Hello Chapter P!

We just got back from the trip to Springfield for Wing Ding 42!! The weather was great except for getting soaked on the first day! We had an awesome trip! We can’t state enough how thankful we are to have Eddie as our Ride Coordinator, as we rode back by ourselves and used his ride plan. If we had just taken his instructions, instead of the GPS’ on a couple of turns, it would’ve been perfect!

Several of us took CPR and First Aid at Wing Ding. Some also took ARC and TRC classes. But the best thing was the shopping opportunities; we got all kinds of good stuff!!

They made the announcement that Wing Ding 43 will be in Shreveport, LA! Hope you will all come with us next year!

As we said last month, there are some big changes at the District Level. The position of District Director is one of the biggest changes. Jim & Alvalin Woodul are stepping down from District Director effective May 1, 2021. Both of them have been very helpful for all the Chapters in our great state of Texas for many years. Dan & Donna Rymarz are becoming our new District Directors. We all need to support both of them as we did the Woodul’s. Tim & Young Brooks are stepping down from District Treasurer and Alvalin is stepping up and filling that position. Leo & Margaret Smith are taking over the open position of District Educators. There are other changes in the District but not sure just yet what changes there will be. We need to support them all because, they are volunteering to help us. We need to remember that.!!! Thanks to them all!!!

Our new website is now active, at www.gwrra-tx-p.org with the calendar, newsletter and everything! Yahoo!

Again, our thanks go out to Ann Graham for doing our newsletter! She does need input from us all, if you think of an interesting subject, please write it up and send it to her at anniegraham@att.net. Thanks to Jeff Graham for stepping up and taking the position of Treasurer, he’s doing a great job! Also thanks to Eddie & Christi for planning rides and Membership Enhancement! We have other positions to fill if you are interested, i.e. Assistant CD, webmaster, sunshine person. If you have some website experience, we really need help with this! Thanks to all for your participation!

We hope you are staying well and safe! Get out and ride!

Chapter P Director (Texas)

Gary & Becky Wheatley (July 2021)

This month I thought I’d let you know how the Rally in Springfield, Missouri went as well as the ride to and from. On Tuesday we hit the road at 8AM from Weatherford. We had 3 Wings and 6 Wingers make it up to Sherman to pick up 2 more Wings, a Cadillac and 5 more Wingers. A couple of our friends chose to take the Caddie since he chose not to ride the Trike with his injured shoulder. We also had another couple from our chapter travel up earlier in their new Toy Hauler. From Sherman we headed north only to hit a torrential rain for about 20 minutes or so. Luckily we made it through the storm safely. About an hour out of Tahlequah, Oklahoma we were able to get off the highways to run some great twisty backroads.

The next morning was met with clear skies and some more nice backroads before hitting the highways into Springfield. After picking up our Registration packets at the UP Convention Center, we dispersed to our hotels to check in. After a short rest, we headed back downtown to the welcoming party. The city of Springfield fed us that evening and the M Dock Band from California entertained us. They were a great 70’s-80’s band. Even Christie and Karen joined in for the Conga Line Dance.

Wednesday morning we attended the Opening Ceremony where they gave away several nice prizes of which we did not win. Oh well! They announced that Wing Ding 43 next July will be held in Shreveport, Louisiana. From there a few of us headed to take a CPR/First Aid class. That’s something we do that we hope we never have to use. After the class we spent the afternoon strolling through the Vendor Show. I found a great handlebar mount phone holder for my cell phone. Hopefully that will cut down on the U-turn awards I manage to get. I also picked up 2 new mesh summer riding jackets and a new winter riding jacket. We had just about worn out our old summer jackets and my winter jacket refused to let Christie sew up the sleeve and shoulder one more time. Got all that damage about 3 years ago sliding down I-20 at about 50-60 miles per hour. That was my shopping list for the event even though I did manage to pick up a few more odds and ends that I absolutely had to have.

Thursday was spent browsing the Vendors, catching up with and making new friends and making plans for Friday, “I just wanna Ride”. Friday we headed out early (if 8AM is early) for a great day of riding in the Ozarks. We had 2 Wings behind us and headed south on the highway to pick up another Wing just south of Branson. That made 4 Wings and 4 couples as we headed west on some awesome backroads to Eureka Springs, Arkansas for lunch. After lunch, we hit some more awesome backroads back to Springfield. We made it back in time to join up with many other volunteers from Texas to help with the Bike Show and the Bike Light Show. We were happy to help even though it meant that we didn’t get to ride in the parade with the other almost 300 Bikes that participated in that. We did get to help park them as well as direct the Show entries into their correct positions. It was a Controlled Kaos but mucho fun. After the judging and presentations it was time to head for dinner (and ice cream) before retiring.

Saturday morning we slept in, packed up some of our belongings for the next day and then headed to the Rally by noon. We shopped for some good last day bargains before heading to the Closing Ceremony. It was announced that there were over 4,000 attendees. This was down from previous years but not too bad for the circumstances (that COVID thingy). Again, many great prizes were given away but me winning was not to be. Sure could use that 2021 GoldWing Tour model but some very lucky young lady won the new Honda Wing. There’s always next year in Shreveport!

Sunday morning was met by another beautiful morning. We headed south with one other Wing in tow and the Caddie couple. Several others of our group had either left the day before to get back for the Holiday with family or were headed north to do some touring before returning home. When the six of us got to Harrisburg, Arkansas we hit the backroads down to east central Oklahoma. Nine hours on the road and I know at least 5 of those were spent on some absolutely beautiful curvy twisty backroads. t was a good day to be alive. We spent the night in Talihina, Oklahoma.

Monday morning we set out for home taking the highways south to Granbury. We did get just a bit wet a few miles from home but nothing we couldn’t handle. After unpacking the Wing and the trailer, the skies did open up to the tone of about 2 ¾ inches of the wet stuff. That just meant I got to wait until another day to mow.

It had been a great trip. Some of my friends won some prizes that I didn’t win- $1050 on a daily 50/50 (you know who you are), a gift card from a bling store and new J&M speakers worth $400. Some people have all the luck! We did gain more new Gold Winger friends from all over-particularly Oklahoma, Wyoming, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. Some of our group got in a Trike course as well as others took a Trailering course. Much ice cream and frozen yogurt was consumed. And of course many great meals were shared with our Chapter friends.

Ride Safe and Ride Often, Eddie and Christie

This October we have a Chapter Ride planned to Big Bend. This email is so that you can put it on your personal calendar and reserve your room since this is a popular destination this time of year. Here is a short version of the ride plan for October 4th thru the 8th.

Monday

We will make the 430+ mile ride from Granbury to Alpine via Brownwood, Brady, Menard etc. We will base out of Alpine thru Friday morning. Christie and I have just made our reservations at the Travelodge by Wyndham in Alpine.

Tuesday

We'll do Ft. Davis, McDonald's Observatory, Prada Marfa near Valentine, Marfa and then the

Marfa lights (if we have clear skies). About 160 miles.

Wednesday

We'll head do the River Road by way of Study Butte, Lajitas, Presidio and back to Alpine.

About 240 miles.

Thursday

We'll do Big Bend National Park. That route is Marathon, Panther Junction, Rio Grande Village, Chisos Basin Visitor Center, Study Butte and back to Alpine. About 260 smiles.

Friday

Ride homeward via north to I 20 to Weatherford and beyond. About 440 miles.

This should be a fun trip and we hope that many of you can ride with us!

Ride Safe and Ride Often,

Eddie and Christie

Our June overnight trip to Abilene introduced us to a charming character --Otis the tractor. One of our stops was at the Museum of Children's Literature where we were treated to a reading of the latest installment of Loren Long's adventures of Otis, the little tractor that does not give up.

Anyone with young grandchildren should check him out. Attached is the website for the series.

Click the link below if you are not already a member and are interested in joining.