Author Topic: TriSTAR May 23-27 2024  (Read 4682 times)

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Offline HawkGTRider

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TriSTAR May 23-27 2024
« on: May 27, 2024, 04:01:01 pm »
Thanks to Lou and Cathy Laguna for knocking the ball out of the park with TriSTAR in Sparta this past weekend. Registration included a nice info packet with flyers about area activities, a comprehensive listing of area restaurants, schedule of events, catered dinner Saturday night, a bike wash area, etc.

Weather was coolish with some scattered showers here and there, but overall, it was pretty nice weather. Some of the roads right around Sparta and on the Blue Ridge Parkway were being repaved, but no delays were more than a minor inconvenience. (It should be most excellent next year once the pavement is nice and cured.) The routes set up over the years (I think mostly, if not all, by routing guru Doug Pippin) are still most excellent. I rode one route myself that I don't think I'd ever had the opportunity to do...great fun!

I saw a good number of familiar faces and a LOT of new faces. Fantastic! We had an excellent representation of the association's officers with President Norm Kern, Veep Lou Laguna, State Director Rep Howard Baumwell, Treasurer Kelly Ernst, and RFK Coordinator Geoffrey Greene in attendance.

The proprietor at the Alleghany Inn, John, pulled out all the stops too with plenty of tents set up in the parking with tables for food and socialization, registration, and a bike wash area.
 
Thanks to the generosity of the attendees, we collected $540 for the Ride For Kids, our adopted charity. It was good to get back in the saddle for that. My thanks go to all of the folks that participated in that worthy cause.

And speaking of getting back in the saddle, this was my first event attended since my get-off last year followed by several months of recovery. I've done some single days of riding in recent months, but this was the first time I've strung together several days of riding. So after a couple of hundred miles in the saddle to get to Sparta, a similar distance each day riding in the area, and a similar amount going home, I'm happy to say that both my '97 PC800 (with its brand new antique registration tag) and me (am I also an antique?) got a good workout with no issues.

Our Saturday night BBQ was catered with plenty of good food. And I heard a rumor of the possibility of bring back the Friday night parking lot cookout in coming years.

Thanks to Lou, Cathy, and any other volunteers that jumped in to help. I didn't hear of any problems during the weekend, and I hope everyone made it home safely and enthusiastically.

From what I heard, I think we can expect to have this event again next year. Go ahead and call now and make your room reservation at the Alleghany Inn during the Memorial Day weekend. We had a good crowd of an estimated 70-80 people and it wouldn't take much to push us into the days of yore when we filled up the entire Inn for the weekend. With a few cars and trailers in the middle parking area, the bikes dominated the parking around the edge of the lot nearest the rooms. It was great to see!
« Last Edit: May 28, 2024, 07:08:11 am by HawkGTRider »
Geoffrey Greene
MSTA Ride For Kids Coordinator, MSTA Secretary (retired), TN-STAR and Tri-STAR Coordinator (retired)
Difficult roads can lead to beautiful destinations.

Offline Ride4MS

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Re: TriSTAR May 23-27 2024
« Reply #1 on: May 27, 2024, 10:58:26 pm »
Great to hear that you are back to riding again Geoffrey!
Also, Thanks for all the work through the years to raise money for "Ride for Kids".
Carl Wieman, 2016-2022 MSTA Dan Clark Safety Program Coordinator,    2022 Vanderhall Venice, 1986 Honda Gold Wing Interstate 
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Offline STLTHMSTA

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Re: TriSTAR May 23-27 2024
« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2024, 08:25:13 am »
I'll echo those sentiments and thanks for the report on this favorite event. Sounds like it was a good one. Cycle Therapy is the most effective there is.
It's good to hear your voice Geoffrey.   TM

Offline NinjaBob

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Re: TriSTAR May 23-27 2024
« Reply #3 on: May 28, 2024, 05:09:23 pm »
Thanks for the nice report Geoffrey! great to hear you're back touring
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Offline STLTHMSTA

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Re: TriSTAR May 23-27 2024
« Reply #4 on: May 28, 2024, 09:03:05 pm »
You can't keep a good man down!! You can beat him up a bit, but you can't keep him down. ;)  TM

Offline RichGrab

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Re: TriSTAR May 23-27 2024
« Reply #5 on: June 01, 2024, 01:08:19 pm »
Very well put Geoffrey. I can add nothing to that report, other than I had a great time. I have heard stories from my brother Steve of how Tri-Star used to be back in the day. So glad I had the opportunity to experience it, and will be back again. I retired this year at the end of March, and this was my first event as a retiree. Nothing nagging at the back of my brain, and was able to take an extra day to wait out the rain in NE Ohio before heading home to Michigan. Oh yeah, and the 3 restored classic bikes at the Saturday night catered meal were a real  treat.
Rich Grabowski;Jackson, MI; MSTA #12038
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