Cyclerides.com Weekly
Update
11/14/12
Greetings Riders,
First of all, I would like to say “Happy Veterans Day” to all of the
Veterans out there, and to thank you for your service. For me it
was a very memorable Veterans Day week as I was honored to spend 3 days back in
Washington D.C. with 28 WWII Veterans, including my 87 year old Father who were
taking part in an Honor Flight to visit the WWII Memorial in D.C. If you missed
the newsletter from last week, I would encourage you to read it now as this week
is a part 2 of the trip and gives you a background on Day 1 and the Honor Flight
program. Click Here to Read.
I left you last week in my hotel room in Baltimore finishing the newsletter
after a very long and emotional day of travel with these 28 WWII
Veterans serving as a guardian for My Dad who was in
the Navy from 1943-1946. As I mentioned in the letter last week, not
only do I consider all of these men to be the pillars of this great country,
that all willingly went to war at a very high cost to defend our country and
make it the greatest in the world, but a lot of others feel the same way.
It was a very emotional and very proud moment as
these group of men made their way down the corridor to Gate 7 as
EVERYONE
in the other gates rose to their feet and started to applaud and cheer as these
gentlemen slowly walked by. To see this kind of random appreciation from total
strangers was just
an incredible moment that welled emotion from deep inside my gut. Particularly
on election day, it sure was nice to see everyone on the same
page, standing for the same cause, at least for a short while.
Day
2 was our day to see the what we came to see, which was the WWII
Memorial. This Memorial honors the more than 400,000 who died,
and ALL who supported the war effort from home. Symbolic of the defining event
of the 20th Century, the memorial is a monument to the spirit, sacrifice, and
commitment of the American people. I remember hearing about this when it was
being built, was anxious to see it, and was not at all disappointed. The
designers did an absolutely incredible job of making this Memorial everything
that it deserved to be.
Flanked
on the West by the Lincoln
Memorial at the end of the reflection pool, and the East by the Washington
Monument, this turned out to be a spectacular Memorial from the
attention to detail to the massive size that reflects the importance of this war
to our United States history. The Second World War is the only 20th Century
event commemorated on the National Mall’s central axis. I was particularly
impressed by the enormity of the monument as the towers honoring every state and
province seem to embrace and keep you comforted in a circular design with water
separating the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the war that we
were in. There are many quotes from Presidents and Generals etched in the
granite walls that honor those who served. The bronze plaques as you enter from
the Washington Monument side really do a great job of reliving the conflict that
our men and women endured. This is a must see for you and your kids if you are
in D.C.
From there our tour continued to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall,
Lincoln Memorial and the Korean War Memorial. Since I grew up in
the era of the Vietnam War, I was really interested in seeing The Wall in person. I had seen
the traveling wall before, but there is nothing like experiencing this in
person. To see all of the names of those killed or
missing from this war is really sobering to say the least. The reflection off of this wall
almost makes it come to life, at least for a moment. I can now take this one off
of my bucket list. When all the motorcycles arrive here for The Run for the
Wall, it must be an amazing sight to see.
From the Wall we walked over to the Lincoln
Memorial and up the steps
to finally see Ole’
Abe sitting in his chair surrounded by the Memorial building.
This is one site that I can remember seeing in photographs since I was a kid and
it was fun to see it in person. The view from the steps of the Lincoln across
the mall reflecting pool to the WW2 Memorial and the Washington Monument is
really impressive and a sight to see.
From here it is a short walk over to the Korean
War Veterans Memorial. This was a particularly interesting
Memorial as it is in the form of a triangle with a 164 foot polished black
granite wall with over 2500 photographic images sandblasted into the
wall. Within the triangle are 19 stainless steel statues each larger than
life-size weighing nearly 1000 pounds. The figures represent a squad on patrol,
drawn from each branch of the armed forces.
They are dressed in full combat
gear, dispersed among strips of granite and juniper bushes which represent the rugged terrain of Korea. When reflected on the wall,
there appear to be 38 soldiers, representing the 38th parallel. This Memorial is
almost eerie as it seems comes to life as you look into the detailed faces of these statues and see them
reflected in the wall. It succeeds in conveying that every step that these guys
took was dangerous and a scary step into the unknown confines of a very brutal
enemy.
From here we were on our way to Arlington
National Cemetery to see the changing of the guard at the Tomb
of the Unknown Soldier. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier refers
to a grave in which the remains of an unidentified soldier are interred,
dedicated to the common memories of all soldiers killed in any war. Throughout
history, many soldiers have died in wars without their remains being identified.
Following the First World War, a movement arose to commemorate these soldiers
with a single tomb, containing the body of one such unidentified soldier.
As you walk up to the back side of the Arlington
Memorial Amphitheater you are met with this
sign. This is one more piece of history that I have heard about
literally forever and was able to witness the very intricate procedure of
guarding the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It is amazing at the repetition and
precision that is involved with this procedure. Very interesting to see in
person. The tour through Arlington cemetery was also interesting as well.
Our next stop was a tour of the Capitol
building. The history around this building was off the charts and was much more opulent in decor that what I had
imagined. But the brief bit of history that you can consume from a 90 minute
tour is very interesting and something that I would recommend if you are in D.C.
From here, the weather was starting to turn a bit sour and we were on our way to
the Marine Corps Iwo Jima Memorial. This Memorial
reflects the Marines and Sailor who raised the second flag over Iwo Jima. This
is one of the more recognizable photographs of the entire WWII. We were told
that this is the largest Bronze statue in the world and is definitely a site to
see. We also saw the Navy and Air Force Memorials.
Day 3 we took a tour of Ft.
McHenry in Baltimore where Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled
Banner. The history behind this place aside from the fact that this
battle of the war of 1812 was what inspired Key to write what became our
National Anthem, it was also a key battle that changed the course of the British
invasion. It was then off to the airport for our 5 hour flight home that would
complete 3 very long days.
Upon arriving home these Veterans were treated to a huge welcome home by
travelers who stood and cheered at the gates, family members
waiting for their soldiers to return as well as a huge flag draped greeting from
the Patriot Guard Riders. Always
good to be in the company of those faithful patriots on motorcycles. Thanks to
all for the welcome that they deserved. When we reached level 2 there was a
fantastic welcome home ceremony planned that featured Medal of Honor winner
Rudy Hernandez.
Jeff Senour, who started the
band CTS, capped off the evening by doing an acoustic rendition of his award
winning song “You Won’t Be Forgotten”. This is a great song and the video,
focused around the Run for the Wall shows a lot of the locations that I just
visited. Click Here to View. Also, go to
the www.ctsmusic.com to see all of
the other great things Jeff is doing for our military and youth with his
Freedom Rock Experience.
This trip was a very important time for Dad as well as myself. It was one
of those rare times that at our ages we got to spend 3 days of quality time
together, even with him being 87 years old, I was still learning
things about him that I had never known. I will truly cherish this time with him
as well as the other Vets that we were with. Thanks to the Honor Flight Arizona
organization for putting on such a great trip and treating these guys like the
gold shirts they were wearing. If you have a WWII Vet in your family, contact
Honor
Flight and get them on the list to go.
Click Here for Photos of
the trip.
Click Slideshow button to view in full screen, or click on photo on right
for bigger image.
Tidbits and Updates:
SAVE THE DATE!
Saturday, December 1st
** I am excited to announce that Tim
& Willy formerly of KMLE Radio will be coming to the Cyclerides.com Toys To Kids event on
Saturday, December 1st to open the show and
entertain the kids and adults alike. For those of you familiar with their show,
they are even going to “Write a Song About
It!” Can’t wait to hear that one. We will also have World Class
Magician, Juggler and Comedian Craig Davis back to entertain us as well. This
year we will be bussing in 130 underprivileged kids to feed, entertain and to
allow them to pick any 3 toys out of the stack to take home. We need your help
for this 10th anniversary of the event. Bring the whole family and a couple of
toys to make the day for these kids. Entertainment starts at 11 AM at Westgate
City Center. Ride or drive in at 9 AM to enjoy the Christmas music and
entertainment before the event and enjoy a $9.99 breakfast provided by Saddle
Ranch. Click Here
for details. This should be the best event
yet!
** This Thursday night, November 15th, is the last
Cyclerides.com Westgate Bike
Night of the season. The weather is supposed to
be GREAT! Ride in to help us close it out. Live Music with Sour
Diesel Train Wreck playing their own brand of Southern Rock. See the latest
creations from special Guest Paul
Yaffe's Bagger Nation. Help us close this year out in style. See
You There!
Bike Nights
Thursday Nights
September 13th – November 15th
Last Night of the Season! Come on down!
Cyclerides.com Westgate
Bike Night this Fall being presented by Arrowhead
Harley-Davidson and Ridenow
Powersports. Only 2 nights left for this
season. Last night on November 15th from 5 pm – 9
pm.
**Live Music this week with
Valley Favorite “Sour Diesel Train Wreck”.
Riders are ready to enjoy the
break in the weather and get back on their bikes. So grab your
riding buddies and stop by to enjoy Live Music, Restaurant specials and other
special events along the way. Click Here for Photos from the first night.
Here are the details for the
Cyclerides.com Westgate Bike Night presented by Arrowhead HD and Ridenow
Powersports:
Where: Westgate City Center, Loop 101 and Glendale Ave. SE Corner. Next to
Jobing.com Arena.
When: Thursday nights beginning September 13th – November 15th
Time: 5 PM –
9 PM
What: Bike
Night. Live Music, Food, Fun, Vendors, Motorcycles and Sturgis Style Cruising
down Coyote Blvd.
Thanks to our Presenting
Sponsors Arrowhead Harley-Davidson and Ridenow Powersports:
Your local Harley-Davidson dealership and proud sponsor of the
Cyclerides.com/Westgate Bike Night. Stop by and see the latest in what
Harley-Davidson has to offer. Speak to one of our trained sales staff about what
Harley-Davidson motorcycle would be right for you. We are located just South of
83rd Ave. and Bell Rd. 623-247-5542.
Stop by and talk to our staff at bike night or at one of
our many valley locations. We feature many brands including Polaris, Yamaha,
Kawasaki, Suzuki, Honda, Can-Am, BMW, Victory, KTM, Spyder, and Ski-doo. Click
Here for a list of our locations.
And to our Associate Sponsor
Curly’s Customs
Curly's Customs. Curly's Customs is a full service Custom Paint & Body
Shop for the motorcycle enthusiast. 623- 977-0339. Stop by and see them at Bike
Night.
Restaurant Specials at Westgate:
Saddle Ranch - 2 chicken tacos for
$5.50. Classic pints of draft beer for only $3. 6:30pm to 10:00pm All Bike
Nights, excluding event days/nights (when there are concerts, sporting or other
events at the Center/stadium/arena). Show “M” Class on license for
discount.
Calico Jack’s Cantina - Bike Night Platters. Nacho
chips, mini-chimis, onion rings & jalapeno poppers, plus a pitcher of
domestic draft beer for only $19.99. Enjoy 10% off your bill when you show your
motorcycle license.
The SHOUT! House - Bike Night Burger Deal: Burger,
fries and one beer for only $7.00.
Kabuki - Take 15% off when you show your motorcycle
license during Westgate Bike Night, Dine-in only. One offer per table per party.
Not valid during Happy Hour and Reverse Happy Hour.
Margaritaville – 5-9 PM. 15% off for bikers that show
their motorcycle license, alcohol not included. $2 PBRs.
This Week
Saturday, November 17th
Whip up a batch of your best chili and join us at our Chili Cook-off event
to see who'll win bragging rights for the best chili 'round town!
We'll have a live band & ice cold beer so don't miss out! The cook-off is
from 11am-2pm
$5 donation includes all the chili you can taste (100% of
donations benefit the Combat Vets). You are the judge!
Winning categories include:
-Best Over-All ($200 gift card & trophy)
-2nd Best ($100 gift card & trophy)
-Hottest ($100 gift card & trophy)
-Most Unique ($100 gift card & trophy)
-Best named/Table Theme ($100 gift card &
trophy)
To register, send us an e-mail at marketing@hdofscottsdale.com or give us a call at
(480) 905-1903.
We'll also have a bloodmobile out in the parking lot from
9am-1pm if you're feeling generous and would like to donate. For more
information about the blood drive, visit this link: To register to donate blood,
visit this link: Sponsor
code: ScottsdaleHarley
Saturday, November 17th
Buddy
Stubbs Anthem Hogs & Dogs. Buddy Stubbs Anthem H-D invites you to their
Hogs & Dogs event on Saturday, November 17th, from 11:00-2:00
p.m.! This month they ask the ever-important question, "Are you riding in the
correct lane to protect your life?" TEAM AZ will be onsite during the event to
provide a FREE Lane Positioning Seminar and to answer your important riding
questions. Be sure to RSVP for the seminar taking place from 12:00-1:00 p.m. in
the HOG room and join Team Stubbs and TEAM AZ as they discuss valuable riding
information you won’t want to miss!
Grab your favorite riding partner and head to Buddy Stubbs
Anthem H-D to take part in the class and/or to enjoy their monthly FREE hot dogs
and sodas! For more information contact marketing@buddystubbs.com or call (623)
465-1122. Anthem Harley-Davidson is located at 41715 N. 41st Drive, Anthem, AZ
85086, find them on the web at www.anthemhd.com.
Saturday November 17th
My Fine
Wheels Car Show at Chester’s Harley-Davidson. Join us to view
some great classic cars and enjoy some Food, Prizes and Fun on Saturday,
November 17th from 10:30 AM – 4:30 PM at Chester’s HD located at 922 S. Country
Club Dr. in Mesa, AZ. $10 admission, $5 goes to charity. (12 and under free).
All year makes and models. Register 3 cars or more $5 off each entry. Register 8
cars or more, all entries are free. (must donate to charity). Sign up
information and maps at www.myfinewheels.com .
Saturday, November 17th
5th
Annual Fallen Firefighters Motorcycle Poker Run. Registration will be at The
Nautical Beach Front Resort in Lake Havasu at 8am, with the poker
stops in various places throughout Mohave County as in years past. The final
stop will be back in Lake Havasu at the Nautical Beach Front Resort. The Los
Regulars will be playing live music as well as a DJ playing into the night with
a variety of other events. All final poker stop events, food and fun are at the
host hotel allowing all local and out of town guests to party it up without
having to ride when the fun is over.
Saturday, November 17th
American Legion
Riders Post 107 benefit ride for Justa Center. This benefit ride is for the
JUSTA CENTER and will provide them with much needed funds to help
at risk homeless Veterans get off the streets and back to work. In addition to
their daily needs (i.e. showers, laundry and restrooms) they assist Veterans in
getting their VA benefits, finding housing, jobs and help them regain their
lives. Ride starts and ends at American Legion Post 107, 20001 N. Cave Creek Rd.
602-971-9982. Pre reg $20 per rider and $5 for passenger. Registration will be
available on site starting at 8am. Breakfast burritos available with coffee.
Last bike out by 10am, back by 4pm.
Sunday, November 18th
Birds On Bikes 2012.
Grab your frozen bird, strap it on the bike and meet up with the
rest of the flock at 10am. Meeting places are listed on flyer. Want your club or association involved,
but want to leave from your own starting point? Set your plans to arrive at St
Vincent de Paul, located at 420 W. Watkins, Phoenix, AZ. Please schedule to
arrive at 11:30 (no earlier) per the request of St Vincent de Paul. Monetary
donations should be made out to St Vincent de Paul. Non perishables are always
welcome.
Next Week
Saturday, November 24th
Buddy Stubbs
Hogs & Dogs. Calling all Active and Retired Military Personnel! Buddy Stubbs Arizona H-D would like to solute you for your service by
offering you Double Reward Point Dog Tag Specials on T-Shirts, Hats and Boots!
And, if that is not enough, head to the dealership on Saturday, November 24th,
for Hogs & Dogs from 11:00-2:00 p.m. and show your I.D. to receive a one day
only oil change special! That’s right, if you are Active or Retired Military,
Police, or Fire we’ll change your oil for only $59.99 (20w50) or $79.99 (SYN3).
If you need to get away from your in-laws or simply cannot stomach one more
slice of turkey from the gluttony of Thanksgiving, then stop by and let the
Buddy Stubbs family get you back on the road to riding. There will be FREE hot
dogs and soda along with live music, a pool tournament and free museum tours
with none other than Buddy! Take a break from all of the hubbub and spend some
time with your riding family while taking advantage of some great shopping deals
and enjoying the wonderful weather. Hop on your H-D and ride over to Buddy
Stubbs Arizona Harley-Davidson. For questions contact marketing@buddystubbs.com, call (602) 971-3400 or
check them out on the web at www.buddystubbshd.com.
Saturday, November 24th
6th Annual
Marines Toys for Tots Ride. Hosted by ALR Post 35 Chandler AZ. Register 8:00
- 10:00 A.M. at Chester's Harley-Davidson - 922 S. Country Club
Drive, Mesa, AZ. Donations $20.00 or $15.00 with a toy. Passengers $15.00 or $10
with a toy. Ride pins for the first 100 Participants. Paid Ride includes ride,
lunch, door prizes and end party. Music by The 74th St Band from 1:00 - 4:00
P.M. Last Bike in by 2:00 P.M. and Door Prize drawings start at 3:00 P.M. For
more information Sue “Brat” Ashe at post35toys4tots@gmail.com /
602-576-7052 or Cristina “Angel?” Sipos-Convery at t4t@post.com /
602-315-8945 or visit www.azalr35.org/ToysforTots2012.
Coffee and Donuts provided at registration by Chester's H-D
Upcoming Events
Saturday, December 1st Save The Date! Saturday, December
1st.
The Cyclerides.com
Toys to Kids event will once again be held at Westgate City Center in the fountain plaza area where we will bus in 130 underprivileged and
homeless kids from the
Children First Academy from downtown Phoenix. We will entertain them, feed them
and then they will each get to pick 3 gifts from the stack of toys that you
bring to take home with them. One of the toys that they pick is for them to give
away to another child that could not come. There is no cost for this event. All
we ask is that you bring at least one toy or game per person for ages
K-5.
Special
Guests! This year is going to be especially fun as we have Tim & Willy stopping by to
open the show with a couple of songs. You might remember them from KMLE Radio.
Willy is even going to “Write a song about it”. Also, once again we have Craig
Davis for entertainment. Craig was a
huge hit for the adults as well as the kids last year. He is
a world class magician that normally charges over $2000 per show at private
parties and corporate events. He combines the art of illusion, comedy and the
spectacle of the circus that is amazingly entertaining. Craig specializes in Original and
Unbelievable Grand Magic Illusions, Side-Splitting Comedy, Audience
Participation, Trained Tropical Birds, Amazing Juggling and features Original, Exciting Music. This is always a special event and should be
especially entertaining this year. Bring the whole family. Craig will
start his performance at 10:45 AM. So be sure to be there. Check out a video on
his web site. Click
Here.
Cyclerides.com Toys To Kids.
Itinerary
of the Day:
The
morning will begin at 9 AM at Westgate City Center with Christmas music spun
by Big D’s Mobile DJ’s.
Saddle
Ranch will have available an
all inclusive $9.99 per person breakfast buffet beginning at 9 am. The kids will
be arriving at 10:15 am and all will enjoy some street entertainment as a warm
up for the big show. At 10:45 am the Toys to Kids will begin with some amazing
comedy, magic and juggling from Craig Davis. Bring the whole family to enjoy
this great event. This is usually the best day of the year for these kids and
they love to see the riders and bikes. Westgate City Center is located at Loop
101 and West Glendale Ave. in Glendale.
Extras
Mid Week Updates will be made on the Cyclerides.com Facebook. New Easy to remember Facebook address. Go to Cyclerides.com Facebook. Over 4000 FANS! Take a look at all the new photos posted on the wall. If you are not on Facebook, you can still view the page, but you will not be able to post. There will be a link there for you to sign up for Facebook if you are inclined. Click the LIKE button!
Think you can ride a motorcycle? Check out this guy. One of the best stunt riders I have seen. Click Here to View
Practical joke videos are always fun. Check out this one with the magnetic spoon in the soup bowl. Click Here to View.
Video of the Week. Check out this 18 wheeler in Norway slides off the road. Click Here to View. Click on the Video of the Week graphic on the page.
If you would like to sign up for the Cyclerides.com Weekly
Update Click
Here.
Until Next Week,
Blessings and Safe Riding To
All,
Barry Caraway
"The Road Is Yours - Take The Ride"
www.cyclerides.com
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Copyright © 2012 BDC Products,
LLC.
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reserved.