rattlesnake cafe

[sevy]

Burlington has a lot going for it -- lots of places to stay, great food options, great riding in northern Vermont and the Adirondacks, plus I could host a Friday night shindig at my place 20 miles north of Burlington.

We'll see. It's something to think about.

--mark

I think Burlington would suck for Mark, because he would be only 20 miles from home, and on roads he rides all of the time. Doesn't seem fair to the guy who does all the work.
We have a Classic Triples Rally that moves around to different states. That might be too many days to travel for some riders, so maybe limit it to a 3-state area, using the Adirondacks, Vermont, and maybe New Hampshire? NE has the Sunday River thing, but I have to admit I like the hostel/camping option at the Bash, which keeps the cost reasonable. If folks are thinking about other options, the camping piece is a must-have I think.
The year I hosted, we used Wilmington NY for our Classic Triples Rally, and some stayed in the motel, and some in the campground out back on the river. Great breakfast up the street, and soft serve next door every night. The riding was spectacular, and we ate at places like Tail of the Pup, so the food was good too. If there was interest in doing that area in a future year, I would be happy to do some of the legwork, as I am retired at the end of June, and have time to do this stuff now.
Just some thoughts.

[mark]

I think Burlington would suck for Mark, because he would be only 20 miles from home, and on roads he rides all of the time. Doesn't seem fair to the guy who does all the work.

Actually, Burlington would be a lot easier for me. Trying to arrange things long-distance can be problematic.

I would miss Bennington though.

--mark

[matts1050]

It seems the economy in Bennington is taking quite a shot. I wouldn't want to take the Bash out of VT. I wouldn't have a problem having it in Burlington but it might be too far for some. Killington might be a good location too. I guess we could talk about it at the Bash.

[tigerwilbury]

I love Bennington. It's such a nice, New England town. It has it's drawbacks for sure. The lack of a large room to hold a dinner amazes me. Clearly, we bashers know how to hex an eating establishment. If it's moved, maybe one of the rides can be down to visit Bennington....

[bonniegirl]

if we had more notice about the station not being able to accommodate us, we may have had more options. the gentleman that I spoke with at the elks club (2 blocks from the paradise) was very helpful. unfortunately the facility was reserved for that day. it's a big hall with a bar and a member that caters almost all the events. I'm sure the price could have been moderated as he does everything from prime rib to burgers and dogs. just another idea if the event wants to stay in bennington.

[KingOfFleece]

Robin,
That sounds like a good solution. I also like Bennington.

[jefff1]

I like anywhere my Triumph pals hang out...Burlington would be cool too as I have friends up in St. Albans...nice part of the state...then we can put together a nice ride over to the Northeast Kingdom....

We could catch all our meals at McDonalds a couple streets over...eatin' off the dollar menu you could go hog wild on a $10 bill/day....always thinking

[sevy]

:mrgreen: I like anywhere my Triumph pals hang out...Burlington would be cool too as I have friends up in St. Albans...nice part of the state...then we can put together a nice ride over to the Northeast Kingdom....

We could catch all our meals at McDonalds a couple streets over...eatin' off the dollar menu you could go hog wild on a $10 bill/day....always thinking

I think the bathroom might get pretty crowded.

[mark]

I have friends up in St. Albans...nice part of the state...then we can put together a nice ride over to the Northeast Kingdom....

I'm in Georgia, the next town south of St Albans. Lots of great riding around here. Including over to the NEK.

--mark

[sevy]

I have friends up in St. Albans...nice part of the state...then we can put together a nice ride over to the Northeast Kingdom....

I'm in Georgia, the next town south of St Albans. Lots of great riding around here. Including over to the NEK.

--mark

One of my former students has a family camp in Alburg which was broken into over the winter and cleaned out. His Dad told me there was a meth lab right across the road, and drugs were becoming a serious issue for the Burlington area. So sad to think such a beautiful state is going to have to start dealing with meth labs and other out-of-state crime moving in.
I was talking to a Luger specialist near Tacoma WA probably 10 or 15 years ago, and he was telling me that he was often called as an expert firearms witness during court cases there. They had been overrun with Jamaican drug gangs, and the home break-ins had escalated, prompting many to buy guns. The homeowners were then sued by the criminals if they were shot with handloads, and he was advising anyone using a handgun to be sure and load only factory rounds in it to avoid the lawsuits. Crazy stuff!

[KingOfFleece]

Only in lawsuit happy, don't take any responsibility for your actions America can this happen. Good flipping grief!

[jefff1]

After spending a weekend in Burlington 10 days ago we were amazed at how bad the traffic was....very slow moving through a million lights

[mark]

One of my former students has a family camp in Alburg which was broken into over the winter and cleaned out. His Dad told me there was a meth lab right across the road, and drugs were becoming a serious issue for the Burlington area. So sad to think such a beautiful state is going to have to start dealing with meth labs and other out-of-state crime moving in.

Yeah, it's been pretty big news lately, actually. Heroin especially -- it sells for a lot more here than in the major cities, so drug dealers will bring a supply up here to sell. One article was saying that heroin is easier to get than pot at this point in Vermont. Home break-ins have definitely been on the rise, though thankfully violent crimes haven't increased very much.

It's very much on state law enforcement's radar, and they've had some pretty big successes. But there's still a lot of work to do.

It's just as big a problem in upstate NY.

I was talking to a Luger specialist near Tacoma WA probably 10 or 15 years ago, and he was telling me that he was often called as an expert firearms witness during court cases there. They had been overrun with Jamaican drug gangs, and the home break-ins had escalated, prompting many to buy guns. The homeowners were then sued by the criminals if they were shot with handloads, and he was advising anyone using a handgun to be sure and load only factory rounds in it to avoid the lawsuits. Crazy stuff!

I hate to say it, but if you're shooting a home invader, it's probably best to shoot to kill. At least he can't sue you that way...

--mark

[mark]

After spending a weekend in Burlington 10 days ago we were amazed at how bad the traffic was....very slow moving through a million lights

Yeah, downtown Burlington has gotten pretty congested. If we were to move the BTB to Burlington, it would not be downtown.

--mark