Fourth Annual Twin Valley Rally
September 20-22, 2013

We are pleased to announce the 4th Annual Twin Valley Rally at Meadows of Dan, Virginia. This year’s dates are September 20 – 22st. Twin Valley Rally is hosted by Twin Valley Riders, the sport-touring club of the Roanoke and New River Valleys of Southwest Virginia. We are BMW MOA Chapter 284 and BMWRA Chapter 348. However, we are non-exclusive and warmly welcome riders of all makes for the rally and membership.

Update April 22nd: We have reached capacity and registration is now closed.

Twin Valley Rally features the things we all love best about the Central Appalachians in Southwest Virginia. Exceptional riding is, of course, at the forefront of the weekend with a few new twists and turns this year. We are expanding the ride options and offering more self-guided routes for those who prefer rolling their own ride through the gorgeous Appalachian Mountains. Our ever popular gap attack and coal country historical tours remain as guided options; the dual-sport rides will be self-guided; and a new self-guided scavenger hunt is being added. Frontline Eurosports will again have new BMW demo bikes for anyone interested in trying on the latest, greatest two-wheel technology.

Registration Now Open Closed

All of the 175 places were spoken for in less than three weeks. We wish we could accommodate everyone who wishes to attend but space is limited. We look forward to seeing everyone who registered at the rally in September.

Registration is online via Paypal, on the right sidebar. We are accepting 175 registrations this year, a slight increase from the previous year. The rally sold out in a little over a month last year, so we suggest you register immediately to reserve your place. T-Shirts are by pre-order and you can do it all with a single Paypal transaction (click Continue Shopping on the Paypal screen). Shirts will be waiting for you at the registration table. You can use a credit or debit card to complete the transaction–– a Paypal account is not necessary. Enter the names of all attendees, separated by commas, in the field above the Rally Fee button. The Paypal confirmation is your receipt. This year promises to be another exciting time, the perfect event to top off a great summer of riding.

The Playground

Twin Valley Rally is held in the heart of the Central Appalachian Mountains, which just happens to include some of the most scenic, twisty two-wheel pavement in the country (not to mention unpavement). Our beautiful venue, Willville Motorcycle Camp, sits atop the Blue Ridge Escarpment on US Route 58, a mile west of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Within about a one hundred mile radius (a good day ride) you will find such notable attractions as the New River Gorge; Hawks Nest State Park (WV); Breaks Interstate Park; Mt. Rogers (5729′, highest point in Virginia); Mt. Mitchel (6,683′, highest point in the Appalachians and the Eastern United States); Roan Mountain; Natural Tunnel State Park; Hungry Mother State Park (southern end of the best section of Route 16); Appomattox, Virginia, where Lee surrendered to Grant, as well as numerous Civil War battlefield sites; exhibition coal mines, and dozens of operating wineries. There are archeological digs at Saltville which have unearthed a variety of prehistoric creatures, including wooly mammoth which are on display in the museum. Regardless of what destinations you choose, you’re certain to enjoy many miles of smile-inducing, twisty backroads along the way.

Traditional Bluegrass and Blues

Twin Valley Rally is held right in the heart of The Crooked Road territory. This is the birthplace of bluegrass and old time music, and Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail was organized to celebrate and preserve the tradition. Each year a fine bunch of rider-musicians with stringed instruments and sweet voices gather in this place where the music emerged as pure as water from a spring. Twin Valley Rally features performances by some the area’s most talented on Friday and Saturday nights, then an open jam for everyone who plays, sings or taps their feet. So, bring your instrument and expect a wonderful experience. Check back for more information on this year’s featured talent.

Barbecue Smoked on Site

Being just a few miles from the North Carolina line, and only a few more from the barbecue capitol of the world (Lexington, NC), some might recon it audacious to assert world class barbecue. So be it then. Last year we heard aficionados who know whereof they speak declaring that this barbecue is some of the best they’ve had. Flavorful, smoky, moist with just the right amount of chew (and a bit of outside brown) to top it off. Choose traditional Eastern Carolina spicy vinegar sauce, or the not too tomatoey Piedmont sauce. Cole slaw, baked beans and sweet tea or lemonade to round it out, and you have the recipe for a bunch of happy campers. The smoker is fired up as the party winds down on Friday night, and we start more than a hundred pounds of pork butts steeping low and slow for twelve to fourteen hours over charcoal and applewood. We even built our own smoker (thanks Tim) to make sure nothing is left to chance. Friday night’s menu is grilled chicken, baked potatoes and green beans. The barbecue alone would justify a big ride to be here, but that’s one of many reasons you don’t want to miss this rally.

Breakfast at the VFW in Meadows of Dan

The Meadows of Dan VFW serves up their famous all-you-can-eat breakfast just for us on Saturday morning. Start your ride off with a full tank of sausage, bacon, eggs, grits, potatoes and biscuits. The VFW has been doing their monthly community breakfasts for years and we’re honored that they’ve agreed to do another especially for Twin Valley Rally for the fourth year running. This is another meal you really do not want to miss. Just put a little extra air in the tires before you head home.

The Venue – Willville Motorcycle Camp

Willville Motorcycle Camp in Meadows of Dan, Virginia is the fantastic Twin Valley Rally venu. The 26 acre motorcycle-only campground features level, grassy tent camping in a tall wood beside a mountain stream. The rustic pavilion is the ideal place for enjoying barbecue; gathering for morning coffee, celebrating happy hours and performing elbow enhancing exercises. The evening music programs and general fraternizing are conducted around there throughout the weekend. Community campfires each night and a diligently maintained bath house with hot showers help make Willville the ideal location for Twin Valley Rally. Willville is a mile west of the Blue Ridge Parkway (milepost 177) on US Route 58 at Meadows of Dan, Va.

The Rides

Twin Valley Rally is featuring four types of rides this year. A popular ride every year, we will once again conduct the guided gap attack ride. We traverse the Blue Ridge Escarpment, between the Blue Ridge Parkway and the flatlands of Carolina, then move over to the next gap and do it again and again. This ride has more up and down, back and forth action than Coney Island plus crisp, clear air and spectacular views.

The dual-sport rides will be self-guided this year. We will have maps and directions for those looking to get dirty in the woods.

A new event for 2013 is a photo-scavenger hunt. This is a self-guided tour wherein you pay attention to what you’re seeing along the route. When you return there will be photographs on the bulletin board in random order. Whomever comes closest to putting them in chronological order will be the winner of a nice prize. This ride promises to be a lot of fun and a great route for solo or two-up riders.

Michael will again lead the historical tour exploring the nearby coal producing areas of Virginia and West Virginia. Pocahontas, Virginia sat atop what was considered the richest coal seam in the world. Now it is described as a “lost town” as its wealth and population have declined after the coal seam was worked out. Nearby Bramwell, West Virginia boasted 40 impressive mansions, homes of the coal barons. These sister towns make a fascinating historic and scenic ride destination. Michael will tell you about the area’s history and introduce guest speakers from these communities. Expect to spend four hours on the road plus some stopped time at the destinations.

Amenities

The party begins as riders from all over the east begin rolling in around noon on Friday. The rally fee includes two nights of camping, delicious barbecued chicken and pulled pork dinners Friday and Saturday nights, traditional bluegrass entertainment both nights, hot coffee brewing by first light, maps with suggested dual-sport routes as well as guided on-road tours, happy hours both days, a slow race, door prizes, raffles, massages for your tired, aching muscles, and community campfires both nights.

• Two nights of camping at Willville
• Chicken & Pulled Pork BBQ Dinnerw
• Gap Attack, Dual Sport, Historical, Scavenger Hunt Rides
• Live Bluegrass Music and Jams
• Door Prize Drawings
• 50/50 Raffle
• Rally T-Shirts*
• Campfires Friday & Saturday Nights
• Morning Coffee Provided
• Happy Hour Friday & Saturday
• Flower Hill Therapeutic Massage*
• Saturday Breakfast Buffet by local VFW*

*add’l cost item

Sponsors

Many the country’s best motorcycle dealerships, moto gear and accessory retailers, and area businesses, support Twin Valley Rally by way of sponsorships and generous contributions of products and services, door prizes, and by helping raise awareness. We greatly appreciate their contributions and urge everyone to support our sponsors. A special nod Frontline Eurosports for their ongoing support, and to Will Beers of Willville Motorcycle Camp for his many contributions to Twin Valley Rally’s success.

Community Service Project

Twin Valley Riders partnered with Frontline Eurosports, Star City Powersports and Lawrence Transportation Systems to create a rolling billboard promoting motorcycle awareness. This project was funded in part by proceeds from previous rallys. WSLS-TV Channel 10 produced a news story which you can watch on the linked page. Other BMW MOA chapters have expressed interested in working on similar projects. Kudos to Mark Carter (aka Gap Attack Guy) for ramrodding this project that we are all proud to have been a part of. We’re hoping to see the billboard at the rally in September. Click the photo to go to the project page.

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