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In all my years of working with the public, I can honestly say that I have never encountered a better group of people than the ones I am about to write of, the Iron Indian Riders of America. (Hereafter referred to as the IIRA)
We have had archers, family reunions, bass clubs, etc. but none compared to the amount of people or days we had with the Iron Indians. Some were here for 2 days, others for 8. A better bunch you will never find.
The inaugural run of the Indian Rally on Indian Point cannot be termed anything other than a slam dunk - across the board winner. Every aspect of the rally left us wondering to ourselves how others had managed to miss this market for all these years.
The rally was scheduled to go from the 21st to the 23rd of May, 2004 but we found ourselves with an overwhelming majority of our guests arriving one to two days early. Some went fishing while others checked out Branson's shows. A common theme though was just the general desire to sit and visit with fellow riders, drink a few beers, and swim in the pools.
Being that it was our party, the pools were never closed and the fun hardly stopped. Karaoke was provided for the riders over at the Cottages new pavilion and we got to see a side of BlueLou we never knew existed. :) JayCox was also pretty full of himself and wanted to share his "talents". Handan and I couldn't have embarrassed ourselves any more than we did, but we had fun all the same.
Bike marveling was in vogue for the entire time, especially
the Indian Trike from Iowa, 
or
the 1BIGGDogg whitetail deer modification and the Les Moore school of bike
loading.
Saturday was the day of the main event and there was nary
a hitch throughout the whole day. 
Golden
Corral in Branson provided the kickoff breakfast for everyone and the overall
concensus was a marvelous job. 
The
Golden Corral in Branson is the largest GC in the nation. Typically handling
up to 10,000 people per day, our little event must have seemed small in
comparison. But, they provided for us like we were the most important guests
they had ever had and I appreciate that a lot. 
A
special tip of the hat goes out to Tracie, Ron, and of course Steve Weyher.
During
the breakfast Cowboy raffled off numerous prizes that consisted of everything
from Branson show tickets to T-Shirts. One item in particular that was especially
noteworthy was a hademade Indian wood sculpture done by one of the riders.
Several businesses here in Branson went out of their way to help us sponsor
this event and it would be appropriate to thank them at this time.
Brett Daniels Magic Show - Brett received the “Magician of the Year” award in Las Vegas in May of 2003. In 2000, “Brett Daniels: MAGIQUE” was voted “Best Show of the Millenium.” Prior honors include “World Challenge Champion,” “Award for Excellence in Grand Illusion,” and “Award for Excellence in Sleight-of Hand.”
White House Dinner Theater - The Magnificent 7, Branson's Ultimate Music Variety Show, introduces an array of multi-talented performers backed by Branson's finest musicians. These entertainers will take you on a magnificent two-hour musical adventure. An unbelievable 150 costume changes and 50 different musical productions
Talking
Rocks Cavern - There are thousands of naturally beautiful living crystal
cave formations of many different kinds, colors, and textures growing closely
together!
Today these thousands of formations are giving visitors to the Ozarks an
opportunity to see the beauty that lays beneath the surface.
All 3 of these businesses wished us a successful inaugural rally and were willing to help do what they could to enhance the experience. I sincerely appreciate their assistance and would encourage anyone coming to Branson to check out any of the above mentioned shows as a way of saying thanks.
Then it was time for the ride. A full day through the Ozarks, hopping on a river ferry, and then back to the resorts.
Watching the bikes line up was one of the greatest scenes I have ever witnessed. And I wasn't the only one. Every resort owner was out, campers from across the street, and traffic in general ALL wanted to stop and take pictures. It was impressive to say the least. Almost 60 Indians rumbling in front of my resort getting ready for a day on the road left me feeling proud, elated, and (oddly enough), wanting. Wanting to have my OWN Indian!!! Almost more than anything else in the whole wide world!
Cowboy had detailed a ride for the day and had thoughtfully put together maps of the route, just in case anyone got lost from the group. Road guards were assigned, pictures were taken, and then they fired up for their ride.
As we watched the bikes head off, it cracked me up to hear my wife say "I want to go too!" Obviously, we were both feeling the same. And then it set in. For those of us left behind we would experience a tinge of empty nest syndrome. How bizarre...3 days ago, these were our customers. Now they were our friends. We would experience this more boldly in the coming days. We waited anxiously to hear the first sounds of them coming down the hill in the afternoon as we prepared for Saturday evening.
Saturday evening saw eveyone return safely to the resorts. Many were excited in reliving the ride they had just taken, speaking of curves, hills, fellow riders and the ride across the river. You could guage by the people's excitement it was a grand time out on the road. In the mean time some swam, some caught a nap, others sowed on patches. All of us were waiting for the evenings festivities, which, if they were up to par with everything else that had happened, promised to make for an excellent evening.
By 6 p.m. the band Midnight Truce had finished setting up and people were taking it easy waiting for Cowboy to make some special announcements. At 6:45, Cowboy took the mike and began by thanking the hosts of the party, people and organizations who sponsored the event, and then began to honor the person whom the ride was dedicated to, Mike Wilson.
I am not going to go into a long story here about Mike. I have addressed what he meant to us all on previous posts and websites. But, I did want to say that one of the most poignant e-mails I have ever received in my life was read aloud that night on the stage.
It was sent to me from Edee Wilson, Mike Wilson's ex-wife.
In it she spoke of the pain she shared in Mike's passing, her admiration
for Mike's Mother and Father, and her desire to continue contributing to
the childhood causes Mike loved so very much. She told of his kindness to
everyone, his selfless giving, and his love for riding. My heart ached for
Mike's family as they sit and listend to Cowboy read the letter, as I am
sure so many others must have felt the same during this time. Once Cowboy
finished with the letter he called Tom and Joan to the stage to present
a plaque to them in the memory of their son from the Iron Indian Riders.
A
huge applause broke out in the convention center and unanimously all people
stood to show their respect. One of the hardest and most touching things
I have ever seen. God bless ya Mike for being such a great guy and thank
you Tom and Joan for making the trip. I know it was hard, but should we
all be so fortunate to leave such a heavy footprint in the walks of life
as your son did.
Now was time for the much anticipated and promoted PARTY!
Cowboy turned the mike over to Midnight Truce and they kicked the party
into high gear. Congrats on JudgeBob and Henry for breaking the ice by being
the first to the dance floor. Pretty soon the whole place was jumping and
celebrating. 
I would love to take credit for selecting the band, but I can't. Honestly, one of my best friends is a drummer with them and he asked to play the show. As I had never heard them play I was DEARLY praying that they would be at least "bearable". Imagine my utter surprise bordering on outright joy when I discovered that they were actually VERY good! Classic songs, doo-wap, harmonizing, crowd engaging, and friendly. The IIRA was quite pleased with the selection and the dancing broke out everywhere. What an excellent stroke of luck. Thank you Alan and thank you Midnight Truce.
The band finished at 9:30 (yeah yeah....I know, things were just getting started... if you were here, you knew the story...) and everyone either trickled out to the pools or stayed in the center. No one was lacking for someone to spend time with as we all shared comraderie over a great evening. In fact, no one turned in until the wee hours of the morning. JOKR was practically on fire (much to the consternation of Patachie) ;) BlueLou serenaded us over big band. Handan and I just smiled. What a great group this was. Hijinx also presented themselves from time to time, many of them coming at the expense of 1BIGGDogg. True to his nature, he took it well and in stride.
Sunday unfortunately signaled that the end of our time together was nearing. Roughly 60% of the riders loaded up for the journey home and we woke early to wish them a safe journey home. Ironically enough, they were probably safer on the road than if they would have stayed here. Storms were brewing and we were concerned...
Cowboy had a 2nd ride for the day planned and roughly 20 riders went on that ride to Eureka Springs. ( A charming town located 50 miles from here in northern Arkansas) Several riders stayed behind which allowed Handan and I some time to spend with them as well. All was relaxed and easy until later on Sunday night.
Around 7 o'clock that evening, I walked around and mentioned to several guests that if the need should arise, they would find shelter in our basement. Never believing for one moment that I would ever have to actually act upon my words!
Then the awful news was brought to me by Falcon1. He came to the office and said "They just said the words Indian Point and tornado in the same sentence, you may want to get everyone downstairs." I can just remember a sudden sense of dread and thinking this can't be real."
Everyone quickly filed into the basement and we huddled down there for 15 minutes until the worst of it blew over. Les Moore entertained everyone with his quick comedy, noting in particular the irony that I have a poster of a tornado downstairs in the basement. Being the my basement is only 5'10" several people took home reminders of my low ceilings. ;)
Torrential rains hammered the resort but nothing was damaged. Better yet, all guests were able to secure their bikes under the awnings to keep them out of the wind and rain. All in all, it was a fitting memory to cap the last night of our get together.
Monday brought the final departure of everyone. Everyone that is except 1BIGGDogg who just thought he would settle in until FRIDAY!!!
Overall though, it was probably the best thing for my wife and I that he stuck around. We were miserable beyond words over the emptiness of our place and seeing everyone leave. But, one of the best things that came out of the that Monday morning send off was the arrival of Jim Daly (owner of White Wing Resort here on Indian Point) congratulating us in front of many people on a GRAND event with GRAND people and the desire of the community to become involved with next years rally!
Oh, I forgot to mention that. This year off so well that the IIRA members immediately began making reservations for the next one! We have already settled on next years rally and it is going to be a beauty. 13 of our 17 rooms were reserved immediately and the same holds true for DreamCatcher. The Cottages have already established a fixed price as well and plans are underway to make it better. Now that we have a better idea of what we are up against, we will set out to make IRIP II even more memorable than the first.
But no matter what, the Indian Rally on Indian Point this year will always hold a special place in our hearts. See ya next year at IRIP II!
Michael and Handan Kugler
