Arrival at YMCA Camp West Mar
4–7 de jun., Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 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 rallyLeia mais
Planning
4 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F
Volunteers are making the final plans for organizing registration for the Square Route Rally.
Rally Master
5 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 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 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 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 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F
Lynn. Cindy, and Tom chopping.
Mortons BMW
5 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 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 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 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 toLeia mais
Signing Up For Rides
5 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 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 inLeia mais
South Mountain Creamery
5 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 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 MarylandLeia mais
SkyMed Presentation
5 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 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 slingLeia mais
Adventure Tales
5 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 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 DCLeia mais
My Trip to France
5 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 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 theLeia mais
Riding South of the border
5 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ 🌙 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 mountainLeia mais
Peaceful Saturday Morning
6 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
I got up early before most of the rally goers. The morning was cool and clear.
Mount Airy Mocha
6 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
A food truck sold coffee and breakfast food. I ate a breakfast burrito with a latte. Delicious.
The Rally Wakes Up
6 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 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 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☁️ 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 theLeia mais
Lunch at Bonnie's at the Red Byrd
6 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 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 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 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 TheLeia mais
Nutter's Ice Cream
6 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 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, andLeia mais
Back At Camp
6 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☁️ 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 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☁️ 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 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 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 forLeia mais
Superlative Awards
6 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 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 enoughLeia mais
Grand Prizes
6 de junho, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 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.