Wyoming yes, but Gillette???

[wackettrw]

How about the Larimer County Fairgrounds near Loveland, Colorado. This place looks great.

http://www.larimer.org/theranch/about.cfm

Check out the photos. Plenty of grass and very close to a great BMW dealer. This looks almost too good to be true.

Thoughts.

Looks good to me. Love Colorado!

[rkasal]

Dear Randy and kenk,

If your schedules will allow it, please consider joining AZ Beemers on our quarterly ride to Mexico. For the last 13 years, every 3 months like clockwork, I've been leading AZ Beemers on foreign adventures. Usually we ride to Mexico or Canada, but we went to the Alps in October of 2004; Andalucia, Spain in February of 2006; Alps again in May of 2007; and we're going to Barcelona, Spain in May-June of 2008 to ride the Pyrenees, Andorra, Costa Brava and Asturas.

I see that you both come from snow country, so you'd be welcome to bring your Beemers down on trailers and please feel free to park your rigs in my driveway.

I just have a two bedroom home, but you guys would be welcome to them, and I would sleep on the couch the night before and the night after this Mexico trip.

If you can spend a fifth day's riding on this trip, we would divert from the group on Mexico Route 15 at Santa Ana, go through Caborca, and spend the night in Rocky Point. I would like your honest opinions on Puerto Penasco for a rally site!

Sincerely yours, Don



"We AZ Beemers Ride to beautiful Bahia Kino; Sonora, Mexico; February 15-18, 2008

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senor Chuy Medina loves riding in Mexico with AZ Beemers amigos y amigas! I've just returned from a week's ride to Mexico's awesome Copper Canyon, Barrancas del Cobre, and I have already planned our next adventure South of the Border! Over February 15-18, 2008 - AZ Beemers will be riding to Bahia Kino in the Mexican State of Sonora; February 18th is the Martin Luther King Holiday.

We will be staying at the Hotel Posada del Mar, located across the road from the beach on beautiful grounds, walkways, swimming pools and covered patios. You can even park your bike in the hotel lobby. Phone is 624-2-01-55 and the Fax is 242-2-01-55.

Please check out Bahia Kino yourself by looking up: www.tourbymexico.com/sonora/kino/kino.htm or www.gotosonora.com/kino-bay-sonora.htm

Nice thing about riding to Bahia Kino is the ease of obtaining the new "Sonora Only Permit"; which requires only a fifteen minute stop in Nogales.

Do you need any more information on this trip? Please private message Senor Chuy Medina "El Burrito Ballerina" aka Don Stanley at beemerdons@aol.com or call me at mi casa at 480-917-3863."

I had planned on skiing then but I'll see what I can do. That certainly sounds fun. Let me ask you, is the trip all paved or are there some "adventure" off-road portions? I think the best thing to do for me is to rent a bike there before I cross the border. Who around there rents BMW's?

And thanks for your hospitality.


Randy Kasal

[redclfco]

How about the Larimer County Fairgrounds near Loveland, Colorado. This place looks great.

http://www.larimer.org/theranch/about.cfm

Check out the photos. Plenty of grass and very close to a great BMW dealer. This looks almost too good to be true.

Thoughts.

Good God we finally agree on somthing!

The beer situation is true, Bud came to town a few years back and BOUGHT the town (no new jobs but that drought stricken area now has a piss brewery)

However Kenk, you are on the right track. Larimer County is big, has infrastructure, and I'm not so sure the brew thing couldn't be worked on with the greedy little county commissioners; Bud may not have it as wrapped as it seems...


My back yard for over 40 years, and I agree, the riding is great, the area would support what BMW has to offer. But so would Greeley, so would Cheyenne, so would Estes Park. Just got to market BMWMOA, spend some time, and this area might produce what you and I are looking for...

Meanwhile I will enjoy the heck out of Gillette!

[bikerfish1100]

thanx for mentioning Greeley, CO. how about here.. http://www.greeleygov.com/Parks/isla...acilities.aspx
Its a gorgeous complex, lots of green lawn (a rarity in this part of CO), new buildings, etc etc.
It's 25 miles to I-25 and Loveland/Ft Collins, about 60 miles outside of Denver, 60 miles to RMNP and the Front Range mountains. Greeley does tend to be "warmer" than Loveland area, as its really the last big town on the Great Plains, but certainly no worse than Gillette, or anywhere else we're likely to end up in mid-July (unless we can find something on the ocean or in the mountains).

[beemerdons]

Hola Randy,

All of the roads AZ Beemers will be riding on the Bahia Kino trip will be paved. The rider mounts are broken down accordingly: Third on RT's of various years, third on GS's of various years and a third of K bikes of various years. I just may be riding my Yamaha FJR 1300, since I no longer trust BMW final drives when I get to 400+ miles south of the Border; which is the same reason I now ride my FJR to Alaska!

We are luckily blessed with two outstanding BMW dealers here in the State of Arizona: BMW Motorcycles of Scottsdale and Iron Horse Motorcycles in Tucson.

I'll check with Josh and David Slepak, owners of Scottsdale BMW and really good guys, and see if they know of any BMW rentals that you can take into Mexico.

I would like for you to contact John Cartwright, owner of Iron Horse, and see what he knows of this. sales@ironhorsemotorcycles.com John's a great guy too!

Recuerdos, Chuy

BMW MOA #24810
www.azbeemers.org
beemerdons@aol.com
Home: 480-917-3863

[mike m]

Don't write off Gillette just yet! Last July I went on a trip from Denver through eastern Wyoming into Sundance and then through South Dakota's Black Hills. It was a great time with some excellent riding.

At the upcoming National I'm going to take Rharrod's suggested ride from Gillette to Red Lodge, MT, Beartooth Pass, Cody and back to Gillette since I just did the Black Hills last year, but for those who haven't...

Heading north in eastern Wyoming...


Rolling toward Devils Tower (you can see it in the distance, if you look hard)


My previous rig in front of the Tower...


At the Trading Post...


Nice walking trail around the base of the Tower...


There was an antique car gathering that weekend in Sundance...


Typical Black Hill riding...


The Town of Keystone, the gateway to Mount Rushmore...


Ten minutes up the road from Keystone...


Quite a spectacle as you approach...


At dawn, heading out of town and going home...


Lots of this, heading south through eastern Wyoming...

[Visian]

If the Rally Selection Committee wants to pursue an International Rally in Northern Mexico further, we in AZ Beemers, MOA Club #89 would be glad to do legwork and research; and I am sure that Deryle and Wanda Mehrten over at South East Arizona Touring Riders #213 would also would be willing to lend a hand.

don - while i can't speak officially for the RSST, my thought is to first research the tax and import/export situation for the vendors.

the rally in trenton, ontario was fantastic, but the logistics relative to these issues were very painful for the vendors and it's safe to assume that they would not attend another outside-the-country rally.

that said, i personally would love a rally in mexico. i went to cuernavaca in 2003 and let me tell you, our mexican friends really know how to stage a rally.

ian

[beemerdons]

Saludos Ian,

If your schedule will allow you to fly into Phoenix the evening before 2/15 and back home after 2/18, please consider joining our trip to Bahia Kino, Sonora, MEX.

I'll pick you up at PHX aeropuerto and you would be welcome to stay in my son Seth's room. You would be welcome to ride my Kawasaki KLR 650 along with we AZ Beemers to Bahia Kino and enjoy three nights on the beautiful Sea of Cortez.

Details on this trip here: http://www.azbeemers.org/forum/index.php?topic=653.0

Many of we AZ Beemers already do extensive business in the Mexican State of Sonora. I am the Senior Project Manager of the Pipefitting Division of Metro Mechanical, Inc. and we work in the Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant in Hermosillo. Hermosillo is the Sonoran State Capitol and we have many contacts.

One of the most active members of AZ Beemers is Senor Martin Osete, born and raised in Nogales, Mexico; Mechanical Engineering Degree from the University of Guadalajara and attended the International Culinary Institute in Madrid, Espana.

www.micatering.com is the well known Scottsdale catering business of Martin's.

Martin's childhood friends, who're now successful businessmen in Hermosillo, may be staying at la playa with us. We'll discuss the tax and import/export situation with them. Sonora and Arizona now have mutual business exchange programs.

Debe venir a visitarnos! Me escribira? beemerdons@aol.com Cuanto tiempo va a quedarse? If the BMWMOA RSST sees the Sea of Cortez they'll be sold on Sonora!

Recuerdos, Chuy

[amiles]

I don't care what anyone says, I plan to be at the rally and have a good time. Hot weather, cold weather dust or rain I will be there and I will have a wonderful time!
I have great confidence in the rally chairs and everyone who will spend their precious time making their best attempts to see that I enjoy myself.

I have attended only 6 nationals in my time, the only disappointments were Rutland 1978, which all in all probably wasn't all that bad. and Charleston Wv 2003 which was a bit frustrating, but I wouldn't have missed for anything.

I wish that those being critical would "lighten up" attend and enjoy the positives. I hope to see all of you there and share a guilty smile of enjoyment with you.

I hope to see Karol and Deb and give them my warmest thanks for their untiring efforts to allow me to have a wonderful time.