Introducing G-Nome

My name is G-Nome and my cousin is the Travelocity Gnome you hear so much about. Many refer to me as the evil cousin because where I travel few dare to. Roundabout has agreed to let me write a few articles for the V-twinventures Blog. In the very near future, in fact 65 days from Christmas morning, I will be traveling on a venture to Daytona Bike Week! I wonder what the bar maids will do when they meet me!? Stay tuned to my ventures as 2009 progresses.

My travel plans for 2009 will not only take me to Daytona, but the J&P Open House in Anamosa, Iowa, June 26-28, the 7th Annual Tourin Hawg Overnight Ride, July 25-26 and Sturgis, August 3-9. I'm sure there will be many more photo opportunities in 2009. You never know where I just might pop-up!

Now that the G-Pack is officially out of any playoff race, my calendar is wide open! No longer will I be needed to lead the Packer Cheerleaders on to incite the crowd. By-the-way, have you ever wondered why we have high school age cheerleaders? Answer the poll question with your thoughts. It's no wonder why the Cowboys have a better television audience! It has nothing to do with Romo, Simpson or the cry baby TO! It's all about the women who wear the blue & white outfits who prance around the sidelines wearing what would make many bike week bar maids blush!

Gotta go and make some travel plans. E-mail me your thoughts on where my adventures should take me. Any ideas are welcome, simply use the e-mail address on this blog site (pcn@charter.net).

G-Nome saying peace out!

A Blessed Christmas

Of all the wonders of the world, the greatest will always be His gift to us. Remember to keep Christ in Christmas.

From our Family to Yours, have a very blessed Christmas and a Healthy, Prosperous New Year!

Holiday Party Hawg Style

The First Holiday Party Hawg Style held Saturday, December 13 is as they say, “in the books.” I think the quote, “in the books” translates to, “no longer can you make changes, what’s done is done and a permanent record has been made.” Having said this, you are all safe, like in Vegas…………here.

The rules for this Party, wear a favorite motorcycle or Hawaiian shirt, bring a wrapped gift for the gift exchange and a dish to pass. Prior to opening gifts, we had a smorgasbord of snacks, dips, hot dishes, venison sausages, wine,beer, punch and stimulating conversation. For many of us it was the first time getting together since the September Tourin’s Hawgs Overnight Ride to the Cave.

Each party attendee who brought a gift was asked to draw a number from a cup. Numbers ranged from 1-70. As your number was called you selected a gift under the Christmas tree. The next person could then “steal” any opened gift instead of selecting a wrapped one. If your gift was “taken from you” then you

could steal an opened gift or select from the remaining gifts under the tree. Cathy and I first used this method on our Christmas in July Ride in 2006. Gifts were stolen, later to be stolen again! A great

time was had by all,

probably no greater then the gift of the evening, two genuine Harley-Davidson t-shirts that Sarah having the highest number stole! Gifts had to be under $10. Can you imagine two HD shirts totaling fewer than ten bucks?

Afterwards more food and conversation continued into the night. Thanks

again to all for making this another memorable get-together!

Cathy and I wish all of you a safe and blessed Christmas!

Finally a 10k season!

Finally a 10,000 mile riding season was reached! If it wasn't for 72 sunny degrees and a boss who never asks "why do you need the day off", the quickly fading 10k may have just been a dream! Monday, November 3 promised by meteorologists as a day of near record breaking temperatures. I don't know if we broke the record, but it was a wonderful end to an enjoyable year.

Cathy told me on Sunday during the Packer Titan's football game that I should take Monday off and ride! Wow, not only do I have a boss who let's me take time off, but a wife who encourages me to take more! So it was set; well first I needed about 2 seconds to think about whether or not I should take off, yeah right! The plan was to leave the house at 10 AM and ride to the Harley-Davidson Museum, 400 Canal Street in Milwaukee. As an added bonus, full paying customers ($16) were given a hardcover Harley-Davidson 300 page book written by Willie G himself! Books are available as long as supplies last or until November 15, a $65 value.

An e-mail was sent out to those I thought might be interested in taking the day off and visiting the museum. I had one taker in this offer, you guessed it, CDogg was excited about the opportunity to ride once again, even if it meant with me. I programed a route in the GPS that would take us from my house to the museum and then back to my house. I figured out my mistake after we got about one mile from home, the GPS kept wanting to take me back home and we hadn't even left Watertown! Just when I thought I had figured out this electrical device, it throws me a curve. I sh#t canned the route and we took the Interstate all the way into downtown. It was easy finding the museum; there are signs posted everywhere.

The museum was awesome! We arrived prior to 11 AM and the 2nd floor took us over 90 minutes to see most everything on this floor. We easily could have spent another 90 minutes reading all the signs displayed for every motorcycle and exhibit. Each cycle on display not only had a tag, but also indicated if it was an unrestored original or a restored bike. Many of the unrestored bikes had less than 200 miles! Imagine, having the foresight to build a bike and then either store it for the distant future or buy back these untouched originals from the owners of yesteryear. The engine room kept us busy for quite a while as we listened to various motors produced by the Motor Company over the course of a hundred plus years.

On the 3rd floor there were the Harley-Davidson Archives. This was also the area of the restoration of bikes. Over 450 bikes have been kept, repurchased or donated since 1915 back to Harley-Davidson. In 1981 the Motor Company took back its' roots by telling AMF, "We soar alone"! Many of us can remember the AMF days and how HD became diversified. By AMF getting involved in production of snowmobiles, boats, golf carts and much more, it probably saved a company from disappearing altogether; it was also the downfall of quality-built motorcycles, until HD said goodbye forever to AMF!.

In 2003, the Motor Company known as Harley-Davidson celebrated 100 years of existence. To celebrate this feat, a 2003 Ultra Classic with sidecar was dismantled and shipped to company facilities around the world for employees to sign. Over 6,000 signatures cover this motorcycle on display (1st floor). Imagine what the four founding fathers would have thought! Elvis Presley's 1956 KH Side-Valve V-twin is also on display, along with the original sale receipt and insurance documentation.

I could go on and on about the many bikes, displays, painted tanks, clothes and so much more found at the museum. We were told that other than Thanksgiving and Christmas, the public is invited to walk the floors and discover or relive memories of the past. The cost is a mere $16 and you can take photos of anything, just don't get too close as you might set off the alarms (as I was told by one employee). There is an area that you can sit on bikes and have pictures taken.

Before setting off on our Harley's, it was time for lunch. We ate at the Cafe Racer Diner, same building as the Motor Company Store. For $8.50 we each got a pulled barbecue pork sandwich, with fries, pickle and soda. You can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at either of the two restaurants on the museum property. Harley-Davidson did it again. Plan on taking the journey to the museum and relive the past. I'm glad to have taken the time, thanks to Cathy and my boss!

MOR No More!

Well the 1st Annual Men Only Ride (MOR) is in the books! Only two decided to make the journey to Illinois and ride in what many Meteorologists said would be a cold, cloudy, blustery weekend. I think many thought with the forecast that had been released, conditions would not be favorable to ride. My feeling, any ride is a good ride! Marc and I left Watertown at 9:30 AM Saturday morning on our way to Woodstock, Illinois to the Harley-Davidson Dealership and their Chiliween Celebration. The ride was wonderful, great roads, no tolls and get this.......No Wrong Turns!

We arrived at Woodstock HD just around 11:30 and immediately went inside for hot coffee and popcorn. We shopped and got the token "dip dot" from the dealership. I really think I should start displaying all the ones I've collected thus far (around 50). Believe it or not, neither one of us found anything to buy!

We talked to a few other bikers and looked at the options they got on their bikes and vis versa. You see, Harley Riders are always comparing their bikes to others. It's kind of like a male dog, marking it's territory! Marc even had a salesman push a 2008 Ultra outside that had true Dual Rineharts along with the 103 Cubic Inch upgrade, just so we could hear the sound. Well, it was fairly loud and I don't think my partner would appreciate all the noise when sitting behind me.

We got our taste of chili from Woodstock Fire Department; by-the-way, they won and rightly so! Marc even had to have hot sauce added to his! Afterwards a brat and hamburger finished off our lunch and we were on our way to St Charles Harley-Davidson about 30 miles to the south.

Overnight was at Country Inn & Suites in St Charles and dinner across the parking lot at Olive Garden. In the morning we headed southwest to Marc's sister's house about 15 minutes away. Thanks Dana and Ellen for opening your house and making coffee. The Garmin pointed us in the right direction from there and within an hour or so we found ourselves in Harvard, Illinois by the Enchanted Castle! We actually turned around after Marc spotted it and had to take pictures. In all we had a great ride and put another 260+ miles on the new 2008 Ultra. I still find myself about 80 miles shy of 10,000 for the season. I need to reach 8,000 on the 2008 since I sold my 2000 Ultra after riding 2,000 miles back in May.

MOR is No More, the name will be changed to the Bi-Week MOR. You football fans will be pleased to hear that, except next year the Packers might have a Bi in late October again or early November. Better get the long john's and heated gear added to your Christmas List! No excuses next year fellas!

The $33 Lite Bar

Introducing the $33.71 Harley-Davidson Light Bar for Touring Motorcycles! Well, actually it isn’t a lit light bar, it is however a reflective red and chrome add-on for the sole purpose of being seen. By-the-way, isn’t been seen what it’s all about?

I wish I could take credit for this idea, however like many; I will give credit where credit is due. While taking a break from teaching a Rider’s Edge Class at Capital City Harley-Davidson I saw a pearl white Ultra Classic with what I thought at the time was a light bar mounted just below the King Tour Pak lid cover. Upon closer inspection, I saw that it was 5 individually placed reflectors having chrome trim. The owner of the Ultra said he used to work at the Juneau Harley-Davidson Plant and got these reflectors there.

During my break I checked in the 2009 parts catalog and was not able to locate any such item. After talking to Jeff the parts manager at Capital City, he informed me that he had a few in the back. After a few seconds Jeff reappeared with three different reflectors and one happened to be the exact same one I was looking for. The part number is #59255-91 and costs $6.39 each. I had Jeff order five reflectors for me. The total cost $33.71.

If it is all about being seen then spend the $33.71 and let others know, you are out there! These reflectors will work for any full size King Tour Pak, I don’t know about the Chopped Tour Paks. I had to sand the top and bottom of each reflector to get it to lie flat against the Tour Pak. So if you ride a Road Glide, Ultra Classic, Classic or anything else with a King Tour Pak, these will work!

Let me know what you think after looking at the photos. Ride safe, straight, sober and BE SEEN!

Ultimate Motorcycle Beverage Holder

Recently this summer I was looking for a way to offer my riding partner (my wife, the better half, my best friend......you get the picture) a way to refresh her thirst. I stopped at Capital City Harley-Davidson in Madison, WI and saw a product that I had never seen before, Hog Trough. At $119.95 for two lockable lower covers for the Ultra Classic model Harley-Davidson and a 1 Liter Insulated Bottle, I thought to myself this would be awesome, serve the purpose I was searching for, but at the time seemed to be too expensive.

I decided not to buy at this time. From the photos attached to the blog you can see I already have a cup holder for my endless supply of coffee as I ride. As with many husbands, we think too hard and long if it is an expense that we might not see much use for..............ah, but if it serves my wife, and she is happy, quenched, refreshed.........then all is good in the world! I then received a copy of the Harley-Davidson 2009 Parts Catalog and saw they offer a similar item, BUT no drink holder and NO insulated bottle! Well, my decision then was easy, you just gotta buy the product.

I went to Capital City and paid the $119.95 list price. The installation was a breeze, one that could be done while at home relaxing with a cold one. Actually, I don't think I got more than one sip and the entire product was installed on the bike.

We used the insulated bottle a few weeks later on a Mystery Ride to Cave of the Mounds (you can read about this ride in an early article within the blog) and the cap leaked. When we got home from the weekend ride I contacted Cap, creator of the Hog Trough and asked him about sending me a replacement top. Not only did he send me a replacement top, but the 20 oz. insulated mug and straw too! This was a $9.99 value! Cap also sent me the koozie that can be thrown in the freezer and used to keep your favorite canned beverage ice cold! Another $9.99 value!

I forgot to mention that the Harley-Davidson part sells for over $150! That's without a beverage holder! I haven't even mentioned that the lowers are lockable, providing additional secure storage for your cell phone, camera and expensive riding glasses.

I highly recommend Hog Trough. They even offer a Road Glide setup! Thanks again Cap! Great product, sure to please.

6th Annual Tourin Hawgs Mystery Ride

Well, after planning for the past ten months, changing routes, destinations and themes, the 6th Annual Tourin’ Hawgs Mystery Ride arrived Saturday morning at 8:45! The Neidner Overnight HOG Ride was no more! Cathy and I even had an embroidered design marking the new name finished in time to show it off! Any of our riders wishing to have this design embroidered on a shirt, hat, whatever, e-mail us for the name of the shop in Hartford that worked with us. You should be able to click on any of the photos in this blog to enlarge!

Back to the ride, Saturday morning started just after 8:00 AM with the first couple arriving. Slowly we got up to 19 couples out of the 20 that had reservations. Yeah, I said 19, that’s because the last couple upon filling her tank with gas, the bike caught on fire! Lucky for them and us, no one was hurt and their son had another Harley-Davidson to loan them. They later would meet us at our Lunch and Activity stop, Cave of the Mounds. Many of us had never been to the Cave, and it is a must stop for everyone! Not only did we receive an hour plus tour of the Cave, they also served us up brats with all the fixins’! Cloe thanks a million for putting up with Kyle and Heather! Just kidding Heather, you were an angel and Kyle on the other hand, the Devil! Pictures are worth a thousand words as they say! After the tour Joe thought it best to offer a small token of appreciation to Cloe for putting up with us bad ass bikers! Bikers if you don’t know are very generous, so if we ask you for a favor, you’d better do it, because there just might be a large reward in it!

As the afternoon went on, the skies became darker and darker. Like every year, even with a GPS, I made a few wrong turns, or roundabouts. I hate to admit how many, but Ralph has now given me a gracious nick name, might I add deserving too, Mr. Roundabout! Before I forget, I want to thank Chad and Wayne for helping me setup our CB radio communications! We had never worked these previously on our rides and found them to be irreplaceable! Dan Z, Cathy & I kept in communication the entire day Saturday and Sunday. Dan was one of the last bikes and made sure we stayed together. What’s funny is that when you work with the CB communications, anytime you talk to your riding partner, anyone wired into the CB band can hear what you are saying. We heard Beth say to Dan, “Oh, pumpkins for sale how lovely.” This is coming from a Biker’s Spouse! She needs to toughen up!

Prior to arriving at Park Plaza Hotel in Baraboo, as is customary a stop at a liquor store was at hand. It was a short 50 yards to the hotel afterwards. On the outdoor LED banner, the hotel had the words Welcome Tourin’ Hawgs Mystery Ride! We felt at home at the hotel. Cathy and I worked with Amy Timm for the past 10 months and she was very accommodating! The hotel was clean, friendly and just what we expected! Well, except for the out of control intoxicated wedding guests afterwards! At check in Cathy provided each couple in our group a Geode to be brought to dinner that night. After checking in, we all met on the 4th floor, yes the 4th, at the indoor pool/hot tub area. We stayed here for about two hours, socializing, drinking and talking about whatever came to mind! For such a large group, I was concerned it would become “clicky”, and was pleased to see it wasn’t. Like every year, new friendships developed and old ones were made stronger! This is why so many of us ride! It IS as much the ride as it IS the socializing! Joe & Deb again were present, making this their 6th Mystery Ride and no other couple can claim this title! They were presented with a bottle of wine. Kyle & Heather along with Craig & Summer celebrated Anniversaries! The gift basket this year went to Mark & Deb, they had the winning lottery number. When you see Brian, ask him about his mysterious hidden pretzel trick! I don't think I will ever look at another pretzel rod again without thinking about him.

Sunday morning, we met at different times for a continental breakfast, nothing real fancy but it was included. Afterwards some of the riders went off shopping in Baraboo. A few riders left earlier to get the maximum amount of riding in today. The rest of us left the hotel around 11:00 and rode to Devils Lake State Park and then the Merrimac Ferry. We ALL got on the ferry at the same time. After the ferry we continued towards Sun Prairie and stopped at Jimmie John’s on CTH N just as you get into Sun Prairie for lunch. Kyle and Heather led the rest of the way home with a detour to CTH BB to drive past were their son was staying. You see, Just like old kids, young kids love Harley-Davidsons. Can you imagine what he must of thought when 16 motorcycles drove past where he was staying?

Cathy and I want to thank all of you for another memorable ride and great friendships! We all have so much to be thankful for. Mainly, getting home on Sunday without any, let me repeat, without any wrong turns! Next year’s Tourin’ Hawgs Mystery Ride will take place Saturday and Sunday, July 25 and 26. We will reserve a block of rooms, so when you receive the invite, get on the list quickly, because once they’re gone, they’re gone! Check out this blog later Monday as many more photos can be seen at Shutterfly, remember to type in the password “chrome” when you link to Shutterfly. Any words that are underlined or bold printed, click on as they will redirect you to a link on the Internet.

Safe Harbor Benefit Ride '08

This past Saturday over 140 motorcycles participated in the 5th Annual Safe Harbor Ride originating from Capital City Harley-Davidson on a 100 mile ride through scenic Dane County. The ride consisted of no less than eight law enforcement officers leading the way and at every (and I mean every) intersection, cross traffic was stopped to allow us to continue in a group.

After approximately 50 miles we stopped in De Forest for custard donated by Culvers, along with water and soda. The law enforcement road guards displayed their finely tuned riding skills by putting on a show. It was amazing to watch these officers manuver their large motorcycles in such confined areas!

Once we were on the road again the group was led to Quaker Steak & Lube in Middleton. There was so much food to eat once we got there that if you left hungry, it was your own fault! Many door prizes were awarded, consisting of tickets to the Bruce Springsteen concert during the 105th Anniversary of Harley-Davidson, to tickets for the 4-day Anniversary event, a Weber Genesis Gas Grill, $250 Capital City Harley-Davidson gift certificate, food and dry cleaning certificates and 4 tickets to the Green Bay Packer v Tennessee Titans Shriner Game at Green Bay on August 28! Cathy and I were surprised when they called our winning ticket for the Packer Tickets! How we wish Brett was still in charge of the Offense!

This was a great catered ride that didn't take the entire day. Registration started at 10 AM at Capital City and the ride left promptly at 11. We arrived at Quaker Steak & Lube at 3 PM. We got to Capital City early so that we could socialize with others, besides, the socializing is as much fun as the ride itself! This is a ride you should plan on attending next year. Click on any of the highlighted words, they will lead you to links within the Internet.

Enjoy, I know we sure did!

Sturgis Rally 2008

Sturgis 2008 is all but a memory as I sit down Sunday afternoon to write this blog of a venture that added close to 2500 miles to my odometer. CDogg and I headed to South Dakota seven days ago at 4:00 AM and by 4:50 we found ourselves battling horizontal rains, straight line winds and numerous bolts of lighting. We were forced to hunker down just north of Madison for an unexpected early breakfast. About 45 minutes later we were suited in raingear and headed to our overnight stop in Mitchell, South Dakota. Other than fuel stops and one stop in Albert Lea, Minnesota at the Harley-Davison dealership we drove straight to Days Inn. We got to Mitchell earlier than planned and made a quick run to the Corn Palace to see what this year’s theme was. To my surprise it was about Heroes. There was a mural on law enforcement, the military, Teachers and those working in the Healthcare Professions. What no fire fighters?! Mitchell also is home to Klock Werks who make the Flare Windshield. After approximately 530 miles we both deserved some cold refreshments, especially since we knew no more riding was going to take place that day.

Tuesday we left as soon as we saw we had spent the same night with the Hells Angels. Actually, they were polite and easy to talk to. They had joined together for what they called a group meeting? When we got to Chamberlain we exited I-90 and headed north on Highway 50 along the Missouri River to Highway 34 then 14 and eventually back to I-90. If you head to Sturgis, do yourself a favor and take this route. It was very scenic and it follows the Missouri River all the way. Once back on I-90 we headed to the Badlands. As you exit Cactus Flat, make sure you stop at the BP Service Station. We did this in 2006 and planned on doing it again this year. Buffalo Burgers, chips and a soda was $5! You get plenty to eat while still having souvenir money left for the Rally! This is a great time to socialize with other biking enthusiasts. We met two couples from Eastern Iowa, Duane, his wife and another couple. Their photos can be seen later in this article by clicking on the PHOTO link and then typing "chrome" as the password. We hope to see them again, possibly on our 6th Annual Mystery Ride in September. The Badlands Park Pass went up to $10 from $5 in 2006. None-the-less, it is a must see and ride adventure! If you are “iffy” on your Iron Horse because of all the curves, then the Badlands, Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road, the Canyons, Pigtails, well let’s just say, South Dakota is not for you. After the Badlands, we stopped in Wall to shop and get ice cream. Do yourself a favor, if you are hunting for a deal, Wall Drug is the place to spend some money. The bargains are better than anywhere else during the Rally.

Once we left Wall Drug we headed north to Black Hills Harley-Davidson in Rapid City. This is where I met Steve from Wizard Custom Painting and later dropped a few hundred bucks to have my Harley personalized. Marc and I also purchased EZUP Center Stands for the big touring bikes. Yeah, I spent much more than I had planned, but then again it’s Sturgis and I have a whole year to save! Later Tuesday evening the clouds moved in and as we left Rapid City we knew once again we would need to find shelter from the storm. The weather report called for golf ball size hail, two inches of rain and strong winds. We exited I-90 on the west end of Sturgis and held up at McDonalds for over an hour eating and drinking lots of coffee. On our ride to Spearfish afterwards, the sunset was simply brilliant. We checked into Black Hills University at Spearfish, for $80 per night, you get a dorm room that measures 15x15, hot showers, an air-conditioned lobby with 52” HD Flat Screen TV, coffee every morning and for just $6 all you can eat breakfast! We stayed here in 2006 and said back then that we would do it again!

Wednesday morning we headed to Spearfish Canyon, then Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road and the Pigtails. You need to bring your “A” Game for this ride. I saw many riders braking late into turns, obviously going too fast into them. After this we needed a break to relax as the ride was tiring. Rapid City Civic Center hosts the HOG Hospitality stop every year and here you can get your “free” event pin if you are a HOG Member. Since Marc in a new member, he needed to experience this for the first time of many more to come. We grabbed lunch at the Civic Center, nothing really note worthy though.

Thursday, we headed back to Black Hills HD for the custom painting, then to Piedmont for the Top 50 Custom Bike Show. Ridley also showed their Custom “automatic” transmission bikes. There was even a bike builder from Watertown, WI! We had met a State Trooper on Tuesday named “JD” who had told us about his Uncle owning a bar north of Sturgis on Highway 79. JD said every year his Uncle roasts 14 or more hogs and offers a free barbeque lunch for the bikers! We had to drive through downtown Sturgis to get to Drag Pipe Saloon, so this was one time we went through Sturgis, the only other time was when we came back through after lunch! On our way to Drag Pipe Saloon we passed Bear Butte (El. 4422), this site was as amazing as Devils Tower in WY. After lunch we stopped at Full Throttle Saloon which is east of Sturgis and south of Bear Butte. Full Throttle is a venue you just gotta see. There are at least 10 places to buy drinks, if you are one of the less fortunate one’s that didn’t get free drinks from the many bar-maids.

Friday we decided to take I-90 to Rapid City, and then the Black Hills back roads of Icebox, Boulder, Vanocker and Nemo Canyons. This provided to some a challenge of 96 miles of twisting turns. The roads led from Rapid City to Deadwood. We spent about three hours in Deadwood simply watching people. Plan on getting there before 10 AM, at that time the Main Street opens for motorcycle parking anywhere the curb is painted “yellow” but only on the west side. We found a bench and parked our backsides there for the duration, except when we got up to grab lunch at Bully’s. Bully’s is an old casino, hotel and restaurant that provides free coffee and ice water. Lunch consisted of a polish sausage, brat or hotdog, chips and soda for $3! As you can see, if you shop for a bargain for lunch, you can find one. When we left Deadwood, we headed west to Lead and onto Spearfish Canyon for a ride going to opposite way from what was experienced on Wednesday. It was a totally different feeling! You must do the Canyon in each direction. Since our laundry was done Thursday evening, when we got back we packed, headed to Spearfish’s Sports Bar one more time and then went to see “The Dark Night”.

Saturday morning we got started by 5:00 AM and drove as far as Chamberlain for breakfast at McDonalds. It was a 4 ½ hour ride and once there, we were in Central Standard Time, so it was now 10:30 AM. Our evening reservations were at Albert Lea, MN at a Super 8 on Main Street. We arrived in Albert Lea at 3:20 and decided because the weather had been perfect, to ride all the way back to Watertown. We arrived back in Watertown at 10:12 PM Saturday evening after traveling 848+ miles in 16 hours! I wouldn’t recommend it as it was a very long day. Here's to the many rider's we met along the way, thanks for making the memories! To Duane, his wife and their friends from Iowa, make sure you checkout Shutterfly for your pics! Join us if you can for the September 27 & 28 "Mystery Ride" our 6th Annual! Enjoy the PHOTOS and remember to type “chrome” as the password for the Shutterfly photos. Remember to leave your comments within the blog site! It's always great hearing from others! Stay safe, ride free and sober.

J&P Open House 2008

Friday morning started out sunny and in the upper 60's to low 70's. We rode 20 minutes southwest and by the time we reached Cambridge we were forced to stop and change into rain gear. On our journey to Dickeyville to see the Grotto Shine we were in and out of our rain gear a few times. As long as you are prepared to ride in rain with proper attire this type of weather offered no surprises. By the time we crossed into Iowa there were few clouds in the sky and once again we found ourselves riding in fewer articles of clothing. Ever take a photo of yourself looking into a gazing ball?

We saw many motorcycles in Iowa and even more the closer we got to Anamosa and our final destination for two nights, Cedar Rapids. We wondered if all these motorcycles were going to J&P Cycles 29th Annual Open House. This question was answered on Saturday when thousands, possibly as many if not more than 20,000 motorcycling enthusiasts met on the hollowed grounds of one of the biggest providers of after-market cycle parts. We all had photos taken with Michele Smith of American Thunder TV/Speed Vision, along with John Parham (J&P Cycles) and Jeff "Motorman" Palladino. The girls spent their time completing one of many different Bingo cards to be completed for prize drawings. The motorcycle safety presentation by Palladino was fantastic. I was so impressed that I purchased all three of his videos and will use them in the classroom. The stunt team this year was so much better than last, but then again last year the course was wet as it had rained. J&P Cycle fed the hungry crowd again this year with a free lunch! Water was also supplied free of charge throughout the entire day.

Marc and I talked about this event being on our yearly "riding adventures". If you have ever thought about attending this annual event, stop thinking about it and DO IT! You will not be disappointed. When we left the event, the wind was so strong we fought our way back to Cedar Rapids Holiday Inn Express. We estimated the wind speeds to be in excess of 50 mph! These were cross winds all the way back and our gas mileage suffered. This ride was Marc and Chris's first "long ride" on their 2002 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic (last year Marc made it solo on his 2003 Honda Shadow). Each time Chris was asked how she liked the Ultra, she answered with a wide smile and said, "Wonderful." For many more photos go to Shutterfly and remember the password is always, "chrome".

Our trip ended with a stop in Galena, Illinois for a bite to eat a Gobbies. Marc and I had decided last year that we would share our hamburgers with our wives since trying to eat one by yourself can be a chore. The burgers are about as big as Marc's new Harley-Davidson coffee mug!

In all, we were able to dodge many of the storms that had passed through. Rain gear was worn and taken off more times then I can remember, but at least we were prepared just in case. Both couples were hooked up to intercom systems which made communication as easy as back in the day when we were still newlyweds! We logged over 570 miles and had no surprises. As they say, "Any ride is a good ride!" Thanks again to John Parham for hosting another enjoyable Open House at J&P Cycle! Be sure to place your Vote on the Poll Question below!