Thunder Roads Ohio April 2012 : Page 34

BRIDGES South Western Ohio’s Best Beneﬁt Ride The Preble County Historical Society’s Annual Motorcycle Ride Fund Raiser BY CHRIS A THUNDER ROADS CONTRIBUTOR & BLUES: BIKES It’s one of the newest but possibly the best beneﬁt rides in Ohio, offering beautiful scenery, small town hospitality plus a rare chance to cross one of the oldest double-barrel covered bridges in America. In its second year, “ Bridges, Bikes and Blues” kicks off on June 16 th putting Preble County Ohio’s rural landscape and historic covered bridges on display. The ride then transitions into a great party and concert, complete with smoking hot-blues bands, great food and an outdoor beer garden. It’s a perfect day out for folks who’s seeking a comfortable ride with plenty of amazing historic scenery. The inaugural event received rave reviews from participants, residents and local businesses. Organized by and for the beneﬁt of The Preble County Historical Society, the “ Bridges, Bikes and Blues” cruise is designed to take riders on a relaxing, scenic ride of approximately 75 miles, showcasing Preble County’s beautiful landscape and an almost unmatched collection of historic covered bridges. Over the years, Preble County has had a total of 29 covered bridges. Today seven covered bridges survive and are preserved, including the Roberts double-barrel covered bridge. It is the oldest covered bridge in the state of Ohio, built 34 THUNDER ROADS ® MAGAZINE OHIO

BRIDGES BIKES & BLUES: South Western Ohio’s Best Benefit Ride

Chris A

The Preble County Historical Society’s Annual Motorcycle Ride Fund Raiser It’s one of the newest but possibly the best benefit rides in Ohio, offering beautiful scenery, small town hospitality plus a rare chance to cross one of the oldest double-barrel covered bridges in America. In its second year, “Bridges, Bikes and Blues” kicks off on June 16th putting Preble County Ohio’s rural landscape and historic covered bridges on display. The ride then transitions into a great party and concert, complete with smoking hot-blues bands, great food and an outdoor beer garden. It’s a perfect day out for folks who’s seeking a comfortable ride with plenty of amazing historic scenery. The inaugural event received rave reviews from participants, residents and local businesses. Organized by and for the benefit of The Preble County Historical Society, the “Bridges, Bikes and Blues” cruise is designed to take riders on a relaxing, scenic ride of approximately 75 miles, showcasing Preble County’s beautiful landscape and an almost unmatched collection of historic covered bridges. Over the years, Preble County has had a total of 29 covered bridges. Today seven covered bridges survive and are preserved, including the Roberts double-barrel covered bridge. It is the oldest covered bridge in the state of Ohio, built in 1829, its the second oldest in the US, and one of six remaining double-barreled covered bridges in the US. For the 2012 Bridges, Bikers & Blues, riders will have the chance to travel over the brand-new Hueston Woods double-barrel bridge which is currently under construction an expected to be open in time for the June 16th ride! Typically, the Roberts bridge is closed to public traffic but on June 16th, for “Bridges, Bikes and Blues”, the bridge will be open and motorcycles will be permitted to cross. As riders visit each of the bridges, they will certainly notice that each offers a unique visual appeal, charm and individual history. History buffs and riders who like to document their rides will want to pack a camera. At most of the bridges there is an opportunity to stop and snap a photograph. Riders are invited to arrive at the Preble County Historical Center for a pancake breakfast and registration starting at 10 a.m Roll out from the Historical Center is scheduled to begin at 12:30. Last year over 250 riders participated in the event criss-crossing the county, visiting historic sites and exploring a county that lives and loves motorcycles. Event organizers are confident they can easily handle twice that many participants so the society is ramping up its marketing efforts to get maximum participation. The “Bridges, Bikes and Blues”organized ride will end in the afternoon when the riders converge on downtown Eaton, Ohio. There, local vendors, music, food and a beer garden will be waiting. Riders will be able to enter their scoot in a bike show and like every good party, there will be contests and raffle opportunities. From an entertainment perspective, the performers scheduled for “Bridges, Bikes and Blues” are top-notch . Again, headlining this years event will be blues-rock guitarist Scotty Bratcher, who mesmerized the packed downtown square with his incredible guitar playing. Bratcher’s a known entity who’s opened for Styx and many other national acts. Added to this years bill is fellow blues rocker Noah Wotherspoon and sultry blues crooner, “Miss Lissa and Company.” For more information on “Bridges, Bikes and Blues”, visit the website of the Preble County Historical Society at www.pchs. preblecounty.com There you can download bike show entry forms, rider registration forms and get the low-down on this great ride. Chris A is a Staff Writer and Photographer for Guitar Digest and new contributor to Thunder Roads. You can find more of his work on facebook via: http://www.chrisaphotography.com

Previous Page Next Page

Publication List
Using a screen reader? Click Here