Sunday, December 18, 2011

Our 3rd Annual Mini-Bloggers'

get-together in Seattle this weekend. What's better than getting together to enjoy each other's company, trying out new food, talk about our plans for next year, and walk around for a few hours looking at motorcycles. This is exactly what we did and co-incidently the Progressive International Motorcycle Show happened to be on at the Seattle Convention Centre.

We decided to head south on Friday night after work and arrived in Seattle around 10pm, where we met up with Troubadour & Trobairitz who had travelled north from Oregon. We had arranged to meet up with SonjaM & Orin at the entrance to the show on Saturday morning. Orin drove south from Bellingham and SonjaM also from Vancouver. We were to have dinner with Chuck that evening

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We spent a lot of time looking at all the farkles & accessories for sale and sat on a few bikes. It didn't take much coaxing to get Orin onto a very nice Triumph Tiger 1050 Adventure touring bike

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Orin: Scootin Old Skool

Trobairitz just had to swing her leg over a Triumph Street Triple

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Trobairitz Tablet


We spent a lot of time in the Triumph section looking at all the models. I wouldn't know which one to choose but I did like the Triumph Tiger 800 which is giving
Troubador a big smile

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Troubadour on a Tiger

You get hungry walking around looking at motorcycles and soon it was lunch where we all congreggated for lunch for gourmet hot dogs at a funky place around the corner at 9th & Pike

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Cyber-dogs.com

We were having so much fun ooing and aahhhing that we nearly spent the whole day there. We had arrived early in the morning not long after sunrise, and now the sun was setting

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4th floor of the Seattle Convention Centre looking South towards Pike Place

This is the first time they have had the motorcycle show downtown. It had previously been held at Qwest Field south of the city and this year was much better than the dismal displays last year. There were lots of custom bikes on display as well as the new models. I managed to sit on a few and felt very comfortable on the Triumph Tiger 800 & BMW R1200R. The Suzuki 1250 something (which replaces the Bandit) felt very nice too

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Triumph: Street Tracker

With the day nearly over we had to concentrate on dinner and Chuck came to our rescue with a very nice Thai Restaurant close to our lodgings. He is a very busy person working in his studio creating masterpieces from Glass. He brought some samples for us to drool over.

We had intended to take a group photo with motorcycles in the background at the show, but it didn't happen and I only have Chuck's likeness taken with my 1920 Vintage Camera while waiting for our meals to appear.

So here's Chuck . . .




I don't know what it is but when you finally meet another blogger "face to face" it is as if you had known each other for Years. We had our first IMBC2010 a couple of years ago in Bend, Oregon the same weekend as the BMW regional motorcycle rally. A few of us had expressed interest in meeting again during the summer of 2012. Troubadour has posted HERE <---


Troubadour has volunteered to make the arrangements, so if you are interested send a comment his way. I would imagine it would be during July or August somewhere Mid/East Oregon or even Southern Washington State to be central for all of us to meet and have a great weekend together, sharing good times, good food and good roads

14 comments:

  1. You have a pretty nice "vintage camera". It even records the shutter sound on the soundtrack! I almost made that one as I was in Corvallis until last Wednesday. Just a bit costly to try and change my ticket again...

    Richard

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  2. Well if I manage to get my butt there next year...it will be a true international convention!

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  3. I've never been to a bike show like that, and I've never been to a blog get-together either. I'd like to do both next year!

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  4. Nice post, pictures, and I'm with Richard that the vintage movie camera is pretty nice.

    Meeting other bloggers is cool though you never know if it will enhance or deflate their mythology. When I met Richard in the Denver airport I fully expected him to arrive in some sort of Polar Bear coat. Or at least in seal skins. So much for my Alaska ideas...

    Have also met Dom of Redleg's Rides, Jack Riepe of Twisted Roads, and a few others.

    Great to meet other bloggers!

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  5. Richard:

    you are always so close. didn't feel crowded as there was lots of room. You could easily sit on any bike you wanted. Last year it was very small, this year most manufacturers were represented. Lots of Beemers, Triumphs . . . Plus you get to see all of us again

    Aries:

    thanks for stopping buy

    Roger:

    a summer meeting is being planned for 2012. Perhaps you can change your dates

    Ken:

    Our last International Moto-Bloggers Convention was held in Bend, OR during July 2010 (IMBC2010). Troubadour is working on another one for this comming summer 2012. Date and place yet to be determined, but most likely Eastern Oregon/Southern WA. Would be good to meet you

    Steve:

    After years of striving for perfectly sharp photos, I am having fun going for that retro look. I look forward to any opportunities to get together. Perhaps you will be able to make it this summer to IMBC2012 ? dates/located TBD, check with Troubadour.

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  6. Bob

    It looks like you guys all had fun! I will make every effort to go to this next year! Loving the Triumphs!

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  7. Bob:

    I'm getting seriously worried about you bloggers from the Americas, with the exception of Troubadour. Have you noticed how many of you enjoy posing on Triumphs but only 3 regular bloggers actually own one??

    Go on, join the Dark Side - you know you want to!

    Merry Christmas!

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  8. Thank you for a great weekend Bob, it was great to see you and Mrs. Skoot again.

    Love your vintage 20's camera. The video came out really well.

    Happy Holidays and New Year to you and Yvonne.

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  9. Love the 'vintage' movie. It was great to hang out with you all. Say hi to Yvonne from the two of us, and Happy Holidays to you guys and your loved ones.

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  10. Sensational movie! I particularly enjoyed watching Sonja fiddling with her "handy" (she would know what that means so top sniggering there in the back row).

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  11. fabulous meetup and footage!

    and hmmm...sturgis is in august...hmmm...

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  12. Dar:

    The weekend was ours; friends, food, motorcycles, planning for 2012. It was a great time to be together with other bloggers. we missed you. We hung around that Triumph area for a long time checking out all their bikes

    Geoff:

    You know how it is, you drool over Triumphs but end up buying a Suzuki . . . Can't wait to take one on the road on the Coromandel peninsula (when you aren't looking)

    Trobairitz:

    It was great to see the both of you. Like long time friends. You are so thorough in your quest for our lunch spot. Would never have expected that neat Cyber-dog.com place you discovered. Just around the corner, but then you have an eye for detail & precision.

    I am having so much fun with that old camera. I am now going for that blurry, out of focus, retro look

    Sonja:

    I guess we are so busy we have to go to Seattle to see each other. Merry Christmas to you and Roland too. I know by "His" questions you are going to have a new camera "suddenly" appear.

    Nikos:

    This is too British for me. I need a Thesaurus but I can make a wild guess

    Ms M:

    I can't but hope that you will be free to join us when the dates/location are determined. Should be easy peasy for your IronButt to make it to Oregon. I recently heard my V-strom wishing to meet your "BOB" . . .

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  13. Aawww....one unhappy blogger over on this side of the country. Loved the video to see the legends moving and not just in still photos. Loved the video. Love the sound effects.

    Now how can I get that much vacation time...

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  14. Steel Cupcake:

    glad you liked my 1920 vintage camcorder. you are welcome to join us anytime. don't forget our planned meeting this summer, IMBC2012 which Troubadour is organizing. It would give you a chance to take your new GS for a long road trip to Oregon

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