BMWNEF WINTER RALLY- January 2014

Camp Blanding Starke, Florida

January 17 - 19  (1,050 miles) 

By Tony and Jill Barcia

We left Thursday morning at 10:30 (cloudy and 41 degrees) for Port Wentworth, GA which is about 3/4 of the way to the rally.  As soon as we hit the South Carolina border the sun came out and it warmed up to 50 degrees.  The highlight of Thursday was the great restaurant next to the hotel - Sweat Tea Grill "Deliciously Southern"

http://www.sweetteagrille.com/

Friday afternoon we arrived at Camp Blanding.  Camp Blanding comprises 72,000 acres and is the premier training center for Florida's National Guard's 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team and home to the headquarters and support companies of the 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group and the 211th Infantry Regiment.  Click the link below for more information.

Camp Blanding Joint Training Center

Check in at the Armory Camp Blanding

The rally campsite was about a half mile from the Armory (where all of the activities would take place) along Kingsley Lake.  Kingsley Lake is a perfectly round 5 mile diameter sink hole.

Google Map - Kingsley Lake
Kingsley Lake History

Our Campsite

The rally provides a shuttle all day Friday, Saturday and part of Sunday from the "camp" to the Armory as well as the PX..  Very convenient and warm, the night time temperature each night was low 30's.  With that in mind we decided to camp on Friday night and leave Saturday after dinner and the ceremonies for a nice warm hotel room in Orange Park near Jacksonville.

Friday night's dinner was brats, hot dogs, beans, coleslaw, dessert and more. Unlimited coffee, hot chocolate and donuts for the whole weekend.   The rally is put on by BMW Motorcycle Owners of Northeast Florida, is limited to 500 and is always sold out.  Almost every year the rally lives up to its name of Florida's Coolest Rally (either cold rain or just COLD temperatures). This rally is a "camping" rally although we noticed that the percentage of campers was low.  There are those ... including us ... who just have to participate in the experience.  The smart campers get there early and get a campsite with electricity and bring their ceramic heaters and electric blankets.  Many others at the rally stay in a motel in Starke (about 10 easily navigated miles).  I am told rooms in Starke are always available even for those who wanted to camp when first signing up and then decide they would rather be warm!  For those hardy soles Jeff "the Firebug" will have a fire going every night and every morning a short walk from the tent, along with hot coffee 24 hours.

Jeff setting up the campfire - coffee in the white tent.

Friday night FIRE!

So much to do at this rally, there are vendors (including the Jacksonville BMW shop which brought the new RT, F800 and 1600GT), a garage sale with lots and lots of good stuff, Smart Trainer, movies, seminars, including one by the Clay County Sheriff department.  Two motorcycle cops on Harley's demonstrated classic figure 8 patterns and 360 turns (turns so tight they scraped the floorboards).   The cones are 12 feet apart.  These guys are good and even train on sand with these big bikes. 

Harley Road King

Breakfast and lunch are available a la carte and both Friday and Saturday night dinners (included in the rally fee) are indoors at the Armory as well as all the other activities.   Wonderful to have a nice warm place to escape to. 

Tony and Jimmy waiting for the dinner call.

Saturday morning we emerged from the tent and headed for the warmth of the nearby camp fire and coffee for Tony.  Then we took the motorcycle to Starke for breakfast and then back to Camp Blanding to take down the tent and try to get in all there was to do including a tour of the Camp Blanding Museum.  

The Camp Blanding Museum and Memorial Park is right outside the main gate and is something you should not miss.  The museum is housed in a WW II two story barracks building.
  

http://www.campblanding-museum.org/ 

Tony and the Douglas C-47

Saturday evening rolled around much too fast and soon it was time for the famous Saturday night steak dinner.  The NEF BMW club volunteers grilled 500 steaks. 

We wondered how they could pull this off, but they served it within an hour ... as we approached the front of the serving line we discovered that we could have our choice of rare, medium rare or well done steaks!!  Continuing along we were served coleslaw, butter beans, rolls and yummy HOT baked potatoes with all you wanted, serve yourself, sour cream and/or butter ...  I like my sour cream!  

After dinner we left for our hotel in Orange Park (about 35 minutes).  Sunday morning the ride home was a glorious day, bright sun and temperatures in the 50s.