Inzane 19 ?

[RP#62]

Western PA does have some really nice roads, and it is close to WV for day trips and near the grand canyon of PA, and  good eats.

I had a work trip to Pittsburgh about 15 years ago, before GPS navigation was common.  I flew into the international airport and rented a car to get to my downtown hotel and to drive around when not working.  Boy, was it difficult to get to where I wanted to go.  I had spent the evening at The Waterfront, east of downtown, and remembered crossing Boulevard of the Allies while downtown earlier in the day, so when I saw Boulevard of the Allies on the map leading into downtown, I thought, perfect, that'll take me back to my hotel.  Boy was I wrong.

I got on westbound Boulevard of the Allies, heading towards downtown, and when I'm almost in the downtown triangle, all-of-a sudden the road decides it does not want to go further, and gives me a choice of going north, which I didn't want to do, or take the other path to a couple of highway numbers and a bridge, but without any indication of direction.  I chose the unspecified direction.  BIG mistake.  It spun me around so I was heading south, forcing me to cross a long bridge that took me to the other side of a wide river, where I was immediately faced with a tunnel entrance that I didn't want to go into.  There was a turnoff to the right, immediately before the tunnel entrance, but it was blocked with construction barricades, so into the tunnel I went.  A FULL MILE later, I came out of the tunnel into a different world, the tall downtown buildings completely out of sight.

I hung a quick right off of the main road to find a place to stop and check my map, but found myself in a light industrial area with many old brick buildings and every so often a group of gangsta-looking men hanging around, so I didn't stop.  I got turned around, and made my way to a road that seemed to be going in the right direction, north, down a wooded valley towards the river.  There wasn't much traffic, so I pulled over to check my map.  As I was doing this, a police car pulled up behind me, and lit me up.

I was told it wasn't the best neighborhood to be stopped in, and they offered to lead me to where I needed to go, taking me to a bridge that took me back into downtown.

On the morning I left for the airport, I asked a man on the sidewalk how to get to Fort Duquesne Blvd, but was laughed at when I pronounced it, "doo-kess-nee," and was then told how to get to "doo-kane."

LOL.  I lived there for 17 years and there were sections I avoided because it was too hard to figure out how to get out of them.  There's lots of places you can see, but you can't get there from here.  In most places if you miss a turn you can take the next turn and double back.  In da 'burgh, if you miss a turn you're going to end up in another state.  My wife used to be an engineer with UPS just out side of town.  They used to test their computer tracking programs there because if they worked in Pittsburgh, they'd work anywhere.

-RP

[Skinhead]

Western PA does have some really nice roads, and it is close to WV for day trips and near the grand canyon of PA, and  good eats.

I had a work trip to Pittsburgh about 15 years ago, before GPS navigation was common.  I flew into the international airport and rented a car to get to my downtown hotel and to drive around when not working.  Boy, was it difficult to get to where I wanted to go.  I had spent the evening at The Waterfront, east of downtown, and remembered crossing Boulevard of the Allies while downtown earlier in the day, so when I saw Boulevard of the Allies on the map leading into downtown, I thought, perfect, that'll take me back to my hotel.  Boy was I wrong.

I got on westbound Boulevard of the Allies, heading towards downtown, and when I'm almost in the downtown triangle, all-of-a sudden the road decides it does not want to go further, and gives me a choice of going north, which I didn't want to do, or take the other path to a couple of highway numbers and a bridge, but without any indication of direction.  I chose the unspecified direction.  BIG mistake.  It spun me around so I was heading south, forcing me to cross a long bridge that took me to the other side of a wide river, where I was immediately faced with a tunnel entrance that I didn't want to go into.  There was a turnoff to the right, immediately before the tunnel entrance, but it was blocked with construction barricades, so into the tunnel I went.  A FULL MILE later, I came out of the tunnel into a different world, the tall downtown buildings completely out of sight.

I hung a quick right off of the main road to find a place to stop and check my map, but found myself in a light industrial area with many old brick buildings and every so often a group of gangsta-looking men hanging around, so I didn't stop.  I got turned around, and made my way to a road that seemed to be going in the right direction, north, down a wooded valley towards the river.  There wasn't much traffic, so I pulled over to check my map.  As I was doing this, a police car pulled up behind me, and lit me up.

I was told it wasn't the best neighborhood to be stopped in, and they offered to lead me to where I needed to go, taking me to a bridge that took me back into downtown.

On the morning I left for the airport, I asked a man on the sidewalk how to get to Fort Duquesne Blvd, but was laughed at when I pronounced it, "doo-kess-nee," and was then told how to get to "doo-kane."

I knew right where you were at.  You went across the Ft Pit bridge and thru the Ft Pitt tunnel.  PGH is definitely an easy place to get lost in if you don't know where you are going.  "doo-kess-nee,", I'dve laughed too.  If it happens to be in PGH, I'll be glad to give all yinz lessons in how to speak Pittsburghese, altough I have lost some of my accent over the years.

[fudgie]

 I'm not familiar with THC....

Sure your not! 

[Serk]

While the location stats are interesting, let's put registration numbers to each location, giving an idea of participation for each Inzane! That would be interesting!! Can anyone do it? Administration??

From this year's InZane:  http://www.vrccservices.com/inzane/index.php?sort=state

Digging through the Internet Archives, looks like Spearfish, SD (2015) had 333 registered.

https://web.archive.org/web/20151113171512/http://www.vrccservices.com/inzane/index.php?sort=state

Sadly, that's the only one I was able to find decent numbers for using that method.

[Skinhead]

I'm not familiar with THC....

Sure your not! 

THC- No Comment

Texas Hill Country - I stand by my original statement.

[Daniel Meyer]

Distance doesn't really doesn't matter to the Texas contingent as we expect to ride 1000-1500 miles one way to any location selected....

There are times we expect to ride 1000 miles just to get out of the state!

[Serk]

Distance doesn't really doesn't matter to the Texas contingent as we expect to ride 1000-1500 miles one way to any location selected....

There are times we expect to ride 1000 miles just to get out of the state!

Just because I love playing with data I plotted out, via roads, the distances from Rowlett (Near Dallas) to the various Inzanes.
The closest was 2012, Eureka Springs, at 379 miles, the furthest was 2017, Billings MT at 1,359, and the overall average has been 980 miles.

So yeah, roughly an Iron Butt Saddle Sore from me is what, statistically, it is at least for us North Texas folks... Other parts of Texas vary. A lot. It's almost 700 miles just from El Paso to my house after all...

(Disclaimer - I'm not complaining in any way shape or form, just playing with data.)

[msb]

Texas is big, there is no doubt...we here in BC also ride a long way to get "there from here"

https://mapfight.appspot.com/british.columbia-vs-texas/british-columbia-texas-size-comparison

Also to get to any previous Inzane location in the US, it's a trek. I've attended 3 Inzanes...Spearfish @ 1200 miles; Morgantown @ 2900 miles; Billings @ 950 miles. These are all direct distances via an Interstate which of course I, as many others here, don't use for the most part, so extra miles/days are added.
I too am not complaining at all....I have loved the 3 Inzanes I've attended in terms of the event itself and all the folks I have met, but a very large part of attending these events for me is the ride to and from

[Serk]

Texas is big, there is no doubt...we here in BC also ride a long way to get "there from here"

https://mapfight.appspot.com/british.columbia-vs-texas/british-columbia-texas-size-comparison

Yeah, but ya'll use metric measurements, if you convert it to SAE, Texas is still bigger!

[msb]

Texas is big, there is no doubt...we here in BC also ride a long way to get "there from here"

https://mapfight.appspot.com/british.columbia-vs-texas/british-columbia-texas-size-comparison

Yeah, but ya'll use metric measurements, if you convert it to SAE, Texas is still bigger!

   I've only been to Fort Worth, Dallas area. I would imagine that many of the more rural regions appear to be never-ending especially when on a MC. Here, when you're in the middle of nowhere, large mountains on several horizons at a time make it appear you're closer to something...whether you are or not. The Northern region where my daughter lives is much more barren...riding up there with the Mrs in August 

[Serk]

The Northern region where my daughter lives is much more barren...riding up there with the Mrs in August 

Insanely jealous. Still gotta get up there. I've driven from Seattle to Dawson Creek (Actually went a little further to Fort Saint John) and then into Alberta to Edmonton, Calgary and back into the US in Montana, but I was 15, in a pickup with my dad, not on a bike, but it was enough to instill in me a love of the desolate beauty of the great white north...

[firemedic309]

I hope it is decided before the end of September because I have to pic my vacation for the whole  year in September.

[f6gal]

I hope it is decided before the end of September because I have to pic my vacation for the whole  year in September.

We will endeavor to post at least dates by that time... location is a bit more iffy.

[firemedic309]

still kinda sketchy......I will be traveling from florida

[Serk]

still kinda sketchy......I will be traveling from florida

I'll do the best I can with whatever hints I'm given, but I can't promise anything... 

[MarkT]

I do look forward to the hint/guessing game and then the dreaming and planning a route, side trips, etc...

I just hope it's in one of the green states, I won't go to or through the red ones, sadly...

Right on board with you Serk those are exactly the states that don't see my smiling face either.  This trip I went S around Illinois then on return, N thru Michigan then the steamship ferry to WI Ludington-Manitowoc.




BTW Montrose CO has been GZ for other ride-ins in the past for the VOA.  Has the right hotel support, fabulous rides in the San Juan mountains, has not been GZ for the VRCC.

[vanavyman]

Mark T,

  Like your idea of Montrose, CO. Pretty close to some Southern Utah riding and not to far to get to some of the nice roads in WY not counting all the beautiful roads/mountains of CO.
Dan

[Serk]

Mark T,

  Like your idea of Montrose, CO. Pretty close to some Southern Utah riding and not to far to get to some of the nice roads in WY not counting all the beautiful roads/mountains of CO.
Dan

I know staff will work hard to find us a great place whereever it is but.......

oh man Montrose (Or anything in that part of Colorado) would be freaking awesome!

[RainMaker]

Distance doesn't really doesn't matter to the Texas contingent as we expect to ride 1000-1500 miles one way to any location selected....

There are times we expect to ride 1000 miles just to get out of the state!

Just because I love playing with data I plotted out, via roads, the distances from Rowlett (Near Dallas) to the various Inzanes.
The closest was 2012, Eureka Springs, at 379 miles, the furthest was 2017, Billings MT at 1,359, and the overall average has been 980 miles.

So yeah, roughly an Iron Butt Saddle Sore from me is what, statistically, it is at least for us North Texas folks... Other parts of Texas vary. A lot. It's almost 700 miles just from El Paso to my house after all...

(Disclaimer - I'm not complaining in any way shape or form, just playing with data.)

Those are direct distances.  Like, straight line. When do we ever to in a straight line? My trip route normally looks like a lie detector graph. 

[f6gal]

BTW Montrose CO has been GZ for other ride-ins in the past for the VOA.  Has the right hotel support, fabulous rides in the San Juan mountains, has not been GZ for the VRCC.

Montrose does not really have "the right hotel support."  We require a hotel with 150 to 200 rooms and a banquet facility that will seat 300-400.  If Montrose has that, I haven't found it.

[Serk]

BTW Montrose CO has been GZ for other ride-ins in the past for the VOA.  Has the right hotel support, fabulous rides in the San Juan mountains, has not been GZ for the VRCC.

Montrose does not really have "the right hotel support."  We require a hotel with 150 to 200 rooms and a banquet facility that will seat 300-400.  If Montrose has that, I haven't found it.

Well dangit! That does complicate matters a bit... I searched all over that part of Colorado and found bumpkiss...

Sure we couldn't just put a Motel 6, Super 8 and Econolodge together and call it good enough? 

[RainMaker]

BTW Montrose CO has been GZ for other ride-ins in the past for the VOA.  Has the right hotel support, fabulous rides in the San Juan mountains, has not been GZ for the VRCC.

Montrose does not really have "the right hotel support."  We require a hotel with 150 to 200 rooms and a banquet facility that will seat 300-400.  If Montrose has that, I haven't found it.

Well dangit! That does complicate matters a bit... I searched all over that part of Colorado and found bumpkiss...

Sure we couldn't just put a Motel 6, Super 8 and Econolodge together and call it good enough? 

Never been too impressed with the restaurant or banquet facilities at Motel 6 and Econolodge.

[Serk]

For what it's worth, I've gained a lot of new found respect to the location selection staff... I couldn't leave well enough alone, and have spent the last day or so trying to figure out efficient ways to search for host hotels that meet the simple requirements our president has laid out, and it sure ain't easy!

There's a lot more to it beyond "This would be a pretty part of the country to ride in with decent summer weather."



I'm still searching for anything in the Durango area that could possibly meet our requirements, but there seems to be a dearth of medium to large hotels in that part of the state, mostly tiny chains or glorified bed and breakfasts...

[Serk]

Just throwing it out there, what about Durango, CO? Looks like there's a few places that might meet our requirements there?

[fudgie]

Just throwing it out there, what about Durango, CO? Looks like there's a few places that might meet our requirements there?

I hated driving thru Durango last summer on a weekday. Busy and road layout seemed screwed up. Ate at BK and got gas and rolled out. Planned on staying there but glad I didn't.

[J.Mencalice]

Breckenridge, Colorado is a popular resort town for front range inhabitants and tourists alike.
An access point for northern and southern bound rides through the central mountains of the continental divide.

https://www.gobreck.com/

[f6gal]

Just throwing it out there, what about Durango, CO? Looks like there's a few places that might meet our requirements there?

Oh, I forgot to mention, we do our best to get the basic room rate below $100 per night.  I think the bigger hotels in Durango are in the $200+ range.

[f6gal]

Breckenridge, Colorado is a popular resort town for front range inhabitants and tourists alike.
An access point for northern and southern bound rides through the central mountains of the continental divide.

https://www.gobreck.com/

We've been to Frisco, CO twice... just up the road from Breckenridge.  
We went to Frisco partly because Breckenridge was way too much $$$.

[Willow]

Just throwing it out there, what about Durango, CO? Looks like there's a few places that might meet our requirements there?

The high point of Durango's tourist traffic is Summer.  We do best not seeking out a hotel during its overrun season.  The negotations and deals go best when it means something special for us to bring 300 or more people to the hotel. 

[Serk]

Just throwing it out there, what about Durango, CO? Looks like there's a few places that might meet our requirements there?

The high point of Durango's tourist traffic is Summer.  We do best not seeking out a hotel during its overrun season.  The negotations and deals go best when it means something special for us to bring 300 or more people to the hotel. 

Gotcha, I was thinking it was more of a ski area, thus we'd be a special thing for them in the summer...

Hope this isn't annoying ya'll that actually do the work, trying to be helpful at best, or just discussing ideas at worst... I'll keep hunting for what I can find somewhere maybe interesting but as always know ya'll will find somewhere interesting for us.

[RainMaker]

The location is secondary to the visiting our fellow Valkaholics. 

Will just sit back and wait to hear where it will be and then start the campaign for kitchen passes.

[GiG]

Just throwing it out there, what about Durango, CO? Looks like there's a few places that might meet our requirements there?

... Busy and road layout seemed screwed up. Ate at BK and got gas...

BK gives me gas too  

[vanavyman]

We are getting closer to a date that a clue might come out.  Maybe the next 30 days or so.  Still rooting for OSS's idea of Western PA, Southern Utah or somewhere around what Joe calls "God's Country" TN mountains.

[EZRiderF6C]

I do look forward to the hint/guessing game and then the dreaming and planning a route, side trips, etc...

I just hope it's in one of the green states, I won't go to or through the red ones, sadly...

I won't go through or in the red ones either.

I'm hoping they do it more central.  Roanoke was too far this year.  Couldn't get the time off work.

David

[EZRiderF6C]

My vote is for something in Oklahoma.  It's fairly central and isn't one of those "red" states.  We might get a bunch of the texas Valk riders up. 

I was able to go to Billings in 2017, and didn't know about Spearfish in 2015.  How was it?

Thanks,
David

[The emperor has no clothes]

My vote is for something in Oklahoma.  It's fairly central and isn't one of those "red" states.  We might get a bunch of the texas Valk riders up. 

I was able to go to Billings in 2017, and didn't know about Spearfish in 2015.  How was it?

Thanks,
David

Spearfish was great ! I don't know about Oklahoma though. Didn't look like much great riding that I saw .

[RainMaker]

My vote is for something in Oklahoma.  It's fairly central and isn't one of those "red" states.  We might get a bunch of the texas Valk riders up. 

I was able to go to Billings in 2017, and didn't know about Spearfish in 2015.  How was it?

Thanks,
David

There are a few nice roads in Oklahoma, but not like you find in Tennessee, Colorado, Montana, etc.  And you already get a lot of Texas Valk riders no matter where Inzane is. This year 22 came to Virginia - heck, Virginia only had 5 more registrations and it was in their backyard! 

As a Texas Valk rider, I'd rather go north and around places with a lot of great roads and much cooler weather in June.   And the journey is always fun - we need to let these beasts run on long stretches every once in a while.

[Disco]

I hated driving thru Durango last summer on a weekday. Busy and road layout seemed screwed up. Ate at BK and got gas and rolled out. Planned on staying there but glad I didn't.

Sorry you missed it.  I think Durango is a great place  It's on 550!  Hotels can get a bit pricey, though.  And, while I certainly enjoy the occasional Whopper, there are lots of better restaurants to choose from. 

If there were a facility there that would accommodate all of us at an acceptable price, I'd try to be the first to sign up.   

[DirtyDan]

 I'm not familiar with THC....

Sure your not! 

I am 

Green states

Dan

[Ken Tarver]

I've enjoyed every location I have been to, admin has done an excellent job.

What about Colorado Springs? Saw a Clarion Convention Center Hotel there?

Ken