Went riding both days this weekend at Paragon and one day last weekend at Tower City. On the way into the riding areas I’m always pumped to see the increasing concentration of bike and yeah, quads, in tow on the backs of pick up trucks and trailers. You know your getting close to rip time! As I roll into Tower city, the local gas stations, dinners, Ice Cream shops, ect are packed full of trucks and trailers of bikes and ATV's.
Going for dinner Saturday night, roll into town off the Interstate and the lots of all the Hotels and Motels are PACKED with trucks with trailers, bikes, quads, Jeeps, you name it, if it goes off road its on a trailer in the lot! I could not believe both sides of the road, the lots are full of riders flooding into these otherwise hole in the woods maybe 1/4 full of truck drivers rest stops are full of off-roaders! We go into Perkins for some chow and the waiting area is full of some off rode (Jeep drivers) that I had seen earlier in the day. They don’t recognize me but are friendly and start talking with us, we get seated next to each other and have a great time talking and joking over dinner.
My point? If you have not guessed, the off road community is BIG and brings hordes of customers and consumers into otherwise desolate ghost towns long since forgotten by the coal industry, or any other feasible economic sustenance. A lifeblood for the nearby areas where legal organized riding parks are evolving from local word of mouth riding areas.
The build up of the North East Suburbs and turning of the screws on what’s left by DEP, state and local cops, has the displaced local riders formed into die hard customers that are thankful to drive 2, 3, 4, 6 hours from 4 states with their trucks and trailers to satisfy the need to ride!
The positive economic impact of the industry CANT be ignored by anyone who rolls down the Interstates and towns around these areas and sees hundreds of people and ATVs and all the $ they bring in. I really think this aspect of the sport should be stressed more in the creation, publicity and defense of the OHV community. Much like big bike rallies are publicized.
It just kind of made me think, maybe the loss of many small riding areas in bitter local, not in my backyard battles can evolve into a concentration and promotion of much larger albeit remotely located, riding areas where Off-roading, IS the definition of the local economy instead of the scurdge of the local residents. Maybe places like Tower City and Hazelton will be "known" by all for ATV riding the way Sturgis is known for the bike rally.
Hey, a boy can dream cant he!
Going for dinner Saturday night, roll into town off the Interstate and the lots of all the Hotels and Motels are PACKED with trucks with trailers, bikes, quads, Jeeps, you name it, if it goes off road its on a trailer in the lot! I could not believe both sides of the road, the lots are full of riders flooding into these otherwise hole in the woods maybe 1/4 full of truck drivers rest stops are full of off-roaders! We go into Perkins for some chow and the waiting area is full of some off rode (Jeep drivers) that I had seen earlier in the day. They don’t recognize me but are friendly and start talking with us, we get seated next to each other and have a great time talking and joking over dinner.
My point? If you have not guessed, the off road community is BIG and brings hordes of customers and consumers into otherwise desolate ghost towns long since forgotten by the coal industry, or any other feasible economic sustenance. A lifeblood for the nearby areas where legal organized riding parks are evolving from local word of mouth riding areas.
The build up of the North East Suburbs and turning of the screws on what’s left by DEP, state and local cops, has the displaced local riders formed into die hard customers that are thankful to drive 2, 3, 4, 6 hours from 4 states with their trucks and trailers to satisfy the need to ride!
The positive economic impact of the industry CANT be ignored by anyone who rolls down the Interstates and towns around these areas and sees hundreds of people and ATVs and all the $ they bring in. I really think this aspect of the sport should be stressed more in the creation, publicity and defense of the OHV community. Much like big bike rallies are publicized.
It just kind of made me think, maybe the loss of many small riding areas in bitter local, not in my backyard battles can evolve into a concentration and promotion of much larger albeit remotely located, riding areas where Off-roading, IS the definition of the local economy instead of the scurdge of the local residents. Maybe places like Tower City and Hazelton will be "known" by all for ATV riding the way Sturgis is known for the bike rally.
Hey, a boy can dream cant he!
