Gettysburg Bike Week - 2021
So, funny story. You know how I like going to Gettysburg? I LOOOVE the downtown and shopping and walking in the footsteps of Lincoln. I make a trek there at least once a year and have even had previous blogs centered around the happenings of Gettysburg.
This year for vacation I pitched the idea to the family (in January) of going to Gettysburg for a few days, and then down to Shenandoah and then over to Yorktown, VA. Sounded like fun. Everyone was on board. Remember, I booked the trip in January.
Well as it turns out, so did many of my friends who own motorcycles. The week I picked was Gettysburg Bike Week! (who knew?) What a great time we had! Seriously!
Our campground was filled to the rim with bikes, bikes and more bikes. There were show bikes that were beautiful, street bikes, three wheelers, and others you could tell were rode hard and put away wet, but it didn't matter because they were all there for one reason and one reason only...Their community. The fun these folks were having was infectious!
Loud pipes save lives! And wow there were some loud pipes! But it was all a part of the experience. It's kind of funny because some of the folks we were with were less than impressed with the loudness of the weekend. Complaining that there were motorcycles everywhere. I laughed out loud and explained that it's BIKE WEEK! I mean seriously? Apparently they had never been to a bike rally before! I told them to embrace it - they said they'd wait in the car for us! Made me laugh harder.
John and I decided to do just that - embrace it and started talking to some folks. There were a few folks we met from Somerset County. They were a blast! When we asked them why Gettysburg they said they had never been there and that it looked like a good time. And it was a good time!
We walked on down the street and found some guys from Jersey that came up for the weekend. Just look at those faces - they were having a seriously good time.
Everywhere you looked people were smiling and laughing and enjoying a day out without worry. They were enjoying being together, living life and having fun!!
Of course we did our own Gettysburg tour because we had folks with us that had never been to Gettysburg either. We took in the sites of the Battlefield,
Visited Mr. Ed's Candy Emporium
And the Round Barn, just up the road. All very fun and beautiful and laid back.
But when I think back on what made the biggest impression on me during my 2021 visit to Gettysburg I'm going to say fondly, with a large smile...Bike Week.
It doesn't matter if you ride or you don't. I highly recommend finding a motorcycle rally in your area, go for the day and visit. Meet new people, laugh a little and let your hair down for an hour or two. Trust me when I tell you that these folks don't bite. They are fun loving individuals who LOVE LIFE and want to experience it to the fullest! They don't care if you ride, have an old bike, rode when you were 20 or just bought an 80 thousand dollar Harley Davidson. It seriously doesn't matter. They will embrace you and make you have fun!
When you visit, and you're in your car or truck or other non-motorcycle conveyance, please, please, please respect the riders. They have as much right to the road as you do. You might see a biker in leathers looking all biker-like, but their families see their mom or dad, son or daughter. The hospital where they work will miss their brain surgeon when they don't come back because you were impatient. Just sayin!
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Now get out there and have some fun!!
I've included some helpful links below so you can plan your next trip to Gettysburg Bike Week!