I want Cheryl and myself to attend our first BMW rally this year!
Beemers, Bigfoot and Blue Skies – 2013 MOA Rally
By Deb Lower, Rally Chair; and Jackie Mulhern and Rick Nelson, Co-Chairs
The 41st BMW MOA International Rally will be held on July 18-21, 2013, at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem. The grounds cover 140 acres with air-conditioned buildings for registration, Country Store, commercial vendors, seminars and vintage display. The camping options are flat areas with or without trees. Evening entertainment is in the open air amphitheater with afternoon music on a small stage by the food vendors. The multimedia closing ceremony is in the pavilion.
The theme of this year’s rally is Beemers, Bigfoot and Blue Skies. Use your imagination – come prepared for the unthinkable – and don’t ignore the Bigfoot caution signs.
For many of us, attending the MOA National Rally is our time away from work and a time to reconnect with friends from various parts of the world; it provides us an opportunity to travel to a new area or return to an area that evokes fond memories.
The vendor building will be in a high traffic area so you can see and touch the latest accessories and apparel and look for the item(s) that you can’t readily find in your home area. Shipping will be available for the items you can’t live without and don’t have room to pack.
The National Rally is volunteer driven in the planning stages, in the rally set-up and in providing all the components that make it a fun time for the rally goers. We need lots of volunteers for the event. Think about volunteering ahead of time – details will be in the BMW Owners News and on the MOA website – or stop by the volunteer booth when you arrive at the rally. During the event, which opens at 8 a.m. on Thursday morning, we hope you can volunteer to work a shift and make new friends. Diverse opportunities are available and we need your help. Helping out makes you feel a part of the rally. Early arrival volunteer registration will open around noon on Wednesday the 17th. If you plan to arrive early, you’ll be expected to volunteer.
The 41st Rally will be the fourth time MOA has selected Oregon for the National. The state has a lot to offer and the Oregon State Fairgrounds is an ideal rally location. Salem is a cool place to visit. The downtown area (available by bus from the rally grounds) has numerous eateries, a large mall, a riverfront park with a carousel and a charter boat. Working with TravelSalem, we are in the process of obtaining discounts and attractions in the area such as the Oregon Gardens, 15 minutes from the rally grounds. A tram is available to take visitors through the beautifully landscaped grounds.
The Pacific Ocean is 90 minutes from Salem and there are 362 miles of public coastline from Coos Bay to Newport. An afternoon visit to one or more of the 50 wineries within an hour’s drive could be an option. The rugged mountain terrain in the area has fabulous roads for on- and off-road riders. Portland is an hour away up the I-5 and offers all the amenities of an urban area.
During the next six months, the Owners News will publish numerous articles about riding in the area, the incredible array of recreational activities for riders and non-riders of all ages, the vintage bike display, seminars and volunteering.
March 1 is opening day for Rally pre-registration and RV registration. Unlimited RV camping space with electric service is available, as are also a small number of full service RV sites.
We hope you can ride, fly, take the rally train, or drive to Salem to join your BMW MOA family and friends for the Beemers, Bigfoot and Blue Skies National Rally.
Details every month in the BMW Owners News ….
Mayberry’s Sherpa Service – A mobile camping service supporting the 2013 BMW Annual International Rally in Salem. Friendly service, and they do all the work.
The BMW MOA Rally is a volunteer-run event. It’s success is dependent on the volunteer teams we put in place. The Rally Committee Chairs are now listed, and you can e-mail those you may wish to volunteer with. Or you can contact the Volunteers Chairperson and they can place you.
We’ve made arrangements with all the hotels and motels in the Salem, Oregon area. These rooms are going quickly for the BMW MOA Rally in July.
The 2013 MOA Rally Train will run from Washington, D.C., via Chicago to Portland, Ore., and back to D.C. You arrange your own bike shipping either or both ways, and you arrange your own Amtrak reservations on the noted train.
The 41st BMW MOA International Rally will be held on July 18-21, 2013, at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem. The grounds cover 140 acres with air-conditioned buildings for registration, Country Store, commercial vendors, seminars and vintage display. The camping options are flat areas with or without trees. Evening entertainment is in the open air amphitheater with afternoon music on a small stage by the food vendors.
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