If you’ve never been to AMA Motorcycle Days Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, helmet up—because this event is equal parts swap meet, race day, camping trip, and pure delightful chaos. And I mean that in the best possible way.
This isn’t just any motorcycle event. It’s a full-blown sensory overload of bikes, food, music, and mud (depending on the weather), and it’s an absolute must-do if you love two-wheeled adventures or just want to spend a weekend soaking up the culture. Here’s everything you need to know to plan the perfect AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days trip—from tickets and parking to the best food and where to stay if you’re not a “happy camper.”
Tickets run about $70 per person per day if you buy ahead of time. Procrastinate, and you’ll pay around $10 more at the gate. Just grab them online before you go so you can save money and guarantee your spot.
Parking is free, which is a nice bonus. If you don’t arrive early, you’ll likely end up in the far parking lot—and honestly, that’s my preferred spot because it’s easy to get in and out of. Just know it’s about a half-mile walk to the swap meet.
Walking is actually part of the fun because you can really take your time and look at everything, but you do need to be very aware of your surroundings. There are bikes everywhere and they’re constantly moving. The second year we went, we brought a small bike and rode it to the swap meet and it was much easier. If you have a mini bike or something similar, bring it. Just leave room in your truck because you will probably be tempted to buy a few more from the swap meet.
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The swap meet is enormous—think rows and rows of vendors selling bikes, parts, gear, and things you didn’t even know existed. Even if you’re not there to buy, it’s worth walking through just for the atmosphere. You’ll find an auction tent, a bike show, and vendors selling tools, T-shirts, and accessories.
Most of the food vendors serve typical fair food—fried everything, lemonade shake-ups, and so on—but if you walk toward the far parking lot, you’ll find a great BBQ stand and even boba tea. It feels unexpectedly trendy for a motorcycle event, but it hits the spot.
There’s more to AMA Motorcycle Days than just shopping. You’ll find off-road racing near the front of the park, road track racing on the main course, and even an open hilly field just past the far parking lot where you can test out the limits of your new bike or the dirt bike you brought with you.
There are multiple fields throughout the facility for both RV and tent camping, but they sell out fast, so grab your spot early if that’s your plan. As for me, I am not a happy camper, so I prefer to stay in a hotel. The closest towns are Mount Gilead and Mansfield, or you can stay in Columbus, which is my favorite because it gives me a chance to explore downtown after a day at the track. Another option is to stay in the Amish village about an hour away from the park, which is a peaceful contrast to all the motorcycle energy. If camping isn’t your thing, there are plenty of hotels near Mid-Ohio, and my guide breaks down the best options.
Final Thoughts on AMA Motorcycle Days Mid-OhioAMA Motorcycle Days Mid-Ohio is chaotic in the best possible way—a mix of adrenaline, exhaust fumes, and friendly bike enthusiasts all in one place. Whether you’re there to score a rare find, watch racing, or just wander the rows of bikes with a lemonade in hand, it’s a weekend that will leave you grinning and maybe a little sunburned. Plan ahead, bring good walking shoes or a bike, and make sure you have room in the truck for whatever treasures you pick up.
If you want something peaceful and scenic, consider an Amish Country getaway just an hour from the track.
A three-hour walking food tour through Old Town Key West that functioned as breakfast, lunch, and my new personality.
The Secret Food Tour hits five stops... and no, I’m not telling you where because discovering them is genuinely part of it. What I will tell you: the mutton snapper fish tacos with key lime mustard sauce were the dish I kept thinking about for days. There was also key lime pie involved at some point, which should surprise no one.
Our guide Deanna was excellent! She mixed local history and food stories in a way that felt like being shown around by someone who actually lives there rather than following a checklist. The group was small, the pacing was easy, and by the end I was completely full and slightly sad it was over.
Full review with everything you need to know before booking | link in bio 🌴
If you’re doing a Netherlands tulip trip and renting a car, staying directly in Amsterdam might actually be working against you…
We stayed at Hotel Heemskerk it’s on a historic estate outside the city, quieter than I expected, and about 20-30 minutes from the tulip fields. Free parking included, which after seeing Amsterdam parking prices felt genuinely exciting in a way I’m not embarrassed about. @hotelheemskerk worked really well as a base for exploring northern Holland without fighting city traffic every single morning.
Full review with room details, parking tips, location breakdown, and what’s nearby | link in bio. 🌷
I planned to spend maybe an hour at a cheese farm outside Amsterdam and left several hours later with an engraved clog birdhouse, way too much cheese, and a strong opinion on 1.5-year aged Gouda.
Clara Maria Cheese Farm near Amstelveen does a free cheese and clog demonstration that was genuinely one of my favorite things from the entire Netherlands trip. The farm is over 160 years old, the people running it are wonderful, and the tour guide Delo was hilarious in a way I was not prepared for.
A few things that surprised me: Dutch cheese gets its golden color naturally from beta carotene in cow’s milk. The entire cheese-making process is still done largely by hand pressed, flipped, salt-soaked, and hand-waxed before aging even starts. And Americans (myself included) have been pronouncing Gouda wrong our whole lives. It’s closer to “HOW-da.” I understand this now and will still panic and say it wrong anyway.
We tried about ten cheeses ranging from fresh to 20 years aged. The 20-year was aggressively pungent, think concentrated smelly feet... but the 1.5-year was perfect. We also met the cows. Honestly the whole thing was a lot more personal than I expected from a tourist stop.
Full review with what to know before you go, link in bio. 🧀
There’s a little cottage tucked inside a forest just south of Amsterdam that serves giant Dutch pancakes, and somehow I ended up there on a bike ride with no plan and left completely obsessed. 🥞
Boerderij Meerzicht is inside Amsterdamse Bos, Amsterdam’s massive outdoor park full of biking trails, canals, deer, and families spending the whole afternoon outside. It doesn’t feel like a tourist spot. It feels like something locals actually go to, which is exactly why I liked it.
Dutch pancakes are nothing like American pancakes. They’re huge, thin, somewhere between a crepe and a flapjack, and the toppings cover the whole thing. The honest caveat: the ordering system is slightly confusing at first because pancakes are ordered separately from everything else. Watch one other table do it and suddenly it all makes sense.
I got the apple pancake with cinnamon and powdered sugar, and it was exactly what I wanted. Also got the savory bacon, apple, and syrup combination, which sounds wrong and tasted very right.
Full review with the ordering process breakdown, what we ate, prices, and a tip for navigating there without getting lost | link in bio.
The tulip fields in the Netherlands look exactly like the photos, except the photos don’t capture how massive the color blocks actually are stretching across the countryside. Or the windmills. Or the sheep randomly standing in the middle of everything like they don’t know they’re in the most photogenic country on earth.
The honest caveat: tulip season moves fast, the fields rotate every year, and peak bloom is not a guarantee, it depends on the weather, the harvest schedule, and a little bit of luck. But that’s also part of what makes it feel less like a tourist attraction and more like something you actually found.
Full driving route with towns, parking tips, and what to expect | linked in bio. 🌷
#netherlands #travelling #tulipfields #exploreeurope
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