Back from a ten day road trip

August 26, 2013
Colorado USA

Ten days, over 2600 miles, five states, great rally, new roads, amazing landscape, endured a little rain, a little heat, a little cold, sun burned, wind burned, consumed far more bacon, eggs, potatoes, pancakes, burgers and beer than is considered healthy, spent more money than is considered prudent, ignored politics and other annoying news of the day and didn't miss it.

Tim at the Grand Canyon

Vik at the Grand Canyon

End result = S'miles. Lots and lots of s'miles. We would roll out again tomorrow if not for our old nemesis "reality".

P.S. Proved to Tim that it is entirely possible to take over 16GB of photos - lol! Stay tuned for the day-by-day and the photos - editing in progress.

All gave some... some gave all

August 18, 2013
Colorado USA

Day 3 and we are on the road but not without a backward glance - Salute to American Veterans Rally is the perfect launch to a road trip... stay tuned.

Road Trip Day 2 POW/MIA Ride and Vet Rally

August 17, 2013
Colorado USA

POW/MIA Recognition Ride and Salute to American Veterans Rally - Cripple Creek CO

We were up early and eager to make the short ride to Woodland Park CO where we would stage at the high school for the 26th annual POW/MIA Recognition Ride to Cripple Creek. This is the inaugural run for the ride along what is now known as the POW/MIA Memorial Highway, that being the highway between Divide CO and Cripple Creek CO. We did not have rain overnight in Colorado Springs. Given that the area is prone to flooding near the burn scars, that's a good thing and the first time we can remember a night in the Springs when it did not rain. It was cool and we rolled out under dappled skies about 7 am with the temp near 50 degrees.

There was a good crowd already in line at registration for the ride. Every year a few more of us show up early because we know what a headache it will be when the rest of the world arrives. This is one of those events that would likely benefit from online or at least pre-registration of some sort but organizers haven't caught on to the idea of that yet. You roll up and wait, then you get off the bike to pay, sign the waiver and get the pin, then you get back on your bike and wait for others to get back on their bikes, then you roll to designated parking. This year was no exception to previous years. There were bikes still trying to get registered as we were rolling out on the ride.

We finally rolled into our tight (and I mean just about too close for comfort) spot in row 4 of the lineup and after sorting our gear out, we strolled over to get our annual dose of rubber pancakes and sausage. The pancakes were not as bad as last year. We rolled our sausage up in it and had a pancake burrito of sorts and a cup of coffee. The price is a donation for the fireman/emt/first responder cooks so it is for a worthy cause. The other item the organizers have not figured out is there never seems to be enough port-a-potties so we took care of that bit of business early. Sure enough - when it came time to roll, people were still in line for pancakes and port-a-potties.

Arriving early also allows us to watch the other bikes roll in. There was one minor accident this year. Someone connected with a curb trying to make a tight turn in a crowd to park. Nobody was hurt and the bike was ok. The ride coordinates with how the parade is flowing in Cripple Creek. Bikes are supposed to arrive in Cripple Creek as the parade is winding down. This year we rolled out slightly later than usual after a law enforcement official (with a bad megaphone) told us how we would ride and how we would be parked when we got to Cripple Creek. All the announcement elicited was a resounding BOO from those of us who actually heard the announcement. Most did not hear it. And so organizers and law enforcement learned that (and I learned this from Dad) trying to herd bikers is much like herding cats. Impossible.

This year, organizers thought it would be a good idea I guess to take two rows of bikes which is how we roll out of the parking and out of town and expand it into four rows of bikes when we hit the four lane part of Hwy 24. From our perspective in the thick of things - it looked sloppy and did not flow. We wondered if organizers realized that when we got to Hwy 67 which is only a two lane that four rows would have to choke back into two rows for the duration of the ride. Instead of flowing at a moderately low speed, we had starts and sudden stops and bikers riding in groups trying to stay in groups rather than riding safely as individuals. Those of us who showed up early to get a decent position lost that position during the course of the ride. Organizers perhaps did not take into consideration that not everyone who signs on for this ride is accustomed to riding in large groups nor does everyone know the rules of riding in large groups so hand signals meant nothing and virtually no one in our line of sight practiced staggered riding especially on the mountain curves. Two abreast to four abreast and back to two abreast is bad form in our opinion and unsafe. Not only that, the leaders of the ride were going so slow that we were nearly at a crawl in the middle. At some points we probably could have shook hands with the knots of spectators who line the route to cheer us on with clapping hands, thumbs up and waving flags. The new parking idea which most did not hear brought us to a stop and walk in Cripple Creek so once again, the ride did not flow well and it was not as enjoyable for us or the crowd. Where they wanted us to park is how and near where we normally park but many bikers were upset about not being allowed to park on the main drag. As a result of how convoluted an experience it was this year -- if this is how they plan to roll next year - we will rethink our participation.

Vik at staging area for 26th Annual POW/MIA Recognition Ride

Tim at staging area for 26th Annual POW/MIA Recognition Ride

Getting ready to roll

Rolling!

Slide show of POW/MIA Ride = 86 photos

Alternate link to this slide show
Video coming soon

We enjoy the atmosphere of the Salute to American Veterans Rally, the veteran recognition, the patriotic program and music. We had a great chat with Colonel McPherson beside his restored Huey. We shopped the vendor booths, admired bikes and people-watched. This year lunch was a giant slice of pizza and a Pepsi at a sidewalk table from Sweet Baby Georges. Then we walked into the arcade and had a cone of soft serve ice cream.

Tim at Salute to American Veterans Rally - Cripple Creek CO

Vik at Salute to American Veterans Rally - Cripple Creek CO

We strolled through vendor tents for a while but knowing we wanted to get an early start in the morning we rolled down the mountain arriving in Colorado Springs about 3 pm. I called and checked in with the Folks and gathered most of our gear together before we went in search of something to eat.

Mo's Diner

Burritos smothered in green chili - yum!

We found a couple of beers and a smothered green chili burrito at Mo's Diner. We usually dine at Mo's sometime during our rally visit. It is a short stroll from the motel and the food is always made to order and while it is not fancy - it is always good. They have a great green chili - some of the best we've ever had.

Afterwards we chilled at the motel and called it an early night. Tomorrow we have a bunch of miles to cover.

Today's Mileage = 87

Slide show of Salute to American Veterans Rally = 72 photos

Alternate link to this slide show

Mother's Day Ride 2013

May 12, 2013
Colorado USA

Well, it's about darn time. It's been a weird year. Either we have been under the weather or the weather has not cooperated. Needless, to say we are ready to get outside, soak up some sun and log some miles. Before we had finished our coffee this morning the day had warmed and blue skies beckoned.

After speaking with my sweet Mom and wishing her a happy day across the miles we rolled out of the drive for a Mother's Day ride. It was just after 10 am and the weather was fine.

About a mile out the odometer read 43512. 5/12. Get it?

We were thinking we might start the day off with biscuits and gravy at Fatso's Diner for the first time this year, but when we rolled into the parking lot we noticed signs that said closed for repairs. Disappointed, we rode on. It wasn't until this evening that I learned they had suffered a devastating fire in March. The owners, Matt and Julie plan to reopen but have predicted the cleanup and repairs to take about 90 days. We wish them well and were happy to hear no one was injured.

Yesterday, we took a cage trip to Denver for what Tim called a Mother's Day Shopping outing. Now, unless shopping includes a book store, antiquing, or biker stuff I'm just not much into the whole shopping thing. I could care less about malls and big box stores. Not to worry - Tim's idea of Mother's Day shopping was to visit two Army/Navy stores flanked by breakfast at Alice's Kitchen and supper at Jose O'Shea's. The yield of the day was a couple boxes of 22 bird shot, a holster for Tim's gun and not a chance of going hungry.

So, today our first stop was High Country Harley-Davidson where I spent some of Tim's hard-earned money on a couple of shirts and a new pair of fingerless gloves. Oh, and he has a new hat.

Afterwards, we canned an earlier idea of a mid-afternoon picnic because we were hungry now. We stopped at a trucker cafe not far from the dealership. PepperJack's is a plain-jane, no frills diner, clean and cozy considering it is attached to a convenience store/gas station. It was not busy and that suited us fine. There was a breakfast buffet set up but we skipped that and ordered lunch. I had my usual BLT and Tim had a burger. Both were excellent. We believe we will go back sometime and try the breakfast.

The rest of the day we spent leisurely rolling east along country roads. The mountains were spectacular, gleaming white with the late season snows. We are starting to green up a bit but the trees have yet to put out full leaves. Clouds rolled over the foothills in the afternoon but temps stayed warm. Everyone was out pursuing their pleasure. We shared the road with cyclists, joggers, and classic cars.

Spectacular Mountain View from every angle of our ride today

The Ride and Tim at High Country H-D

The Ride at PepperJack's Cafe

Platte River still running low near Fort Lupton CO

A friendly wave from Union Pacific - Platteville CO

Mother's Day Loot - thanks Tim

It was a great lazy day riding mostly local. We are getting the itch for a road trip now.

Today's ride = 172 miles

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Owners of Fatso's Determined to Reopen

Eyes on the road people!

May 9, 2013
Colorado USA

The sky is blue, the grass needs mowing and the Harley is ready to roll. Keep your eyes on the road and your head in the car and everybody will survive the weekend. Ride safe. Drive safe.

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 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

Meanwhile in Texas

July 25, 2012
Colorado, USA

Happy Birthday Tim!

July 19, 2012
Colorado, USA

Looking Good at Twice Twenty-Nine!

Road Trip #3 Day 6 - The Unintended road home = over 600 miles

July 18, 2012
Colorado, USA

From Wendover, UT to Home

We had a crappy cup of motel coffee and rolled out of Wendover UT about 8:30 this morning without looking back. On our minds was crossing the Great Salt Lake Desert for the first time and seeing the Great Salt Lake. A few miles out on I-80 coffee and breakfast somewhere in the Salt Lake City vicinity became an intermittent topic of conversation. We were happy to be riding under sunny skies - warm and dry. It was windy.

Well, the Great Salt Flats and the lake are something to see. The vast expanse of it is impressive and we agreed it was a happy circumstance that we were not traversing it on horseback or wagon as the pioneers had done. We found it interesting to note that tire tracks led off highway into the salt flats at several points along the way and noted as well that from the disturbed terrain some of the off-road jaunts did not end happily. And all along the way people had signed the roadside by arranging bottles and rocks or used sticks to draw hearts and smileys and initials in the sand.

I-80 rolling east through the Great Salt Lake Desert

By the time we reached the Salt Lake City metropolitan area we had talked ourselves out of venturing into the urban areas of the city itself. Instead, we found gas and traveled I-15/84 north toward Ogden UT. We found Dee's Family Restaurant in Ogden UT, arriving in time to order a healthy brunch. YUM! Dee's was clean, the service fast and friendly and the food arrived quick, hot and plentiful. I repeat - yum!

While we were relaxing over the last cup of coffee, we looked at the map and talked about what to do with the rest of our day. We decided to ride east on Scenic Hwy 39 through Cache National Forest and decide when we got to the Wyoming border where to end the day. Landing in Wyoming would not be my choice but we agreed that riding around The Flaming Gorge again might be fun tomorrow. Hwy 39 is a scenic, forested, gently winding road following a river at times and traveling through a well populated area for a good ways. We traveled by small farms and the Snowbasin and Powder Mountain Ski areas. We enjoyed it more when it broke out of the more populated areas and the trees and cliffs offered some protection from the winds for a while.

Scenic Hwy 39 - Utah

The photo above is from a beautiful pulloff. Too bad the serenity didn't last as a few miles down the road we ran into another batch of nasty road construction.

In the tiny town of Woodruff UT not far from the Wyoming border, the road east split. We pulled off in a church parking lot for a stretch and a drink of warm water (no place selling cold drinks in town) under some shade to consider our options. The road split here (as did our minds) and north or south was the choice. South on Hwy 16 would put us in Evanston WY on I-80 or thereabouts for the night. Pooh says I. North on Hwy 16 would put us in the Bear Lake area. Better says I. Well, perhaps not. We ran into another stretch of nasty road construction traveling north. Now, when I would have zigged west on Hwy 30, Tim zagged east. He was mumbling something about !!&%$^%&^$!! road construction and how he remembered the towns of Kemmerer and Diamondville as cute little towns with restaurants and small motels. That is not how I remembered them at all. The only thing of note I remembered about the area at all is that it was touted as the Fossil Capitol of the world (which has me wondering if it was talking about rocks or the inhabitants) and that the mother store of JC Penneys sits on a corner just off the square in Kemmerer. Typical of Wyoming in summer the winds were howling and the skies were beginning to fill with ominous looking clouds.

We rolled into Kemmerer, stopped for a few minutes on the square, rolled out of Kemmerer and stopped again at a convenience store just outside of town [Diamnodville] for ice cream and a fountain drink. There were a couple of small motel prospects but the food offerings didn't appear to be up to snuff for Tim.

So, we headed southeast on Hwy 30, thinking we could make easily make Rock Springs for the night. We ran into more road construction and more wind and rain that came out of clouds Tim had called just virga clouds a few minutes before. Ha! Well, it is rodeo season in Wyoming and there was not a room to be had in Rock Springs. We rode on to Rawlins - same story. After choosing the Best Western in Rawlins as a last resort, I finally blew a gasket when the clerk suggested we pay for a smoking suite at what can only be called an exorbitant rate. I looked the man in the eye and said something to the effect that it would be a cold day in hell when I paid that much to stay in bohunk Wyoming. In the next breath, I told Tim gas er up, we are 200 miles from home and home is the end of the road today.

And that's exactly what we did. It was a windy, wet, and eventually cold ride. We stopped in Laramie about 11 pm at Shari's where we had coffee and pie. That's where the pictures end. When we rode out on the last leg of the trip that would put us in our own bed for the night, we added another layer of clothing. Along the lonely and dark stretch of Hwy 287 between Laramie and Fort Collins Tim complained about needing to adjust the lights. When we checked them after getting home he noticed we had lost both the low beam headlight and the right auxiliary light. I'm not surprised with the rough roads we traveled.

It was just after midnight when we rolled into our neighborhood. I'd say we were a bit road-weary after 622 miles. We are somewhat surprised to be home on day 6 of a 10 day road trip - but sometimes you just have to know when to call it a day or a ride. No big deal. We still have the rest of the week off and all of Colorado right out the front door - I reckon we will manage.

As we settled in for the night I remembered to wish Tim a Happy Birthday.

Total miles for Road Trip #3 = 2152.6

Slide show of Day 6 part 1 - from Wendover UT to near WY on scenic Hwy 39 = 67 photos:

Alternate link to this slide show

Slide show of Day 6 part 2 - the long road home = 100 photos:

Alternate link to this slide show

Road Trip #3 Day 5 - The road to Wendover UT

July 17, 2012
Colorado, USA

From Twin Falls, ID to Wendover, UT

Day 5 found us a bit lazy this morning. After the great Mexican food last night neither one of us were wanting a big breakfast so we had a couple of cups of coffee and a light snack off the Continental breakfast bar at the hotel. We rolled out about 9:30 am in shirt sleeves under sunny skies. Yippee! Our first stop was the visitor center at the bridge we crossed coming into town yesterday. The I.B. Perinne Bridge is a truss arch, four-lane bridge crossing the Snake River Canyon via Hwy 93. It is 1500 feet long and 486 feet from the canyon floor. In the 1970s it replaced a cantilever bridge originally built in 1927. The bridge is named for a pioneer of the area, Perinne is credited with the founding of Twin Falls.

Free-Base Jumper I.B. Perrine Bridge - Twin Falls, ID

At the visitor center we watched a motley crew of base jumpers packing and preparing chutes and saw a few take the plunge. We visited with the friendly and somewhat elderly volunteers manning the visitor center. One asked if I knew who Evil Knievel was. I immediately wondered if this was the canyon he tried to jump in the 1970s. When I answered of course, she said let me point out the ramp he used to launch his jump. We stepped out the door and she pointed to a mound of dirt on the canyon rim to the east. That's it, she said. The ramp is on private property now but it is clearly visible from several vantage points in the area. Kool!

The Ride with the Evil Knievel Ramp in the background. It is well known as the site of an unsuccessful 1974 attempt by Evel Knievel (1938-2007) to jump the Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2.

The area around the bridge is well-developed so we strolled under it on one of the walking paths, admiring the construction and watched a couple more base jumpers. We stopped to appreciate the statue known as The Twins. A friendly jogger stopped and offered to take our photo.

"The Twins" Sculpture southeast side of Perrine Bridge by Idaho Artist David Clemons

Tim and Vik with The Twins near Perinne Bridge - Twin Falls, ID

Next up we rode a few miles east of Twin Falls to visit Shoshone Falls. According to the literature, this falls is called the Niagara of the West. Shoshone Falls is 212 feet high. That's 45 feet higher than Niagara Falls. It flows over a rim 1000 feet wide. I also read that Shoshone Falls has existed at least since the end of the last ice age, when the Bonneville Flood carved much of the Snake River canyon and surrounding valleys. Here's something interesting I learned, the falls is a total barrier to the upstream movement of fish (spawning runs of salmon and steelhead could not pass the falls). It is an awesome sight and we had the perfect day to enjoy it.

Tim & Vik Shoshone Falls

We enjoyed the morning, especially the warmth of the day. It was almost 1 pm when we rolled out of Twin Falls, heading south on Hwy 93 toward Nevada where we planned to pick up the interstate (I-80) and head east. The winds were up and all along the way we watched some of the tallest and widest dust devils we've ever seen ravage the land on the sides of the road. Fortunately, we managed to avoid riding through the middle of one. And, of course - what's a day in road trip #3 without road construction! Just over the border of Nevada we rolled through a tiny town called Jackpot. Yep! You guessed it - nothing but casinos with the obligatory casinos and restaurants and very little else. We stopped in Wells, NV for gas (Yikes! $4.69/gallon) and decided lunch was a good idea.

We noticed a small restaurant called Bella's Espresso House and decided to give it a try. They were busy and the waitress was quick to mention why - a fire fighter training crew bus had just arrived and they were working like the devil to fill their orders. We said just bring us some coffee and take care of those boys first. Truthfully, it wasn't that long of a wait and my BLT was great.

While we were waiting on our food, I used the WIFI on my smart phone to figure where the next point of civilization might be and looked at a potential stop for the night. It looked like Wendover (a town that sits both in Nevada and Utah) at the edge of the Bonneville Salt Flats was the stop. We were hoping there might be a Bonneville Speed Museum or something like that. The wind was howling all along I-80 which did not surprise us at all. We travel I-80 across Wyoming all the time - it's the same there.

The Ride rolled over 37,300 just as we rode up on the salt flats. What an awesome sight. It has been a great day and we enjoyed riding in the 80s.

Riding up on the Bonneville Salt Flats

We saw the site outside of town where a proposed Bonneville Speed Museum will be built - but, there is no existing location. Bummer!

We are staying the night in Wendover, UT. We cruised town, stopped and quickly decided against a couple of hotels before grabbing a room at the worst excuse for a Days Inn I have ever seen. Take my advice - don't do it. But we will manage it for one night. There is no restaurant close by so pizza and wings delivery is on the way.

Today's ride = 213.5 miles

Slide show of today's ride = 118 photos

Alternate link to this slide show

I.B. Perrine Bridge
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perrine_Bridge
Shoshone Falls
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoshone_Falls
Bonneville Salt Flats
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonneville_Salt_Flats