Harley Davidson Perfect Alps

Harley Davidson Perfect Alps

15 Jul 2015
/Robert Stoll
OH YES!!!!!!!   yes indeed,,,,the Harley Gods approved....for they blessed us with a cloud free beautiful morning as we headed out for our last day....This time Berninapass was in our sights,   as were the National Park of Switzerland.......( I thought the entire country was a national park for its beauty and awesome chocolate)    Offen Pass and some other fine roads as we departed Switzerland after a few hours, skirted through Italy and on into Austria.   The tour guide led the tour as prescribed,,,,  but he dd go of course for a bit...and on porpuse too, as a mighty fine Hamburger awaited us al at OILERS, in Haiming Austria.  Just do not tell our bosses that we deviated from the tour book........OH WELL....we are HARLEY riders...we do our own thing any way!!  (if i had to expalin it, you would not understand)  After lunch we went back to where we got off course to finish the day up one more climb in the high Alps,,,,,, we had a quick stop in Kuethal to pick up a souvenier or two........   to wrap it up....this was a great tour,  the laughs and sights we shared will last a lifetime.  Is that not what it is all about any way....riding in gorgeous places on the best and most bad ass bikes on the planet....  it is all about HARLEY DAVIDSON on this tour......"THIS IS WHY WE RIDE"     see you next time..........   adios from SEEFELD, Austria!!   Arriving at Passo di Gavia after a tough ride.... YES, we did it!!!! Day five..........and this tour is going by as fast as when Rob rides his  Harley  up and down mountain passes.............. only when he rides privately,,,,,,,,    He would NEVER do this on tour....COUGH!!!!!!!!............   we started in Riva,  the boys all took off towards Madona Di Campiglio.....  and MAMA MIA.......was that a sight.   There we had a coffee break and enjoyed the typical Italian Ski Resort....must be a fun place in the winter too!!  If cruising slopes on skis in Winter is your thing....  Then we were of to Passo Di Tonale,,,,,,,that was just a warm up....for the grand daddy of passes, the HIGHLIGHT of the day, Passo Di Gavia.....     this was the toughest pass of the tour........    and we conquered this as well!!   On to Bormio, where we took on the Passo Del Stelvio   all the guys loved the view from up here.   Finally we had to roll into Livigino....where we were greeted by one HELL of a thunder storm....or was it the HARLEY Gods applauding in approval of the roads we mastered today....?      On Day four  it was a "rest day"..............HA!!!!!!   we did not take a rest, instead we rode around the GORGEOUS area of Lake Garda.....and trust me,  words and pictures cannot describe this area, it is simply amazing........  we had a great lunch on the cliffs of lake Garda.   After the ride a few went for a swim in a small lake in the area, so refreshing after the heat of the day. Some went to relax at the hotel, and one determined tour guide went on a mission to find the Harley Dealer in Trento to find one of the guests a T Shirt as the store in Bolzano did not have his size...the tour guide was succesful in his quest...and both customer and toir guide were quite happy...  As the tour guide certainly knew how much it means to take home a souvenier Harley shirt home from a foreign land.......To top off the night we went to a pizzeria in Riva.   The food was EXCELLENT...........  and after we enjoyed the street fair and the charm this little town has to offer.............  what a great day......."Screw it, LETS RIDE!!!!" Day THREE......................Klobenstein to Riva...............  Another SPECTACULAR day........   we started towards Bolzano, Where, of course we HAD to visit the Harley Dealership to pick up some souveniers and T Shirts from the local shop.   I mean, what Harley trip is complete without a shirt from the places you visited on the bike.  And as we all know Harley Davidison makes the best bike with style in the world, It was quite fitting to do so in Italy, which also is full of flair and style.  One can really sense a change as you leave South Tirol and enter "real" Italy where the streets signs and language is no longer German and Italian....it is ONLY Italian as you go SOUTH........the sceneray changed too, as we left the Alps behind and were now in a more Mederterainian atmosphere......  Lunch was quite fitting too, as we all had either spaghetti Bolongese or Specghetti Carbonarra....YUMMY.........  the heat of the day was really beating down on us in the afternoon,,,,   By 5:30 we were all pool side for a refreshing swim at the lovelly hotel in Riva Del Garda.............    we thought about the places and sights we saw that day....    The views in Obreggen was amazing...as was the road from Molina to Trento and onward to Riva.......   CIAO from Italia!!!!!!  Harley Perfect Alps.........or as We tour guides like to say..........HARLEY HEAVEN...The first day of this tour was fantastic.  Despite a bit of rain.  With a small group of three from the U.S.A. and one from Switzerland we set off to explore the beautiful country side of Austria... and MAN...we were not disappointed.   For two of our guests it is the first time visiting Europe.......I think we gave them a great impression of the first day, and the other guests loved it too......  we started in Seefeld......  we continued to Achen See, Krimml water falls.........  and a blast of a pass on the GROSSGOCKNER. To end our day at the spectular view from our hotel in Kals.......   Day 2 5 Harley souls took a scoot around the Dolomites today. The jaw dropping scenery was more than expected and can never be described 100% to their friends back home. You must live it to experience it and wrap your head around the beauty that you see.   Today we experienced narrow roads, more narrow roads and the NARROWEST of rounds...............WOW!!!!!!!!   yet all came through unscathed and better riders for the experience.   The gang started out in a cool morning in Kals and finished in a sweltering Italy July day....   All had the smiles of self accomplishment by riding these tricky roads.... AND they ALL KNOW that ANYONE saying "you cannot ride a Harley in the Dolomites" really has no clue what they are talking about.........."THIS is why we ride