Might be a little early....but I'm one of start planning early guys......looking at leaving SW Michigan on May 26th, stopping in Chillicothe Ohio, then heading towards Washington DC on the 27 on Hwy 50 across through Athens, then stopping about an hour or so short of DC, ready to roll in the day of the ride on the 28th.


Have not been before....is there enough going on that it would warrant leaving a day early and riding in on the 27th and camping on somebody's lawn.


Anybody else planning on heading over, have any advice or input.

 

Most of the dealers in the DC area usually have some activities, with Harley of Washington usually being the HOG pin stop. Sunday morning, you can head to a dealer like Patriot in Fairfax, VA and ride in with that group or ride over to the Pentagon on your own and get there earlier.

 

Bunches of us will be riding out from the west Coast, We arrive in Arlington Friday the 26th. Among other activities There is a B-B-Q at Harley Davidson of Washington Saturday. I hope to get an oil dump and fill there. Sunday we assemble at the North Pentagon Parking lot for the Demonstration Ride to the wall.

Heading home to Wa State on Monday, US Route 50

 

Sounds like a great ride across the states......guess we are going to leave a little early and get there on Saturday....thank you for the input.

 

Anyone have a pic of what the 2016 HOG Rolling Thunder pin looks like from this rally? I will be going to this years ride and was just curious how they look.

 

The HOG pin


The Rolling Thunder official pin

 

If I got this right......Sunday ride in and park in the parking lot......a few hours everybody shows up, then the ride which is basically across the bridge, and around the block past the White House.....where the ride ends seems kind of confined.......so I'm thinking after the ride.....you park again???


Not a big deal, we planned on touristing around a bit.....just thinking tourist then ride or ride then tourist...............after the ride is it hours to get out.


We will ride across from Michigan and have our dogs with us, but will drop them at a kennel for the day on the way into DC......trying to get an ideal on how late they need to be open.

 

The first riders roll out of the Pentagon about noon. The route goes over the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge and then goes down Constitution Avenue towards the Capitol. The ride comes back to the Mall down Independence Avenue. Parking at the Mall fills up early and this might be the time to head out of DC if you are going west, as I-66 and the GW Parkway get congested and it is common to see riders on the shoulder letting their motorcycles cool down.

While you are waiting at the Pentagon, be sure to walk around to the 9/11 Memorial.

 

If you get there on Friday, there is an evening memorial service at the wall, mostly vets and gold star moms attend. It's a moving service, replete with bagpipes, and has meant as much or more to me than sitting in the sweltering heat for three hours in the Pentagon parking lot for a 20 minute ride. Make SURE you take some water with you on Sunday, preferably partly frozen- unless things have changed, there are no refreshments in the Pentagon parking lot.

 

I did the ride a couple of years ago. Great experience. I had drinks and sandwiches with me. There were vendors there with food and drinks. Plenty of Porta Johns. Not much shade. At the end of the ride, there was a field on the left for parking bikes near the Mall. I kept going and got out of town with no problems. If I ever do it again, I will stop and walk around.


The ride started out with bikes leaving two by two at twelve oclock.We pulled out at one forty five. Lots of bikes.