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2013 Rally Including current updates

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Great Idea, same timing though. Train goes same speed, more stops. Would be a great time having MOA gatherings in dinning car though, just hard to get tents up in sleeping cars.:brad
Actually would consider that, it would be fun.

Not really....the train doesn't stop to sleep. But I may be in as well
 
I've got my rooms already booked and will enjoy myself along with my wife and everyone else who chooses to attend. We also plan to volunteer our services a bit while we're there.
 
Rally train

I rode the 2001 Rally Train from Chicago to Portland. Great time, still meet some of my fellow train ralliers at the Nationals.
It was a 48 hour train ride from Chi to Port. We played many a card game.:)
 
Is there any chance that the Board can influence Amtrak to have a Rally Train going from, say Chicago to Portland? That might help a LOT of people with limited time to attend the Rally from the East side to the West...there and/or back?
Thanks


This club is all about volunteers. Contact Amtrak and find out what it would take to put that train trip together.
You can be the Rallytrainmaster, maybe they'll let you blow the whistle! :)
 
If anyone doesn't mind...I'll contact Amtrak to see if I can put a Rally Train together for anyone that would want to ride/and pack their bikes on a rail ride from Chicago to Portland for the 2013 Rally. If anyone is interested...it could give me an estimate of how many would be interested. I'm sure the MORE there are...the easier it would be to talk to them and make it worth their effort and ours to put a package together.

Give me a head count folks???

Bill

PM me if interested....
 
' The info below is the essential part of an article for an upcoming ON (no sooner than) November.

The train departure/arrival times may vary by a few minutes by next July, but not by much.

2013 RALLY TRAIN SUMMARY

We are planning a rally train to Portland (from DC via Chicago) and back to DC in July 2013, and recommend this vendor to carry the bikes as Amtrak will not take them on the same train, and we want people to have bikes ready for them as they arrive in Portland:

http://keyboardmotorcycleshipping.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10&Itemid=16

The contact at Keyboard for Rally Train shipping is either Kelly or Christi at 270-737-5797. You can e-mail them via the website. Be sure to say ÔÇ£BMWMOAÔÇØ when you talk so we can get the best discount. The more bikes, the better the deal. If only one person ships one bike, the rate will be $500 1-way and $900 round trip, whether you are in Bangor, Maine or Miami, Florida, or St. Louis, MO. The more bikes shipped from each Keyboard region, the better the price will get.

Here is today's Amtrak schedule for trains we will use. I doubt it will change much, except for possibly identifying an additional eastbound train a few days later (same train schedule by hour, etc) for those who chose to stay in Oregon longer.

TRAIN SCHEDULES

Westbound - MONDAY, CAPITOL LIMITED, ETD D.C. SUNDAY, JULY 14 @ 4:05 P.M.; ETA CHICAGO 8:45 A.M. THE NEXT MORNING, JULY 15.

EMPIRE BUILDER - ETD CHICAGO 2:15 P.M. JULY 15, ETA PORTLAND 10:10 A.M. ON THURSDAY JULY 18.

Eastbound - EMPIRE BUILDER - ETD PORTLAND 4:45 P.M., SUNDAY, JULY 21; ETA CHICAGO 3:55 P.M. TUESDAY, JULY 23;

LEAVE CHICAGO 6:10 P.M. ON TUESDAY, JULY 23, ON THE CAPITOL LIMITED; ETA D.C. 12:40 P.M. ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 24.

We are exploring whether someone will drive a 53-foot semi from Detroit through Chicago to Oregon and back. No guarantees.

The bottom line is you arrange your own bike shipping either or both ways, and your own Amtrak reservations on the noted train(s). Our goal is to have all rally riders on the same train eastbound and westbound.

Gray Buckley
MOA Ambassador
graybuckley@gmail.com
Office 720-963-9641
Cell 720-231-3101

cc All 27 who have expressed an interest. PLEASE SHARE AT WILL.
 
How many nights to book in motel?

I've not attended an event of this kind. Does one need to book a motel night for the 17th and the 21st or do events start later on the 18th and end early on the 21st to allow for travel on those days?
 
I've not attended an event of this kind. Does one need to book a motel night for the 17th and the 21st or do events start later on the 18th and end early on the 21st to allow for travel on those days?

Response:

Set-up and Thursday morning volunteers are encouraged to be on-site or in a hotel Wednesday evening (the 17th). On Thursday (the 18th) Registration will open at 8 am, the Commercial Vendor Building and the MOA building will open at 9 am, and Seminars usually start at 10 am.

Rally festivities go through Saturday evening, so departure on Sunday (the 22nd) would be advised. There will be a clean-up committee working on the 22nd to put the grounds back to the condition when we arrived.

Deb Lower
2013 Rally Chair
 
If it is anything like Redmond, it will be fantastic. There is so many good motorcycle roads so close to the Rally site, not even talking about on the way there and on the way home. :thumb
 
I'm planning on being there. I'm planning on 1 volunteer shift a day. I'm planning on having a good time.

I don't care if it's hot, cold, dry, wet, too far away, too close to Redmond, too well attended, not as many attendees as ??, whatever. At least we have a Rally to plan for and attend. What would it be like if the Rally was discontinued?

Maybe it's time I bump my "Great Things about Rallys" thread.

I will be doing the same! :bikes
 
OUCH !!! Fiordman.
Where did this that come from???
I'm the National Beer Chair and as such, have been involved in "stuff" both in front of, and behind, the curtain.
I really think that the BoD cares about this club. We do NOT do this for personal aggrandisement.
I personally spend 7 days, 0900 to 0100 at the Beer Tent. And many hours after that wrapping up last year, and already working with the Chairs for next year.
Chill Dude
MAD DOG
NAT BEER CHAIR:drink

Jim, you and your crew do a GREAT job. I'll be volunteering to pour in 2013.:beer:beer:beer:beer
 
I just booked our hotel for the 2013 rally. We were looking for a reason to head to the PNW next year so this is perfect.

My wife will fly and I'll ride. I'm near Chicago and will be looking for someone to ride out there with if anyone is interested.
 
A great summer

Hey Deb, thanks for the advance info :thumb

My summer will start with my oldest son's graduation from Reed College in Portland.

Three years ago I took him to freshman year in the Adventure hack and my plan is to pick him up from Graduation and go for a ride so I'll blast west in May and leave the rig in Portland.

Later in the summer we'll ship Chace's bike west as part of the "YB Airlift". If I'm lucky we'll ship Corbett's bike too; then Chace, Corbett, Alexis (9yr old niece) and I can use the rally as a launch point for a leisurely tour home.
 
Rally noob

:waveAs previously posted, I've not attended a rally. I read that some have reserved hotel rooms, but I'm wondering about camping; what space will be available etc. etc.
Maybe it should be a different thread, but it would be nice to have a "Rally for Virgins" or something like that.
 
:waveAs previously posted, I've not attended a rally. I read that some have reserved hotel rooms, but I'm wondering about camping; what space will be available etc. etc.
Maybe it should be a different thread, but it would be nice to have a "Rally for Virgins" or something like that.

My wife and I were "rally virgins" this year. Don't worry. There will be plenty of camping available. Just make your plans now to attend.

Now as a virgin this year, speaking to another "virgin", one thing I would point out. The rally runs from Thursday thru Saturday. But I now know that most of the things going on take place Thursday thru Friday. If you want to attend several presentations, you really need to be there on Thursday and stay til the thing is over on Saturday night.

Pay attention to the times of the various presentations in the MOA Magazine and you will see that very few are available on Saturday. Most take place on Thursday and Friday. I sa this before we went, but could not get to the rally until Friday night. Thus we missed several presentations.

Sign up and go. You will have fun and meet all kinds of great people.
 
But I now know that most of the things going on take place Thursday thru Friday.

From my perspective, Thursday is kind of a check-in day and things are just beginning. Most seminars ran Friday and Saturday, although they may have tapered off towards the end of Saturday. :dunno
 
:waveAs previously posted, I've not attended a rally. I read that some have reserved hotel rooms, but I'm wondering about camping; what space will be available etc. etc.
Maybe it should be a different thread, but it would be nice to have a "Rally for Virgins" or something like that.

Lots of camping space. If you can arrive on Wednesday, you can volunteer to help and also get to set up early. There is a lot of fun things to do to help get ready and your help will make a big difference. I did that at my first Rally at West Bend and met people immediately, felt like part of the effort which was rewarding and continue to see folks at other rallies that I met there.

It is all good. But no matter when you come, you will find a place to camp.

Just be sure you don't camp next to the Black Sheep. :hungover
 
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