The Prophet

The wife and I are going to this event August 21 / 22, in Peoria, Illinois.

Beautiful area, great roads. Lot's of vendors and a swap meet. Race on Sunday.

Official Home of Peoria's Budweiser Grand Nationals Weekend

Sorry, I couldn't find an "Events" section here ... where is it?

Ride Safe!

Bob

Speedtrip

Looks like fun. Always wanted to go to a flat track race.

We expect pics..

The Prophet

Thanks Speed, we're looking forward to it, and I will TRY to take better pics. My excuse is that I like to ride, ride, ride, and therefore don't take the opportunity to get the ol' camera out as much as we should. (See pics from Galena excursion a few weeks ago). I do need to improve on this.

By the way, for all you Web Designers, Advertising, and Marketing folks out there - This "Budweiser Grand Nationals" site is a shining example of ...Ooops!

Note that in the entire site, there is no mention or detailed distinction anywhere of WHERE the event actually is. No map(s), no directions, etc.

Remember in Grammer School - Who, what, where, when, why... and to what extent (in this case How Much $$$). These are the required elements to cover for a good report, and in this case... a good advert!

We "Googled" a few choice words, and searched for about ten minutes to find where the Race Track was (about 15-20 minutes south), and where RiverFront Park is - there isn't actually a "park", but it is an "area" known to locals. Find "Water" street, and you are close.

Anyway, I find it interesting that someone would pay for a thing like this, and the designer(s) never even stated where it is!

PROVIDE AN EASY TO READ MAP! (just my 0.02 cents worth).

From a positive perspective, it could be just a case of "small town thinkin'", in that all the "locals" know, so it's generally assumed the remainder of the world knows! Anyone who travels a lot comes across this.

That aside, we're looking forward to a great time. Staying at the "Mark Twain Hotel" which is just 1.5 blocks north of the "RiverFront" area, and within walking distance of the festivities... (we hope!).

Also in the area is the famous "Grandview Drive", just north of the festival, which is amoungst a beautiful park high on a bluff overlooking the Illinois River, and the ride is super nice. Tip: Do it on a weekday, not the weekend, or there is traffic to contend with. We will be coming southward down Route 29, which parallels the River, and can take a right turn directly onto GVD.

Ride Safe!

Bob

__________________

• A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~Lao Tzu
• Motorcyles are not my whole life, but they make my life whole. ` me

Jamie

Peoria ILL I spent a whole year there with my "just married" wife in the mid-70's. I was a Caterpillar "management trainee" back then, you see. Our rented flat was on High Street, a 30' walk uphill from Cat's admin building on Adams St... and our car was a "thrifty transportation"-type '69 Dodge Polara.

Enjoy your stay Bob

Jamie

The Prophet

Hi Jamie,

Actually, the Hotel we will be staying at is just around the corner from the Caterpillar Headquarters.

Our best friends' kid just graduated from Purdue University with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, and was hired by Caterpillar in Peoria. Do you still work for Cat? Great outfit to work for IMHO.

My understanding is that they are doing quite well now, after a temporary setback from the ever-slumping economy. Significant sales in China I'm told.

A '69 Dodge Polara... wow, now THERE's a hefty slice of classic American Iron! Just to make you feel bad Jamie, that ol' Polara would likely be worth something now. There is an odd segment of society willing to pay MEGA-Bucks for old 50's / '60's / 70's cars, especially musclecars. If you had say a '69 Plymouth Roadrunner in mint condition.. we're talkin' Million$. As I recall, the '69 RR was about USD$3,800 brand new back then. Who knew! Most purchasers back then were either rich, spoiled kids, rednecks with money (and stylish Mullets!), or dyed in the wool hot-rodders who owned little else. Either way, most of them got wrecked, or torn apart in one way or another, hence the rarity of a pristine one.

Anyway, it's been years since we visited Peoria, and as I recall the city was in decline during the '70's/80's, but like many cities with a Lake/River/Ocean advantage, they finally woke up and decided to take advantage of, and to develop the water feature riverfront into a trendy, useful, profitable venture area.

BTW, they (Peoria) are famous for the age-old show-biz saying of: "Yeah, but will it play in Peoria", meaning, from a Vaudeville persepective, it may play well to "sophisticated" New York or London audiences, but how will it be received in middle-class America, aka "Peoria", supposedly the atypical American burg.

How's yer back these days, are you ridin' more, sufferin' less?

Hope all is well.

Ride Safe!

Bob

Jamie

I went back there on biz trips, almost every other year, between the mid-70's (my earlier post) and the early 00's, rest assured. The town ("Tractor Town" in vintage CB parlance) has indeed changed for the better during all those years or decades. The formerly deserted downtown area has become "up-market" residential (which it used to be during the prohibition years, BTW). The riverfront which used to be totally decrepit has been nicely landscaped. A civic center now proudly occupies what used to be a huge waste ground (on my way to the office and back, walking) when I lived there. And the ol' "Pere Marquette" hotel, a quasi Caterpillar domain or colony, finally found local competition (the Mark Twain, amongst a few others)...

(Nostalgia is no longer what it used to be)

Don't raise your expectations too high, though: Peoria's "Grand View Heights" , for instance, remains a triple misnomer, IMO

Have fun, regardless. Best. Jamie

The Prophet

Indeed... no worries my friend. 30+ years of global travelling for a living has taught me just that: Keep expectations reasonably low. With very few exceptions, the photographs in the "Coffee Table Book" usually appear significantly better than experiencing the real thing. Expect nothing, then if things actually work out (you arrive on time! Hey look... my luggage!)... it's a good thing.

At any rate, riding with a great companion to an "Average" place, or even a sub-par place, in my experience is better than stayin' home. Horrid hotels and motels become "so bad... they're good!" adventures (vs ruining a good time), and dealings with unbelievably bad people on the road become "life lessons", and learning experiences in "what not to do". In either case, they are the rickity foundations of great travel stories.

A similar city to Peoria is Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which was about in the same level of decline and decay as Peoria in the 70's / 80's, then transformed the lakefront area into a small town version of "Yuppieville".

BTW, there is not much funnier (or is it sadder?) than experiencing the otherwise very nice small town folk trying way too hard to emulate what they see on TV as "Successful Biznizpursins", sittin' around in fern laden, imitation brick wall, franchised bistro's sippin' on overpriced common wines, thinking they are "safistikatid". What a hoot! Actually... seeing "Big City" folks doing this is also... interesting. Hey... I'll have a beer!

Anyway, thanks for the tips, always sincerely welcomed and appreciated. I look much more forward to the Flat Track races, and gettin' a load of some of the "bikerz" and other great characters at the Motorcycle themed Riverwalk events, than being impressed by any city developers handiwork, who are almost always painfully (and economically) incorrect in their perspectives and... "planning".

Lastly, who can possibly pass up an event that has Eddie Money
("Baby.. hold... on... to... me!") as it's headliner! It's gonna be great.

Ride Safe!

Bob

Jamie

Back then, wines were already "common" but they were cheap. The dilemma for those who insisted they wanted wine (as opposed to beer) was "white OR red", period. Served by the glass. Gallo was a major supplier. Sold by the gallon. Wife and I used to refer to it as "Château Peoria". Trying to specify a grape or an origin, e.g. Chardonnay or Burgundy, inevitably confused the restaurant staff. Or caused them to ask us "where are you guys from?", as if we were aliens addicted to some unearthly potion.

The few "upper class" places that offered a choice of wines (mostly originating from California, some outstanding) were... entertaining to deal with as well: The wine-butler (or senior waiter impersonating one on Saturday nights) would spend an inordinate amount of time sniffing the cork as if it were a line of coke and then meditating his diagnosis, prior to -eventually- revealing to us in a solemn way: "it's a good one".... and merrily over-filling our glasses

Jamie

Jamie

Hi Bob!

Places my Peoria friends (still have a few!) would recommend:

1. Restaurants

• June, on Prospect,

"Nouvelle cuisine"-style, inspired, very good, a bit expensive

• Connected

Italian-style, interior covered patio, "cool" in the summer, prices on the average

• Lighthouse, on the road to Chilicotte, overlooking the river

Giant shrimps, snails, outstanding house Chardonnay, all that unpretentious

Also note the new Mark Twain restaurant, called the

• Two25

Not "great" but good, trying hard to please and... would be convenient to you

2. Music and Drinks

My buddies' favorite is

• Crusens, on 426 East War Memorial Drive

Very "midwest"... but that's one would expect, isn't it?

Jamie

The Prophet

Jamie,

Sincere thanks. I "cut and pasted" the list, and we will certainly check it out. Money-wise, I'm "cheap" (frugal?) on an everyday basis, but when (or because of the cheapness?) we travel, (or I buy stuff for the bike) we splurge if we think it's interesting. Otherwise... what's the point?

re: Your comment on "midwest"... maybe I need to open up a medium sized can of WHOOP-ASS! Anyway, Midwest is... the best! Wouldn't have it any other way.

Just to be safe though, we are studying up on our "wine" initial sip retorts:
Joe unveils pretentious wine phrases for 2009 | The Tedesco Times

Lastly, here's a good cartoon I thought was oddly appropriate for our misguided "yup" friends(?)



Some friends YOU have, that didn't mention any of THESE interesting (and potentially educational) local sites to visit:

Map - Peoria, IL

Click "Home" for more thought provoking (numbing?) places to visit across the vast (and wacky!) US of A.


Ride Safe!

Bob