2004 Rally

[bmwgreenrt]

I received my new issue of the Oilrag today, and in the editorial, Steve speaks of the fact that the 2004 MOA rally is going to be in the Pacific Northwest again. Somewhere near where the Lewis and Clark expedition had met up with the Columbia river on their trek to the pacific.
Supposedly Ayers Adventures is going to host a tour along this route from east to West culminating at the rally.

Any other info on this??

[fish]

I am so in. :clap :clap

[kbasa]

Originally posted by fish
I am so in. :clap :clap

AOL Mode ON - Me too!

:thumb

[Scotti]

All I need is date, time and place and I'm in!

:clap

[Rob Nye]

If you really want to be the first to know if the oilrag is correct (big IF, last I checked the oilrag is not an official pub of the BMW MOA) you will need to come to Charleston.

The location and dates for the following rally are announced at the closing ceremonies for the current rally.

[Paper]

I heard about it being out there (I'm in IL) a month ago.. Big deal!!
Why does the MOA attempt to keep it a secret??

I remember sitting outside the beer garden at the Duquoin, IL Rally (one of my favorites) and being told that the next year it would be in Oshkosh, WI... But was also told not to tell anyone..

Like it matters either way???

The only problem I can see is if it must be changed. If that's the case, you still have a YEAR to do so and tell everyone about it..

I heard about the rally in Trenton over 1 1/2 years ahead of the rally and that was on the old BMWMOA Chat..:eek

[jdiaz]

Hopefully the National will coincide time-wise with my 20th HS reunion. That should be a blatant enough hint as to where its going to be located. :)

[MarkF]

Originally posted by Paper
Why does the MOA attempt to keep it a secret??

Like it matters either way???


Gotta agree. I guess they figure more people will show up to the closing ceremony to find out. You know these things are in the works for years with lotsa people. To keep that a secret in the modern world is impossible. Also, why back to the west coast so soon. How about some hearland destination.

Mark F

[Paper]

How about some hearland destination.

I agree.. I loved the ride up to Trenton last year and if the whole camping/security/3 different location thing was different for this year I would be going there instead of Colorado, but they're both still east coast. Then back out to the west coast...

I know location, location, location... I'd love to see a national located along the Mighty Mississippi... Up and donw it, both sides, are some fantastic roads, let alone great scenery...:dunno

Maybe someday..

[kbasa]

Originally posted by Paper
I know location, location, location... I'd love to see a national located along the Mighty Mississippi... Up and donw it, both sides, are some fantastic roads, let alone great scenery...:dunno

Maybe someday..

DuQuoin, Oshkosh, Midland, Fredricksburg.......

You go to any of those? They sound like the middle of the country to me.

;)

[Friedle]

Hello Dave. You forgot a few other heartland past National Rally locations that Paper doesn't seem to be aware of. Branson, MO; Brainard, MN; Hurricane Mills, TN; Shreve, OH; Madison, IN; Escanaba, MI and Rapid City, SD add a few more locations to the list.

Hello Paper. If you, or any other MOA members, think you have an appropriate location to host a BMW MOA International Rally, the MOA Board of Directors would love to hear from you.

Please just make sure your site meets at least the basic requirements such as: Interesting roads and attractions in the immediate area; approximately 100 plus acres of open space for camping and other activities; about 50,000 to 80,000 square feet of suitable commercial vendor space; facilities for numerous seminars and presentations; a suitable area, preferably covered, for a closing ceremony capable of handling at least 3,500 people; a local government who wishes to have us and will provide necessary logistical support; the ability to set up a beer garden/social hall with live music; at least 3,000 hotel rooms within at least a 10 mile radius from the site; local service businesses for porta potties, group showers, food service, and other support services our group requires are some of the major requirements,

Those are just some of the things we look at for starters. There are many other incidential items, enough of which combined can be a deal breaker for any proposed location.

Charleston was looked at quite carefully before the decision was made to have our 03 Rally there.

West Virginia has some of the best motorcycling roads on the East Coast. Charleston meets these requirements better than almost all previous Rally sites, with the exception of the need for the three seperate camping areas instead of the usual one area. Having three areas in close proximity to each other will at least allow those who want quiet camping to have it, those who want to be near the beer tent to be able to do that and those who want a more private experience to do that as well. Rally attendees who have been looking for a good night's sleep at past rallies only to find themselves camped near a group of all night partiers will certainly know what I mean. The Civic Center will give us unprecedented facilities for our commercial vendors, seminars and closing ceremonies as well as many other activities which make up the total BMW MOA International Rally experience.

I can only tell you that if you skip Charleston you will be missing a memorable experience that will be setting expectations for future BMW MOA rallies. I hope you can make it to Charleston in July.

[MidwestTravel]

Personally I'm looking forward to this forum. I do business in Charleston on a regular basis, and knowing the city, I feel this will be great. People are acting like you will be walking for hours to get to one place or another. Charleston downtown area (which is where this is) is SMALL. The longest walk there is less than 15 blocks. If you were to walk from one end the whole way to the other you'd have still walked less distance than you would have walked at Trenton. And I have to say that my tent tolerance is declining as my income (and age) increases. I love that I can stay in a nice name brand motel (and earn points) and be right in the heart of things instead of a 15 minute ride away (which keeps me from participating in the beer tent). And having real food (not trucked in twice the normal price) food available literally everywhere is a great thing. Just think, no more $4.00 hot dogs that were left over from yesterday. Mark me down as a supporter of this idea. Doesn't mean I wouldn't go to a rally in the middle of nowhere and camp, it's just really nice to have a choice.

[Paper]

Yes, I did make it to Oshkosh and Duquoin and Midland.. I also worked at all three rallys, as I did at Trenton..

As far as Branson, MO; Brainard, MN; Hurricane Mills, TN; Shreve, OH; Madison, IN; Escanaba, MI, they are before my time as a BMW rider. I joined the same year as the Madison Rally in 1988...

I'm not talking about the past past. I'm talking about the recent rally locations. And I'm not bitching but just noting that it would be nice if the rally could hit a different section of the country without skipping a section.

I'm fully aware of what is needed for a rally location. I've known Sue and Brian Manke for years and know how hard it was for them to just find a new place for the Wisconsin Club Rally, let alone when they did the Midland National.

I have been keeping my eyes open for that perfect National location also. I travel for work and I'm always looking. Golly Gee, maybe someday I'll find one on the Mississippi river??:rolleyes

[Hawk Hawthorne]

Paper: Your question about Rally secrecy is legit. Part of the reson is that we consider several site for any given year. If word gets out that one site is "the likely one", our negotiating position with the Chamber of Commere, City, etc. could be severly compromised. No insentive for them to offer more "perks" if the know they're "in". And trust me, if we loose a site, a YEAR is NOT enough time to find another site to rally 6,000 people. I do tend to agree with you that, once 'MOA has signed the contract and we know we have a site locked in, why not let people know as soon as possible. This topic has been bounced around the Board on occasion, and I still want to pursue it.... See ya in Charleston!

Hawk Hawthorne
:D

[Scotti]

I would love to see Sedona, Prescott or Flagstaff, Arizona listed. I live in GA but really enjoy visiting the Southwest! The added bonus would be a very slim chance of rain!
:D

[MrsKbasa]

Have you ever been there in July?

But, it's a dry heat!

[MarkF]

Originally posted by KBasa
DuQuoin, Oshkosh, Midland, Fredricksburg.......

You go to any of those? They sound like the middle of the country to me.

;)

Nope. Started riding again in 1999. Wish I went to Midland.

Mark F

[MidwestTravel]

Yeah, it's a dry heat till my butt hits that black leather seat or the black gas tank. Then it's just heat. That's why I didn't go to the RA rally last year. OOPS, I didn't say that.

[Unregistered]

I don't get the secrecy in picking a rally site. Doesn't this club belong to its members?

Maybe if there was more member input, we wouldn't be camping on a college campus a mile and a half away and paying three bucks to park at the event center. Perhaps if Charleston thought we might go to another WV college town, a dorm stay wouldn't cost $45 ( ! ) a night.

That's my 2 cents.

Hope to see you all at FourWinds in August and Birmingham in October.

Ride safe.

Terry Boots
#86693
Pittsburgh, PA

[Scotti]

Tina - I have been there in mid-summer and it is VERY hot. But the Flagstaff area is much cooler.

Just my .02c worth!

Hope to meet many of you in Charleston!

:fish

[Friedle]

Originally posted by Unregistered
I don't get the secrecy in picking a rally site. Doesn't this club belong to its members?

Maybe if there was more member input, we wouldn't be camping on a college campus a mile and a half away and paying three bucks to park at the event center. Perhaps if Charleston thought we might go to another WV college town, a dorm stay wouldn't cost $45 ( ! ) a night.

That's my 2 cents.

Hope to see you all at FourWinds in August and Birmingham in October.

Ride safe.

Terry Boots
#86693
Pittsburgh, PA


Hello Terry,

I think you are missing the point here. There is no secrecy involved in picking MOA National Rally sites. It is our members input that directs the Rally site and selection committee where to look. If you go back to page 1 of this thread to my post of 4-21-2003 01:46 PM you will find some of the criteria we are asking our 39,000 plus members to look for to help find appropriate Rally sites for future use.

If you read more of the Rally Forum threads you will also discover that the U of C is only one camping choice. There is another camping area that is about a four block walk to the Civic Center if you choose to stay there. If you don't like either of those two choices, then there is a third choice as well.

As for the dorms, there is a thread about them as well. I have already said that the BMW MOA has nothing to do with the reservations or rates for the U of C dorm rooms. There are many motels nearby the U of C that charge less than the U of C wants for a dorm room. If that is what the U of C thinks their dorm rooms are worth, after we have already said past experience shows that about half that rate is reasonable, our members will stay make their own financial decision about whether or not to stay at the dorms.

Come to or stay away from Charleston in July. It is your choice, but if you skip Charleston I can tell you now that you will miss one hell of a good International Rally. Hope to see you there.

[JOSH]

Terry,

We have arranged for free parking at the rally site, where did the $3 come from?

Josh Ascher

[Unregistered]

didn't i see that parking at the civic center was (by law or something) three bucks a bike?

and is the free parking the 6th floor of the mall parking garage across the street?

tb

[MrsKbasa]

Josh, Mike said it was $3 in this thread:

http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=221

[JOSH]

I guess what I meant is that we have arranged for free parking across the street that requires a wristband to enter the parking area, No others will be allowed in there. There is parking for $3 next door to the civic center, that might be considered closer. This is a public parking facility that anyone can use (open to the public), but we have not arranged any security for that area and it is not part of the rally planning. of course it is there and I assume that anyone could use it if that were their preference. My point was that there is free, secure rally parking across the street from the civic center arranged by the rally chairs. There is enough space to hold everyone's BMW all at once.