ESTN 2012

[Oilhed]

Well?

When?
Where?
Who?

I've been following so many threads, both here and on ADVrider.  Can someone clear up the where and when and modify the first post?  I'm soooo confused!

[R Doug]

We'll start a new thread once the final location is set.  But, we're looking at the weekend of 9/14.  

I'm going up to SW Virginia this weekend to scout out places which provide the following:

1) cozy hotel with sufficient number of rooms

2) hotel w/in walking distance to our Sat. Evening Dinner

3) decent choices of beer to be acquired in town

4)  close to good roads.  

[Oilhed]

Sweet!  Thanks.

[R Doug]

So, I visited several towns today.  Only one has everything we need and that's Galax (pronounced Gay-lax after the type of leaf).



Galax has the following to offer us:

*  Hotel located downtown on the main street which is cheap, clean, and walking distance to where we'll eat.

*  The Smokehouse will be an excellent place for us to eat.  I met with one of the owners today and she was ready to be very accommodating.  Though they don't have reserved seating or a banquet room, I was told that they can easily accommodate groups of 30-40 on Saturday nights during the time we'll be in town.

*  There are two coffee cafes downtown.

*  Galax is home of several music festivals and its main street is full of cool local shops.  There's even a vibrant little theater (The Rex ) which has live music every Friday Night!



*  Though quality beer isn't available in the restaurants downtown Galax or in three of the convenience stores I stopped in, there is a nice little selection at the Kroger on the edge of town.







Here's the rub...

The Roadway Inn isn't big.  It has 9 non-smoking double rooms, 8 smoking double rooms, 13 non-smoking kings, and 5 smoking kings for a total of 35 rooms.  The parking lot works for our nightly gatherings.  The rooms are clean (I visited three), but a little dated.  I place these rooms better than the Days Inn in Clearfield but not as good as the rooms at the Allegheny Inn in Sparta.  The exterior of the property itself is tired.  The exterior looks like it's in need of some repair.  But, the rooms are $45 a night with our group discount and the owner was very nice (an Indian fellow named Patel).

My concerns are the limited number of rooms (especially non-smoking rooms) and that you guys will be turned off by the exterior.  For overflow, there is a Knights-Inn on top of the hill overlooking downtown Galax.  

Here are shots of the property:





The owner told me that because there is no parking lot in the back of the hotel, he allows motorcycles to park on the sidewalk.  The blacktop you do see is an alley way and the neighbor is the local police department.  

Also, I checked for Wi-Fi and cell signal in the hotel's parking lot and here's what I got...

Weak cell signal on AT&T



Strong Wi-Fi.

[R Doug]

Here's what I'm thinking...

Either have the meet in Galax and stay at the Roadway Inn and use the Knights Inn for overflow.  For dinner, we'll eat dinner Saturday night at the Galax Smokehouse on a first-come first-serve basis.  

OR

Have the meet at the Allegheny Inn in Sparta and have The Galax Smokehouse cater dinner Saturday night.  The owner I spoke to said they have done catering for motorcycle groups at the Allegheny Inn on numerous occasions.  I'm not sure if that's who Steve (Servicerifle) used we he orchestrated ESTN a few years back.  The owner said she has two "girls" she sends out for these catering events becuase the guys love 'em.    

There simply isn't a place in Galax which we can have a group dinner with a room all to ourselves whether it be a restaurant with a banquet room or one we can rent.   And, the hotel may be not big enough for us.

At the Allegheny Inn, there are plenty of rooms and a banquet room to eat with outdoor seating.

[falcofred]

Nothing wrong with Allegheny Inn, been to several MSTA events there, and my one and only Sport-Touring.net rally there.

[sprint_st]

Have the meet at the Allegheny Inn in Sparta and have The Galax Smokehouse cater dinner Saturday night.  The owner I spoke to said they have done catering for motorcycle groups at the Allegheny Inn on numerous occasions.  I'm not sure if that's who Steve (Servicerifle) used we he orchestrated ESTN a few years back.  The owner said she has two "girls" she sends out for these catering events becuase the guys love 'em.    

Been to the Allegheny Inn at ESTN07, HSTA/MSTA events 08,09,10,11.  Pretty sure that is the group that catered them every time.  BentArrow set those events up for past two or three years and should know.

[R Doug]

I'm going to call the AI tomorrow and see if there's anything going on the weekend of 9/14.

Stay tuned.

 

[maddjack]

Here's what I'm thinking...



Have the meet at the Allegheny Inn in Sparta and have The Galax Smokehouse cater dinner Saturday night.  The owner I spoke to said they have done catering for motorcycle groups at the Allegheny Inn on numerous occasions.  I'm not sure if that's who Steve (Servicerifle) used we he orchestrated ESTN a few years back.  The owner said she has two "girls" she sends out for these catering events becuase the guys love 'em.    

There simply isn't a place in Galax which we can have a group dinner with a room all to ourselves whether it be a restaurant with a banquet room or one we can rent.   And, the hotel may be not big enough for us.

At the Allegheny Inn, there are plenty of rooms and a banquet room to eat with outdoor seating.

   This

[R Doug]

    This

DONE!  Please click on the link below  

http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,70344.0.html


Please discontinue using this thread and use the one above re:  ESTN 2012.  Mods, please unsticky this one and sticky the other.  

Thanks!