Riding the Katy Trail - the WHOLE enchilada!

Defiance Merchants (DMA Riders) take on the trail to benefit the Asthma & Allergy Foundation

About a year ago we began talking with other local business owners in the Defiance Merchant Association about riding the entire Katy Trail (242-miles across Missouri) to benefit a charity.  After months of planning, eight of us are just about ready to leave for our adventure.  We decided to support the Asthma & Allergy Foundation for our first year of what we hope will be an annual ride. Living in Missouri with Asthma & Allergies is not easy (as many of you know), and biking the trail in support of those individuals and research to help them seemed like the perfect fit.

Want to find out more and follow our daily trek?  Go to:

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/defiance-merchants/DMARide

We'll be journaling our ride each evening on the above site along with sharing a few pictures of the day.

We leave Sunday, April 12 after our guests check out and will return Friday evening, April 17.

Wish us Luck and GOOD WEATHER!



Snowbirds in February - Week 5

What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas

Okay, surely after a couple has been gone all of the month of January they've gotten this "snowbird travel-thing" out of their systems, right?  WRONG!

Our friends Tom & Sue talked about going to Las Vegas; and the next thing we knew, we were going there, too ... ha!

It's sort of funny, because we aren't even gamblers.  We do, however, enjoy all of the things Las Vegas has to offer. We love the beauty of the desert, seeing interesting sights on the strip, going to shows, and seeing some of the "craziness" that always seems present somehow in Las Vegas. The weather during the winter is always a bonus

A few highlights: 
Red Rock Canyon, the Minus5 Ice Bar (brrrrr.....), Fremont Street, and "The Rat Pack is Back" show.

 The Minus 5 Ice Bar in the Monte Carlo.  Chilly!

Us with "Dino"

 The Link - new addition to the strip

 The Individual cars of the Link

 The botanical garden at the Bellago

 Red Rock Canyon

Freemont Street Experience

 

There was a great Faberge exhibit at the Bellagio art gallery, and the botanical gardens mimicked a Faberge egg in all floral.  We also enjoyed riding the new Link (or was it Linq?) -- the gigantic ferris-wheel type attraction on the strip.  The cars are huge and you get a wonderful view of the strip and the surroundings.

 

The Minus 5 Ice Bar was really a fun thing to do (and Tom works in the Ice industry, so he had to go in without a coat.  Notice Jeff had to join in.. ha!)

 

The Rat Pack is Back show was great fun, with songs of Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr., with Joey Bishop as emcee.  My parents would have loved this.

 

We had a great time  in Vegas and our trip went by too quickly.  Our flight back got cancelled due to snowy weather back home, and we were forced (aw, darn) to spend an additional night.

 

We hope to get back next year to see the rest of the sights.