Daily Archives: December 2, 2007

Cycle Hutt Christmas Tree contest! Visit in person, vote online

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Justin and Tammy, owners of KTM Cycle Hutt in Mandan, decided to have a contest to help boost the Christmas spirit around the shop. Here’s what they told me by email:

As part of Mandan’s Holiday Shop Hop, KTM Cycle Hutt offered a challenge to their 16 employees: decorate the best tree and win $1,000 in cash; 2nd place $500; 3rd place $100.

To jump-start the decorating frenzy, each employee was given $250. The 16 uniquely decorated Christmas trees will be on display from December 2nd through December 28th outside KTM Cycle Hutt located on the Strip in Mandan (3700 Memorial Highway).

Drive by to view the colorfully lit Christmas trees during this holiday season. If you would like to vote for your favorite Christmas tree visit www.cyclehutt.com or stop in the dealership 9 am to 9 pm weekdays, Saturday 9 am to 1 pm. through December 20th. For 2008 KTM Cycle Hutt will allow non-employee Christmas tree entries.

I stopped by to visit Justin and Tammy and take some pictures, since the trees are located strategically around their giant parking lot. I thought I had a favorite tree, but I have to admit I’m stuck on two. This one depicts a motorcycle crash, one of my favorite pasttimes! There are wheels lying at the base, with fenders sticking out and even a helmet. Very cool!

This fishing tree is pretty sweet too. Note the frozen fish dangling from the arm of the chair! I don’t know where the bobber came from, but that’s pretty impressive as well. Very well done.

You can visit Cycle Hutt on the strip in Mandan. You can’t miss the trees, which are positioned around the lot. When you drive through, please stop to take a close look at all the trees; there are some pretty cool items hanging in them to complete each tree’s theme! When you find a favorite, don’t forget to vote. Click here to vote online for your favorite tree at KTM’s “ndracing.com” website.

A Christmas display that can be seen from space: the Schaff residence

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Clark W. Griswold would be green with envy. I have featured the Paul Schaaf residence before on this blog, and I’m proud to do so again. It’s a fabulous sight to see. Of course, any home can be seen from orbit, but it’s fun to joke that perhaps this one could be seen without fancy satellite imagers!

Mr. Schaaf was featured on the PH Phactor last year and had a lot of interesting things to say about his display. He’s retired, if I remember correctly, and devotes a lot of time to putting up this display. As you can see from this photo of the backyard, his house is visible long before you arrive at his driveway on West View Place in Mandan. This photo was taken from 8th Avenue Southeast.

If you want to see this house, simply look southwest from any high ground in Bismarck-Mandan. Seriously, though…simply cross the river and take the first right. Stay on this road until you reach the Fort Lincoln school. Continue to go straight from the 4-way stop there, and you can see the house to your right. From there I forget the exact turn to take, but I think it’s the third turn on the right. You’ll figure it out. If you get lost, you can always look for the glow!

Christmas Capitol

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All is right with the world. The “skyscraper of the prairie” is decorated with its windows tinted and stars lit atop the roof…and now there’s snow on the lawn! Perfect. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

With the NWS forecasting temperatures around 30 for the next couple of days, with the strong possibility of freezing rain, I really hope our cities can keep their white blanket intact. A white Christmas is the only kind of Christmas for this guy!