Coming

Rumor has it; the BRAN Tour Guide will be in the mail.

It has been described by John Karras, co-founder of RAGBRAI, as a “modest attempt to make Nebraska interesting.  Obviously as an Iowan, he had problems with his westerly neighbor. Truth be known, he wrote very complimentary comments regarding Nebraska, BRAN and how it is organized. He marveled at our all-volunteer effort! The guide was designed to provide you with information and history about this year’s route. Too often, we pass so quickly that we miss some of the beauty and heritage of Nebraska. The guide should make up for what we miss.

It is paid for, in part, by the advertisers. Some have provided discount coupons for BRAN riders. When visiting their establishments, take your BRAN Tour Guide to have your coupon validated. Please support their businesses; they are helping to support the ride. Take everything you read in this Guide with a grain of salt, the author is known to have a vivid imagination and warped sense of humor! If a community lacks history, the author has been known to stretch the truth.

Look at what the BRAN 32′s Jersey artist has designed for this year!  (Note:  Jersey orders are closed.  There will be a limited number of jerseys available for sale on the ride.)

BRAN 32 Jersey

Check out the details and ride description. The BRAN 32 brochure is now available for your viewing. Mileage and daily ride narrative is available to prepare you for your summer adventure.

Great way to prepare for BRAN 32, Omaha Pedalers Bicycle Club announces their ride calendar for 2012 Annual Calendar of Events. (Subject to Change • Check Website, Flyers will be on OPBC Website) Enjoy riding with the Pedalers year around.

Third Friday’s • During the prime riding season (April – October)

The club will host a dutch treat dinner at a restaurant close to area trails and bike routes at 6:00 pm sharp! Some restaurants include Jim & Jennies, Mo Fish (CB), Stella’s, Papa Chris’ Chicago Originals, El Basha, and Catfish Charlies. Check the website for each month’s restaurant.

May 12 • Great American Pie Ride – Meets at Missouri Valley Park at 8:30am for rides of 22 to 67 miles (3-5 pie stops). Fully supported. Bring money for Pie. Vote for best pie purveyor.

May 26-27 • Little Sioux Overnighter – Meets at Crescent Elementary School at 8:30 am for 44 mile ride to Little Sioux Boy Scout Ranch. Lunch, steak fry and breakfast provided. Fish, hike or relax at the ranch. Fully Supported (Fee)

June 3-9 • BRAN – see the great state of Nebraska up close and personal. Register on BRAN-Inc.org (Fee)

June 16 • *Nut Ride – “Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t”. Ride (30 miles) to the infamous Nebraska Testicle Festival on Father’s Day weekend. Enjoy some of South Bend’s (Around the Bend) fries (Pig, Bull and Turkey).

July 14 • Irv’s Deli – Starts at 9:00 am at Metro Community College at Hwy 133 and State Street for ride a to Fremont (22 miles) on laid back roads. Enjoy a “Giant” sandwich at Irv’s and pedal home (Fully supported)

July 21 • Omaha Historical Tour / Picnic – Urban ride to some of Omaha’s Historical landmarks finishing up at the Blue Line in NoDo.

July 27 • Benson 125th Anniversary – Ride around historical downtown Benson and catch all the happenings.

August 11 • All Aboard Ride – Board Amtrak in the early morning for a 2-hour train ride to Creston, IA. Ride bikes to Viking Lake State Park for an overnight campout. Fully supported. (Train + fee)

August 25 • Pedaler’s Pasta Pig Out – (P3) Meet at Metro Community College at Hwy 133 and State Street at 3:00 pm for leisurely ride to Elk City (24 miles) Return to Mangia’s in Irvington for authentic Italian pasta and pizza.

Sept 1-2 • Wabash Wine Weekend – Labor Day Ride on Washbash Trace (54 mi) to Coin, IA for overnight camping. Optional short ride from there into Missouri. Stop in Shenandoah at Wabash Winery for Wine Tasting and Catered Lunch. Fully Supported. (Fee)

Sept 8 • Magnolia Fall Classic – Ride to Magnolia and hook up with the Aronia Berry Festival. 30, 60, and 100 mile options. Free Aronia Berry chili lunch for OPBC members. Fully Supported.

Oct 13 • Zombie Ride/Walk – Ride on the Patio Bike (holds 16) through downtown Benson dressed as a Zombie then join 2,000+ other Zombies as they shuffle, lurch, grunt, and groan through historic Benson.

Nov 11 • OPBC Annual Meeting – Members only event with food and drink. Learn about bicycling and coming year’s events. RSVP Required.

Fred was recently seen in a video.  Thought you all would enjoy.

The controversy of Mayan calendar with dates predictions for 2012, spurred the theme for BRAN 32 – The End of the World Tour. The calendar’s pattern gives actual dates in 2012, showing a central solar eclipse taking place on May 20, 2012 which is also the Summer Solstice. It just so happens that there will be an annular eclipse on that day; annular meaning the only part of the sun that will remain in view will be a ring of light around the moon. There is in the Mayan symbols the announcement of a Venus transit across the face of the sun to occur 16 days later on June 6, 2012 during our tour.

NASA shows both of these events taking place on those dates in their Sky Calendars at NASA.gov. How could these ancient Mayans predict these dates so long ago? Their calendar has an end date that has been interpreted to be the End of the World. The last day of the Mayan calendar is in December 2012.

BRAN 32 will take us past Chimney Rock . . . take note of how similar this land mark is to the Mayan pyramid . . .

You are right it has been a long time since I said I would write more. I waited to make sure the BRAN committee gave the okey dokey on the route. The towns are all set but there are still a few roads in question.

On Sunday October 16th six BRAN Veterans drove out to Western Nebraska for the Pre-ride visit to BRAN 32 host towns. Five of us had ridden our first BRAN in 1986 and the “Newbie” started in 1987. Having lots of BRAN experience we felt confident that we knew BRAN riders likes and dislikes and could convey them to the host towns. There was an air of excitement in the van similar to the way you feel in June when you’re on the bus heading to the BRAN start town. For the next 3 days we would be spending time with people who enjoyed BRAN as much as we do. Needless to say we were never at a loss for words. Oh, how the BRAN stories flowed! We arrived in Minatare around 5:00 PM. It was cool and rainy but we continue on to the lake,2 miles away, to see the Lighthouse. Would you believe that the park had closed for the season the day before so we couldn’t get in to see it. Maybe we can suggest to Minatare that they run some shuttles up there. They could even charge a small fee for the benefit of a local youth group.
Since it was getting late we drove on to Scottsbluff where we checked into the motel and then went out to dinner. JuJu and Al from Mitchell dropped by to say Hi. They are always fun. I’ve learned that Mitchell was Easy Riders first choice for starting town (the end of the world…don’t ja know) but the distance was, by gosh, too far to Oshkosh.
Got up Monday to more of the same weather and found it a little hard to think of bike riding. However meeting with warm enthusiast people in Minatare got us back into the right mind set. They were ready for us and agreeable to all our requests. They even brought in the school custodian. For anyone who has worked in a school we know how valuable that can be. He assured us that the school would be open all night and there’s space for all our vehicles….even the shower truck.

 
FYI… all our camp sites are school grounds and two schools said they had just built new concession stands and rest rooms at the football fields. Fewer port-a-potties!
Soon we were on to Oshkosh. Without wind in our faces the 70+ miles will be a nice flat bike ride. We’ll go by Chimney Rock and will see Jail House and Court House Rocks. Such beautiful country! This is JuJu’s training ground. If you’re wondering how the BRAN committees decides where to set up sags I can tell you it is NOT hit and miss. Easy Rider, who did all the driving, watched the odometer and every 10 to 12 miles Sweeper recorded a good site for them to set up on BRAN 32. The schools in Oshkosh were not in session that day so no one from the high school met with us. Not to worry, the two town people we talked to were all we needed. Oshkosh will take good care of us.
On to Arthur the town that provided us with the entertainment of a tornado in 2005….boy it doesn’t seem that long ago. Their committee was only one person but he is the principal of the school and was also around in 2005 and 2007 when they hosted a great lunch stop. He understood our requests and made us feel confident that Arthur will again be ready for BRAN. He is also the football coach and told us about his 6 man football team which was well on their way to state finals. I see they won, which wasn’t the first time. Sounds like they are a power house in their division.
By now it had gotten a lot colder and was raining. From last year’s experience I knew to bring layers of clothes for which I was glad as we had one more town to visit. Stapleton is not big but had a very nice school and a large and contagiously happy committee. They want to win best Host town so you can bet they will give it a good effort. Being the fourth town in a row the 6 of us were getting into a pattern…Sweeper introduced us, gave an explanation of BRAN and laid out our needs. Then each of us gave some input on one or two thing that we felt strongly about. Mine was early breakfast on or near the camp site and for the towns not to invest in a lot of fruit to sell since we get that on our sags. Nanu had one thing to say…PIE!

 
It was after 6:00 PM when we left Stapleton for our drive through the Arnold Hills. They have been on BRAN routes many times and are hills to be reckoned with! Finally we reached Broken Bow where we spent the night at the beautiful historic Arrow Hotel and had a delicious dinner in their lovely dining room.
Tuesday morning we started with breakfast at the local cafe with “the regulars” which put us into a good BRAN mood. The first stop of the day was Sargent , our fifth host town. Their committee was large and waiting for us in the community center. Looking around my thought was that it would be a perfect place for a BRAN breakfast. It fit all our requirements. Sargent has been a Best Host Town and last summer had lunch for BRAN riders in the park so they “get us”. Like most small towns Sargent has a Summer festival… their s is the Chokecherry Festival. Be sure to ask someone about the Pit Spitting Contest!
Next stop St. Paul. The sun was out and our spirits were high when we arrived at the “Sweet Shoppe”! Even if the committee had not been large and very eager to host BRAN, this would have been a great stop. Not only did we have a tasty lunch we all availed ourselves of the pastries. I’m not sure if Easy rider has gotten over the fact that Sweeper did not order him a hot roast beef sandwich like Nanu had. Easy had gone to gas up the car and when he got back lunch was on the table. To make matters worse the sandwich that was ordered for him got mixed up with “The Kellogg Kid’s” and they both ate half of them before the mistake was discovered. We all had a good laugh and yet another BRAN story to share.
Shelby was our last stop. They had been a host town in 2008 and wanted to know what they needed to do differently this time. We assured them that they had done a wonderful job for BRAN 28 but being part of the “Tour Of Excellence” where all the host towns went above and beyond it was a hard year to get Best host town. Several people at the meeting had been on Shelby’s committee that year and had great ideas for BRAN 2012. The one that got us all excited was suggested by a group of ladies. Shelby has no Motel and last time offered “Bed a Biker” in some private homes. The ladies said that many people in town had motor homes and maybe they could park them at the camp site and Bed the Biker there. Great Idea! A good fun raiser too.
Leaving Shelby, I had the same feeling that I get when we leave the last host town for the finish of BRAN. Anxious to get home, sad that the adventure is almost over, already missing the fun you just shared with friends and dreading the traffic around Omaha. Easy Rider got us safely back and proved that he is doing a remarkable job of recovering from his stroke.
I hope you all have wonderful holidays with family and friends and remember January 1 is the official start of training for BRAN 32. We’ll be doing ours inside on spinner bikes!
Granny
LIFE IS GOOD

(posted 12/5/2011 on the BRAN Forum)

Starting Town:  Minatare, Nebraska

Ending Town:  Yutan, Nebraska

Overnight Towns:  Oshkosh,  Arthur,  Stapleton,  Sargent,  St. Paul,  Shelby

Click Here to Register Online for BRAN 32
Note: When registering online you will have the option to pay by either credit card or check.  There are no convenience fees if you select the option to pay by check.

Click Here to Download BRAN 32 Brochure

Click Here to Download BRAN 32 Registration Form & Waiver

Click Here to Download BRAN 32 Waiver Only

MINORS UNDER AGE 19 – To complete your online registration a printed waiver signed by participant; parents/guardians; and responsible adult accompanying minor must be mailed to:
BRAN, Inc.
4205 North 101st Street
Omaha, NE 68134

 FEES:

• Riders over 25 - $150
• Riders 25 and under – $95  Minors under age 19 must have signature and written consent of parent/guardian and responsible adult (over age 19) who must accompany minor during week long ride.
• Private Vehicle Registration – $50
• Bus Ticket (Yutan to Minatare) – $90
• Extra Short T-Shirt – $15
• Long Sleeve T-Shirt – $20
• Jersey – $60 (Note:  Jersey orders are closed.  There will be a limited number of jerseys available for sale on the ride)

REFUNDS & DEADLINES
The ride is limited to 600 riders.  Registration Deadline is May 3, 2012.  Fees are nonrefundable after May 10, 2012.  A $25 processing fee per applicant is deducted for refunds processed prior to May 10th.

NOTIFICATION
Mail in (paper) registrations – your cashed check will verify that your registration was received.  Online registrants will receive an automatic email notificatin at the time of registration.  Minors registering for the ride will receive email (if provided) or mail conformation after signed waiver is received.

Questions?  Contact the BRAN, Inc. office at 402.397.9785 or brantour@cox.net

How many dimples on a golf ball?  What was that fact about a turtle?  Looks like we are going to find some good food . . . How many miles and hills is it to Callaway?  Many of the quirky facts displayed along the route into Callaway.  Many miles outside of the BRAN 31, Sunday Host Community of Callaway, riders began to see the interesting way the community was welcoming them into town.  It kept us interested in what factoid would be next.  Never can tell when you might need this information for a trivia question . . .

When the rider turned left off of highway 40 for the mile into town, they were greeted by flags lining the roadside.  Hey, that is my state flag . . . Callaway took the challenge of finding a flag for every state represented on the ride – yes, all 34 states!

The thriving metropolis of 600 was proudly posting the site of the future Hooter’s, Walmart and McDonald’s.  There was a “Welcome” tent located downtown near the infamous yellow caboose.  Fluorescent green tee-shirts worn by the Callaway representatives made it easy for the riders to find assistance.  The smell of hamburgers and brats grilling filled the air.  Grills on Grand Street and in Morgan Park were busy as the riders rolled into town.

At the campsite, golf cart/drivers were ready to take the riders’ camping gear to their chosen campsite or bed a biker accommodation.  Strong young volunteers were on hand to unload the semi saving the early riders from the laborious task.

Classic Vehicle display, trips to the Woodward Sod House, the Seven Valleys Museum, karaoke on Kimball Street, and internet and Wi-fi access in the Public Library were the entertainment venues for the afternoon.  Homemade pie and ice cream at the Senior Center held off the hungers until “Supper” was ready starting at 4:00pm.

The Chamber Pot Luck at the Community Center was one to write home about!  There was enough variety for everyone.  Plus the Lutheran Church put on a spaghetti feed for the bikers to “Carb-Up”.  The bikers definitely did not go to bed hungry.

Special showings of “Easy Rider” the movie with Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Nicholson, was the evening entertainment.  So the riders could sleep in peace and quiet – the Custer County Posse monitored the campground.  Got to love the law enforcement that calls themselves “Posse”.

5:00 am Monday morning – the Callaway community was wide awake with warm greetings as they fed the riders.  Sausage biscuits, breakfast burritos, breakfast pizza, cinnamon rolls, fruit and juices – What a Variety!  This community of 600 left quite an impression on the BRAN 31 riders.

Callaway has been a BRAN Host Community 5 times in the 31 year history of BRAN.  Several times it has been a town along the route.  In 1997, it was voted BRAN 17 Best Host.  This year it made BRAN history – it is the first community to have won Best Host Community twice!

So, come back in September and ‘go fly a kite’ joining people from all over the country – - just like BRAN.  Check out www.callaway-ne.com for more information.

Easy Rider