Redbud... we’re coming.

wnorton729
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wnorton729
Edited Date/Time 6/30/2021 10:58pm
After the race this weekend, the family decided we’re taking the 17hr trip from Texas to RedddddBudddddd!
We’re leaving on the Wednesday before, but have to be back Tuesday, (so we’re not working with much time).

Anyone have any tips, pointers, spectating, hotels, etc.? It will be my son(12), nephew(15), wife and myself, so I want to make sure the kids will have a good view, close, etc. I’m understanding the pits will be closed... can anyone confirm? With that, I really just want to make sure the time is worth it and for us all to have a blast!

Also, do any of you guys know of any scenic places to stop at along the way? I really wouldn’t mind visiting a few other places (if time allows). I know Chicago is close by, we’ll be going through Little Rock, Memphis, and parts of Tennessee as well. Let me know what y’all think!
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dsmith
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dsmith 6/21/2021 4:56pm
6/21/2021 4:56pm
Try to get them bleacher seats...
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wnorton729
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wnorton729 6/21/2021 5:00pm
6/21/2021 5:00pm
dsmith wrote:
Try to get them bleacher seats...
Thanks for the input, but we don’t have a problem putting a canopy up with some chairs.
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crowe660
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crowe660 6/21/2021 5:02pm
6/21/2021 5:02pm
Head a little further north along Lake Michigan
and hit the beach in Grand Haven or Saugatuck. I was in Chicago this last weekend and didn’t have as good a time as before covid. Lots of loud annoying people.
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wnorton729
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wnorton729 6/21/2021 5:09pm
6/21/2021 5:09pm
crowe660 wrote:
Head a little further north along Lake Michigan and hit the beach in Grand Haven or Saugatuck. I was in Chicago this last weekend and didn’t...
Head a little further north along Lake Michigan
and hit the beach in Grand Haven or Saugatuck. I was in Chicago this last weekend and didn’t have as good a time as before covid. Lots of loud annoying people.
Awesome, I might look into it and thanks for the heads up! Cool

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motomike137
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motomike137 6/21/2021 5:28pm
6/21/2021 5:28pm Edited Date/Time 6/21/2021 5:29pm
crowe660 wrote:
Head a little further north along Lake Michigan and hit the beach in Grand Haven or Saugatuck. I was in Chicago this last weekend and didn’t...
Head a little further north along Lake Michigan
and hit the beach in Grand Haven or Saugatuck. I was in Chicago this last weekend and didn’t have as good a time as before covid. Lots of loud annoying people.
Just go to Warren Dunes State Park if you want to experience Lake Michigan. It's basically due west from the track, has an awesome beach and some big sand dunes to climb. Saugatuck and Grand Haven are really awesome but a ways north. South Haven is cool too.
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crowe660
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crowe660 6/21/2021 5:39pm
6/21/2021 5:39pm
crowe660 wrote:
Head a little further north along Lake Michigan and hit the beach in Grand Haven or Saugatuck. I was in Chicago this last weekend and didn’t...
Head a little further north along Lake Michigan
and hit the beach in Grand Haven or Saugatuck. I was in Chicago this last weekend and didn’t have as good a time as before covid. Lots of loud annoying people.
motomike137 wrote:
Just go to Warren Dunes State Park if you want to experience Lake Michigan. It's basically due west from the track, has an awesome beach and...
Just go to Warren Dunes State Park if you want to experience Lake Michigan. It's basically due west from the track, has an awesome beach and some big sand dunes to climb. Saugatuck and Grand Haven are really awesome but a ways north. South Haven is cool too.
Right on! You can’t beat the west side of Michigan!
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MX Culture
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MX Culture 6/21/2021 7:02pm
6/21/2021 7:02pm Edited Date/Time 6/22/2021 7:08am
Norte dame is right down the road in South Bend. Hotels too. Stick around Fri and Sat nights at the track to watch night racing and enjoy the red bud experience (a must). You’ll probably run into a few pros as well. Grandstands are cool but walking around and watching from different points in the facility is my choice. (Laroccos leap, sand whoops, launch pad, Monza wall turn, infield and apple orchard all have great places to watch. I haven’t heard on pit passes yet, I’ll ask about it, but you will have a great weekned. Tons of vendors on hand too so bring a few bucks. I’ll be announcing all the amateur stuff with Larry Witmer so say hi!
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side-pipe
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side-pipe 6/21/2021 7:18pm
6/21/2021 7:18pm
start screaming RED BUD!!!!!!!!! now to get your voice ready.

There is a walmart once you get off the interstate and start heading to the track. take the time to stop for any last minute items cause once you are there you wont want to leave. .


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brocster
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brocster 6/21/2021 8:09pm
6/21/2021 8:09pm
Get ready. Red Buuuuuuud is an awesome experience.

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bierbower105
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bierbower105 6/22/2021 4:00am
6/22/2021 4:00am
Bring your bikes and race - don't set up in one spot. Move around throughout the day.


It's America's Motocross Track - impossible to have a bad time.
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nascarnate326 6/22/2021 4:48am
6/22/2021 4:48am
IMO don't watch the race from one spot because you miss 60% of the race. Walk around and take in the sights and smells.

Sunblock. Use it.
Water. Drink it.

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crowe660
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crowe660 6/22/2021 7:42am
6/22/2021 7:42am
nascarnate326 wrote:
IMO don't watch the race from one spot because you miss 60% of the race. Walk around and take in the sights and smells. Sunblock. Use...
IMO don't watch the race from one spot because you miss 60% of the race. Walk around and take in the sights and smells.

Sunblock. Use it.
Water. Drink it.

Running from the backside of the hill to the frontside with a hundred drunk fans watching Tortelli chase down RC is one of my favorite Redbud memories.
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NorCal1975
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NorCal1975 6/22/2021 8:08am
6/22/2021 8:08am
If you just like to see as much of the track as possible get the top row of the big grandstand next to the take off of the ski jump. Gotta get there early though, that spot lets you see the start straight area and the couple corners up on top, and everything from the ski jump through the Monza turn. Probably the most you can see from any one 1 spot, at least in general admission. Bummer is you miss the rollers and Laroccos leap. We got our spot at the top of the grandstand staked out early, then walked around for practice. Lots of fun




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wiggins419
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wiggins419 6/22/2021 8:22am
6/22/2021 8:22am
21 year RedBud attendee here. I agree with walking around the track, not really a bad place to spectate. The main infield is built on a hill so you can only see one side of the track or the other. The pits are closed as of now but RedBud kind of hinted in a post the possibility of them opening (Michigan lifted most covid restrictions).

I also second Warren Dunes State Park if your kids wanted to climb a big sand dune and swim in Lake Michigan. 20 min from the track.
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kNewc
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kNewc 6/22/2021 8:32am
6/22/2021 8:32am Edited Date/Time 6/25/2021 12:24pm
I think the top of the grandstand is worth it. You can see almost the entire track and you have easier/better access to the bathrooms. In 2018 we didn't get it and really wish we would have. If you don't want to spend the extra cash then like everyone else said, moving around is best.

If you partake in cannabis and have time to drop the kids off and go somewhere responsible. It's also it's legalized there so if you want to stop downtown Buchanan first they have like 8 dispensaries in the smallest town ever. I don't smoke but it's a destination town for the weed alone.
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racerx217
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racerx217 6/22/2021 9:35am
6/22/2021 9:35am
dsmith wrote:
Try to get them bleacher seats...
wnorton729 wrote:
Thanks for the input, but we don’t have a problem putting a canopy up with some chairs.
I dont know how covid spectator numbers are going to work out but pre covid it would be good luck finding a spot to do that.
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deluxeman
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deluxeman 6/22/2021 9:46am
6/22/2021 9:46am Edited Date/Time 6/22/2021 9:51am
crowe660 wrote:
Head a little further north along Lake Michigan and hit the beach in Grand Haven or Saugatuck. I was in Chicago this last weekend and didn’t...
Head a little further north along Lake Michigan
and hit the beach in Grand Haven or Saugatuck. I was in Chicago this last weekend and didn’t have as good a time as before covid. Lots of loud annoying people.
wnorton729 wrote:
Awesome, I might look into it and thanks for the heads up! Cool
Yeah the beaches around there are great, South Haven and St Joseph are much closer to Red Bud than Saugatuck or Grand Haven and the beaches there are nice. Michigan Adventure is a combo water park, theme park in Muskegon that is pretty fun for a day, that is an hour or so North.

Chicago is a fun place to visit, but crime and Covid have kind of put a damper on me going anytime soon. Lots of good food, museums, aquariums, and shopping along the lake. Busy and hard to get around are the downside.

Red Bud is fun and easy to walk around and see many parts of the track. The only downside is hearing REEEEEDDDDDD BUUUUUUUDDDDDDD 8 million times a day.


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deluxeman
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deluxeman 6/22/2021 9:53am
6/22/2021 9:53am
kNewc wrote:
I think the top of the grandstand is worth it. You can see almost the entire track and you have easier/better access to the bathrooms. In...
I think the top of the grandstand is worth it. You can see almost the entire track and you have easier/better access to the bathrooms. In 2018 we didn't get it and really wish we would have. If you don't want to spend the extra cash then like everyone else said, moving around is best.

If you partake in cannabis and have time to drop the kids off and go somewhere responsible. It's also it's legalized there so if you want to stop downtown Buchanan first they have like 8 dispensaries in the smallest town ever. I don't smoke but it's a destination town for the weed alone.
It isn't legal for a 12 and a 15 year old.
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kNewc
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kNewc 6/22/2021 10:00am
6/22/2021 10:00am Edited Date/Time 6/22/2021 10:02am
kNewc wrote:
I think the top of the grandstand is worth it. You can see almost the entire track and you have easier/better access to the bathrooms. In...
I think the top of the grandstand is worth it. You can see almost the entire track and you have easier/better access to the bathrooms. In 2018 we didn't get it and really wish we would have. If you don't want to spend the extra cash then like everyone else said, moving around is best.

If you partake in cannabis and have time to drop the kids off and go somewhere responsible. It's also it's legalized there so if you want to stop downtown Buchanan first they have like 8 dispensaries in the smallest town ever. I don't smoke but it's a destination town for the weed alone.
deluxeman wrote:
It isn't legal for a 12 and a 15 year old.
What you do away from your kids isn't any of my business or theirs. I don't partake, but I was just bringing it up. It's a destination town for that reason alone. So if you don't like weed I wouldn't go to Red Bud 'cause this year it's going to smell EVERYWHERE it's allowed smoking.
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wnorton729
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wnorton729 6/22/2021 10:05am
6/22/2021 10:05am
dsmith wrote:
Try to get them bleacher seats...
wnorton729 wrote:
Thanks for the input, but we don’t have a problem putting a canopy up with some chairs.
racerx217 wrote:
I dont know how covid spectator numbers are going to work out but pre covid it would be good luck finding a spot to do that.
To be honest, I thought it was a joke/being a smart ass... Then I realized it wasn’t after reading through a few comments. Tracks around here, if your sitting in some bleachers you can’t see shit, even Freestone. Laughing

Glad I’m asking around here first!
Robbirob25
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Robbirob25 6/22/2021 10:20am
6/22/2021 10:20am
Set up in infield next to the rollers. Once you've had enough of watching the "leap", move to opposite side of hill and watch the start, ski jump, and Monza Wall.

Robbi
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wnorton729
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wnorton729 6/22/2021 10:40am
6/22/2021 10:40am
Also what’s up with the night race...? Do I need to bring bikes?
motomike137
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motomike137 6/22/2021 3:58pm
6/22/2021 3:58pm
kNewc wrote:
I think the top of the grandstand is worth it. You can see almost the entire track and you have easier/better access to the bathrooms. In...
I think the top of the grandstand is worth it. You can see almost the entire track and you have easier/better access to the bathrooms. In 2018 we didn't get it and really wish we would have. If you don't want to spend the extra cash then like everyone else said, moving around is best.

If you partake in cannabis and have time to drop the kids off and go somewhere responsible. It's also it's legalized there so if you want to stop downtown Buchanan first they have like 8 dispensaries in the smallest town ever. I don't smoke but it's a destination town for the weed alone.
Those seats are likely all sold already but yeah if you can get the top row or even the second from the top it is a great spot. That being said I would still spend all of practice wandering around to all of the places where you can still get up close and personal with the riders and track. My very favorite spot in recent years is down in the valley on the south side just east of left turn after the ski jump where they always have the giant broadcast screen right across the track from there. You can see most of the action on the south end and then watch the screen when they disappear over the big table going back to the north side.
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motomike137
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motomike137 6/22/2021 4:07pm
6/22/2021 4:07pm
kNewc wrote:
I think the top of the grandstand is worth it. You can see almost the entire track and you have easier/better access to the bathrooms. In...
I think the top of the grandstand is worth it. You can see almost the entire track and you have easier/better access to the bathrooms. In 2018 we didn't get it and really wish we would have. If you don't want to spend the extra cash then like everyone else said, moving around is best.

If you partake in cannabis and have time to drop the kids off and go somewhere responsible. It's also it's legalized there so if you want to stop downtown Buchanan first they have like 8 dispensaries in the smallest town ever. I don't smoke but it's a destination town for the weed alone.
deluxeman wrote:
It isn't legal for a 12 and a 15 year old.
kNewc wrote:
What you do away from your kids isn't any of my business or theirs. I don't partake, but I was just bringing it up. It's a...
What you do away from your kids isn't any of my business or theirs. I don't partake, but I was just bringing it up. It's a destination town for that reason alone. So if you don't like weed I wouldn't go to Red Bud 'cause this year it's going to smell EVERYWHERE it's allowed smoking.
I don't think the average spectator at Red Bud ever worried about the legality of sparking one up lol. Back in the day (70s-80s) we always would go up to the start and stake out a spot along the fence inside the curving start straight. We traditionally would fire one up when the 2 minute sign was displayed. So one year we get one going and this big dude was standing with his back to us on the other side of the fence, he smells it and turns around and Im like holy shit it's Gene! Gene looks me in the eye and says "that smells really good but your going to have to take it outside the track" lol. I quietly snuffed it out while Gene turned back around without giving it a second thought while the gate dropped for the first moto Smile
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Press516
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Press516 6/22/2021 4:34pm
6/22/2021 4:34pm
We stayed near the lake in a VRBO... It was reasonable and the kitchen makes it so much more reasonable. Easy to cook regular meals. I agree with moving around, but my wife absolutely preferred the grandstand by the tower... At MXoN they called it the Thor grandstand.
dsmith
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dsmith 6/22/2021 5:31pm
6/22/2021 5:31pm Edited Date/Time 6/22/2021 5:32pm
wnorton729 wrote:
Thanks for the input, but we don’t have a problem putting a canopy up with some chairs.
racerx217 wrote:
I dont know how covid spectator numbers are going to work out but pre covid it would be good luck finding a spot to do that.
wnorton729 wrote:
To be honest, I thought it was a joke/being a smart ass... Then I realized it wasn’t after reading through a few comments. Tracks around here...
To be honest, I thought it was a joke/being a smart ass... Then I realized it wasn’t after reading through a few comments. Tracks around here, if your sitting in some bleachers you can’t see shit, even Freestone. Laughing

Glad I’m asking around here first!
Bleachers/ grandstands...whatever..I raced bmx there in the late 70s thru 83ish...been goin ever since..with kids and wife..great spot to see everything.....otherwise...I'd snag a shade tree early on the south side..I took my 6 month year old girl there..usually hot.hot.hot
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davis224
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davis224 6/22/2021 6:48pm
6/22/2021 6:48pm
I usually stand in between the launch pad and the grandstands above the bowl turn where Dungey went over the bars in 09, and go back and forth to see whatever battle I'm watching. Get a good view of 90% of the track, and a close up of them scrubbing the launch pad.
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profeshenal125 6/22/2021 7:19pm
6/22/2021 7:19pm
crowe660 wrote:
Head a little further north along Lake Michigan and hit the beach in Grand Haven or Saugatuck. I was in Chicago this last weekend and didn’t...
Head a little further north along Lake Michigan
and hit the beach in Grand Haven or Saugatuck. I was in Chicago this last weekend and didn’t have as good a time as before covid. Lots of loud annoying people.
motomike137 wrote:
Just go to Warren Dunes State Park if you want to experience Lake Michigan. It's basically due west from the track, has an awesome beach and...
Just go to Warren Dunes State Park if you want to experience Lake Michigan. It's basically due west from the track, has an awesome beach and some big sand dunes to climb. Saugatuck and Grand Haven are really awesome but a ways north. South Haven is cool too.
You forgot the Indiana dunes National park. To the op, l looked up your town, your by the gulf. I put google maps in from port Arthur to the track, decent route over 1,100 mi. You don’t have a lot of spare time on the run. I would pack food so you don’t have to wait in line. Folks are on summer break already, I waited 30 min at a plaza in Ohio at 9pm. Avoid Chicago the city has the worst traffic on the 4th weekend. I57 to route 30 east it’s all stop lights cross i65 . Easiest way keep going route 30 e to route 31 north signs for south bend. I worked utility const. and trucking in Chicago since the late 80,s. In the summer it’s the most awesome city, renting a bicycle is the best way to see the city, but just a small part being that your on a bike. Excluding the ghettos , everything you see , looks cool. Tune into am780 wbbm traffic weather on the 8,s and am720 wgn has traffic, I hv the app also. Talk radio is great for driving. I drove threw Chicago land today, 80e to 294 tri state was bad. If you hv to see Chicago from Mi., take i90 the skyway to 90-94 Dan Ryan to downtown, could be 4-9 hrs. I would hit the lake, hit a orchard near the track , Best peaches, blue berries, etc. I got fuel x72 pilot in s. Bend, 31 s ramp was closed, so I traveled east then dropped onto i80-90. At the ramp I saw the Yamaha Monster rig and a black rig I couldn’t see the team name. Looks like a nice hotel, inn of saint mary. I googled it, rest of the name is nortre dame university hotel. I think it was in niles a holiday inn the riders in the 90,s stayed at, we stayed there also. I closed up the bar, team managers, mechanics, etc where in there. Then out by the pool, Mitch was there. I didn’t hv a room key, the guys wouldn’t wake up. So I crashed in a chair and put my legs up on a little table and crashed by an exit. The riders where funny in morning tickling my face, then I swat my face. I hear them saying pull his hair on his legs, do it do it. I don’t know who it was , but a few where messing around. I was totally crashed out.
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