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[/sup][/font] – 11th[/sup]. The host hotel will be the Holiday Inn Express in Middlesboro, Kentucky. 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[/sup] 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 in you so desire.
So now to the important thing, what about the riding in the area? Middleboro 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 you 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 motorcycle magazine regarding the riding in the area in the future.
Thanks,
Rick Giddish
MSTA East Tennessee State Director
