Region 6 Some Other Meet - Adamstown, PA?

[Scratch33]

After being duly chastised by His Kendentoness for 'jacking the Winter Meet thread --

who'd be up for a meet in a couple months in or near Adamstown, PA; centered around riding in PA Dutch Country, meeting hawt Amish babes and enjoying a few brews at Stoudt's Brewpub?

http://www.stoudtsbeer.com/

Pipe up, peeps - then we can talk dates 'n such.

[SuperHans]

I've been to Stoudts a few times. I hear they used to have Country Line dancing on the weekends if you're so inclined.

Depending on the date, count me in.

[kendenton]

I'd be up for it.  All the Amish women look like Kelly McGillis, right?

[Scratch33]

I hear they used to have Country Line dancing on the weekends if you're so inclined.

Screw that!  POLKA!!!

[Rincewind]

I'm in, as long as the dates work.  

This could be coordinated with a First Sunday Rally in Ephrata if you guys want...  

[Scratch33]

This could be coordinated with a First Sunday Rally in Ephrata if you guys want...  

  Capital idea, old man!!

[chornbe]

I'd be up for it.  All the Amish women look like Kelly McGillis, right?

Pre-wall hit or post- ?

Likewise, date-dependent for me.

[Rincewind]

That would make it easier to zero in on dates - just which month...  

http://ephratamotorcycle.com/

Starts back up officially in March  

[fjrSKI]

Dodgin' horse plop in the corners is great sport, pick a date, hope I can make it.

[Scratch33]

Dodgin' horse plop in the corners is great sport, pick a date, hope I can make it.

Mmmmm.... road apples!

Here's the date poll: http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,20178.0.html

[TomsFZ1]

Sounds good to me.  

Let's all bring our cameras, and see who can steal the most souls.  

[garry]

Would this make a good venue for a Region 6 "Meet and Eat"?

People have enjoyed the two Burger Runs, but I was thinking about other options for 2008 to keep it fresh.

[SuperHans]

Would this make a good venue for a Region 6 "Meet and Eat"?

People have enjoyed the two Burger Runs, but I was thinking about other options for 2008 to keep it fresh.

Might not be a bad location Garry. Maybe Alex (Rincewind) would have some input since he's from that area.

[DosEquis00]

Count me in as I ride in through Adamstown to meet up with other riders all the time.  

[Rincewind]

Might not be a bad location Garry. Maybe Alex (Rincewind) would have some input since he's from that area.

I'll check into it.  

[Rincewind]

Here is my scouting report:

At the Black Agnus Restaurant / Stoudt's Brewery in Adamstown I met with Dave Hogg, who is the bar manager and in charge of banquets.  dave@stoudtsbeer.com, 717-484-4386 x216.  He asked me how large of a group we would have, and I said maybe 40-50 (?).  He has a room, adjacent to the main restaurant/pub that holds 50 people and can be reserved for our use w/o a fee.  He said they can work with us in creating a small menu based on the budget we specify.  They also have a ballroom; however, that requires a minimum of 100 people.  He said we can definitely have the 50-person room if we are planning on a Fri, Sat, or Sun afternoon meeting.  He said he'd have to know a good bit ahead of time if we want to reserve it for an evening, as this room is typically open as part of their dining area after 5pm.

Having been to the last two Meet & Eats, this place is a few steps above Denny's in Clearfield.  But I got the feeling that maybe we could specify a more 'budget' menu if needed for our group.  I took a number of photos which I will attach once they are done uploading.  It is up to the group if this is appropriate as the Meet & Eat location, and if the Meet would be in the afternoon or evening.  I took pics of a number of lodging options.

[Rincewind]

First are the Black Agnus / Stoudt's Brewery Photos.  Some of these photos were shot from the hip, or from my bike, so no whining about my skillz.

Outside



Entrance


Main Bar


Dining Areas





This is the 50-person room that could be used



I have pics of the menu but I'd have to upload them as pretty large in order to read it.  

[Rincewind]

I snapped pics of the main lodging options, but I did not get rates as I didn't have the time.  Dave recommended the Black Horse Lodge, or the Holiday Inn.  The Black Forest Inn, which is adjacent to Stoudt's, is a "Ma and Pa" motel that he said was ok.  Dave said he could get us special rates at HI or Black Horse if we have 5 or more rooms.

Black Forest Inn, which is adjacent to Stoudt's


Comfort Inn


Holiday Inn


Black Horse - front building.  Black Horse also has a restaurant right there.


Black Horse - rear buildings


Oh, here's another of the Black Agnus / Stoudt's entrance


Edit to add:  per a question from Scratch, I asked about any shuttle/taxi services from Holiday Inn or Black Horse.  He said there are none available, and that groups requiring that service have rented vans in Ephrata and then found people to drive them.  I would say that isn't really an option.

[Doug Just Doug]

I'd be up for it! I'm maybe 2 twisty hours away.  Doing it in conjunction with the Ephrata gathering would be a good idea, too, as Adamstown is only 10 - 15 minutes up the road from there. I've had Stoudt's brews from the shop, but never in person 'cuz I don't drink 'n' ride.  I have nothing against eating 'n' riding, however, so the Black Angus sounds cool. Does Stoudt's still leave the steaming, spent hops in a cart out front in the morning (for the Amish to cart away to feed their cows or whatever)?  I've been up there early in the morning when you can smell the hops before the brewery even comes into sight --- mmmmmmm, hoppy goodness.  

[Rincewind]

And some misc pics between here and there.  First one is downtown Ephrata




Green Dragon by Ephrata - if you want the true Dutch experience, it's only open Friday nights

[DosEquis00]

Here is my scouting report:

What the heck took you so long as about 3 hours passed since the request!

Super job on gathering and sharing information

[Rincewind]

What the heck took you so long as about 3 hours passed since the request!

Super job on gathering and sharing information

Yeah sorry bout that, I had to go for a walk and pick up my girl from school.    

It's only about 10 miles from me, so it was not a problem, thanks.

[ZZR Rob]

Be in touch in the next couple days after I get my schedule worked out, sounds great.

[JReazor]

70 miles of (mostly) twisty little farm roads between me and there. I'll be there if the dates work out.

[garry]

As an aside, we had over 100 people at the last Meet and Eat, but I bet over half were Pittsburgh locals that couldn't even spell STN. The Burger Run got a life of its own via word of mouth on a few local bike forums. Having a more STN-focused gathering is appealing, but it wouldn't have the shock and awe of the Dennys parking lot full of bikes or a 15 pound hamburger.

Stoudts brews some excellent beer and I wouldn't mind having a nice ride out on Saturday, early dinner and beers into the evening, then ride home on Sunday. Makes the riding logistics easier for people making a weekend of it. Eastern PA would be a real haul for our Chicago friends though.

Seems like a worthy idea. Thanks for scouting it out and getting info. How far away is the Holiday Inn?

[Ciros750]

Looks like fun; my buddy and I would definitely make the ride up, hopefully the date I voted for pans out.

Ciro

[Rincewind]

Garry - Holiday Inn is just over a mile South of Stoudt's.  You go past 897, through "Antique Alley", over the Turnpike, and it's right there.  I would say it is walking distance; however, I don't think there is a sidewalk for all of the way and it's along a somewhat busy highway.  

As to whether this is a substitution for the Clearfield Meet and Eat, I don't know.  It would be a different set-up.  If we are to have over 100 people, spreading the word to various forums, then we'd have to get the banquet area opened instead of just the adjacent dining area.  I would favor that it is a STN gathering, and I would think that would be 50 or less people and we could gather in the front dining room.  Heck if we advertised this meet, with the popularity of First Sunday, there could easily be A LOT of people there and it would spiral out of control.

[SuperHans]

Sounds like it could be a good possibility for the Meat and Eat. Between the Ephrata first Sunday and Stoudts it seems like a great idea.

[Rincewind]

Just to re-iterate, this is not in the same league as Denny's Beer Barrel in Clearfield.  The Black Agnus is a pretty high-class restaurant, and the dinner menu is rather expensive.  My pics of the dinner menu are too big to upload to my photobucket and be legible, but I found they have the menu on their site.  

http://www.stoudtsbeer.com/docs/stouds_menu_dining.pdf

Like I said previously, Dave said he can work with us and create a menu based on a few items that could be based on a budget.  The pub menu is priced a little more reasonably..

http://www.stoudtsbeer.com/docs/stouds_menu_pub.pdf

I guess I'm saying, I like the concept of this meet, but I question whether this is the right venue or not.

[Scratch33]

I guess I'm saying, I like the concept of this meet, but I question whether this is the right venue or not.

Agreed.  From just the "Fun Roads To Ride" perspective I think there's a lot more of them to be found in other parts of PA.

Edited to add:  other parts of Region 6 as well.  Staunton, as I observed in Scott's "600's" ride report thread, is a good location w/lots of great roads in the area.

[garry]

Dinner is expensive and probably more formal than we want for a bunch for crusty road warriors.

Pub menu in the 50 person room might be do-able. Just an idea to consider. There may be lots of support for a 3rd Burger Run. I'm just starting to think about now that the holidays are over.

[ZZR Rob]

Scratch,
Nice meeting and riding with you, have to look at the schedule and get back to you. Sounds like a good ride, I'll bring the wiffle ball bat so we can go Amish hunting Anyone know the current point system? Been a few years since I hunted the elusive black brim.

[JETSET]

This sounds like a plan but I do enjoy riding to Clearfield PA.Maybe we can do both I'll try to make a day trip out of it to keep the War Dept at peace.

[vpilot]

Rice,
     Have you considered the Union Barrel Pub in Reamstown? I don`t remmember if they have a group room. They`re about the same distance from the Holiday Inn as the Angus is.

                                                                          vpilot

[Rincewind]

Rice,
     Have you considered the Union Barrel Pub in Reamstown? I don`t remmember if they have a group room. They`re about the same distance from the Holiday Inn as the Angus is.

                                                                          vpilot

No I'm not familiar with that place, looks interestin from their website - http://unionbarrelworks.com/ .  THnaks for the suggestion.  

[R Doug]

Ricewind, thanks a lot for your leg work on this!  

With the National set for June, I would be up for an earlier Meet and Eat and I like the idea of hosting it in the area being discussed.  Looking at the maps, I could hit Gettysburg either on the way over or back.  I've never been there before.

Question:  Past Meet and Eats have been on a Sunday afternoon.  Can we think of changing that to Saturday evening?  That way people who have a longer ride back can do so on Sunday.

What do you guys think of eating Saturday night?  The other advantage is we can drink beer w/o a worry since we'll have a night to sleep it off.

[fjrSKI]

Seems like it started turning into an overnighter last year already.

How about Saturday afternoon meet 'n eat?

That way, day trippers can keep the peace with the war dept., and overnighters can start drinking earlier, I mean, take a late afternoon loop, not get looped, then get looped, nevermind.  

[R Doug]

I'll second that motion.  

[LENSMAN]

Stoudts Brewery?      When?

[airborneXX]

I'm in!!

Let's push it to the warmer/longer days time o' the year

[Rincewind]

Question:  Past Meet and Eats have been on a Sunday afternoon.  Can we think of changing that to Saturday evening?  That way people who have a longer ride back can do so on Sunday.

What do you guys think of eating Saturday night?  The other advantage is we can drink beer w/o a worry since we'll have a night to sleep it off.

A Saturday get together makes the most sense to me.  Lunch would be easiest for local folks.  And it would be easier to get the front dining room free to ourselves over lunch, and to keep expense down with the pub menu.  If people want to go back for the $38 surf and turf in the evening, I'm sure it's very good.  The steak at this place is top notch.

The Black Forest Inn adjacent to Stoudt's would be great for overnighters if they want to stick by the brewery.  It is all single-level rooms with ride-up parking.  Below is a pic of the Black Forest Inn from the Stoudt's parking lot - you can see, it's right next door.  Yeah it's not Holiday Inn, but honestly the Holiday Inn in the area is pretty old, too.  If people want better accommodations, there is a brand new Hampton Inn in downtown Ephrata, with a local bar, Applebees, and movie theater all within walking distance.

[LENSMAN]

The Inn would be perfect. After we're through riding, we can hit the brewery, and not  have to ride  afterwards to get to our rooms.  

[Scratch33]

A Saturday get together makes the most sense to me.  Lunch would be easiest for local folks.  And it would be easier to get the front dining room free to ourselves over lunch, and to keep expense down with the pub menu.  If people want to go back for the $38 surf and turf in the evening, I'm sure it's very good.  The steak at this place is top notch.

The Black Forest Inn adjacent to Stoudt's would be great for overnighters if they want to stick by the brewery.  It is all single-level rooms with ride-up parking.  Below is a pic of the Black Forest Inn from the Stoudt's parking lot - you can see, it's right next door.  Yeah it's not Holiday Inn, but honestly the Holiday Inn in the area is pretty old, too.  If people want better accommodations, there is a brand new Hampton Inn in downtown Ephrata, with a local bar, Applebees, and movie theater all within walking distance.

The Black Forest Inn certainly works for me!  Thanks RW for doing the recon.

[garry]

Does someone local (Rincewind?) want to volunteer to organize a 2008 Meet and Eat then? May 17/18 would probably be nice as it sits between Mothers Day and Memorial Day weekends. I would be up for an overnighter to eastern PA in May.

I will likely organize a Burger Run later in the season because so many Pittsburgh locals enjoy it and it takes little work aside from picking a date, reserving the back room at Dennys, and spreading the word on a few web forums. I'm thinking June 22.

[DosEquis00]

Does someone local (Rincewind?) want to volunteer

I second Rincewind as he knows how to organize!

[Rincewind]

I second Rincewind as he knows how to organize!

I don't know the first thing about organizing a meet, but I can help with local connections.  

[Scratch33]

I don't know the first thing about organizing a meet

Here's a helpful reference:



"HYAAA!!!  Get 'em up!!"

[Rincewind]

Here's a helpful reference:



"HYAAA!!!  Get 'em up!!"

 

This was your thread, I don't want to step on your toes as the meet master-mind.  

[Scratch33]

 

This was your thread, I don't want to step on your toes as the meet master-mind.  

Oh by all means please feel free to step-I ain't no mastermind.  At this stage of my cat-herding career, the few rides I do call consist basically of just "I'm gonna be at such-and-such a place at 0:00 am on X day - kickstands up at 0:30 - anyone innarested can just show up."

[DosEquis00]

This was your thread, I don't want to step on your toes as the meet master-mind.  

That is true as Scratch is the mastermind to this gathering so you should fall back to the local connection.

[garry]

Seriously, all that is needed is:

- pick a date

- contact restaurant to reserve seating

- post contact info about the local lodging option (no need to get special group rates, etc)

- post a message with the details

- warn the restaurant about expected headcount (post a poll)

[Scratch33]

Seriously, all that is needed is:

- pick a date

Yep, so let's try to narrow that down.  I think the consensus was that late Spring would be best.

[garry]

I will suggest May 17/18 - fits between Mothers Day and Memorial Day plus little chance of it being cold. We really lucked out the last couple years on the Meet and Eat (late April, early May).

[Rincewind]

I don't have a problem helping with that, once we get a date settled.  

[Scratch33]

I will suggest May 17/18 - fits between Mothers Day and Memorial Day plus little chance of it being cold. We really lucked out the last couple years on the Meet and Eat (late April, early May).

Good suggestion.  Poll edited accordingly.

[cjgauthier]

   This looks good! I wonder if the warden will give me a weekend furlough?

[Scratch33]

Hey, bring the warden along!

[radon222]

After being duly chastised by His Kendentoness for 'jacking the Winter Meet thread --

who'd be up for a meet in a couple months in or near Adamstown, PA; centered around riding in PA Dutch Country, meeting hawt Amish babes and enjoying a few brews at Stoudt's Brewpub?

http://www.stoudtsbeer.com/


Hey,

  Assuming I'm not beating my self up on the Jersey shore somewhere.... can me and redheaded Vstrom rider come along?

 

Pipe up, peeps - then we can talk dates 'n such.

[Scratch33]

Hey,

  Assuming I'm not beating my self up on the Jersey shore somewhere.... can me and redheaded Vstrom rider come along?

Ahh crap.  Dere goes the neighborhood.

[radon222]

Yep,

   I guess they'll anybody in here  

[Scratch33]

Yeah, well you and the red-headed menace are more than welcome on this 'do.