Modern Vespa

2023 Fall Gathering —- Thursday Sep 14 to Sunday Sep 17
Natural Bridge State Park, Slade, Kentucky

I have contacted lodge and rooms are available but waiting to hear back on group rates. Hopefully tomorrow. They also have cabins and camping. Riding in area is great and will be something new for most of group. Area is a major attraction for rock climbers. They can fill up accommodations but are busy climbing, not slowing traffic on the roads.

I also hope to be there to verify routes late June if someone wants to sacrifice for the group with me.

Pony Driver and His wife plan to be there to fellowship with us when not riding.


Nada tunnel is one way traffic.

Some bridges are close to road during ride.

Most photographed bridge can be hiked to from lodge. It is easier coming back down.

There is an easier way to top.

Reservation details.

Natural Bridge State Park
Slade, Kentucky
Phone number 606-663-2214

14 to 17 Sep. 2023

We will ride routes including Eye of the Dragon and Hillbilly Triangle.
https://tro.bike/motorcycle-touring/maps/usa/kentucky/hillbilly-triangle-ride/

Park will not set aside a block of less than 10 rooms which is more than we have used in awhile. They have a 10% veterans discount but clerk told me the quota for the date had already been reached and I would have to contact a manager for my discount.

Room rates Thursday are $101 for 2 queen beds and $111 for a king bed. Prices go up $10 per night Friday and Saturday.

I have booked a room.

Booked room just now. As mentioned, they were all out of Veterans Discount

oh well.

booked

Booked

I'm booked.

OK I just booked this cabin. It has two bedrooms. Total cost is $520. If anyone wants the extra room $250 gets you in. I get to pick which room I want LOL.

Just got my mp3. I'm new to scooters. If I get comfortable, I will book. Thanks

Where in Florida are you located? I am in Ft Lauderdale.

I still have one room in the two room cabin I booked if anyone is interested.

Sticky, how many bathrooms!

Whoops, that should have been a ? mark.

I had to call them because the description for a standard two bedroom cottage doesn't say but it is one bath.

Ok, call me cell: 954-205-2931 thanks

Looks like I will probably ride up for this.

Had a good scouting run last week and attached are gps drafts of the fall rides. There will be plenty of twists to satisfy all.

Friday morning will be a nice 100 mile ride including The Iron Loop ending at Miguels Pizza for lunch.

Friday afternoon after lunch will be a shorter 35 mile "Eye of the Dragon ride with a stop at Skybridge Arch. there is a parking lot at the top and we will stay a bit for those who want to explore the arch. Will stop for ciecream on way back to Lodge.

Saturday will be a 150 mile loop down to Buckhorn Lake state Park for lunch. Again there will be an ice cream stop on the way back. Ride includes Ride includes The River Dragon and much of Bobcat Run, Buck Horn and Red River Ride. I stopped in Booneville to check my map and a biker came up to offer help. He told me Hwy 28 from there to the park would be the best road I ever road. Not sure it was number 1 on my lost but it was great.

Named rides are on the Freeman Motorsports Touring map of West VA, Kentucky, Virginia and Southeast Ohio.

Thursday night the lodge restaurant is closed but there are several good places to eat close by. Restaurant will be open Friday Saturday and Sunday for breakfast and dinner. (lunch too if anyone staying around lodge instead of ride.)

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Thanks Fuzzy!

I don't know if anyone is coming from my direction but here is my likely route south https://tinyurl.com/7j6c4h6n depending on which route to avoid highways my GPS picks. Since I have not had time to get either of my 500's on the road so I will be on the 250. Anyone else riding an MP3 or Piaggio scooter?

Anyway, I will probably leave between 7 and 8 am so that puts me at the park early to mid afternoon unless I get sidetracked.

Anyone interested in me starting a Ride Report thread on MV like the old days? I don't know if the map function still works since Jess made so many changes to MV but I can ask if anyone is interested.

I'll be riding my 2023 Vespa GTS and Steve will be riding his Sports City 250.

We will be meeting up with OAD, LM15 and Fuzzy.

Great! See you all there!

this should be our route heading up thursday
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/232+Lakecrest+Drive,+Harriman,+TN/Natural+Bridge+State+Resort+Park,+2135+Natural+Bridge+Rd,+Slade,+KY+40376/@36.8289244,-85.3448815,8z/am=t/data=!3m1!4b1!4m29!4m28!1m20!1m1!1s0x885dda30cfa569fd:0xb67888700f64fc94!2m2!1d-84.4716316!2d35.8911117!3m4!1m2!1d-84.2435407!2d36.0505293!3s0x885c34987b54b9f1:0x5f6e36ee53dd81e7!3m4!1m2!1d-83.9615929!2d36.2310895!3s0x885c425a7d3ca20d:0x82972d76e1ae51fe!3m4!1m2!1d-83.687696!2d36.6048394!3s0x885c84aff113655b:0x9f0819a81c97c754!1m5!1m1!1s0x884378d1e5957a57:0x2122fccee06464bc!2m2!1d-83.6883748!2d37.7769198!3e0?entry=ttu

If plans hold, I will be in Knoxville or Oak Ridge on Wednesday for other business and spending the night. Where and what time do you want me to meet up on Thursday?

Even when I copy the whole link not just the part automatically turned into a URL Google recalculates and makes it an all interstate route.

Do we want to ride 130+ miles of interstate or take some fun roads up?

the link switches it to big roads, I have got it back roads up I will work on the garmin site mapping.

cheryl got it to work on the iPad versus her computer.

I have a couple routes on my computer I can forward when I get home tonight.

Pre-ride check's happening.

see fuzzy post for route

Last edited by old as dirt on Mon, 11 Sep 2023 11:48:43 +0000; edited 1 time

Is this an annual event? Just getting in to the scooter culture bought a Vespa GTS 250 IE 2009. I'm in LaGrange Kentucky.

If so I'd like to try to make it next year. I'm retiring at the end of September. So I will finally have time to do things like this lol, thanks.

We have been getting together twice a year for over 10 years. Started as an MP3 group but most have migrated to other rides. Location is different every time. Search under gathering on MP3 page and you will find threads on the gatherings we have had.

A couple routes from OAD's to the Natural Bridge State park in Slade, KY.

One is a quicker route of 196 miles and predicted 4:13 ride time.

Other adds a fun section between I-75 just south of KY/TN border to Middlesborough KY. It is 207 Miles and predicted 5:00 hours ridin. The addition is a twisty road over the mountain crossing into KY and skips a boring straight road hwy 63.

We will meet at Cracker Barrel in Rocky Top for Lunch for those not meeting at OAD's. We can make final decision on route then.

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A few pics from my ride in and dinner with everyone. Smaller crowd but really happy to see everyone again.

Stands up at 9 tomorrow. Fuzzy has some good routes for us.

A couple of pictures from the ride up with OAD, LM15, Fuzzy and Kevin.

A sample set of photos of today's ride.






One of Fuzzy's more interesting route choices.

If Fuzzy said to jump off a bridge, would you do it?

A trip isn't complete without an ice cream stop

A few more from today's ride.


Good morning from the deep dark hills of eastern Kentucky.

After a fun morning ride pizza in Slade, KY.

Waiting our turn to go through the single lane Nada tunnel.

Looking across Red River Gorge.

Yep the obligatory picture of me standing on Skyline Natural Bridge.

Skyline Bridge

Great pic in the tunnel! Zooming in it looks like OAD is riding backwards facing you. But knowing him I wouldn't be surprised if he was. 😂


OAD ghost rider

A few photos from today.


Today's route

I'm bummed we had to miss out, but family vacation was already scheduled in Branson this past week with my brother and sister in law and their kids. And then I was originally supposed to be in Louisville next weekend for a conference, but that got axed, too.

Sounds like you all had a great time. I hope nothing comes up to block me from coming next year...

Home sitting with my feet up on the porch after taking a leisurely not the most direct 4 hour ride home.

One thing I noticed as I was on some of the same roads is that it is clear that trees are starting the process of turning fall colors. Seems a bit early to me as the weather hasn't changed that much but the signs are there with yellowing of the leaves and a few tups of trees showing orange and red. We will be out of the country when the spring gathering comes around but hope Steve and I will be there for the fall one and that there won't be the drama with his scoot or the dog sitter.