Events > Regional Rallies

New Just for Fun Event – Middlesboro Kentucky – October 9th -11th.

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boatanchor:
Wouldn’t it be great if you could combine some of the great riding areas from two different STAR events and be able to enjoy them at a weekend Just for Fun Event? Well this October you can do just that! There will be a new Just for Fun Event in Middlesboro, Kentucky on the weekend of October 9th – 11th. The host hotel will be the Holiday Inn Express in Middlesboro, Kentucky (Phone Number 606 248-6860). There are 15 double bed rooms that are available for the price of $93.00 plus taxes. These rooms will be held until September 9th at which time they will be released back to the public. If those rooms fill up with MSTA members before that time, there are also 15 more rooms with King bed rooms that are available on a first come first serve basis, but are not being held at this time. The hotel has a complimentary breakfast available and there are restaurants with walking distance if you so desire.
So now to the important thing, what about the riding in the area? Middlesboro sits at the corners where Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee come together in an area known as the Cumberland Gap. Well, if any of you remember STAR 2011 in Johnson City TN and did any of the rides up to the Northwest, you probably rode some of the good local roads that are near Middlesboro.  For STAR 2013 in Lexington KY, if you rode to the Southeast you probably were on some more of the roads that are near the Middlesboro area. 
For places to visit and an all-day ride, you can head to Breaks Interstate Park that was the lunch ride destination for STAR 2011. The Cumberland Gap Park is located right next to Middlesboro and is interesting to tour. The small town of Rugby is a good lunch ride destination and the Area of Big South Fork is worth a ride thru. State route’s 31, 66 and 70 in Tennessee will provide you with plenty of curves.  For those that would like to leave paved surfaces occasionally there is Daniel Boone National Forest fairly close by and some coal mining roads that will help wet your appetite for a little Adventure. The normal weather that time of year is mid-forties in the morning with highs around 70 or so and the leaf colors should be near their prime that time of year.
What more could you ask for with a Just for Fun Event—well one thing….after ride adult beverages. If you desire anything like that after a day of riding you are out of luck  J. Middlesboro is in the middle of a totally dry county, so leave a little room in your saddle bag for a after ride adult beverage, or sneak across the county line like a ‘moonshining bootlegger’ and pick up your beverage for after the ride.
I hope to see as many MSTA riders as possible there. If you have any questions please feel free to contact myself or Pat Mogavero.
I will post more information on articles that appeared in various motorcycle magazines regarding the riding in the area in the future.
Thanks,
Rick Giddish
MSTA East Tennessee State Director

DRB:
Any one looking for a roommate?  I am a male, occasional light sorer, according to my wife, and non-smoker.  I have already made reservations for October 9.  I may be reached at 336-945-6945 or via this site.

Rick B

Patmo:
I stopped by the Kentucky Travel Center yesterday and picked up two dozen official Kentucky State Road Maps to pass out.  Please see me and take one, they have a lot of information.

We are not allowed to pass out official "routes" at a Just for Fun event.  However, I don't think that keeps me from "sharing" what I consider to be the best roads in that part of Kentucky.  So I will be bringing my computer and a Delorme Gazetter, along with the maps, and will share all the information I have on the area. You will have to set up your own "routes".  I plan to be there early Friday afternoon to check out a few of the roads for conditions, as there was some construction going on when last I visited.  After that I will be available at the hotel to answer any questions and give any suggestions I can. Please don't hesitate to look me up.  Looking forward to a great event!

Pat Mogavero

RIDEMYST:
We are packed and ready to head south to Florida. Just want to thank Rick & Pat for a great JFF event. Mother Nature could have been nicer but you guys picked some fantastic roads and really nice accommodations. Looking forward to next year! -JEP-


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HawkGTRider:
My thanks to Rick Giddish and Pat Mogavero too.

I didn't get to hang out with the crowd on Friday because of work conflicts (I am the technical director for the Knoxville Opera Company this year...see the review of our current production here... http://www.knoxnews.com/news/local-news/review-mefistofele-delivers-devil-of-a-good-show_35930922 ), but since Middlesboro is only an hour north of my home, I got up early on Saturday to join the fun. I've been looking forward to this since I saw Rick's announcement. This southeast corner of Kentucky near where it joins with Virginia and Tennessee is a real gem...and undiscovered or unknown by many. I started out riding through this area because it was on the way to other places, but I discovered that it was absolutely worthy of being a destination of its own. A few others have figured it out as well, and the BMW MOA recently had a regional event based at Kentucky's Pine Mountain State Park just a few miles north of Middlesboro.

Arriving at the Holiday Inn Express around 7:30, I was in the breakfast area before most of our crowd of 20-25 people filtered in from their rooms. Overcast skies, a bit of misting, cooler temperatures (high 40s to low 50s), and the sun not rising until around 7:30 allowed me to get to the HIE before everyone headed out. I had the pleasure of joining Bryan Dunlap, Doug McPeek, Betty Lise Anderson, and Bill Thalgott for the day, and with Bryan taking the point, off we went. While routes were not officially distributed, some of our routing gurus (guri? gurae?) had thrown some things together. We had a route! While less than 200 miles long, by not leaving the HIE until almost 9:00, taking appropriate breaks, a good lunch break, and very curvy, unfamiliar, and challenging roads, the distance was just fine, thank you. While the roads were not exactly dry, they were dry in places. Being October, I guess you could say it it's autumn, so there were wet leaves on the road in places. It's Kentucky, so there while there are some roads that have coal trucks on them, there aren't many on weekends. There are some roads that have coal dust on them that are a bit slick even when dry. But none of that conspired to keep us from having a rip-roaring good time.

Back at the hotel, it was decided that we should order several large pizzas, and stay at the hotel rather than trying to find a decent eating establishment. There are eateries in the area, but none that serve any kind of adult beverages. Apparently a law has been passed allowing restaurants to serve those beverages, but it will be 5 more days before it goes into effect. With many of our attendees having picked up their own supply of beverages, the pizza party in the motel's breakfast area was on! After everyone seemed to have eaten all they wanted, we had half of one pizza left over, so our estimate on how many to order was pretty close.

I'm pleased to report that we passed the hat for a donation to the Ride For Kids, and $75 was collected. Very cool. The kids thank you, and I thank you on their behalf.

After we had watched the Tennessee football team slip past the favored Georgia Bulldogs on the breakfast nook's big screen tv, it was time to head back down the road to home.

So, my day was 1) uneventful early morning ride, 2) meeting friends, 3) riding with friends on curvy roads, 4) pizza and good fellowship with friends, 5) good football outcome for Tennessee fans, and finally 6) uneventful late evening ride back home. I call that an outstanding way to spend an early October autumn day. Now it's back to opera on Sunday, load everything out of the theatre Sunday night, and start working on the set for the next opera in February.

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