How It Came About
Fred and Shelly Brostoff had a vision. For a number of years, while living in St. Louis, they had traveled the Ozarks and knew of its beauty, winding roads, scenic vistas, and the attractions of the quaint Victorian town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. They wanted to share their experiences with friends.
Later, after they had moved back to the Chicago area, they joined the Chaiway Riders of Chicago where they joined in the club's planning of rides to interesting places. Fred and Shelly knew that a simple two day trip along historic Route 66 or the scenic byways of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers connected Chicago to the best riding in the Midwest, and the die was cast. In 2008, the leadership of the Chaiway Riders made it official -- The Ozark Mountain Chai ride would be sanctioned for 2009, along with several other exciting destinations in the club's schedule.
The rest is history, and is documented partially in these pages, but lives forever in the hearts and minds of those who braved the weather forecasts, experienced the lure of the Ozarks, the nostalgia of Route 66, re-lived childhood memories of Mark Twain's Hannibal, MO, and all the other mishagos in between. This site is dedicated to the memory of those who rode the perilous trails of the Pig Tail, ate the sausage and biscuits, endured Branson, and to those whose destiny did not allow them to participate actively, but vicariously.
