When Allen Goodwin posts a ride, you shift your plans and cash in all your favors at work to make that ride! Not only will he take you on a tour of some of the best gravel and back roads the area has to offer, his wonderful wife (whom I have come to call Mom) and he will cook you some amazing meals!
Friday afternoon I got off work, as usual, around 11:00 am and headed home to pack up for a great weekend of camping, riding and fellowship! I loaded the 690 into the back of the truck and headed towards Vinemont around 4:30 pm.
I know, I know, I should be riding to the ride! Here is a bullet list of my excuses:
-I didn't feel like installing my rack system
-I don't have lightweight cold weather camping gear
-My truck has heated seats
-My tires are better served in the gravel
-I like to sleep on my air mattress
-I didn't want to
Upon arrival Melony, Dennis and I started setting up tents, ez-ups and coolers. Kyle, Brad, Ben and Drew showed up and spent some time setting up their camp sites. Note to future attendees: don't bring a hammock! The cat really liked the idea of climbing on air mattresses and up the sides of tents so he was put in his room which he did not appreciate!
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When Allen got home from work the Sausage Fest began! We put about 5 lbs of sausage on the grill and Brad put his one single steak on as well! I manned the grill and provided a couple different levels of char to the sausage to ensure everyone got what they wanted! We feasted while watching some ice racing.
After dinner we started a fire and gathered around for as long as we could but it did not take long before people started heading to bed. I think the last of us headed to bed before midnight!
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Saturday morning started with some delicious coffee to go along with the delicious breakfast spread. Melony made biscuits n' gravy and Allen cooked 5 lbs of bacon! It was a great stick to your ribs meal to get the day going. During breakfast, Scott, Alex and Win arrived looking well rested compared to us campers! Mike showed up on his V-Strom and we hit the road to Bankhead right around 9:00am as planned!
Allen lead us on a great ride through Bankhead with a majority of the group taking a loop on the Flint Creek OHV trail! With a great stop for lunch at Chef Troy's Talk of the Town we headed out on some roads less traveled!
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It truly was a great trip and of course I didn't take enough pictures but here is a quick edit of my gopro video! As stated before, if Allen posts up a ride, do whatever it takes to get there!
"When Allen Goodwin posts a ride, you shift your plans and cash in all your favors at work to make that ride! Not only will he take you on a tour of some of the best gravel and back roads the area has to offer, his wonderful wife (whom I have come to call Mom) and he will cook you some amazing meals!"
You summed that up pretty well. I try to make as many of Al's rides as I can and I have yet to be disappointed.
No ride report is complete without at least one pic of the Author so here you go:
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great RR guys, that was a lot of fun.
I have about 25gb of video to cull through, then I'll slap something together.
I love the relaxed atmosphere at DS rides.
the food and hospitality is really why I come though. :-)