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Serk
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« on: June 21, 2017, 07:32:07 PM » |
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Figured I'd start a blog like post here, we'll see how it goes. Left the DFW Metromess after work today with the elder spawn on the bike, made it to Amarillo... Tomorrow, on to Colorado Springs and Pike's Peak. Not much to report so far, few hundred miles of hot high speed riding through north through west Texas, but we're on the road and on our way! 372 miles down today, may more to come... I'll try to add some pictures once there's something worth taking pictures of. Valkyrie running great *Knock on wood* and Kali is a great passenger, she gives back rubs while riding! And talk about skills... My pony tail holder blew out on the road, she pulled a spare one off her own hair and braided my hair while doing 90 down the highway... ...still looking for her real father, kid's too good to be mine!  Safe travels to all, can't wait to meet many that I've only chatted with here! |
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Never ask a geek 'Why?',just nod your head and slowly back away...  IBA# 22107 VRCC# 7976 VRCCDS# 226 1998 Valkyrie Standard 2008 Gold Wing Taxation is theft. μολὼν λαβέ |
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Brewer
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« Reply #1 on: June 21, 2017, 07:43:06 PM » |
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Rubber side down, shiny side up!
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Brewer - it is a hobby
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Serk
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« Reply #3 on: June 21, 2017, 07:48:54 PM » |
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Oh, and Kali made a very important observation today. Skinny jeans SUCK for long bike rides! |
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Never ask a geek 'Why?',just nod your head and slowly back away... IBA# 22107 VRCC# 7976 VRCCDS# 226 1998 Valkyrie Standard 2008 Gold Wing Taxation is theft. μολὼν λαβέ |
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msb
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« Reply #4 on: June 21, 2017, 07:56:44 PM » |
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Glad to see you on your way, following your water pump issues. Nothing better than extensive father/daughter time...and on the bike to boot  Stay safe, look forward to meeting you in Billings... |
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Mike
'99 Red & Black IS
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Beardo
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« Reply #5 on: June 21, 2017, 08:14:38 PM » |
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Safe travels Serk and Kali |
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Serk
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« Reply #6 on: June 21, 2017, 08:18:25 PM » |
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Safe travels Serk and Kali ... you just wanna make sure you get to cash in that beverage in Billings! |
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Never ask a geek 'Why?',just nod your head and slowly back away... IBA# 22107 VRCC# 7976 VRCCDS# 226 1998 Valkyrie Standard 2008 Gold Wing Taxation is theft. μολὼν λαβέ |
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Beardo
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« Reply #7 on: June 21, 2017, 08:38:20 PM » |
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I was going to say don't spill (or drink) all the bourbon but figured I'd just wish you a safe trip  |
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Gryphon Rider
Member
Posts: 5232
2000 Tourer
Calgary, Alberta
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« Reply #8 on: June 21, 2017, 09:50:50 PM » |
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Don't you have more family following in a cage?
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Serk
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« Reply #9 on: June 22, 2017, 02:41:59 AM » |
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Don't you have more family following in a cage?
Yup, but they're gonna super slab it in 2 days (Or that's what she's planning) instead of the multi day back road leisurely stroll through Colorado that the elder spawn and I are doing. I did plant the idea of seeing snow in June into the 6 year old's heads, so they're pressuring mommy to go to Mount Evans or Rocky Mountain National Park at least, really hoping she doesn't do what she usually does (She's a workaholic, expect her to work her vacation day Friday and delay their departure, but... Love her dearly but I have to stop worrying about her trip planning and scheduling skills or I'll lost my last tenuous grasp of sanity. We're opposite travelers, I wake up super early on travel days and wanna GO GO GO. She'll sleep in, go shopping, whatever and leave after noon. Speaking of which. 4:45 AM of day 2. I can't sleep. Trying to wake a 14 year old up so we can get some miles behind us before the Day Star makes it's return. Safe travels all! |
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Never ask a geek 'Why?',just nod your head and slowly back away... IBA# 22107 VRCC# 7976 VRCCDS# 226 1998 Valkyrie Standard 2008 Gold Wing Taxation is theft. μολὼν λαβέ |
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The emperor has no clothes
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« Reply #10 on: June 22, 2017, 05:27:17 AM » |
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Trying to rouse a 14 year old is enough to wear you out and need a nap. Hope you guys have another great day. |
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Daniel Meyer
Member
Posts: 5493
Author. Adventurer. Electrician.
The State of confusion.
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« Reply #11 on: June 22, 2017, 12:22:40 PM » |
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Ride safe! See you guys there!
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CUAgain, Daniel Meyer  |
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RainMaker
Member
Posts: 6626
VRCC#24130 - VRCCDS#0117 - IBA#48473
Arlington, TX
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« Reply #12 on: June 22, 2017, 12:23:55 PM » |
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Looking forward to your drone videos. Wish I was going.
RainMaker
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« Reply #13 on: June 22, 2017, 01:29:45 PM » |
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If only you could blindfold eldest spawn until you got to the top of Evans or Pikes.
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Serk
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« Reply #14 on: June 22, 2017, 08:15:39 PM » |
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Too exhausted to jump through the hoops to get pics up tonight using this Chromebook, but... Made it to the top of Pike's Peak, got in a big snow storm at the top, had a wee touch of Apoxia but we survived.
I understand it's a pretty drive, not a fast one, but if you're gonna go 10 miles an hour, once there's a backup about a half mile long behind you, PLEASE pull over on a scenic overlook and let people by!!!
Kali is fascinated by wildlife, so in true Dad fashion at one point I said "A BEAR!".... paused..... "Would be a really cool animal to see from a distance." I'm going to hell for that one but she eventually laughed... a little...
Did the Garden of the Gods. Met another Valk rider doing the loop, had a VERY brief chat with him when traffic slowed down, he seemed familiar with Inzane but don't think he was heading there, if you were on a green and ivory Valk in the Garden of the Gods today... Howdy!
We're exhausted, so curtailing the original planned run into central Colorado, Eisenhower Tunnel/Loveland Pass tomorrow and just gonna go straight up Mt. Evans and on to a hotel near Rocky Mountain National Park.
Man this cycle-therapy was SO over due! Been 10 years since my last real bike trip, this is doing my soul some real good...
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Never ask a geek 'Why?',just nod your head and slowly back away... IBA# 22107 VRCC# 7976 VRCCDS# 226 1998 Valkyrie Standard 2008 Gold Wing Taxation is theft. μολὼν λαβέ |
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DDT (12)
Member
Posts: 4120
Sometimes ya just gotta go...
Winter Springs, FL - Occasionally...
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« Reply #15 on: June 22, 2017, 08:33:01 PM » |
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Nice report, Serk! Looking forward to hearing more about yer adventures going up yonder... See ya there.
DDT
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Don't just dream it... LIVE IT!
See ya down the road...
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Serk
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« Reply #16 on: June 23, 2017, 06:25:51 PM » |
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Started the day in the southern edge of Denver to a COLD rain. Oh well, slow miles makes more progress than no miles, so packed up and hit the road, freezing cold and wet. Headed towards Mt. Evans, made a detour to a funny store (Amazing the things they sell here in Colorado right out in the open! ) but Kali had to wait on the bike, she couldn't go in. I had to go in just because, well, I never thought I'd see the day where you could just walk into a store like that. Anyway from there we headed towards Mt. Evans. Having just done the road to Pike's Peak yesterday, we both agree Mt. Evans is superior in just about every way. As we went up in altitude we broke through the clouds to a brilliantly bright and gorgeous day at the summit. Hiked the short distance to the actual summit, had to do some scrambling over rocks in areas where the trail was still covered in snow, but we made it!   Now that she's seen some real mountains Kali is smitten with The Rockies. Big time. Gorgeous day from there, went back to the Interstate, went west through the Eisenhower tunnel then cut up north and we're in a cheap hotel 40ish miles from Rocky Mountain National Park for tonight. Short day, but we're beat and needed some down time. Tomorrow we go through Rocky Mountain National Park, then north, have reservations at another cheap motel in Casper Wyoming, from there Sunday it's a straight shot to Billings and Inzane! |
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Never ask a geek 'Why?',just nod your head and slowly back away... IBA# 22107 VRCC# 7976 VRCCDS# 226 1998 Valkyrie Standard 2008 Gold Wing Taxation is theft. μολὼν λαβέ |
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Skinhead
Member
Posts: 8742
J. A. B. O. A.
Troy, MI
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« Reply #17 on: June 23, 2017, 06:32:45 PM » |
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Great pics and great trip Serk. The senior spawn is truely ruined now that she has seen the Rockies. You'll be lucky to get her back to Tejas.
This is a trip of a lifetime for her, something she will never forget. You're gonna have to get a bench seat sidecar for when the triplets are old enough to do this, it's only fair.
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Jess from VA
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« Reply #18 on: June 23, 2017, 08:22:55 PM » |
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Come on man, where is your matching hat?
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The emperor has no clothes
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« Reply #19 on: June 23, 2017, 09:19:46 PM » |
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We were in Durango a couple years ago on the way to Spearfish. 2 firsts for me also . Ate a 5 star Thai dish and went in a store that I never thought I'd see. Love the pics. Wish I was there. Keep them coming. ( I love Kali already ) |
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Serk
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« Reply #20 on: June 24, 2017, 06:25:41 PM » |
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Rocky Mountain National Park
If you've been there, you know what I mean.
If you haven't, no amount of words or pictures can explain it.
So that was this morning into afternoon. Funny, the Valk got well over 50 MPH through the park (I usually get closer to 20)
Two small hitches, the bolt that keeps my Utopia backrest from flopping back snapped, and my USB charger for my phone (I.E. GPS/Music player) got wonky. Trip to Home Depot in Loveland Colorado got me a replacement screw, and a little creative engineering and I had a replacement USB cable charging my phone on the bike, and headed north on the superslab.
80 MPH speed limit in Wyoming makes the state go by pretty quickly. Wyoming doesn't have the "Wow..." factor of the Colorado Rockies (At least what we've seen of it so far, I know parts of it do) but it has a beauty all it's own with the rolling grasslands.
We're in Casper Wyoming for the night. Tomorrow we'll probably just take the quickest route to Billings, think we're ready to just get there and not ride anywhere for a day or two.
The spousal unit with the triplets and her dad are pulling into Denver for the night. Her scheduling for a trip makes me crazy so I'm staying out of the details, but she's on her way too.
See you party people soon!
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Never ask a geek 'Why?',just nod your head and slowly back away... IBA# 22107 VRCC# 7976 VRCCDS# 226 1998 Valkyrie Standard 2008 Gold Wing Taxation is theft. μολὼν λαβέ |
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Jess from VA
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« Reply #21 on: June 24, 2017, 07:23:23 PM » |
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Funny, the Valk got well over 50 MPH through the park (I usually get closer to 20)Mine goes 50MPH all the time. I'm surprised they allow that speed in the park. If you usually go 20, no wonder it is taking you so long to get to Billings. 
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Crackerborn
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« Reply #22 on: June 24, 2017, 07:27:05 PM » |
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So I was in WY late last month and was treated to:  The prairie goats run away, the mulies just stand there and dare you to hit them. Keep the shiny side up. |
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Life is about the ride, not the destination. 97 Valkyrie Tour 99 Valkyrie Interstate  |
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Serk
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« Reply #23 on: June 24, 2017, 07:51:42 PM » |
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Funny, the Valk got well over 50 MPH through the park (I usually get closer to 20)Mine goes 50MPH all the time. I'm surprised they allow that speed in the park. If you usually go 20, no wonder it is taking you so long to get to Billings. Heh... I've been traveling by bike with a teenaged female since Wednesday... Fat fingering MPG to MPH is the least of my worries...  (Update on the wife - She's truly insane. She'd promised the triplets a mountain, so she's driving to the peak of Mt. Evans right now. At 9 o'clock at night. Researched it, the peak road is open 24 hours a day. While I'm sure watching sunset from the top is gorgeous, don't think I'd wanna drive back down after dark....) And after that she's gonna go sleep at a hotel in Denver, and try to one-shot it from Denver to Billings tomorrow.  |
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Never ask a geek 'Why?',just nod your head and slowly back away... IBA# 22107 VRCC# 7976 VRCCDS# 226 1998 Valkyrie Standard 2008 Gold Wing Taxation is theft. μολὼν λαβέ |
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Serk
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« Reply #24 on: June 24, 2017, 07:53:24 PM » |
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The prairie goats run away, the mulies just stand there and dare you to hit them.
Keep the shiny side up.
Yup. The snow's gone, but we've seen bunches of 'em out and about. The scary ones are the ones on OUR side of the fence. Definitely gotta keep your wits about ya', especially doing 90+... |
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Never ask a geek 'Why?',just nod your head and slowly back away... IBA# 22107 VRCC# 7976 VRCCDS# 226 1998 Valkyrie Standard 2008 Gold Wing Taxation is theft. μολὼν λαβέ |
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Serk
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« Reply #25 on: June 25, 2017, 03:51:39 PM » |
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Pretty nice high speed run from Casper Wyoming to Billings completed.
Along the way I saw a sign for the Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument, so I asked Kali if she was familiar with the battle of Little Big Horn.
Nope
Asked her if she was familiar with Custer's Last Stand.
Nope.
Okay, re-programmed the GPS to take us there. Noticed it was REAL busy. So busy they weren't even charging to get in.
Reading one of the first informational signs we realized why, today is the anniversary of the battle. How fortuitous that we happened to wander in on the anniversary date. Took the driving tour of the battle ground, read most of the signs, then we were stopped by a park ranger and told that after him we weren't allowed to stop until we got past the next curve.
Turns out they were doing a re-enactment of the battle.
And I got to ride my Valk right through it, twice. (There and back)
Kali had a very good history lesson today!
Anyway, now we're at the hotel, time to sit and stop moving for a while.
Safe travels to all those still filtering in!
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Never ask a geek 'Why?',just nod your head and slowly back away... IBA# 22107 VRCC# 7976 VRCCDS# 226 1998 Valkyrie Standard 2008 Gold Wing Taxation is theft. μολὼν λαβέ |
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Farside
Member
Posts: 2591
Let's get going!
S. GA - N. FL
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« Reply #27 on: June 25, 2017, 05:44:01 PM » |
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What a blast you two have had so far. Going to be an Awesome memory for years later for you both. Congrats on having that opportunity and even more that she was up for it. Be safe and enjoy the journey. Thanks for the report...... 
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Farside
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J.Mencalice
Member
Posts: 1850
"When You're Dead, Your Bank Account Goes to Zero"
Livin' Better Side of The Great Divide
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« Reply #28 on: June 25, 2017, 05:51:45 PM » |
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Started the day in the southern edge of Denver to a COLD rain. Oh well, slow miles makes more progress than no miles, so packed up and hit the road, freezing cold and wet. Headed towards Mt. Evans, made a detour to a funny store (Amazing the things they sell here in Colorado right out in the open! ) but Kali had to wait on the bike, she couldn't go in. I had to go in just because, well, I never thought I'd see the day where you could just walk into a store like that. Anyway from there we headed towards Mt. Evans. Having just done the road to Pike's Peak yesterday, we both agree Mt. Evans is superior in just about every way. As we went up in altitude we broke through the clouds to a brilliantly bright and gorgeous day at the summit. Hiked the short distance to the actual summit, had to do some scrambling over rocks in areas where the trail was still covered in snow, but we made it! Now that she's seen some real mountains Kali is smitten with The Rockies. Big time. Gorgeous day from there, went back to the Interstate, went west through the Eisenhower tunnel then cut up north and we're in a cheap hotel 40ish miles from Rocky Mountain National Park for tonight. Short day, but we're beat and needed some down time. Tomorrow we go through Rocky Mountain National Park, then north, have reservations at another cheap motel in Casper Wyoming, from there Sunday it's a straight shot to Billings and Inzane! Today was also the 95th running of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb; same road that you traveled. The vehicles today were moving jusssst a bit faster.  |
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"The truth is, most of us discover where we are headed when we arrive." Bill Watterson
Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance...
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Serk
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« Reply #29 on: June 25, 2017, 08:41:18 PM » |
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Today was also the 95th running of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb; same road that you traveled. The vehicles today were moving jusssst a bit faster. Awesome, knew it was coming up but didn't know exactly when. They were prepping for it when we were there, lots of tents going up, camera cranes, the starting line/finish line, hay bales in the corners, etc... I meant to pull over and get a pic of the Valk at the starting line with the banner above it but was so into the road I forgot to do so... |
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Never ask a geek 'Why?',just nod your head and slowly back away... IBA# 22107 VRCC# 7976 VRCCDS# 226 1998 Valkyrie Standard 2008 Gold Wing Taxation is theft. μολὼν λαβέ |
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Gryphon Rider
Member
Posts: 5232
2000 Tourer
Calgary, Alberta
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« Reply #30 on: June 26, 2017, 06:46:25 AM » |
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My son, Levi, and I met Kali at the pool last night. She was telling us all about her debate competition. Lovely girl!
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Serk
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« Reply #31 on: June 26, 2017, 07:10:02 AM » |
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My son, Levi, and I met Kali at the pool last night. She was telling us all about her debate competition. Lovely girl!
Yup, Kali loved hanging out with him... She's a smart kid, way better than I deserve. Someday I'll find her real father... |
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Never ask a geek 'Why?',just nod your head and slowly back away... IBA# 22107 VRCC# 7976 VRCCDS# 226 1998 Valkyrie Standard 2008 Gold Wing Taxation is theft. μολὼν λαβέ |
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Wizzard
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Posts: 4043
Bald River Falls
Valparaiso IN
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« Reply #32 on: June 26, 2017, 07:58:31 AM » |
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That ride up Mt Evans freaked my wife out since there are not guard rails. Cannot imagine doing it after dark.
Nice post and thanks for sharing.
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Gryphon Rider
Member
Posts: 5232
2000 Tourer
Calgary, Alberta
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« Reply #33 on: June 26, 2017, 09:08:44 PM » |
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I met Serk's wife and triplets (With Serk & Kali) at a restaurant tonight. Serk offered me one of the triplets, but none of them wanted to move to Canada with me.  |
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Skinhead
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Posts: 8742
J. A. B. O. A.
Troy, MI
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« Reply #35 on: June 27, 2017, 08:07:49 AM » |
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Who could blame them with your 2 month long riding season?
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Troy, MI |
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Serk
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« Reply #36 on: July 02, 2017, 04:30:17 PM » |
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 12 days 3,327 miles 9 states 8 National Parks/Monuments And Kali and I are home. More pics later. |
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Never ask a geek 'Why?',just nod your head and slowly back away... IBA# 22107 VRCC# 7976 VRCCDS# 226 1998 Valkyrie Standard 2008 Gold Wing Taxation is theft. μολὼν λαβέ |
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Beardo
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« Reply #38 on: July 02, 2017, 04:56:07 PM » |
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12 days 3,327 miles 9 states 8 National Parks/Monuments And Kali and I are home. More pics later. Congrats on a great trip. What a great bunch of memories for you both. |
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baldo
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Posts: 6961
Youbetcha
Cape Cod, MA
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« Reply #39 on: July 02, 2017, 05:31:16 PM » |
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12 days 3,327 miles 9 states 8 National Parks/Monuments And Kali and I are home. More pics later. |
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