What is a ROT Rally, you ask? Well, let me tell you.
A few years ago (a LOT of years ago), my daughter and I were returning from a horse club meeting at a farm north of Elgin. We came the back way. As we were driving the beautiful, twisty, turny back roads, a couple/three really nice motorcycles came over the rise. Nice sight. (Yes, I was a "biker chick" in a past life, only the bikes weren't Harleys, they were Triumphs and Nortons and BSA's and Vincent - I still admire a nice bike.)
Then some more. And some more. And some more. Jess started counting; at 200, she stopped. We stopped at a little convenience store that had more motorcycles than I'd seen in decades parked out front, with a bunch of VERY polite riders in assorted "colors".
The next day, we read in the newspaper that the Republic of Texas Rally had arrived in Central Texas, and what we saw was merely a drop in the bucket.
Every year, the weekend after Memorial Day, the Republic of Texas Rally comes to Texas, has a parade downtown, has major events, and generally parties, with (are you ready for it?), live music. And unlike Marlon Brando in The Wild One, far from being terrorized, the local townsfolk look forward to the arrival of the bikers and the 20-odd million dollars they bring to the local economy in one weekend. Plus the fun, of course!
If you're into bikes, even if you're not attending the rally, May 31-June 3, 2007, is a good time to be in Austin.
