I don't mind paying a fee for a well organized event. Route marking, SAG support, manned and stocked rest stops, and (usually) some type of post event party is great. You get to meet a lot of new people on the rides. Of course, some of them are charity events (I always participate in the local Tour de Paws for the local animal shelter, as we have four rescue mutts.)
I do prefer rides that post the route on RideWithGPS before hand. It allows me to review the route and note when climbs are coming up, and to load the route into my GPS on the bike. I've managed to miss a few pavement markings in the past (my fault.)