(MI) Region 4 meet MDW 2007 ---Pics & reports

[forester]

Memorial Day 2007 ride - Northwestern lower Michigan.  Corkscrews & views  

This event will be based out of Traverse City, Michigan.

Be ready to do some serious all-day riding May 26th and 27th, 2007.

Greeting on Friday, 25th at Northpeak Brewing company in Traverse City at 8:30-10:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time (EST) http://www.northpeak.net/

Meet, Greet, Eat and ride packet distribution at Bob Evans, 1964 N US Highway 31 N, Traverse City, MI 49686 (231) 938-1005.  

8:30 A/M EST Saturday May 26th for breakfast (breakfast at Bob Evans optional of course) with ride starting at 10:00 A/M EST sharp from Bob Evan's parking lot.

2nd Meet, Greet, Eat and ride packet distribution at Cracker Barrel 3620 North Country Drive Traverse City MI (231) 933-9244.  

8:30 A/M EST Sunday May 27th for breakfast (optional) with ride starting at 10:00 A/M EST sharp from Cracker Barrel's parking lot.

These rides highlight the best sport/sport-touring motorcycle riding area in the state with as few straights as possible to connect the more enjoyable sections and views to match.      

Ride information packets for attendees include route maps for the rides (including the dual sport ride), ride road directions and mileage, M/C dealer locations, fuel locations, restaurant locations and meeting times, and other information about the area.  

Dual sport ride: Can be ridden Saturday as an alternative route;  Pending interest, I can lead a ride on Memorial day, Monday, May 28th up to Dead Man's hill, one of the most beautiful scenic overlooks in MI, (partially graveled road - it may have some corrugations, but should be accessible for any street bike) and along the Jordan river valley road (two-track - moderately rough - some sections maybe sandy, steep or have seeps going across the road surface - sport bikes not recommended), which follows an incredibly beautiful spring-fed crystal clear designated blue ribbon trout stream through a dense evergreen environment made up of Cedar, Hemlock and Balsam fir.  For those with compact poles and tackle, there are good brookies, rainbows and browns in the Jordan.  

I also have GPS route information available in Garmin mapsource recognized formats - however, these have been entered manually (not directly off of the GPS) so there may be some vectors slightly off of the actual roads.  Send private message to me for e-mail...  

Recommended accommodations are as follows:

For indoor lodging:

Restwood Motel
1566 US 31 North
Traverse City, MI 49686
(231) 938-1130
http://www.restwoodmotel.com/

When you confirm your reservation, make sure you explain that you are with the motorcycle group.  A rate of $59.95-$79.95 (depending on how many rooms he books total for this group) was quoted to me 1/19/07.  It's not a big hotel, so book ASAP!

For campers:

Traverse City State Park
1132 N Us Highway 31 N
Traverse City, MI 49686
(231) 922-5270
http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/ParksandTrailsInfo.aspx?id=501

Feel free to choose other locations (see remainder of thread - particularly regarding cycle-moore campgrounds - a M/C only campground about 15 minutes away from T.C. - another good potential place to stay - link: http://www.michigan.org/travel/detail.asp?m=&p=G10036).

The first two places are in close proximity to one another and there are ample dining and lounge facilities located very close by.  There is also a beach in the sparkling clear waters of Traverse Bay, for those of you gutsy enough to go swimming this time of year  

So far, the following people are on the guest list.

Confident

FRZY
Niner
Stripes
Rob (from hoosierville)
Basco
Mr. Awesome
RedCBRrider
Sparky
trinibob
chillerguy
dutch
bedlamite
Dekruyter

Possible

JohnnyB (definite maybe)
Stripes' Triumph buds

Did I forget anyone?  Packets will NOT be available to the general public

Please feel free to share this ride with others in the region who truly enjoy sport touring - the more, the merrier   .  


 


 

[FRZY]

Excellent, put me on the list of attendees  

kick off the summer with a R4 meet in MI over MDW, then finish it with a R4 meet in WI on LDW. How sweet. Time to start looking a routes to MI, never to early to start planning  

Thanks for taking lead on this forester

[bluemax]

The coolest way to get to Meeechigan is the Badger Ferry, then ride back home over the top of Lake Michigan. I do this trip almost every year. NW Lower Michigan, they call it The Gold Coast, is beautiful. The beaches, the harbor towns, the Sleeping Bear Dunes and the scenery are all great. The town of Leland has a very cool restaurant called 'The Cove'. Their specialty drink is 'The Chubby Mary'. It's a bloody Mary with a smoked chub (perch) stuck in. It's lunch and a drink in a glass. Who's ever going over for the R4 MDW ride will have an absolute blast. The picture was taken from on top of the 500' dunes.

[bluemax]

I forgot to mention those little specks in the sand are people hiking up and down the dunes. Here's another shot, this one is looking south down the shore line. As I said it's very pretty over there.

[johnnyb]

I am a definite maybe  

[mxvet57]

I'll miss this by 1 day. I'm doing a trip around lakes Michigan and Superior. ( http://www.aroundthelakes.net/atl2006/ ) will be staying at the best western in Traver's city may 25. and then up to Canada Friday.
if your in the area stop on by. we start rolling in around 5:30. just look for a bunch of motorcyclists having chips and beer in the parking lot.

  ed

[Sparky]

I took the high speed ferry out of Milwaukee across last spring. Took two and half hours.

I'd go but I'll be riding down to north Georgia that weekend.

[forester]

I'll miss this by 1 day. I'm doing a trip around lakes Michigan and Superior. ( http://www.aroundthelakes.net/atl2006/ ) will be staying at the best western in Traver's city may 25. and then up to Canada Friday.
if your in the area stop on by. we start rolling in around 5:30. just look for a bunch of motorcyclists having chips and beer in the parking lot.

  ed

I only live an hour from TC and might swing up there on the 25th...but it's hard to say.  Chances are that I'll be around there the 25th, and if more people show interest in this, they will be too.

[forester]

Excellent, put me on the list of attendees  

kick off the summer with a R4 meet in MI over MDW, then finish it with a R4 meet in WI on LDW. How sweet. Time to start looking a routes to MI, never to early to start planning  

Thanks for taking lead on this forester

No problem.  Thanks for that spark of genesis...

[FRZY]

I'll be there on the 25th  

[DredheadV2.0]

Indeed, thanks for taking the lead on this.  

It's a little different than your first posts on ST.N, fer sure.  Remember wayyy back when?  

I'll likely have the Supermunchkin that weekend, so unless she feels like subjecting her 8-year-old butt to some high miles I doubt we'll be there.  But ya never know; she did a 300-mile day with me on one of the Coffee Meet days this summer, so maybe (once i get the suspension properly set) she wouldn't mind a trip to Michigan.  She won't be partaking in chips 'n' beer, however.

[basco]

Yup, different.

BTW, I would go to this. I did want to go to the ESTN this year but I think I am going to the National again next year. So ESTN and National might be too much and insert R4 meet MDW and LDW will work for me.

[RedCBRRider]

I think I'd to try to get there for this.  That is a long weekend off from work, and what better way to spend it than riding.  I'll look for further details to develop and hope that some BS doesn't come up to get in the way.  You never can tell with wives, kids, and jobs.

[FRZY]

could this end up being a M.A.C.K. ride to MI   for the 1st MI R4 meet  

[matkal]

John, a couple others and I have tenative plans to go to deals gap the week(or 2)before.  If we don't end up going to DG then, I (we?) will try to make it.
It sounds like a really good time on some great roads.

[Huron52]

 I might have gone to this if I wasn't already going to Mexico New York for another motorcycle rally that same weekend.  

   Will there be another one of these later on in the year?

[basco]

 I might have gone to this if I wasn't already going to Mexico New York for another motorcycle rally that same weekend.  

   Will there be another one of these later on in the year?

LDW, check the sticky stuff on Region 4

[Rob (from Hoosierville)]

Count me in  

[forester]

John, a couple others and I have tenative plans to go to deals gap the week(or 2)before.  If we don't end up going to DG then, I (we?) will try to make it.
It sounds like a really good time on some great roads.

 You might know a little something about that.  

[forester]

Indeed, thanks for taking the lead on this.  

It's a little different than your first posts on ST.N, fer sure.  Remember wayyy back when?  

Don't remind me.    Not saying I'm a swan now, but I was a bit of an ugly duckling.

I'll likely have the Supermunchkin that weekend, so unless she feels like subjecting her 8-year-old butt to some high miles I doubt we'll be there.

Well, I will have a pillion for one of the days (wife), and I'll have to take it fairly easy that day.  I suspect that will be Sunday, since we'll have probably have an additional road hazard (think gay pirates   ) around here on Sunday that will slow things down a bit.

 

But ya never know; she did a 300-mile day with me on one of the Coffee Meet days this summer, so maybe (once i get the suspension properly set) she wouldn't mind a trip to Michigan.  She won't be partaking in chips 'n' beer, however.

 I'm sure whichever cool place I choose to subject you all to will be drinks optional - so no worries.