New Mexico Adventures

I did a little trip to Carson National Forest in the north eastern part of New Mexico on Memorial Day weekend.  It's an area I hadn't explored before and I was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful it is.  I went with my ex-wife and our dogs.  We didn't have a particular place in mind, I had done a little research and found a nice state park but when I went to make reservations it turned out the state parks were still closed to camping due to COVID-19.  We decided to risk it and look for some camping on BLM land or dispersed camping.

As we were driving towards a little town called Cimarron a small, barely noticeable brown and white NPS style sign caught our attention.  We stopped, checked it out and saw three campgrounds listed.  The closest was 20 miles down the dirt road.  We went into Cimarron, filled the gas tank and headed off toward McCrystal campgrounds.  The road wasn't bad, any car could make the trip but it was heavily rutted in areas and looked like it got soft when it rains.

The majority of the land on either side for the first fifteen miles or so seemed to be private ranch land.  After about an hour and a half we came to the notice board.  Not being sure of weather the campgrounds were open or not I hoped out and checked the notifications.  Nothing but the usual rules list and a fire ban letter dated from April 2020.  I assumed that since that letter was current the Forest Service was keeping up to date notices so we pushed on.

When we arrived at the campground the only people there were some young kids from Texas desperately searching for a toilet.  The vault toilets were all locked up, which was our first hint something wasn't right.  We stopped and checked the notice board for the specific campground and found the fee deposit box was taped shut and no other information.  We were puzzled but decided to set up camp.  It was a very nice 60 site campground and we were the only people there.  We spent an hour or so walking the dogs around before starting dinner.  The only vehicle to pass by that entire time was a US Forest Service truck.  We stood by nervously waiting for him to stop and tell us the area was closed.  He waved and kept on going.

The rest of the night was peaceful and uneventful.

The next day we took a ride to explore the other campgrounds.  We ran into another Forestry truck at the next campground.  I'm pretty sure it was the same guy from the night before because of the bushy beard.  It was putting a wooden sawhorse up with two notices and informed us the campgrounds were closed without elaborating.  I asked if we would have to leave then and he shrugged and said he really wasn't going to say one way or another.  I feel like he probably should have been a little more decisive.

We ended up cutting the trip short and getting a hotel in Taos but overall it was a good time.

Off Roading, Overlanding and Camping Resources

 I've always loved camping.  I've done it to varying degrees my entire life.  Some of my happiest memories are of camping with my grandparents when I had to be around five.  I remember my grandpa walking around Dillon State Park greeting all the other campers.  He would wander up and talk for what seemed like hours.  Of course I was five so it was probably more like 10 minutes.  The grandparents had a regulation camper which was a novelty to me because we had a Sears pop-up camper (or one similar).  My favorite memory in that camper was the time the front awning collapsed during a heavy rain storm and Mom, my two younger brothers and I were trapped inside until Dad came back from work to free us.  I'm pretty sure Mom could have broke us out if necessary but it rained all day anyway so why get out.  I also attribute that day to my love of camping in inclement weather.  Even now I love camping in the rain and cold.  Even snow.

 Later on in life I got to camp in the Alaskan wilderness as part of my job.  We would get flown by helicopter into the bombing ranges at the base of the Brooks Range and camp for two weeks.  We would ride around on our four wheelers looking for MK 84 bombs to blow up.  Our branch chief was a hunter and trapper who would stay behind and shoot ptarmigan (a game bird) with his BB gun, clean and cook them or alternatively we would catch and cook trout.  That was probably the highlight of my camping life.  There's a reason this blog is called "Life's Been Good To Me".

More recently I did a lot of tent camping with my wife at the time.  As that went on though I found that sleeping on the ground in the mountains of Colorado sucked as I got older.  I started watching Expedition Overland on YouTube.  I had really been attracted to overlanding long before that was the name for it, I still just call it camping to be honest.  But these guys had a 2016 Toyota Tacoma that I fell in love with.  Pretty soon I got to fantasizing about having a rig like that.  Being older and wiser than I was in my 20's and 30's I realized that to sink all of that money into something isn't realistic for a guy in his 50's who now has to plan for retirement.  Unfortunately I ended up getting divorced.  We had to sell the house and that's when I ended up getting, what I refer to as the midlife crises mobile.  I've never had a moment's regret about spending the money on it.  I feel like I've already gotten my money's worth.  Last year was filled with so many great trips I have a hard time remembering them all.

I'm looking forward to getting back out there.  Here are links to some of my favorite sites:

Trail Recon - Brad is a retired Navy Master Chief and now full time YouTuber.  He started out more rock crawling oriented but has been transitioning over to general four wheeling and camping adventures.  His channel is very professionally filmed and edited.

 venture4wd - Chris has been living full time in his Jeep for over three years now.  He's a very down to earth, no nonsense guy.  He doesn't have a lot of fancy equipment and doesn't focus on the off-roading as much as the adventure.  He's traveled all over the US and Canada and features beautiful photography and videography.  He also features very little music which I love.

4WD Action - a YouTube channel by what I'm assuming is Australia's largest four wheel drive magazine.  Beautiful Australian scenery, camp "cooking" segments and a lot of what we here in the States would call good old boy humor.  Just a lot of Toyota vs. Nissan shit talking and friendly teasing.

That's pretty much it for now.  I look forward to posting some camping stories in the near future, or at this rate probably the middle distant future.

Back To My Usual Ranting And Raving

I just learned that the Federal Trade Commission requires a warning in front of videos of model building and if this title screen is to be believed you can't watch the video if you are under 13. I just assumed it was another country but, nope, it's here. 13 was the age I was building models and I had a dad that bought me the safe model glue. 

Here's a link to the awesome submarine model build.  Go check it out unless you are 13 (just kidding definitely check it out if you are 13)

And here is the legislation that the nanny state is so proud of.  I get the feeling that not one kid has been saved from the evils of huffing by this stupid rule.  It looks like this one specific section is just part of the bigger regulation. COPPA

One Last Coronavirus Post For Now

I'm sure that everybody is tired of hearing about the Coronavirus but seeing as no one reads this blog I'm going to do one more.

Between 1998 and 1999 (literally, this happened over Christmas and New Years week) I came down with a flu.  I'm not sure if it was a seasonal flu or what, I just remember hearing the usual anecdotal stories about everyone catching it.

I was visiting my Mom and Dad and spent the next week immobilized in my old bedroom while Dad poked his head in occasionally to check on me.  Although, the condition I was in he could have just as easily sat right next to me and I never would have known.  I remember there was talk of going to an emergency room but I can't remember if I went or not and if I did it didn't help.  I think I was too sick to go.

One thing I do remember is that I have never been in such pain.  I've never experienced such a searing fever followed instantaneously by bone aching chills as I had that week.  It sounds very similar to the tales survivors of Coronavirus are telling now.  All I know is I don't want to experience that ever again.  In my 30's and in much better shape than I'm in now it was no joke.

Take this shit serious.

Getting Back Into The Swing Of Things

Turns out drinking Old Fashioneds and getting fired up about starting blogging again doesn't necessarily lead to actually blogging again.  I'm not really enthused about anything right now.  I think maybe writing about what's going may be interesting.  I'm not sure people want to hear about the Coronavirus but I've always looked at this blog like Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House On The Prairie books (at the risk of sounding pretentious).  I would like to think a historian would look at this in a hundred years and extract something useful about life in 2020.

I would say that the social distancing and self-quarantining hasn't been going on for a full month yet and already everywhere you look you can see the veneer of social self-discipline breaking down.  The governor of Colorado issued a statewide shelter in place order that just started yesterday morning.  I saw more people outside at the apartment complex than I've seen, well since I moved in.  I would attribute that to people who have already been cramped up for a month realizing that it could be another month or longer and finally needed some fresh air.  The one's that really annoy me are the people on Facebook and Twitter that start going on about the Constitution.  There are enough articles about what the Federal and state governments can and can't constitutionally do during national emergencies that I'll just let you Google it.  And God knows probably four or five years ago it's possible I would have been yammering like one of those self-appointed Constitutional lawyers myself.  The thing is, the other side of this take is the very annoying "Stay the F**k Home!" crowd.  They are just as omnipresent and in my mind just as scary.  As this goes on I feel like these people will take the policing of quarantine "breakers" into their own hands.  There was a video Michael Rapaport posted on Twitter that I wanted to share.  It was him slowly driving past a farmer's market in L.A. cussing out the people there for being outside.  It was creepy in a stalker fashion and this was before the mayor of L.A. put in the shelter in place order.  I'm not sure where farmer markets come down on the list of essential businesses but I'll guarantee super markets are more packed than that place was just judging by his video.  Anyway, I was going to share it but going back through his scuzzy timeline left me feeling like I needed a shower so I stopped looking.

I think the two extremes or just fringe groups though.  It seems like society is pulling together pretty well all things considered.  The results are varied, the CEO of Texas Roadhouse is suspending his own salary, Ford and other auto manufacturers are building parts for ventilators and private citizens are sewing masks.  That's good.  Celebrities with their hearts in the right place singing Imagine.  Not great.

I remain optimistic that the world will come out of this stronger than we went in.  Time will tell I guess.   

Love In The Time Of Coronavirus

Four long years.  It's been four long years since my last post.  A lot has happened since then.  My last post was about my father and how I miss him.

Now we are going through an unprecedented event that I've not seen in my lifetime.  And bare in mind that my lifetime has included the fall of the Berlin Wall and collapse of Soviet Communism and also 9/11.  I'm not here to go on at length about Coronavirus right now.  I have been wanting to restart writing on the blog for quit some time and for quite a few different reasons.  My divorce and boredom being two.  My ex-wife starting her own blog and my recent new found love of camping being two more.  And finally the last straw is probably the state of the world right now (and a few too many old fashioneds).  I'm going to try to get back into this blogging thing again.  Vloging isn't for me as I'm way too ugly for that but I'm hoping to include videos from time to time.

Oh and 4 years later I still miss my dad.

Memories

Is today the day my father passed away 2 years ago, or is it three?  I've always been bad on dates and times but the one thing that stays with me is his memory.  I've been thinking a lot about him lately but didn't put two and two together until my brother mentioned it.  I miss him.  He was a good dad.

The Lessons of 1912

This is why I'll never vote for either.  An article from the Weekly Standard.

The Lessons of 1912: With Donald Trump the presumptive nominee of the Republican party, conservatives face their biggest crisis in generations. Professional Republicans are mostly boarding the “Trump Train, convinced their self-interest requires party unity, but principled conservatives find the choice between the dissolute, erratic Trump and the liberal, corrupt Clinton unacceptable. What comes next for them?
This insurgency should field a candidate for the White House in 2016, which would require a leader to offer him or herself to the voters on the November ballot. Trump and Clinton are the most unpopular nominees in the history of polling, so why can't the people elect a fresh face or a trusted elder statesman over these unsavory characters? Moreover, the danger for down-ballot carnage with Trump as the nominee is substantial, and an independent may provide electoral cover for vulnerable conservative officeholders.

WOW!

So, nearly 3 years since the last post.  I haven't gone back to check what was on my mind.  I know I was probably in a dark place back then.  I've not been happy the last few years but some things have changed so I thought I'd check in.  I just did not want to turn this blog into a bitchfest.

I've been driving the wife's car with the XM Sirius radio so I'm on a musical renaissance the past few weeks.  I'm digging the crap out of B.B. King's Bluesville.  I'm listening to The Cannonball Adderly song "Mercy Mercy Mercy" which is some kind of miracle song.  It's deceptive in it's simplicity.  I'm no music scholar, I love AC/DC for crying out loud, but this song affects me on some crazy primal level.  You'll know the song when you here it.

On to Walter Trout and the radical's (their captilization, not mine) "The Best You Got".  It's a decent rocking blues tune.

Peter Wolf has always been a favorite of mine and he's aging gracefully.  I loved his album Restless and it appears looking at iTunes that he's had a few more since then.  The song "How Do You Know" seems to be off of his latest album.  It's pretty funny has a catchy beat and includes some goob-a-lator on it.

With a name like Guitar Slim you better bring it especially if you name your song after yourself.  On "Guitar Slim" he does (bring it that is).

More up my traditional alley, if you know my tastes, is "Blue Jean Blues" from ZZ Top.  I came late to ZZ Top, late being Tube Snake Boogie and LaGrange.  As I get older I appreciate that the current music isn't the only music (obviously because God knows I'm not listening to Justin Bieber) which leads me to ...

Dion.  Up until the other day I had no idea he was still around then I heard "Ride With You" off of his 2012 blues album.  I always loved "Run Around Sue" and "The Wanderer".  "The Wanderer" always seemed to be something more than a simple 50's pop/rock tune to me.

Then over on Willy Nelson's Outlaw Country I heard a fellow named Chris Knight.  The song "Jack Blue" sounds a lot like an old Steve Earle song back when I still enjoyed Steve Earle.  I know nothing of Chris Knight but the few songs I sampled on iTunes were pretty decent.

I also downloaded Ugly Kid Joe's "Everything About You" because why not?  And Uncle Ted's cover of Areosmith's "Ragdoll".  I know Ted has seemed to have lost his every lovin' mind the last few years but he's still the guy that brought the world the solo from "The Journey To The Center Of Your Mind".  Groovy.

And finally can someone tell me if Soundgarden and Rod Stewert pulled a U2 promotional stunt?  I have "Silent Night" from Rod and "Halfway There" from Soundgarden which I apparently downloaded on December 11th, 2012.  I have no recollection of where they came from.

The proceeding post has been brought to you by Jack Daniel's Fire, which tastes like sugar ass sweat but is irresistible.  Go figure.

Not Feeling It

So the Government has shut down.  Now what?  As some of you know I work for the G'mint.  I'm considered essential and what this means is if the budget thing isn't settled by the next pay period I'm working for an IOU from Uncle Sam.  That's reassuring.  I'm also not allowed to take leave which is convenient since we were leaving for Ohio this Saturday (or I should say we were leaving for Ohio).  Every day in every way I can't believe people want more government involvement in their lives.  And to the people that voted for Obama again, I would like to say thanks.

The Week!

I thought I would write a separate entry for the rest of the week, I don't want to end it on a sad note.  The rest of the week has been pretty good.  I've been riding the new bike all week and it's been a blast.  It's got 444 miles on the odometer now.  I'm looking forward to taking a ride tomorrow up to Deckers.  It's suppose to be 67 and rainy so we'll have to see.  Might be worth going just to get some pictures.  The day we picked up the bike I rode it over Monarch Pass.  They were filming some scenes for the new Fast and Furious movie on the pass.  All we saw was a black bus with the rear end blown out and a bunch of camera cars and booms.  I did get a thumbs up from one of the crew for the bike which was neat.

We're watching Sons of Anarchy these days.  We've been watching since the first season.  It's kind of going down hill the last few seasons and it's becoming a parody of itself.  Hell on Wheels is starting to lose Lisa, I'm hanging on and the last couple of episodes are getting better.  Lisa is upset that Cullen Bohannon hasn't shot anyone in the last three or so episodes.

Everyone is waiting to see if Congress will actually shut government down or not.  Kerry signed the U.N. Gun Treaty and is stirring everyone up.  I don't discuss politics too much on here anymore because I tend to get worked up.  I'm reading Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg.  It's pretty chilling to read the comparisons of the Wilson administration, Mussolini's Italy and Nazi Germany as compared to today.  If you judge the book by the title you would be led to believe that it's an inflammatory criticism based along the same lines as all the name calling in the press these days.  It actually lays out the history of fascism which is probably the most misunderstood and political movement and most abused insult of all times.

And then there's Obamacare.  I guess we'll see.

I've been rediscovering Flickr. I also started hanging out on the FZ1 forums (US and International) again and found the Adventure Rider forum which is chock full of great photos and riding stories.  I am getting some great ideas for the Mid-Life Crisis Tour (as it's unofficially come to be known).  I'm looking at camping gear now.  The idea of sleeping in a tent during large parts of the trip appeals to me.

So that's a small part of the week.  Oh almost forgot, the new bike...

Monarch Pass sign and most awkward photo participant ever!

The Memorial

A co-worker passed away late last week from a heart attack.  He was a pretty good guy.  He always went out of his way to help me and did it in a timely fashion.  Most everyone else you have to beg for help.

They had his memorial service today and I went.  It was a pretty rough one.  He was obviously loved by his family.  I am however doomed to be a social misfit.  I thought I had outgrown that urge to sit by myself at lunch back in high school but apparently not.  I just do not know what to say or do in these situations.  The youngest of the three of us brothers is pretty good in those situations.  The middle brother is more like me although he handles it better.  He just doesn't talk, where as I have some irritating need to comment like a huge nerd with tourrettes.

I don't like memorial services as I know most don't but this one was particularly difficult because of the level of emotion displayed.  I felt almost voyeuristic being there.  As uncomfortable as it was I'm glad I went to pay my respects.  They had a pretty touching slideshow playing and at first it was a shock to walk in and see Robin's face and realizing that was it.  It was nice to see how much he was loved.

Ole Blue

Tomorrow Lisa and I are headed to Gunnison to pick up a (almost) new Yamaha FZ1.  If you've been paying attention (I won't hold it against you if not) you'll know that I love to ride my '02 FZ1.  Just a little.  I'm looking forward to getting the new bike.  I took a spin on a co-worker's '08 model which is similar to the '12.  It was more comfortable on the tailbone and had better wind protection all around.  The decision to get it is what has made me think this huge mid-life crisis tour is possible.  We'll see how I feel after riding it for awhile but I think I can go much further on the new bike.

As excited as I am to be getting the new ride, I was feeling a little misty eyed while washing Ole Blue (the name I gave the old bike just now).  Almost everywhere I've been that bike has been.  I know guys like motorcycle journalist Pete Egan go through bikes like a lot of us go through t.p. but I'm one of those people that holds on to something for ever.

Just for my own benefit a list of the places I've rode the bike include a cross country trip from San Diego to Zanesville Ohio when I bought the bike back in 2003.  That was a long almost crippling ride but a lot of fun.  Some things I remember about that trip were almost getting lost somewhere in southern California around Death Valley.  Freezing my tookus off in the early morning hours through Flagstaff.  And a particularly painful conversation I had with a woman working at a gas station about my mesh Joe Rocket jacket.  She seemed unable to grasp that the jacket was for protection while keeping the rider cool.  Of course the fact that it was about 50 degrees and raining didn't help my cause.

I also remember kicking myself ever since that ride for staying a day in Terra Haute Indiana.  Of all the places I could have spent an extra day in why I picked Terra Haute I'll never know.

Brian, Bud and me, Durango CO 2004

 Back in 2004 I had the bike with me when I met Lisa, my wife.  I rode all over Colorado that summer and that's really the year I took my riding abilities to the next level.  Riding the roads through the Rockies was an experience I'll never forget.  A buddy liked my FZ1 so much he got the black and yellow model.  Another buddy was so inspired by the fun we were having riding, he took the MSF course and bought a Harley.  After Colorado we all went to California and rode the Pacific Coast Highway and around central California together.  I usually don't like to ride with people but that was the best year of riding ever.

There have just been some many wonderful rides I can't begin to list them all.  Actually that's not true, I just listed two of them a minute ago.  Truth is I could list them all but you would get bored awful quick.

To conclude I'll just post some pictures of past beautiful rides.

Somewhere in California headed toward Lick Observatory

Watching snow come in on top of Mt Evans at 14,000 ft

The beautiful Pacific Coast Highway

The Tetons in Wyoming (but you knew that)

Clarksdale Mississippi, home of the blues

Now I'm really sad.

A Change Of Plans (ALREADY!)

I was looking at the intended route for the ride and discovered that the mileage for a trip around the perimeter of the United States is about 10,000 miles.  I'm not so much worried about the distance as the time.  I have a pretty generous vacation plan but I think three weeks will be the maximum I care to be away from home.  I was looking at the map of the U.S. and noticing how much vast emptiness there is in a lot of it.  I got to thinking that maybe I should try a little more focus.  I've always wanted to ride my bike down to Key West so I decided to aim for there.  I started calculating in times and distances and thought I would throw in some spots I haven't been but always wanted to go and some spots I have been to but wanted to revisit.


View Larger Map

The plan is to stick to back roads and State routes as much as possible.  I want to go through the swamps and backwaters.  I'll still be making use of the guide books and AAA but I don't want anything to do with the interstates.

I've also already been tweaking this plan.  I originally had the Memphis/Savannah leg of the trip as the starting route.  The more I thought about it the more I don't relish going through Kansas at the end of a trip, gotta get that stretch of dullness out of the way early.

Well stay tuned for more changes, coming soon I'm sure.

Trip Prep

I spent some more time thinking about the trip today.  A few more things I would like to do:

1. Get my DSLR camera cleaned professionally.  It might even be time for a new lens.  Along with that a waterproof camera bag might be handy.
2. Get a GPS.  This one is a maybe.  I've wanted one for a long time.  The Garmin zumo 350LM looks pretty sweet.  I don't understand why a motorcycle GPS is so much more than a straight auto one.  The GPS is not a necessity although it would be way handy since I plan on taking as many back roads as I can.
3. Serious planning.  I've got Insight Guide United States: On The Road, which I have used very little since I bought it.  I'm sure it will get more use in the coming months.  I'm also going to be spending a great deal of time on the Adventure Rider Motorcycle forum.  These guys are hard core.
4. I think I'm good on riding gear.  I have a one piece rain suit that gets awful hot but it's serviceable and riding gear is freaking expensive.  All I need is a pair of waterproof boots.

Then I started going a little nuts.  When I thought of the camera I thought one of those little video cameras would be neat, like a Go Pro.  Then a heated vest, a bluetooth capable helmet and basically everything but a cup holder.  I quickly got hold of myself and pulled it in some.

I did decide that I might save as much leave time as possible and go longer than the two or three weeks I had initially planned on.  Man, I'm excited!

A Plan

I'm not much of one for mid-life crises but I'll be turning 50 in a few years and while driving in to work I got to thinking about that.  What I consider a brilliant idea hit my like a bolt of lightning.  I am also not one for grand gestures but this one seems appropriate.  In 2015 I plan on taking a three week motorcycle ride around the outer perimeter of the US.  That strikes me as a worthy gesture if not grand.  I'll be planning and preparing for the next two two years and updating periodically as I go.

Some things I've already thought about:

It would be nice to have an iPad or a smart phone of some kind.  I've survived up until now without either but I think it might be nice to put updates on Facebook and this blog and Riding Stories. 

I'm particularly excited to get a photo of me and the bike at the furthest point south in the US.

And finally, how much money can I save up in two years.

Looking forward to daydreaming about this one for awhile.

Gotta Write Something

I was on a roll for awhile so I thought I better get to posting, the month is already half over.  So, some random things:

I'm reading The Sword of Shannara.  It's a book I read when I was 12 or so.  It was 1977 and it was a good time to be a young boy in central Indiana.  Star Wars, The Sword of Shannara, Action Comics with Curt Swan illustrating, Hot Wheels cars, camping and the beach were what was occuping my mind that summer.

I loved The Sword of Shannara then.  I remember it took me all summer to read the 700 something page book.  I have always been a fast reader and at the time I blamed those other summertime distractions for the time it took me to finish the book.  After re-reading it for the first time since then I realize that I was probably just bored.  It's funny how you remember things.  I always thought The Sword... the greatest fantasy book ever written.  I now believe it's one of the worst.  Well, maybe that's a little harsh, it is definitely one of the blandest.  I think at the time I was smitten with the concept of the story.  I had been reading Have Spacesuit Will Travel by Robert Heinlein and the Warlord of Mars series and desperately wanted to be swept off to another planet for a grand adventure.  The idea of a young man finding out he's destined to save the world was very appealing to a prepubescent boy struggling with preteen angst.  Of course it still holds a certain appeal to a middle-aged guy struggling with a mortgage and crappy job.  It didn't hurt that it had illustrations by the Brothers Hilderbrandt.  Coming off of the Star Wars movie poster they were the hot ticket for a little geek like me.  It was guaranteed I would love anything they were involved in.

The problem is as a 12 year old boy I did not have as sophisticated a taste in literature as I like to think.  The writing is repetitive and the descriptions are bland and boring.  Reading the book again has been an exercise in boredom.

Aside from that Colorado is currently in the middle of washing away.  The rain has been really great this summer but you know it's too much of a good thing when whole towns are evacuated and people die.  We're on high ground and so far the only real affect I've experienced is that I didn't ride the bike to work today.  Hydroplaning on a motorcycle is about as much fun as reading The Sword of Shannara.

  

Gunnison Ride

I took a Labor Day ride with my brother-in-law this weekend.  I left the Springs yesterday morning at 0930, met Chris in Buena Vista and arrived in Gunnison at 1500 or so after 201 miles.  We stayed at the Inn at Tomichi Village over night.  It is a pretty nice motel.  I like staying at motels on motorcycle rides better than hotels.  Hotels might be more secure but I like being able to open the door and see the bike parked right out front.  If it's raining and I have a couple of beers to drink that's all the better.

The motel was the cheapest listed on Hotels.com.  It had a two out of five star rating but a 4.1 of 5 on the number scale.  Not sure what the difference is but it is definitely a 4.5 out of 5 in my book.  So once we got settled in we headed 30 minutes north on Colorado Route 135 to Crested Butte for dinner.  We got there in the middle of a festival and the downtown was blocked off to traffic.  The last time Lisa and I were there there was also a festival and the street was blocked.  It made me wonder if the street is blocked off every weekend.  So we walked around looking for a steak house and found a pub that served steak, close enough. The West End Public House has a great 12 oz. New York strip. Chris had chicken and waffles which made me envious but it's not in my diet plan.

West End Public House

Afterward we rode a few miles up to the ski resort and took some photos.  In a state lousy with scenery this was some of the most scenic.  We got there at an optimal photo time.  It was sunset and thunderstorms had just passed through.  Everything was fresh and pinkish-orange.

View Larger MapDriving Directions

From the collection I call "My bike in front of scenic shit"

It was just turning dark on the way back to the hotel and it was getting a little chilly.  We made a stop for a 6 pack of my favorite beer, Paulaner Hefe-Weizen and got back to the room for some local news.  I was out by 9 o'clock with a well earned sleep.

I got up at seven the next morning and realized that I had forgotten my toothbrush so it was off to the local Walmart for that and toothpaste.  This was one of the older Walmarts like you don't see anymore.  It was very small with a little electronics section in the middle of the store.  Anyone remember that lay out?

We rode west to the Blue Mesa Reservoir for a few more scenic shots then turned the bikes back east.  While stopped at a rest stop an older guy on a V-Strom pulled in and said hello.  I noticed the Oregon plates and talked to him for a little bit.  He had just come through Grand Junction visiting his son and was on his way to Texas to visit his other son.  I thought "There's one lucky guy" but then so am I.

We made one last stop in Gunnison on the way back through for gas.  I got to talking with a guy on a Harley with New Mexico plates.  The bike had the same dirty look form rain that our had.  The guy had rode up Saturday from Albuquerque and was on his way home.  On the way to Monarch Pass I questioned why I love to ride so much.  I mean it's really nothing more than a mode of transportation, one in which you're exposed to the elements and vulnerable to careless drivers and wild animals.  I couldn't come up with an answer that satisfied.  All I know is that I spend a lot of time laughing or singing out loud when I ride.  I know the guy on the Harley, the older gentleman on the V-Strom and Chris could identify.

Poor Man's GPS

Chris and I made it up over Monarch and got rained on (again) briefly.  Traffic was light Sunday afternoon going west but was pretty busy on Labor Day headed back east.  I drove way to fast up the mountain but took it slow down the other side.  Chris and I parted ways at Poncha Springs (I love these old west town names).  He headed for Silverthorn via Beuna Vista and Leadville and I decided to try a different way than I had come and headed for Salida and on to Canon City.  It's a great ride through a twisty canyon.  The road runs alongside the Arkansas River.  The headwaters for the river are just north of Leadville and the river is still narrow enough to walk across in spots in Colorado.

The traffic was heavier through here but a lot better than it would have been had I come through Woodland Park and across route 24.  I stopped for a little water break in Canon City.  Canon City's chief industry appears to be prisons by the way.

I finally pulled in around 4 o'clock.  I got in and was met with the greeting I always look forward to from Moon, Dash and Ruby the three wonder dogs.  The wife was still at work unfortunately.  It was a great ride.

Songs

I love doing this, I haven't done it in awhile so it's about time for a new one.

iTunes shuffle

When Doves Cry - Prince.  Even when I was too cool for Michael Jackson and pretty much anything not Van Halen I knew Prince was the Man.
My Love Is A Rock - REO Speedwagon.  Honestly I probably loved REO much longer than I should have, this is from the first album without Gary Richrath.  Kevin's voice always moves me but this is where I should have stopped.
Hug You, Squeeze You - Stevie Ray Vaughn.  This is off of one of the thousand compilations that have come out after his death.  I don't know how old it is but it seems from early times, more simple and pure than later stuff.
Sittin' On Top Of The World - Van Morrison and Carl Perkins.  Man I don't pay enough respect to Van Morrison's voice.
More Than I Can Do - Steve Earle.  Used to love him until he went bat shit crazy and decided Al Qaeda were really decent blokes but misundertood.  I always thought this peppy little tune about an obsessed stalker was creepy and clever.
I Wanna Be Your Lover - Prince.  What did I do to deserve two Prince songs in one sitting?  This is old, old school.  I remember this came out around the same time as Off the Wall and like I said earlier, I knew Prince was cooler.  I have a very distinct memory of walking around the department store in Martinsville Indiana as a young boy looking at the cover for this 45 and wishing I had the money for it.
Ask The Lonely - Journey.  Not one of my favorite Journey songs but come on, it's Steve Perry and I think we all know how I feel about Steve Perry.
You Know My Name - Chris Cornell.  A little newer than most of my stuff.  One of my favorite rock voices.  I've always liked him better than any band he's been in.
Over You - ZZ Top.  Really new for me but it's ZZ Top.  From the 2012 EP Texicali.  Like their old stuff before the videos but bluesier and better.  Makes me wish I wasn't on a diet, I'd be drinking whiskey right now.
Hunt You Down - The Yayhoos.  I can literally see Dan Baird pointing at his chest with his thumbs on the line "You can't get away from this guy". 
Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing - Chris Isaak.  God that stupid video robbed me of the pleasure of Chris Isaak's voice for a decade.  Stupid supermodels.
Need A Man Blues - Donna Summers.  Where the hell did this come from?
Don't Look Back - Robert Plant.  A "bonus" tune from the digital download of Manic Nirvana not included on the original album with good reason.
Tumbling Dice - Rolling Stones.  I really have to be in the mood for the Stones.  Right now I am.
Body Talk - Ratt.  What?  It's off a compilation disc.
Poncho and Lefty - Townes Van Zandt.  I don't know.  Townes wasn't my thing back in the day but I guess when you get old he's the kind of guy whose name you drop when you want to sound hip.  Plus I like the song.
Does Your Mother Know - Abba.  You know when I was young this was the only Abba song I liked because in my little, young mind I thought it rocked.  Just seems creepy now.
Up For Breakfast - Van Halen.  Like REO Speedwagon I just didn't know when to stop while I was ahead.
Learning To Fly - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.  My second favorite song titled "Learning To Fly" right after Pink Floyd's song.
Winning - Santana.  I think this is the only Santana song I like.  I don't know who's singing but I like him a lot better than Rob Thomas.
I'm The Slime - Frank Zappa.  I don't know that I can add anything.  Frank was weird in the same way George Carlin was.
Shake It Up - The Cars.  Can you not feel good when you hear this song?
Since You Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson.  I just realized the women are woefully under-represented (as usual).  I know she's probably a symbol of all that's wrong with corporate music but I think she's cute and has a pretty voice.  I'm an old man, I can have bad taste in music now.
Just Got Paid - ZZ Top.  Let's go out on a classic.

The Viddesos Cycle

I've been re-reading a series of books I read back in the late eighties or early nineties by Harry Turtledove called The Videssos Cycle.  It's about a legion of Roman soldiers  and a single Gaul soldier flung into a fantasy world where magic exists while not being common place.  It's an interesting concept.  The story doesn't spend a lot of time exploring the hows of what brought the Romans to Videsso.  I like that on the one hand, I just let it go and accept the premise on face value.  On the other hand it leaves a lot of questions that I think would be interesting if they were more deeply explored.  Turtledove might go into it deeper later on but if it sticks to the style of the books so far I doubt it.  I'm half-way through the third book and it doesn't show any sign of becoming more than what it is.  I'll get to that in a minute.

I originally loved the first two books, for some reason I never got around to the last two.  Reading them now it's interesting to see how my reading sophistication has been refined.  Or maybe how I've grown more jaded.  The big thing I remember about these stories was the political intrigue.  The story is based on events taken from Rome's actual history, something Harry has been marketing for decades.  I remember thinking at the time how twisted and deep the plot line was and while it still is, it isn't what my memory had it built up as.

I would liken the book to a frozen lake, the thin sheet of ice being what we see and the water below being what we could have seen.  The characters are flat with not much personality.  Even the most colorful character (Viridovix, the Gaul) is only interesting because of his funny lines and behavior, it's a superficial type of interesting.  The people only seem to be there to further the plot, not to engage the reader.  This is fine for the most part, I like more character driven stories usually but this isn't a deal breaker.

The pacing of the stories is another troubled area.  At times it plods along with not much happening, at other times I can't stop reading.  The entire quality of these books could be described as very uneven.  Book two and three have two major battle scenes that are almost exactly the same scenario.  The army falls to defeat with the collapse of the left flank through an act of cowardice and an act of betrayal.  The Romans march back defeated looking for refuge and picking up remnants of the Emperor's crushed army.  I got very agitated by this point for several reasons.  The continual attempted over throws of the Emperor may be based on historic events but history doesn't always make for compelling story telling.  The writing in general tends to be repetitive but no more so than some lesser books I've read.  To me the third book didn't progress the plot from the second.

Don't misunderstand though.  While not the miraculous masterpiece of the written word I originally thought it was it is a very good piece of fiction.  The world Harry Turtledove builds is fascinating and fully realized.  I think I would recommend it to friends that enjoy fantasy.