Doin' it Daytona style

Post Write Up

2007-10-09T18:23:00.000-07:00

There were many, many miles of fun and lots of new people that I met on this trip. In fact, there was over 11,000 miles of fun. I will never forget this, my first epic trip. I can't thank enough all the wonderful people that helped me and sheltered me along the way. It was great seeing old friends and family that I have not seem in far to many years. The fact that I got to meet 3 nephews was awesome. Also meeting the new sisters-in-law was great too. The Dragon, The Blue Ridge Parkway, The Snake, Cherahola Skyway, The Rockies, riding along Niagara, the Grand Canyon, and so many more places that I could list. I loved riding this time of the year, where we have the cooler weather and changing leave colors. I know that I could have planned better and saved even more money but to me....I wanted to not have a schedule. It was nice having a list of things and people that I wanted to see and that was about my extent of the planning. I think it turned out great, I wished that I could have held out longer and seen more of the upper States and the bigger National Parks, but I want to spend time on each and not rush through them. That's why I didn't extend my route. I knew in order to see everything, I would have to take another month off. In the end, I wanted, and needed to go home. The bike could have left me stranded with worse electrical problems, luckily it took me home. I figure there is always next time. It was a joy planning, and the excitement of the upcoming trip was great. I'm sure the next one will bring the same excitement.

I know that this trip served a purpose to satisfy my need to do a huge trip before I die. Well it did, I can now write this off the list. Now lets see how many more I can fit in before the time is up.

Thanks again everyone...and I hope that you enjoy the blog with photos. Please click on the photos to enlarge them to fit the whole screen.

Until we meet again....Safe riding, Dano.

Day 33

2007-10-09T17:06:00.000-07:00

When I awoke at the cabin, I hit a hot shower to wake up some more. I packed up camp, saddled up and rode towards Bryce Canyon. It was looking to be a wonderful day regarding roads and weather. I grabbed some cash at a ATM so I could pay as I entered the park. I had no idea if they accept cards there. So the nice Park Ranger at the toll booth informed me that it was a one way in and out Park. He also said that all the views would be on my left as I rode through the park. It was 17 miles in and the a turn around to come back. He suggested to ride to the end, then stop on the way back and view the attractions. Thanks buddy, but I didn't listen, when a stopping spot came up, I stopped. The park has a lot of great views, but after a while they were starting to look the same. But I did enjoy the visit and the sights. One good thing that happened was since I stopped at all the view spots on the way in.....I was free to haul ass out of the park. Everyone going in that direction was stopped looking and taking pictures. The road going out was empty, 17 miles of nice curvy roads, but I didn't overdo it to bad. As I left the Park it was time for lunch. I pulled into Subway and chowed down on a sub, I also used the time to look over the map and see the route towards home. I wasn't going to be able to visit Zion Park in the same day so I went passed it going home. I took Hwy 12 west to Hwy 89 south. From there I took Hwy 14 to I-15. The roads on the 12-89-14 are really nice to ride, again full of curves and great scenery. The wind was starting to pick up in the afternoon and it was blowing north right into my face. Highway 14 from Long Vally Junction to I-15 was a awesome ride, it really took me by surprise, I wished that I had video of the road. There was a fair amount of traffic on the road but it was moving fast. There were a group of Beemer GS riders that were working the bikes in the twisties fully loaded. They were fun to ride with 'till I passed them, for a big bike, they can move. It was a killer ride from the morning to where I entered onto I-5 south. I was rollin along on the 14 when I though I saw lava rock out of the corner of my eye. Damn if it wasn't, the whole hillside was covered in lava-flows. The road ran straight through it with Aspen trees with golden leaves and white bark. Man was that a weird and pretty area. The top of the hill took me to a overlook of Navajo Lake. What a great view that was. This whole area of southern Utah was fantastic, its definitely going to be on my "to return to" list. It was wild and remote, with the total lack of civilization. That makes for good riding. So when the road turned into I-15 at Cedar City, Utah, I just wanted to get home. I was close enough that I didn't care to stop or see any other attractions. I set the bike loose and headed through Vegas and made it home in the early evening. When I got to the 15, I just knew that my trip was over and that I wanted to be in my own bed that night. I figured that being that close to home, I can always come back on a weekend and see the things that I missed in the area. I was so glad to be home, it was an awesome ride, for the day except for the terrible wind coming from the south. On the return home drive from Vegas it was terrible and moved me all over the lane. The general total for the day was 575 miles ridden on the last day. Ahhhhh home sweet home. The bike slept wonderful in it's garage, I passed out once I touched my own bed. Heaven I tell ya.....

The pictures for the day....

Day 32

2007-10-09T15:11:00.001-07:00

I had a good sleep and woke up hungry, there wasn't a doubt as to where to have breakfast. Time to go back to Mom's Cafe. I sat down and had some pancakes and bacon, yummy. From there I rolled out of town to the I-70 west for a few miles. I then went south on Hwy 24 at the town of Sigurd. The drive south was nice, great wide open hills, just huge vistas. At the town of Torrey I stopped and gassed up and asked some fellow riders of the direction they came. They said Hwy 12 is the road they just took, said it was Po-Po free and no cows on the road. Cool! Thanks for the heads up guys. I was delighted when I started down the 12, man is it a nice curvy, scenic road. It is a must do if you are ever in the area. The terrain goes up and down and all kinds of curves. What a fantastic ride, I saw the most amount of motorcycles on this road than I did any other, including the Dragon. There were so many BMW GS, and Suzuki Vstroms on this road. I have to admit, I do like the Beemer GS bikes and the hard luggage, that's a sweet set-up if ya ask me. The weather was awesome with a few hazy clouds overhead but mostly sunny. There are parts of the ride that reminded me of the Grand Canyon on a small scale. This road has all types of terrain, from the twisties next to rock walls, high mountains with colorful trees and big views. It is an eclectic mix of rides. There was one part that snaked across the top of a good size hill, several hundred feet high. Each side of the road dropped off to the bottom with no guardrails it was maybe a quarter mile long, like that. It was funny riding on a 2 lane road and not even having a shoulder on the side of the road. Just imagine road, curves and cliffs on either side. It was cool. Riding through the area makes me want to go back and visit Moab, as there were tons of rock outcropping that remind me of all the pictures that I have seen over the years. I knew that Bryce Canyon Park was going to be my next stop, and so I needed to find a place to stay for the night. I came across a KOA campground in Cannonville. So I rented a cabin for the night as the temperatures at night were getting extremely cold. I made a fire, roasted some dogs, heated some beans and kicked back and watched the sun go down. Man what a way to end a fantastic day of riding. I uploaded the photos of the day to the computer, but thats all I could do, as there wasn't a cell signal to go online with. Starting the fire was fun, I did it with the little magnesium starter, where you scrape shavings off and use a striker to make sparks to ignite the magnesium. The shavings were in a bundle of dried grasses and twigs that I picked up around the cabin site. I got my survival practice kick in for the trip. The Dragonfly camping burner is awesome too, wow what a powerful little, compact burner that is. It has the ability to burn all types of fuels, so it is very versatile. The KOA campgrounds at this site are super clean and nice. The cabin was great, it had a set of bunk-beds and a queen size bed too. It had the basic electricity and chair and wall table. On the covered porch there was a swing bench, and it also had the picnic table, grill, and fire pit. For 40 bucks it was so worth it. You had to walk across the grounds to take a shower or use the restroom but hey, its part of the deal. If I was on the road with a bunch of people, fellow riders, I would recommend this as a great way to save money. It could easily sleep 4 people in the small cabin, split 4 ways, thats cheap. With the proper camping supplies it would be lots of fun, a nice fire an few brews with a grilled burger.....fun stuff. So I crashed out after the fire burnt down, and slept comfy in my bag on the queen bed. Oh yeah, these cabins had portable heaters in them so it stayed toasty as I slept. The nice thing about this campground was that it is located about 12-15 miles from the entrance to the Park so its not expensive like the other places near the entrance. I think I'll do more of this type of lodging and camping on other trips. The day saw me ride about a total of 200 miles as I did some side roads.

Here is the great road pictures from the day...

Some of the KOA campground and cabin

Cookin'

These were interesting clouds at dusk

Other shots..

Day 31

2007-10-09T03:04:00.000-07:00

As I woke up, there wasn't a real good game plan as to where I wanted to go next. I was checking my tires daily and it appeared that if I went a lot further that new tires would be in order. I also was going to need a new chain. The speed odometer problem also got worse. From not having a speed reading to the whole dash was blinking off and on. So with that in mind, the decision was to steer back towards the general direction of home. So I decided to run the I-70 west out of Grand Junction. I saddled up and was gone, I-70 is kind of boring leaving Grand Junction, but I made good time and the weather was warm and sunny. I stopped a few times to take pictures and admire the formations in Utah. The sights there are cool and have lots of layered colors. I cruised along all day and did side roads and scenic view turnouts. It was a relaxing day, Every now and again there was some wind, but mostly good cruising. I pulled into the town of Salina, Utah. It was about a 300 mile ride for the day. I took quite a few side roads that added up for the day. As I went into town I decided to look around for a place to stay and didn't want to to the usual motel8, etc right off the Interstate off ramp. So I drove into the older part of town and found the small town main street and all the nice maintained old buildings. I located a hotel just past the red light on the right, it was the "Ranch Motel" located at 80 North State, Salinas, Utah. It was a small, small room but it had all the essentials. The cool thing though was that it was like a flash back to the late 40's or 50's. The walls were plaster and all the corners were rounded, even the ceiling corners. Then the bathroom looked like a time capsule, the fixtures and stuff were mint, in perfect condition. It was a cool place to stay, cheap too. From the outside they looked like small bungalows with a cover over the doors. I would recommend the place, it was clean, nice and quite. After I unpacked, I walked down the block back to the red light and ate dinner at the talk of the town. It was another cool experience, it was also a throwback in time. It looked like a cafe of the 50's. The waitress and staff were super nice and the food was fresh homemade. I had the special "broasted chicken" with mashed potatoes and corn. The chicken was fried, but....in a pressure cooker, it was great! So after I stuffed myself because it was soooo tasty, I went to the room and crashed out. It was a fun day riding and the room/dinner were great. Oh yeah the diner was called "Mom's Cafe" at the corner of State and Main in Salinas. That means at the red light in town, its a big building on the south east corner of the red light in town. Try it out, its good.

Here are some of the pictures for the day.

Day 30

2007-10-06T00:33:00.000-07:00

I knew the day was going to be good, I could hear Harley's rolling down Main Street as I got out of bed. You know that Harley's only ride when its sunny and no rain, they dont want to have to clean their bikes. Sure enough the sun was shining and only a few clouds. I did the usual packing and gassed up and headed north out of Durango on Highway 550. I have ridden this road many times, but never on a bike. I lived in the area in 1991-1992, so this was going to be a treat. I took my time all day and stopped and shot pictures and video. The roads were mostly empty and I was lovin life. The mountains just out of Durango are the Needle Mountains on the east side of the 550, and the La Plata Mountians on the west side. Both sets of mountains were covered in snow on the top half, what a site in full sun. I rode over the Passes and stopped at a lot of areas and admired the breathtaking views, the Aspens were golden and other trees were changing color as well. I had the ride that I hoped I would. I fell in love with this area years ago, and it still amazes me every time I go through them. The Red mountain Pass is also a favorite of mine, the sheer cliff walls and the vertical drop offs are amazing. There are no guardrails in some areas so you get a real idea that any mistake, and you are gone for hundreds and hundreds of feet straight down. Its wild to be riding on a curvy road that is etched into the face of a solid rock cliff side. This road is a definite road to do, its full of corners and amazing views. If ya ask me the late fall in the cool air with the changing colors of the trees. That is the best time to do this ride. Make sure that you have good cold weather gear that you can add on, because there is a HUGE variation in temperature and altitude. Some of the upper elevations will see you passing the 11,000 foot mark, with views of other mountains shooting up to 14,000 foot. The ride is unforgettable, and if you make it to Colorado, please make every effort to do this road.
After the ride into Ouray the "Switzerland of America", I stopped for gas and to rest for a few minutes. The day was running past me and I had a long way to go, if I was going to turn at Ridgway and run the 62/145/141 to Grand Junction. I saddled up and made the turn onto highway 62, wow what a scene looking back onto the mountains that I just passed over. These mountains make you feel small, its amazing I tell ya. And when the sky is clear, it is the bluest skies that you have ever seen. These roads were some new, and some that I had driven before. I once took part of this road to Telluride. These are great roads too, damn I'm lucky! So I rolled down the 145/141 because a guy on TRAT recommended that I try it, and comment if it is the equivalent to the Dragon. Well.....no, not even close. These roads are fast sweepers, nothing like the tight curves of the Dragon. None the less this was a scenic road that gave me tons of pictures and excited spirited riding. There was one area that was covered in red sand as the previous couple days rain washed onto the road. That made for a few tense moments rounding some corners at speed. Once the road cleared up I came upon a nice photo opp., so I pulled over. There was a Jeep Cherokee with four English people. They saw the Triumph and started chatting me up about my bike and if I knew where it came from. HA HA HA, it was funny, like I had never heard of a Triumph, this is my 3rd ya know. I told them Hinkley and they carried on that they lived 10 minutes from the factory. They were a nice group of two older couples. They asked my name so they could write it down in their journals for the trip Stateside. I wished that I did the same after I left, or at least given them this blog page. I warned them to get off the road after dark because the area is bad for deer and elk after dark. They were going to Durango, they had a long way to go, and nightfall was only about one and a half hours away. I proceeded down the road to the small town that is owned by a dude from the Discovery Channel I think. It is in the middle of nowhere and all the buildings are adobe looking and everything ya need is in this one place. Its kinda a weird place, it just seems too fancy to be in the middle of nothingness. So I turned and burned down the 141 and made it to Grand Junction just after dark. It was an AWESOME day of riding, scenery, weather and temperature. Once in a lifetime stuff here people, make the effort and go....
I pulled into a motel 8 off the I-70 after I had eaten at a Taco Bell. I rode a total of about 275 miles for the day.

Here are the days pictures, enjoy, I did.

The Needle Mtns

Random pictures

The sprawling metropolis of Silverton, Co.

The town of Ouray, also know as Swizterland of America

Outside Ridgway, those mts. are what I just passed over

Day 29

2007-10-05T19:11:00.001-07:00

So as I crawled out of bed and peeked out of the window, I was rewarded with sunny skies and lots warmer temperatures. Sweet! I loaded up and went across the street to a store and bought some crackers and canned soups to put in the luggage in case I wanted to stop to eat somewhere remote or got stranded. So I blasted out of town and saw the same five deer standing in the same area as they were the other night. Its not fun hitting deer, in cars or on bikes. So I rolled down highway 64 going west in the direction of Pagosa Springs, Co. from the 64 I picked up the 84 north. Both of these roads are nice to ride with lots of views, I was lucky to have the trees changing colors. I pulled into the McD's in Pagosa and had a burger and used the time to warm up a little and scan the maps for roads to ride. I decided to just hit Bayfield and then take the back way into Durango. I stopped and shot pictures the whole day, what a great day, a little cold, but OK. When I made it to Bayfield I was stunned how much it has grown since I lived there in 1991. Wow time flies. So I got stuck in a sheep migration move from the high hills to their lower winter grounds. It was a flashback to 1991 when I had the same thing happen on the same road, almost in the same spot. I went by the old "A" frame cabin that I once rented while I lived in the area, again it was all different. I cruised around the old roads and just took in the sights and enjoyed the nice roads. I pulled into Durango and found a room, dropped off my things and drove around the old stomping grounds. Man had Durango grown in size. It was neat seeing the places after almost 17 years away. Durango is a great place to visit for anyone, it has tons of great things to do and see. There are the local mountains, rivers for rafting, kayaking, sailplanes, fishing, Mesa Verde National Park with the cliff dwellings. It is also famous for it s narrow gauge rail road that runs to Silverton. That is a awesome train ride, pay the extra money and sit in the parlor/caboose car. It has its own balcony and restroom and no kids are allowed as you also have a bar and bartender. Its a 3 hour trip one way, take it in the fall as the leaves are turning, its amazing. It is a great town, visit it if ya can, I highly recommend it. Plus its a great place to ride out and sample local roads from, there are some killer roads in the area, with views that are unmatched anywhere. So after I rode around shooting pics I cleaned up at the hotel and went to Denny's for some soup and salad. I ate and went to bed early as I knew the day ahead was going to be a long fun day with lots of stops for pictures. I was a wimp and only rode 175 miles for the day.

Here are some of the day's pictures.

A few wild Turkeys

More regular pictures

Day 28

2007-10-05T18:33:00.000-07:00

When I awoke in the morning it was drizzly and wet. It had rained through the night and the temperature had dropped too. I cleaned up and headed to Church at 8:00am, after Mass I went to breakfast at the restaurant from the night before. They had a killer breakfast buffet for like 7 bucks. They had someone cooking fresh omelets and some fresh green chili that went perfect over my potatoes with veggies. When that was done I rode across the street and paid for another nights stay at the hotel because the weather was getting worse. I stayed in the room and did some blogging and mostly watched the weather channel to see the extended forecast of the Rockies. It appeared that I was going to be good to go after the next day. I called a dude from The Speed Triple.com to see about dropping in and meeting him in Denver area, but I changed my mind. I wanted to get some of the Rockies done before the weather turned bad again. Later in the evening, I made my third stop at the restaurant across the street for dinner. I had some fried catfish and okra, good stuff. If y'all make it into the town of Chama...the little bar/store/ restaurant on the north west side of the intersection corner that looks like a old western building, stop in, its a great place to eat. After stuffing myself, I headed to my room and checked the weather channel some more, then headed to bed. It rained all day and was very cold, I would guess in the mid 40's. No riding and no pictures of the day, just rested and readied for the next day.

Day 27

2007-10-05T00:18:00.000-07:00

In the morning I got up, washed the bike in the hotel parking lot and then had breakfast at the same diner as the night before. The biscuits, gravy and side of corn-beef hash were a great way to start the day. As I waxed and tightened the chain in the parking lot, I got chatted up by a fellow staying at the hotel next door. It was a pleasant conversation that went on as I did my work. No worries. I leave the parking lot and all of the sudden there was a terrible torque/vibration in the bike. WTF? I pulled over and found the chain extremely loose, again WTF?. Oh my bad...I got so distracted while talking to the dude that I forgot to tighten the jam nut on the axle. Well at least it was at slow speeds and I learned my lesson, dont talk while while doing the chain, simple. That could have been a costly, stupid mistake. So with the chain re-tightened and back underway I rolled into Albuquerque. During the trip through town I spotted a Triumph store and pulled in to have them tighten the headstock nut on the triple tree. It cost me 14 bucks and a half hour detour. It was worth it, as the nut was extremely loose and I didn't want it to fall off. After that I rolled towards Santa Fe on the 84 and then up the 68 to Taos. It is a nice road that has the cliffs on either side of you and a river running along the road. Man I had it good, the weather was great and I wasn't at work....yeeeeehaaaaa. As I was passing through Taos I spotted a older tiger and a 97-2001 red Daytona. It was nice seeing all the bikes out, along with the few Triumphs. The whole trip I got thumbs up and "hey dude, that's a nice bike". After Taos the 64 runs through the high plains and the you come to the Rio Grand Gorge Bridge. That was a cool treat seeing the bridge, it was picture time. The bridge is over 1200 feet long and is over 650 feet to the river below. Thats 220 yards or +220 meters. So after the photo session it was time to again ride. The 64 going west out of Taos is again high planes with huge vistas to the Rockies in the background. Nice. There is a small area just west of the Gorge that is riddled with houses that are half in/ half out of the ground. The strange thing is that they are not traditional houses, they seem to mimic the landscape in form. Round and pointy, with solar panels, they were neat to see. They definitely seemed to make a statement about living with the environment. After I passed the town of Tres Piedras on the 64 it got tons better. For me it was the highlight of the trip so far, the roads were freshly repaved black and new yellow and white stripes. The sun was in the prefect position in the sky to light the leaves of the golden aspens. It was fantastic. The scenery was killer and the road was a blast to ride also, awesome fast sweepers. The only problem with maintaining speed was the killer lighting on the scenery, I had to stop and take all kinds of photos. I'm glad that I did, as this road turned in some of my best photos I think. So after the 64 ended, it turned north to the town of Chama. I started to leave town and head to Pagosa Springs, but as I started to leave town on the 64 west, I was greeted by five mule deer on the edge of the road. OK, its time to call it a night, I turned around and got into a cheap place at the intersection of town. I know the area is full of deer and elk, so I didn't care to have a run in with them as they come out after dark. The lady at the hotel told me that yeah it wasn't a good idea to travel at night, because of the deer, and elk. She informed me that the night before, a dude on a Harley was killed by hitting a elk just outside the town. I felt ok getting off the road early in those parts. I used the evening to rest, find a local Catholic Church for the next morning, and then went to dinner. The little restaurant/ bar at the town intersection serves good food, after dinner I went next door and had a beer and then walked to the hotel and crashed for the night. If you have a chance...ride the 64 from Taos to Chama, it wont disappoint. What a great ride.
Also, Chama has a narrow gauge railroad that runs up into the mountain town of Antontito. So that might be something fun to do. I have ridden the one in Durango and it was unforgettable trip during the fall. I rode a about 375 miles that day.

Here are some of my favorite pictures of the whole trip. What a great day of riding.

The Gorge

If you look closely, you will see a shopping cart on the river bank closest to you.

And now for highway 64, and my favorite pictures.

Day 26

2007-10-04T22:07:00.000-07:00

After I awoke and loaded the bike, I figured that it would be smart to eat a late breakfast/ early lunch because I was about to be in the middle of no where. I came across the Mexican diner called Chewy's, I think that is how it was spelled. Anyway it was a place that John Madden stops at when he travels through the area. He said it was in his Hall of Fame places to eat. I ordered the beef gorditas, yuuuummy. The chips and salsa were great, the salsa reminded me of my own. After chowing down, I tightened the chain in the parking lot and asked the waitress to fill my camel-pack with ice and water. It was going to be a hot day and the camel-pack was AWESOME on this trip, no need to pull over to get a drink. I highly recommend it, its a great motorcycle must have. Its funny that you dont realize how sapped of energy you get during the day if you dont drink regularly. OK, so onto riding.....I-10 out of Van Horn is kinda bland, it is neat wide open spaces, but I had my mind set on the Rockies. So I didn't stop to many times, just for gas a few times. I made it to the I-25 and headed north towards Albuquerque, New Mexico. I-25 is a pretty road even though it is Interstate, you see the beginnings of the Rockies and start to get excited. I pulled over on a side to road to.....well you know. I decided to see where the road ran, on the map it appeared to run parallel to I-25. So off I went, and then found a sign that said national park forest. Well it seemed to be a nice dirt road, so what the heck, off I went on this well maintained dirt road. I got caught up in the scenery and went further and further. I think I went about 15 miles off road, haha, I still had a blast. The hill and mountains were what I was seeking and the place was so remote. The lack of sounds was unreal, so peaceful. It made me think about the big cities and the crazy hustle bustle, I need to get to a place such as this, I thought. I always said I would wind up as a mountain man, living in the middle of no where. I enjoyed 2-3 hours on the detour, everything was perfect, the weather, temperature and the lack of civilization. Man I felt recharged. So after not wanting to leave, I almost decided to camp. But I didn't know the coming nights temperature so I decided to rolled into the next small town of Socorro, New Mexico. I picked the cheapo motel in town and had a nice dinner at the next door restaurant. It was a fun day, I rode a total of about 370 miles for the day.

Here are some of the days pictures on and off road..

Day 25

2007-10-04T18:40:00.000-07:00

I slept in and little and said my goodbye's to Stefan, Jane, and Ben. Thanks for everything you guys, it was great seeing you again. When the bike was loaded, I headed west on I-10. I rode for a good while enjoying the rolling hills of south Texas, till I needed gas. So I dropped into Kerrville and filled up, I was hungry so why not eat? I saw some signs for Jack in the Box and ran into Schlotzsky's Deli. I made a instant U-turn and proceeded to order the Deluxe Original. What a killer sandwich this is, for you that have never tried one.....its the best sandwich on the planet. So I ate like a ravenous lion for like 20 minutes. Man was I happy after that meal. After the detour, it was time to turn and burn. The day was awesome for riding, along the way I pulled off the 10 and enjoyed a few hill county roads. It was nice being able to set my own pace. On one road I came across a stream that flooded over the road. I braved the rapids and took a few pictures of the stream. After the day full of fun, I was greeted with the worst rain of the trip after nightfall for about 60 miles. Man it was bad, people were pulling over to the side of the road because they couldn't see. I made it into the town of Van Horn, and grabbed a room. As I checked in the rain stopped, oh well I was wore out from the intense rain. All in all, I rode about 500 miles for the day. It was a fun day 'till the rain. South Texas hill country, even on I-10 was scenic and fun to ride. I passed out from exhaustion.

Here are some of the days pictures..

THE SANDWICH...

The Mighty Stream..

Other side roads during the day...

These colors dont run....What a great country we live in

Day 24

2007-10-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

In the morning as I was in the room trying to sleep, I could hear my nephew Benjamin outside in the hall asking his mom " Is he up?,....Is he up?". So with the little guy outside and wanting to meet me his Uncle Dan, I got dressed and open the door to meet him for the first time, what a talker! He was a good kid and we had breakfast and then we three(Jane, Ben, and I) of us went to see the new house that they were building outside San Antonio. It was a nice drive thru the Rolling Hills of South Texas. Their house sits in a nice wooded area and is very nice. We all had lunch at a local Mexican hole in the wall, but it was yummy. Little Ben decided that orange soda made everything taste better, it was funny watching him dunk his chips and cheese quesadilla in the soda. Well he finished everything, so he must have liked it. The new town that they were moving to had a great small town feel and was well maintained, and clean. Thanks for lunch Jane, it hit the spot.
After we returned home, we sat around talking, and looking at pictures and videos. Later in the evening we went across the street an Ben played in the park after I gave him a ride on the bike, I made a future Hooligan out of him. He didn't want to go at first, but after he was on.....he didn't want it to end. I went to bed late and didn't ride for the day, just took a few pictures of the house and family.

Here are some...

Their new place under being built.

A future Hooligan?....

And a group shot, Stefan and Ben down low, and Jane and I up top.

Day 23

2007-10-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

After a good nights sleep, I awoke and started to pack the bike. Billie Kay went to lunch to meet her hubby and took me along. We ate at a nice little Mexican place, and then went to pick up their little girl at day care. At that time I said adios to Brian as he had to return to work. We three then went back to their place where I proceeded to load the bike. It wasn't long, and then it was time to say goodbye to my pal Billie Kay and her daughter and hit the road to San Antonio. It was so good seeing ya'll again, thanks for the stay and lunch.
With everything done I headed out of Longview to I-20 to Tyler where I picked up the side roads to San Antonio. It was a pretty day with just a few clouds here and there. I stopped to shoot a few pictures at one location as the fields were so green and lush. They were pretty hay fields. While I was driving thru Tyler, I was almost rear ended by a woman in a big old car. She had the tires squealing, I totally dodged a bullet there. Luckily I saw her in the rear mirrors and heard her, and had time to switch lanes. I called a fellow member from TRAT named RoadDog and asked if he still wanted to meet, but unfortunately we didn't get to meet as he had obligations. Maybe next time RoadDog, it was good speaking with ya though. So after that call, I was near San Antonio so the call was made to my sister to get final directions to her place. I arrived at 930 pm. I was greeted by the monster of a man Stefan, as Jane was still at work. When she arrived we sat around talking and checking out each others pictures. It was a pretty day to ride and the East Texas countryside is always so lush and green. I got around a total of 380 miles in for the day.

There were only a few pictures taken for the day and I wanted to get to my sisters place, but here a are a few of the fields I was referring to.

Day 22

2007-10-04T02:18:00.000-07:00

I woke up and did some washing before I hit the road. I used the time to play with Victor on the computer and pack my bike. I sure was glad that I got to see all the family. Thanks for having me Nami and Harve. Randy and March, it was likewise good seeing you as well. So I said my goodbye's and headed down the road with the intention of stoppin in to visit with my unkles and then making it to Dallas to visit a friend there. In route I came across on of my unkles that then took me to lunch at Chili's in Mt. Pleasant. His daughter Leslie worked there so it was another bonus to get to see her. Man time flies, she was a kid the last time I saw her. Lunch was good but it got me sidetracked on time. So I decided to go visit another high school friend that lived in Longview. So after lunch I rode to Longview and showed up at the Gordons Jewelery store in the mall. She was so happy and mad to see me. Why hadn't I called to tell her I was coming. She threatened to kill me if I didn't stay with her, Brian and the kids. I also never met her youngest daughter, so it would be an opportunity to meet her. Well, I agreed after she forced me to stay, The day was shot anyway for daylight so I stayed. I arrived to their new house and met their daughter that is a wonderful girl. In fact, Billie Kay, Brian....you two have awesome kids, something to be proud of. So we sat around looking at pics and then hit the hay later in the evening. Thanks you two for giving me a place to stay, it was great seeing you guys again. I rode abouut a total of 100 miles that day, and the weather was fantastic.

Here is one of my best friends in high school and her daughter.

Day 21

2007-10-04T00:06:00.000-07:00

I woke up early and went to Church, the Catholic Church that I grew up in. I even sat in the front pew that we Wakefield always sat in. I was then greeted by the Smoke clan that always sat behind us. They were loud as usual, it was nice seeing them. Church was weird.....its been almost 7 years since I was there, and many years before that. So it was like time warp, I recognized the faces but they looked so much older. After Church I visited mom and dad in the cemetery and then headed over to see the Giffords. It was nice seeing them, its been a long time since I have seen or spoke to my pal Grant. After that, I cruised thru Daingerfield State Park and my old town of Hughes Springs. I always liked the State park, I feel it is a real treasure, such a pretty park and lake. When I arrived back home I just milled around the place looking around the lake and property. Later in the day I called my younger brother, he came by to visit and have dinner with us in the evening. Afer a wonderful dinner, (thanks Harve and Nami) I followed my younger brother over to his place where I was introduced to his new family. It was amazing seeing his boy, it was a carbon copy of my brother when he was a boy. Randy Jr. was a perfect name. My two brothers married pretty women and have handsome boys. It was a good visit, meeting the family that I had, but never met till then. I took photos of the family and the house that I grew up in. Man things change when you aren't around. I rode maybe 50 miles for the day. It was a good day. thanks for everything, it did me good seeing y'all.

A few pics of the day
The Wakefield boys, Victor, Harve, me, Randy

Nami, Victor, Harve

Randy & Jr.

Its hard to believe the house is almost 32 years old

The drive into our place

Day 20

2007-10-03T23:41:00.000-07:00

I left out from Lisa/Todd's place in Tennessee, and proceeded to make the long trip to Northeast Texas. I had a great day for traveling down I-40, as the weather and temperature were great. As I was rolling along, I was overtaken by a new Kawasaki Concourse 1400. I saw that the dude was equipped with a radar system and had Arizona plates, so I kicked it into warp speed with the Connie. We weaved in and out of traffic for hours until he had to pull off to get gas I assume. I kept on until I had to get gas, luckily we ran into each other again down the road. That time we rode until he needed gas, and I pulled in with him to talk and check out the new Connie. It was a nice bike but way bigger than what I would want for a sport tourer. He was a cool dude that just got the bike and rode across the south to drop his wife off to visit relatives, she was going to fly back a few days later to Arizona. It was good riding with him as we racked up the miles FAST. The new Connie can fly. I stopped in Little Rock to get some oil, and then pulled over for gas in Texarkana to call my older brother. I told him that I would be about a hour away, it was 800pm. I made it in around 900pm and met his wife(Nami) and their son(Victor) for the first time. We all chatted for a hour or so, then hit the beds. The day saw me ride without rain and a total of 675 miles. There wasn't pictures for the day as it was a Git r' Done day.

Day19

2007-10-03T22:40:00.000-07:00

Did nothing for the day except slept in, washed clothes and tried to upload some pics to Photobucket. The reception wasn't good so I gave up on that. Later in the afternoon Lisa, Luke and I went to the store and bought stuff so I could make spaghetti for dinner. I also made my homemade salsa, always a favorite. No pictures for the day, just time to relax, give the bike a chance to rest. Zero miles ridden.

Day 18

2007-09-30T15:44:00.000-07:00

The day of the Dragon......

Sounds interesting huh?....like a movie maybe? Well I was anxious to get the day going but I somehow managed to get out the door around 10;30am. I loaded the camera and video cam onto the back of the luggage rack in some bungees. I decided that the top frame would be useful to mount the video cam backwards while running the Dragon. So off thru Knoxville and down highway 129 to Deals Gap aka the Dragon. The ride into the Gap was nice, the road runs along a lake that is nestled in the mountains. What a sight! The temperature and skies were absolutely perfect. There was a little cloud cover but it was till mostly sunny. I pulled over near the entrance to the Gap at the bottom near the Lake Santeetlah. I used the stop to install the video cam facing forwards on the bike. I ran the Dragon 5 times that day. I had the cam facing forward going over and back. Then I installed it so that it faced backwards and rode the Dragon over and back one more time. On the last run I took the camera in my hand and rode the Dragon slowly and shot pics from my perspective. In the course of the last run I got a lot of cool pictures, most of them are cool corner shots and twisty roads. Some also included other riders that passed me coming and goin. Remember I was going slow with one hand on the bar thru the Dragon. The road was in AWESOME shape and there was hardly anyone there. If I had to guess there was maybe 50 bikes on the entire length of the road, and a lot of them were sitting at the gas station, or the overlook to the dam. There was only 1 po-po and he left during my first run. Other than him, there were only a handful of cars. I had a new C6 Vette pull in behind me once as I had to slow for a long line of Harley riders. I even got him to come close to be in the rearward facing video. I got fed up and passed the Harley leaving the Vette. There was a gorgeous red Viper EATING up the Dragon, he was always going the opposite way, but man was he working that car. It sounded fantastic. On one stop at the gas station I started talking to a fellow Triumph owner riding a 955i Sprint. As we were talking a Buel rider from Michigan joined the conversation after hearing that I was just visiting a pal outside the Detroit area. He remarked that he had friend that couldn't make the trip because the pal just bought a second Triumph. I was like wow, my pal in Detroit just bought a second Triumph and said he couldn't make the Dragon trip. Weird coincidence huh?" What is his name" the dude asked?..I replied "Jim". It was the same guy we both knew. What a small world, he offered me Jim's hotel room if I needed it, but I declined as I wanted to ride the Cherohala Skyway back to Lisa/Todd's place. So after I had enough for the day and the light was dwindling, I set out on the Cherohala Skyway. WOW another nice road, in fact all the surrounding Deals Gap roads were awesome, the best of the trip bar none for twisties. I ran the Skyway and almost ran out of gas because there is nothing for miles once you get on top of the highway. I pulled into Tellico Plains and gassed up and had a quick bite to eat at Hardee's. I also called my pals to let them know that I would be in a little later. From there it was well after dark so I hurried to interstate 75 north then cut west onto interstate 40. What a memorable day, the Dragon is a must do for anyone that is a motorcycle enthusiast. That whole area of the Gap is outstanding in scenery and twisties. Don't miss out on this road if you are given the chance to ride it. I rode about a total of 350 miles for the day. 55 of these were all on the Dragon.

Here is a video clip of the Dragon with the camera facing backwards.

Ok so here are some of the Dragon pics.

This is at the start of the Dragon, near the lake.

See what I see in this picture?

How about now?

Some random shots along the ride

Ok, so I thought I was over packed. This made me feel better about my luggage

Hey Jim, do you recognize this guy?

The Dreaded Tree of Shame, please don't feed the tree.

And a few pics as I headed onto the Skyway

Day 17

2007-09-30T13:54:00.000-07:00

I woke up early so I could be out of the house with Mr & Mrs MIS3 as they went to work. We chatted for a few minutes in the driveway and he took a few pics as I was about to leave. Thanks again you two for the great time and company.

Well it was time to roll, and I headed out down the Interstate 75 to make time. The weather was nice, clear skies but it was COLD. It had to be around 45 or so. I was ok in my rain suit, but it was still a brisk morning ride till the sun came up and warmed things up. I rode for a few hours and stopped at the ever popular Waffle House and had breakfast. It also gave me the time to look over the route that I would take to Lisa/Todd's place. After the morning stop, I headed south and made good time on the open roads. While on the open road I was given my first look at the Victory Vision. It was a cool looking luxury tourer, thumbs up to them for taking the risk. I hope that it sells well against the Japanese touring bikes. It was a little different looking, but it sure isn't like anything else on the market. As I got further south the temperature got nicer too. A few hours of diving and I got really sleepy, so I took a nap on the lawn at a McDonald's in some town. Whats up with the staff there...cant they see all I wanted to do is take a nap, and not set up camp and live there? They pestered me every 20 minutes "Sir are you OK?" "YES, I just need a few minutes then I'll leave." Sheese people, did I look that scroungy? Ok so after the brief nap, I was off feeling much better. My next real stop was in Lexington, Kentucky, where I saw a sign for "Hooters" it was like my bike magically steered itself there. From there I called Lisa and told her where I was and she knew the exact restaurant that I was at, being that she was an ex-Hooters gal. She also informed me that a friend of ours Gary lived in Lexington and I didn't know that. If I would have known that I would have called him and asked to stay and visit. But I was on a schedule and wanted to hit the Dragon. Sorry that I didn't stop Gary, maybe next time. Lisa told me that Todd Drove the 127 from their place to Lexington, and it was marked as a scenic route on the map. So the 127 it was. A few miles out of town and the countryside is pretty, full of horse ranches and nice estates. There is plenty of terrain and curves, it was a great ride. A few miles down the road put me running along a river, and the road was great. I pulled over and mounted the video cam on the side of the bike to shoot some of the nice snakey roads. I probably added a hour to my trip going back and forth shooting videos. But hey, thats what this trip was all about, enjoying the ride and taking time to have fun. Further down the road I stopped, had dinner and called Lisa/Todd and told them where I was and how long I would be. I ran across a pretty lake in the hills that had a massive dam, so I had to pull over and take pics and vids. What a nice area, that part of Tennessee is tempting to live in. Well I arrived at their casa around 900pm if I remember right, and hey were sitting on the front porch sitting in their rocking chairs looking like Tennessee hillbillies that they are. It was good to see them again, what a pretty house and pretty area they live in. So, after a little talking we all headed off to sleep. The day netted me a total of around 500 miles with all the turning back to re-run the curvy roads. I definitely recommend he 127 from Lexington to Crossville. It was a nice drive with awesome scenery, very little traffic and nice road surface. It has its share of straights, but all in all...it was a enjoyable ride.

I only stopped for a few videos during the day. So there is no photos for the day. But I do have a pic of the Victory bike...

The Victory Vision

Day 16

2007-09-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

I got out of bed and took my time getting ready as I didn't have anything planned except meeting MIS3 later in the day at his house just north of Toledo. I had breakfast at the Denny's next door after the bike was packed. It made up for the horrible salad the night before....yuck. I'm glad they can still make a good plate of pancakes and a side of bacon. So after that was wrapped up, I looked at the maps and decided where to go next. Well the Dragon it was, I didn't want to go this far in the trip and not tame the Dragon. So I called MIS3 and he said to meet him at his place after 100pm. So I headed that way after a late breakfast and had to stop to call because I got turned around in the Podunk town of his. Well after a few directions I was back on track and arrived at his place, Nice digs MIS3. From there we went and picked up some blinker bulbs for my bike and then had a early dinner at his local watering hole. They made a killer pizza and we enjoyed a few brews while we were there. Thanks MIS3 for the dinner, after that we rolled back to his place in Caddy style. Then we just looked at pics and videos after he did some lawn work. He also decided to go drink a little antifreeze as he readied the 675 for his upcoming track day. Later in the evening Mrs MIS3 came home and we all checked out more pics of the trip. Then it was bed time as I wanted to head out early to make it to Lisa/Todds place in Tennessee. Thanks for the dinner, beers and place to stay guys. It was a great seeing ya again. The day only saw me riding maybe 30 miles if that. There is also no pics for the day.

Day 15

2007-09-30T02:29:00.000-07:00

That morning I awoke to the family getting ready for work, so I got myself off the hide a bed sofa, and took a shower. I packed the bike and thanked Mary and her family for giving me a place to crash at, thanks again guys. And special thanks goes to Debbie for showing me the sights of the area, I would have never seen the places I did if it weren't for you. Thanks Debbie, you're awesome, I owe ya big time. After all the goodbye's were said, I headed in the direction of Detroit. One of the fellows that I met at the rally lives just south of Detroit. While on the road a while. I decided to pull over and tighten and lube the chain. It was pretty cool too so I jumped into my rain suit. Ahhhh much warmer. The sun was out and the roads clear, but it was none the less....cool at 65 miles a hour. As I approached the American border, I decided to stop for fuel and some lunch. I ate a soup/salad combo at Chilis. In the parking lot I was asked where I was from, I replied California. He looked at me if I was a Martian and then said "man your crazy, just look at your seat. I wouldn't even do that on my new ZX1400." I said "Well I'm having fun riding all these great roads". No comment from him, he loaded up and drove off looking like he had seen the stupidest person ever, well maybe he did. But I'm having a hell of a time. So back on track, I thumb the started button and roll out of town. Well guess what? My speed odometer stops working, nice. How will I be able to judge the distance I have traveled so I can estimate the amount of gas left. Oh well there is always the low level gas light. So I get to the customs border agent and I had to pull off my helmet. Get out the passport and documents and finally get the ok to pass. From there it was a nasty drive through some of Detroit...man what a dirty, run down place. I headed to the Toledo area where MIS3 lived and grabbed a hotel for the night. It was a early evening so I washed the bike in the hotel parking lot, and proceeded to have a crappy dinner at the Denny's next door...how can you mess up a salad with chicken on it? Well they did, so I asked for more soup. I called MIS3 and got directions to his place and what time to meet him the next day. The ride for the day was a total of 250 miles. I didn't stop for any photos for the day.

Day 14

2007-09-30T02:03:00.000-07:00

After a well rested night of sleep, I awoke to....yes you guessed it, more rain. So we went to breakfast and tried to find Debbie a rain suit. We got directions to a Wal-Mart and made our way there as it was only drizzle at the time. We got lucky and she was all good to go for riding in the rain. While in the store, I met a dude from British Colombia that was riding a KLR across the country like I was. ROCK ON dude...thats hard core. So we decided to head back to Mary's place as we didn't know how bad the rain was going to be for the rest of the day. We stopped in Brantford and did a little sightseeing, and she gave me a tour of the blind/deaf school that she works at. Man was I impressed at the size and quality of the school. It rivaled any small collage campus. It was great meeting the people that worked there knowing the kids have top notch teachers and staff. Its a huge job, kudos to you gals/guys. After the tour we arrived back at Mary's and I made dinner for everyone. I made a Mexican dinner, fresh salsa and queso. We even opened a bottle of the wine that we bought on the wine tour. It was nice sharing a meal with friends, I didn't have that many on this trip. After dinner we looked at the pictures of the previous day and then hit the hay. I was able to wash clothes and pack a little that night. The day netted about 80 miles of riding. There wasn't photos for the day as it was rainy most of the day.

Day 13

2007-09-29T21:36:00.000-07:00

After the brief sleep because we all sat around catching up, and looking at pics the previous night. We loaded the bike and set off to Niagara. The weather was great and down the road we went, 'till we hit a wreck on the interstate outside of town. So we took the detour, and still made great time on the side roads. Before the Falls we took a drive through the winery area outside the city. As we passed one, we decided to take a wine tour, it was a great day so why not? We paid our small fee and took the tour of the small winery, and enjoyed sampling three of their wines. Then we bought 2 bottles and went outside and shot a few pics of the orchards. It was a fun stop. From there we rode alongside the river to the town called Niagara by the River. What a spectacular area this is.....beautiful houses and yards. I was hungry and saw a fruit stand on the side of the road. So I pulled over and wanted to buy a fresh peach, but the dude was only selling them in small containers with maybe 5 peaches each. I didn't want to spoil my appetite for dinner, but dang, these peaches were TASTY and juicy.....yuuuuummy. OK I ate 3 of them, I couldn't stop. Well after that great treat, we headed off to the Falls and came across a Monument on the side of a hill. It was where a battle had once taken place. It is know as the Battle of Queenston Heights. We walked around enjoying the park and sights, where we happened to see a white squirrel. After the park it was a short ride along the river to the Canadian side of the Falls. We found parking and I let some non-English speaking, Middle-Eastern lady sit on my bike for a photo. She had a blast, like she was a rock-star. Then we took in the sights and sounds of Niagara Falls. They were great to see finally in person after all these years. We arrived a little bit before sunset so I was able to take pics in the daylight and at night. In the evening after the sun goes down they shine colored lights onto the Falls from the Canadian side. That was cool to see. After we took in enough of the sights, I located a hotel room near the Falls and unloaded the bike. After that was done, we enjoyed a dinner at another Ruby Tuesdays. My third time eating at one on this trip. From dinner it was time to crash out, I slept like a log, it might have been all the rain at night that soothed me as I slept...maybe? I was so pleased that we had a wonderful day, as I thought we were going to be rained on all day. We rode a total of about 100 miles for the day. OK so now time for a few pics...

The winery

This is the Queenston Heights park and surrounding views from it

And last but not least Niagara Falls

The Falls colored at night

Day 12

2007-09-29T17:59:00.000-07:00

Woke up at the crack of dawn and readied myself and the bike. Tripeee took a few minutes off from work and rode the Speedie around on some pretty country roads. It was weird being so close to Washington D.C. and being in the country. Thanks for the scenic tour Tripeee. After we said goodbye, I headed up the 5 back into D.C. and took the loop around the city. I pulled over and gassed up and proceeded to hit traffic on the northern side of the city. Nice, a traffic jam. So it took me a few extra minutes to exit D.C.. Then it was out to the pretty countryside of Pennsylvania. I made a stop in Gettysburg and walked around some of the historic battle sites of the Civil War. It was weird being there, knowing thats where so many men fought and died. After that, I hurried along the country side to northern New York and enjoyed the sights, I was tired a few times so I pulled over and had some pie in Trout Run, NY. and once to nap at a small town in upstate NY. The weather was great, I wished that I took more photos along the way. My destination for the night was in Canada at my friends house. I was going to stay there at their place and then we would go back to see Niagara Falls the next day. I got to the Canadian customs, and didn't have cash on me, so I had to grab some Loonies and Toonies and pay the man. I did just that and he said "Welcome to Canada Eh!" No kidding....Just as I got to the falls...it proceeded to rain on me, I rode for the rest of the way almost in rain. It was about a 45 minute drive. I called my friend Debbie and had her come meet me at the local gas station. From there we went back to her friend Mary's place were we all checked out my photos. Mary was a crack up, the Grand Canyon photos really blew her away. Mary and her son and daughter were good people. So off to bed we went after looking at pics till late in the night. I think that I rode a total of 650 miles for the day.

Here are a few pictures
The Gettysburg area

Day 11

2007-09-26T22:14:00.000-07:00

After a good nights sleep, I woke early with the Tripeee family....hey Dave, ya gotta get a job that doesn't require ya to get up so damn early, haha. After a quick shower and grabbing my camera and video cam, it was time to roll to D.C.. No sooner than when I had left, I came across a barn that I saw the night before. It caught my eye as I was driving in, it was red and just looked like it needed to be photographed. Well that morning as I was heading in, there was heavy fog in the fields. As I rounded the corner, I was surprised to see this......

Then a few minutes up the road I came across a farm with the same type of fog....

It was then time to hit D.C., and it took about a hour to get there. What I have to say about D.C. is that it is kind of run down. The streets are in bad shape and the neighborhoods were in shabby shape. I mean, this is the center of the free world and the most powerful people in the world are here. The grounds were in need of watering and bushes trimmed. I felt let down, like WHERE IN THE HELL is our tax money going to? I think that Washington D.C. should be clean, well maintained and a good representative of what the USA should symbolize. If I was a tourist from another country, the sight of the city and grounds would leave me wondering about the management of the States. Why is it that other larger cities can look nice? Ok enough of the rant...I then parked the bike and proceeded to walk the monuments. First stop was the Washington monument.

Next stop was my favorite, The World War Two Memorial. I was amazed at the quietness and reverence at these monuments. I cant say how much I appreciate the men and women that serve and have given their lives for me, us. Without them, I might not be able to take this ride that I have been able to do. Thank you all, with that said....here is the WWII Memorial.

The next stop, the Lincoln Monument.

Next was the Vietnam Memorial

The White House...

The Natural Science Museum

Nice Teeth

Bigger teeth..Trex

A Big Bird...no really, read the sign...almost 6 feet tall

Time for the Air and Space museum

This is one of the prettiest airplanes ever built...The Spitfire

The mighty P-51 Mustang

And to many more, can't show all them...here are a few

Flying missiles then...

And what they are now...

After the places closed down, I went back to the bike and headed out of town back to Tripeee's place. The traffic wasn't to bad, then I got lost...there I admitted it. What was a 55 mile trip turned into a 120 mile trip back to his place. So the detour cost me a crab cake dinner at the Tripeee residence. Oh well, I did manage to get back in and went to bed after washing clothes. Thanks Tripeee family, the stay was awesome, and it was great meet all yall....
I Rode a total of around 220 miles for the day

Day 10

2007-09-23T23:12:00.000-07:00

After a good nights sleep at Johns place, we loaded up and headed out to ride the rest of the Blue Ridge Parkway. John had some friends that wanted him to help work on their house. The ride was in route to their place so it was nice to have someone riding along and pointing out the different attractions along the way. This second day of the Parkway was even more scenic, and was full of wildlife. We came across deer, and wild turkey. The temperature and weather was exceptional again, man I got so lucky in that area. Once we reached the end of the Parkway where the 64 crosses it. We pulled over and chatted and I said thanks for the room, tires and tagging along the ride with me. You meet the nicest people on bikes, again thanks John, I owe ya.

So after I got onto the road again I headed down the 64 for a little while then cut north thru some nice country roads that were loaded with quarter horse ranches. They were a pleasure to ride through. I took the 64 to the 20 north. The 20 to the 3 east. Then the 3 to the 301 over the Potomac River. I then called Tripeee and got the OK to drive to his place. The area was very pretty, not what I expected, more forest and farms than I expected. Mr & Mrs Tripeee were great, they fed me pizza and had a few beers out on the patio. They told me what to do and see while in D.C.. It was about a hour drive into the city. Dave and Dawn gave me a map and I went to bed. Thanks you guys. That day I rode almost 250 miles today.

Here are are some of the pictures of the ride for the day.

The second day and remainder of the Blue Ridge Parkway was outstanding...

All I can say is the Blue Ridge Parkway is a must do for anyone. The road is in great condition from end to end. The max speed limit is slow, but you would pass up to much beauty if you went fast. This road is made to be enjoyed at slow speeds. I highly reccomend that everyone make the effort to ride this fantastic road. It is easy to see why they are called Blue Ridge Mountians or the Smokies. Go out and enjoy this one as much as I did.

Day 9

2007-09-22T22:26:00.000-07:00

Day one of the Blue Ridge Parkway...
I started a little late in the morning after I got all packed up. It was almost lunchtime so I stopped at a local dinner at the entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was a small cafe and I had a chef salad that was SMALL, and mostly cheese and meats. I was like...where is the lettuce? So after the bad lunch, I ran down the local Tuggles Gap and Willis Gap and filmed it going down then back up. Then I started down the Parkway and was really taken by what a great road this was. The weather and temperature couldn't have been better. I stopped and shot pics and vids along the way. After a little while riding, I came along an area that we had lunch at a few days before. It was a small town called Meadows of Dan. I needed gas so, to the gas station I went. I needed to get my game plan for the day finalized so I pulled the map out and sat at a table under a tree. While sitting there, a couple dudes pulled in and filled up. One guy pulled over to me and started chatting with me. His name was John Ramsey, and he was riding a nice FJR 1300. I told him what I was doing and what I had planned to do. He noticed the Pilot 2CT's were wearing thin, and said that he had a friend that could hook me up with some tires. John called his friend and confirmed a good price on tires and mounting. So we set off to Roanoke, Virginia and let his pal change the tires. I was so elated that his friend was willing to change the tires at 6:00 in the evening. He had them changed in less than a half hour. New tires installed for 250 bucks....man I got lucky. The shop owner is a man named Mike Kennedy. His shop is called Motorcycle Tires & Acc. located at 3027 Christian Ave. NW Roanoke, Va., 24012. His telephone number is (540)265-3510. Mike was cool as hell and if ya live anywhere near him, go to him for tires. I cant thank ya enough Mike, I appreciate what ya did. John was nice enough to ride with me, as his place was in the direction that I traveling. He asked if I wanted to stay at his place, and I accepted. We made a dinner stop in town at a Ruby Tuesdays and had ate. From there it was a short ride to his beautiful house in a nice country area. I worked on the computer and we discussed where I was riding the next day. John told me that the rest of the Parkway was nicer than what we had rode for the day. Ok, so the Parkway it was. I hit the hay after working on the computer a little longer. I got so lucky meeting John and his friend. I owe you big time John...thanks for everything.

Some of the day's pictures

Here is where I stopped for gas and where I met John. It is also where we all stopped and had lunch the first day of the rally.
It was a cool place, there were fields full of ME!!!

I kinda felt like this sign was sorta telling me something, like my trip was to long...naaahhh

Day 8

2007-09-22T20:59:00.000-07:00

After I woke up Monday morning, all of the other guys had left. Cheap was kind enough to let me wash and dry clothes. While the clothed dried, I installed my frames back onto the bike. I said my thanks to Mr & Mrs Cheap for the awesome weekend. Thanks agin you guys. I loaded up the bike and headed out. I ran up the 77 to where the Blue Ridge Parkway crosses the 77. I pulled over, pulled out the laptop and searched where to go next. I decided to grab a room and hit the Parkway early the next morning. I used the rest of the day to load pictures and email a few to some of the guys. I called it an early day and went to bed around 11:00. There are no photos for the day. I rode a total of about 150 miles that day, just sightseening.

Day 7

2007-09-21T23:39:00.000-07:00

Day 2 of the Rally was smaller, as some people went home, and some got sick. It was down to Cheap, Dirt, MIS3, Brian and me. We met one of Cheaps friends along the way, he was riding a good looking blue Harley. Cheap took us on more roads that were spectacular, in scenerey and twisties. We rode for a few hours till we stopped for a rest at the famous road known as "The Snake". We were unhappy to see that the whole area was covered with highway patrol. The Snake had 5 cops on it, so it made for a slow ride. At the end of the 1st run, a cop pulled in behind me and followed me for the last 2 miles. He then pulled the whole group over and asked where Brian's plate was. Well it had ended up pushed up under the rear tail and just needed to be pulled back down, he said ride safe and let us go.

We were taken to the "Hole in the Wall", it used to be a hole that a train used to go thru. It was a cool place and I got some nice pictures. The weather was perfect, and we rode +300 miles for the day. There was plenty of high speeds corners and slow speed corners. There was tons of wheelies and just great riding. I had a good nights sleep and was able to ride fast and safe, unlike the previous day. The day before I was tired and left the camera and video cam at the house. On the second day I was rested and mounted the video cam and took the camera. I was able to get some great pictures and videos thought the day. I set up a corner and had the guys run past me so I could get some action shots. We did this for some wheelie shots too.

After the riding was done, we met Mrs Cheap and kids at the local pizza parlor and I bought pizza for being so nice for letting us have the house for a few days. We then went back to the house where we drank a few beers and watched the videos and looked at the pictures that I took through the day. Before we turned in, we helped MIS3 and Dirt load their bikes onto the trailors and into the truck. It was a wild 2 days and I am so glad that I made the effort to be there.

Here is a video clip...

Clips of the Snake

Here are pictures of day 2...

The crew for day 2

The gracious host and tour guide

Random pics of the day...

A place called "Hole in the Wall"

Some action shots

Cheapbastard

DirtMcgirt

MIS3 on the new 675

Having fun

Wheelie fools...

The ride of the day, except for the po-po

Day 6

2007-09-20T23:31:00.000-07:00

After I slept for a brief few hours, I awoke to a bunch of guys talkin smack about me in the Cheaps front room. They didn't know that I was awake, all I heard was "That dude made it in around 600am, what a crazy mofo." I walked into the front room and yelled "people are trying to sleep!" They all laughed, and we all introduced ourselves. Everyone was chipper and the day started out around 800am, and the ride was to start at 900am. I was working on like 6 hours sleep in 48 hours. I went outside and took the frames of the bike, and gave the bike a quick wash. Friends of Cheaps started to filter in, it looked like it was going to be a descent group of riders. There was a total of 8 riders, two Suzuk riders Cheap on a loaner Honda, and a Vmax. The rest were Triumphs, either Speed Triples, Daytona, or a Sprint. Cheap, Geno, and John were smooth, fast riders. We rode for a little while then we stopped at a Hardy's, where Cheapbastard decided to take my order and leave me to wait at the counter to get the order remade. Thanks Cheap....

Then it was time to ride, I stayed near the rear of the pack, because I was SOOOO tired. I was just glad to be riding with everyone. Cheap took us on some unreal roads, the surface of the roads were smooth and clean. The roads were twisty and full of great scenery, what a great place to live and ride. We were hauling along when the front of the group came upon a Porche and the chase was on, I left that to the guys that had a good nights rest. The Porche didn't give in easy, I caught up with the others at the end of the road.

We stopped at a town called Meadows of Dan, and had lunch. It was right off the Blue Ridge Parkway, it was a nice break. I was running on fumes because of the lack of sleep. All in all I think that we rode a 205 mile loop, it was so much fun. I gave Cheap hell saying that I didn't dive across the country to only ride a 205 mile loop. After the ride was done, we went back to the casa and Cheaps wife, cooked up some dogs and hamburgers. Thanks for the great hospitality MR & Mrs Cheap...you guys rock!

When we did arrive back to the casa, Jim from Michigan had arrived while we were out. He had the new Daytona 675 and the Speedie unloaded. Jim was a crack-up, there was much beer consumed and good times all around. I was tired and turned in around 1100pm. A little while later Jim decided to hit the hay too....he crawled into the top bunk and proceeded to kick off the guard rails to the top bunk. Man was that the beginning of a never ending story after Cheap entered the room the next morning. Of course he enters the room taking pictures and sees the broken bed....as you can imagine, the wild gay sex stories of Dano and Jim quickly grew.

I was so glad that I had made it to the Rally, even though I was slow all day because I was tired. I had a blast and everyone was cool as heck.

Here are some of the pics of the day...

The players for the day, not all bikes are shown

Mine

MIS3's new 675 Daytona

Cheapbastard

DirtMcgirt

Tripeee

MIS3's Speedie

Cheapbastard's Brother in law

John

Brian

Night of Day 5

2007-09-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

I arrived early in the morning and slept for a few hours, washed clothes and had dinner with them. The salad at Ruby Tuesdays hit the spot. After saying my goodbyes I took off to meet the guys at Cheapbastards place, arriving around 600 in the morning in King, North Carolina, unloaded the bike and crashed out for a few hours. The dive there was OK till I turned south from Bristol, Virginia and ran into pouring rain...it was coming down in sheets. I got sidetracked by going south on the 77 instead of the 74 where they split. That cost me a hour down and back, in the pouring rain. After I got back on track, I had a little trouble finding Cheapbastards place. I asked for directions then all was good. The rain also stopped after I got on the other side of the mountain. It was time to rest for the short few hours before meeting the guys and the ride began...no pics this day. I rode a total of 405 miles that night.

Day 5

2007-09-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

After waking in Oklahoma, I cleaned the bike and loaded up. Time was ticking and I needed to be in North Carolina soon. So no more sightseeing for the next few days. I rode I40 across to Crossville Tennessee where I stayed at Todd & Lisa's place. It had been a long drive of almost 750 miles. I drove till late in the morning, around 600am. I unloaded the bike and hit the bed, man was I tired.

Day 4

2007-09-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

After a good nights rest in the Motel 8. I woke up and rolled the bike out of the room and packed it up. As I was loading up, I received a return call from a fellow TRAT member, to bad that we couldn't meet because it was a work day. I called info and got the address for a local Triumph store, I wanted to have a bottle of oil to carry on the trip. While I was at the shop, I got to see the new Ducati SuperMoto, it looked like a fun bike, and it sounded great too. With the oil in hand and loaded in the luggage, I set off on I40. Within a few miles I ran into rain, so I pulled in under a bank teller drive-thru and donned my rain gear. I had the pleasure of riding for a few hours in on again, off again rain.

I saddled up and rode out to Amarillo Texas. During the ride I hit more rain....in the dry Southwest, whats up with that? So I decided to pull into the Big Texan and have dinner. I had a New York strip, salad and killer soup. I had the pleasure of watching one guy try to eat the 72oz steak. He didn't make it, so he Had to pay the 72 dollar price. I would have tried, but I had to make road time, and I didn't feel like sitting on a stage and having people stare at me while eating a 72oz steak. I also would have never been able to ride after eating that meal, heck even for a few days. So after a warm dinner, I grabbed my cowboy hat and saddled up once again and rode off into the sunset. I rode for a few more hours and then made it to Henryetta Oklahoma. The night driving was nice and the temperature was perfect. All totaled up, I drove 650 miles that day, even with side stops and a long dinner. This was the first day that I felt that I didn't have to be anywhere, I had finally let go of schedules and realized that I was free to do as I pleased. Man I slept good knowing that.

So here are some accompanying photos...

This the Big Texan stop..

Now I have proof....

This is what the Big Texan steak is cut from

The bike getting ready for bed in Oklahoma

Day 3

2007-09-11T19:26:00.000-07:00

After I left the Grand Canyon the night before, I drove from the eastern rim of the canyon to Flagstaff Arizona. Flash forward to the day 3 morning and it was very brisk and partly cloudy. I was tired so I picked up a latte to warm and wake up. The I40 was the road of choice to make time across the country. After I left Flagstaff, I went to the Meteor Crater National Park. This is the place where a meteor impacted the earth 50,000 years ago. It is a few miles off I40 so...off I went. After paying the fee, I watched a movie about the park and a lesson on when and how it was formed. Then I went outside and walked around and shot some pics and videos. The pics don't let you see the size, scale of the place. It was a neat place, and a huge hole. But it paled in comparison to the Grand Canyon the day before. My suggestion....see the Meteor Crater then the Grand Canyon. After I got back on track and ran down I40 for a few hours, I ran into a few rock formations outside a town called Window Rock. These were interesting formations to me, they looked like people figures from a distance. They were also very colorful, it was a nice rest stop. I then decide to turn off the I40 and ran north on a Navajo nation road. This was a beautiful road with awesome nature all around. I stopped at one place and took lots of pics and a few videos. When I was finished with the side road, I headed out to Alb. New Mexico. It was a nice evening to ride, the moon was bright and I pulled into town around 930 at night. I pulled the bike into the room and sent and tried to hook up with a Triumphrat member from the area, no luck, maybe on the trip back. I rode a total of about 365 miles today, nice and easy with a few great side stops.

Here are some of the pictures captured along the way
This is outside the entrance to the Crator park

wide open spacs dude....

This is near a town called Windowrock on I40

This is on a Navajo nation reservation, it was a pretty area.

Day 2

2007-08-29T01:52:00.000-07:00

The day started off with a quick fill up and then it was time to head to Williams Az. When I got about 5 miles from the exit to the Grand Canyon at Williams, I ran into some light rain, luckily I pulled into get gas and jumped into my rain gear. While at the station, I talked to a fireman on his Harley that was from NY city. We exchanged info on the way that we had both came from, it seemed that I had the worse end of the stick. Yipee time to ride in the rain.... So off I went, all suited up and enjoyed the long ride into the park. As I neared the park entrance, I noticed SNOW on the ground in a few places. Well that's not what I was expecting the 2nd day of the trip. The rain was making me think that I was about to be a popsicle on a motorcycle. After I paid the park fee and got to the Canyon rim, the weather got a lot better. The early morning hours were cloudy but the day heated up and burnt off all the clouds. I started at the western rim of the canyon and worked my way east. This was the first time that I have been to the Grand Canyon, there are few words that can describe the place. My recommendation is to spend all day at the park, there is so much to see. Plus the park pass is good for a week, so camp out and spread it over a couple days. Just outside the western entrance is a town that has all the shops and stores that you would need to make the stay easy. I took about 280 pics and some video clips, I will add more to this post in a few days. I need to upload them, so I can post them here. Here are a few to enjoy.....The day saw me riding about 350 miles.

Day 1

2007-08-29T01:28:00.000-07:00

OK...so I decide to leave the house around 400pm Sunday, I head up the I-15 towards Vegas and then take the I-40. Since I just wanted to get the trip started I decide not to push the mileage that day so I rode for about 300 miles to the small town of Kingman. I crammed the bike into a cheapo motel room that sat me back 36 bucks. It was to late to find a campground and then set up shop, besides...it wasn't that much more expensive than a campsite would run. The first day was only a few hours of riding, and those miles were mostly in the evening with little light. I also didn't care to stop to photo any of this part of the trip as I could return at any time and shoot pics of this area as it is local to me. I just wanted to get out of Dodge...to blow that taco stand. So that's just what I did....

The first night ended with me giving up on trying to post anything because there was no cell connection in the town that I was at. Time to crash out....day one done...

The time has arrived

2007-08-10T23:15:00.000-07:00

Ok so I thought I was going to leave Thursday the 23rd. Well that didn't happen, I got sick and my back started to hurt. So I decide to take a few days to rest and take some meds. I wound up leaving the casa around 400pm on Sunday the 26th. Now the story unfolds....hope y'all enjoy.......