Bob Norton Consulting - August 2018

Cover story, continued ...

to the Deep South, all clustered along 690 miles of Highway 127. It passes through six states and features an uncountable number of treasures just waiting to be discovered. Because of its vast nature, the 127 Yard Sale offers travelers the chance to combine two of America’s most storied pastimes: road trips and bargain hunting. There are plenty of scenic destinations to stop and admire between looking for antiques, collectibles, and everything else you could imagine. If you’re the type of person who doesn’t miss an episode of “Antiques Roadshow,” you might mistake the 127 Yard Sale for paradise.

in 1938, the 10-day rally has become a mecca for motorcycle enthusiasts of all stripes.

Get dressed up in your fanciest lord or lady outfit, enjoy some jousting, and shop for artisanal products made by local craftspeople. Each weekend during the festival, you can also enjoy themed events. This year, for example, August 18 and 19 will host the “Buccaneer Beer Bash,”while September 8 and 9 will feature “Shamrocks and Shenanigans.”Whether you love Shakespeare, mead, or “Game of Thrones,” you’ll find something to interest you at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. The next time somebody tells you, “There’s nothing happening in August,” direct them to one of these or many other festivals and events. You don’t need a federal holiday to have a reason to mark your calendars.

The centerpiece events of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally are the rides themselves, which include trips around Devils Tower, Bear Butte, and Deadwood. There are also rally races and hill climbs. Hop off your bike to take in the concerts, enjoy some street food, and participate in the tattoo and beard contests. Bike lovers from all over the world make the pilgrimage to Sturgis, so you can bet you’ll see some jaw-droppingly cool rides, from pristine vintage bikes to one-of-a-kind custom creations. MINNESOTA RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL Weekends, August 18–September 30 Shakopee, Minnesota With an annual attendance of 300,000, the Minnesota Renaissance Festival has grown to be the country’s largest Renaissance fair. Technology may not be advanced enough to actually transport you back to the 16th century, but you’d never know it from the sights, sounds, and smells of the fairgrounds.

THE 78TH ANNUAL STURGIS MOTORCYCLE RALLY August 3–12 Sturgis, South Dakota

Even if you only have the most passing interest in motorcycles, odds are you’ve heard of Sturgis. The country’s most famous motorcycle rally attracts more than a half-million visitors every year, all eager to show off their bikes, rev their engines, and have some fun. Since its inception

GAME NIGHT GOES (REALLY) RETRO

The Oldest Games You Can Play Today

BACKGAMMON

People love to play games. When you play Angry Birds while waiting in line at the grocery store, you are actually participating in a long history of gaming that dates back to the earliest civilizations. Through the discovery of ancient game boards, archaeologists learned that the ancient Egyptians played a game called Senet in 3500 B.C. The rules were lost to time, but fortunately, there are plenty of other ancient games we still have the rules for! Sometime during the 2nd century A.D., people in India started playing a board game associated with aspects of traditional Hindu philosophy — namely, the contrast between karma (destiny) and kama (desire). A dice was rolled to navigate a game board where good virtues, represented by ladders, allowed players to move up on the board, and evil vices, represented by snakes, would drag pieces back down. The phrase “Back to square one” is believed to have originated from this game. Snakes and Ladders made its way to England before being brought over to the United States, where it was introduced as “Chutes and Ladders” by none other than Milton Bradley in 1943. SNAKES AND LADDERS

A blend of luck and strategy, backgammon originated in the Middle East around 5,000 years ago. Possibly an evolution of the ancient Mesopotamian game, the Royal Game of Ur, backgammon has players take turns rolling the dice to move their pieces off the board while trying to outsmart their opponent. Backgammon grew in popularity, spreading from the Middle East to the rest of the ancient world, and is still played by many today. Originating in China around the 5th century B.C., Go — or “weiqi,” as it’s called in China — focuses on the virtues of balance, discipline, and focus. Two players go head-to-head, placing their pieces on the board to claim as much territory as possible while simultaneously capturing their opponent’s pieces. Go is likely the oldest board game still being played today, with an estimated 40 million players worldwide. Though the rules are simple, the strategies take a lifetime to master. These are a just a few games that people have been playing around the world for centuries. If you’re ready to add something new to family game night, try something old instead! GO

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