Oma Bea's Birthday 2009

Well another special occasion of the Season:

OMA'S BIRTHDAY

We celebrated in Style at an new Italian Ristorante called Amici's. Gathering there around 6 we stayed and celebrated until almost 9PM when all of us left filled with great food and yes quite a bit of very good Italian wine.
Max behaved as usual and was the hit of the place when his heartfelt laughter proved to be the cause of much laughing to the table next to us. Of course he got to ride the elephant around the restaurant and was just an all around good boy.
Oma had a wonderful time with all of us and we celebrated to our hearts content!
Note too that Oma has a new toy! Her very own computer to stay in touch electronically with all of us!

Happy Birthday my BEA!

In Edward Abbey's Footsteps & Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Morning and Philip and I are off on an new adventure. This time we are heading south to a place 15 miles East of Nogales called Atascosa Lookout.
This hike has special meaning to us as we both read the writings of one of the most controversial yet entertaining writers of the Southwest Edward Abbey. He spent a summer as a fire lookout in a cabin on top of the Lookout mountain not Atascosa peak which is actually NE of the lookout.
We got there on a gravel road and had a beautiful hike to the top where aforementioned lookout cabin is located.
The view as advertised in some hike descriptions is phenomenal. South deep into Sonora , to the west Baboquivari rears its stony head, north you see the Catalinas and Rincons and to the east the Santa Rita and Huachuca mountains.
Outstanding and the cabin is still in tact and open. I have slept in worst places on quite a few hikes!

We had a light lunch and set off back to the car an Tucson where we went to feast at Marisa and Guy's house and enjoyed the blessings of family with a wonderful Thanksgiving meal.
I am truly thankful to have a loving healthy family to celebrate life with and it is my wish and prayer that all of us feel as blessed as I do, not just during these special holidays but all the days of our lives.
Thank you all and Thanks be to God!

Rachel Lokelani Mueller and Family

Well we did it again. Grandparents for the third time. We feel blessed with the arrival of Rachel Lokelani (Rosalie in Hawaiian) born to Eric and Melissa at Queens Hospital on October 16,2009.
Rachel is a beautiful healthy baby and a a true Mueller! She gained 2 pounds in 15 days and now weighs over 9 lbs! Wow!
Of course Oma and Opa had to visit Oahu ( I know it's tough, but someone had to do it) to celebrate this momentous occasion.
Our stay included lots of baby time, lots of "Swimming" "Elephant (Opa) rides" dinners in and dinners out and a few beers and Mai Tais along the way.
Oh I almost forgot Eric and Opa did mange to get some diving in as well and one of them was a drift dive along the Porthole Wall near Hawaii Kai!
The Hawaiians are busy and their construction project while not done yet is making progress.
The new garage, carport, lanai addition will be really nice along with having the whole house painted in the process.
Another Highlight was our Family lunch at the Royal where our friend Dottie waited on us for the 15th time!
Of course Mom and I had to climb Diamond head which was fun as always!
Little Megan is a good big sister and very loving indeed. We all had a great time trick or treating with her as a Hoola girl and Rachel as a Bumble Bee! ( One wonders who thought of that outfit?)
We are now back in DP and fell blessed to have some more wonderful memories of our ever growing family.

Havasu Falls Supai Hike and bike

Well as Mitch our hike leader says he loves to hike with us even though we are a little crazy. Could it be that Philip and I add to the 5 day adventure by riding our trusty bikes, or that we rarely shy away from challenges even though the elder Mueller is in his mid sixties. Well enough of that let's talk about Havasu Falls region of the Grand Canyon area.
What can you say about a hike that begins at 5600 ft on a cliff in a windstorm of up to 70MPH and ends down around 2400 ft surrounded by rushing aquamarine waterfalls ranging in height from 50 to over 200 ft. with colorful names like 50Ft, Havasu, Mooney and Beaver Fall.
Camping out, dining at the reservation Cafe on treats like Indian Tacos and Fry bread seeing wild Bighorn Sheep and swimming in the pools around the falls.
All of us took many pictures but I do not think that you can do justice to the grandeur of the surroundings.
The ride up there and back was great and an adventure of its own, but the hikes were the main event.
We averaged over ten miles a day with packs ranging up to 60 pounds that was quite an achievement but well worth it at the end.
And so it goes:
Approaching the end of the trail I was greeted by a Supai Indian:
"you've done good, Grey Hair!" so now you know my Indian Name.

The Great Alaska Cruise

Well folks we've done it. Mike and Bea went off to sea..... to see exactly what?
Southeastern Alaska of course a place you can only visit by boat, cruising or on the Alaska Ferry system.
Our choice was the MS Amsterdam a beautiful ship by any standard with all the comforts of a 5 star hotel and the food ranging from scrumptious buffets to fine dining and best of all room service at no extra charge. This we made use of every morning of the cruise by having our breakfast in our room looking out over the ocean or the beautiful coast line gliding by. The cabin was right aft of the Navigation bridge and thus I got to rate the nav crew's performance. ( only kidding of course) It is amazing how these experts handled the 61,000 tons ship in some very tight quarters.
Enough of the ship though, let's talk a bit about the landscape and the tours we did,boat rides to canneries and a salmon hatchery a float plane flight of the Taku Glacier and 5 of its counterparts and the highlight of the trip Glacier Bay.Hubbard and Turner Glaciers are actually advancing and threating to close the channel to Yakutat. What that will mean is that the river will reverse course after filling up a lake and run south into a different bay. So what you say, well the salmon from the Yakutat river will no longer be able to find their way to their spawining grounds and unless the local hatcheries introduce samon to the newly formed lake and river, this species will die out. We cruised to within 1000 ft of the Ice walls and heard the thunder of the calfing process and did actually see some huge chunks of ice break off into the water.
If you melted the ice and drank the water you would be drinking 5000 year old water because that is how long it takes for the ice to reach the sea. Seeing all this beauty makes you humble and you really want to make sure we keep nature so generations after us can enjoy it as well.
The towns along our route were small and fun to walk. It was interesting to note that jewelry is a bigger item than salmon for the local merchants. The stores there are the same ones you might find in the Carribean and that's where they ship their inventory after Sept 30, when the last cruise ship departs for longer days and warmer climates.
Highlights in Juneau were the tram to MT Roberts the governors mansion. Sitka boasted St Michaels Russian Orthodox church and too many shops which mom like and made me a bit grumpy (imagine that)
Ketchikan is a fun town to walk and shop but we only had a few hours there though we did visit Creek Road built on stilts and saw the salmon run up the river.
Last not least Victoria BC. we were late getting in due to rough seas but did get to enjoy HIGH TEA at the Empress Hotel and a stroll through this quite European town.
Alas it is over now and though mom did not gain weight I am now paying for the sins of eating a bit much.
All in all a great and relaxing trip, one we really enjoyed and would recommend to all of you.

Butterfly Trail vs mini camera

Well, Sunday;s paper described a beautiful high altitude hike in the Catalina mountains.
It is called the Butterfly trail and it leads you from the visitors center on Catalina Hwy past the peak of Mt Bigelow to the eastern flank of the Catalinas. Philip had done this hike before and I used his description and advice to plan a 4 hr hike and try out my"new"mini camera that was sent to me after the failure of the last one failed about 1 hr into my Alaska trip.
In the Valley it was in the 90's but at 7800 feet a comfortable 78 F. Fortified with food and lots of drink I set off camera in hand, and yes you might have guessed it it just did not work right and of course without glasses ( in the truck) I could not figure out how to fix what was wrong. I lost this one!
So I went on down the trail which leads you through some badly fire damaged areas with great views of the San Pedro valley and the Galiuro Mountains to the east. I went from 8000 feet elevation down to about 7200 and reached my destination for the day a little stream and a trail to an a crashed F86 super saber jet that crashed in the late 50s. The engine, some canopy parts and a bit of fuselage is all that is left from what in its day turned the air battles over Korea in favor of the US and its allied forces.
As I stopped for lunch at the creek I pondered just sitting here peacefully and a multi-ton object crashing near by. An unsettling thought to say the least.
Well it was time to turn around and since I had my I pod with me I listening to some of the songs I have recorded. This made the climb back up to 8000 feet that much easier but a thought occurred to me.
Imagine you walking along a quiet mountain trail and all of a sudden you see and hear an Old Geezer schlepping his tired butt up the mountain singing the Marseillaise at full volume! Because that was what I was doing. Realizing what was happening I toned it down so other hiker would not be put off ( all 7 of them that I saw that day)
Reaching the saddle below the peak and the way down to the parking lot a sign beckoned to go to the top of Mt Bigelow. So off I went for the extracurricular activity and was rewarder by a beautiful 360 view of the area.
One question remained as I got back into "Opa's truck"
Why is this trail called the Butterfly trail? I saw about 5 butterflies but at least 100 lizzards.
So I vote to have the trail renamed Lizzard trail! A nice if a bit strenuous hike. but next time I will bring 2 cameras my glasses and instructions for my little camera with me!

Fathers Day 2009

What a day it was indeed. Celebrating with a wonderful dinner at "Sur Real" a new south American restaurant close by, then on Sunday all of us Tucsonians taking a hike at the nature conservancy at Ramsey Canyon in the Huachuca mountains lead by the Great Maxini and his dad. Follow this with a fun luncheon at Sonoita and Max's antics on the ride home you have a good day.
The evening ended with a dinner for my Bea and me at "Carrabas" Italian Grill and a nice phone call from Hawaii and all I can say:
THIS FATHER IS PROUD AND HAPPY TO HAVE YOU AS MY FAMILY AND I LOVE YOU ALL VERY MUCH!
THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME FEEL SPECIAL NOT ONLY YESTERDAY BUT EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR!

The Ride The Epigolue

Well it's over now, memories or a dream doesn't matter but a wonderful experience altogether.
My biggest regret is that I could not share the awesome beauty of nature and its creatures with all of you at the time it happened. No matter how hard I try I cannot verbalize well enough the feelings that I had on this trip.
Whether it was an animal by road that I had only seen at the zoo before, the sun rising over a glacier or setting over the ocean it was simply overwhelming at times.
I thought of all of you and I am thankful for your wishes and prayers that saw me safely back home.
Just a few Facts about the trip:
Total Mileage on Bike: 7112 miles or 547 miles per riding day!
Fuel used: 178 gallons
Boat rides (ferries) 16.5 hours
Animals seen: Grizzly & Black bears, Caribou (wild reindeer)bison,moose,
wolf,eagles,elk, deer, humpback whales & porpoises!
The land creatures are best seen early or around sunset!
What I Learned about a long motorcycle trip:
Study all the guide books, talk to folks who have been there
done that!
Never start in the morning with less than a full tank of gas!
Never pass a gas station if you are below half in your tank!
Take whatever gas they have. Bikes run on all types even 87 oct.
Ask people for advice along the route, they are glad to help!
Rooms, even in a hostel will cost you between 60 to 120 dollars!
Electronic/gear can and will break over time so don't count on
them too much.
Provincial Campgrounds are the best to stay at. Private grounds
are more geared to RV guests!
Take clothes for all weather conditions! Saw temperatures from
27F to 89F! Rain sun fog but thankfully no snow!
Take 2 cameras one might fail as it did in my case!
What was my favorite moment:
Aside from coming home and seeing my Bea and Heidi down by the
mailbox it would have been a black bear sitting up on his
haunches, wave as I rode past!
What was most impressive:
Bear and Matanuska Glaciers BC & Alaska
What would i do different:
Reverse the route as Vancouver Island Hwy 16 and 37 through
BC deserve more time than I was giving!

So that is about it, I am home, happy for having done it safely and looking forward to more adventures on the bike!

The ride day 15

Anyone ever hear of Williams California? Well I had not until last night when I stayed there at the luxurious Motel6!
It's a little town 450+ miles from Dana Point and is the Olive capital of California.
So if olives are your thing go there. After a quick dinner at the local eatery and a chat with my Bea, I fell in bed and was sound asleep when all too early I was awakened by a neighbors alarm clock.
So Pack up and ROLL!
The goal is HOME and my BEA! My speed is around 80+ miles as I head south until LA and there of all places I run into a rain shower but by the time I reach the Orange County line it clears up and I ride on home. 2:13 PM I ride up the drive and Bea and Heidi greet me "El Scruffo" at the mail boxes. 7112 miles of ride plus about 300 miles on 2 ferries!
One more picture, unload and shower throw everything in the laundry and it is over.
Seems like a dream now, a good one for sure but the preparation, the adventure of the ride they are but a memory.

The Ride Day 14

What a day! Started as always early i9n the morning and enjoyed the ride on HWY 101 all the way to Olympia Washington. It was fun as the views were great along the water to the east and the Olympia mountains to the west. Mt Olympus still had its snow cap on!
After about 120 miles of serene riding all of a sudden there it was I-5... the road to Dana Point.
At Roseburg Oregon I got caught in a bad thunderstorm with winds strong enough to topple over a mobile home on the freeway. Got soaked and since it never really got cold and dried out within 30 minutes.
So on I went through Washington Oregon and guess what all of a sudden there was a sign:
WELCOME TO CALIFORNIA. That came with a view of snow covered and cloudy Mt Shasta.
Along the way I hit a bad thunderstorm. Thankfully it never got very cold and I dried out within 30 minutes or so. As the day wore on so did my desire to get closer to home!
I rode until 7:30PM called mom had a lite Italian dinner and soon I will be asleep as tomorrow I want to get started early again to avoid the morning rush in Sacramento and the weekend rush in LA.
Only about 500 more miles to go and what started out as a fancy dream will have be a memory that will stay with me forever.
Over the week end I will try to put together a meaningful epilogue and hope fully I will be able to put into words those things that were and are the most important to me!

A bitter sweet day

Well today was a day that I will remember for many a thing. A very cold morning ride followed by a scorching hot day ending with a cool breeze off the ocean in Port Angeles WA.
The ride down Vancouver Island was beautiful but overshadowed by an ominous light flashing on my dash telling me my rear brake has failed. So all I have left is my front brake and actually I have been riding this way for almost 1200 miles. But now I call the dealer in Victoria and he promised help if he could. When I get there and the mechanic shows me the damage along with pointing out that I had a nail in my rear tire as well I started to feel sick. This was going to be tough, the parts needed had to be imported from Germany! (6 to 10 days)
Well I used what little persuasive powers I had and they agreed to take the necessary parts off a brand new bike on the show floor and install them on my bike. By 6PM the machine was tested and ready to roll again but I had to pay the price and steep it was.
Anyway I decided to cut my visit a day short and went on Port Angeles in Washington!
The ferry ride was great but Victoria is a spot that bears revisiting. My dream is for mom and I to have HIGH Tea at the Empress Hotel there!

The Day 12 the Inside passage

Well Prince Rupert was indeed a quaint little town and after exploring on foot for a while I went to a local hotel for a Seafood salad and a very refreshing beer! Then strolled home to my Hostel and saw a huge bald eagle sitting in a spruce tree right in the center of town. A common sight here but one that I had not seen before.
After a short but good nights rest it was up and checking in at the docks at 5:30AM.
The ferry was brand new (made in Germany) and not crowded so you could have seats and reclining chairs all over.
The passage reminded me a bit on the fjords of Norway but the mountains are not quite as steep and the further south you go the wider the channel gets.
Even though this is the rain coast, we had great weather , warm and a cloudless sky which caused many of us to sit on the sundeck for a while and watch the scenery pass by. Green forests, waterfalls and snow capped mountains. Add to that a couple of whales and pods of porpoises and it was an entertaining smooth ride all the way to Port Hardy on Vancouver Island.
One last surprise was a beautiful sunset just before we landed 15 hours after we left the Canadian Mainland. Actually this was my last day on the Canadian Mainland as I will be on Vancouver Island all day today. Tomorrow Icross over to the US and then It will be HWY 101 to Olympia and a leisurely drive on I 5 until I reach the Dana Point exit!

The Ride day 11

After 2 massive riding days today was just a little jaunt from Stewart to Prince Rupert on the coast. I might want to call it "from the Glaciers to the Sea.
Left with brilliant sunshine headed east back to the Cassiar HWY after a good night's sleep. I actually slept until 6:15 which has been unheard of on this trip.
The mountain with their snowy peaks were gleaming and my little friends the Black Bears bid me farewell at the side of the road.
What followed was a ride to remember. Wave upon wave of mountains swept past me, their Glaciers looking like frozen waterfalls, and waterfalls feeding the copper and Skeena River. As I rode west all of a sudden you turned the corner and there I was in Prince Rupert.
This is a quaint little town at the End of the TransCanada railway as well as a major port for the BC and Alaska Ferries.
I am staying at a very nice hostel here and tomorrow very early I will check out and ride the ferry for 13 hours to Port Hardy on Vancouver Island.
The adventure continues and I will try to keep you all posted

The ride Days 9 & 10

Let me see now. These 2 days see me1305 miles south from Anchorage in a little town called Stewart BC across the canal from Hyder. I look out my window and I can see 2 glaciers and actually drove by one on the way in this evening.
Let's start though with a cold and misty morning as I leave Anchorage and head to Tok and back down the Alcan hwy, a route that is reverse of the one I took just a week ago.
What major changes though, now it is greener and as the day wears on the weather really improves along with my mood. I have Breakfast at Glenn Allen a town that is at a crossroads for the Alaska pipeline. Then on to the Border and back onto YT and follow the mountain ranges all the way down to Haines Junction. A good nights reat and at 6:30 I am off again to Watson Lake YT where I will leave the Alcan to ride the infamous Cassiar Hwy south to Stewart BC. Infamous because this raod used to be a logging road and some of it is still not paved and the frost really does a number on the paved parts. Caution is a good thing and the further south you get the better the road gets as well.
The scenery all along is nothing short of majestic and I have many pictures to prove it. In addition to the beautiful mountains scenes I got to see Elk Moose and about 9 black bears hanging out by the side of the road. I even saw a young Grizzly lumbering across the road as well. That was the icing on the cake and made the long rides and sore behind quite worthwhile!
One more unexpected encounter was a huge brown animal roaming the road, that turned out to be a horse just hanging out by the side of the road. I had seen watch out for horses sign but had not come across one until then.
Now after all is said and done I am at the Prince Edward Hotel finally relaxing and about to go to bed. Tomorrow is a relatively short ride to Prince Rupert where I will catch Ferry to Port hardy on Vancouver Island either June 2 or 4 depending on space available. Tried to book tonight but they were closed already! It only runs every other day!
NOTE: just click on the half hidden pictures and you can see them full screen!

The Ride Days 7 & 8

Well day 7 found me in Fairbanks a town nestled along the Chena river. Like so many towns up here it owes its existence to natural resources starting with gold and gas and oil.
Lately this has also become the first or last day of a cruise and Princess, Holland America buses are everywhere.As to me I had my bike serviced went to the University Mueseum which was outstanding. Both the art as well as the historical exhibits were well woth seeing. After that I went downtown strolled the center which too about 15 minutes and had an Alaskan Salmon dinner in a restaurant frequented by mostly local people. The Salmon was the best I have ever had and I chatted wit a local about the town. Speaking of people I find them very open and fun to talk to. There way of life is so different from ours. They have to concentrate so much more on basic necessities and the luxuries we take for granted are not really on their A-list.
Today I got up real early and headed to Anchorage, by far the largest town I have seen since leaving the lower 48.
Thway down was the one that I hoped would get me a glance at Mt McKinley. Unfortunately the weather did not play along and for about 250 miles I rode in freezing cold rain and drizzle and even some mountains close to the road were barely seen.
I still managed to get some good shots of the Denali range.
Came to Anchorage and it is finally clearing up a bit. I checked into my motel and planned the next few days of riding which should bring me to Prince Rupert by 6-4 by the earliest ad then I will leave the mainland for Vancouver Island.
Actually as far as mile are concerned I am past the half way point but many a new place yet to be seen

The ride, day 7

What a day it was indeed from towering mountains to wide open spaces,lakes and rivers, from great roads to stretches of rock and mud, from freezing temps in White horse to 72F in Tok and back to 48 in Fairbanks. Add to that a morning haze followed by brilliant sunshine, a dust storm and rain and you kind of get the picture of the day.
As always I set an ambitious goal to reach Tok AK but with a new found AK/Fairbanks native Harley rider I ended up in Fairbanks 2 days ahead of schedule.Tomorrow a day of rest and bike maintenance in Fairbanks.
The landscape continues to be breathtaking and the people are truly nice and helpful.
One of the highlights of the day belong to some four legged friends. A local musher was transporting his team and let us pet and photograph those magnificent animals.
Oh I almost forgot I FINISHED THE ALCAN! Now on to bigger and better things. Just kidding of course!

The ride Days 4.5,6

Hey you know what you get when you cross a BMW bike with a great trip and an old dude riding it:
Answer: A callused butt!
Anyway I am writing this 3045 Miles from home in the Yukon Provincial Territorial " White Horse". As capitals go this is by far the smallest I have ever seen but civilization is encroaching the old way of living here. There is a Walmart Superstore and MacDonalds. The folks up here are friendly and helpful but it is pretty pricey especially when it comes to rooms.
Camped out the last 2 nights and had fun doing it but today I needed a bed and more than that I needed a place to do laundry as I smelled as bad as some of the buffalo I saw on the road today.
It's all done now and after a shower I feel much better and the clean clothes help as well.
As to the ride ist has been nothing short of awe inspiring, towering mountains wide valleys long stretches of road where you are actually looking forward to a road sign as at times you feel like you are the only person out here.
After Leaving my great campsite this morning at 6AM I rode for 168 miles and I saw more Caribou, Buffalo and bears than cars!
As to camping, my gear is great and even though the temperatures at night fall below freezinf I stay toasty warm in my slepping bag. Maybe listening to brother IZ on my Ipod helped too!
Highlight: Liard Hot Springs park where I camped last night is very aptly named.
There are 2 pools there at about 105F that are swimable. I sat in one for 45 minutes and boy did that feel good.
The animals I saw so far 2 adult bears (1 brown 1 black) a mama bear (black) and 2 fur ball cubs!
Buffalo at the side of the road Caribou running with me and Mountain sheep! I hhave many a picture which I know you are all dying to see when I am done with this trip.
Speaking of animals, this morning at 4:15 (it was already daylight) I was awakened by snorting and the shuffling of feet outside my tent. Got my attention but there was no way I was going to check out who this early morning visitor was.
Tomorrow will see me finally cross into Alaska my goal on this trip and I am excited for this new part of the trip.
Hope you recognise the Scruff!

Day 3 of the Ride

What a marvelous day for a ride. A cloudless sky temperatures in the high 60s great roads and very little traffic.
Started out early and crossed into Canada about 6:45 in the morning. In spite of the warnings nobody here follows the speed limits so I rode casually but speedy singing "How Great Thou Art" through areas of glacial beauty to raging rivers past places called Hells Gate ( rapids on the Fraser River) a mountain called Jackass Mountain , Clinton, Lac La Hache and finally Prince George where I ended up this afternoon.
At times it felt like Bavaria, other times like riding along the Mogollon Rim and then it switched to wooded rolling hills with forests' flowers, lakes and rivers everywhere.
Lunch was at Lac la Hache at the Edelweiss Cafe. Owned by an Austrian couple they served me a great Gulash soup and a mini Schnitzel.(Kinderteller) All that was missing was a beer but that does not go with riding a bike.
The only thing that saddened me was to see the millions of trees dying from the Pine bark beetle attack. Whole sections of the forest were dead or dying but there is nothing that can be done short of setting everything on fire to destroy this horrible bug.
As Philip said when we witnessed last weeks earthquake, nature has a way of showing us just how little we can do in so many instances.
Today's ride was the shortest about 395 miles and tomorrow will be the beginning of the Alaska highway at Dawson Creek.
Again wish me luck I love you all very much!

Day 2 the adventure contrinues

Another long day 603 miles when it was all done and now I am at my Motel 6 resting and reflecting on the day.
5:45 it's twilight and cold. 42F. So I leave with just my normal gear! Mistake, I got so cold I stopped at 8 for bf and changed into the full dress gear. Much better and the scenery was much better as well because I did not shiver as much.
So Far the 3 mountains I saw, Shasta, Hood and Mt St Helens were unbelievable standing there all by themselves dominating the landscape for miles and miles.
Another impressive picture of nature were the acres of wild Forsythia blooming along the hwy!
The bike ran great and the only not so good thing was that the heavy week end traffic caused me to lose 2hrs in stop and go in the Seattle area. So instead of arriving at Bellingham at 2:30 as planned it was 4:30 and I am a bit tired.
Tomorrow early morning I will cross over into Canada and start riding about 300 miles a day on roads with very little traffic and great scenery. I'll be able to stop and take pictures as the ones today were all taken at 70+ mph on the freeway!
Now I'll run across the street to buy a bath towel as camp grounds do not provide them and tomorrow a camping I will go unless it rains.
So fa the weather has been outstanding up here! Wish me continued luck on my adventure!

The Ride is on

Well the alarm worked and after a nice breakfast and a loving farewell from my Bea I set out on the big adventure.
Leaving at 5:45 Of course I hit LA traffic but made it fine. Rode all the way hard and fast to Yreka in Northern CA. Arrived at 4:30 and checked into my 4 Seasons i.e. The Motel 6. Cleaned my bike a bit and now am going out to dinner at the Buffalo Diner next doors for a light supper.

The ride was great, especially the last 100 miles past the majestic Mt Shasta, Shasta Lake various canyons without a name. It is quite Alpine here with pines and very peaceful so I should get a good night's rest before heading out around 5:30 tomorrow morning. My Goal tomorrow is Bellingham WA and the on to BC on Saturday.
Total Miles today 691.6 and my "derrier" says Thanks a lot!

Kailua Hawaii a place to enjoy

We just returned from 2 weeks at a place where people stop for pedestrians in the roadway, let tourists in and out of parking lots unscathed and where everything is taken a half step slower.
Even though the Island food is a melange of many cultures you will find many purely ethnic restaurants. I should know we visited many of them! Many a food I cannot pronounce but enjoyed anyway.
You all know my preoccupation with food but this trip was to be with Megan and her parents and enjoy all the surroundings.
We accomplished getting to know our little princess very well and she is a beautiful child in all aspects. She is easy to get along likes to laugh and play with her toys the animals and when available mom dad Oma and Opa. Of course we took full advantage of this and by the pictures we sent you all saw the great times we had with her, Eric and Melissa.
The water-adventures went great with great visibility and no waves and plenty of sea life, shopping was a success as well, as if Oahu's economy needed a boost!
The only draw back was the hot and humid conditions. Our little cabin had neither ceiling fans nor A/C. We perspired a lot and just maybe old Fatso here lost a pound in spite of all the food and drink.
All I can say Aloha is alive and well at 564 Palawiki, Kailua Hawaii and we are looking forward to returning this fall to welcome grand baby number 3.