Bonneville America Forums Forums General Motorcycle Forums Rides, Rallies, & Events Chicago, 29th Annual Toys for Tots parade....

Time again for the Toys for Tots Parade here in Chicago. For those of you that don't know this is one of the, if not THE largest Toy Run's in the country.... numbers vary of course due to our lovely Midwestern winters, last year was nothing short of horrific with the high only hitting about 20 and it snowing but close to 10,000 bikes still showed. Year before that it was sunny and almost 50 out and the count came in at around 45,000 bikes. I know I almost bailed last year as I had to get down my alley at slightly less than idle speed with both legs acting as outriggers so I wouldn't dump it due to alley resembling something more to a hockey rink than a street but once on the "main" roads it was oh so nice to hear the crunching sounds of rock salt under the tires, hehehe.
Anyway would be great to hook up with some of the locals so I alone don't have to answer the myriad of inquiries about the Triumph line of motorcycles from the bazillions of Hog riders. Oh and hey, if any out of towners would like to participate I have a spare bedroom for those that might want to ride or trailer it in the day before.
Alrighty, who's in (and who won't bail on me like last year because of a little frozen substance on the ground, hehehe)?

Steve

uh, Steve. ya forgot something

oh...it's in the link, isn't it?

Had me there for a sec Shari... thought I mis-linked or something, (what happens on glazer's computer stays on glazer's computer), whew, hehe.

Okay, since it's easily overlooked, guess it's only in red text the first time you look at it?

Toys for Tots site-click here

red if you use a red background, i suppose. my links are blue.
clear and well presented in your first post, missing it was an oversight on my part.

Count me in.

Right now they're calling for about a high of 30degF. Downright balmy. I'm in, weather dependent. Snow and/or ice and I don't go. Anything else and I'm in. Supposed to ride down with some buddies on their HD's. Wanna try to meet up for coffee at a restaurant or something. Planning on leaving the homestead around 7:30'ish.

I'm gonna be there as long as it's not snowing...
the most current forecast is: Sunday: Partly cloudy, with a high near 36. From the nws

Sounds great guys... It gets kinda nuts down around that area, especially if it does what they say it will....upper 30's and partly cloudy (that's like sorta sunny right?). Lots of people trying to meet up with each other. Coffee? Hmmm, any ideas where? I usually try to get down there around 8, get staged then grab the thermos of special homebrew and shoot da chit with the crowd but open to any suggestions.

Hope ya can make it Kevin and that we can hook up, be nice to meet another Chicago rider.

Steve

Hey, I'd like to go too (weather depending). Post where and when you are going to meet up and I will try to make it.

Vance

Well I deff wanna meet up other Trumpeters 'round town here... as Glazer said, "Anyway would be great to hook up with some of the locals so I alone don't have to answer the myriad of inquiries about the Triumph line of motorcycles from the bazillions of Hog riders."

Which is soooo true... then again almost everyone I know rides a HD less a rare few. Actually have a buddy who rides a Sprint that's supposed to show up too... we'll see, ya know how them sport bike riders can be....

Here's a joint just southeast of the forest preserves. Not making a rec since I've never been there but it's a breakfast joint in/near the city. How bad could it be?

Karsons Restaurant and Pancake House
3422 W 95th St
Evergreen Park, IL 60805
(708) 423-6050

Karsons (never been there before either) works for me if everyone else is cool with that. I am guessing since it's so close that it might be a very popular meeting point so might be packed.............or not, hehe. If any of you guys wanna forgo the coffee/breakfast thing and grab a beer and burger afterwards there's a couple good places I can think of to hit afterwards. Kuma's Corner on Belmont just east of the expressway or the Twisted Spoke on Grand and Ogden, both have great food and a nice beer list. Just a thought.

Steve

Let's see, breakfast or burgers and beer? Tough choice...

but as always - I'm up for anything- just say when/where.

Anybody seen the weather forecast for sunday?

Partly cloudy and a high of 23*

Does that mean it will be partly sunny?

Karsons Restaurant and Pancake House
3422 W 95th St
Evergreen Park, IL 60805
(708) 423-6050


Karson's around 8 o'clock then? Gonna be a chilly one, layer, layer, layer.

Steve

Aiight, I will be riding down to the area with friends that ride those v-twin things. We usually meet some other folks for coffee, donuts, beer, etc. at around 8:00-8:30'ish. The address is:

Midwest Auto Security
Address: 3051 W 87th St, Evergreen Park, IL 60805
Phone: (708) 499-6116

One of the guys owns the shop and opens it up for us for the event. Pretty cool of him. Calling for about 5 - 9 degrees at 7AM. BUNDLE UP and ride safe brothers. See ya' there.

Okay, who is going where?....lol I'll plan on meeting Keith at the car alarm store then, or I'll meet whoever at the restaraunt and then escort them to the car alarm store, whatever happens I guess I'm going to the car alarm store,everybody else just wanna go to the car alarm store? Did I mention I am going to go to the car alarm store? Okay see everyone at the car alarm store!


(apparently dryer sheets contain some form of mild narcotic, only four more sets of long underwear to wash, dryer is spinning , it's like the wind man.... gotta run, gotta get ready to go to the car alarm store)

Quote:

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only four more sets of long underwear to wash,

---

i thought it was panty hose and rubber gloves...

only for evening rides my dear..... okay, I always wear them, there I said it. Actually I have to wear all the long underwear on account that I got a nasty nasty run in my stockings and the local CVS was all out of size "Robust" in the color nude.... they had some white ones but I can't stand the sight of them, already got the pasty look bad enough, need sun, need sun.

Went out for dinner tonite after toy shopping....wife was looking over my shoulder, she has the notion that dryer sheets are just fine, perhaps I should not have wondered about the commercial for Cola and Black. Weird not drinking that stuff without a lime.

I'll be heading to the alarm shop then.

did you guys go to the car alarm store?

Yes indeed, I (we) did go to the car alarm store, hehe. Rolled up there a little after 8 am and the overhead door goes up as if by magic, Stewart (roundy) givin' me the big wave to pull her on in. I have to make it a point to find out this guys name, got the addy, gonna have to send him a sixer or a nice bottle of something as a thank you. Shop was heated and he had coffee and donuts, was kinda like flying first class. Hung out there awhile with Stu and I explaining just who we were.... our connection, Uh, Mr. Airguy nowhere to be seen. Nine o'clock comes and doors up and time to roll.... while donning all the neccessary layers back on Keith rolls up with his Harley buddys. I should be saying I was happy to see him, which I was, but more importantly my story about knowing some guy that knows some guys that know the car alarm store dude had now been validated. Made the short run over to the staging area, hung out there for not so long and then off we go.
Had a much better turnout than I thought as temps at wake up time were mostly single digits throughout the area and by parade time was only mid-teens. I don't think it ever got any warmer than that the rest of the day and I have set a new record for most items of clothing worn at any given time.... thank gawd for forward pegs and a nice reach to the bars, cuz dem elbows and knees weren't bending...lol
Managed to stay with Stu the whole length of the run, Keith, well we don't know.... thinkin' some watering hole along the way might of caught his attention. DOOD, WHERE ARE YOU?!
Toys safely delivered and our spouses joined us for the burger/beer thingie afterwards so other than a mild case of frostbite and a slight shoulder separation from trying to pull four sweatshirts,two long undie shirts and a t-shirt over my head all at once on the way to the hot shower afterwards...... it was a great day!


Steve
(my nest beckons, back under the electric blankie till sunrise me thinks)

Well, this was a day of firsts for me- Single digits weather, I was the first to show up! Saw a Harley start its christmas garland on fire! A squid on a brand new ninja (still with the paper plate), wearing jeans and tennis shoes, riding right down the middle of the lane - was pissin me off - knew less about group riding than I do!
Other than that, I think that a good time was had by all- for a worthy cause.

Anyway here's the one pic I took today


BTW, I believe the shop owners name was Jeff.

Yep, shop owners name is Jeff.

Lost both of you kind of early on. Had Stewart for awhile. Nope, didn't make the whole run. Ended up with Jeff (had the "bobber"/alarm shop guy), Mike, Henry, Vinny, Joe, etc. at a mexican watering hole watching da' Bears. They put out some arachara (sp?), tortillas and taco fixin's (really freaking hot jalapeños, but good). Sorry I lost you guys. Hope you had fun. I did. Yeah, Stewart, I know the squid you're talking about. I don't know what it was but my hands got their coldest while doing the low speed ride down western ave. I was doing 50 and 60 mph on other roads and my hands didn't get nearly as cold. What's up with that?!?!

Saw your run on the Toledo 11 news last night. Looked you guys had fun in the cold. We have our toy run in September. We raised $7100 for the kids in our area. Nothing greater than helping kids out for christmas and nothing like getting good publicity on national news. Ride on