunteering as a ski instructor for Northern Michigan Adaptive Sports. Having grown up drag racing with her dad and tinkering in their garage, Alison loves automotive culture and bringing together car lovers in the name of our shared passion.

Dave Hord began his career in route-planning more than a decade ago, sketching out long-distance tours accessible to a broad range of vehicles and enthusiasts. His passion for travel in classic cars stems from lifetime's obsession with Volkswagen Beetles, which he restores, modifies, and often uses to scout course routes. Thanks to an event calendar of 12-14 events per year, he’s become an expert of roads and event routes. He regularly logs more than 60,000 miles a year all over North America, virtually all of it done behind the wheel of vintage automobiles.

Dave's philosophy of classic car touring is to craft an adventure that is as much about the camaraderie as the cars. A successful event involves not only great roads, but making lasting memories and forging new friendships. Hagerty has long been a partner in Dave's efforts to help owners enjoy their machinery out on the open road. Beginning in 2017 together they created the Hagerty Touring Series of events, which has included the Amelia Island or Bust tour since 2018. As route master for the California Mille, he looks forward to sharing his favorite Californian driving roads with other classic driving enthusiasts.

When Sarah Schoenlein was eight months pregnant, she got behind the wheel of a manual for the first time ever at an employee driving day at the Hagerty garage. And in the years since, it’s been pedal-to-the-metal fun serving on the Hagerty events team. When it comes to events — and especially the California Mille — Sarah is driven most by her love of car people. She loves helping them build truly meaningful relationships over the course of a week. She loves creating a legacy that everyone wants to return to time and time again. But, also, she just really, really loves road trips. For now, you’ll catch her and her family (including three kids and two dogs!) trekking all over the U.S. in their RV. But one day she’ll be hitting the road in the classic of her dreams: a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air.