Planing for the 2010 season

Winter just started and already I'm thinking where to go next summer.
I live just a few miles short of being halfway between Daytona and Sturgis. Was gonna flip a coin but thought that maybe some input on which is best might help.
Plan on going to the MOTOGP in INDY for sure but other that that just a bunch of short runs. Big O cut my purse strings again this year so it's going to be one or the other.
Anybody have any thoughts on this?

Never been to Daytona, would like to someday. Been going to Sturgis since ‘97’.
There is lots of riding and non-biker stuff to do there. I’m sure there is Daytona to.
I here about people being hassled in Sturgis but it has never happened to me. We say ever year we’re not going this year but end up going anyway, it’s only 450 miles from here to Rapid City, so why not go. Motel staying is our biggest expense. That usually runs $120.00 upward per night.

I know an Anesthesiologist from Great Falls. Don't know which hospital he is with in case you have more than one though. He comes to NE Tennessee and does some part time occassionally.

We have been with several different groups, and the best times is when just the ole and me go by ourselfs. Last year we took a new couple with us they were fun but needed to be entertained full time. They just didn't understand it takes a week to see and do it all.

I lived in Daytona during bike week about a hundred years ago. I try to stay away from Florida. I know I tried to go last year, but the whole time I was struggling to get there, I kept wondering why I would move out here for all the varied and incredible scenery and then go to flat and straight Florida.

I'd consider the ride between where you are and the two places you are thinking about going. Can you hit the Blue Ridge Parkway and Deal's Gap if you head to Daytona? If so, that would make it worth it.

This year i was unable to go on the big ride. Last year, we went from Phoenix to Mitchell SD and back the long way.
This year, took a ride to Area 51 to the little alien inn.

For 2010 the big trip:

From here to UT, through salt lake city area, the in ID and into Yellowstone, accross to SD, cruise into Sturgis and Deadwood, the down to CO, NM and home. About 3000 miles. I figure to take about 5 or 6 days of riding. Taking in the scenes and enjoying the ride. Most of the riding will be on secondary roads.

Been to Daytona once but not during Bike week- stopped at Bruce Rossmeyers HD and spent the whole afternoon in the bike mall. And it does have the option of going though the Smokeys and DEALS GAP - But would like to see some of the west and Mt. Rushmore. Traveled through that area many times on the super slab but never had a chance to stop and see the country.
Now with that all said - The wife chimes in and says she wants to birddog me in the van. Might have to bend a little and trailer the bike out there; would rather ride all the way no matter which one I go to.
But I keep tellin her that it's the ride not the destination and she still doesn't get it!:gah:

:roflmao:That sounds like fun, but if I took all my grandkids,son in laws, daughters with the wife and I - I'd have charter a couple of greyhound buses. Besides the idea of having 33 grandkids yelling at me me to be the next to ride with Grandpa on my bike, starts me to have serious thoughts rapping my paw around several long necks and guzzling until I fall down.
Last year the wife and I went to Tenn. so I could ride the DRAGON and wound up taking two of the older grandkids with us. I had planned on taking the 2 lanes all the way down and she was going to follow in the cage. Being the good husband I printed the route and the directions so she would have some idea of where she was going; 200 hundred miles into the trip she got lost.
By the time I hit Gatlinburg,Tenn. 13 hours later she had managed to find the Super Slab and caught up with me. After spending two days rained in at the hotel with the OL and the grandkids, I finally got to run the DRAGON. All the time I'm there she wanting me to take the grandkids everywhere but where I wanted to go and the weather didn't help any either.
This year she's saying Florida again for the 5th time,

I keep tellin her it's the ride not the destination and she still doesn't get it.:gah:

My buddy loaded up and went to Dayona last year. It was the 1st time he's ever went.
When he came back he said he would never go to Daytona again.

Too many people and everytime he looked up there was a cop.
He said the cops just wouldn't leave people alone.
He's roudy but don't cause any trouble.
He works on a military base so I know hes a pretty good dude.

He does plan on however on draggin his bike to like Jacksonville and riding to the Florida Keys and back.
I've got a few friends that has done that and they said it was a pretty nice ride.

Sturgis is something you have to plan way ahead for.
There's too many folks there and the police has been gittin more picky.
I would also consider the big bike show in Vegas area.

Vegas may be an alternative; I hadn't thought about it, but it will be in the list before I make my choice. I'll check it out. With money being so tight thanks to Big O and the ecomony, I might have to settle for The BOOGIE in southern Indiana.
One place I know I'm going to is INDY for the MOTO GP; not to visit but to work the weekend for my state ABATE chapter. I went last year and had a real good time and got to see a lot of racing and meet a lot of people from all over the world who showed up.
The eye candy wasn't hard to look at either; with only one rainy day/night everything turned out great.

Just added a ittinary to my trip log for this year - will be going down to Alabama to meet up with First Lady sometime this summer - she and my OL have been talkin and I fiquired I could plan a route that would get me to the Natchez Trace and First Ladies place then back to the Hills of Eastern Tenn. - Ride the DRAGON again. Last time was a hoot except when I went over the side on the foothill parkway. I still remember that ride - all the time talkin about the dangers of the Dragon and pow over the side after the Dragon.
Don't know who it was that stopped and helped me get the bike back up the drop off - but I'm sure glad they did. Took 8 guys and a 4-wheeler to geter done done no damage except my pride and a rash of bites from whatever lurks in the bushes down there. LOL

Have you been to this place? Its by appointment and only motorcycles are allowed, and NO KIDS.

29 Dreams, Inc. Main Page

And they have a Mini Dragon there. But you need to be careful riding this, it has big hills sharp curves and a lot of people ride it.

Alabama’s “Mini-Dragon” to 29 Dreams: Alabama Motorcycle Rides

And have you ever heard of Barbar Motorsports Museum, its bigger than then one Harley Davidson has in Wisconson. Its at least 5 floors if I remember right of motorcycle from the 1900 forward.

Barber : Home

All the motorbikes has a place there they test motorcycle from all over the world,
They got people that also come from all over the world to race their motorcycles there. Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and everybody.
I seen them teaching people to race Porshe's there one time.

Home : Barber Motorsports Park

Up next to this place Bass Pro Shop has a place on like 23 acres.
you can shoot guns, mountain climb walls, shoot bow and arrows and I think they might have a campin site.

Leeds Alabama Sporting Goods - Leeds Fishing & Hunting Gear - Bass Pro Shops


And on up the road they have the Taladege 500 Race track.

I went up there when I was younger and worked as a Locksmith for Alabama Lock and key and did all the Lockwork on this place.
Its one hell of a race track. I've been to it many times when I was younger.
The boss used to rent a ryder truck. we put sheets of 1" plywood on top of the truck and a icechest and used a ladder and got on top of the truck and watched the races.
Man what a blast.

Its up to you on what you want to do, buy I'm showing you a lot of things to do while yer in this area man.
And if I couldn't do anything else. Go to Barber Motor Sports.
You need several hours to start to go threw the place if you want to look at the bikes too man.
Take a digital Camera with a good memory chip and probaly a flash.