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Snoopy Tour '07

Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 2:18 am
by Just-Beeming
Here are some photo highlights...of our most recent trip. The 'Snoopy Tour'.

Scot with his GS...


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And I with my R....



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I ready my bike for a 500 mile day ahead, along with my passenger a WWI Flying Ace. I had been to an investment seminar at work a few days before this trip. Darren, our representative tossed this little Met-Life Snoopy to me...a door prize for showing up. Somehow this li'l fella just seemed to fit the mood of our trip east.
We left our Oregon home August 30 for a ride East to Milwaulkie Wisconsin...I am really not one of those goofy people who likes tying teddy bears to their bike but this Snoopy found his way onto my baggage and he was just sort of funny riding around back there...his little red scarf blowing in the wind.

We left our home in the evening so our pictures for this ride begin the 2nd morning in The Dalles, Oregon. Scot poses with his GS which I have dubbed "The Yellow Titanic"

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This Barn in Idaho caught my eye as interesting. Little did I know that I was in for a trip of many many more barns beore I would return to the west.

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This is to date some of the best riding I have ever done. The Clearwater River runs for over 100 miles along the route to Lolo Pass near the Montana/Idaho border. Several bikes were along this route. Fantastic sweepers and geogeous views. Even a moose although I did not stop for a picture.

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My sweet 'R' turns over 30,000 miles....photo shows what was in front of me as I pulled over to photo this event. When I got my bike Jan 2006 she had 4000 on her. This is Hwy 90 in Montana...somewhere.

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South Dakota. Snoopy looks out over some vast Badlands. Then later on down the road I pulled off to look around. Hot weather. Vented gear and frequent water dousing helped but Camera stops were kept minimal because it felt better to keep moving.

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Continued Hot Days!!!. South Dakota boasts about its lovely Black Hills....Maybe it was the heat but I was pretty blah-zay about the hills. The Monument is impressive but in the 100 degree heat it too left me ready to move on.

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Sturgis. We went, we saw, we left. We had to go see what the hub-bub is about. Not much to write home about. Snoopy urged me to move on.

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Moving again, South Dakota offers it's own charms. I Love the Giant Hay Bales that are everywhere. Sunflower fields as far as the eye can see. The land is so open and gently rolling that the sky becomes everything! This storm cloud was fantastic to watch form. I am really happy that I took some pictures of it... quiet , friendly towns with that undeniable 'Heartland' feeling.

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Minnesota....They have the NICEST COPS.


How fast????...oh never mind!




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And evidently Minnesota has some Amish.



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Our farthest Point east. Milwaulkie Wisconsin to see a RUSH concert.
We did not take a camera as our tickets expressed clearly that we not bring one to the show. So I have only memories of walking along Lake Michigan.


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McCook Nebraska. Yes I realize some of my trip is missing. After we left Milwaulkie I got interested in a book on audio (ipod) and I took no pictures of the remainder of Wisconsin and Iowa....Close your eyes and picture flat grassland, barns and occasional stand of brushy trees. There...you have it....The audio book was much more interesting.

We ate a quick bike seat lunch at McCook, where they had the friendliest people. I have grown to really like these bike bistro lunches. A sandwich, a bag of jerky, some sport-drink and a candy bar and I am good to go.
Scot finds this quick stopping easier than securing all the gadgets he has added to the 'YT'.

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More of Nebraska...


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Colorado. Sweet Colorado! After much heat and flat-ness we reached some great roads, cooler weather and gorgeous scenery. Blue Mesa Reservoir just south west of the Denver area.

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Colorado Mining Country near Leadville.

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Fantastic Riding through 'the million dollar highway' from Ouray to Silverton to Ridgeway...on to Durango. Great elevation summits and sweeping corners kept us smiling for hours. I was in love with this route. I strongly recomend it.


Utah...Snoop takes in some Geology.

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More of Utah. A most fascinating moto touring destination. I love Utah on the bike...every square inch of the state has something to awe-inspire. When i was here last year I saw more of the state.



How many three's? My bike rolls them like a slot machine.

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Some great sunsets and open roads are rewards of any trip. Never am I more a part of them as when I ride them.

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Route 50 in Nevada It is called the loneliest road in america...this is a long route with great visability. Nice long straight draws accross open valley floors followed by nice summits with awesome sweeping corners.
I absolutely loved this route. I was not lonely at all.
I can imagine that someone on a fast motorbike, with this kind of open visability might exceed 100 mph fairly regularly on this road.

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Reno! It was really cold here. Wind blowing and down to the low 50's. You can't tell in the pictures...but we were freezing our a$$es off.

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Closer to home now we cross the Oregon border near Lake Abert. Our final destination of the night is near the Steens Mountain area to meet some moto friends for dinner and to share thier yurt.

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What are friends for if not to take embarassing pictures?
We call this one 'Ms Moto September'. We laughed a lot over this one.
I am sure there will be more laughs to come. Riding buddies are the BEST!




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End of the road. Pulling in the drive I just wanted to keep going...'Let's just fuel up, wash the clothes and take a little toot up to Canada!'
I urged ...wishful thinking!
Our trip was 5577 miles...we cleared the max speed cuz...well, cuz...uhmmm...cuz we did!
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Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 3:48 am
by Buckster
Thanks for sharing! Looks like Ace enjoyed the trip too. I just emailed a friend on how I would love a trip out to the Badlands!! Nice story and pics to go along with. :)

Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 9:40 am
by DJ Downunder
Thanks heaps...great report and fantastic pics.

I loved the big cloud pic...the big rock pic...and the little Snoopy pics... :smt023

Did Rush do any old stuff (like 2112) or just thier new songs?

DJ

Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 10:01 am
by Just-Beeming
The Guys were great.

They did a lot from thier new CD, Snakes and Arrows, which is exceptional...Workin them Angels, and two new intrumentals that Alex gets INTO!!!
The 'anthemn' of the concert became Free Will which the crowd went nuts for.
It was an outdoor venue, some strange, yet oddly familiar smelling smoke floating around. ha :lol:
My husband is a Rushian from way back. To the begining actually...he was happier than a pig in slop.
:smt098

Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 4:47 am
by MikeCam
Great ride, great report. Thanks.

Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 8:08 am
by Dr. Strangelove
thanks for the super ride report. looked great.

did you stay in motels every night or was camping involved? what time of the year and how many days?


Thanks, again

John

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 1:17 pm
by Just-Beeming
We left home Aug 30 after work and returned home Sept 17.

Yes, we did some camping at a little rally in Quincy California for two nights. Seemed a hassle to pack tent, bags and matress for that...
We stayed in everything from 3 star hotels (Harrahs in Reno) to a 39.00 value ..(The Deltan Inn) In Delta Utah.


We had a three night stay with family in Boulder, a two night visit in Wisconsin with friends and the two nights in California.

Our 17 day trip consisted of 11 riding days...average 507 miles daily. I know that we did a 580 one day. (thus the lack of some pictures of leaving Wisconsin and Iowa).
TG for Ipod. Books on audio and great tunes got me through that...Thanks to KMACR for his classic rock picks.

I get into these long milage days however....Life is just better in motion!
Till some Dirty Rat Bstard with lights on his car slowed me down.....
Ha ....

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Just-Beeming

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 5:49 pm
by mnnden
Great Ride!!! i really enjoyed the write-up and the pictures, a few years ago I had the opportunity to travel through Lolo pass up to Moscow Id. I have read quite a bit about the "loneliest Road" and someday hope to travel Hy 50 coast to coast. Thanks for the post. Den

Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 10:58 pm
by Tlaloc
Great photos and narrative, JB. Thanks for posting them!

Carlos

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 6:59 am
by mad1150
Thanks for posting your report Beeming'

Looks like you two had an "Epic Ride" that's for sure. Did you make it to the Wisconsin Dells Rally? I remember you saying that was going to be one of your stops. I was trying to time a trip up there to meet the two of you but it just didn't work out.

Wisconsin and even Northeastern Iowa are actually pretty nice for riding! But you need to get on the blacktop county roads for the real fun. Of course that's coming from a guy in Illinois where there are about 13 curves in the entire state, most of which have an intersection attached :shock:

Glad to hear you had a great ride and got to see the Rush concert!

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:42 pm
by Just-Beeming
Mark
Sadly, there is never enough time on the road. So we passed on the Dells rally. Instead we caught the beemer Bash in Quincy California on our way home.
The riding days were long, at least 500 ea day so that we could have some down time with friends, family and RUSH of course.
I would like to go east again but with more time, and perhaps look at getting there through Canada.
I like miles....I never thought I would say that.
When I first started riding, 200 miles was a lot. Then 400 seemed killer, now 500 seems very do-able. Just not enough time to see and do it all!

Oh when I retire....the fun I will have.

Just Beeming

Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 4:51 pm
by GypsyRR
Great ride, Carol. I loved the photos too. What a diversity of landscapes you saw through those 17 days. And multiple 500 mile days too. I've not done a 500 mile day yet - although I've done a few 12 hour days. What am I doing during those 12 hours??? I must be stopping a lot and staying too long where I stop. I'll need to readjust that style though if I want to get past my 420 mile mark and start doing 500 miles a day. I'm not sure I could stay awake though.

Thanks!

Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 7:03 pm
by Just-Beeming
Gypsy
The long miles through Iowa and Nebraska coould be a little tough on the brain....I would have been fighting the drowsies if not for audio books and frappacino's. Mileage tolerance is different for everyone...and I am certainly not one of those folks who wan tto do an iron butt....however It surprises me that I like pounding down the pavement so hard . I never would have thought that when I started all this.

Yep, some corners were only driveways.... when I turned off for gas. ha.

Sweet Colorado made up for the boring parts.

'Beeming

Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 7:22 pm
by Biff's R
Great report, and it looks like it was a great ride.

Gypsy, I guess there are a couple of tricks to doing the 500+ mile days. I think that the first is to get up early and get an hour or two under your belt before breakfast. Then the key is to make short infrequent stops.

Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2007 5:21 am
by RBrider
JB

What a nice trip. And great pics and ride report.
Thanks, RB

Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 7:16 pm
by sebastien
snoopy is very lucky :D
it's a very good travel
you have a lot of chance and with your pics i can see the usa too.
thanks

one day perhaps :lol: