Riding to Redmond, Oregon - Day 2

Total Miles = 442

The motel in Osmond, Nebraska was very nice and new! The nearby mini-mart ladies were also very nice. We left Osmond around 10:00 am - too late in my book, but we were on our way. As we continued on U.S. 20 west, we went through many small towns, including Eli with a population of 2.

I've never seen the sky look so beautiful with the wide open spaces, big blue sky with fluffy clouds dotted across the landscape.





Our favorite stop of the day was in Merriman, where we stopped to rest and eat at the Sand Cafe. An old fashioned diner with pictures of customers on the wall, shakes and malts with fresh ingredients, and the best club sandwiches ever - fresh ham cut from the bone. It makes a difference!

When we went out to our bikes, Sandra and I discovered ants in our helmets! Lesson not to put your helmet on the ground!



This little guy hitched a ride on Sandra's bike.



After we crossed the border into Wyoming, we say many longhorn sheep and bison. We passed through a town called Lusk - known for the only legal cathouse in Wyoming at one time. They are no longer in service but there is a monument to prostitutes on the outskirts of town. We settled on Douglas as our resting place for the evening. There was a little league convention in town, so we were lucky to find a room at the Super 8!

Riding to Redmond, Oregon - Day 1

The next several blogs will chronicle my trip from Chicago to the BMW MOA International Rally in Redmond, Oregon.

Total miles = 551

Sandra and I left Chicago at 5:30 a.m. We met Jonny in Galena for breakfast and then took off for our adventure around 10 am. We traveled west on U.S. 20 the entire day. Our goal was to reach Valentine, Nebraska. We did make it to Nebraska, but only to Osmond. Our ride was uneventful until Sandra got a flat tire in Waterloo, Iowa.



She handled it well and pulled over slowly and calmly. A nice man from the Iowa Department of Transportation pulled his truck behind us to protect us, while Jonny plugged Sandra's tire.



We had enough CO2 cannisters to get her to Weber's Cycle in Waterloo, where she had a new tire put on.





We rode to Sac City, Iowa next where we saw the largest popcorn ball in the world! For some more information on Sac City and the Largest Popcorn Ball, here. There was also a little fake town that had some interesting historic artifacts inside.

We were on our way again and stopped in Belden, Nebraska to find a hotel. We weren't having any luck on our own. Luckily, a nice couple stopped and told us about a new motel 20 miles up the road. Yay! We stayed at the Hill Street Inn in Osmond, NE. Quite nice! We made it just as darkness was setting in...

Sturgis on the River Rally

Recently, I attended the Sturgis on the River Rally in Davenport, IA on the weekend of June 16-19. Check out these pictures from the rally!

Here’s the VaVaVroom booth and that’s my high school friend Thomas Schroeder who helped me at the Rally. He also does all my media work including web, photography, and video.

The Rally was a success! Last year there were 100,000 people but unfortunately, the weather this year kept many from attending on Friday. Thankfully, Saturday was beautiful and many more people were able to come out and enjoy.


Here I am with my junior high school boyfriend, Rob. It was fun catching up with him.


This is the Wall of Death, America’s Original Extreme Motorcycle Thrillshow, where daredevils ride vintage Indian and Harley Davidson motorcycles and racing go-karts on a vertical board wall sometimes as high as 15 feet above the ground! Check it out here.


Meet Charlie Ransom, one of the stunt daredevils.


An action shot of the Wall of Death! They go around so fast, I couldn’t get a clear shot.

Some other friends who were vending at the Rally included:


Jeff, Alan, and Rob of Traumahead Sportz set up a paintball gallery and shooting range. They also produce video episodes about strategies and tips for paintballing. For more on Traumahead Sportz, here.


Sonia and her son were set up in a neighboring booth. Sonia owns Teranga House of Africa, a boutique and hair braiding location in the District at 1706 3rd Ave, Rock Island, IL. They do professional hair braiding and weaving, and sell unique authentic African clothing, gifts, masks, accessories, and musical instruments. Contact them at 309-788-0801.

Overall, the rally was really fun! There were reunions with old friends, meetings with new friends and exciting daredevils at the Wall of Death!

Ride To Work Day

Hi! I'm Katlin, one of the current Marketing Interns at VaVaVroom and today I'm guest blogging about this year's 18th annual Ride To Work Day taking place Monday, June 21, 2010. Riding motorcycles or scooters provides economic and environmental benefits, not to mention how fun and practical they are!

Ride your motorcycle or scooter on this day to demonstrate:

• The number of motorcyclists to the general public and to politicians.
• That motorcyclists are from all occupations and all walks of life.
• That motorcyclists can reduce traffic and parking congestion in large cities.
• That motorcycles are for transportation as well as recreation.
• That motorcycling is a social good.

So this year, reduce your environmental footprint, save money and fuel, and enjoy yourself, by making a point to ride your bike to work on June 21, and for the rest of the summer!

For more information, click here.

Kristi & Kim's Twilight Giveaway

Ok, I admit it. I'm crazy about the Twilight series. And doesn't Jacob look hot on that motorcycle? So, I'd like to share with you a giveaway contest on Kristi & Kim's blog. Kristi and Kim are giving away the New Moon DVD, which is being released on March 20, 2010, and other fun stuff for Twihards. Just click here and here to learn more. It's easy to enter and so much fun!

Another Give-Away!

Check out Sweeps4Bloggers.com! They are offering a free Total Moto VaVaVroom tee. Just follow the link and see how you might win. Hurry! All entries must be in by February 8, 2010.

Networking Witches Offering VaVaVroom Give-away

Thank you to Redneck Witch at Networking Witches for facilitating our latest give-away of a For the Love of Chrome Long Sleeve Thermal in pink! Click here for more info. Ends January 15, 2010.