Downeast Rally (5/17-19)

Lobster is a big lure of the yearly Downeast Rally held by the Riders of Southern Maine. I enjoy lobster, so that was enough for me.

My first Downeast Rally was in 2022 when I attended every early season camping event to help sort out my camping gear and packing on my new DL1050xt. Odd to still be sorting out my camping gear after twenty years of camping off motorcycles. But this was a new bike, with a different style of case that I had not yet learned how to pack. A few months later I would start a trip to Newfoundland, my second ever two week motorcycle trip. I outfit a new bike by riding it, then rank the deficiecies I need resolved. If something doesn't need fixing I don't spend money just because someone markets it well. Apparently those 2nd quarter 2022 gear sorting out trips worked, because the bike and gear had very few changes for my 36,000 mile travels in 2023.

In 2022 the Downeast Rally venue was Hermit Island, an old campground on Maine's vast Atlantic coast. Hermit Islland offered picture book perfect coastal Maine views. I was traveling in 2023 during all the local events. But I was sad to see the venue had changed to a summer camp far from the rocky Maine coast. The same inland venue was announced for the 2024 Rally.

In 2021 I joined the BMW Motorcyle Owners of Vermont (BMWMOV). It was a great decision for: friendships, roads, camping, and food. This Spring I attended the Mud Bash Banquet and received the high mileage award for my 2023 Rollabout. That event also featured an auction where I won the bid for a pair of tickets to the Downeast 2024 Rally, among other deals too good to pass up.

On friday 5/17 I collected a few friends for a ride up to Poland Maine. Not a route that any GPS would make. One of my infamous, much longer than required, and mostly going against common GPS wisdom. Why? In a word "corners". Using a few more words: light traffic, views, food, and corners.

The first third of the ride was my normal route up to Fryeburg Maine, mostly following Rt 153, with a deviation to avoid Conway traffic. Higher up in Maine I linked together a few great motorcycle roads from the ReverApp/ButtlerMaps, with complete disregard to them "going the correct direction". Along the way we enjoyed a meal at Sofia's PIzza & Roast Beef.

North of Sebego Lake is Long Lake. The town of Naples, ME is a choke point when crossing these lakes from west to east. It was the one area I expected traffic. Imagine my joy in seeing the town boarded up in pre-Memorial Day hibernation. Moments later we arrived at the rally destination of Agassiz Village Summer Camp.

The Agassiz camp in Poland Maine, is far from the Atlantic coast. But it is also a picturesque variation of Maine. The log lodge was the largest in the world for a period of time, before loosing that title to a structure in Yellowstone. This was picturesque lakeside rural Maine.

The forecast called for rain, so we quickly setup tents and went exploring. Lots of people to talk to and bikes to gawk at. Meals in the large lodge followed by live entertainment, featuring a wonderful collection of songs. For us it was background music as we wondered and talked bikes.

The lodge was a great place to escape the rain showers that passed over. This became a bigger issue on Saturday. We entered the lodge for breakfast and later expected to ride in any direction necessary to avoid the rain. The rain didn't provide many such opportunities, and we spent a lot of time talking on the porch. During this time Nate and Jim taught me how to play cribbage. Each of them enjoyed beating me once. I now have a new obsession, to get good enough to hold my own. Perhaps I am a sore looser?

After our Saturday "zero day" (no miles logged) we packed up on Sunday for our ride home. With rain still forecast we spent some time at a nearby large junk shop. Then returned home by mostly retracing the way we had come. Including the same food stop at Sofia's Pizza & Roast Beef.

Great riding? Sort of. Good food? yes. Great people and talks? Certainly. Mostly it was a relaxing weekend away from the ever present todo-list that is modern life. A chance to eat lobster, and loose at cribbage. Essentially it was: "Maine, the way life should be".