Motorcycles aren't my thing, but the Harley Davidson factory in Kansas City was so worth seeing! And it's something that has to be seen in person, because our cameras were confiscated prior to entrance.
I don't know how many years ago it was...6? 8? But my dad won a Harley in a raffle, and is officially part of club HOG. This was the driving force behind taking the factory tour.
The whole motorcycle is made here. I picture factories as often specializing and producing one part. From taking the order (which is processed in exactly the order received) to driving the bike onto the truck for delivery...it all happens under this roof. The factory itself has really good energy. There are these awesome robots that perform certain tasks, but so much is done by hand. If I were into motorcycles, I'd totally be drawn to working here. Imagine the satisfaction of hand-rubbing the paint job on a bike you were proud of building, knowing it was going to someone who completely appreciated it. I wonder...is Harley Davidson a publicly traded company?
Lunch was soup, salad and sandwiches at an adorable cafe. Once again, a Guy Fieri recommendation. D,D& D fans might be disappointed to learn that Guy's convertible arrives on location well before he does. Right before filming, the pampered personality shows up in a chauffeur-driven town car. He doesn't hop into the red Chevy Camaro until the camera is ready. Still, we've been to several now, and his picks are right-on.
Chloe spotted a deflated jumpy contraption as soon as we pulled into our St. Louis campground. I, being the all-knowing mom, told her it was most likely closed for the season. Upon awakening the next morning, she positioned herself to watch it. She watched, and watched...until finally, she saw movement. I, being the all-knowing mom, told her it was just the wind. Slowly, the pillow rose. I was proven very wrong, and she was beside-herself excited to give it a go. Next time we do a trip like this, we may think about spending more time at some of the campgrounds. She loved the little carts, the pools, and now this.
Next stop...the home of my parents' former neighbors, Pat and Ian, who so graciously kept our car, hosted us overnight, and (Pat) even did a load of my laundry.
It gave us all a bitter-sweet tug to see our long-lost car in Dayton. As soon as we opened the back, Chapin jumped right in.
We had an intense unloading/loading session, my dad got the bikes on the roof, Chloe sat on the top box to get it closed, and it was time to part.
The tears came. So intensely that I could barely say bye, let alone express the gratitude I was feeling. (Not that I'll ever be able to fully express that.)
Sam, Chloe, Chapin and I pulled away to begin our little journey home.
Trying to be glad it happened, not sad it's over...
No comments:
Post a Comment