Ray&#039;s Motorcycle Experience

Tags:#camping, #davidcrockettstatepark, #fortmountain, #motorcyclecamping, #motorcyclerides, #raysmotoring, camping, hiking, outdoors, road-trip, travel
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Homeward Bound

December 13, 2024

Today (5/24/23) is the first leg of our return home. Departed Deadwood, South Dakota around 7:00 AM (mountain time zone) and arrived in Counsil Bluffs, Iowa around 5:00 PM (central time zone) which means time on the road including stops and sight seeing was about 9 hours. Distance was 554 miles. Tomorrow’s plans are to travel to Little Rock, Arkansas which is approximately 607 miles.

One of our rest stops was a South Dakota Welcome/Information station. Had to do an unexpected short tour and take a few more photos. Below is a small sampling of our personal photos for this leg of the trip home.

Changed our plans, did not go all the way to Little Rock, Arkansas, no hotels there appealed to my co-pilot, not questioning her judgement, she seems to pick them very well.

Today 05/25/23 was our second leg of the trip home. We departed Council Bluffs, Iowa approximately 8:30 AM and arrived in Conway, Arkansas around 5:00 PM. By the way Conway, Arkansas seen on the map by Conway Twitty and Twitty, Texas is how he picked his stage name. Thought you might not know that. LOL

In The Billboard Book of Number One Hits, Fred Bronson states that the singer was looking at a road map when he spotted Conway, Arkansas, and Twitty, Texas, and chose the name Conway Twitty.

Conway Twitty – Wikipedia

Route was down the western side of Iowa on I-29, continuing on I-29 in Missouri to Kansas City, then I-49 the remainder of Missouri to Alma, Arkansas. Then it was Eastern bound on I-40 to Conway, Arkansas. Our distance was 567 miles for the day. Speed limit in Iowa was 75 MPH while Missouri slowed us down a bit with a limit of 70 MPH. Upon entering Arkansas it changed back to 75 MPH. Speed limit of 80 MPH was last seen in South Dakota but Arkansas on the interstates remind me of my days in Texas where the speed limit signs are merely a suggestion. 🙂 🙂

Not a lot to say about the travel through Missouri, more flat land in that area compared to our previous travel days. Noticeable was the mile markers every two tenths of a mile but guessing they have a valid reason for placing them so often? Questionable is the fact that we saw not ONE rest area or Welcome center through the entire state of Missouri on either interstate highway we traveled? Maybe we missed them? 🙂

Arkansas scenery along the highway was fantastic, mountainous and very green! My first time in Arkansas and much more than I had imagined in beauty. A few of our photos below from todays journey below:

Stay tuned for tomorrows travel as we expect this to be the last leg to HOME!

May 26th, 2023:

Our last leg of this trip, homeward bound today, looking forward to getting home. It’s really been a fantastic trip, one we will never forget but getting home is nice too after such a long road trip. No matter how long, would do it again in a heart beat.

Today’s travel started around 8:30 AM with us arriving home approximately 7:00 PM. Total of 582 miles and home sweet home.

In summary this was a 22 day trip started May 5th, 2023, ended May 26th, 2023 with a total of 5,026 miles averaged 26.5mpg. We both loved it and would do it again!

Though this trip has ended we have had other adventures since and will post a few of those as time permits.

Hit that follow button to see what happens next. Not a “biker” by definition, just an old man that loves to ride motorcycles, travel, and experience new adventures.

Keep the shiny side UP!

Tags:#arkansas, #conwaytwitty, #home, #missouri, #motorcyclerides, #raysmotoring, #southdakota, #travel
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The Trip Continues

December 9, 2024

Lot’s has happened since I last posted here but feeling so guilty about not finishing this TRIP, so here’s my attempt to get this done.

We left the beautiful cabin and our friends on the 21st of May 2023 around 7:30 am, drove 592 miles to The Lodge at Deadwood in South Dakota. Great scenery on the way such a beautiful drive. Really great place to stay, we plan a few days here plus it has a Casino. It’s convenient to the places we wish to visit while here.

Our agenda today (May 22, 2023) was to visit Sturgis and Deadwood, both near by. Sturgis was first on the list even though it’s not rally time, not many motorcycles but we did visit a lot of shops, got our t-shirts etc. and did a tour of the Motorcycle Museum. Another check off of the bucket list. Took lot’s of photos and then we’re off to Deadwood.

Deadwood was certainly not what we expected, maybe we never found the old town version. What we did see was lot’s of hotels and casino’s. We checked out a couple of the casino’s, played some, got tired and went back to our own hotel and casino, The Lodge @ Deadwood.

Next day 23rd. of May we were on our way to Mount Rushmore. On the way found this quaint little restaurant, Sugar Shack and ate a huge breakfast there. Had always wanted to visit Mount Rushmore, can now check that off the bucket list. Spent a good amount of time there, very interesting how it was built and the background behind it.

On our way back to the hotel we ran across this very interesting place Dahl’s Chainsaw Art in Keystone, SD which later we found had multiple locations. The art work was fantastic and hard to believe this could be done with nothing but a chain saw.

Then back to our hotel after a long beautiful day. Was raining by the time we got back to the hotel. Made decision to head home starting tomorrow, booked a room at the Harrah’s in Counsil Bluffs, Iowa for tomorrow night. Only $85 for the night, not bad. 🙂

Hit that follow button to see what happens next. Not a “biker” by definition, just an old man that loves to ride motorcycles, travel, and experience new adventures.

Keep the shiny side UP!

Tags:#dahlschainsawart, #deadwood, #motorcyclerides, #mountrushmore, #raysmotoring, #southdakota, #sturgis, south-dakota, travel, western
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Mesa Falls & More…

September 2, 2023

May 17, 2023

We’ve been so busy lately, traveling, camping, etc… that I totally forgot to finish our trip out west on this blog. So picking up where we left off our next day was Mesa Falls, Warm River, Big Springs, and Johnny Sacks Cabin.

Before we start talking about those things, wanted to show you the cabin and some of the surrounding area where we spent a few days with our friends. They were a joy to be with, we were shown many attractions of the area, had some great food, good fellowship, played cards, and basically laughed til it hurt sometimes. Was such a great visit, one that we will always remember. Here are a few photos outside the cabin when we arrived. Keep in mind these were taken in the middle of May.

Today’s planned trip was to Mesa Falls and some other interesting places to see as our friends were the best guides ever for all things in the Idaho, Montana, Wyoming corner of the world. Upon arrival however the gate was closed to drive down to the Falls area so we decided to walk down the approximately one mile trek. Walking down was pretty easy but noticed on the way down there were some steep inclines on the paved road. Coming back up was the challenge, but still worth every step of it.

Upper Mesa Falls is a waterfall on the Henrys Fork in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Upstream from Lower Mesa Falls, it is roughly 16 miles away from Ashton, Idaho. Upper Mesa Falls is roughly 114 feet high and 200 feet wide. Wikipedia

Road closed, need to walk down to falls.

Next stop for the day was Big Springs and the Johnny Sacks Cabin. The cabin was not open for us to view inside but here’s a little history about it that you might find interesting.

The Cabin is located at Big Springs in Island Park, Idaho. The cabin’s location & construction are an interesting visit. Construction began in 1932 and took three years to complete.

What makes the craftmanship of Johnny Sack unique is the use of bark in the details of the house and his furniture. Through careful preparation of the lumber, the bark remains on the wood, providing a creative texture and color to the trim of windows, wall panels, ceiling lamps, chairs, desks, beds, and other wooden items.

John Sack was only 4 feet 11 inches tall. While most of the house has typical ceilings, his work area in the basement reflects his small statue. In the winter he would move his work area in front of the fire place on the main floor.

Feeding the trout at Big Springs, all we needed was a couple of loaves of bread. Not allowed to fish from the bridge we were on, too bad because the fish were plentiful and hungry. See video below.

Today was certainly a busy one, so for the next few days we kept it close to the cabin. We did visit Henry’s Fork and some other places our hosts thought we might like and they were right. The scenery in that area is nothing short of fantastic especially for a flat lander southern boy. 🙂

Next stop on our journey will be South Dakota, several things on my bucket list to visit there. Plan to drive from the cabin in Island Park to Deadwood, South Dakota in one day, hotel reservations are already made, staying at The Lodge in Deadwood. Til next time…..

Hope you found this interesting. Hit the follow button to see what happens next. Not a “biker” by definition, just an old man that loves to ride motorcycles, travel, and experience new adventures.

Keep the shiny side UP!

Tags:#idaho, #mesafalls, #raysmotoring
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Yellowstone National Park

July 15, 2023

May 16, 2023 – Trip Day 11

Short drive over to Yellowstone National Park from the cabin. Whole new experience for me today. I realize many people that I know have visited Yellowstone National Park, but not me, that is until today! Had only seen photos of Old Faithful, seeing it up close was a special thrill.

Old Faithful is one of nearly 500 geysers in Yellowstone and one of six that park rangers currently predict. It is uncommon to be able to predict geyser eruptions with regularity and Old Faithful has lived up to its name, only lengthening the time between eruptions by about 30 minutes in the last 30 years.

Thermal features change constantly and it is possible Old Faithful may stop erupting someday. Geysers and other thermal features are evidence of ongoing volcanic activity beneath the surface and change is part of this natural system.

Yellowstone possesses close to 60 percent of the world’s geysers. The Upper Geyser Basin is home to the largest numbers of this fragile feature found in the park. There are at least 150 of these hydrothermal wonders within one square mile. Only five major geysers are predicted regularly by the staff. They are Castle, Grand, Daisy, Riverside, and Old Faithful. There are many frequent, smaller geysers to be seen in this basin as well as numerous hot springs and mud pots.

Yellowstone National Park is of course centered around Old Faithful but there is an abundance of more to see there. On the drive in we saw beautiful scenery and hundreds of Buffalo. Had so many photos to choose from but didn’t want to bore you with all of them. 🙂

We also visited the Old Faithful Inn which is very near Old Faithful and the place many stay while visiting the park.

The Old Faithful Inn was designed by Robert C. Reamer, who wanted the asymmetry of the building to reflect the chaos of nature. It was built during the winter of 1903–1904. The Old Faithful Inn is one of the few remaining log hotels in the United States. It is a masterpiece of rustic architecture in its stylized design and fine craftsmanship. Its influence on American architecture, particularly park architecture, was immeasurable.

The building is a rustic log and wood-frame structure with gigantic proportions: nearly 700 feet (213 m) in length and seven stories high. The lobby of the hotel features a 65-foot (20-m) ceiling, a massive rhyolite fireplace, and railings made of contorted lodgepole pine. Stand in the lobby and look up at the exposed structure, or walk up a gnarled log staircase to one of the balconies. Wings were added to the hotel in 1915 and 1927, and today there are 327 rooms available to guests in this National Historic Landmark. (National Park Service)

The Upper basin was fun to visit, with it’s boardwalks, small geysers and volcanic landscapes. So interesting and exciting to see. Yellowstone National Park with Old Faithful and all the amazing wonders are another bucket list item attained.

Summary, we had a fantastic day at Yellowstone National Park, saw lots of Buffalo, hot geysers, watched Old Faithful erupt, ate sandwiches in the car for lunch, came back to the cabin for a short nap, went out for pizza, played our new card game “Golf”, laughed until it hurt and finally went to bed around 1:00 AM. The short version is we are Having a Blast! Can’t wait til tomorrow.

Keep the shiny side UP!

Tags:#oldfaithful, #raysmotoring, #yellowstone
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Destination Idaho-Day 8-West Jordan

June 27, 2023

May 12, 2023

From Durango, Colorado to West Jordan, Utah very near Provo was one of the most scenic highways so far this trip. Today’s travel was approximately 387 miles but we of course made it a tad longer by taking some detours and stops. Saw some fantastic scenes along the way and found a really unique nostalgic little place to eat.

Sheralds Drive In Frosty Freeze in Price, Utah was like a step back in time. Car hops would come to your car or you could eat at their outdoor tables. Typical menu of old, hamburgers, fries, shakes, onion rings, hot dogs, soft serve ice cream, etc. and all at very reasonable prices. Tables, umbrellas, even the napkin holders were Coca Cola branded originals. Personally ordered a double cheese burger ($4.89), was delicious and huge. Burger & fries was more than I should have eaten, big meal. 🙂 Patty ordered a small burger (it wasn’t small) and onion rings which she said was the best she had since she couldn’t remember and was not able to finish it all. So if ever in Price, Utah, check it out, you won’t be disappointed.

Below are some of the scenes we found interesting along the way. Photos still don’t catch the feel of these places but our way to remember, share, and enjoy. Especially impressed with the Wilson Arch site near Moab, Utah. The elevation of Wilson Arch is about 6,150 feet. This large Sandstone arch, was named after pioneer Joe Wilson, is accessed by an easy scramble up red dirt. If you don’t desire too or have the energy to walk up, the view from the pull off is pretty awesome. See photo below, one with the motorcycles in front. 🙂

At the Wilson Arch is where we caught up with the motorcycle riders. Not sure what country they were from, think they were speaking Italian, not sure, but if you know me, motorcycles catch my attention. Approximately 35 bikes in that group. If you’ve been following my blog you know I’m not a big fan of group riding but in that part of the country thinking it would be tons of fun! Had to get a video as they were leaving. See below:

Found our hotel, a nice Hampton Inn in West Jordan, checked in, took a long walk around the property to stretch our legs after the long drive. Tomorrow is the last leg of our trip to Patty’s friends home in Rexburg, Idaho, where we will then spend several days. Looking forward to not being on the road for a few days.

Keep the shiny side UP!

Tags:#motorcyclerides, #raysmotoring
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Destination Colorado-Day 7-Train Ride

June 24, 2023

May 11, 2023

This was the day we had planned, my first train ride, an old steam engine train to take us through the mountains from Durango to Silverton. Was also our first year anniversary, May 11, 2023! We hadn’t planned it that way but worked out to be fantastic. Side note, our train ticket placed us in seat number 11 also. 🙂 Train ride up to Silverton and back is actually like stepping back in time.

Durango, Colorado was founded by the Denver & Rio Grande Railway in 1880. The railroad arrived in Durango on August 5, 1881 and construction on the line to Silverton began in the fall of the same year. By July of 1882, the tracks to Silverton were completed, and the train began hauling both freight and passengers.

The line was constructed to haul silver & gold ore from Southwest Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, but passengers soon realized it was the view that was truly precious.

This historic train has been in continuous operation between Durango and Silverton since 1882, carrying passengers behind historic steam and diesel locomotives and rolling stock indigenous to the line. It is a family-friendly ride sure to create memories that will last a lifetime while offering a view of Colorado’s mountain splendor inaccessible by highway. Relive the sights and sounds of yesteryear for a spectacular journey on board the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. (All Aboard-Magazine)

Departing from the Durango Depot, this trip takes you up into the Rocky Mountains with views of the San Juan National Forest traveling alongside the Animas River on your way to the historic mining town of Silverton. We chose the deluxe San Juan Coach, tickets were $139 each round trip. For me it was well worth it, the view/scenery was unbelievable! Was told the San Juan Coach was actually an original coach refurbished to it’s original state. Photo below taken inside the coach from our seat.

Much more about the trains and some facts on the railroad can be found on the Durango & Silverton Blog https://www.durangotrain.com/blog/

This trip consumes your complete day. Though the distance to Silverton is approximately 45 miles the steam engine train only averages about 18 mph and stops at least once going up and again back down to take on water. Takes 3 1/2 hours each way, two hours are allowed in Silverton to look around, eat and shop. In other words plan for about nine hours to complete this trip.

As soon as we got off the train in Silverton, found this quaint little restaurant, Natalia’s totally prepared, ready for a group of people visiting to eat. In other words this wasn’t their first time doing this. Some photo’s of Natalia’s below, which by the way was originally a bordello built in 1883. Food was great.

A tad disappointed in Silverton, wasn’t what we expected, thought it would be bigger? Only two or three streets, none were paved, packed gravel type streets. There was snow that had not melted yet and forecast was for more snow. Sleet and rain were falling which made for messy streets and damp, chilly atmosphere but not unbearably cold. Didn’t stop us from shopping, found a couple of t-shirts and sweat shirts for keepsakes. Only allowed two hours so after eating and doing some quick shopping it was time to board and do the return trip to Durango.

The Silverton elevation was 9,318 ft.

As usual took lots of photos, below is just a small sample of what we saw. It’s a trip everyone should do once, but not sure a second time is warranted for me.

Animas River view from the train.

It was a great day, scenery was fantastic and for me being on a train for the first time, yeah, it was AWESOME! Cross that one off the bucket list, but I still want to take a long train ride maybe across country, something that would take several days.

We’re back in the hotel now working on where we stay tomorrow night. First discussed Provo, Utah but as things progressed our final decision was West Jordan, Utah! See ya there.

Keep the shiny side UP!

Tags:#durango, #raysmotoring, #silverton
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Destination Colorado-Day 5-Durango

June 17, 2023

May 9, 2023

First major leg of this adventure is accomplished, we have arrived in Durango, Colorado. Drive from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Durango, Colorado was very pleasant easy trip, weather beautiful as every day on this trip has been. Some very picturesque views of the terrain in northern New Mexico, some really breath taking vast scenes never experienced. Snow on mountain tops, high elevations, etc. Top a hill, go around a curve, something new and awesome each time. Few photos below, but really they don’t do the real scenes justice, you gotta see it for yourself. Twas a very scenic drive today!

Stopped for lunch in Aztec, New Mexico, at the Aztec Family Restaurant, ate breakfast. Good food, friendly atmosphere.

After crossing into Colorado, the scenery continued, did not disappoint. We were snapping photos constantly, stopping sometimes on the side of the road to get a better shot. Living near the highest point in Florida (345ft above sea level), compared to these mountains with snow caps still on top in May is amazing and wonders of God’s creation. Sometimes wonder if the people that live near these areas truly appreciate the beauty and awesomeness of their surroundings.

Upon arriving in Durango, checked into hotel, was still early so we drove downtown to see whatever might interest us for the afternoon. Located the train station we would be leaving from on Thursday morning the 11th. Stopped by a park on the Animas River, saw this group of ladies and gentlemen training for rafting rescues. They worked for a white water rafting company somewhere in or near Durango. We have plans tomorrow, going to visit Mesa Verde National Park a few miles from here.

Ordered Domino’s Pizza delivered for dinner but added a salad to make us feel better about our eating habits. Should be a full day tomorrow, so calling it a night, needing rest, tomorrow and Thursday are already planned so see ya next post. 🙂

Hope you found this interesting. Hit the follow button to see what happens next. Not a “biker” by definition, just an old man that loves to ride motorcycles and experience new adventures.

Keep the shiny side UP!

Tags:#colorado, #durango, #raysmotoring
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Destination Colorado-Day 4-Santa Fe

June 14, 2023

May 8, 2023

Leaving Amarillo, it was a must to stop by the world famous Cadillac Ranch. The Cadillac Ranch is located on Historic Route 66 in Amarillo Texas. A classic attraction, ten Cadillac cars, half-buried nose down in the ground. They have appeared in some music videos and movies which of course made this place more famous. It was originally thought that other than an art idea, was to show the evolution of the Cadillac fins over the years.

The Cadillacs were buried in sequence from the oldest, 1949, to the newest, 1964. There are 10, each car representing the latest version of the famous Cadillac tail fin. (Texas Monthly)

Honestly its hard to see what these cars might have been in the original state, too much graffiti, everyone wants to paint there mark and its encouraged.

Cadillac Ranch is a public art installation and sculpture in Amarillo, Texas, US. It was created in 1974 by Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez and Doug Michels, who were a part of the art group Ant Farm. The installation consists of ten Cadillacs buried nose-first in the ground.( Wikipedia )

Nothing really exciting about the Cadillac Ranch other than to say “I’ve have been there!” So continuing our trip to Santa Fe, NM. Scenery on the way to Santa Fe was ok, not a lot of color in New Mexico on the route we chose but it was still a nice easy drive.

We arrived in Santa Fe pretty early in the day, earlier than we had expected since crossing into New Mexico we crossed into the Mountain Time Zone. Spent some time driving through the historic section and shopping areas. Didn’t see anything that peaked our interest enough to explore it further. We found the town of Santa Fe to be very clean, looked new in most places, but packed in tightly. Not the open spaces we are accustomed too. Each block seemed to be one shopping opportunity after another, each only inches apart and parking lots small in size. If its shopping you like, then this would be your dream, but bring your fat wallet. 🙂

Took a walk from the hotel to near by shopping area and found Panera, ordered to go. Did a little shopping, , went back to the room to eat our dinner and began planning our next day on the road.

Chances are not knowing the area we probably missed some interesting things but when you’re only there for one afternoon/evening you’re limited in opportunities.

Durango, Colorado is our 5th day destination where we will stay for 3 days before continuing to Idaho. We have some exciting things to do in and near Durango so stay tuned.

Hope you found this interesting. Hit the follow button to see what happens next. Not a “biker” by definition, just an old man that loves to ride motorcycles and experience new adventures.

Keep the shiny side UP!

Tags:#raysmotoring
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Christmas Defuniak Springs

May 23, 2023

An annual event held on the shores around the beautiful round lake in Defuniak Springs, Florida. An event locals especially like to see and visit each and every year. A beautiful display of lights to enjoy and heighten your Christmas spirit. Visitors from around the world have seen this small town display of lights called Christmas Reflections. See quote below from the city of Defuniak Springs own website.

It’s THE event of the year! Bring the entire family any night of the week or come and stay the weekend in the beautiful, historic DeFuniak Springs, Florida! Come see more than 10 million lights reflect off a perfectly round spring-fed lake glowing in holiday splendor! Enjoy a holiday family tradition that is a delight to all ages as we light up Chipley Park with the annual Christmas Reflection displays. A variety of Victorian, animal, and toy soldier cutouts, Santa’s workshop, and the grandfather clock ticking away are among the thousands of decorations that adorn these historic grounds. This event is orchestrated and hosted by the City of DeFuniak Springs. See below for free holiday special events, markets, and the Festival of Trees which complement this season’s light show.

Display is normally opened every year the day after Thanksgiving and continues through New Years day.

Some of our personal photos from this visit are below.

That was our last adventure of the year rounding out 2022 at home with family and friends relaxing, enjoying the peace of Christmas then ringing in the New Year with a bang.

Hope you found this interesting. Hit the follow button to see what happens next. Not a “biker” by definition, just an old man that loves to ride motorcycles and experience new adventures.

Keep the shiny side UP!