Volume 31 - No. 7 and 8 July/August– 2014
Enjoy Summer at it best
Published By The American Gold Wing Association
1
FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT
Hello:
Are you ready for Summer? In our area summer may not
come. July 2nd Gail and I were leading a ride and the
temperature was 56 degrees and spotty rain. July 10 th, we
lead another ride and the starting temperature was 45 degrees and sunny. I must tell you it
did warm up and at lunch time we stopped at a road side park and the chocolate chip
cookies had melted chocolate chips.
The AGWA family had a super nice rally in Johnson City, Tennessee. We had great
attendance and a very nice hotel. I believe everyone enjoyed the great scenery, even if
there were some rides that encountered spots of rain. In most situations, the rain showers
were brief. I will expand on the rally in an article within this issue.
Our next rally will be June 15th thru Jun 19th, 2015 in Lexington, Kentucky. The AGWA
Illinois chapters, David and Marianne Densmore will be the rally hosts. Registration
forms and details of the rally will be available in the January/February issue of Wing of
the Road.
For those needing the information for their vacation schedule, the 2016 national rally will
be in Roanoke, Virginia on June 20th thru June 23rd. Remember Roanoke is on the Blue
Ridge Parkway.
I am always looking for articles which tell the AGWA readers of your adventures. It is
always good to know what is going on in your area or clubs. If you are not a writer and
would like to share your adventures, just give me some sketched details or give me a call
and I will ask some questions and write an article with the information you furnish. Any
article you ask me to write for you, will be sent to you for your final approval or revision
to get the details as you wish before being printed in Wing of the Road. Don’t be shy, just
start writing, doing your best. Either my wife or I will correct any misspelled words or
punctuation.
Have a great day
Owen
Wing Of The Road (WOTR) is published monthly by the American Gold Wing Association (A.G.W.A.). The editor’s address is 7032
Aarwood Trail NW Rapid City, Michigan 49676. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. A.G.W.A. is a nonprofit organization and is a separate
entity and is not affiliated with the Honda Motor Company, LTD. The American Gold Wing Association is Chartered by the American
Motorcyclist Association (AMA), and is not affiliated with any other organization.
Reprinting of the articles, using quotations or excerpts from any article is granted provided full credit us given to the author and to Wing Of
The Road. The opinions expressed in Wing Of The Road are the opinions of the author of the article or the Wing Of The Road’s Editor. The
opinions expressed in Wing Of The Road do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the American Gold Wing Association or the
A.G.W.A. membership.
All letters, articles, art and photographs submitted for publication become the property of the American Gold Wing Association and are
subject to editing and/or alterations for the purpose of available space constraints.
2
seventy miles an hour and it was much
too late for me to do anything safely.
This is the technique that I used. I
stiffened my arms to keep the front
wheel as straight as possible while
yelling some obscenity at Joann over the
intercom.
Miraculous Ride
Written by Dennis and Joann Benninger
Michigan Chapter C
You might remember me. I am Dennis
the one who had the unfortunate
snowmobile trip back in February. Well
this trip I am writing about now is one
with my wife Joann and two other
couples.
As a result, we ended up T-boning the
deer right dead center.
Joann and I started off early Friday
morning June 6, 2014 from Manton,
Michigan in order to stop and eat
breakfast. It was a cool morning barely
45 degrees, so we were wearing our
chaps. After we ate, we met one of the
other couples in Kalkaska, Michigan.
The four of us then went on to our next
destination, Gaylord, Michigan to meet
the other couple.
The front half of the deer hit the right
front side of the motorcycle and took
everything off the right front of the bike.
The rear half of the deer swung back
hitting the left side of our bike. The deer
took off everything on that side of the
bike along with slamming into both
Joann’s and my leg. Immediately after
impact I felt severe pain in my left leg
and I thought the deer had shattered it.
All I was concentrating on at this time
was keeping the bike upright and coming
to a stop as soon as I could. My cruise
control was still on so I reached up and
pulled my clutch handle in to disengage
the cruise control. When I did this I
heard the engine rev way up. That is
when I realized I was still on the throttle.
I got off of the gas and applied light
brake to start slowing down. I checked
my mirrors to see where other bikes
were before moving to my right to the
shoulder of the road. I was afraid to
After filling the bikes up and emptying
our bladder, we were finally off to
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for an
appreciation ride for our veterans. Our
destination was Seney, Michigan. We
merged on to I-75 expressway heading
north. The temperature by now had
warmed up to the mid 60’s with
beautiful blue sky. I was the lead bike.
We had our cruise control set for 70 mph
as I was planning on enjoying the next
150 miles to our destination.
Thirty minutes down the expressway
near the little town called Indian River
(twenty eight miles south of the
Mackinaw Bridge) is where our near
catastrophe occurred. A deer came from
the median on my left and decided to
commit suicide. At the time I was riding
3
down shift, because I thought my leg
was shattered so I just coasted to a stop
which was approximately half a mile
down the road. When the bike finally
stopped, I had to put my left leg down
and I was able to put pressure on it. That
is when I knew I could put the kick stand
down. I jumped off the bike to check on
Joann. She was still screaming in pain.
I immediately looked her over and did
not see any blood, but she couldn’t feel
her leg and thought she had lost her leg
below the knee. Her foot was no longer
on the foot pegs because she had
dislocated her left hip.
motorcycle at 70 mph after hitting a
deer. I have to give God the credit and
thanks for keeping my bike up (it
certainly was not me). Yes, I did have
advanced rider training classes
throughout the years which taught me
some skills but again I know it wasn’t
just Joann and I on the bike (there were
three of us on the bike). Some people
might believe that I am an expert driver,
but no it was not me. But thank you
anyways. I also have to give Traxxion
Dynamics a lot of credit for stiffening up
the suspension to be able to take an
impact like that. With a stock
suspension it would have been harder to
control.
We wish to thank and give credit to Hal
and Rita Beutler. They are also AGWA
members who helped us in several ways
during this incident. Also our thanks to
Jo and Earl Moss. Earl brought a trailer
to pick up my bike. Jo brought her car
and went to the hospital to stay with
Joann, and later brought her home.
Buddy and Lynn were the other couple
who helped us but later went on to the
Veteran ride.
She also ended up with a concussion and
whip lash. We believe she hit the back of
my helmet with her full face helmet. We
tried to get Joann off the bike, but we
could not due to extreme pain in her hip.
I called 911 and waited for an
ambulance. The ambulance came and
took Joann to McLaren Medical Center
in Petoskey.
Joann and I are doing much better now,
no broken bones or loss of life. Thank
God for that. Our friends that helped in
so many ways are the true essence of
what a real biker is at heart.
Thank you all for your thoughts and
prayers.
While we were waiting for the EMT to
show up, Buddy on the bike right behind
me was talking to me and told me he
saw the deer coming up out of the
median at about 100mph (his
estimation). Buddy said the next thing
he saw was plastic flying all over the
place and our bike going down the road
just as straight as an arrow. There is no
way a human being could hold up a
4
AGWA’s 3
F’s Family,
Fun, Fellowship
parade was dedicated to one of their
own, Frank Lema Sr.
Jeff, Carolann, Phil, George, and I
joined Snappa at the New England
Riders Meet & Greet in West Boylston
where we enjoyed lunch followed by a
lovely ride through the nearby
Hello from RI
Please join us in welcoming the
following new members: Judi and Carl
Bergden, Rico Santopadre and Mechele
Scott, Bob and Dori Hurst, and Aly and
Jeff Brock.
After the worst winter, we were
ready to get on the bikes for our first
official ride of the season, our annual
May breakfast at Persey’s in Middleboro
MA. Unfortunately, Mother Nature did
not cooperate and we were forced to take
the 4-wheelers. Nonetheless, we had a
good turnout. Jeff, Brenda, Alan, Laure,
Ralph, Joaney, Judi, Carl, George and I
met Paul there to enjoy a delicious meal
with some of the best cornbread around.
Canadian Royal Mounted Police and Rhode Island
State Police
Many of our members, also Blue
Knights, rode in the Aquidneck Island
National Police Parade. They were part
of the Honors Division. The parade,
dedicated to police officers killed in the
line of duty, included officers from all
over the US, Canada and the Bahamas.
There were numerous marching bands,
the Philadelphia Mummers, NYC
Emerald Society, contingents from the
Canadian Royal Mounted Police, and the
elite US Marine Corp 8th & I Marching
Unit from Washington DC assigned to
the President of the United States plus
many animated characters. It proceeded
from Middletown, through downtown
Newport and ended at Old Colony
House in Washington Square. It was
especially poignant as this year the
Blue Knights
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encounter some heavy downfalls. By
noon, the clouds disappeared and the sun
shone. We stopped for lunch in Kittery
ME. It has great shopping with hundreds
of factory outlets lining Rte 1. From
there, we opted to take the much more
scenic shore route. Continuing north, we
reached York, a fashionable summer
resort, retaining many distinctive
examples of Gilded Age architecture.
Spotting a lovely lighthouse in the
distance, we made a detour to take a
closer look. The Cape Neddick
Lighthouse at Nubble Rock stands on a
rock, Nubble Island, about 100 yards off
Cape Neddick Point. The lighthouse is
inaccessible to the public, but the nearby
mainland, occupied by Sohier Park,
offers great close-up views.
countryside to Rota Spring Farm in
Sterling, MA. Their award winning,
homemade ice cream is made right on
the farm. In addition to lunch and the
chance to check out numerous bikes of
different makes and models, there was
an area where riders could sell,
Blue Knights
Next was Ogunquit meaning
"beautiful place by the sea", a favorite
spot of ours. A popular art colony and
tourist area, it is extremely picturesque
with a 3½-mile beach of pale sand and
dunes, Perkins Cove, spanned by a
manually operated draw footbridge, and
Marginal Way, a scenic trail, running
along the coast from Perkins Cove to
Ogunquit Beach. Future north was
Kennebunkport, a summer haven for the
upper class and one of the wealthiest
communities in Maine. On Walkers
Point, Point Vesuvius, is the summer
home of former US President George H
W Bush. Lastly, we came to Old
Orchard Beach, another popular summer
beach destination with a honky-tonk
atmosphere. A wooden pier on the beach
contains many tourist businesses,
including a variety of souvenir shops.
There is a 7 mile long beach. Sitting on 4
acres of beachfront property is Palace
Playland, dating back to 1902. It is one
of the last old-time oceanside
amusement parks in New England. After
stopping for the mandatory ice cream
swap or donate items; a good place to
pick up some gently used things. The
Meet & Greet was a great way to kick
off the riding season, meet fellow riders,
talk motorcycles, and have some quality
hot dogs.
NE Riders Meet & Greet
Mid-May, several of us attended the
Blue Knights Northeast Conference in
Portland ME. With dire predictions of
torrential rains and gusty winds for the
entire weekend, we all decided to go by
car. Leaving Friday morning, we did
6
break, it was on to our hotel. With the
sun still shining, we rued our decision to
come by car but a short time later the
heavens opened, the winds blew and we
were vindicated. When we arrived, the
Hospitality Room was bustling with
members from throughout the US and
Canada. Linking up with the RI
contingent, including Jack, Esther, Jeff,
and Brenda, we then adjourned to the RI
suite for a night of Piña Coladas, pizza,
many stories, and much laughter. We
will not soon forget the massage
recliner.
beautiful seaport. Place your order at the
walk-up counter, receive a buzzer in the
shape of a lobster, find a table, and wait
for your food to arrive. It was well worth
the wait. The smell of sea air, the sound
of boats, the chatter of seagulls, and the
hustle and bustle added to the
atmosphere.
In the evening, we enjoyed a social hour,
followed by a dinner buffet. There was
much hi jinx and many laughs.
After breakfast, Brenda, Jeff,
George, and I headed north to Freeport
ME, well know as the home of LLBean
and for its outlet shopping. The LLBean
retail store campus based here,
specializing in quality clothing and
outdoor gear, is open 24 hours a day,
365 days a year and welcomes more than
3 million visitors every year. It has to be
seen to be believed. Dodging rain drops
and darting from store to store, Brenda
managed to find some great bargains and
help the local economy. Exhausting our
shopping opportunities in Freeport, we
set off for Old Port, Portland’s Historic
Waterfront District. Just north of
Portland, the weather gods smiled on us,
the rain and fog disappeared and out
came the sun. We had a lovely
afternoon, exploring the cobblestone
streets around the waterfront and
experiencing its quaint charm. Portland’s
Old Port is one of the most successful
revitalized warehouse districts in the
country. Still a working waterfront,
many of its derelict, old brick buildings
have been converted to boutiques, oneof-a-kind stores and restaurants. Casual
waterfront dining establishments
abound. We chose the Portland Lobster
Company, a lobster shack centrally
located on the pier, in front of the
Brenda and Jeff
A selfie?
7
ocean and rocky shore; then past
gorgeous seaside mansions to Hampton
Beach. It is a popular tourist destination
and the busiest beach community in NH
with a boardwalk, shops and Casino
Ballroom. In mid-June, it hosts the
Hampton Beach Sand Sculpture
Competition, bringing in numerous
sculptors from across America; an
amazing event. We continued south by
Salisbury Beach, through Newburyport
and Ipswich, famous for its clams,
before hopping on the highway and
returning home. Despite some bad
weather and missing the bike, it was a
great weekend.
Esther and Jack
After our May breakfast meeting,
Carl, Judi, Deb, Ray, Jack, Esther, Jeff,
Brenda, George and I rode to the
Twisted Throttle Open House in Exeter.
The Twisted Throttle Factory Store is a
retail showroom full of accessories,
riding gear, maintenance items, and
electronic gadgets; a motorcyclist “toy
store”. There was food, a stunt show by
Chris "Teach" McNeil, over 20 vendors,
entertainment, sales, seminars and much
more. Most of us managed to find
something to make us smile; a new
jacket, a new helmet, etc, etc, etc.
George and Judi
Following breakfast and fond farewells,
it was off to RI, but with a quick stop at
Stonewall Kitchen in York ME. They
are a creator and purveyor of highquality, specialty products from jams
and jellies to grill sauces and mustards.
The York headquarters not only has the
retail store but a casual breakfast and
lunch bistro and Cooking School. I love
their products. Deciding to bypass the
interstate for a while, we took the scenic
route, seeing the prettier side of Kittery.
Sitting at the southernmost corner of
Maine, Kittery is a charming small town
and one of the most historic. First settled
in 1623, it features some of the oldest
architecture. Hugging the coast line, we
traveled past the Naval Yard, through
downtown Portsmouth to Odiorne Point
State Park for sweeping views of the
Unfortunately our Sunday ride had to
be cancelled due to weather concerns but
on Monday, Memorial Day, the sun
shine brightly as many of our members
rode in the annual East Greenwich
parade. It was led by a “Lone Piper”,
bagpiper. The always colorful Kentish
Guards and Varnum Continentals, local
Colonial militias, and marching bands
were also present. The entire procession
paused briefly for a wreath-laying
ceremony at the flag by the World War
II Memorial. During closing ceremonies,
a local student recited the Gettysburg
Address. The Town parade is a long8
time tradition continuing to honor the
living and dead of past conflicts..
A happy camper on his new trike
Pennsylvania Chapter B
Starts Riding Season
Written By George Ramsey
Pennsylvania Chapter B
May 4th after our monthly
meeting, Chapter Rep Terry Gresh and
his wife Nancy, led a small group of B
members on a ride to the western part of
PA for lunch and other things.
We rode on some fun back roads
and on some highways to a little place in
Milton, PA. It was along the
Susquehanna River and near the Steel
Steeds Motorcycle Campgrounds. I
mention this because a few months ago,
I received a letter from the owners Bob
and Diane Sykes, inviting our
organization to try their camping
facilities. They offer rental trailers
(RV'S), cabins and tents, RV and tent
sites and provide linens, blankets,
pillows and towels. It might be fun to try
this sometime!
After lunch, we made our way to
a winery where I purchased two bottles
that I thought might be good, although I
have yet
to taste
them. A
short time
later
East
Greenwich
Memorial
Day
Parade
everyone filled up with gas but I seemed
to have enough gas to make it home so I
waited.
Happy Riding! See you all “on the
road again”, next month.
9
Please check the AGWA
directory and verify that your
When I arrived back in West
Lawn, I filled up at the WaWa down
from our house and to my surprise, I
took 5.2 gallons after riding 236 miles
for an average of 45.3 miles to the
gallon. How glad was I?
It was a great day and a great ride
with more to follow I'm sure.
Thanks Terry and Nancy and ride safe.
IN GOD WE TRUST
pineapple topping. So many, I can't even
begin to remember them all. I brought
home the cheddar with bacon, YUM.
The group then stopped at
Premise Maid on 222 for ice cream, but I
continued on since I was full of food and
unusually not ready for ice cream.
Arriving at home with 255 miles
on the trip meter, it was the end to a
terrific day of riding with friends in
GOD'S greatest place, America.
Ride Safely
IN GOD WE TRUST
Pennsylvania Chapter B
Ride After June Meeting
Thanks from Iowa Chapter
“L”
Written By George Ramsey
Pennsylvania Chapter B
Written By Chuck Mincks
Iowa State Director
AGWA Safety Director
This month's ride was led by our
Parade Coordinator Mike Weiser and his
wife Lisa.
Their destination would be Lake
Wallenpaupak where Lisa's parents used
to have a home. Chapter B members
were fortunate to spend some time with
them a few years ago and enjoyed
ourselves immensely.
The ride took us over some
familiar back roads, a couple very rough
this time, but enjoyable none-the-less.
We had lunch at Fluff's in
Hawley, PA., about 130 miles from
home, and I had a fantastic chicken
cheese steak. I'd recommend Fluff's
anytime.
On the return route, Terry Gresh,
the tail gunner asked Mike if a pretzel
factory was on the route and lo and
behold we came right upon it. Callies'
Pretzel Factory in Mountain Home, PA.,
has pretzels with stuffings and toppings
you can't help but like. Such as, cheddar
with bacon topping, cream cheese with
Another Gold Classic has come and
gone so quickly it doesn’t seem possible.
Can’t say enough about Don and Marion
Oller, along with that great bunch from
Tennessee, who made this such an
enjoyable rally. It was wonderful to see
old friends and make some new ones.
Hard to believe it was almost 2 weeks
ago when we left home to take 3 days of
wandering on our way to Johnson City,
TN….
On Thursday, June 19, Sue & I left our
home in Marion, IA with the intention of
spending the first night in Hannibal,
MO—the hometown of that great
American author and humorist Samuel
L. Clemens, otherwise known as Mark
Twain. I don’t know many from my age
group who have not read the Adventures
of Tom Sawyer, who Twain later
admitted to fashioning after his own
boyhood antics. As we proceeded in that
direction, it became obvious that a line
10
of severe weather working its way in a
NE direction through Missouri would
intercept us before we arrived.
Therefore, we headed east for Illinois
and tried to get around the leading edge
of the storm. It kept coming and
blocking our way so we settled for
staying the first night in Beardstown, IL
instead. What reached us there was
much milder than what we were seeing
on the radar earlier. We got some heavy
rain, but no hail or tornados at that point.
We were in one piece and happy to see
the beginning of our second day of
travels.
filmed, and took a peek out the back
window at her current spacious ranchstyle house. We were told she was away
on a visit to New York so we did not get
the chance to meet her. Very interesting
and enjoyable site for those who grew up
listening to that music like I did. Later
we arrived at our hotel in Nashville,
cleaned up and changed clothes and
proceeded to the Grand Ole Opry for
that evening’s show. Did not know most
of the musicians by name that day, but
the show was great with an amazing
amount of talent that made 3 hours go by
so fast it was difficult to believe.
Just east of Paducah, KY, lies the town
of Gilbertsville. It is located at the north
end of the “Land Between the Lakes,”
and the meeting point where we were to
join up with our great friends Gary and
Carolyn Williams. They had lived in
Marion for many years prior to moving
to the Kansas City area to be closer to
kids and grandchildren. It was Gary who
first contacted AGWA, leading to Joe
Lopez’s “fact-finding” visit to Iowa
following our departure from that
“other” gold Wing group in the early
2000’s. We liked what Joe had to say
about the democratic way of AGWA,
and the rest is history. We met up with
the Williams and had a great supper at
“Patti’s 1800’s Settlement,” then readied
ourselves for the coming week of fun.
The next day was Sunday and on to
Johnson City we went. It was an
otherwise uneventful day for us, but one
in which we were excited to see old
AGWA friends we had not seen for a
couple years since Springfield, MO. Sue
& I were in a car crash on Memorial Day
weekend of 2013 leaving Sue with a
broken leg and unable to travel at the
time of the New Hampshire rally. I am
happy to report that she healed well and
went back to work. In the meantime, I
was experiencing numbness and tingling
in my hands that ended up being a
pinched spinal cord along with some loss
of cartilage from arthritis. On March 31
of this year I had surgery to fuse my
neck and am unable to ride a motorcycle
this year until the bone is completely
done fusing. Therefore, we came in a
“cage” rather than on two wheels.
However, the roads were still just as
curvy and hilly on 4 wheels so I had a
great time in this beautiful area of our
country.
The next day we traveled to Nashville.
On the way there, we stopped in
Hurricane Mills, TN, the location of the
Loretta Lynn Ranch and her most recent
home. Considered by many as the
“Queen of Country Music,” Loretta has
enjoyed one of the most awarded and
prolific careers in all of country music.
We toured her one-time mansion, where
those Crisco commercials were actually
While in the Johnson City area we
visited many historic and scenic
locations in Kentucky, Tennessee, North
Carolina and Virginia. We stood next to
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the birthplace of Davy Crockett, walked
on trails reportedly followed by Daniel
Boone, stood on Rocky Mount where
one of the first stagecoach lines of the
early Westward Expansion ran, the
Natural Tunnel State Park where
current-day trains still use the tunnel,
The Cumberland Gap National Park
where an untold number of our earliest
pioneers began their westward
movement through the more accessible
valley of this region, stood on the
summit of Mt Roan with many miles of
gorgeous views, saw several Civil War
sites and the list goes on and on. Heck,
we even went to the Bushes Visitor
Center and Museum in nearby
Sevierville, TN, hometown of Dolly
Parton, where we got our picture taken
with Duke the talking dog, and had
beans and cornbread! For the record—
Duke is still not giving up the Bushes
family bean recipe…….
history to soak up in one day, but we had
to be on our way with hopes of one day
returning again. By supper time we
were pulling into our driveway on the
10th day of our trip. Not sure where all
that time went so fast, but I can assure
you we wasted very little of it. We even
got to spend a couple hours in an
emergency room with Lu & Crystal
Brunetta after someone turned in front of
Lu and made him crash his cycle. Glad
he was not hurt worse, the two made it
home to Pennsylvania without further
incident, and we are now much better
acquainted than ever before.
Once again, thanks to Don and Marion
Oller, along with the other Tennessee
members, for all their hard work in
making this fun-filled rally a possibility.
Also, thanks to Owen and Gail for their
leadership and on-going support—not
forgetting all those great cookies!
Finally, thanks to all that helped with the
hospitality room, judging and other
activities that always need to occur to
make the rally more enjoyable. You are
all much appreciated!
Looking forward to seeing you all in the
very near future. Until then, everyone
ride safe and watch out for the other
guy—we want to see you in one piece!
We had compressed a huge amount of
activities into our short vacation and it
went by almost in a flash. The next
thing we knew, it was time to start for
home. After a night in Lexington, KY,
Sue & I headed back to Hannibal, MO
for the visit we missed on the way out to
Tennessee. This time the weather was
more forgiving and we arrived without
incident. After an excellent supper at a
curious restaurant called “Fiddlesticks,”
we settled down with a Hannibal
brochure to figure out what we wanted
to see the next day. It started out with a
1-hour cruise on a river boat called the
Mississippi Belle (not 3 hrs aboard the
Minnow) which was quite relaxing.
Following, we toured the Mark Twain
childhood home and those of the people
who he later fashioned into Huck Finn
and Becky Thatcher in his novels.
Another interesting town with too much
God speed to all,
Change of
Address
12
John Francis
23A TAylor CT.
Streemwood, IL. 60107-2341
847-609-0132
EMAIL: jfran008@att.net
Barbara (Jo) Hitch\
934 Wilder Chapel Ln.
Maryville, TN. 37804-3687
to an overview where we could see 3
states. Dave and MariAnne and a couple
of other members walked another path
up a hill. A few of us stayed at the
bottom and talked while we waited for
their return. Their walk was cut short
when a snake appeared. Deloris and I
were both glad, we stayed at the bottom!
We took back roads the rest of the way
to Johnson City, TN. They were all nice
and had enough curves that Dave could
scrape his stand. I think he thinks that is
the way to tell if you are enjoying
yourself. Visited with friends and went
out to a good restaurant for dinner.
Monday started out with Deloris riding
as my passenger on the group ride to
visit all the dams. The roads were good
and she got used to the feel of riding a
trike. Just a little different than the feel
of being on 2 wheels. In the evening I
went to the National Meeting and
Deloris went to bingo with MariAnne
and some new friends.
Tuesday after breakfast we saw the bike
show and checked out what some
members had done to their bikes.
Afterwards we followed Dave,
MariAnne and Joe Lopez on a route
through TN and NC. The roads were of
the twisty type. Dave looks at a map and
finds the roads with the most curves and
hills that he can find. Then the
challenge comes to find them all. Dave
and Joe had a great time in the curves,
Deloris and I enjoyed the scenery and
they waited for us when they went on a
new road. We had a great day and
stopped for Barbeque and the lunch was
good. The ice cream social was a hit. It
was held in the bingo room and it was
well attended. Members stayed after and
just visited.
Wednesday morning was supposed to be
field events, but it started to mist and
lightly rain, so we postponed it till
AGWA Gold Classic Rally
Written By Wanda Densmore
Illinois Chapter G
AGWA Secretary/Treasurer
Just wanted to say, that I had a great
time at the rally. I know how much
work it takes to put on an event and
wanted to say thanks to Don, Marion,
Owen and Gail and all the others that
assisted and lead the rides. The hotel
accommodations met all our needs and
staff was very friendly. Even the
weather co-operated, with not much rain.
I had a great time visiting with all my
AGWA friends and look forward to see
all of them in Lexington KY for next
year’s rally.
My trip to the rally started on Saturday
early, on the road by 5:30 AM to meet
Dave and MariAnne in Mendota, IL.
Had a good ride to Richmond, KY where
we stayed the night. We met up with
several of our chapter G friends. Also, I
had talked my sister Deloris into coming
to the rally and she drove down from
Michigan to meet us at the hotel.
Deloris and her husband Clark rode their
own Gold Wing for years and Russ and I
always enjoyed riding with them. So I
thought she might enjoy meeting all of
my AGWA family and ride on my trike.
Sunday morning we left Lexington with
Dave in the lead. Anyone that knows
Dave, he of course, found all the curves
and hills in route. We made a stop at the
Cumberland Gap National Park where
we rode to the top of the hill and walked
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Thursday. Had a good day of visiting
and the normal activities at the rally.
Spent time in the hospitality room and as
usual Gail and Owen made cookies and
sweet bread. The room was large and
was well attended by most of the rally
members. Marion had set-up games to
play with the money raised to be given
to the Wounded Warrior Project. By the
end of the Banquet on Thursday AGWA
issued a check for $532 to them.
Wednesday evening was sloppy joe
dinner, with red potato salad and cake.
The food was good and everyone stayed
around to visit. The light show started
around 9:15 with several well lit bikes
and trikes. Thanks to all the judges who
rated the bikes. I am always happy to
see members get involved.
Thursday started off sunny and we setup field events. I have several people
who for the last several years have
assisted in setting up and scoring the
field events. I always appreciate their
help. We have tried to make the games
more fun and easier to ride to encourage
more participation. We had more bike
and trikes than we have had in the past.
Thanks to all that participated and to
those who always work it with me.
The day ended with our banquet and
awards ceremony. The food was good
and plentiful. Lots of prizes and awards
were handed out to the members. Hope
everyone made it home safely and
looking forward to another rally in the
future. My sister is looking forward to
our rally next year, even though you
knows she will be stuck helping me
again. That is what sisters are for.
I hope to see all of our members at the
rally next year. It will be held in
Lexington, KY and hosted by the State
of Illinois. Dave Densmore will be in
charge of the rally. More on the
Lexington rally will be in future issues
of the WOTR.
Be Aware of
Oncoming
Vehicles
14
Crystal and I would like to say thank
you, we had a great time. We look
forward to attending the rally every year,
not only to visit a part of the country we
have never seen, but to learn about its
history, and also to go on great rides. We
also really enjoy meeting with all our
good friends, sitting down with them and
listening how they have been and the
rides they took the past year. It's like
having a big family reunion once a year.
I would like to say thank you to Chuck
and Sue for taking us to the hospital,
Don and Marion, Matt and Karen, and
everyone who helped Crystal and I to
make a bad situation better. I'm sorry I
don't know everyone who helped, but to
us you are our unsung heroes.
Unfortunately, the ride home was not
like we planned, but Crystal did a great
job of getting us home in a ten foot
rental truck. Her dad was a truck driver,
and we are all saying it runs in her
blood. Thanks again to everyone for
their help, thoughts, and prayers.
In Memory
Of
Jim Davis
29th Annual Donald W.
Jones Flag Memorial
Delaware Valley Vietnam
Veterans
Jim was the loving husband of
Irene Davis, a member of
AGWA and Northern Michigan
Bikes and Trikes Chapter C
Jim will be missed by his wife
Irene, chapter members for his
wit and big smile.
Written By George Ramsey
Pennsylvania Chapter B
Sunday, June 15th and I will be riding to
Levittown, PA to participate in this
event for the first time.
Great Rally
After having eggs and toast for
breakfast, which Ruthie made me for
Father's Day, I filled Yellowhawk with
gas and left for Levittown. I
programmed the address in my GPS last
Written By Lou and Crystal Brunetta
Pennsylvania Chapter R
To every one who helped put the
Johnson City Gold Classic together,
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evening and attached my ez-pass to my
windshield so I was ready to roll.
a fire engines' ladders. At about 12:15
P.M., over one hundred motorcycles
paraded between us and proceeded to
their parking lot.
When I arrived at Falls Township
Community Park
As we walked to our flag line position
for the ceremony, we saw the beautiful
flag memorial. There were posters with
the names of all our heroes just behind
the flags.
,
I was met by the Ride Captain In
Charge, Dale Mcginnis, Gerry and Joyce
Pawloski and that was it. Obviously, due
to it being Father's Day, our PGR
attendance was not good. But, there was
one gentleman who had his bike parked
with ours who asked if he could stand
the flag line with us. Dale had an extra
flag and said we'd be delighted to have
him. He had a sailor hat on his head and
told me he served on the U.S.S. Coral
Sea. It was good to have a fellow sailor
on the line.
In the field there were probably fifteen
American Flags and in front of them was
a replica of a bamboo tower and a
bamboo cage which was used to
imprison our heroes.
We stood our flag line between the
American Flags and the tower and cage
while dignitaries spoke and finally taps
was played. We were then dismissed and
volunteers would recover all of the flags.
A huge job but a wonderful testament to
patriotism. God Bless them all. I was
proud to be there.
This Flag Memorial is a three day event.
Friday, volunteers planted flags starting
at 9 A.M. They created the memorial in
the shape of the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial Wall to the exact length.
There are over 58,000 flags each planted
in the ground by someone who cares.
Saturday, there was a free concert and
day of reflection, bands starting at noon.
Sunday was the PGR's day to help.
We stood our flag line under an
enormous POW-MIA Flag supported by
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IN GOD WE TRUST
In Memory
of
WELCOME
Linda J. Wronkowski
New AGWA Members
Linda was the loving wife of
Joseph A. Wronkowski,
mother of Joseph Wronkowski
II, Dan Wronkowski, daughter ,
Kathy L. Smales and is
survived by six grandchildren
Aly/Jeff Brock
185 Richardson Rd.
Coventry, RI. 02816-4667
M Cell 401-258-7587
A Cell 401-793-6307
M email
itsalyagain@gmail.com
A Email
jandal25@verizon.net
Fantastic Rally
Michael Perry Smith/
Betty Ann Smith
610 Blacksnake Rd.
Hot Springs, AR. 719139104
Written By Owen Toomey
Michigan Chapter C
Gail and I have spent many hours
working on the details of the rally which
Don and Marion Oller were not
responsible for.
H 501-282-3198
M 501-282-3198
A 501-282-3199
With much anticipation the day had
finally arrived to depart to Johnson City
for the big event. With trailer in tow, we
left with all the rally supplies, plaques,
rally shirts and 32 dozen cookies.
We made this ride a two day event and
stopped the first night at our daughter’s
Email
mpsmith777@hotmail.com
17
home to leave our pets. We stayed the
night and left for Lexington, Kentucky,
which would be our first night’s
destination. We had a great hotel and
started out Friday morning, with our
destination Johnson City, Tennessee.
When we arrived Don and Marion Oller
were at the hotel and ready to get started
setting up the hospitality room. One
small glitch to their plan was the
Kawasaki sport and touring group were
occupying the hospitality room space
and would not be leaving until late
Saturday evening. To keep on schedule
Marion Oller was busy in her room
filling the rally goodie bags. As soon as
the Kawasaki group was gone, we
started setting up the hospitality room.
Tuesday brought the bike show. The
day started out with bright sun and there
were plenty of bikes to judge, but it
would have been great if we would have
had more participation. The judges did
their best to find all the flaws of each
bike and at the conclusion of the bike
judging Marion Oller scored the bikes in
accordance with the rally bike show
rules and determined the winners.
Tuesday evening was time for the ice
cream and was it good.
Sunday morning Nancy Lovelace was
busy setting up the coffee urns and
trying to keep the circuit breaker from
blowing open. To alleviate the problem,
she moved one of the urns to the
opposite wall and all was well.
I will tell you after everyone was seated
and enjoying their ice cream I found my
way to where they had served and found
another dish full of the delicious ice
cream. This time it was rainbow and
tasted great.
As members started to arrive, Gail and I
did our best to greet each person.
Monday brought overcast skies and the
possibility of rain. Some of the riders
did get wet, but overall the day was good
and the sun did show its face.
Wednesday brought another day with the
threat of rain. We started to set up the
bike games and Mother Nature started to
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drop some moisture on us. We went
inside to the hospitality room. When the
rain stopped, many of the members
started out on rides. Later in the day the
sun was shining brightly. Wednesday
evening at dark the light show started.
There were more entries than previous
years. All the different colored lights
were pretty and we had a great location
to have the light show.
Every day the hospitality room was full
of people enjoying each others
conversation and enjoying the snacks. I
can tell you the cookies, sweet bread and
candy bars disappeared each day.
Marion Oller had many door prizes. For
most you had to play plinko and receive
tickets to deposit in various envelopes to
win the prizes. The proceeds went to
Wounded Warriors.
Don and Marion Oller put together a
fantastic rally.
They are naturals for this type of event
and have done the Mouse tail picnic for
many years.
Thanks Don and Marion for a
wonderful four days.
Annual Pin Contest
Thursday morning brought the
postponed field events. The sun was
warm and quite a contrast to the day
before when we were rained out.
Wanda Densmore did her razzle dazzle
and we had some great entries.
It is time for you to design the 33
year pin. You can make any
design you like as long as it says
something about AGWA and
year 33
Please submit your entry to me
by September 15th 2014.
Each day there was a guided ride and
most of the rides were completed
without getting wet. I heard of one ride
which did get into heavy rain for a short
distance.
AGWApres@charter.net
Gold Classic XXXI
Rally Bike Show Winners
0-999CC Non-Gold Wing
1st Place
Catherine Cole
1000cc and above Non-Gold Wing
1 st place
2nd Place
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Johnny Ballard
John Meadows
1500cc Gold Wing Dress
1st Place
Light Show
Brenda Zuelch
Bike Class
1500cc Gold Wing Custom Dress
1st Place
2nd Place
1st Place
2nd Place
David Densmore
Duane Zuelch
Bike and Trailer
1800cc Gold Wing Stock
1st Place
2nd Place
1st Place
2nd Place
R.D. Walker
Tom Serino
1st Place
2nd Place
Roger Dale
Dwayne Edwards
1st Place
Brad Klement
Dennis Lange
Bike and Side Car
1st Place
Matt Kichline
Solo Female
1st Place
1 Place
2nd Place
Marion Oller
Lou Brunetta
1st Place
Bill Naughton
2nd Place
David Densmore
2- Up Bike
1st Place Driver
1st Place Passenger
Electric Trike
1st Place
Diana Press
Solo Male
Bob Priester
Bike and Trailer
st
Kenneth Miller
Field Events
Trike and Trailer
1st Place
Terry Gresh
Phil Mc Daniel
Trike and Trailer
1500cc and above Trike
1st Place
2nd Place
Don Freeman
George Ramsey
Trike
1500cc and under Trike
1st Place
2nd Place
David Densmore
Jeff Cutler
Bill Naughton
Diana Press
Carol Tierney
2-Up Bike
Best of Show
2nd Place Driver
2nd Place Passenger
Johnny Ballard
Ernest Walker
Gavin Gray
Trike 1 up
1st Place
2nd Place
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Ron Mentzer
Dewayne Edwards
They have big beautiful rooms with
Jacuzzis in most of them and fireplaces.
They also have a fantastic restaurant
with a very large buffet.
Trike 2 Up
1st Place Driver
1st Place Passenger
Dewayne Edwards
Nancy Edwards
Trike 2 Up
2n Place Driver
2d Place Passenger
We have gotten a package deal of $425
or ($463.25 including tax) per room
based on double occupancy which
covers Thursday Sept 18th till Sunday
Sept. 21st.
Cost includes-dinner Thursday night,
breakfast and dinner Friday, breakfast
and dinner Saturday and Sunday Brunch
buffet from 8am to 2 pm before we
check out.
Brad Klement
Tammy Klement
Poker Run
High Hand
Low Hand
Don Freeman
Judi Bergden
32 Year Pin Contest winner
The resort must have your reservation by
August 1st, 2014.
Catherine Cole
Miscellaneous
CAPTAIN JASON B.
JONES
Youngest Participant
Gavin Gray
Oldest Male Participant
Don Kreiser
Oldest Female Participant Ruth Ramsey
Long Distance Solo Male Paul Collins
Long Distance Solo Female Catherine Cole
Long Distance 2 Up
Alan Paul
Laure Paul
Long Distance Trike
Jack O’Donnell
Esther O’Donnell
Long Distance Sidecar
Written By George Ramsey
Pennsylvania Chapter B
U.S. Army Captain Jason B. Jones was
killed in a small arms firefight in
Afghanistan on June 2, 2014.
Captain Jones was assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group
(Airborne), at Fort Bragg, and he was
the commander of a 12-man Special
Forces A-Team, also known as the
Green Berets.
Matt Kichline
Karen Kichline
Large State Representation Pennsylvania
Small State Representation Rhode Island
September 19th thru September 21st
June 7th would be the first of a three day
mission for this HERO and
unfortunately one of two I wouldn't be
able to make.
Mount Haven Country Resort in
Milford, Pa Address is Log Tavern
Road, Milford, Pa 18337 Phone Number
is 1-800-553-1530 website:
mthavenresort.com
The Patriot Guard was asked to escort
Captain Jones from the Dover Air Base
to the funeral home in Pottsville, PA.
The Delaware PGR would lead to the
PA border with police escort and the PA
Pennsylvania Weekender
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PGR would lead to Pottsville. The group
passed through Orwigsburg, PA, the
Bud on Rte. 183 at 6:30 A.M. and we
rode to the Lord-Bixler Funeral home in
Pottsville. We held a flag line while
Captain Jones' cremains were placed in
the hearse, then with his father and
grandfather watching over the escort,
proceeded to West Point.
On I81 at mile marker 156, we were
joined by more PA. PGR and after a
quick pit stop, continued to Matamoras,
PA. to hook up with the N.Y. PGR, who
would take over the rest of the mission.
birthplace of Captain Jones, pausing in
the town square for a time of silence in
honor of our HERO. Captain Jones was
then safely delivered to the funeral home
in Pottsville.
At this point, we were between 100 and
200 bikes strong. The N.Y. law
enforcement people did an outstanding
job keeping us moving as did the N.Y.
PGR.
June 11, 2014, a funeral service was held
for Captain Jones with the PGR standing
a flag line to honor him and his family.
Unfortunately, this was also one I
couldn't attend.
Every overpass had either police, fire, or
emergency personnel with flags and
salutes as we passed by. I returned their
salutes.
Riding into West Point was a very
moving experience for me. In all of the
years I've been riding and the many
times I've come close, I never went into
the Academy.
Then June 17th, I was able to help escort
Captain Jones to his final resting place at
After parking, it was a mad rush to get
our flags unfurled and get on the line but
we did it. New York PGR has a different
saluting protocol than PA. as they bring
the flag to the center of your body with
your right hand on the pole about chin
high, similar to an Honor Guard
presenting arms. In PA., we hold the flag
in our left hand, straight up, then give a
hand salute when the present arms order
is given. If not a veteran, then the right
hand is placed over the heart. After the
service, Mark led us toward home.
We stopped for gas and some lunch and
it was smooth sailing to home.
West Point Military Academy where he
earned a degree in nuclear engineering in
2007 and was commissioned as a second
lieutenant. I met two buddies, Mark and
22
I was happy and honored to be able to
show this HERO and his family, the
respect and admiration they deserve.
May Captain Jason B. Jones rest in
Heavenly Peace.
IN GOD WE TRUST
Recipes
QUICK SHRIMP FRIED RICE
Submitted by Linda Tennyson
East Tennessee Wings
½ lb. shrimp, peeled ad drained
2 tsp. canola oil
1 tbsp. butter
1 ( 5 oz.) pkg. chicken flavored rice mix
1 tsp. peeled, grated ginger root
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen peas and pearl
onions
1 (8oz.) can sliced water chestnuts,
drained
2 green onions, sliced
1 tsp. low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. fish sauce
1. In a large skillet, heat oil over
medium heat. Add shrimp; cook 1
minute per side. Remove shrimp; set
aside.
2. Wipe skillet with paper towels. Place
butter and 1 and 2/3 cups water in the
skillet; bring to boiling. Add rice mix
and ginger. Reduce heat and simmer
covered, 15 minutes.
3. Add peas and onions, water
chestnuts, green onions, soy sauce and
fish sauce to rice; stir. (If mixture
appears dry, add 1/3 cup water.) Cook
covered, over medium-high heat 3
minutes. Stir in shrimp and cook 2
minutes more. Serve hot.
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