Winter is setting in here, some days are cold and others when the wind doesn't blow are still balmy. I am looking forward to being back in summer for a month in the USA. 10 days to go to the start of our trip! I have to say though that I haven't had time to think about it a lot as there is a lot to sort before heading off for such a long stretch away.
It was my birthday on the 9th and I had a great party with friends on that evening which fortuitously fell on a Friday. All my children and grandchildren turned up which was an exceptional and much appreciated surprise, even my Gold Coast baby! They all even stayed with me which increased my pleasure tenfold. It was wonderful to all sit around in the evenings and talk, wonderful to have the grandchildren playing together and sitting on my knee for stories. I have waited such a long time for such moments.
On the Saturday our club had a charity ride and Luke came on the back of my bike. I found my centre of balance a little disturbed with such a tall person on behind me (same when Kent is on the back but I thought it was because of his leg but it's not, it's his height) but we had a good ride around the lake and back to the clubhouse for food and auctions to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House. I was also trusted by my daughter-in-law Rachel to give her a ride home from the club, I hope they both enjoyed their rides. The weather was perfect all weekend.
THE TRIP - We head to the Gold Coast for a few days with the new wee family there, an extra treat since Corrin and Miss Georgia surprised me with a visit and I have just spent the last 10 days with them. Then we fly to Kansas City where we pick up a brand new Harley Davidson Electra Glide Ultra from Gail's Harley Davidson shop - Kent has a pic of it on his desktop at work and drools over it every day - and head off on a wander for about a week heading north toward Chicago with 2 other kiwi couples.
At Chicago we meet up with a group of riders and head off on Route 66. The first day they ride to Springfield before St Louis then ride onto St Louis the next day, we will ride all the way to SL the first day and stay 2 nights with Aaron and Kristen there and get to visit also with Ben and Denae and family. I am really looking forward to that, it will be great to see Fawn and Dennis again - last time Dennis took us all to the most fantastic Italian restaurant that's food has yet to be surpassed. Onward on Route 66 to LA over the next week.
As soon as we end the ride in LA we head up the coast to San Francisco. We have to keep traveling each day as the distances are great and our time is not that long compared to where we want to be. From SF we go through Yosemite across the Extra-terrestrial Highway to St George and visit Zion and other parks there on our way to Denver where we hope to rob Haley, Glen and Jane and families of some of their time before racing back to Kansas City to see Dawn and Alan and return the motorbike (if Kent can bear to part with it).
We fly out on the 4th of July which is some sort of national holiday (just kidding :), it's THE NATIONAL HOLIDAY ! I didn't realise this when booking but all good. And it's home to ordinary life and winter....
