Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/714189
34 nSeptember 2016n www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS by Robert Filla COOKEVILLE, TENN., JULY 11—It was a cryptic invitation, all hush-hush secretive, black-ops clan- destine strange. It came from the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development with no hint of what would be presented, only that my presence would be appreciated for an important press announcement. Any suspicions I had were quieted when I read that the day included a full afternoon of riding the backroads on a Carve the Cumberland Celebration Ride. I was in. Located in Putnam County about halfway between Nashville and Knoxville, Cookeville is ideally situated in some of the state's prime motorcycling real estate. I fi rst vis- ited Cookeville in 2012 during the Tennessee State H.O.G. Rally and instantly fell in love with the ter- rain, the people and the roads. To show I'm not alone in my affection, Cookeville has hosted the State Rally three times in the last fi ve years, a state record. (Cookeville is also the smallest city in the state to ever host a H.O.G. Rally attesting to its popularity with riders.) Last year I returned to nearby Knoxville to ride the famous Tail of the Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway. And as well known (and well ridden) as those two loops are, literally dozens of additional routes cover the area, all unique and appealing, each offering its own distinctiveness. After fl ying into Nashville the day before the meeting, a quick visit to Boswell's Nashville Harley- Davidson yielded a spanking-new Street Glide for the 100-mile ride to Cookeville. Once in town I met up with two other moto-journalists that I had ridden with last fall and who had also received an invite to the press conference. That evening during dinner with some of the major players in Tennessee tourism, I hap- pened to sit next to H.O.G. Regional Manager Todd Robinson. He had ridden in from up north especially for tomorrow's assembly. This provided my fi rst hint—something H.O.G. related. Robinson is a giant of a man who goes by the road name Thor, and rightfully so. And as the evening wore on, he gradually revealed the reason for the next day's conference. With the staggering number of motorcycle rallies presently being offered across the nation, H.O.G. directors noticed a decline in partici- pation at their state rallies. As a result the state rallies will be replaced by regional rallies, probably around 17 total. This will enable multiple states to interact and work together, guar- anteeing the future of the H.O.G. ral- lies. And Cookeville's role would be important in this new regional strategy. The next morning, we gathered in the Westside Cultural District in Cookeville where a ton of dignitaries were present. Mayor Ricky Shelton, Harley-Davidson District Manager Joe Rock, Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber President/CEO George Halford and Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourism Kevin Triplett were all on hand with many more offi cials representing Putnam County demonstrating that this region is very biker friendly. After all the customary introduc- See "Cumberland," page 44, column 1 CARVE THE CUMBERLAND CELEBRATION RIDE Tennessee trippin' The soundtrack of America The historic Westside Cultural District is popular with Cookeville bikers The podium was packed with dignitaries for the announcement of the 2017 Southern Backroads Rally Tasty Tennessee sippin' whiskey aging on the racks at Short Mountain Distillery