The Pit

What a time! This year has been a GREAT year for cruising, but what better way to end the year than a 2 day cruise to a place so many people in the Midwest would love to visit - Galena, IL!! This was a monstrous cruise as 60 people and 30 Vipers gathered for this trek. The cruise went to perfection, the plan and the weather converged to create a wonderful Fall send-off for the Vipers before their Winter slumber. And what an event it was!

Day 1 began with Vipers meeting in Schaumburg at the Woodfield Mall parking lot. All Vipers were on time and the cars began their drive promptly at 8:15am. Vipers hit i90 and began their drive to the first stop which was a break/gas stop for the group. More Vipers converged along the way as the group hit route 20 and headed West to Galena.

It was a good road, but there was already something looming in the distance... the Vipers whizzed by a police car parked in the center median. Not to fret, the Vipers saw him a mile away and everyone checked their speeds, but the lights still came on and what happened next was comedy! Never in the history of the club were 30 Vipers pulled over by a squad car, but it happened. The police car sped past the Vipers to the front of the line and waved everyone over to park (imagine that sight...). The trooper got out of his car, he seemed like a bit of a character on a power trip. We knew he didn't pull us over for speeding, so what could it be... yes folks, the elusive "no front license plate". It happened, the group actually got pulled over for no plates - and yes, not one Viper had a front plate on the car. The cop yapped at the leader of the pack for a little bit and then stated that it would take him forever to write the $120 ticker for each car. So he let the cars go and the Vipers sped on to their destination! (pictures withheld to protect the innocent!)

This was  the busiest weekend for Galena, simply put it's the most sought after time to visit the area. The club worked with the city to arrange not only very special parking, but a grand entrance. There is literally no place to move once you enter Galena - cars and people were wall to wall. How was a caravan this big going to navigate it? Fret not, as we entered the city limits... er... AGAIN - a cop!?! Ahh, but this officer was on OUR side... This police officer was arranged by the club and the town of Galena. He nodded his head and the Vipers now had a police escort that led us into the downtown area. Additional police blocked intersections and waved in all the Vipers one after the other. It was a cool entrance! As the Vipers now entered the large gates of main street, people began to turn as the caravan of Vipers made their way through main street Galena. It seemed as if life stopped for a moment and every person came out of the shops and restaurants to watch the Vipers pass. You could hear comments from the crowd as the engines echoed down the 1 mile stretch of tall buildings. This was a sight!

The Vipers made their way to the center of town and what a sight, the entire visitors center was blocked off and waiting for the Vipers to arrive. The club worked with the town of Galena to reserve the entire area for us. The cars pulled in, and one after the other filled the entire visitors center, the sides, and even on the front lawn!  Now that was an entrance! Visitors arriving behind us were perplexed as to how we found parking - they continued driving more than several blocks to seek parking of their own. Needless to say the cars drew a crowd, it looked like a Viper dealership in the middle of Galena!Everyone hopped out of their cars and began walking down the strip. It's no wonder so many people flock there each year. It's a cozy little town of 3500 people, but packed with history and most definitely has a quaint feel all its own. Main street is a collection of tall but closely clustered buildings with a thin street running through it. This is the main drag where everyone loves to walk around and visit the shops and restaurants. Music could be heard from many places as musicians played on several street corners. The club made its way to their lunch stop (Boone's) for a bite and to hit the restrooms.

Day 2 began with breakfast around 9am. Everyone was excited for the days plans as we were going to do things we've never done before. Chestnut Mountain is a ski resort, but during the warm months it's also fun. The views from the resort were fantastic, but we were going to get a real treat.

The group needed to get to the bottom of the mountain, there were two ways arranged for the group - either use the ski lift... or the luge!! This was going to be interesting!

Everyone gathered around the luge to watch the initial brave folks try it. Basically it was a luge that took you to the bottom of the mountain on a small wheeled craft that had a hand brake so you could control the speed. Once the first few went, it was a free for all! Races even broke out. It was comedy.

Once most of the folks got to the bottom of the hill, the rest went and hit the ski lift for an aerial view descending the mountain. It was neat because at a couple points the ski lift path went over the luge track, so you could see people flying down the luge under you as you descended. This was real entertainment! Some people even took the lift back up for a rematch!

Finally when the whole group was down, everyone headed to the next stop. The club arranged a boat tour of the Mississippi river! Our pontoon boat was waiting and at 11am the boat set off!

It was an extremely calm river that day and the sky was so blue. No breeze at all and 70 degrees. You couldn't ask for anything more.  Everyone received a narrated tour as the boat passed through channels and stopped at places of interest. Duck hunters were seen preparing for their day and lots of birds and animals made the river alive with activity. The river flow was slow and the pace was relaxing. Laughter could be heard echoing downriver.

The boat cruise lasted a little over an hour and the group was brought back to the dock. Everyone took the ski lift back up, what a ride and view. The group then made their way to a specially arranged meal on the outside deck of the resort overlooking all the ski slopes! What a sight to see! It was so serene! The food was magnificent and the company was of course wonderful. We had the whole outside just for the club.

After lunch the group packed up their cars and it was time to hit the road for the rest of the car cruise. The Bradys (IL Region members from Iowa) led this portion of our day as we hit the back roads for some driving fun. The group also stopped at Palisades State Park for a wonderful scenic overlook. The group hung out a little and walked the paths until it was time for the final trek. The group made their way to the last stop for gas and restrooms. Goodbye's were exchanged as people would be going several different directions shortly after this stop. Cars fired up for the last time, and in the sunset drove the Vipers, heading home from their last cruise of the year! What memories the group had and laughter that'll easily last us through the winter!

This was truly fantastic ending to a great cruise year! The turnout was truly overwhelming and everyone really had a good time. The club would like to acknowledge our cruise directors Nancy and Larry Friend for doing such a great job this year. Their dedicated leadership has brought smiles to everyone's faces! Plans are already underway for next year. We think you'll like what you see. We'll see you all in 2011!!!

This year's summer cruise was no small drive as we had several twists for all the members this time around. It's a great time of year, when the weather is warm and enjoyable. And while we had a few sprinkles initially, the day ended up being one of our more active and longer distance excursions!

This cruise was devised and choreographed by a couple of our well known club members - Roger Dittrich and Kim Peterson (with the administrative help of our cruise director, Nancy Friend). It was definitely an ambitious cruise, lots of miles to drive, and the agenda was well planned. Because of the distance the cruise covered, there were two places Viper met up. The first group met off of 355 and began their travels a bit earlier, picking up the rest of the Vipers on the way. Our first official stop was the business of Roger Dittrich - T&D Metal. But it wasn't enough to simply arrive... Roger arranged for a police escort who led us to the business (and took us on a great ride). Gotta love the boys in blue.

The group arrived at T&D and the front lot was used to line the cars up as they arrived. By the time the last car in the caravan pulled in, there were 30 cars and almost 60 people! The group took a photo in front of the business and were led in for a guided tour by none other than Roger.

One the group finished up at T&D, the next stop was lunch. Roger and Kim arranged a great stop at a local place in town. Needless to say we made their day as the Vipers woke up the small town as they rumbled down the street and filled their parking lot. Cars even stopped on the side of the road to watch the Vipers go by. Everyone hopped in to have a great lunch and the service, food, and prices were great. Who would have thought the town of Watseka had it in them!

After lunch the Vipers hit the road, but that wasn't the only thing that got hit. The cars continued to draw attention. And (unfortunately - but interestingly) an accident was actually caused by people gazing at the Vipers. A driver in the right lane was looking left at the Vipers (right alongside Alex Ristanovic and Bill Kennedy) and wasn't paying attention to the stopped car in front of them... Yes, (the BMW) plowed right into a full size truck (that happened to have a hitch). While our members would never make such a silly driving error - we do understand!

Onward to our next stop for gas and potty before heading off to our next big destination which was Chanute Air Base and Museum in Rantoul. This is a former US Air Force Base whose primary mission was Air Force technical training. Prior to its closing in 1993, Chanute was one of the oldest facilities in the USAF. It was a great destination as anything that goes fast is interesting to this group.

The cars arrived and filled the front lot. Everyone piled in and after a brief check-in, the group began touring the facility. The base had many rooms and hallways covering many aspects of the base's history. It was no small exhibit. And of course there were a few planes. Some small, and some... BIG. It was a fantastic display of some historic aircraft, many of which brought back memories to many members who flew in them or worked on them in the past.

After the tour of the air base, it was time for our next leg of the journey. The group began heading back to civilization, with a quick gas stop before our final stretch. The large stretch of Vipers drove some great roads, one particular area was filled with tons of windmills spinning elegantly and creating a great backdrop. Our last stop would be for dinner in the cute town of Morris. A great menu was arranged by Kim Peterson at Chapin's in downtown. The group piled in and had a lively dinner together, probably one of the largest we've had in some time. As the evening wore on, the group had their final desserts and it was time to go. With a great summer cruise behind us, it left everyone content. We drove some long miles, drove some great roads, and visited some cool places. Hats off on a great day!

The first cruise of 2010 was not only a great success but highly attended and by far one of the best drives we've had in some time! With 50 people and over 25 cars, this was a very large group. Vipers were going to make a splash in Wisconsin as they headed to visit Taliesin, the famous estate of Frank Lloyd Wright!

Surrounded by the usual questionable midwestern weather, the group lucked out with a dry day (sometimes a sprinkle might have hit the windshield). The group congregated at a usual meeting spot at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, IL. The caravan left promptly at 8:30am and left on i90 headed toward Rockford. The group was swift, on-time, and charged up for a great day of driving.

The first stop was Love's truck stop, a place for the group to stretch its legs, grab some gas, and take a potty break. However, this was also a second meeting spot for those further north. A good number of Vipers were gassed up and ready to road as the group arrived. Directions were handed out to everyone and the group hopped in their cars and begin to burn up the asphalt.

The cruise was a long one this time, but it seems the long journey led to a truly great time. For those carrying talkabout radio's, you could hear the coordination of the cruise - but more interestingly the joking that was going on between members.  Some of what was said makes it worth buying a radio alone...

The Vipers continued their journey and soon left the highway. Little did the group know what was in store for them. The back roads chosen (by our cruise director Nancy Friend) were some of the most "interactive" we've had in some time. There were serious straight-aways where the cars could stretch their legs, wild curves that really let people throw the car around, and the hills.... oh did the group love the hills. It's rumored a Viper might have taken its first flight!

The group passed through Dodgeville and the group stopped for a potty break. From there it was only 20 minutes to our destination - Taliesin! Engines fired up and the group headed for theirmain stop.

As the Vipers pulled into the parking lot, one could say that beautiful architecture was complimented by some serious sports cars. Employees came out to browse the cars as Viper club members headed in for lunch. Everyone entered the visitors center and were greeted by a restaurant that was truly Frank Lloyd Wright style!

After grabbing a bite, buses were waiting to take the group on to their first guided tour - Hillside! Here everyone got a glimpse of what was initially designed as a children's boarding school, later expanded to accommodate a community of architects and designers. Walking through the rooms, members received a background narrative as they passed through the theatre, assembly hall, drafting studio, and dining hall. After one hour, the tour buses packed up and headed back to the welcome center.

After a breather, buses returned to grab everyone for the second arranged tour - Frank Lloyd Wrights home! The 101 room mansion continually evolved to what it is today. Members had a chance to walk around the estate and through its gardens and passages. Peeks into many of the areas of the mansion were also offered to everyone (foot covers were needed for some areas). The architecture wasn't the only thing interesting, Frank Lloyd Wright was also a great collector of art. The home was adorned by many expensive and interesting pieces. The group had a great time as they also learned of the often eccentric designer who boasted some very interesting habits and practices. We'll never look at him the same way again!

The tour buses once again came for the group and then everyone was off to the welcome center for one last time. Spirits were high and the group joked as they stretched their legs before hopping into their cars for the special dinner that was arranged.

Yes the group hit those neat back roads and again had the chance to tame the wild pavement one last time as they headed to New Glarus. After 1 hour, the group pulled into a quaint little town, the Vipers had a perfect place to park. The group walked a short ways through town and entered the New Glarus Hotel where the group was treated to a true Swiss style dinner with entertainment.  Dinner included a live demonstration of making cheese fondue  by the head chef as well as a live band and some dancing. It was a great way to end the day.

The cruise most certainly challenged drivers (in a good way) and was one of the most enjoyable cruises we've had in some time. Glasses were raised to our cruise directors for yet another hit and a well planned day! Everyone had a smile on the face, what an exhilarating day!