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Thankyou Karol and Deb...

I must have been at a different rally, I had a blast. Thank you indeed, Karol and Deb for a great party. I always bring my "make your own fun bag" to the Nat'l, and I always have a great time. It could have just been the magic welcome hug from Voni.

It was great meeting everybody! :wave
 
THANKS from "Polarbear"

Karol and Deb:). As a GS Event Co Chair person, I had my hands full and much thanks to Karol and Deb for always checking in! I fell off my GSA1200, doing my chores at the MX track on Wednesday and pulled my hamstring badly. Karol looked in on me, as I recieved first aide at the First Aid Station. The injury is not bad and all is well and Deb ALWAYS called me back or showed in person as I needed to ask her something, regarding my end:). Good folks doing great 'MOA work, imo..The grounds were really good, with grassy camping(no shade,so what) and Wyoming made for some great riding too. A State and surrounding states with so much beauty, so how can anybody complain? Not me:). I'm growing older, as we all are and finding time to thank folks for their spirit, hard work and lifes passions give such a warm feeling inside. Our National Rally is such a monumental sized, volunteer event and those willing to work at it are special and deserve nothing but our praise, so THX to our leaders this year in Karol and Deb and all of us that did the misc. chores of running such a playtime event. Always a success:clap :D Randy"Polarbear"
 
I have to agree with Mike a little bit. On Thursday evening the food vendors, all 5 of them, ran out of food. Thankfully the Pizza Hut guy ran out and got some more pizza or there would not have been anything to eat on site, except for the popcorn.

I had no issues with the site or Gillette. I knew there wasn't going to be any shade and that you would have to drive 60 miles to get to some interesting riding. All things I knew before showing up. But having only 5 food vendors on Thursday had to be some kind of mix up.

By the way, before you start attacking me, I did volunteer, as I do each year. This year I worked 8 hours at the registration area on Thursday. Won't do that again as it was too much work. That was one long day.:)

You camp and don't bring any of your own food? I do & was never hungry. Besides, there were grocery stores and restaurants within minutes from the Cam-Plex.

I too volunteered, at registration, 8+8+4 hrs. beginning on Wednesday. It was a pleasure meeting fellow riders from around the world. I enjoyed every minute of it and will do it again.

Yeah, there may have been some inconveniences, but then again, if you camp, you expect that. The price was right. The seminars were great and scheduled very well. It was great meeting vendors and entrepreneurs I had only read about. I dislike crowds, but enjoyed this one, where each of us had at least one thing in common.

Thank you Karol & Deb (and yes Deb, you don't have to be Hispanic to speak Spanish).

Charlie
 
Next year I think I'll bring a big banner that says - "It's a Rally - Not a Resort" just so folks keep things in perspective.
 
Next year I think I'll bring a big banner that says - "It's a Rally - Not a Resort" just so folks keep things in perspective.

...and just how am I supposed to get a spa treatment with that attitude?


The SO and I have attended 3 rallies all a bit different but each enjoyable. While we did not make it to this last one the next is planned.

It's all in what you make of it. We come for the ambiance of fellow riders not for the scenery, food, etc. We pride ourselves in enjoying the mutual interests of being a part of a small faction of the populous that sees the world in different perspective - from a motorcycle.

The folks that make these events possible should be commended for taking time out of their private lives to give of themselves so that people can come and enjoy what each has to offer. Good or mediocre, they each offer a chance to share our interests.

It's a short time, enjoy it while you can.
 
Thank you Karol and Deb

It is such a great feeling to edit through my pictures, tuck my maps, my registrations, my fishing licenses, all my memorbilia into a file right behind "BMW Westbend"! What a great rally! Thanks for your long distance hard work in making this 08 Rally a huge success. I had a blast, and my trip in general made it for me for the year! As usual the people I met new Glad to meetcha's all a roound, and many more to come!

The group of white shoes and soft hands of course, couldn't handle the vittles, the atmosphere, the rides, the music and god forbid the closing cermoney, but in the end? whats it matter. The majority felt the money, time and expense was well worth it, and a big thanks from me! What a success!

Red
 
Great people; Good rally

My 'greenhorn' 12 year old son and I rode beautiful back roads from British Columbia, and we both agree that this was a good rally for a bunch of reasons.

We arrived early (Wedns) and stayed until Sunday, and we both volunteered (served coffee and bartended (he worked the tickets, not the product) - fun! I completed the Experienced Riders Course (I would highly recommend it - excellent instructors and boy did I learn alot!). We camped with family and friends at the Camplex site. As a result of these activities, we both met lots of great people, had lots of laughs and made lots of new friends. Local riding was very very good if you got off your duff - Devil's Tower, Spearfish Canyon, Mount Rushmore, Needles, and Custer Park made a super day trip (400 miles or so). Food was also good if you got off your duff - we particularly enjoyed nearby Pokey's bbq and Mona's mexican. Vendors were friendly if not numerous; the bands were entertaining and an interesting change from my preferred tunes.

Bottom line: our 2008 rally enjoyment was in direct proportion to what we put into it, and as a result my son and I had a really good time. We didn't come to be spectators - we came to participate and experience. Reality check: although this rally was good, I thought last year's rally in Westbend was great, but hey, variety is the spice...

Anyway - thank you for stepping up Karol and Deb, it's great volunteers like you that make MOA the excellent organization it is. I'm already looking forward to helping out at the next rally!
 
Thanks again

Didn't get to say hi to either of you at the rally, you were both off and gone again too quickly. I have missed 3 National rallies since DuQuoin and back then only one of the family members was on a BMW! We make it part of our yearly vacation plans, last year was unavoidable due to dad getting sick two days before departure, but he's hanging in there. So, this year when my husbands health prevented him from riding, we decided to make the 3000 mile round trip in our RV(against doctors orders), 10 mpg, no bikes, yikes. We made do just like we would if we were in our tent mostly. We don't go to the rally for the food (nice if there is variety) but we make do with what's available or we forage, or the entertainment, some great, some not so hot. We go to see our friends from around the country that we may only get to see each year or two. We go to shop for all the farkles we think we may need for our bikes, knowing full well we could probably live without them. We go to see what each rally chair has come up with for ideas. We go to volunteer so we can see as many faces as possible. We go to hang out in the bier garten. :drink We just go, it's what we do, part of who we are.
So, to all our friends who called us every day of WestBend to keep us informed on what was going on and check on dad (and bring us mugs), thank you, that's why you are our friends.:heart
To Deb & Karol, thanks for over a years worth of hard work and planning, thanks again and we'll see you in TN!
 
Tina and I had a terrific time. Big props to Karol, Deb, Ray and the rest of the staff that helped make it a good time for so many.

Like life, your rally will be what you choose it to be.
 
Karol and Deb

Thanks for organizing this event. I can't even begin to imagine all the details and hundreds of 'moving parts' to make this event come off smoothly. And with a volunteer army to boot!

I did my research and did not come expecting trees (and was not disappointed) but was astounded by the utterly fantastic scenery and rides that Wyoming and the neighboring states offered. What an inspired selection of a locale - if not for MOA and your rally, I would never have ridden these roads.

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Thanks for EVERYTHING you did.....seen and unseen.


Bryan
 
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This was my first MOA rally (Greenhorn!) and I had a blast. Everything at the rally exceeded my expectations. The organization of everything was amazing, it totally blew me away. I helped out in registration (May I help YOU?) and had such a good time. It was fun to see all the road numb warriors trying to find their reg stuff. Most everyone was grinning ear to ear just to be there (sans one grumpy old fartbut lets forget him). The demo rides, seminars, beer garden, venders (and everything else) were awesome.

My only rally annoyance is directed at the small minority of whiners. If you didnÔÇÖt like the rally, step up and run the next rally and show us how it should be done.

Thank you Karol and Deb. I canÔÇÖt even imagine how much how much time and effort went to making this rally happen. I would like to apologize for those who canÔÇÖt or wonÔÇÖt appreciate what you two have accomplished. :clap
 
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