2005 BMW MOA Beemerville USA Rally

by Mike LaBar, aka Bike LaBarn #82301

2003 was Ohio’s Bicentennial. To commemorate our 200^th birthday, the state of Ohio commissioned a young artist named Scott Hagan in 1998 to paint one barn in every county with the Ohio Bicentennial logo. More than 2000 barn owners volunteered to have their barns painted. Selection criteria were based on the construction of the barn, its location and its visibility from the road. Scott began the project his own Belmont County, located in eastern Ohio. By September of 2002, he had finished the last of the 88 barns at the Sandusky County Fairgrounds. Each barn was numbered in the order painted.

During the course of our frigid January 2003 Greater Cincinnati BMW Club meeting, one our long time members, Jimmy Smith, came up with a brilliant idea. He suggested that we have a contest that got members riding their motorcycles a bit more in our home state and thought that these barns would be fun to ride to. The Ohio Bicentennial Barn Photo Contest was born. What better way to experience the beauty of the Buckeye State?

I was appointed as the contest coordinator and got busy creating the rules and the web pages that would help us find these rural treasures. Since the club is based in the Greater Cincinnati area, points were assigned to each barn based on its proximity. The further northern barns were worth 5 points while the barns in our own back yard were worth one point. Riders had to photograph the barn with their bike in the picture. The contest was to run the entire year of 2003.

In the beginning stages of the contest, it was mostly short day trips in March and April finding the twisty ways to get to the barns painted with the ever so familiar bicentennial logo. Eventually, the short trips turned into long, all-day trips. The challenge was to figure out the most direct route to capture as many barns in a day’s time. After I had all the barns in a hundred mile radius the strategy changed to making the best time on the slab to the intended counties and from there, figure out the best routes to find and photograph the most barns before the daylight slips away.The first half of the contest seemed to happen as social riding with other club members and group rides. The last half seemed to be more of a solitary mission.

My favorite ride was to barn 59 - Monroe County. I rode Route 26 from Marietta, a road I remember riding a few years back while attending the RA National in Hocking County. Route 26 follows the Little Muskingum River and is a hoot to ride. The banks on some of those curves allow for maximum smiles at a nice clip. The road had no gas stations and I began to worry that rt 26 would go on forever. I spotted some locals by the side of the road and asked about gas ahead. I was assured that there was gas on Route 800 (another awesome road). Good thing. The red "Better get gas soon" light had been on for a while and the sun was getting close to setting. I arrived at the barn with just enough light to get a great shot. Shortly after, I found the gas station and a place to spend the night. Other roads I would like to revisit – Routes 555 (the Triple Nickel), 550, 78, 93, and 250 – you can’t go wrong with any of the roads in Southeastern Ohio. I’m glad I saved that area for last.

My longest Bicentennial Barn run started on a Wednesday in mid October. I captured 28 barns in three days, covering 1200 miles. From one northern corner to the other, the autumn colors and the rural farmlands stick out in my mind, as well as the cold morning temperatures. Just before the last barn of the trip in Wayne County, I noticed a BMW dealership on the GPS. It was 9:30 a.m. Saturday and I thought I would stop in and possibly get a new back tire and an oil change if they weren’t too busy. My 94 R1100RS came from this area and had been serviced at All Seasons in Wooster by its previous owner, and I knew they would recognize the bike. I walked in and who do I see, but the very gentleman that sold me my RS. We chat for a while over coffee and doughnuts and he introduces me to the fine folks at All Seasons. My bike is finished in an hour or so and I’m off to the last barn before hitting the slab home… with a big ol’ smile on my face. It’s a small world.

Planning routes was all part of the fun. GPS coordinates made things easier and at times challenging. There were a few barns that had slightly misstated waypoints, but that just added to the fun. How I ended up in Pennsylvania, I’m not real sure, but I won’t blame the GPS on that. If you’re close ask a local "Where’s the Bicentennial Barn?" most will know, and be glad to tell you which way to go.

I enjoyed every mile and now wished that I had spent more time at the barns and meeting the owners. I did meet several barn owners and every one was gracious and proud of their barns with a story to tell. One of the most impressive barns is the Defiance County Barn. Owned by a young guy who had just bought the property, he had no farming background. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do with the massive T-shaped barn with two logos painted on it… But he was proud to be the owner and tried to meet all the visitors that stopped. The owner of the Muskingum County Barn is an elderly tall thin man that talked to me and my wife Kim for an hour showing us pictures and explaining the history of the place. He even put a sign out by the road inviting folks to pull into the driveway - Another proud Bicentennial Barn owner. These folks have become ambassadors to the state of Ohio and have shown down home hospitality and pride in their state.

Everyone who participated in the contest now has a better appreciation for Ohio and the great riding opportunities here in our own back yard. From the great roads in the south-east to the wonderful scenery of the Lake Erie region, to the Amish country and the rural farmlands, Ohio has a diverse topology and culture with plenty to see and experience. In your travels to Ohio, be sure to check out our Bicentennial Barns, and don’t forget your camera.

See you in Lima!