Rally wrapup

I finished my post-rally chores this morning, consisting of repacking my tent and air mattress that I laid out to dry yesterday afternoon. I had to pack them wet when I left the Minnesota State Fairgrounds Sunday morning because the ground cloth of my tent captured some water from Friday morning’s rain.

I found my original air mattress inflator right where I left it on my dresser. Now I have two of them, having purchased a new, more powerful unit at the rally.

Here’s an evening photo I shot of some of our bikes parked and covered in front of the canopy that was the centerpiece of our club campsite on the north end of the fairground.

My Jonesboro friend Charlie Parsons entered his 1939 BMW R12 in the Vintage Bike competition and won first place in his division.

The bike is for sale for $23,500 if anyone is interested. You can email him at 143bmw@att.net. I’d buy it in a heartbeat if I could afford it and had room for it.

I spent Monday night at the Hannibal, Mo., Motel 6, parking next to an R1200RT ridden by Jim Minton, an 80-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran from Cape Girardeau, Mo.

We swapped travel stories over dinner at the restaurant next door to the motel. Jim did multiple tours in Viet Nam.