Mini Rallies

Just for the record, here are some of the stops made in 2016 and the rides we took.

Besides plays, operas and visits from friends and family we kept busy.

Every Month we have a Breakfast meeting at the Niagara BMW Motorcycle Club and another meeting of the Ontario BMW Motorcycle Club. Naturally, when we are not around we miss those meetings.

May 2016: Wellsboro, PA

Wynken, Blynken and Nod

It is becoming an annual affair to meet the Ontario Club members in this small PA town for wine, cheese and a few days of just getting together. The club rides as a group, but I am not a group rider, so we just ride ourselves and meet them there. In town is a statue of Wynken, Blynken and Nod, make of bronze. I did not know this poem so I looked it up. The poem was written by a former Wellsboro Resident, Eugene Field in 1889. It seems I had a ‘hole’ in my knowledge, so here is the poem if you never heard of it.

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Wynken,_Blynken,_and_Nod    a very cute story I never heard of before.

June 2016: Bracebridge, ON

Horizons Unlimited had their annual Travel Adventurers Rally in this nice location. We spent a long weekend there with food included, slept in bunk beds like the old camping days from school. We enjoyed meeting new people that love riding motorcycles too. Seminars dealt with tricks and advice for travelers; what visa to get, what website or app to download, what farkle to add to the bike, etc.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/

July 2016: Hamburg, NY (MOA Rally)

About 6000 folks showed up for this annual event of the Motorcycle Owners of America which this year was held in Hamburg, NY, just a bit south of Buffalo, NY. This was so close to Toronto that many Canadians visited for this rally. In fact the chair people who organized the rally and had the most say was John (Dutch) Lammers and his wife and co-chair, Kate Lammers.  They did an outstanding job; this was one of the best rallies I have attended. We arrived early and left late and spent the whole week learning about new things that have been developed for motorcycle riders. The seminars dealt with how to: fix flat tires, fix modern bikes with Can-bus electrical systems, pack soft luggage, camp better, etc. etc.  There is almost too much offered, but we had fun. I bought a Moto Softback (a stuff sack for my camping gear), which I found too irresistible not to buy it. Smiles! Carol won the oldest female rider award.

August 2016: Heath, MA

The Damn Yankee Beemer Rally was a meeting I had heard and read about but never visited. The site was deep in the woods, no store was near, and the closest town was 30 minutes via moto. A wonderful location and the rally folks did their darnedest to keep everybody ‘busy’ and occupied, but for me, it was a bit of a downer. I was spoiled from the experience I had at the MOA, I guess. Still, I am glad I went because now I can say I attended at least once. We camped, of course and the weather held out wonderfully. The area is a fantastic area to ride one’s motorcycle. Heath is very close to the Southern Vermont border.

Trenton, ON

Loon Award

On the way back from Heath we just had to attend the ‘last’ Return to Trenton Motorcycle Rally. Unfortunately there are not enough attendees to keep this rally going. Trenton was the site of the only MOA rally that was not on U.S. soil but it was a wonderful rally 10 years ago. Ever since, the Canadians celebrated their success with the ‘Return to Trenton Rally’ which is now defunct. This year’s rally was the last. Carol won oldest female rider and received a loon statue, the last of its kind, a collector’s item now. Jean Copas auctioned off whatever she could at a flea market kind of setting, so I bought a soft helmet case for travelling. Could not resist the price of CAN $

September 2016:  Watkins Glen, NY

We also attended the annual Finger Lakes BMW Rally, a get together that at one time was talked about being ended but is still going. I like this rally because you can bring the ‘stuff’ you have accumulated during your lifetime and try to sell it at the flea market that they hold for this purpose. It is difficult to pack additional stuff on your bike that you ‘might’ sell, but I do try to bring something every year. And ….   I usually sell stuff.  I keep the prices ridiculously low, for fear of having to schlep all this stuff back home. It’s a smile on your face sale, and everybody has fun and finds a ‘bargain’. The Ontario BMW Club holds their monthly meeting at the Finger Lakes Rally and even installs a meeting tent. Most of the club members slept in a large bunk house with bunk beds galore. Carol and I camped. I am not a friend of large groups anything.

Goshen, VT

Another rally I have never attended was the Vermont Green Mountain Rally. Following the weekend of the Finger Lakes we hung around and made it eventually to Goshen the following weekend. We met Muriel Farrington, who camped too, and Ted and Irene Warren. We just sat and talked to folks. The food was plentiful, the location an old Summer Camp and it was apparent that the people of Vermont knew each other and that it was ‘their’ rally. We were visitors, but we were made welcome. It rained one night and I thought our tent would break but it did not. Others were not so lucky, there were blown away tents and ripped canvases. When we left the sun shone. Our way back home led us through really stunning riding locations. Vermont is a motorcycle riding paradise, they even have rough, gravel roads if you so choose.

October / November 2016:  San Antonio, TX

Carol’s family had a celebration in Texas. Sure we could have flown out or even driven, like most people did, but we are motorcycle riders, so we made plans to ride down. Taking our time, we decided to not take any super highways but use local roads instead. Terry Church told us about US road # 62 that was installed before the Interstate Highway system. It runs from Buffalo, NY to El Paso, TX. It’s a local road kind of like the famous Route 66. I did not know about this so we looked it up on maps and the internet and decided, yes, this is for us. The end of October was cold in Ontario already and we had to wear lots of clothing, especially since it also rained a little. It was not as cold as earlier this year when we rode to Florida but cold enough. This trip down Rt. 62 was like a treasure hunt. We had to find it south of Buffalo and then followed it wherever it leads. A GPS is helpful but one cannot plug in ‘follow # 62’, it does not work like that on a GPS. All of this searching and looking for road signs is part of the fun however, and we did have a wonderful time riding down Rt. 62. Once we were out of NY State and entered PA the roads were stunningly perfect for motorcycling. The way winds itself through the Algonquin National Park and PA has some hidden treasures along the way. We had to find hotels whenever we came near a larger town and we did great. We found a hotel each night. No problem, well almost none. Yes, sometimes the hotels were old and historic and expensive but that is part of the trip, right?

After PA the road heads through Ohio and I never saw OH like that before. Ohio was very business-like, very commercial, and very ‘not’ likable. There were just too many shopping malls, traffic lights, cars, people, and industry.  But once we entered KY, oh wow, just GREAT!  Twisty roads, horse country, different looking properties, it looked like tons of money lives in KY. We wound our way through towns, through several more states and eventually entered TX. What a big State. You can ride forever and still be in TX. We had hotel reservations and had a great time celebrating the reunion of the Taub Clan and then had to head back. Again we ‘tried’ to keep to local roads but after a while it became too cold to diddle around. The farther North we went, the colder it became. So we changed our tune, took the Interstate and headed for the barn as fast we could. We made it in time to be in Buffalo on Nov. 15 for my semiannual physical which turned out to be a good thing. I am still ‘healthy’ said the Doc.

December 2016:   Iceland         See separate report 

Pirate Rally Aftermath:

     see:     Pirate's Website

During the year I was told to keep more to the facts, rather than become a professor and ‘teach’ stuff. So I will just record where we were in 2016 and not elaborate too much on the details. Naturally, if I find some ‘good’ stuff, I will add it for my own curiosity. I thought about some of life’s challenges and have to report that we all make plans but then stuff happens and the outcome is a bit different than what we thought would happen.

Here it goes: 

Tampa, FL

On the way back from the Pirates’ Rally, we noticed I could use a new rear tire and we stopped at the BMW dealer in Tampa, FL to have one installed, we even told them to change the Rear Drive oil on the bike since it is easy once the tire is off.

While waiting for the bike to be serviced we visited, the Dali Museum. While this museum is not as large as the one we saw in Figueres, Spain, it still is a wonderful place to visit. I just love Dali and his quirky art and outlook. See previous report.

Mobile, AL

I felt better having a good, new tire mounted and our next stop on the way north was Mobile Alabama. I listened to people and some told me this would be a good ‘retirement’ place, living is cheaper in Alabama. I decided to take a look at Mobile. We visited the WW2 Battleship ‘Alabama’ now a permanent exhibition at the harbor. 2500 people manned this behemoth during the War and I find it amazing this much steel can float in the water. If you are a WW2 buff, it’s a must see.

The A1

Beside the Alabama, you can enter the Submarine Drum and see how crammed the interior is. At the aviation part of the exhibition you can see the A1, the first plane to hit Mach3 (3 times the speed of sound). 

Another exhibition in Mobile was a presentation of the genius of Leonardo da Vinci. Models of his ideas and inventions were on display and I was amazed at how his thinking

Military Tank Designed by da Vinci

was all over the lot. His Military Tank with its protective cover and canons facing in all directions, could not be used as he purposely incorporated a design flaw in the gearing mechanism. We know him as the painter of the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper but as I found out, Leo was a lot more versatile than that.

Shack Up Inn

After Mobile, AL we continued north. Ken O’Malley had previously told me about a unique place to experience and to stay overnight. We visited the Shack-Up Inn and

The Chikin (sic) Coop

spent a night in their Chikin (sic) Coop Cabin (Shack). This place is a must visit should you be near Clarksdale, MS. The Inn is a former cotton

Rusted Farm Machinery

plantation converted into a hotel, but all the old style farm implements and way of life are still around. The silos were even turned into hotel rooms. Everything was very old but…….everything was in working order and clean. Our bed had a head board made from the grill of a GMC truck, including decorations with Christmas lights. Very chic. Southern Style. Parking areas were designated by digging Tires half way into the ground and then painting them in baby colors. Empty beer or Whisky bottles served as

Chair Seat Made of Womens Belts

decorations stuck up on a clothing tree. Real Nice! Purdy! (This place is a farce on Redneck Country). You kind of have to search for the Shack-Up Inn; we tooka wrong turn and got lost for a while. We ended up riding along a dirt path through still existing cotton fields to get to the ‘hotel’. It was worth it.

Memorial to Coon Dogs

 Coon Dog Cemetery

Ah, before I forget, Carol had to show me another oddity of the South. We visited a Coon Hound Cemetery. Yup!  Had to ride through lots of woods to get there but found it OK. Now for all you folks out there who don’t know what a coon hound is, click on the link to read about it.

Men and their dogs are inseparable sometimes. There are quite a few of those men. And when their dogs die? Well at least in Alabama they have a place to put their buddies to rest.  it’s a crying shame those dogs don’t live as long as humans.

Flowers on All the Coon Dog Graves

Ask anybody that had one of them Coon Dogs. Click on the picture to the right and notice the door-less outhouse in background.      >>>>>

Memphis, TN.  (Click the link to hear the music.)

I always wanted to stop there; glad I did, but once is enough. Still I like the Delta Blues. Naturally, we visited the famous Ground Zero Blues Club as well as the Delta Blues Museum.   We spent a day and night downtown hopping from one Blues Bar to another and listened to the young folks trying to break into the business. There is a lot of talent here but unfortunately, only a few will become known worldwide. Every street corner on the main strip had groups or individuals making music to get your attention and had their hands out or their hat laying on the ground in front of them, asking for ‘donations’.

Nashville, TN    (Click to hear the music) 

This is another, different blues. This time it’s the Blue Grass or better known as

Country Music at the Ryman Auditorium

Country Music   Music, similar to what is played in KY. This town is another layover for us, we visited the Ryman Auditorium (Grand Olé’ Opry cousin) and saw, listened and now understand a bit better how the Hillbilly Music is played, promoted and shown. It’s a business, a huge business and since I am not a fan of this kind of music I cannot comment. It’s a matter of taste.

Downtown Nashville

Mechanicsburg, PA

About 200 Miles south of Harrisburg, PA I noticed oil on my new rear tire. When the mechanic in Tampa changed the rear drive oil he must have pressed the seal too much while working on it, end result……a few days in Mechanicsburg, PA for repairs at the BMW dealer. Luckily, the final drive was OK, and luckily we were semi close to a dealership. We needed a tow. I wrote to the Tampa dealer and explained our situation, he was nice enough to cover our hotel expenses and the new repair costs of the dealership in PA. Hey, we all make mistakes, right?

Home

We made it back to Canada by April 8^th but the temps north of KY had not warmed up much from when we left; it was till brutally cold. When we rode in to the monthly breakfast meeting at the Niagara BMW Motorcycle Club in Welland, ON, we found we were the only riders who rode in. People were so shocked seeing motorcycle riders in full gear that we even received a standing ovation for braving the cold. It shows you; even hard core riders thought it was way too cold to ride.

It was a month long trip filled with new impressions. Glad we made it home OK, though. Winter riding on 2 wheels is not fun. I am looking out of the window and it is snowing hard while I write this line; Whiteout conditions. Brrrr!