• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

Lodging??

Prolly a good idea if you are going to hotel-it. Spearfish is a nice mid-sized town and would be a good center of operations if you planned to do some riding through the Black Hills during the National.

Spearfish or Buffalo are far enough away (one hour+) that it wouldn't feel like you were part of the rally. As an experienced hotel dweller myself, being 10 miles away can feel remote. I made the switch to Sherpa Ted, and can strongly recommend it. Clean towels everyday, attentive service, hot coffee, quiet camping & no gear to haul!
 
lodging

This is my first rally....EVER ! I am looking forward to the adventure and after reading some of these posts, I'm a little confused. Once I register for the national rally, does that include lodging at the rally site, or do I have to make arrangements for lodging at another site? What does the registration fee include? Are there restaurants (food tents) on site, are there washroom facilities etc? I'll be traveling up from south Florida (Tampa Bay area) and I plan on combining camping and an occasional motel along the way. How can I find other riders who plan on making the trip? Thanks for the help!
 
Answers!

This is my first rally....EVER ! I am looking forward to the adventure and after reading some of these posts, I'm a little confused. Once I register for the national rally, does that include lodging at the rally site, or do I have to make arrangements for lodging at another site?

The rally fee includes a spot to camp, right on site of the rally.

What does the registration fee include?
For starters, it includes access to the grounds and ALL events at the rally, including a camping spot, seminars, displays, vendors, etc.

Are there restaurants (food tents) on site, are there washroom facilities etc?
There will be multiple food vendors on site, and most are quite reasonable in price. There will be many, many porta-johns set up, that are frequently "serviced". There will also be hot showers available as well as washup sinks.

I'll be traveling up from south Florida (Tampa Bay area) and I plan on combining camping and an occasional motel along the way. How can I find other riders who plan on making the trip? Thanks for the help!
This forum is a good place to start.

Disclaimer: I'm basing my answers on my experience at West Bend, my first national rally. I am NOT a camper in the truest sense, but frankly, you don't HAVE to be to camp at a national rally. All the amenities are provided, if you want to use them and pay for them (you pay for food and drink, but the plumbing facilities are free).
 
Hey guys,

I must be doing something wrong. I went to Expedia.com and checked on rooms for the rally in Gillette. A 1 1/2 star motel was $220 a night. Did I read it wrong or was the decimal point put in the wrong spot? I really really want to go to the rally, but to pay almost $1000 for a room for several days seems rather severe. So, what did I do wrong? Thanks for the help and see you in Gillette (Maybe!!!)..... Jeff:wave

A blind man could have foreseen this problem. I called most of the local hotels three months ago and the prices all far exceeded the numbers in this months ON. A sherpa tent is good for a drunk fest. It's not a good idea if your bringing your wife. My wife has rode plenty of 500 mile days over the past 25 years. However, she expects a good room at the end of the day and a great restaurant. Gillette has neither. With all the selection requirement that limit our possible locations, I am still scratching my head trying to figure out how Gillette made the cut.

Meanwhile, I will take her to Jackson Hole and allow her to bend a credit card on whatever she wants.
 
A sherpa tent is good for a drunk fest.

As far as BMW rallies go (the ones I support), the Sherpa camp has hardly been a drunk fest. Sure, there's some moderate drinking (one of the advantages of staying on the ground), but nothing close to a 'drunk fest'.

It's not a good idea if your bringing your wife.

If a wife is expecting a hotel room with a/c, shower, etc, Sherpa isn't an option. However, plenty of wives have been rather happy with the service.
 
Kenk, where on earth did you get the idea that the Sherpa village is a "drunk fest?"

I've got frequent lodger points with Sherpa Mayberry (Lima, Shelbyville, Asheville, West Bend) and I've never encountered anything that could be considered drunken behavior.

John
 
With all the selection requirement that limit our possible locations, I am still scratching my head trying to figure out how Gillette made the cut.

Jeepers, Ken --- Give it a rest, would ya?
 
As far as BMW rallies go (the ones I support), the Sherpa camp has hardly been a drunk fest. Sure, there's some moderate drinking (one of the advantages of staying on the ground), but nothing close to a 'drunk fest'.
.........
That may have been our group. We were just on the other side of the century fence at West Bend. Sorry.

We will camp far away from the Sherpa site at Gillette.
:wave
 
That may have been our group. We were just on the other side of the century fence at West Bend. Sorry.

We will camp far away from the Sherpa site at Gillette.
:wave

Then your group must also be pretty well behaved. I have never noticed any rowdiness within or around the Sherpa Village.

Now, my other non-BMW motorcycle rally.... I just won't go there.
 
As far as BMW rallies go (the ones I support), the Sherpa camp has hardly been a drunk fest. Sure, there's some moderate drinking (one of the advantages of staying on the ground), but nothing close to a 'drunk fest'.



If a wife is expecting a hotel room with a/c, shower, etc, Sherpa isn't an option. However, plenty of wives have been rather happy with the service.

I tent camp all the time. However, most women and a large number of men (I rode to the arctic circle with one last year) have no desire to camp. My wife is one of them. Camping is really your only option with this rally. I can stay in Crystal City overlooking Washington D.C. for the price of a crap hotel in Gillette...and I'm overpaying in Washington D.C. I was quoted $230 for run down mom & pop in Gillette. For the same price, I can take my wife to Aspen or Jackson Hole where I can enjoy the ride and she can shop until she drops. What's the draw at Gillette? A beer tent...Geeeeez folks. No wonder we only draw 10% of our members. Expect much less for Gillette and possibly long-term damage to our vendors. Heck..hotels on the haul road are cheaper.
 
I tent camp all the time. However, most women and a large number of men (I rode to the arctic circle with one last year) have no desire to camp. My wife is one of them. Camping is really your only option with this rally. I can stay in Crystal City overlooking Washington D.C. for the price of a crap hotel in Gillette...and I'm overpaying in Washington D.C. I was quoted $230 for run down mom & pop in Gillette. For the same price, I can take my wife to Aspen or Jackson Hole where I can enjoy the ride and she can shop until she drops. What's the draw at Gillette? A beer tent...Geeeeez folks. No wonder we only draw 10% of our members. Expect much less for Gillette and possibly long-term damage to our vendors. Heck..hotels on the haul road are cheaper.

I have no personal issues with your gripes about the hotel prices.

I just want to make it real clear that the Sherpa Village for BMW events (including MOA, RA and Cass) is not a drunk fest.

No where close to it.

I have no idea where you got this idea, and do not appreciate being painted in such a light.
 
I have no personal issues with your gripes about the hotel prices.

I just want to make it real clear that the Sherpa Village for BMW events (including MOA, RA and Cass) is not a drunk fest.

No where close to it.

I have no idea where you got this idea, and do not appreciate being painted in such a light.
I'll second that. I was going to go over there and complain about it being too quiet.
:laugh
In fact, one of the people at the Sherpa Village came over by our group because he said he could hear us having fun. Most folks were asleep, or being very quiet at Sherpa Village by that time. Not anything like a drunk fest.
We were the drunk fest, but not all of us were drunk.
 
I tent camp all the time. However, most women and a large number of men (I rode to the arctic circle with one last year) have no desire to camp. My wife is one of them.

You may need to rephrase that, Ken.....Some women and Some Men. I know a lot of women (riders and non) that enjoy camping.
For those who don't....

I just called the Hampton Inn. They have 15 rooms left in our block @ $199.00. The Holiday Inn Express has sporadic availability only on certain days. The best thing to do is Call. DonÔÇÖt make reservations over the internet or you wonÔÇÖt get our rates, and make sure to mention the BMW MOA block. I have calls in to some of the other hotels checking the status, but wonÔÇÖt hear until tomorrow. There are still rooms at the Days Inn (307-682-3999) for a rate of $139 single/149 double.

These are negotiated rates, so you must mention the BMW MOA.

And for the record....I took advantage of the Sherpa Village in NC, and I must have missed the drunkfest! All was quiet!
 
You may need to rephrase that, Ken.....Some women and Some Men. I know a lot of women (riders and non) that enjoy camping.
For those who don't....

I just called the Hampton Inn. They have 15 rooms left in our block @ $199.00. The Holiday Inn Express has sporadic availability only on certain days. The best thing to do is Call. DonÔÇÖt make reservations over the internet or you wonÔÇÖt get our rates, and make sure to mention the BMW MOA block. I have calls in to some of the other hotels checking the status, but wonÔÇÖt hear until tomorrow. There are still rooms at the Days Inn (307-682-3999) for a rate of $139 single/149 double.

These are negotiated rates, so you must mention the BMW MOA.

And for the record....I took advantage of the Sherpa Village in NC, and I must have missed the drunkfest! All was quiet!

Well Karol...you've been to just about every rally, so I don't need to tell you that when you look around, it's not 50/50 men and women. The rallies are predominantly men with some women. The more hotels available, the more more women. At West Bend, 80% were men and 18% were women. Most of men are married and left our wives at home. I prefer to take my wife along.

When you include tax into the Holiday Inn Express numbers, your spending close to $900 for four days. The Days Inn is not filled for a reason. It's has a horrible rating due to it's bad management.
 
I seem to remember seeing LOTS of couples at the '07 Rally. What does it matter what the gender dynamic of the group is? I'm sure that MANY of our members, male or female, and for a variety of reasons would prefer a private bathroom, a comfy bed and a climate controlled room. That's not always possible. Many of us are looking forward to the rally, and would go no matter where the group decides to hold it. The location is secondary to the event - the meeting up with friends and acquaintances, putting faces to names, taking in the seminars etc. I can only speak for myself, but I'm not looking forward to hearing 6+ more months of pi**ing and moaning about the location and the perceived lack of amenities/conveniences/suitable roads/shopping opportunities/sightseeing venues/whatever. If you're not happy with it, by all means, give it a miss. We'll gladly see you next time, if that one suits you. Otherwise, if you're not inclined to come, STFU about it.

Cheryl

And as a resident of Sherpa Village at West Bend I can attest to the fact that it was NO drunkfest.
 
FWIW, I joined MOA because I knew I was going to Gillette. I love the riding in Wyoming! I chose to get a motel but I am perfectly happy camping too, and have done that more than I have used motels on bike trips. So . . . a lot of people, including women, are happy with the site and the options.
 
As a first time rally attendee, I was impressed by the division of "types" of campers at West Bend.

All the lined up nicely were the Sherpa tents uniform and seemingly perfect, and were, for the most part pitch dark after 11:00? 10:00 either with sleeping occupants, or quiet ones indeed! Nice looking, quiet, and not for me! I get sea sick if Iook too close at pefect right angles; I strive for random chaos in my life :)

The area where I camped was as far from the "normal people" as you could find, way north and east over by the fence. I'm not the one to disturb others, however do like the conversation late into the evening, meeting new people, and telling fish stories, so I was pleased that those who wished to stay up and chew the fat had a place of their own far from those who actually wished for the quiet and sleep. That quiet area, I do believe was the Sherpa tent area. Other areas west of the main pavilion was also one where I originally pulled into when I first arrived, and thought it was nice, but a bit sedate for my liking; and these were also people who found the quiet they were looking for after the 10:00 hour.

Now maybe there was a "drunk fest" somewhere at West Bend, but it wasn't my group, and when I finally was bested by this seemingly all night group, I donned my earplugs, and went to bed in my tent! Out like a rock and stayed that way. Drunks are a label and didn't seem to fit my group! Happy people imbibing a bit late at night is what you call drunks? Yep thats them, but Drunks? Hardly! Thats a total oversimplification of the disease that afflicts this group:p I've seen many a drunk in my life, and this group don't fit that label. There was plenty of room at West Bend to separate out all the people, and even more room by my eye at Gillette; it shouldnÔÇÖt be a problem.

If this group is the one labeled by excessive drinking, keep in mind that some of in this crowd such as myself labeled "drunks" preferred chai tea to the fermented beverage, so what may have been said about any area is a huge stereotype, and not true. I don't touch the stufff myself, but love a good conversation around the dark and deep into the night.

Gillette has twice the area, and areas separated by large distances, so I would imagine each type of rider will head to their own area, and nary will a word be said as long as we all can keep track of Pete!!

See you all in Gillette!

Red
 
Last edited:
Deja vu all over again, Ken.

kenk, seriously, hats off to you and your wife for traveling together on 2 wheels, and enjoying nice hotel stays. In many ways, I envy you. My wife does not like motorcycles, does not like to ride as a passenger on a motorcycle, and is not crazy about me riding a motorcycle. However, she understands my love of riding, and is quite tolerant of it. She has attended some rallies with me, but with me on the motorcycle and her in the car. Ever stayed at Chula Vista at the Dells? That's hardly roughing it, but that's about as close to camping as she'll ever go. She does love to ride her own 125 Vino scooter, which doesn't make much sense, but I digress.

You've communicated your rally attendance requirements very clearly, over and over again. I think everyone "gets" it. You've got your priorities, and you're sticking to them. Good for you. And good for your wife, as well. But now it seems you're taking some shots at a rally provider, which doesn't seem very fair.

I'm sure you and your wife will enjoy yourselves greatly this summer at Jackson Hole, or any number of other great places. But, the BMW MOA National doesn't seem to be on your list this year. So be it. That's OK, hopefully it will be somewhere more to your liking in 2009. You've provided input to the process, which I'm sure, is actually appreciated.
:wave
 
FWIW, I joined MOA because I knew I was going to Gillette. I love the riding in Wyoming! I chose to get a motel but I am perfectly happy camping too, and have done that more than I have used motels on bike trips. So . . . a lot of people, including women, are happy with the site and the options.

We're glad you joined us. Be sure to say Hi! in Gillette, and we know you'll be safe!!:)
 
Back
Top