Motorcycle Touring

Family Adventure – Day 17

Posted on July 30, 2010 by Freejack

Left cabin 7 at 6:45. Can’t check out and get deposit until they open at 7.
Zipped out for a quick run down to get a morning pic, then back for the deposit
Problem is that the sun is right in my eyes making some corners very hard to negotiate.
Ran into some roadwork, several miles of dirt road incuding a bit of really soft stuff at the end. Glad to get out though.
Once at dibpis, the countryside changed to more farmland and flat, then scrub.
Made muddy gap with a minimum of problem
Headed down to rawlings to grab lunch. Kfc chicken strips
Headed on down 90, still figuring what i wanted to do. Sign for laramie showd 97 miles. Sincw i didn’t want to hit 100,000 miles on the freeway, i headed south to stockbridge.
Stopped for a nice pic since i didn’t know for sure where 100,000 would hit
Got gas and headed out
Counted down to 100,000
At 99,999 i stopped for a pic, then again at 100,000. Needant have worried. Very nice ohoto op
Headed to 130 and over the snowy range.
Quite nice ride, little traffic
Stopped at a few spots for pictures, went back for a few, the, headed to centennial
Picked up a few raindrops coming down the mountain
Stopped at laramie for gas
Woman asked what was the rocket on my back. Explained about the camelbak and hydration
Headed down 287 and home
Stopped as rain was starting, the first real rain.
I hit some spkashback, but minimal rain
In colorado at the rest Rea, i chatted with a coup,e headed to longmont. Gave them some advise on taking 287 vs trying for 25 south.
Headed on down, co sidered removing gear but it still drizzled
Hit heavy rain briefly before the turn into fort collins
Riding south at 4:30 was crazy. Traffic was worse than i expected even in loveland
Finally made it home at 5ish

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 100000 Miles, Colorado, Wyoming | Leave a comment

Family Adventure – Day 16

Posted on July 29, 2010 by Freejack

Started at 4:45am by waking. Got gear packed and out the door at 5:30
Temp started at 54, dropped to 48 before it started warming up
Had a nice ride up the pass but got to 35 in a construction area. Got off at 2 when i saw a sign for yellowstone
Got gas and a sausage egg xheese biscuit
Headed on diwn and spotted a limestpne quarry
Stopped at lewis and clark caverns. Got pics
Nice run dowm to yellowstone
Got in park ok at noon, nice to have sticker
Slowed by big backup. Elk and mainly buffalo blocking road. Rangers on horseback escorted them off
Campgrounds full
Headed south. Not sure of destination. Spotted geisers and headed that way.
Got to old faithful in time 15 or so minute wait, got good pics of eruption
Decided to head down 287 home, stopping if i get the chance
Figure i can get home if i ride or just stop
Traffic horrible. Running at 35 for an hour, no passing. More slowness due to elk. Due to stop and go, temps reached 120, i suspect partly due to engine heat though
Finally bailed at rv park at 5:30.
Cabin 10 more than site, less mosquitoes. Got at least three more even with off. One on middle toe swelled right up

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Montana, Wyoming, Yellowstone | Leave a comment

Family Adventure – Day 15

Posted on July 28, 2010 by Freejack

Tried to sleep in but finally got up. Packed and out at 7, a bit late for me but not bad
Headed north on 5 then off on 84 east
Temps fairly low at 57. I rode with sweatshirt but no rain gear
Headed up the columbia river gorge. Mostly very nice. Clouds were low so you couldn’t see far but much like it was a couple of years ago.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Idaho, Lolo Pass, Montana, Oregon | Leave a comment

Family Adventure – Day 14

Posted on July 27, 2010 by Freejack

Hit motel for breakfast, raisin bran
Headed over to safeway for lunch stuff. On the way, discovered locksmith
Picked up bananas, pretzels, razors, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, floss, qtips.
Stopped at 7/11 for sodas
Went to locksmith. For 15 bucks, he picked the lock. Pretty cool
Headed down to guardian games to check it out. Missed the exit so had to backtrack. Took a few tries and a gps check before i found them. Great shop. Lots of old and new gear and room in back for tables. Picked up a couple of books and gloom and grave diggers for xtina
Heading back was interesting. You had to go under the freeway, along a parkway, under the freeway, abd finally back on 5.
I was in a knot of traffic abd behind a rider on a harley. He was distracted i guess as he kept jerking back into his lane on corners. Scared me a couple of times.
When i broke out of the pack in the right lane, i was accelerating when i spotted a motorcycle cop. Thougnt i was nabbed for sure but he ignored me.
Hung out at the room checking out new books and getting ready for dinner with josh and xtina
Walked over to world foods for some sausage, baklava, and sodas. Checked out castle superstore. Couldn’t tell until i got there that it was an adult store 🙂
Called x at 7 asking when and where. Met her in the lobby, we’re going to Claudias 3009 hawthorne. She took bus, i rode the bike as it was a few blocks from the game store
I missed the exit again but got off close enough. I stopped to check the gps and it said i just needed to follow the road up so i turned left to follow, only to be under the road. Had to navigate around to the right road, then up and park in the lot
X showed up a few minutes later
We went in and got a table. She nabbed josh and we got acquanted.
He seems a nice guy, funny and a gamer 🙂
We ordered dinner, i got fish and chips
Then we played grave robbers. I eventually won but it was a good game, lots of fun, several greets to bystanders, seems x is a regular
I got several pics, then x took some, then had liz take a few group shots.
Once the game was over, i paid and bailed. Ride back was similar to earlier ride. Bed at midnight

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Grave Robbers From Outer Space, Josh, Oregon, Xtina | Leave a comment

Family Adventure – Day 13

Posted on July 26, 2010 by Freejack

At this very moment Carl is visiting with Laurel Skye!!!

Since he was driving right past her town, I told him he should stop by to see her fabulous home and he did!!
I hope he gets a picture with her, but she’s dying her hair right now, so maybe not.

Stay tuned!

Well I did forget my trunk keys at a motel in Fort Bragg California. I was half way to Grant’s Pass when I stopped for gas, to exchange gloves, and remove my rain suit (keeps me warm; 46 degrees on the Pacific Coast Highway) and realized I didn’t have my keys. Since I was four hours away from the motel, I called Rita and had her ask them to send the keys home. I bought a new pair of deerskin workgloves at a hardware store in Grant’s Pass, bungied my rain gear to my tail bag and hot footed it up to Portland to meet with Chrissy. Just down the street from the motel I stayed at was a locksmith. He unlocked the trunk in 2 minutes and I used a spare strap to hold the trunk closed for the rest of the trip. The keys arrived yesterday so I’m complete again

Arrived at 8:30 at Portland and Xtina

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged California, Oregon, Xtina | Leave a comment

Family Adventure – Day 12

Posted on July 25, 2010 by Freejack

Rode up from Watsonville over the Golden Gate and 160 miles of twisties to Fort Bragg Ca. This is the longest set of twisties I’ve done.

Back in 90, I was injured in a bike accident. The base of both thumbs had deep deep bruising (as in I could see it bruised down deep, not on the surface). Today’s long ride really put a hurt on the base of the left thumb. It’s a little swelled and has a deep pain when it’s moved at a certain angle.

Twisties are basically done so it will recover but it is painful.

The things we do for our bikes

Carl