Shortly after purchasing our GL1800 we heard that there was going to be a GWRRA Regional Rally (Region F) in Visalia, CA. Never having been a member of the GWRRA I figured it was time we joined and checked what a rally was like. So I joined the GWRRA via their web site and then registered for the Regional Rally. I didn't know what to expect, but I knew it had to be fun. Besides, I'd look forward to going to my own execution if I could ride there on a motorcycle. Any excuse to ride works for me. By this time all I had accessorized my bike with was some Tulsa Mirror Wind Deflectors, Chrome Radiator Grills, and Rivco Handlebar Lights. I was curious to see what the vendors would have to show.
We weren't able to make reservations at the Holiday Inn where all the activities were going on. We were getting a late start and all the rooms had already been reserved. So we made reservations about four blocks away at the Fairfield Inn which worked out nicely since I had a couple of free nights there in reserve from a frequent visitors program with Marriott Hotels. Carole had never ridden long distance with me before so I decided to take the most direct route instead of any scenic routes that might have her in the saddle too long. Looking back, that was a silly way to think. She took to riding like a duck to water.
The ride there was uneventful. We rode down Hwy 101 to 152 and cutting across Pacheco pass to get to I-5. We rode down the interstate to Hwy 198 which carried us into Visalia. In other words, we took a rather boring 4 hour ride through a bunch of flying insects in the farmland of California. At least it gave us something to do the first half an hour we were at the rally... we cleaned the bike. We saw quite a few other Gold Wings pulling into the parking lot of the Holiday Inn and were surprised at the huge number of GL1500s compared to GL1800s, and were also somewhat surprised at all the trikes that were in the parking lot. Where do all these GL trikes hangout when they aren't at a rally? I rarely see them out and about.
We went inside the hotel and followed the signs to the registration area. We picked up an envelope with our name on it and turned down the offer to buy 50/50 raffle tickets, 50/25/25 tickets, tee shirts, caps and other items. If an active GWRRA member happens to read this, please suggest to your rally volunteer friends that anytime they go to sell something to a newbie, explain what it is. I didn't have a clue what a 50/50 or 50/25/25 raffle ticket is (and still don't to this day). But that was just the first introduction to a whole new culture and language. I soon heard terminology like farkles, safety chrome, couple of the year (they must be good?), drill team, and other confusing things. No big deal, we had a three day weekend to get all of this figured out.
We spent the afternoon in the vendor area looking at everything they had to offer. Man, there is a lot of stuff you can stick on a wing. But most importantly there was a guy there selling leather jackets and chaps. I wanted Carole to have some chaps (as well as myself). Considering that we do a lot of hot weather riding I figured the chaps would give us at least a little bit of protection while allowing us to stay cool. At the time I knew nothing about mesh textile safety gear, it was still relatively new to the market. The vendor was already sold out of chaps in my size but he did have some in Carole's size that had the fringe running down the sides. Initially I was opposed to fringe but seeing the chaps on her looked sexy. So what the heck, we purchased them. Chaps for myself would have to wait for another day.
The first night we hung out for a bit at the Holiday Inn but quickly learned that there was nothing really going on. We didn't sign up for the GWRRA dinner since we are vegetarians and their menu consisted of all the barbecued cow you could handle, so we went into the Hotel Restaurant for some Nachos and then headed to our own hotel. Carole had signed up for a CPR course (she has to stay certified for you job as a fitness instructor) and had to be there at a somewhat early hour in the morning. We picked up a six pack of Newcastle and called it a night.
The next morning Carole attended the CPR course while I again hit the vendor area. This time I looked at every little bell and whistle that the vendors had. They had some really neat stuff. During the lunch break Carole and I went to the indoor area for vendors and came across the Pakit Rak. Carole was instantly intrigued. I've never been a fan of pulling a trailer with a motorcycle and she just didn't like the look. But there was always a concern about cargo space and the Pakit Rak seemed to be the right answer. I wasn't so sure. But Carole explained how practical it was as the folks with Dixon Y Machine eased all of my concerns, so we ended up buying the setup. They would install it for me in the afternoon while Carole was continuing on with her CPR course. This decision taught me a very important fact... when Carole wants to add an accessory to the bike, simply say yes. She would much rather accessorize the bike than herself. Who am I to complain? Its a rough life, but a man's got to do what a man's got to do. As it turned out, the Pakit Rak has probably been the best after-market investment we have made regarding Dori.
That afternoon Carole and I hit the vendor area a little bit more and purchased a pair of chrome inserts for the fairing air intakes as well as a chrome rail setup for the front fender. Carole didn't even have to ask twice, I simply said "Yes Ma'am" and paid for them. They took all of about 10 minutes to install on the bike and made all the difference in the world in appearance. I began to realize that Carole had a knack for accessorizing Dori and I wasn't about to get in the way.
That evening the GWRRA was having a talent show and ice-cream social. Well, I'm not into ice-cream but we at least sat at in the auditorium and watched the talent show. There were chapters all hanging out together, sectioning of areas of seats for their fellow chapter members to sit in. We noticed that there was very little socializing outside of the chapters. In other words, it seemed un-natural if a member from chapter A would go sit or chat with a member of chapter B. And way in the back of the auditorium sat a few of us couples that weren't associated to a chapter. You would have thought that this was a perfect opportunity for a chapter to recruit the folks that were from their area, but this convention was for fun and not for work. We did chat with some of the other folks that were not members of any chapter and had a pretty good time. When the talent show was over we again ate at the Holiday Inn restaurant and then headed back to our own hotel for the night.
Carole went back to her second day of CPR training while I decided to go for a ride to see what was around Visalia. At the time I didn't realize how close Kings Canyon National Park nor Sequoia National Park was or I would have been there in no time. Instead I rode out into the agricultural area surround Visalia, just happy to have my wheels rolling under me as I rode through the 95+ degree heat. Just as it was about time to head back to find Carole I passed a sign that said "Kings Canyon National Park - 35 miles" and I had to check my glasses. Did I see that right? Yes indeed I had but it was too late to take advantage of it. I headed back to the hotel to meet up with Carole.
Back at the Holiday Inn I kept seeing this one yellow Gold Wing that was all decked out. It seemed like it had every accessory known to man. Carole was also intrigued by the yellow wing. We had both seen the yellow GL1800's on the show room floor but thought they were just a little too obnoxious in color for our tastes. But this one that was all accessorized was really appealing to Carole. Eventually the couple that owned it came walking to it and Carole struck up a conversation with them. Their names were Rocky and Irma. Rocky looked more like a Harley rider than a touring rider. So much for first-sight generalizations! They both turned out to be very cool people. We found out that they were staying at the same hotel as us. We ended up spending about 2 hours standing by the bikes just shooting the breeze. They were a couple of the warmest people I have ever met.
The GWRRA was having a closing dinner that night that once again had a meat-eaters slant to their menu so Carole and I went out to eat. We spent a little bit of time riding around and then settled in early with the remainder of our six-pack of Newcastle Ale. The next morning we got up early and decided to take a more indirect route home. We had no reason to head back to the Holiday Inn so we bid farewell to Rocky and Irma who were also heading out early and headed on our way. We had decided to take a ride up to Kings Canyon and see what it was all about. It took us about an hour to get to the entrance station to Kings Canyon. I asked the Ranger if the road went all the way through so that we could continue on north. He said no, that the road pretty much dead-ends in the canyon, so Carole and I decided not to enter the park but to head up through the Imperial Valley toward home.
We had been cruising along for a couple of hours when I started to see signs for Yosemite. I asked Carole if she had ever been there. When she said no I said, "Here's your chance. You just have to see it. It's the most beautiful place on earth!" She said go for it. I made a right turn and headed toward the Sierra's. The ride was fun as we both chatted in excitement over the sights we were going to see. Most of the traffic was heading in the opposite direction as folks were leaving the recreational areas at the end of the Labor Day Weekend.
We entered into Yosemite at about 3 PM. We didn't have a whole lot of time to spend there so I immediately wound our way up to Glacier Point. If you have never been to Glacier Point you should make that your next stop at Yosemite. The view of the valley from Glacier point cannot be described. You will understand for the first time what the word "big" really means when looking down on Yosemite Valley from that vantage point. Afterward we went down for a short run through the Valley itself before leaving. Most of the waterfalls were down to a trickle at this time of year, but the beauty of the Valley is still breath-taking. We exited the park at about 4:30 and began our journey home.
The weather was extremely warm as we made our way through the dry rocky canyons toward the Bay Area. Gas stations and markets were few and far between as the sun began to dry us out. Carole was beginning to feel almost nauseous from dehydration as I kept my eyes open for any kind of market. We came upon a little deli and pulled into the parking lot. As we walked up to the door we found that it was closed for the day. We turned around to head back to our bike when a lady stuck her head out the door and said, "Can I help you folks." I told her we were looking for a bite to eat and some water and would hit the next place down the road. She insisted we come on in and she would make us up a couple of sandwiches. While she did so I grabbed some water for Carole and soda for myself. In about a half hour we were completely refreshed and ready to get back on the road. We thanked the owner for her hospitality and headed on out.
It took us a about three more hours to get home. We were feeling good and I was definitely ready to go riding some more. We learned some important lessons.
1. Always carry water for drinking. (we've since found that Camel Backs are the only way to go)
2. Research the area you are traveling to. There are surprises around every curve.
3. The GWRRA is a mystery, but we'll figure it out.
4. I pretty much decided during that trip that a GPS was in our future.
It was a great first trip together on a bike that left us wanting more. We immediately began looking into the GWRRA Wingding in Grapevine, Texas in 2004.
Note: Originally I thought I had lost all of our Visalia photos when I was organizing my hard drive. But three years later I found I had kept a copy on an older computer I had stashed in the closet. It was fun looking through these photos again of our early days of riding the Wing. Man, what a difference compared to today!