North 2013

[Phoenix Rider]

I went up to Bancroft today and talked at some length with both owners of the Bancroft Inn & Suites (BI&S)and the Best western motor Inn (BWMI). First I will deal with the BI&S: They are located about 2.5 miles out of town and have no dining facilities or group amenities, they do however provide a continental breakfast. Across the road is a very small restaurant named Rosie's it could never seat the entire group. The best rate I could get there is $104.95 plus tax per room per night.

At the BWMI the best rate I could get was $115 plus hst per room per night. However it is a fully serviced motel with liscenced dining and separate banquet room, exercise room, swimming pool C/W whirlpool tub for six, his and her sauna rooms and the parking lot is flat and paved. It is right at the end of the main street within walking distance to center of town. I talked with "Sunny" for quite awhile and managed to get him to throw in 20% off on all our meals while we're there. If you look at it, consider everything, it's not a bad deal at all since meals are about 1/2 of the weekends expense. If people want to have a beer after the rides, this is the only place you can do it without having to walk or ride.
I also talked with sonny about the report of bed bugs in some of the rooms mentioned in the client ratings. He told me that late last summer he had all the carpets, curtains, bedding and mattresses replaced with new. That shouldn't be an issue.
I know that some members may bring spouses and not require double rooms and they have a wide range of different combinations, queens, kings and fireplaces etc. I could probably talk him down on those too if I know in advance.
This is the best I can do. If this is too steep for the group, then this area is out. Someone in another geographic area will have to take over from this point on.Your thoughts gentlemen and ladies?
Grant

Grant,
I think you have gone above and beyond to get us a good deal. When you factor in the 20% savings on meals this works out to be a good destination. If you're taking votes. I say yes to the Best Western in Bancroft.

Good work Grant,
Wayne

[Huron52]

I have stayed at the Best Western in Bancroft before. That was a few years back. If I recall almost all the rooms have parking right in front of your room.

[MartyA]

I have stayed at the Best Western in Bancroft before. That was a few years back. If I recall almost all the rooms have parking right in front of your room.

Nuff said!

Just need a phone number and a date...

[mack]

Reservations

BEST WESTERN
Sword Motor Inn
146 Hastings St N
Bancroft, Ontario
Canada
1-866-226-2763

This is the place for 2013, Just say you are with the XS 11 group. The dates are 28, 29, 30 June 2013. I will have much more info to follow in the next few months. You can book now and that will give me a better idea as to the numbers I'm working with. Thanx. Looking forward to seeing everyone there.
Grant

[omegaxj]

Okay, I'll have to figure out where Bancroft is, being a Maritime boy I am not sure. Thankful for Google. I want to go having missed last year's due to the heart operation but, as usual, Bruce is being reluctant. It is 6 days ride there and back and that can be hard on his '78 XS11. Should be no problem for my "newer" '07 Bandit 1250S which most of you have not seen.

I am glad Mack stepped forward on this as now I have a goal for this year. I was going to suggest going back to the 1999 XS rally in Toronto. Do some of you remember that one? Or the 2000 rally I hosted in Cape Breton and the fabulous Cabot Trail. We should do Cape Breton Isl. again some day. I digress.

The cost of the rooms is a bit steep because we have to figure in 4 nights accommodation coming and going and the cost of gas for about 3000km of travel. It is do-able as we split the costs by sharing and we maybe able to get a third rider to come. I will bug Bruce (monkey-butt) some more

[Phoenix Rider]

Okay, I'll have to figure out where Bancroft is, being a Maritime boy I am not sure. Thankful for Google. I want to go having missed last year's due to the heart operation but, as usual, Bruce is being reluctant. It is 6 days ride there and back and that can be hard on his '78 XS11. Should be no problem for my "newer" '07 Bandit 1250S which most of you have not seen.

I am glad Mack stepped forward on this as now I have a goal for this year. I was going to suggest going back to the 1999 XS rally in Toronto. Do some of you remember that one? Or the 2000 rally I hosted in Cape Breton and the fabulous Cabot Trail. We should do Cape Breton Isl. again some day. I digress.

The cost of the rooms is a bit steep because we have to figure in 4 nights accommodation coming and going and the cost of gas for about 3000km of travel. It is do-able as we split the costs by sharing and we maybe able to get a third rider to come. I will bug Bruce (monkey-butt) some more

Hey Mark,
Mack did manage to get a good deal on the rooms. Considering the location being right in the heart of Bancroft on the July long weekend and being a Best Western chain, its pretty fair. A couple years ago Jim was looking to have the North rally there, but it was just too expensive. He also managed to get 20% off the meals too. I do understand the expense that you are talking about when you factor in the distance that you have to travel. Are you considering trailering your bike or will you ride this year?

Wayne

[mack]

Accomodations

Hi Mark:
As Wayne said, I did manage to get 20% off the hotel eating establishment (best fine dining place in town) as well. This type of saving is as hard to calculate as the cost of living , as it will vary from person to person. Say you have breakfast with a couple coffee's in the morning$10. and supper with a beer or two $25. This may seem extravagant for some. That would be a $7 saving per day, bringing half the room cost down to $50.50 per night per person.
It may very well be that the overall cost will be too high for most and therefore a general lack of interest in this location could take it out of the running for 2013. I've only done the leg work for the tomb stone requirements and it won't hurt my feelings if the rally is held someplace else.
I drove from North Sydney to Belleville in 14 hrs a couple years ago. I don't recommend it for one driver but two people trailering their rides could pull it off with little difficulty.
Good to hear your health is back in order and your ready to ride.

[omegaxj]

Wayne and Mack, the cost of the rooms at a Best Western is reasonable over all. It is just when you add up all the other expeses of this week long trip, it adds up quickly and now that Bruce and I are pensioners, money can be tight. I will find a way and we always stay in all the "cheap" hotels along the way (no camping for us 2 old farts anymore).

I have decided to drive the bike this year. Towing is not that easy after all and sucks the gas quickly. My "newish" Bandit is the best equipped and most reliable bike that I have ever owned for a trip like this and so I want to ride while I still can.

[omegaxj]

Further update to my health. It appears that I have fluid around my heart making it difficult to get around at the moment. I have an appointment with the cardiologist next week and I assume the problem will be addressed. It better be, If everything goes well, I'll book a room at the Best Western, asap. I am going to drive there but I may have to do it solo (like back in 1999) as Bruce still says he will not go this year; although he did say he would last year. He has been known in the past to make the decision at the last possible minute. There is a lot of time yet and he got his bike running real fine late last year, so I expect once the weather warms up and he gets riding again, he will want to come.

[mack]

Health

As anxious as I am to have you attend, I must say, take care of your health first. There will always be rallies to go to. Thats a long haul to make if your not 100%.

[omegaxj]

As anxious as I am to have you attend, I must say, take care of your health first. There will always be rallies to go to. Thats a long haul to make if your not 100%.

Thanks for the concerns. My health is No. 1 and why I really don't want to do it solo. I did go to the cardiologist last week and he put in the hospital for 3.5 days. They manually drained the fluid around my left lung by inserting a long needle into my side while awake and extracted 2.5 liters of fluid! And yes it was as bad as it sounds at first.

So, now I can breath freely, I have to get the old legs back into shape. I am putting the pressure back on Bruce to go with me.I had diabetes when I went to my first rally in 1999 (Toronto) and I went solo. I have gone to numerous other XS East and North rallies and missed a couple due to heart attacks and last year due to open heart surgery. So, this is not going to hold me back.

[slow mo]

and it is a long needle! i have had that done several times,, quite the experience,, look after yourself and maybe we will see you at xs north this year,, ride safe slow mo!

[omegaxj]

I have had a bit of a set back health wise. The fluid is building up around the lung again and they don't want to try and manually drain it again. They want to do a small operation that allows the fluid to drain away from the lung and heart on a permanent basis. I go for an echocadiogram on Monday to check things out further.

So, I can't make a commitment to the rally until I get this medical problem resolved. I'll let you know.

[MaximPhil]

I have had a bit of a set back health wise. The fluid is building up around the lung again and they don't want to try and manually drain it again. They want to do a small operation that allows the fluid to drain away from the lung and heart on a permanent basis. I go for an echocadiogram on Monday to check things out further.

So, I can't make a commitment to the rally until I get this medical problem resolved. I'll let you know.

Hi Mark,
Hope all goes well with your "procedure". Plenty of recovery time until June.
Phil

[JeffH]

+1 count

I had a great time last year in Haliburton. Bancroft area looks great too.

So, I am planning to be in BUF again this year around the end of June. I've booked a room at BW-Sword for the three nights. Add a +1 to your count.

Jeff