Looking for a fun summer road trip?  Have you heard of the Great River Road? You don’t have to look too far in this area for a trip full of scenic beauty, culture, history, and recreation.  Runde Auto Group would like to suggest possibly travelling the Great River Road at making that part of your summer or early autumn vacation. The Great River Road National Scenic Byway passes through the Tri-State area following the course of the Mississippi River. The 3,000 mile road travels from northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico and takes about 36 hours of straight [...]

The Dubuque Food Pantry Sister Lynn Wagner – manager of the Dubuque Food Pantry The Dubuque Food Pantry was founded in 1987 and is located at 1598 Jackson Street. The pantry does several things for the community including giving deserving citizens in the Tri-States close to 500 Christmas Baskets a year. The Pantry offers; food, hygiene products, baby items, cleaning supplies and other necessities to those who are down on their luck in the area. Donations are always welcome at the pantry, be it one of the items aforementioned or cash, the pantry can put it to good use to help out people who truly need it.

It was the one field trip that the 4th and 5th graders were jealous of the 6th graders for – Camp Courageous in Cascade Iowa. It was singularly, the best, field trip and with good reason, everything they had you do at the camp was fun and interesting. Last year was the first time I met Charlie Becker, the Camp’s Director, it brought me back to the fond memories I had of the field trip there oh-so-many years ago.  Charlie was at Runde’s again earlier this week talking to us about everything that had happened to the camp over the last year.  We had quite a bit of catching up to do. Hello again Charlie, how have things been at the camp? Things have been going great. Last year we ended up using the donation we got from [...]

We recently had a chance to interview Perry Mason of Radio Dubuque to get an inside peek of what goes on behind the scenes of the 3rd of July Air Show. Since then Perry and his crew have picked up the 21 vehicles they needed from Runde’s and they are being put to good use by the troops. These are the vehicles that will serve their basic transportation needs as they travel around the Tri-State area over the next week or so.  After they arrived at the Dubuque Regional Airport the other day, we got a chance to take an up-close look at a few of the planes that will be in the show.  Enjoy a small glimpse of the planes that will be at the show!   And if you’re interested in checking the planes out in person or possibly taking a ride on one, we highly recommend it.      

I’m gonna go out on a limb here and go on record saying the 2010 Chicago Auto Show is the auto lovers’ candy store.  The autos are eye candy for kids of all ages. “Bake me up a fresh batch of those Chevy’s, Candyman!!!”  Walking in the entrance to the show floor, it becomes overwhelming to think which direction to go first. Shortly after glancing over the offerings, it becomes apparent that your hours are turning into minutes and that the closing time of 10pm is far from fair. For those of you who couldn’t make the show, have no fear! Runde’s has you covered! Over the next week or so look forward to a review of the 2010 Chicago Auto Show, starting today with a few vehicles that were on display from Chevy. Check out the video’s below to see footage of the Cruze, Aveo RS and Volt!       [...]

The Foodpack Program in Dubuque is something with no downside.  It’s just a good idea that helps children and families in need in the local area.  There are things that make you happy on the inside. Perhaps seeing someone you love prevail in something they always wanted to do, or watching a cartoon while sitting on the couch at home all snuggled up with your family, or maybe it’s something so small as to hear the crunch of Fall leafs under your feet. Hopefully reading about the Foodpack Program in Dubuque is something that makes you feel like the world is steering itself in the right direction.  The selflessness of some who make sure that the less fortunate are taken care of is [...]

Hello Gary, can you tell me a little bit about the event? This is the single largest event in Dubuque. This is the 24th annual year that Radio Dubuque has been involved with the 3rd of July show. It is a combination air-show and fireworks display. The Air Force has estimated our crowd at, well, let’s just say in the tens of thousands. Where is the show located? The central location for the show is down by the Dubuque lock and dam on 1860 Hawthorne St. The firework show starts at 9:45 and typically lasts around 25-30 minutes. The air show runs from about 6:00-8:15.    A bunch of awesome aircraft in one location? [...]

Our good friend, Casey Klein from the East Dubuque Business and Tourism Council, sent us a nice letter the other day thanking us for our coverage of the upcoming party in East Dubuque – a.k.a. the Independence Day Celebration. Casey wrote: “On Behalf of the East Dubuque Business and Tourism Council, thank you for your generous support and patronage of the Old Fashioned Independence Day Celebration. You created an extremely informative and helpful post on the Runde Auto Group blog! Thank you for making the East Dubuque Business & Tourism Council look good! All your efforts are greatly appreciated. As we get closer to the event, if you or your staff have any questions please don’t hesitate to call or e-mail. Please join us on Sunday, June 28th. Thank [...]

What are Baskets Of Care?  Well in order to understand that, you’ll first need some background information about Dubuque’s very own Maria House. It’s almost time to decorate those eggs and indulge in candy – Easter is approaching quickly (April 12th) and some people may not get the opportunity to celebrate the holiday.  That’s why organizations like Maria House here in Dubuque, Iowa are starting to gather materials to build baskets.  The baskets are intended for families who receive aid from Maria House so that everyone can celebrate Easter and have fun during the Easter holiday. Sherry McDonell who has been a member of Maria House since before it opened explained to us the way the organization works.  Sherry, who “absolutely loves working for Maria [...]

Bill Brosnahan, president and tournament director of the Walleye Anglers Trail, stopped by the Runde PreDriven Store near Dubuque today to talk fishing and to allow me to gain a better understanding of what’s W.A.T. Hello Bill, so I hear you have a big fishing event coming up, care to explain it a bit? Oh sure, the tournament circuit has been in existence since 1999. Now, there are four annual Walleye tournaments held on the Mississippi river … usually stretching from Genoa, WI to Albany, IL. How many people participate in the event? There are 35 teams as of today, it will probably get up to 40 teams before the Genoa tournament which takes place April 5th. Teams consist of two people, usually partners, friends, or father and son. The competitors can fish in three different pools in each area we go to.  

Daniel’s Lounge is located in Kieler next to Midwest Motor Sports in Kieler, Wisconsin. They are famous for their daily specials, and for the racing fans out there, $1.00 beers at Cautions. Today’s special was roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, and a dinner roll. Since I am not a huge fan of roast beef, I had a burger and french fries. They were the really crispy, seasoned fries, which are my favorite. The burger was expertly cooked and still had a lot of the natural juices still inside as I took my first bite.  It was extremely reasonable for the size of it;  Daniel’s definitely doesn’t skimp on the portions. [...]

What do you think of when you hear the phrase, “I’m going to lunch”?   If you immediately think of a 4000 mile round trip to a burger joint, then you’re not alone.  Many of us leave the office for our half hour or hour long lunch breaks, which is usually acceptable. I frequently drive 5 blocks home to eat lunch and let my dogs out. An Assistant Editor in Ann Arbor, Michigan had a different idea for his lunch.  Sam Smith’s Thursday started out as a fairly normal day. He was at work, and all of a sudden, he decides he needs a burger. Ok, fine, Ann Arbor probably has about 50 different burger joints to choose from, except he needs a specific burger…from a West Coast ONLY restaurant chain, In-N-Out Burger. From Ann Arbor, the closest location is in Prescott, Arizona, approximately 1900 miles away. He decided to call his buddy from [...]

Most baseball fans know of the movie, “The Field of Dreams.” But for those of us from Iowa, it’s more than just a movie. It’s home, it’s reality, and it lights a fire within us when we think of all the history that was made on that very spot of ground. It’s hard to believe that it was made about 35 years ago.  Parts of the movie were shot in Dubuque and other parts were shot out on the East Coast, but the majority of it was filmed in Dyersville, IA.  Where is Dyersville you ask???  Well it’s about midway between Runde Chevrolet in East Dubuque, IL and Runde Ford of Manchester, IA. –about 10 minutes north of US Hwy 20. The field lies on the Lansing family farm.   The corn is still growing, the house still stands in the same place it did 100 years ago. The movie was released in 1989, starring the ‘Tin Cup’ himself, [...]

What is the most scenic view that you’ve experienced in the Dubuque area? Today began as a pretty normal day at work, until my boss sent me to take pictures without telling me what exactly I was trying to find. He drew me a map, and sent me on my way. Most people can agree that when you have no idea what you’re looking for, you tend to be a little leery. I got to my destination, and realized it was an amazing landscape of Dubuque staring me in the face. He told me when I got back that lived in Dubuque for 18 years before he found out about this place and the view, and he knows other people who have lived here their whole lives who have never been to this spot either. It overlooks the Mississippi River, you can see for miles, and it also [...]

If you’re ever in the Mississippi Valley region of the Tri-States and looking for something to do, drive up to Dickeyville Grotto in the southwest corner of Wisconsin.  The grotto is only about a 10 minute drive from the Runde Auto Group main headquarters in East Dubuque and only a 5 minute drive from Runde GMC in Platteville. What is a grotto, you ask?  The formal definition of a grotto is an artificial recess or structure made to resemble a natural cave.  Now I wouldn’t say walking through the grotto will make you feel like you’re in a cave, but it does give you the feeling like you’re in a really different or unique place. I visited the Grotto this week and I really must say I’ve never seen anything like it. Growing up in Southeast Iowa, we didn’t have anything close to this. It was [...]

If you live in our around the Manchester, IA area and haven’t tried the Chuong Garden Chinese restaurant on Main Street year, we highly suggest doing so.  I’m sure all of you have heard the typical jokes about Chinese food going right through you, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is a great tasting food and it’s also considered good for your health … healthier than eating a Burger King or Hardees, that’s for sure. In Manchester our local Chinese restaurant, Chuong Garden, is located downtown on East Main Street near the movie theater. I have eaten there many times, and from speaking with the workers at Runde Manchester, they have as well. A couple of the guys go for the Szechwan Chicken or Beef. I am a [...]

Where would you go if you were planning an upcoming night on the town? I took a trip down to Houlihan’s restaurant in Dubuque today to see what was going on — it’s just a 4 minute drive from the Runde PreDriven store. Houlihan’s is located next to the Dubuque Greyhound Park and  Casino and the Hilton Garden Inn just off of Highway 151. The location would be great for a weekend away from home. You can stay at the Hilton, eat at Houlihan’s, and gamble at the casino. It is also within driving distance of shopping, golf, and many other restaurants in the area.