DougGrosjean
New member
Just a quick update / reminder - the Kid's Ride 2005 is still on. Been busy, but didn't want anybody to think I'd forgotten.
It'll be based out of the BMW MOA Rally at the Lima, Ohio fairgrounds in western Ohio; on July 23rd 2005.
The MOA has asked me to do a seminar on motorcycling with children....
since I'm going to be at the rally just short-term (Friday PM, Saturday PM, head home Sunday AM), I asked for a slot from 8:00a-9:00a Saturday morning for the seminar, and then having the Kid's Ride leave at 9:00a from where the lecture is held.
Did this for two reasons:
1. Kid's Ride people can find me easily.
2. Any Kid's Ride people that would like to come by a bit before the
start of the ride, say around 8:30a, could help me field questions and
show how *they* take their kids riding. I figure there's more than one
way to do just about anything....
Hoping some of the ride participants are willing to show up early with kids and gear, but if not it's not a biggie - I'm OK by myself too. Just wanted to show at the seminar more than just my way of doing things.
The ride itself is shaping up like this:
Head out of Lima at 9a.
Head south to New Bremmen, Ohio... more or less along OH-66, which follows remnants of the old Miami & Erie Canal. New Bremen is a former canal town, has a canal lock right in the middle of town, and a bicycle museum with 200 bicycles. I've peered in the windows, and it looks pretty
interesting...
Then continue south on OH-66 to Lockington / Piqua area. At Lockington, a section of the canal has been restored, and rides in a mule-drawn canal boat are available. There's also a working farm museum we could visit, depending on interest kevel of the group.
Then east to Urbana, to Freshwater Fish Farms, where the kids can feed fish and pet tame sturgeon. The sturgeon (sturgeons? ...there's more than one) snuggle right up to your hand when you put it in the water. Strange and fun.
Then depending on time, *maybe* catch a tour over at Zane Caverns. Was thinking that might be interesting for the above-ground Native American displays as well, even though some of us toured the cavern last year on the first Kid's Ride.
Navigation and restaurants are open to debate while on the fly. I figure half of us are adults, that I'm simply a guide and not a boss, and leaving those two items open to debate worked really well last year with auto-route on GPS taking us all down roads we'd never seen before. I really enjoyed that, actually. Felt like the best rides I've ever had, ie, not overly-scheduled, rather carefree.
Then back to the Lima fairgrounds, and put together a group cookout that night with whatever we can find. Lima is nearby for supplies.
My SO Sharon may be at the rally Saturday PM as well, and if so I can bring down a Coleman stove in her car to help with cook chores.
FWIW, Sharon's birthday is a couple days before the rally, so we'll probably spend some time out on the town Friday PM. Or George Thorogood is playing Friday at 6p at the rally, so that's a possibility as well.
There's about a half-dozen parents so far who've said they'll take part in the ride. When the date gets closer, I'll be glad to share my cellphone number, in the hopes of hooking up and maybe camping together, so the kids have other kids to visit / play with.
Also, for the parents / kids, from the "What you get" page:
Youth Events: A place for teens to hang out with each other.
Children's Events: Variety of activities for those 5-12 years of age while their parent(s) attend tech sessions and seminars.
Best,
Doug Grosjean
Luckey, Ohio
www.douggrosjean.com
It'll be based out of the BMW MOA Rally at the Lima, Ohio fairgrounds in western Ohio; on July 23rd 2005.
The MOA has asked me to do a seminar on motorcycling with children....
since I'm going to be at the rally just short-term (Friday PM, Saturday PM, head home Sunday AM), I asked for a slot from 8:00a-9:00a Saturday morning for the seminar, and then having the Kid's Ride leave at 9:00a from where the lecture is held.
Did this for two reasons:
1. Kid's Ride people can find me easily.
2. Any Kid's Ride people that would like to come by a bit before the
start of the ride, say around 8:30a, could help me field questions and
show how *they* take their kids riding. I figure there's more than one
way to do just about anything....
Hoping some of the ride participants are willing to show up early with kids and gear, but if not it's not a biggie - I'm OK by myself too. Just wanted to show at the seminar more than just my way of doing things.
The ride itself is shaping up like this:
Head out of Lima at 9a.
Head south to New Bremmen, Ohio... more or less along OH-66, which follows remnants of the old Miami & Erie Canal. New Bremen is a former canal town, has a canal lock right in the middle of town, and a bicycle museum with 200 bicycles. I've peered in the windows, and it looks pretty
interesting...
Then continue south on OH-66 to Lockington / Piqua area. At Lockington, a section of the canal has been restored, and rides in a mule-drawn canal boat are available. There's also a working farm museum we could visit, depending on interest kevel of the group.
Then east to Urbana, to Freshwater Fish Farms, where the kids can feed fish and pet tame sturgeon. The sturgeon (sturgeons? ...there's more than one) snuggle right up to your hand when you put it in the water. Strange and fun.
Then depending on time, *maybe* catch a tour over at Zane Caverns. Was thinking that might be interesting for the above-ground Native American displays as well, even though some of us toured the cavern last year on the first Kid's Ride.
Navigation and restaurants are open to debate while on the fly. I figure half of us are adults, that I'm simply a guide and not a boss, and leaving those two items open to debate worked really well last year with auto-route on GPS taking us all down roads we'd never seen before. I really enjoyed that, actually. Felt like the best rides I've ever had, ie, not overly-scheduled, rather carefree.
Then back to the Lima fairgrounds, and put together a group cookout that night with whatever we can find. Lima is nearby for supplies.
My SO Sharon may be at the rally Saturday PM as well, and if so I can bring down a Coleman stove in her car to help with cook chores.
FWIW, Sharon's birthday is a couple days before the rally, so we'll probably spend some time out on the town Friday PM. Or George Thorogood is playing Friday at 6p at the rally, so that's a possibility as well.
There's about a half-dozen parents so far who've said they'll take part in the ride. When the date gets closer, I'll be glad to share my cellphone number, in the hopes of hooking up and maybe camping together, so the kids have other kids to visit / play with.
Also, for the parents / kids, from the "What you get" page:
Youth Events: A place for teens to hang out with each other.
Children's Events: Variety of activities for those 5-12 years of age while their parent(s) attend tech sessions and seminars.
Best,
Doug Grosjean
Luckey, Ohio
www.douggrosjean.com
