Riding With Fred

SWITCHING BLOGS

2011-05-14T11:21:00.001-05:00

I have decided to change the location of my blog. All new blog entries will now be at ridingwithfred.blog.com

I find the other site is a bit easier to use. I am still setting things up, so it is a bit disorganized, so be patient, I'll get around to sorting it all out.

Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you.

Fred

SPRING FEVER 2011 - DAY 8 AND 9

2011-05-13T13:42:00.000-05:00

SATURDAY - APRIL 30, 2011
The morning started with breakfast at the IHOP located across the street from the motel. I don't know if anyone was really looking forward to today's ride. The forecast is for high winds and high temperatures. I can say right now they were correct.

We headed out of town by going east on US Highway 380. Nothing really scenic, but it was at least the temperature was cool when we started. Our plan was to ride to Post, TX and then turn south on US 84 take it to I-20 and then head into Abilene. The highlight for the day would be dinner at Lytles, my favorite Steakhouse. We made pretty good time, and we stopped for a couple of breaks, but other than that we just scooted along.

We arrived in Abilene around 2:00 PM and checked into the Whitten Inn. We basically hung out until around 5, when we decided to head to the Steakhouse. Dinner was great, but what made it even better is Chuck picked up the meal, and Bill bought the drinks. Heck maybe I need to start doing this for a living.

Tomorrow plans are just to make it home.

SUNDAY - MAY 1, 2011

The final day on the road. I wish I can say it all went well, but of course I would be telling a fib.

We started loading the bikes around 6 waiting for the sun to come up. Chuck and Dick who live about 80 north of Houston was going to break away and take the Interstate home. Bill and I were just going to trug down Highway 36 to home. I guess our first mistake of the day was watching the Weather Channel. Now mind you it does not rain in Abilene, TX but a couple times of year. It just so happens that I go through Abilene a couple of times a year. Guess when it rains? Your right, the forecast was for rain, and not just a shower or two, but thunder boomers and the whole nine yards.

It looked like we would be out of it if we could be about 50 to 75 miles south of Abilene. We tried to get out of town, but only made it to the corner service station where we had to take cover. Rain, Hail, high winds, you name it, it was happening. We basically just sat it out for about 45 minutes until the worst passed, and then we headed out. Chuck and Dick did revise their route because the storms were following the Interstate they planned on taking.

We were not out of the threat of rain until we reached Gatesville. Bill had decided at this point he was not interested in breakfast, so we told us at an earlier stop he was heading home in hope of not getting wet. Chuck, Dick and myself decided to stop and get some breakfast biscuits, afterwards Chuck and Dick spit off on their on and headed home.

The rest of my day was just fighting the wind while trying to get home. The temperature increased as well as the humidity. When I pulled into my garage it was 96 degrees with 90 percent humidity. I was glad to be home.

Now for the rest of the story. If you read about my last trip, I came down with food poisoning. Well guess what, it happened again. Everything was fine until about 11:00 PM Sunday night when I suddenly became ill. It was not as bad as last time, but I sure hope this does not become a trend. The one good thing about it is at least I was home.

Playing around with some Video

2011-05-12T10:57:00.000-05:00

Trying to learn how to edit and post videos. Using this post to experiment.

FM 390 on a Sunny Day

SPRING FEVER 2011 - DAY 7

2011-04-30T03:26:00.000-05:00

FRIDAY - APRIL 29, 2011

It was windy we we started and it was windy when we stopped. That is the best description to today's ride. We had breakfast a the cafe again, and like last night it was excellent. It was a bit on the cool side, but not as bad as yesterday.

We headed east on US 60 into the sun and wind. We took a short break at the pull out for the VLA. If you are interested in what this is, you can read about it here VLA INFO

Riding along US 60 there is a lot of nothing. Even though the road is extremely straight, it is very scenic.

At Sorocco, NM we turned south on I-25 for a short distance and then took US 380 west towards Carrizozo, NM. The wind was really hammering us now. We stopped for gas in Carrizozo, and then continued on towards Roswell. We did stop and take a break east of Carrizozo and a fairly scenic rest area. The entire time we were there I was watching my bike because every time the wind blew the bike would move. Yes, the wind was that strong.

We arrived in Roswell in the early afternoon, and we were all ready to call it a day. The wind was really blowing now, and the temp. had reached a 100 degrees. We checked into the Western Inn, a quaint little place at a decent price.

Tomorrow we head to Abilene, where we will have dinner at Lytles Steak House.

SPRING FEVER 2011 - DAY 6

2011-04-30T03:06:00.001-05:00

THURSDAY - APRIL 28, 2011

The day started out cold, the coldest yet. When we pulled out of Dump #5 the temperature was in the low 30's. This was the turn around point of the trip we are now slowly heading back to Houston. Were not in a big hurry, but the next few days will just be transit days.

We stopped for breakfast just west of Flagstaff, from there we continued on to Flagstaff where our plan was to take Lake Mary Rd. to Happy Jack and then on to Payson. Had a few miss turns trying to find Lake Mary Rd. It appears you can't exit to it off southbound I-17. With a little help from one of Flagstaff's finest, we were able to get back on track.

We took Lake Mary Rd. to Highway 87 where we turned south towards Payson. We took a short break in Clint Wells, AZ before continueing on.

In Payson we turned onto US Highway towards Heber. It was pretty conjested, and there was some major construction going on. It all cleared out after Heber, and it was clear sailing in to Show Low. In Show Low we stopped for lunch at the local Sonic.

After lunch we turned onto US 60 and headed to Springerville and this is when the wind started picking up again. We have had a reprieve for the last couple of days, but now we were back into it. We had a tail wind for a long time, but that changed to a 30 plus mph cross wind with some higher gusts. Every now and then one of the gust's will hit you sending the bike into the oncoming lane. That made for some seat pucker moments.

We took a break at a rest area just outside of Springerville. It was starting to get a bit warm, and it was windy. We were not far from out destination for the night, and I think we were all tired of wind,and ready to call it a day.

We crossed into NM and headed to Quemado, NM where we were planning on staying the night. I sort of made reservations at the motel there, but that is another story.

US HIGHWAY 60 TO QUEMADO, NM

When we arrived at the Largo Motel in Quemado, we found out you check into the motel at the cafe. Not my first time doing this. Turns out this is really a nice motel in the middle of no where. We had dinner at the cafe, and the food was excellent.

OUR DIGS FOR THE NIGHT

Tomorrow we play to head to Roswell, NM. The forcast for wind is not good. They are saying 30 miles per hour sustained, with up to 50 miles per hour gusts. I guess we will see if they are correct tomorrow.

SPRING FEVER 2011 - DAY 5

2011-04-28T18:00:00.001-05:00

WEDNESDAY - APRIL 27, 2011

We got a late start today. There was no rush since our total mileage would be fairly low. We had breakfast at the Denny's located next door to the motel. After breakfast Dick and Bill headed north to the Grand Canyon while Chuck and myself returned to our room to load the bikes. After loading the bikes we headed west on US 260 to Cottonwood, AZ and then turned south on 89-A to Jerome, AZ.

The weather was perfect. The wind had finely died down, so it was not an issue as it has been for the last several days. Highway 89-A is another one of those perfect motorcycling roads, as long as the traffic is light. We were in luck, we had no real traffic to contend with, so we were able to ride unhendered. We took a couple of breaks, and the following couple of pictures are from those stops.

South of Prescott we turned west on 96 at Kirkland Junction. This leads us back to Prescott and like 89-A is very scenic. Below is a picture taken on Highway 96

When we arrived back in Prescott, we found it was pretty early, so we decided to head to Seligman, AZ to have lunch. Seligman is famous because it is located on the Old Route 66 and the entire town is based on that theme from 50 to 60 years ago. We decided to eat lunch at the Roadkill Cafe. The food was pretty good, but at bit pricey. A hamburger, fries, and a dinner salad cost $15.00. Like all the other tourist, we contributed to the cause.

After lunch we headed to Williams, AZ where we check into our dump of a motel. Dick and Bill were already there from their visit to the Grand Canyon. We decided to order pizza instead of getting back on the bikes to go eat.

DUMP #5

Tomorrow we plan on headed to Quemado, NM. Quemado is a spot on Highway 60, with a couple of motels and a cafe.

SPRING FEVER 2011 - DAY 4

2011-04-27T07:53:00.000-05:00

TUESDAY - APRIL 26, 2011

What a great day of riding. With the exception of the wind the weather was perfect. The day started with breakfast at the Bear Wallow Restaurant. After breakfast we headed out to do the Devils Highway

In my opinion, the Devil's Highway (US 191) is one of the top 10 motorcycling roads in North America. This section is about 90 miles long between Alpin and Clifton, AZ. It is 90 miles of twists, turns, and mountains. The only down side is you really have to watch out for all the critters. A mile out of Alpine we run into a heard of Elk. They are some big critters.

I didn't take a lot of pictures today but below are a few taken along US 191

After reaching Clifton, we headed west to Safford, AZ. After we arrived there we gassed up and decided to have lunch at a local Chinese Restaurant. Something important happened at lunch. For some reason, that we have not determined yet, Dick paid the bill for all of us. We don't know why he did this, and for those of you that know Dick, I am sure you are as shocked as I was.

While at lunch we decided to head to Camp Verde, AZ for the night. This will give Dick and Bill a jumping off location for the Grand Canyon tomorrow, while Chuck and I finding something else to do.

On the way we stopped at the Tonto National Landmark where the following two pictures were taken.

We arrived in Camp Verde around 5:00 o'clock local time. We checked into the local Super 8 Motel. Dinner was at a combination Dairy Queen / Mexican Restaurant. Yup, it was both. Never had seen this before. Dick and Bill had DQ while Chuck and I had Mexican.

Tomorrow Dick and Bill will do the Grand Canyon, and you will have to wait to see what Chcuk and I do.

SPRING FEVER 2011 - DAY 3

2011-04-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

MONDAY - APRIL 25, 2011

Our day started with breakfast at the Alamo Grill. Our waitress was kind enough to take a group picture.

Fred - Chuck - Bill - Dick

I decided to break from my normal eggs and ham, so insted I had some Mexican dish. It was shreded beef with eggs, rice and beans. I know it looks like crap, but it was really very good.

We headed west on Highway 70 to Los Crucses, NM where we turned north onto I-25. We took a short break at a Rest Stop and then continued north on I-25 to Hatch, NM where we exited. After gassing up we headed west on NM 26 to NM 27 where we turned north. This is where the ride begins.

NM 27 is a very scenic road, and one of my favorite roads to ride. Great scenery, twisty road, what more could you ask for.

VIEW ALONG NM 27

NM 25 ends at NM 152 in Hillsboro. We turned west on 152 and headed to Silver City. NM 152 is an even better road than 27. Mountain grades, curvey roads, and great scenery. After stopping a couple of times, we continued on to Silver City.

CHUCK IN ONE OF THE MANY CURVES ON NM 152

After lunch at some crappy restaurant with poor service, we headed out north on US 180. Another great scenic road. We only had about a hundred miles to go to our destination, so we were trying to kill some time. In Cliff, NM we, or at least I decided to take a break at a coffee shop. I guess you could call it a coffiee shop.

THE COFFEE SHOP

It was a one horse operation in a one horse town. I don't drink coffee, but the guys said it was good. I had some drink with carbonated water and some flavoring. Wasn't to bad.

We stopped for gas in Glenwood, NM where when paying for some drinks I was buying the owners dog stole my money. It was funny as hell. I was handing the moeny to the lady when the dog jumps up on the counter, grabbed my five dollars and took off. The lady never batted an eye, she just game me my change and told me she will get the money from him later.

THE THIEF (MAX)

We continued north on US 180, stopping one more time before arriving in Alpine, AZ. After checking into the motel, we just hung out and chatted about the day.

VIEW FROM US 180

We had dinner at one of the two local restaurants. I don't remember it's name. but I had the chopped steak and it was pretty good.

Tomorrow we head down Us 191 (Devils Highway) to location unknown.

SPRING FEVER 2011 - DAY 2

2011-04-25T04:53:00.002-05:00

SUNDAY- APRIL 24, 2011

The day started with breakfast at the IHOP. The omlett I had was so pathetic that I didn't even bother to take a picture. We headed out of Midland on TX 191 to Kermit where we took a short break before heading north on TX 18. This morning was sunny and fairly cool, with the tempatures in the upper 50's to lower 60's.

We drove north to Jal, NM where we took a left and headed to Carlsbad, NM. Beleive it or not I had to make a quick stop at a Walmart to pick up a computer mouse. I forgot mine at home, and I hate the touch pad on this little computer. I guess it wouldn't be a trip if you didn't stop at Wally World.

WIND GENERATORS ON HIGHWAY 191

WELCOME TO NEW MEXICO

SOME MORE OF NEW MEXICO

STILL IN NEW MEXICO, BUT THE SCENERY IS GETTING BETTER

The above picture was taken near the intersection of US Highway 82 and NM 24. We were on the way to Cloud Croft, and decided to take a bit of a detour on 24. There was a pull out near the intersection so we decided to take a break. The wind was really blowing today and we were taking a pretty good beating.

When we were getting back on the bikes when Chuck called out that someone had lost their teeth. I turned around and saw on the ground a set of dentures. We started laughing about it until Bill yelled out that he think they are his. Turns out they were, and that is when we really started laughing. It appears that Bill occasionally takes his upper partial dentures out because they bother him on occasion. He puts them in his coat pocket and they must have fell out of his jacket pocket when he was getting something else out of his pocket. Of course we stayed on him all day about this.

NM 24 turned out to be a great ride. Very scenic and it was worth the detour. We eventually made it to Cloud Croft and then down into Alamogordo, NM. It was time for a late lunch so we went to the Alamo Grill, a place where I have eaten before. It was a great lunch, and while there, we decided since it was still a bit early to take a ride out to White Sands National Monument to take a look at the blowing sand.

I have driven by White Sands many of times, but have never stopped to take a look. It turns out this is the last day where you can get into the National Parks for free. The road back into the park is 8 miles long, but only the first 4 is paved. We went to where the pavement stopped and you could see how the wind had the sand blowing. It was pretty neat riding through the white dunes.

After checking out the dunes we headed back into Alamogordo to check into our motel. We stayed at a place where I have stayed before, properly named the White Sands Motel. A small place with clean rooms and decent room prices.

Tomorrow we head to Alpine, AZ via some of the best motorcycling roads in the US.

SPRING FEVER 2011 - DAY 1

2011-04-23T17:54:00.002-05:00

SATURDAY - APRIL 23, 2011

The Spring Fever 2011 trip is on. The cast incudes Dick, Bill, Chuck and myself. The day started with me meeting Bill at our local Chevron Station at 6 AM. A friend of ours, Dan decided to ride with us to breakfast before turning around and heading home. Our plan today was pretty simple. We plan to meet Chuck and Dick in Bastrop, Texas, have breakfast and then head north, northwest to Midland where we plan to call it a day.

We did meet up with the other two at the Texas Grill in Bastrop. Guess what I had for breakfast.

Thats right, Ham and EGGS.

The route was simple. We plan on taking Highway 71 north through Austin, to Brady where we will pick up Highway 87 towards Big Spring. Before Big Spring we will turn west on FM 158 and head into Midland.

The scenery is nothing to scream about. It is typical West Texas scrub land. We took a couple of breaks and had lunch in San Angelo. It will be a couple of days before we get to the scenic stuff.

FIRST REST STOP SOMEWHERE ON HIGHWAY 71 NORTH OF AUSTIN

AFTERNOON REST STOP ON FM 158 NEAR GARDEN CITY

This is the dump we are staying in tongiht. The name of the place is the West Texas Inn. Should be called the Midland Dump.

Tomorrow we plan to make it to Alamogordo, NM.

SPRING FEVER - OF COURSE WERE HEADING WEST

2011-04-12T16:13:00.003-05:00

APRIL 12, 2011 - TUESDAY

Once again we are heading west. A couple of us decided to take a spring trip and the decision was made to head to Arizona. Not sure what we are going to do there, but I am sure a lot of good riding will be involved.

We are heading out Saturday, April 23, 2011. Not sure how many of us there will be, but it looks like there will be at least 4 of us. We plan to spend about 9 days playing around, but what the hell, I'm retired, so I may take a couple of extra days.

Taking the Concours this time, but right now it looks like this;

I think I may need to do a little work before I leave.

BBFO 2011 - Day 5

2011-04-02T13:06:00.001-05:00

Monday: January 30, 2011

What a day of events. I wished I had bought some lotto tickets.

The day started out pretty normal. We had breakfast at the truck stop and then headed east towards home. The weather was perfect, but the forecast for tomorrow was bleak. Every thing was going well until just pasted Comstock, John called out that he had a problem with his trike. At first, I did not hear him say anything on the radio, so Doug had to chase us down. We turned around and found John on the side of the road. He said he lost power, and we quickly figured it was something to do with the rear drive. The bottom line was that the trike was not going anywhere under it's own power.

A plan was hatched that Doug will leave not and head for home to get a truck and trailer ready to bring back to pick up John. I would stay with John until the wrecker arrived, and then I would head for home and come back tomorrow with Doug. John would have the wrecker take him to a motel where he would wait for Doug and I to return. Bill and Dick would just head for home since there was nothing they could do, so there was no need for them to just hang around.

Every thing was was going as planned until we got John's trike on the wrecker and I pulled out to head for home. One hundred yards down the road I lost my rear drive. Turns out I had exactly the same problem as John. Now instead of having one trike down we have two. A new plan was devised. The wrecker would take John to a motel and drop off his trike, and then return to pick mine up. Several phone calls were made, and a bigger truck and trailer were found, so now we had a way to get the trikes back home. John and I eventually ended up in a Motel 6, where we just kicked back to wait on our rescuers.

John and I did grab some lunch at the Whataburger next door to the motel, and then we walked down to a little store to get some snacks and beer. The rest of the day we just hung out in the room watching TV and playing on our computers. Later neither of us felt like going out to eat so we ordered pizza. That evening Doug had called us and stated that he and a friend, Chris, decided to head out to get us that night. They figured they would arrive around midnight. I went and got them a room, and around 9:00 PM John and I called it a night. This is where the fun started.

At around 10:00 PM I woke up feeling a bit nauseous. I figured it was my indigestion acting up because of the burger and pizza. A short time later I knew it was something more since I was praying to Ralf, the name I designated for our toilet. This continued on all night long. It became apparently fairly quickly that I had food poisoning. John was not sick, and since we have eaten the same thing, I couldn't figure out what had made me sick. It really didn't make any difference because I felt like crap. I felt bad for keeping John up all night by running to the restroom every 15 minutes, but there was little else I could do.

Doug and Chris did arrive around midnight, so we gave them their room key, and we decided to head out early in the morning. Around 5:00 AM, I started to feel a little bit better, but what that actually means is I wasn't throwing up every 15 minutes. I was not looking forward to the 7 hours ride home. This is when it really starts to get fun. About the time I was feeling a bit better, my hands start to itch. It quickly spread to my arms legs and back. I turned on a light, and now I was covered in hives. I have never had hives in my life, and now I am covered with them. Doug and Chris showed up a short time later and they ran to Walmart and got me some bendryl. I took a dose of that and it appeared to work. Of course the side effect is I could hardly keep my eyes open.

The rest of the trip is short and easy. The bikes got loaded with little help from me, well I guess I should say with no help from me. The guys decided to get some breakfast before heading out. I decided it wasn't in anyone's best interest that I should eat anything, so I just stayed in the truck and slept. I ended up sleeping halfway to Houston. I made arrangements with Liz to meet me at a local service station where the guys will drop me off, and they would continue on taking the trikes to the dealer for repairs.

I made it home just in time. For the next couple of days I felt like crap, but slowly but surely I started feeling better. It turns out Bill got sick also, and between us we were able to figure out it was the roast gravy we ate at the University on Saturday that made us sick. It was the only thing the two of us ate that no one else did.

The trip was great. All the crap, and I mean crap started on the last day, so the trip in itself was a success. Looking forward to next year.

Next trip it to AZ in April.

BBFO 2011 - Day 4

2011-03-12T07:00:00.002-06:00

Sunday: January 29, 2011

Sorry no pictures for the last two days

I guess I need to finish up Blogging this trip.

Sunday stated out bright and early with a short ride to Alice's Restaurant in Marfa. We have eaten here several times before, and as always it is an experience to be served by Alice herself. Alice's Restaurant is a family style restaurant where the meals are served in typical West Texas fashion. This means you get your meal one at a time, and by the time the last person gets their order, the first person is usually done. Sometimes the orders are exactly what you ordered, and sometimes they are not. The food is always good, and you just can't beat the atmosphere. Brian hadn't been feeling well, so after breakfast he decided to head for home.

After breakfast we decided to do the Davis Mountain Loop. It was a scenic ride and the weather could not have been more perfect. Some thought it might have been a bit on the cool side, but as far as I am concerned it was a perfect day for riding.

When we arrived in Fort Davis, Chuck broke off from us and headed for home. The rest of us headed to Alpine to visit the Big Bend Museum at Sul Ross University. Turns out the museum would not open until 2:00 PM, but we found out from a local the cafeteria was serving and all you can eat brunch, and she claimed it was excellent food. Later I will disagree with here, but I'm starting to jump ahead.

After lunch we just took our time heading back to Sanderson, enjoying the weather and scenery. Just east of Marathon, we stopped at a picnic area and pulled out the chairs and just chilled out a while. John had been hearing some strange knocking noise coming from his trike, so he and Doug tried to figure out where it was coming from and what it was. They were unable to find the source of the knock, so John figured he would check it out more when we get back home.

We arrived in Sanderson early, and spent the rest of the day just chilling out and enjoying the weather. We grabbed something to eat at the truck stop across the street and I think most of us had Hot Dogs. We did make a decision to drive all the way home tomorrow because some crappy weather was heading our way. Since tomorrow was going to be a long day, we all turned in fairly early. John, Doug and I just didn't know how long of a day tomorrow was actually going to be.

BBFO 2011 - Day 3

2011-02-25T04:52:00.001-06:00

Saturday: January 28, 2011

You could not ask for a better day of riding. The day started out cold, but the sun came out and it warmed up a bit. Mind you, we still needed to wear our winter riding coats, but as far as I am concerned the weather was perfect.

We ate breakfast at the Truck Stop and was on the road heading towards Alpine around 7:30 AM or so. When we arrived in Marathon we decided to check out a park that we were told out the night before.

The park is the Brewster County Park, and it is located about 7 miles south of Marathon. The road is paved, but a bit rough, but we all made it OK. When we arrived at the park I was a bit surprised. This is really a nice place, and it appears it may be the local hangout in the summer time.

Running through the park is a spring that has been dammed up. There are facilities to use the restroom and steps to enter the spring for swimming. It was a bit cold for us to try out the water, but it was a real nice place to stop and take a break. After a few minutes we headed out making out way towards Alpine. The ride to Alpine was uneventful and we only stopped for a quick restroom break, and for a couple to top off their tanks. We then headed south on 118 towards Terlingua.

It is about 90 miles from Alpine to Terlingua. Highway 118 is very scenic and combined with the perfect weather it just made for a fine day of riding. We arrived in Terlingua and took a short break where we decided to have lunch in Presidio. First we had to ride the famous River Road to get there. The River Road also known as FM 170 is about as good as it gets for motorcycling. We made the best of it and arrived in Presidio for a late lunch.

Saturday: January 29, 2011

We decided to eat lunch at a restaurant we used to eat at in the past. It has been closed down for a couple of years, but has opened again under a new name, so what the hell, we gave it a shot. We didn't realize until we sat down and saw the menu that the restaurant is a Mexican Seafood Restaurant. That may not be bad for the other guys, but those that know me know I do not eat seafood. The did have beef and chicken fajitas so we decided to give them a try. I was the only one that doesn't eat fish, but all the other guys except for Doug ordered the fajitas. Go figure?

I was not impressed with the fajitas, but they were eatable, but next year I think I will go some place else. After lunch we decided it was to late to go to the end of 170 so we decided to head north to Marfa where we will be staying the night. It is about 60 mile of a very scenic road. Our plan for this night was to visit the Marfa Mystery Lights, so we figured getting to the motel a bit early will give us time to take and break before riding out the see the lights.

You can only see the Marfa Lights at night, so we stayed until dark, and then headed into Marfa to eat first. We had dinner at the local Dairy Q,een and like all Dairy Queen's it was about what we expected. After dinner we headed out to the light. We all went except for Dick and Bill. Bill was just to lazy, and Dick had already seen them before.

When we arrived at the viewing area, we were lucky and was able to spot four or five lights. Every time I see them it fascinates me, and since no one knows what their origin or is makes it a bit more impressive. I stayed a few minutes, but then I decided to return back to the motel. Chuck and I headed back, while Doug, John and Brian hung out a bit longer.

Once back at the motel we all called it a night and headed off to bed. Tomorrow we plan to do the Davis Mountain Loop and slowly make out way back to Sanderson.

BBFO 2011 - DAY 2

2011-02-10T09:30:00.001-06:00

Friday: January 28, 2011

Our day started before sunrise at the restaurant located across the street from the motel. I can not ever remember the name of this restaurant, but we eat there every time we stay in Camp Wood. Matter of fact, the waitress remembers us every time we come in.

We had a leisurely breakfast, which of course is served West Texas style, which is one plate at a time. Which means the first person who got their order, is finished by the time the last person receives theirs.

It was a cold morning, so we all had the electrics hooked up. All the bikes started, so that was a good thing. Our destination was simple. We planed on riding to Sanderson via Rocksprings and Juno. This is a back route that to this day has no service stations, and very few homes.

I think we were on the road by 8:00 AM, and it looked like it was going to be a great day. The sun was out, but as usual for this time of year it was cold. We headed north on Highway 55 towards Rocksprings. After passing through Rocksprings we continued on Highway 55 to US Highway 277. At the intersection there is a Picnic Rest Stop, so we decided to take a break.

After our break we headed north on US 277 for a short distance and then turned west on Ranch Road 189. This road dead ends into FM 163 which is part of the old stage road from Del Rio to El Paso. The area is also known locally as the Devils Road because of all the robberies that occurred on it in the old west days.

We made another stop at the old closed down store of Juno. We found there were some left over customers.

After visiting our future lunch, we continued south on FM 189 to Comstock. When we arrived in Comstock, it was lunch time, and as luck was with us there was a restaurant open. It is a crap shoot each year as whether a restaurant will be open.

Lunch was pretty good. I had the Hamburger Seat, and I'm not sure what every one else had. After lunch we headed west on US Highway 90 towards Langtry. We first made a stop at the Pecos River Bridge.

After a short visit at the bridge we continued on to Langtry, where we took a lengthy break while Bill and Brian checked out Judge Roy Bean's place. While we were there Doug was able to catch up with us, so now we are one big happy group.

After saying goodbye to the Judge, we made the short ride to Sanderson where we checked into our motel. After a couple of drinks, we walked across the street to the truck stop and had dinner. It wasn't bad, they had pork chops.

After dinner, we shot the bull for a while then eventually called it a night. Tomorrow we head for Marfa via the River Road.

BBFO 2011 - DAY 1

2011-02-10T07:12:00.001-06:00

Thursday: January 27, 2011

As usual for us the day started early. I was to meet John and Bill at our normal meeting location, which is the Chevron Station located just south of Richmond, TX on Highway 59. I arrived a little before our designated meeting time of 6:30 AM to find John and Bill were already there. After greetings we headed out taking US Highway 90-A towards San Antonio.

Our plan was to grab some breakfast down the road, and the lucky location turned out to be Doc's Restaurant in Eagle Lake, TX. Nothing special about the breakfast, decent but a bit on the high price side. After breakfast we continued west on 90-A. The first part of this ride was going to be a bit boring, since I have traveled these roads numerous times.

In Gonzales we turned north and started heading towards Luling. Our plan was to go north a bit and then by pass San Antonio on the north side. The day was perfect. We had sunny skies with cool temperatures, which I consider perfect riding weather.

Lunch time found us in Boerne, TX where we were taking a short break. We decided to head to Bandera, TX to have lunch. John and I were looking to eat at the same place we stopped at last year during BBFO 2010, but after arriving in town, we found that restaurant was no more. That is not unusual for this area. Never count on restaurants being in business from year to year. The open and close on a regular basis.

We did find a Bar/Grill to have lunch. The had an extensive menu. We had trouble trying to decide what to order. Lets see here, do I want the Chicken Wings or the burger? I think I will have the burger. Turned out we all ordered the burger, and they turned out pretty good. While there Bill found something that caught his interest.

After lunch we headed towards Camp Wood by way of Medina and Leaky. In Leaky we stopped for gas and then decided to stop at the well know Frio Canyon Motorcycle Stop. This is a business that started up a few years ago, and it main customer base is motorcyclist. They have food, drinks, and a small accessory store. It is a popular hangout with motorcyclist that visit the area.

While we were there, Chuck and Dick showed up. The three of us have now turned to five. We visited a while then we decided to head to the motel in Camp Wood. Camp Wood is a short drive and we arrived in no time.

Bill and John

After checking into the motel, we hung out and visited a while. Around 6:00 PM we headed down to the Three Sisters Restaurant to eat. After a so so meal we headed back to the motel where we visited again for a while and then called it a night.

Tomorrow we head to Sanderson, Texas via the back roads.

BBFO 2011 - UPDATE

2011-02-03T06:01:00.000-06:00

Sorry that I didn't get to blog during the trip. The internet connections at the motels we stayed at were crap. I also had a bout with food poisoning, so once I get to feeling better, I'll write up something about the trip.

BBFO 2011

2011-01-19T05:51:00.001-06:00

TAKEN SOME TIME DURING THE EARLY 1990'S. MY BIKE IS THE GOLD YAMAHA VENTURE

It is that time of year again, we are getting ready for the Big Bend Freeze Out 2011. Many years ago I was looking for a place to ride in the winter time. Even though we pretty much have year around riding here in TeXas, we are still limited to where we can go in January.

Some time in the late 1980's I decided to take a trip to Big Bend National Park, located in the southwest part of TeXas. Though I don't remember the exact year, I do remember the ride. I like to froze my arse off. I started learning some valuable lessons that year, Walmart jackets do not make good winter riding jackets, and $20.00 winter gloves won't cut it in below 30 degree temperatures.

I survived the trip, and it was the start of many more. I have not missed a January trip to Big Bend since. Over the years others decided to join in the fun, and I have seen a number of times riders have turned around and went home because of the cold.

Now in the second decade of the 21st Century, riding out there in January is no big deal. Heated clothing, and riding gear specific for cold weather riding has been improved to the point that you can stay as warm on the bike as you would in a car.

This year we are leaving on Thursday, January 27, 2011 and will return on Tuesday. It is a short trip, and if it is like the trips in years past it ought to be a blast. This year there will be ten of us. I plan to try and blog during the trip, but sometimes the internet connections out there are something to be desired, so if I can not blog nightly, I will catch up when I return home.

HEADING EAST - THE RIGHT WAY - ON BIKES

2010-10-23T06:18:00.000-05:00

Tuesday - October 19, 2010 - Day 19

Today was the first day where we figured we would get wet. When we woke up, we all kept looking out the window expecting the rain. The Weather Channel, showed rain all around us, but at least we were dry for the moment. We had breakfast at the motel restaurant, and at day break we headed out.

We took a direct route and our plan for today was just to make it across the Texas State Line and stay as dry as possible. The day started well, except for all the fog we encountered on Arkansas Highway 7. When we reached just before we reached Russellville, it appeared we may have beat the rain, then all of a sudden over the CB came Dan's voice, "I see blue sky ahead". Crap, now were jinxed.

We stopped in Russellville and filled up the bikes. As we headed south towards Mena it became apparent we were not going to beat the rain. Wet we did get. It wasn't all that bad, but I hate riding on wet roads.

We stopped for lunch in Mena at a Chinese Restaurant. The food was good and it did the job of filling out belly's. Mind you we have big belly's.

We did make it to New Boston, TX where we called it a day. Once we crossed into Texas it was sunny and hot. We had dinner at the diner located next door to the motel.

Sorry not pictures today, I had the camera put away due to the chance of rain.

Tomorrow we should make it home

Wednesday - October 20, 2010 - Day 20

This is what we woke up to this morning. Heavy fog, at least for the short term.

We decided to have breakfast at the same diner we had supper at last night, and a fantastic breakfast it was.

Our plan for the day was simple, get home. Dick separated from us because he needed to go by Troupe, Texas to pick up a part for his bike, the rest of us headed south.

We again experienced for for a couple of hours, but by the time we made it to US Highway 59 it had mostly cleared off. From there it was a straight shot into Houston. We stopped in Marshall for a break, and then in Livingston for gas, but other than that we just rode. We made it home around 1:00 PM.

It was a great trip with good friends. Dick and I did just over 4000 miles, and Doug and Dan did over 5000 miles. October has become an annual ride for Doug and myself, and we did talk about maybe alternating between east and west every other year. Well, I guess we will see what our mood is next year.

It's going to slow down for the next couple months with Liz going on a two week cruise to Hawaii, and the holidays. The next multi day planned ride it for the end of January where we once again will do the BBFO ( Big Bend Freeze Out).

Until then, thanks for reading.

HEADING EAST - THE RIGHT WAY - ON BIKES

2010-10-19T19:41:00.000-05:00

Monday - October 18, 2010 - Day 18

WOW, what a difference a day can make. The day started before sunrise. After the bikes were loaded we headed across the freeway to the local gas station / MickyD's. After filling up the bikes, we then proceeded to fill ourselves up with the finest that MickyD's has to offer.

With both bikes and bodies fueled, we headed into the unknown. When I say unknown, I really mean unknown. Today we are being led by Dick, who spent two hours last night inputting his selected route into his GPS. In over 20 years of riding with Dick, I do not recall him ever leading an entire day's ride. This ought to be fun.

I can say the first 10 miles in Missouri was better than the entire day of riding in Illinois. Dick did select some excellent roads. They had all a motorcyclist dream about. The roads were scenic, curvy, and for the most part in good condition.

Dick was setting a brisk pace, but that is OK, I was bringing up the rear taking a bunch of pictures. Nothing really exciting happened except that it was a great ride. Dick did an excellent job of selecting a route.

The fearless crew. From the left, me, Doug, Dick and Dan.

We did stop for lunch at a roadside cafe in Grove, MO. It is the standard country cafe with no frills. These es are quickly becoming a thing of the past. The had a special for the day. Chili Dog, French Fries, coleslaw, choice of drink, and either Sweet Potato Pie, or Apple Cobbler for desert. It came at the high price of $5.59. We all elected to go with the special, except Doug and I choose to have an extra dog. Big mistake, these Chili Dogs were hugh. It was an excellent mean for the price. Matter of fact it would have been an excellent meal at a higher price.

The only thing funny that happened is when we arrived in Mountain Home, AR. We planned to spend the night here, and as always trying to find a motel turns into an event. The first thing that happened was while we were in the middle of town in two different lanes, Dan decided that he needed to pull off into a gas station. He pulls off and states on the CB “I'll see y'all at the motel”. The problem was we have not selected a motel, so how is he going to see us there when we don't even know where we are going to be.

By now we were in three moving lanes of traffic and I see Doug cut across two lanes and turn right. Dick was right behind Doug. Now I had a problem, I was in a must turn left lane, and there was far to much traffic for me to get over. In a matter of seconds we were all going in three different directions, and we still have not selected a motel.

It all worked out, we fond a motel, and the rate was surprisingly low. We decided to eat at the motel's restaurant, and as far as I am concerned, it was a bad choice.

The weather forecast for tomorrow is grim. It looks like rain for the entire day. Were heading south and plan to be back in Texas tomorrow, but were not sure what route we are going to take.

HEADING EAST - THE RIGHT WAY - ON BIKES

2010-10-18T05:49:00.000-05:00

Sunday - October 17, 2010 - Day17

I learned something today. You ask, what did I learn? Well, since you asked, I will tell you. Motorcycle riding in southern Illinois sucks. I didn't have great hopes for the ride through Illinois, and I'm glad I didn't. The scenery was endless farm land with bad roads.

There is not much to write about today, but as usual I will start with breakfast.

Doug and Dan met us at at the Bob Evans Restaurant located just down the street for our motel. This is a chain restaurant that is located mostly in the north. Breakfast was good and the service was excellent.

I had the ham and eggs.

Doug had some kind of biscuit bowl

Dick had two eggs and two biscuits and Dan had the same thing as I did.

Dick and I already knew that western Indiana did not have a lot to offer as far as riding goes, so we elected to jump on Interstate 70 for about 50 miles to get to Illinois State Highway 1. When we arrived at Hy 1 we turned south, to what was the beginning of a very boring day. Below are a couple of pictures I took. I took some more but they all look the same.

We stopped for lunch in a small cafe in Du Quois (I know I spelled it wrong) IL. I of course had the hamburger steak.

After lunch we headed to Chester, IL. We planned to get a motel in Chester, but that didn't work out. Main reason was we couldn't find one. We then decided to go across the river to Perryville, MO where we found a American Best Value Inn. We stayed in for dinner and ordered pizza.

Tomorrow we plan to ride the roads of southern Missouri.

HEADING EAST - THE RIGHT WAY - ON BIKES

2010-10-16T18:32:00.000-05:00

SATURDAY: OCTOBER 16, 2010 - DAY 16

We were all up before daylight, and after stepping outside we quickly determined it was a bit chilly. We decided to eat breakfast at the Dairy Queen located next door to the motel. I elected to have ham and eggs, and surprisingly it was pretty good.

Now to compare breakfast's, this is what Dick ordered. I have no idea what he did to it, but it started as biscuits and gravy.

Today was planned to be a fairly short ride because Doug has to be in Indianapolis by noon for a wedding he has to attend. Dan planed to stay with Doug, while Dick and I took a more roundabout way. Our plan was to stay in a motel near Indianapolis and meet up with Doug and Dan in the morning.

The ride today was not as scenic as the last couple of days. Indiana has surprised me with their scenic roads. I thought this state would be a bit on the lame side as far as riding is, but we all have been pleasantly surprised. Here are a few pictures from today's ride.

We made our way over to the east side of Indianapolis and decided to stop in Harmony, IN for lunch. I had a roast beef with cheese and side salad. It might have been pretty good if they wouldn't have dumped all that cheese on it.

After lunch we made out way to Avon, IN which is located just outside of Indianapolis. We decided to have dinner at a Mexican restaurant located across the street from our motel.

Tomorrow we meet back up with Doug and Dan in the morning and we will the start the slow way back to Houston.

HEADING EAST - THE RIGHT WAY - ON BIKES

2010-10-15T18:42:00.000-05:00

FRIDAY; 10-15-10 - DAY 15

Sorry, no breakfast picture today. We ate at the Denny's next door to the motel and I forgot my camera. I did have eggs, bacon, hash browns and sour dough toast.

After breakfast we headed to the General George Patton Museum. We arrived just at opening time, and were the first ones inside.

The museum turned out to be a big let down. All they had was one small room with some of Patton's stuff. The rest of the museum was closed because they are in the process of moving the CAV exhibits to Fort Benning.

After leaving the museum, we drove a short distance down the road to take a look at the US Gold Depository. Your not suppose to stop, but we did and took a picture or two.

We expected to spend half a day at the museum, but it turned out we were all done by 9:30 AM. The question was what do we do now?

It was sort of left up to me to decide, so I headed to Indiana. We crossed the Ohio River at Brandenburg, KY. As soon as we crossed the river, I turned off onto some no named road. What a great ride this turned out to be. The road kept getting narrower and narrower, but it remained paved. The scenery we excellent.

We eventually ended up heading west on Highway 62. In Leavenworth, IN. We found this country store, and were only planning to stop and get a drink, but they had fired bologna sandwiches. Needless to say we had to have one.

After our break we continued heading west, and then south, and then north, we just sort of turned when we felt like it. One surprise was on some county road near Huffman, IN, we found an old covered bridge. It is not used anymore, but it was built in 1863.

We eventually ended up in French Lick, IN, in some local motel. Pizza was for supper. We had a great ride today. The weather, scenery, and roads were perfect.

Not sure about tomorrow, we will see what happens.

HEADING EAST - THE RIGHT WAY - ON BIKES

2010-10-14T19:50:00.000-05:00

Thursday - October 14, 2010 - Day 14

Dick and I left my mom's house around 8:00 AM this morning. The plan was to meet back up with Doug and Dan at the Jim Bean Distillery in Clermount, KY. Doug and Dan spent the night in Moorehead, Ky last night, so it should be a short drive for both of us.

We stopped for breakfast at Mikes Pit BBQ in Guthrie, KY. I changed us this morning and decided to have scramble eggs, bacon, and grilled potatoes with onions.

The picture of it may look good, but I think the eggs were those carton scramble type. The bacon was good, but the eggs and potatoes were so so.

After breakfast, we headed north on US Highway 79. Clermont, KY is located just south of Louisville, KY. We only had about a 200 mile drive ahead of of.

Some pictures of the drive to Clermont, KY. The colors are really starting to show.

We took the tour at the Jim Bean Distillery. I felt it was a bit lame, but I did learn a few things about the process of making Bourbon.

The mandatory picture of our tour guide.

One of a number of warehouses where they store the barrels. Jim Bean ages their bourbon at least 4 years. This warehouse can hold up to 20 thousand barrels. Some of the other warehouses can hold up to 50 thousand barrels.

Tomorrow we are heading to Fort Knox to visit the George Patton museum, and hopefully drive by the bullion depository. After that I'm not sure what we are going to do.

HEADING EAST - THE RIGHT WAY - ON BIKES

2010-10-13T11:50:00.000-05:00

Wednesday; October 13, 2010 - Day 13

Just a quick up date.

Since Saturday, Dick and I have been in Clarksville. My mother had surgery on Tuesday, and all went well. We will be hitting the road again on Thursday morning.

HEADING EAST - THE RIGHT WAY - ON BIKES

2010-10-10T06:35:00.004-05:00

Friday, October 8, 2010 - Day 8

Sorry it took so long to update the blog, but I have been a bit busy with family business the last couple of days.

Friday started with another breakfast at the Wagon Wheel Restaurant. I was in the mood for a change this morning, so I ordered the hamburger steak and eggs instead of ham and eggs. Breakfast was great.

After breakfast the group split up again with Dan and Doug headed to the Blue Ridge Parkway, while Dick and I headed back to Clarksville. Dick and I decided to take the long way back by heading up into Kentucky before heading west. We started off north on 25E and was greeted with some pretty significant fog. We did pull over at a scenic overlook and was greeted with some great views.

When we got into Kentucky, the fog finally lifted and we were riding some great twisty roads. I snapped a few shots while going down the road. The colors are really starting to show now.

Around lunch time we fond this restaurant in Gamaliel, KY. Little restaurant in the middle of nowhere, but we were in for a couple of surprises.

I decided to get the rib plate, and to my surprise these were some of the best ribs I have ever eaten. I was even thinking of ordering a second plate.

While at the restaurant, Dick and I met Luther Boone, who makes the Kermit Chairs. Now for those of you who are reading this blog who are not motorcyclist probably do not know what a Kermit Chair it.

The Kermit Chair is a handmade portable chair, that breaks down into a small package. They are strong and expensive. I have been thinking about getting one of these chairs, but was reluctant because I have never sat in one. Since I am a pretty big guy, I wanted to make sure the chair could handle my weight.

After talking to Luther a couple of minutes, he invited us to his house, where his shop is located to check out the chair. After lunch Dick and I drove over there, and I was able to check out the chair. It is great, and I plan on ordering one when I get home. Luther does not do direct sales. He does not own the rights to the chair, he is only under contract to construct them.

After visiting with Luther and checking out his shop and the chair, we headed out for the last 100 miles to Clarksville. We arrived at moms around 5:00 PM.

This will be my last blog entry for a few days. Dick needs to do some trailer repairs, and we have decided to hang around Clarksville until after mom's surgery. The next entry will probable be Wednesday night.

HEADING EAST - THE RIGHT WAY - ON BIKES

2010-10-07T18:30:00.002-05:00

Thursday - October 7, 2010 - Day7

This day started like yesterday, except we decided to go to a different restaurant to eat breakfast. Doug found a place named the Wagon Wheel, which is located in Danbridge.

We arrived at the restaurant around 7:00, and of course, I had to have eggs and country ham.

We left the restaurant around 8, and headed for Highway 209. This is the sign that greeted us.

I snapped a couple of picture as we were riding, though it was tough since most of the road was very curvy.

I saw this old barn, and thought it would make for a great picture.

Sometimes trying to figure out where to go can get a bit confusing.

Some more pictures while we were riding 209.

We eventually made it to Ashville, and then onto Maggie Valley, where we visited the Wheels Over Time motorcycle museum. We stayed there for a couple of hours, and then decided to head back to the motel via Interstate 40.

On the way back we decided to eat lunch in Newport. Well, while turning into the parking lot of the restaurant Dick had a little mishap. It appears he didn't see a car, and they decided to get to know each other. After a conversation with Newport finest, all information was exchanged and we were able to have lunch.

The lady actually hit Dick's ugly trailer, which I guess made it more ugly, but really there was so little damage, and the trailer is so ugly, we really couldn't tell where she hit it. She received some minor damage to here front bumper.

After lunch we headed back to the motel where we called it a night. We had pizza delivered for dinner.

Tomorrow the group splits up again. Dick and I will head back to Clarksville via Kentucky, while Doug and Dan head toward Virginia.

HEADING EAST - THE RIGHT WAY - ON BIKES

2010-10-06T19:07:00.003-05:00

Wednesday - October 6, 2010 - Day 6

Every morning should start with a breakfast like this.

We all agreed last night to be up and rolling by 7:00 AM to go across the freeway to eat breakfast at the Perkins restaurant. Well, at 6:30 AM we were pulling out to go have breakfast. After breakfast, we headed south towards the Foothills Parkway.

It was fairly cool with temperatures in the high 30's. There was very little traffic on the Parkway, and the scenery was excellent.

The Parkway ends at US Highway 129, which happens to be the highway that leads to Deals Gap. Deals Gap or the Dragon as some call it is considered to be one of the top 10 motorcycling roads in the United States. I don't agree with that, but it is a fun road to ride, epically today.

A sign all motorcyclist love to see.

We had a bit of a mishap today. Well at least Dick did. I guess Dick got going a bit to fast which resulted in his trailer flipping over. As I pulled up I couldn't stop laughing. You have to understand, only Dick would have a $35,000 machine and pull the cheapest most ugliest trailer that can be found.

A couple of days ago I made the comment that Dick could not make his trailer more uglier. I was wrong, all he had to do was flip it on it's side and drive down the road a ways.

It all worked out, Dick and Dan got the trailer turned over, and it was still able to roll, though a bit uglier.

After Deals Gap we headed to the Cherohala Skyway in North Carolina. This is another excellent road for motorcyclist. Below are a few pictures I snapped.

We stopped for lunch at some burger shack in Tellico Plains. The burgers were OK, but the best part was it was right next to the river.

We arrived back at the motel around 5:00 PM. It was a long day of perfect weather, temperatures, and scenery.

Not sure what we are doing tomorrow. We discussed going to a motorcycle museum in Ashville. I guess we will figure it out tomorrow.

HEADING EAST - THE RIGHT WAY - ON BIKES

2010-10-05T19:45:00.001-05:00

Sunday - October 5, 2010 - Day 5

There had been a change of plans since the last time I posted. I went with my mother to her doctor's appointment, and it did not quite go as we expected. The bad news is mom has to have another surgery on October 12th, so that changes some of our plans for the trip.

I have to be back in Clarksville for the surgery on the 12th, so that makes it impossible for me to get up to Gettysburg and back in time.Dick, Doug, Dan and myself discussed the situation, and it was decided that Doug and Dan would continue north, while Dick decided to hang out with me.

We still continued with the plan to meet back up with Doug and Dan tonight and ride the Smokey Mountains for a couple of days, but on Friday Dick and myself will return to Clarksville, while Doug and Dan continue heading north. We all plan to meet back up in a week or so.

Now for today's ride. Dick and I left my mom's house around 7:30 AM. Our plan was to ride through northern Tennessee, and meet up with Doug and Dan in Danridge, which is just east of Knoxville.

We started out heading east on Highway 76. This is the same highway I hit the deer in 2002, which resulted in me getting pretty busted up. It was a bit spooky driving past the crash point, but we didn't see any of the deer's kin looking for me.

We stopped for breakfast at the Shoney's in Springfield. After breakfast we continued heading east on 76.

Some colors are really starting to show.

We eventually turned on Highway 52 and happen to go by the Dale Hollow Dam, so we stopped to have a look.

The view from the top of the Dam.

The road leaving the Dam.

Just a picture of one of the road we were on.

We stopped and took a break at this road side pull out.

We arrived in Danridge around 4:30 PM eastern time. The day really sucked, Dick was mad because he could not find a straight road.

Tomorrow we head for Deals Gap, and a few other roads.

HEADING EAST - THE RIGHT WAY - ON BIKES

2010-10-03T16:52:00.000-05:00

Sunday - October 3, 2010 - Day 3

Day 3 started with us waking up around 6:30 AM. We decided on a late start since is would be a low mileage day. We decided last night to have breakfast at the Shoney's located just down the street. They have a buffet breakfast that was pretty good.

Just a shot of Doug walking toward the bikes in the Shoney's parking lot.

The group split up, with Dan and Doug heading east to Lynchburg, and Dick and I heading west back to the Trace. After a quick gas stop, Dick and I got back on the Natchez Trace and headed north. After a few miles we noticed a pull out with some more examples of the old trial.

One of the three alternate trails.

When we pulled in, I noticed a pickup truck was parked. Inside the truck was a male and female and I am not sure what they were doing, but after meeting the guy a few minutes later he told us he only live about 5 miles away. I think there may have been some hanky panky goning on and we may have interrupted. I did ask the guy to take a picture of Dick and me, which he did. After he handed my camera back, I got to thinking about where his hands may have been. OOPs

Dick and yours truly

After our break we headed down the road for a ways until we saw the Historic Meriwether Lewis Grave Site. We pulled off to check it out. I was surprised to find out he was only 35 years old when he died. The man did a lot in the few years he was alive.

The monument over his grave.

A view of the Tennessee country side

Our bikes

To get to my moms house, I decided to take the feery that croses the Cumberland River at Cumberland City, TN. The ferry cost $1.00 for vehicles with non Tennessee plates.

We arrived at my moms at around 1:00 PM. What a lousy day, sunny skies, cool temperatures, great scenery. It really sucks to be me.

I will not be doing a blog tomorrow. On Monday I will go with my mother to a doctor's appointment. We will be back on the road on Tuesday, so I will try to update the blog then, assuming I will have an internet connection

HEADING EAST - THE RIGHT WAY - ON BIKES

2010-10-02T19:48:00.002-05:00

Saturday - October 2, 2010 - Day 2

Things you see driving down the road.

Our day started at 5:00 AM. After showering, ALONE, we decided to eat the Continetal Breakfast at the motel. It was the usual crappy cold eggs, waffles, and biscuits and gravy that all Days Inns serve. After breakfast we loaded the bikes and hit the road.

The motel was only about two miles from the start of the Trace, so after a quick gas stop were were heading north on the Natchez Trace.

For those that don't know, the Natchez Trace is the trail/road that the barge folks took back home after they floated their barges down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. I guess they couldn't paddle them back up, so they walked back.

We stopped at a place where you can still see the old trail. Took a picture of the guys while we were there. That is Dick on the left, Doug in the center, and in disguise is Dan.

There is nothing remarkable about the Parkway. The speed limit is 50 miles per hour and is strictly enforced. I like this road, it is about 450 mile long with no stop signs, traffic lights, or businesses. Except around Jackson the traffic is very light. You have to be in the right frame of mind to ride this road without going crazy. I just set my cruise, turn on the music and enjoyed the ride.

Lunch was near Mathiston, MS at the Line Creek Pullout. We had just gassed up and they had a Subway there, so we each grabbed a sandwich and looked and found this spot to eat them.

More of the trace. We were able to see some color in the leaves, but they still have to ways to go.

Dick on his Stallion. Rear shot from my bike.

We decided to spend the night in Muscle Shoals, AL. We of course checked into the local crappy Days Inn, and for dinner we decided to eat at the Captain D's across the street. We covered about 300 miles of the Parkway today, Dick and I plan to finish it tomorrow.

Tomorrow the group is going to split up. Dick and I are heading up to my moms in Clarksville, TN, while Doug and Dan head to Lynchburg, TN to visit the Jack Daniels distillery. We all plan to meet up again on Tuesday night.

HEADING EAST - THE RIGHT WAY - ON BIKES

2010-10-01T17:06:00.000-05:00

FRIDAY - OCTOBER 1, 2010 - DAY 1

As planned, Doug, Dan, and I met at the Shell Station near my house to start the trip. We were all there by 4:50 AM, so we headed north. The route was simple, north on US Highway 59 to Livingston, TX, where we would meet Dick. The drive was completely in the dark, but we all made it to Livingston around 6:15 AM.

Dick was already there, so after a short meet and greet, we decided to look for a place to eat breakfast. We didn't have to go far. We found the Courthouse Whistle Stop Cafe in downtown Livingston. Believe it or not is was just across the street from the courthouse.

They had the standard breakfast menu, and guess what I ordered.

If you guessed ham and eggs, then you guessed right. For a change I did order Rye toast.

After breakfast we headed east on US Highway 190 passing through Woodville, and Jasper. Outside of Jasper we turned on Highway 63 and headed for Louisiana. We took a short rest break on the side of the road in Burkeville, TX. After our uneventfull break, we continued on towards Lousiiana.

Highway 63 turns into LA Highway 8 at the state line. We headed into Leesville where we got gas and took a break. They had some cracklings, and though expensive I had to have some.

If you don't know what cracklings are, well, they are the nectar of the gods. They are basically a pork rind with bacon. Guarantee to stop your heart within minutes after consumption. They are the most unhealthy food that you can put in your mouth, but they taste so good.

After leaving Leesville we continued east on Highway 8 for quite a distance. We eventually connected up with US Highway 84, and we turned east and headed towards Natchez, MS.

In Jonesville, LA, we stopped at a hardware store where they happen to be having a customer appreciation day. The were serving Sausage Dogs and Soda. Of course we had to sample the wares.

After testing the Sausage we continued heading east to Natchez, where we decided to stop for lunch. The dogs were just an appetizer. Doug spotted a BBQ place named Big Momma's BBQ. Hell, how can you pass that up.

The BBQ was pretty good, matter of fact I was so happy to get my meal I forgot to take a before picture. Y'all will just have to do with an in-progress picture.

After lunch we decided to call it a day at the Days Inn in Natchez.

Tomorrow we plan to ride the Natchez Trace Trail. Not sure where we will stop for the night. Guess we will fin that out tomorrow.

HEADING EAST - THE RIGHT WAY - ON BIKES

2010-09-29T06:40:00.002-05:00

It is that time of year again. Normally we head west for the month of October to revisit the desert, mountains, and land of the Fry Bread. This year we planned to do the same, but due to some unexpected family issues, if I want to do the trip, I need to go east.

I'm not going to get into a lot of family business, but my mother had some surgery within the last month, and I feel the need to head home. I told the other guys they can continue on with the plan to head west, but they decided that we haven't been east in a long time, so in short order, plans were changed and new plans were made to head east.

The trip is planned for three weeks. In discussing where to go and what to do, we decided, if weather permits, we are going to Gettysburg to visit the battlefield. Of course we plan to do a few things in between.

The cast for this event include Doug, who went with me out west last year, Dan, a long time riding friend, and Dick who I have been riding with for the last 20 years. Doug and Dan will be on their Honda GL1800 Goldwings, Dick will be riding the new Stallion, and I have decided to take my Goldwing Trike.

The plan is to leave on Friday, October 1, 2010. Doug, Dan, and I will meet at a gas station near my house, and then we will head north on US Highway 59 to Livingston, Texas to meet up with Dick. From there we will head east on US Highway 190. We don't have to much of a plan after that except to get breakfast.

Unlike other trips, there are some dates where we have to be in some specific locations, so we will have to work around them. I will be taking my mother for a doctor's visit on October 4th. On October 9th we need to be back in Tennessee to attend my mothers 75th birthday party. On October 16th, Doug needs to be in Indianapolis, Indiana for a wedding he has to attend that he thought he got out of when the original plan was to go west.

This has the makings of a fun trip, and when possible I plan to update the blog daily.

Heading East - The Rest Of The Story

2010-09-29T06:21:00.000-05:00

I guess I never finished the blog of our trip to the east. I guess because it was a car trip with a lot of family stuff, so for non family members, it is really boring stuff.

I guess to officially finish this trip's blog, well, we made it home safe and sound.

Heading East - Day 12 - 13 -14 -15

2010-08-07T15:53:00.001-05:00

08/04/10 - Wednesday to 08/07/10 - Saturday

I know I have done a pretty poor job of blogging this trip, but it is a bit different than a motorcycle trip. A lot of the things we have done have involved family, and I do not believe that it would make for interesting reading.

I left off on Tuesday, so I guess I will start with Wednesday. Wednesday we continued heading south towards Dothan. It was a very hot day. As we took the back roads and could see the banks temperature signs, most showed over a 100 degrees. The scenery was great, but it was too hot to get out and enjoy it.

We stopped for lunch in Gadsten, AL at the local Shoney's (Liz's choice) and we should have drove on down the road a bit. It was not a very good meal. We arrived at Liz's mom's house around 6:00 PM and it was good to get off the road.

Thursday was a travel day from Dothan to Clarksville to visit my mother. We got a fairly late start, and stopped for breakfast in Abbyville, AL.

Parked in front of the diner

It was a great breakfast. The had potato cakes that were to die for. I haven't had potato cakes in years.

After breakfast it was just a long hot drive to Clarksville, TN. We arrived in Clarksville around 4:00 PM and as always it was good to see my mother.

Friday and Saturday was just two days of hanging around my mother's house trying to stay out of the heat. We did venture out to the local Walmart though.

Sunday we head to Yazoo City, MS to visit a friend of mine.

Hi Mildred.....

Heading East - Day 10 - 11

2010-08-04T05:02:00.000-05:00

08/02/10 - 08/03/10 (Monday - Tuesday)

Since I was still traveling alone at this point, I got off to a fairly early start. As I headed west through the middle of Chambersburg, they did have an interesting statue in the downtown traffic circle. Not quite sure what it was, but it was interesting.

I had all day to go 200 miles, so I routed my path through as many back roads as I could find. One thing I can say about Maryland and Pennsylvania is that the country side if beautiful. The only problem I had was finding a place to pull over and take some pictures. Unlike out west there are no scenic pull outs, and the traffic is just enough to where you can't stop in a moving lane to snap a pictures. I was able to get a couple along the way.

I did stop for lunch in some small town cafe in Claysville, PA, and up to this point I did not know someone could butcher cooking a hamburger steak, but they did. It was by far the worst hamburger steak I have ever eaten. Food wise that was the highlight of my day.

I arrived at Liz's aunts house around 3PM. The rest of the day we just sat around talking. I went to bed fairly early because there was a little bit of to much girl chatter for me.

Early Tuesday we headed south. The day was uneventful, but amazingly we had some great scenery from the interstate. We ended up in London, KY for the night. Tomorrow I plan on making it to Dothan, but it may be a long day since we will only be traveling back roads.

Wednesday night I will not have Internet, so it will be a day or so before the next post.

Heading East - Day 7 - 8 - 9

2010-08-02T00:21:00.001-05:00

07/30/10 - 08/01/10 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)

I arrived in Bensalem, PA on Thursday night and checked into the hotel.

The reason I am in Bensalem is to attend a get together of some friends of mine who all play the same internet game as I do. The game is called Aces High and it is an interactive flight game, where players from all over the world play.

I happen to be a member of a squad, and some of us have been playing the game together for many years. About two months ago we decided to have a summit, and it just so happens to have been planed during my trip to the northeast.

12 of us attended and we spent most of the evening setting up our computers and getting everything sorted out. We were surprised the hotel's internet was able to provide the service we needed to play the game. We had a bit of lagging, but overall it worked fairly well.

It was great to met some of the folks that I have been playing the game with for years. I held out until midnight, but I had to go to bed. I found out the next day most everyone one else stayed up playing till around 3:00 AM.

Saturday we all had breakfast together, and then is was to the conference room to continue playing. That was pretty much it until around 4:00 PM where we took a break and headed downtown Philly to grab a Gino's or Pat's cheese steak.

These two places are famous for their cheese steaks, and they are located across the street from each other. I sampled both, and my vote goes to Gino's.

We returned back to the hotel where we continued playing until I gave up the ghost again at midnight. I found out Sunday morning that the rest continued playing until two or three AM again.

Sunday, we again had breakfast together, but instead of playing we had to tear the systems down and all head out. I got out of there around 10 AM and ended up taking a wrong turn and later found myself heading into New York City.

Oops, turned around, got it together, and eventually found myself heading into Baltimore. Oops again, got turned around and eventually ended up for the night in Chambersburg, PA.

I did run into a few traffic hazards along the way.

I don't know if they were going somewhere or coming from somewhere, but I must have seen a hundred of these Amish rigs on the road. I kind of think they may have been out for a Sunday afternoon ride.

Tomorrow I head back to Liz's aunt's house and the we will head back towards Alabama on Tuesday. I won't have internet tomorrow, so it may be Tuesday before my next post.

Heading East - Day 5 - 6

2010-07-30T04:25:00.000-05:00

07/28/10 - Wednesday

The day started off in Moorehead, KY hot and muggy. It felt like we were still in Houston. We pulled out of the motel around 8:00 AM and headed northeast on I-64 to Huntington, WV.

At Huntington we jumped off the interstate onto Highway 7 and followed the Ohio River for some distance. A very scenic road. We passed through numerous small towns and communities. We had an excellent view of the river while driving, but like most roads we have been on the last couple of days, there were no places where we could just pull over and snap a few pictures.

While driving through some small town we stumbled upon the oldest standing courthouse in Ohio.

You can read about it here.

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. We arrived at Liz's Aunts house around 3:00 PM, and it was basically the women chatting after that.

I am suppose to head to Philadelphia on Friday, but I think I will leave on Thursday instead.

07/29/10 - Thursday

I decided to head to Philadelphia today instead of tomorrow. The women are just going to be sitting around talking and such, so there is not need for me to hang around and listen.

I pulled out around 6:00 AM, and it was easy to see it may be a long day due to the rain. I did not want to drive through Pittsburg during rush hour traffic, so I decided to take a southern route around the city to the south.

First I headed south on Highway 2 and somewhere down the road I turrned east onto another highway. I guess I need to start keeping track of this stuff. I eventually ran into Interstate 70, so because of the rain I jumped on it and continued east.

One thing I learned about Pennsvalinia is there is not one mile of interstate that is not under some type of repair work. I have never seen so much road construction in my life. Mile after mile with the speed limit being mostly 45 or 55 miles per hour. Once in a while the speed limit will jump up to 65, but then you run into construction and down it goes again.

Traffic wasn't to bad and I arrived at my destination, (Bensalem) , which is just north of Philly around 2:00 PM. The rest of the weekend will be visiting with friends, so I probably won't be blogging until Monday night.

Heading East - Day 4

2010-07-28T05:23:00.000-05:00

We woke up to a cloudy day in Dalton, GA. The route I was planning to take appeared to be covered in rain, so I decided to make a detour to try and get around the rain.

We jumped on Interstate 75 and went north to Knoxville where we got off the freeway for the rest of the day. Just after we exited the freeway we noticed a Dollar General Market, so we had to stop and check it out. The other reason was that we were out of soda.

I have never heard of a Dollar General Market, but it turned out to be a Dollar General Store that includes a complete grocery store. The prices were great, I wish we had one by the house. After a bit of shopping and stretching out legs, we continued on.

The day was very scenic as we entered the foot hills of the Smokey's, but there were not any places where we could pull over and take pictures. Every road we went on had no shoulders and no place to pull over. We all enjoyed the scenery and winding roads, some where we thought we were going to meet the folks from Deliverance.

We had excellent weather for the day, and the temperature were noticeably lower than the last couple of days. We only got turned around once, and that is when I wanted to take a short cut to a Kentucky Parkway, but once there, we found there was no access to the road. Oops, I was thinking we may have to turn around and backtrack for 20 miles, but in the end a local came to the rescue and gave up directions on how to get on the Parkway.

We ended up for the night in Moorehead, KY. Tomorrow we should be able to arrive at Liz's aunt's house in Ohio.

I may not have internet for the next couple of days, so if you don't see anything posted, that is why.

Heading East - Day 3

2010-07-27T03:48:00.000-05:00

07/26/10 (Monday)

A normal start time for us, which was around 7:00 AM Central Time. I was a little concerned about getting all the luggage in our car, but it fit with a little room to spare. We planned to drive for about an hour and then stop for breakfast.

We ended us driving a bit more than an hour, but we did find a quaint cafe in Eufaula.

When you walk inside it was like taking a step back in time. After sitting down and ordering breakfast, it was easy to say this cafe catered mostly to a lunch crowd. There was an extremely long buffet table, and most of the folks there were preparing it for lunch. We did have an excellent breakfast, and of course I had ham and eggs. At least this time is was country ham.

A view inside.

After breakfast we continued north on 431. This is probably the last highway number I am going to list. We continued north on numerous back roads. We rolled through the country side seeing many houses that we could not afford. There were some beautiful homes. The scenery was decent, but nothing spectacular.

While driving I realized why I don't like traveling east of the Mississippi River. No matter what road you take, every 15 miles there is another small community. Sometimes it's hard just to sit back and enjoy the ride.

We did stumble upon the KIA motor plant. This was by accident, but since we are in our KIA Forte, I felt obligated to snap a picture.

I don't know if this is where our car was manufactured, I plan to check this out on the internet later on.

We did have one incident today. This was strange. I didn't mention in yesterday's blog that on the way to Liz's moms we rolled up behind a drunk just east of Evergreen, AL. This guy was so drunk or high, that I was actually a bit concerned about passing. He was only running about 40 miles per hour, so I decided to play it safe and wait and see if he turns off. After a couple of miles he did and all was well.

Today we had a replay of yesterday. We rolled up behind another drunk or high motorist. This guy was worse than the one yesterday. He was only going about 25 miles per hour, and he was really all over the road. This guy I was planning on blowing past at the first opportunity, but fortunately he turned off a short time later. Strange to run into two different drunks in the middle of the day.

We lost an hour when we entered Georgia, so now we are on eastern time. We continued on to Cedarville, GA where we stopped for lunch.

Of course we had to have some;

Wasn't bad at all. I was not fond of the rice, but the enchiladas were excellent.

After lunch it was getting late, at least by my standards, so we started checking to see where we wanted to stop. We found a Comfort Inn in Dalton, GA, so we called for reservations and headed that way.

We arrived just in time, as we pulled under the cover at the front door it started pouring rain.

We got a nice suite, and since it was raining so hard and we really wasn't that hungry we just ordered pizza for delivery.

Tomorrow we should stop somewhere in Kentucky, but who knows. I really don't have much of a plan except to head north.

Heading East - Day 2

2010-07-26T16:03:00.000-05:00

07/25/10 (Day 2)

We woke up around 6:00 AM to find that Ronnie was visiting us. We have heard that the storm was going to make land fall during the night, but we were not concerned since the storm has been down graded to a depression and maybe even to just a storm. The rain was coming down hard, but since were not on bikes, it really didn't matter.

Liz did not feel like eating, so I went down to the breakfast bar and grabbed something to eat. Nice continental breakfast, they had eggs, bacon, sausage, and all the normal bread and cereals. Of course I was not concerned with the cereals, but the bacon and sausage did hold my interest for a while.

We hauled our stuff out to the front door of the motel to find the rain was really coming down. Luckily I was parked near the front door, so I grabbed the car and pulled in under the cover. We were loaded in no time and on our way to Liz's mothers.

There is not much to say about the rest of the day. I took all back roads and the weather was crap. We kept going through the storm bands, and it would go from heavy rain to sunshine and then back again. This continued through the entire day. I don't remember what time we left the motel, but it was around 7:00 AM.

We did get lost in Hattiesburg, MS, or at least I should say I got lost. The sad part is I have a GPS in the car. The road system in that town are really screwed up, and them having a strategick road closed didn't help. We did have a nice scenic tour of the town while trying to figure out how to get out of it.

Later we stopped in Chatom, AL and grabbed a couple of great breakfast sandwiches at a local dive. The most interesting thing of the day, is while on one of the back roads in Alabama I notice a bear crossing sign. I kid you not, there was a bear crossing road sign in southeast Alabama. I didn't even know they had any bears in this part of the country.

We did make a stop at Fred's Discount Store in Andalusia, AL mainly to stretch our legs. Not to self; to not take Liz into department store to stretch legs. We finally arrived at Liz's mothers house around 3:00 PM. Dinner was pizza for them and Krystal's burgers for me.

Tomorrow we start heading north. Not sure where we will end up, but I bet somewhere in Tennessee.

Heading East - Day 1

2010-07-25T01:46:00.004-05:00

07/24/10 Saturday

We left the house around 6:00 AM under hot and humid conditions. I can tell you right now, the conditions never improved through out the day. Our first destination will be Dothan, AL, but of course I do not plan to get there in one day. Since I have retired, this has turned into a two day evernt.

I did not want to trudge down Interstate 10, so I decided to jump off the Interstate at Beaumont and take Highway 12 up to US 190. The basic plane was to follow 190 to the Baton Rouge area and then head up to New Roads and cross the Mississippi by the ferry.

We started looking for a breakfast after we got off the Interstate, but had one heck of a time finding anything. I have noticed over the last several years that the mom and pop restaurants are quickly becoming a thing of the past. We didn't see thing until DeQuincy, LA and then we had to settle for a Subway. We did have a choice of a McDonald's, but to me that is not a choice.

Subway breakfast, what can I say? I think they make a pretty good sandwich, and I think they need to stick to that. That is all I am going to say about the subject.

After breakfast we kept heading east on 190 and made a stop in Eunice at a grocery store to pick up a few snack items. It felt like a normal grocery day once we were done. After getting all the stuff loaded we continued east on 190.

Just before Baton Rouge, we turned north on 78 I think and headed for New Roads, LA. New Roads is a neat place, and there is a ferry that crosses the Mississippi to Saint Francisville. We arrived at the river and had a short wait for the ferry.

Mississippi River at New Roads

Once cross the river, the plan was to find somewhere to eat lunch. We quickly figured out that we should have stopped in Saint Francisville, because the choices afterwords were few and far, no that is not a true statement, the choices afterward were none. We didn't find a place until Liberty, MS, and then it was a hole in the wall place.

I don't remember the name of the restaurant, but it was a renovation in progress. I thought Liz would scream at the sight of the place because she is not vary adventurous when it comes to eating at the mom and pop restaurants.

Sorry, took a bite before I remembered to take a picture.

It turned out pretty good. Liz had the Monster Hamburger, and I of course had the Hamburger Steak. While we were at the restaurant, the waitress asked us if we were from Texas. Not sure how she knew, but I answered that we were. She then asked if we were just passing though, and I answered that we were, and she replied that is good, there is not much to see in Liberty. I had to agree with her.

After lunch we continued east on highway 24 where we eventually connected up with Highway 98. By this time it was getting close to 4:00 PM, and it was time to find a place to stop for the night. That place turned out to be the Comfort Inn in Columbia, MS. We checked in and since we had a late lunch we decided on the chicken tenders from the local Popeye's for dinner.

Tomorrow we will arrive in Dothan. Since my mother-in-law does not have Internet, it may be Monday night before there is another post.

Heading East - Summer 2010

2010-07-24T17:02:00.000-05:00

07/23/10

Well, it is time to hit the road again.

This time I will be traveling by car with my wife and mother-in-law. Our plan is to head east from Texas, then north following the mountains. We plan to visit some of Liz's kin folk and a few of my friends.

I'm not sure what route I am going to take to eventually end up in Pennsylvania, but I'm sure I will get there some how.

Devils Tower

2010-05-17T05:33:00.001-05:00

Sunday, May 16, 2010 - Day 19

It has been several days since I have updated the blog, so I guess I'll finish it now.

My last blog entry stated that we were in Popular Bluff, Missouri and would be heading to Tennessee the next day. We did arrive at my mom's house on Tuesday, and the ride was uneventful except for a stop at Patti's Restaurant in Grand River, KY.

Patti's is known locally as the place to eat. They have an extensive menu including a 2" pork chop. For those that have a desert in mind, you can choose from 17 different deserts. After lunch, we made the short 100 mile drive to mom's house.

Wednesday we just hung around the house resting up from the trip. We did run a couple of errands, and of course I had to have my Krystal's burgers for lunch. Since we got back a bit early from the Devils Tower trip, I decided to take Liz down to see her mother for a day. We are going to be in Mobile Saturday to our annual visit to my father's grave.

Liz and I took off Thursday morning heading to Dothan, AL, taking the by-ways. After a wrong turn, and a closed road that made us detour about 50 miles we made it to Liz's mother's house.

Friday was just a hang around day visiting with Liz's mother. Saturday morning we headed to Mobile where we met up with my brother, mother, and Jane, We visited my fathers grave and then went to the motel where we had reservations in Saraland, AL.

Sunday Liz and I were thinking about stopping at a casino for a night before returning to Houston, but we changed our minds and decided we were tired of restaurant food, so we drove on in to home. We arrived at the house around 1:30 PM.

It was a great trip, Liz and I had a lot of fun. Looks like next year I am going to take mom to see the Liberty Bell.

Our next trip will be in about a week when we go to El Paso for Liz's national bowling tournament. I haven't decided if I am going to blog that trip or not.

Devils Tower

2010-05-11T04:28:00.001-05:00

Monday, May 10, 2010 - Day 13

Nothing really to write about today. After spending the night in Independence, MO we headed crisscrossed across the state of Missouri towards home. As usual I tried to stay off the Interstate and take the byways as much as possible,

It rained on us pretty much the entire day. Wasn't a hard rain, just enough to keep the roads wet and make the driving part miserable. Today and tomorrow are mainly transit days to get back to Tennessee.

We stopped for the night in Popular Bluff, MO at the local Comfort Inn. Had a nice dinner at Perkins and then returned to our rooms to call it a night. Tomorrow we will arrive in Tennessee, but on the way we plan to stop at a popular restaurant, Pattie's, which is located in Grand River, KY.

I probably won't be doing a blog for the next couple of days. I will be back in Tennessee doing the family thing. Once were back on the road I will catch the blog up.

Devils Tower

2010-05-10T03:30:00.000-05:00

Sunday, May 9, 2010 - Day 12

There is not really much to write about today. We were up at the normal time, and decided to eat breakfast at a cafe located across the street from the motel. I think the name of the place is the "Country Cafe". The guy really went out on a limb when he named the place. The food was good, and a short time later we were on our way to Omaha.

After arriving in Omaha we did family stuff where we visited my Grandmother's grave site and did a short tour of where my mother was raised. We went by her old house, and is was sad to see it in such a run down condition. Once we were finished with the tour down memory lane, we headed south on US Highway 75.

We now have finished what we wanted to accomplish on this trip. Now we are some 800 miles from my mother's home in Tennessee, and about all we have to look forward to is a bunch of corn fields. Well, I guess we got a bit side tracked, because we ended up heading back by going this way;

Can't say the view was any better, but it at least was in a different direction. We ended up stopping for the night in Independence, MO. Tomorrow we plan on heading back by cutting across Missouri using mostly the byways. It appears we will be back in Tennessee on Tuesday, but who knows.

Devils Tower

2010-05-09T03:24:00.000-05:00

Saturday, May 9, 2010 - Day 11

After a night in the thriving metropolis of Thedford. we had a crappy continental breakfast and headed out. Today will be a transit day, and as expected there was not much to see. We were out of the sand hills, and the scenery changed to vast plowed corn fields.

The road went on and on and on. I liked western Nebraska, the area is very scenic, but eastern Nebraska just plains sucks.

We just kept driving east until we arrived at the small communtiy of Winslow. After my Grandmother passed away, this is where my Grandfather moved to. Mom said on the way there, the town only has two bars and a post office, and after arriving it still has only two bars and a post office.

My Grandfather had a small sawmill where he made pallets. I stayed with him a couple of times when I was very young, and the trailer he lived in is still there today, though not in very good condition. The sawmill burnt down many years ago, but some of the foundation is still visible.

After vistiing Winslow we drove two miles to Hooper where we decided to have a light lunch at the Iron Horse.

With this group I am traveling with, if what we ate was a light lunch, I sure hate to see what a heavy lunch is. The Iron Horse serves two purposes in this small communtiy. It is the local drinking hole as well as the local restaurant.

After lunch we headed to Decatur where my Grandfather is buried. We visited the grave site for a short time, and the decided to call it a night in the small town of Onawa, IA. Onawa is located just across the river from Decatur.

Tomorrow we head down to Omaha.

Devils Tower

2010-05-08T04:11:00.000-05:00

Friday. May 8, 2010 - Day 10

We left at a later time this morning. I don't think we left until after 8:00 AM, which is a late start for us. Before leaving Newcastle we gassed up, and the weather was still looking a bit crappy. We still were having snow flurries, and there was a killer north wind. While gassing up I had to put on a jacket, which is unusual for me.

Leaving Newcastle we headed south to Lusk, where we stopped at a run down truck stop to have breakfast. There were a bunch of cars in front of the place, so it is either a good place to eat, or we are going to be eating with some stupid people. Turned out it was an excellent place to eat.

From Lusk we headed east into Nebraska. We were soon in the rolling sand hills of western Nebraska, and this is definitely cow country. The grasslands stretched as far as the eye could see. I have never ridden in this part of Nebraska, and I also felt this would be a boring ride, but I plan to return up here on a motorcycle some day soon. This would be an excellent place to tour on the bike.

Just inside of Nebraska we stopped Crawford and did some much needed laundry. After finishing the laundry we headed east on scenic Highway 2. We drove through vast grasslands, rolling hills, passing through small town after small town.

We decided to call it a night in Thedford, NE at the Roadside Inn. A nice motel, but its not like we had a choice. Next door to the motel was a new restaurant which had a sign stating "fine dining". We decided to check it out, and it turned out for Mom, Liz and I to be one of the best meals we have had on the trip. The three of us ordered the Chicken Fried Steak, but Jane ordered the grilled chicken, and even though she said it was good, I don't think she was impressed with it.

Tomorrow we head to Omaha by way of Decatur, to visit my Grandfather's grave site. Our plan is to have a big Omaha steak tomorrow night.

Devils Tower

2010-05-07T03:09:00.001-05:00

Thursday, May 7, 2010 - Day 9

We woke up this morning with about 2 inches of snow on the ground. At this point it was not accumulating on the road, but that was to change later on. When I first went outside it wasn't snowing, but by the time we started loading the van it was coming down pretty hard. We finally had the van loaded and come hell, high water or snow, we were going to see Devil's Tower.

We decided to drive a bit before we had breakfast. The further we drove the heavier the snow was. The snow plows were out in full force. I was a bit nervous at times, since I haven't driven in snow in the last 30 years, but in the end we made it.

We drove up to Deadwood, but was unable to find a restaurant that suited out taste. We continued on towards Spearfish Canyon where we found a small restaurant that served an excellent breakfast. It was more a brunch, but at least we found a place. After breakfast we continued up through Spearfish Canyon into the city of Spearfish.

In Spearfish we stopped at a Safeway to restock, and then we continued on to the Devil's Tower. We made it to Devils Tower just after lunch time. It was still snowing off and on, but the sight of the tower was and still is impressive.

After visiting the tower, we started heading south. This was our turn around point so we are now headed slowly back to Tennessee. We ended up for the night in a small town named Newcastle, WY. We had dinner at the attached restaurant and called it a night.

Tomorrow we head for Omaha, Nebraska so mom can visit her mother and fathers grave sites. It will take us a couple of days to get there, and we plan to stop along the way at any sites we may come upon.

Devils Tower

2010-05-06T05:07:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, May 5, 2010 - Day 8

The day started with breakfast at the famous Wall Drug Store. Jane was up early, so we all just pretty much followed her lead. The Wall Drug Store covers about a city block and is basically one big tourist trap. They have just about every trinket that you can imagine. Beyond that they are still a drug store where you can get a prescription filled.

We hung around the drug store for a couple of hours looking at all the stuff they had to sell, but in the end they didn't have anything Liz and I were interested in. Mom and Jane did manage to find a few items to drop a little cash on.

From the drug store it is a short drive to the Badlands National Park. We took a slow scenic drive through the park with a stop at the Visitor's Center to watch their short film about the place. It was a good film, and the scenery was excellent.

After the park we drove to Rapid City, SD where we gassed us and ate lunch at a Chinese Restaurant. The food was pretty good. From there we headed for the famous four heads.

We discussed wheather we wanted to go into the park, but all of us have been there except Liz. Liz told us that she didn't want to do a lot of walking around, so we moved on to Crazy Horse.

Our plans were to visit Crazy Horse because Jane has never been there. When we pulled up to the entrance we found out the entrance fee would be $27.00. I was pulling out my walled to pay the fee when Jane and my Mom both said, "no way". Neither of them felt it was worth the money to just visit the Visitor Center. From the roadway you can clearly see the monument, and Jane was able to get some pictures, so after some more discussion it was decided that the money just wasn't worth it. I also felt the entrance fee was a bit ridiculous, but was willing to pay since Jane has never visited there. I have been there a couple of times before, but on a bike the fee is only $10.00.

We turned around and headed to Custer for the night. This is where I found out I screwed up. I made, what I thought were reservations in Custer, but it turned out I had made reservations in a motel in nearby Hot Springs. The problem is Hot Springs is in the oppsited direction we are going tomorrow. I called the motel and even though we are passed their cancel deadline, we worked out a deal, and we found another motel in Custer.

Tomorrow we head to the Devils Tower, but who knows, as I am typing this it is snowing outside.

Devils Tower

2010-05-05T03:53:00.002-05:00

Tuesday, May 4, 2010 - Day 7

We were up at our normal time. We had breakfast at the motel, and then gassed up the van before heading out of town. I like taking the back roads so we decided to take Highway 14 instead of going down to the interstate. The road is very scenic with a mixture of farm and pasture lands. There are numerous small lakes, and the color of the water is black as coal. We pretty much figured this is because of the black farm dirt this area is famous for.

While driving, we came upon the Ingalls homestead. I believe this is the childhood home of Laura Wielder(SP?).

We decided to stop and take a look at the place. It was cold and windy, but we braved it any way. We first went to the Visitor Center and this is what greeted us;

We will not be deterred, braving the cold and wind we, well some of us, took a look around Some others decided to go back to the van.

The place is basically a recreation of a late 1800's home site. It is basically a walking tour, and though interesting, I was not interested enough to walk around the entire place. They did have and old school house, and in front were a couple of horses and wagons. Mom said in her blog they were mules, so I took another look at the pictures and I think they were horses. What the hell, it was cold and they were four legged animals that pulled a wagon. There were a couple of school buses at the visitor center, so I think some school class was having a field trip.

After our brief stop we continued on some byways and back-ways to Mitchell, SD. Our next stop is the Corn Palace.

We arrived around 12:30 PM and found the place, which is located in downtown Mitchell. Parking wasn't a problem, but to say the least I was a little bit disappointed. I was sort of expecting this;

But this is what we found

Nothing like is was in the past ages. For my motorcycle friends they did have this;

We took a look around, snapped a few pictures, had a pretzel and the headed west.

Our next destination is the Wall Drug Store in Wall, SD. We plan on spending the night in Wall and visiting the place in the morning. The only way there was the Interstate unless we wanted to go a bit out of the way, but it was starting to get a bit late so we took the Interstate. This is pretty much what we saw the entire way to Wall.

We arrived in Wall around 4:00 PM local time. We checked into the Best Western and decided to have Subway for dinner. After a couple of social drinks for me, and some computer lessons for Jane and Mom, we called it a night.

Tomorrow we plan on visiting the Badlands and Crazy Horse.

Devils Tower

2010-05-04T02:29:00.002-05:00

Monday, May 3, 2010 - Day 6

What a day.... We spent the night in the Comfort Inn in Albert Lea, MN. Our only plan for the day was to visit the Mall of America. We were not sure how long we would stay there, but we figured we would just wing it.

The day started with the continental breakfast at the motel. It wasn't the greatest, but it did fill our stomachs. We had about an 80 mile drive to the mall, and it went by fairly quickly. We arrived at the mall at 9:50 AM, and we were able to get a parking spot right by the front door. At least I think it was the front door. The damn place is so big, I really don't know where the main entrance is.

We entered the mall just as the stores were opening. We walked and walked, and walked until we got tired of walking. When we were tired of walking we walked some more. In the end we didn't even cover a 10th of the mall.

This place is impressive. It is four stories high and the layout is basically a big square. We eventually ended up back at a food court where we had lunch. One thing I can say is even if you are not a shopper, you can easily spend a day here. If you are a shopper you will never leave. This mall has a roll-a-coaster in the middle of it. I tried to get a picture of it, but everything is so bunched together it was difficult to get one that showed anything.

The above picture is about a quarter of what is actually there.

After lunch, and of course the mandatory pretzel, we headed west. We were not sure how far we would drive, but our next stop is the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD, so we just headed in that direction. The Minnesota country side is beautiful, but like Iowa you better like corn fields, there are a bunch of them.

We ended up stopping for the night in Marshall, MN at the local Ramada Inn, which used to be the local Best Western. They have an attached restaurant, which made it an easy decision for dinner. We were all surprised by the portions of the meals. The food was good, and of course the vegetable of the day was CORN.

Tomorrow we head to the Corn Palace and then continue on to Wall, SD where we plan to spend the night. Wall is where the famous drug store is located, so we will spend a few minutes and dollars visiting the place.

Devils Tower

2010-05-02T19:30:00.002-05:00

Sunday, May 2, 2010 - Day 5

We had another early start this morning. It wasn't because of me. It appears that Jane is not only an early riser, but after she gets up she is ready to roll. We were on the road by 6:30 heading north to try and find a place to eat breakfast.

This picture was taken right outside our motel room.

We headed north on Highway 79, but was surprised when we ran upon a road closed sign. The road was completely blocked and we had no choice but to turn around and find another way. We were griping about how they did not give you any warning about the road closure, but we found out at the next crossroad that they did, we were just to busy talking and missed it.

We quickly found an alternate route and arrived in Hannibal, MO in time for breakfast. We found the Mark Twain Restaurant and had a nice breakfast. After breakfast we visited Tom and Huck.

We were able to drive up to a scenic view point that over looked the Missouri River. We took a few pictures and admired the view before moving on.

The rest of the day was just admiring the scenery where they will be planting corn in the coming weeks. It was scenic, but it is Iowa, so what can I say. The thing that impresses you most about this part of the country is how neat and clean everything is. Every house you pass has a nice yard, and it is rare that you see one with an unkempt yard.

We made it to Minnesota and decided to call it a night in Albert Lea. We are about 80 miles from the Mall of America, so we will arrive there tomorrow. We don't know how long we will visit the place, but our main purpose for going there is just to say we have been there. All of us have heard about the place for years, but have never been there.

We have no real plans for after the Mall except to head towards Devils Tower. We do plan on finding something to do in between though.

Devils Tower (Day 2, 3 and 4)

2010-05-02T02:22:00.002-05:00

I have not updated the blog in the last couple of days, mainly for the fact I was at my mothers house and we were mostly doing family things. I am going to combine Days 2,3 and 4 into this one blog, there is really not a lot to write, but I'll put something in print.

Thursday - April 29, 2010 (Day 2)

Today I was able to visit the Little Red School House. I have passed this site before but did not stop. I have wondered what was significant about this old School House, well today I found out.

It turns out that this building some some minor significances during the Civil War, but its main claim to fame is this is where the Order of the Easter Star was started. If your not a Mason you may not know what that means, but the Easter Star is the woman's side of the Masons. I am not a Mason, but my deceased father-in-law was a Mason and Shriner.

We arrived in Clarksville, TN around 3 PM. After having some good BBQ we just visited with family.

Friday - April 30, 2010 (Day 3)

Today was just a lazy day where all we did was just hang around the house and visited with mom. This evening Liz and I did have dinner with an old high school classmate of mine that I haven't seen in 25 years.

Saturday - May 1, 2010 (Day 4)

We headed out this morning with the intent to go to Devils Tower in Wyoming. We have no specific route planned, but we do plan on visiting some places along the way. Our first destination is the Mall Of America in Minnesota.

Our day started around 6:30 AM with thunder, lightening and rain. It stayed wet most of the morning, but since we were in a vehicle it was no big deal. We decided to head north by driving through the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. The drive normally would have been scenic, except the rain made it difficult to enjoy the scenery. Our first stop was for breakfast in Grand River, KY.

We ate at at restaurant called the Lite Side Cafe. I guess I should have paid attention to the sign, because it seems like all they serve is health food. Your only choice of eggs were Eggsbeaters cooked how you wanted them. Bad for me but the others really enjoyed it.

After breakfast we continued heading northwest. I didn't keep up with all the roads we took but we eventually made it to Highway 3 in Illinois which is the Great River Road. It took us a while to get there, but made it we did, even though Jane was giving me directions in Illinois using an Indiana map. Her directions did get a lot more clearer after I told her to flip the map to the Illinois side.

The rest of the day we continued on Highway 3, which followed along the Mississippi River. It was a nice drive, but you could only occasionally see the river. A lot of the time the view of the river was blocked by the levees. We stopped a couple of times and eventually made it to Saint Louis, MO. We jumped on the interstate and headed west on 70 where we planned on taking Highway 79 north which is a continuation of of the River Road which follows the Missouri River. We plan on stopping in Saint Louis on the way back to visit the Arch and maybe some other sites.

Highway 79 is a very scenic road. The weather had cleared, and with rolling hills and occasional sights of the river it was very enjoyable. We stopped for a late lunch in Winfeild, MO. Lunch was good, I had pizza, Liz had a burger, mom had hamburger steak, and Jane had catfish. We all ate ours, but mom decided to wear hers.

After lunch we continued north for a short distance and decided to call it a day in Louisiana, MO. We found a small old motel that is right next to the river. Yes to all my friends it is a "Fred" motel, but it is clean, and it is cheap. We really didn't have much of a choice. I didn't take any pictures of it this evening, but I plan on getting some in the morning.

Tomorrow we continue north with no specific route planned. I think we may make it to the Saint Paul area where the Mall of America is located. I don't know we will see.

Devils Tower (Day 1)

2010-04-28T16:41:00.002-05:00

April 28, 2010

There will be four of us on this trip. My wife (Liz), and a good friend of my mothers (Jane) will tag along with us to check out the tower, and other various sites we plan to hit.

Day one stated with Liz and I leaving Houston headed to Tennessee. We used to do this trip in one day, but since we have been retired, we take a couple of days to get there, and lately it seems we may need to take three. We seem to be getting slower as we get older.

We started early to beat the rush hour traffic. We headed north on US 59 and at Livingston we turned east on US 190. We decided to stop for breakfast in Jasper, and the restaurant of choice was the House of Waffles. The food and service was excellent. After breakfast we headed back out US 190, but turned off onto 63 and headed towards Leesville. The ride was uneventfull but we did stop and manage to spend a $100.00 at the Walmart in Alexandria.

After our Walmart experience, we stayed on Highway 28, which we picked up in Leesville, and headed towards Natchez, Mississippi. My plan was to do the first leg of the Natchez Trace up to Jackson. We made it to the Trace and started the slow but scenic drive.

We made it to Jackson at around 3:30 PM, and we both felt it was time to call it a day. We jumped on I-55 and found a Comfort Inn in Canton. Couldn't be more perfect, the room rate is excellent and we even get a discount at the restaurant next door.

Tomorrow we will try and make it to Tennessee.

Devils Tower

2010-04-28T16:24:00.000-05:00

Last year I took my mother to see the Grand Canyon. While we were on that trip she happened to mentioned to me that she has never seen the Devils Tower and would like to. Always an excuse for a trip, I told her that the next year I will take her to see Devil's Tower. Well, its next year and away we go.

BIG BEND TEXAS - APRIL 2010

2010-04-25T04:38:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, April 21, 2010, Day 4
Thursday, April 22, 2010, Day 5

I have to learn to finish these trip blogs in a more timely manner. I am going to combine the last two days into one report.

One of our morning view on Highway 67 heading north towards Marfa

Same Highway, just a different direction.

Day 4

We were up and on the way by 7:30 AM. Our plan was to head north on US 67 to Marfa and have breakfast at Alice's. Alice's has sort of become a traditation when traveling in this part of the country. Alice's is a small cafe located in Marfa that is run by an older Hispanic women who happens to be named Alice.

Doug and I first found this place a couple of years ago and I remember during our first visit the local nuns and priest were also having breakfast there. I remember that every time one of the nun's walked into the restaurant they made the rounds and greeted each and every customer. Alice has a special table setup at the front of the restaurant that has a "reserve" sign on it, and I am pretty sure this is the special table for the nun's and priests.

Alice is a character. She takes your order without the need of a menu pad, and your order come out western style, one at a time. Sometimes they get the orders right and sometimes they don't. The food is good here, and you can't beat the price. John and I both had the kitchen sink omelets with hash browns and the bill for each of us came out to a whooping $5.00 or so.

After breakfast we headed east on Old Highway 90. The ride was scenic but uneventfull. Just before Sanderson they had the road closed due to qualification runs they were making for a road race they were going to have out here on Saturday. We were delayed for about 30 minutes or so, aftwards which we continued east on 90.

We took our next break at Langtry, the home of Judge Roy Bean, Law West of the Pecos. John and I both picked up some new maps, and checked out a home made trike. I wish I would have taken a picture of this thing. It was 21 feet long with a Oldsmobile engine and a GoldWing front end. As John said it must take 40 acres to turn this thing around.

After our break in Langtry we continued on to Del Rio. We stopped for lunch in some hole in the wall taco place, and though we were not expecting much, it turned out they had some great tacos and beans. After lunch it was a short ride to the same motel in Uvalde that we stayed in on the ride out.

Dinner was at the local Sonic which we carried back to the room.

Thursday, Day 5

No pictures today, jus the ride home. We took the more direct route, which is east on US 90 to San Antonio and the I-10 towards Houston. At Waelder we jumped off the interstate and took old US 90. At Columbus we jumped down onto 90A via FM 112 and after a lunch stop in East Bernard, we headed to the house. I think I arrived home around 2 PM.

It was a great trip, couldn't ask for better weather, scenery and company.

BIG BEND TEXAS - APRIL, 2010

2010-04-20T18:29:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - Day 3

We were up a bit before daylight, so we decided to head across the street to grab a sausage biscuit to hold us over until we eat breakfast in Marathon. Daylight came around 7 or so and by 7:30 we were loaded and headed to breakfast.

Marathon is about 50 miles from Sanderson, so we had a little bit of a drive today. The weather was cool and foggy. As were were heading west we observed some great views of some distance small mountains highlighted by the sun, but was under the canvas of the rising fog. I took a bunch of pictures, but they just don't do justice to what we actually saw.

We arrived in Marathon around 8:30 and decided to eat at a small restaurant located on the main drag. Actually there is only one drag in this one horse town, and the restaurant we decided to go to was the only one in town. I can't remember the name of the place, but you will be able to find it if you ever travel here, it's the only one with an “open” sign.

After breakfast we headed south on US 385 towards Big Bend National Park. By this time the fog had lifted, and it was a beautiful sunny day with a few lazy clouds. We arrived at the park and found out this is a get in free week to all the national parks. That was a bonus, we didn't have to pay to get in.

About 10 miles from the entrance of the park, John decided it was time for a break. We were really roughing it.

After our break we headed to Panther Junction where we gassed up. It was now approaching lunch time, so we headed to Study Butte where we at at the Fina Station located at the junction of 118 and 170. John and I have both eaten here a number of times before.

After lunch we headed west on 170, (The River Road) which is considered one of the most scenic roads in Texas, and possibly the number 1 motorcycle road in Texas. The road runs along the Rio Grande River and is full of twist, turns and hills. A great road to ride, and the scenery isn't bad either.

At the highest point on this 70 mile stretch of road we stopped for another one of those chair breaks. We stayed a while, but the temperature has risen significantly and we decided it was time to head to Presidio and check in to out motel.

We arrived at the motel (Ritia Inn) and checked in. This is a nice motel, but they do not have ice, so the manager, who lives on site, was kind enough to give us some out of her ice machine. Once at the room we unoaded and made a couple of social drinks. We decided were going to order delivery pizza tonight.

This was a great day of riding. This is the way all rides should be.

Tomorrow we head to Del Rio or maybe back to Uvalde.

BIG BEND TEXAS - APRIL, 2010

2010-04-19T18:18:00.001-05:00

Monday, April 19, 2010

Day two started out a bit cool. We woke up around 5:00 AM, and after getting our showers we headed next door and had a leisurely breakfast at the Kettle Restaurant. After breakfast we headed back to the room and loaded the bikes, and around 7:30 we hit the road. The day started sunny, but by the time we hit Bracketville it started to cloud up with what appeared to be a threat of rain.

We stopped in Bracketville and gassed up and then headed north on FM 674 to Rocksprings. The farther we drove north the cloudier and colder it got. It really looked like we might hit some serious rain, and John even made the comment that we might just turn around and head back to Bracketville.

One of the views on the way to Rocksprings

We arrived in Rocksprings around 9:00 AM and decided to take another break for John to get some coffee and me some hot chocolate. We spent a little time hanging around sort of watching what the weather was going to do. We eventually decided to put in our jacket liners and keep on going.

We headed north on 55 and eventually turned off onto some FM Road that I don't remember the number of. When we turned on the road there was a traffic barrier stating the road was closed due to high water. Well, by this time the sun was out, and I figured what the hell, lets go look at the water. The only two options we had were not very good, so at least we might get some pictures with the bikes near the water, or maybe in the water?????? I'm not sure John thought this was a good idea, but he came along anyway.

We made it through without hitting any high water. There was road damaged caused by high water, but it barely slowed us down. Well, using the word slow is a bit of a misnomer. We were barely moving all day, matter of fact at times I thought we were going backwards.

We made is to Ozona where we stopped for lunch. We found a steak house and though the service was slow it turned out to be pretty good. Not that we were in a hurry, you know your taking your time with people that came in after you are leaving before you.

FM 2400

John's best side. I have no idea what he is looking at.

After lunch we headed west on I-10 for about 20 miles until we turned off onto Ranch Road 290. We stopped for a bit at a scenic overlook and then headed to Sheffield where we turned south on Highway 349. About 11 miles later we turned onto FM 2400 which took us to US 285, which we took to Sanderson. We checked into the Outback Oasis Motel and broke out the social drinks. Tomorrow we head to the park.

BIG BEND TEXAS - APRIL, 2010

2010-04-19T16:41:00.000-05:00

Sunday, April 18, 2010

The day started as most of my Sunday's do, and that is to have breakfast with some fellow riders. What made this Sunday different from others is two of us will be heading to West Texas, Big Bend Country right after breakfast. This will be Trike trip. John will be riding his white CSC Goldwing trike and I will be on my black one. We have no real route planned except to head west, and maybe make it to Uvalde the first day.

The weather wasn't looking good. There were heavy clouds, and it looked like it was going to rain. The weather report stated that there was a 70% chance that we were going to get wet. Our thoughts were we have rain suits, so let it rain.

We headed out around 8:00 AM with a brief stop to top off the tanks and get some ice. Our initial plan was to head south on US 59 to Spur 10 and then catch US Alt 90 and head west. We figure once we get to Gonzales we will decide how we want to get around San Antonio. We made it as far as Hallettsville when we decided it was time for coffee and a donut. Since I don't drink coffee, I elected to have lemonade and a donut. While we were munching down on stuff we should not be eating, we decided to take a southernly route around San Antonio.

After our break we continued heading west with a bit of a detour to the south. We ended up going a little bit farther south than we planned, but we found some great roads, and the wild flowers were out in force. We missed the heavy rain, but we did catch some drizzle along the way. By the time we got past Gonzales, the rain was all but gone.

As we headed south around San Antonio we started taking various FM Roads that we have never been on before. To my surprise the roads were very scenic and to add to the experience, the wild flowers were in full bloom. We ended up farther south than we planned, but we eventually turned back northwest and headed to Uvalde.

We stopped a few times to take some short breaks, and lunch was in Karnes City at the local Dairy Queen. We both ate what we shouldn't be eating, but since no one was there to tell us not to, we did it any way. We arrived in Uvalde around 4:30 PM. We decided to check into the Americian Best Value motel, which turned out not to be to bad. We had dinner at the Kettle Restaurant next door, and after one or two social drinks, we called it a night.

West Texas (Big Bend Country)

2010-04-17T01:52:00.000-05:00

April 17, 2010

Time to fire up the blog again.

Will be heading to Big Bend country on Sunday, April 18th. Only going to be a causal five day ride. Not sure what we are going to do, or what route we are going to take, but we will figure it out as we go.

BBFO 2010

2010-02-03T04:03:00.000-06:00

Day 6 - Tuesday - February 2, 2010

Not a very exciting day. This is the last day, and even though your excited to get home and see the wife, it's sad because you know the great riding you have done for the last several days are ending.

There is not anything really exciting to write about today, it started with breakfast at the restaurant where we ate last night. The food was pretty good, except the hash browns were like potato chips. You didn't need a fork to eat them, just pick them up like a chip and go for it.

We left the motel around 8 am heading south on 55 towards Uvalde. Once we hit Uvalde we headed east on 90 and that is where we stayed until we picked up I-10 in San Antonio. The weather was foggy and cold, but for the most part dry. The weather channel stated we are going to get wet on the way home, we just wasn't sure where it would start.

We stopped in Seguin for gas and to take a short break. We then continued east on I-10 for about 10 miles and then cut down to 90-A via FM 2438. After we turned on 90-A I noticed my right mirror was shaking pretty bad. I reached up and grabbed it and found the whole assembly was loose. I told the other guys to go on, but I was going to pull over and tighten it up. It turned out all three of the mounting bolts were loose. It only took me a couple of minutes to tighten them so my delay was not long.

We planned to stop in Eagle Lake for lunch, and I was able to catch up to the guys just before we arrived there. We had lunch at Taco Tony's which is one of our regular stopping points when returning from trips. Brian wasn't there, but earlier he said he was headed straight to the house because some work issues came up. It's nice to be unemployed.

After lunch we headed home. We could tell that we just missed the rain, and at times we would get a light drizzle or two, but nothing significant. I arrived home around 3 pm.

It was a great trip. Good riding, good weather, and great friends. Till the next time.

BBFO 2010

2010-02-02T05:40:00.000-06:00

Day 5 - Monday - February 1, 2010

The day started early as most of our days do, and everyone was up and packed by around 7:15 am. Our plan was not to leave until 7:45, but since we were all packed and ready to go, wait, there is one missing. OH, the youngster who wanted to stay up last night wasn't ready. He looked like he has had a really rough night, so we waited until he finally loaded up. We were able to depart around 7:30. A group had left earlier headed back to Houston. They had a bit of a drive so they left around 6 am. There were 7 of us now.

We decided last night to eat in Marfa at Alice's Restaurant. Doug and I ate there back in October and found the owner, who happens to be Alice to be quite amusing. She is a one horse show, waitress, cook, server, and what ever else needs to be done. The ride to Marfa was cold, but nice.

After gassing up we headed over to the restaurant. Alice took our orders and then headed back into the kitchen. If you wanted more coffee or water, you were on your own to get it. One at a time the meals were coming out. Alice will put them in the window and yell out what is was. By this time some help had arrived, who probably was Alice's daughter, and helped serve everyone. All the meals came out and then there appeared Alice checking to see if everything was OK. I called out, "hey Alice, your missing one" she had forgot my breakfast. "Oh dear" she says, and heads back into the kitchen. Five minutes later I had my breakfast.

The food is excellent at Alice's and the atmosphere is priceless. After breakfast we headed east into the sun towards Sanderson. The ride was cold but enjoyable. We took a short break in Marathon where a couple of the guys picked up fresh fried pies at the local bakery. We then headed east again to Sanderson.

At Sanderson we gassed up the bikes, and that is when our youngster decided to inform me that he couldn't hang with the group and was going to head straight to the motel. I have him directions, and off he went. I guess I was the only one he told that he was going ahead alone, because everyone else just looked at me wondering what was going on. I just announced that the young man needed to go and get some beauty sleep.

While at Sanderson most of us decided to get some chicken strips to have for lunch at the Pecos River Bridge. After everyone was gassed up and had their lunch packed we were back on the road headed east. We rode to the Pecos River Bridge Overlook where we stopped and had lunch. The weather was great, virtually no wind, but it was cold. It was a quick lunch and we were off again.

We headed to Comstock where we turned north and backtracked the route some of us took Friday. We made a couple to stops to take a break, and the weather improved, but the temperature never really increased. It was pretty much a cold ride all day. We did see some turkeys, skunks, cows, bunch of deer, and a few other critters that I probably forgot.

We arrived in Rocksprings around 4 pm and checked into the motel. Our boy wonder was there, and it appeared the couple of hours sleep he got, made him one with the world again. After a couple of drinks we ate at a local restaurant where the food turned out to be OK. We then returned to our rooms, had a nightcap, and called it a night.

Tomorrow the weather doesn't look to good, so were taking a direct route back to Houston.

BBFO 2010

2010-02-01T19:55:00.000-06:00

Day 4 - Sunday - January 31, 2010

Today the group went in two different directions. Yesterday we all planned to do the River Road, but this morning Doug informed us that he planned to hang around Fort Davis today and visit the fort. I gave this some thought, and for years I have passed of this historical fort and have never stopped to visit it. I made a major decision, I was also going to hang around Fort Davis and visit the fort. Dan and John also decided to do the same thing. The rest of the group continued on with their plan to ride the River Road.

We all had breakfast together at a local restaurant. The meal was good, though as expected expensive. The best part was the joke we played on Gary. Gary has a passion for grape jelly and toast at breakfast. Gary arrived at the restaurant a little after the rest of us, so that gave us time to arrange with the waitress to have here tell Gary they were out of grape jelly. The rest of us ordered grape jelly and we would spring it on him at the end of breakfast.

The waitress did an excellent job. The setup was classic and all we had to do was wait. Just as Gary was finishing breakfast I asked Jeff who was sitting at the same table as Gary if he wanted my grape jelly. Gary's head sprung up like it was on springs. He said the waitress said they were out of grape jelly. I told Gary that they wasn't out and in fact I had some. Gary at first didn't believe me and started arguing that I was just kidding. I bet him breakfast that I had grape jelly, but I guess Gary knows me to well, he was not foolish enough to bet. In the end we gave him the grape jelly. This may not seem funny to outsiders reading this, but for us in the group it was funny as hell.

After breakfast the other group headed south and we went back to the motel for few minutes until the fort opened. When we arrived at the fort we were about the only visitors there. It was interesting and you got to see how they lived in the late 1800's.

This is a picture of Doug marching to the bugle.

After we finished touring the fort we decided to go up to Davis Mountain State Park and check out the scenic views. This park is located about 3 or 4 miles outside of the Fort Davis, and it sits on top of what I guess you could call a mountain. The scenic views areas overlook the town of Fort Davis and surrounding area. It was really worth the trip up there.

After checking out the scenic views we decided to eat lunch in the Indian Lodge at the park. They had a buffet that consisted of chicken breast in reduced red wine sauce or stuffed bell peppers. They had several choices of sides and cake for desert. It was pretty darn good, and of course we all ate to much.

After lunch we returned to the motel and we all decided to take a afternoon nap, which led into evening. The rest of the group started showing up around 5, so it was time to break out the evening toddies. Some of us controlled ourselves, but there were a couple that didn't know when to quit. Since I am writing this report on the following day, I know for a fact that one had to head straight to the motel on Monday to get some additional rest. I wonder who that was. It was not me.

Tomorrow some of the group will head to Houston, the rest of us are heading to Rocksprings.

BBFO 2010

2010-01-31T03:33:00.000-06:00

Day 3 - Saturday - January 30, 2010

The day started early with breakfast at a local restaurant where arrangements were made last night for them to open early to feed us. The restaurant normally doesn't open until 11:00 am, but when we inquired at the motel where 14 or so guys can eat in the morning, he called the owner of the restaurant and she said she would open for a large group. Sounded like a good idea, and I guess for being in such a small town in a out of the way place it worked out fairly well.

We all met at the restaurant at 7:30 am, and as promised the doors were open. The menu was scrambled eggs, sausage, pancakes, hash browns, and toast. No substitutions were allowed. All for a nice $11.00. Though expensive for small portions, it really worked out well for such a large group.

After breakfast we headed west on Highway 90 towards Marathon. We made a quick stop in Marathon for some to top off their tanks, since it would be a fairly long distance until we saw gas again. We then headed south on US 385 towards the park. We decided to do the Black Gap before going into the park. This is a thirty mile FM Road that dead ends at the Rio Grande. The FM road is 2627 and is a very scenic road. I really enjoy riding this road when I get the chance.

When we arrived at the end, we took a short break and then headed back to 385. We then headed south into the park. I love this park, it is one of the most scenic parks I have ever visited, but the 45 mph speed limit is a killer. We stopped at the park headquarters (Panther Junction) and took a short break. There we decided to have lunch in Study Butte. We headed there and after taking on some much needed gas we had lunch at the Study Butte Store.

After lunch part of the group decided to run down the River Road, and the rest of the group decided to head north on 118 to the motel. I was in the group that decided to head to the motel. We plan on doing the River Road tomorrow.

It was a nice ride of 118. We stopped at a picnic area for a break, and then continued on to Alpine and then Fort Davis. After we checked into the motel, we found out they didn't have any ice. This was a big pain in the arse, since most of us enjoy having after ride drinks. A quick trip was made to the store and a couple of bags of ice were acquired.

Everyone pretty much did their own thing for dinner. Dick and I heated up some sausage we brought while others went to the local restaurant. Around 9:00 pm I ran the group out of my room and went to bed.

The weather today was about as perfect at it can get. It started cold but warmed up nicely later on. The only mishap today was when Doug hit a rock that knocked his center stand spring off. Though we couldn't replace the spring, a quick fix was made with some quick ties, and he will be able to make it home with only a minor inconvenience.

Tomorrow we do the River Road

BBFO 2010

2010-01-30T21:24:00.000-06:00

Day 2 - Friday - January 29, 2010

We woke up to a cold wet morning. The temperature really dropped overnight, and thunder storms rolled through for most of it. No matter, I slept like a baby.

We decided to eat breakfast at a restaurant that is located across the street from the motel. It was not much of a decision since it was till raining, and none of us really wanted to leave in the rain. We have eaten at this restaurant a number of times and as usually it was pretty good. It is a family owned restaurant and we have had the same waitress for several years. I guess we are spending to much time in Camp Wood because she actually remembered us.

By 8:00 am the rain had stopped, but it was still pretty wet. We decided to head out anyway, but with the temperature in the mid thirties, it promised to be a cold one. I was able to get a hold of BrIan on the phone and found out they were in Schulenberg eating breakfast.

We headed out of town on Highway 55 north towards Rock Springs. We need to top off our tanks in Rock Springs, because between there and Comstock there is no gas. It was a casual ride, but it was, as expected, a cold ride. At the end of 55 we turned onto a FM 189 and headed towards Juno. Juno is listed on the town as a map, but don’t be fooled, the only thing there is a couple of run down houses, and I’m not even sure anyone is even living in them.

We did stop on 189 and took a break, there wasn’t really any place to pull over, so we just stopped along the side of the road. The boys had to get rid of their coffee if you know what I mean. The entire time we were there not one single car passed by. This is what I love about West Texas, the desolation and lack of populace make for a very enjoyable ride.

It was still cold after the break, and my electrics were running on high. This is deer country, and of course I was on the lookout for them, and to no surprise I saw a couple. I think they were the scouting party trying to get my location to let their kin folks in the Big Bend know I am headed that way. One of the deer was on the side of the road, and as I approached he/she looked up and me and just stared. When I was about 50 feet way, he/she then decided to head off into the brush.. Just one more bold deer in West Texas.

When we reached FM 163 we turned south towards Comstock.. It was till cold, but it had turn sunny and was working out to be a beautiful day We took another break at a historical marker on 163, but it was still too cold to sit around. We continued south on 163 and arrived in Comstock around noon time.

Our original plan was to eat lunch at the Pecos River Bridge, but it was still pretty cold and the wind was really blowing, so we decided eat at a restaurant in Comstock. This is unusual because there is usually not a open restaurant in this small town. The meal turned out to be pretty good, I had the Hamburger Steak, that’s a shocker, and everyone else had the daily special which was Chicken and Dumplings. They all said it was pretty good to.

While at lunch I was able to contact BrIan again and found out they were in Uvalde. That put them about a 100 miles behind us, so it will still be some time before they caught us. After lunch we decided to head down to Langtry, which is Judge Roy Beans, Law West of the Pecos, place and wait for them there.

Side not to mom, you will remember this place, or maybe you won’t, this is where you saddled up next to the bar on our Grand Canyon trip.

We pulled out the chairs and there we waited for a couple of hours for the other group to arrive. The day was beautiful, but is was still on the cool and windy side. The boys arrived around 3:15, and after some small talk we headed to Sanderson.

Once in Sanderson we checked into the motel, and for the most part it was toddy time. We were still waiting for some other to arrive which they did in groups of two’s and three’s. When it came to dinner time everyone sorted did their own thing, Dick and cooked some sausage that we brought along, some other went down to the local restaurant, while some ordered some delivery pizza, and a couple even went across the street to the truck stop and got a burger.

After our respected dinners, we were all pretty tired, so after another drink or two we headed to our rooms. It was to cold to sit outside any way.

Tomorrow we head down into t he park.

Sorry for no pictures, but I have some crappy internet connections, so I will try to add some in later.

BBFO 2010

2010-01-29T06:01:00.000-06:00

Day 1 - Thursday - January 28, 2010

The trip started with John and I meeting at the Exxon Station located at Highway 59 and South Dairy Ashford. I arrived there before John, so I had time to top off my tank and get some ice for the cooler.. John arrived a short time later, and by 6:50 am we were on the road heading south on 59.

Our plan is to head south on 59 to the spur, jump up to US Highway 90-A and then head west to Eagle Lake. From there we would take FM 102 up to Columbus where we will meet Dick, Ben and Jeff for breakfast a Schobles.

We arrived at Schobles just after 8am and the other three were there waiting on us. We sat down to a great breakfast,. I had an Western omelet and it was good.

After breakfast we headed west on I-10 for about 20 miles then we dropped down to FM 532 which we took to Gonzales. At Gonzales we took a break and gassed up the bikes and took a good look at the sky. It didn’t look good. We knew we would probably would get wet on this day, and we were right.

After leaving Gonzales, we took several roads that led around San Antonio to the south. The main one was 97. We played hit and miss with the rain, but all in all it wasn’t to bad. The highlight of the day came when we came upon about 2 or 3 miles of road construction. This was all dirt and because of the rain it was all mud. Everyone slipped and slided through but afterward the bikes were a mess. We headed to Uvalde where we stopped at some BBQ Grill and had lunch. Everyone had the 99 cent sandwich, and I for once ordered healthy and got the salad. I should have gotten the sandwich, the salad sucked.

After lunch we went to the local self car washed and hosed off the bikes. They are not clean, but at least he mud is knocked off. We then headed to Camp Wood where we checked into the motel.

After a drink (or two) we went to Sisters Restaurant and had dinner. It wasn’t bad, most of us had the special which was Chicken Fried Steak.

After dinner we returned to the motel, had another drink (or two) and then retired.

BBFO

2010-01-27T15:21:00.000-06:00

January 27, 2010 : BBFO 2010 : Introduction

Well, it's time for the next trip. From Thursday 01-28-10 to Tuesday 02-02-10 a group of us will ride out to the Big Bend Country of TeXas.

I have done this trip in January for more than twenty straight years. I tend to loose count but I think this is the 24th year. The group is usually small, but once in a decade or so, the group grows a bit. This year there are approximately 16 of us going. Some for the first time. I bet it's going to be fun.

One thing you can expect on this trip is COLD weather. It's not a possibility, but a fact. The mornings will usually start in the 20 degree range and it might hit the upper 50s or into the low 60s by lunch.

We are leaving and returning on two different days. For the most part the retired folks are leaving on Thursday, and the working stiffs are leaving on Friday. Friday night we will meet in Sanderson, TeXas. Most will be returning on Monday, but us unemployed folks will return on Tuesday.

We all will be on bikes of all different makes and models. I am looking forward to some great riding.

I should have internet each night, so I will try to post a blog daily. For those not in the know, BBFO stands for Big Bend Freeze Out.

Fred

Go West Old Man (Day 12)

2010-01-23T06:26:00.000-06:00

Saturday - October 17, 2009 - Day 12

I guess it been a while since I have visited my Blog, and when I did I realized that I have not finished the trip. Well, it's time to do that.

Day 12 started fairly early, and we headed for Kerrville where we would meet some of my BMW friends who were in the Hill Country for the weekend. I don't think we ever found a place for breakfast, but we did stop for lunch in Rock Springs.

We ate at a restaurant I have eaten at a couple of times before and it was great. While we were eating my BMW friends showed up and we sat around talking for a while, but they were ready to continue on with their day ride. Doug and I decided to head directly to the motel.

We arrived at the motel around 3:00 and checked in. After dinner at the motel's restaurant we hung around the BMW crowd until around 11:00 pm. There was some consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Sunday morning we were up early and headed home. The ride home was direct and uneventful.

It was a great trip, we both will be looking forward to it next year.

Go West Old Man (Day 11)

2009-10-16T19:27:00.001-05:00

Friday - October 16, 2009 - Day 11

What a great day. It started with a dark ride to Marfa for breakfast. We ate in a little hole in the wall named Alice Cafe. Boy did I change my old habits. I had ham and eggs with tortillas. They were great. After breakfast we headed south on 67 to Presidio where we picked up 170 and rode the River Road to Terlingua. The River Road was as green as I have ever seen it. They must have had a bunch of rain recently.

We noticed a bunch of motorcycles, and we later learned that they are having some rally this weekend. Something named Ride the Trails.

We drove through Big Bend National Park and headed up to Marathon. In Marathon we stopped and ate at another hole in the wall restaurant named Johnny B's. Doug and I both had the Mexican Hamburger and they were great. After lunch we drove the short distance to Sanderson where we called it a night. All in all it was a great day.

Here are some shots on Highway 67.

Here are some pictures from yesterday that I could not get to upload last night.

Tomorrow we head to Kerrville to meet up with some BMW friends.

Go West Old Man (Day 10)

2009-10-15T19:56:00.001-05:00

Thursday - October 15, 2009 - Day 10

Were back in Texas. We left Alamogordo around 7 in the morning after having a great breakfast at the Alamo Grill. I did take a chance and had something different. I knew it was risky, but it just had to be done. I had ham and eggs with BISCUITS.

It was a balmy 65 degrees when we left, but by the time we arrived in Cloudcroft it was 38 degrees. We stopped for a short break at a road side park after we came out of the mountains, and then headed into Artesia, NM where we topped off the tanks and purchased a few items from the local grocery store. We left Artesia dnd headed to Carlsbad where Doug and I somehow got seperated. It took us a few minutes to find each other, and that was only after we talked on the cell phones. He was on one highway and I was on anothers.

Once we found each other we headed south on 160 towards Guadalupe Mountain. Just after the state line we turned east on 652 and cut back over to 285. This was a very scenic road. The only problem was it was very straight. We stayed on 285 to Pecos where we picked up 17 into Fort Davis, TX. We did stop for lunch at a restaurant in Orla, TX. We had a great lunch of chopped beef steak, mashed potatos and corn. It was topped off with a piece of white cake with cherry bits and cream cheese frosting.
We arrved in Fort Davis around 4:30 and checked into the motel.

Tomorrow we head for Sanderson via the River Road and Big Bend National Park.

Sorry, no pictures this post because for some reason they will not upload. I'll try to put them in tomorrow.

Go West Old Man (Day 9)

2009-10-14T17:56:00.000-05:00

Wednesday - October 14, 2009 - Day 9

Today is mostly and transit day which has us heading back in the direction of Houston. We headed south on 160 and stopped for breakfast in Alma, NM, at the (don't be surprised) Alma Cafe. Yes Bryan, I mean Brian, I did change is up a bit today. I had Ham and EGGS, but with green chili peppers in the hash browns.

We stopped in Silver City, NM for a break so Doug could tour the local Quilt Shop. Don't ask. What's embarrassing is I went in with him and looked around.

We took 152 out of Silver City, and then south on 27 and east on 26 to the interstate. A quick 40 miles to Las Cruces, and then 70 over to Alamogordo. We checked into a great motel. By far the best one on the trip.

Tomorrow we head for Fort Davis, TX.

Here are a couple of pictures I took along the way.

Go West Old Man (Day 7 - 8)

2009-10-14T17:45:00.001-05:00

Monday - October 12, 2009 - Day 7

Happy Birthday Mom.....

The day started out like every other day, except we decided to head down the road for breakfast. This is view we had as we pulled out.

We stopped for breakfast in Tuba City on the Navajo Reservation. We decided to eat at a place called Kate's Cafe. Guess what? I had eggs and ham.

After breakfast we headed east across the Navajo Reservation on 264. We turned south on 87 and then cut acrossed to 77 on Tribal Road 15. We stopped and gassed up at a fancy truck stop near Holbrook, AZ. This place even had a Chapel in it. We then took 180 and stayed with it to Alpine. Here are some views we saw along the way.

Think there is room to stretch your legs here?

Tuesday - October 13, 2009, Day 8

We are staying in Alpine, AZ for two nights. Today we plan to do a loop down 180, across 78 to 191, and then up the Devils Highway back to Alpine. Not a lot of pictures today, but the weather was great the and scenery perfect.

Here is the view from our motel room door.

Tomorrow we head to Alamogordo, NM

Go West Old Man (UPDATE)

2009-10-12T17:05:00.000-05:00

For the last several nights our internet connection is crap. Sunday night we were in Marble Canyon, AZ. Tonight (Monday) we are in Alpine, AZ. We plan to spend two nights here. Hopefully we will have a better internet connection on Wednesday night so I can do some updates.

Sorry

Go West Old Man (Day 6)

2009-10-11T21:46:00.001-05:00

Sunday - October 11, 2009 - Day 6

The day started out as usual. We had breakfast at the restaurant attached to the motel, and it was the same old grind of ham and eggs. We pulled out of the parking lot at daylight, and this was our view.

We stopped in Cedar City, UT and gassed up and then headed east on Highway 14 towards Cedar Breaks National Park. Below are the views that we had
.

Resting our trusty steeds.

Cedar Breaks National Park near the visitor center.

We left Utah and went by the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, of course we didn't stop since we have seen it a number of times. We stopped for the night in Marble Canyon, AZ at the Marble Canyon Lodge. We had an over priced hamburger steak for dinner, but the service was good. The meal was actually good, just a bit, no I mean a lot over priced.

Tomorrow we head to Alpine, AZ. Won't be an exciting day since we are driving through the Navajo Reservation.

Go West Old Man (Day 5)

2009-10-10T20:21:00.001-05:00

Friday - October 10, 2009 - Day 5

Our day started the same as it has for the last four days. Up at 5:30, but this time there was a restaurant next door. I had the usual for breakfast, of course ham and eggs. We hit the road as the sun was coming up, and this is what greeted us.

We headed west on I-70. On the map this shows to be a scenic road, and I tell you what, it is. I think it is more scenic than I-70 in Colorado.

We turned north on Highway 10 and headed to Highway 31. What a road. The scenery was great, here is an example of what we saw.

We then took a road that Doug found on the map. Were not sure what the name is, but its a National Parks road that goes around MT. Nebo. What a great find. Here are some examples.

We ended up stopping for the night in Delta, UT. Not sure where we are going tomorrow, we are still discussing it.

Go West Old Man (Day 4)

2009-10-09T19:09:00.001-05:00

October 9, 2009 - Friday - Day 4

Our day started early, dark and cold. Not really early, we got up at the normal time of 5:30 AM. It was still dark, but there was no place to eat in town, so we decided to head down the road to see what we could find. The city of Bluff, Utah was about 20 miles down the road, and we came upon the Twin Rocks Cafe. It was open, so we stopped.

The view from this restaurant was great. The breakfast was not bad either, but they did have the tourist prices. Below is a picture of the front of the cafe.

We headed toward Blanding, UT and the scenery was great, so were the deer. They had hugh signs stating to watch out for the deer, and they were correct, there were a few out looking for Fred.

This was taken at a wide spot in the road. Just an example of what we were seeing.

We arrived at Arches Nation Park around 10:30 AM. It was still cool but sunny. We stopped at the visitors center for a break, and found it did not really have much to offer. We then headed into the park.

Below are examples of what we saw.

Balance Rock

General view of the area.

Some arch, but I don't remember its name.

After leaving the park we stopped for lunch at some hole in the wall at the intersection of I-70 and US 191. We decided to eat at PAPA's Joes, home of the world famous chili cheese burger.

Of course we had the famous chili cheese burger.

It was all right, but not world famous.

We then headed into Green River, UT and checked in to the Knights Inn.

Tomorrow we head for Delta, UT

Go West Old Man (Day 3)

2009-10-08T21:22:00.001-05:00

Thursday - October 8, 2009
We slept in today, we didn't get up until 5:30 AM. After loading the bikes we headed for breakfast at the El Camino Family Restaurant. Breakfast was pretty good. I had the standard ham and eggs, while Doug tried the biscuits and gravy.

After breakfast we headed west on 60, and from the start the scenery was great. Typical New Mexico terrain. We did make a short stop at the Radio Observatory.

We then meandered our way north and west. I didn't keep up with all the roads, but we were generally heading to Gallup, NM.

We arrived in Gallup around lunch time, so we stopped at, you guessed it, Dairy Queen. It was noon and we were the only ones in there. We asked the clerk where the crowd was, and he told us it normally doesn't start until 2 PM. Guess they eat late in Gallup.

We entered the Navajo Reservation and made a stop at the Hubbell Trading Post.

We found out the National Historical Site Hubbell Trading Post is nothing more than a store and a small visitor center. Bottom line a tourist trap.

After leaving the trading post we headed to Mexican Hat, UT. This is what we saw.

We arrived in Mexican Hat around 4:30 local time. This is the view from the door of our room.

For dinner we went to the Swing Steak Restaurant, which Doug and I have seen spotlighted on the Food Network. Their signature steak is an 18 ounce Rib Eye cooked on a swing grill over cedar.

It was a good steak, but I have had a lot better.

Tomorrow we head to Arches Nation Park, and then to Green River, UT for the night.

Go West Old Man

2009-10-07T20:50:00.001-05:00

Wednesday - October 7, 2009 - Day 2

The day started early, which was around 6:20 AM. It was still dark, so we decided to find a service station to top off the tanks, and then find a breakfast place. We ended up at the TA Service Center which had a breakfast buffet. It was a pretty decent for the price.

We headed out as the sun was coming up, well, that's not really true, we headed out as it was getting light. It was very cool, overcast, with a threat of rain. We headed north on 87 to Lamesa and then turned west on 180 to Seminole. We stopped for a short break, and then continued on. There was not much to see, this area is all farm land or oil fields.

At Seminole we turned north on 214 to Plains, where we turned west on 380 to Roswell. We did stop in Tatum, NM for gas, but that was about it. In Roswell we visited the local Harley Davidson Dealership. Won't explain why, but we did.

Want to know what the area was like?

Exactly the same in all four directions.

We ended up on Highway 70 and arrived in Rudidoso, NM around lunch time. We planned on having a light lunch, so we would have room for the green chili cheeseburger tonight. Well this was our light lunch.

Needless to say our dinner plans were shot to hell.

After lunch we headed out on Highway 48 to Captaan (sp). We then headed west again on 380. The scenery really improved on this section of the highway.

The pictures were taken at a small picnic area.

We then headed in to Socorro, NM where we checked in to the Days Inn. Doug decided to skip dinner, but I walked down to the local grocery store and purchased a small sandwich. Couldn't eat the whole thing.

Tomorrow we head to Mexican Hat, UT.

Go West Old Man

2009-10-06T19:27:00.001-05:00

Tuesday - 10/06/09 - Day One

The day started early, at least for me it did. I woke up around 1:00 AM, so I decided to go ahead get ready. I finished loading the bike, played on the computer, took a shower, and by that time it was time to go. I mounted my trusted steed and away into the night I went. I arrived at the Chevron Station, where I was to meet Doug, my partner in crime for this trip, at around 5:15 AM. I gassed up and purchased a couple of drinks, and by that time Doug had arrived. We departed the station around 5:25 AM.

We took Highway 36 to I-10, and then headed west on I-10 to Columbus, Texas. We planned to stop in Columbus to have breakfast, and that is what we did. We went to Beckey's Restaurant where we had an excellent breakfast. I forgot to take a before picture, here is an after picture.

To fill you in, it started with two eggs, two sausage, two bacon, hash browns, and grits, with toast. It was excellent for $6.78.

After breakfast it was getting light, so we headed west on Highway 71 towards Austin. It was a bit warm, and extremely muggy. We made it though Austin, and stopped for gas. After taking a short break we continued on 71 and some where down the line we ended up on Highway 87. No sure where we picked it up, and the GPS told us to go that way.

We stopped for lunch, around noon, in Eden, Texas. We decided to eat at a dive named Morocco Cafe. Don't think its a dive?

What caught our attention was the sign outside that stated the lunch special was Hamburger Steak for $5.99. Can't go wrong there. This time I got the before picture, if you want an after picture scroll up.

Lunch was excellent, and the bill including drink was $6.74.

After lunch we went outside and to our surprise there was significant signs of rain ahead. We headed out and found out the signs were correct. Within five miles after leaving Eden, the temperature dropped 26 degrees. Then it started raining. We made it to San Angelo where we gassed up and waited out the rain for a bit. We then continued on with plans to stop for the night in Sterling City. Don't plan on stoppin the Sterling City because there are no motels. What to do? We did what must be done, we continued on.

We made it to Big Springs where we checked into the Days Inn. Happens it is located right next door to, you guessed it, a WalMart. We unloaded the bikes, had a drink, and then you guessed it, we went to WalMart. After our shopping trip we stopped at the Furrs Restaurant, also located right next to the motel. We had an excellent buffet dinner for a whopping $10.91. After dinner we crawled across the parking lot to our room.

Tomorrow we plan on making to to San Antonio, NM where we will partake by having a Green Chile Cheese Burger.

Go West Old Man

2009-10-04T01:04:00.000-05:00

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Due to the death of a friends son, the departure for the trip has been delayed until Tuesday.

Go West Old Man

2009-09-28T14:09:00.000-05:00

Years ago it used to be "Go West Young Man", but now that I'm getting older it's time to change the name. Saturday, October 3, 2009, a friend and I will be heading west. It will be a casual trip, with lazy miles and hopefully scenic views.

This trip I will be going to two wheels instead of three.

I will try to blog every night, or mornings if I can get the internet connection.

Alaska Day 28

2009-07-24T05:01:00.000-05:00

A friend just emailed me and told me to finish the blog. To tell the truth, since I have been home, I just forgot. Well, here is the ending.

We left Snyder around 6:00 am. It was a dark, but starting to get light. The temperatures were in the 70's so we knew it was going to be a hot day.

We jumped on I-20 to Abilene, and as the sun came up we knew we were going to have fun. The storm clouds were coming in, and it was obvious that it was raining, and we were going to get wet.

We made it to Highway 36 before the rain started. We pulled over at a small store just south of Abilene and put on our rain suits.

NOTE TO BRIAN: If y'all come down 36 this store is about 7 miles south of Abilene. It's the first and only store after you pass the airport. I left my buddy buttler there. If you get a chance could you stop and see if by any chance they have it. I doubt that they will. Thanks.

We continued south/east on 36 in the rain. There was lightening, but it wasn't to bad. Dick broke off at Gatesville to head to his house, and I continued down 36. The clouds broke and that is when it really started to get hot. By the time I arrived home around 2:00 pm, it was 98 degrees and about 120% humidity. Nice to be home.

The trip was great, I'm glade I had the chance to go.

THE END

Alaska Day 27

2009-07-21T01:42:00.000-05:00

Today SUCKED!!!!!! There is no other way to describe today. We pulled out of the motel in Walsenburg around 6:00 am and headed for Raton. At Raton we stopped and had breakfast with some lousy service. The food wasn't bad though. That was the highlight of the day.

From Raton we headed east on 64, which turns into 87 on the Texas side. At Dumas we headed south on 287 towards Amarillo. Once we arrived at Amarillo we picked up I-27 and continued south to Lubbock. At Lubbock we then headed south/east on 84.

It was hot, straight and boring. The temperature topped 100 degrees. Once we reached Snyder we called it a day. That should make a fairly easy day tomorrow to get home. The distance should be about 400 miles, and with an early start we both should be at our respective houses before the brunt of the afternoon heat.

Tomorrow HOME

Alaska Day 26

2009-07-20T04:05:00.000-05:00

We made it to Walsenburg, but without the trailer (LOL). We left Rangley bright and early knowing it would be a slow day since we planned on running Highway 50 through Colorado. Highway 50 is very scenic, but every tourist in Colorado will be there with their RV, plus add the local Sunday crowd, and you can plan on a very slow day.

It was light when we left, but still a bit on the dark side. We headed for Grand Junction on 139, which is about a 80 mile drive. Our plan was to have breakfast once we arrived at Grand Junction. As we turned onto 139 just outside of Rangley, I told Dick I was going to run fairly slow due to deer. I have ridden this road many times over the years, and I know it is loaded with my favorite critter. About that time, guess what, one of my fan club was standing on the side of the road. One thing I can say about Colorado deer, they don't seem to be as skiddish as Texas deer. He/she just stood on the side of the road and watched us go by.

Didn't see any deer the rest of the way, but we did run through some open range and had to deal with some cows on the road. Most of the time this is not a problem, but at one location we got between a momma and her baby, and momma got a bit upset with us. It all worked out they were reunited and we suffered no damage.

We arrived in Grand Junction around 7:30 am. I spotted a Golden Corral with a buffet breakfast, so we decided to donate our money to their cause. The breakfast was great, but when we came out Dick informed me the trailer was going no farther. We checked the wheel, and it was obvious it has gotten worse and would not make it home.

We checked out the local stores looking for a small trailer to put his trailer on, but we didn't have any luck finding one. We did find one at a trailer place, but it was closed on Sunday. Our last option was to put his trailer in storage and return to pick it up at a later date. That is what we did. It's going to cost Dick a wopping $12.00 to leave it there a month. I guess I will be returning to Grand Junction with Dick in a couple of weeks to pick it up.

We left Grand Junction and continued on Highway 50. We gassed up at Montrose and continued on. The traffic was bad, I mean really bad. After we passed through Gunnison we noticed Highway 114. This is one of the few paved roads I have not ridden in Colorado. Like the Flaming Gorge, I have ridden around it but never on it. We decided to take it and check it out. I can again kick myself in the arse for never riding this road. What a great road, curves, mountains and summits. What more could you ask for.

Around 4 we arrived in Walsenburg, even after our two hour delay in Grand Junction. We check into the Anchor Motel, which turned out to be a nice place at a great price. We ate at the local Mexican Restaurant down the street, which turned out to be just OK.

Tomorrow we plan to make it somewhere past Lubbock. We will see how it turns out.

Alaska Day 25

2009-07-19T19:45:00.000-05:00

We pulled out of Idaho Falls bright and early, well not so bright, but it was early, well not really early, just at our normal starting time. It used to get light at 4 in the morning, but now its not getting light until around 6. We decided to hook it down I-15 for about 70 miles to McCammon, ID. We then headed east on 30 towards Green River.

The ride on 30 was very scenic. The temperatures were cool and the roads were good. Saw a few of my favorite critters, but other than missing a turn, the ride to Green River was pretty uneventfull. Once we arrived at Green River we gassed us and Dick decided to take a closer look at his wheel bearing. It didn't look good, and our options were few, so we decided to continue on.

From Green River we headed down 530 through the Flaming Gorge Rec. Area. I have bypassed this road many a times, and now I regret ever doing that. This is one hell of a scenic road. It is a must if you are ever in the area.

From there we headed down 191 to Vernal, UT and then over to Rangley, CO. This is where we planned to stay the night. It was hot when we arrived, and I do mean hot. We checked into an overpriced motel, and ate at the Subway next door.

It was a great day of riding. Not sure what to do about Dick's trailer, but well work it out some how.

Tomorrow we plan to get to Walsenburg, CO. We will see if that plans out.

Alaska Day 24

2009-07-18T02:25:00.000-05:00

The day of events. That what today was. First I decided to do some wash before we left. The washer was OK, but the dryer was a piece of crap. Took over an hour for thing to dry, so we didn't hit the road until 7:00 am.

The second event was when I lost my cooler on I-90. Once again, I forgot to strap down my cooler, so if your looking for a slightly used red and white cooler with some banged up cokes, then check I-90 just west of Missoula, MT. We didn't even bother to turn around, when I saw it sliding down the freeway I knew it was a lost cause.

At Missoula we turned south on 93. What a scenic road. We just cruised down the road dodging deer and other critters. We stopped at a rest area, and that is when the third event took place. Dick found that one of his trailer bearings is not in good shape. We went on down the road, but the only solution we found was to keep going. The wheel is rolling straight and the wheel is not getting hot, so he is going to try and limp it home.

We entered Idaho again and headed for Idaho Falls. The drive was fantastic with mountains on both sides, and a running river next to us. We just cruised along not having a care in the world except for a lost cooler, crappy dryer, and a bad bearing.

We checked into a motel in Idaho Falls around 3:00 pm. Tomorrow we plan to make it to Rangley, CO or possibly Grand Junction. We will see how it works out.

Alaska Day 23

2009-07-16T19:50:00.000-05:00

Our start time was the same today. We were on the road by 6 heading to the Coulee Dam. I think I misspelled that in my previous post. We reached the dam after about an hour or so of riding. We stopped and took a few pictures, but this dam is no where near as impressive as the Hoover dam.

We had breakfast at some restaurant near the dam. I don't remember it's name, but it was nothing that needs to be remembered anyway. After breakfast we headed to Spokane where we replaced my front tire. The folks at Allsports were great, and I even got a discount on the tire for some reason.

After we finished with the tire we headed east on I-90 for a short distance, but it started getting hot, so we decided to call it a day in St. Regis, MT. We checked into the local Super 8 and had dinner at some hamburger joint. The burger did its job, I'm not going to bed hungry.

Tomorrow we head south, not sure where we will end up.

Alaska Day 22

2009-07-15T19:12:00.000-05:00

Today we try and make it down to the lower 48. We were on the road by 6:00 am, heading south. We decided to eat breakfast at some town I can't pronounce, or even spell, but it is about 40 miles south of Williams Lake. We gassed up first and then went to the local restaurant. The attendant at the station says it is a great place to eat, but then again we found out later her parents own the place.

Turns out it was the best breakfast I have had in Canada. To make matters even better, it was the biggest bargain. Three meats, three eggs, pan fried potatoes, and toast with a Ginger Ale for $10.00. Couldn't beat that deal with a stick.

After breakfast we headed south on Highway 97. The ride was scenic but what surprised me was the change in vegetation. We went from lush forest to arid conditions in within a couple of miles. Of course the temperatures started to rise with the change of conditions.

Our goal was to get to the lower 48, and we did make it. We crossed the boarder around 2:00 pm and by 3 we were in a motel in Tonasket, Washington. By 3:30 we were eating lunch with fresh brewed tea and free refills. It's good to be back in ones own country.

Tomorrow we head to
Spokane via Cooley Dam to get a front tire for my bike. Not sure how far we will make it tomorrow, but be assured we will have fresh brewed tea and free refills.

Alaska Day 21

2009-07-15T18:20:00.000-05:00

Woke up and saw that it was raining. Crap, that's no way to start a day, but none the less we will still have to hit the road. I heard a bike start and leave around 5:30 am and thought it was another rider that was staying at the motel. Turns out it was Jerry, it appears he decided to leave early for home. Don't know why, but I guess he has his reasons.

All suited up and ready for the rain we pulled out somewhere around 6:45 am. Since it was raining where we were at, and it looked like it might not be in the direction we were going, we decided to go down the road a ways before breakfast. We ended up stopping in a restaurant in Frazier and breakfast turned out to be pretty good. After breakfast we hit the road again for Prince George. Along the way John realized that he didn't have any brake lights. We stopped to check it out, but couldn't find the problem on the side of the road. I think he will be working on that problem later tonight.

We arrived at Prince George and stopped for gas and to say our goodbyes. John and Brian will head east while Dick and myself will head south. Dick and I are going to stay in Williams Lake where I plan to visit a friend. The ride to Williams Lake was not big deal, but we did have a lot of construction. Before arriving we did stop for lunch at McDonalds in some unknown named town.

We arrived in Williams Lake around 3:00 pm and checked into the Lakeside Motel. It is properly named as all you can see is the lake side and not the lake view. If they cut down a few trees, I think the view would be fantastic.

Dick and I plan on crossing into the lower 48 tomorrow. My front tire has gone to crap so I contacted a dealer in Spokane, Washington to arrange to get a new tire. Turns out the news was not as bad as I expected. I really expected to get raped by buying a tire on the road, as I have in the past, but the tire price is a bit higher than I would pay at home, the mounting and balancing of the tire is free. Dick and I will remove the tire from the bike, and I have spoken to the service manager, who stated that he will mount the tire right a way. If everything goes right we should be there more than an hour.

Dick and I started planning our route back home. We plan to keep to the back roads as much as possible. I looking forward to getting back to the lower 48, where brewed ice tea can be found everywhere.