Vegas Bike Week
http://www.lasvegasbikefest.com/ vegas bike week this weekend. my Bro is coming for sure, and hotel rooms booked. Im pumped.
Sunday Morning Coming Down
Its sunday morning, and sitting here in bed on my laptop watching easy rider and thinking I havent had a meaningful ride for a few weeks. Ive ridden every day, but not really gone anywhere but around town.
Next week is bike week in vegas. My brother will be down and we’ll hit that up, and that will count for one. Theres a poker run and Im excited about seeing the vendors.
Sunday Morning Coming Down Read More »
Need to Ride…
I wished I could sum up why I ride. I cant. Today I think I got closer to why, and I think its one of the greatest things about riding: Its the surprises. I always seem to find an answer to a problem on a ride, or not seem to care about the problem itself, which is such a needed break from reality sometimes. This last week ive been focused on work, what I need to do, and how I needed to improve my work. Its been in my head all week, and I think I did that. My head was full of everything but riding, even though I havent driven my truck for about 3 months.
Tonight was a BACA meeting in hurricane, so after work I jetted out on the freeway to go do my duty for BACA, and all of a sudden it happened: The ride took over. It did indeed surprise me, on a short 5 mile stretch of 1-15 where I could feel my bike’s horsepower loving stretching its legs. the wind, the music, the feeling of seeing everything around me and being a part of it. Its the surprise. I love the suprise. Im addicted yet again.
3 old friends
I had big plans this weekend to ride with my brothers from BACA, but at the end of the day only 3 people showed up. Me, and my 2 old friends Justin and Matt. We’ve been friends for a long time, since high school 20 years ago. We get together fairly often, and when justin called me and told me that he and matt were in for a friday ride to caliente and back the next morning, It was good news. I was seriously about to go by myself as usual, but having 2 good friends go with was great.
We headed out friday around 3 or so, and made our way through gunlock, and north on 18.
Matt has a really good looking and well taken care of 94 Dyna Wide Glide, and Justin has an 08 Street Glide. We rounded up past enterprise and showed them modena. We kicked around checking out the old store and I managed to talk to the guy who lives next to it. He said its been vandalized pretty heavily the last few years from people helping themselves to old radiators and sinks, and the roof started on fire a few years back. Its old. He said he’s got pictures from the 1880s that show the hotel/store but wasnt quite sure how old it is. Its a cool old building.
we then bombed into Caliente, checked into the motel, and found the bar and drank beer to our hearts content. Matty is on the wagon, so jug and I got drunk and we all played pool. Jug is a dick. Noone can beat the guy at pool. I came close, but sunk the 8 ball and lost by one ball twice. the man has skills.
The next morning we loaded up, had breakfast and was home by 2. Great ride. One to do again. Its close, and its in nevada. I gotta take robyn.
Totals: 230 Miles Round Trip – 2 States
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Johnny Cash – The Man in Black
Look at this. this is a man who truly did walk the line. any man would be so lucky to be remembered as he was — the man in black:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7K4jH7NqUw&hl=en&fs=1]
I listen to alot of johnny cash when I ride. His music really resonates with me, especially on the bike. Like him, I am a misfit – an outisder, and theres room in this world for outsiders, because many of you are outsiders too. I am not always positive, sometimes the world doesnt warrant that. Sometimes a spade is a spade, and thank god for men like johnny cash who saw it that way. Im a big fan.
Im 41 years old, and Ive seen my share of hard times in this world. Its not all celestial, sometimes its downright hell. The hell times have formed me, the celestial is what I shoot for. Its nice not to walk alone, and for those who feel they walk alone: Open up your heart, because theres something out there for you my friend. The world awaits, its a great big place… and there is something out there for everyone. Sometimes all you need to do is flip the coin of your perspective, and a whole new experience is out there for you. I know, because everytime I flip that coin, the world looks and feels different. Im getting used to flipping it. Im glad its there.
RIDE ON! Walk the line….
Heres another one, from the movie Walk the Line:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P6BIlikDBs&hl=en&fs=1]
Life is short. This was johnny when he was young, he hadnt much slowed down and was at his peak of experience and energy. Experience in life comes at a great cost, and later he realized that cost as we all will. Look at a man who was with the one he loved, still vibrant in his life and had full faculty. He lived another 33 years past this, but he would never have this moment again. today really is the most valuable thing you hold.
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St George To Salt Lake to St George
You can feel it starting to turn in the mornings. Its cooling down. The normally perfect 8AM ride to work requires a jacket now. So when I needed to head up to Salt Lake to take care of some family matters, and coupled with the fact that my bike is a third the cost of what itd take to drive my truck up, I jumped at the chance to spend the day riding to Salt Lake. It may be the final time this year.
So I headed up highway 18 toward Cedar, and figured that I’d go up through Minersville and milford again, and see what I could find along my way.
One of the reasons why I love my bike, is for 20 bucks and some beef jerky, I can get 150 miles away from my problems in life, and the funny thing is, not only is that a cheap vacation, but its also where I get most of my best answers to my problems. Its the best of all worlds.
In cedar I called my brother, and he was game to finish up early if he could and meet me on the road somewhere. Right on! So I headed north, fueled up in Minersville, and headed up to Milford to get some pictures of a place ive passed a million times, but wanted to get some shots of: the Milford Hotel. Its been cleaned up a bit since I was there last, and is primed for resurrection possibly. Cool old hotel.
I met pat just outside of eureka, I met up with Pat after riding through a 4 inch high grasshopper massacre, that for a while made me think my tire was flying apart. My leathers were yellow, and my bike was covered with bugs, but only completely, and only the lower 6 inches of my bike. I was like moses parting the red sea of locusts, which of course is a combination plague. Moses couldnt have done it I dont think, but street glides can. Its just how I believe.
we boogied out, hit 1-15 and headed for the cabin. Of course, when I get together with pat after an evening ride, it can only mean one thing: Single Malt Scotch. We drank 18 year old scotch, which is something money cannot buy. Its drinking with blood, with high alcohol content *IN* your blood. Makes you sleep well.
SEPTEMBER 4, 2008
Woke up, made some calls, waited for my sack ass to accept a reasonable temperature, and headed south behind Utah lake, through Eureka and Delta, through the parowan Gap (where i’d never been) and south on 1-15. Parted locusts again south of Eureka, and enjoyed the ride. I also got bored, busted out my camera and filmed the road while I listened to ring of fire by johnny cash. Through the wind, you can hear it. It is a mighty road song. Mightier than you. I don’t even know you, but I am quite positive it is mightier than you. Johnny cash bows to no man, even you.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-28spAsyTY&hl=en&fs=1]
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742 miles, 1 State, 3 days
St George To Salt Lake to St George Read More »
I wasn't born to follow from Easy RIder
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M597-6lhKrg&hl=en&fs=1]
I know where this was shot. Its 5 hours away. I need to get out there and ride it….
I wasn't born to follow from Easy RIder Read More »
nada
Nothing going on. Summer is ending and I’m sitting home watching the kids while Mrs Zip is up helping my mom. I need to go ride. Going to the post office or down the the grocery store doesnt count, although I did take my youngest to school and picked her up on the fat boy, and she felt pretty cool about that.
RIDING IS LIKE PIECING TOGETHER THE PUZZLES OF LIFE, AND LIKING THE ANSWERS.
I said that on a forum the other day, and I think it sums up exactly why I like riding. Its why I ride I think.
Dunn Bryce Canyon Ride
So pat showed up last night, well prepared with a bottle of Glen Livet. I had it in my head we were going riding that night and make it to bryce, so we could head up highway 12 the next morning and be back by night. Then it started raining, so we had dinner, polished off a fine bottle of scotch and caught up. It was great. Pat is the first of my brothers to ever come down and stay in my home. Skip did once, but camped in my driveway in his rig and that was cool too. Even so, I love my brother and enjoy his company. Friends are friends, but blood is blood. I enjoy it when we get together.
So this morning we headed out with intentions of somewhere north. On the way to zion, we pulled off in rockville and I showed him grafton, a local ghost town where butch cassidy and the sundance kid was filmed. Remember the raindrops keep falling on my head scene? That was filmed in grafton. If you don’t, here it is:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H39CxyNfNOM&hl=en&fs=1]
Theres an old bridge in grafton thats pretty awesome. Got some good pictures below. Im too lazy right now to add them up here so you can check em out right now.
From there, we headed up to zion and went through the tunnel. Thats always a nice ride, and hearing my bike thunder in the tunnel always is just a perfect sound. Pat had never been through there, and it was a nice ride. Headed up to mt Carmel and got our bearings, and I took a picture that I just have to post:
From Mt Carmel, we bolted north to bryce had lunch and pat split to head north and I headed back to mt Carmel and continued through to kanab, on my way home.
Stopped at the buckskin tavern for a minute. never been in there, had a beer and headed south again through Fredonia and on to pipe springs. Ive probably passed pipe springs a hundred times, and never really had more than a minor curiosity of what it was or all about, and since riding the fat boy for all those miles made my ass feel like it was sitting on a cinder block (or a bag of marbles as pat would put it), i decided to stop in and see it all. It was pretty cool. theres a fort there, and a whole history that was pretty significant to the area. I eat that stuff up.
Then I headed home. I had a good ride. The fat boy is not in the same league as my street glide as far as riding long runs goes, but at least I felt I got to know her a bit and she is what she is. She ran great, and she almost asked me to put some saddlebags on her, and my ass clearly asked me to get another seat, and even some freeway pegs. I may do both.
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Dunn Bryce Canyon Ride Read More »