Final 2010 Post

The 2010 riding season has come to an end as we head to Michigan to celebrate Christmas and the New Year with Kelly, Nathan, and Grandson Milo. Jerri and I hit the road pretty hard this year and ended up with our highest mileage so far. We covered 22,100 miles and added 3 more states. Only 9 more needed to ride in the lower 48.

Tail of the Dragon and Helen, Georgia

We left on Thursday morning to meet up with our HOG Chapter in Helen GA. It was a great ride through KY and TN as we headed for our 1st ride on the Tail of the Dragon, US 129. The road was challenging ride, but very similar to the rides through the mountains of WV. After a stay in Robbinsville NC, we continued on US 129 to Rt. 28, a road as much fun to ride as the "Dragon". We met up with over 30 bikes from our Chapter in Helen and enjoyed the next 2 day riding the great roads in northern GA and venturing to Brasstown Bald, the highest point in GA. We returned home on Monday without riding on an Interstate and over 900 miles.

Bourbon and Covered Bridges

Jerri and I stopped by Makers Mark on our way to meet our HOG chapter in Maysville, KY. We ran into some light rain on Friday morning, but it stopped by the time our tour of Makers Mark began. The weather was great on Saturday and Sunday as we visited 11 covered bridges in Ohio and Kentucky. We rode great roads and had a great time. Rain threatened on Monday, but we made it to Bowling Green without running into any rain.

Southwest Trip 4/9/10 - 4/21/10 - Part 7

Monday morning we headed back to Hatch, NM for a Green Chile Cheeseburger at Sparkey's Bar B Que. We stayed at a Hampton Inn in Las Cruces, NM. On Tuesday we rode Rt. 28 and stopped by Stahmanns Pecans where Jerri's Father's cousin worked 37 years as the controller. We rode I-10 through El Paso and Sierra Blanca on our way to our last stay at the Hampton Inn in Ft. Stockton, TX on Tuesday. We new we were close to San Angelo when we saw goats laying in a field of windflowers. We arrived back in San Angelo around noon on Wednesday in plenty of time to pick up Buster and Redz. Our trip was 12 day and 3,281 miles.

Southwest Trip 4/9/10 - 4/21/10 - Part 6

Sunday morning we left Apache Junction and headed northeast on Rt. 60 and Rt. 70 south through the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation with a final destination of Silver City, NM. The wildflowers can be seen on the mountainsides. On Monday morning we rode Rt. 15, a great motorcycle road, to the Gila Cliff Dwelling Natl. Monument. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit. During a return trip on Rt. 15 we encountered our only rain of the trip and that was only a slight drizzle for about an hour.

Southwest Trip 4/9/10 - 4/21/10 - Part 5

Saturday we rode through historic Kingman, had breakfast at the Mr.D's Route 66 Dinner, and rode a section of Route 66 as far as Hackberry. The ride down the Joshua Tree Parkway was scenic. I didn't think we'd ever get past Phoenix on our way to Apache Junction for camping at a KOA.

Southwest Trip 4/9/10 - 4/21/10 - Part 4

After breakfast in Palm Springs we headed east across the Mohave Desert toward Parker, AZ and a nice ride along the Colorado River to Lake Havasu City. We rode across the London Bridge and had a nice lunch at the Javelina Cantina. Onward toward Nevada where Jerri took a nice picture of a passing train. We arrived in Kingman, AZ for a stay in a KOA Camping Cabin.

Southwest Trip 4/9/10 - 4/21/10 - Part 3

California was our goal on Thursday as we headed for Indio and Joshua Tree National Park. Of course, we shared a Date Shake at Shields Date Garden. We camped at a KOA in Banning, CA on Thursday and ate breakfast in Palms Springs before heading east.

Southwest Trip 4/9/10 - 4/21/10 - Part 2

We stopped to visit White Sands National Monument and headed for the KOA in Las Cruces NM on Sunday. Monday morning we headed to Hatch NM, the Chile Capital of the aWorld, for breakfast at the Pepper Pot Cafe. Our Monday night stop was a KOA Cabin in Bensen, AZ. Tuesday morning we visited Saguaro Natl. Park and headed west on I-8 to void Phoenix. We had a breakdown and ended spending 2 nights in Peoria, AZ. Fortunately, Harley Davidson covered 1 nights lodging under my extended service plan.

Southwest Trip 4/9/10 - 4/21/10 - Part 1

Jerri and I left San Angelo on Friday, spent the night in Ft. Stockton, and headed for the West of the Pecos Museum and Carlsbad Caverns Natl. Park on Saturday. We rode across the NM mountains through Artesia NM to Alamogordo NM. Jerri's photo is with the world's largest Pistachio.

Waylon, Willie, and the HOGS

Jerri and I had a nice ride to the Hill Country on March 28th and 29th with the Concho Valley HOG group. We headed toward Fredericksburg and spotted the beginnings of the Texas wildflowers along the road. After a nice lunch at a German restaurant we headed to Luckenbach, a town made famous by the Wayland Jennings song. There were lots of motorcycles making the pilgramage. We had a nice time with the other 2 couples in Kerrville. On Sunday morning we headed out alone for breakfast at Mac & Ernies Roadside Eatery in Tarply, food channel and travel channel destination. After breakfast we had a nice ride home through the Hill Country and stopped by the Menard Ditch and Fort Mckavett.