Henry Travel Plan Update

Our plan now is still to leave Wednesday night July 12, stay in Joliet IL. But instead of a lot of stops along I-80, I think we're planning on making better time and then staying in a Nebraska hotel Thursday night, with more travel Friday and a few stretch and see stops along the way. That should put us near Lone Duck in the latter part of the day Friday, July 14. We were going to check in early to Lone Duck, but discovered today that the information was incorrect -- they can't accommodate us in a cabin until Saturday, our original check-in day. So we're going to find a place to stay Friday night and see some sights. Then when we finally roll into Lone Duck on Saturday the 15th, we have some moving in to do at our cabin then, and I also made a list of Colorado Springs shopping destinations for food and any forgotten necessities so if timing works out, we may do our shopping then too.

On our schedule, that leaves us with the rest of Saturday and Sunday, as well as a couple other days during the week, that we will do the touring of sights from our National Lampoons list of activities.

Because we bumped up our arrival by a day, we're adjusting our departure to Saturday morning, July 22. We're returning on I-70 and will make a stop in Indianapolis. There's a zoo there and gardens. I'll be the lady with a bird in my purse.

Okay and while David has been planning where to stay and how to get there, he thinks it's funny that I've been planning for (or wondering about) the trailside bathroom stops during the off-roading drives. I don't need a marbled bathroom with hot water and soap to survive... I can deal with less-than-stellar bathrooms, outhouses, and yeah even trails. But it's just something I think about, because females can't stand by a tree and look as though that tree is super interesting. Casually standing there as if it's the Mona Lisa or something. It'll be a good use for the GPS: find spots that aren't in the path of a cache!

Maybe there will be more desirable places to "go", but I did some reading and basically if you're out on a trail and nature calls, the instructions were to just step off the trail and take care of it. Around home, that would probably be kinda rude. But out there, I took that to mean it's pretty rugged. It's also a different altitude, so the other instruction was drink lots of water. Hmmm.

National DML Meet tshirt

Jon designed a really sweet t-shirt for the event.





National DML Meet tshirt

T-shirt silliness

Well, I went ahead and created a safety themed T-shirt, for my own amusement. I set it up on CafePress, feel free to get one if you want. If I happen to make any money off it, that will go back to the DML.

I'm sure there's room for improvement, but I don't have a whole lot of time to fool around with it right now. If you want to take it and try to improve it, feel free. Let me know if you want the original graphic files.

Oh, and in case you're wondering about official National Meet shirts, I understand that Jon is pretty close to having them ready as well. This one's just something I put together for myself and thought I'd share with the class.

Walt-n-Ingrid's Travel Bugs

Walt-n-Ingrid's Virtual Roadtrip #1 Travel Bug Details

Walt-n-Ingrid's Virtual Roadtrip #2 Travel Bug Details

Walt-n-Ingrid's Virtual Roadtrip #3 Travel Bug Details

I still have a 4th bug to activate, I'm just trying to locate my Gen I Dakota die-cast. I have it somewhere in the house, now if I can figure out where) If not, I have a lifted Gen III that will be used in place.

Geocaching Colorado

A site maintained by a group of Geocachers in CO.

Geocaching Colorado

Where's Waldo?

Once I'm able to get the GPS tracking software logging correctly, you'll be able to go to this link and see our current location on a Google Map. http://www.whereismygps.net/track.php?user=Walt_Felix


This is a dash cam I set up in the truck. I still have a little tweaking to do on this also. As long as I can get a cellular Internet connection, the image should update every 60 seconds.

It's also capturing a sequentally numbered image every 2 seconds that I can import into another utility I have with will create a time lapse video with them. Here is a 2 hour ride I took last night in 20 seconds.

CO Weather Radar Loop

For the GPS geeks

Here's something cool I came across recently: GPSVisualizer.com. It allows you to upload a GPS track log and plots it over various maps, satellite or aerial imagery. For example, I took the track I saved from Daktoberfest and put it over an aerial photo. This is the same thing that Jon did to generate the trail maps he distributes at the BBQ, but I didn't have to learn Photoshop.

There are even modes for creating Google Maps and Google Earth overlays. I haven't figured out yet how to save the Google Map it gives me.

I intend to use this tool for documenting our travels to, from and during the meet. I just thought I'd pass it along in case anyone else wants to try it.

Hello from the Henrys

Hi all, I am Jan, the passenger in David's '94 Dakota Sport 4x4, blue. I don't know what his official tag is... that's about what I can remember.

David and I are driving the truck from Detroit area (well HE is -- I tried... the bush didn't fare too badly, I mostly cleared it) and bringing our parrot, Patrick. Pat has a diaper, called a flight suit, and when he's in the suit he's very well behaved with everyone so I'm not worried he'll be mean to anyone.

David knows generally where we're going and how we're getting to Colorado so we'll have him chime in later with those plans. We haven't set plans for where we're staying on the way out, but the plan is hotels. And we're using the AAA guidebook to pinpoint just a few sightseeing things to stretch out at during the trip out.

We are all set with our site; we have reserved one of the cabins. There will be no question which one is ours when I get finished with my little door tribute to the truck and DML!

I wanted to take this opportunity to add in a few side trips the Henrys are doing during the BBQ, around/in addition to some of the official things listed, and in place of a few others. Other DMLers are welcome to join us, although David acknowledges that most will probably have little interest in the World Figure Skating Museum and ice time at the world arena. I skate, and I can't be that close to Colorado Springs and not go! :-)

But we are planning to check out The Craggs, which is an alternate hike site, more "gentle" than Pikes Peak. We'll still go with the group to the top, but I wanted to hike, and my asthma would probably make that extremely difficult. So we'll do The Craggs. We're also planning to go to the Mountain Zoo, Cave of the Winds, Garden of the Gods, Seven Falls, and if we have time... Miramont Castle and Royal Gorge. We've always done the national lampoon thing, why stop now? ;-)

We'll be there on the more mild trails, although David's Dakota may have too much arthritis to take the harder ones. Oh well. It was a riot while it lasted!

Jan