Wow- what a huge convention/expo center Indianapolis has. I arrived on Friday eve around 7pm. The hotel I stayed in was the Suburban Extended Stay Northwest. I took a taxi from the airport, after the hotel clerk said they thought the taxi fee would be around $30. It ended up around $75 with tip (ouch!) one-way! So the first thing I did, was get on line and order a rental car for the other two days (total $100). The hotel is about 15 mins north of city center, so the ride to the expo center each day wasn't bad at all.
You can expect to pay anywhere from $5 to $20 to park all day within walking distance of the expo center.
The motorcycle dealer show is a big convention! I was told that it was scaled down this year due to manufacturer's who decided not to come, or cut back space to save money. The dealer count was also cut back this year. I saw two dealers from Utah (none from Idaho). Again, probably related to the slow economy and it's effects on the motorbike industry.
I visited the new product and manufacturer area to meet up with one of my new manufacturers, Cycle Hitch. It was good to see the actual product, and to meet them in person. I will begin selling their product as soon as I get my brochures and information from the company.
I worked in the Capitol and South booth, showing the Tuzo product. Most of the dealers who came by the booth were from the east coast area or Indiana. There was some great interest in one of the helmets, the R&D. It is a gun metal gray helmet with black and yellow caution tape striping down the center of the helmet- really neat looking! The distributor hired a caricature artist to work the booth every day, and that seemed to draw customers in to discuss the product. They had to hear the sales pitch as they sat still for the artist :)
I went to dinner at the Rathskeller www.rathskeller.com , a German restaurant/ pub. Since it was the day prior to Valentine's Day, they had a live band and the place was full! We had a Hot Wurst plate- sampling of Bratwurst, Kielbasse and German Wieners served with homemade kraut and red cabbage (and three types of mustard-mostly very spicy hot!), and an appetizer Sampler- deep fried cordon bleu fingers, cajun chicken poppers, brat 'n kraut balls, jalapeno poppers, and hush puppies. Of course we all had a German beer to wash it all down!
for dinner, I had the Grilled Yellowfin Tuna (YUMMY). It was cooked rare, cajun style over red beans and rice. The plates are large and they fill them. You could easily share a meal with two people!
I didn't get to see too much of the area. I was at the expo both Saturday and Sunday all day. I got to see the firgrounds for a brief time (my gps kept sending me there instead of the expo center). They were having a car show, a dog show, and a flea market. The parking lot was full of proud dog owners walking their neatly groomed babies into the event in hopes of winning best of show.
I would definitely recommend visiting Indianapolis. The city had plenty of night life, shopping, and other entertainment. I would have liked to visit the Indianapolis speedway, but there is always the next time! :D
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Indianpolis, Here I come!
It's been a while since I have posted to the blog. I have changed jobs, and have not had opportunity to travel, except to interview in Arizona.
My next trip will take me to Indianapolis, IN. I am getting into the motorcycle apparel and accessory sales and will be going to the biggest motorcycle dealer/ manufacturer event in the US (so I have been told). I am excited to go to Indianapolis. I have not been there before, so I am not sure what to expect. I won't have wheels to get around, so what I see will be somewhat limited to the drive between airport, hotel, and convention site. Nonetheless, I am looking forward to visiting a new place!
I will try to find time to update and give some information of the area during my stay. Come back in a couple of weeks to see what I think about Indianapolis.
My next trip will take me to Indianapolis, IN. I am getting into the motorcycle apparel and accessory sales and will be going to the biggest motorcycle dealer/ manufacturer event in the US (so I have been told). I am excited to go to Indianapolis. I have not been there before, so I am not sure what to expect. I won't have wheels to get around, so what I see will be somewhat limited to the drive between airport, hotel, and convention site. Nonetheless, I am looking forward to visiting a new place!
I will try to find time to update and give some information of the area during my stay. Come back in a couple of weeks to see what I think about Indianapolis.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Antelope Island, UT
Although I have been a resident of Utah all my life so far, I had never been to Antelope Island State Park. The park is about one hour north of Salt Lake City. You get to it off I-15 just before Layton.
The island is accessable over a man made road through a portion of the Great Salt Lake. There is a park admission, but you pay by the carload (up to 9 people per vehicle).
Once inside the park, you can choose to stop at the visitor's center. I would suggest this, especially if you have children. Why not buy them a trinket so they have a memeory of the park? The visitor's center explains the history of the island and of the lake.
The next stop should be the beach. As you near the water's edge,you will encounter the brine flies. Dont' worry, they will move out of your way as you get closer to the water, and they don't sit in the water. They do not bite-
You must go wading, and if you are adventurous, you should try a float in it! Since the lake is so salty, your body had more bouyancy. Should you get water in your eyes, there is a trick you should know- suck your fingers prior to rubbing your eyes. This gets the salt off of them and prevents further aggitation.
When you are done playing in the water, head up to the restaurant (really more like an outdoor burger stand) to get a bison burger and garlic fries. We told the kids they were eating cheeseburgers, and it worked- they ate them!
The view from the restaurant is nice. You can see quite a bit of the island from there. If there are buffalo anywhere near, they are easy to spot due to their size and color. Make sure you go to the farm. There are replica farm houses, and equipment to look at, and if lucky, you may see some mule deer.
Buffalo are the main inhabitants of the island. You are sure to see a few of them- we did! The kids were facinated at how big they are and how close they came to our vehicle.
Overall- we had a great time!
Texas
I made it into Texas, due to training for my new job. Flew into Austin. I was disappointed in the hotel choice the company put me up in for the week. It was a La Quinta, but was located on the wrong side of the highway to walk to any of the local attractions or restaurants. My room was OK, but not the greatest.
I worked with a rep the five days of my trip. I saw a lot of country, but nothing to brag home about. One day we went to Corpus Christi, but didn't get near the ocean (not even a view of it).
The country side was interesting. I expected desert and was surprised at the areas that were lush with vegetation (grass, trees, and bushes). No mountains in this part of Texas, just rolling hills.
I ate every night at a Mexican place, that was not very busy, but had good food. On one evening, I had to walk back to the hotel in a down pour. Needless to say my clothes got soaked and I had to hang them to dry. I was glad this happened prior to my last day or I would have had to pack them damp.
Not sure when I will travel again. I am now covering only UT and ID. I will try to post places that are different and off the beaten path.
I worked with a rep the five days of my trip. I saw a lot of country, but nothing to brag home about. One day we went to Corpus Christi, but didn't get near the ocean (not even a view of it).
The country side was interesting. I expected desert and was surprised at the areas that were lush with vegetation (grass, trees, and bushes). No mountains in this part of Texas, just rolling hills.
I ate every night at a Mexican place, that was not very busy, but had good food. On one evening, I had to walk back to the hotel in a down pour. Needless to say my clothes got soaked and I had to hang them to dry. I was glad this happened prior to my last day or I would have had to pack them damp.
Not sure when I will travel again. I am now covering only UT and ID. I will try to post places that are different and off the beaten path.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Montana-continued......
So I found out the re-enactment of Custer's Last Stand was Friday and Saturday not Thursday. So, I headed to Great Falls, stopping at Lewis and Clark Caverns (Hwy 2) for lunch. I did not do the cave tour, as it was a 2 mile hike and cost was $12, which I did not want to part with.
I passed the Parker homestead on the way to the cave and stopped to venture inside and read the road sign. The home was wood with a sod roof. It had been supported to keep it from caving in, but looked very original.
After lunch, I returned on HWY 2 to and headed to Great Falls. I went off I-15 at Toston Dam, which was about 5 miles off the highway. It was a quaint campground with boat ramp along the Missouri River. The road was dirt, but was well maintained. I then veered off I-15 again at Holter Lake. Glad I did! This lake is tucked up inside the foothills. It is part of the Missouri River waterway. The lake is large and was inviting me to jump in, but I refrained, since I had no swimming suit.
I stayed in Great Falls at the Hampton Inn, which is a very nice hotel. Rooms were very fresh and clean. I wish I had been able to stay the weekend, as this weekend is the yearly River Run. They charge $85 to float the river, but everyone does it! Hair and boats are painted and decorated for the event, so it is kind of a parade and spectacle. There are street bands, BBQ's, etc. Very fun atmosphere.
Weel, this is last trip for a while- talk later-BYE
I passed the Parker homestead on the way to the cave and stopped to venture inside and read the road sign. The home was wood with a sod roof. It had been supported to keep it from caving in, but looked very original.
After lunch, I returned on HWY 2 to and headed to Great Falls. I went off I-15 at Toston Dam, which was about 5 miles off the highway. It was a quaint campground with boat ramp along the Missouri River. The road was dirt, but was well maintained. I then veered off I-15 again at Holter Lake. Glad I did! This lake is tucked up inside the foothills. It is part of the Missouri River waterway. The lake is large and was inviting me to jump in, but I refrained, since I had no swimming suit.
I stayed in Great Falls at the Hampton Inn, which is a very nice hotel. Rooms were very fresh and clean. I wish I had been able to stay the weekend, as this weekend is the yearly River Run. They charge $85 to float the river, but everyone does it! Hair and boats are painted and decorated for the event, so it is kind of a parade and spectacle. There are street bands, BBQ's, etc. Very fun atmosphere.
Weel, this is last trip for a while- talk later-BYE
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Montana!
My flight got me into Butte, Montana at 10:30 pm Monday (pronouced Beaut, not butt). Coming in the night before my appointment, would enable me to be rarin' to go for my 5am alarm and one and a half hour drive to Helena Tuesday morning. (I had to fly into Butte, because it was the cheapest and most centrally located airport in the state- not too many options for flights into or out of Montana)
Tuesday, June 22nd there was frost on my car windows when I left the hotel: it got down to 31* F, then rebounded to low 70's later in the day.
As I drove to Helena, what used to be a breathtaking mountain pass, was marred by the ugly pine trees that have been killed by the beetles. I am not kidding! There were so many dead trees, it looked like autumn- so many orange trees! What a devastation. I can only imagine that with all the dead trees and wet spring, the fire danger will be extreme this summer and fall. After Helena, I drove to Missoula and on to Hamilton. Hamilton is a very quaint town. Lots of neat shops! After my appointment there, I went into Missoula and had lunch at El Cazador for Mexican food- yum-yum! I had the Chili Verde plate with salad instead of rice. They make a wonderful homemade salsa!
Then on to billings. I arrived after 10pm- what a long day, and what a tired butt! LOL
I finished my appointments around 3pm, then did what most girls do- Shopped at the mall :)
They have a great mall! Most of the shops are occupied!!!
Tomorrow, I drive to Bozeman, then to Great Falls. I am contemplating coming back to a town just south of Billings to watch the re-enactment of Custer's Last Stand. They start at 1pm, so not sure if I would be able to make it back. If I do this, I would have one hellova drive to Great Falls afterwards- but thinking, I may never get a chance to see it again, so leaning towards killing myself with all the driving. I will let you know when I post this weekend! Ta ta!
Tuesday, June 22nd there was frost on my car windows when I left the hotel: it got down to 31* F, then rebounded to low 70's later in the day.
As I drove to Helena, what used to be a breathtaking mountain pass, was marred by the ugly pine trees that have been killed by the beetles. I am not kidding! There were so many dead trees, it looked like autumn- so many orange trees! What a devastation. I can only imagine that with all the dead trees and wet spring, the fire danger will be extreme this summer and fall. After Helena, I drove to Missoula and on to Hamilton. Hamilton is a very quaint town. Lots of neat shops! After my appointment there, I went into Missoula and had lunch at El Cazador for Mexican food- yum-yum! I had the Chili Verde plate with salad instead of rice. They make a wonderful homemade salsa!Then on to billings. I arrived after 10pm- what a long day, and what a tired butt! LOL
I finished my appointments around 3pm, then did what most girls do- Shopped at the mall :)
They have a great mall! Most of the shops are occupied!!!
Tomorrow, I drive to Bozeman, then to Great Falls. I am contemplating coming back to a town just south of Billings to watch the re-enactment of Custer's Last Stand. They start at 1pm, so not sure if I would be able to make it back. If I do this, I would have one hellova drive to Great Falls afterwards- but thinking, I may never get a chance to see it again, so leaning towards killing myself with all the driving. I will let you know when I post this weekend! Ta ta!
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