MOA Getaway - Emerald Coast in Ft Walton Beach, Florida - February 18-20, 2022

20774 · Dec 19, 2021

Kicking off the year of Getaways, Florida's Gulf coast hosts a Getaway outside Ft. Walton Beach. Info here:

https://www.bmwmoa.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1583860&group=

HSVPhil · Dec 29, 2021

Just Sayin: the instructions to sign up for this Getaway as far as making a "special" room reservation are Not Working Well, most likely on the Hotel's end of the deal. After calling 866-430-2692 from the Getaway's description and waiting at least 17 minutes listening to "How Important My Call Was and sorry for the brief delay" to talk to someone, it turns out that this particular number sends you into the EXPEDIA reservation system, and this Indian fella had NO idea what an MOA Getaway in FLA was... Nor is this a typical hotel chain... Not familiar with the Red Lion Group of resorts? Since the original "Guest Services" agent at 800-874-8962 transferred my call to an unmanned office who did not pick up, it was said by a computer: "This phone number does not allow voice messages. Goodbye!"

So I got myself a very expensive room through the Hotel's Internet reservation goat-rope system, and I'll try to reach a different Human being on Thursday, Dec 30th...

Just thought I'd warn one or two of you about this circular firing squad...

Happy New Year, Y'all - Ciao!
HSV-Karen & HSV-Phil
USN-Ret'd —&— USAF-Ret'd
'09 650GS-twin —— '14 K-GT
'82 R100CS ——— '75 R90S
'16 R1200RS —-— ’05 Vespa 200L

GS2OFFROAD · Jan 19, 2022

Called the Island Hotel yesterday got through no problems $135 rate still available see you there!

yeehastephen · Jan 19, 2022

Took me 5 tries but I finally got thru to a person that booked me in for the 18/19th.
They said cancellation is 48 hours. Is that what you were getting?
Feb weather is kinda risky.

See ya' there.

SS

GS2OFFROAD · Feb 3, 2022

YeehaStephen said:
They said cancellation is 48 hours. Is that what you were getting?
Feb weather is kinda risky.

Yes, 48 hour cancel policy.

HSVPhil · Feb 4, 2022

GS2OFFROAD said:
Yes, 48 hour cancel policy.

Of course, this will still be a winter gathering! There's no Requirement to actually Ride Your BMW.
You may take any four-wheeler U deem appropriate {and thus travel in cozy comfort}.

T'was rather warmish & A-okay in 2019 in OB, AL {Before Covid}.
T'was rather quite Chilly in OB, AL in '21 {après covid}...

U make your own decisions; it's still The Sunshine State [as their logo implies].

rangerreece · Feb 5, 2022

Rhonda and I will be there; look forward to seeing everyone again. We will be checking out the Gulf-arium “aquarium” right beside the venue on Saturday (50% discount for military veterans through the month of February). Rhonda made our reservations, I just asked her if she had any issues registering and booking hotel rooms, she reports super easy… disclaimer: she’s a pro at registering for MOA events… if online registration was an Olympic sport… gold medalist.

yeehastephen · Feb 7, 2022

HSVPhil said:
There's no Requirement to actually Ride Your BMW.

.
Whaaaaaaaat!

yeehastephen · Feb 14, 2022

Riding in from Dallas TX.... Supposed to be severe storms out in front of us all the way.
Hope to dodge them by rolling in behind the front.

What time do we need to be to the hotel in time for dinner and drinks on Friday?

Anybody got a schedule of events I can use to finalize my plans?

SS

yeehastephen · Feb 14, 2022

Got an answer. Thanks Ray Tubbs!
SS

rangerreece · Feb 15, 2022

YeehaStephen said:
Got an answer. Thanks Ray Tubbs!
SS

Ride safe Stephen, we’ll see you there.

rockreid · Feb 17, 2022

Is there a schedule of events for this Emerald Coast rally? I live nearby in Santa Rosa Beach and would like to take advantagecof the beautiful weather we’ll be having down here this weekend ( sunny and 65F all weekend)

20774 · Feb 17, 2022

rockreid said:
Is there a schedule of events for this Emerald Coast rally?

It looks like Ray Tubbs does! See post #10.

rangerreece · Feb 18, 2022

Packing up this morning will be there in a few hours.

If you haven’t done it yet download the Ride GPS app, the schedule of events is there along with several plotted rides in the local area created by Emerald Coast Rider Shep Brown.

https://ridewithgps.com

Visian · Feb 18, 2022

rangerreece said:
If you haven’t done it yet download the Ride GPS app, the schedule of events is there along with several plotted rides in the local area created by Emerald Coast Rider Shep Brown.

https://ridewithgps.com

Here is the link to the MOA page...

And here's the link to The BMW MOA route library...

And here is a link to the MOA events page. Unfortunately I was not able to access the schedule of events. It said I was blocked... guess you saw me coming, eh? :ha

And here are the maps relative to the event.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35173623
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35178804

Trying to figure out why the maps won’t embed… they usually do. Did we kill the ability to embed iFrames? :dunno

HSVPhil · Feb 19, 2022

Are we having Fun yet?

Good to meet some old & new friends at Friday’s delicious BBQ buffet dinner (I went back for seconds)! :eat

Seemed to be about 11-12 tables w/6 chairs each so that tells me about 70 folks signed up...

It’s certainly a Kool breeze this Sat AM (temp now up to 50F at 1000); we’ll take their suggested ride over to the USAF Armament Museum beside the Eglin AFB entrance. Worth every cent for admission... :usa

It’s free....
http://www.afarmamentmuseum.com

Ted Moyer spoke about the oral-history project where folks call up the hard-copy printers; it’s a personal choice kinda thing.
They Will Try to Sell U their final product, but a simple “No Thanks" should suffice and your two prized photos will still get included eventually.

Happy Trails whenever-wherever U can; Ciao!
HSV-Karen & HSV-Phil
USN-Ret'd —&— USAF-Ret’d
'09 650GS-twin — '14 K-GT
'82 R100CS ——— '75 R90S
'16 R1200RS —-— ’05 Vespa 200L

HSVPhil · Feb 19, 2022

Thanx again to Ray Tubbs & associates for hosting another splendid Getaway!

Think all the Attendees had a Biggly Fun Time during this sunny weekend! Tonight’s fare was more seafood oriented and still delicious... I won a rebate for a future Getaway as a door prize (which we’ll certainly use in ’22!).

The FWB Getaway Leadership associates for the 2022 FLA getaway in all of its glory!

P&K on the beach with the Island Resort as a backdrop.

View from above of the large internal party zone -- if only it was just a tad bit warmer this February.

Directional signpost inside of the zone.

Mrs-HSV in front of the AF Armament Museum and the Mother of all Bombs!

HSV-Phil next to an AGM-86 ALCM in the Museum. I used to write code for these things in the basement of SAC HQs in the 80’s... Note that long orange Tomahawk Cruise Missile in the background... I programmed them too at my next assignment.

Close-up of the General Dynamics Tomahawk (in its brightly colored public display format.)

Come join the fun next February -- the More the Merrier!

Happy Trails whenever U can! Ciao,
HSV-Karen & HSV-Phil
USN-Ret'd —&— USAF-Ret’d
'09 650GS-twin — '14 K-GT
'82 R100CS ——— '75 R90S
'16 R1200RS —-— ’05 Vespa 200L
:beer

lee · Feb 20, 2022

Thanks for the report and photos Phil.

rangerreece · Feb 21, 2022

A great kick off to the getaway season. It was great seeing so many close friends again. 2022 is going to be a great year.

yeehastephen · Feb 23, 2022

Well we did it. Rode in from DFW Texas, about 800 miles the way we went.
Severe storms thru the area, we took our time getting down, just following the front. 42 when we left Dallas but quickly jumped to the low 70's as we ran into the back of the front in deep E Texas. Overnighted in Natchez MS and the front caught us again. 44 when we left Natchez and again warmed up into the 70's as we crossed MS and AL. Beautiful day pulling into the hotel at the Emerald Coast!
Piddled around Saturday and walked the beach some, sipping on spicy Bloody Marys and visiting a couple of the local sites. Went to the madhouse that is Destin FL for a while also. Whew! The traffic was as familiar as Airport Frwy in Dallas rush hour!
Hit Vicksburg and the Vicksburg National Military Park and the USS Cairo on the way home. Timed it perfect, again between storms as we pushed on and overnighted in Monroe LA. Clear sailing all the way home and beat the next thunderstorm front blowing thru DFW the night we got home (safe n' sound!)
Great time, great food and wonderful people.
Thanks for the invite.

Stephen and Mike

MOA Getaway - Emerald Coast in Ft Walton Beach, Florida - February 18-20, 2022

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