Making Wishes Come True

Hot Harley Nights

Making wishes come true for 21 years!

Since that very first event 21 years ago, Hot Harley Nights has been bringing people together in support of Make-a-Wish(R) South Dakota, and has raised over 2.5 million dollars in the process. The event features a  motorcycle parade that begins at J & L Harley Davidson and travels through town eventually reaching downtown. This years event ran from July 7th to July 10th with many family friendly activities at various locations throughout Sioux Falls. 

 

While many people choose to watch the parade at locations other than downtown, many like me prefer to be right in the thick of things. To get a good spot it is a good idea to head down at least an hour before the parade starts. I got there an hour early and as you can see by the above photo I wasn't the only one.

 By a half hour before the parade the street was pretty well lined. Police officers lead the parade blocking intersections so that the parade could pass through.

They were followed by motorcycles bearing the US Flag.

 Then came cars with the Wish children.

And the parade was officially in full swing. Not to disappoint the crowd there was even a teddy bear wish float pulled by a motorcycle

It was obvious from the many fun accessories that the riders wanted to contribute to making the parade extra fun for the viewers.

Of course what would Hot Harley Nights be without Harley's. Don't worry there were tons of them!

 There were sidecars!

 There were choppers!

Sport bikes!

 And trikes!

 Cruisers!

 Police Bikes!

 Mopeds!

 and even itty bitty mini bikes!

 But wait, that's not all.

There were quad-runners!

 Golf carts!

and even a T- bucket!

 With such a variety in the parade some observers decided to add their own unique spice to the parade.

This kind snake charmer even granted a few wishes himself. Below he assists a Bride who has asked if her photographer can get a few photos of the happy couple with his snake. I was a bit jealous because I really wanted to be that photographer. Instead I settled on a few behind the scene bystander shots which I posted on my photo blog here.

 Needless to say there were many smiling faces

 and a great showing of pride.

As this spectators shirt reminds us, we should strive for greatness. I believe Hot Harley Nights has done just that. 

Today I am sharing this wonderful event with Unknown Mami's Sunday In My City.

Wednesday's Wonders

There are so many wonderful things about Wednesday!

 My short list:

• It is Hump Day! That wonderful middle of the week, half way to the weekend, let's celebrate making it over life's hump day!
• It is Wordless Wednesday! Whether you celebrate by seeking quiet solitude or by sharing image only posts, there's a sense of wonder in the wordless approach. Click here for my contributions to the sound of silence.
• It is 'not so' Wordless Wednesday over at Curious as a Cathy. Absolutely perfect for the chatter box in me. Of course I will be sharing this post there. :D
• It is Wish Day! That is right, the day designated by Claudya @ Unknown Mami's as the day to put a voice to our wishes. You will find my wish below. 
• I was born on a Wednesday. Yep, I just threw that out there.  :)

Today I'm calling on the universe to grant that which is within the infinite spectrum of Hope.

-It doesn't happen very often but it happened earlier today. For a few hours, I wished I were someone else. Who, I have no idea, but definitely not me. Luckily the Universe knows when not to grant a wish!

-I'm wishing for more beautiful days like today. On that wish, can I ask that they be just a tad cooler?  ;)

-I am sending out wishes for all who are facing major health issues that they receive the medical care they need for a full recovery and if that is not possible for the strength and support to deal with their illness.

-My last wish for this day is that you have a blessed week.

Please join me in visiting Unknown Mami's Wish Wednesday so that we can lend our wishing powers to her and those she is wishing for.

SIMC: Automania 2016

Automania is one of my favorite free local summer events. For a number of years it was held in Down Town Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Each year it got bigger with more autos, entertainment, concession stands and of course more people. By 2007 the show was spread out over a 20 block area and featured more than 600 cars, trucks and motorcycles.  By 2013 it had grown too large to be held in it's original location and was moved to the nearby town of Brandon. That first year in Brandon the event saw more than 70,000 people in attendance.

Having been away from the area for the last four years this was my time attending the car show at its' new location. At first it seemed smaller, then I was reminded that instead of being cramped into a 20 block radius the show now spanned over a mile long on a single road. I have sent a request to the organizers of the car show for an estimate of how many attended this year and how many vehicles were registered. I hope to get those numbers soon and update this post. For now here are some of my favorite photos from this year.

In addition to all the really awesome cars each year the show attracts at least a few famous cars and celebrities. Like this one you may recognize.

 Or maybe you will recognize this  95 Mitsubishi Eclipse. It is the car driven by Paul Walker in the 1st/3rd The Fast and The Furious movies.

 

In addition to cool cars, yummy food and live music there was even a gun booth.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing my favorite cars from this years Automania. Over the next few weeks I will be sharing a few of the many fun events held in and around my city during the summer. This event is held toward the end of June every year so if you want to experience it for yourself June is the month to visit Sioux Falls,SD.

For more virtual travel check out Unknown Mami's Sunday In My City blog hop.