The International Motorcycle Show at the World Congress Center is an annual event in Atlanta. Each year it brings the latest in motorcycles and accessories to Atlanta. This year it brought something extra.....SNOW !!!

We were scheduled to meet for breakfast at Bobby and June's on 14th Street. The forecast was for cold weather (20s-30s) with a chance of snow and sleet. Needless to say, no one rode their bikes. We had several people show up at the restaurant, only to find it was now closed on weekends. So, we headed down the street to another established eatery. The Silver Skillet has been around for 50 years and they serve good ole country style food. Service was excellent and the food delicious. Turnout was pretty good for 8am on a cold morning. We had members from the Braselton Chapter and the Rome Chapter joining us.

After breakfast we headed down to the show. Parking is always fun down there, but since we were early, it wasn't too bad. After parking we found our way to the show. STAR was set up at the entrance this year, so as soon as you walked in the door you walked into the STAR display. This helped generate a lot of traffic for STAR. With the weather forecast it was unknown how attendance would be for the show, but I think overall turnout was very good. We worked the Star Touring and Riding Booth most of the day. We had to do a little looking around as well. Most of the big motorcycle manufacturers were there along with some of the lesser knowns. There were displays for accessories and clothing. There were quite a few vendors there as well.

A little after noon we decided we needed to eat and headed to Jock's and Jill's at the CNN Center. When we got outside the building it was snowing hard. There was already over an inch on the ground. Kids were building snowmen and adults were throwing snowballs. It was a slippery and cold walk but we made it to the restaurant with no incidents. A good warm filling meal and some lively conversation ensued before we headed back to the show. By the time we left the restaurant, the snow had already slowed to a light dusting.

Back at the show we continued to meet people and tell them about Star Touring and Riding as well as do our best to answer questions on STAR bikes. It was a lot of fun and we got to meet a lot of interesting people. There was a very wide variety of people at the show.

At the end of the day, the announcement came that the show was closed. The lights went out and the people left...including us. It had been a long day, but well worth the effort. It had been a lot of fun. We were all a little concerned about the conditions outside, but when we got outside, most of the snow on the ground had melted. The streets were just wet and in some places completely dry. The fear of icy roads was a memory and we all made it home safely.

Being around all the motorcycles and associated gear did one thing. It made me want to ride even more. I am ready for the cold wet weather to go away so we can hit the road. Sadly, it is January, the wettest and coldest month of the year in Atlanta, and February isn't much better. Spring is just around the corner though and we will get as much riding in as we can. The one thing about weather here is that it constantly changes and 65 degree days in the winter are not uncommon.

So, keep an eye on the web site and join us for a ride....and if the weather doesn't cooperate, then just join us for a meal, or some fellowship. We will be looking for you.

Attending:

Doug & Teresa Turco
Gary & Maria Kohl
Steve & Kay Argo
Mitch Argo
Chuck & Cindy Pierce
Bill Sanders
Tim & Diana King