Dave,
Enjoyed meeting you and Spencer! RCR is a great first MSTA event. Being small, it's informal and a lot easier to meet people and figure out what's going on.
Since there was only one route on Sat, everyone was riding it. I really like Ray Kang's idea for new riders- Start the route early, let a group pass you, ride with them for awhile, let another group pass, ride with them etc. That makes it easy to figure out your comfort zone and who you want to ride with.
The upcoming MailPouch Fly-By is at the other end of the scale from the RCR- it's the largest MMSTA regional rally. 14 routes to choose from (or roll your own), probably 180 riders if the weather is good. Huge variety of wonderful people and bikes. Hope you and Spencer can make it!