The Great American Holiday!

[HSV]

Hey all,

I am writing to ask you all a favor  ;D

My boyfriend Robert and I are coming to the USA July 13th, and travelling around for a while and integrating our holiday with a couple of trade shows in NY State.

Robert is a farmer, he loves heavy equipment (CAT mainly), he drives and repairs 613 motor scrapers, challengers, excavators, John Deere tractors and more.  He loves cars, he has fixed up a few (one is my avatar pic) and basically has a major passion for all machinery. 

I am trying to find factories to visit.  Some of our favorite TV shows are Megastructures, Megafactories, Overhaulin' and similar.  I have emailed Chip Foose's (Overhaulin'/Rides car designer extrordanaire) email addresses and asked to arrange for Robert to be able to meet him - yeah I know, longshot, but worth a try!  I was going to contact Overhaulin' and ask them to revamp our rental car!! hahaha

Anyway, I want to find some cool big stuff to see; farms, equipment, mines, buildings, factories etc...Captain is going to help us find something in his area in the East, (and we are hoping  Part Timer and his cool family can make it to the Truck and Tractor Pull out of Cleveland on 14 August, woohoo!) but we will also be driving around a small area in the West in July.   

The places we are visiting in the West are: Los Angeles - San Francisco - Las Vegas (Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam) - Alberqueque area - Colorado Springs/Denver area (Canon City and the big bridge).  We'll also be doing a 4 day stint down in New Orleans around the 26th August.

Can anyone suggest some cool stuff to see?

Thanks! 

[Jeff]

PIG ROAST !!!! PIG ROAST!!!  PIG ROAST!!!!

And you can see one of the worlds largest, and in my opinion, greatest suspension bridges "The Mighty Mac" 

[beenthere]

Cat in Peoria, IL, and that is not too far from Deere headquarters in Moline, IL.
Deere tractors in Waterloo, IA too.

Sounds like a fantastic trip/visit. Good on you both.

[Radar67]

You can check out the Stennis Space Center in South Mississippi. They test rocket motors there.

Stew

[Jeff]

PIG ROAST!!

[solodan]

Coastal Redwoods, Giant Sequoias, The Eastern Sierra, and if you can bare the heat in july, Death Valley.    And if at all possible skip LA  :  it is a poor representation of California.

[HSV]

Hey you guys!! Thanks for all the suggestions so far  8)

Sorry Jeff, I posted bad and you had to move it  :(

I would LOVE to come to the Pig Roast, I IM'd Tom a little while ago and asked when it was but it was too late, I had already booked in to hang out with some old buddies who are flying over from London to New York to meet up with me on the 1st August.  Then I have the Empire Fieldays to do from the 7-9 August in Seneca Falls...

I will be at the Pig Roast in spirit. hehe

DanG!

[Brad_S.]

There is a very large steam pageant that overlaps the Empire show and is just 30 miles down the road in Canandaigua, NY. Lots of vintage farm and construction equipment on view.
http://www.pageantofsteam.org/

[ADAMINMO]

Branson,Missouri is a great place to see.My family and I go there every year about 5 or 6 times.We also stop in at Springfield,Missouri at the Bass Pro Shops Headquarters located about 20 or so minutes north af Branson.While in Branson be sure to ride the ducks.That is an unforgetable experiance. You can also take time to see a show at one of the many shows in Branson.They range from absolutly hilarious to fairly serious.The Showboat Branson Bell is a nice romantic type show that is very funny.You board the boat and it goes out on the lake and you watch the show and have dinner as well.During the half time break you can go out on the deck and sometimes see a nice sunset.This show has a couple of talking dogs in it. Have a great time. Here is the website so you can take a look at it.   www.branson.com

[HSV]

ooooooooooohh yeaahhh  8)

Thanks Brad, that looks absolutely perfect, and right next to where we are going to be.

Fantastic, I can't wait to show Robert when I get home.

We have so many great choices now!!!

I went to Peoria last year (I bribed the travel organizers here to reroute 'Husband' and I through Peoria on our way to Des Moines IA for a show).  I didn't make it into a factory tour though, we didn't have enough time.  I did go to the merchandise shop and see the car and spend lots of money hehe.

Thanks guys.

[moosehunter]

 HSV,
The Mrs. and I will be at Empire farm days, we will be sure to look you up while there. Let me know where your setup will be on the grounds so I can find you. That show is so big I always have trouble finding people and things.
I may be able to arrange an evening boat ride on Seneca lake after the show if you are interested.   
Moosehunter

(edit 4pm) My friends are not putting their boat in the water this year, so the boating is out.

[HSV]

Hey there moosehunter 
Thank you for the boat ride thought!  It would be great if you would stop by our site at Empire.  They haven't allocated site numbers yet, but I will be sure and let you know when I find out.
We can't wait for the show.  We're also going to head on over to the Pagent of Steam which runs for a couple days after Empire is over. 

[moosehunter]

 I got a map of the grounds and found you on it.
I hope you will be sawing! I will be there Thursday am, what are the chances of me getting to saw a board with your saw??
mh

[moosehunter]

 Well I didn't get to saw a board............ but I HAVE the Skillmill in my garage ;D
Anybody have directions for this thing so I can put it togather and try it???

Just kidding, I am watching ( storing ) the mill for HSV for a few days and it is too bad I do not have time to set it up and try it.
Layla and Robert are off to see the Rock & Roll hall of fame in Ohio and to watch some truck/tractor pulls, then on to Niagra Falls. I just get to stay here and baby-sit a skill mill :(

They seem to be enjoying thier " Great American Holiday" and I enjoyed meeting them

mh

[HSV]

Hey moosehunter :-)
Thanks heaps for storing the Skillmill for us and I'm sorry we couldn't take you with us to Niagara and stuff but I'm sure you loved staying back and working.  :D
Hope your weekend of milling went well, and I'm very sorry I hadn't seen your post earlier, I would have loved to have given you a blast on the mill!
It was fantastic to meet you, you FF members are so DanG good to us funny talking foreigners!  ;D