February 2010 Ride Re-Cap

Some say that February is not a good month to try and go for a ride; too cold, could get wet, etc. Chapter 109 is not intimated by a few dark clouds and naysayers that drove their cages to the February meeting. Especially when we have the RonDog who wills the rain away and causes the sun to shine through those dark ominous clouds! The second ride into the new year drew about 15 bikes to YOC for the monthly gathering. The Integratron Adventure was just too good to pass up for some. The Chapter Meeting held a few surprises that members have been patiently waiting for – Patches, Pins, and a New Chapter Banner! Our president sent out a few shouts to the members regarding our upcoming events, and the 50/50 draw came back to the chapter as a donation for Debi’s Ride. One thing about our chapter – we have a lot of grace when it comes to helping others.
Although the ride to Landers was a bit threatening and chilly, what with the wicked clouds and a bit of wind, the road captains forged ahead to our destination. When you see windmills in the desert, you know the wind is gonna blow! Once we arrived, we were greeted by some fellow STARs from the Victor Valley Chapter – the ride for them was just over the hill. And the Integratron did not disappoint - After being secluded for several years, a few good folks decided it was time to open the gate and let some “old hippies” take a tour and reminisce the good ol days. It was rather healing to visit a site that has not been commercialized through profit, but restored through interest and mystique. To look at the dome from the outside, it didn’t really seem like much, but when we walked inside… You had to be there! Don’t let a few clouds keep you away from our next adventure. Thank You.….Sandy Cassel

Now check out some history on the Integratron…..
George Van Tassel, creator of the Integratron, was a legendary figure, an aeronautical engineer and test pilot who worked for Lockheed, Douglas Aircraft and alongside Howard Hughes at Hughes Aviation. He was also one of the leaders in the UFO movement who held annual "Spacecraft Conventions" at Giant Rock (a nearby boulder thought to be the world's largest; standing at about seven stories high and covers 5,800 square feet of ground).
According to George’s account, extraterrestrials brought him up on one of their spaceships and gave him the blueprints for the Integratron. They told George that the Integratron would rejuvenate human cells and would allow the user to remain at the same age almost indefinitely. Pretty heavy stuff!


I remember meeting George Van Tassel when I was a young boy. My father had a vacation home near the Integration and had been befriended by George as the two of them shared a similar interest in UFO’s. I’d listen to George for hours as he recounted stories of UFO sightings and meetings with extraterrestrials. This was too much like Sci-Fi to pass up! The stories were not only interesting, they were spellbinding; George was a fantastic orator and I could see why folks from all over the country came to visit with him.
I remember asking George about the strange building nearby (the Integratron) as I had never seen anything like it before and was curious about the stories I had heard about it; some had said it was a time machine. George would just smile in acknowledgement of my question and would subtly change the topic. Later, my dad explained that George was “kind of private” about the Integratron, but we would all know more about it when George “turned it on.”
Sadly, George passed away before turning on the Integratron…or at least no one had ever known if he had turned it on or not. We may never know the true story behind the Integration’s construction, but if all goes well, the new owners may get it fired up and believe me, I’d like to be there when they do!


Thank You……Vince Greva