The RA rally Location 2010

PAULBACH said:

Yankee Beemer Rally from 2009

• Touch All The Bases (VT, NY, MA, NH)
• Don't Whiff (and miss all the fun)
• Don't Strike Out (Come Early ~ Stay Late)
• A Bronx Cheer For The Yankee Beemers (In Heath, MA)
• Ride The Gap (In Vermont)
• Nail Down Your Riding (Tour All of New England)

Think about it! You will be camping at the Gateway to all of New England. Spend a couple of weeks on the cheap and have the riding summer to be remembered for years. With a bit of planning you could tour all of New England and the Adirondacks of New York

850 Mile Grand Slam Home-run The above is just an idea of what can be planned to Ride New England!

Include in loop is:

• Pownal and the RA Rally
• Lake Placid
• Mt. Washington
• Maine's Rocky Coast
• Portsmouth
• The Beast of the East ~ The Mohawk Trail
• MAX BMW

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That's dang close to what we had in mind Paul. The maps and destination ideas has been great. One place we do want to visit (based on recommendations of a artist friend) is Shelburne Falls, Mass. (www.shelburnefalls.com) Saw the Bob Dylan album cover using the bridge of flowers. Cool! - Bob

This might be the information you need from a previous post:

The Bridge of Flowers is open April 1 through late fall and is located off Route 2 on the Mohawk Trail in the beautiful village of Shelburne Falls. It spans the Deerfield River, connecting the lovely towns of Shelburne and Buckland. Once an abandoned trolley bridge, now a garden pathway, the Bridge has been cared for by the Shelburne Falls Area Women's Club Bridge of Flowers Committee for 80 years.

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Destination: Shelburne, Massachusetts
Distance from Pownal: 37 Miles
Duration: One Hour

For more information about Shelburne Falls destination, click here!

And, best of all, the Route to Shelburne Falls covers part of the Beast Of The East, The Mohawk Trail

• Sunday Camping - FREE
• Monday Camping - FREE
• Tuesday Camping - FREE
• Wednesday Camping - FREE

One Route Across The Catskills


(GPX File Available)

The are many routes across the Catskill and onward to Pownal. This route takes you past Kaaterskill Falls, the highest falls in New York; yes, higher than Niagara but not the volume. After the Catskills this route continues north on the Taconic State Parkway. Exit the parkway and head north to Route 2, The Beast Of The East more commonly known as the Taconic Trail. The route is full of twisties, a few hairpin turns and some grand vistas.

Here is the turn by turn directions. I will be happy to email the GPX file to anyone contacting me as well as attempting to attach it to this post.

Summary: 215.7 miles (4 hours, 23 minutes)

Time Mile Instruction For
9:00 AM 0.0 Depart Hancock on SR-97 [E Main St] (West) 0.7 mi
9:01 AM 0.7 Turn RIGHT (North) onto SR-97 [Sands Creek Rd] 0.1 mi
9:02 AM 0.9 Road name changes to CR-67 [Sands Creek Rd] 6.3 mi
9:09 AM 7.2 At near Kelsey, stay on CR-67 [Sands Creek Rd] (North) 3.1 mi
9:12 AM 10.3 Turn RIGHT (North-East) onto SR-10 4.2 mi
9:17 AM 14.4 At SR-10, stay on SR-10 (East) 14.1 mi
9:32 AM 28.6 Turn RIGHT (South-East) onto SR-10 [SR-206] 16.9 mi
9:52 AM 45.4 At Delhi, stay on SR-10 [Main St] (North-East) 0.2 mi
9:52 AM 45.6 Turn RIGHT (South-East) onto SR-28 12.3 mi
10:07 AM 57.9 Turn LEFT (East) onto SR-28 [Lower Main St] 11.6 mi
10:20 AM 69.4 Turn LEFT (North-West) onto SR-30 [Bridge St] 0.1 mi
10:20 AM 69.5 Turn LEFT (South-West) onto Main St 65 yds
10:21 AM 69.6 At Margaretville, return North-East on Main St 65 yds
10:21 AM 69.6 Turn RIGHT (South-East) onto SR-30 [Bridge St] 0.1 mi
10:22 AM 69.7 Turn LEFT (East) onto SR-28 15.4 mi
10:39 AM 85.2 Turn LEFT (North) onto SR-42 11.4 mi
10:53 AM 96.6 Turn RIGHT (South-East) onto SR-23A 3.8 mi
10:58 AM 100.4 At near South Jewett, stay on SR-23A (East) 3.8 mi
11:02 AM 104.2 Keep STRAIGHT onto SR-23A [Main St] 2.0 mi
11:05 AM 106.3 Keep STRAIGHT onto SR-23A 2.4 mi
11:07 AM 108.6 Keep STRAIGHT onto SR-23A [Main St] 1.8 mi
11:12 AM 110.4 Bear LEFT (East) onto SR-23A 2.9 mi
11:16 AM 113.3 At 4462 SR-23A, Elka Park, NY 12427, stay on SR-23A (South) 11.3 mi
11:29 AM 124.7 Bear LEFT (East) onto US-9W [W Bridge St] 1.9 mi
11:34 AM 126.5 Bear RIGHT (East) onto Ramp 0.3 mi
11:35 AM 126.8 Keep LEFT to stay on Ramp 21 yds
11:35 AM 126.8 Bear LEFT (South) onto Local road(s) 21 yds
11:35 AM 126.8 Bear LEFT (South-East) onto SR-23 4.6 mi
11:41 AM 131.4 Keep STRAIGHT onto US-9 [SR-23] 2.7 mi
11:44 AM 134.2 Keep LEFT onto SR-82 4.8 mi
11:49 AM 138.9 Take Ramp (RIGHT) onto Taconic State Pkwy 1.7 mi
11:51 AM 140.7 Turn LEFT (East) onto Lake Taghkanic Rd, then immediately turn LEFT (North) onto Taconic State Pkwy 1.7 mi
11:53 AM 142.4 At Taconic State Pkwy, stay on Taconic State Pkwy (North) 22.0 mi
12:16 PM 164.3 Keep RIGHT onto Ramp 109 yds
12:16 PM 164.4 Bear LEFT (North-East) onto Birge Hill Rd 0.2 mi
12:16 PM 164.6 Turn RIGHT (East) onto SR-295 2.6 mi
12:20 PM 167.1 Keep STRAIGHT onto SR-295 [CR-9] 153 yds
12:20 PM 167.2 At SR-295, stay on SR-295 [CR-9] (East) 1.0 mi
12:21 PM 168.2 Bear RIGHT (East) onto SR-295 3.3 mi
12:24 PM 171.5 Turn LEFT (North) onto CR-5 4.2 mi
12:29 PM 175.7 Turn RIGHT (East) onto US-20 [Columbia Pike] 2.0 mi
12:32 PM 177.7 Bear LEFT (North) onto SR-22 21.1 mi
12:57 PM 198.8 Turn RIGHT (South-East) onto Hewitt Rd 0.2 mi
12:58 PM 199.0 Turn LEFT (East) onto CR-90 [River Rd] 0.7 mi
1:00 PM 199.7 Turn LEFT (North-West) onto SR-2 [Taconic Trail] 0.3 mi
1:00 PM 200.0 At SR-2, return East on SR-2 7.2 mi
1:07 PM 205.8 Entering Massachusetts
1:10 PM 207.3 At near Hemlock Brook, stay on SR-2 [Taconic Trail] (South-East) 2.4 mi
1:13 PM 209.6 Turn LEFT (North) onto US-7 [SR-2] 6.1 mi
1:22 PM 214.4 Entering Vermont
1:23 PM 215.7 Arrive RA Rally


SUMMARY
Driving distance: 215.7 miles
Trip duration: 4 hours, 23 minutes


COME EARLY - STAY LATE - No charge for camping before the rally starts. Vermont wants you to come and have a great time.

• Sunday - FREE
• Monday - FREE
• Tuesday - FREE
• Wednesday - FREE

And, stick around for the Yankee Beemer rally. For more information about the YB Rally click here.

tried to find that Bob Dylan Bridge of Flowers posters but no liuck. anyone else able to find that poster?? - Bob

Warren Falls - An Old Fashioned Vermont Swimming Hole

Warren Falls
A natural water-park, the Warren Falls is fun for all ages. With pools of crystal clear water ranging in depth from 1 to 10 feet, the Falls are a local summertime tradition that no one should miss. Prehistoric boulders serve as diving platforms at heights for everyone to enjoy.

Admission: Free

Difficulty: Easy

Photography
There is a great deal to photograph here, you just need to make sure conditions are ideal. If the water is too high, you'll lose the colors in the pools. Ideally, you'll go late on a cool, clear day. Warm days attract swimmers, so a cool day is a must. Overcast days don't seem to provide the light that saturates the colors in the pools. If you are looking for color, be here during sweet light in a period of low water. Have your tripod, polarizer, and a warming filter. Be sure to eye check the warming filter to see how it affects the colors. Focal lengths in the 28-105mm range should capture most everything you'll see here.

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Destination: Warren, Vermont
Distance: 115 Miles
Duration: 2 Hours and 25 Minutes

For more information about Warren Falls, click here.

COME EARLY - STAY LATE - No charge for camping before the rally starts. Vermont wants you to come and have a great time.

• Sunday Camping - FREE
• Monday Camping - FREE
• Tuesday Camping - FREE
• Wednesday Camping - FREE

And, stick around for the Yankee Beemer rally. For more information about the YB Rally click here.

PAULBACH said:

Destination: Warren, Vermont
Distance: 115 Miles
Duration: 2 Hours and 25 Minutes

For more information about Warren Falls, click here.

COME EARLY - STAY LATE - No charge for camping before the rally starts. Vermont wants you to come and have a great time.

• Sunday - FREE
• Monday - FREE
• Tuesday - FREE
• Wednesday - FREE

And, stick around for the Yankee Beemer rally. For more information about the YB Rally click here.

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always liked rt 100. Almost move to Waterbury years ago. Liked the little town of Green Mountain Coffee with Ben and Jerry's just up the road. Vermont just seemed like a place that suited my lifestyle ambitions. Although we would have loved to have made it to the MOA in Redmond again we are very excited about being able to attend the RA and thanks Paul for all of the info about riding and destination options! - Bob

Thanks Bob!

Lots more to come. There is so much to see and do since the location is at the corner of three states:

• Vermont
• Massachusetts
• New York

Redmond would make a great journey but for some folks the time commitment is difficult. Some folks will be able to do both and I envy them. But for folks in the East, the RA rally falls at a convenient time and location.

Visit Camelot Without Leaving Vermont

The shops at Camelot Village are nestled in vintage 18th century barns in historic Bennington, VT. The Village offers a taste of country, creativity, and nostalgia through the rich diverse offerings of its six different businesses.

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You want over 10,000 square feet of antiques, everything from ABC plates to Yelloware, click here.

You want over 20 flavors of homemade fudge, click here.

You want:

• Yankee Candles and Accessories
• Vera Bradley Bags
• Lang Folk Art
• Chamilia Beads and Jewelry
• Camille Beckman Products
• Primal Elements Glycerine Soaps
• Willow Tree Angles
• Silk and Dried Florals
• Ribbons
• Windchimes

then, click here.

Are you looking for over 100 years of antique and vintage fashions, from the Civil War era of the 1860s to the the Disco era of the 1970s? Looking for period clothing, hats, purses, shoes and many accessories? How about millinery supplies and a lovely selection of signed and unsigned costume jewelry, then click here.



Destination: Bennington
Distance: 11 Miles
Duration: 22 Minutes

COME EARLY - STAY LATE - No charge for camping before the rally starts. Vermont wants you to come and have a great time. [/B]

• Sunday - FREE
• Monday - FREE
• Tuesday - FREE
• Wednesday - FREE

And, stick around for the Yankee Beemer rally. For more information about the YB Rally click here.

A Short Ride With Big Smiles

Hiya folks.
Ya say ya lost your job today?
Ya say its 4 A.M. and your kids ain't home from school yet?
Ya say your wife went out for a corned beef sandwich last weekend - the corned beef sandwich came back but she didn't?
Ya say your furniture is out all over the sidewalk 'cause ya can't pay the rent and ya got chapped lips and paper cuts and your feets all swollen up and blistered from pounding the pavement looking for work?

Is that whats troubling ya, fellow?

Well, lift your head up high and take a ride in the sun with dignity and stick-to-it-ness and ya show the world, ya show the world where to get off. You'll never give up, never give up, never give up...that motorcycle!

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(Apologies to the Old Philospher)

Here's a plan for those lucky enough to arrive early and take advantage of FREE camping. Gather your camera, riding buddies and an appetite.

Leave the rally site and have lunch at the Big Moose Deli on Route 7 in Hoosick, NY. The wraps are huge and all the pies are homemade but resist since you are going to have ice-cream at the next stop.

Head north on Route 7 and stop for ice-cream at Vermont Confectionery.

Just a mile away is Camelot Village.

After Camelot Village, less than a mile away is the Grave of Robert Frost, the iconic Poet Laureate who read at the inauguration of President Kennedy. But wait, the journey is not yet over.

A few hundred yards from the 18th century church and the grave of Robert Frost is the Bennington Monument, the highest building in Vermont. Take the elevator up and take some shots of three different states.





Time Mile Instruction For
9:00 AM 0.0 Depart 6619 Ethan Allen Hwy, Pownal, VT 05261 on US-7 [Ethan Allen Hwy] (North-West) 0.5 mi
9:00 AM 0.5 Turn LEFT (West) onto SR-346 6.7 mi
9:06 AM 5.1 Entering New York
9:09 AM 7.1 Turn RIGHT (North) onto CR-95 [Green Rd] 1.2 mi
9:11 AM 8.4 Keep STRAIGHT onto CR-95 [Petersburg Junction Rd] 87 yds
9:11 AM 8.4 Bear LEFT (North) onto CR-95 [South St] 1.6 mi
9:13 AM 10.1 Turn RIGHT (East) onto SR-7 54 yds
9:13 AM 10.1 At Big Moose Deli, stay on SR-7 (East) 3.2 mi [#2]
9:17 AM 13.3 Entering Vermont
9:17 AM 13.3 Road name changes to SR-9 [Molly Stark Trail] 3.2 mi
9:22 AM 16.5 At Camelot Village, stay on SR-9 [Molly Stark Trail] (East) 0.2 mi
9:22 AM 16.7 Bear RIGHT (East) onto Local road(s) 43 yds
9:23 AM 16.7 Road name changes to Church Street 43 yds
9:23 AM 16.7 At Robert Frost Grave-site, stay on Church St (West) 32 yds [#4]
9:23 AM 16.7 Road name changes to Local road(s) 43 yds
9:24 AM 16.7 Turn RIGHT (North) onto SR-9 [Molly Stark Trail] 98 yards
9:24 AM 16.8 Keep LEFT onto Monument Ave 0.3 mi
9:26 AM 17.1 Turn RIGHT (North-East) onto Monument Circle 65 yards [#5]
9:26 AM 17.2 At Bennington Monument [15 Monument Circle, Bennington VT, return West on Monument Circle 65 yds
9:26 AM 17.2 Turn LEFT (South) onto Monument Ave 0.4 mi
9:28 AM 17.6 Keep STRAIGHT onto Monument Ave [Monument Ave Ext] 2.3 mi
9:31 AM 19.9 Turn RIGHT (West) onto Carpenter Hill Rd 1.9 mi
9:36 AM 21.7 At Carpenter Hill Road, stay on Carpenter Hill Rd (South-West) 2.3 mi
9:42 AM 24.1 Turn LEFT (East) onto N Pownal Rd 1.0 mi
9:44 AM 25.1 Turn RIGHT (South) onto US-7 [Ethan Allen Hwy] 3.5 mi
9:49 AM 28.6 Arrive 6662 US-7, Pownal, VT 05261


SUMMARY
Driving distance: 28.6 miles

Breaking News ...

Three bands have been booked and one of the vendors is providing a German umpah band - on their nickel. The BOD is meeting tomorrow (4/17/2010) and more detailed information will be provided.

Covered Bridge Museum

You may pass through All Five Bennington County Covered Bridges in a standard size automobile - one lane only.

Bridges were covered to keep the wood dry and thereby avoid rot. This became the trend in 1805 when a bridge designed by Timothy Palmer, an architect proved most durable.

Most covered bridges are painted red because iron ochre was an inexpensive pigment.
Here is an early recipe for bridge paint:

• 2 qts skim milk buttermilk or whey;
• 8 oz newly slaked lime
• 6oz oil from ground flaxseed
• 2oz turpentine
• 1.5lbs pulverized ochre.

The most common type of covered bridge is Town Lattice. All Bennington County Bridges are of this type.

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The below ride starts from the bmw ra rally site in Pownal and wonders back roads to and from the museum. Route 7 in NY is part of the route but is twisty and undulating. The route goes past the Big Moose Deli in Hoosick, NY my favorite place to stop, relax, have a sandwich and bring home a slice of homemade pie. The chocolate chunk cookies are huge. But, don't tell a soul.


Destination: Bennington,Vermont
Distance from Pownal: 16 Miles
Duration: 21 Minutes

For more information about the Covered Bridge Museum, click here!

The best riding in three states await you!

COME EARLY - STAY LATE - No charge for camping before the rally starts. Vermont wants you to come and have a great time.

• Sunday - FREE
• Monday - FREE
• Tuesday - FREE
• Wednesday - FREE

And, stick around for the Yankee Beemer Rally. For more information about the YB Rally click here.

Looking For An Antique?

If Manchester is the Bennington County capital of outlet stores then East Arlington is the capital of antique dealers. If you have never been to East Arlington, nestled in the hills between Historic Route 7A and U.S. Route 7, it is a Vermont town that hasn't changed very much over the years since Norman Rockwell was living and painting in the area. The relaxed country village atmosphere is perfect for the weary traveler to park and grab a bite at the local cafe and browse the Candlemill shops and sit by the gurgling brook that runs through town like a heartbeat of the mountains.

It is in this setting that the two buildings of the East Arlington Antiques Center is located. The Main Street shop is in a building, which was built in the 1830s, was one of Vermont's first hardware stores, and later the Post Office. The shop is owned and operated by Phil Elwell, who was born in Shaftsbury and moved to Arlington in 1963. Phil has been operating this business above the village Post Office since 1988 and who has joined in a partnership with Rick and Ed Hawley of HBH Prestain up the road whose family owned the old movie theatre around the corner which is now the larger of the two locations for the Center.

The Hawley family has owned the property where the Old Movie Theatre shop is since before the Revolutionary War. Between the two shops of the Center there are over 125 dealers renting space or selling on commission.

In talking to Phil and John Maynard, the manager of the old Theatre shop, I found that antique dealing is less of a money making venture than a labor of love for antiques. Phil says there are two kinds of dealers, "Some do it for a living touring the country trying to find treasures, others as a part time business to supplement their income. A lot of people aren't in it for the money, they"re in it to try to add to their collection of follow their interests."

I asked Phil if he felt there was a lot of competition in the antique market in the area, but he said, "the more shops in the area the better. Whether they be antique centers of specialty shops." Mainly because people will tend to go where there is a concentration and maximize their time shopping.

If you have never had the antique shopping experience it is worthwhile to visit these two unique stores-in-one. The historic setting of the immediate area lends itself to the experience. In talking about the energy from having such a concentration of articles from the past John notes that, "I have people from all around the world in here and it"s exciting when they get part way around, they just feel so good with the high atmosphere, I"ve had Sinatra tapes playing and seen people dancing on the other end of the store."

There is something for everyone at the Center, John notes, "One of the beautys of a place like this is the variety of the items, the fun part is that you can have some really old French furniture, this 1790 table for instance, and right next to it have something really funky." ALthough the two shops are different in regards to size and layout, they both feature a wide variety of items that are a reflection of the interests of the individual dealers who have arranged the displays. Some are interested in kitchen ware, with boxes of soap flakes from 1939, roller pins and egg crates, and others feature coins, jewelry or French enamel ware, and still others are an eclectic mix.

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Destination: East Arlington, Vermont
Distance from Pownal: 31 Miles
Duration: 42 Minutes

For more information about East Arlington click here!

The best riding in three states await you!

COME EARLY - STAY LATE - No charge for camping before the rally starts. Vermont wants you to come and have a great time.

• Sunday - FREE
• Monday - FREE
• Tuesday - FREE
• Wednesday - FREE

And, stick around for the Yankee Beemer Rally. For more information about the YB Rally click here.

Ride on a Harpoon

In the Summer of 2000, we purchased a second brewery in Windsor, Vermont. This opportunity arose at a time when we were operating at capacity in Boston and looking for ways to meet the growing demand for Harpoon beer. The Windsor Brewery was built in 1998 for $5 million dollars and had a capacity to brew 30,000 Barrels a year. In the Winter of 2005, we added tanks to increase capacity to 55,000 barrels a year. In addition to brewing Harpoon at our original brewery in Boston, we currently brew Harpoon beer and the Leviathan Series beers at the Windsor facility.

At Harpoon we have always worked hard to make great beer and welcome our customers to the brewery. We hope that you come visit our Windsor Brewery and see for yourself what makes our brewery - and our beer - special. Our Windsor Brewery features a Production Viewing Area where you can check out the Brewhouse "up close" and learn about Harpoon. We also feature a Brewery Store and restaurant known as the Harpoon Riverbend Taps and Beer Garden.

We are open during Presidents Weekend, Labor Day Weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, Columbus Day Weekend, MLK Weekend. We offer free in-depth brewery tours of the Windsor Brewery at 3:00 pm on Friday and Saturday. Reservations are not neccassry, but the tour size is limited to first 30 people on a first come first serve basis. We request that children do not participate in the tour to allow room for those 21 years and older. The tour includes a walk through the brewery (depending on Brewery Production at the time of the tour) and complimentary samples of Harpoon beer. It lasts about 45 minutes. You must be 21 years or older with proper ID to sample.

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Today's route avoids the slat although there is very little slab in Vermont. It starts out and follows the Beast of The East for awhile and then passes some wind turbines in Searsburg and heads north on Route 100. A finer ride would be hard to find.

Destination:Windsor, Vermont
Distance from Pownal: 112 Miles
Duration: 2 Hours 45 Minutes

For more information about today's destination, click here!

336 Ruth Carney Drive
Windsor, VT 05089-9419
Get Directions
(802) 674-5491

The best riding in three states await you!

COME EARLY - STAY LATE - No charge for camping before the rally starts. Vermont wants you to come and have a great time.

• Sunday - FREE
• Monday - FREE
• Tuesday - FREE
• Wednesday - FREE

And, stick around for the Yankee Beemer Rally. For more information about the YB Rally click here.

Cutting The Cheese



For more information about Vermont's cheese industry, click here.



The closest cheese producer to the rally site is Maplebrook Farm in Bennington just a few miles from the rally.

Maplebrook Farm cheeses are made daily by skilled old-world cheese artisans. We make our own curd from the milk of cows that are rBGH free and that graze in the green mountains of Vermont. Our cheeses are made in small batches using all natural ingredients with no preservatives.

Our cheese is a 100% Vermont product. When you buy this product, you are directly helping to support small dairy farms of Vermont. All our cheese is made from whole milk that has been pasteurized. A gluten free product and there is no corn in the veg rennet we use.

Our Story
In 2003, while visiting Manchester, Vermont, Johann Englert had a flash-back to her college years. A cluster of fresh mozzarella balls sitting on the counter of Al Ducci's Groceria reminded her of a groceria she and her mother had visited while traveling in Italy. The cheese artisans at Al Ducci's produced genuine, Old World mozzarella. Johann could not find that level of quality in Boston and bought 20 balls of mozzarella on the spot. She asked Mike Scheps, the owner's son and third generation cheesemaker, if he would be able to supply her with small quantities. Little did they know, a business was born.

After sampling those 20 balls, 5 out of 6 gourmet shops in Boston wanted more of this genuine mozzarella. Johann and Mike were onto something. Business boomed as the operation moved from a kitchen to a small store to the purchase of a building. They developed an apprenticeship program to teach new employees the art of making perfect mozzarella. The program started with 3 local Vermonters and has grown to include 20 employees who are making small batches of cheese and wrapping them by hand every day of the week.

From those first 20 mozzarella balls to the current 20,000 produced weekly, Maplebrook Farm has established itself as a premier artisan cheese producer distributing products up and down the East Coast.

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Destination: Maplebrook Farms
Distance: 14 Miles
Duration: 30 Minutes

For more information:
453 East Rd
Bennington, VT 05201-8005
(802) 440-9950

The best riding in New England awaits you!

COME EARLY - STAY LATE - No charge for camping before the rally starts. Vermont wants you to come and have a great time.

• Sunday - FREE
• Monday - FREE
• Tuesday - FREE
• Wednesday - FREE

And, stick around for the Yankee Beemer Rally. For more information about the YB Rally click here.

Volunteer Solicitation!!!

Attention to all PRA'S!! ( Prospective Rally Attendees)

Volunteer Help is always needed and as a matter of course, encouraged. Therefore as the newly appointed and accepted Volunteer Rally coordinator and also the Assistant to the Chair, I hope that many who are going to his event consider Volunteering and then you could be a PRAVet and be thanked for your service.
Join the ranks of those who have stepped up and have been counted, Be a part of the brotherhood that as defended our country, like the Green Mountain Boys, also those who protected your houses from fire, and those like yours truly who dove beneath the chilly depths of the sea. The cominality? ALL VOLUNTEERS!


So, Come On! Be a PRAVeteer! Enlist now with a note on what you want to do, what talent you may offer to share or just a line to show some support and offer some help to make this rally a smooth running machine.

E-mail me at..... RA_GATEWAY10@yahoo.com
to get this thing rolling.

Robert Bailey

Assistant to the Chair &
Volunteer coordinator

In!

enfoman said:

Volunteer Help is always needed...

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Count me in! PM sent.

-MTS

Home of the Little Giant



How good is your knowledge of US History?

Where was Stephen Douglas born?
Why is he famous?
Which future first lady did he briefly court?
Who did he defeat for the Senate seat from Illinois?

Read on ...

Stephen Arnold Douglas (April 23, 1813 ÔÇô June 3, 1861) was an American politician from the western state of Illinois, and was the Northern Democratic Party nominee for President in 1860. He lost to the Republican Party's candidate, Abraham Lincoln, whom he had defeated two years earlier in a Senate contest following a famed series of debates. He was nicknamed the "Little Giant" because he was short of stature but was considered by many a "giant" in politics. Douglas was well-known as a resourceful party leader, and an adroit, ready, skillful tactician in debate and passage of legislation.

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The Brandon Museum at the Stephen A. Douglas Birthplace celebrates the history and lives of early Brandon residents in a first generation Vermont home and follows the national crisis of the mid 1800s and the anti-slavery movement and how it impacted one Vermont town. Visitor Center open year-round. Museum open mid May through mid October. At the intersection of Route 7 & 73 West.

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Destination: Brandon , Vermont
Distance from Pownal: 80 Miles
Duration: 1 Hour & 40 Minutes

For more information about today's destination, click here.

The best riding in New England awaits you!

COME EARLY - STAY LATE - No charge for camping before the rally starts. Vermont wants you to come and have a great time.

• Sunday - FREE
• Monday - FREE
• Tuesday - FREE
• Wednesday - FREE

And, stick around for the Yankee Beemer Rally. For more information about the YB Rally click here.

Time Travel Is Possible!

Received my May 2010 issue of Smithsonian Magazine yesterday. The magazine always stretches the magazine and takes me to places I missed by ignoring the road less traveled. On the cover was one of Vermont's iconic red covered bridges with Venerable Vermont as a subtitle. The May issue said this about Vermont:

I crossed over covered bridges spanning sun-dappled rivers, past cornfields and grazing cows, into a landscape punctuated by churches with tall steeples and 18th-century brick houses behind white picket fences. A farmer rode a tractor across freshly mowed acreage; old-timers stared at me from a sagging porch at the edge of a dilapidated village. My trip included stops at a flourishing summer theater; an artisanal cheese maker in a state famous for its cheddars and ch?¿vres; the 19th-century homestead of an American president; primeval hemlock stands and high passes strewn with massive, mossy boulders; and bogs where moose gather in the early evening. On either side of me rose Vermont’s Green Mountains, the misty peaks that set its citizens apart from “flatlanders,” as Vermonters call anyone—tourist or resident—who hails from across state lines.

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Time travel is possible. Just head for Route 100 and travel north from the RA Rally site in Pownal. The journey will be sublime.











For more information about the Smithsonian Article click here.

The best riding in New England awaits you!

COME EARLY - STAY LATE - No charge for camping before the rally starts. Vermont wants you to come and have a great time.

• Sunday - FREE
• Monday - FREE
• Tuesday - FREE
• Wednesday - FREE

And, stick around for the Yankee Beemer Rally. For more information about the YB Rally click here.

The Coolest American President

Unique in American history, Calvin Coolidge was sworn in as President by his father, in Plymouth Notch, his boyhood home on August 3, 1923.

It was in the family homestead in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, that a vacationing Vice President Calvin Coolidge received an urgent message from Washington.

Moments later, by the light of a kerosene lamp, Coolidge took the oath of office from his father, the local notary public, following the untimely death of President Warren Harding. Years later, Coolidge wrote, "It seemed a simple and natural thing to do at the time, but I can now realize something of the dramatic force of the event."

The homestead remains exactly as it was the night Coolidge took office. In fact, much of the village of Plymouth Notch is unchanged since the early 20th century. The Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site is considered one of the best preserved Presidential sites in the nation.

In addition to the homestead, visitors may tour the Plymouth Cheese Factory - established by the President's father - and sample the granular curd cheese produced there. Other buildings open to the public include the Cilley General Store, the Post Office, the Wilder Restaurant (serving lunch), the church, several barns displaying farming tools of the era, the dance hall that served as the Summer White House, and the home where the future President was born.

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This is one sweet ride especially if you stop in the Vermont Country Store in Weston. Part of the ride is along fabled Route 100 and that along makes the ride worthwhile.

Destination:Plymouth Notch, Vermont
Distance from Pownal: 74 Miles
Duration: 1 Hour 40 Minutes

For more information about Plymouth Notch, click here!

The best riding in New England awaits you!

COME EARLY - STAY LATE - No charge for camping before the rally starts. Vermont wants you to come and have a great time.

• Sunday - FREE
• Monday - FREE
• Tuesday - FREE
• Wednesday - FREE

And, stick around for the Yankee Beemer Rally. For more information about the YB Rally click here.

Ride to an Institution


It's a journey back in time and just fun to browse.


Haven't seen these in years. Maybe the TSA seized all of them to protect the airlines industry.


Penny candy is now quarter candy


Try just one of each and there won't be room for dinner.


They really know how to cut the cheese in Vermont


I remember one of these. The "automatic" washer was a big improvement.


For those with a truly discriminating taste. The taste of Moxie is not soon forgotten.


Destination:Weston, Vermont
Distance from Pownal: 52 Miles
Duration: 1 Hour 5 Minutes

For more information about The Vermont Country Store, click here

The best riding in New England awaits you!

COME EARLY - STAY LATE - No charge for camping before the rally starts. Vermont wants you to come and have a great time.

• Sunday - FREE
• Monday - FREE
• Tuesday - FREE
• Wednesday - FREE

And, stick around for the Yankee Beemer Rally. For more information about the YB Rally click here.