Getting out of town, or how much gear can we fit into a Volkswagon?

     Diane and I have planned this trip for months. Our grandson, Ben has agreed to move into our house and keep the cats from going ballistic while we're gone, so we're excited to get on the road.  We're going to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, which we did not get to last year, and then travel north into Utah to visit Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks and as many more NPs as we can get to before we run out of time.  (There are six in Utah, so the possibility exists that Westy could come home with SEVEN new park stickers.)

      Right now the problem is getting all our gear for camping, cycling, hiking and backpacking crammed into our VW Westfalia camper.  Westy is about the same size as the average minivan, and getting all of that stuff, plus the usual creature comforts -- clothing, bedding, food, water, maps and guidebooks -- inside is requiring us to utilize every single square inch of space in his  generally well-designed interior.  It's noon and we're supposed to be leaving in the morning.  We aren't even half packed.
      Keep checking this blog, and also look at Diane's (theyarnachronicles.blogspot.com) as well.  We'll keep adding details as we go along.

Minneapolis Institute of Arts Bike Night!

Daughter-in-law Garnette Kuznia has put together another bike night, Thursday, July 15, 2010, where Minneapolis residents are encouraged to ride their bikes to the Museum and participate in bike themed activities.

MIA iPhone Wallpaper: Bike Night

Third Thursday's Bike Night at the MIA salutes Minneapolis--the nation's #1 biking city!

Thursday, July 15, 2010
6 – 9 p.m.
Free; refreshments for sale.

Join a group ride or pedal solo to this outdoor evening packed with great bike-related art offerings. Catch selected shorts at the opening of the 2010 Bicycle Film Festival--hosted at the MIA for the first time ever. Enjoy free bike valet service provided by Freewheel Bike Shop and Dero Bike Racks. Get a bike safety check by The Hub Bike Cooperative. Check out masterpiece bikes made by great Minnesota frame builders, on display in the museum lobby. Be part of the picture and pose with your bike in front of vintage photo backdrops, or let your creative juices flow and create your own classic bike poster. Enter drawings to win a Surly Long Haul Trucker bike; a hand-built Traitor Cycles Luggernaut frame, Chrome, and Banjo Brothers commuter bags donated by The Hub Bike Shop; Twin Six gear; and Nutcase helmets! And grab a biker-friendly brew and enjoy music by A Night in the Box.

Photo: Amanda Hankerson

Railroad Days in South Dakota

Diane says --
Okay, I admit it -- trains are almost as much fun as bikes and old VWs for Craig.  So when our South Dakota friends told us about something called Railroad Days at Prairie Village in Madison, SD we loaded our bikes in the '87 VW camper and headed out west.  The original reason for the day trip was an invite from Jeff's friend Bill to come and have lunch at the "Hobo Stew Cookout."  Bill, his girlfriend Dawn and a bunch of other volunteers put on an iron pot cookout to feed at least a hundred people.  They made stew in a dozen pots over and under live coals.  The results were delicious.

     The first thing we saw when we arrived at the Village, though, was Bill's 1936 Dodge Ram pickup (above) -- absolutely the best example of a neat old truck I've ever seen.  Bill and Dawn drove it from home, an hour away, hauling firewood, iron pots and food ingredients to the site.  The truck's coolest feature is the hood ornament, and even though that Ram lost a horn somewhere along the way, he's still got all the style he needs!

Hobo Stew seems to involve  whatever meat is available (in this case chicken -- thankfully not the more traditional roadkill), potatoes, onions, carrots and a variety of other garden veggies , and enough water to keep it from sticking.  The potato starch produced during cooking thickens the juices into gravy, and the whole mixture began to smell wonderful as everything started to simmer.  When the pot was finally opened, the results were definitely worth the wait. I had a plateful that included a whole chicken leg, plus beans and some very tasty berry crisp -- definitely worth driving for.

After lunch we got to the serious business of checking out the rolling stock.  Prairie Village has steam and diesel locomotives, passenger and freight cars, a replica interurban trolley, and a fun collection of "speeders" -- railroad service cars used by track crews to inspect and repair track.  One diesel switcher was pulling carloads of visitors on rides around the grounds, and Jeff and Craig managed to get seats in the cupula of the real wooden caboose (Craig says those are now known as "way cars" and aren't even used on modern freight roads).

We all rode the "Doodlebug" -- the replica interurban that was being inaugurated by the village that weekend. But Craig's favorite ride was on a Service Car -- the bright orange one seen behind the Doodlebug in this photo.  The beautifully restored 2-seat rail car is owned by a museum volunteer who trailered it to the park for a chance to drive it around and show it off.  Jeff and I settled for rides on the more pedestrian (but larger) ex-military "speeder" (right)..  Sitting on the bare plywood deck of the vehicle, we were acutely aware of every bump in the rails and were amazed at how fast 25 mph feels when there is no cab, windshield or framework between you and the breeze.
    Later in the weekend Craig and Jeff DID get in a bike ride, so taking the bikes was not a waste of effort.  Many thanks to Jeff and Sue, Bill Lee and Dawn and the railroad volunteers for a really  fun weekend!