Donna Mann's Blog Page -

June 12, 2007 Drive to Chicago and the Cubs Game

2007-09-22T16:27:00.000-07:00

Okay...we're driving to Chicago. I'm in the van with Lori and Dawson. Katie is in the Cobra with Chris. Katie comments..."what's that smell?" Chris decides to pull over...conveniently at an auto parts store. Conveniently...because they may have a fire extinguisher inside.

Chris inspects the car and notes that the fuel line has become dislodged and reconnects it. How it happened is unknown...but it could have been serious. As he gets back in the car...he prefaces it by saying "you all better move back...it could blow up!" Oh goodie! Well, thank goodness, we had a nice clean start and we were on our way again.

We arrived at Wrigley Field and the kids went one way (to meet friends and eat) and we went inside (to tour the place). Our seats were pretty high up...but we could view everything well. One of the American Idol finalists sang the anthem (Kelly Pickler).

June 10 and 11, 2007 Visiting Lori

2007-09-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

We finally got to Milwaukee Wisconsin where our daughter Lori lives. This is a photo of Lori, me and Katie and another of Chris and Katie. Lori lives is a cute little community that has street fares on occassion. So we walked down down the block and enjoyed food and drink and lots of entertainment.

Katie managed to make her visit to Lori during the same time we were planning on being back in Wisconsin (which was around Lori's birthday). The weather could not have been nicer. We went on a beautiful picnic to a nearby park.

So, we then made plans to go to a Chicago Cubs and Seattle Mariners game while we visited.

June 9, 2007 Visit to Lodi...Wisconsin

2007-09-22T15:50:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be fun to visit the SPAM Museum. How many people go there?? Well, apparently, quite a few. There really isn't that much to see inside, the history of how the Hormel family started making ham and creating SPAM for the soldiers. How Hawaiians LOVE SPAM....and the ever popular Monty Python "Spamalot" that was created for Broadway. There was a trivia game that I participated in...but it took me forever to win. I bought some cool socks and then we were off.... to LODI...Wisconsin.

Many many years ago when I was about 14 or 15 years old I visited Lodi with my parents. It is the Home of Susie the Duck. Okay...the big deal here is that there is a corner that exists that is similar to one in Lodi, CA (my hometown). In CA I lived near Sunset Dr. and Lodi Ave. In WI they have Lodi St. and Sunset Ave. When I visited with my folks, I had taken a picture of my dad standing on that corner and it later appeared in the Lodi News Sentinel. So I thought it would be fun to revisit that corner and take a new photo. Little did I know that I would be greated by the nastiest neighbor in Lodi, WI. She asked me what I was doing and then told me "You can leave now". I was rather taken aback. I told her I wasn't taking pictures of her...although I wasn't aware that Chris took this photo. Anyway...we got the photo I wanted and later, a NICE neighbor came out and welcomed us and oggled over the car and I felt better about my new visit back in Lodi.

June 8, 2007 Mall of America - Twins Game

2007-09-22T15:17:00.001-07:00

Chris had been to the Mall of America before, but I had not...so going there was quite exciting. I think it was something like 3 or 4 football fields long. We had a nice lunch there at a BBQ place that Chris had heard of as well as a decadent dessert.

We decided to park the car at the mall parking lot because we could safely and cheaply park it there and take the shuttle to the ballpark. It was a rather long ride...but well worth it. We got fairly decent seats for the game. I had not been at the park before, but of course, Chris had. It had a much more different feel and appearance than any other park (like one of those blow up bouncing platforms).

June 7, 2007 Visit to Minneapolis

2007-09-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

On our drive to Minnesota we had some fun at Dawson's expense (Dawson is Lori's boyfriend). We came across this cute little town that had all these gnomes in a park. The name of the town was Dawson and the park erects a new gnome each year in honor of a recently deceased member of the community that was of some recognition. There were doctor gnomes, photographers, bakers, teachers, realtors you name it. Anyway...Chris and I couldn't resist.

Next Chris decides to have ssome fun at MY expense. Little did I realize what I was posing for. (Please note Smiley Face.....I HATE Smiley Faces!!)

Then he decided to share a theory that a Cobra rides as "smooth as the rails". Ah...yeah. Chris, could we please get off these tracks? There's one of those railroad pickup trucks coming and he doesn't appear to be slowing down!

We were fortunate to visit Chris' cousin Nancy and her husband Jerry in Minneapolis and had a lovely dinner with them. Their son Aaron and wife Aundrea fixed dinner (yum). We were very grateful for the hospitality when all of a sudden a rainfall began and it "delayed" our departure for a few moments. We had left the hotel without our tonneau cover so we did not have a way to keep the rain out...so Jerry backed his car out of the garage and gave us shelter.

June 6, 2007

2007-09-22T12:50:00.001-07:00

We stopped at the Wall Drug in Watertown where Chris bought me some beautiful Black Hills Gold Earrings. We also got some ice cream because we were so darn hot.

While we were there, we saw some interesting sites . One was this HUGE John Deer car. Our little Cobra looks like a toy next to it.

We had been aware that a storm was brewing so we wanted to leave town. We got gas for the car and just across the street was this.....storm chaser. They were out taking photos and interviewing people (much like the movie "Twister".) It looked more like an alien craft. So much for what goes on in the midwest.

June 5, 2007 Mt Rushmore

2007-09-19T22:02:00.000-07:00

We got to Rapid City and saw many presidents, not just the ones on Mt. Rushmore. They have a statue on each corner of the town in bronze of all of our U.S. Presidents. So we stood by a few of them and took our picture. Then we decided to take a late night drive (remember...we're in an open roadster) up to Mt. Rushmore. Chris had heard that there was a lighting ceremony at 9pm. Well...it sounded nice...so we went. Little did we know that it was going to get rather "windy". In fact, it got darn cold. Fortunately, we had our nice warm jackets. But we had a very long wait for the ceremony to begin....and it was getting windier and it looked like a storm was coming in. We thought we would have to leave prior to the lighting ceremony...but finally they lit the sucker up...and this is what we saw. I am glad we waited. Then...as all those who waited started to rush out...it began to rain. And we bee-lined out of that parking lot and down the hill back into town. Fortunately, the rain did not continue and we got back to the hotel, dry. Phew!

June 4-5, 2007 Cody to Rapid City

2007-09-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

We're in Sturgis where all the Harley Davidson's get together. So as we are driving through Sturgis we look up and down every street...and not ONE Harley! We did however, see this Motorcycle Museum. But the streets were baren.

This was also a tough day since it was Lori's birthday and I was missing my little girl. We did call her and had a nice chat. Fortunately, her best friend Brittany and our other daughter Katie made it back to Wisconsin to help her celebrate.

June 2-4, 2007 Now we're in Yellowstone....

2007-09-19T20:59:00.000-07:00

Our first major stop was Yellowstone where we spent 3 days. We met lots of interesting people…all ogling the car. Each person would ask if they could take photos of the car and Chris would say “no…but you can take a photo IN the car!” That would prove especially exciting to a group of travelers from Beijing China who truly loved the idea of sitting behind the wheel of a cool sports car.

Another weird thing that occurred was the number of buffalo we saw. I don't think I've ever seen that many buffalo...and I hope I it's a long time before I have that many up-close and personal views of bison again. Oy!

We got to witness Old Faithful blow off a little steam a number of times during our stay at the Old Faithful Inn. Chris took a nice "self-portrait" one morning in front of one of the geysers near our lodge.

This is a photo of Yellowstone's Grand Canyon. It was a spectacular view and a hidden treasure not many know is even there.

June 1, 2007 Jackson, WY Tetons

2007-09-19T20:55:00.000-07:00

The Grand Tetons were specatular. Chris took this panoramic shot which turned out so pretty. Next stop Yellowstone!

While we were parked above the Snake River, we had a bit of a surprise, when a cowboy rode up to me and said.."Lady, you might want to move that nice car of yours". "Why?" I asked. " Well, because about 150 head of cattle are coming through here in about 5 minutes and we'll be driving them over this bridge." Chris was not in the car at this time...he was on the other side of the bridge taking these photos. I hopped into the driver's seat and drove it across the bridge and told Chris, who laughed and said...cool, park the car and let's film it. He took videos (which I'll try to insert later). Meanwhile, I got out and tried to help the girl who was stopping traffic on the highway and help explain to people that a few head of cattle were crossing and there would be a bit of a wait. What an experience THAT was?

May 31, 2007

2007-09-19T20:26:00.000-07:00

As we were leaving Nyssa we couldn't resist snapping this photo. This must be a top rated motel in the area!!

FFR (Factory Five Racing) has a forum on the web that individuals can correspond, post questions, and network with other Cobra owners and builders. Chris "met" a guy by the name of Blair who had built a car but really had no one in the area to talk to. We decided to meet with him and his wife, Kay. We had a beautiful dinner and then went back to their home, where we saw Blair's Cobra. Kay got to have a ride in our car and thought it was much "quieter" than Blair's. I believe he's discovered that he can make it a car that is one they can enjoy together if he make a "few modifications".

Later in the Day May 30, 2007

2007-09-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

A ways down the road just as we got into Idaho we came across this rather odd looking tree. We actually double-backed to make sure we saw what we saw.

Apparently there is some sort of tradition from local high school kids to throw their sneakers up into this tree...and the tree is loaded full of all sorts of shoes.

After spending the night in Nyssa we headed out for yet another warm day of traveling...on to Jackson and the Tetons.

Day One -May 30. 2007

2007-09-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

Last year when Chris completed the build of the 1965 Cobra (Factory Five Racing kit car)...I was very proud of his accomplishment. He had taken on the challenge because he needed something to keep himself busy when he found himself no longer working at HP after 13 years (and prior to that 15 years at Key Title). I was also newly retired after 25 years at HP so when he came up with the idea of driving cross-country I thought sure....anything that would get me to see my daughter in Wisconsin or other family planted across the U.S.

Then reality started to sink in. This car doesn't have much of a trunk. How long would we be gone? How many hours a day would we be traveling? What happens if it rains? How do I pack for a trip like that? After a few "easy" 100-200 mile drives...we went on a trial run to Reno for he Western States Cobra Bash. That was about 1400 miles roundtrip. That's when I found out what "bugs" needed to be worked out in the car. Over the next week Chris made a few modifications to accomodate me and make the ride more comfortable for me.

So....with seat-cushion (with heater and massager) in place, MP3 player and sound canceling headset, blanket, sunglasses with special foam inserts to block out wind and shady hats...we were off.