MORTON'S SPRING FLING - MAY 2014

Natural Bridge Hotel, Natural Bridge, VA
May 16 - 18  (790 miles)

This rally is sponsored by Morton's BMW Motorcycles in Fredricksburg, VA, at the historic Natural Bridge Hotel which is adjacent (and walking distance ... shuttle provided also) to the Natural Bridge Park.

Friday afternoon 

Lobby with welcoming sign for the rally

Natural Bridge Park across the street from hotel.   View from our room

Vendors

Lining up for Brats and Brews Friday evening dinner

Tony, Nancy and Bill at Friday evening Brats and Brew dinner

After dinner we took the shuttle from the hotel to the Natural Bridge Park.  We had time to see the park in the daylight before the start of the light show and Drama of Creation.

Natural Bridge and Cedar Creek

Staying warm before the light show

 

 Saturday morning Nancy, Bill, Tony and I started our ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway stopping at Otter Creek Visitor Center.

Continuing on to Bedford, Virginia and THE D DAY NATIONAL MEMORIAL.  We took the guided tour which was definitely the best way to understand the significance of each part of the memorial and what happened on June 6, 1944 (operation Overlord)  See dday.org for more information.

Seal of D Day Memorial

English Gardens symbolic of England as starting point of Allied invasion.

Dwight D. Eisenhower supreme commander of allied forces

Higgins boat landing craft,.
Headgehogs placed to scuttle landing craft.

Through the Surf, Death on Shore, Across the Beach

Scaling wall depicting valor, fidelity and sacrifice

 Back to the hotel on the Blue Ridge

Sit down buffet dinner, guest speaker from Backroads Magazine and door prizes ended the rally. 

Nancy
Grand Prize Winner!!

 Sunday's ride home was great weather in the 70s with little traffic.

RETURN TO SHILOH - October 2011

TVA Campground Pickwick Dam, Tennessee
September 30 - October 2

Return to Shiloh in western Tennessee hosted by BMW RAMS (Rider Association of the Mid South) based in Memphis is held by the Tennessee River at Pickwick Dam in the TVA campground.

We put the R75/5 "toaster" on the trailer and Tony, Lakota and I drove to the rally.

Lakota

We stopped in Murfreesboro, TN on Thursday night and arrived at the campground on Friday morning. For those who don't want to camp there are motel rooms in Savannah, TN about 12 miles away and in a Comfort Inn 5 miles away in Mississippi.

Lakota and Tony ... we have arrived

setting up camp

Tennessee River

Pickwick Dam

On Friday afternoon we rode the motorcycle to Shiloh National Military Park about 15 miles from the campground. Expect to spend 3 to 4 hours driving the 12 mile tour through the battlefield where 23,000 civil war soldiers died during the two day battle at Shiloh. Along the tour route are many monuments erected by the states and 20 strategic tour stops and a 35 minute movie at the visitor center.

There are many local restaurants (good food, inexpensive) in Counce a small town five miles from camp, a restaurant at Pickwick State Park and a hotel/restaurant "Botel" right on the river within walking distance of your tent. The Botel had draft beers for $2 all weekend for rally attendees. Both mornings there was a $5 pancake breakfast provided by the boy scouts.

Saturday there was a motorcycle show. The Vintage, over 40 years category winner was a 1941 R12 which had been ridden 200 miles to the rally and beat out several R26 and R27's (one in immaculate condition). The Vintage 20 to 40 year winner was a 1983 R100RT, beating out the three Toasters (one of which was ours). Other categories were classic, modern, side car, rat and "other" brands.

"Toaster" in classic 20 - 40 year category

1941 R12

Saturday evening was the award ceremony, prizes, a live band and included in the registration fee, a delicious BBQ dinner. Thoughtful extras such as hot, fresh coffee all day (wonderful on crisp cool mornings and afternoons) and a long power strip for electronic devices.

It was a great rally, well organized (265 attendees) and everyone got a plastic mug and rally pin.

GEORGIA MOUNTAIN RALLY - MAY 2014

Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds, Hiawassee, GA
May 2 - 4 (944 miles)
First rally on my F800ST


We left on Friday morning at 7:30 on a beautiful sunny day.  It took 9 1/2 hours ... we ran into a big accident on interstate 20 in South Carolina and rerouted ourselves on a very scenic roundabout way.  The GPS was useless to take us around 20 onto 26 so we stopped at a gas station.  We were given a preprinted sheet with directions for the detour.  What a nice gesture by the gas station. The entire weekend was glorious, sunny in the 80s with cool mountain evenings.  At the last minute we decided not to camp, staying at Lake Chatuge Lodge on the grounds of the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds.

Arriving at Lake Chatuge Lodge Friday afternoon

Lake Chatuge

Registration

View from the lobby of the lodge

View from our room

The rally is hosted by BMW Motorcycle Club of Georgia and includes camping, 2 dinners and 2 pancake breakfasts.  http://www.bmwmcoga.org/

Chili dinner Friday night --- yummy and lots of it.

After dinner we visited the vendors and took a walk around the camping area.  The camping is lakeside on the grass with indoor hot showers and toilets.

Saturday morning we rode the Georgia mountains to Murphy, NC, passing Nottely Dam part of the TVA watershed.

Our new Nolan N104 helmet with bluetooth

Nottely Dam

Saturday night was the "cook it yourself" steak dinner, closing ceremonies and prizes.  We met Jean and John  from the club (who live in Conway, SC) for dinner and we had our steaks overlooking Lake Chatuge with live music and perfect weather.  After dinner was the lighting of the bonfire.

Sunday we got home much faster, not much traffic and no backups.  It is our second time for this rally.