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You know, I'm getting sick of all the negatives being thrown around right now about Bloomsburg, the heat, rally times and locations, hotel rooms, price of beer, yadda yadda yadda. It seems there's a plethora of [B]B[/B]itchin' [B]M[/B]oanin' and [B]W[/B]hinin' going on. So this thread is about the great things and fantastic experiences you've had at a National Rally.
I posted some of my great Redmond experience inside post #116 of this thread:
[url]http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?t=54725&page=8[/url]
Here's a couple more:
While at Redmond I took a day trip to Silverton, OR and got to go through an original Frank Lloyd Wright designed residence that's still open to the public. An outstanding tour for lovers of architecture.
[url]http://www.thegordonhouse.org/[/url]
One afternoon while walking the Redmond grounds up the path comes a guy riding a nice blue and yellow K1. I flag him down, and start talking about his bike because I love K1's. We talk for a couple of minutes, he hands me his card. Greg Feeler, President, BMWMOA. So I'm all "You're the man. You must be really busy. I better let you go." He said no, and we proceeded to talk about his bike, my bike, the rally and other stuff before I shoo'd him away. Class act. Thanks, Greg.
The complaints about the rally in Bloomsburg has been mostly about the heat. That is the one thing that was not within the control of the MOA. If the weather had been the average for that week or the rally been in the weeks before or the weeks after, it would not have been an issue.
I have only been to about a dozen RA & MOA rallies but this one was the best planned and executed one I have attended. Most things went smoothly and the need for water due to the heat was handled quickly and well. The availability of dorms and shuttle busses made the rally an affordable and comfortable event for me.
[COLOR="Red"]I remember a starlit sky walking back to my tent after closing the beer garden. Utter peace, still quiet and feeling so very safe so far from home all by myself.
And the sadness at leaving 6,000 of my closest friends when I hit the road back home the next morning.
Voni
sMiling[/COLOR]
I think it is the friends I have made at MOA Rallies over the last 30 plus years.
Saturday night at the stage after all the work is done, is wonderful.
i love having the ability to buy just the right combination of accessories to do what you're wanting to do without having to go to four different web sites, pay four different shipping bills and finding out that not all four things fit together on your bike quite right.
ian
Meeting Win. Founder/Owner of Bike.cushion [url]http://www.facebook.com/pages/BikeCushioncom-LLC/252967246562[/url]
he really saved my a**. 3000+ painless miles.
Making new friends and the whole reason for going to the Rally in the first place
PAUL THORN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I my 'regular life', I run around non-stop. The heat at the rally forced me to slow down. I spent most of my time sitting in the shade drinking water and other liquids. I had not been able to unwind in this way for quite sometime. Chatted with folks passing by, had a great, relaxing time.
The heat made it all possible.
Thank you National Weather Service and MOA! :brad
At Bloomsburg the people, venders, food, and the opportunity to ride over 2k miles to/from the Rally.
[QUOTE]At Bloomsburg the people, venders, food.......[/QUOTE]
I'll second that.........and on a hot and sunny afternoon......I had a chance meeting with the "LADY IN RED"........always nice to place a face with a name.....
.......yes it was overly warm at Bloomsburg......but.....as I can recall not as warm as backpacking through the Mojave desert in June......
--Meeting good friends old and new
--Great volunteers, always cheerful and helpful
--Finding interesting new roads and places enroute and at the rally
Bloomsburg was my first rally and I had a great time. See ya in Missouri!
Going for breakfast at a diner and seeing a mix of regulars and rally-goers. People working hard for the enjoyment of others and not complaining.
People making the best of things.
Regardless of other things was the rally a good one. Yes. Will it be a memorable one. Absolutely.
Keep it positive. Too much negative going around.
I think 90% of the USA was hot that week, so what can you say! Any rally sure beats the alternative, staying home, going to work, chores around the homestead and so on. My GSA and me had the time of our life, meeting so many other like minded nuts, getting all messed up offroad:). We had a HOOT! Randy
Yes it was hot, but as Randy says, so was most of the continent. At the rally, I met up with friends from afar and made new friends. It was a ball volunteering at registration, setting up rally decorations and asking folks to donate to Challenge 2011. As well, there were seminars, excellent entertainment and scores vendors who provided me with many farkles to take home. Food was plentiful, with a variety of menus at reasonable prices. There was even porter beer for sale and homemade ice cream. The rain was limited to a brief, but torrential downpour on the Tuesday afternoon which slowed some of the setup but did not interfere with rally activities. Showers were always available with very short wait times.
So what if it was warm since you were with almost another 7,000 like-minded riding comrades? :dance