In July 2007 I, along with my contractor Max Putman of Trademaster West, began the project of extending my existing 2-car garage into a 3-car garage. I've always wanted that extra stall for my motorcycles and workbench and it was much cheaper to do an addition than it was to buy a home with a 3-car garage. This is the picture story from start to end of this project:

This is the original end of the garage. After taking measurements I found that I had enough room to build the addition.

This is the original interior wall. We are going to place a 16' pass-through here instead of knocking out the complete wall. The short walls at each end of the pass-through will provide locations for light switches and wall receptacles.

This is the first piece of equipment brought in to start excavating for the new footings and foundation walls.

Here's the first shovel of dirt. There's no turning back now!

Oh-oh! First problem. We came across this unidentified 2" pipe. We never did figure out what it was as the electrical service comes in from the back of the house and the natural gas line is at the opposite end of the house. The only theory that made any sense was that a lazy construction worker threw this section of pipe into the hole around the foundation before being back-filled. We never did find out how long it was. However, when the inspectors were called out to check it out we all found out we didn't have the proper digging permits so digging stopped on this day and didn't begin again for a week.

As long we couldn't do any digging for a couple of days we decided to prepare the existing exterior wall for the beam supporting the pass-through. Here's Sam (Max's apprentice) starting to tear out the studs.

Here is the microlam beam in place after a lot of back-breaking lifting. This was my first opportunity for "sweat equity" in this project.

This is the other end of the beam showing the short wall that will house a couple of receptacles.

Alright! After the prescribed waiting period we're back to excavating again. This is a bigger backhoe because...

...the stump and roots of a pine tree that was cut down two years earlier proved to be too big for the previous backhoe. Even so, this thing was tough to remove!

Now we have this big pile of dirt. We had to be very careful as to not let any dirt end up in my neighbor's yard. They are my "good" neighbors and I won't let anything ruin that relationship. All the vegetation and the tree on the left will be removed once construction is done.


The forms for the footings go in and the footings are poured. Now we're getting somewhere!

This is Bob, one of the owners of the concrete company, guiding the pour for the footings. Bob did so much more extra on this job I don't understand how he made any money. He's a tireless worker.

I was off gallivanting around the countryside on a bike rally when the foundation walls were done so there are no in-process pictures of them. This is how they came out and it gives me a better idea how much more room I'll have in the garage.

Now it's time to start framing.


The walls are going up! This house was built in October 1969, that explains the color of the siding! The permit was pulled on October 15, 1969, the day I entered active duty with the Air Force. There's something to be said of coincidences.

Here is the almost-finished exterior. During framing Max's nailer failed and instead of getting it fixed he trained Sam in the lost art of framing with hammer and nails. They definitely worked their butts off!

Here is the finished front of the addition. This shows the new triple-wide driveway. I now have a snowblower because after taking one look at this my shoveling days are over!

This shows the side of the addition. The stack coming out from the wall is for my propane-fired garage heater that I installed. The roof shingles really show their age in this picture. The ones over the original roof are quite faded. This is a result of our high UV because of our elevation here in Colorado Springs (6,200 feet). The age difference between the shingles is only 5 years!

Here is the workbench end of the new addition. I'll be upgrading the existing lighting in the original garage to match the 8' fixtures you see here. That's my propane bottle in the center of the picture. That will sit outside behind the back wall to provide gas for the heater that's hanging from the ceiling.

Here is the other end showing part of the reason for this addition, my motorcycles. With the 16' pass-through I'll be able to close off part of the garage in case I decide to paint something or I'm sanding or grinding a lot.

This project went off without too much trouble. I appreciate the hard work and hours that Max and Sam put forth to get it done. I also want to thank Bob Bingham and his crews of BP Concrete for the extra effort on their part. All the horror stories of the regional building department never materialized during this project. In fact, they provided so much assistance and information that they were a pleasure to work with. My hat is off to everyone who had a part in this job. I guess it will be time for a "garage warming party" in the near future! :>)

Today is Monday, 30 July 2007. Yesterday I returned from another fun-filled VROC (Vulcan Riders and Owners Club) Rally that was held in Grand Lake, CO. I left home about 9:00 AM on Thursday, 26 July, and met my friend Solo (Dave Leonard) at his home in Denver. We continued on to another friend's home in Westminster (GoodGreg) where we picked up him and his wife. Our destination was the Blue Bird Motel in Grand Lake by way of Rocky Mountain National Park and Trail Ridge Road.

I have an aversion to heights as it applies to roads and me riding/ driving on them and I wanted to start the process of defeating this irrational fear. Solo and GoodGreg were willing to help me in this. Their solution? I was to lead the way! As it turns out it was a definite step in the right direction. It started out by Solo paying my way into Rocky Mountain National Park. Personnally I think it was a bribe. :>) I started out fine but at the very first switchback before heading up the side of the mountain I thought I was going to meet my Maker. I'm taking in the sights as I go into the turn and when I look to where I'm supposed to be going I find that I have drifted into the other lane and there's a pickup truck coming the other way! Okay, first lesson, ALWAYS watch where you're going. After my very quick recovery I start paying complete attention to the road. The first part of the climb was okay because of the numerous trees on the downhill side of the road. Then I hit the first stretch of road where there are no trees and I see how high up I am. After that first gut-wrenching feeling I tell myself that I'm not going to fall off the end of the world and I concentrate on the road ahead. I manage to make it to the first vista overlook point and I decide to pull off in order to regain my composure. My hands are shaking and I feel those tell-tale sweaty armpits. I reassure Solo and GoodGreg that I'm okay and that I just need a few minutes to relax. To do that I take a picture of the road we just came up:



Here is another view from the same overlook:

These views are the reason why I want to conquer this fear. I know I am missing out on many wonderful rides because of it.

After our rest we mounted up and continued on. The farther I get along Trail Ridge Road the more relaxed I become. We eventually run into rain so I wasn't able to get more pictures of the park. All in all, I think I'm slowly getting used to these roads as the descent from the Alpine Visitors Center was more enjoyable despite the rain.

Our group arrived in Grand Lake and the Blue Bird Motel after picking up a couple of fellow VROC'ers at a parking area just north of town. Our arrival began another weekend of wonderful roads, great people and the freedom of being away from all of our cares.

Thursday night's dinner was at Pancho & Lefty's in Grand Lake. The VROC crowd literally invaded the place. The food was good but the service and attitude of some of the workers could use a little "adjustment". Hint to any food service people out there: when you have a full restaurant of paying customers, the better the service and behavior towards those customers is, the better your tips are.

Friday dawned a little overcast and cool with the threat of rain (as it did every day except for Sunday). Solo and I opted for the breakfast buffet at the Fat Cat in Grand Lake. It was an excellent choice for getting us into the mood for that day's ride. There weren't a whole lot of opportunities for pictures as we both love to ride but not necessarily stop. However, we did stop at Willow Creek Summit on SR125 for a photo op on the Continental Divide:

That's me (ELNomad) on the left and Solo on the right.


We rode up to Walden then caught SR14 back down to US40 and returned to the Blue Bird Motel after having lunch at Betty's Cafe & Bakery just south of the motel.


I elected to take Saturday off and relaxed around the motel with rides being limited to going to breakfast, lunch and dinner.


Sunday dawned as the most perfect riding day and the best of the weekend. It was also the day we and several others were heading out for home or other destinations. Solo and I elected to take US40 from Granby, over Berthoud Pass and on over to I-70 to our respective home destinations. Again, I led the way over the pass but was pleasantly surprised by the wide, wonderful road. This was also a photo op with the Continental Divide going through here also:



As a side note about the rally, this is supposed to be a Vulcan (as in Kawasaki motorcycles) rally but as is with all of our other rallys other brands are allowed and welcomed. This year's Goldwing contingent was well-represented with eleven Wings in the midst. They are affectionately referred to as "Tupperware" and we had our own little "Tupperware Party". This is the picture showing the party members:



Another favorite activity we have is eating and can we eat! As noted before, we invaded more than one establishment in our quest for food. These are of Thursday night's feed at Pancho & Lefty's in Grand Lake:






My next planned rally will be at Eureka Springs, AR in September. Solo would like to attend also so hopefully it will work out for both of us.

Until next time, safe riding to those who do and keep the rubber-side down.

California Motorcycle Trip 2006

14 August

I left Colorado Springs about 7:30 AM and headed west on US 24 for Buena Vista, Leadville and on to I-70. I encountered very cool temperatures and low-lying clouds/ fog after going over Wilkerson Pass. I had to stop in Hartsel and zip up the vents on the leather jacket and put on my cold-weather gloves. My first gas stop was Buena Vista and by then the temps had gone up enough that I could use my warmer weather stuff. Then I’m on to Leadville and Tennessee Pass before getting to Minturn and I-70. Did I mention I have an issue with heights? It’s not that this pass has precarious drop offs and the like. In fact, there are guard rails and the road is fairly wide. It’s that I just don’t like heights. I was fortunate here as I’m in the mountain-side lane so I sort of enjoyed the sights. I-70 was as to be expected, light traffic and a few work zones. After riding through the gorgeous Glenwood Canyon I stopped for gas in Glenwood Springs where I happened upon another rider. We talked a little (he was insistent about mentioning that he wanted a choice about wearing a helmet and that I join some organization promoting choice) and then I bid him farewell and I headed off for Green River, UT. The ride from Glenwood Springs to Green River is pretty much as diverse in scenery as one can get, especially the ride through the canyon area just before Grand Junction. I gassed up in Green River (now it’s hot!) and headed off for the 105 mile ride through the Canyonlands and on to Salina, UT. This stretch of road has got to be my favorite because you go through so many changes in scenery and it is a feast for the eyes. I stopped for the night in Salina at a “mom and pop” motel (the Deluxe, I believe) and enjoyed dinner that night and breakfast the next morning at Mom’s Diner (highly recommended).

15 August

I had a nice, leisurely breakfast at Mom’s Diner and then headed for points west in Nevada via US 50 (Loneliest Highway in America). I topped off the tank in Delta, UT and made my way to my next stop, Stateline Gas Stop. Again, the scenery varies enough where I wasn’t bored and, despite the name of the road, there were still quite a few fellow travelers. Again, while gassing up, I started talking to a couple of fellow bikers, one on another Glide, the other on a Vulcan Classic. They were from Oregon and heading back home after a trip to Sturgis. I told the Vulcan rider about VROC (he had never heard of us) and then headed out. The next stop was Eureka where I met up with some more bikers. This time it was a husband and wife on a pair of Harleys on their way back from California to somewhere I don’t remember. I love seeing this where a couple are sharing in the adventure and they both have their own rides. I topped off in Austin, NV after coming down the Austin Grade (yeah, heights issue again but I was on the mountain side of the road again). Now for a little traveler information here. A lot of maps don’t show it but there is a place called Cold Springs about 44 miles west of Austin on US 50. Gas is obviously pricey here ($3.59/ gal) but they have it along with a restaurant, bar (with a pool table) and lodging/ camping/ RV parking. Another 15 miles down the road is a place called Eastgate something or other. It is a gas station and it sits at the junction of US 50 and the road that goes to the town of Eastgate. It was a major brand gas station; I just don’t remember which one. This would be a good midpoint stop for those not comfortable with 100-mile stretches of no services. I got into Fallon late in the afternoon and checked into another “mom-and-pop” motel, had a good dinner at the restaurant they recommended and crashed for the night.

16 August

After breakfast at the same restaurant I got on US 95 and headed south for my rendezvous with what would be the most “exciting” day of my trip. I gassed up at Hawthorne, NV and proceeded on SR 359 to California and then SR 167 to Lee Vining. I topped off the tank at Lee Vining (to the tune of $4.20/ gal, thank you!) with Yosemite National Park as my next destination. I got on the access road to the park and went a few miles when I rounded a corner and I see this ribbon of a road climbing up the side of what was Tioga Pass. Have I mentioned my concern with heights? Well, I knew this was the only way into California for several hundred miles and I had planned this route myself so I had no one else to blame but me. I swallowed hard and started up the road. It turned out it was a wide road with plenty of shoulder and I was again on the mountain side of the road. It took all the nerve I had just the same to get up there! Just before the top there was a pull-out where I parked the bike and walked over to the edge and got a picture. Now this is where my fear of heights becomes somewhat odd. When I’ve got my two feet planted on the ground I can walk right up to the edge and take pictures and survey what I just came up on and marvel in the engineering it took to build this road. It doesn’t make any sense but that’s how I am. After mounting back up I come around the final curve and there’s a nice paved parking lot where I could have stopped. Oh well. I go through the park entrance and start the long ride through Yosemite. I never realized it was this huge! It’s absolutely breath-taking scenery and I couldn’t figure out what shots to stop and take. There was only one bad thing about this place and that was the drivers. At one point I’m riding along at the posted speed limit (45 mph) on a slight downhill section and I happen to look in my mirror. Here comes this moron flying down the road in his mini-van! Judging by his closing speed he had to have been doing about 60! There is no where to pull over or off and this clown is right on my fender! I maintain my speed occasionally flashing my brake lights in the hope he will back off a little. Nope! He stays there. Finally a wide spot came up so I pulled over as far as I could and signal them to pass. As they were going by the idiot in the passenger seat flips me off! Where DO these people come from? Then of course right behind them is a jacked-up 4 X 4 with three kids in it and they start doing the same thing! It should go without saying that as soon as I had the opportunity to get out of the park I did. I didn’t even make it to Yosemite Valley. Just as a side note here, on the way out of the park I saw the 4 X 4 pulled over by cops or CHP or whoever does the enforcement. Good! I exited the park on SR 120 again not knowing what was in store for me down the road. I stopped at Big Oak Flat for gas and to verify my directions for Mariposa. What the woman told me was that Route 49 (“Old Priest Grade”) was just a couple of miles “up” the road. In reality, California 120 (“New Priest Grade”) goes downhill at the rate of about 1500 feet over 2 ½ miles but there are no guard rails and the drop-offs are over 200 feet in places. Again, I had the good luck of being on the mountain side of the road but there was this couple in one of the new Mini Coopers who was in a hurry to get to the bottom. They, like before, were riding my rear fender until I found a spot to pull over to let them pass. This time, however, they waved when they went by. By this time I’ve had it with exciting vistas and twisties and once I got to the bottom I made a bee-line to SR 99 then stopped for the night in Atwater.

17 August

Today was going to be the shortest leg of my trip to Monterey. I had plenty of time so I slept in and then had a leisurely breakfast before heading out to Monterey. I picked up SR 140 just outside of Atwater, picked up SR 33 at Gustin, then SR 152 to SR 156 just outside of Hollister. I decided to take the business route through Hollister just so I can say I’ve been there. It looks just like any other town; I’m not sure what I was expecting. Then it was US 101 at San Juan Bautista where I ran into a parking lot caused by the highway department trimming trees along side the highway. It took about an hour to go three miles! However, there was excitement happening right before my eyes when another moron in a Toyota car of some sort pulled right up behind a semi that was hauling some steel as we were going up a hill. As you would guess the truck rolled backwards about three feet while this knucklehead in the Toyota was insisting on going forward. In defense of the truck driver, the driver of the Toyota was in his blind spot so there was no way he could see where he was at. As is the usual case in slow-downs like this when I get up to the point where the trimming crews are there are people gawking to see what is going on and then there is the “me first” mentality where people aren’t alternating the lanes to make the transition to a single lane smoother. The rest of the ride into Monterey and the Presidio was uneventful (thank goodness!). I checked in through the Franklin St. gate and proceeded on my way to the Presidio lodging. I had just made a turn heading towards the lodging when I spotted this young lady in BDU’s walking along the road. She turned as I was just getting next to her and it turns out to be Rebecca! Our eyes met and a big grin came across her face. That made the whole trip worth it!

17-21 August

While visiting Rebecca we did everything we could in the short amount of time we had. In a nutshell: we went to Benihana’s (my first time) and I discovered I liked sushi, we visited Cannery Row a couple of times (Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Co. is to die for!), took a short ride down the Pacific Coast Highway and spent Saturday afternoon at Laguna Seca watching some of the vintage car races and walking through the paddock area taking in all the historic race cars that were there. The only thing we couldn’t do was 17 Mile Drive because of the Concours D’Elegance taking place at Pebble Beach Golf Course. At $175/ person admission I guess they manage to keep out the riff-raff. All in all we had a fantastic visit with each other. I got to see first hand how young airmen behave these days and what she goes through at the Defense Linguistics Institute (she’s learning Chinese).

21 August

Again I slept in and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at the local Denny’s before turning in the rental car. I waited around until 11:00 AM when Rebecca got her lunch break. This was convenient because her class room is right across the street from the lodging facility. We said our tearful goodbyes then I headed out for the Pacific Coast Highway north to San Francisco. The Devil’s Slide area had been repaired a few weeks before I came out west so there were no detours off the PCH. I crossed the Golden Gate Bridge about 1:00 PM and stopped at the vista point on the north side to get my prerequisite picture to prove I was there with the bike. As far back as I can remember I’ve always loved going over this bridge. I’ve even walked to the midpoint from the north end. This is one of those instances where my fear of heights doesn’t affect me. Go figure. I arrived in Rohnert Park about 2:45 PM after an easy ride up US 101. My brother-in-law was there to greet me as well as my 3 year old nephew. The next five days would be the busiest of my trip.

21-26 August

As I said, these were the busiest days of my trip. I, along with my two sisters, moved my mother and brother out of their home of 34 years into a senior’s apartment complex in Petaluma, about 8 miles south of Rohnert Park. This move was a welcome one from all members of our family. My mother and brother do not have to contend with little kids or young people making noise or trashing the property. My mother will fit in well with the senior community and will be able to be in a more social group then her past neighborhood. There was not much riding involved here but I did get to spend some time with friends from the Chevy Nomad Association and had dinner with an old childhood friend and his family one night. I accomplished all that I had planned on this portion of the trip. By Sunday I was ready to go back home.

27-29 August

I left a foggy and cool Rohnert Park (as it is it seems every morning) and took the back roads through the wine country on my way to pick up I-80 just west of Fairfield. I-80 was a nice relaxing ride on Sunday morning with light traffic and beautiful weather. The ride through the Sierra Nevada Mountains was its usual scenic route despite being an interstate. I stopped at Donner Summit and the scenic overlook at Donner Lake for a few pictures. I gassed up at Reno, Lovelock, Winnemucca and Carlin and stopping for the night in Wells. On Monday it was the final leg on I-80 and then picked up I-15 at Salt Lake City and made my way down to Scipio where I took US 50 into Salina. From there I back tracked my previous route on I-70 stopping for the night in Grand Junction. Because Tuesday’s ride was going to be fairly short I slept in, grabbed breakfast at the local Village Inn and headed east on I-70 to Denver and then I-25 back home to Colorado Springs. It sure is good to be back home!

Final Thoughts

This was the first long distance solo ride I’ve done. I took the Harley Electra Glide in order to determine if I was going to keep this bike. I’m happy to say it more than exceeded my expectations. It is now a keeper. I will have to get an Airhawk pad for it though for future long distance rides. I went 3,142 miles on it and it averaged 40 mpg and it ran flawlessly.
Traveling cross country on a motorcycle is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. It gave me the time to be with myself and think how my life has changed so drastically in the past two years. It also gave me the chance to see our great country and its wide open expanses where there is “nothing” for miles on end. I am truly blessed to live here. This trip has prepared me for my next adventure in the coming year. That will be a motorcycle trip to Anchorage, AK. I now look forward to that with great anticipation.

Accompanying photos of this trip report can be found at:
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/553638359sALSDl

It is 1 August 2006. Today I am officially retired from federal civil service. I started on 15 October 1969 so that makes it almost 37 years. I can still remember when I started like it was yesterday. I have had bad jobs, mediocre jobs and then some that anyone would dream about. My last job was one of those. I was an Engineering Technician with the Department of Engineering Mechanics at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. I began there on 5 August 1995. What my work entailed was to teach and instruct the cadets on methods of manufacturing using various machine tools (mills, lathes, drill presses, CNC equipment) with which to build the projects that they were tasked to design, analyze and produce. During my eleven years in the lab I was exposed to all levels of abilities of engineering students from the born mechanical types to those who were better suited for a career as a lawyer, manager or poet. Some of these cadets astounded me in their natural skills while others caused me to wonder just how they managed to get out of bed on their own. It was a very enlightening job and at the same time very gratifying. I can't count the number of times that I had worked with a cadet trying to show them how or why certain things are done only to be frustrated to the point of madness. Then all of a sudden, out of the blue, I would see that light bulb, somewhere deep in their brain, come on. That would be the moment that I strived for and kept me going for those eleven years.
Through my work in the lab and the department I came to meet and befriend many, many engineers. I learned things about dynamics, structures, materials and systems that I otherwise would not have been exposed to if I had been anywhere else. I also brought something to the department that they were lacking in up to that point. That "something" was my love of cars, and later motorcycles, and the knowledge that went with that love. I was able to contribute my practical experience to the cadets who were in the Automotive Technologies course, bridging the gap between the classroom learning and the "real world" applications of that learning.
It was a bittersweet time for me yesterday as I processed out of the department and the base. While relishing my future in retirement I also knew that I was leaving behind something that had become very important to me and had become a large part of my life.

It is Monday, August 17 and I have been on the road to Sedona, AZ for the Chevy Nomad Convention held at the Hilton Sedona Resort and Spa for the past week. I can describe that week in two words: hot and beautiful.
I left Colorado Springs with both of my Nomads (Chevy and Kawasaki) at 5:30 AM on Saturday, August 8 heading south on I-25. My original plan was to take US 160 from Walsenburg to the Four Corners area and then the "dreaded" US 666 (the Devil's Highway, since renumbered because of our "PC"ness) to Gallup, NM and then on to Holbrook, AZ to stay with my friends, the Foree's, from the VROC group. As I got closer to Walsenburg I saw that the weather was not looking favorable so I opted to continue on I-25 to Albuquerque and then I-40 West to Holbrook. I got into Holbrook about 1:30 PM and went directly to the Foree's home. That night we had a cookout with other members from VROC and some friends of Barb and Jack Foree. They also invited another Chevy Nomad guy, Mike Ferguson of Tulia, TX, over for the festivities. He was staying at the local Econo Lodge and we had planned to hook up in Holbrook and caravan to Sedona on Sunday.
Everyone survived Jack's "forcing" us to enjoy the various beers he had at the house. By 10:00 AM we were all set to continue on to Sedona. We left Jack's Body Shop with the two Nomads and four motorcycles. Mike and I took I-40 to Flagstaff where we picked up SR 89A to Sedona via Oak Creek Canyon. Of course it was a beautiful drive and there was little evidence of the recent fires that could be seen from the road.
It was either the vortexes or the influence of the crystals but I managed to miss the turn-off onto SR 179 that was to take us to the Village of Oak Creek and the Hilton Sedona. Five miles down SR 89A and I realized my mistake, did a u-turn, found the turn-off and arrived at the Hilton about 1:30 PM.
The parking lot at the Hilton was already full of Nomads. Mike and I checked in and surprise, surprise we got a first-floor room right off the main lobby with our patio door opening onto the parking lot where all the Nomads were! It's always great to start off something like this on a positive note.
I had already made my decision not to place my car for judging. It was too hot to wash and detail it and my car is a "driver" not a show car. Instead, I set up my swapmeet spot Monday morning and ended up selling most of the stuff I brought. The money gained there paid for my room and a few tanks of gas!
Tuesday was the dinner at the Blazin' "M" Ranch in Cottonwood. Mike and I rode over in my car as he had been the "taxi" the day before. The food was very good. I had the barbecue beef, cowboy beans, baked potato, apple sauce, biscuit and bunches of iced tea. The post-dinner entertainment was what I would have expected with music, skits and a stand-up comedian. I would have liked to have heard more of the music as they were all terrific musicians. Oh well.
Wednesday was the day the tour buses came and took a bunch of the "Nomaders" down to Phoenix and toured a couple of shops. I knew what Phoenix was like in the summer as I had lived there for three years in the early 90's so I opted out. Instead, I discovered a leak around the thermostat housing on my engine. Turns out a small pin hole had developed just under the hose. Luckily, there was a NAPA store in Sedona so once I removed the housing I jumped on my bike and headed down there in the hopes that they had a replacement. Turns out the person who runs the store has a 57 Nomad himself so he was more than happy to check out his shelves and found the housing that I needed. Within the hour my car was fixed and no more leak. Just a note here: for those who consider getting the cheap, made in Taiwan, chrome-plated, cast aluminum housings, don't. They are an inferior product that are prone to developing these pin holes. Besides, they cost several more dollars than the cast iron housing I got from NAPA.
Thursday was my planned ride to Jerome, AZ on the bike. I got up fairly early so I could beat the heat. My first stops were to get pictures of Bell Rock, Chapel of the Rock and some of the local scenery. Then I stopped at the Blue Moon Cafe in Oak Creek for breakfast. I wish I had known about this place before. It was excellent and the meal was priced what I would think a breakfast should be. Afterwards I headed towards Jerome via SR 179, Beaverhead Road, Cornville Road and then SR 89A through Cottonwood. For those who have been to Jerome you know about the road that goes up the side of the mountain to get there. I do have a problem with heights and I was getting a nervous twitch in my throttle hand but I did make it up there. Once I was there I thought "that wasn't that bad" and I was able to relax. I took a short walk around town and stopped in a small place for some much-needed iced tea. Unfortunately, over the years Jerome has gotten too commercialized with art galleries, boutiques and over-priced gift shops. However, the view over the valley is superb. The ride back down towards Cottonwood was relaxed except for the idiot who was tailgating me even though I gave numerous opportunities for them to pass. When they finally did pass they pulled back in right in front of me! They also ran the stop sign at the bottom so they must have been VERY important. Like I said: Idiot. I meandered around the area between Cottonwood and Sedona (Page Springs and Cornville) before heading back to the Hilton and preparing for the night's banquet. The banquet was okay, the food was okay but none of it interesting enough to write home about. I guess I'm losing interest in this part of the convention these days.
Friday morning at 6:30 AM I departed the Hilton via SR 179 South to I-17 and headed to Flagstaff where I stopped for a well-deserved breakfast. After that it was to the Meteor Crater for a visit Belinda and I attempted to do back in 2002. Back then we were about a mile down the access road when the right rear wheel of our Blazer fell off! This time I made it and it was a culmination of many intended visits over the years to visit the crater. I have probably been by the crater on I-40 about twenty times but just never stopped for whatever reason. I'm glad I finally did it. Yes, it's a big hole in the ground and they have a pretty nice museum and I caught it on a day and time when it wasn't overrun with tourists.
After satisfying my need to see the big hole I ventured on to Holbrook where I stopped by Jack's Body Shop to deliver a gift to show my appreciation for their hospitality the previous weekend. Then it was onto parts unknown (at least the road) to see Canyon DeChelly in Chinle, AZ.
Omigod, talk about HOT! I took SR 77 North from Holbrook and picked up Indian 15 East just outside of Bidahochi (somewhere around there the speedometer gave up the ghost) and then US 191 North to Chinle. It was so hot at the canyon that I could only stand a short drive on the southside scenic drive and got less than a handfull of pictures. I had to get out of there so I proceeded up US 191 until I got to US 160 East and hightailed it for Cortez. I had a room reservation at the Tomahawk Lodge. I checked in at 4:00 PM , got my luggage inside, turned the A/C on full and just dropped on the bed. About 7:00 PM I went and got supper (with tons of iced tea), went back to the room and crashed for the night.
Saturday morning I got up early again to beat the heat, had breakfast at the Anazasi Restaurant and started on my final leg home. I got to Wolf Creek Pass about 10:00 or 10:30 AM, stopped at the Continental Divide sign and took the prerequisite picture. I went on to Del Norte where I picked up SR 112 East then US 285 North and then US 24 East outside of Buena Vista. I got home about 3:45 PM where Bear (my dog) greeted me with open paws.

Pictures of this adventure can be viewed at:

http://community.webshots.com/user/elnomad55

and go to the folder titled "Chevy Nomad Convention 2006".

Thank you for taking the time to read my trip report. I will have another one sometime in September to report on my California motorcycle trip.

My other cars (cont).

This is my 1938 Chevy 2 door that I traded my 1966 Nova for. I kept the 406 engine from the Nova and dropped it into this car. Even though this car was a driver when I bought it there was still a lot of work to be done. I had to finish the interior and wiring, fabricate an aluminum gas tank and remove the Corvette rear end and replace it with a Mustang 8". Once I got everything squared away with it it wasn't too bad of a car. However, when my Nomad became available this one was gone! I sold it in one day!

My other motorcycles.



My first motorcycle was a 2004 Kawasaki Concours. It was a beautiful bike and fast. However, I found it wasn't my riding style (sport-touring) when I took my first 100 mile ride on it. Because of the riding position my shoulders and back were killing me by the end of that ride so it was back to Apex Sports to see what would work better for me.

What I found was a 1995 Kawasaki 1500 Vulcan. It looked like a nice bike and I had heard that they were fast. I rode it for a while but found that it was physically too small for my 6' 2" frame. I always felt like my knees were right under the handlebars. Again I wasn't comfortable. I sold it a couple of months later (I actually made $300 on it!).

By the way, while I was down to Apex getting the Vulcan I also saw this sidecar rig that I felt would fill another need in my riding: sharing this new hobby with my wife Belinda. This is a 1998 Honda VT1100 Shadow ACE with a Champion Legends sidecar. Quite a custom paint job on it. As it turns out the 1100 just didn't have the guts to pull the sidecar around the mountains like I wanted. When I sold the Vulcan I disconnected the sidecar and the Honda was my primary ride for a while.

My other cars.

Shortly after I bought my home in Colorado Springs in 1993 I came across this 1966 Nova and the guy was willing to trade it for my 1981 Corvette I had at the time. I considered my Corvette as an "old man's Corvette" so I was more than ready to do the deal. The Nova had a 406 SBC and the whole car was, in a word, AWESOME! It was beautifully done with a Porsche Guards red paint job with a little blue pearl thrown in. This car was fun and the fact that it was done made it even more enjoyable.

I would like to start this blog with a little about my interests: cars and motorcycles.

My present car, and probably the one I'll have for the rest of my life, is a 1955 Chevy Nomad. I originally bought this car in September 1970 while I was stationed at March AFB near Riverside, CA. It was my first car. I owned it until November 1975 when I sold it to help finance my first house. I kept in touch with the new owner, Dave Oster of Troy, NY, despite having relocated numerous times. In July 1999 I recieved a call from Dave asking if I would like to buy the car back. After my initial shock and disbelief we made the necessary arrangements and I took possession of the Nomad that September. Since then I have put a new frame under it, had the interior redone and babied it with all kinds of upgrades.

November 2003 I was bitten with the motorcycling bug. My present bikes are a 2000 Kawasaki Vulcan Nomad and a 2002 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Standard. I am a member of the Vulcan Riders & Owners Club (VROC) and have been to three rallies in the past year: Kanab, UT, Eureka Springs, AR and Custer, SD. My next motorcycle trip will be to Monterey, CA to see my stepdaughter, Rebecca, who is in the Air Force and attending the Defense Language Institute.