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THE 2021 Montana MOA Re-Schedule (previous 2020 Great Falls Thread)

2020 Rally

CABNFVR said:
It better be. We're booked :)

Rooms at Lebanon filled up fast and there are only a couple of walking distance hotels in Great Falls. Rates will likely go up as well once word gets out. Great destination, and we need another trip out west.
Click to expand...

WE too are booked, Some of you beat me to the "good rooms"!! :) How did you get rooms so early?? We have tried the Hampton and Holiday from the time we left Lebanon and they were booked?? HOW does anyone do that??
 
Hampton was booked solid when I looked.
I got rooms at Hilton Garden Inn down the street.

Joe
 
akbeemer said:
My advice for those who plan to ride the road: Ride east to west... Start early... very early, first light early...
Click to expand...

Over the years, I've done many trips through the Park. For first timers, I suggest that an early in the morning, east to west ride, on the Going to the Sun is worth doing.

But one of the must do roads in the West is 89 south from St. Mary, over Two Medicine Ridge, to Kiowa, then the Looking Glass Hill Road to East Glacier, and Marias Pass (#2), to West Glacier. Looking Glass Hill is unevenly maintained, so watch out for short gravel sections and road slumping.

St. Mary to Kiowa is a great technical section of road, to exercise your skills. :)
 
Rinty said:
Over the years, I've done many trips through the Park. For first timers, I suggest that an early in the morning, east to west ride, on the Going to the Sun is worth doing.

But one of the must do roads in the West is 89 south from St. Mary, over Two Medicine Ridge, to Kiowa, then the Looking Glass Hill Road to East Glacier, and Marias Pass (#2), to West Glacier. Looking Glass Hill is unevenly maintained, so watch out for short gravel sections and road slumping.

St. Mary to Kiowa is a great technical section of road, to exercise your skills. :)
Click to expand...

And watch out for free range cattle on the road on the ridge. There seem to be some on or near the road every time we ride Hwy 89.
 
Rinty said:
Over the years, I've done many trips through the Park. For first timers, I suggest that an early in the morning, east to west ride, on the Going to the Sun is worth doing.

But one of the must do roads in the West is 89 south from St. Mary, over Two Medicine Ridge, to Kiowa, then the Looking Glass Hill Road to East Glacier, and Marias Pass (#2), to West Glacier. Looking Glass Hill is unevenly maintained, so watch out for short gravel sections and road slumping.

St. Mary to Kiowa is a great technical section of road, to exercise your skills. :)
Click to expand...

I was there last summer in a rental Expedition. Some of that area was "under construction" where they take the road to underlying dirt and then take the weekend off and you're on your own. We navigated around the work, free range cattle, RVs and full dress Harleys all rolling through the mud. It sure was different than here in the East.

I booked a room for the rally, I will probably leave part way through and join my family in Glacier. I'm trying to figure out how to get to Great Falls though. I will fly in somewhere and get my son and I to the rally so he can do the GEARS class. I want to rent a bike out that way, but trying to figure it all out. Any MOA members out that way interested in renting me their spare bike? :)
 
Great Falls HGI

gsinnc said:
Ditto here! Sounds like it will be a BMW hotel!
Click to expand...

FYI for the group, while I just booked a room at the Hilton Garden Inn (because it seems like that's where all the cool kids are staying :)) My Hilton app also showed availability at the Hampton Inn as of today.

Pix
 
Just booked a room with extended stay america at 800 river dr. south, great falls from the 24th to the 28th next year. 248.00 for 4 nights with military discount. It's .80 miles from the expo. Probably Uber over and back each day.

See ya there folks, looking forward to this one.
 
Last edited:
We are at the StayBridge Suites. They claim it is a three minute walk to the park. That time estimate must assume one will not jaywalk, because it is directly across the street from the gate.
 
akbeemer said:
We are at the StayBridge Suites. They claim it is a three minute walk to the park. That time estimate must assume one will not jaywalk, because it is directly across the street from the gate.
Click to expand...

Yep, Cabnfvr (a.k.a as Tim) and I are at the SpringHill Suites, also right across from the Expo. We figured we may as well get in some extra exercise walking over. :dance
 
Just to make sure....

Y'all realize that this is the National and not a Weekend Getaway, right?

(says he who will be there with his wife in our RV!)
 
I have mail...

flyhi2cfar said:
Yes Joe, it's officially time to realize the next gig is going to be a big deal... under the Big Sky!

While the Tennessee offering being close to home, never seemed like a "trip"... Montana offers that in spades.

Myself, I spent the better part of my ride home thinking of June 2020.
And I'm hoping there is a lot of things we the MOA can do better at the ExpoPark; as always... time will tell.

Was hoping to talk seriously with a FEW representatives from Great Falls and the Facility itself, but seems the Visitor Department sent just one guy!
He was overmatched and under prepared. Maps were too big of an expense to bulk ship... so he had a sign-up list for mailing by Friday afternoon running.
The very nice MOA/Great Falls Ride Card was nice though.
However the brochure "Art and Adventure" never mentions or shows the Expo on the map inside... a rather auspicious start for their marketing for us.
I do however possess the name and address of 5 breweries and know of a live mermaid show at the Sip'nDip Lounge; so there you go!

"travel'n" John
Click to expand...


The Montana State Map has arrived, along with a friendly welcoming note from the Business Development Director
of the Great Falls Montana Tourism Office, Kristin Dayao.
Their host in Lebanon, Mr. Jake Bash, certainly conveyed our enthusiasm and attendance expected for 2020, in returning to basecamp!
And well depicted on the fantastic document: a really nice map of Great Falls AND the ExpoPark location.
Leave the Sip'nDip westbound, cross the Central Ave bridge and turn right!
Other neat stuff shown for example; a good map of Yellowstone NP (WY) ???
The ghost & mining towns in MT and the location where Gen. Custer was caught with his pants down by Sitting Bull.
If arriving from the east, or FARGO (777miles)...
via the Lewis & Clark route/trail, turn right on 3rd St NW at the Post Office, look for ExpoPark about 3 miles along west bank of the Missouri River.
Yeah... it's a nice map.
Thanks www.VisitGreatFallsMontana.org
See you at the mermaid show!

"travel'n" John
 
Last edited:
Wanda and I have reservations at the Spring Hill Suites!

With the BMW MOA discount (didn't know there was one until I asked) a King with river view and balcony was $290 for two days. Not bad.

Just like an MOA Weekend Getaway only with a lot more people and a bunch of vendors!

Unless the weather stops us, we are planning on riding the "Sun" road in Glacier NP. Seems June's weather in the park can be finicky so we'll see how it goes.

We have pretty much locked in our route. As the 50 week window moves and reservations open up, we have all but two nights booked.

Looking forward to it!
 
35 degrees northwest of Helena this morning; Great Falls showing 43. It is very unlikely that campers at the rally will find it too hot for sleeping.
 
I have not read the entire thread so maybe this has been asked. Will there be RV camping available? By the time of the rally, my wife and I should be about 6 months in to full time RVing and hauling the bikes where we go. As long as we haven't done away with one another:love. We were planning on going up near Kalispell and maybe up to Revelstoke as well so adding this is would fit right into the plans.
 
grabcon said:
I have not read the entire thread so maybe this has been asked. Will there be RV camping available? By the time of the rally, my wife and I should be about 6 months in to full time RVing and hauling the bikes where we go. As long as we haven't done away with one another:love. We were planning on going up near Kalispell and maybe up to Revelstoke as well so adding this is would fit right into the plans.
Click to expand...

Can’t answer definitively on the RV parking but it would be a first if they didn’t offer that at the rally.

What I *can* tell you definitively is that if you go to Revelstoke you should take the short drive over to Sorrento, BC and take in the Dreamcycle Motorcycle Museum. Well worth the trip, and they have a great little restaurant/coffee shop attached.

Happy travels,

DeVern
 
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