Arrival at YMCA Camp West Mar
4–7 cze, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ☀️ 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 rally Czytaj więcej
Planning
4 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F
Volunteers are making the final plans for organizing registration for the Square Route Rally.
Rally Master
5 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ⛅ 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 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ⛅ 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 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F
Lynn. Cindy, and Tom chopping.
Mortons BMW
5 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ⛅ 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 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ⛅ 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 to Czytaj więcej
Signing Up For Rides
5 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ☀️ 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 in Czytaj więcej
South Mountain Creamery
5 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F
While some DC club members started Friday night’s dinner, I encouraged a large group of rally goers to enjoy dessert first and led them to the South Mountain Creamery. The best ice cream in Maryland Czytaj więcej
SkyMed Presentation
5 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ☀️ 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 sling Czytaj więcej
Adventure Tales
5 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F
Jim Coates led a “round robin” discussion about Adventure Tales, overseas trips that we had taken. He talked about a trip to Cuba in November 2025 and the people they met and the scenery. Ten DC Czytaj więcej
My Trip to France
5 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F
I talked about my 20-day trip to France in 2024. I recounted my preparation and packing for my first fly & ride. I decided to pack all my riding gear in a large suitcase and carry my helmet on the Czytaj więcej
Riding South of the border
5 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ 🌙 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 mountain Czytaj więcej
Peaceful Saturday Morning
6 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
I got up early before most of the rally goers. The morning was cool and clear.
Mount Airy Mocha
6 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
A food truck sold coffee and breakfast food. I ate a breakfast burrito with a latte. Delicious.
The Rally Wakes Up
6 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ⛅ 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 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F
About 16 bikes went off for the Battlefields Tour. It was a large group but we stayed together well.
The Battle of South Mountain took place at these three gaps as the Yankees pushed back the Czytaj więcej
Lunch at Bonnie's at the Red Byrd
6 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ⛅ 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 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F
After a brief stop at the Park Headquarters, we rode through the Antietam Battlefield. We followed the audio tour route and saw The Cornfield where more men died than at Omaha Beach on D-Day. At The Czytaj więcej
Nutter's Ice Cream
6 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F
When I lead a ride, you know we will stop for ice cream. Nutter's Ice Cream shop in Sharpsburg, MD has the air of a business that has been around forever. The interior decor is of a general store, and Czytaj więcej
Back At Camp
6 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ☁️ 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 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ☁️ 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 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ☀️ 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 for Czytaj więcej
Superlative Awards
6 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ☀️ 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 enough Czytaj więcej
Grand Prizes
6 czerwca, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ☀️ 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.