The Countdown Begins

Every time I attend a rally the excitement and anticipation builds for weeks until it’s ready to explode the night before an early morning departure.  It’s comparable to how excited I was when I purchased my first new Harley.  With that said and the H.O.G. 25th and Harley 105th Anniversaries rapidly approaching, I am so ready to cut out of the daily grind of being a business owner and get to Milwaukee for some much deserved R&R! 

There’s something hopelessly romantic about a city that sits by the water and that’s just one of the things I appreciate and enjoy about Milwaukee.  Its cultural diversity, great food, classic and modern architecture, and friendly people make me feel at home.  One of the things I look forward to is getting up at twilight, riding to Veteran’s Park listening to the waves and the seagulls and watching the city come alive.  It’s just a really cool place to be.

It’s always great to see old friends and strike up conversation like you’ve not been apart, but it’s even more fun to usher new family into the fold.  My wife and I have invited two great friends, Bill and Lisa, to come along for their first visit to this great city and to find out what an Anniversary rally is all about.  I remember how excited I was about my first rally in Milwaukee and I hope to see the same happiness and excitement in their faces.  Along with that, the stunt riders and musicians at the 25th will certainly get me stoked for what the weekend will have in store.

I’ve ridden the ride in my mind a 1,000 times.  It’s a short one for us, only 340 miles.  It’s a quick 180 miles from home to Chicago.  I can see the congestion of the Dan Ryan and having to bump up the situational awareness a notch, but also its beautiful skyline.  I can see the traffic easing and getting lighter the farther north we go, losing the cages and finding more and more of our brothers and sisters on the road.  Hitting the Wisconsin state line and seeing that big brown sign that says ‘Welcome to Wisconsin’ lets me know we’re on the home stretch.  Then I’ll start to anticipate the growing skyline of Milwaukee and the fun that I know that this great city is going to provide me for the next 5 days.  WOW, what a ride and the fun has just started!

I hope you have a safe and great ride and that your weekend is a blast! 

Peace and Love

Comments

[Mike]

Checking the blog out.

[Bill]

Ricky,
I am looking forward to reading this blog every day of the festivities since I won't be able to attend! Your my eyes and ears, so help me experience our family reunion!
See you soon,
Bill

[Dutch]

Bob Dylan said you shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you... but in this case, I'll enjoy the 25th through the prodigious postings and meandering metaphors of my pal Ricky. He's a man who may sometimes be wrong... but he's never in doubt.

Yes, our Narragansett turkey hens have started to bring forth their peeping poults and the hills are alive with fox, coyote and eagles... all eager to savor the goodies. So I must stand guard here with my old but trusty scattergun.

To all my HOG pals and pal-ettes... keep your eyes peeled, your hand on the throttle, your face in the wind and give thanks that we can still ride free.

[Iceman]

I'm with you man -let's ride!

[Michael S.]

Hey Ricky, What a great idea. Thanks for sharing with us who can't make the trip. Give the POT Team a hug for me and tell them I am sorry I couldn't make it. See you early next year. Ride safe.

[Smiley]

Is there a cost to see Lynard Skynard at the campground, and what time does it start? I couldn't find the listing!

[CK]

From the Accommodations page on the HOG site:

H.O.G. Haven will feature a special concert by Lynyrd Skynyrd on Wednesday, August 27 at 8:30PM. This concert is free for registered campers. Non-campers can purchase admission to H.O.G. Haven and the concert ($5 for H.O.G. members, $8 for non-members). Attendance is limited to venue capacity.

[Ricky]

To all of my friends who couldn't be here I hope I can fulfill your dreams through my daily accounts. We're awaiting the arrival of Bill and Lisa so we can head north. More to come.... Peace

[Becca]

Be safe in your travels, create unforgettable memories and get up front for the music!!

Big H.O.G. hugs to all ~

[Ryan]

Does anyone know if there are going to be shuttles from downtown Milwaukee out to Miller Park?

[Mongo]

By now you've made the trip north and west to Milwaukee. Hopefully, the Maker's and cola tasted good at the end of the trail. Enjoy the festivities. Share every detail. And please say hello to Trixie from Lily von Stuup and me.

[Johanna]

Looking forward to going, this will be my first anniversay party. Just got my bike a few years ago. And I'm lovin every minute of riding it.

[HARLEYPOET]

I was totally blown away by the crowds at the 25th yesterday.. It was wall to wall people and their Harleys.

I was at the 20th and, quite frankly, it was noting compared to this event. The crowd was awesome, the music was fantastic, I was in the beer garden for Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and she/they did a GREAT job!!

Thanks HOG, it will be hard to beat this years event!!

[Debbie]

I was very disappointed with the Club Hog 25th experience@ Miller Park.I would have thought officials from Harley would have learned from the Elton John venue. Don't get me wrong the entertainment line-up was good but the space that was allotted for the amount of people was less then accommodating. Also as with the 100th food & beverage vendors was not adequate for the crowds that were present. Traffic congestion also posed not only a safety issue but added to a less than enjoyable experience once you made it into the venue, only to be greeted by long & endless lines again. Maybe by the 120th celebration you guys might finally have this figured out!

[Mary]

We were really disappointed by the lack of planning for the number of people that showed up at Miller Park. By 10pm they were running out of beer and the porta potties had reached their capacity. It was shoulder to shoulder people and lines 10 deep to get to the vendor tents. Maybe they need to plan a little better to accommodate the number of people that attend.

[Noel]

HOG has done it again. What a party! Too all complainers, this event was FREE so im amazed you can find something to get upset about. Sure their were lines, but the people, music and entertainement were awesome. We had a blast. Thanks HOG! You threw us a great party and it felt great to come "home".

[Mathew]

I have not heard anything positive about the HOG event from anyone I have spoken with. We made the mistake of waiting to eat until we arrived. We waited in the pizza line for about a half hour without any movement in the line, so we switched to the chicken strips line. It took almost an hour to get our chicken strips which came as no surprise after I saw they had only two small baskets to drop into the deep fryer. At this time we realized that we would have to wait at least another hour in a different line to get something to drink, so we able to get some watermelon slices to help quench our thirst. It would have been another 3 hour wait for the kid rock concert so we decided to head back to Madison. We stopped at a gas station to get some water and that is where we heard about how the hotels in the area were gouging HOG members. These people said they would NEVER come back to Milwaukee.

[Tom]

Really dissappointed in the HOG 25th. Traveled 1200 miles to be here and spent two hours trying to get to a parking area so I could walk a half mile.Lines to get a drink or food were close to an hour or better and have seen more seats at a high school football game than were available for the event.I think somebody really needs to do their homework for future events.
Prices for food and drinks were an insult and the lines were the worst ever.
This city is not ready for the volume of bikes and people who have come here for the HOG 25th and Harley's 105.
I won't be back !!!

[uptr0ll and msuptr0ll]

On the positive side of things my husband and I had a great time. Yes there were lots and lots of people and bikes but that is half of the fun. Reaching out and meeting new freinds everyday at these events.If we paid hundreds of dollars to walk in the gate to see the entertainment that was seen at Miller Park hosted by H.O.G. then maybe we could complain I say keep on celebrating and having parties. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE FUN AND NEW FREINDS.

[Riley]

We rode 800+ miles and the 25th alone was worth it. Anybody else see the carving team? Holy crap those guys rock. I agree Joan Jett was hot,, but nobody can touch KIIIIIIID Rock! I got thirsty and it took a while to get a beer or water but never had more fun in a line in my life. Bathrooms were no problem. Had a great day at the 105th too. We will be back, hopefully to see the museum. Sounds great Ricky!

[Karl]

We yelled so loud there's nothing left today. THouhgt I would come and say thanks here. See you at the parade.

[Dave]

Wow...I mean WOW ...A trip of a lifetime and I'm not able to make it , but by all means my fellow riders please enjoy , take lots of pics for memories to share with us and most of all be safe !

[Steve]

Poorly planned event. HOG should understand that air cooled bikes need to keep moving into parking lots and not sitting on the freeway. Food and drink lines were ridiculous. Why didn't HOG rent the ballpark and have the event inside?

[D-Rock]

I went to see Kid Rock on Thurday night. It was a great show, he rocked Miller Park. The worst part of the hole thing was the set up for the event. I waited in line for a half hour for a beer and my wife waited in 2 different lines for an hour only to be told they were out of Mike's hard drinks, that my friends is rediculous. I then waited in line for 2 yes 2 freeking hours to get a couple of brats , now that is just plain retarted, good thing seeing Kid Rock made up for it. Getting in and out of Miller Park was a breeze, thanks. H-D you guys really dropped the ball on the service and accomidations for all the people in attendance at Miller Park.

[Shannon]

I am from the Milwaukee area, and I have to say that the 25th Hog party was a huge disappointment. Yes it was free, but I thought the organization would have learned from the 100th about issues of lack of food and beverage vendors. I had a beverage vendor slam down an empty beer cup in front of me because he was upset that I wanted a soda instead of a beer! Are you kidding me?? The very long lines for the few food and beverage vendors was very disappointing. I'm sorry, but after people ride all that way, have to wait a long time to get in to the venue, the last thing you want is to have to wait 1/2 hour or longer for something to eat or drink. The space for the venue was also very small for the amount of riders and bikes that showed up. On a positive note - Sugarland was a good show! We wanted to stay for Kid Rock but not with the lack of facilities. The venues at the lakefront were much better - the Summerfest grounds and activities are much better! No lines for food, drinks, or bathrooms so far! For all you out of town riders, welcome, and please enjoy all you can while you are here! The area loves having all the riders!