Our 2025 Rally : The What, Where & Why... Lebanon Tennessee : June 19-21 2025

[PGlaves]

Looks like it's going to be tough to find food that's not trying to kill me. Ugh.

Well, as our then 8 year old daughter said to Voni, "They have stores there too you know".

 

[kbasa]

Well, as our then 8 year old daughter said to Voni, "They have stores there too you know".

Yeah. Finding a meal that's not trying to kill me is going to remain a challenge. I went to school in Atlanta and know the regional cuisine across the south and mid south.

It's going to be the hardest part of my tour: finding healthy food on the road, especially once I leave Colorado and start across OK, TX, AR, LA, MS and AL to get to TN.

 

[r0ckrat]

If it wasn't for my allergies, that would be tempting. That's a big reason why I gave up on camping.



What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

I may just have to pack cleaning supplies and take care of whatever I find. The bug issue is the most concerning. I certainly will check out the room before moving my gear in.

Look on Amazon for Travel Sleep Sack as an option - something like a sleeping bag liner that is yours and you can wash separately from the bed and sheets. Some are bed bug proof, I think.

 

[r65_steve]

Anyone know the current state of lodging in the area (quality wise)? I booked a hotel, but the reviews overwhelmingly indicate the facility is dirty and infested with pests. I thought to maybe pick another place, but most everyplace near the fairgrounds had similar negative reviews of being dirty and infested. I don’t want much from a hotel but a clean bed and hot shower, but it’s looking rather sketchy.

I could bring my camping kit and do that (not my first choice), but I’m trailering in (pickup truck and 5 X 8 utility trailer), so I don’t know if I simply set up camp and park elsewhere or if I need a particular camping spot. If I ride in, getting the camping gear on the bike will be a challenge as I’ve never done that with the BMW (less cargo capacity than my prior bike).

When I went in 2019, I drove my truck and pulled the bike on the trailer. I camped next to the truck, trailer and bike. It wasn't in a special area, just not packed into the area where the "bikes only" were. The RV section was elsewhere.

Here's a pro tip. Pack a headlight. When you need to take a leak in the middle of the night, the porta potties don't have lights. And it's an "old man event" so even at 2am, there's a line.

 

[r65_steve]

Yeah. Finding a meal that's not trying to kill me is going to remain a challenge. I went to school in Atlanta and know the regional cuisine across the south and mid south.

It's going to be the hardest part of my tour: finding healthy food on the road, especially once I leave Colorado and start across OK, TX, AR, LA, MS and AL to get to TN.

Come on. It's not like a foreign country. If you want "healthy" you can find it. If you want crap, you can find that too. I'd hardly believe all those stereotypes....not like everything west of the 48" rain line is all farm to table grown by vegan elves.

Be industrious. Never heard a crack head say "got no $ so I'm not smoking today" They always find a way. You will too.

 

[r65_steve]

Look on Amazon for Travel Sleep Sack as an option - something like a sleeping bag liner that is yours and you can wash separately from the bed and sheets. Some are bed bug proof, I think.

Bed bugs get into everything. My wife always tells me to check before I bed down for the night.

But a sleep sack sounds "fun". Hey, I'm in an unfamiliar and sketchy place, let me get confined in a sack...

 

[kbasa]

Come on. It's not like a foreign country. If you want "healthy" you can find it. If you want crap, you can find that too. I'd hardly believe all those stereotypes....not like everything west of the 48" rain line is all farm to table grown by vegan elves.

Be industrious. Never heard a crack head say "got no $ so I'm not smoking today" They always find a way. You will too.

Remember, I'm traveling and I'm not familiar with the local area. Even here in farm country it can be a challenge to find decent food.

Sorry. I've lived in the south in Georgia. This isn't my imagination or stereotypes. In addition to my cholesterol concerns, I have other dietary requirements for other health conditions.

Thanks for your "help" and kind of left handed insult, I guess. I'll just be more "industrious", whatever that means.

 

[gsinnc]

Pull the sheets up and check the mattress for bugs or stains that look like little speckles. If you feel a need, sandals in the shower.

As a veteran of hundreds of nights of business travel over the last ten years, I've yet to find any bedbugs or get athlete's foot. But be careful with the remote. They're the grossest part of a room beyond the duvet, which usually doesn't get laundered after every use. Some rooms now have a remote that's easier to wipe off to cleanliness.

Yeah .... I travel about 70 to 100 nights a year in retirement both on the bike and with my wife. I have never had a really bad hotel experience but I usually use Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Home2Suites, Fairfield Inn, Best Western. I had booked a Holiday Inn in Mt. Juliet but after doing a drive by last fall was not happy with the location or "walk to" restaurants so I booked the Sleep Inn in Gallatin TN. I have never used Sleep Inn BUT ... all the recent reviews were very positive and it looked like a new property. And the price was really good. Yes, it is about a 20-30 min ride to the Rally but that's OK with me.

 

[kbasa]

Yeah .... I travel about 70 to 100 nights a year in retirement both on the bike and with my wife. I have never had a really bad hotel experience but I usually use Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Home2Suites, Fairfield Inn, Best Western. I had booked a Holiday Inn in Mt. Juliet but after doing a drive by last fall was not happy with the location or "walk to" restaurants so I booked the Sleep Inn in Gallatin TN. I have never used Sleep Inn BUT ... all the recent reviews were very positive and it looked like a new property. And the price was really good. Yes, it is about a 20-30 min ride to the Rally but that's OK with me.

Hampton Inn guy here. I’m at the one near the rally site.

 

[zer0netgain]

Look on Amazon for Travel Sleep Sack as an option - something like a sleeping bag liner that is yours and you can wash separately from the bed and sheets. Some are bed bug proof, I think.

Thanks. It’s something to consider, but if I see evidence of bed bugs, I’d just as soon demand another room. I would also bring insecticide.

Here's a pro tip. Pack a headlight. When you need to take a leak in the middle of the night, the porta potties don't have lights. And it's an "old man event" so even at 2am, there's a line.

Screw that.

Last thing I want to do if I need to pee in the night is wait in line.

 

[flyhi2cfar]

Yeah. Finding a meal that's not trying to kill me is going to remain a challenge. I went to school in Atlanta and know the regional cuisine across the south and mid south.

It's going to be the hardest part of my tour: finding healthy food on the road, especially once I leave Colorado and start across OK, TX, AR, LA, MS and AL to get to TN.

Every decent size town, has a Hospital with cafeteria selections, where there's healthy choices.
Blue "H" signs lead the way to them, parking is usually easy, safe and security monitored.
The price is usually decent also. And should you nearly choke to death... yer at the best place for help.

 

[kbasa]

Every decent size town, has a Hospital with cafeteria selections, where there's healthy choices.
Blue "H" signs lead the way to them, parking is usually easy, safe and security monitored.
The price is usually decent also. And should you nearly choke to death... yer at the best place for help.

Thanks. The food I eat has significant impact on my health, both immediate and long term. That's helpful. Thank you.

 

[paul_f]

If you feel a need, sandals in the shower.
Some rooms now have a remote that's easier to wipe off to cleanliness.

When travelling, I reuse clear plastic bags in which our newspapers are delivered. Not only do they serve as daily disposal garbage bags but some are used to house motel television remotes. I always use sandals so my feet never touch motel/hotel floors, especially carpets and even wear them into showers. I also pack a silk sleeping bag liner, in case the sleeping bag isn’t warm enough and on at least two occasions the liner has given me piece of mind sleeping in a motels. Of course some might think me to be a little OCD.

As for food, I really haven’t had much difficulty finding healthy food (most of the time).

 

[zer0netgain]

Every decent size town, has a Hospital with cafeteria selections, where there's healthy choices.
Blue "H" signs lead the way to them, parking is usually easy, safe and security monitored.
The price is usually decent also. And should you nearly choke to death... yer at the best place for help.

I’d call BS, but I know this SHOULD be true. Magic bean omelet right next to the biscuits and gravy.

 

[r65_steve]

Thanks for your "help" and kind of left handed insult, I guess. I'll just be more "industrious", whatever that means.

Hey wait, I like that "left handed insult"!

I have my own dietary issues. I did a ride through W Memphis, AR into the farm country. Stopped at the local stop and rob looking for something warm to eat. Every variety of fried something or another. All looked the same. They laughed at me when I asked if they had hot dogs, so I went outside and ate the apple from the Hampton Inn breakfast. While I'm outside, a pickup full of farm workers pulled in an left with a Styrofoam piled high with all that.

Further down the road, I found a Subway and got their version of a salad.

It's more difficult, but not impossible.

 

[r65_steve]

Every decent size town, has a Hospital with cafeteria selections, where there's healthy choices.
Blue "H" signs lead the way to them, parking is usually easy, safe and security monitored.
The price is usually decent also. And should you nearly choke to death... yer at the best place for help.

Good tip! Never thought of that. Some hospitals should be avoided at all costs... Danville, VA, I'm looking at you!

 

[r65_steve]

Yeah .... I travel about 70 to 100 nights a year in retirement both on the bike and with my wife. I have never had a really bad hotel experience but I usually use Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Home2Suites, Fairfield Inn, Best Western. I had booked a Holiday Inn in Mt. Juliet but after doing a drive by last fall was not happy with the location or "walk to" restaurants so I booked the Sleep Inn in Gallatin TN. I have never used Sleep Inn BUT ... all the recent reviews were very positive and it looked like a new property. And the price was really good. Yes, it is about a 20-30 min ride to the Rally but that's OK with me.

Most of my bad hotel experiences are the other guests. People that like to shout down the hall or make other noise. No matter the property, someone is a noisy person.

Screw that.

Last thing I want to do if I need to pee in the night is wait in line.

Gatoraid bottle?

 

[lee]

Screw that.

Last thing I want to do if I need to pee in the night is wait in line.

Most rallies I just used a tree or a Gatoraid bottle.
We usually tried to find a spot for our tent that was not near a light.

 

[zer0netgain]

I knew no one at my first MOA National Rally, the 2006 Vermont Rally. At subsequent rallies I started volunteering doing two or three shifts for different committees. Do this and you will very quickly meet new friends, not only for the 2025 Rally, but for future rallies.

SWEET LOUISE!

Do you know how much work I just did to see which ones I could volunteer for? I had to make a spreadsheet and everything.

First was converting the seminars so I could see them by date and time. Then, mark which were duplicates. Next, account for rider training I'm already enrolled in and an excursion I am thinking of doing on Friday evening. Finally, I would like to do at least ONE ride while I'm there, and all the GPS routes are an easy 4-6 hours...which will be Saturday. I don't mind hitting the road at sunrise, so if I get back by 1 or 2 pm, I can have the bike loaded and strapped down for going home.



After much analysis and tab flipping on the volunteer site, I can do First Aid on Wednesday and Saturday and Coffee on Sunday morning as I can wait until 8 am to head home.

There has to be an easier way.

 

[kbasa]

SWEET LOUISE!

Do you know how much work I just did to see which ones I could volunteer for? I had to make a spreadsheet and everything.

First was converting the seminars so I could see them by date and time. Then, mark which were duplicates. Next, account for rider training I'm already enrolled in and an excursion I am thinking of doing on Friday evening. Finally, I would like to do at least ONE ride while I'm there, and all the GPS routes are an easy 4-6 hours...which will be Saturday. I don't mind hitting the road at sunrise, so if I get back by 1 or 2 pm, I can have the bike loaded and strapped down for going home.

View attachment 101265

After much analysis and tab flipping on the volunteer site, I can do First Aid on Wednesday and Saturday and Coffee on Sunday morning as I can wait until 8 am to head home.

There has to be an easier way.

We used to have a volunteer desk where you could roll up and see what operations needed help.