May 20, 2006

This was the 2nd annual "Thunder on the Smoky" motorcycle rally and races in Marquette, Kansas. Somehow I missed the 1st annual event. Marquette is in the Smoky Hills (hence the name of the event), not too far west of McPherson.

Kansas

A farmhouse just south of town.

Welcome to Marquette.

It seems I parked my Daytona between Matt Mladin and Nicky Hayden. A nice assortment of motorcycles--mostly Harley-Davidson, true, but still a good assortment.

There was a very good turn-out, and quite a few vendors set up in the closed-street.

There's a nice motorcycle museum in Marquette largely supplied by Stan Engdahl--one of Kansas' best racers of the past. It has an eclectic mix of motorcycles: several racing bikes mixed with a whole range of cheap entry level machines. These smaller old bikes were often just tossed out when they were used up, so they're actually pretty rare.

 

 

 

Comfortable looking house in Marquette.

This is a funnel cake. A classic unwholesome meal (?) always available at such events as this and at county fairs. Not something you'd want to eat everyday, but awfully good, nonetheless.

The local theater was showing free motorcycle movies I stayed to watch the last half of "On any Sunday."

Back on the road...

A very long grain train pulled by four engines (near Inman).

Looking at Mound Ridge, Kansas

Stopping in Hesston for that root beer float...

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last edit: 5/20/2006