Moonshine Lunch Run

MARTINSVILLE, ILLINOIS



MOONSHINE LUNCH RUN 2015



N39 11.428       W87 53.733

Corner of 600th E. St. & 300th N.Rd.
Martinsville, Illinois 62442

Moonshine Store obtained its name from the reflection of the moon in a puddle of water in front of the store.

This year is the 11th Annual MLR.




The Moonshine Lunch Run and ST's go together.

The founder of MLR, Terry Hammond (RIP) was a ST rider.

- Moonshine Store was founded in 1889 by William St. Martz. The store was originally located just north of the present building. After this building burnt, a new Moonshine Store was built by Roscoe and Ransom Deverick in 1912. Moonshine has served as a gathering place, a grocery store, and a place for farmers and oil field workers to come for lunch. Enid Misner was the first to start making cold cut sandwiches and hamburgers for lunch. Helen and Roy Lee Tuttle bought the store from Enid in 1982. When helen took over, she continued the menu and added a variety of other sandwiches. Until the early 1990's, hamburgers were cooked on small electric griddles. The first gas grill replaced them in 1993 and the second grill was added in 2004. With the help of family and friends, this piece of history will continue on.



- The record number of sandwiches is 3,251 as of April 12, 2014.

- From 1992 to 2006, Helen has served 414,342 sandwiches. Most of these were hand-made hamburger patties.

- As of today, Helen uses a weekly average of 480-720 lbs. of hamburger, 50 lbs. of onions, 10 gal. of pickles, and more than 100 packages of buns.

- Moonshine Store has had visitors from every state and several countries.

- Moonshine Store has appeared on the Travel Channel, Food Network, and several local television stations.







This was the route down. It ended up being approximately 450 miles.



Arrived @ Moonshine store about 2:30 Eastern. Lucky for me, I gained an hour though. It was only 1:30 there. Good timing too, there was only a few people left in the burger line. By the time I parked and got situated the line was non existant and I was able to walk right in and get a double. They were out of cheese though. Not like I need it anyway. Often the line can extend for what seems like a mile. Last year we arrived at a similar time and stood in line for a long time. We set a record on burgers last year too. After eating, I walked around checking out all the bikes and waiting for Scott to show up. While waiting I also called Glenn, who also rode to Moonshine. Was hoping to hook up with him and camp out at the farm and go to the chilli dinner together, but he answered and informed me he was heading back home. Bummer. We will catch up next time.






Everybody is gone. I am the last bike there. Still waiting for Scott. Hopefully he gets an RT or FJR soon and picks up the pace.




There he is. Only about an hour and a half late.





Somehow he got lucky and they pulled a burger out of the leftovers for him. Now Scott can say he ate the last Moonburger served during the 11th Annual event. Only 11 guys can say that over the history of the MLR. That is notable, isn't it ?
Check out the complaints department sign.





Paying for the last Moonburger served. Over 3,000 burgers were served during this years event. Not quite the record we set last year. But close. UPDATE-3,061 MOONBURGERS WERE SERVED.





HAMMOND FARM

After finishing up at the Moonshine Store, we decided to ride up to the Hammond Farm and set up camp before riding to Casey for the Chilli dinner put on by the local Fire Department at the Casey High school, which started at 5:00 pm.

The Hammond Farm is in Martinsville and free camping is available there for the MLR. The farm is about 20 miles north of the Moonshine Store. The store is south of I-70 and the farm is north of I-70.



We found a nice spot along the edge of an elevated grassy area overlooking a field and woodline.



Scott set up his Eureka Mountain Pass 2 XTE and I my little Seedhouse made by Big Agnes. Looks like Scott brought the whole bedroom set. Cot and everything. He always looks at my miniscule Seedhouse and then at me and says "Can you even fit in there !"




After we finished up in Casey, a leisurely ride back to the Hammond Farm through endless fields and then along the gravel road leading back to the property was taken.



There was a pond nearby on the property with an incredible cadence resonating from the frogs who resided there. For awhile I just stood there listening. The volume was almost deafening at times.



The next morning, I was woken before sunrise by a symphony of nature. Imagine laying in your tent on an Illinois farm and listening to a combination of coyotes yipping and yapping off in the distance along with occasional hoot owls hooting and songbirds singing. Not to mention the incessant frogs and even a turkey gobbling. It was as if it was all being methodically orchestrated. This is the way to start the day. Early and connected to nature, as life is meant to be.








MOONSHINE LUNCH RUN 2014

Not knowing if the prior owner ever took the ST to Moonshine, I figured it only fitting to properly bond on the first big ride enroute to the notorious MOONSHINE LUNCH RUN in memory of Terry Hammond who was a ST owner.

Richard Buber (MTF and IBA member) is now the keeper of Terry's bike named Relentless - and it has over 100k on it now.

We left Detroit Saturday morning, heading into the horrendous Southwesterly winds most of the day, but at least it was warm and dry.

Just our fuel mileage suffered, and the occasional pucker factor when the wind almost put you in another lane !!

Four of us rode together.

Gasguzzler and Big Truck Guy on their 1200 GSA's, my couzin Will Smith on his 1500 wing (I sold him a few years back) and myself on the ST1300.

We rode Route 23 down through Toledo, Ohio and took 24 to Fort Wayne, Indiana and then I-69 to Indianapolis.

Rolling into Indianapolis.




Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis Colts)
You have to excuse my finger in the picture. I have yet to master this shooting on the fly business.




Selfie -



After a few too many fuel stops due to Couzin Will's thirsty 1500 wing, we crossed into Illinois and rode out into the farmland to MOONSHINE.

 The bikes were lined up for a mile down all the country roads in every direction.

 I heard a couple thousand bikes made it out for the event.



Hey, look. Theres BIG DOG, on the right. (AKA- Mark Sampson)



Ahhh, there's the Moonshine general store and the moonburgers. I better get over there - as the line goes way back down a little gravel road.





But first, I am going to go get some of this Amish pie and Ice cream to hold me over while in the burger line.

 Note the two Amish men back by the woodline with the bucket. I'm pretty sure they are making the ice cream.



I had the Raspberry pie. It was ok, but too sweet - and not tart enough for my liking.

Standing in the Moonburger line.

 This burger had better be good, and we are going to make it a double cheese !



After leaving Moonshine we rode into Casey to locate the High school where the firefighters were going to put on the chili dinner later on.

 On the way there I missed a turn and had to take a offroad detour to get back on track.

 Oh well, it made the GSA guys happy.



It was one thing running the ST down dirt and gravel, but trying to do it one handed - and take pictures behind me was another. But I managed.