POW-MIA Recognition Ride 2012

August 8, 2013
Colorado USA

Sharing the 2012 video again as we get ready to roll out to the rally in a few days...
Link to Salute to American Veterans Rally 2013

Video slide show of the POW-MIA Recognition Ride from Woodland Park CO to Salute to American Veterans Rally in Cripple Creek CO - Wooooo-Hooooo!

POW-MIA Recognition Ride 2012

Best of the Ride 2012

Turkey Day Ride

November 22, 2012
Colorado, USA

Yeah, we got the Anniversary/Turkey Day Dinner ride in. We rolled out about noon mostly because the day was so nice with the idea if we found a turkey dinner somewhere along the way that would be OK. The buffets and restaurants serving dinner had lines out the door and around the building. We had just about settled on the idea the ham I had in the fridge at home (I always have a back up plan) would be better than the long wait for a mundane meal when we rolled past one of our favorite breakfast stops and noticed they were open.

What luck! We walked into The Widow McCoy's in Loveland and sat right down to a dinner in a quiet dining room - no wait - no crowd - turkey and all the trimmings plus a slice of pumpkin pie.

By the time we rolled away from the friendly service at The Widow, the wind had kicked up and the temps had dropped past our light jacket comfort level. So, we moseyed our way home and lit the fire and that is how we will see #41 out and #42 in.

Anniversary Eve Ride

November 21, 2012
Colorado, USA

Today started the holiday weekend for us. I know. We have no imagination. Free time + blue skies = RIDE. Ha! We rolled out of the drive about noon, just happy to ride out in November in northern Colorado without leathers. We stopped at our favorite junktique store one town over (Loveland) and then found a great burger in another small town (Berthoud) at a little hole in the wall called Grandpa's Cafe.

Vik ready to roll on our pre anniversary/turkey day ride

Tim ready to roll on our pre anniversary/turkey day ride

First stop - our favorite junktique store

Second stop - burgers at Grandpa's Cafe

For starters - green chile - outstanding!

The prize of the day - steak burgers and sweet tater tots

I'd say our holiday is off to a great start! Tomorrow we celebrate our 41st anniversary on turkey day USA.

My Everyday Veteran Hero

November 11, 2012
Colorado, USA

I cannot think of anyone I would rather have shared the last 41 some odd years of my life with than my own personal Hero/Veteran/Harley-Husband. Thank you for your service and for your endless patience and indulgence... I will always remember that you never balk when I say - let's ride under that great big flag one more time!!!

Have a good day Timothy! Tonight the beer is on me!

That's better...

November 6, 2012
Colorado, USA

Election Day USA! It means different things to different people. We voted several days ago because the choice to us was clear - vote to preserve our freedoms and the American way of life for posterity. Hopefully, everyone else voted for similar reasons.

Anyway, there's nothing like a BTGTWR (before tim goes to work ride) to clear political cobwebs from the head. We were not out of the neighborhood before all the propaganda via telephone/TV/email/mail BS disappeared in the rearview mirror.

Our riding comfortable days in northern Colorado are numbered, so we roll out without the leathers as often as we can now. It has been a really nice Indian Summer but ol' man Winter is knocking at the door.

Happy Hallowe'en!

October 31, 2012
Colorado, USA

If you are out on a witchin' ride today - be safe in your travels. We are out enjoying a BOO Ride - Woo-Hoo!

UPDATE: What Luck! Hallowe'en in Colorado and it is nice enough to ride in denim! Woo-Hoo! We rolled out about mid-morning on the BOO ride in search of brunch. A short while later we stopped in front of a cafe in the tiny town of Eaton, CO we have visited several times. The Cowboy Corner Cafe... is no more. I noticed the change in signage, decor and wondered why there was plenty of available seating but not quick enough to warn Tim who barreled on through the front door like he owned the place. The cafe has changed their name to the Corner Cafe. Well, we sat down at a table near the window and looked over the now very limited offerings. Breakfast was already off the menu (where it had always been offered all day) so I ordered a BLT and Tim ordered a cheese burger. The elderly couple now running the place said they had reopened about a month ago. Uh-oh! Apparently, they had a falling out with their partner (a biker dude who used to run the place). Too bad. I believe he was the better cook. Anyway, it took forever to get our hum-drum sandwich and burger. I bravely gnawed my way through el cheapo bacon on dry white toast while Tim drowned his burger in mustard. I shoved my pasty fries across to Tim who managed to get them down with far too much ketchup. The bar and grill was doing a pretty good business across the street with the locals - I am betting the news is out. Oh well!

We spent the rest of the afternoon riding away from what we hoped was the last "trick" of the day. The weather was great and the winds light on the farm roads of eastern Colorado. We roamed up one country road and another, commenting on what the farmers were doing. Along the way the odometer on the Ultra clicked past the 42,000 mile mark. We slowly ambled our way home around a couple of the lakes we like to ride and snuck in part of a dam ride. We arrived just in time to light most of the house and treat the daycare kids who came marching across the street in high spirits. Then, we lit the rest of the house and enjoyed treating the kids and visiting with the neighbors who dropped by to tour the house. Yep! The house is "spooked" from top to bottom - inside and out.

This is my favorite time of year and my favorite holiday. Starting the day off with a BOO ride made for a great Hallowe'en Day and Night.

Hmmm... perhaps not the best advertisement for a SPA...

We are in the middle of the corn harvest.

This was the view in front of us as The Ride rolled over 42K - The Rockies glistening with their first snow.

A farmer with a sense of scarecrow humor... the table was set with beer bottles.

Not all witches ride a broom... ha!

Busted! Tim has been out with another witch - um - er - woman. LOL!

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

Get your witch socks on and let's ride!

October 21, 2012
Colorado, USA

Distractions! Distractions! They are what they are but color me happy to finally hop on for a ride. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in northern Colorado. The skies were clear, the winds were mild and the temp was perfect.

First! It simply will not do to ride out in October without the proper attire including witchy socks! Fall is my favorite time of year and Hallowe'en is my favorite holiday. Among other distractions, I have spent the last few weeks "witching the house and grounds".

Tim and myself with the ride - the yard all decked out like a Gothic flea market behind us.

It was just an extended dam ride but sooooo great to get out of the house. It is likely the last time we will get to roll out of the drive without the leathers. Next weekend, actually about mid-week our weather starts looking a bit "iffy" and the s-word is being tossed out there. We've had flurries of course but no accumulation so far. Not to worry... we have firewood, movies, books, the Harley Ride Planner and stew-makings.

The ride known as the dam ride is one of our favorite rides... and it is literally right out our front door. We were not the only ones out and about taking advantage of the fine Fall weather before ol' man winter pays a visit. The hills were alive with vehicles you drive, ride or pedal.

And one last thing... thanks for the Harley purse Mom. Phone and wallet both fit.

First Day of Fall

September 22, 2012
Colorado, USA

This is my favorite time of year... We think we will get out and scatter the leaves already collecting on the roads here in Northern Colorado on the first day of Fall. Hope you are out doing the same.

This is a pic of our high country color ride September 15, 2012. The aspen were just beginning to show their gold... and it was a gorgeous day from start to finish.

Road Trip #4 Day 4 - The road home - brrrr....

August 20, 2012
Colorado USA

Well... after a great night's rest at the Hotel Eastin, we packed up and rolled out of Kremmling CO just after 8 am, bundled up because the skies were gray and threatening and the temp was struggling to get to 40 degrees.

We traveled Hwy 34 east to Granby, marveling at the skies and the lush, green terrain and surprised because we had forgotten about Byers Canyon. But really after a few miles, the only thing on our minds was a warm place to park for a while, lots of hot coffee and a big steaming breakfast. The Chuck Wagon Cafe was the place we chose mostly because it is the first stop and we know the food, while not fancy is always good. We ordered the works and lingered trying to let the day gain a little heat. Before leaving, we added another layer to our clothing.

We backtracked a bit out of Granby, deciding to travel Hwy 125 north through Rand and Walden rather than ride through Rocky Mountain National Park in inclement weather. It was cloudy, sometimes damp and very chilly for most of the ride. We saw geese headed south as we were mounting up. It's August for Pete's sake! It did not feel much like summer.

Along this stretch of road is Wilkerson Pass at the Continental Divide (elevation 9683). We fueled in Walden and rolled along familiar Hwy 14 dodging rain clouds through north park and down the Poudre Canyon. We were grateful there wasn't rain in the canyon as the burn scar is going to be prone to flash flooding, mud and rock slides for a long time to come. The waters ran black at the end of the canyon. Temps rose to near 60 degrees as we rode down the canyon, a welcome respite from the chill of the higher elevations. Woo Hoo! A heat wave!

We rolled in just after 2 pm, ready to shed damp clothes and warm up a bit. We rarely do so after a ride but today we had coffee instead of beer on the patio. Ha!

Slide show of today's ride = 132 photos

Alternate link to this slide show

What a great Vet Rally weekend! We cannot wait to do it again next year!

Today's Ride = 457.6 miles
This road trip = 765.4 miles
Total mileage on The Ride = 39453 s'miles!

Road Trip #4 Day 3 - Dad thinks we are lost

August 19, 2013
Colorado USA

After paying our respects at The Vietnam Traveling Wall we rode out of Cripple Creek on Teller Road 1. We have never traveled it before. The last time we even thought about traveling it, we discovered it was a dirt road. That was many moons ago.

Teller road 1 was a great ride. Once we hooked up with Hwy 24 we rode with a gusty side wind while we traveled west. By the time we rolled up on the junction of Hwy 285 (the usual way north for us) the day had warmed considerably, the donuts had worn off and ice cream was on our minds so we decided to visit Buena Vista to the southwest and a little burger joint called K's. We love the scenic ride into Buena Vista with the spectacular view of the Collegiate Peaks around every curve. When I spoke with the Folks later Mom said Dad thought we were lost. By the end of the day he was sure of it. Ha! The Ride's mileage rolled over 39,000 s'miles just before noon and we were having a blast.

The scenic road to Buena Vista

Ice Cream at K's in Buena Vista

Slide show of the ride from Cripple Creek to Buena Vista = 60 photos

Alternate link to this slide show

After our refreshment we traveled up Hwy 24 to Leadville. This was cold riding so back in our jackets we went when we stopped in Leadville. Leadville (known as The Cloud City) sits at 10,200 elevation. Aside from its history, Leadville bears the distinction of being the highest city in the USA. We have camped near there. It can get a bit frosty any day of the year. We decided to travel Hwy 24 for another 30 some odd scenic miles through Red Cliff, Minturn and on to Vail. We haven't traveled that route in a long time and we fell in love with it all over again. The mountains along this stretch of road were home to the Army's 10th Mountain Division who trained for winter survival during World War II at Camp Hale. Not much is left but foundations of buildings at Camp Hale but there are interpretive signs in the area. There's a memorial at the Tennessee Pass Continental Divide scenic pullover. This is a high scenic ride along a great road... one of the best in Colorado we think. We love the high bridge that crosses the Eagle River along the way. Just before the road descends into Minturn, the ghost town of Gilman, an abandoned mining town can be seen near the Eagle River bridge. We traveled east on I-70 as far as Hwy 9 and turned north. Hwy 9 is also a great, gently winding road that skirts Green Mountain Reservoir.

Slide show of the ride into Kremmling = 102 photos

Alternate link to this slide show

Kremmling is where we hung our helmets for the night. We rode the main drag and decided to give the historic Hotel Eastin a shot. It doesn't look like much from the outside. Just a little long plain building sitting on a corner. It is painted pink. We are so glad we stopped! We were greeted by our hostess Maryann who was sitting in a corner doing needlework when we walked in to the cozy parlor near the front desk. Our hosts Maryann and Walt are friendly and full of information about the hotel and the area. The hotel was built in 1906. A sarsaparilla plant occupied the lower floor while the upper floors were operated as a rooming house. The building housed a barber shop, shoe shine shop, drug store and a dress shop through the years. The Eastins acquired the building which they converted to a modern hotel catering to traveling salesman in the early 1900s. The Eastin family ran the hotel until mid-1990s. Being a book lover I found one bit of history about the hotel extremely interesting. According to our hosts, Zane Grey the western author, inspired by an image of a horse and rider seemingly chiseled into the cliffs on the edge of town wrote a book called the Mysterious Rider (1921). Maryann showed me the small room overlooking main street and the cliffs beyond which they were in the process of remodeling as the Zane Grey room. They were also trying to acquire a first edition of the book from the Grey's heirs to display.

Artwork by western artist Charles Russell is displayed throughout the hotel which has a very Victorian/Old West atmosphere. The halls are long and narrow, the stairs steep, the deeply colored floral carpet plush. The doors all bear a western name. Our room was clean, cozy-comfortable and decorated with western charm. Our room had a nice private bath. There is no a/c at the Hotel Eastin but a/c is rarely needed at elevations above 7000 in Colorado. The fan on the desk and an open window were more than sufficient for our needs. Hostel rooms which Maryann was kind enough to show us, are located on the lower floors, very popular with hunters and fisherman as well as rafters she says. I bet. They are sparsely appointed but look clean and comfortable.

We had a great supper at The Quarter Circle Saloon just a few steps away. My fried shrimp dinner was fantastic and Tim says the same about his steak. We strolled through the town after supper and found the mysterious rider in the cliffs that inspired Zane Gray to write the book of the same name. Unfortunately, the photos are not clear enough for me to point it out. Oh boy! I guess that means a trip back sometime for better pics. If the Hotel Eastin is at the end of the trail - no problem!

Slide show of the Hotel Eastin and Kremmling CO = 36 photos

Alternate link to this slide show

Today's ride = 272.8 miles

Road Trip #4 Day 3 (part 1) - The Road to The Wall

August 19, 2012
Colorado USA

We rolled out this morning with the intent of riding up to Cripple Creek one more time. We had jacket temps but sunny skies. First stop was The Donut Shop in Woodland Park where Tim ordered the biggest item (cinnamon roll) in the case. I had a chocolate/Bavarian crème fix. The donuts and coffee were OK, but we have had much better. The ride up to Cripple Creek was about as fine as it gets. Lucky us! We get to make one of our favorite rides three times in three days.

Cripple Creek was rumbling early but today was a ride on through to the high school where the Traveling Vietnam Wall was set up. Today we paid our respects to the fallen with a special nod on behalf of our friends to Pascal C Poolaw 1922-1967, US Army and Gary C Johnston 1948-1970, US Army. We were disappointed that the Gulf War Memorial was not present because this is an American Veteran's Rally not strictly a Vietnam Veterans Rally (not sure what is up with that).

Slide Show of The Wall visit = 58 photos

Alternate link to this slide show

Salute to American Veterans Rally - POW-MIA Ride

August 18, 2012
Colorado USA

Woo Hoo! What a day! Of course, we started the day with the POW-MIA recognition ride. We rolled away from our cozy motel just before 7 am under bright blue skies with the temperature hovering just over 50 degrees. We could tell it was going to be a beautiful day. We had rain overnight and we could see where the road [Hwy 24] had been cleaned of a couple of minor mud slides in Waldo Canyon area.

We arrived in Woodland Park at the staging area with a few other early birds and registered to ride in the 25th Annual POW-MIA Recognition Ride. As soon as we had the ride parked we walked over to have our traditional rubber pancakes, sausage and coffee. Ha! It's a tradition and the donation goes to a good cause. Then, we walked among the bikes and watched them roll in. What a huge turnout!

Finally, we got the call to mount up and roll toward Cripple Creek. Hundreds of bikes were still in line for registration. Bikes stretched out for miles in front of and behind us. The weather was perfect, the road and the scenery as beautiful as ever. Flag waving crowds lined the side of the road. It is a one of a kind experience - this ride. A patriotic proud-to-be-an-American biker experience.

Slide show of the POW-MIA Ride (120 photos):

Alternate link to this slide show

Rounding the corner to the cheers of thousands in Cripple Creek, we were blown away to see this was the biggest turnout we have ever seen for the rally. Normally the crowd and bikes thin out near the top end of the main drag. Not so this year. Bikes and people lined the main street all the way to the end and down the back street. We parked the ride as we have in the last few years, preferring the back street near The Old Homestead. We had plenty of time to walk up and still watch hundreds of bike roll in.

Slide show of riders still rolling in after we have parked and walked up the street (20 photos):

Alternate link to this slide show

Soon we were strolling to the tiny park where the ceremonies are held every year. We listened to the excellent patriotic program mc'd by Jim Wear (promoter of the event). There is always music and testimony and stories of American heroism. There are flags snapping in the breeze and we were happy to see Bady the three legged Soldier Dog again. Bady is a military patrol dog who lost a leg in the service of our country and credited with saving over 100 US Soldiers. At the 2011 rally, we were honored to see Bady awarded with a US Army Honorary Combat Badge.

And then there are the flyovers. I love the planes zooming out of nowhere overhead. They are tricky to catch but I give it an effort every year.

Slide show of the flyovers (41 photos):

Alternate link to this slide show

We had catfish, twisted taters and lemonade for lunch before shopping the vendor booths. We strolled the streets looking at bikes and bikers and veterans. Tim signed the Veteran's wall for himself. I signed for Dad. We met an 85 year old biker/veteran who had ridden in the POW-MIA ride that morning and enjoyed a chat with him. He told us he had wrecked the BMW he was riding only the year before and got pretty bunged up when a texter teen ran a stop sign and almost did them both [him and his bike] in. He said he put himself back together and then had the bike put back together and was keeping on - keeping on. He flirted a kiss on the cheek out of me and then sprinted off down the street before my feller caught up with him. Ha!

We spent sometime looking at war memorabilia in the Hall of Heroes upstairs at the Big Jim Saloon.

Slide show of the Rally (111 photos):

Alternate link to this slide show

Thunder and clouds put a good many of us in mind to get on down the mountain. We rode part of the way in a nasty little rain shower with intermittent pea-size hail. We didn't stop to suit up as some did. The skies finally cleared, and we dried out as we rode along. The rest of the ride back to the motel went well.

It was about 5 pm when we decided to walk the short distance to a little dive we know called Mo's Diner. It's nothing fancy but the burgers are good and the beer is cold. The waitress brought us a sample of the green chili the diner is known to serve on their breakfast burritos. It was awesome. We had not been in the diner long, before a couple of trikes rolled up out front. We chatted at length with the two couples. The guys were Vietnam Veterans/ALR Riders from Kansas if I remember correctly. We love the stories and one of them had plenty to tell.

After wishing the old vets happy trails and safe travel home, we kicked back with a couple of beers in front of our room at the motel and chatted with some of the other guests until well after dark.

Today's ride = 87.1 miles

Yawn!

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Salute to American Veterans Rally Information for 2013

POW-MIA Recognition Ride 2012

August 18, 2012
Colorado USA

Video slide show of the POW-MIA Recognition Ride from Woodland Park CO to Salute to American Veterans Rally in Cripple Creek CO - Wooooo-Hooooo!

POW-MIA Recognition Ride 2012

Road Trip #4 Day 1 - Vet Rally Friday

August 17, 2012
Colorado USA

Oh man! What a great day! We love riding to the Salute to America Veterans Rally in Cripple Creek, Colorado every year. So, we rolled out just before 7 am in jackets because after a damp evening the night before it was chilly with the humidity. Most mornings in Colorado are cool and clear - it's one of the things we love best about it. Skies were blue if a bit hazy. We have had smoke haze most of the year because of the wildfires and drought conditions. In northern Colorado we haven't had our typical summer Wyoming-type winds to clear the smoke on out and it has been unusually HOT. My Texas/Oklahoma friends are laughing I know. Even the hot air balloons were hanging lazy and listless in the sky as we traveled our typical route south.

The Ride - Country Road Cafe - Kitteredge CO

Hwy 287 to Interlocken (Rd #128) to Indiana Street to Hwy 58 to Golden and Heritage Rd/Hogback Rd to Morrison. Although there are a couple of cafes that serve a great breakfast in Morrison, we thought we'd look a bit further down the road. We traveled Hwy 74/Bear Creek Road through the canyon rolling to a stop at the Country Road Cafe in Kitteredge. We have ridden by many times - we will not be making that mistake again. The mountain lodge atmosphere was comfy. We chose to dine in this morning but the patio business was booming as well. The place was immaculate and the wait staff friendly and efficient. To call what they served just breakfast is to understate it. The pancakes alone were nothing short of amazing (both in size and taste) and this is the first time I can recall thinking the eggs were the side dish.

This is Tim's new motto...

Needless to say we rolled away somewhat heavier than when we left because we tried our biker best to clean our plates. Traveling through Evergreen on Hwy 74, we veered across on N Turkey Creek Road to always busy Hwy 285. We smelled it first and then saw a thin plume of smoke on the horizon past Bailey and wondered if we were in for another wildfire. The wildfire season has been horrific in Colorado this year. Before long we had turned south on Rd #126 aka Deckers Rd. The day was warming and we started peeling off layers when we pulled off at the Long Scraggy Peak overlook.

The ride was going well and we were making good time. We rolled along Hwy 67 and into Woodland Park about 11:30 am and decided we would ride on up to Cripple Creek. We usually ride up to see what's going on in Cripple Creek on Rally Friday. The plan was to check out the road as it had been closed only a day before due to a sink hole. Last night it was reported the road was open with one lane traffic. What we found would determine whether we participated in the POW-MIA ride this year. So we followed Hwy 24/67 west to the town of Divide then turned south on scenic Hwy 67. This is one of our favorite rides. It is always beautiful and always interesting no matter what season we ride it. Today we ran upon a small herd of goats.

Heads Up! We have goats!

The traffic was indeed down to one lane near the sink hole, but it didn't look to be much of a deterrent for the POW-MIA Ride so that was a GO as far as we were concerned. Everything and everyone is laid back on rally Friday... it was a good crowd today and a great lazy ride. We shopped for our rally shirts, patches and pins, wandered through some of the booths, admired some rides and did a little people watching. We like just strolling the streets of Cripple Creek.

As the shadows began to grow long we decided to mosey down the mountain the same way we rode up. As we rolled along Hwy 24 towards The Springs, we were saddened to see the effects of the Waldo Canyon Wildfire on the landscape. We also noted some areas that appeared to be having trouble with mud slides. If you ride through this area when its wet... keep that in mind. We rode into the Old Colorado City area and found a station where we topped off the tank so we'd be ready to roll first thing in the morning, then we checked into our favorite lodging, The Mecca Motel. After icing down a six pack of beer and freshening up a bit, we strolled about a mile to a favorite eating establishment, Savelli's Pizza. There's always a wait at Savelli's because the dining area is small, and they do a brisk take-out business, but we do not mind. The beer is cold and the eggplant parmesan is worth it!

The best eggplant parmesan on the face of the earth - YUM!

We mostly waddled the mile back to the Mecca and after tucking the ride in about 7:30 pm, we kicked back on the porch of the room and watched a lightning show play across the mountains. We visited with a couple of other tenants and then called it a night. A short while later, a storm rolled off the mountains and we had rain. Hopefully, it will move on through and leave us a fresh and dry start in the morning.

Slide show of today's ride = 127 photos:

Alternate link to this slide show

Today ride = 219.8 miles