I spent a number of days on the road with some friends to attend the 105th Harley-Davidson Celebration,
and the HOG (Harley Owners Group) 25th Anniversary Celebration that was held out in in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from the 27 to
the 31 of August, 2008. We left bright and early on Friday, August 22, 2008. We had planned to make it a leasurly trip out
to Milwaukee. Instead of heading straight across the interstate we would take a scenic route over Upper Michigan; this would
add an extra 2 days to the trip.
The ride out to these events was good. We stopped along the way, at the different Harly-Davidson Dealerships
to attend the celebration events being held at them, Erie, Pa to Sandusky, Ohio to Mackinaw City, Mi to Wasau,
Wi, then down to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the main celebration events.
We stopped at the Erie, Pa, Harley-Davidson Dealership were James McCaslin, COO of Harley-Davidson, MC'd and
got the party started.
| Buffalo Wild Wings, Bar and Grill, Erie, Pa |
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We stayed and listened to the band and talked with people for a while then we headed back to the motel room. Off the
next morning headed for Toledo, Ohio. But we only made it as far as Sandusky, Ohio and Roeders, Harley-Davidson. Which was
just as good a place as any to stop for the night.
What was good about stopping at "Roeders"? There was a motel and restaruant right next door. So we all
checked in and then walked next door to "Roeders" and relaxed.
| Alexis Snow, Gillian Hicks, Brooke Burrier |
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| Thanks girls! |
Since I was doing field photography work for a new motorcycle magazine, called "Fast Lane Biker Magazine".
I took a copy of it and the nice girls from the "Bikini Bike Wash" held up a copy so I could photograph them with
it.
After a while we headed back to the motel for a good nights rest because the next day was going to be the longest
leg of the ride. It was about 400 miles to Mackinaw City, Michigan from Sandusky, Ohio.
| Mackinaw Bridge, Mackinaw City, Michigan |
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We hung around Mackinaw City for two days resting up before heading over the bridge to Wausau, Wisconsin.
| Sunrise and contrails over Lake Huron |
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| Morning mist rising off of Lake Huron |
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We were off early the next morining and after crossing over the Mackinaw Bridge we entered the upper Michgan Pennisula,
which made for a nice ride because hardly anybody was on the road. Its sparsely populated up in this area.
We arrived at Wausau around 5pm and after checking into our motel rooms we headed over to the Harley Dealership
and the party. (Now I know how a Rock and Roll Band when they go on tour! One stop after another.)
And this is
where I ran into "Milo" and his "Rat Bike" again! The first time I saw Milo was down in Washington, DC
two years ago at the Rolling Thunder rally. That Rat Bike of Milos has got over 560 thousand miles on it. When I first
met Milo the "Rat Bike" had 300 thousand miles on it.
| Milo and his Motorcycle |
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| Milo has a website; www.ratbikemilo.com |
Now after checking out the festivities at the Wausau, Harley-Davidson dealership. We headed back to our motels. This
night was going to be our groups last night together, because we had all booked different places to stay while in Milwaukee.
(I was camped out at HOG Haven in West Bend, North of Milwaukee; while the rest of group had rented a house in the South of
Milwaukee.
So far the trip out has been good! But things were about to change...
I'm used to dealing with crowds, because for four days every year at the end of July. The population of my home town
swells to between 250 and 350 thousand people, plus! This is for "Harborfest". The crowd really pours
into the city. Especially on Saturday because that's when the big fireworks display takes place.
The
entire "breakwall" in the harbor is used to put on the fireworks show. And this year we had bands like Joan Jett
and the Black Hearts, Starship, and EnTrain. So like I said, I'm used to crowds, but where I come from they are controlled.
You can get a glimpse of what I'm talking about on the "Home" page of this website. Now don't get me wrong!
There were events that people had no trouble getting to. But it's what happened after they got there. There was just too
many people!!!
| Entrance to external area of Miller Park |
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| 15 minutes I watch this crowd from the road, it did not move! |
| Woman passes out from the heat |
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Many, many people stood in the hot sun and long lines for hours just to get something to eat or drink. This woman was
overcome by the heat, both myself and her had stood in-line for over an hour and a half just to get something to eat. The
vendor I went to, just sold food, nothing to drink. (I wouldn't have stood in-line if I had known this.) To get anything
to drink you had to stand in another slow moving line.
And talk about price gouging!!! There weren't enough
vendors to begin with, the vendors who did sell soda, and water ran out! The only thing you could get to drink was tepid Miller
beer in a 12 ounce plastic cup for $5.25, and it cost $6.50 for a 12 ounce plasitc bottle of warm Miller beer!
And
what this? Miller being the "Champagne" of bottle beer? Warm beer in plastic doesn't go good together...
| This is how a lot of people saw the entertainment |
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| You couldn't even get to the stage area just a few feet away. |
Thats the Miller Park Stadium in the background, it was closed. It should have been opened up and all the acts, like
Billy Bob Thorton and his band, Sugarland, Kid Rock should have performed inside that stadium were there was room for everyone
to enjoy the shows.
Instead the majority of people were forced to hang around outside, in the heat,
watching a big screen tv. (Thats if you could see the screen at all.) The Miller Park, HOG 25 thing was one big FIASCO, really
poorly organized. A lot of people were angry because they couldn't see any of the bands.
| Forget about any bands on this stage any night... |
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After fighting my way through heavy crowds just to try to see any of the main entertainment, I gave up! I was just to
tired, and po'd, sore from being banged into, shoved, shoulder and hit by people.
| This is what the crowd look like from above. |
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| Forcing your way through that mess of people was brutal! |
The picture below was taken at Veterans Park at the Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Concert. This is what a lot
of people paid 40 bucks to see NOTHING! Thats on top of the 65 bucks for the 105th Annivesary Celebration ticket you needed.
This crowd went all the way back to entrance gate, and those people couldn't even see the top of the stage.
The
HOG 25 and the Harley 105 Celebrations concerts were bad, no crowd control, and the organizers of these events knew how many
people were going to show up by the amount of tickets the sold or gave away! A lot of people are entitled to refunds for the
way these concerts were organized.
If I knew this is the way these events were going handled I would have stayed home.
HEY YOU ORGANIZERS OF
HOG 25TH CELEBRATION AMD THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON 105TH ANNIVESARY CELEBRATION IT WAS A WASTE OF TIME. THESE EVENTS RANK RIGHT
UP THERE WITH "HURRICANE KATRINA"!
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