The Finger Lakes Rally 2001 Finger Lakes Rally 2001 by Nicole Bala ... or as I refer to it "Camping 101" So, my friends, worst has finally come to worst! It took quite a while but I finally decided to try my hand at camping and attend a rally at the same time. What a great time I had!! Since I had to work on Friday, Jaime along with Ken and Kai were kind enough to wait until Saturday to head up. I wondered what time we should get going and when Jaime informed me like "Ramapo early", I started to rethink my decision. Being as I was leaving Long Island in August, I figured jeans and a tank top (under my riding gear, of course) would be sufficient. WRONG!! By the time we got to the Pocono's, I was thoroughly chilled. Kai was gracious enough to let me borrow a sweatshirt (she also suggested I pack one, which I did, thankfully). So, we ride up to the Finger Lakes and stopped at a Chicken/Rib stand (actually, a trailer) a few miles from the campgrounds where we had an AWESOME lunch of barbequed chicken and ribs. On to the campgrounds we went where Jaime talked me through assisting him with setting up the tent. It's a lot easier than I thought! Once settled in, Jaime wanted to go to the Watkins Glen State Park where we could see some small waterfalls. What the heck, we all decide and ride down to the park. Once at the bottom of the mountain, we soon realized we were only going to climb it again by way of stairs. It's truly amazing how the water was able to carve out so many perfect staircases! Not sure how far we got before Ken decided we were all nuts and he would sit out the rest of the climb. It was at this point that his number one fan recognized him and tried to catch his attention by calling out his stage name: "Wuss!!" he shouted. Unfortunately for Ken, this fan was also attending the rally and at every sighting would call Ken by his stage name (by the way, Ken learned after we got back that had he finished the climb, he could've taken a BUS back down to the beginning -- jc). After dinner, we gathered for a friendly, quiet game of UNO. Well, let me tell you, UNO is not a game to be played with friends because it takes your friends and twists and molds them into ANIMALS! Wild, vicious animals! Needless to say, I made it through my first night camping. I was actually able to sleep (with some help from the ear plugs JC provided -- Man, he thinks of everything!). Sunday we hopped on our machines and made our way to Letchworth State Park to view some beautiful waterfalls and scenery. At our first stop within the park, Jaime recommended the restaurant (which was setting up for a wedding). Feeling a little uncomfortable with this and thinking a diner would be just fine, Ken, Kai and I found ourselves looking for Jaime. "Now, where did he run off to?", we wondered. Well, Ken found him already getting us a table (now, let me tell you folks something -- don't EVER get between Jaime and his food!). We really dined in style; cloth napkins and tablecloths! The food was very good and all in all, we enjoyed it (the waiter was also very helpful in recommending where to stop in the park for the best sights -- jc). Then we were off to tour the park. We geared up, chaps, jackets, gloves, helmets; you name it, we put it on. We pull out of the parking area and rode about 73 feet to the next scenic area. I know, I know, you're wondering how we got so far without even taking a break or gassing up. So, we pull into the area and are told that if we walked about a mile, we could get a better look at the middle falls. Ken said: "FORGET IT!!", so we forgot it! Got some nice photos and then back to the bikes where we found bugzilla trying to hitch a ride with Jaime. We convinced bugzilla to stay in his neck of the woods and geared up again. On our machines, we rode about 57 feet to the gift shop where we shopped with delight. I mean come on, after riding such a distance, one does need a break, doesn't one? With our purchases in hand and our helmets on our heads, we yet again mounted our bikes and off we went. I hope you're sitting for this one -- We rode just over one mile to the next scenic area!! Off the bikes, off with our gear and away we went only to encounter a sign that said "167 stairs (yes, Ken, the sign says stairs) to the lower falls". At least these were all downhill. To the lower falls we went and got some nice photos. Unfortunately, the route back to the bikes was all UPHILL!! 167 STAIRS UPHILL. Again, I was amazed at how Mother Nature made such a lovely staircase. Once back at the bikes and after the ambulance ran out of oxygen, we all felt well rested enough to mount up and head back to the campgrounds. We went to dinner and then someone (JC) suggested we try another round of UNO. We really didn't feel up to playing another full round to 500 so we decided 300 points would end the game. DOES ANYBODY KNOW HOW IT'S POSSIBLE TO TAKE MUCH LONGER TO GET TO 300 THAN 500? If so, please explain this to me. Anyway, I again sat down with three really lovely people only to wake up and find myself playing UNO with three nasty monsters! These are just some of the highlights that stick in my mind. We did some more and in the end, I made it through two nights of camping and had a BLAST!! WOW!! I really, really enjoyed myself. The food was very good, the bands very entertaining, very pleasant people and a totally enjoyable experience. I will definitely attend another BMW rally and will never, ever doubt something that Jaime recommends. Oh! One more thing: God spoke to me on Sunday. I feel this is something I can share with my friends, so please always remember and don't ever forget: IT'S NEVER TO LATE TO BE A COWGIRL! Giddyup. Nicole