East of the Mississippi
West of the Mississippi
I'll attend any location
That's the underlying issue. Population wise most forum members appear to be east of the Mississippi just like the US population in general. The arguments they have for wanting to keep the rally on the right side of the map are just as valid as the ones for bringing it more to the left side. No offense to the fly over/drive thru states in between, but most of the best/most scenic riding is in the mountains along either coast. Most of us can reach any point along our respective coasts in two days relatively easily so a long weekend gets us to a rally and back with low stress and doesn't cost us a bunch of vacation time. With exceptions, as I know there are some phenomenal riders that can make the coast to coast run in 2ish days, most of us will take 4 or 5 days to run coast to coast. Now that four day rally is two full weeks when we're running to the opposite coast. For those of us who still have "regular" jobs that's a bit of investment in time, vacation and money. Colorado may be two days from the west coast but it's a whole lot closer than the east coast, however it's still pushing a long three day ride for riders coming from the east coast. Same for west coast riders heading east, Kentucky's mapping out as solid three day ride if not four.
If you want a true "west coast" rally I think the best bet would be to ask Big Larry for an invite to the annual gathering he has in his neck of the woods that I've read about on here before. There's just to few of us to left coasters to do one on our own without our right coast brethren joining us imho. Besides I'm hoping to attend and meet some of these righties I've been chatting with for almost two years.
Forgive me if I missed a few thoughts already posted here-
Sturgis is hard to beat for promance and History and beauty.
Sturgis is in the middle of the country for a reason, its the middle, almost.
Next, it provides some of the most beautiful roads for a tour whilst there!
If you travel all of them you truly take home away inundated with amazement!
Irongate, Crazy Horse, Rushmore, Deadwood, Spearfish Canyon, Devils Tower etc.
A lot of History there.
Next, we have these bikes because we like to ride. Tour.
There is no such thing as too far, in fact, to close would be less than interesting.
Pick a great place, who would not come?
In theory, I agree with that. In practical terms, there are many like me who are not among the retired.
Further destinations obviously require longer travel times and eat up vacation time available. I get 3 weeks a year of PTO. Most of that gets used up for motorcycle related trips. I have several annual things I like to attend each year. If one of those requires a larger chunk of that PTO, then well I don't have to spell it out.
The VRCC INZANE rally was in Spearfish ,SD a couple years ago. Basically the Sturgis area. We had a good time there. We later went to the F6B Rally in Franklin,NC that year. But the F6B Rally ,being held over the Labor Day weekend and the location for us, didn't require a lot of Vacation time to go. If the Rally moves out to Colorado next year, we will have to make choices. That's all. Those choices may or may not include attending the F6B Rally. Been to the last 3 Rallies in Franklin,NC , Russellville ,Arkansas, and Pigeon Forge,TN this year. Had a lot of fun and enjoy meeting everyone here.
This year the VRCC INZANE was in Billings Montana. I would have loved to go, but many of the "group" I hang and ride with were not going so I made a choice to also not go and instead spent my Vacation time more on other more frequent trips including this year's F6B Rally.
"Go sell crazy somewhere else, we're all stocked up"