The 2nd Annual Maine Chowdah Run

[sullivan]

Here's Mae's reply I received this morning:

Good Morning Dan,

 

We'll hold a room for you and look forward to seeing you 8am on the 5/20!

 

Best,

 

Katie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As for traffic info, I'll keep up to date on this summer's paving and bridge work on Interstate 295 around Portland. What I see is some slight reroute on what we call Tukey's Bridge. If you remember from last year, after the scenic loop up on Portland's Eastern Promenade, there was a mandatory merge with highway traffic over the bridge, beside B&M Baked Beans, before we exited quickly for route 1, Falmouth. I can update that day, and it's an easy detour for a different entrance/exit. Key thing is that folks will need to disregard gps.

 

 

 

 

Dan

 

 

[sullivan]

End of trip: if anyone needs a place to stay, I'll promote Bath. Historic town, very involved chamber of commerce, quality bed&breakfasts, lots to see and do. The following link is for the new hotel, at the waterfront. One may want to consider staying here next year, as well, as an alternative to Freeport area. Just saying. Bath hotel and Visit Bath

 

[NSrider]

Sounds good, Sullivan. They did handle us with great aplomb (and no warning) at Mae's last year. And that was on a Saturday morning! This year it will be on Friday AM, but at this point I really have no firm idea who is (how many are) attending!!

So far I think we have:

Me and Mrs W (2)

Our son on the 'strom (1)

MEM (1) meeting us along the way somewhere on Thurs.

Zip (1+3) meeting wife and kids at MDI

bb and Mrs dig (2)

bbdig's friends on a quiet Harley (2)

cota and Mrs 95(2)

cota95's friends (2)

blue and Mrs jag (2)

sullivan (1) Th-Fr?

total: 16 + 3 (on 11 bikes)

Maybes:

RossKean (1)

VanHarlan (1)

ion and Mrs beam? (2)

De Oppressor Liber (2?) working on his schedule

snocat (1) may meet us on MDI

Any corrections?

I'll be ariving sometime on Thursday with MEM.

 

[sullivan]

I'll be ariving sometime on Thursday with MEM.

Is your wife at home this trip? Probably going to CFR, I imagine.

Dan

 

[NSrider]

Is your wife at home this trip? Probably going to CFR, I imagine.

Dan

She is doing a girl's shopping trip that weekend. My FJR is 130lb lighter now that she has her own bike(09 FZ6R). She will be at CFR and NERDS.

 

[Fred W]

OK, updated:

Me and Mrs W (2)

Our son on the 'strom (1)

MEM (1) meeting us along the way somewhere on Thurs.

NSrider (1) meeting us along the way somewhere on Thurs.

Zip (1+3) meeting wife and kids at MDI

bb and Mrs dig (2)

bbdig's friends on a quiet Harley (2)

cota and Mrs 95(2)

cota95's friends (2)

blue and Mrs jag (2)

sullivan (1) Th-Fr?

total: 17 + 3 (on 12 bikes)

Maybes:

RossKean (1)

VanHarlan (1)

ion and Mrs beam? (2)

De Oppressor Liber (2?) working on his schedule

snocat (1) may meet us on MDI

 

[Fubar]

Fred,

Myself and HotRodZilla will be making an honest attempt to attend next year. I spent almost 20yrs in Maine and would love to get back up there on my FJR. Keep us in mind for next year.

Don

 

[NSrider]

OK, updated:

Me and Mrs W (2)

Our son on the 'strom (1)

MEM (1) meeting us along the way somewhere on Thurs.

NSrider (1) meeting us along the way somewhere on Thurs.

Zip (1+3) meeting wife and kids at MDI

bb and Mrs dig (2)

bbdig's friends on a quiet Harley (2)

cota and Mrs 95(2)

cota95's friends (2)

blue and Mrs jag (2)

sullivan (1) Th-Fr?

total: 17 + 3 (on 12 bikes)

Maybes:

RossKean (1)

VanHarlan (1)

ion and Mrs beam? (2)

De Oppressor Liber (2?) working on his schedule

snocat (1) may meet us on MDI

Fixed it for ya.

 

[Fred W]

Fixed what? (the magic of the edit button). I knew you were coming 1-up. I just stabbed the wrong key. At least I got the total's right.

Myself and HotRodZilla will be making an honest attempt to attend next year. I spent almost 20yrs in Maine and would love to get back up there on my FJR. Keep us in mind for next year.

Don,

That would be awesome. There isn't much that I like better than the idea of sharing our favorite local NE haunts with visitors.

Keep in mind that the Chowder ride has been a pretty informal, low mileage, sightseeing, flower sniffing, lighthouse photographing (read slow) ride. If that is what you are looking for then you'd like it.

The larger NERDS event, (which started out as the much smaller Greens, and then Greens and Whites) may be a better target event for you guys next year if you can spare the time in August. We intentionally picked August because it is so damn hot elsewhere in the country, but still reasonably tolerable in northern New England.

One reason that I say that it might be even better is because, now that we have the ball rolling on NERDS, I have an idea that it will be migrating around Northern New England each year. The last two years were in western NH, and this year is in Stowe, VT. Someplace in the back of my mind I'm thinking that next year would be good to have it in down-east Maine. It really is one of my favorite places in the world, and I could easily spend a week or more hanging out and taking day rides.

Nothing firm in the plans yet, just a few possibilities, especially since I am personally going to need to cut back a little, and solicit even some more help next year (Vermonter FJRed has been an incredible asset this year) on event planning in order to make room for a long-ish western US ride for Mrs W and me. It's a huge glaring objective on the top of my bucket list and we're just not getting any younger. I'm sure that you can appreciate that.

Anyhow... keep an eye on the Northeast. As long as I'm around and kicking we'll be "doing stuff".

 

[Charlie Hoss]

News Flash!! MEM just reminded me that I haven't signed up yet. So, I'll be coming solo, bringing a friend, Bob (1)(VFR800), I think, should know definitely in a couple of days.

 

[Fred W]

OK, updated:

Me and Mrs W (2)

Our son on the 'strom (1)

MEM (1) meeting us along the way somewhere on Thurs.

NSrider (1) meeting us along the way somewhere on Thurs.

Zip (1+3) meeting wife and kids at MDI

bb and Mrs dig (2)

bbdig's friends on a quiet Harley (2)

cota and Mrs 95(2)

cota95's friends (2)

blue and Mrs jag (2)

sullivan (1) Th-Fr?

Charlie Hoss (1)

total: 18 + 3 (on 12 bikes)

Maybes:

RossKean (1)

VanHarlan (1)

ion and Mrs beam? (2)

De Oppressor Liber (2?) working on his schedule

snocat (1) may meet us on MDI

Charlie's VFR friend (1)

 

[Fred W]

A reasonable question was posed via PM: "What happens if it is going to rain all weekend?"

Due to the hotels, etc. I do not see any way that the event can be postponed or rescheduled the event. We intentionally picked the last weekend before the Memorial Day weekend to give us the lower hotel rates, most facilities open, without the long weekend crowds, etc.

Be aware that there is also a 7 day cancellation policy on the Bar Harbor Motel (forget what the Freeport Inn's was). I don't know about anyone else, but I really do not trust the weather forecast 7 days out. Right now they are calling for "thunder showers" and "showers" on Thurs, Fri and Sat. but the "chances" are 40%/40%/60%. To me that says they don't know.

I think this is going to have to be a rain or shine event. Everyone else can make up their own mind about whether they want to bail out (and take the hit on the hotels) as the time approaches, but I guess I'll be there rain or shine.

 

[MEM]

I think this is going to have to be a rain or shine event. Everyone else can make up their own mind about whether they want to bail out (and take the hit on the hotels) as the time approaches, but I guess I'll be there rain or shine.

I'd "roger that" but I'm on a self-imposed timeout from the Forum (for being ditsy) :blink:

IIRC, the Freeport Inn's cancellation policy is 6 pm 'day of'.

I laugh at rain

 

[Sno Cat]

OK, updated:

Me and Mrs W (2)

Our son on the 'strom (1)

MEM (1) meeting us along the way somewhere on Thurs.

NSrider (1) meeting us along the way somewhere on Thurs.

Zip (1+3) meeting wife and kids at MDI

bb and Mrs dig (2)

bbdig's friends on a quiet Harley (2)

cota and Mrs 95(2)

cota95's friends (2)

blue and Mrs jag (2)

sullivan (1) Th-Fr?

Charlie Hoss (1)

total: 18 + 3 (on 12 bikes)

Maybes:

RossKean (1)

VanHarlan (1)

ion and Mrs beam? (2)

De Oppressor Liber (2?) working on his schedule

snocat (1) may meet us on MDI

Charlie's VFR friend (1)

Count me in for Fri., I'll tag along up the coast then peel-off @ some point along the way.

See you @ the Freeport Inn Fri 0730 & thanks for putting this together!

 

[Fred W]

OK, updated:

Me and Mrs W (2)

Our son on the 'strom (1)

MEM (1) meeting us along the way somewhere on Thurs.

NSrider (1) meeting us along the way somewhere on Thurs.

Zip (1+3) meeting wife and kids at MDI

bb and Mrs dig (2)

bbdig's friends on a quiet Harley (2)

cota and Mrs 95(2)

cota95's friends (2)

blue and Mrs jag (2)

sullivan (1) Th-Fr?

Charlie Hoss (1)

snocat (1) Friday

total: 19 + 3 (on 13 bikes)

Maybes:

RossKean (1)

VanHarlan (1)

ion and Mrs beam? (2)

De Oppressor Liber (2?) working on his schedule

Charlie's VFR friend (1)

 

[sullivan]

News Flash!! MEM just reminded me that I haven't signed up yet. So, I'll be coming solo, bringing a friend, Bob (1)(VFR800), I think, should know definitely in a couple of days.

Charlie, will be good to see you! Dan

 

[sullivan]

Waiting for my kids to finish the oil change tomorrow morning. May have to forego the air filter change as none in stock locally. Bummer as I took unbolted the YCCS to get the filter out and everything is apart. Oh well. It will be running first part of the week. A fair-weather dance will be performed on Sunday. See you all soon.

 

[RossKean]

OCD?? I bet I have checked the long-range weather forecast for the Maine coast four times a day for the past week! This, in spite of the fact that anywhere on the Atlantic coast, a prognostication of more than a day is a real leap of faith. Don't mind getting a bit damp but draw the line with coastal riding in a frog-strangler. Starting to look a bit better maybe?? Its pretty bad when you look at the forecast maps and find yourself "cheering on" the high pressure systems trying to push the lows out of the way. Kinda like a slow motion football game.

Trying to think warm, sunny thoughts but the weather in New Brunswick has been so abysmal for most of the spring; twice the rainfall we had last year and maybe one or two days all spring that have made it as high as 70 ºF. Can't wait for Global Warming to set in!

Ross (in not-so-sunny New Brunswick)

Note: If I make it, I'll likely be heading down Thursday morning and meeting up with everyone in Kennebunkport (or maybe Freeport, if I get a late start). Still on the "maybe list".

 

[Fred W]

Two pieces of business:

First, I will be sending a PM to each of the riders and "maybes" with my cell phone number. If you wake up on Thursday and just can't face riding in the weather at hand, you can call or send me a text, so we won't be waiting around for you to arrive. I'll also check my PMs and emails in the morning before we head out each day.

Second, for anyone planning to meet us on Friday morning, we will be staying at the Freeport Inn's annex Topside building, which is on the south side of the river from the main hotel, up behind the Muddy Rudder restaurant. You can meet us in that parking lot on Friday before 7:30AM or at Mae's Cafe in Bath for breakfast at ~8.

 

[RossKean]

OK, I have left the ranks of the "maybes" and am officially booked in Freeport and Bar Harbor. Depending upon what time I get away, I'll try to meet up with the FJR horde in Kennebunkport.

Looking forward to it!

Ross