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Greetings... If you are just passing through, or staying in the area for a few days, Here's a list of some of the more OUT-OF-THE-WAY roads that you'll definately want to ride on. Some short, some long -- but all fun. If Your definition of fun is winding, twisty turns, 180 degree climbing and diving hairpins intermingled with long flat out straightaways. Once you've done the Tourist roads - The Grand Mesa, The CO Nat Monument, etc, You might want to check out these smaller shorter drives. So fire up Google maps in another tab, center on Grand Junction, and find these roads! The Debeque Cut-off, 45 1/2 rd: (about 20 miles) Runs from the I-70 Debeque exit (heading south) to hwy 65 near the town of Mesa. From there you can either go up over the Grand Mesa if you are headed further south like Delta or Montrose, or head back down to I-70 if you are headed to points west of Grand Junction. Normally clean, new pavement, lots of truck traffic during the day, but after rush minute, is usually deserted near sundown. You could also continue up Hwy 330 through Colbran then up to Vega Reservoir, or even explore the many back roads going up over or even around the Grand Mesa from there! Reeder Mesa Road: (about 20 miles) Runs from Hwy 50 in WhiteWater to Lands End then Kannah Creek rd which comes out further down Hwy 50 just before county line. A shorter very fun road, normally deserted, new pavement, very curvy climbing and diving hairpins, watch out for wild life, rocks and mud on the curves. This IS working ranch country! Hwy 141, WhiteWater to GateWay, AKA Unaweep Canyon: (about 35 Miles) Incredible Scenery, long sweeping banked curves, beware the wildlife! Some hours in the mornings and twilight, I have seen roaming gangs of deer and elk all over the road and fields. Not to mention the domesticated cattle and sheep! Lots of places to pull over and take pictures. Scattered ranches. Go to the Gateway Auto museum once you get there! Little Park Road: (about 20 miles or more depending) : Tourists that want to drive the Co Nat Monument usually go up Monument road off of broadway, pay $5 at the Government toll booth, and end up in Fruita after an hour of stop and go construction traffic. Not a lot of fun if your bike is over heating, dodging stupid tourist children and dogs running out in the road. Those of us who live here, know that telling the Government Toll Booth operator that you are heading up to Glade Park - saves you the $5, but the really adventurous bypass the toll booth altogether and go up Little Park Road to Glade Park. It begins with a long steep climb up to the 'Moon', a huge slickrock area that you can see from GJ, to DS road - The main road up on Glade Park. From there, you can turn left and head to the Glade Park store (the only one there!) for a cold beverage. From there you have a choice of 4 directions. Head east (left turn) to go to the fruita reservoirs in a 30 mile dirt road loop back to DS road, head south and explore the ranch country - You may even find "The Pot Holes" A local waterfall where we usually lose 2 or 3 drunks a year who think they are in Mexico cliff diving; Head West back to the Monument road, or north back down to GJ... East Orchard Mesa: (about 12 Miles) From 32 Rd & C 1/2 rd half way up the 32 rd bridge hill to 38 rd in Palisade. This is the 'Fun' shortcut if you are changing from I-70w to Hwy 50s. Directly off I-70w, take the 1st Palisade exit right out of Debeque canyon before you cross the river - then turn left again at the base of the Palisade bridge (hwy 6) up 38 rd. In other words - don't cross the river! It's definately NOT the fastest. It's a slow pleasent country drive through the fruit orchards and wineries. During August - you'll be lucky to make it in 3 hours with all the fruit stand stops and winery tastings! Short half mile straights with 90 degree turns that follows above the Colorado River through our most fruitful and bountiful. West Elk Loop: Hwy 92 from Hotchkiss to Blue Mesa Reservoir: (About 50 Miles) Then Hwy 50 to Gunnison, then Hwy 135 up through Crested Butte up to the Paonia State park Hwy 133 ( about 100 Miles) From there, you can either head west back to Hotchkiss, or Go east to Carbondale over the pass. Doing the entire West Elk loop from GJ is an entire day trip! Getting there is half the fun! The tourist cage traffic is almost non-existent with gas being so expensive - Lots of FREE camping areas, rest stops and some of the most incredible scenery you will ever see. The tourists head over to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison where they willingly PAY Government vacation tax - This road is basicly the NEXT Canyon over - sans tourists and taxes. If Winding mountain roads, steep passes, and little to none cage traffic, spiced up with snow covered mountains, steep deep dark canyons, breezing along a mountain creek, are your idea of Ideal motorcycle driving - You can't beat the West Elk Loop...

here you go. https://vimeo.com/55972724

My Dad and I took a ride up to Barber's Motorsports Park yesterday. It is a quick 120 mile trip for us. We've been to the museum before but not to the Vintage Bike Races. There were some real cool bike there. You have to love the atmosphere of that place. When we were looking for a place to park our bikes, an attendant told us we could park in the circle in front of the museum. He told us to park and go where we wanted. He said we cater to motorcycles here. Great people there. If you have never been to the museum, I strongly recommend you go. It is amazing how far motorcycles have come along throughout the years. The Vintage Bike Races were great. Dad has a '65 BSA 650 Lightning that he hasn't started in almost 30 years. Now we are thinking about restoring it. One fun part of the day is we stopped at the Rider's Harley and I had my Yamaha gear on. Sometimes my Dad doesn't claim me. He had to buy a couple of parts for his Road Glide. The Harley place was nice to me and said they would even take my bike on trade. Told them mine was paid for and I was going to keep it for a while

I thought I should take a ride thru Wascana Park in Regina SK. today before the first frost of the season that is forecast tonight takes most of the leaves. It was a good time to try out Drift camera and take a short ride thru what is touted as the largest urban park in North America. Then I went into downtown a bit until the 2gb card filled up. Ive got the Drift set at 1080 res but I am sure that You Tube really drops resolution. I am really happy with the camera and mount it in a couple of places on the bike, but still like the low mount point on the front crash bar the best for around town. Brian

We celebrated our 33rd Anniversary on Friday. Boy is she patient! We honeymooned in Arches National Park and decided to return again this year. We rode down on Friday and stayed at the Archview Resort. I've wanted to ride through Arches on the bikes for a few years now. There is also Canyonlands Nat'l Park and Dead Horse State Park nearby, so we decided to take a ride Friday evening up to the other parks and then go to Arches on Saturday morning. Dead Horse we great and then Canyonlands had some beautiful scenery and great, twisty roads to ride. Saturday morning we rode through Arches and it was as good as I had hoped! We didn't get to take all the pictures we wanted to, but got a bunch. Hope you can enjoy them too. http://s470.photobucket.com/albums/rr70/utadventure/2012%20Anniversary%20-%20Moab/ Dave

We are beginning to think about a travel trailer. No I'm not giving up the bike and I don't plan to tow it around the country. We're thinking about buying one to keep in Florida near Ft. Myers. Basically I would store it somewhere cheap and then drive down and drag it into a park somewhere for 2 weeks to a couple of months at a time. We've thought about condos and and park model mobile homes but we really don't want the upkeep and responsibilities of owning something like that with fees. So we're considering a trailer. Does anyone know about the R-Vision Trail Sport models? I've found a 27ft unit with 1 slideout that seems reasonable, less than $13k. Is this a decent brand and value. At that price I can try it out and if we don't like the trailer life I haven't lost a great deal. Any thoughts? Thanks, Dennis

Hey guys! Just got back from a 7,200+ mile, 21 state road trip including 6 National Parks, 2 National Monuments, Route 66 and all the awesome scenery you could possible pack into 18 days. I rode with two friends, both of them on trikes (a HondaVTX and a Spyder) and of course I was on my trusty '06 Midnight Venture. This Venture is fairly new to me, I bought it in October of 2011 with just 4000 miles on it. I sold my last Venture, an '03 I also bought used, after putting about 40,000 miles on it in myself in 2 1/2 years. It had about 27,000 on it when I got it. Why would I sell a Venture with less than 70,000 miles on the clock? All I can say is I like the black one better. Anyway, thought you guys might want to hear about the trip. This may get a little long winded, so I'll try to make the less interesting areas as brief as possible. We left from just north of Orlando, Fl on June 20th and made it through stifling heat to Mobile, Al the first day. The next day we continued west down I-10 through Mississippi and Louisiana, across bayou country, and up I-49 to Texarkana, Arkansas. We then rode on secondary roads to Arkansas' legendary "Pig Trail", SR 23, sort of the "Tail of the Dragon" of this neck of the woods. After an awesome ride through the twisties of this famed motorcycle road we bought the obligatory patches, picked up I-40 and were off again for El Reno City, OK. The next few days we would be in Route 66 country, as I-40 parallels the old Rte 66, and you can see the old road often from the Interstate. It was about this time that the heat really heated up for this Florida Boy! I thought I knew what heat was, but for the next 5 days or so we suffered through daytime highs of at least 106, with many days up to 110! Also about the time we were leaving El Reno I had the first of my mechanical issues which haunted me for the next few days, starting with a screw I found in my brand new Avon Venom @@@??!!!""??!## Tire! And another separate issue that found me limping into the Yamaha dealer in Amarillo with only 2nd gear! I'll be happy to get into that later if anyone has questions, but suffice it to say that after a few stressful episodes, the "Midnight Rider" did just fine, and we stayed right on schedule. Although by the time we rolled into Albequerque, NM that night it was 11 pm! We left from El Reno that morning at 5 am. Thank God for patient friends! (and answered prayers!) Speaking of Amarillo, and western Oklahome, and New Mexico, and Arizona, the heat was ungodly and the WIND!!! Let me just say this was my third time across the great plains on a bike and it was windier than I have ever experienced. At times a gust would hit and literally push us all 2 feet sideways! So hot and windy that only truly hardcore (and 1/2 crazed bikers) would have put up with it! We got a leisurely start out of Albequerque the next morning and started the day with somewhat cooler temperatures, at least until about 10 am. This was classic Route 66 country, with just about every little town between central Oklahoma and Flagstaff advertising it's own restored section of the Mother Road. We also apparently barely survived an encounter with a pack of gigantic Indians in Gallup, NM just off Rte 66. Although we never saw them, when we came out of the truck stop it was obvious we had just missed great bodily harm and near lethal bike damage! [ATTACH]69408[/ATTACH] So after counting our lucky stars and saying our prayers it was back on I-40 west. By this time the cooler temperatures abandoned us and we rode for hours through shimmering heat that made me feel like Clint Eastwood in "High Plains Drifter". It was at this time that we came to our first National Park of the trip, Painted Desert/Petrified Forest. It was a very interesting place, but after a couple hours of brain smelting 110 degree heat, riding around on the loop road and taking a few pics, (I had one here but I went over my quota, I think) we were off to ride through more heat. Honestly by now it was so hot that at each stop we would literally douse ourselves with water until we were soaking wet, then hop on the bikes and ride for a few minutes, and actually cool off to just below the boiling point of lead, then within minutes we would be bone dry again, feeling hotter than the surface of the sun, the whole time sitting on 1300 cc of throbbing V-4 power all the while churning out more heat. Oh well, that's part of it as we all like to say! A few hours more heat to the west and we came to Flagstaff where we headed north on US 89 towards our destination for the night, Cameron, Az, gateway to Grand Canyon National Park and Glen Canyon. We stayed at Cameron Lodge, a really cool historic trading post on the Little Colorado River Gorge. The gorge is still there, the river dried up months ago. Kinda goes with the territory I guess. There's also a very nice reasonable restaurant at Cameron Lodge, which is good, because it looks like everything else in the area closed up long ago. Next morning we were up early and on the bikes at 5:30 am for a 2 hour run up to Page and Glen Canyon Dam, where we would be taking a 1/2 day raft trip on the Colorado River. Glen Canyon is actually the beginning of the Grand Canyon, but the shortest raft trip you can take in the Grand Canyon itself is 1 full week. That's because the canyon is so deep and remote that there is no access point to get in or out before that! Our trip down the Colorado River was very cool and refreshing as the river temperature is about 46 degress and of course, we were floating on it. The scenery was beautiful, and we saw bighorn sheep and several wild horses. Once the raft trip was over it was back on the bikes for the ride back to Cameron Lodge and a good night's sleep. Next morning we were up early again and off at 5:30 am for the ride to Grand Canyon National Park. We got to the park gates at about 6:30 and had the park virtually to ourselves as we rode along the East Rim Road, stopping at the overlooks, gawking at the incredible scenery, and of course taking some awesome pics. [ATTACH]69409[/ATTACH] If you go, get there early. Not only is the best light for photography then but by the time we got to the park Visitor Center at 9:30 it was like Disney World on July 4th and it was also starting to get too hazy for good photos. As much fun as the Grand Canyon was, we still had a lot of miles to make and another National Park to see that day, Zion National Park! So it was back down the East Rim Road to US 89 north, into Utah, past Lake Powell and across southern Utah. As usual in the west, the scenery was awesome and of course it was hot and we had vicious crosswinds. A few hours later we were turning onto Utah SR 9, the road through Zion National Park. Zion is the ultimate drive-through National Park, combining unbelievable scenery and awesome twisties, all going through an incredibly scenic, compact canyon. As beautiful as it was, I don't think we got off the bikes once. (Except to take this picture.) [ATTACH]69410[/ATTACH] We had the feeling we were seeing everything from the road. Of course this isn't true. There are awesome backcountry hikes. But if all you can do is ride through, you won't feel at all cheated. Shortly after we were through Zion Canyon the road led us to I-15 North, and an hour later, our destination for the night, Cedar City, Utah. After a couple of adult beverages it was off to bed. We went to sleep exhausted but exhilarated after a day of unbelievable scenery and riding. After a good night's rest it was back on I-15 North in cooler temperatures! I-15 was awesome. Smooth road, light traffic, 80 mph speed limit...Yes, I said 80 mph! We rolled up Utah in no time flat, before we knew it we were in Salt Lake City. We spent a couple interesting hours at Antelope Island State Park on Great Salt Lake. Then back on I-15 North flying through potato country up to our destination in Idaho Falls. The cooler temperatures continued. For once we didn't care if the hotel had a pool! We were really getting excited...Yellowstone was right around the corner. Next morning we had a hearty breakfast at a local cafe, our first in a long time. Then we were off down US 26, following the Snake River through tight canyons, beautiful forests, and with an occasional glimpse of snow covered mountains in the distance. Within a couple hours we were catching our first glimpse of the Tetons while making our way through touristy Jackson, Wyoming. Then before you knew it, there they were, in all their glory, the Grand Tetons. The Tetons are in my opinion, the most beautiful mountain range in the lower 48 and I've seen them all. (I'll let you know about Alaska when we ride up there in a couple of years). Until then, you can't beat the Tetons. After a few hours snapping pictures like this one [ATTACH]69413[/ATTACH] and riding through the most beautiful country this side of heaven, we were through the Tetons and into the big grandaddy of them all-Yellowstone National Park. To me Yellowstone is subtle. The scenery doesn't hit you over the head like most of the other parks. Although it is beautiful everywhere you look. And jaw-dropping gorgeous in plenty of places. But to me the beauty of Yellowstone is in the details. The thousands of thermal features. Beautiful waterfalls everywhere. More big game in one place than you can imagine. Bison, bears, elk (including bucks with the most enormous racks you have ever seen) coyotes. You name it. We actually followed a coyote trotting down the road for a 1/4 mile before shooting up the side of the mountain and grabbing a marmot right in front of us! Then they both tumbled down the hill and shot across the road. The marmot jumped off the other side. He knew there was nothing there any worse than that coyote's jaws! The coyote just sat there looking with his fur standing up, [ATTACH]69406[/ATTACH] until we had to keep on going because of the cars behind us. Bison in fields everywhere you go. Some of them sizing up Ventures. No kidding! [ATTACH]69407[/ATTACH] We spent 4 nights in a little cottage in Gardiner, Montana so we had 3 1/2 days in Yellowstone. we saw Old Faithful, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Mammoth Hot Springs, all of the "major attractions", did a little hiking, saw more game than you can shake a stick at, and still only scratched the surface. The next morning it was time to start turning our bikes towards home. We left Yellowstone and went north through Billings, Montana where we picked up I-90. We continued through Little Bighorn National Battlefield Monument-Custer's Last Stand. Spent a coupleof hours there and it wasn't nearly enough. Definitely hallowed ground, for all concerned. Plenty of good men died there, on both sides. We continued on down I-90 into Wyoming where we picked up I-25 South and followed it all the way to Cheyenne, Wyoming. About 250 miles from Cheyenne we ran into smoke from the Colorado wildfires. By 4 pm it looked like twilight, but sunset was for 4 1/2 hours. By the time we got to Cheyenne we'd done almost 700 miles. Next morning I changed my oil and filter in an Advance Discount Auto Parts parking lot. They took my old oil. I ran a little over that time. Not too many opportunities to change it where we had been. My friends got their oil changed at a dealer and by the time they were done it was almost 1 pm. So we hit the road. We had one more National Park to see. Rocky Mountain National Park in Northern Co has always been one of my favorite parks. Went over Trail Ridge Road, 12,183 feet, for the first time in 1978 as a kid on a bicycle. I have better sense now. My wife would probably contest that. My friends wanted to go over the pass, down to the bottm and then come back on the same day to make the trip home a little easier. Having been there twice before I knew better. I suggested we make reservations on the other side at Grand Lake. Once we got into the park they couldn't believe it. They couldn't get over how beautiful it all was. It took us almost 4 hours to get to the top of the pass. Taking pictures, me with John Denver playing the whole time. You can laugh all you want. I like John Denver. [ATTACH]69411[/ATTACH] We started back the next day. We knew we'd be into the heat again soon and almost dreaded it. At the top of Fall River Pass it was about 40 degrees. 3 hours later in eastern Colorado it had hit 108 degrees. I won't bore you with all the details of the trip back to Florida. 3 1/2 days later we were home. It was a great ride too, as they almost all are. It was stinking hot, only with humidity thrown in to make it interesting. At least my nose didn't bleed inside from the dry air. It was one of my best motorcycle trips ever. Most would call it the trip of a lifetime. I know better. I've got plenty more of 'em planned. I only have one regret about this trip. My wife has disc trouble in her neck and back. She had a bad flare up a few days before the trip and so I had to leave my favorite riding partner behind. The Venture sure felt empty without her. Ride Safe, 1/2 crazed

I am driving down to Fayetteville Tn on Friday from Kankakee. My folks are coming from Edgewood Ky and want to meet me near or south of Louisville. Looking for a safe place to park the bike and trailer. Will return on sunday headed back northbound.

Well first time at bike week and I gotta say NOTHING SPECIAL. I rode over there on thursday got there 8 AM and the place was like a ghost town. I was the on the bike parked across from Froggies right down town on main street. I took off riding around for a while and nothing was going on any where. . I drove up A1A past Ormond beach and then back to down town and was able to park right across from Froggies again . Things were getting crowded but really nothing to do there but watch a bunch of hot dogs gun their bikes as they go by and they allow cars to go through there to causing a LOT of back up traffic . I went across the intercoastal and not much set up there either they were just starting to set up band stage and if you want to stop and look around at vendors it's $7 to park All the bike dealers are set up at the Race track about 5 miles out of town Yamaha , Honda etc.....Then if you want to go back down town it's crowded and ya gotta pay to park again. I've ridden over to dayton a dozen times before and i gotta tell you the economic times have hit there quite s few boarded up busines, gas stations and small motels restaurants etc. I'm sure it gets hoppin' at night but really seemed slow for for a place that usually gets a few hundred thousand people. I drove back about 2PM and maybe saw 30 bikes on the 150 mile trip riding towards Daytona. Hell in years past on my way to Orlando I'd see that many Harleys broke down on the side of the rode during bike week:rotf:. Guess I'm getting to old but it just seemed kind of BLAH!!

I'm planning on coming to the Kruis'n the Kootenays in 2012. At the same time I found a time share (22 Jun to 29 Jun) that I can trade into in Kelowna called Holiday Resort Park immediately the week before ending on the 29th of June. My wife has relatives in Kelowna too visit also. This would be perfect for I would leave Kelowna on the 29th an arrive at Nelson that same day. Maybe make a day of it and sight see between Kelowna and Nelson. My question is has anyone stayed at the Holiday Resort Park in their 1 bedroom condo. Would like your opinion. Maybe some units are nicer than others? What are some recommended rides and places to see, things to do, and favorite places to eat in the Kelowna area Second, What would be a nice ride between Kelowna and Nelson being that it is just a short 200 miles between the 2 cities. I wouldn't mind a longer scenic ride.

The first bike night of the season and the wife and I ride down for a short look around and dinner. We park the bike and start walking when we see a Pearl White RSTD and a 1st gen. Venture, so I decide to move our 07 RSTD and park it beside the White RSTD. When I got back the owners of the two bikes were there. So I parked the bike and start talking with them when I said hey there is another RSTD then the Venture owner said there was six of us there with-in 20 feet of each other all RSTD with exception of the 1st gen. Venture. I thought this was a nice showing for the Royal Star bikes, when I had a VTX we could never seem to get a group committed to getting together.

I'm beginning to plan this summers big trip and we are considering a ride from Central Ky to Banff National Park and Lake Louise. I think I wold like to go north to MN and then NW through ND and cross into Canada at Portal. From there follow hwy 39 to the Trans Canada Highway and then go west to Calgary. From the maps some of that are looks to be sparsley populated. Can anyone give me info on the route. Are there adequate fuel stops and lodging along the route? Are the highways in good shape? After visiting the Banff area we would probably drop back south and go through Glacier National park again and then on south to Yellowstone and Jackson Hole before turning back east. Just starting to think about the trip and direction. Thanks, Dennis

We took a fall colour ride through Ontario's Algonquin Park on Saturday. The colours are almost at their peaks. [ATTACH]61028[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]61029[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]61030[/ATTACH]

Hi folks, haven't been on like I would like, dont have good internet where the boat is docked. Anyway, looking at heading south from Masachusetts at the end of October, and was thinking of going by Gettysburg, have always wanted to go and it is on the way, figure I would getr there on a Friday evening, visit the park on Saturday, and then continue on my trip south to Florida on Sunday. Anybody close by that would like to get togather, would be fun to meet up with some folks, and see the the park, always more fun to do something like this with friends. This is just pre-planning, it is hard for me to plan ahead, leaving Mass with the boat on the 10th of October, and a lot depends on how the trip south goes, and then I have to get the bosses suburban south with a loaded u-haul, and then............I fly back up north and get my bike. Anybody interested let me know, and we can start planning a get-togather.

just a few pics of my blonde down at ft desoto park, fl. the sunshine skyway bridge, and an admirer.

And on June 15th, we’ll be leaving on the ultimate road trip. The plan at this time is to head east across Oregon, angle northeast across Idaho to Yellowstone Park. After a tour of the Park, we’ll continue east through Wyoming to Mt. Rushmore. From there, we’ll head south to Colorado Springs for the Pike’s Peak Hill Climb. Then it will be on to the Grand Canyon for a trip on the Skywalk and a helicopter flight over the Canyon. On to Vegas, where we take in a show or two, northwards to Reno, and then back to our home in Springfield OR. We’ve scheduled a full month for the journey. If there’s anyone out there who would be on, or close to, our route who would like to meet for coffee, a meal, or just a quick visit (while we rest up for the next segment of the journey) give us a shout. And, maybe, if anyone out there would have shop space available for maintenance (or repairs) you could let us know. We can’t be specific about when we’ll be anywhere, but we will have the laptop with us and will check messages and emails at least once a day, maybe more. Depends on when and where we can get internet service. We’ll be sure to post some pictures when we get back. Here is the link to the build project photo album in photobucket if you want to take a gander at how it was accomplished. http://s1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc381/vicco2763/ __________________

Here it is,final copy, offical schedule of events for Vogel V .........There will be copies available at the registration table. TAIL OF THE DRAGON V @ VOGEL Schedule for 8/17-8/21, 2011 WED. 8/17/2011 Registration will be open at 12:00 pm. We will be manning the registration table till 5:00 pm. 6:00 pm we will assemble in the main parking lot of the park and depart at 6:15 for our dinner ride to Blairsville, which is an 11 mile ride. We will be dining at Fatz in Blairsville. Dress is casual comfortable. Thur. 8/18/2011 I will be in the main parking lot around 8:00 am to register anyone who is arriving . Starting at aprox 9:00 am, we will have 3 different rides departing at staggered times. These are a ride to Bryson City, NC to raft the Natahala River, a ride to Helen, Ga. for lunch, tubing and shopping, and for those who haven’t sampled the food at the world famous Dillard House a ride there for lunch. There will be sign up sheets available at the registration tables to sign up for one of the three rides. If you would be interested in leading the Dillard House ride or the ride to Helen, please let me know when you register. Thurs. evening starting at 7:00 pm we will have a social get together at shelter # 3 across from the lake, bring your beverage we will have snacks and water available for small donations. This will have to end by 10:00 pm per park rules. Fri. 8/19/2011 Today will be the title ride of the event. We will be riding to Deals Gap via the Cherahola Skyway with a reststop midway before continuing on to ride the Tail of the Dragon, we will be having lunch at Deals Gap before riding the Dragon. You may choose to ride it alone if you are familiar with it or with a group of riders who will take it easy if you are new to it. Someone can set you up with the right group to ride with. This is a very busy place so it will be hard to stay together as one large group, so we normally break up into several smaller groups to head back to the park. Once back at the park its time to relax and chill out. Here is a summary of the ride to the Dragon: 8:00 AM KSU to depart for all day ride. 1st leg of ride will take us back roads to Telico Plains where we will break for gas and refreshments at the Exxon, where we might be meeting some other riders before departing for the Cherahola Skyway. Distance-66 miles 2nd Leg will take us over the Skyway to Robbinsville, NC. Distance- 53 miles. 3rd Leg will take us to Deals Gap for lunch, before tackling the Dragon. Then we will leave Deals Gap stopping in Robbinsville for gas before heading back to Vogel with a refreshment stop in Anderson, NC. Distance 107 miles Sat. 8/20/2011 Eck Nace has selected some very nice back roads to ride if you are interested in another ride. His ride starts, (Kick Stands up), at 8am out of Vogel and he promises to have you back to the park in time for the afternoon meal which is planned to start around 3:00 pm. If you are not interested in going on a ride and just want to hang out at the park, there will be some members available to do carb tunes. We will also be set up at sheltler # 3 to register any late comers and pass a good time. The meal is being catered by Shane’s Rib Shack. The menu is: Pulled Pork & Bread. Potato Salad Brunswick Stew Tea, Sweet & Unsweet, Lemonade Deserts: Peach Cobbler, Apple Cobbler, & Banana Pudding. We will also start pulling winning numbers for the raffle, If you haven’t purchased your raffle tickets for this I am sure we can sell you a few. After all the prizes and door prizes are gone we will gather for a group photo and call it a nite. Sun..........Departure day..........Thanks for coming and supporting the Kids at St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

Heya all, I haven't found any lists by state yet so I just thought I'd ask here...anybody from the Denver metro area? If you're out there please drop me a line, would like to ride w/ some members sometime this season. A couple of folks I ride with are headed up Sunday to shoot over Trail Ridge Rd. and prob. back down via Winter Park if anyone is interested. Love this forum... cool stuff here Oh yea... one other thing, can someone tell me how to get one of those U.S. maps on my posts? Those are pretty darn cool too! LOLOL Thanks

Finally clear for take off. Ready for Vogel. Just curios, does anybody have room, bed or floor to share at Vogel? I promise to behave. Last time park ranger have to shut down wild party. Esther Williams

This will have a limited audience, But...... MASSACHUSETTS FOLKS WILL UNDERSTAND !!!! 1. The Red Sox World Series win was, and will always be, one of the greatest moments in your life. 2. The guy driving in front of you is going 70 mph and you're swearing at him for going too slow. 3. When ordering a tonic, you mean a Coke. 4. You went to Canobie Lake Park or Whalom Park as a kid. 5. You actually enjoy driving around rotaries. 6. You do not recognize the letter 'R' as a part of the English language. 7. Your social security number starts with a zero. 8. You can actually find your way around the streets of Boston . 9. You know what a 'regular' coffee is. 10. You keep an ice scraper in your car year-round. 11. You can tell the difference between a Revere accent and a Dorchester accent. 12. Springfield is located 'way out west'. 13. You almost feel disappointed if someone doesn't flip you the bird when you cut them off or steal their parking space. 14. You know how to pronounce the names of towns like Billerica , Gloucester , Haverhill , Leominster , Peabody and Worcester . 15. Anyone you don't know is a potential idiot until proven otherwise. 16. Paranoia sets in if you can't see a Dunkin Donuts or CVS Pharmacy within eyeshot at all times. 17. You have driven to New Hampshire on a Sunday just to buy alcohol. 18. You know how to pronounce Yastrzemski. 19. You know there's a trophy at the end of the Bean Pot. 20. You order iced coffee in January. 21. You know that the MBTA Purple Line will take you anywhere. 22. You love scorpion bowls. 23. You know what they sell at a Packie. 24. Sorry Manny, but number 24 means DEWEY EVANS. 25. You know what First Night is. 26. You know at least one guy named Sean, Pat, Whitey, Red, Bud or Seamus. Bonus: You know how to pronounce Seamus. 27. McLobster=McCrap 28. You know at least 2 cops in your town because they were your high school drinking buddies. 29. You know there are 6 New England states, but that Connecticut really doesn't count. 30. You give incomprehensible directions to tourists, feel bad when they drive off, but then say to yourself, 'Ah, screw them.' 31. You know at least one bar where you can get something to drink after last call. 32. You hate the Kennedys, but you vote for them anyway. 33. You know holding onto the railing when riding the Green Line is not optional. 34. The numbers '78 and '86 make you cringe. 35. You've been to Good Time Charlie's. 36. You think the rest of the country owes you for Thanksgiving and Independence Day.. (... and they DO). 37. You have never actually been to 'Cheers.' 38. The words ' WICKED' and 'GOOD' go together. 39. You've been to Fenway Park . 40. You've gone to at least one party at U MASS. 41. You own a 'Yankees Suck' shirt or hat. 42. You know what a Frappe is. 43. You've been to Hempfest. 44. You know who Frank Averuch is. 45. ADVANCED: You know Frank Averuch was once Bozo the Clown 46. You can complete the following: 'Lynn, Lynn ......' 47. You get pissed off when a restaurant serves clam chowder, and it turns out to be Snows. 48. You actually know how to merge from six lanes of traffic down to one. 49. The TV weatherman is damn good if he's right 25% of the time. 50. You never go to Cape Cod,' you go 'down the Cape '. 51. You think that Roger Clemens and Johnny Damon are more evil than Whitey Bulger. 52. You know who Whitey Bulger is. 53. You went to the Swan Boats, House of Seven Gables, or Plimouth Plantation on a field trip in elementary school. 54. Bobby Orr is loved as much as Larry Bird, Tom Brady, and Ted Williams. 55. You remember Major Mudd. 56. You know what candlepin bowling is. 57. You can drive from the mountains to the ocean all in one day. 58. You know Scollay Square once stood where The Government Center is. 59. When you were a kid, Rex Trailer was the coolest guy around. Speaking of which.... Can you still hum the song from the end of Boom Town ? 61. Calling Carrabba's an 'Italian' restaurant is sacrilege. 62. You still have your old Flexible Flyer somewhere in your attic. 63. You know that the Mass Pike is some sort of strange weather dividing line. 64. The only time you've been on the Freedom Trail is when relatives are in town. 65. The Big Dig tunnel disaster wasn't a surprise. 66. You call guys you've just met 'Chief' or 'Boss.' 67. 4:15pm and pitch black out means only 3 more shopping days until Christmas. 68. You know more than one person with the last name Murphy. 69. You refer to Savin Hill as 'Stab 'n Kill.' 70. You've never eaten at Durgin Park , but recommend it to tourists. 71. You can't look at the zip code 02134 without singing it. 72. You voted for a Republican Mormon as Governor just to screw with the rest of the country. 73. 11 pm? Drunk? It means one thing: Kowloons! 74. 2 am? Drunk? It means one thing: Kelly's Roast Beef! The one on Revere Beach not the one on Route 1. 75. 5 am? Drunk? It means one thing: You wish you had a blanket in your back seat. 76. You know that P-Town isn't the name of a new rap group. 77. People you don't like are all 'Bastids.' 78. You took off school or work for the Patriots first Super Bowl Win Parade. 79. You've called something 'wicked pissa.' 80. You'll always get razzed for Dukakis. 81. Saturday afternoons meant Creature Double Feature with Dale Dorman. 82. Sunday mornings meant the Three Stooges on Channel 38. 83. You've slammed on your brakes to deter a tailgater. 84. No, you don't trust the Gorton's Fisherman. 85. You know that Papa Gino's usually has a jukebox. 86. You think Aerosmith is the greatest rock band of all time. 87. Your town has at least 6 pizza and roast beef shops. 88. You know at least three Tony's, one Vinnie and a Frankie. 89. 20 degrees is downright balmy as long as there's no wind... then it gets wicked cold. 90. You were very sad when saying goodbye to the Boston Garden . 91. Thanksgiving means family, turkey, High School football, and the long version of Alice 's Restaurant. 92. You know the guy who founded the Boston Pops was named Athah Feedlah. 93. You know what the Combat Zone is. 94. You actually drive 45 minutes to New Hampshire to save $5 in sales tax. 95. You've pulled out of a side street and used your car to block oncoming traffic so you can make a left turn. 96. You've bragged about the money you've saved at The Christmas Tree Shop. 97. You've been to Hampton Beach on a Saturday night. 98. Playing street hockey was a daily after school ritual. 99. Hearing an old lady shout 'Numbah 96 for Sioux City means it's time for steak. 100. You remember Jordan Marsh, Filene's, Grants, Bradlees, Caldor, Zayres, and Ann & Hope.

Tail of the Dragon @ Vogel V Aug. 17-21, 2011 Wed..........Registration starts at 12:00 pm. Dinner ride to Fatz in Blairsville. We ate there last year and had a great time eating great food. Thursday...... Hopefully have 3 different rides planned, you pick the one you want to do. 1. Ride to Helen for shopping, tubing, and lunch. 2. Ride to Bryson City to raft on the Natahala River. 3. Not Decided yet, open to suggestions. Friday...... The theme ride for the event. The Tail of the Dragon, always fun. Saturday.........Eck has planned a very nice ride for those who want to ride to Helen and beyond, due to be back at the park around 2-3 pm for the festivities, or take the day to lounge around the park, play mini golf, get your bike carb tuned, take a ride of your choice. Around 2-3 pm Catered meal served at shelter # 3. Then we will have drawings for door prizes, raffle drawing for prizes and cash. Thats it in a nutshell, I hope this helps some people decide and send in registrations and buy some raffle tickets. Remember all profits from this event are going to the Kids at St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tn. And there is a ride for that in October. Tail of the Dragon @ Vogel V Aug. 17-21, 2011 Vogel State Park Blairsville, Ga.

I have 19 rsvp to come, and 10 maybe, I have only 5 registrations and still have over 100 raffle tickets to sell. Maybe some are waiting on the schedule, so here is what I have planned but its not definite and is subject to change. Wed. Registration starts at 12:00 pm. Dinner ride to Fatz in Blairsville. We ate there last year and had a great time eating great food. Thursday. Hopefully have 3 different rides planned, you pick the one you want to do. 1. Ride to Helen for shopping, tubing, and lunch. 2. Ride to Bryson City to raft on the Natahala River. 3. Not Decided yet, Hoping Eck comes up with one. Friday. The theme ride for the event. The Tail of the Dragon, always fun. Saturday. A free day to lounge around the park, play mini golf, get your bike carb tuned, take a ride of your choice. Around 2-3 pm Catered meal served at shelter # 3. Then have drawings for door prizes, raffle drawing for prizes and cash. Thats it in a nutshell, I hope this helps some people decide and send in registrations and buy some raffle tickets. Remember all profits from this event are going to the Kids at St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tn. And there is a ride for that in October. Tail of the Dragon @ Vogel V Aug. 17-21, 2011 Vogel State Park Blairsville, Ga. Registration will begin at 12:00 PM Wed. Aug. 17, 2011, in front of the convenience store/office. You can register there or register early by mail. The registration form can be found as an attachment at the bottom of this post. You can also RSVP by clicking on the VR calendar. We now have confirmed rates at the Seasons Inn and the Best Western in Blairsville, an 11 mile ride from the park. For reservations at the Best Western call them direct at 706-745-6995, identify yourself as a Venturerider and your rate will be $62.99 per nite. For reservations at the Seasons Inn call direct 706-745-1631, identify yourself as a Venturerider and you will get a rate of $55.00 per nite. For reservations at Vogel State Park for camping, cabin, rv parking you can do so online at this link...or call Reservations (800) 864-7275 Georgia State Parks - Vogel State Park I will also be posting the schedule of what is planned at a later date. This year I am doing it a little differently, every adult attending will pay a $35.00 registration fee, what you get for this is a t-shirt, patch and a catered meal on Saturday. If any of you are bringing your children or unlicensed teens, the only thing extra for them is the cost of the dinner which I will put at $5.00. Only full registrations will get the shirt and patch. I will have extra shirts available for sale for $18.00, and patches for $5.00. Please try to get you registrations to me by Aug. 1, 2011, so I can get a good count on how much food to order and how many shirts to order. You can mail the registrations to my address which is listed at the bottom of the form. Remember all profits will be going to the Kids at St. Jude. Vogel Registration 2011.doc

I got this from my dad a long time ago. He's from the Washington State area. Had an opportunity yesterday to actually use it. Local park hosted a campout night. Kids had fun http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc121/lylejt/Camping%2006_25_2011/DSCN0017.jpg http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc121/lylejt/Camping%2006_25_2011/DSCN0037.jpg

Did you happen to notice to date, we now have 11,450 registered members ? Can you imagine if all of them would participate and show up at Don's for MD next year? Dan you may not have room to park that Diesel rig next year! We may need to get Eileen a lot of boxes of wine! Yama Mama

I don't have a License to kill. I have a Learner's Permit. Keep honking while I reload. Taxation WITH representation isn't so hot, either! Madness takes it's toll. Please have exact change. 5 days a week my body's a temple. The other 2, an Amusement Park. Earth FIRST! We'll strip-mine the other planets later. Your child may be an Honor Student, but you're still an Idiot! If you drink, don't park. Accidents cause people. If you can read this, I can hit my brakes and sue you. Save the whales! Trade them for valuable prizes. Jack Kevorkian for White House Physician. Wife keeps complaining. I never hear her ... Or something like that. Sure, you can trust the Government! Just ask an Indian. Alcohol and Calculus don't mix. Never drink and derive. If we are what we eat, I'm cheap, fast, and easy.