Road Trip Day 1 - Vet Rally Friday

August 16, 2013
Colorado USA

The ride to Cripple Creek and Colorado Springs

Road Trip! We rolled out of the drive about 6:30 am under clear but hazy skies. We are kicking off this summer's second road trip with the Salute to American Veteran's Rally in Cripple Creek so while we were eager to ride out, we were in no particular hurry. Of course, the first stop was breakfast. We had thought to stop at a favorite eatery, Aunt Alice's Restaurant in Longmont CO but they were closed (vacation I think). We rode on and found ourselves near a familar Denny's in a Denver suburb so we started the day with a Red, White and Blue Breakfast.

Sure, you can ride I-25 from our neck of the woods straight through to Colorado Springs and arrive in a couple of hours if the Friday morning commute through Denver goes smoothly but where's the fun in that? We chose to ride along the foothills to Hwy 285 and on to Hwy 67 at Pine Junction where we turned south and followed the lazy and scenic route through Deckers to Woodland Park.

Scenic Ride along Hwy 67 and the South Platte River is a great way to kick off a road trip.

The Blue Jay Inn in Buffalo Creek, CO is a historic 1880s boarding house listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1974). Last I heard it was being restored but renovations appear to have stalled. This is one of those places that comes to mind when you think - if I ever win the lotto - ha!

In Woodland Park CO we turned west on Hwy 24 and then south again on Hwy 67 at Divide CO. Although we have ridden this road many times before, this is our first trip along it as the POW/MIA Memorial Hwy (the stretch of highway between Divide CO and Cripple Creek CO) designated as such recently by the state due to the efforts of local veteran organizations.

Little Ike Tunnel, once an old railroad tunnel converted to a vehicle passage was bypassed in the early 1990s when Cripple Creek legalized gambling and tour buses needed a better route. Prior to that it was a one lane tunnel that required stop and honk before passing through and later it had a stop light at each end... It is now closed at both ends and is reportedly deteriorating. It seems a shame to let a beautiful historical structure go to waste.

We arrived in Cripple Creek before noon and just in time to score (for the first time ever) free Red Friday T-shirts. I grabbed the last medium size available. Wearing a red shirt on Friday signifies support for our troops.

On the agenda for the day -- purchase our Rally shirts and rockers to avoid long lines tomorrow. We stood in a fairly long line today but it moved quickly and now we have shirts for the POW/MIA ride first thing in the morning. We strolled the town and shopped a few of the vendor booths that were already set up.

About mid-afternoon, as the usual clouds started to build we rode down the mountain to our accomodations in Old Colorado Springs. We travel along Highway 24 through the canyons bearing burn scars and stay in a motel about a mile from where all the serious flooding happened in Manitou Springs just a few days ago. I couldn't get a good picture of it but I got a good visual of the horrible damage on the west end of Business 24 in Manitou Springs. The recovery will be long and expensive and this is only the first year after the wild fires.

After checking into the motel, Tim made a gas (and beer) run while I checked in with the Folks and got our belongings squared away in the room. We topped the day off with a mile long stroll along Fountain Creek (the one that just flooded - signs of that all along the way) to our favorite eatery - Savelli's - in Manitou Springs which miraculously survived the flooding. A couple of beers and a dish of the best eggplant parmesan on earth made us happy campers. We spent the evening lounging in front of our room and talking about the roads we will ride in the coming days.

Today's mileage = 213 miles

Slide show of today's ride/rally = 93 photos

Alternate link to this slide show

It's Vet Rally time again!

August 16, 2013
Colorado USA

We're off like a dirty shirt - stay tuned...

The sign is up! POW-MIA Recognition

August 12, 2013
Colorado USA

Hwy 67 between Divide and Cripple Creek Colorado - will see this for ourselves in a few days.

The Road Crew erecting the sign

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Photos compliments of Jim Wear - Salute to American Veterans Rally

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

Purple Heart Recognition is the order of the day

August 7, 2013
Colorado USA

Today is Purple heart Recognition Day. This is me voicing my appreciation to all who wear this particular medal as well as to all who have served this country well.

The award known as the Purple Heart has a history that reaches back to the waning days of the American Revolution. The Continental Congress had forbidden General George Washington from granting commissions and promotions in rank to recognize merit. Yet Washington wanted to honor merit, particularly among the enlisted soldiers. On August 7, 1782, his general orders established the Badge of Military Merit:

"... The General ever desirous to cherish virtuous ambition in his soldiers, as well as to foster and encourage every species of Military merit directs whenever any singularly meritorious action is performed, the author of it shall be permitted to wear on his facings, over his left breast, the figure of a heart in purple cloth or silk edged with narrow lace or binding."
Source: National Purple Heart Hall of Honor

One of my heroes Ray aka Tex (begging his pardon for the exposure) Vietnam Veteran, Blue Spader, Purple Heart, J4J Texas 3, Patriot Guard Ride Captain and friend to my all-time favorite hero - DAD.

Ted aka Frosty and Ray aka Tex 2011

Get the new off the tires ride + picnic + magic

August 4, 2013
Colorado USA

Today was just a short ride to wear some of the new off the tires before we head out on the highway in a few days. We managed to make a picnic ride out of it, stopping for sandwiches in Johnstown's small park. We enjoyed our tuna salad sandwiches under a small pavilion and were packing it up when a couple of local boys (age 9 or 10) walked up and asked if they could show us a couple of card tricks. We said sure. They showed us three different tricks and pulled each one off really well. We thanked them for our impressive picnic magic show and they walked away looking mighty pleased with themselves. Ha!

The Ride

Tim waiting on me like one dog waits on another

Vik - I love picnic rides

The following are pics of our little card sharks entertaining Tim.

We saw much of the damage from yesterday's storms as we rode along. Gardens and cornfields were stripped bare. Trees were missing leaves and limbs. All kinds of debris had washed up on the roads. It is monsoon season in Colorado so we did not stray too far today. Yesterday's monsoon weather brought tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds and torrential rain to northern Colorado. I thought for a while I was back in north Texas near the Red River. We made a parts trip to Thunder Mountain and back yesterday in a cage once we got a look at those clouds. We had not been home but a few minutes before all hell broke loose. I hope the Sturgis-bound riders we saw at the dealership rode smart and safe. Cheyenne WY less than 40 miles north (if they could find a room or a restaurant) was probably as far down the road as they got for at least a couple of hours because there's not a darn thing between here and there.

Clouds gathering over the mountains earlier are now rolling over

Yep - time to ride on home

Terry Lake - we are thinking we will be lucky if we get in dry - ha!

Anyway, today, because of the clouds and the severe weather threat, we rolled in much earlier in the afternoon than we normally do. We took the service road north on I-25 for a few miles and got a kick out of seeing all the grinning riders headed north. Ride safe to Sturgis and back people! We rode in just as it was beginning to spit and spent the rest of the day tinkering around the house and grilling shrimp kabobs and drinking beer on the patio while we talked over plans for the upcoming road trip.

Yesterday's clouds looming to the north for Sturgis Riders. It took about half an hour for the skies to go dark and get nasty.

Today's ride = 88 miles

Happy Birthday Nezzie!

August 4, 2013

A slight departure from ride posts... wishing my lovely Mom aka Nezzie aka Punk a happy 76th birthday - if not for her love and encouragement - none of us would be riding today... A friend of ours (Willie) said to me a long time ago that my lovely Mom had to have been the inspiration for Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman". I could not agree more. We love you Mom!

Video Version Scrapbook (with music) Slide Show

Happy Birthday Nezzie!

Updated Scrapbook Slide Show of Inez (no music) through the years = 38 slides

Alternate link to this slide show

New Tire Day = Road Trip coming right up!

July 30, 2013

Happy Birthday to My Harley Guy!

July 19, 2013
Colorado USA

Happy Independence Day!

July 4, 2013
Colorado, USA

May you find long and winding roads in front of you today, sunshine on your shoulders, a heart full of patriotic pride and a sky lit with a thousand glimmering lights at the end of the day. Celebrate American Independence! Ride Free!