Happy Labor Day 2018

Happy Labor Day 2018

We hope you get a ride in today. We got a short one in. But in 2011 we were riding one of the most scenic areas in the continental USA. Chief Joseph Highway and Bear Tooth Highway - Wyoming and Montana.

Original 2011 post

We're off to the Salute to American Veterans Rally

August 16, 2012
Colorado, USA

Rolling out tomorrow to the Salute to American Veterans Rally in Cripple Creek, Colorado.

What follows is a video of the POW-MIA Recognition Ride 2011 (most photos taken from the back of the ride). This is the one rally we would never miss and this is the rally by which we judge any other rally... motorcycles, mountains and military appreciation - that's tough to beat in my books.

See you on the back side of the weekend... if you are out and about - ride safe!

POW-MIA Recognition Ride
Aug 20, 2011

2011 POW-MIA Recognition Ride Slide Show (78 photos)

Alternate link to this slide show

2011 POW-MIA Salute to American Veterans Rally Slide Show (73 photos)

Alternate link to this slide show

Riders Log 2011

TOTAL MILEAGE SINCE SUMMER OF 2008 = 51409
TOTAL 2011 MILEAGE = 14383
TOTAL MILEAGE 2010 = 17674
Total Ultra Classic Mileage 2010 = 15858
Total Heritage Mileage 2010 = 1816

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12/31/2011 Year End Mileage = 30241
11/13/2011 Sunday Ride to Vet Memorial = 20 miles
11/11/2011 Veteran's Day Parade Ride = 82 miles
10/31/2011 Hallowe'en Lunch Ride = 55 miles
10/29/2011 Total Mileage = 30084
10/29/2011 PGR Mission, Denver/Longmont = 145 miles
10/28/2011 Chilly Birthday Ride to Denver = 86 miles
10/23/2011 Get Tim a present for Vik's birthday ride = 192 miles
10/15/2011 Denver Ride = 226 miles
10/14/2011 Quick Ride After Work = 74 miles
10/02/2011 Lunch Ride = 25 miles
09/25/2011 High Country Fall Color Ride = 184 miles
09/23/2011 First Day of Fall Ride = 244 miles
09/18/2011 Total Mileage = 28908
09/18/2011 Afternoon Lake Ride = 165 miles
09/17/2011 Total Mileage = 28743
09/17/2011 Freedom H-D Open House Ride = 182 miles
09/11/2011 Patriot Day High Country Ride = 224 miles
09/02-05/2011 Road Trip #6 - 4 days = 1361 miles
08/19-27/2011 Road trip #5 - 9 days = 2187 miles
08/14/2011 Sunday morning before clouds roll in ride = 32 miles
08/07/2011 Nother High Country Ride = 310 miles
08/06/2011 High Country Picnic Ride (Mount Evans) = 230 miles
08/05/2011 Friday Lunch Ride for Serious Texas BBQ = 52 miles
08/01/2011 Total Mileage = 24145
07/31/2011 Sunday Picnic in Wyoming ride = 217 miles
07/30/2011 Saturday afternoon high country ride = 95 miles
07/29/2011 Friday Lunch at Fatso's Ride = 28 miles
07/23-24/2011 Devils Tower/Deadwood Ride = 833 miles
07/19/2011 Tim's birthday picnic ride = 46 miles
07/17/2011 Sunday getting away from it all ride = 240 miles
07/15/2011 Double Dam Lunch Ride = 53 miles
07/14/2011 Total Mileage = 22633
07/14/2011 Dealership ride = 23 miles
07/12/2011 BTGTW Dam Lunch Ride = 73 miles
07/10/2011 Sunday Morning Cheyenne Ride = 126 miles
07/01-06/2011 Canyonlands Road Trip = 1707 miles
06/27/2011 HOG Million Mile Monday Lunch Ride = 27 miles
06/24-26/2011 Donkey Derby Days/ Tejon Bikefest Ride = 431 miles
06/22/2011 Picnic in the Park Ride = 56 miles
06/22/2011 Sent for our 40k HOG patches = 20215
06/20/2011 Total Mileage = 20197
06/18-19/2011 Father's Day Weekend Ride = 826 miles
06/14/2011 Flag Day Lunch Ride = 81 miles
06/13/2011 Service Ride Total Mileage = 19260
06/12/2011 High Country Ride = 307 miles
06/11/2011 Riding around the clouds = 72 miles
06/05/2011 Churning waters, smoke and snow ride = 247 miles
06/04/2011 Smoke & Sun BBQ Ride = 144 miles
06/01/2011 Total Ultra Mileage = 18470
05/22/2011 Clear our puny heads ride = 62 miles
05/21/2011 Riding out to Run for the Wall = 331 miles
05/08/2011 Mother's Day Sunburn & Helmet Head Ride = 351.4 miles
05/07/2011 No jacket needed ride = 174.5 miles
05/05/2011 BTGTW Sunny Day Ride = 86 miles
04/28/2011 Total Ultra Mileage (1 year) = 17408
04/28/2011 Birthday Ride = 54 miles
04/17/2011 Windy Sunday Ride = 76 miles
04/16/2011 Windy Saturday Ride = 80 miles
04/12/2011 BTGTW Ride = 20 miles
04/09/2011 Rolling over 17,000 ride = 184 miles
04/08/2011 Friday Evening Ride = 77 miles
04/03/2011 Total Ultra Mileage = 16782
04/02/2011 Windy Saturday Canyon Ride = 155 miles
03/27/2011 We rode, we froze, we thawed ride = 63 miles
03/26/2011 Late afternoon ride = 45 miles
03/21/2011 Spring is here ride = 130 miles
03/19/2011 After booting the kids out ride = 120 miles
03/10/2011 Dealership ride = 26 miles
03/03/2011 Over the Dam to Verns Lunch Ride = 22 miles
02/24/2011 Total Ultra Mileage = 16182
02/24/2011 Maintenance & new tires ride = 25 miles
02/19-20/2011 Winter weekend ride = 85 miles
02/16/2011 Too windy ride = 23 miles
02/15/2011 Breaking 16,000 = 49 miles
01/28/2011 First Official Ride of 2011 = 25 miles
01/27/2011 Long way in to work ride = 9 miles
01/23/2011 Darn cold car wash ride = 1 mile
TOTAL MILEAGE SINCE SUMMER OF 2008 = 37026
TOTAL MILEAGE 2010 = 17674
Total Ultra Classic Mileage 2010 = 15858
Total Heritage Mileage 2010 = 1816

Celebrating #40 Today!

November 22, 2011
Colorado, USA

Forty Years! Who woulda thunk it?

Every time in the past year when we have mentioned we are working on #40 we most times get a look, usually a double-take that says - how in the heck did you manage that! Sometimes we get a congratulations!

Honestly, if we try to explain it - we just end up sounding tongue-tied and a wee bit spooky or like some sappy by-line from a romance novel talking about drop-dead love at first sight or first bite (smirk!) or explaining we were childhood sweethearts and so on or some other kind of sentimental, mushy forever and always destiny crap. Yikth!

You know what I see when I look back over a year's worth of photos? Or 40 years of photos? Smiles. Every step along the way - smiles. And yeah - most of the recent ones are compliments of the Harley. Harley smiles are S'miles. I think it is no mistake that the word smiles is the word miles with an S stuck on the front of it. S'miles.

You know what I say when someone asks how can you stay with the same man for that many years? I say, He makes me laugh. That's it. Plain and simple - the man makes me laugh. And, if you ask Tim - he'll likely answer the same - the woman makes me laugh. Like any marriage, we've been through our share of ups and downs. We always say we have survived the good times, the bad times, the sad times, the ugly times and the weird times. But how did we survive them?

We try not to take life or money or ourselves too seriously. As they say - nobody gets out alive, anyway.

For forty years, we have found the funny in the absurd and we laughed. There's not enough room on the Harley to carry forward any memories but the good ones. Somewhere along the way we learned to leave all the baggage behind and just carry around the important stuff. The good stuff. The fun stuff. The stuff that makes us laugh.

That's it - that's my anecdote for 40 years. If you have any doubts - take a look at the following video - am I right or what!

Tim and Vik Celebrate 40 years!

To Tim: here is your anniversary card/video. Thanks for 40 years of laughs - you make lovin' fun! -V- s.w.a.k.

Short Ride to Veterans Plaza

November 13, 2011
Colorado, USA

The statue at the new and not quite completed Veterans Plaza of Northern Colorado was unveiled today. We almost forgot about it. In fact, we had not really planned a ride today as winter weather is headed our way.

Still, there was enough sunshine to persuade us to do otherwise. We leathered up about mid-afternoon and rolled out for a short ride. One of our favorite lazy routes takes us through asemi-rural area we know is populated by eagles. Sure 'nuff they were roosting in a tree beside the road. I think it is fitting that a Veterans Day weekend ride include an eagle sighting.



Once we remembered about the plaza we turned the ride in that direction, arriving after the ceremonies had concluded and the military vehicles were pulling out. The statue of a soldier holding a young boy on his shoulder is wonderful.

As described on the website: A bronze statue further conveys the story of generations of sacrifice. The statue depicts a World War II American soldier with a young boy seated on his shoulder. The soldier’s left arm extends in a sweeping gesture as if showing the boy the promise of the future. The boy smiles as he realizes that his freedoms, his liberties, and small pleasantries like the park are a gift from those who have served and sacrificed for their country.

The park where the plaza is located is not very far from where we live so it will be nice to visit and hopefully we will see more Veterans ceremonies in our area in the future.

Here is a slide show (20 photos):

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The Veterans Plaza of Northern Colorado

Veterans Day Parade 2011

November 11, 2011
Colorado, USA

What a blast! Tim decided to take 11-11-11 off from work. A few days ago Charley Barnes of Journey 4 Justice broadcast on the radio and social networking sites they were looking for riders in the area to join J4J riders in the Veterans Day Parade in Loveland, CO. So, we accepted the invitation and I spent last evening decorating the ride parade-style.

We started out in full leathers but the sun was shining and breakfast at Fatso's Diner in Loveland was just what we needed to shake the early morning chill off. We then rode over to the staging area which was - in three words - chaos on wheels. Bikes and trailers and a huge assortment of military vehicles were parked helter-skelter over several blocks. We parked as best we could and eventually hooked up with Charley and the rest of the J4J crew.

We spent some time strolling through the bikes and military vehicles and socializing with Veterans including the WWII Veteran riding on J4J's float/trailer.

By the time we lined up (if that's what you want to call it - ha!) for the parade it was warm enough to ditch the leathers. What a great experience! We rounded a corner from the staging area to see the streets lined with veterans, patriots, parade-lovers and what appeared to be every school child in the Loveland area, most of them waving flags and cheering at the top of their freedom-loving lungs. The parade moved rather slowly and it was more a walk 'em and rev 'em parade so before we reached the end of the route we were smelling hot Harleys...


After the parade we joined the J4J crew for lunch at The Village Inn not far from the park where the parade ended. They welcomed us into their ranks and we spent just over an hour laughing and talking and munching.

We were reluctant to call it a day and rode off from the restaurant in the direction opposite from home. We rode as far south as High Country Harley-Davidson where we stopped for a stretch and a warm up with some thermos coffee. Clouds and chilly temps finally forced us to turn The Ride north toward home. By the time we rode in, it was cold. We are not complaining though - it is not often we get a whole day in on the Harley in northern Colorado in November.

Here is a slide show of today's fun (72 photos):

THANK YOU VETERANS!

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Journey 4 Justice is a great organization and the people we met today are a great bunch of bikers. We recommend you check them out and if you are so inclined - join a team and ride with them to Topeka for an exercise in free speech and a reckoning of justice, biker-style.

J4J Mission Statement:
1.To honor our fallen military men and women by exercising our right of free speech and displaying the American & State flags in all their glory.

2.To field teams that will travel to Topeka, Kansas to honor and defend the city by countering the vile and foul rhetoric from local hate groups.

3.To honor any and all people targeted by “hate groups” including, but not limited to the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas.

4.To respectfully obey all State and Federal laws in accordance with the 1st Amendment.

Boo Ride 2011

October 31, 2011
Colorado, USA

What do you do on a sunny Hallowe'en Day in Northern Colorado?

First, you thank the Boo-Gods that it is a sunny Hallowe'en day fit for riding.

Second, you roll the Harley out of the garage in proper appreciation of the opportunity to ride.

And third, you give the resident witch a ride.

Finally, you don't ask a stupid question like "which witch?" Ha!

Hallowe'en around our house is like most major holidays in other houses. So we take off and goof off. We rolled out of here about noon for a 55 mile witchin' ride that took us to lunch at Nordy's BBQ where we dined on catfish! That required a stroll through Thunder Mountain Harley-Davidson to walk it off. Afterwards we took the long roundabout way home with a ride through the small town of Tinmath where the ghosts and goblins were already out looking for goodies.

Nordy's BBQ is one of the few places you can get catfish in Colorado - mind you, it's not Texas catfish but it will take the edge off the craving - grin.

Slide show (16 photos):

Many thanks to Colorado Patriots

October 29, 2011
Colorado, USA

Many thanks to the riders who stood beside us in the flag line today to honor a family member and veteran. We appreciate the frosty escort to the cemetery and know that you stood ankle deep in snow and slush as well as braved the cold winds that tugged harshly at the flags we held... We were proud to be in such good company - and comforted by your presence.

Frosty white birthday ride

October 28, 2011
Colorado, USA

I usually hold my breath every year hoping the weather will cooperate for a birthday ride... sometimes I get lucky. As it turns out we have snow on the ground and it is cold.

I did get a drive to breakfast before we layered up around noon and rode sixty some odd cold miles to the north end of Denver. We have a Memorial Mission tomorrow for the husband of Tim's cousin. We made a decision to ride south this afternoon rather than ride early in the morning with temps below freezing.

Snow on the ground makes for a frosty birthday ride

Frost on the pumpkin... or jack-o-lantern - lol!

So we are tucked away in a motel for the night after a great birthday stroll for supper at a nearby Chili's - shrimp tacos and a couple of margaritas gave us a proper thaw.

October Afternoon Ride

October 23, 2011
Colorado, USA

We logged 192 miles on this fine October day just riding a wide circuitous route around our area, getting as far south as Longmont. The leaves are changing and there are pumpkins laying in fields and harvest festivals happening all around.

Tim thought we should stop at High Country Harley-Davidson and see if there was something I might like for my birthday that's coming up soon.

Hmmmm.... what's wrong with this picture?

I didn't find anything but I was happy to see Tim exchange the vest that makes him look a bit like Baby Huey ** grins ** for this new one.

Otherwise, it was just a pleasant, lazy day enjoying the Harley and my favorite time of year.

A Fine Day for a ride

October 14, 2011
Colorado, USA

Celebrating Fall with a High Country Color Ride

September 25, 2011
Colorado, USA

It started out as a "let's ride around the lakes" morning, maybe stop for donuts and coffee -- but it didn't take long to realize the day was so fine there was no way we would spend it any other way than cruising the whole of it on the Harley.

We did indeed ride around Carter Lake before continuing south and west toward our favorite park in Lyons where we stopped to devour our grocery store donuts washing them down with thermos coffee.

Coal Creek Canyon - Hwy 72

Where to next? Are you kidding - west and up - high country here we come. Well we rode Hwy 93 out of Lyons toward Golden deciding to ride Coal Creek Canyon. We have not ridden Hwy 72 in a long time and found ourselves wondering why. The scenery is spectacular and the road is fun. The aspens were putting on quite a show today and for this time of year - that's something - not all of them have turned yet.

We rolled by a huge herd of elk just outside of Estes Park - always a thrill.

We followed Hwy 72 and then Hwy 7 into Estes Park as the day began to wane. Shadows in Big Thompson Canyon on Hwy 34 as we headed down made for a chilly ride in but we are not complaining. Our days in the high country are numbered. Fall is here and with it will come snow and winter sooner than we would have them - sigh!

Slide show of the day's ride (78 photos):

Afternoon ride to Freedom H-D

September 17, 2011
Colorado, USA

Today's ride took us rambling south to Denver where we decided to stop at one of our favorite dealerships in the metro-mess. Much to our surprise Freedom Harley-Davidson was having open house so we parked The Ride, wandered through the crowd and the dealership, checked out the rides, watched a burnout or two, had some BBQ and enjoyed people watching.

Yep! Pirates have their parrots and bikers have their lizards - argghhh - ha!

Brief slide show (14 photos) enjoy.

Freedom-Loving Patriot Day Ride

September 11, 2011
Colorado, USA

What a beautiful Colorado Patriot Day! We rolled out of the drive this morning, flags flying with no particular destination in mind and found ourselves winding west and up Hwy 34 through the Big Thompson Canyon. At Drake we turned on Road 43 toward the sleepy town of Glenhaven riding what is known as Devil's Gulch Road. It is an easy-going ride with spectacular scenery all along the way and culminates with a couple of severe uphill switchbacks at the end - just to keep things interesting ya know. We call it the back door in to Estes Park which is a fun place for shopping and snacking and strolling and people watching but we were not interested in crowds today so we rolled on through the lively little town for what is likely one of the last peak-to-peak highway rides of 2011.

The Peak to Peak Highway begins in Estes Park on Highway 7 and rolls gently past and through some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in Colorado, a scenery which noticeably changes with the seasons. It doesn't matter if you know the name of the mountain beside you is Lily Mountain or Mount Meeker or if you recognize the peaks called the Twin Sisters or if you realize the Old Rock Church nestled beside the road near Allenspark is actually called the Chapel on the Rock and it was built in the 1930s - sometimes it's just nice to absorb it all without the man-made details.

We rode Hwy 7, stopping at a pulloff just beyond the Chapel on the Rock for a few minutes just to take it all in... then rode on, turning south just past Allenspark on Highway 72 and as is our custom (more like a rule), stopped in Nederland for cookies and coffee from the New Moon Bakery. YUM! and YUM!

After a leisurely stop in Nederland, we continued on Highway 119, passing through the gambling town of Blackhawk and scenic Clear Creek Canyon where we reluctantly found our way back along the usual routes, west on 93 out of Golden for a short ways before cutting across Interlocken and home via Hwy 287.

On days like today - it is a blessing to have a high country ride such as this one right out our back door.

Here's a slide show of today's ride (81 photos) enjoy.

Road Trip #6 Day 4 - The road home

September 5, 2011
Colorado, USA

Today was get on home day. After saying our good-byes to our excellent host and hostess at the Greybull Motel and so long to the Vets that were stirring early, we rolled out of Greybull about 8:30 am. It was chilly but sunny. We took a back road called first the Greybull River Road and then the Lower Greybull Road (recommended by our host) to travel through the small town of Meteetsee where there is allegedly a small bar with good food. This was a pleasant drive following a river through farmlands. When we arrived at Meteetsee we were diverted around town because of a Labor Day Parade. We decided to ride on and seek breakfast a little further down the road.

We gassed up in Thermopolis and found breakfast at the Lil Wrangler Restaurant. It was a fairly long wait because one of the waitresses had up and quit that morning and the just-out-of-surgery-hostess and a boyfriend were filling in. We enjoyed our coffee which they kept coming and when the food finally arrived it was hot, plentiful and tasty. What more can you expect out of breakfast?

Riding the beautiful Wind River Canyon

By the time we walked out of the restaurant the chill was out of the air. We wisely decided to keep our jackets on until we reached the other end of the Wind River Canyon. What a great ride!

We remarked again about how the little town of Shoshoni had changed, being all but dried up. The dusty Main street looks like a ghost town with weeds growing in the cracks of what is left of the asphalt, doors hanging off hinges and windows with no glass. We wondered if the malt shop had set up house elsewhere in town.

Traveling on, we stopped at the rest area between Shoshoni and Casper and peeled out of long sleeves, happy to ride warm the rest of the day. It was a long haul to get home so we did not linger. We stopped for gas in Wheatland and indulged ourselves with pie and ice cream at the Wheatland Inn which just happens to sit next door to the Shell station.

For once the weather cooperated on our ride out of Wyoming. We expect the weather to change about Wheatland, for certain at Chugwater but today is was clear sailing under sunny skies all the way in. We had winds of course, but that's normal. It is Wyoming.

Terry Lake - just a few miles from home

We rolled in about 7 pm, unloaded The Ride, checked in with the Folks in Texas and the neighbors and found we had plenty of time to enjoy a beer and a Mikes on the patio. Yep, the grass needs mowing and the garden needs picking but that will all keep until tomorrow or the next day.

Todays ride = 470 miles. Total road trip = 1361 miles.
Total Ultra mileage = 28461 miles

Slide show of the ride home from Wyoming (48 photos)

This is the last road trip of 2011. As usual at the end of a summer, especially since we got a Harley - we are out of vacation and money. Ha! We have had some great rides this year, but now it is time to enjoy what we hope is a long Indian Summer nearer to home and when cold weather does settle in, we will spend that time planning next year's rides.

I shot video on all our road trips this year - stay tuned for the mini-movies - coming soon. :)

Road Trip #6 Day 3 Medicine Wheel Passage and Shell Falls

September 4, 2011
Colorado, USA

Greybull, WY -- When we started this Labor Day weekend road trip, Alternate Highway 14 (between Lovell and junction of Hwy 14) otherwise known as the Medicine Wheel Passage is the road we intended to ride. We missed riding this scenic route last year on our way home from the Glacier National Park road trip because of severe storms.

We rolled out of Greybull after topping off the tank and stashing a few convenience store snacks and a thermos of hot coffee in the saddle bags. We travelled north on WY Hwy 310 across the Big Horn Basin and made a quick tour of the main drag in Lovell WY noting some interesting art deco architecture and a great patriotic mural in Veterans Park. Outside of Lovell, WY we rode east on Hwy 14 and traveled over an awesome bridge crossing Bighorn Lake. Keep in mind, we are easily entertained but we thought it was fun. Once across the bridge the road gained elevation fast via several switchbacks through what is known as the Big Horn Canyon. The payoff at the summit was a view of the Big Horn Basin from a vantage point of over 9000 feet in elevation. Our impression of this road was it was a great, easy ride with some kool switchbacks through alpine terrain but mostly we were thinking it was just too damn cold. High and cold. It crossed my sissy-mind at one point to break out the rain gear but the Texas-girl in me said tough it out. We did not stop at the Medicine Wheel this time as it sits a good way off the road and it is a walk-in from the parking area. Needless to say, we were not interested in an alpine hike this day.

Slide show Medicine Wheel Scenic Byway, Hwy Alt 14, WY (62 photos):

Medicine Wheel Highway

We were happy when we arrived at the junction of Alternate Highway 14 and Highway 14 which meant we could begin our descent to Greybull and hopefully warmer riding. We were soon upon Shell Falls and ready to stretch our legs. It was well past brunch-time so we took this opportunity to sample our convenience store donuts and thermos coffee.

Shell Falls is quite lovely and sits just off the road. The walk ways allow for great viewing and facilities include a gift shop and restrooms. The falls has about 120 foot drop. We took our time and enjoyed strolling in the sun and snapping a few pics.

Vik at Shell Falls, WY

Tim at Shell Falls, WY

The limestone formation known as Copman's Tomb

The drive through Shell Canyon was spectacular. We have driven this stretch of road before many years ago but as with most roads - it was far better on a motorcycle. The day was warm, the sun bright and rabbit brush was blooming in a riot of yellow alongside the road. The Precambrian granite/sandstone walls of the canyon loomed large as we rode along. From just about any point along the road a massive limestone promontory can be seen. It is known as Copman's Tomb. Legend has it that a young ranch hand named Copman once dreamed of building a glider which he thought to launch from that promontory. Copman, being well ahead of his time never realized the fruition of his ambition. Keeping faith with his dream he asked at the end of his days that his remains be flung from a glider near that point. This too, never happened but the formation became known as Copman's Tomb in local folklore.

Near the end of Shell Canyon, in a dusty little spot off the side of the road sits a hamburger joint and country store called Dirty Annies. We peeled out of our layers of clothing because it was now officially hot. Having decided yesterday we would not eat out in Greybull again Dirty Annies seemed like a fine alternative to PB&J. We found a small table in the cozy (ok maybe cramped is a better word) dining room and swatted at flies while we waited on a burger for Tim and a BLT for me. Our milk shakes (that's what they called them) were more like grainy malts. I asked for water and should have specified bottled water. Ack! Just an average meal, nothing fancy. I am smiling as I write this. The burger was ok, the BLT was ok. Notice the lack of caps in OK. I am glad I got chips with my sandwich and not fries and was happy to share what posed as an onion ring with Tim. I do not believe I have ever said or done such a thing in the past. It's not hard to ruin fries or onion rings I guess if they come from a freezer bag. Ha! Take note here - the meal at Dirty Annies trumped the meals of the two prior evenings - just barely. After our meal, we roamed through the country store part but there didn't appear to be anything we needed among the dusty, dated offerings. No, I am not complaining, just amused and not all that surprised - this is backwoods Wyoming after all. We enjoyed looking at the vintage sheep wagon on the property complete with cast iron stove and tried to imagine what it was like to lug or herd that thing over rough terrain.

On our way into Greybull we stopped at an antique store we had noticed was finally open. Here again, we didn't find anything we thought should come home with us but it was an interesting collection of mostly late 19th century - uh - junk. The owner was friendly and freely shared a few quirky Greybull tourist stories.

The motel was a welcome sight and we chatted with our host for a little while. He showed us their lovely private garden and we talked about our rides and thanked him for pointing us in the right direction. There are several more scenic points we will make a point to see next time we are up that way. We kicked back soon after with a couple of beers at the little table in front of our motel room until dark-thirty and talked about what we had seen along the 140 miles of road we traveled today.

Slide show of Shell Falls - Hwy 14, WY (71 photos):

Road Trip #6 Day 2 Chief Joseph Byway and Beartooth Pass WY/MT

September 3, 2011
Colorado, USA

Greybull, WY -- The ride this morning on Hwy 14 to Cody, Wyoming was as one would expect a Wyoming ride to be - long and flatter than flat. What was most surprising is it was damn cold. Too damn cold for denim jackets anyway. About twenty miles out Tim is cussing the fact that I let him talk me out of packing the leathers - just in case. So, we rolled into Cody and found the Walmart where sissy-boy Tim purchased a hoody and since there was no hoody in my size I settled on a stocking cap and decided to tough it out.

Cody is a neat little tourist town. We liked it. We rode back along the main drag passing small gotcha shops, saloons and Buffalo Bill's Irma Hotel all the while looking for breakfast. We found a great breakfast at a family restaurant called Granny's which was packed with both locals and tourists. We didn't wait long for a table and two cups of coffee appeared in front of us before we could slide out of our jackets. Our waitress was an older woman full of good humor, friendly and efficient. We ordered a hearty breakfast knowing Wyoming as we do, that it was not likely we would find restaurants along our ride today. Eggs, pancakes, hash browns and bacon served up hot and cooked exactly to order arrived fast. We liked Granny's and will return when we are in that neck of the woods again.

We topped the tank off and rolled out of Cody after breakfast heading out on Hwy 120 looking for the Chief Joseph Highway. What a beautiful ride! The view from the summit of Dead Indian Pass (elevation 8048) was stunning. The history of the Nez Perce Indians and their struggle against the inevitable domination by the white man is as interesting as the landscape giving meaning to the ground we were standing on. And, yes - it was still cold. But making up for it was the 47 miles or so of road being one switchback after another which was more fun than a roller coaster - woo-hoo! Tim and I agree the engineer of this road had to be a biker. This ride is nothing but eye candy with spectacular views of rugged mountains, craggy cliffs, and crystal blue mountain lakes around every curve - lots and lots of curves. Did I say woo-hoo!

Slide show for Chief Joseph Scenic Byway WY (55 photos):

At the end of the Chief Joseph Highway we turned onto Bear Tooth Highway. We had no idea when we started out this morning what a spectacular day of riding this would be. The Beartooth Highway (highest elevation paved highway in the Northern Rocky Mountains) winds through the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains revealing high alpine plateaus with snow fields and glaciers, countless glacial lakes, miles and miles of forest and lush valleys and waterfalls cascading over high cliffs. Our temps averaged 37 degrees as we traveled Bear Tooth Pass (elevation 10,947 feet). Did I mention it was cold? And do you think we cared? No, we were having too much fun.

Shortly after starting out on the Bear Tooth highway we encountered !!&*%(*%*^%$!! road construction and as is typical in Wyoming the road was down to dirt and bedrock. Several inches of loose gravel and dirt made for treacherous going. We had gone about a quarter of a mile when we saw a water truck headed our way. We were thinking great, let's add a shower and mud to the mix...next we would be riding as icicles but the water truck guy stopped, pulled over and let us pass with a friendly wave. We met the water truck guy later at a visitor center. He was hanging out beside the ride, said he noticed our plates and told us he was a biker, up from Colorado Springs working on the road crew for the summer.

Bear Tooth Highway - check out the road below the Rock Creek Vista Point Lookout (elevation 9190 feet)

Glacial Lakes and snow all along the Bear Tooth Highway

The Bear Tooth Highway is 60 plus miles of pure OMG (Oh My God) highway. We have OMG highways in Colorado but I believe this day of riding would match and outdo any one of them. We rode into Red Lodge Wyoming with big ol' smiles on our faces. Did I say woo-hoo? Our host at the Greybull motel recommended riding back the same way we had just ridden but it was late in the day and we realized that doing as he advised would put us riding part of that road at night. With temps already in the mid-30s we decided against that and chose to ride the lower, warmer, flatter route back through Cody and on to Greybull. This route took us through Bearcreek, Montana where the buildings of Washoe Mining Camp, a ghost town line the sides of the road.

Once back in Greybull we parked The Ride, said howdy to the Vets who were already congregating outside and then strolled off in search of food. We found a poor excuse for food at a Pizza place downtown not far from Lisa's where we dined last night. Afterwards, we decided we might have done better with peanut butter and jelly from the grocery store. We decided to find food before we ride back in tomorrow or PB&J it is.

We spent some time this evening visiting with the Vets and listening to their stories and laughing as they poked fun at each other. They offered drinks (whiskey) but being lightweights, we stuck with our beer. What a fun group.

Now we are ensconced in our cozy room and ready to call an end to an amazing day and 298 miles of oh my God highway -- all those switchbacks - wow!

Slide show of Bear Tooth Highway and Pass WY/MT (100 photos):

Road Trip #6 - Day 1 - North to Wyoming and Wind River Canyon

September 2, 2011
Colorado, USA

Greybull, WY -- This morning, about 8:30 am, we rolled north out from under some clouds hanging low and dark over the foothills. Tim pointed out the odometer was sitting at exactly 27,100 miles. Normally, we will roll south or west but there is rain in the New Mexico forecast, it is still too durn hot in Texas and Oklahoma and we just spent nine days riding in the Colorado's southwest corner. The Wyoming forecast is sunny and warm so, here we are sitting in a cozy little motel in Greybull, WY.

It was jacket weather riding out but we ran out from under the clouds not long after we crossed the Wyoming border. First stop was for fuel and breakfast in Wheatland, WY. We had a great breakfast at the Wheatland Inn (right next door to the Shell). When was the last time you had a breakfast special (2 eggs/bacon/hash browns/short stack) priced at $3.99? Add a couple (ok several) cups of rich, black coffee and color us fat and sassy and ready to ride on.

We stayed on I-25 through Casper, then travelled Hwy 26 the long, long, long, hot, hot, hot 100 miles across no-mans-land Wyoming to Shoshoni where we turned north on Hwy 20. It has been several years since we have been through these parts. We were surprised to see the deterioration of the small town of Shoshoni. We had planned on stopping at a historic malt shop that was once very popular, but the building where it was located is deserted. Rats!

The best part about turning north in central Wyoming is the ride through the Wind River Canyon. The canyon drive is about 35 miles or so and runs through the edge of the Wind River Indian Reservation and Boysen State Park skirting the edge of the Boysen Reservoir. The canyon walls loom over 2000 feet above the road. Interpretive signage all along the way points out the geology of the area, many of the rock formations from the Precambrian period (some of the oldest rock formations in the world). The road runs beside the Wind River until near the end of the canyon where we get the Wedding of the Rivers as it joins the Bighorn River.
Vik - Wind River Canyon, WY

Wind River Canyon Ride -2011

Thermopolis, WY is home to the world’s largest mineral hot springs. The state park is worth the stop, but we have seen it before and decided to ride on through this time. Upon arrival in Greybull, WY we cruised the main drag before rolling into the charming Greybull Motel where we have secured a nice room. I had read the reviews online about this motel and knew this was likely the place we would stay. The hosts are friendly. The walks in front of the rooms are lined with beautiful flowers. There are several sheltered picnic tables and lots of cozy spots to relax. The room is clean and neat. We have booked a couple more days here.

The owner of the motel recommended a restaurant within walking distance so we took a short stroll to Lisa's Western Cuisine and Spirits. We stepped in, but it seemed a bit stuffy inside so we chose a table on the patio and ordered a couple of Ultras. The food was a bit pricey, we thought. Tim says his steak was OK, but rather small and he liked the sauce. I ordered the special (chicken and pasta). The Young and somewhat snooty waitress said it was not a special it was a feature. La-tee-dah! The pasta was OK, the chicken - mostly rubber, so I have to agree with her -- there was certainly nothing "special" about my $18 "feature". Ha! The atmosphere was simply buzzing. I think Lisa's should invest in citronella candles or install something to move the air - flies were a nuisance.

After dinner, we strolled down the all but deserted streets of sleepy little Greybull, listened to a man broadcasting his own music across quiet main street from a swap shop (he was pretty good) and picked up some beer and snacks at a convenience store. We met a group of Vietnam Veterans staying at the same motel and talked over a couple of beers at a cozy table near our room about our ride tomorrow. The owner of the motel is a motorcycle rider... he recommended a ride to Cody, Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (both of these we already had in mind) and the Beartooth Scenic Byway.

Today's ride was 440 miles... looking forward to tomorrow... yawn!

Slide show of today's ride to Wyoming (76 photos):