July 28th Meeting
Well July is nearly in the books...Summer has flown by at a super rapid pace and I think I speak for everyone when I say BOOOOOO!!!!!! The meeting today signified the midway point through the riding season but I have always been a guy who looks at the glass as half full so that means we have a lot more riding to do yet this year. Today's ride began at The Little Dublin Irish Pub for some delicious brunch followed up by a short stop at the local Kum 'n' Go to fuel up and head out. West was the direction...Destination Freedom Rock! The weather was absolutely perfect as we wheeled down highway 92 and North on 25. A lot of us have seen it multiple times this year but a few hadn't so as we all stood and enjoyed the scenery and the beautiful artwork on the rock I took a few minutes to set up a tripod and camera to take a group shot. After that we took off once again north to the White Pole Road. Following this piece of scenic/historic highway we made a pit stop in Adel for some ice cream because let's face it, no perfect day would be complete without ice cream.
2013 National Rally-Mayhem in the Mitten!
Well the dust has settled and the smoke has cleared...It has been nearly 2 weeks since the National Rally in Cadillac, MI. Fred took off on the Saturday before the rally to ensure plenty of time to make the extra long journey up and around the top side of Michigan while Ryan and I took off on Sunday and went around the bottom side of the lake and up. The first day was gorgeous riding weather, not too hot but not too cold. We made it as far as Joliet, IL. The next morning Ryan and I were "On a mission from God" as we descended upon the Joliet Prison where if you are any fan of a little movie called the Blues Brothers is somewhat similar to your Graceland for Elvis fans. After busting out of Joliet we steered our bikes due East for a while where unfortunately we ran into what some may refer to as a typhoon! Needless to say we waited out the rain and after a short while we were in the home stretch to Cadillac. Once there we took a scenic tour of the surrounding Cadillac (not on purpose) before making our way to the resort. We enjoyed a warm welcome from everyone and after what seemed like a few minutes it was off to bed because the real fun was going to start bright and early. The next day we rallied the troops (Matt, Tonya, Ryan, Myself, Lars, and Jay) and planned our own ride. We decided we were going to Hell. It was an excellent ride down and as you guessed it, it was hot. After grabbing some grub and checking out the local scene we snapped a few pictures and headed back to the resort for group photos, food, a perhaps a spot of Jager. The next morning we once again gathered up what we affectionately referred to as "The Flock" and headed out once again this time our destination was the Mighty Mac! However due to some severe wind we decided to go for a tamer route and tour the Tunnel of the Trees. At the end of the tunnel we were treated to some excellent food at a Polish restaurant called the Legs Inn. We made our way back through the tunnel to the resort where the party was on! Thursday morning seemed to come awfully fast as we gathered up our gear and loaded up the bikes for our trip home. Ryan and I said our goodbyes to everyone gave one more check of the map and off we rode. It was rather uneventful most of the way home stopped at a few gas stations for fuel and stretch breaks. We took off Friday morning bound for home and it seemed the closer we creeped toward what seemed like an unending journey home the slower the miles seemed to tick by. We made more frequent stops as we could feel the fatigue starting to take effect more rapidly. We arrived into town around 4p.m. on Friday where we got some well deserved rest from our vacation. The rest as they say is history...
2nd Annual Jessica Peine Memorial Ride and Music Festival ROKs!!!!
The second annual Jessica Peine Memorial Ride and Music Festival went off without a hitch. Ryan and I met at Country Cycle just after 5:30 last Saturday to make the journey to Muscatine to meet up with Chapters from Nebraska, Illinois, Kansas for a great day of riding through some pretty country around eastern Iowa and western Illinois. Stops included the American Picker's and Danielle Cushman's shops, Ducky's Lagoon, and Sneaky Pete's before returning to the Mississippi Brewing Co. for a night jam packed with Rock 'n' Roll provided by some very impressive local talent. Sunday morning seemed to come awfully early as we met for breakfast at a local restaurant followed by some heartfelt goodbyes as we were escorted out of Pearl City by Matt, Brian, Greg. The Pearl City Crew had to turn back due to a blowout on Brian's bike leaving him stranded on the side of Interstate 80 however the rest of us journeyed onward West towards our various homes. All in All the ride was a huge success raising nearly $3,000.00 that will be donated between the Iowa Donor Network and Jessica Faye's Closet!!! Go VRA!!!