Rocket City Wings Huntsville, Alabama -- Chapter B, Region A Friends for Fun, Safety & Knowledge August 2007

Friends Worth Having
  - From the Chapter Directors

It wasn't too long ago that when I would ride towards the departure point for a ride, I would expect to find two or fewer bikes.  But, something fun is now happening.  As I ride to the departure location, I'm thinking about how many of my good friends will be there.  And when someone is missing, the first response from the group is something similar to, "well, I hope they are okay."  For me, these are the signs of good friends.  I feel so

Friends are so important.  For me, I think that

Its times like this that reminds us to share with our friends and try to make new friends so we can share more generously.

Until next time, smile at those you don't know, hug those that you care about, and kiss the one that you said, "I do" to.

John & Elizabeth Griswold

Dateline Lineup
  - From the Chapter Directors

Obviously, we had folks that were out West and some event attended Wing-Ding.  As you can read in Amber's journal (later in this newsletter) they had a good time.

Last month the Chickamauga ride was postponed, but that is a blessing because it's on the schedule for August 25th.

So far, we haven't really had a "normal" meeting yet.  I will mention that for those of you that missed the July meeting, that we had lots of fun.  We even played a form of the Newly-Wed game.  Hmmm… would that be called the Oldie-Wed game?

We had a nice sized group of around 11 bikes that went to David Crocket State Park.  We went to the park and ate at the restaurant in the park.  We then rode just a little ways north and rode through the Amish community that is in Tennessee.  Our next stop was supposed to be due West at Enterprise, TN.  But we were greeted by a raging downpour.  I will admit that I was previously hot, but I would have much prefer a light shower.  We were all soaked to the bone.  We turned south and out of the rain.  We later modified our ride to visit Soda Pop Junction.  All in all a wonderful day, even with the soaking.

Did you know that we have Tigers in Alabama?  And I am not talking about Auburn.  I am talking about real live breathing, BIG tigers!!  Well on July, 21st a very good sized group of us went to see these tigers.  Over in the Eastern part of the state is a reserve/rescue for Tigers and Wolves.  It is well worth visiting.  Did you know that you can go dirt biking with a Goldwing?  Well, you can.  The driveway to the Tiger reserve is a very rough dirt road.  On the way back, we stopped at a very good Bar-B-Q place and then we visited Bucks-Pocket.

On July, 24th I visited the Chapter-I meeting.  To begin with I want to thank Jim Robinson and his wife for attending with me.  Chapter-I also had some other surprise visitors, four bikes (8 people) from Chapter-N and Bill and Dian Gulley also visited.  When possible we need to support and encourage Chapter-I.

On the 28th, the Jonathan May Memorial Ride will be taking place.  Unfortunately, I will be out of town.  I hope that those that are here will take up the lead and support and enjoy this ride.

On the 29th, there will be a Bowling Fundraiser benefiting the Ride for Kids.  It will be down in the Pelham area.  I'm pretty sure that there will be a group going down.  If I'm back in town, I plan on attending.

Now let's take a look at some highlights in August:

There are a couple of dates in August that I will be out-of-town and will not be able to attend the Chapter activities.  I apologize for that, as I do miss being on the rides and being with my friends.  On the weekend of the 4th I will be attending a seminar so that I can become certified to teach GWRRA materials, such as Horizons.  And on the 18th I need to visit family.

The

Starting in August after the normal meeting, we will be

On the

We will have a full day of riding on the

As always, the most up to date information can be found on the website.

John & Elizabeth Griswold

Out West '07 (Part One)
  - From the Asst. Chapter Directors

By now many of you have probably heard tales of the "Wild West Tour", but I thought  this might be a good place to share our experience. Just a few years ago Lisa and I were discussing a trip out west, (this was before the Goldwing). We thought it would be nice to drive out west to see many of the things  we had only seen on T.V. and in books. After the Goldwing, we would talk about maybe taking a bike trip out west.  Last summer we learned that Wing Ding was going to be in Billings MT in '07. Our first thought was we would not have enough time to go.  A couple of month's later different ones started talking about riding to Wing Ding.  After some creative scheduling we decided this could be a reality. By now it was January-February time frame and we were spending a lot more time inside shooting the breeze rather than riding. One night over coffee we started discussing going to Wing Ding with Steve and Tammy Hollingsworth.  We were pleasantly surprised to learn of their shared enthusiasm of taking a trip out west.  After several conversations we decided we would like to go to the Grand Canyon and see the sites of the Southwest.  Over the next several months we planned our trip "Out West".

Finally the day had arrived, Thursday June 28th.  We left Huntsville about 3:00pm and rode to Little Rock, AR, where we had arranged to meet with Bill and Joyce Smith, from Chapter-X in Alabaster, AL. Friday morning everyone was up early and ready to go, (way too early for some).  We had decided we would ride to Amarillo, TX.  I was very pleasantly surprised because having never drove through this part of the country I found it to very scenic in it's own way.  While going through Oklahoma City it started raining, luckily we were able to find some very understanding hotel employees with a large awning on the front of their building.  While standing around waiting for the rain to let up we decided to stop and see the Federal Building Monument.  After about 45 minutes or so we were on our way.  The turn off for the monument was app. 8 miles from were we were, but before we could get there it started raining again.  We found ourselves in the middle of Oklahoma City, on interstate 40, in the rain, during rush hour traffic, on a Friday afternoon. Needless to say I missed the exit.  It was a mutual decision not to turn around and go back through that mess, so we continued on to Amarillo. We arrived at the Big Texan Steak House (Home of the 72oz steak) about 8:30pm. We almost had Steve talked into eating one (in 1 hour), but he decided it probably wasn't a good idea because we were just getting a good start on the trip. After a great steak dinner, and even better company, we found a room for the night.

Saturday started our first weekend on the road.  We had all agreed in the planning stages of our trip that we would like to get to Arizona (the Grand Canyon area) by Sunday.  So with this in mind, the destination for the day was somewhere around the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona.  Like the day before, we got an early start in hopes of beating the heat.  As we knew it would, it soon started getting hot.  Imagine that, hot in the desert.  Like all knowledgeable Goldwingers, we knew exactly what to do- we found a Dairy Queen.  This one was different though, because it was located along the historic Route 66. (We took a picture just for Jake).  After some water, ice cream, more water, and a trip through the gift shop (Tammy) we donned our Cool Vests and were off again.  The hours of riding seemed like mere minutes as we admired the awesome beauty of God's creation.  Before we knew it we found ourselves in Albuquerque, NM.  It was early afternoon and Joyce wanted to stop at a Honda dealer for a sun shield for her helmet.  We stopped so Steve could quickly locate one on his factory installed GPS. Turns out it was just up the street.  This was an entertaining stop.  We pulled into the parking lot, and immediately had everyone's attention.  I guess because there were five of us, three bikes and two trikes.  We walked in and went to the service counter and Joyce told them that we had five Goldwings that all needed oil changes, air filters and a bath in the next hour - she also informed them that they were all under warranty so she didn't see where this would be a problem.  The service guy's jaw hit the counter.  By this time we were all laughing. Now he knew Joyce was joking so we all introduced ourselves and had a good laugh. We didn't stay long because we still needed camera batteries and lunch.  We found a restaurant that the guys at the Honda dealer recommended and had a late lunch.  After lunch we found some camera batteries and came to the conclusion that all the miles and heat were starting to take a toll on all of us.  Since Thursday, late afternoon, we had traveled over 1250 miles, so we decided to spend the night in Albuquerque. There's a lot to be said for a good nights sleep !!

Sunday morning we were all fresh and ready to ride.  Not having too far to travel to our first planned destination of the trip, we eagerly set out once again.  Once out of Albuquerque, we again were in awe of the desert scenery.  The 150 miles or so to the Petrified Forest National Park went by very quickly. While taking pictures of the bikes in front of the park sign, we noticed a clock that was an hour slower than our watches.  This was a pleasant surprise for us because now we had an extra hour for the day.  After a stop at the visitor center for a stamp for the passport book, an early lunch, and a trip through the souvenir store (Tammy & Joyce), we started the 40 mile drive through the park.  It was starting to get hot. (I can't say enough about the Cool Vests)!  As we rode, we quickly learned why this area is called the Painted Desert. It was absolutely beautiful - pictures don't even come close, (although we tried)!!  When we were getting ready to leave one of our last stops in the park, Bill could not find his keys.  After a few minutes of looking,  he realized they were locked inside his trailer.  Luckily, he had an extra ignition key in Joyce's trike.  We rode the rest of the way through park and stopped at the south entrance.  Although he had a key for the bike, he still could not get in the trailer. Steve (McGyver) Hollingsworth happens to be a locksmith, but did not have any tools with him…….. so he picked the lock with the little pair of scissors on a Swiss army knife, and a small allen wrench.  Needless to say we were all impressed, especially Bill, and he rewarded Steve with a big kiss !!  It was a little traumatic for Steve.

Now it was time to head for the Grand Canyon.  Our destination was Tuba City, AZ, where we would spend the night.  That would give us a couple of hours to ride in the morning to one of the most anticipated highlights of our trip. As we started north, we entered the Hopi Indian Reservation.  Knowing this area is not very populated, I was trying to be mindful of gas stops.  I looked at the gas gage, and then the trip meter- we had driven approximately 60 miles since the last fill-up... "No problem" I thought, after all, we have been getting 150 to 180 miles per tank.  As we started across the Reservation, the scenery was absolutely breathtaking.  The beautiful colors and mountains of the Painted Desert made time and miles pass very quickly.  I began to realize I had not seen ANY sign of civilization in a while.  We had been about 130 miles, and about that time I believe it was Joyce who said, "my gas light is on".  You do the math. We have traveled further on this tank of gas than we should have and there is still nothing in sight or on the GPS.  I was so engrossed in trying to find something, ANYTHING, on the GPS, I never saw the herd of goats next to the road.  You'll never guess what happened……

To Be Continued.

Marty & Lisa Knapp

Can-Am Spyder Demo Ride

Can-Am Spyder

Ray B., who is also from Guntersville and also a long distance rider, invited me to go with him to Pensacola, FL to test ride a Can-Am Spyder. Ray has already bought a Spyder, but will have to wait until March 2008 to take delivery.  Ray didn't want to wait until March to ride one, so he arranged a test ride now.  Ray on his Yamaha FJR and I on my Honda ST1100 spent Friday the thirteenth of July going to and returning from Pensacola. We left early and rode 'til we got there, ate, rode the demo, and returned to Guntersville.  We only got sprinkled on one time the whole day, although it was hot and muggy most of the day.  Back to the Spyder.

The Can-Am Spyder is a 700 lb. three-wheeled machine powered by a 998 cc V-Twin, four stroke, water-cooled engine, which makes 106 hp and 77 ft lbs of torque.  The Spyder  The most unique feature is that it has two front wheels and one rear wheel.  Can-Am also makes Sea-Doo jet skis for water sports and Ski-Doo snowmobiles.

Riding the Spyder is similar to a Gold Wing trike with some differences. The two front wheels are steered by a conventional handlebar, but the steering is very sensitive, at low speeds anyway, to rider input.  We were allowed to ride at speeds only up to 50 mph so I can't report on high-speed maneuvering, but at parking lot speeds it seems more sure-footed than a Gold Wing trike.  The factory rep said you can't raise a wheel off the pavement during turning maneuvers. . I tried to steer fairly quickly to see what would happen and nearly threw myself off.  This trike does not lean.  The Spyder turns well.  It seemed to take more room than a Gold Wing trike to turn a tight circle and took a little more steering input effort.

According to the sales brochure, the Spyder has a Vehicle Stability System, ABS, a Traction Control System, a Stability Control System with Roll-over Mitigation, Dynamic Power Steering and a Digitally Encoded Security System

Another unique feature on the Spyder is that it only has one brake pedal - no brake lever.  When the brake pedal, which is located in the conventional motorcycle right foot location, is pressed, all brakes are applied.  The Spyder has disc brakes all around, by the way, and stopped well.

The Spyder accelerates well.  In fact, it seemed to move along as well as a new Gold Wing trike.  The factory rep said that with some effort the rear wheel will do a burn out.  Some say it will go from 0 to 60 mph in 4 point something seconds.  Don't know about all that, but it will get out of its own way - nicely, thank you!

One drawback is the Spyder's seat.  It is a typical rubbery-vinyl motorcycle, and Sea-Doo seat, that's not very comfortable.  It will probably need some alteration or replacement for most riders who intend to ride very far at a time.  The seat is plenty large enough for two.  The Spyder rides well.  On the streets of Pensacola, the ride was smooth and stable.  The front and rear suspensions are adjustable for travel.

Another drawback is lack of storage capacity.  The Spyder seems more suited for one-day rides where luggage is not a requirement.

The $15,000 base price compares very favorably with a Gold Wing trike.  Some neat options drive the price for a well equipped Spyder to around $18,000.

Jim Robinson

August 2007 District News
  – From the District Director

I understand

On July 8^th, we lost a long time member and a friend to all who knew him. 

Remember the

We are still in the process of moving.  Thank the Lord that we can do it gradually and not in a rush.  I'm still trying to figure out what to move and what to throw away!

Please keep our Military people and our country's leaders in your prayers, as well as those who are sick or recovering and those who have lost loved ones recently.

Till next time, hug someone you love and don't forget to wave. 

Bill & Dian Gulley

August 2007 District News
  – From the Assistant District Director
  / Rally Coordinator

Hi Folks,

Have you told any one about the Alabama Rally this last month? Have you passed out any flyers? Each and every one of us needs to get behind this rally to make it a success. This year we have a great deal planned. In the next few years we plan to make our rally the centerpiece of Region A by providing the most fun, a great selection of vendors and the best prizes. This doesn't happen overnight but we are headed in the right direction.

The participation in the dunking booth and the fact that we gave away almost $600 to someone that dunked someone last year has made us determined to bring that back. Start thinking of whom you'd like to see in the booth that will attract those that might throw a few balls at them. We will need volunteers once again.

Jim Hubbard put on a great show after the talent show last year and we plan to have him and our dance floor back again. Between the talent show and Jim Hubbard we will once again allow the chapters to come up and promote their events for the year.

We enjoyed the hamburgers and hot dogs on Friday afternoon. In 2008 we plan to provide barbeque instead. It will be at the same place but the grills will be cooking all night.

Thursday night is reserved for the lighted bike show, ice cream social, chapter challenge and we plan to give away a major door prize. In the past we have given away tires but we will see what we come up with.

This year we are providing you the opportunity to go on Swamp Tours. These tours will take you out on the backwaters of the bay on an air boat for about an hour where you will see places and hopefully wildlife that you would not get to see otherwise.

Saturday we will once again have the poker run where we will give away $150 for the best hand and $75 for the second best hand. Because of time you do not have to ride the course but a course will be provide if you want to take a self guided tour.

Friday we will have a guided tour for those that would like to take a look at the area. Local walking tours will be handed out. There are 10 museums within walking distance and 8 are free.

Again we will be providing Trike and ERC courses. They were filled last year and I expect no less this year. We are the only District Rally in Region A that provides this to members. The cost is $50 but out of that you receive a free lunch and a partial refund. Now that is a good deal.

Over the years I have continuously heard why don't we give away a Gold Wing. I have even asked the question. At this rally with the help of A & B Honda we will. That means we have purchased it even if we don't get the ticket sales to cover the cost. Other Districts sale up to 30,000 tickets when they raffle off their bikes. They use the Gold Wing as a fund raiser. That is not our intent. We only want to break even and will award the bike to only those that are fully registered and are present at the time of the drawing. (Closing ceremonies). This is for you and those that attend our rally. I heard of at least one CD that has suggested his chapter members put away at $20 a month for tickets. Think about it, you wouldn't miss it and it would certainly increase your chances to win a $17,000 motorcycle.

The four hotels we have set up are receiving reservations. The Malaga has two rooms left, and the Admiral Semmes and Ramada are booking up but still have rooms. If you have any problem let me know where I can address it. We are working on increasing our block at the Admiral Semmes. The Howard Johnson has plenty rooms we can add if we need to. Should we fill up those hotels I have another prepared to supply us discounted rates as well.

We have on site camp sites available for self contained campers. The price is $30 per night and that includes water and electricity. Go ahead and get your registration in soon. It helps us in our planning.

We hope to see you in Perry FL.

Jim & Karen Lee

August 2007 District News
  – From the Assistant District Director
  / District Trainers

This Journal was done by Grandma and our 8 year-old Granddaughter, Amber. I hope you have as much fun reading it as her and Grandma had doing it.

Roy and Granddaughter, Amber, at Grand Tetons

28 June 2007

• Betty, Grandma, Grandpa and I left Grandma's about 1:30pm to meet Wayne & JoAnn and Miss Lucy at the Pulaski exit on I65.
• I rode with Betty in the front seat of her van..
• We saw some buffalo near Nashville.
• We stopped to eat at Patti's and the wait was too long so we ate at Bill's restaurant at Grand River, KY. I had a steak with french fries for supper. The restaurant was decorated for the fourth of July and with quilts and roses everywhere.
• I took some pictures of some animals ( chickens and a turkey).
• We are at the Holiday Inn Express in Marion, IL. The hotel has an indoor pool but it is closed this week. The pool looks amazing.
• We traveled thru AL, TN, and KY today.

29 Jun 2007

• We left Marion IL at 7am headed towards St. Louis. We rode in the rain almost all day. We saw the Arch and stopped and took pictures of it from the road.
• In Kansas City we saw their stadium for the Baseball team? Then we saw World of Fun Park that has a huge roller coaster.
• We stopped at a Sinclair gas station that has a dinosaur in front and I got my picture taken with it.
• We saw some horses and cows along the road.
• We stopped at a gas station and I took a picture of a Methodist church that was shaped funny. The town was Pattonsburg.
• We stopped in Osceola, IA for the night at a Days Inn. We walked across the parking lot to a diner for supper. I got to sit at the counter with grandpa. I got to talk to the waitresses as they were filling orders.
• When we got back to the motel, I got to go swimming in the indoor pool for a little while with Joann Davis.
• And then we got back to our room and I took a shower and I got ready for bed.
• We traveled thru IL, MO, and IA today.

30 June 2007

• We left Osceola about 7:30.  It was a beautiful day with the sun shining. It was a little chilly when we left but I changed clothes in Betty's van to some shorts and a t shirt.
• I saw some turkeys a doe and a buck in the fields. Also saw some horses and cattle.
• We stopped in Winterset, IA and saw John Wayne's birthplace. I took some pictures of the house and back yard with a water pump.
• Then we went to Greenfield and saw a large rock that a guy painted with different painting of all the military services.
• Then we stopped at a town called Anita. Grandma wanted her picture made with the city limits sign.
• We traveled thru IA, NB and SD today.

01 July 2007

• We spent the night in a town called Platte, SD. We stayed at the Dakota Country Inn, it was a nice motel. We ate breakfast in a gas station.
• We are traveling to the Black Hills today. The wind is blowing very strong. We saw pheasants, roadrunners, turkeys, cattle and horses. We traveled on 3 Indian reservations. I saw a lot of bee hives that are near some water. I guess the ranchers raise them too. Grandpa had 3 turkeys fly in front of him and he almost hit them. We saw lots of hay fields with tons of hay bales.
• We stopped in a casino to eat lunch. I ate a big lunch. I tried to watch Grandma play some games and a security guard said I was not allowed in the casino area.
• We left there and went to see Crazy Horse Monument in Custer, SD. It is not finished yet. It will take a while for it to be done. I got a statue of Crazy Horse and I can't wait to show it to you. I am so excited to show it to you all. We then went to see Mt Rushmore. It has 4 presidents profiles carved in stone. We are stayed in Keystone at the White House Resort near Mt Rushmore. I got to go swimming again in a pool and the hot tub and then we went to eat supper.
• Grandma gave me a pink Nintendo DS for the trip.
• We went from the prairie to the mountains.
• We will travel a little ways into ND and then on to Billings, MT

02 July 2007

• We are in Billings, MT!!!
• We ate breakfast in Rapid City, SD. It looked like we were going to have bad weather but it went by us. The wind was blowing though.
• We traveled to Bowman, ND to get to Billings.
• We saw some turkeys, deer, sheep, antelope and lots of horses. The turkeys were right next to the road. The antelope were along the fence or out in the fields.
• We saw a longgggggg train with 3 engines pulling a lot of coal cars. We saw a pump jack working and saw them drilling for water, gas or oil.
• We drove by some mountains that had color like a Strawberry!!!
• I got to go swimming after we ate dinner. They also have water slides but you need a special pass to use them. Grandpa went with me this time. We are sharing a room with Betty. Wayne, JoAnn and Miss Lucy are on the other side of the hotel.
• Tomorrow, I get to help Grandma & Grandpa sell tickets at their Wing Ding.
• And I get to go swimming tomorrow again and get in the hottub.

03 July 2007

• Today is Uncle Roy's birthday, we got to call him. He was still in Dover.
• I got to help sell tickets for the Gold Wing, 50/50 or other prizes. We had to be there at 7:30 to help set up for the ticket sells. I met a lot of people.
• When we left there we came back to the room and ate dinner. I got to go swimming with JoAnn and Grandpa bought me a pass for the water slides.

04 July 2007

• We got up early again. We went to opening ceremony where they named the International Couple of the Year. They were from FL. Then we went to see all the vendors. I got a red purse, a ring, some things to go in my crocks (got some for Sierra). Grandpa got the bike pin striped by TJ and the Boss.
• Betty, Grandma and I went to a letterbox. I got to find it. What fun. I got to stamp my book with their stamp and I stamped their book with mine. Then we came back to the room. Betty and Grandma washed clothes while I played in the arcade room. While Grandma was drying clothes the dryer quit. So we had to find a laundramat to dry the clothes. While they were drying we went to McDonald's to eat. I got to play a little in the playroom. They had fireworks going off everywhere. They were so beautiful. We also saw a house on fire while coming back to the room.

05 July 2007

• We decided to stay an extra day in Billings so Grandpa and Grandma could have a day to rest. We went swimming and took a nap. I got to play games in the game room at the hotel.  We ordered pizza and JoAnn, Wayne, Betty, Lynn and Lyn joined us.

06 July 2007

• We left Billings and went to Beartooth pass. It was high up and there was snow everywhere on the mountain tops. I got to play in the snow at one of the pullovers. I hit Grandma with a snowball when she wasn't looking. We saw pronghorn and buffalo on the way to West Yellowstone, WY. We went to eat and then Marty, Lisa, Tammy and Steven were at the hotel when we got back .West Yellowstone has buffalos all over the town that are decorated with different drawings.

07 July 2007

• We ate breakfast with everyone and then Betty, Lisa, Tammy, Grandma, JoAnn and I went letterboxing. We met a family who were also out letterboxing. We did an exchange of our stamps with them. Then we went to a restaurant to get something to drink before we went looking for another letterbox. We found the second one easily on a trail in a small park. We took Betty back to the hotel so she could take a nap. Then we went towards Idaho to find the last box that was in the area. We were driving out of West Yellowstone when it started hailing. It hailed so hard with little balls that it looked like snow on the ground. We also found a buffalo that was next to the hotel that we were parked under. We found the letterbox up on a hill side under a tree.
• When we came back to the van there were people getting spring water from a stone that looked like a sink. The man said it came from a natural spring about 100 yards up the hill. I filled a gator-aid bottle with the water. It was pretty good.
• On the way back to the hotel, we stopped and took pictures of the Contential Divide.
• Then we took Lisa back to the hotel and we picked JoAnn up. Tammy, JoAnn, Grandma and I went to the Grizzly and Wolf park. There were 4 wolves that were sleeping when we got there. There were 3 Grizzly bears in a fenced area that were sleeping or eating. I watched a movie about the wolves with JoAnn.
• We left there and went to the hotel so we could get everyone so we could eat. We ate at Beartooth Barbaque. After we ate, Grandma took me to ride some rides in a mall area.
• Then Grandma had to wash clothes. It was late when we got to bed.

08 July 2007

• We left West Yellowstone with JoAnn, Wayne and Betty. Marty, Lisa, Tammy and Steven left to go over Beartooth pass. We are heading to Jackson, WY to stay the night. Today is Grandma's 60th birthday. We went to the Yellowstone Grand Canyon and got to see the waterfall. We saw a lot of buffalo in the fields. We even had some try to get into Betty's van. They were real close. We also went to the Grand Tetons. We stayed in a local motel called Flat Creek Inn. We ate at a resturant call Route 89. There were some birds that had yellow heads and chests. Grandma took a picture so we could find out what kind of birds they were. They also had a bench with wagon wheels that you could sit on.

09 July 2007

• We left Jackson, Wy headed to Steamboat Springs, CO to meet back up with Marty, Lisa, Tammy and Steven. We went to Flaming River Gorge Dam. It was very big. We spent the night at a Fairfield Inn and suites. We had supper at the Ore House and Grandpa took me swimming.

10 July 2007

• I saw a hot air balloon that was in front of the hotel. Grandma took pictures of it for me. We left Steamboat Springs headed for the Rocky Mountain National Park. I got a passport book that you stamp when you visit different national parks. I saw a monument that was dedicated to Park Ranger that worked 10 years in the Rocky Mountain National Park. She was killed in 200? while fighting a fire in Hawaii.
• The park has a lot of beautiful mountains and some of them had snow on them also. Grandma got in the van with Betty and me because she did not like the height – and there were no guard rails. We stopped in Limon, CO at a Holiday Inn Express for the night. I got to eat at McDonald's.

11 July 2007

• We got to sleep in this morning – until 7am. Wayne and JoAnn left to find a clinic for Wayne for his foot. We left headed for Kit Carson County Carousel in Burlington, KS. We got there too early so we left and went to a VFW for lunch. Wayne and JoAnn met us while we were having lunch. The carousel opened at 1:00. I got to ride it 2 times. Lisa found some letterboxes in Goodland, KS. We went and found 2 out of 3. One was in the library. You had to find the number on a stained glass train picture and add it to the decimal  and then find the book. The stamp and logbook was in a book that was cut to fit the stamp and the logbook. We crossed back into the Central time zone. We stopped in Hayes, KS at a Holiday Inn for the night. We ate at the hotel and then I got to go swimming.

12 July 2007

• We left Hayes, KS headed towards St. Louis, MO. Lisa wanted to eat at a Cracker Barrel, she was having withdrawals. We went to Wamego, MO to see the OZ museum. It was pretty neat. It was all about Dorothy and Toto and the rest of the characters. I saw some oil wells and one that was being drilled. We had supper at Applebee's. I talked to my Pen Pal, Hunter, today. She is from Utah. I met her at West Yellowstone while swimming on the waterslide in the Days Inn. We stopped at a Holiday Inn Select in Columbia, MO and Grandma took me swimming.

13 July 2007

• We left about 8:30 for St. Louis, Mo to see the Arch. It is really called Jefferson National Expedition Monument. I got to ride to the top in a small elevator that 5 people sit in. It was about the size of a washing machine. Then we found a letterbox along the riverfront under a cable cover. It was cut in the shape of the Arch. Then we had lunch on a riverboat. Then we left to go to Mt Vernon, IL where we spent the night at a Holiday Inn with Betty. Marty, Lisa, Steven and Tammy went on.

14 July 2007

• We went to see Superman in Metropolis, IL and we found a letterbox at a rest stop. Then we went to Patti's to eat and wound up at Bill's again. We arrived home at 7:30.

Roy & Anita Fosnight Please Ride Safe and Often

MAD About the Heat!
  – Motorist Awareness Division District Coordinators

Dog Days of Summer

Wear Reflective Gear

The nice part about the dog days is that they give way to the fall of the year and a whole new set of problems, which gives me a new bunch of ideas about topics.

Until next month Ride Safe, Ride Aware and Ride Straight!

Freddy & Doris Wheeler

2008 Alabama District
Snowball Run

January 5th, 2008
10:00am till 1:00pm

Quality Inn & Convention Center
2705 East South Blvd., Montgomery, Al. 36116-2575
For Reservations,
Phone 1-866-535-5392
Group Code: Gold Wing Group

                               
FREE ADMISSION & YEAR BAR
Head Pin available  @ $4.00 each
Games: 10:00am to 12:00 Noon

Check the temperature before you leave home.  Plaques will be awarded for longest distance, coldest temperature on a wing, valkrye, and in a car.

Grand prize, door prizes and 50/25/25.
Refreshments on site
Join us for fun and games, door prizes, awards for the rally pin contest winner, recruiter of the year and Joe Sellers Member of the Year award.

Remember, the Officers Conference will follow the Snowball activities, and will begin at 3:00pm.  All CDs, ACDs and Chapter Educators are expected to attend.  See you there!
We'll do financial reports Friday evening if you can be there!

Contact Bill and Dian Gulley:
Phone 256-229-8833 / Dir ecto r*Al abam a-GW RRA:org

August 2007 -  AL-B Ride Schedule

• Unless otherwise indicated, all rides will leave from the ride meeting place at scheduled time.
• As a courtesy to all members, it is important to be ready to leave at the departure time.
• All bikes should be fueled and bladders emptied ahead of time.
• We plan a variety of rides.  Time and money might make it hard to make all events.  We hope this variety will give you an opportunity to pick and choose, and at least enjoy some of them.
• If the weather is bad--come in your car.
• If you have a CB, you will find us on Channel 1 (unless noted otherwise by the ride leader).

• We need your ride suggestions!!
• We need any and all of your ideas!!
• You can be part of the Ride Committee!!
• If you want to help...
  Please e-mail us at Rid eCoo rdin ator

August - 2007

September - 2007