Why Come to a Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Travellers Meeting?
You can meet people who don't think you're crazy for wanting to ride your bike to South America or Africa or across Asia, or even around the world! Admit it, all your 'normal' friends and most of your family fears for your sanity! So, this is your opportunity to meet the people who will encourage you in that craziness, share their experiences and advice on how to do it, and maybe you'll meet them again in Mongolia or Timbuktu!
Robbinsville, North Carolina, USA, June 15 - 18, 2006
The general plan is simple. Show up Thursday or Friday, have a drink, tell some lies, have another drink, eat at a reasonable hour, then slide shows are planned.
2006 speakers:
Ramona and Uwe Krauss, Germany, 5 years on the road - so far; "Two years in South America - and what we learned about the best places to go"
Lee Allison, NC, "Great rides in North Carolina"
Lee Allison, NC, "Baja Asylum Ride 2006"
John Therkelsen, "A first foray into adventure motorcycling, USA to Panama."
Merrill Glos, "USA to Ushuaia and Back"
Grant Johnson , "the basics - how to ride around the world - or just to the next country" 3 hour presentation. Yes I will be there! :)
Gerardo Ibarra, Mexico/USA, the "Ruta de la Sierra Alta" the off road trail into Mexico he and several others rode last year, the Hachinera pre-event for the HU Creel Meeting, why go, and what you need to know to go and have a great time!
Michael Jordan, USA, "Riding the Alps - what do you need, and why go?"
Tom Presten, "Arctic Circle, Fulfilling a Dream" and "Atlanta to Cancun at 40, or How to Talk Spanglish"
How about you? Let us know if you have something to show! Volunteers wanted! It's easy and fun, we'll even help you out.
Tech sessions, Saturday/Saturday night:
Grant Johnson, Tire changing and flat prevention - we need a volunteer with wheel and tire! :)
Ramona and Uwe Krauss, and/or Grant Johnson, "Photo Composition for Travellers - the one everyone SHOULD take, but no one does..."
Merrill Glos, "heading south, border crossings and route tips"
How about you? Let us know if you have something to show! Volunteers wanted! It's easy and fun, we'll even help you out.
Volunteers for anything else? Some suggested subjects :
First Aid for travellers
Laptops, uploads, files, communications on the road...
GPS
If you have experience with any of the above, or any other subject of interest, and would like to talk about it informally, (no fancy presentation required) please let us know
There will be slide shows Friday and Saturday night , so come early and make it a great weekend! We will probably have a DVD or two for Thursday night as well.
Leaving on a big trip in 2006?
Plan on leaving from the Meeting! We'll make it a great send-off! Or coming home around the time of the Meeting? What a great place to arrive at!
All times - and everything - approximate!
Thursday
CHECK-IN and sign up for Saturday and Sunday breakfast, Saturday dinner!
There will be at least a motorcycle travel video in the evening, and lots of opportunities to meet up with others and go for on and off-road rides.
"The ride I mapped out is 140+/- miles. It is very tight both gravel and paved roads for the most part except for a couple 6-8 miles sections. There will be a number of 'bail out' points to return to Ironhorse. Best suited for XR650, KLR, 640 Adventure, DR650, DRZ400. I have riden all these roads on 950 Adventure as well and the big Tigers, GS's etc should be fine for anyone but novice off-roaders. All on roads, no single track. Plan on min moving time of 4-5 hours. The roads are tight and mostly 2-3-4 gear stuff."
And there'll be more too! Book your place as soon as you get there, numbers will be limited.
Friday night
6:00PM
Dinner
7:00 pm
Speakers presentations
Saturday morning – late check in
8 – 10 am - Breakfast
10:00 – Self-guided Ride details (see sheets at check-in for times for guided rides) and tech sessions.
Local riders have put a lot of effort into planning some great rides, so get on the lists early!
We also hope to have a few travel oriented vendors there, so a great opportunity to have a good look at the latest goodies. Vendors please contact me for details.
Iron Horse is located in Graham County, North Carolina, on Lower Stecoah Road just north off Highway 28. A short 30 minute ride to the Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap and the scenic Cherohala Skyway, two of the best motorcycle destinations in the United States.
Can you supply us with links, and other info on the places to ride, and interesting things to see in the area? Let us know here.
Ironhorse is in Graham County, NC. www.grahamchamber.com promotes the county and has driving directions to Graham County from Asheville, Atlanta and Knoxville. Even though the directions are not directly to Ironhorse, this site might be useful.
Great information on the "Tail of the Dragon" - otherwise known as US129, near Deal's Gap, with 318 curves in 11 miles, can be found on the "official" Tail of the Dragon website. An awesome road! We will have a few maps from the website, but it would be wise to print your own in advance. Available here. There is also info on Deals Gap, Cherohala Skyway and 2 Dual Sport rides.
North Carolina's 'Scenic Byways' website has a lot of great information on various scenic roads in North Carolina. They also sent Karen a book she says is great. It will be on display at the Meeting. Viewable online in pdf format or can be ordered from their website for only $5.00 each.
Great whitewater rafting is available nearby at Wildwater Rafting, (Lee and Carolyn Allison, our HU Meeting co-organizers) and also at The Falling Waters Adventure Resort there's whitewater rafting, mountain biking, horseback riding, fishing, canoeing and kayaking.
Wheels Through Time Museum a "35-year collection of rare American motorcycles and automobiles...230-vehicle collection in the lovely community of Maggie Valley, North Carolina, located just a few miles off of I-40 and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Maggie Valley is a quiet community of 400 people nestled in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains." Owner Dale Walksler has very generously donated door prizes for our meeting, and wants to invite you to come visit the museum - he'll be delighted to meet you!
Local Hosts
Lee and Carolyn Allison are co-organizers of this event. The Horizons Unlimited events couldn't happen without the support of the local organisers and other helpers, and we greatly appreciate their assistance and support - please be sure to thank them too!
If you have any questions, they can be contacted here:
live in the area, and since they're in the tourism industry, have lots of "local knowledge" if you have any questions.
And a special thanks to all the local sponsors and supporters!
Atlanta Triumph Ducati in Atlanta, GA. - " a haven for motorcycle enthusiasts to hang out and discuss bikes with like minded fanatics."
Franklin Motorsports in Franklin NC. - A new Honda dealer that has been very generous! No website yet...
Precision Cycle & ATV Sylva, NC. - a full-service shop - "Mechanics are the backbone of the business"
Smith Power Sports "products to make your outdoor living easier and more enjoyable. We offer experience, fair prices, and a friendly atmosphere." Kawasaki and KTM.
Mortons BMW, Fredericksburg, Virginia. Mortons have been a long-time Horizons Unlimited supporter, so a special thanks to them, and for coming all the way to the meeting! Say hi to Steve, he'll be wandering around...
BMW Motorcycles of Atlanta, "the leading BMW dealer in the southeast, with all the latest models, genuine BMW accessories and your exclusive source for BMW clothing in Georgia"
Please drop in for a visit and thank them for their support.
Check out the Books pages for Travel books and videos. Remember if you go to Amazon from our books page, we get a small percentage of every purchase.
Thanks!
Grant and Susan
Editors note:
We accept no responsibility for any of the above information in any way whatsoever. You are reminded to do your own research. Any commentary is strictly a personal opinion of the person supplying the information and is not to be construed as an endorsement of any kind.
