2009 Rides

December 31, 2009
Fort Collins, USA

14709 Miles and ten times that many Smiles... need I say much more than that?

12-31-2009 = 19352 miles
11-30-2009 Thanksgiving in Texas Rides = 346 miles
11-11-2009 = 18998 miles
11-11-2009 Veterans Day Lunch Ride = 37 miles
11-08-2009 Shopping around ride = 57 miles
11-07-2009 Book Store Ride = 80 miles
10-18-2009 October Sunday ride = 115 miles
10-18-2009 = 18679 miles
10-17-2009 Afternoon ride - everything else will keep = 68 miles
10-04-2009 Toy Run = 62 miles
10/03/2009 Foolin' around on a Saturday afternoon ride = 56 miles
09-30-2009 BTGTWR = 20 miles
09-27-2009 In search of gold ride (pt 2) = 210 miles
09-26-2009 In search of gold ride (pt 1) = 274 miles
09-20-2009 Peak to Peak Fall Color Ride = 210 miles
09-19-2009 Saturday afternoon ride = 60 miles
09-17-2009 Breaking the new tires in ride = 50 miles
09-14-2009 = 17522 miles
09-05-2009 Labor Day & Beyond Ride = 2035 miles
09-04-2009 BTGTWR = 38 miles
09-01-2009 = 15359 miles
08-29-2009 Flat Landing It Ride = 130 miles
08-21-2009 4 Day Dead Heads in Dakota Ride = 1389 miles
08-20-2009 = 13797 miles
08-12-2009 Thunder Mountain Ride = 14 miles
08-09-2009 Sunday Ride to the Springs = 360 miles
08-08-2009 Saturday Ride After Work Cut Short = 20 miles
08-02-2009 Short Sunday Ride = 26 miles
08-01-2009 Before the Concert Ride = 72.5 miles
07-28-2009 = 12898 miles
07-26-2009 Devil's Gulch to Estes Park Ride = 105 miles
07-25-2009 Tim's Recovery Ride = 330 miles
07-19-2009 Tim's Birthday Ride = 65 miles
07-18-2009 Testing... Testing... Ride = 30 miles
07-07-2009 Last ride... Before Surgery = 20 miles
07-11-2009 = 12311 miles
07-05-2009 4 Day Independence Ride = 1380 miles
06-29-2009 Million Mile Monday = 200 miles
06-28-2009 Breakfast in Laramie WY Ride = 136 miles
06-27-2009 Serious Texas BBQ via Carter Lake Ride = 71 miles
06-26-2009 Rist Canyon BTGTW Ride = 52 miles
06-25-2009 Happy Harley Anniversary Ride = 72 miles
06-24-2009 = 10320 Miles
06-21-2009 Rally-Moab 3 Day Ride = 1168 miles
06-17-2009 Go Juice Ride = 20 miles
06-14-2009 Flag Day Ride = 140 miles
06-11-2009 = 8956 Miles (rear tire changed)
06-06-2009 White Water Poudre Canyon Ride = 254 miles
06-03-2009 = 8694 Miles
05-31-2009 Ride Home from Raton, NM = 325 miles
05-17-2009 Walden CO Ride (solo) 230 miles
05-16-2009 Rist Canyon Ride (solo) = 54 miles
05-09-2009 Mother's Day Eve Ride = 60 miles
05-06-2009 Goin' Green Ride = 66 miles
04-26-2009 Short Sunday Ride = 20 miles
04-24-2009 Short TGIF Ride = 20 miles
04-23-2009 First Sunset Ride = 64 miles
04-23-2009 = 7007 Miles
04-23-2009 Thursday Ride = 66 miles
04-22-2009 Artsy Fartsy Earth Day Ride = 74.5 miles
04-21-2009 Touristy Tuesday Ride = 50.5 miles
04-20-2009 This is more like it Monday Ride = 30 miles
04-19-2009 = 6674 Miles
04-19-2009 Sunday after Snow Day Ride = 124 miles
04-14-2009 Gray Tuesday Ride = 25 miles
04-13-2009 Monday After No Easter Ride = 33 miles
04-10-2009 Good Friday Ride = 165 miles
04-07-2009 First Day of April Ride = 22 miles
03-22-2009 Weekend Ride Day 2 = 97.5 miles
03-21-2009 Weekend Ride Day 1 = 200 miles
03-20-2009 First Day of Spring Ride = 15 miles
03-17-2009 Corn Beef and Cabbage Ride = 20 miles
03-15-2009 Sunday Out and About Ride = 140 miles
03-14-2009 Saturday Supper Ride = 32 miles
03-08-2009 Sunday in March Ride = 56 miles
03-04-2009 Lunch at Vern's Ride = 20 miles
03-03-2009 = 5656 Miles
03-02-2009 Blue Sky Monday Ride = 49 miles
03-01-2009 March is Here Ride = 137 miles
02-25-2009 Toss your troubles to the wind ride = 26 miles
02-24-2009 OH !!%^!!#!!^#!! Canyon Ride = 48 miles
02-22-2009 Not Too Cold to Ride = 80 miles
02-19-2009 = 5280 Mile High Mileage
02-19-2009 5000 Mile Maintenance
02-05-2009 Flatland Ride = 68 miles
02-04-2009 'Nother Dam Ride - Part 2 = 52 miles
02-03-2009 Tuesday Cruisin' = 44 miles
02-03-2009 = 5060 Miles
02-01-2009 Super Bowl Sunday Ride Brrr... = 36 miles
01-31-2009 Hurry - Cold Front Comin' Ride = 22 miles
01-22-2009 = 5000 Miles!
01-22-2009 'Nother Dam Ride = 63 miles
01-20-2009 Domesticity be Damned Ride = 57 miles
01-18-2009 Windy Sunday Ride = 36 miles
01-17-2009 Let's Get the Heck Out Ride = 33 miles
01-01-2009 New Year's Day Ride = 46 miles
01-01-2009 Beginning Mileage = 4643 miles

Patches and Catfish Ride - Texas

November 28, 2009
Wichita Falls, TX

When we announced our intention to bring The Ride home with us for our Texas Turkey Day vacation, Dad said we would ride with friends and family one day. Tim rode with Dad Wednesday to Waurika, OK while Mom and I were out shopping for a Christmas tree and having mini-margaritas at El Gordo's. Then Tim and I rode with Dad to a Welcome Home Mission Wednesday night. Thursday (Thanksgiving) we rode to Henrietta after lunch at the Cracker Barrel to visit with my 98 year old Grandmother. Friday Tim and Chevy rode with Dad to Black Friday at Red River Harley-Davidson and then on to El Gordo's once again where we all gathered for lunch (no mini-margaritas - sigh!). Friday afternoon we rode across town to visit with our good friends Tina and Bobby.

Some of us could get loose for a Saturday ride and some couldn't. Some had familial obligations, work, and other stuff. The biggest disappointment was Dad didn't get to ride with us because of a pulled muscle in his back, but he insisted we ride and so we did with a great group of people. It was bright and sunny, a little windy and a little chilly (by Texas standards, that is - grin).

Our new friends, Ray and Laura, Nubbin, my brother, and my other brudder Kenny rode with us to the Biker Roadhouse in Saint Jo, Texas. On the way, Kenny and TedJr played the kill switch game. When Kenny got bored with that we played hide-and-seek aka Where the Hell is Kenny? In Saint Jo, we shopped for patches, visited and milled around on the old square that was decorated for Christmas.

Here, Nubbin gifted Tim and myself with a memorial pin for Gary (his son, Sgt Gary S Johnston, lost in Iraq 2007). We are sincerely touched and humbled by this gesture of friendship and will wear the pins with pride. Now, when we pull on our vests loaded with patriotic emblems, one medal will shine brighter than all the others and give meaning to w-h-y we wear them.

We were joined by two more riders Charlie and Barry. Glad to meet ya guys. Soon, it was time to ride into Oklahoma for catfish and we were ready! So Kenny led us out of Saint Jo on a nice ride to Doug's Peach Orchard. The Peach Orchard has been serving up catfish since 1948. It is located on Hwy 81 just outside of the tiny town of Terral, OK or north of Ringold or south of Ryan or east of Waurika but nowhere near Ringling as the daughter discovered on her scenic tour of the R-towns in the area... ha! Mom and Dad joined us in the car. Stormy and Rob joined us, as well. TedJr had other business so he didn't stay for lunch, but we were glad he got to ride with us part of the way. We had a great time visiting with everyone. There's not much more to be said here except YUM!

After consuming some darn good catfish, we rode toward Waurika, OK for fuel and west toward the casinos for tobacco. At this point, we said our good-byes as we would all go our separate ways in a few miles. Tim and I would split off first to meet up with friends in Burkburnett.

Thanks to everyone who joined the ride and met us for lunch. You made the day memorable in ways we cannot begin to express. Kicking off year #39 by riding in Texas with such wonderful people has got to be a good sign - a really good sign. We look forward to riding with all of you again and if you get on up this way next summer - give us a holler - ya hear?

Riding to see Grandma

November 26, 2009
Wichita Falls, TX

First thing on the agenda after dinner at the Cracker Barrel was a visit to see Grandma in Henrietta, TX.

It was a fine afternoon so Tim and I and Dad rode the 18 miles or so... The daughter (Stormy) and her crew and Mom followed in their vehicles. Alice met us there. Stormy managed to get a few shots of us riding along the way.

The visit with Grandma went well. She knew I was in Texas this time and was expecting me. I think she was tickled that so many of us came. We numbered nine (Alice, Mom, Dad, Me, Tim, Stormy, Rob, Chevy and Stewart). She seemed especially pleased to see Dad (Ted) and loves the idea that we come visiting on motorcycles. Ha!

While we were there we posed for a five generation photo. We became five generations of women when Stormy was born while my Great Grandmother was still living. She lived to 101. We became five generations again when Chevy was born. Grandma is 98 and reminds us often that she will be 99 February 12, 2010.

Here are a few photos... including some of the grandsons goofing around...

Welcome Home Mission - Texas

November 25, 2009
Wichita Falls, TX

Last Sunday we loaded The Ride on a trailer and pointed ourselves toward our hometown in Texas. It was our 38th anniversary. We usually spend our anniversary on the road to somewhere. The plan was to spend a week visiting with family and friends over Thanksgiving.

Soon after our arrival we learned of a mission we could attend with Dad and his fellow Patriot Guard Riders of North Texas. A Welcome Home Mission! Although we have been members of the Patriot Guard for quite some time, I have been on only one mission (with Dad) before this, as an observer. So, technically - this was mine and Tim's first mission of this sort. How perfect is it that we could stand the flag line with Mom and Dad and some old and new friends!

It was good to see Gary and JeanAnn and, Joe and Sherry. We had the pleasure of meeting Ray and Laura - you guys are great! And, we finally had an opportunity to meet Nubbin and Angela and Sabrina and Ethan. Nubbin, I can't tell you how much I enjoyed meeting you and Angela for real...

It was a proud moment for us. We welcomed home two flights of troops with flags standing proud, cheers, whistles, and loud applause along with a few handshakes and many a thank you with teary smiles. We witnessed one proposal - she said YES! And we learned of at least one more proposal but that young man could not be convinced to do it on camera.

Afterwards, about 20 of us gathered for dinner and conversation at the Cracker Barrel. In attendance were: Ted, Inez, Vickie, Tim, Gary, JeanAnn, Joe, Sherry, Ray, Laura, Ray, Cindy, Nubbin, Angela, Sabrina, Ethan, and belated arrival Kenny. What great company!

I snapped a few photos, of course (since John couldn't make it - you gotta get better soon, man). I'm not real good in close crowds and I'm short so the photos leave a little to be desired but they are not all back and buckle shots - LOL!

Texas - Here We Come!

November 23, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Tim gets a Long Deserved Thank You - Veteran's Day Ride to Lunch

November 11, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

THANK YOU VETERANS!

Tim has been riding to work all week with the flags flying.

We were eager to be out for a ride but our day started out gray and cold. About mid-morning, the clouds finally dissipated. Although it was chilly starting out, we took a short Veterans Day Ride over the dam for an early lunch at Vern's.

The lunch special sign included the words Thank You Veterans! The special today was a meatball sub which Tim said sounded good. I had a Longhorn Potato (stuffed baked potato, drenched in chili). YUM!




We noticed a group of people at one table nearby. Two of the men were wearing combat fatigues. The youngest was sporting an Airborne patch on his shoulder and wearing a cap that said ARMY. They were checking out about the same time as we were. Both Tim and I thought - don't let them get out of here without saying something. Apparently, they were thinking the same thing. We were wearing our Winter Park Veterans Rally shirts today, the ones with the POW-MIA patch on the front. Once the guys all determined they were Vets, both Tim and the older of the two veterans stuck their hands out at the same time. The man palmed a coin into a stunned Tim's hand with that handshake. It is a POW-MIA challenge or honor coin. The writing on it says Bring Them Home or Send Us Back. The other side says Duty Honor Country - Proudly Served. We spoke briefly with the two. The older said he had completed his tour of duty, the younger had just returned from Afghanistan. They posed for a photo.

Like I said, Tim was stunned. In all the days of his eight years of service, not one person ever sought him out and said thank you for your service. It was awesome and without a doubt this simple gesture made his day.


Here are a few photos of our short trip:

We took the roundabout, long way home, eventually taking a route through downtown Fort Collins. Before we reached downtown I made the comment that all too few houses were flying flags. I will usually snap a photo of a flag as we're riding by, so I notice that sort of thing. I also noted that it seemed to be smaller homes, trailer houses and rural domiciles, even fence posts flying the colors as if there's some sort of square foot maximum for flying Ol' Glory - say anything over 1200 sq foot is not required or at the least inclined to pay homage to our country. What's up with that rudeness?

As always, my camera was in hand. I thought a flag-lined main street might make a good photo for the day. I was disappointed and then thoroughly disgusted with the lack of patriotism displayed by downtown businesses in Fort Collins. I counted only four flags the entire considerable length of main street. Four flags.

I was so disgusted and just a wee bit angry that I came home and wrote the following letter to the editor of our local newspaper:

---

Letter to Editor of the Colorodoan (our local newspaper):

Veterans Day Neglect

It is Veterans Day. Today we rode our motorcycle – flags proudly flying behind it in honor of the men and women who serve our country past-present-future. We shook the hand of two young Veterans in the restaurant where we dined. We thanked them for their service. They echoed that thanks to my husband who is a USAF Veteran. One honored my husband with the gift of a POW-MIA challenge coin.

Our ride took us through downtown Fort Collins. I am disgusted to report, I counted only four flags flying on Main Street. Four flags. How can that be? Veterans are the reason businesses can open their doors and shoppers can walk the streets without fear. Veterans are the reason we enjoy any liberty in the USA. Worse – I noticed very few homes showed their colors today (or sadly, perhaps they were).

People sleep peaceably in their beds at night, only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.

We owe our Veterans a debt we can never repay except with gratitude, respect and remembrance…

For every moment of peace,
for every day of grace and greatness,
for every liberty we enjoy,
we owe a person in the service
of our country our heartfelt thanks.

How could you in good conscience NOT fly a flag today? For shame! Fort Collins. For shame!

If you flew the flag today, or any day, please accept our profound appreciation for your patriotism.

Vickie & Timothy
Proud Americans and not afraid to show it…

Shopping around ride

November 8, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

We had some errands to run today, but with the sun shining and the temps rising to bearable and The Ride begging for another outing, we just couldn't get serious about them. At least, not serious enough to go in the Tahoe.

Tim had an errand at Sportsman's Warehouse. I needed to shop for an office chair. So, we did our shopping on the Harley and made an afternoon out of it. Tim's purchases fit in the saddle bag. We found the office chair and went back for it late in the day.

Before leaving, we stopped to chat with our friend Al who snapped a couple of pictures of us before we rode out...

Book Store Ride

November 7, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Woo-Hoo! We're riding again!

We haven't ridden together since the 18th of October. Bad weather. Bad back. More bad weather.

Tim declared himself ready to ride to work earlier in the week. Today, although he is still a bit stiff, we rode for most of the afternoon, about 80 miles. Our loose destination was a book store. The closest Borders Books is a couple of towns over. Sure, there is a Barnes and Noble a few blocks away and a favorite Independent book store a bit further, but it isn't as much fun getting to either of those locations.

I usually make a trip to the book store on my birthday. We had heavy snow and Tim had work that day so we didn't get out to run around. I know, a book store like Amazon is as dangerously close as my fingertips on this keyboard. I say dangerous, because I am a certified bibliomaniac and well-schooled in the intricacies of online commerce. Ha! Still, for someone like me... there's just nothing like roaming the shelves of a book store or cracking the cover on a new book for the very first time.

After spending some of Tim's hard earned money on three proud new additions to my library, we stopped for ice cream sundaes at the DQ. YUM! Then, as sunlight weakened and temps dropped with the waning of the day, we took a leisurely ride home through patches of chill shadows and lukewarm sunlight, down familiar country lanes, across dams and around lakes.

Bikers were on every corner and every road and crowding every road house today... all of us reluctant to give up one mile of clear road or one minute of sunlight to the winter that looms precipitously on our horizons...

Back in the Saddle

November 5, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

The man is back in the saddle today. Yeah, it's only a ride to work, but you should have seen the grin on the man's face when he fired the Harley up for the first time since the week of October 18th.

Winter weather in the form of a hard freeze, ice, snow and then even more snow would have kept us from riding for a few days but add to that a hinky back and we were taking a longer break from riding than usual. We'll see how the man does after a long day at work. Wish us luck and good riding this weekend!

October Sunday Ride

October 18, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

What a beautiful day! The sun was shining with only high wind clouds marring the skies. After sharing about a pot of coffee, we rode out of here about mid-morning with nothing on the agenda beyond a late breakfast at Johnson's Corner. We took the long way around down familiar country lanes until we arrived at Johnson's Corner. A cinnamon roll was not going to do the trick today. We both had a full breakfast. YUM! The place was full of motorcycle riders.

We spent the rest of the day riding and junk-tiquing around Loveland. It's one of our favorite things to do. At this time of year, we scout for vintage or unusual Hallowe'en pieces. We didn't have much luck in that regard but we did have a lot of fun. We brought home a few, small items including a witch for my collection. I try to add a new witch every year.

In between stops we rode. The winds were supposed to howl today but we only encountered that a few times. The cottonwoods are finally dropping their freeze-dried foliage so we rode leaf strewn roads kicking them up in a fury behind us. In the city, we looked for other people's Hallowe'en decorations and found a few. Halfway through the afternoon we made a stop at the DQ for a dipped cone and a cherry coke. The day warmed considerably. The leather jackets and chaps we needed this morning were almost too warm in the afternoon. Because the day was so pleasant, we stayed out longer. Eventually, we wearied of shopping and took the long way home, east to Greeley, north for a spell and eventually west through Windsor and home to Fort Collins. East of Fort Collins heading back in, the view is spectacular. The Rockies already have lots of snow, an arbiter of winter days to come - much sooner than we would have them.

We rode in as the day was waning. Tim began work on his Hallowe'en project and I started lighting some of the display.

An afternoon ride... everything else will keep

October 17, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

We had every good intention of finishing the Hallowe'en decorating after Tim got off work. I had tinkered around with it outside and the longer I was out there, the prettier the day became.

Oh me... About the time he was due in, I gave up trying to be good and when he wheeled up to the drive, you could see him grin and shake his head as he realized I was standing there in motorcycle boots, ready to go.

Ten minutes later, we rode off to enjoy what was left of the afternoon. After all, it isn't Hallowe'en yet. Ha! We rode for about two hours and found a couple of country roads on the north end of town that were new to us. Our world has turned all golden brown since the hard freeze a few days ago. Corn and sunflower fields are gold and brown respectively, ripe for harvest. We saw many trucks carrying gnarly loads of turnips and sweet potatoes and crinkled our noses at the pungent aroma of onion fields as we rode by. Pumpkins, the few that survived the summer hail storms, much to my delight dotted fields in various shades of orange. And people were scouting the long rows at U-Pick-Em harvest farms, trying to find the perfect globe to adorn their porches.

The temperature drops fairly quick here, once the heat of the day has broken so much too soon we reluctantly aimed The Ride towards home, taking the long way around over the dam. We dropped off the bike and finished the day off with a meal and margaritas at our favorite Mexican Food restaurant in Fort Collins, Tortilla Marissa's. After that, we weren't much good for anything but watching Young Frankenstein for the umpteenth time.

Fortunately, the plans for the day weren't set in stone... nothing ever really is around here - at least, not since we got the Harley. The brief ride was well worth the sacrifice of whatever menial tasks didn't get done. As I said to Tim, when he mentioned it - not to worry, we had a great ride, we ended the day with a smile on our faces... everything else will keep...

Toy Run - Fun but sorta Ho-Ho-Ho-Hum

October 4, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Life isn't about how to survive the storm
but how to ride in the rain...

Mother Nature was not on her best behavior again... We knew the weather was due to turn cold and wet today, but when we rode out this morning it was dry. Cloudy and cold, but not unbearably so. The temperature was in the low 40s.

We didn't have that far to go. Thunder Mountain is about ten miles from the house or perhaps a bit further if you take the scenic route. Registration for the Toy Run began at 9 am. We arrived about 9:45 am along with a good many other riders. I think most of us waited to see how the weather would play out this morning. We had about 75 to 100 bikes for the 22nd Annual Toy Run for Santa Cops. We registered and warmed ourselves with a cup of coffee and roamed in and out of the 2010 bikes, admiring in particular a 2010 Electra Glide. I was hoping to see the new Street Glide Trike but they didn't have one on the floor.

When Santa called for us to gather and announced the route, we learned we would be riding back to Fort Collins passing through only a few blocks from our neighborhood. This seemed rather odd since Loveland has many good rides and roads. I made a face when Santa said we would ride through downtown Fort Collins instead of downtown Loveland. Neither downtown is good for riding... cramped streets with back-out parking... too much traffic... too many lights. No scheduled stops were planned. We would ride a circuitous route back to Thunder Mountain to deliver the toys (which had us scratching our heads - uh - that didn't make a whole lot of sense - did it?).

We had a fire truck escort to Loveland's city limits, but no police escort which meant we had to stop at all red lights and stop signs and deal with regular traffic cutting in and blocking the procession. Weird. At one point, starting out, the fire truck led us into a Safeway/Strip Mall parking lot where we waited (most of us puzzled at the unexpected detour) for about a half dozen bikers to catch up. I guess. I'm guessing again that the leaders were trying to get us all lined out in a pack before heading to Fort Collins or maybe they didn't know about the road construction on this part of the route until they ran up on the signs. The traffic did not cooperate. We rode with campers and horse trailers and impatient people on their way to church or breakfast and other Sunday morning destinations.

The ride was painfully slow with lots of stops and starts. It was getting colder. We rode through Fort Collins, to the town of LaPorte (both of us thinking wistfully of hot coffee and warm cinnamon rolls at Vern's which was not far away) and on to the northern edge of downtown Fort Collins where we cut off to go to the house, take bathroom breaks, and warm up. We weren't the only ones peeling off here and there throughout the run. One of the HOG guys riding sweep said they lost about 50 bikes along the way. I couldn't help but notice at the onset that many of the bikers were not dressed warmly enough. We actually caught up with the remaining riders on the southern edge of Fort Collins and rode back to Loveland with them.

Like I said, it was getting colder and we rode several miles in a fine, mist-like rain. We had our toys protected. Many riders did not. Arriving at Thunder Mountain, we handed over our toys to the girls at the front desk. There were lots of toys and that's a good thing. I estimate the donations would fit in the back of a regular-size pickup with only a little room to spare. I finally got the grumpy Santa to smile for a photo. Then, we stood in line with the rest of the cold, damp group (most of whom seemed to be local HOG members) for what turned out to be a cold hot dog for me, cold chili dog for Tim, chips, cookies and a warm Pepsi. Naw - we're not complaining - we didn't ride for the food - although I did wonder about what was apparent lack of timely preparation.

The rain looked like it was setting in and it was coming down a little harder. It didn't take long for most of us on bikes (some had ditched bikes and returned in cars) to clear out. We rode home in cold rain that turned to tiny sleet that turned to snow flurries in the few miles back to Fort Collins where the weather improved somewhat. At least, the streets were dry. It took a good while and another pot of coffee for us to thaw out properly.

We're glad to help the kids and would do it again in a minute. In retrospect, I can't help thinking that after 22 years - this Toy Run could have been better organized and also it had a rather poor turnout for such a huge bike population as there is in this area. Perhaps the weather was a factor, I don't know. And, other than a soggy slip of paper with the map of the route (which, in the end, was not adhered to) we have nothing to show we attended the event. We haven't ridden in many organized rides so we don't have a large frame of reference. We have heard Dad and his buddies talk about some of the runs they participate in so, we had a few expectations.

The Toy Run in Texas we attended the last couple of years at Thanksgiving was much more fun, better organized, a pin came with the registration and t-shirts were for sale. Better yet, the Texas Santa was approachable... jolly and friendly, posing for photos with everyone. The ride was escorted by hard-working motorcycle cops and the food (BBQ not hot dogs) at the end of the route was actually cooked and hot when it hit our plates. More people than just bikers turned out at the destination. And the donations filled large delivery trucks. Yes, plural. There was even a 50/50 pot. Needless to say, I have made a few mental notes about how to screen future benefit runs.

Being mostly gray and damp, the day didn't lend itself well to photography but I did shoot a few stills and video clips. Enjoy!

Slide Show movies and videos take a few seconds to load so -- patience please.
FYI: Sometimes after blogger maintenance, the code for the movies embedded in the posts gets scrambled... but a duplicate is always posted in the Movie section at the bottom of the page... enjoy.

Toy Run – October 4, 2009

In search of gold in them thar hills... (part 2)

September 27, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Sunday - The morning found us celebrating blue skies and warm temperatures again. Of course we were going to ride - what else? The question was - where to and for how long. The answer? Who cares?

The first part of our ride took us over the dam. We thought we might ride Rist Canyon, but as we neared the entrance to the canyon we agreed the day was too nice to waste on a short ride. Why not opt for a longer ride? Why not indeed! How about Poudre Canyon to Walden and beyond? OK!

I know. We have no discipline whatsoever, once we hop on The Ride. The wind on our faces erases all thoughts for anything other than where the road will take us next.

We followed the scenic, climbing, winding road that follows the river up to the country known as North Park. The weather was perfect. The Fall foliage was spectacular. Once again we found of wealth of Mother Nature's annual gift of gold.

Stopping for 50 cent coffee at Sportsman's Lodge is an old habit. The folks at the lodge are always friendly. Better yet, the coffee is always on and always fresh.

We stopped before reaching the pass to pull on our leather jackets. There was snow at the top of Cameron Pass and the wind we encountered up there was chilly. The summit is 10,276 feet in elevation. We stopped once again at the Moose Center for a brownie snack and thermos coffee.

As usual, we encountered a stiff westerly wind after we topped off the tank with gas in Walden. After a few miles riding north, the road east through King's Canyon to Laramie, WY was more pleasant.

A traffic jam had traffic stopped on I-80 in Laramie. We learned from another biker that there was a wreck on the bridge and all traffic was being diverted, a good bit of it to Hwy 287 which was the route we would travel back to Fort Collins. The road was much more crowded than usual, including trucks, but we made the ride in without incident.

Today we arrived home in time to cook chicken fajitas on the grill before dark. Add a couple of beers to that and well, the verdict on the day was damn fine.

Total mileage = 236 miles

And here's the mini-movie:

Search for Colorado Gold Ride – September 2009

In search of gold in them thar hills... (part 1)

September 26, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

We spent the whole weekend traveling the high country north, south and west of here, enjoying blue skies, warm weather, Fall color and snow. Yes snow, the first of the season.

Saturday - Finally! Blue skies! After a rainy, cold, dreary first week of Fall we were ready for a warm weekend. We rode out about mid-morning in hoodies that were too warm here in the city but we knew as soon as we ventured away from the city onto more open roads, the sweaters would feel great.


As usual, we didn't have a plan set in stone although we had discussed the road up to the small town of Ward as one we had not traveled since we acquired The Ride. So as we wound our way on country lanes in the loose direction of Lyons we had that ride in mind.

We stopped for gas in Lyons after sitting in music festival traffic for a spell. We hadn't known about the festival or we would have considered another route. Lyons music festivals draw huge crowds partly because of its close proximity to Boulder and Denver. Add to that people passing through on the way to Estes Park or the high country and now you have a mountain traffic jam. We got out of there as fast as we could.

The road to Jamestown and Ward runs west of Hwy 93 about halfway between Lyons and Boulder. We had forgotten how much fun and how scenic the steep, winding road is. Jamestown sits off the Ward road on about a three mile dog-leg. The paved road ends just outside the town limits. We rode on up anyway to have a look around before riding back down and up to Ward which sits near Hwy 7 (also known as the peak-to-peak highway). Both Jamestown and Ward are tiny, secluded, close-knit mountain communities. Ward, in particular is very interesting in that most of the architecture is old, some of it dating back to the mining era I'm sure. Some of the housing is typical of what one would believe hippie-style commune living was/is like. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if some do without the luxury of indoor plumbing. I'm fairly certain at least some of the residents of Ward have been up there since the hippy-sixties. Old vehicles line the roadside. Whether most of the vehicles run or not is debatable. Judging from the overall state of neglect - it's doubtful. They live a different life-style up there where the harsh conditions of winter in the high country makes traveling very far extremely difficult if not downright impossible. This is a good road with lots of twists and turns and steep grades. The view from every vantage point is spectacular.

We had ridden the peak-to-peak highway just last weekend, but today we had sunshine so the aspen gold shining on the mountainsides was more spectacular. And now, thanks to last week's cold front, we had snow glistening on the highest peaks of the Rockies.

The day was gorgeous and warm. Soon we reached the junction of the Ward Road and Hwy 7. Reluctant to head in the direction of home, we rode in the opposite direction to Nederland, justifying the choice with the idea that we needed coffee and Jackpot cookies from the New Moon Bakery and Cafe. We visited at length with a couple from Black Hawk who were on a Spyder parked just outside the bakery. A Spyder is a vehicle with two wheels in front and one in back - a reverse trike of sorts. The woman explained her husband is crippled and has no feeling in one of his legs. He rode motorcycles in the past, but with his disability had not been able to ride for nearly six years until this vehicle came along a couple of years ago. I don't know if all of them are this way, but this particular Spyder is semi-automatic with a reverse - all hand controls. It is the first time, we've seen one up close - and we think it is a pretty clever design.

Still far from being ready to call it a day, we rode once again to Black Hawk and Central City where after exploring a couple of dead ends, we travelled the newly discovered Central City Parkway to Idaho Springs just opposite of what we did last weekend. In Idaho Springs which sits just off I-70, we stopped for coffee and a stretch. The town was busy as usual. We managed to ride out of town before succumbing to the lure of Beau-Jo's Pizza.

It was a bit late in the day to begin another mountain ride, but nearby Mount Evans beckoned and we dutifully answered the call. Mount Evans was a favorite picnic drive when we lived in the western suburbs of Denver a few years back and we enjoyed every minute of it on the motorcycle. It was cold near the highest point of the road, but not cold for long enough to make us put on our leather jackets. The road to the top of Mount Evans is closed after Labor Day because of snow, but the road around Mount Evans passes by scenic Echo Lake where we stopped for a photo op, including a couple of shots with a curious duck. The road continues over Squaw Pass where we stopped by our favorite picnic spot and scenic overlook. We picked up snow in this area right up to the road edge. We knew we would. We followed the scenic road, now veiled in shadow all the winding way to Evergreen and eventually down into Morrison. Both Evergreen and Morrison were bustling with people gathering for the robust night life both cities offer.

We wound our way down side roads (some familiar, some not) of the western suburban area of Denver for most of the ride back to Fort Collins. It was well after dark by the time we reached the city limits. We rounded out a great day with pasta and bread sticks at the Pizza Hut.

Today's total mileage = 274 miles. I shot some video. A mini-movie can be found on the post for part 2 of this ride (the next post).
Here's a slide show...

Peak to Peak Fall Color Ride

September 20, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Motorcycles ruled the high country roads today... all of us eager to get a good ride in before a cold front brings who knows how much snow to the Rockies. It's time. In northern Colorado, we normally get a couple of inches of the white stuff in the month of September. The mountains usually see enough snow around Labor Day to close the highest roads and temps drop low enough for the ski resorts to start making snow.

We rolled out of the drive about mid morning. It was warm enough to start out in hoodies. There wasn't much discussion about where we were headed... west and up being the general idea. Tim pointed the ride south to Loveland and west toward Estes Park. At Drake, we veered off the busier, more direct route and travelled the roundabout way up via Devil's Gulch.

As we rode along, we could see the clouds building. By the time we reached the Visitor Center on the east side of Estes Park and swallowed a cup of coffee, clouds had darkened considerably and began to roll over the Rockies. I can't remember how many times we've been chased out of Estes Park this year by clouds. We ran in and out of cloud cover for the rest of the day.

Motorcycles, bicycles and four wheel vehicles lined the shoulder of Hwy 7 where the pine trees open up to what is an astounding view of gold winding up and around the sides of mountains like yellow gold garland on a Christmas tree. People were armed with cameras in all shapes and sizes, trying to capture Mother Nature's short-lived gift. The gold, of course is aspen and once the weather cools, aspen turns quickly at high altitudes. We call ourselves lucky on this Fall color ride, because the aspen were just beginning to turn.

As usual on this trip, we stopped in Nederland for a rest and the nourishment a cup of thermos coffee and a brownie-snack can provide. Tim disappeared for a few minutes when he went to dispose of our wrappers. He came back with this odd grin on his face. When I asked him what was up, he said some Eurasian tourists had stopped him to take a photo. He thought they wanted him to take a picture of them. Actually, they wanted him to pose for a picture. They wanted a photo of a real American biker for their scrapbook. We got a good laugh out of that...

We continued on our ride past Wondervu (yes, it really is a wondrous view) to the gambling towns of Black Hawk/Central City. As we went down the canyon past Black Hawk (after 11 years, we are still saying we'll stop and gamble some day), Tim wondered again where the Central City Parkway tied in. We had heard about the parkway that connects Idaho Springs (on I-70) to Central City, but we had never ridden it. I suggested we ride the few miles to Idaho Springs and ride the parkway back. We did that very thing and have found a new, favorite high road. Great views of the I-70 corridor and old mine architecture dot the way. It didn't take long to make that little side trip, but it was long enough for the clouds to nearly catch up. We decided to skedaddle out of the canyon which is lined with signs that warn - in case of flash flood climb to safety. Ha!

Before long we found ourselves on the outskirts of the Denver metropolitan area and hungry. There wasn't much discussion about where to eat. The Ride knows the way to Jose O'Shea's. All of our vehicles know the way to Jose's. We could find our way to Jose's in a blackout. We enjoyed cream cheese chicken enchiladas and all the trimmin's. No margaritas - even though we were sorely tempted.

The ride home was uneventful although the clouds were making a nuisance of themselves. We remarked on pumpkins and the nodding heads of sunflowers in the fields and the number of geese that have returned. We have geese all year round in Colorado but migrant geese invade the area every fall and winter. The cold front was knockin' on the door and the skies were spittin' as we traveled the last few miles toward home.

This ride was about 210 miles of great scenery and pure fun.

Nine Days. Five States. 2035 Miles.

September 16, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Oh yeah - we had a great time riding over a rather extended Labor Day weekend. We started with a rally, went in search of little green men, encountered the witch of Endor, surprised the folks in TX, got some kicks on a portion of route 66, followed the yellow brick road, got wet a few times and nearly drowned at least once. LOL!

Posts and pics are coming. I'll post links here as soon as I get them edited.

September 5, 2009 - Day 1 - Thunder in the Rockies and the ride south is posted.

September 6, 2009 - Day 2 - Riding through New Mexico in search of little green men is posted.

September 7, 2009 - Day 3 - Riding into Texas to surprise the folks, meeting up with Dad - Hi Mom! is posted.

September 8, 2009 - Day 4 - Visiting with the folks and a trip to Red River Harley-Davidson

September 9, 2009 - Day 5 - Visiting Grandma, lunch with the folks and Tina gets a ride on the Harley

September 10, 2009 - Day 6 - Riding with Dad, Supper with the Folks at McBride's

September 11, 2009 - Day 7 - The road home from Texas, through Oklahoma (Route 66 Museum) to Kansas

September 12, 2009 - Day 8 - The road home from Liberal, Kansas (Dorothy's House) to Colorado Springs, Colorado.

September 13, 2009 - Day 9 - The road home from Colorado Springs with a quick ride through Red Rocks Park

This rundown post is finished. What a great ride!

Labor Day Ride and More - Day 9

September 13, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

A Comfort Inn in Colorado Springs is where we called home for the night after riding into a storm late yesterday afternoon on our way home. The day dawned cold and gray although it was no longer raining. After lingering over a good Continental Breakfast and hopefully allowing the day to warm a little, we loaded the bike and pointed the ride north on I-25 toward Denver. The clouds lifting and rolling across the Rockies looked ominous, but as we cleared the Parker Divide near Monument they began to clear. By the time we reached Denver we were cheering blue skies and sunshine. We celebrated by having a couple of donuts and coffee at Krispy Kreme Donuts just off C-470.

Since the day was looking great, we ventured off the highway toward Red Rocks Park near Morrison. We rode the park and got off for a stretch, admiring the hazy view from a high point. The park staff was busy making preparations for some sort of event at the amphitheater, slated for later in the day. We rode Hwy 93 out of Golden, through Boulder and home. The closer we got to home, the worse the clouds to the west looked. We rolled into our driveway just as the first few drops of rain fell.

After unpacking the bike and calling the folks to let them know we had arrived safely home, we treated ourselves to Serious Texas BBQ for supper.

What a great trip. Nine days, Five states. 2035 miles.

Last day of a long ride...

Labor Day Ride and More - Day 8 - Almost Home

September 12, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

We were up early. Today's agenda - ride home. Unless... the weather turned good in Colorado - then, we might take the long way home. Ha! But first, we agreed to start the day with a good breakfast. So, we walked in the brisk morning to the Pancake House we spied last night. What a pleasant surprise! The atmosphere was right out of a childhood memory of Sunday morning trips to the Pancake House with the folks. We had a good ol' country style breakfast with delicious buttermilk pancakes served up hot and tasty. The menu offered pancakes in dozens of different flavors. The coffee was good, the service was excellent and the prices so reasonable, we had to double check the ticket. It was busy (appears to be a favorite with locals) when we arrived although we didn't have to wait to be seated. By the time we left, the line was getting long.

We returned to our motel (which was a little on the cruddy side - but clean), loaded the bike and rode across the street to Dorothy's House. I have long been a fan of the Wizard of Oz so finding this attraction as we rode into town last night was a fun surprise. The park includes a yellow brick road and a house that was donated in 1907 which is allegedly decorated with antiques and memorabilia from the movie's era. The house was not open for viewing so we only saw the exterior. Out front, stands a bronze sculpture of Dorothy holding Toto. Scattered along the yellow brick road are hand-painted images of Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion. No sign of Glenda, the Wicked Witch of the West or flying monkeys... sigh... which is as it should be I suppose. Adjacent to the house is a Munchkin Playground. The gift shop facility is shared with a historical museum. Of course, I had to have a souvenir. I purchased a pin for my vest and a tee shirt that says Don't make me break out the flying monkeys... Ha! Can you guess which WOZ character is my favorite? Liberal hosts an annual event called OZ-Fest the first week of October. At least one of the original munchkins or stars from the movie along with the grandson of L. Frank Baum (author of The Wizard of Oz) are scheduled to appear. There are parades and live performances. Looks like fun!

Dorothy's House, Liberal Kansas

Before riding out of town, we stopped at Liberal Harley-Davidson. It was a nice dealership with a friendly staff. We roamed through looking at the bikes and tee shirts but didn't splurge on anything new.

The morning was chilly and damp so we shrugged on the leather jackets. We rode due north on Hwy 83 to Garden City, KS. We stopped once along the way at a truck stop (can't recall exactly where that was) where we visited at length with a friendly trucker from Lubbock, Texas but who lived in Alabama and rode a Harley. He asked about riding through Colorado on the way to the Grand Canyon in a few days. We advised the southern route and warm gear. Tim pulled on his full-fingered gloves at this point. It began to rain so we hustled on out of there. We didn't tarry in Garden City, stopping only for gas and a cup of convenience store coffee. I pulled on my full-fingered gloves at this stop.

The next part of our journey took us west on Hwy 50 through small Kansas and Colorado towns. It was 69 degrees when we rolled into Lamar, CO. The clouds broke and the skies had lightened and we had intermittent sunshine. We were hoping for good weather the rest of the trip. We stopped in a cafe for a light lunch. After a right out of the can meal for Tim and soup and salad for me, both of us were thinking we could have managed with a candy bar and it likely would have tasted better. Oh well!

As we rode on through the small towns of Las Animas, La Junta and Rocky Ford toward Pueblo, the darkening western skies dashed our hopes for a fair weather ride. This is farm country. Lots of produce stands dotted the roadsides. Having stopped for gas at a tiny spot in the road called Swink, we had no need to stop anywhere other than the rest stop on the north side of Pueblo. The skies looked bad, but we thought we might just make it to the Springs. We did not. Clouds were rolling over Pikes Peak and Cheyenne Mountain faster than we could ride. About six miles out, the temperature dropped and we hit a cold, hard, drenching rain and wind.

We got off at the first exit that advertised hotels and checked into the Comfort Inn. We dripped our way across the Lobby in soggy leathers basically terrorizing a gathering of Shriners and their ladies all dressed in evening attire. No matter to us. We had a nice, comfy, warm room on the third floor. Better yet, the night clerk allowed us to park the Harley under the awning and we could see it from our room.

After drying out some and calling the folks, we ventured back out into the rain for a brief walk to the Village Inn where we had a bowl of chili and brownie pie with ice cream for dessert. Afterwards, Tim prepared a cup of hot chocolate for me in the room and we chose Angels and Demons off the pay-per-view menu for our evening entertainment.

It rained hard, all night, but The Ride was cozy under the awning and its rain cover. We rested well.

Today's mileage was 343 miles.

From Liberal, KS to Colorado Springs, CO

Labor Day Ride and More - Day 7 - Kansas

September 11, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Dad bought donuts and we had coffee before reluctantly saying our goodbyes to the folks. We began our journey back to Colorado about 9 am, having decided to give ourselves a couple of days and one to spare to get home. As it turns out - that was a wise move.

Leaving Wichita Falls, we rode by Red River Harley-Davidson where they were busy getting ready for this weekend's open house. We rode out under gray skies. The forecast for Texas did not look encouraging and we hoped to put some distance between us and the approaching storms. We made it to Altus, OK before darkening skies run us into a Walmart just as they opened and let fall a deluge. We hung out in the Walmart for a while, had a cup of coffee, bought a shamwow (to wipe the bike down when the rain subsided) and loitered in front of the store. We talked with lots of friendly Okies about the rain, our trip, the Harley and so on... I called the folks to check in. Mom said the clouds were moving from east to west (what the heck!) and advised when we saw a break in the clouds to move on. About half an hour later, we did exactly that.

It wasn't long before we rode up under more rain, but it wasn't as heavy as what fell back in Altus. We had planned to stop by and explore Quartz Mountain Park that morning, but didn't like the looks of the clouds rolling over the mountain. We got the heck out of there. The skies spit on us for most of that segment of the trip. I didn't break the camera out again until we rolled into Elk City, OK where we stopped for gas and a bite to eat at Braum's.

On a quick ride through looking for a gas station and a place to eat, we spotted a really nice park, what looked like a heritage village and a Route 66 museum. After burgers and shakes at Braum's we decided to linger and go through the Route 66 Museum. What a fun place! I've always thought it would be fun to ride what's left of Route 66 and see the history since Dad mentioned last year that a portion of it runs through Amarillo. Now, I want to do that even more.

The entrance building houses a movie theater, gift shop, and several automotive displays including some really nice vintage motorcycles. I got a good photo of the 1948 Indian Chief but because of the glare on glass didn't get good photos of the 1965 Harley Electra-Glide, 1958 Cushman Scooter or the 1946 Harley-Davidson El Model. The Route 66 part of the museum was fun and informative with motion-activated narration of each segment. Along one side of the museum is a series of store fronts including a malt shop and a filling station where you can pull your classic car or motorcycle through for a photo op. On the same grounds is the large Old Town Museum complex which houses many vintage and replica buildings depicting the pioneer lifestyle, including an old school house, the first wood house built in Elk City, a church and more, most with an excellent collection of memorabilia. We really enjoyed wandering through it all, but kept a watchful eye on the skies...

We rode out of Elk City heading north toward Liberal, Kansas thinking if the weather allowed that's where we would stay the night. The roads through that part of Oklahoma are long and straight and go on for miles and miles and miles. There were acres and acres of wild sunflowers and other wildflowers in bloom and other than a random farm house or so, very little else to catch the eye. We stopped at what has to be the loneliest rest area on the face of the earth, even though it was at a junction of two roads. We had been on the one road so long, Tim pulled out the map just to be certain we hadn't missed a turn somewhere. Ha!

As we rode through Shattuck, Oklahoma we enjoyed the sight of a large windmill museum in a park right on the road. The tiny town of Gate in the panhandle of Oklahoma was interesting in that it was home to just over 100 people and had a good many murals depicting life in the old west painted on the buildings and fences of the entire town. I would have liked to linger there to admire the art and learn about the artist, but our daylight was waning fast so we rode on through.

We rolled into Liberal, Kansas about dark-thirty. We travelled the length of the main drag before selecting a motel that was in walking distance of a restaurant that advertised catfish. After freshening up a bit, we walked down to the restaurant where I had catfish and Tim had Mexican food. The town must be a trucking hub because there were diesels everywhere. We also spied a pancake house, a Harley-Davidson dealership and across the street from our motel was a park called Dorothy's House. As in, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Oh boy! We agreed we would do all those things tomorrow before hitting the road home.

Today's mileage was 348 miles.

The Route 66 Museum and Old Town Museum Complex

The trip from Texas through Oklahoma to Kansas

Shattuck Windmill Museum

Labor Day Ride and More - Day 6

September 10, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

This has been a great visit with the folks... we like having them all to ourselves. Today, I pulled on my boots and said to Dad and Tim, who were having coffee outside that we were wasting daylight. Let's ride. Ha! We were trying to figure out which direction to head when Mom suggested a ride to the Jolly Truck Stop for breakfast. Great idea and a perfect start to the day! Thanks, Mom.

So, we rode Hwy 287 to Jolly and had a tasty down-home style breakfast at the Jolly Truck Stop Restaurant. A good many years have gone by since the last time we [Tim and I] stopped at Jolly for a meal. They have updated a bit, but the overall comfortable atmosphere is the same. Dad and his biker buddies eat at Jolly often. According to our waitress, Tim's pancake was a bit puny. The cook must be having an off-day, she said, they usually hang off the plate. Somehow he made do.

Dad asked if a dam ride in Texas would be OK? Well, yeah. We decided to repeat the ride Dad and Tim did yesterday around Lake Arrowhead. Again, it's been a long time since I had been out to Lake Arrowhead. I had forgotten much of it. Although it promised to be a hot day, the morning was fine for riding and the road was fun. The best part was riding with Dad of course, but the road snakes lazily through the Texas countryside, undulating over small mesquite-covered hills, crossing mostly-dry creeks and winding around the lake with several sharp turns and some good twisties. I had forgotten the sight of oil derricks rising like skeletal pyramids out of the glassy lake. We enjoyed every minute of it.

We stopped about half way through at the spillway which was a perfect place for a photo op. It smelled like Texas - musky and dry and prickly - of mesquite and johnson grass. It felt like Texas - warm and humid with the last of a tepid morning breeze brushing across the back of my neck. It sounded like Texas, the whir and snap of grasshoppers in the tall, dry grass and the sound of wheels on asphalt reaching my ears long before a vehicle rolled into sight. Tim pointed out several large turtles just below the surface of the water. I know, big deal - turtles. We don't see turtles up this way.


The ride back into town took us by my other brother's workplace. We visited for a bit with Kenny and John before heading back to the house.


Mom had plans for supper. We would be dining at McBride's Land and Cattle Company. What had been clear skies, turned troubling in the late afternoon. It came a frog strangler just as we headed out to McBride's. The rain was a welcome sight as this is the dry season in those parts. We had a nice supper (the food is always excellent at McBride's) and a good visit afterwards.

Here is the mini-movie I made of our ride with Dad.

Dam Ride with Dad in Texas – September 2009