Back from the boondocks

Hello all again,

I have been on the Pacific Coast camping by the sea near San Francisco for the last three days with no connectivity at all. It’s been very very nice. I remember someone asking me on Saturday what time it was. I sorta looked at them and said, slowly, i have no idea and i don't really care. I haven't checked the time in days. Its just not important out here. More important is the sun, and specifically when will it go down. Before it slips away i must have a campsite and be settled for the night. Last Friday i let it get too late and then could not find a campground available.


Anyways ... here are some notes i've been taking.

The place where i stayed for two days on the ocean was called "Ocean Cove. It is a private owned and run by a dad and his two sons. They went the extra mile for me toget me firewood when i rolled in about 10:30 at night. They made my first night enjoyable by the fire by the sea.

The sights of the stars, the crescent moon, the ocean, the camp fire were unbelievable. I lay back and look up at the stars and there are a zillion with the Milky Way galaxy clearly visible. I look at the moon shining bright across the ocean and then my campfire below that. These words are pathetic to describe these scenes. The night in the Ocean Cove campsite a little north of Jenner was unbelievable. I asked for a shooting star like I ask the clouds to part for us or the Bald Eagles to fly over Jesse’s boat on Lake Washington and within a couple minutes the stars obliged. I saw three shooting stars that night. The moon shining on the ocean was awesome. The whole night was just unbelievable.

A lady drove by in campground head out the window yelling and you have you computer too!? you have everything!

I met Doug and Tony. They made me Abalone and Rock fish for dinner. Doug, has a road bike, comes here to dive for Abalone. A nice abalone dinner would cost around $75. And that is raised abalone that is about half legal limit of 7 inches. Abalone is a mussel. It doesn't take or smell like fish. It is smooth and tender and soooo good. Doug made me a dinner with Abalone, rock fish, fried potatoes and green beans cooked in bacon. So here I am camping roughing it with no hot food in the campsite and then I get served an expensive gourmet meal caught that morning and cooked by Doug who loves the food and does it right. He demanded i sit in his chair next to the table thing they packed and eat with a napkin and cold beer. It was a wonderful meal absolutely delicious. Now this will cost me in the long run because I'll always be looking to have abalone and that will be expensive.

On Saturday i sat at the top of a little cliff overlooking this little cove by the sea and thought about Jesse and my friends on the boat on Lake Washington. I imagined myself standing on the back of the boat as i had planned. I couldn’t stand on the rock but i sat on the edge dangling my feet over the cliffs and listened to my "boat" music. My fav was Sly and the Family Stone Medley … I love the guy at the beginning that “sings” or yells, “Dance to the music, dance to the fucking music!!!” Here is a pic and a video ...

Oh yes, I did write a book. The one I’ve been talking about writing all my life, my kids will know. It’s about 70% complete. I will tinker with it and think about it and fine tune it the rest of the trip.

Here are the Songs and Thoughts of the day for the last three days …

Sunday June 28th

Song: “Orion” by Rodrigo Y Gabriella

Thought: The most important things in my life are my children.

Saturday June 27th

Song: Sly and the Family Stone - Medley

Thought: “Best way to finish something is to start.”

Friday June 26th

Song: Jack Johnson “Wasting Time

Thought: It’s so easy to waste a day. (so the next day I used to write a book)

Some of the best pics over the last three days …

June 25th


Song: “I’m a thousand miles from nowhere” Dwight Yokum

Thought: “You can still be Marlon Brando and the King of Rock and Roll.” Lyrics from “Back To Tupelo” on Shangrila by Mark Knoffler

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I'm still learning this Blogger photo upload thing. Not intuitive. so this blog reads chronologically from bottom to top as the day goes on ... sorry ... Blogger is not that great.
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Now i came out of the Hwy 1 Dragon's Tail finally and rode up to this sight; sunset. I had been begging for the coast and the turning to stop for sooooooo long and then this. I stopped got off and snapped these sunset pics.

I'd been waiting for this sign. Here is were 1 splits off from 101. Now after this Hwy 1 takes so many twisty turns through the mountains it should be called the "Dragon's Tail" like the famous dragon's tail in teh Blue Ridge mountains in Tennessee. Bill and I had planned on riding that this summer but life took over our plans, as it can do whenever. I tried to add a pic showing the turns but again, pics are so limited in what the can convey ... it was intense 2 hours of focused turning and leaning and signs that actually read the coming turn must be taken at 10 miles per hour! get that 10! go 10 and see how slow that is. And it was accurate! This was not the funnest part of the trip and i am now very nappy we did not do the Dragon's Tail.

I stopped here again for another cigar. This is in the Redwood forest. I sat in the sun on my Harley. I learned it can a nice lawn chair (see phone self pic). The rock wall and trees at the top were so cool. The pic is pretty good but doesn't do it justice, which is the way it usually is.

I stopped here in this secluded spot (pic above and below) and smoked a cigar and sat in the sun for a while.

As a kid we went there and i remember it vividly. I remember begging Charlie to stop at all these things, the snake pit, the monster this and that etc. Dad hated it and stopped at very few of them. Now i can stop at any i wish and i stop at none. I stopped here just to take this pic.

Some pics ... I am loading all my pictures on one of my Facebook photo albums ...

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=96028&id=725642141

June24th

Song: “Summer time” Janis Joplin



Thought: Our Current functioning federal government is unconstitutional. It’s too big, way! Founders would be disgusted. They wanted it small and limited, which is why they make the Bill of Rights (1st 10 amendments for you public school products). I thought about this as i crossed the Oregon California border. There was such a difference! I thought, right, they are supposed to be different. They are different states and they should be free to live as the people there see fit. But today the states are almost irrelevant because the federal government is way too large and has usurped way to much power. It is no and has been for decades unconstitutional. But it doesn't matter because the US is peopled with idiots who know nothing and won't fight for freedom. So they, republicans and democrats alike, do as they see fit and we just take ion the ...

Anyway ... back to the relaxing fun ride ...



Day started at the Always Christmas Cafe in Reedsport Oregon, funny but great strawberry waffles and hot coffee for $5.



I see so much can't possibly take pics of it all ... i love noticing the little things. I see a zillion things that i can't stop and take pictures of. Like a house along the ocean in the middle of nowhere where they planted these amazing deep dark orange flowers I've never seen before for the passers by. They were not up by their house but out by the road for us. I saw these funny looking sort of crooked trees by the ocean that covered the road so low and so completely that it was like riding into a Hobbit tunnel and i entered the tunnel just as Led Zeppelin, "Dazed and Confused" came on. Unbelievable! It was quite cool. But these are the sights i couldn't get pictures of so i can't show you and you see how worthless words are; I'd need a thousand words. There are at least a 100 to 1 sights i wish i could have stopped and taken pics of but can't.






Got stuck in traffic behind a multiple car accident on a bridge over Coos Bay Oregon.









Here are some pics of the Oregon coast. Go to my facebook photo album for all my pics.

Here is the link: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=725642141&ref=profile#/album.php?aid=96028&id=725642141

Tuesday the 23rd ...

Song of the day: “China Grove” Doobie Brothers

Thought of the day: Random thoughts are so random?!

Had lunch at Nature’s Corner Café Market in Florence Oregon. So good, has the best soup, Brazilian Chard mmmm.

Here are some pics of the beautiful Oregon coast ...

Stopped near Florence, OR by the famous sand dunes, giant sand dunes. One of my followers sad that thy filmed part of Star Wars in those dunes.

I camped next to Gary and Kevin. Kevin is in month 5 of an 8 month ride and Gary joined him a week back. They don’t know where they’re going except north on the west coast. Since we are all heading where the other is headed and spent a great deal of time giving advice what to see and where to stay. Gary rode a Honda Gold wing with reverse and a tent trailer pulling behind. We had a grand time talking about riding and being over 50. Drank their beer and they smoked my smoke.

When I camp i don't have WiFi usually so I can't blog. So Now i will load the last two days ...

Monday the 22nd ...

Had a great ride through middle Oregon, beautiful mountains and scenery. I did not get to see Jenovich as her plans changed and she was not going to be home when I rolled through sooo … sob sob. Camping was great I had everything I needed for a first class camp except electricity and wireless. Sat up by the fire smoking and listening to tunes. Slept in till 8, which is good for camping.

Song of the day: Guess from these lyrics, “she’s well acquainted with the touch of a velvet hand like a lizard on a window pane” winner will get a special prize. Joelle; I know you will get this but let the mere mortals try for a while before you tell them.

Thought of the day: You have nowhere to go or be why are you speeding? STFD











Ate lunch at the Rainbow Tavern. I am trying to eat at out of the way local places and not large chains like Quiznos and McDonalds. They had a picture of Ted on the wall which made me laugh (inside joke with Gina)

Here is a beautiful sight …

Mt. Washington in Oregon














My campsite …

This Does Not Suck!!!

I spent Father’s day with the Master Chief and his family in Walla Walla Washington. BBQ’d some dead cow and told stories, great stories. Day started sunny in Kennewick but them clouded up and by Walla Walla I was getting rained on. Around 3 the clouds remembered who I am and broke up. The web showed clear sky south so I hit the road and outran the clouds. Bill and I once outran not just clouds but the 1st Winter storm that hit Wyoming and had to fly past a state and a half to get back in the sun. Writing this the next morning and its cloudy here but sunny south, again, so, again, I will follow the sun and head south according to the master plan.

The last two days didn’t seem like the Harley adventure I have been waiting for, since I was going to family reunions and visiting like always. But when I rode away from The Master Chief and Marie, well now it’s on.

Song of the day: “Sun King” – Beatles
Thought of the day: This does not suck!

Today, Monday, June 22nd the plan is to go through the back roads of Oregon around Mt. Hood and over towards the coast through Corvallis Oregon. I hope to get to see Jenovich, which would be the highlight of the trip for me. She is a gymnast friend of my daughters and like my own. Of course plans are subject to change at any moment on this trip.

I was thinking, you have a lot of time to think on a ride, about how great this is and how I could make a living riding the country on my Harley? Then I thought that the difference between living an adventure and living our “normal” lives is all in our minds and we could by practice and focus live like this every day. Then the day unfolds and the scenery, even in the “ugly” desert of southeast WA, which I love, amazes me and I have to keep stopping to take pictures. I decided nope, you have to do this. And it will never be normal. But …


Leaving Walla Walla around the big bend in the Columbia river. Look at those telephone poles, they are covered with those antique real glass insulators ...















Now this is a great picture. You will probably get tired of me blogging about cloud, sunshine and weather, at least until i get to Arizona where the sun shines every single day. You have to understand that riding in the rain sucks it just ruins a great thing.

So when i see a sight like this i have to take a picture. You can't see it very good in the pic but there were these beautiful lines through the sky.However the main point is blue sky in the direction i am heading.





This picture will send shivers of fear traipsing up the spines of my good friends at Microsoft! ... you have to know Jack.




I love hill sides like this. I know many will think the are not that great but this is what the countryside is like around where i was born and grew up so i will always love it. When i was young i used to want to pull over and run up one of these hills. They're my hills, Ya, that's right, they're mine.



















This picture is for Teri and Doug (funnyman), my sister and her husband. While packing up to leave their house yesterday i had trouble getting my hat to stay on, the strap broke and Doug gave me this caribeaner thingy to hook around the head strap. That didn't work so this is the final solution i came up with.

In high school coming home from HS Nationals in Colorado on a Greyhound with Greg Williams and Dave Butts Greg taught me the true value of a hat, to cover ugly hair. Helmets ruin hair.






This is a contest. who can tell me who the extremely bow legged noodle armed cowboy on the left is. Winner will get a special prize.


















Haysta La Vista ...

Bill and Pete's Excellent Adventure III

Day started cold and rainy in Seattle. Over Snoqualmie pass the sky cleared and the sun was hot. Stopped a few times for a RockyPatel Jr. cigar and some more practice relaxing.

Song of the Day: "Tuesday's Gone" Lynyrd Skynyrd

Thought of the day: People are the most important thing.

Went to Kennewick for a family reunion. It was the first since my mom passed. Was nice to see everyone. Got to talk to my farmer cousin about tractors. Played with my sister's grandson, Aden. Ate Barb's potato salad and excellent strawberry jello with real strawberries.

Then to my Teri and Doug's for the night. Got to see Lane and Jocelyn and their new bedrooms. Look at Lane's Cougar Central room. (sorry its a bit blurry)

Eat your heart out Matt Mira. I didn't see any Jimmy Buffet though so you are still the man.

Lane showed me a zillion cools tricks on his new TouchPod, which i have but had no idea it could do so much. And Jocelyn showed me her art work city. I told Jocelyn my daughters were soooooo jealous that i got to see her. She hugged me many many times. Eat your hart of Rosie and Annette and Gina.

Since i was to be gone on father's day my kids spent the day with me yesterday. Here as a good group shot.

I didn't see Bill in my rear view mirror? Guess he'll show up a bit later? I remember Bill lamenting how long it takes to Blog. Hopefully I'll continue to find reasons to blog. And this one i had complete ad lost it all so i wrote this twice. I think the other one was better. Dang!!!

Tommorw; Walla Walla for some time with Master Chief Taylor and family. Then south to whereever the maps say its sunny.