Brews and Bands

The Mayor's Office Of of Special Events (MOOSE), the people bringing you Wheels Weekend this weekend, will host a Brews and Bands event October 11 in Binns Park. The event will feature live bands and a variety of beers from local breweries. This will all take place under an inflatable dome. Tickets are available in advance for $35. Two seperate sessions are offered; 5 - 8pm and 9pm - Midnight.

I've added a link to MOOSE's website on the right, under Lancaster Links.

Hey! I scooped TenPints on a brewfest in our own back yard!

First Anniversary

It's been a year that this site has been in operation. What has changed? Well, gas is up another dollar, and people finally seem to be coming around to the idea that scooters are a smart way to get around. I see a lot more scooters in the City. I'm not going to take credit for that... $4 gas is the culprit, I'm sure. But it's good to see nonetheless.

I thought I would be publishing maps, leading rides and joining clubs. That turned out to be wrong. I'm not a leader or a joiner apparently. I like to do things at my own pace and on my own schedule. In addition to a full time job and the other things I do, this site is enough. I've met some great people over the last year, and hope to meet more over the next year. But it's unlikely it will be because of anything I've organized. I'd love for there to be an active scooter club in Lancaster and/or a scooter store downtown. But it will have to come from someone else. If you need some web publicity, you know how to contact me.

I went from never having ridden a motorized 2-wheeler to passing the MSF Course and getting my license. I've got 2,700 miles on the scooter. I've put similar amounts on 2 motorcycles. All said, the scooter is more fun. If my bikes were both stolen today (and they better not be), I'd probably replace them with a big scooter. Last Sunday I rode the motorcycle down to the Chesapeake Bay and hopped from Havre de Grace, to Charlestown, to Northeast and Chesapeake City. It was a wonderful day. I want a scooter that can make that trip. I recommend going to the Tidewater Grille in Havre de Grace and having their signature Copper Ale. (P.S. Stay away from Chesapeake City. You wouldn't like it. Go to Northeast. Yeah, that's it. That's more your kind of town.)

What will things be like a year from now? Will there be more dedicated motorbike parking around town? How much will gas cost? What bikes will I have? I am curious.

Cruzin Cooler

Some people have compared my Yamaha C3 to a Coleman cooler. Well, here's what a real cooler scooter looks like:

The thing is a Cruzin Cooler. And considering the overlap between scooter enthusiasts and beer enthusiasts, this seems like a natural!

Long's Park Art Fest

It's Memorial Day Weekend, and that means the Long's Park Arts & Crafts Festival. This annual event is one of the top art festivals in the country, the best in the Northeast. And it's within scootering distance for us! I rode there each of the last 2 days. I parked for free in the special area they had dedicated for motorcycles.

One of the exhibitors knows the value of a scooter for getting around. He brought his Honda Ruckus (pictured above) with him. Judging from the Tennessee plates, I'm betting it was Rey Alfonso.

This year's festival featured Iron Hill Brewery selling beer and wine inside the festival. Iron Hill is opening this fall in College Row on Harrisburg Pike. They had a beer tasting event on Sunday. If you like sweet wine-like beers, this will be the place for you.

Upcoming Meltdown

The Three Mile Island Scooter Club is hosting a scooter rally they are calling Meltdown 2007. The event features an organized ride, awards, games, barbeque, and 2 live bands. I'm not sure how 50cc-friendly the event or the location are, but I'm going to check how much of my camping gear fits in my scooter, just in case.

How have I not heard of these guys before? Listen to this mission statement: "The Three Mile Island Scooter Club was founded to promote scooter riding as the best form of transportation known to modern man, and beer consumption as the best preventative measure against radiation exposure." How can I not support that? Sure, beer might not actually protect against radiation, but can we really be sure? Isn't there a chance, out of all infinite possibilities, that it does? Radiation occurs at the quantum level and, at the quantum level, all possible realities exist. Odds are that we can't risk not drinking beer! How's that for quantum theory?

Easy Being Green

One of the reasons I chose a scooter was to be more green. So it was fitting that I rode my scooter to The Great Green America Festival. It took place this weekend at Mt. Hope, the site of the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. There were booths of people promoting green products and food, and organizations concerned with the conservation of the environment and animals. There was musical entertainment on multiple stages, and a DockDogs competition.

In addition to the booths, competitions, discussions, and entertainment, there was the usual amenities of the Mt. Hope grounds. Most of the food stands and gift shops were open. The Winery was open, and so was the Swashbuckler Brewing Company.You could carry your beverage around the grounds to enjoy the festival. I especially recommend the Capt'n Rude Stout.

My scooter enjoyed priority parking with the motorcycles, right across the courtyard from the entrance. VIP parking, adult beverages, great music, all for a good cause... what's not to love? If they do it again next year, I'd love to see more scooterists there.

The highlight for me was one of the musical acts; the Peasall Sisters. They were the singing voices for The Wharvey Gals, the young singing group for whom George Clooney was the paterfamilia in O' Brother Where Art Thou? The girls are now 14, 16, and 20 , and could give the Dixie Chicks a run for their money in a battle of the bands.