The National Cruiser Club USA Rally was held June 23-25 in Lancaster PA. Twelve Old Dominion Cruiser Club members rode up on Monday, took some unguided tours to Hershey and Gettysburg, then participated in bike games and a poker run. The event was capped with a banquet on Thursday night, then an uneventful trip brought everyone safely home on Friday. The weather was outstanding with the only rain coming as some approached home.
The trip was a huge success; we look forward to future club trips and hope that all of our members can participate!
Monday - Twelve of us on 8 bikes left on Monday morning after a hearty breakfast. The weather promised to be sunny, low humidity and no rain. So off we go!
More shots from the trip to PA.
After getting to Lancaster, we hoped to take a quick evening ride to see some Amish country, so we headed to downtown. Needless to say, we were somewhat surprised to note that downtown is not exactly Amish country!
The next day, Tuesday, we jumped on the bikes, headed to York, over the road that had had its pavement peeled. This feature of the road resulted in our being pelted with gravel and dust for 6 miles. We made it to the Harley Davidson factory but we couldn't take cameras in, so the pics are of us in the parking lot. Of course Jazzman got some pressure from the Geezer about the HD's.
More pics of York Harley Davidson factory tour, including the HD Beauty Shot for Sunrise and Gunny and Gunny.
After the H-D tour, we went looking for real Amish country. We found it in Intercourse, Bird-in Hand, and other nearby communities. We stopped for lunch at a nice buffet, it was a good ride. (I read a sign that noted how Intercourse got its name. In the day, there was a race course. There was a sign pointing out where riders "enter course." The community then sprung up at that point on the course, and the name evolved....sure....)
More pics from that ride.
That evening we rode to Hershey, traveled on Chocolate Avenue and Cocoa Lane under the streetlights shaped like "Kisses."
On Wednesday, we traveled the old Lincoln Highway through old PA cities to Gettysburg. After a stop at the new Visitor's Center, we traveled the AutoTour, with stops at the Virginia Memorial and the Cemetery. The VA Memorial is the site of Pickett's charge and is marked by a statue of Robert E, Lee on Traveller. We also stopped at the Soldiers' Cemetary and saw the many military graves and the site of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.
Throughout the battlefield are many monuments and memorials to the different units that fought in the battle. The site is awe inspiring - 51 thousand men died in this battle - compare that with 56 thousand KIA for the entire Vietnam Conflict!
The grave marker is that of William E. Miller, a Medal of Honor recipient. In checking on Capt. Miller's story I found this information on an Internet site that lists MOH information: "Rank and organization: Captain, Company H, 3d Pennsylvania Cavalry. Place and date: At Gettysburg, Pa., 3 July 1863. Entered service at: ------. Born: 5 February 1836, West Hill, Pa. Date of issue 21 July 1897. Citation: Without orders, led a charge of his squadron upon the flank of the enemy, checked his attack, and cut off and dispersed the rear of his column."
Here are closeups of us from the VA Memorial pic.
On the way back from Gettyburg, we hit big traffic in York. This was the toughest part of the trip, it was hot, the traffic was dicey, stop and go, no fun!
Thursday brought the bike games. They included the slow ride, then the "throw a balloon over the rail and catch it on the other side," and a jousting event. Our chapter didn't fare well, but we figure we'll practice and have a better chance next year!
That afternoon we went on a Poker Run - none of us had worthwhile hands. This run was probably the fastest we'd moved on the trip, as indicated by Ronnie's comment! In spite of the quick pace, the ride included spectacular scenery. We had a stop for lunch at an Amish buffet, another at an overlook of a pretty lake and the last one in Intercourse where we saw buggies, wire/metal wheeled tractors, and learned about making "witch hands."
Thursday evening brought the banquet. We joined the other chapters sharing fellowship, a meal and laughter, followed by the presentation of awards and door prizes. Here is a group shot, followed by one of Fatback and St. Janie, another pic of the group, the obligatory shot of Sunshine and one of Jazzman describing how big something is to Irv from Ohio. The event culminated with a DJ providing music for dancing, or as was our case, serenading us as we moved back to the rooms to hit the sack!
The next day, almost bright and certainly early, we left for home. We had an uneventful and safe trip home. Some of us caught some rain for the last few miles and I think Sunrise may have had some issues with the clutch on her bike. Overall the trip was flawless, well directed and led by our president, Jazzman, who deserves the credit for orchestrating this great summer motor-touring event!
