Saturday Flat-Landing it...

August 29, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

As seems to be the rule this year, we had to check our unpredictable weather and decide which day would be best for a ride this weekend. Since a cold front is due in tomorrow and the weather man says there's a better chance of rain at that time, we chose today. Tim has to work one day of the weekend so that will be tomorrow.

We rolled out of the neighborhood about mid-morning. Sometimes working night shift we get a late start. We were thinking: ride south and west - let's do Mount Evans today - maybe ride peak-to-peak on the way back. Mount Evans sits just west of Denver not far off I-70. It's a favorite drive and picnic spot for us - we have yet to make it on the motorcycle. As it turns out, we'll have to wait a while longer. We rode far enough out to get a view of the horizon and knew a mountain ride was not going to happen today. The mountains were almost obscured by low, dark clouds.

So... today was a flat land day. After about an hour of cruising around, we stopped at the CB Shop next to Johnson's Corner on I-25 to browse through the leathers and other motorcycle accessories. At the stop sign, waiting to turn on the access road we saw an older gent ride by on a nice H-D Ultra. We caught up with him at the CB Shop. If he's missing any chrome to go on his ride, we couldn't tell what piece that might be. Like many biker stops, the parking lot of the CB Shop is sort of an informal social circle, meaning, there's always someone ready to strike up a conversation and I'm not talking about weather chat. I'm talking motorcycles and then maybe the weather as it pertains to riding. Ha!

We met Don P, dressed in classic white western shirt and cowboy boots, from Fort Lupton as we talked with a couple of other riders and admired the bikes. Don P is an energetic 77. He's ridden all over the country on a Gold Wing in the past but now he's a Harley Man and has been for a few years. He says they sound better. He was on his way to Fort Collins where he planned to stop in at Unique Rides. Unique Rides on Mulberry Street is in the business of trike conversions. Don P says his left leg is starting to give him trouble and he may be ready to check into having his ride converted to three wheels.

Now, I've said it before - it is a sin to get that close to Johnson's Corner (across the street) and not stop in for coffee and a cinnamon roll or breakfast or pie. If you get a whiff of those rolls baking, you're a goner. Don P joined us for a longer chat over coffee and breakfast. He was an interesting fellow. We learned he'd been riding since 1973 on his own. (We were married in 71). 1973 marked the year of Don P's last divorce. Seems Don P has had a bit of trouble finding a woman that likes motorcycles and motorcycle riding as much as he does. He says he gave it up for about twenty years but decided the women (yes, there were two of them) just weren't worth it. LOL! He's ridden all over the states since then, been to Sturgis four times in recent years, including this year and is setting out for Las Vegas over Labor Day. We wished him luck with the trike conversion and safe travels before parting ways.

We rode the rural roads south and east of Fort Collins/Loveland for most of the day past corn fields and sunflower fields. Wild sunflowers lined the roads. Darker clouds started rolling over the mountains in the Loveland area late in the afternoon. We decided to call it a day and put The Ride away before we all got wet. A visit to Serious Texas BBQ and later a free PPV movie finished the day out for us.

Tomorrow The Ride goes in for 15,000 mile maintenance. Last year, about this time we had under 2000 miles to our credit... on September 6, 2008 I noted we had 2086 miles. We started out yesterday at 15,200 miles. Who woulda thunk it?

South Dakota Ride

August 24, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

We are home after a whirlwind ride through South Dakota. Here's a quick recap - detailed posts are coming as soon...

Day 1 - We rode to Hot Springs, South Dakota checked into our hotel and rode through the city of Custer and on Iron Mountain Road through one lane tunnels and around pigtail turns to see the deadheads, aka Mount Rushmore. Seeing the presidents carved into stone for the first time was memorable - but the best part was getting there and leaving there. The roads through the Black Hills are memory makers all by themselves. Afterwards, we added another deadhead to the group by visiting the Crazy Horse Memorial.

Day 1 is posted including a Mount Rushmore Mini-Movie.

Day 2 - We rode to Rapid City, Sturgis, Spearfish Canyon, Lead (pronounced Leed), and Deadwood. Deadwood Nights (a vintage car show and rally was in full swing). We rode the hills that day with classic cars coming at us around every corner. We rode Boulder Canyon back to Sturgis then Vanocker Canyon to Needles Highway and on to Hill City. The day was perfect and the roads are beyond anything we ever imagined.

The first part of Day 2 is posted including Spearfish Canyon Mini-Movie
Day 2 - continued is posted including Needle Highway Mini-Movie

Day 3 - We rode to Wall and visited the famous Wall Drug Store (great American success story) where we had five cent coffee and donuts. Finally we rode through the Badlands before turning The Ride the long way home across southern South Dakota, north western Nebraska and Wyoming.

Day 3 is posted including Badlands Ride Mini-Movie

We've added South Dakota and Nebraska to the notches on our belt - states on our map. You know me, I took lots of photos and video clips... stay tuned...


Here are some of the places we visited...
Mount Rushmore - South Dakota
Crazy Horse Memorial - South Dakota
Badlands National Park - South Dakota
Spearfish Canyon - South Dakota
Deadwood, South Dakota
Sturgis, South Dakota
Lead, South Dakota

South Dakota Ride Day 3 - The Badlands

August 23, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Sunday Morning - Hot Springs, SD. Well - pooh - It was time to head in the general direction of home. Note to self: Three days is not enough time to explore the Black Hills of South Dakota properly.

Part 1 - The ride into Wall, SD

The first leg of our journey homeward took us north (yes, north) to Rapid City again. Not too far out we rode upon a horrific accident. A mini-van pulling an enclosed trailer had rolled and flipped hard on the roof of the driver's side. We are thinking they fell asleep or ran upon deer or antelope on the highway. The state patrol advised us to ride slowly by on the shoulder. Needless to say, we hope it wasn't as bad as it looked. It was a sobering start to our morning.

Otherwise, the ride in comparison to yesterday's ride along the same route proved a bit more interesting today, but only because ominous clouds were hanging low on the horizon. We had a splattering of rain as we turned east (yes, east) on I-90 heading in the direction of the town of Wall with every intention of riding through the Badlands before turning south and west again for the long haul home to Colorado.

All along I-90 Wall Drug had erected colorful and amusing billboards and signs advertising its wares, free ice water, 5 cent coffee, homemade donuts, free coffee for veterans, free coffee for newlyweds and so on... The terrain was gently rolling hills and grassland. If one travels long enough along this sort of highway the likes of Wall Drug starts sounding like paradise. Of course we planned to stop - hot coffee and donuts sounded like a good idea.

Wall Drug is an American success story. In 1931, Dorothy and Ted Hustead purchased a drug store in Wall, South Dakota and lived in the back of the store. In the first few years, business was not what you would call brisk. In 1936, Dorothy had an idea to advertise free ice water to travelers and then soda and root beer... you get the idea. Wall Drug is now a large tourist attraction spanning almost one whole side of Main Street, with plenty of shopping (it's like a mini mall but much more fun), a restaurant that will seat 530 people, a cafe/coffee shop, a traveler's chapel, a western art collection, souvenir shop, vintage photos lining every spare inch of wall and a huge play area (known as the back yard) with a good many photo props. People still think it's fun to take photos of their children and each other sitting on a giant jackalope or buffalo or in a stage coach. The Husteads passed on in the late 1990's but the business is still run by family.

We wandered through the shops and the back yard, scanned the photograph collection, had a sip of ice water from the well that started it all, and admired the art collection and museum quality carvings and statuary including many old west characters scattered throughout. We had a couple of cups of really good, serve yourself five cent coffee and the homemade cake donuts were fresh and delicious.

Yes, even if you have no reason to be out on I-90, it's worth the drive just to experience Wall Drug and the small main street it presides over. The other side of the street is lined with small shops and a cafe or two. An Old West Wax Museum sits on the corner. Just before you head off into the Badlands, there's a Wounded Knee Museum. One could easily spend a whole day on the tiny Main Street of Wall. I was thinking the whole time, Mom would love this place.

Part 2 - Riding the Badlands and homeward bound

Unfortunately, we didn't have a whole day to spend in Wall. After topping off with gas, and putting a call in (finally got a signal!) to the Folks and chatting with Dad for a few minutes, we headed into the Badlands.

The Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway is approximately a 30 mile drive on SD 240 which cuts through the middle of breathtaking formations of Badlands National Park. The byway follows the natural contours of the Badlands escarpment (ridges and cliffs) weaving in and out of the native grasslands. There are plenty of paved pullovers and viewing platforms all along the way. We happened upon a small mountain goat at one such stop and I took a few good stills and some video clips. Friendly tourists from Indiana who had traveled by car all over the northwest offered to take our picture and we returned the favor. The ride through the park was spectacular, although the day had turned hot and windy. I took lots of photos and a few video clips.

It's impossible to describe the rugged rock formations, the myriad colors of the striations, buttes, gorges, and basins - other than to say - we understand why this area is named The Badlands. So I'll let the photos do the talking. A short slide show and a mini movie follow.

Badlands Ride – South Dakota – August 2009

We stopped at the Visitor Center before leaving the park. We cooled off and drank plenty of water while we browsed through the souvenirs and the informational dioramas. As I said, it was hot and windy so we checked the straps holding the jackets on the back of the bike and rode off down Hwy 44, across the White River to Hwy 2 and west across the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The roads were long and seemingly never ending. The hot wind howled the whole way. Settlements with little claim to modern civilization dotted the road with nothing but lots of road in between them. Life on a reservation is so very foreign from what we know.

Now, I mentioned the jackets because when we got to a stop in the road known as Sharp's Corner, we decided to check the map. No jackets. I'm guessing we had covered about 50 miles or so. We decided the straps had snapped and the jackets flew off the back. With the wind howling like it was, we did not notice. We knew it was a long-shot and we didn't much want to ride those roads again, but we rode back the way we had come and back again to Sharp's Corner before giving up the search. Ouch! Someone likely came along, saw them lying in the road and adopted a couple of slightly worn leather jackets. Not only is that a costly loss but we had many miles to go and now we would have to ride without jackets. Bummer! We stopped for gas on the reservation - the choice was regular or regular. But we had rocket fuel additive.

There was nothing to be done about it, so we rode on and on and on through the winding roads of southern South Dakota and across northwestern Nebraska, finally (and I have to add gratefully) stopping for fuel and supper at Arby's in Chadron, Nebraska. This area was supposed to be scenic but it was more of the same grasslands with a few more trees and a couple of rock outcroppings. I had put the camera away a good ways back because the sun was obscured by clouds and the lighting was bad for photos. We made the stop in Chadron a quick one as the skies ahead didn't look friendly and with clouds on the western horizon, there would be no twilight. It would be dark soon.

This time of day in this area is notorious for thunderstorms of a particularly wild n woolly nature. We pulled on our hoodies. So far, it was warm enough and for a short time, dry enough. Most of the road home out of Nebraska, into Wyoming was windy and rainy. We stopped alongside the road not too many miles out of Chadron and pulled on the rain gear. We rode in rain most of the rest of the way in. Along a mile-long stretch of I-25 in Wyoming, we encountered a slushy sleet and it turned cold. The rain gear worn over hoodies and chaps, kept us warm and dry so it wasn't as bad as it sounds. We made several stops along the way at rest areas and for coffee at a convenience store in Wheatland and again at the Flying J Truck stop in Cheyenne. By the time we reached Cheyenne we were ready to ride the 40 miles left in our journey home and get there.

We arrived home about 1:30 am, slightly damp and weary from the 672 mile ride home, at least half of that in foul weather but exhilarated by the whirlwind trip to South Dakota and back. Says Mr Tim, my numbers man - 1388 miles in three days. Will we do it again? I'm thinking you can bet on it.

Stay tuned - the next few posts will have the movies.

Wall Drug - Wall, SD
Badlands National Park - South Dakota

South Dakota Ride Day 2 (continued) - Needles Hwy

August 22, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Part 3 - Deadwood and Lead and back to Sturgis

Coming out of Spearfish Canyon we took the road (I think it was still 14A) heading into Lead (pronounced Leed) and Deadwood. This also was a fun ride, not only because of the wonderful scenery off the road but because of the classic cars we met coming around every curve. We slowed down sometimes so some of them would go around us. Add a few dozen motorcycles to the mix and well - it was downright entertaining. This was a perplexing circumstance, I had a difficult time deciding what the subject of the photo should be... haha! Decisions. Decisisons. Everyone should have that problem I guess.

We rode through the busy town of Lead then to Deadwood and back to Lead via a loop and back through Deadwood again. Both Lead and Deadwood are located in a scenic, hilly area with streets that wind around steep hills. It would be worth a trip back just to view the architecture in both towns. Lead is home to a couple of historic gold mines, the Broken Boot and the Home Stake. Both offer tours. We didn't get a very good glimpse of Deadwood's downtown - too busy. Today, both towns were packed with people. We happened to arrive during an event called Kool Deadwood Nights, a huge vintage car show and rally. Both towns had car shows going. At least, that explained all the cars touring the hills. About this time, we were looking for a place to eat and were sorry we didn't stop at the places we saw along the road before entering the towns. We rode through to the end of Deadwood where we found a traffic jam and good many more people on their way to the casinos. We decided to ride on through and take our chances in Sturgis.

Slideshow of Lead and Deadwood

Back to Sturgis via Boulder Canyon
We rode beautiful Boulder Canyon back into Sturgis, where we stopped at the Dairy Queen for burgers and ice cream. Worst DQ burger we've ever had. Yikth! Now, one reason we weren't getting off and strolling the towns is my left foot was giving me grief. All of a sudden, a knot (call it a bone spur or bunion or hell it may be a carbunkle) popped up on the side of my foot and was becoming quite painful. I had Tim cut a slit in the webbing hoping that would help relieve the pressure and not completely destroy the boot. It did help - for a little while. Afterwards, we rode back to downtown Sturgis where we shopped at Hot Leathers and a few of the t-shirt stands. On the sidewalks of Sturgis, is a brick walkway. You can purchase bricks and have them personalized with a memorial or other sentiment. Very kool.

Part 4 - Vanocker Canyon out of Sturgis to Hill City

We rode scenic Vanocker Canyon out of Sturgis heading south toward one of the other must-do items on our list. We wanted to ride Needles Highway which allegedly features tunnels, one lane bridges, hairpin curves and slender granite pinnacles stabbing the sky. Oh boy!

A few miles out of Sturgis, I had Tim pull over again because my darn foot was killing me. This time I said cut a big hole in the leather of my boot. That's right, this gimpy-footed biker chic said cut a hole in my $150 H-D boots and let's ride. He cut an X in the section of the boot that was the problem, I tried it on, said that should do and we rode on. Well, it did the trick. It looks like hell, but it's better than the alternative.

Before riding the Needles Highway we passed through the cozy town of Hill City, where we stopped for gas and a cool drink (tea). Getting there was a ride down yet another road we will never forget.

Part 5 - Needles Highway There's a reason the Black Hills are widely known as a biker mecca. I know I have mentioned what we call oh-my-god roads here in Colorado... Well, South Dakota has more than a few oh-my-god roads. It's a consensus, the Needles highway was our favorite ride this weekend with Iron Mountain Road running a hard second. Actually, it is hard to tell which one is which - who cares - just ride them. If we had more time, we would have ridden them again. The slide show follows but most of the good stuff (tunnels and so forth) is in the movie I will make of the video clips so consider it a teaser...

Needles Highway Ride – Black Hills - South Dakota – August 2009

Part 6 - The ride back to Hot Springs took us through the edge of Custer State Park. This is an easy ride through rolling green hills and grasslands where the deer and the antelope play and the buffalo roam. We saw several deer, pronghorn antelope, a few buffalo, cottontail rabbits and several wild turkey.

The sun was low in the sky when we finally arrived back at our lodging. We freshened up and walked next door to The Branding Iron Restaurant where Tim enjoyed a steak and I had shrimp, both decent dinners.

Needless to say, we were sorry to see the day end... we had so much fun, it's hard to describe it all. 282 miles of beautiful road, 4 canyons, 4 great towns, a whole day of riding the Black Hills of South Dakota - does it get any better than this?

Well, I don't know... Badlands here we come... grin.

Deadwood, South Dakota
Lead, South Dakota

South Dakota Ride Day 2 - Spearfish Canyon

August 22, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Part 1 - The ride for coffee in Sturgis
We chose to ride out this morning north toward Rapid City, mainly because Hwy 79 looked to be the quickest route to the northern Black Hills area and Sturgis. It was. Sure, I shot some photos (yawn!). Don't laugh - while the wide-open, stretched out road was great to ride, the roadscape was anything but stimulating. Let's see, we had cows, a windmill, horses on a hill and haystacks, a few barns and a great expanse of clear blue sky. The clearest sign of two-legged life we saw was oncoming traffic and that was minimal. In Rapid City, we rode the trucker by-pass to I-90 and turned west toward Sturgis without stopping.

Riding the 20 or so miles into Sturgis was quick. Spread out all along I-90 are large campgrounds and a saloon or roadhouse or two or three and billboards advertising every aspect of the rally for which Sturgis is known. We stopped at the Sturgis coffee company for a stretch and coffee. Now, you have to know Tim's hair will fall out or something if he believes he is drinking anything other than real coffee (preferably Maxwell House). Starbucks are Not US - Ha! But he good-naturedly agreed to try the standard house brew. Yeah, he grudgingly admitted - it was good coffee. Yes, it was. While we were roaming around outside and lounging on the wood benches that lined the exterior walls of the building, we watched lots of motorcycles ride by and noted the abnormal amount of classic cars out and about as well.

After coffee, we rode into the downtown area of Sturgis. It was about what we expected to see in the off-season (non-rally days). Lots of large western style bars and roadhouses, trading posts and tourist traps selling Rally shirts - cheap - line the streets. Many of the businesses appeared closed for the season. We found the Harley-Davidson dealership (Junction Ave) and browsed for a few minutes. Neither one of us are great shoppers. Besides, we thought we might return later in the day so we didn't tarry. We rode the colorful Main drag before leaving.

The Sturgis inquiry comes up often, maybe because we live within 350 miles of the rally or simply because we ride a motorcycle. I am sure most bikers hear - Did you ride to Sturgis this year? About rally-time last year, Tim was getting his motorcycle license. Rally time this year, Tim was recovering from knee surgery. So, who knows - maybe next year we will conquer our aversion to loud, rowdy crowds and traffic jams and ride through.

FYI: In 1936 J. Clarence "Pappy" Hoel bought part of Indian Motorcycles. Pappy is now considered the founder and father of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. I believe a bronze statue of Pappy's likeness is in the works and scheduled to be unveiled for the 70th annual rally in 2010. The same year, 1936, a local motorcycle club called the Jackpine Gypsies was formed. The club produced the first event which included (and, as far as I know - still does) motor-cross and hill climb events. The first rally, known as the Black Hills Motor Classic, took place in 1938 with only nine racers and a small group of spectators from biker clubs in Mitchell, Sioux Falls, Minnesota, and Colorado. This first year most visitors camped in Pappy's backyard and at Sturgis City Park. Today, the week long rally draws over 600,000 bikers and biker enthusiasts and encompasses the entire city and surrounding area.

We did indeed return later in the day so this slide show contains all Sturgis photos.

Part 2 - The ride through Spearfish Canyon

Heading west out of Sturgis on I-90 took us to one of few must-do items on our list for this trip. Usually, we just wing it. We love riding canyons. After having ridden Spearfish Canyon, we have just one thing to say -- stunning! The road is beautiful, lined with wildflowers with the rushing Spearfish Creek running alongside. This ride along Hwy 14A is about 20 miles long. We were flanked by towering limestone cliffs all along the way. We stopped a few miles in to get a better look at Bridal Veil Falls. There's another falls (Roughlock Falls) further up the canyon, but I understand it requires about a mile hike. Because the forest is diverse (not just pine trees) it is said the fall foliage is spectacular. I'd like to put my personal stamp of approval on that.

Here's a slide show and the mini-movie - enjoy.

Spearfish Canyon Ride – South Dakota – August 2009

Oh yeah - we are having a blast, riding the Black Hills. What's not to like? The weather is sunny and warm, the roads are darn near perfect and the roadscape is nothing short of spectacular. Day 2 will continue in the next post... we filled this day with ride after spectacular ride - stay tuned...

Spearfish Canyon - South Dakota
Sturgis, South Dakota

South Dakota Ride - Day 1 - Mount Rushmore

August 21, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Part 1 - The Road to Hot Springs, SD

It was a bit frosty this morning as we rolled the ride out to begin our whirlwind South Dakota ride. The temperature at 5:30 am was in the low 40s. When we cleared the city limits on I-25 north to Cheyenne, WY we changed that to - damn - it's freekin' cold. Brrr... In fact, I could swear there was a light frost on the grasslands north of Cheyenne. Our first stop was the rest area at Chugwater for a cup of thermos coffee, a brownie snack and an opportunity to thaw out. You know, I say to Tim, those hand dryers with warm air will limber up stiff, cold fingers fairly well. Shortly after, he agreed. Ha!

Chugwater is a tiny community of about 250 people with a convenience store/Sinclair gas station, small hotel and a restaurant we've never visited. It is surrounded by steep sandstone and claystone cliffs. The Indians (I forget the tribe) who populated this area would round up the buffalo and run them off the cliffs to slaughter them. The sound a buffalo makes when it hits the ground coming off the cliffs is "chug", thus, the name Chugwater. I don't have a clue what body of water might be nearby. This useless bit of information is compliments of a longer than normal stay at a rest stop with limited reading material. You're welcome.

The sun was finally up in the sky and the day was warming. As we rode past the area commonly known for vicious winds whipping around the cliffs, we were thankful for the rare sight of the wind sock hanging limp. Stopping briefly in Wheatland, WY for gas, we were soon on the road again. At the Orin Junction rest stop, our road (Hwy 18/20) turned east. This began the part of the journey on roads we have never traveled before. We passed through small communities (oh, let's call them ghost towns) like Lost Springs (population 1, likely the owner of the bar that sits off the road a bit) and Manville (home to Three Sisters Truck Stop - looked more like an old road house - and very little else) and a couple of other nondescript places. Lusk, WY serves as civilization along this route. It is a small town whose claim to fame is being the gateway to the Black Hills of South Dakota and the home of a western pageant called The Legend of Rawhide.

We rode the length of main street (Hwy 85) in search of gas and breakfast. We found the latter at The Outpost Cafe on the south end of town. Some friendly Minnesota bikers, just heading out greeted us with - Cold - isn't it? If you are in search of a good, cheap breakfast - this is the place. Actually, I think it was purt near the only place... but, as they said - the breakfast was good, reasonably priced and our bustling waitress kept our cups brimming with strong coffee. Not only was the place booming with locals, but bikers and drivers of classic cars from Kansas were filtering in and out the whole time we were there. Later we assumed the classic car people were on the way to Deadwood Nights, a rather large vintage auto show and rally.

We calculated our mileage and decided we could fill up later. The road from Lusk, WY into South Dakota was more of the same wide open road with you-can-see-forever vistas. Crossing the state line, we rode through the Buffalo Gap grasslands and picked up a few hills and trees and rock outcroppings as we approached Hot Springs which is where we had booked a couple of nights in a moderately-priced hotel, just to have a place to hang our leathers. Ha! We didn't plan to be in the room long. I usually call the folks and let them know how our trip is going. We discovered our cell phones had no service in this location, so I made use of the free computer near the lobby and emailed our status. We freshened up, got our bearings and were back on the Harley in about half an hour riding out in search of new roads and the dead heads.

Part 2 - The ride to Mount Rushmore

Celebrating the luck of blue skies and sunshine, we rode out in our hoodies, eager to experience the roads of the Black Hills and see a few tourist sights along the way. We back-tracked a few miles to Hwy 89, heading north toward Custer. We thought to take in the Crazy Horse Memorial just north of Custer before Mount Rushmore. Actually, we turned prematurely and discovered the most amazing route.

Iron Mountain Road, as we later discovered is known for its zigzagging switchbacks breathtaking scenery, a series of pigtail bridges which bear a corkscrew shape, and its three single-lane granite tunnels that perfectly frame the faces of Mount Rushmore in the distance. I managed to catch the faces in one of my shots as we rode through the tunnels. Along the way, we saw many buffalo lounging and grazing the open range, some right next to the road and further on people petting burros. I remember a friend telling me a few years back the burros slimed the windows of her car when she stopped for them. We stopped for an ice cream break at a campground store. The road is about as fun as it gets, twisting tightly up the mountain with steep 10 - 15 mph curves, running through one lane tunnels and over pig-tail bridges. According to what I've read, the pigtail bridges enabled road engineers to reduce elevation without needing to build a switchback. And here we thought they built them for the pure enjoyment of bikers. The road comes off the bridge, makes a circular turn, and continues below the bridge. The Iron Mountain Road was completed in the 1930s and stretches 17 miles long. Of course, we stopped at one of the observation areas for pictures. A friendly tourist offered to take our picture at one of them. We (I), in turn, took a picture for another young couple.

The Presidents appeared ever closer as we rounded the curves of the mountain. It wasn't long before we rode up on the Mount Rushmore Visitor Center. There's no entrance fee but there is a parking fee. We parked The Ride in the parking garage and proceeded up the steps to the memorial. I stopped to take it all in. We learned about this monument in school. We read about it in countless brochures and novels. We have seen it on postcards, in magazines, on television travel and history channels and in movies. Nothing can prepare you for the sheer scope of it.

We have another photo of us in the same shot as we met some bikers traveling from Florida across the country to the west coast. One offered to take a picture of us. I offered to take a picture of him, his brother and a friend. We chatted with them for a while as we strolled through to the viewing platform. They were fun. The Presidents overlook a grand plaza and avenue of flags. There is a restaurant, snack vendors, gift and book store, information center and much more. We took a while to look and take pictures, read plaques and so on. I called the folks from the viewing platform (no signal at my hotel but I get one way out here). The folks were not home, so I left a message.

Here is a slide show and following that is a mini-movie.

Mount Rushmore Ride – South Dakota – August 2009

Part 3 - The Ride to Crazy Horse Memorial and back to Hot Springs

A short and beautiful ride through the Black Hills brought us to the Crazy Horse Memorial. What a lovely site! meaning, location.

Crazy Horse is one of my favorite historical figures. I first read about him in a biography I picked up in a gift shop at the Grand Canyon when I was just a girl on vacation with the folks. That was a summer of beaded headbands and moccasins for me.

The Crazy Horse Memorial is the world's largest mountain carving. It was begun in 1948 by sculptor Korczak Ziółkowski, who had worked on Mount Rushmore under Gutzon Borglum in 1924. In 1939, Ziolkowski had received a letter from Chief Henry Standing Bear, which stated in part "My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know that the red man has great heroes, too." Korczak's story is very interesting. He and his family lived on the grounds. Part of the cabin where they lived is incorporated into the Visitor Center. His wife and sons are still instrumentally involved with the project.

In the planned sculpture, Korczak depicts Crazy Horse with his left hand pointing in answer to the derisive question asked by a white man, "Where are your lands now?" Crazy Horse replied, "My lands are where my dead lie buried."

It is interesting to note, this is not a government funded enterprise, nor is it situated on government land. Korczak believed that if the public accepted the goals of Crazy Horse Memorial, they would support it financially. He believed in individual initiative and private enterprise. Korczak wanted to ensure the ambitious long-range goals of the Memorial which include a college and medical center among other projects. He did not trust the government to oversee his vision. Smart man. The Visitor/Cultural Center is an impressive facility - one could spend a whole day studying art and photographs and artifacts. It houses a restaurant, theater, gift shop and more. Three themed motorcycles were up for grabs, including one built by Eric Gorges of Voodoo Choppers, MI. Chances were $20 each.

This project was begun before I was born and will not likely see completion in my lifetime. Amazing!

Leaving Crazy Horse behind, we turned the road toward Hot Springs. We rode through the town of Custer again as the shadows grew long. With the waning of the day, the air grew cool. We found ourselves headed south via a different route. One which wound through gently rolling hills and grasslands where the buffalo roamed... ha!

What an exhilarating day! 433 miles of really great roads says my numbers guy. We talked about everything we experienced today over pasta and bread sticks at the Pizza Hut. We belatedly discovered, while Hot Springs is quite charming, it is decidedly lacking in dining establishments.

After a quick stop at the Shell station for gas and beer, we were ready to call it a night. Tomorrow's ride takes us north to Sturgis and Deadwood and surrounding territory.

Mount Rushmore - South Dakota
Crazy Horse Memorial - South Dakota
Hot Springs, South Dakota

Look Out Dead Heads - Here We Come

August 20, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Just say Studs-R-Us - no - maybe not. The new backrest we ordered to go with the seat we replaced a while back on The Ride arrived last week. In fact, it was installed before we rode to the Salute to American Veterans Rally last weekend. It is wider and curved which makes it really comfortable. Plus, it completes the lines on the bike nicely.

Speaking of comfort, I spoke with an older woman at the rally who told me she used to sleep on the back of the BMW that she and her husband rode all over the southwest. You won't catch me doing that - ever. There's just something wrong about taking a nap barreling down the road at 70+ mph whether one is on two or four or eighteen wheels... And geez - think of all the stuff you're missing... For the record, I want to be fully awake for any potential "Wake up Leroy" moment - that's for certain. LOL!

This morning we rode under clear skies over the dam and back. Our mission was to enjoy, if only for a brief time, a beautiful morning and gas up the ride for a whirlwind trip into South Dakota this weekend. The new Saddlemen luggage Tim wanted for his birthday is packed and ready to go. (It is studded, too. Ha!) This will be the first trip we've made with it. Already, I can't say enough good things about this new luggage - ample room, quality craftsmanship, very versatile as well as utilitarian in design. The salesman and I had a lively discussion about luggage when I asked him to show me what it looked like on a Heritage. He said function was more important than form - that looks didn't really matter. I disagreed. Further, I made it clear, on our ride, form and function are equally important. Sensing he had lost that particular argument, he whipped out a catalog and showed us the piece of luggage we were considering came with studs - yep - that sealed the deal. Now, that's a good salesman. Harley-Davidson dealers are now carrying the Saddlemen line. Check it out if you have a chance.



Neither one of us have ever been to South Dakota. We are looking forward to playing tourist, seeing the sights like Mount Rushmore (dead heads) and riding the Black Hills. I'm signing off until next week... Til' then - ride safe, ride free.

Saddlemen Morotcycle Luggage and Accessories

Salute to American Veterans Rally

August 15, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Rolling out of the drive this morning just after 5 am we found ourselves in high spirits, eager to make tracks toward the Salute to American Veterans Rally in Winter Park, Colorado. We have heard about it for years but have never been to it. The forecast for the weekend was dour (mid-August is known as Monsoon season here), but we told ourselves last night - if it is dry here in the morning - we ride.

To save a little time, we zipped down I-25 (south) to the outskirts of Denver before heading west on I-70 into the mountains just as the sun became a presence in the sky. Eighteen miles or so later we pulled into a Shell station in Idaho Springs for gas and to share a cup of thermos coffee. The morning was chilly, but not unbearably so. The clouds looked threatening one minute and not so the next. It's hard to say what's going on just over the mountain or around the next bend when riding in a canyon. Across the street, sat Marions of the Rockies Restaurant. It was tempting to walk over and have breakfast, but we had planned to support the Lions Club Pancake Breakfast in Granby so we stuck to our guns and rode on.

As we rode further west then north on Hwy 40 and up in elevation, the morning in the mountains went from chilly to cold. We stopped outside of Empire (elevation approx 8600) to change to full finger gloves. Fort Collins sits at just over 5000 feet elevation so we had already climbed 3600 feet. Heading up Berthoud Pass (elevation 11,307) the weather went from cold to damn cold. The road up Berthoud Pass is rife with hard twisties, numerous hairpin curves and breathtaking views that will simply amaze. The road is never the same from one day to the next. Today the road was sloppy wet and slick from a morning rain, that we luckily, just missed. We rode the top of the pass in high clouds and fog. Despite the slimy conditions - it was still amazing.

Part 1 - The Ride to Granby

Riding into Winter Park, we were passed by another couple two up on a Harley who had apparently just ridden over the same pass. They were wearing light wind-breaker type jackets, no gloves, no chaps, no head wear. And they looked frozen. (More on that later.) It was early and the town was busily gearing up for the day's festivities. We made a quick pit-stop at the McDonald's and continued our journey to Granby. The ride to the rally would begin in Granby, run back through Fraser (where the Wall was set up) to return us to Winter Park where the main rally festivities would be, cleverly incorporating three towns into the weekend event.

The Salute to American Veterans Rally originated out of Colorado Springs I believe, and for a good many years was held in Cripple Creek. Cripple Creek has evolved from a sleepy, charmingly historic mountain town to casino chaos and while it is one of the best rides in the state, the town simply isn't as much fun as it once was. We much prefer the former status. In 2007, the Rally Officials and the city of Cripple Creek got cross-ways (something about the look of the rally was more motorcycle than veteran - hmmmm...) and the Rally moved to Winter Park. Last year, it came a freak August snowstorm in Winter Park, a snowstorm with several inches accumulation, shutting down part of the festivities - but not all - say some die-hard bikers.

We had moisture on the road the whole way into Granby, but it did warm up, the sun working its way through the clouds as we rode through the high Fraser Valley. This is snow mobile country. Registration was on the south end of town, set up in a large parking lot behind the Inn at Silver Creek. As we were registering, I met and chatted with the woman who was on the bike that passed us in Winter Park. Oh yeah - she was about frozen to death and still shivering, teeth chattering so hard she could barely talk. They had ridden up from warm Denver, and being from Denver knew to dress better, but had departed Denver in a hurry and left the warm clothes behind. It was almost too warm in Fort Collins when we left out, too - but, I had checked the forecast and knew that with the sort of elevation we'd be riding through - we'd need our full leathers, rain gear and perhaps more -- more being our hoodies in the saddle bag.

There were a good many bikes already in line and ready to go. The Kansas Patriot Guard Riders looked to be the ones who would lead us out. Kansas made a good showing all the way around.

The all-you-can-eat Pancake Breakfast, hosted by the Lions Club was only a few steps away in a small conference room at the Inn. Breakfast and hot coffee sounded really good after our cold mountain ride. We joined a group of people at a table that would seat about eight. We had the honor of dining and visiting with a WWII veteran (also a Lions Club member) who served with the 8th Army. We also dined with a friendly, older couple from Denver (he was USAF retired, she was US Navy retired). They used to ride a BMW all over the west but they were not riding anymore - too old - they said. We told them about my Dad... they were speechless. Ha! The rest of our table was rounded out with some of those Kansas folk. As the people from Kansas finished their meal, we were joined by another USAF Vet and his son. Discussion was lively as experiences were shared. We vacated our seats at the table as more riders filtered in for breakfast.

There was still plenty of time to wander through the bikes before pulling ourselves into the line. Tim waited because he wanted to ride a little further back in the procession. We ambled through the bikes, took lots of photos and chatted with a few people. Many were attempting to wipe the road film off their bikes, without much success I might add. Others were unfurling flags. I was surprised to see how many people had dogs with them. One couple pulled a fairly large trailer behind them which carried a large German shepherd who seemed right at home. This trailer even had a windshield/splash guard to keep the critter dry. Ha! Another couple on a trike had two small dogs with them. We ran onto a friend of Tim's from work, who had ridden up with his brother and a friend. They remarked how cold it was riding over Berthoud Pass this morning, too. All the while, bikers were steadily riding in and the lot was beginning to fill. Tim finally picked a spot in line and about 10:00 am the call came - mount up!

We were set to ride out at 10:15 am. Members of the Kansas Patriot Guard led us out precisely on time just as it began to spit rain. For the first part of the ride, it was cloudy with a tolerable drizzle. Before long a hard rain rolled across Fraser Valley and we were turning into one really long, slow moving, soggy procession. Those of us who had gear, pulled over and quickly suited up while others rode on by. Tim and I pulled on the jackets of our rain gear but not the leggings. We rejoined the procession, wet and chilled we still enjoyed being part of something so very grand. Soon we noticed people lining the roads at intersections, in cars parked on the shoulder and standing out in the cold and chill on sidewalks in the small towns along the way, waving flags, giving us a thumbs up, clapping and cheering as we rode by. We responded accordingly. We arrived in Winter Park where the wet street was lined with even more people waiting for the parade to begin and watching us ride by. Considering how many motorcycles were in the procession, getting parked didn't take as long as we expected. Soon we were off the bike and joining the parade watchers. It wasn't a very large parade, but it was OK. We got the idea that the motorcycle procession was indeed part of the parade. And so it was. We watched troops and new recruits march by led by a small military band and a color guard, and lots of kids, the rodeo queens, a group of bag-pipers, local clubs and assorted trucks, cars and fire engines.

The sun broke through the clouds for a little while. Walking through the numerous vendor tents and listening to the announcements coming from the stage was more pleasant once we shook off the chill and dried out. We purchased our official Rally t-shirts and a couple of patches, listened to the National and Military Anthems and cheered for the young men and women in uniform about to ship out and those who had just been sworn in. There was a large Patriot Guard presence during the opening ceremonies. We had helicopters and airplanes flying over. The crowd was large and lively. One of the military speakers was a young captain I believe who said he was so inspired by biker patriotism, that he had just purchased his first Harley and had christened it and himself recently at the Sturgis Rally where the weather was less than perfect. That got a huge round of applause.

We learned that Newt Heisley, a commercial artist who designed the Vietnam-era POW/MIA flag had died.

Heisley, was a World War II pilot. He died at his home in Colorado Springs, age 88. The backdrop for the stage was the flag he created. Although it was his intent, he never had the image copyrighted.

Part 2 - Rally Ride

We wound our way back to the ride, tucked away our purchases and rode back to Hideaway Park in Fraser to visit The Wall, our first time to see it. One helicopter was taking off just as we rode up. It came back flying low over our heads. We walked first to see another helicopter set up in the field. There were kids climbing all over it.

We slowly approached the Wall, walking by the tent where you can get help locating a name on the Wall. We looked through poster art exhibits and old military insignia, informational displays and items for sale. We chatted with a woman and a couple of men on and off as we progressed ever closer. Just seeing the names engraved on dog tags that made up the displays of those lost during Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom was sobering. Encountering the sheer magnitude of names on the Wall itself is enough to set one back on their heels. First you see it as a whole, taking in the flags fluttering along the top, the lines of names only a blur stretching from end to end. Then you focus on a single panel and realize the names on that panel represent only a portion of the soldiers who perished within a time frame of only a day or maybe two. Then, you pick out a single name and then another and now it feels personal. I'm still struggling to find the words that best describe it. Overwhelming.

Stepping back again, I observed other people experiencing the Wall. Some searched. Tim was trying to recall the name of an old neighbor. Some ran a hand lightly along the surface as they walked the length of it. Some sat on benches or the grass and gazed. Some kneeled in front of a panel, as if in prayer or deep thought. Some had brought paper and pencil for rubbings. Some left mementos. Still others seemed dismayed. Some came in groups. Some came alone. For the most part, people were respectful. As I walked the length of it for the second time, one of the men we had spoken to earlier approached me and asked would I mind taking a picture of them. Sure, I said. I asked the woman had she found her person. She had. The person was her brother. He died in an airplane that was shot down in 1967 I believe. The men who were with her, carried a banner that apparently had been signed by as many of the young man's buddies as they could find. They had ridden their bikes all over the country on that singular mission. The woman's grief still fresh and poignant was almost my undoing... we shared a moment and then I left them to their memories.

Part 3 - The Wall

About the time, we thought we might ride back into Winter Park for another stroll through the rally, a cold, strong wind rolled in along with a dark cloud... the cold front had arrived. Vendors were scrambling to cover their wares and secure their tents. Bikers migrated toward their bikes that were parked on dirt. We decided to point the ride in the direction of home which was loosely north and east. We filled up with gas on the north end of Granby. Deciding we were hungry we rode back into Granby for a late lunch at Maverick's Grill. We let the clouds roll over as we munched on some pretty darn good Angus cheese burgers, french fries and fried pickles. YUM!

Feeling refreshed and rejuvenated we took a look at the skies and decided wet wasn't really an option, it was more like a guarantee, no matter which way we went, so we chose to ride through Rocky Mountain National Park. The road begins winding through a valley and rolling hills and soon snakes its way around the north edge of Grand Lake. We tent-camped at Grand Lake (Stillwater Campground) in the years following our move to Colorado. Grand Lake is also a lively tourist town.

We remembered on the way that this was a free entrance weekend for Rocky Mountain National Park which would likely mean the park was busy. It was moderately busy, but we've been through when it was nearly bumper-to-bumper. This would be the first time through the park on the Harley. Trail Ridge Road is the main road running through the park. It is the highest continuous motorway in the United States, with more than eight miles lying above 11,000 feet and a maximum elevation of 12,183 feet. The first part of the ride went well. Soon we rounded a bend, felt a few rain drops pelt our helmets and spied a black cloud just ahead. We stopped at a trail head and drug out the rain gear again. Suited up like a couple of black Michelin men, we rode on. Signs along the side of Trail Ridge Road tell you - be prepared for drastic changes in temperature and weather conditions. Believe it. One year, in early September, they closed the gates directly behind us because of a sudden blizzard. Today, we encountered high, sustained winds with even higher gusts, all along the top road... winds that had Tim fighting just to keep us erect. We passed a few other bikers battling the same hairy conditions. Normally, we would stop at the scenic pull-offs. Not today, with the way the clouds looked, we thought it better to get on down the mountain. Once past the winds, the ride down was easy and enjoyable. It wasn't the best drive/ride we've had on Trail Ridge Road but it will likely be one of the most memorable.

Estes Park was soon in our sights. At the Visitor Center, we shed the rain gear for the rest of the ride home. Sure we still had a few ominous clouds hanging over us, be we managed to ride out from under or in between them.

Part 4 - The Ride Home through Rocky Mountain National Park

We arrived home just after 7 pm. We will be talking about this rally for a long time. When we do it again, we'll be booking a night in a motel so we can enjoy the bands and nightlife...

I apologize for the quality of the photos. With a little more sun, a little less rain, and calmer winds - well, you get the idea. It is what it is.

Here are the video clips from the day...

Salute to American Veterans Rally (part 1) Aug 15, 2009

Salute to American Veterans Rally (part 2) Aug 15, 2009

Salute to American Veterans Rally - Winter Park, CO
Trail Ridge Road - Colorado
Newt Heisley - POW-MIA Flag designer
Traveling Vietnam Wall and the Cost of Freedom Exhibit Blog

Sunday Ride to the Springs

August 9, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

The sky was blue, it was supposed to be a warm day with only the typical slight chance of thunderstorms forecast for the afternoon. Yippee! This did not mean we could leave the leathers at home as the morning temp was still in the low 50s and it has been unseasonably cool in Colorado this year.

We rolled out of the drive at 8 am, thinking what a grand day to ride down to the Springs (Colorado/Manitou Springs). Better yet, let's take one of the back ways in... so we rode South to Golden and turned west onto Hwy 74. This ride took us through Morrison and up one of the best canyon rides in Colorado (RE: Turkey Creek Canyon) which winds precariously through the small towns of Idledale, Kittredge, Evergreen and eventually Conifer. The turns are sharp... many of them blind with speed limits of 15-20-25 mph and the road is shared with many, many cyclists. Traveling can be quite hectic through this area, especially on weekends. Impatient Denverites (mostly) are always rushing to somewhere other than where they are. Of these towns, Morrison and Evergreen seem to be the most popular, having busy Main Streets full of shops, eateries, bars and a lively night life. Just past Conifer at a stop in road known as Pine Junction, we turned south on Hwy 126/67 which winds along the Platte River to Woodland Park.

We haven't driven or ridden Hwy 126/67 since just after the horrible Hayman Fire in 2002. The Hayman fire, June 8, 2002, was the largest in Colorado's history. The devastation was caused by a reckless human. We were living in Lakewood, a western suburb of Denver at the time and smoke and soot from this fire - many miles away drifted over the city. Over 100 homes were destroyed and 137,760 acres burned. The fire was not officially listed as controlled until more than a month later, July 18, 2002. This once pristine forest area will sadly, never be the same in our lifetime. Since the fire the road is notoriously known for mud slides. The endless reclamation work goes on and many have bravely rebuilt on what are now sunny mountain sides. The Upper South Platte River is known among anglers for Gold Medal fishing waters. Along the way are the tiny mountain communities of Pine (elevation 6818), Buffalo Creek and Deckers. Pine was established in 1886 and is home to rustic cabins and other early lodge structures. It's also known to rock climbers for the nearby Sphinx rock formation and the turn off is here, down a narrow, dirt and rock road that leads to the infamous Bucksnort Saloon.

Pine Valley Road (Hwy 126/67), even with the burn area is still a great ride and the road has been well-maintained. It has troublesome areas with mud slides and gravel on the road after rain, and you will encounter many crotch-rocket riders on the weekend but otherwise the traffic is light and the ride is easy.

A few miles up from Pine is a scenic overlook so we pulled over for a stretch of the legs, cup of thermos coffee and a brownie snack. From here we had a good look at Long Scraggy Peak and the surrounding mountains which were shrouded in mist this morning. The pullover was inhabited by other motorcyclists on what we call crotch-rockets (at least two were Ducati models). A particular group of three, two young guys and a girl were in high spirits. A few minutes later, they zoomed out of the parking lot but the other people with them remained. We didn't think much of it until a few minutes later the three came screaming back up the road which allowed the ones who stayed behind to take pictures of them in a full, high speed lean. Recklessly high speed. A few minutes later, they came screaming back to the pull off. We spoke with a couple of older guys, also on crotch rockets. It was agreed among us old farts that of the three, the girl had the best form or the least fear - whatever. It was an amusing diversion, but we much prefer our more laid back rides.

Not long after the other bikers parted ways and we gave them a good head start, we rode on into Woodland Park (elev 8465). We fondly remember Woodland Park as a sleepy little mountain town in the 80s. It is now a thriving, much-too-busy town with some severe growing pains. Part of its original charm remains in a couple of blocks of old town. All you have to do is ignore the traffic. We rode on through to Manitou Springs (elevation 6412) which is a great ride, despite the distraction of some popular tourist attractions along the way which include most notably the North Pole, Cave of the Winds and the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. Manitou Springs is also a huge tourist attraction and a fun place to shop if shopping is your thing.

Ourselves, not being shoppers we rode on through to Old Colorado City, where everything is a bit more laid back. We stopped at Bancroft Park where we've lunched many times. This was another low-budget excursion, so we packed a poorboy picnic. We consumed our bologna sandwiches, chips, fruit and cookies while watching the steady stream of traffic, including a good many motorcycles go by. Our dining experience was enhanced by sixties pop music, compliments of some wanna-be biker dudes who apparently had nothing better to do on a Sunday afternoon than to hang out in the park. I say wanna-be biker dudes because they had the look down. All were sporting Harley shirts and some rather impressive tattoos but not a single unoccupied motorcycle was in sight. One actually rode off on a bicycle. There's nothing wrong with this scenario, many of us are bikers at heart.

After our picnic, we rode the short distance to Garden of the Gods where we stopped for a couple of strolls. Garden of the Gods is a free park in the heart of Tourist Central, Colorado. It is a must-see and one of my favorite places on earth. This is your pic, Mom - I was thinking about you. We watched some rock climbers for a bit, but spent most of our time dodging tourists and their noisy children. Goodness me people! How about we enjoy nature without trampling it underfoot and trying to drown it out! While we enjoyed our visit, it was too busy this day for us. We will return in the off-season for a more serene visit.

By this time, we had shed our jackets and as soon as we got through the traffic leaving Garden of the Gods, we found ourselves in Old Colorado City again, looking for a cold drink and ice cream. We stopped at the Colorado City Creamery. The banner out front said they were celebrating 30 years in business. We enjoyed ice cream in home made waffle cones at a table in the shade.

It was getting late in the day so it was time to start heading north again. There are many ways home from the Springs, but instead of a hectic ride up I-25 or a really long roundabout ride we opted to return the way we came. As always, we watched the skies and there they were, those pesky little black clouds rolling over the mountains. With the clouds came a decrease in temperature. We stopped in Conifer to put on our jackets. Bikers were doing that all along the way. Some were pulling on their rain gear - they needed it for the ride into Denver. We rode out from under the clouds three times I think, got splattered on our way through Golden and rode the rest of the way in dry. Those same clouds dropped torrential rain and hail in Denver. We were lucky in our timing I guess.


We rolled into the drive just after 8 pm with a sunset over our shoulders... Twelve hours, 360 miles says my numbers man.

We finished the day off with home grilled burgers and our usual B&M (Beer and Mike's), already talking about where the road would take us next weekend. We already know... been looking forward to it all year - grin - stay tuned...

The slide show is long... almost 100 pics... enjoy

Saturday Ride After Work Cut Short

August 8, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Work is work and these days we appreciate the fact that there is weekend work, so you won't find Tim shirking work no matter how gorgeous the day is. No, we'll simply ride before or after work if at all possible.

The afternoon was nice and warm and well... the skies were almost clear as we rolled out of the driveway in the middle of the afternoon with no destination in mind, as usual. Lots of pretty toys, with two and four wheels were out enjoying the day. We got close enough to Thunder Mountain to make a quick stop. We are still waiting on one of Tim's birthday gifts to come in. The dealership is usually packed during Sturgis week but not so during the time we were there. Of course, one look to the north would tell you that people leaving late out of Sturgis and riding south through Wyoming got a taste of wild n wooly western weather for which the state is known. Kansas and Nebraska didn't look much better...

Thunder Mountain from the back side...

Thunder Mountain - Front door...

There was an interesting and fun bike that if it had a tail would likely be a Rotweiller. It was parked outside the front door - we called it Spike... I know - not very original but fitting. What appeared to be a flail (weapon in the shape of a ball with spikes - think Conan) was hanging from the rear fender. Ha! This bike's owner was definitely a solo rider but I'm still thinking OUCH!



As we pulled out of Thunder Mountain, thinking we had plenty of daylight left for a quick ride west, maybe toward Estes Park, the skies changed our mind. This Party Pooper Cloud looks fairly harmless and a long way off. Neither was the case. Clouds like this (we call them squalls) roll off the foothills rapidly and can cause all sorts of trouble along the front range. We took the long way home around the lakes and over the dam, but we did not stay out much longer. This same little cloud rolled through Fort Collins a little over an hour later just before we got the chicken for our fajitas off the grill. I managed to finish that off in the house, but it sure put a damper on our hang out on the patio evening.

No worries, tomorrow we have the whole day...

Happy Birthday Harley Angel Mom

August 4, 2009
Fort Collins, CO



Not one of us would be riding today... without your love and unconditional support of what we do and why we do it. All riders need a guardian angel... you are our angel. You ride with us down every road we travel because all of us carry you in our hearts and thoughts everywhere we go.

We wish you a great birthday, Our Harley Angel Mom and we promise to remember your loving reminder - never ride faster than your angel can fly.

Short sunday ride

August 2, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Tim had to work today, so we didn't get much of a Sunday ride in. We rolled out of the drive as the shadows were growing long and the sun was hanging low over the foothills for an after supper and before beer ride. Aerosmith and ZZ were still still ringing in our ears... what a concert!

Neither one of us were up for dealing with Sunday evening traffic - sometimes it can be horrendous - especially with tourists and new college kids in town. So, we turned the ride home after only a few miles and settled in on the patio in front of the blazing chiminea with a beer and a Mike's and rode out the rest of the evening in our lawn chairs.

Who says old guys can't rock?

August 2, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

No we did not ride to the concert (we were with friends who don't ride - yet) but we rode before the concert. Does that count enough to post the pics to the motorcycle blog? Besides, Music innovator Steven Tyler and master inventor Mark Dirico merged their respective art forms to create Dirico Motorcycles, USA. That's close enough of a connection for me...

Enjoy!

Aerosmith - ZZ Top World Tour
August 1, 2009
Fiddler's Green
Denver (Englewood), Colorado

Here's the slide show...
including a few pics I nabbed off the tour gallery pages...

Here's the video clips complete with noise...

Aerosmith – ZZ Top World Tour Concert Aug 1, 2009

Before the concert ride

August 1, 2009
Saturday
Fort Collins, CO


Tonight we rock - but first - we ride. We started our day with a ride over the dam to Vern's. It was a beautiful morning, blue skies, calm winds... and warm enough.

While we were gassing up, a group of riders pulled over and we couldn't help but overhear they were planning to ride Rist Canyon. What a fine day for that! I don't think any of them knew exactly where to go from Vern's, but it looked like they had it sorted out, so we didn't butt in. I guess we should have offered our help, because while I was inside, Tim said they took the wrong fork in the road. Oh well! It wouldn't be long (maybe a couple of miles) before they figured out the road they took didn't lead into the canyon and they'd come roaring back... lol!

We didn't have a particular ride in mind, so we ambled back over the dam and south toward Loveland and eventually Carter Lake. Just past the Windjammer Road House, we ran into road construction (no pavement - only gravel) that went on and on and on around the lake, so we stopped at the only convenience store in the vicinity to have a cup of coffee and figure out whether to proceed or return the way we came and choose another route.



While we were mulling this over, we had a burrito on the deck behind the convenience store which overlooked the lake.
Yum!

Yawn!

In the end, we turned The Ride back the way we had come and rambled up one country road and another encountering the tiresome road construction in a couple of other spots.

This RV turned Toy Hauler was parked in our neighborhood last week... if the bike ever came off the rack, we did not see it. What a waste - they missed some great roads. We ran up on it in Loveland on our way home. I'm guessing they are back on the road again.

Now it is time to get ready to rock!