Thursday, April 21, 2005

Summer Motor Cycle Reflections (1998)

Summer motor cycle reflections Our travels ~ 1998
{I found some old journals and have not entered them on the pc yet.}
From My motor cycle Journal

June 1998 200 mi. 1 BMX bike races

We rode to Walla Walla, Washington 100 miles from here to watch our son race BMX bikes. We rode Buck’s bike voyager XXII (12) 1995 Kawasaki two up {because my arm and shoulder have been bothering me}. We had a blast and yelled like idiots at the races fro the kids racing. We enjoyed the first nice weekend we had, hot weather it felt great to sweat! =D Dh (dear husband) got a sunburn on his face and head, we forgot our hats. We did have long sleeved shorts for sun protection that really helped. We took up ½ of roll of film this was before digital cameras came out. We saw 27 deer on the way home what an awesome day it was for us!

Tues. 40 miles. 2 bikes To ten mi. up river
Dh’s 1100 virago Yamaha he drove that up: I drive the Kawasaki XXII the big touring one with a trunk. I needed some practice with it. I was just going to go for a little spin 10 mi up and come home. We went up past Asotin creek to where the pavement ends and tuned around he checked to see if the water way clean enough to see any fish yet.


Then he was having so much fun he went up the river to 10 mi. where we saw mountain sheep on time. He was having so much fun tooling around on the bike he did not see my signal I was ready to turn around and head back, or my second one, or my third one either. (Or at least he said he did not see my signal.) So I just turned around at the wide spot and parked. He came back about three minutes later. He figured it out. I said I want to swap bikes and ride the cruiser the big one was too hot, and he cold go on up to the end of the pavement if he wanted but my arm was hurting and I needed to head back.

He headed back too lickekty split having a ball on all of the twisties in the road. The river had been over the road but was down, it was still really high and moving fast. It was a beautiful ride an awesome evening nice of him to get off early so we could go on a spin together!

Mother’s day 191 mi. 1 bike Rattle snake grade to Ore.

We went up by the Rattlesnake grade on a pie run for dessert, to Oregon and up the other side of the grade Buford. The hills were an awesome shade of celery green. We were two up on the big bike blue the Kawasaki voyager XXII. Took a new road until the pavement ended to check out some new campsites. We saw 14 head of mountain sheep. It really made our day! What an awesome ride!

Thurs. 6-4-98 20 mi. 1 bike me solo In Town ride errand running


I turned in the film this a.m. went on my bike 1,110 Yamaha virago. On a jaunt to town to pick up the film; and come the long way home out to Chief Timothy State park by the river to make sure the battery was good and charged up.

On the way home I stopped by the library to show the librarians my photos. =D Having a great summer so far. I have a great life this is awesome. Showed the neighbor also rides her own bike, just learning, he has a Harley they go to Sturgis S.D. every few years and she is getting tired of that she said.

Favorite memories on bikes
I got my 1,110 in 94 I was 40 that year! =D I used to ride his 175 Honda in the dirt when the kids were babies. And the 110 or trial 90 when we were dating in high school we were high school sweet hearts, hum that was 31 years ago. It’s hard to fit all of us on the bike so we gave it up until they were grown. I’ve been riding big bikes 10 years now. My favorite vacations have been the 1479 mi. trip to glacier natl. park we took both bike and the trailer. Camped most of it. Saw the glacier, unimpressive snow on a mountain, and baby mountain goats so used to tourists they just grazed as you walked on by. Beautiful scenery thou!

Most memorable part of the rip was riding the road to the sun highway and the arsse puckering winds on the back side of the park! (There is a joke about getting the seat out of your backside with needle nose pliers bikers tell. Sh-h don’t tell dh I said that here!)

I learned I needed a windshield! We only had a few miles of rain thou so that was good. We were gone nine day that trip it was neat! That was Aug. 96

The other most memorable vacation to date was last year our trip to Yellowstone natl. park in 97 we were gone ten days and traveled 1,658 miles of absolutely awesome scenery only 3 miles of rain!

We alternated between KOA cabins, tent camping, and 2 motel nights. We saw all kinds of game in the park every thing but a moose. The northern loop had all the game, mud pots and gysers. Yellowstone falls was beautiful! We took tow bikes and the trailer. The road construction kept it from being boring one day. I stopped put both my boots down and just waited for him to get through it was pretty slippery with the trailer. I did fine though with out one. I got some interesting stares from the construction crew as I waited for dh to plow his way through four inches of loose dirt in mounds on various points. We were glad when that section of the road was done! And we were on to the free way!

Sat. 6-6-8 New radio
Today dh came home with a new CB radio for my motor cycle. He installed it too! The other one went in the truck last fall. He drilled holes in my windshield I couldn’t watch that part. It turned out great though!

I was using one on our long trips before. I love to talk, and broadcasting m voice over the air waves is even more exciting than just talking, so I do not worry about what do say! The words just come ! It is such fun! Helps to break up some of the long miles. I do not have a music radio on my bike. We took my bike 2 up over to our favorite Mexican café not far from home. It was great to get out on the bike.

Gravel in the corners is hazardous with the road construction and the gravel pits not far from here we are constantly watching for new spills of gravel!

I’m loving the beautiful day we had, dh drove his virago to work to switch CB and other stuff from on truck to the other. (He drives truck, I used to team drive long haul over the road with him when we had our own trucks.) We missed the ride to the wall memorial for the Viet Nam vets to we spaced it ~ we had totally forgotten it. They had a good turn out. Bikes were everywhere today out and about over town!

Picnic ride 6-7-05 2 up on his touring bike

After discussing out plans for this summer and it was too soon to tell which days he will get off and what the length of our trip should be. We got some KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) to go, and both were on his bike.

We got almost to the rest area Lenore 13 mi. outside of Lewiston and the sky looked like it was about to open up and just down pour on us, it was raining on the hill across the river we got a few sprinkles on us, so we turned around and decided to try a different park closer to home we needed some pop anyway.

We went to the visitors center near Lapawi on the Indian Reservation, they had no pop (soda) I was able to clean off a bug splattered on my eyeglasses after we put our helmets back on. We headed back to town, and went through ¼ mi. of wet reads. Ended up at the rose garden park it was beautiful! A few sprinkles and a few wind gusts, and we were finding ourselves enjoying our food having a great time, walked around the rose garden park there are gorgeous this year from all of the rain!

Then we came home cloudy, few wind gusts, and a little bit of wet roads gave way to thoroughly wet roads, then to water standing on the road, gullies in the fields evidence of a recent down pour, then water and mud running over the road 3”-4” deep. We drove through it. Everything was drenched, big puddles more evidence of a recent down pour!

When we fueled up every one was talking about it. Their adrenalin was up. They cold not believe we were dry! My new motto “I don’t do boring!" This was great we stopped and got one of those bake at home pizzas too it fit in the trunk of the motorcycle for dinner. I brought a pizza pan from home to stabilize it on too. That would not have fit on my bike! His is a luxury bike with a built in cb, cruise control, hard saddle bags, and radio controls for the passenger! Some of the wonderful extras it has. No cigarette lighter to plug in and blow up an air mattress however.










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