Some Winter Getaways

On Sunday December 12, we and our friends, Pat and John, left for Las Vegas for 5 days of fun where we stayed at the Bellagio. It was 1 degree below zero when we left here and if the plow crew had not already been at our association by 4:00am when we left we might not have made it out. We ended up with 17.4 inches of snow when we left with some good sized drifts. Thankfully the temperature was 64 degrees when we landed in Las Vegas and the high for the day was 70 degrees. While we were there the Bellagio was robbed on the casino floor of $1,500,000 in chips.

Pat and John in a Bellagio restaurant ready to order a $40 breakfast.

The Bellagio had their atrium decked out for Christmas.

On Monday we went for a drive out to the Hoover Dam. This is the new bridge by Hoover Dam.

We took a tour of the Hoover Dam and a few of the tunnels that we went through were a little short for our 6’ 6” tall friend, John.

On the way back from the Hoover Dam we took the long way back and drove through the Valley of the Fire State Park.

We spent Tuesday walking the strip and playing the “one armed bandits”. In the evening we walked to the MGM/Grand to see the Cirque du Solei, “KA”.

Wednesday found us again walking the strip. We ended up at Treasure Island where we saw the Cirque du Solei, “Mystere”.

Again on Thursday we spent the day walking the strip and gambling until 1:00pm when we decided to just find a place to sit and visit until we left for the airport at 4:30pm. Our flight took off at 7:05pm and we were on the ground at 11:50pm. When driving home from the airport, the temperature was 6 degrees.

After 5 nice warm days in Las Vegas we had to come back to this. At least they had the streets and drive ways cleared.

For Christmas we went to Aberdeen, SD to spend a couple of days with Sandy’s family, Erwin, Dalles, Cindy and John. From there we drove to visit my family, Rueben, Georgia, Glen, Becky, Joe, Barb and their kids.

One day we had two fox out behind our house. Here is a picture of one.

My trike was ready to pick up so on Tuesday January the 27th we drove to Kellogg, MN and picked it up. It is a Hannigan trike kit installed on a Honda Gold Wing. Vern and Ruthie of www.wetrikeit.com did the instalation. Beside doing a great job they are great people to know. Now all I have to do is wait for spring to be able to take it for a drive.

Sandy and I have been thinking about our options with our motorhome since we bought a house again. We do miss getting into the small State, National and County campgrounds that we enjoyed when we had the Lazy Daze. So when the RV show was in town we went and did some looking at Class C’s.

Going to the RV show got us to thinking about a Lazy Daze again. So after several more day of scheming, on February 17th we made the decision to order a new Lazy Daze. I called Todd at Lazy Daze in California and had him e-mail us the forms which we completed and e-mailed back to him. We ordered a 2011 27’ Mid-Bath like we had before.

So on February 27th we flew into the Ontario Airport in east Los Angeles. Then the next couple of days went spent off and on at the Lazy Daze factory in Montclair, CA getting all the colors and options taken care of. This time we decided to go with brown. Here is a picture of one they were building while we were there.

We have not fully decided what we are going to do with the Allegro Bus, but I think we will end up selling it.

We finalized our order for everything Tuesday morning and then went for a ride to the San Gabriel Mountains. The first road (CR 2) we tried was closed so we tried another CR 39 which we were able to follow for about 15 miles before it was closed.

Never a dull moment at our household.

Until next time.

Dave and Sandy.

A Long Over Due Update.

We thought it was time we updated our blog. As most of you know, we bought a house again in June of 2009. After we got back from spending the winter of 2009/2010 in Florida we got busy with the gotta’s of owning a house again. So Sandy starting looking for furniture for the dinning room, living room and family room. As of November 10th most of the furniture is here.

It has been a pretty busy summer for us with my step mother going into a care center in mid June and my dad going into assisted living on July 1st. He only got to stay there about 6 weeks before he also had to go to the care center. So now they are both in the same room again. They seem to be getting along well in the care center and we think it’s best for them as now they get nutritious meals, get their meds on schedule and have someone available 24/7 for help. Here is my cousin Patty will Rueben and Georgia.

In mid July our friends Chuck and Lorraine stopped by for a week. They full time motor home and after spending the spring out east they were heading back to their home area in Bellingham, WA. We did a little sight seeing, but most of the time we just spent relaxing and visiting. While they were here some mutual friends showed up at the campground. They were Mike and Linda from the Auburn CA.. It was nice to get a chance to visit with everyone again. Thanks for stopping.

Dave, Sandy, Chuck and Lorraine.

Lorraine, Linda, Chuck, Sandy and Mike.

In late July Sandy went out to visit her family in Aberdeen, SD. Here is her Dad, Erwin, tending his flower garden.

On August 1st six of us went to Canada fishing. It was a good trip with lots of fish caught and eaten.

Bob with a walleye.

My brother Glen with a smallmouth bass.

Russ, Bruce and I with some walleyes we caught.

My other brother Joe with a walleye.

When we got back we had three days to rest up before Joe, Glen and friend Dale took off on a 5-day motorcycle trip clockwise around Lake Superior. Sandy and I took this same trip on a Yamaha 650 back in 1978. I forgot what a great ride this was. Maybe Sandy and I will go on it after I get the Hannagin trike kit put on the Honda Goldwing.

Dave and Joe.

My brothers Joe and Glen.

The Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior.

Some kids jumping into a pool on a stream that flows into Lake Superior.

Now here is a new way to exercise and mow lawn at the same time.

The three brothers.

Dave, Joe and Dale.

It’s hell when you get old and can’t do a full days ride without a nap.

At least with Glen along we get to stop for ice cream. He just has a nose for these places.

On the19th and 20th of August our friends from Houston TX, Jan and Joe, stopped to visit us as the were motorhoming from the east to west coast. While we were out sight seeing we had to stop as Snuffy’s for a malt. Part of the fun of our 2 years full-time motorhoming was that we got a chance to meet a lot of great people. This year we had the chance to see 8 of these friends again. Thanks for stopping.

Dave, Sandy, Jan and Joe.

In mid September Sandy’s Mom, Dalles, came to visit for a few days and see our “new” house. We went to a play at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater and spent the rest of the time doing a little shopping and relaxing.

At the end of September we had some more friends, Manuel and Connie, stop by for a couple of days after having spent a couple of months traveling the east coast with some friends, George and Janet. They had ended up in western Michigan and decided that Minnesota was a good route to get back to Texas. Again, thanks for stopping.

Manuel and Connie at Minnehaha Falls.

Janet and George.

As we are leaving the Mill City Museum.

I got out for a ride with a group going on the 17th Annual Swan Ride. It is a ride starting in South St. Paul, going south along the east side of the Mississippi to Alma, WI and then back up to Wabasha for lunch at Slipper’s on the river. It was a “go at your own pace” with 3 stops along the way to regroup. Then after lunch everyone went their separate ways home. It looked like there were over 200 bikes.

A couple of pictures at the starting place at Fury Motorcycle on south Concord.

Fury put on a free pancake breakfast before the ride started.

Some of the Tundra Swans at Reick’s Lake in Alma, WI.

Our lunch stop at Slippery’s, of “Grumpy Old Men” fame.

This is my new red Goldwing that I am going to have triked this winter.

Well. that’s it for now and we will try to update sooner next time. OH! I almost forgot. This year we have decided not to go south for the winter and spend time at home. but the motorhome has wheels, so if it gets to cold!!!!!!

Until next time,

Dave and Sandy

Dave’s got a new toy.

There hasn’t been much leisure time for us in the land of “gottas”. Sandy has been busy looking at and ordering furniture for the living and dining rooms. Now she will start on the basement family room. Sure will be nice when these are done.

Last Saturday, June 5th I drove the motorcycle to Hannigan Motorsports in Murray, KY to get a side car put on the Motto Guzzi. They spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday installing the side car. Here is the tech, Austin, setting up the frame.

It has been 7 years since they last did an install on a Motto Guzzi. After it was done I spent Thursday and Friday driving home. I drove west a couple hundred miles to catch Missouri Hwy 19 which I followed north.  It was a much better motorcycle road than driving the freeways.

When I got home Sandy just happened to be coming home at the same time and quickly went in the house and got the camera to get this picture.

Now we will see if Sandy will get in for a ride.

Until next time,

Dave and Sandy

Sidecar driving school.

On Thursday the 23rd  Sandy drove out to SD to visit with her parents and sister for a few days while I went to Milwaukee to take a class on driving a sidecar.

Our classes started on Saturday morning with 4 hours of classroom training and 4 hours of on the bike training in the afternoon. Of course, it would have to rain when we got on the bikes.There was one other guy, Tom, taking the sidecar class with me and three taking the trike class; they were Betty, Holly and Don. Although the three on the trikes had never driven motorcycles before, everyone did well during the maneuvers we had to do.

Because we had a small class and everyone was doing so well on the maneuver training, we did not start classes until 10:00 on Sunday morning. I had time to take a drive to the Milwaukee lake front. Along the way I drove past a house that reinforces my belief in rules and covenants for home associations.

 

 

 

When we started at 10:00 we again had some class instruction and then took a written test in the morning. In the afternoon we had some more maneuver training and then were graded on our skills. Everyone passed with flying colors.

Here is Tom with a sidecar furnished by the driving school and Tom by his Harley with a Lehman trike kit.

Here is Holly with her Honda with a Hannigan trike kit.

Here is Betty with her Harley with a Lehman trike kit.

Here is our instructor, Warren, showing us the maneuvers we have to do.

Here I am with the sidecar rig furnished by the school.

I know one thing for sure after taking the class and that is it’s a lot better to be on a trike or sidecar when you lock up the brakes on a wet surface. You don’t tip over.

Now I just have to wait for the sidecar to be built and then I go Murray, KY and have it installed at the Hannigan factory.

Until next time,

Dave and Sandy