What are you doing on November 24, 2011 before gobbling up your dinner?
Join our Run for PKD Team at the Oceanside Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. You can move your feet before you eat by visiting the race website to register. Just by joining our team, you are helping raise money for PKD.
Polycystic Kidney Disease has a personal impact on my family. There is no cure for PKD so we are always looking for ways to help raise money for research. This year, we will have a Run for PKD Team in the Oceanside Turkey Trot. Polycystic Kidney Disease is one of the world's most common, life-threatening genetic diseases, affecting 12.5 million children and adults worldwide.
When you register, be sure to select Run for PKD two times (see below).
School/Charity - $5 of your registration fee is donated to the PKD Foundation.
Teams - This will add you to our Run for PKD Team
You can also create your own Fundraising Page at First Giving by selecting JOIN NOW on our fundraising page.
If you can't make it to the Turkey Trot but would like to help make a difference, you can DONATE HERE or email us at runforpkdsd@aol.com.
Thank you so much for your support!
Six Great Free Travel Apps
Great Free Apps to check out after we have made your hotel reservations for you. Make restaurant reservations,find fun things to do wherever you go and more.
GasBuddy.com – Find low Gas Prices in US and Canada.
WHERE – Discover, share and collect your favorite places. US only.
OpenTable – Make Restaurant Reservations on the Go at more than 13,000 restaurants globally.
Goby – Receive personalized recommendations of fun things to do wherever you currently are. US only.
USA Today AutoPilot – Your complete travel assistant. Check flight delays, weather and so much more.
YELP – Review on just about everything.
TS-34 in Washington, MO - Going above and beyond for the RAAM Teams
Revolution Cycles is hosting the Time Station at TS-34 for the 3rd year. Joe has arranged for available showers at Super 8 and the YMCA for riders and crew. The laundromat next door will be open 24/7 and for those with RV's, they will direct you to an RV dump station nearby. Right when you think it couldn't get any better than that (you really need to be a RAAM rider or crew member who has been on the road for 1,955.3 miles to appreciate this), Joe and Revolution Cycles are available to assist you with all of your bicycle needs. If you need specific parts, call ahead to make sure he has them. If they don't, he'll order them and have them by the time you arrive. They can be reached at 877-433-2909.
A great big THANK YOU to Joe and the team at Revolution Cycles for your support of RAAM.
As we visited teams prior to the start of RAAM and RAW this year, many of the teams had questions about our services. How are we able to support them while on route?
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Bell Hotel Housing is offering FREE hotel service available 24/7 to the RAAM and RAW Teams throughout the race.
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Just call our toll-free hotline at 888-868-4541 for assistance.
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We'll ask you a few questions: What TS (or other location) will you be stopping at, how many rooms needed and your ETA?
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We provide you with options, confirm reservation(s) and text you hotel contact information.
Yes, it's that easy and just takes a minute. Using the TS# really helps us out since we are working with solo riders and teams that can span over 20 different TS locations. I actually spent a minute looking for MEDICINE Hat for a team on Wednesday...Ha! Ha! Not sure who was more exhausted, the team or the reservationist. As you know, MEXICAN Hat is TS-12. I have a feeling that the team had already opened the First-Aid kit a few times prior to calling us.
You lead the way and we'll take care of the rest!
RAAM HOTEL HOTLINE 888-868-4541
Race Across America is off and rolling. My favorite part of the pre-race prep time is when we get to go out and visit with the teams in the hotel parking lots prior to race start in Oceanside, CA. We finally get to meet the teams that we have been working with over the past year. Here are just a few of them. We've got to start taking pictures with our beautiful Pacific Ocean in the background instead of the team motor homes and vans.
Kirk Gentle and his Making Cancer History Team - before RAAM Solo Men Start on June 15, 2011.
TEAM WattsUp before Race Across the West race start on June 15, 2011.
Michelle and the early arriving members of Team Crank Addicts representing the UK on June 14, 2011.
We work with many motorcycle groups assisting them with hotel accommodations for multi-city rides. When I found out that we were going to be assisting Shriners from South Dakota with hotels, all I could think of was - Wow! I haven't seen a Shriner since I was a little girl at our small town parade...and I don't think they were riding Harley's.
18 members of the El Riad Shrine Motor Corps from Sioux Falls, South Dakota headed West. Their trip started with them flying from Sioux Falls into Las Vegas where their 54 foot trailer with the bikes and two trikes was waiting for them at the Excalibur. Their first stop was Hoover Dam, onto Oceanside, CA, then a coastal ride South to San Diego then East to Yuma, AZ. They discovered that there is almost nothing to see between Yuma and Tucson except the beautiful Arizona desert. After playing in Tucson for a few days, they headed to Phoenix to meet the truck and fly home. The group averaged 1800 miles per bike and never saw a drop of rain. A miracle considering the winter and spring we have had nationwide.
What are they riding you ask??? They ride Harley Davidson Special Edition Ultra Classic Electra Glides in Arctic White with Red/Gold Pinstripes and Road King Police special bikes. Harley Davidson honors those who proudly serve our communities all around the country with these Special Edition bikes.
Who are the Shriners? Best described as a brotherhood of men...dedicated to fun and fellowship...but with a serious purpose. It was a true pleasure working with Tom P. and assisting the Shriners on this fun ride. The El Riad Shrine Motor Corps have also recently been featured in the MotorMarket Magazine.
Until the next ride...you lead the way and we'll take care of the rest.
We are fortunate to work with some incredible military families in finding off base hotel accommodations nationwide. A large part of our business is repeat so we have the opportunity to get to know those we serve repeatedly. We've been able to accommodate all sorts of guests...but this is our first Flat Daddy.
Sarah and the kids can't wait until Mike returns to the US this month from deployment...the real Mike. Flat Daddy has been standing in for him for the past year. He has been dressed up for every holiday, had a birthday party and will travel to California to meet the man in person when he returns.
Who is a Flat Daddy? Flat Daddies and Flat Mommies are life-sized printed posters of parents who are actively serving overseas in the military. It's a poster with Dad or Mom's photo that is printed on a rollable adhesive backed material. The families can make it a fun craft project. Flat Mike was made into a cuddly pillow.
Flat Daddies were created by Sergeant First Class Barbara Claudel, of the Maine National Guard, as a way to help the families in Maine stay connected to their loved ones serving in Iraq. The official Flat Daddies program is facilitated by SFC Graphics.
Flat Daddies can be purchased but many are donated to our military families through generous corporate and personal donations. If you want to experience laughter through tears, visit the Flat Daddies website at http://www.flatdaddies.com to see photos and read some great Flat Daddy stories.
Really...is this possible? A hotel room that would match my personality? I had to find out for myself by visiting http://www.checkyourroom.com and taking the What Room Are You? quiz.
I did my best to answer the seven questions honestly. The results are in - Cozy and Intimate Boutique Rooms in Luxury Hotels for me. Oh no, I think question #5 weighed just a little too much in this quiz.
Question #5 asked "What do you typically do on a Friday night?". I selected - Romantic Candlelight Dinner at home. Unfortunately, there was no extra space to add comments. I wanted to expand a little which might have produced different quiz results. Here is what I would have added - After my husband quickly eats his dinner and excuses himself to go upstairs to watch "the biggest game of the year", I continue to enjoy the rest of my romantic candlelight dinner at home. This is the only "me time" I get so I cherish it. After being married for 15 years, I have come to count on these wonderful candlelight dinners at home. I don't question how a ten year old NASCAR race showing on the Sports History Channel is considered the "biggest game of the year", I just enjoy my music, candlelight and glass of wine.
Thankfully, I don't feel pressured to book a romantic hotel room after receiving the quiz results. I'll be reserving a room at a ridiculously large contemporary hotel that offers everything under one roof (room, restaurants, spa, pools, shops, fitness center, etc.). If I don't have to leave a resort during my stay it's a wonderful thing.
Try the quiz yourself but just be careful how you answer question #5. Call Bell Hotel Housing at 888-868-4541 for your next hotel room reservation. We'll also ask you about seven questions but we really don't care how you spend your Friday nights. Visit us online at http://www.hotelbellhousing.com.
This afternoon, I had the opportunity to speak with Danny Chew, RAAM Two-Time Champion and Eight-Time Finisher. Danny has taken on the role of Crew Chief for his 19 year old nephew, Steven Perezluha. To say that this man is passionate is an understatement.
Our conversation started by discussing the Race Across America preferred hotels for 2011 but quickly side tracked into great stories about Danny's RAAM experience and his nephew's journey to RAAM. We also discussed Danny's quest to bicycle one million miles during his lifetime which he expects to accomplish within the next thirty years. When you call him crazy, he just laughs.
We are looking forward to working with Danny and Steven on their RAAM Team hotel accommodations this year and to see if Steven will ride into Annapolis as the youngest Race Across America Champion in history.
John Perezluha (Steven's Dad) doing some final prep on the motorhome before race start on June 15, 2011
For more information about RAAM, visit http://www.raceacrossamerica.org. For team hotel accommodations visit Bell Hotel Housing at http://www.hotelbellhousing.com.