IHAVE BEEN GOING TO TOMAHAWK EVERY YEAR FOR A LEAST THE LAST EIGHT YEARS FOR VACATION.I HAVE SOME GREAT FRIENDS THERE.TO ME TOMAHAWK IS THE GREATEST PLACE IN THE NORTHWOODS.THE PEOPLE ARE FANTASTIC AS IS THE LAKES, RIVERS AND ESPECIALLY THE FISHING. I HAVE PARTICPATED IN MUSKIE TOURNAMENTS. SEEN THE BIKE RUN, FOURTH OF JULY PARADE, CAR SHOW. TOMAHAWK ALWAYS HAS SOMETHING GREAT HAPPENING.SOME DAY WHEN I RETIRE I HOPE TO MAKE TOMAHAWK MY HOME THERE IS NO PLACE BETTER

<small>[ April 17, 2006, 07:13 AM: Message edited by: dwzmuskie ]</small>

What's great about Tomahawk is the Fall Ride. The community has expressed opinions of pros and cons about the Fall Ride, but what other event actually gets NATIONAL attention to Tomahawk. While Pow Wow Days, Car Shows, Boat and Motor shows etc. are in the news and are real kool, none of them get National attention like the Fall Ride. Also none of shows and events mentioned above, other than the Fall Ride, attract that large of a crowd from people all over the Nation. Some of the people's cons about the Fall Ride feel threatened by that large of a crowd, but "Sturgis" which is a much smaller town than Tomahawk attracts 450,000 people. All of those people aren't in Sturgis at once. They are spread out on at least a 90 mile radius and come in and out of Sturgis at different times. Kudos to Our Fall Ride!

I have had many people from out of town ask me: do the riders for the fall ride really ride or do they come to town to drink & be stupid?? Don't get me wrong, the Fall Ride is very beneficial to the area, but truthfully, the people that make the greatest amount of money IN the area are taverns, liquor stores & hotels or camp grounds. I really believe the bulk of the riders come to get away from reality & let things loose. There are many that do ride, but I think getting drunk is the main issue for allot of riders. The Fall Ride is NOT the ONLY THING THAT TOMAHAWK IS ABOUT. If that is the only thing we can be proud of, well I think we have a problem. Many of the residents (not just senior citizens) do not even feel comfortable enough to leave their homes during the ride-too much traffic, too noisy- I think we need to ask ourselves, what is really important to us as residents living in this town?

logic1.... let's not make this thread be another Fall Ride Bashing. The topic is, "What's Great About Tomahawk" It's not "What is wrong with one of the great things that happen in Tomahawk"
I mentioned many events in Tomahawk that are great; Pow Wow Days, Boat and Motor Show, Car Shows, etc. etc. , by the way, let's not forget the Kwahamots! I did say that the Fall Ride commands national attention. Any Chamber of Commerce, in any city in the country would give their eye teeth for national recognition.
Many people at the Fall Ride drink and act stupid, but for the most part they are the gawkers and attendees that don't ride. Remember, we are riding $20,000 bikes, how much is your car worth? We also own cars as well. We are not lowlife. Oh ya, we dress down and look real tough on our bikes, but during the week we are hard workers and professionals, how do you think we got those expensive rides. To get stupid drunk and risk our life and limbs and our investments would be real stupid. If the riders want to get drunk and stupid, it is back at the campfire where we know we are not going out again.
Taverns, liquor stores, hotels and campgrounds make out very well, true, but so do other businesses. Ask "Cover to Cover" book store how many people buy books and magazines to read back at camp and back at the motel. How many gift shops sell souveniers of Tomahawk that weekend? Gas stations? Restuarants? What else do we have in business here? To be exact; taverns,liquor stores hotels, campgrounds, book stores, gift shops. restaurants, gas stations, super markets. Win, Win, Win.
You think the bulk of the riders come to get away from reality and let things loose. LOL. To riders, the Fall Ride IS reality. If you want to talk about letting things loose, go to Bike Week in Daytona, go to Sturgis, the Summer Twister. I love all of those events, but there is where things are let loose. The Fall Ride is one of the most sane, clean cut bike weekends around. There isn't any nudity on the streets. Even the Speedway keeps it clean without offering a skin contest.
What is important to us residents living in this town you ask? What is important is the town thriving. The Fall Ride helps it thrive. The bonus weekend receipts in the community's cash registers make up for the slower times of the year. It helps businesses "average out' their lively-hood.
What's great about Tomahawk? All of the year long events, INCLUDING the Fall Ride. Now that's logic!

I did not plan to make thisa Fall Ride bashing, as you say. I agree with your post also. I just meant the Fall Ride is not the "get all" of Tomahawk.

The way the woods look after a fresh snow fall, branches heavy with snow, the early morning sunrise over the river, the warm evening with the frogs singing love songs, listening to the Cardinals, the crickets chirping, the clean clear water, watching ice burgs flow down river, the different shades of green in spring and summer, the wild life, watching deer play in the pasture under the oak tree, WAITING for the porcupines and turtles to cross the road, air clean enough for lichen to grow on trees and rocks, the fall colors, the smells of each new season. It is a wonderful to live here.

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Spay or nueter your pets!!!!!!!

nice post nugget.........that's what is nice about Tomahawk.

Thank You logic1, PEACE and LOVE from an old Woodstock hippy now riding a bike. It's just that I lose patience with closed and narrow minded people. I can see you are not one. My post stands for those who are. I always say, "What ever gets you through the night, is all right" "Fall mountains, just don't fall on me" "Live and Let live" "Do what you know and don't be slow"
"Straight ahead!" Loved Woodstock and those old song lyrics. Yours truly, that old bottom-feeding Catfish!

you're welcome Catfish.............. I never meant to offend anyone. Peace back at ya!!

Hats off to Larry, Kathy and the Leader Staff for a wonderful suppliment to this week's Leader!! WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT TOMAHAWK is just the best! It made me so homesick for Tomahawk that I actually cried. What a great tool to promote Tomahawk. From front to back, the photos, articles, advertising, everything is just wonderful. It is very apparently a labor of love for a much loved community.

Jan Huseby, in her tribute to Tomahawk said so simply,"What's great about Tomahawk? For me, it's the way I feel when I think of the word "home." " Amen Jan.

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Life is too short for drama & petty things!
So, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly!

One of the things of many that are great, is the starry night skies around the campire. Being a city dweller, I look forward to the trips up and after a long day's fishing sitting at the firepit and taking in the sounds and smells while staring into the heavens at the lights. The best part of the evening is when the 9:30/10:00 p.m. train comes through. Imagine sitting around smelling your fire, star gazing, and hearing that lonesome whistle sound as it hits each crossing. I can hear it now mixing with the popping and crackling of the embers, can't you?

It helps to have a perspective in life, to live in different regions of the country, and to be able to recognize what is important in life to be able to discuss this question. Small communities, particularly in the northern regions, may be challenging to live in due to the cold weather and the fact that most people know every one else, but in the long term the positives outweigh the negatives. Large cities are filled with tension, anxiety, pollution, a loss of identity, ecological waste zones, and are a pain in the *** tp get from point a to point b. Be thankful for what you have in a small community...take a step back and recognize what is important in life.

have a nice day, many thanks for giving us the info!!!
god Bless!!
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regardz,''

Linajane**

What is great about Tomahawk? What ISN'T great about Tomahawk !! I absolutely love spending time in this great city. It seems to me that the moment I pull into the cabins driveway, I can breathe again. The air, the stars, the constant sound of water and children laughing. The people of Tomahawk are what makes the city what it is. I have never received bad service, I have always gotten a smile it seems no matter where I go. We spend a good portion of the year up here, although we do live in southern WI, we get to the cabin at least every weekend if not more. Living near the big city down here just makes you realize what kind of life you really want to live - and we are hopeful that in the next few years we will live in Tomahawk as permanant residents. I personally cannot wait for that day

On a side note - not to make this about the Fall ride at all - because Tomahawk is so much more. But we do spend time here for the ride each year, have been for the past 13 plus years. We do own a Harley, and spend a ton of time on it during the year. Because we have a cabin in Tomahawk, it's just natural that we would ride up for the fall ride. While I do believe there a few "bad" riders, meaning they drink and ride, party and generally become obnoxious - the ride itself is a great time. We along with the group of people that come up with us, do not drink while on the bike and we try to ride very safely. After all we are sitting on a $20,000+ bike so we do want to keep it and us safe. While the ride is not the only thing that happens in Tomahawk, to me it is the end of the summer season and the beauty of the fall colors is always wonderful. And on Sunday after the ride, it is so quiet again and sometimes a little depressing. I may change my mind about all of that once we move permanently.

Also - all of the other activities that happen in Tomahawk during the summer season are wonderful. And of course the things we do in the winter are wonderful as well. Gosh, I feel as if I am gushing about the city. Maybe I am - maybe it's because I feel so completely comfortable there. I just want to say how much I appreciate everyone who makes the city what it is and keep up the good work - I love it!!