For those of you that have attended the Safety Forum, this is a worthwhile day.
It is held and they listen to us, the riders and use some of our ideas and suggestions to help make safety a priority and awareness for all
Below is a link to the page with information for the 2009 day. March 13th "Gear Up 4 Safety"
www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/motorcycle/home.html
You may need to type the link to open this.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
January 2009 Chapter meeting
Just a reminder to everyone as you plan your January, 2009.
Our first meeting of the New Year is Saturday, January 10th, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. at Okoboji Grille in Johnston. More to come on this.
Hope everyone has a Happy and Safe New Year
Our first meeting of the New Year is Saturday, January 10th, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. at Okoboji Grille in Johnston. More to come on this.
Hope everyone has a Happy and Safe New Year
Chapter H Christmas Party and more
Friendship Riders of Iowa had their Christmas party on Saturday December 13th. We actually got to have it on the date scheduled this year, although it did conflict with some other member's work Christmas parties! It was held at the Country Kitchen on NE 14th street. Everyone that made it had a good time. There were laughs, friendship and food, of course. Home made goodies to share. The gift exchange was enjoyed, from comments heard.
Some of our members have decided to become snow birds and have gone south for the winter. We will miss them and look forward to getting together for some fun times and rides soon!
This is already been extreme weather and only this weekend, is it officially winter. The wind chills are below zero and snow every other day or so! Spring can't come soon enough! Weather report from Texas is temps in the 40's and above and Jon and Rosalee plans to ride almost every day!
Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a safe, Happy and prosperous New Year.
Dreaming of days of warm temps and great riding weather!
Steve
Some of our members have decided to become snow birds and have gone south for the winter. We will miss them and look forward to getting together for some fun times and rides soon!
This is already been extreme weather and only this weekend, is it officially winter. The wind chills are below zero and snow every other day or so! Spring can't come soon enough! Weather report from Texas is temps in the 40's and above and Jon and Rosalee plans to ride almost every day!
Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a safe, Happy and prosperous New Year.
Dreaming of days of warm temps and great riding weather!
Steve
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Chapter H Christmas Party
Just a reminder that in December we do not have a meeting. We have our Christmas party planned on Saturday, December 13, at 6:00 p.m. at the Country Kitchen on NE 14th St. We plan to eat supper there and then have our gift exchange. Bring a wrapped gift marked male or female or either and will do our Gift game as directed by Patti.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving
We want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. We are grateful for the abundance of friends, good times and memories that we have shared in this past year. We enjoy getting together and sharing laughs, food and friendship with all our Chapter H family.
Have a relaxing day and feel deep gratitude for all that we have and enjoy.
Steve
Have a relaxing day and feel deep gratitude for all that we have and enjoy.
Steve
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Start planning for 2009
We already have some dates for events in 2009.
February 7, 2009 GWTA Chapter I 5th Annual February Thaw Valley West Inn, WDM
February 28, 2009 Minnesota’s Freeze Your Tush North Branch, Minnesota-
March 21/22, 2009 Illinois Event TBA
June 7, 2009 Chapter B and L Fun Run Lake Manawa
June 12/14, 2009 Region C Rally Chippewa Falls, WI
June 28, 2009 Chapter P Fun Run TBA
July 13-16, 2009 Gold Rush- Lexington, Kentucky
August 14 15, 2009 Iowa Fun Fest Storm Lake, Iowa
October 9/11 Colorama Eureka Springs
November Nebraska Fall Follies Grand Island
February 7, 2009 GWTA Chapter I 5th Annual February Thaw Valley West Inn, WDM
February 28, 2009 Minnesota’s Freeze Your Tush North Branch, Minnesota-
March 21/22, 2009 Illinois Event TBA
June 7, 2009 Chapter B and L Fun Run Lake Manawa
June 12/14, 2009 Region C Rally Chippewa Falls, WI
June 28, 2009 Chapter P Fun Run TBA
July 13-16, 2009 Gold Rush- Lexington, Kentucky
August 14 15, 2009 Iowa Fun Fest Storm Lake, Iowa
October 9/11 Colorama Eureka Springs
November Nebraska Fall Follies Grand Island
Iowa's "Romans" represented at Nebraska Fall Follies
Rick and Patti won first place in Toga Costumes at Nebraska's Fall Follies.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Chapter H meeting Elections and Family of the Year
Chapter H had it's meeting on November 15th, at Okoboji Grille in Johnston. We had 18 members present. We said Happy Birthday to Rick Harvey.
Elections were done by ballot. Steve Patton will remain Chapter Director in name, for 2009. Bill Kirkpatrick volunteered to be the ride captain for 2009. Other officer positions will be confirmed in January.
Congratulations to Rick and Patti Harvey, our 2009 Family of the Year!
Also to Bob and Pam, everyone deserves this honored position.
We will keep our supper rides every Monday night leaving from Wynnsong theater parking lot. Our winter meetings will remain on the second Saturday evening of the month, except in October and November, so that those that want to attend Colorama and Nebraska Fall Follies,may do so. Our chapter bylaws are to stand as they are.
Our Christmas Party is at Country Kitchen on NE 14th Street, in Des Moines on December 13th at 6:00 p.m. We will be having a meal there and then gift exchange game. Please bring your own Homemade Christmas candy.
Our next actual meeting will be Saturday, January 10, 2009, 6:30 p.m. at Okoboji Grille.
Please check your GWTA card and see if it is time to renew. We wish to keep everyone in our GWTA family and enjoy the benefits of this group.
Elections were done by ballot. Steve Patton will remain Chapter Director in name, for 2009. Bill Kirkpatrick volunteered to be the ride captain for 2009. Other officer positions will be confirmed in January.
Congratulations to Rick and Patti Harvey, our 2009 Family of the Year!
Also to Bob and Pam, everyone deserves this honored position.
We will keep our supper rides every Monday night leaving from Wynnsong theater parking lot. Our winter meetings will remain on the second Saturday evening of the month, except in October and November, so that those that want to attend Colorama and Nebraska Fall Follies,may do so. Our chapter bylaws are to stand as they are.
Our Christmas Party is at Country Kitchen on NE 14th Street, in Des Moines on December 13th at 6:00 p.m. We will be having a meal there and then gift exchange game. Please bring your own Homemade Christmas candy.
Our next actual meeting will be Saturday, January 10, 2009, 6:30 p.m. at Okoboji Grille.
Please check your GWTA card and see if it is time to renew. We wish to keep everyone in our GWTA family and enjoy the benefits of this group.
ICE In Case of Emergency
ICE - 'In Case of Emergency'
We all carry our mobile phones with names & numbers stored in its memory but nobody, other than ourselves, knows which of these numbers belong to our closest family or friends.
If we were to be involved in an accident or were taken ill, the people attending us would have our mobile phone but wouldn' t know who to call. Yes, there are hundreds of numbers stored but which one is the contact person in case of an emergency? Hence this 'ICE' (In Case of Emergency) Campaign
The concept of 'ICE' is catching on quickly. It is a method of contact during emergency situations. As cell(mobile) phones are carried by the majority of the population, all you need to do is store the number of a contact person or persons who should be contacted during emergency under the name 'ICE' ( In Case Of Emergency).
The idea was thought up by a paramedic who found that when he went to the scenes of accidents, there were always mobile phones with patients, but they didn't know which number to call. He therefore thought that it would be a good idea if there was a nationally recognized name for this purpose. In an emergency situation, Emergency Service personnel and hospital Staff would be able to quickly contact the right person by simply dialing the number you have stored as 'ICE.'
For more than one contact name simply enter ICE1, ICE2 and ICE3 etc. A great idea that will make a difference!
Let's spread the concept of ICE by storing an ICE number in our Mobile phones today!
It really could save your life, or put a loved one's mind at rest. ICE will speak for you when you are not able to.
We all carry our mobile phones with names & numbers stored in its memory but nobody, other than ourselves, knows which of these numbers belong to our closest family or friends.
If we were to be involved in an accident or were taken ill, the people attending us would have our mobile phone but wouldn' t know who to call. Yes, there are hundreds of numbers stored but which one is the contact person in case of an emergency? Hence this 'ICE' (In Case of Emergency) Campaign
The concept of 'ICE' is catching on quickly. It is a method of contact during emergency situations. As cell(mobile) phones are carried by the majority of the population, all you need to do is store the number of a contact person or persons who should be contacted during emergency under the name 'ICE' ( In Case Of Emergency).
The idea was thought up by a paramedic who found that when he went to the scenes of accidents, there were always mobile phones with patients, but they didn't know which number to call. He therefore thought that it would be a good idea if there was a nationally recognized name for this purpose. In an emergency situation, Emergency Service personnel and hospital Staff would be able to quickly contact the right person by simply dialing the number you have stored as 'ICE.'
For more than one contact name simply enter ICE1, ICE2 and ICE3 etc. A great idea that will make a difference!
Let's spread the concept of ICE by storing an ICE number in our Mobile phones today!
It really could save your life, or put a loved one's mind at rest. ICE will speak for you when you are not able to.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Iowa Lawmakers Repay OHV Money
Iowa Lawmakers Repay OHV Money
Iowa lawmakers will finally repay the $775,000
they took from the Off-Highway Vehicle Fund
six years ago to balance the state budget.
Lawmakers raided the trails fund in 2002 when
they needed money to help make up a $9 million
shortfall in the state’s Medicaid program.
For years, Iowa riders have paid registration
fees on their off-highway motorcycles and ATV’s,
knowing that the money was earmarked for a
special fund to build and maintain OHV riding
areas.
The $775,000 will be available to make
improvements to the state’s eight OHV parks,
several of which have been closed because of
recent flood and rain damage.
“Off-Highway riders already paid their fair
share into the state’s budget through normal
taxes,” says Royce Wood, AMA government
affairs manager. “Raiding the trail fund meant
that trail riders had to pay twice to reduce the
state deficit, so it’s good to see that they are
getting the trail fund money back.
American Motorcyclist October 2008
More good Iowa news……….
Gypsum City OHV Park, Fort Dodge Iowa
opened July 8th, 2008. A new 300 acre park
can now be a play ground for Iowa’s off road
playing families.
Some 5-6 years in the making, organizers hope
the park will eventually grow to 1500 arces.
The park is built on mining land and will include
15 miles of trails, a motocross track and a practice
track for the beginning ATV riders.
The park came together through the effort of
government agencies, state lawmakers, non-
profit groups and four gypsum companies.
The park will be managed by the Wheelers club
of Webster County.
Local officials are hoping that the park will add
some $70,000 per weekend to the local economy.
Iowa lawmakers will finally repay the $775,000
they took from the Off-Highway Vehicle Fund
six years ago to balance the state budget.
Lawmakers raided the trails fund in 2002 when
they needed money to help make up a $9 million
shortfall in the state’s Medicaid program.
For years, Iowa riders have paid registration
fees on their off-highway motorcycles and ATV’s,
knowing that the money was earmarked for a
special fund to build and maintain OHV riding
areas.
The $775,000 will be available to make
improvements to the state’s eight OHV parks,
several of which have been closed because of
recent flood and rain damage.
“Off-Highway riders already paid their fair
share into the state’s budget through normal
taxes,” says Royce Wood, AMA government
affairs manager. “Raiding the trail fund meant
that trail riders had to pay twice to reduce the
state deficit, so it’s good to see that they are
getting the trail fund money back.
American Motorcyclist October 2008
More good Iowa news……….
Gypsum City OHV Park, Fort Dodge Iowa
opened July 8th, 2008. A new 300 acre park
can now be a play ground for Iowa’s off road
playing families.
Some 5-6 years in the making, organizers hope
the park will eventually grow to 1500 arces.
The park is built on mining land and will include
15 miles of trails, a motocross track and a practice
track for the beginning ATV riders.
The park came together through the effort of
government agencies, state lawmakers, non-
profit groups and four gypsum companies.
The park will be managed by the Wheelers club
of Webster County.
Local officials are hoping that the park will add
some $70,000 per weekend to the local economy.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Motorcycle News
The international Motorcycle Show is coming to Minneapolis, MN
Feb. 13-15, 2009. Last year some of our members made the trek north-
bound to see the show. Mark your calendars. It’s a good way to break
the winter blues……………………..
The motorcycle noise issue is raising its ugly head again, and No folks
it’s not just Harley’s. Many states and cities are monitoring motorcycle
noise, and it is evolving into a serious threat. Excess noise can result in
being pulled over and issued a ticket for up to $700 for not having
your exhaust to EPA standards. Worst case scenario is that motorcycles
would have to meet a much lower decibel limit. This new technology would
result in added weight and costs to bikes.
In Denver aftermarket pipes cannot exceed 82 decibels. New York City is
attempting to ban all motorcycles in certain areas of the city and from driving
in the HOV lanes on the freeways.
Speed….Speed….Speed The race is on for speed and the competition is fierce!
In 2006 Chris Carr in Denis Manning’s BUB No.7 set the world speed record at
350.884 MPH. In 2008 Sam Wheeler had a one way average of 352.00 MPH, but
at the same event Rocky Robinson piloted Mike Akatiff’s “Act Attack” to a two
way average of 360.913 MPH at Bonneville September 26. What speeds will 2009
bring? Time will tell.
More info coming…. Keep checking the Friendship Blog……
Feb. 13-15, 2009. Last year some of our members made the trek north-
bound to see the show. Mark your calendars. It’s a good way to break
the winter blues……………………..
The motorcycle noise issue is raising its ugly head again, and No folks
it’s not just Harley’s. Many states and cities are monitoring motorcycle
noise, and it is evolving into a serious threat. Excess noise can result in
being pulled over and issued a ticket for up to $700 for not having
your exhaust to EPA standards. Worst case scenario is that motorcycles
would have to meet a much lower decibel limit. This new technology would
result in added weight and costs to bikes.
In Denver aftermarket pipes cannot exceed 82 decibels. New York City is
attempting to ban all motorcycles in certain areas of the city and from driving
in the HOV lanes on the freeways.
Speed….Speed….Speed The race is on for speed and the competition is fierce!
In 2006 Chris Carr in Denis Manning’s BUB No.7 set the world speed record at
350.884 MPH. In 2008 Sam Wheeler had a one way average of 352.00 MPH, but
at the same event Rocky Robinson piloted Mike Akatiff’s “Act Attack” to a two
way average of 360.913 MPH at Bonneville September 26. What speeds will 2009
bring? Time will tell.
More info coming…. Keep checking the Friendship Blog……
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Fall in all it's beauty
When we heard the weather was going to be warm and perfect for riding, we put together a last minute ride and left Saturday morning, early on November 1st. We took back roads, through Southern Iowa and into Missouri. We rode some awesome back roads and went through several small towns. We arrived at Hermann Missouri, but there were no rooms as Octoberfest celebrations were coming to a close. The hotels and Bed and breakfasts were all full. It is a German town along the Missouri river with a winery and many intersting shops and more. We found a place to stop for the night. We remembered to reset our watches and took off early this morning, Sunday. We wound our way back towards home. We passed the road going to Mexico, Florida and Louisiana. We did make it to Paris, on our way back home! We rode over Mark Twain lake and saw some of the most beautiful reds, orange and yellow leaves on the trees. The temps were in the 70's and the sun was shining. We got back late afternoon from a wonderful weekend ride.
What's wrong with this picture?
OK, so please look closely at this picture. What is wrong with it? (look closely at Steve)
Everyone had a laugh at our first meeting October 15th.
Everyone passed the test for being observant and paying attention to him. ;)
Breitbach Restaurant in Balltown
Sad news. The Breitbach restaurant in Balltown, that was just rebuilt and opened in June, burned to the ground again. We were forunate enough to get to eat there over Labor Day weekend before it burned. We have not heard if they will be rebuilding or it that is the end of the restaurant.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Chapter H meeting
Friendship Riders of Iowa had their regular meeting on Saturday, October 18th at the Okoboji Grille at noon. We had several members present. A few rode their motorcycles in 50 degree temps. We discussed several issues and will have elections in November, including Chapter Director position, Family of the year and review of the Chapter By-laws.
Our next meeting is November 15th at 6:30 p.m. at Okoboji Grille on 86th Street in Urbandale.
Christmas party is December 13th, 6:00 p.m. at Country Kitchen on NE 14th ST.
Weather permitting, several members plan to ride to the Nebraska Fall Follies, the second Saturday in November. Their theme is "Toga Party."
If you have something you would like discussed on the blog or at our next meeting, please get in touch with me.
Our next meeting is November 15th at 6:30 p.m. at Okoboji Grille on 86th Street in Urbandale.
Christmas party is December 13th, 6:00 p.m. at Country Kitchen on NE 14th ST.
Weather permitting, several members plan to ride to the Nebraska Fall Follies, the second Saturday in November. Their theme is "Toga Party."
If you have something you would like discussed on the blog or at our next meeting, please get in touch with me.
Colorama Pics
Winding Twisty roads with "mountains" in view. Riders on the Friday night supper ride.
Golden Gate Bridge
Chapter H notes in October
Rick and Patti Harvey canceled their Harvey BBQ the first weekend in October.
Colorama, Missouri's annual get together was held October 11th, at Eureka Springs. Steve and Connie, Jon and Rosalee took off Thursday afternoon before and met Rick and Patti in Bethany.
We rode on down after staying in Lamar, MO. Just outside of Eurkeka Springs, we found a small motorcycle accessories store and shopped some. We left there and arrived at the KOA on Friday about noon. We found a restaurant called the Smokehouse that is known for it's homemade biscuit for Biscuit and Gravy. It is huge and should be shared with at least 2 people. Be prepared for meal and a "show." :) George and Peggy joined us in the afternoon. We got camp set up and then prepared for our evening supper ride. Wiliferd had a new motorcycle without a CB so Steve was the tour guide. We saw some interesting sites including a place where the owner has most of his buildings that look like castles. In another area there were statues of zoo animals. We crossed the large Beaver Dam, went through the town of Beaver, across their "Golden Gate Bridge", through the older part of Eureka Springs where all of the unique shops are and ended up at the restaurant. We had a very large group and had a good time. Some went back to their motels and we went back to the campgrounds.
Saturday morning, many registered and there were several different rides you could go on. We wanted to go a route that was a combination of several of the maps, so took off and did our own ride. We found some wonderful twisting roads, Pigs Trail, Dinosaur Tail, Toothpick, and Devil's Den state park. We went over to Highway 7 and checked out Arkansas Grand Canyon and the Cliff Restaurant. The leaves are turning some but still beautiful area.
Saturday evening was BBQ catered from a local restaurant. It was very good. There was a silent auction and a lot of give-aways. There was instruction on GPS and then a campfire.
Many left and headed home on Sunday. Jon and Rosalee and Steve and Connie decided to stay and enjoy some more riding. We found some more beautiful roads. We took camp down on Monday and it was upper 70's and sunshine. As we got closer to Kansas City, it became cooler and looked like rain. We put on rain gear and by the time we were in Kansas City it was misting and pouring near Bethany. By the time we got into Iowa, it was raining and 4o's. Connie says, Thank you to my heated seat!
Colorama, Missouri's annual get together was held October 11th, at Eureka Springs. Steve and Connie, Jon and Rosalee took off Thursday afternoon before and met Rick and Patti in Bethany.
We rode on down after staying in Lamar, MO. Just outside of Eurkeka Springs, we found a small motorcycle accessories store and shopped some. We left there and arrived at the KOA on Friday about noon. We found a restaurant called the Smokehouse that is known for it's homemade biscuit for Biscuit and Gravy. It is huge and should be shared with at least 2 people. Be prepared for meal and a "show." :) George and Peggy joined us in the afternoon. We got camp set up and then prepared for our evening supper ride. Wiliferd had a new motorcycle without a CB so Steve was the tour guide. We saw some interesting sites including a place where the owner has most of his buildings that look like castles. In another area there were statues of zoo animals. We crossed the large Beaver Dam, went through the town of Beaver, across their "Golden Gate Bridge", through the older part of Eureka Springs where all of the unique shops are and ended up at the restaurant. We had a very large group and had a good time. Some went back to their motels and we went back to the campgrounds.
Saturday morning, many registered and there were several different rides you could go on. We wanted to go a route that was a combination of several of the maps, so took off and did our own ride. We found some wonderful twisting roads, Pigs Trail, Dinosaur Tail, Toothpick, and Devil's Den state park. We went over to Highway 7 and checked out Arkansas Grand Canyon and the Cliff Restaurant. The leaves are turning some but still beautiful area.
Saturday evening was BBQ catered from a local restaurant. It was very good. There was a silent auction and a lot of give-aways. There was instruction on GPS and then a campfire.
Many left and headed home on Sunday. Jon and Rosalee and Steve and Connie decided to stay and enjoy some more riding. We found some more beautiful roads. We took camp down on Monday and it was upper 70's and sunshine. As we got closer to Kansas City, it became cooler and looked like rain. We put on rain gear and by the time we were in Kansas City it was misting and pouring near Bethany. By the time we got into Iowa, it was raining and 4o's. Connie says, Thank you to my heated seat!
Applefest in Woobine, Iowa
Applefest is a fall celebration in the town of Woodbine, Iowa, over in Western part of Iowa.
http://woodbineia.org/Applefest.pdf
Their celebration is always that last Saturday of September. They have car shows, craft fairs, flea market, apple pie, many things made with apples and more. We rode over and joined Nebraska's Chapter Z for an afternoon ride and then joined them for their Hog roast and meal.
Nebraska's Chapter G was having a campout and meal at a campground a few miles away.
It was a beautiful fall day. If you are looking for something to do the same time next year, consider Woodbine's Applefest.
http://woodbineia.org/Applefest.pdf
Their celebration is always that last Saturday of September. They have car shows, craft fairs, flea market, apple pie, many things made with apples and more. We rode over and joined Nebraska's Chapter Z for an afternoon ride and then joined them for their Hog roast and meal.
Nebraska's Chapter G was having a campout and meal at a campground a few miles away.
It was a beautiful fall day. If you are looking for something to do the same time next year, consider Woodbine's Applefest.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Breitbach Restaurant in Balltown
We checked out Balltown's restaurant that had been remodeled after a fire last December. Breitbach's restaurant was Iowa's oldest restaurant. They had a breakfast buffet that was pretty good. The restaurant looks much different but is still decorated with some antique items. It is a good experience with a nice ride to Balltown. Be sure to walk out to the scenic view. Worth the time to check out!
Chapter H Monday night rides and More
Chapter H Monday night scheduled rides continue through the end of September. We had to change some of the rides up near Ames due to cooler and rainy weather. We are riding to restaurants that are closer to Des Moines. October Monday rides really depend on what Iowa's weather is going to do.
There are some GWTA events yet to come. September 27th at Woodbine, Iowa is Applefest. The town has a celebration around Apples, apple pie, caramel apples, craft fair and more. Chapter Z Nebraska is having a hogroast and Nebraska's Chapter G is camping at a State Park nearby.
Rick and Patti Harvey have their annual BBQ at their new home the first Saturday in October.
Colorama is the second weekend in October at Eureka Springs. Leaves are already changing in Iowa now and should be beautiful by then.
Nebraska has their state event, A TOGA party, the second weekend in November at Grand Island, Nebraska.
If you are intersested in riding to one of the events, get in contact with us to see if a group is planning to go.
There are some GWTA events yet to come. September 27th at Woodbine, Iowa is Applefest. The town has a celebration around Apples, apple pie, caramel apples, craft fair and more. Chapter Z Nebraska is having a hogroast and Nebraska's Chapter G is camping at a State Park nearby.
Rick and Patti Harvey have their annual BBQ at their new home the first Saturday in October.
Colorama is the second weekend in October at Eureka Springs. Leaves are already changing in Iowa now and should be beautiful by then.
Nebraska has their state event, A TOGA party, the second weekend in November at Grand Island, Nebraska.
If you are intersested in riding to one of the events, get in contact with us to see if a group is planning to go.
The Patriot Rock in Iowa
We went on a ride one very hot summer day and wanted to see what Bubba had created this year at the Rock. It is truly an awesome work of art and a tribute to ALL of our soldiers and Veterans.
You can find Iowa's Patriot Rock south of I-80 on Highway 25 north of Greenfield, Iowa. This rock was once covered by graffitti but is now a work of art that is changed every year by Memorial Day.
Iowa's Fun Fest at Storm Lake
Iowa's Fun Fest was held at Storm Lake August 22-25th. We arrived on Friday and set up camp. Some moteled but several brought their campers and we circled our campers. Friday night we had hot dogs and potato salad and everyone visited. There was also a campfire in the evening. There were incredible sunsets over the water there with wind energy windmills in the background.
Saturday A.M. everyone registered and began the day of the Fun run by drawing a card, guessing how many M & M's were in the jar and then took off on the ride. First stop was at Storm Lake Honda. We had to see how many pieces of Bubble gum we could grasp with our hands and that was our score for that stop. Larry at Storm Lake Honda provided breakfast pizza and something to drink. It was a great stop. We had trivia questions that we could look for the answers as we went on the ride. We stopped at The Grotto where we had a ping pong ball toss, next stop was a frog draw, *we rode past some of Iowa's wind energy farms* and then back to the campground for our final card draw. Darrell and Judy Peters and others of Chapter L did a great job on this Fun Run. It was interesting and fun.We had an auction, 50/50 both Friday and Saturday nights. Hyvee catered a great meal for Saturday. Several played the games in the afternoon. Larry from Storm Lake was honored for all that he
has done for some of our GWTA members. 
The GAMES: It was a series of things to be done. First, the team plank walking. Pic above shows Pam and Bob then they walked holding a plastic egg on a spoon, and then kicked 3 balls to the other end of the game field getting them in all in a small area. Then they had to pick up beans with chopsticks. This was a timed event. Rick H from Nebraska and "snookum" had a little trouble with the plank walk and received the "whoopie cushion" award.
State Director Rick Harvey was attached to a tree and for $1.oo you could throw a water balloon at him. Money from this was donated to Helping Hands. A challenge was made between Rick Harvey and Rick H from Nebraska to do this at Goldrush in 2009 to see who could raise the most for Helping Hands.
Rick and Patti Harvey notified everyone that they are resigning as Iowa's State Directors. We thank them for all that they have done and all the hard work on Iowa's Fun Fest and trying to keep "Iowa on the Move."
2009 Iowa Fun Fest will be in Storm Lake with camping but the date is changing to the weekend before. More info on that too come.
Chapter J has fun run
August 17th Several of our members went to Clarinda area for Chapter J's Fun Run with money raised for a little boy that had lost his leg and fingers in a lawn mower incident. We had a good ride with one of our stops at Bedford and had Strawberry Shortcake. The poker run was fun, good friends and money was given to the little boy and his mom at the end of the event. It was a great day for a ride.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Iowa has some unique things to see and places to go
OK, so everyone likes to go check out unique and interesting places, right?
Well, Iowa has it's share. I have to admit, many we have not seen.
We did find something NOT on the list.... the world's largest rocking horse, in ROLFE, Iowa. SEE a previous post for pictures.
Check out the link we may need to go check some of these out.
Ok, the world's largest Cheeto? that has to be rank by now.....
www.roadsideamerica.com/location/ia/all
You can click on some of the links for more information and locations.
Let us know if you have seen any of these and what you thought about them.
We did see the water towers in Stanton and checked out a restaurant on the main street known for their Fruit of the forest pies. They have interesting crepe pancakes and some berry syrup that is tasty!
Well, Iowa has it's share. I have to admit, many we have not seen.
We did find something NOT on the list.... the world's largest rocking horse, in ROLFE, Iowa. SEE a previous post for pictures.
Check out the link we may need to go check some of these out.
Ok, the world's largest Cheeto? that has to be rank by now.....
www.roadsideamerica.com/location/ia/all
You can click on some of the links for more information and locations.
Let us know if you have seen any of these and what you thought about them.
We did see the water towers in Stanton and checked out a restaurant on the main street known for their Fruit of the forest pies. They have interesting crepe pancakes and some berry syrup that is tasty!
Don and LaVone go to Germany
We once again flew over the big pond to Germany in July...our 4th time there.
This trip was a bit different than the others. Before, we have always traveled
on our own, this time we connected with friends we became acquainted with
while there in 2005 in a hotel dining room. These friends are also the ones
that visited us here in 2006.
We arrived in Frankfurt at 7:45 A M. They are 7 hours ahead of the U S....the
flight was a little over 8 hrs. By the time we had arrived, we were ready to go
to bed, but by their clock, it was time to rise and shine!!! They met us at the
airport and then we were driving on the Autobahn. They live 1 1/2 hours from
the airport...between Frankfurt and Cologne. We hadn't been on the Autobahn
very long when we came upon a horrific accident...2 trucks and don't know how
many cars. All three lanes were shut down, helicopters flying overhead, and men
in white suits and their vehicles driving around us on the shoulder....must have been
a chemical spill to clean up. We sat there for 3 hrs before they got one lane cleared.
It was a terrible sight as we passed by ..no doubt people were killed. By the time we
arrived at their home, we had been up for 29 hours!!! Excitement kept us going we think!!
They rented an apartment for us to stay in..about a 5 minute walk from their home. Seems
this is common in their area as this is what this apartment is used for. We slept the rest
of the afternoon and then they took us out to eat that night.
This is the only area of Germany that we hadn't toured before. It is strictly wine country.
The terrain is quite rugged...strait up & down with grape vines growing everywhere. We
wondered how they ever got those grapes planted. Perhaps they had one leg shorter
than the other!!!! We saw the grapes being trimmed with a machine that looked somewhat
like a narrow garden tractor going up & down the hillsides. Also saw helicopters flying
overhead spraying the vines. By the way.....their wine is excellent!!!
They took us many places while we were there...everything in very close proximity
to their home...no overnight stays on the road like they had while they were with us.
It was hard for them to believe the vastness here and how far we have to travel to see
anything different.
We went to 2 museums..one was an outdoor museum of farm history, similar to
Living History Farms, but much older..1600-1700) and covered a much larger area.
It was very different and interesting. At one point, we saw this large design hanging
in the middle of the road...a circular hanging with many loops....very beautiful.
We were surprised to learn that it was made of hens eggs. The symbol and design
was a traditional celebration in the spring that was meant to bring happiness and a
prosperous year. The other museum was in Bonn, German History Museum. It was
also such a learning experience for us. They were great at explaining everything to us.
It involved history before, during, and after the east-west division. The German people
were not pleased with that situation. They showed films of that period also. It was a
moving experience for us to watch those people trying to cross to the west and when
the wall came down.
We went to a castle that overlooked the Rhine River...interesting and the views
from that high up were spectacular!!! We took a cog train part of the way up and
walked a VERY STEEP climb to reach the top.
I must mention...we walked like we have NEVER walked before!!! Some of the
places we toured, we're thinking we must have walked almost a half mile from
the parking lot....straight up & down and very steep all the way! Good thing
we are in pretty good shape for our age....we kept up with them!!! Now we
know why those Germans, young and old, have walking sticks!!!! Maybe we
should have purchased some while there!!!
We saw a very large and very old church in Cologne. It's hard to imagine
the height size of such a gothic structure and how they every got it built.
The stained glass windows were very high.
We toured two wineries. One was quite modern with wonderful food, wine, and
music. Again we walked a long ways to get there. As for the other one, we would
have never found it on our own. It was out in the country on a road we would call
a path...parked the car and WALKED UP AND DOWN AGAIN FOR A GOOD HALF
MILE!!! Had a bottle of wine and food they highly recommended. We had a plate
of cheese and some small rounds of bread that had a white spread with small
pieces of meat in it. It was quite tasty and we ate quite a few slices before we
learned the spread was LARD!!! Oh lordy....we slowed down and took a few gulps
of wine!!! Cholesterol City here we come!!! However, the lard is nothing like ours. It
is processed much different from ours. It very white, shiny, very smooth for spreading.
Another German experience!!!
The shopping is very different from America. Very high quality merchandise everywhere.
Walmart was there for 7 years and left. The Germans thought it was cheap junk and
didn't patronize them. Germans shop locally and support their own. With the conversion,
gas was $9.92 per gal. Their small villages makes ours look sick. Their business
districts in those small towns were at least twice the size of downtown Ames and some
bigger. The towns are very clean with well kept stores...even the very old structures.
Many of them dated back to the 1600 & 1700's. The food in their restaurants is quality
food. The small villages, have many hotels and restaurants with beer gardens. We
seldom ate inside while there.
We went to two flea markets.....just huge! No junk for sale...all quality merchandise with
a lot of it being hand made. These two flea markets are only held once a year for one
week only. It was a wonderful experience for us and the shopping was so unusual and
great!!!
We also had a boat trip on the Rhine River!!!! It was nothing like the Mississippi to be on.
There were no open spaces anywhere. We were constantly looking on both sides of the
boat at castles, churches, mansions, restaurants along with villages....just beautiful.
We stopped off at some villages and had lunch in Bonn with more shopping. One
day we took a ferry across the river to a neat little village full of old structures, good
food and great shopping.
Our last night there, they took us to a very nice restaurant high on the mountain side.
That required a long steep walk to get there and then climbed steep steps...it was well
worth it. The view of the Rhine was out of this world.
Their oldest son had passed the written test portion to get his license....he was so proud!!
That had taken a year of schooling....he still has to pass the driving test. It's quite rigid
and involves driving on the Autobahn. He is 17 and can only drive with one of his parents
till he is 18...then he can drive alone. Doesn't get his permanent license till he's 21.
The cost of the class is 1,200 Euros and the permanent license cost another 1,200 Euros.
Of course it's much more money than that in American dollars....not cheap!!
This is the highlights of our trip...it was just WONDERFUL!!! It was very hard to say
our goodbyes...we're so far apart. It is a truly wonderful experience to have such a
great friendship with a foreign family.
In spite of all that good food..(Kerstin is also an excellent cook) their great wine and
beer and with all that steep walking, I discovered I had lost 5 pounds when we got home!!
We should go there more often...it would be good for us!!!
Don & LaVone
This trip was a bit different than the others. Before, we have always traveled
on our own, this time we connected with friends we became acquainted with
while there in 2005 in a hotel dining room. These friends are also the ones
that visited us here in 2006.
We arrived in Frankfurt at 7:45 A M. They are 7 hours ahead of the U S....the
flight was a little over 8 hrs. By the time we had arrived, we were ready to go
to bed, but by their clock, it was time to rise and shine!!! They met us at the
airport and then we were driving on the Autobahn. They live 1 1/2 hours from
the airport...between Frankfurt and Cologne. We hadn't been on the Autobahn
very long when we came upon a horrific accident...2 trucks and don't know how
many cars. All three lanes were shut down, helicopters flying overhead, and men
in white suits and their vehicles driving around us on the shoulder....must have been
a chemical spill to clean up. We sat there for 3 hrs before they got one lane cleared.
It was a terrible sight as we passed by ..no doubt people were killed. By the time we
arrived at their home, we had been up for 29 hours!!! Excitement kept us going we think!!
They rented an apartment for us to stay in..about a 5 minute walk from their home. Seems
this is common in their area as this is what this apartment is used for. We slept the rest
of the afternoon and then they took us out to eat that night.
This is the only area of Germany that we hadn't toured before. It is strictly wine country.
The terrain is quite rugged...strait up & down with grape vines growing everywhere. We
wondered how they ever got those grapes planted. Perhaps they had one leg shorter
than the other!!!! We saw the grapes being trimmed with a machine that looked somewhat
like a narrow garden tractor going up & down the hillsides. Also saw helicopters flying
overhead spraying the vines. By the way.....their wine is excellent!!!
They took us many places while we were there...everything in very close proximity
to their home...no overnight stays on the road like they had while they were with us.
It was hard for them to believe the vastness here and how far we have to travel to see
anything different.
We went to 2 museums..one was an outdoor museum of farm history, similar to
Living History Farms, but much older..1600-1700) and covered a much larger area.
It was very different and interesting. At one point, we saw this large design hanging
in the middle of the road...a circular hanging with many loops....very beautiful.
We were surprised to learn that it was made of hens eggs. The symbol and design
was a traditional celebration in the spring that was meant to bring happiness and a
prosperous year. The other museum was in Bonn, German History Museum. It was
also such a learning experience for us. They were great at explaining everything to us.
It involved history before, during, and after the east-west division. The German people
were not pleased with that situation. They showed films of that period also. It was a
moving experience for us to watch those people trying to cross to the west and when
the wall came down.
We went to a castle that overlooked the Rhine River...interesting and the views
from that high up were spectacular!!! We took a cog train part of the way up and
walked a VERY STEEP climb to reach the top.
I must mention...we walked like we have NEVER walked before!!! Some of the
places we toured, we're thinking we must have walked almost a half mile from
the parking lot....straight up & down and very steep all the way! Good thing
we are in pretty good shape for our age....we kept up with them!!! Now we
know why those Germans, young and old, have walking sticks!!!! Maybe we
should have purchased some while there!!!
We saw a very large and very old church in Cologne. It's hard to imagine
the height size of such a gothic structure and how they every got it built.
The stained glass windows were very high.
We toured two wineries. One was quite modern with wonderful food, wine, and
music. Again we walked a long ways to get there. As for the other one, we would
have never found it on our own. It was out in the country on a road we would call
a path...parked the car and WALKED UP AND DOWN AGAIN FOR A GOOD HALF
MILE!!! Had a bottle of wine and food they highly recommended. We had a plate
of cheese and some small rounds of bread that had a white spread with small
pieces of meat in it. It was quite tasty and we ate quite a few slices before we
learned the spread was LARD!!! Oh lordy....we slowed down and took a few gulps
of wine!!! Cholesterol City here we come!!! However, the lard is nothing like ours. It
is processed much different from ours. It very white, shiny, very smooth for spreading.
Another German experience!!!
The shopping is very different from America. Very high quality merchandise everywhere.
Walmart was there for 7 years and left. The Germans thought it was cheap junk and
didn't patronize them. Germans shop locally and support their own. With the conversion,
gas was $9.92 per gal. Their small villages makes ours look sick. Their business
districts in those small towns were at least twice the size of downtown Ames and some
bigger. The towns are very clean with well kept stores...even the very old structures.
Many of them dated back to the 1600 & 1700's. The food in their restaurants is quality
food. The small villages, have many hotels and restaurants with beer gardens. We
seldom ate inside while there.
We went to two flea markets.....just huge! No junk for sale...all quality merchandise with
a lot of it being hand made. These two flea markets are only held once a year for one
week only. It was a wonderful experience for us and the shopping was so unusual and
great!!!
We also had a boat trip on the Rhine River!!!! It was nothing like the Mississippi to be on.
There were no open spaces anywhere. We were constantly looking on both sides of the
boat at castles, churches, mansions, restaurants along with villages....just beautiful.
We stopped off at some villages and had lunch in Bonn with more shopping. One
day we took a ferry across the river to a neat little village full of old structures, good
food and great shopping.
Our last night there, they took us to a very nice restaurant high on the mountain side.
That required a long steep walk to get there and then climbed steep steps...it was well
worth it. The view of the Rhine was out of this world.
Their oldest son had passed the written test portion to get his license....he was so proud!!
That had taken a year of schooling....he still has to pass the driving test. It's quite rigid
and involves driving on the Autobahn. He is 17 and can only drive with one of his parents
till he is 18...then he can drive alone. Doesn't get his permanent license till he's 21.
The cost of the class is 1,200 Euros and the permanent license cost another 1,200 Euros.
Of course it's much more money than that in American dollars....not cheap!!
This is the highlights of our trip...it was just WONDERFUL!!! It was very hard to say
our goodbyes...we're so far apart. It is a truly wonderful experience to have such a
great friendship with a foreign family.
In spite of all that good food..(Kerstin is also an excellent cook) their great wine and
beer and with all that steep walking, I discovered I had lost 5 pounds when we got home!!
We should go there more often...it would be good for us!!!
Don & LaVone
Rides
August 9, 2008 Randy and Jen, our Region C directors were in Des Moines taking care of some business and asked if we were doing a ride. Several from our chapter got together and headed for about a 2 hour ride south, through some of southern Iowa's beautiful twisty roads. We arrived at Ozzie's Red Barn, near Lake Rathbun. They had a large group of 60 there and had just put in orders, so we were either going someplace else or could order salads and pizza. We chose the latter. We finished our meal and rode back to Des Moines. It was great weather for riding and had a good time.
If you are looking for a place to eat that has ice cream, salads and sandwiches or serves Breakfast all day, near Moravia, check out Angels! It has an interesting fountain with textured leaves and trees on the wall inside, at the front of the restaurant and angels as decor.
This past Monday night we were supposed to go to Indianola to the Sports Page. We were notified by Dave, that the restaurant was closed for remodeling. So now where to go. We were pleasantly surprised to be joined by Darrel and Carolyn Blair. We had a good group and headed to Colfax, Georgio's for sandwiches and/or pizza. It was a beautiful night for a ride.
If you are looking for a place to eat that has ice cream, salads and sandwiches or serves Breakfast all day, near Moravia, check out Angels! It has an interesting fountain with textured leaves and trees on the wall inside, at the front of the restaurant and angels as decor.
This past Monday night we were supposed to go to Indianola to the Sports Page. We were notified by Dave, that the restaurant was closed for remodeling. So now where to go. We were pleasantly surprised to be joined by Darrel and Carolyn Blair. We had a good group and headed to Colfax, Georgio's for sandwiches and/or pizza. It was a beautiful night for a ride.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Iowa's State Fun Fest at Storm Lake
Remember Iowa's Fun Fest, August 22-24th at Storm Lake, Iowa. This should be a fun event and has a very nice campground by the lake. There is a lot to see and do around the town and a great ride is planned as well. You can print off your registration from from the Iowa site
www.iowagwta.com
and if you pre-register by August 1st, you get it at a cheaper rate.
Chapter H is responsible to sell 50/50 tickets on Friday and Saturday.
There is a State meeting for all State and Chapter Directors, including assistant and State Safety Director, Sunday a.m.
Chapter J has a fun run, August 17th. Check out the State site for more information on this as well.
We continue to have weekly Monday night supper rides, starting from Wynsong Theater Parking lot, in Johnston, leaving at 6:30 p.m.
Don't forget to pre-register for Colorama, being held this year at Eureka Springs.
www.iowagwta.com
and if you pre-register by August 1st, you get it at a cheaper rate.
Chapter H is responsible to sell 50/50 tickets on Friday and Saturday.
There is a State meeting for all State and Chapter Directors, including assistant and State Safety Director, Sunday a.m.
Chapter J has a fun run, August 17th. Check out the State site for more information on this as well.
We continue to have weekly Monday night supper rides, starting from Wynsong Theater Parking lot, in Johnston, leaving at 6:30 p.m.
Don't forget to pre-register for Colorama, being held this year at Eureka Springs.
Ride Iowa
Connie and I did the Ride Iowa event, Saturday, July 26th, a ride to raise money for March of Dimes. We met Pam and Bob Beverage there. We started out at the Newton Speedway, where for $10.00 you could ride on the race track with your motorcycle. There was a lot of bikes there, not sure of the exact count. We left the speedway in a long parade of bikes through Newton, Colfax and ended up at Baxter for a meal, music and bike show and more.
It is amazing to see all the motorcycles for miles ahead and behind you. We had fun last year and felt this was a good cause to ride for.
It is amazing to see all the motorcycles for miles ahead and behind you. We had fun last year and felt this was a good cause to ride for.
Sunday, July 20th headed home from Goldrush
After a quick breakfast, we were on our way home on I-80. We had several hours of riding and wanted to get home at a decent hour since some of us needed to go back to work on Monday. The "retired ones" were ready to get home too, I think :).
It was a very warm day and we drank plenty of liquids, had ice available and used our Chilly pads as well.
The Tourmaster Air pants, jacket and gloves were amazingly cool. We had always thought it would make you too hot, but keeps the sun off the skin and air flowing through the mesh, even hot air, was cooler with them on. Plus, you could wear shorts with the air pants on.
Everyone arrived home safely and I think had a great time on this trip. Pam and Bob had several challenges all along the way.
We clocked about 3,000 miles!
If you get a chance to go to Goldrush, there is so much to see and do. It is an experience! Goldrush is what you make it! If you choose to participate in events or ride and check out the beautiful scenery around the site, it is a great experience.
Please feel free to submit your trip or experience so we can add it to the blog.
It was a very warm day and we drank plenty of liquids, had ice available and used our Chilly pads as well.
The Tourmaster Air pants, jacket and gloves were amazingly cool. We had always thought it would make you too hot, but keeps the sun off the skin and air flowing through the mesh, even hot air, was cooler with them on. Plus, you could wear shorts with the air pants on.
Everyone arrived home safely and I think had a great time on this trip. Pam and Bob had several challenges all along the way.
We clocked about 3,000 miles!
If you get a chance to go to Goldrush, there is so much to see and do. It is an experience! Goldrush is what you make it! If you choose to participate in events or ride and check out the beautiful scenery around the site, it is a great experience.
Please feel free to submit your trip or experience so we can add it to the blog.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Saturday, July 19th
Several wanted to see Mt Rushmore, so we went through Spearfish Canyon, Lead, then drove by Mt Rushmore, some of the Black Hills, Keystone mountain with twisy, winding roads and then through Custer State Park on our way out of South Dakota.' We took some beautiful pictures of the country side. We saw deer, anelope and a large herd of Bison.
Connie's camera battery died just as we saw the bison herd, but will check with others to see if they got the picture of them.
We went through NW Nebraska. They kind of have their own BadLands in the area of the sand dunes. Again, gas stations are few and far between. We stopped at a gas station where some other GWTA members were having tire problems and had to wait until Monday for the nearest Honda dealer to open and get it replaced. Judy and Holly were needing to get on towards home so rode with us as far as North Platte. We went from Mountain time to Central time after Ogalala and arrived late at North Platte. Several of the hotels were full and we were able to find rooms (the last ones) for everyone at the Comfort Inn at North Platte.
Friday, July 18th
Dennis and Donna Pittman took down their camper and headed for Glacier National Park and would return the following Tuesday or Wednesday.
Rick, Patti, Stan, Tammy, George, Peggy, Sherrill, Ben and Carla all headed for Bear Tooth Pass and then Yellowstone before heading for home.
Steve, Connie, Bob, Pam, John and Rosalee, after breakfast, took down camp and headed for home. As we were leaving Billings, Connie saw a hawk flying over carrying a snake in it's talons. Connie told Rosalee over the CB "we better hope it doesn't drop it." I am sure Rosalee was thinking, gee, watching for snakes on the ground and falling from the sky???"
We stopped at a trading post said to be the begining point of Custer's Last Stand. The tomb of the Unknown Soldier was there, as well as statues of Custer and Sitting Bull. There was a trading post/gas station there as well.
Gillette, Wyoming was a busy place with the BMW convention being held there. .
Rick, Patti, Stan, Tammy, George, Peggy, Sherrill, Ben and Carla all headed for Bear Tooth Pass and then Yellowstone before heading for home.
Steve, Connie, Bob, Pam, John and Rosalee, after breakfast, took down camp and headed for home. As we were leaving Billings, Connie saw a hawk flying over carrying a snake in it's talons. Connie told Rosalee over the CB "we better hope it doesn't drop it." I am sure Rosalee was thinking, gee, watching for snakes on the ground and falling from the sky???"
We stopped at a trading post said to be the begining point of Custer's Last Stand. The tomb of the Unknown Soldier was there, as well as statues of Custer and Sitting Bull. There was a trading post/gas station there as well.Gillette, Wyoming was a busy place with the BMW convention being held there. .
We saw several antelope, prairie dogs along with the rocky bluffs, sagebrush, bales of hay, cattle and horses.
We went through Wyoming and could see Devil's Tower in the distance. We arrived at Spearfish, South Dakota, but again, hotels were full now because of a corvette convention. We went back to Bel Fouche and stayed in a quaint western style motel, Sunset Motel, at the edge of town. The rooms were clean but cozy. We went for a quick evening meal and got back to the motel, covered the bikes, right before the wind and rain hit. At least the rain seemed to be in the evening, although it was warm enough we might have welcomed a little rain as we rode.
Thursday, July 17th Goldrush
Everyone got together for breakfast at the Cracker Barrel then headed to the convention center. Many events were going on and we spent the day there. Dirty Bingo, Vendors, Bike show, Riding competition and more. We went to the Q & A with ED (Bruce Keenon.) It was interesting. We stayed for Chapter Olympics and Chapter H Iowa got SILVER!!! Good job!!
We did our skit - gals in black gauchos, our GREEN shirts, GREEN beaded bandana scarves and GREEN Cowgirl hats. Guys wore jeans, GREEN shirts, had GREEN bandanas, and GREEN Cowboy hats. Each couple had painted a cardboard copy of their motorcycle and we sang our own version of "ON TOP OF OUR MOTORCYCLE" to the tune of On Top of Old Smokey. We won 2nd place in the musical skit! We had a lot of fun preparing for this and we got a lot of great comments about all of our GREEN, including the gals scarves with the beads and all the GREEN cowboy hats! :)
Closing ceremonies covered awards and recognitions. There was to be a slide show but there was some computer technology problems and they weren't able to show pics.
Region C got 2nd place in the ice cream eating contest. 1st place had received a silver spoon and Region C received a regular spoon. Randy and Jen will post all the winners in our region soon.
Bob Beverage was in the last few for the $5,000.00 drawing but was 2nd to the last name drawn. So close...
A lady from Canada won the bike raffle and chose the Harley. We said our good byes to our GWTA friends and family as everyone prepared to go home or continue on vacation. As we left the parking lot, George Hoy and Peggy Clark arrived and were continuing on with Rick, Patti, Stan and Tammy. Everyone packs up and leaves Billings in the morning.
We did our skit - gals in black gauchos, our GREEN shirts, GREEN beaded bandana scarves and GREEN Cowgirl hats. Guys wore jeans, GREEN shirts, had GREEN bandanas, and GREEN Cowboy hats. Each couple had painted a cardboard copy of their motorcycle and we sang our own version of "ON TOP OF OUR MOTORCYCLE" to the tune of On Top of Old Smokey. We won 2nd place in the musical skit! We had a lot of fun preparing for this and we got a lot of great comments about all of our GREEN, including the gals scarves with the beads and all the GREEN cowboy hats! :)
Closing ceremonies covered awards and recognitions. There was to be a slide show but there was some computer technology problems and they weren't able to show pics.
Region C got 2nd place in the ice cream eating contest. 1st place had received a silver spoon and Region C received a regular spoon. Randy and Jen will post all the winners in our region soon.
Bob Beverage was in the last few for the $5,000.00 drawing but was 2nd to the last name drawn. So close...
A lady from Canada won the bike raffle and chose the Harley. We said our good byes to our GWTA friends and family as everyone prepared to go home or continue on vacation. As we left the parking lot, George Hoy and Peggy Clark arrived and were continuing on with Rick, Patti, Stan and Tammy. Everyone packs up and leaves Billings in the morning.
Wednesday, July 16th Goldrush
We had decided that we wanted to check out Bear Tooth Pass in Wyoming. Dennis Pittman, John and Rosalee, and Connie and I decided to go check this out. Several of the others were going there at the end of their week after Goldrush. We rode through Red Lodge. The temperature was almost 80 degrees. We saw some beautiful hills and rocky mountains. There was a place along the road where people were taking small rocks and stacking towers of rocks along the curve. Interesting... Someone said that if it stayed standing, they would have good luck going up the mountain, but if they fell down, beware... Fact??? or Fiction???
We have so many incredible pictures it is hard to know what ones to put on here. We saw some mountain goats on a hillside, deer and some elk. There were beautiful flowers, small flowing creeks, some small lakes and a rusing river at the bottom of the mountain. There were signs that was free range and beware of bears....
We left there looking for gas ands ome place for lunch. We took Chief Joseph highway and ended up at Cody, Wyoming for lunch. We had a good ride back to Billings and John and Connie thought they saw a bear at one point. We arrived back at camp safely just as another rain storm was coming in. Some of the others had gone to the Harley open house and it had started raining there.
Tuesday, July 15th Goldrush
Everyone got up early, had breakfast and went to the soccer field and lined up for the LIVING LOGO. Look for the GREEN shirts and handkerchiefs in the first part of the W of GWTA.
Dennis and Donna Pittman went to get a tire fixed; somehow picked up two nails in their tire. Pam and Bob had some things to take care of as well.
Connie and I, John and Rosalee decided to go for a short ride while we waited for everyone to be ready to ride. We soon found out that roads in Montana are not like Iowa, where every few miles you have a road to turn left or right on. 45 miles or so later we finally turned left. We ended up making a big square about 250 miles total. We did find a cool restaurant that served Buffalo Burgers and Buffalo chips. (seasoned sliced potatos.) The landscape is amazing there. One side of the road is covered with sparse grass, sagebrush and rocks, and on the other side of the road, lush green fields or trees and creeks.
We arrived back to camp and met up with the others. We got ready and rode to the Depot in Billings, where the dance and dance lessons was held. We had a good dinner and then went over to check out the Depot. Tables were decorated in Western decor and judged according to the decorations. Iowa had one with cards and western theme. The DJ played music and taught Cowboy Up, a line dance and a circle dance. Several participated in this and had a lot of fun dancing. There was a silent auction as well. The sky became dark and we headed for the campgrounds just as the sprinkles began and it rained for a little while.
Monday July 14th, Goldrush
Grand Opening ceremonies was held at the Billings Hotel Convention Center. There was a lot of excitement. Region C was prepared to show their spirit! Many things were discussed about the week. One thing that was stressed was to watch out for rattlesnakes. That really made Rosalee happy :(
We were told that Stan and Gwen from Chapter Z, Nebraska, went down on their way to Goldrush. There was a rod in the road, they hit it and blew a tire and went down. Stan has cracked ribs and Gwen has road rash.
The vendors were in the convention center across the parking lot. Events were scheduled in either of the two buildings. The ice cream contest between regions would be at Cold Stone Creamery.
Pam and Bob, John and Rosalee and Stan and Tammy went to the First Timers meeting and met several members doing so.
2009 Goldrush is in LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY!! There was a special rate that if you signed up at Goldrush, you got in at 2 for 1.
The light parade was specatular. There were a lot of bikes and it was a near full moon. The route wound up the side of a bluff overlooking the city and the line of bikes was so long that as they did a u-turn and came back down, we got to see those that had been in the beginning of the parade. We ended up at Coldstone Creamery.
Sunday July 13th Goldrush
Yes, Connie's camera settings got goofed up and her pictures say 2004.
Sunday morning, July 13th, we stopped for breakfast on our way out. We were pleasantly surprised to see Dave and Bump at the same restaurant. We took 212 towards Billings. Gas stations were few and far between so we gassed up whenever we could. There was about a 9 mile stretch of road that was gravel and dirt with pot holes. We all made it through safely and arrived at Billings KOA on Sunday afternoon. We set up camp and went to Billings Hotel for the Sunday evening meal. The food was wonderful and we had a good time visiting and meeting some new GWTA friends.
Sunday morning, July 13th, we stopped for breakfast on our way out. We were pleasantly surprised to see Dave and Bump at the same restaurant. We took 212 towards Billings. Gas stations were few and far between so we gassed up whenever we could. There was about a 9 mile stretch of road that was gravel and dirt with pot holes. We all made it through safely and arrived at Billings KOA on Sunday afternoon. We set up camp and went to Billings Hotel for the Sunday evening meal. The food was wonderful and we had a good time visiting and meeting some new GWTA friends.
Our Goldrush adventures
Saturday, July 12th, we ate at a restaurant in Valentine, Nebraska, called The Bunkhouse. We had authentic Indian Frye bread - Indian Tacos.
As we were going through South Dakota, the GPS led us on an interesting road where we happened to run across Wounded Knee and then ended up on a road that was labeled: service road for the Rosebud Indian Reservation. We did go by a Native American School playground with a medicine wheel on the east side of a hill.
We did see some of the Badlands on our way out. Ask Bob and John about the honey bees.
Spearfish motels were full because of a Pontiac convention, so we rode on to Bel Fouche Motel 6. We were so happy to find a motel and get settled in. We found that Don and Kathy Thomason were staying there as well and headed to Billings.
Goldrush 2008 Billings Montana
Goldrush 2008 in Billings, Montana is now over and we left with a lot of good memories. We saw some amazing scenery and there is a lot of history in the area.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Stan and Gwen, from Nebraska, Chapter Z, that went down on the way to Goldrush. We hope that the cracked ribs and road rash heal quickly.
12 members from Chapter H were there, "way to go, Chapter H, Iowa!" Rick and Patti Harvey, Stan and Tammy Hyer, Ben and Sherrill Ress and Carla Hoskey, left early in the week and did some camping on the way to Billings. Steve and Connie, Dennis and Donna Pittman, John and Rosalee Driskill, and Pam and Bob Beverage all left Friday afternoon, July 11th. We had an interesting ride there. We spent our first night at Norfolk, Nebraska.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Stan and Gwen, from Nebraska, Chapter Z, that went down on the way to Goldrush. We hope that the cracked ribs and road rash heal quickly.
12 members from Chapter H were there, "way to go, Chapter H, Iowa!" Rick and Patti Harvey, Stan and Tammy Hyer, Ben and Sherrill Ress and Carla Hoskey, left early in the week and did some camping on the way to Billings. Steve and Connie, Dennis and Donna Pittman, John and Rosalee Driskill, and Pam and Bob Beverage all left Friday afternoon, July 11th. We had an interesting ride there. We spent our first night at Norfolk, Nebraska.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Chapter H rides to meet Chapter L
7 Chapter H members (Steve and Connie, Bill and Dee, Jon and Rosalee, and Rick H)rode on a beautiful day, Saturday, July 5th to Shenandoah, Iowa to meet Chapter L for a noon meal at the Depot Deli restaurant. The train depot was converted into a restaurant and has many unique antiques and more. The food was good and the friendship was enjoyable as well.
We left and rode into upper Missouri and stopped in Winterset in Rudy's for Broasted Chicken and more. It was a great day for a ride, fun, and friendship.
www.depotdeli.com
We left and rode into upper Missouri and stopped in Winterset in Rudy's for Broasted Chicken and more. It was a great day for a ride, fun, and friendship.
www.depotdeli.com
Parkersburg
Our hearts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones affected by the tornado that destroyed most of that town and their homes and some lives. We were on our way home from Clear Lake and went on HWY 14 through town. The site was unreal.........
Fort Custer Maze in Clear Lake Iowa
4th of July, Dennis and Donna Pittman, Connie and I took a ride up to Clear Lake. It was a beautiful day for a ride. We arrived at Clear Lake with the destination of Fort Custer.
It is a 2 mile maze made of crates used previously for carrots and potatos.
When we arrived, we were told that the record was 45 minutes and the worst was 2 days, 12 hours and 45 minutes. We knew we were in for a challege. We started out with our cards looking for the 8 stations to stamp our cards. We tried following well traveled paths, but came to dead ends. We found the first Station and began our search for the 2nd, only to find that you can't find them in order ;). We finished in 62 minutes, not bad for us!
If you are looking for a nice ride and something fun to to, this would be fun to have several small groups come and see who can get the best time. After we walked the maze, we found that they had just changed the maze, so following the well worn paths didn't help at all. There are 15 different set-ups for the 2 miles of maze but the use 5 certain ones the most.
If you can get to the center Lookout post, there is a pop machine to help quench your thirst!:)
It was a fun trip.
Wind energy in Iowa
I am sure you have seen the wind "mills" all over Iowa and in other states as well? They produces a lot of energy. I once heard that the windmill at Stuart Iowa, produces enough electricty for about 400 homes.
Iowa is rated 3rd in States with most wind energy, after California and Texas. Several are around Clear Lake, Iowa and as we go to Storm Lake for Iowa's State Fun Fest you will see several wind farms already done and some being built. Some links with more information about this are:
www.iowadnr.com/energy/wind/index.html
www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/wind.html
Iowa is rated 3rd in States with most wind energy, after California and Texas. Several are around Clear Lake, Iowa and as we go to Storm Lake for Iowa's State Fun Fest you will see several wind farms already done and some being built. Some links with more information about this are:
www.iowadnr.com/energy/wind/index.html
www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/wind.html
Barn Quilts in Iowa
Have you seen the barns and buildings as you go on rides, that have quilt blocks on them?
Here is a link explaining a little more about them.
www.barnquilts.com
Here is a link explaining a little more about them.
www.barnquilts.com
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Goldrush in Billings Montana
Our next big event is Goldrush, in Billings Montana. It is a theme of The Legends live on. With a western theme. It should be a lot of fun. More to come on this.
Grand Canyon in Arkansas
The Arkansas Grand Canyon is on Hwy 7 near Jasper, Arkansas. If you get a chance, stop into the Cliff Restaurant (it has a gift shop too) and have a meal or get a glass of tea or cup of coffee and go out onto the balcony. What a view. There were hummingbirds all over the place there as well. 
Iowa's Chapter P Funrun
June 29th was Chapter P's fun run in Griswold, Iowa. It started out a little rainy here but as we went west the sun shone and it warmed up. Windy, but that is a norm these days. At least it was dry and good temps. Steve, Connie and Rick Harvey all rode over for the event.
Local fire department fixed us biscuits and gravy and then when we returned from the ride, had roast beef sandwiches and the fixings. The ride went to Lake Anita, Lake Icaria near Corning and to Viking Lake near Stanton. We returned to have to rescue a duck from Chapter Pee's lake ;) and the number on the duck was our door prize. There was a 50/50 drawing and winners from the poker run.
We had a good time and enjoyed the ride.
Local fire department fixed us biscuits and gravy and then when we returned from the ride, had roast beef sandwiches and the fixings. The ride went to Lake Anita, Lake Icaria near Corning and to Viking Lake near Stanton. We returned to have to rescue a duck from Chapter Pee's lake ;) and the number on the duck was our door prize. There was a 50/50 drawing and winners from the poker run.
We had a good time and enjoyed the ride.
The Snake, road near Bristol, TN
Bill and Dee Kirkpatrick have been on vacation checking out some new rides that are said to be great for motorcycles. Will see what they say next time we see them. Here is a link about the roads in the area.
http://www.motorcycleplayground.com/Roads/421/roads421.html
http://www.motorcycleplayground.com/Roads/421/roads421.html
Region C Family Reunion
OK Who is camping inside the building?
Wow. What a great job Randy and Jen/Region C directors did on this event. There was a lot of things to do and a lot going on. Several people were dealing with flooding issues and were not able to make it, but several members of our chapter went and camped. This was at Nebraska City, Nebraska at a girl scout camp. There were dorms that many stayed in, some camped and some moteled. Friday night was a hot dog roast with some food that had been cooked in Dutch ovens. Pretty good food. Later there were games and a camp fire.
Saturday was a nice ride to the Honda dealer and then back for some "new" ways to play dirty Bingo. Jack and Joyce May really shook it up! and it was a lot of fun!
Our Region C Family of the Year is Wendel and Peggy Hokanson, Nebraska's Chapter Z that lives in Iowa ;) Congratulations and we know they will represent us well.
Saturday was busy with many things going on, including auction, 50/50, pizza as our meal and then a light parade and ice cream for those that wanted to attend.
Many left early because of a threat of bad weather. During the night and a.m. Sunday was rain and we rode home in rain and ominous looking clouds all the way home. Later found out that a tornado had hit a Walmart and neighborhoods in Omaha (40 some miles from campgrounds.) Also, some hit in Iowa. This has been a strange weather year.
We had a good time despite finding a good place to set up campers and weather. Next year, Region C is going to be held at Chippewa Falls, WI. should be a beautiful place and good time.
June 1, Chapter L's fun run at Lake Manawa
There has been a lot going on for members of Chapter H. A lot of family and GWTA rides and events.
We went to Iowa's Chapter L fun run at Lake Manawa on June 1st. Several members went and we had a good ride. It was actually hot and dry that day... Imagine that? They had good door prizes and fed us a great meal. We had a good time and a nice ride home.
We went to Iowa's Chapter L fun run at Lake Manawa on June 1st. Several members went and we had a good ride. It was actually hot and dry that day... Imagine that? They had good door prizes and fed us a great meal. We had a good time and a nice ride home.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
More Pics
More campers, Hyers, Harveys, Randy and Jen's.
Rick, Randy and Stan played Frisbee Golf at the course right behind the campgrounds.
As you can see, this horse is HUGE!!! It is quite the rocking horse.
We had fun this weekend.
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