AZ-J
Riding where it's hot!
I'll put the hotel information from the flyer in a separate post.
Please do, bmwDeb, and thanks!
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I'll put the hotel information from the flyer in a separate post.
#2 By the amount of bitchin and a moanin, many WOULD like to go, but cant/won't experience the wonders of democracy in action, and pay the high cost of hotels. From the sound of it, the room ARE there, just going at a pretty penny.
Red
I don't believe providing input should be considered "bitchin" and "moaning" only a true bureaucrat would think that that way.
The high cost of motel rooms in Gillette seems to be a supply/demand issue rather than democracy in action. Burlington Vt. was right on Lake Champlain and the rally was in July. But guess what …there were plenty of reasonably priced rooms available.
I don't think we need to have a Rally in Las Vegas just to ensure ample rooms at a reasonable cost. What we need is competition and alternatives within reasonable driving distances of the rally site. This is a problem in some locations in the west due to the vast land areas and sparse population.
I think the rally committee’s do a great job and deserve all the credit one can give. However I don’t see the issue with trying to make the next one better.
The high cost of motel rooms in Gillette seems to be a supply/demand issue rather than democracy in action. Burlington Vt. was right on Lake Champlain and the rally was in July. But guess what there were plenty of reasonably priced rooms available.
I agree with Scootstado. You can interpret this thread as bitchin' an moanin' or as constructive input. As has been mentioned, motel availability and rates should be considered in the future when a rally site is picked. It should have been this time. Perhaps the committee got a great deal on the facility. If so, great, and they should speak up. I seriously doubt the city will be able to bed the number of people who choose, for personal reasons, to stay in a motel. Others will be forced to commute a long distance from the rally. This plus the cost of rooms should have been a major consideration when Gillette was selected. If it was, then it must have been considered less important than some other unknown factor.
It is usually very hot in Gillette in July. The "sherpa option" isn't really an option for people who don't want to put up with the heat, unless the sherpa tents are air conditioned.
It is usually very hot in Gillette in July. The "sherpa option" isn't really an option for people who don't want to put up with the heat, unless the sherpa tents are air conditioned.
Super neat graphs, Ted. What site did you use to get them?
I'm going anyway. Love riding in that area, and I'm looking forward to meeting friends old and new.
Holly
Quote: "But it inadvertently kinda supports the "bitchin' and whinin'" theory: 85 degree highs is hot to some? Wish we had those here in July instead of 105 to 115 or so
If you look at the same weather.com graph for Scottsdale, you'll see the average high in July is 104 or 105, not 115. But it does get to 115. Same for Gillette. Talk with someone from Gillette and they will tell you it gets hotter than 85 degrees in July, regularly. If you want to sleep in a tent, fine. But for 40% of the members, they prefer a motel, and Gillette just may not be able to provide it. ( 40% of 8,000 attending is 3,200. Are there 32 motels in Gillette with 100 empty rooms? )
I think the higher prices in Gillette as compared to Burlington is a supply and demand thing. The lower prices in Burlington are possible because the occupancy rates are higher due to the location so the cost of building and operating the motel can be spread out more. In Gillette, the average occupancy rate is much lower because the demand is more in bursts when something is scheduled there. Therefore, the building and operating costs are passed on to fewer customers and the results are higher prices.
Naturally, the tents won't be air conditioned
I am a bit perplexed, however, the many comments on how hot it's going to be. I'll add a couple graphs pulled from weather.com, one from Gillette and the other from West Bend. Not much difference, four degrees warmer in Gillette (on average) and six degrees cooler at night. Plus, I assume (I don't know for sure) that the humidity tends to be much lower in Gillette.
It's going to be warm pretty much everywhere in the country in July, which is why I provide shade canopies for folks to use during the day. Worked out pretty nicely in West Bend.
Also, it is clear you did not read my posts because I NEVER carry a tent, nor do I want to put enough luggage on my bike to do so, I'd rather spring for hotel. In other words I do not want to sleep in one.
Tweety1 Actually, I did read your entire post, including the part about not wanting to carry a tent. My point was about how unreliable the "average high temperature" graph on weather.com is. Like you said in your post, it doesn't reflect individual and record high temperatures.
I'm sorry I implied you wanted to sleep in a tent. I share your not wanting to carry camping gear on a bike. I do it, occasionally, and I like to camp out in Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah in the Spring and Fall, but not Gillette in July. I certainly don't blame you for not wanting to carry camping gear and regular touring gear all the way from Scottsdale. I'm sorry I mistated your intentions about not sleeping in a tent.