Arrival at YMCA Camp West Mar
4.–7. kesäk., Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F
It's the day before the Square Route Rally in the Catoctin mountains of Maryland. I arrived at the rally site the evening before it begins. As one of the volunteers I get will help set up the rallyLue lisää
Planning
4. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F
Volunteers are making the final plans for organizing registration for the Square Route Rally.
Rally Master
5. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
Mike Seay is the 2026 rally master. He has worked super hard to make sure we're all going to have a great time. Here he is overseeing his minions.
Setting Up Registration
5. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F
Gene and Kathy were working hard to set up the registration table. Check-In is completely automated with mobile apps and a web page for the RegFox system.
Prepping Friday's Dinner
5. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F
Lynn. Cindy, and Tom chopping.
Mortons BMW
5. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F
Morton's BMW is the vendor at the rally. He brought his mobile service trailer and an R1300Rt.
Test Riding an R1300RT
5. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F
James Carlisle, Dealer Principal of Morton's BMW, brought a 2026 R1300RT to the Square Route Rally. He offered me a test ride and I could not resist.
This is the automatic model so I got toLue lisää
Signing Up For Rides
5. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F
We offer three rides this year. The first one is our traditional South Mountain Ice Cream Run. Of course I'll leave that because I love ice cream.
The Saturday rides will be a trip to the Antietam inLue lisää
South Mountain Creamery
5. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F
The best ice cream in Maryland is South Mountain Creamery. All the roads between YMCA Camp West Mar and the creamery are good. You just have to choose between winding narrow roads through thick woodsLue lisää
SkyMed Presentation
5. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F
Donna from SkyMed told us about the costs of medical evacuation by air and how their insurance pays for this essential service that my medical insurance does not cover.
She had her arm in a slingLue lisää
Adventure Tales
5. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F
Jim Coates talked about the trip to Cuba in November, 2025. They met with people and saw the countryside. Ten club members ride 895 miles in 8 days. Ileana addr talked of her weekend with the peopleLue lisää
My Trip to France
5. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F
I talked about French Ride
Riding South of the border
5. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ 🌙 77 °F
Lynn talked about her two month trip to Central America. She spent $14,000 for a two month trip. The price included purchasing a motorcycle. There is fabulous riding south of the border. Cool mountainLue lisää
Peaceful Saturday Morning
6. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
I got up early before most of the rally goers. The morning was cool and clear.
Mount Airy Mocha
6. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
A food truck sold coffee and breakfast food. I ate a breakfast burrito with a latte. Delicious.
The Rally Wakes Up
6. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
People wake up and start to plan their day. There are two guided tours, a pavement ride to the battlefield and a gravel ride along the MABDR.
South Mountain Battlefield
6. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F
About 16 bikes went off for the Battlefields Tour. It was a large group but we stayed together well.
We stopped at Turner's Gap. Fox Gap, and Crampton Gap. The battle took place at these three gapsLue lisää
Lunch at Bonnie's at the Red Byrd
6. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F
This restaurant has a funny name, but the food is good and they can handle a big crowd. Surprisingly, there are not many restaurants in Sharpsburg, Maryland.
Antietam Battlefield
6. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F
After a brief stop at the Park Headquarters, we rode through the battlefield. We followed the auditor route and saw The Cornfield where more men died than at Omaha Beach on D-Day. At The Cornfield,Lue lisää
Nutter's Ice Cream
6. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F
Nutter's Ice Cream shop has the air of a business that has been around forever. The interior decor is of a general store and I suspect that is what it was before its present incarnation as a sweetsLue lisää
Back At Camp
6. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 82 °F
We returned early from the battlefield tour and had time to rest at camp and talk with friends before dinner.
Bollinger's Barbeque
6. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F
Bollinger's Barbeque was our caterer again this year. We keep inviting them back because their brisket and pulled pork are the best around. The Uncle Dirty's barbecue sauces are also outstanding.
Presentation
6. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F
Angelette was our Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening. She was joined by a club president Lynn and Rally Master. Mike.
James Carlisle, Dealer Principal of Morton's BMW gets an award forLue lisää
Superlative Awards
6. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F
We had the standard collection plus one that we made up on the spot, the Close Call Award. Chris Hansen had a deer jump over him while he was riding on the MABDR. Luckily the deer jumped high enoughLue lisää
Grand Prizes
6. kesäkuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F
Gift certificate, a pair of helmet communicators, and a new pair of tires were the grand prizes. There were too many regular door prizes to list here.