| Oh wow..... Traveling Stories |
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| Moderators: redbaron, MDKramer, Flyone, AZgl1500 | Page: 1 2   |
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| Posted: Tue Aug 30th, 2011 09:25 pm | 1st Post |
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Just got back from three days "sport car touring" and camping in the lovely San Juan Islands of Washington State! Perfect, absolutely perfect company (that's her in the photo), perfect weather, a perfect car (Mazda Miata two-seat Roadster) for the island roads, and some perfect luck that broke our way! Like that perfect campground site at Snug Harbor in the picture, possibly the last unoccupied camp site on the whole island...the whole bloody islands for that matter! Not a shabby tent window view, hey? And now I'm back in the windy hometown we locals call the 'Berg.'! Oh well, as Chief Joseph, Nez Perce, said while U.S. Army troops manacled him for his banishment to Oklahoma...... "I will be wherever I am!" Perfect words from a damn near perfect man (not me, dammit, Chief Joseph!)....will have some more photos for you later! Gotta sift through about thee hundred of them! (Hey, Bernie! You should've seen Red's face driving that car around!) Attachment: 2011 San Juans, Driving Ms. Sandy! 154.jpg (Downloaded 472 times) Last edited on Tue Aug 30th, 2011 09:27 pm by Cousin Jack ____________________ First name: Mel (Red's: Sandy) "It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might be swept off to." (Bilbo Baggins) |
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| Posted: Tue Aug 30th, 2011 10:31 pm | 2nd Post |
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Mel , are you sure you didnt win the Lottery of life ? Everywhere you go is beautiful and fun . Yea Yea I know you paid your dues to earn all this . Really I am happy for you both . I hope my retirement can be half as good as yours . ( If i ever make it that far lol ) Keep living the life , its all good from what I see .
____________________ Mike You meet the nicest people on a Honda ! 83 Interstate '93 1500 Aspencade , fastest color at night ! some assembley required . Thankyou Brian for the second chance. 94SE 187000 miles |
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| Posted: Tue Aug 30th, 2011 11:01 pm | 3rd Post |
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Thanks, buddy.... the only real dues I paid was to quit drinking.....once I did that, my life just seemed to fall into place naturally. Everything that was ever wrong in my life came around because of drinking: Vietnam, flunking out from college, disastrous first marriage, early job failure....but once dry, things got really, really good! Here's a few more: Campgear fits in her car better than it does on my bike!  Off we go, me in the unfamiliar role of co-pilot....  Columbia River, the dry side!  A left turn along the Methow River, heading over the Cascades....  And now we're getting into it, toward the beginning of the North Cascades Scenic Highway....  3 of the 4 things I love most.... my wife, the open mountain roads, and the freedom to enjoy it....  Best place to eat on the East slope of the Cascades, bar none; the Duck Inn, Winthrop, Washington.... 5 Star restaurant in a town with 500 permanent residents...  Here we go! Highway 20!  more...  even more...  1st camp.... North Cascades National Forest Campground, with my senior discount....$6!  1st camp trails.....  more....  the Skagit River...  Second Day: Best place to eat on the west slope of the North Cascades! Pulled Pork Barbeque Sandwich that will suck your soul right outa your tongue and give you your caloric requirements for about a week! Marblemount, Wa.  Can you hear the banjoes?  Boarding the San Juan Ferry, in a westside fog!  Deep fog....  Really deep fog.....  Scary fog.....  But one of the boat's co-captains assured Red and me that even with the fog, he had it under control (damn ferrymen get younger all the time!)  But....looky here.....pop goes the ferry (outa the fog!)  Really out....  And this is what you get when the fog goes away in the Pacific Northwest! (Mt Baker in the background!)  Last edited on Tue Aug 30th, 2011 11:25 pm by Cousin Jack ____________________ First name: Mel (Red's: Sandy) "It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might be swept off to." (Bilbo Baggins) |
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| Posted: Wed Aug 31st, 2011 12:30 am | 4th Post |
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 Looks like a good time 
____________________ You are never lost when you have Gas |
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| Posted: Wed Aug 31st, 2011 12:43 am | 5th Post |
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Think how much more fun it would have been if you had gotten the hitch on that Mazda so you could have brought along the Aspen Camper.
____________________ Doug Home Security System designed by Bill Ruger '94 Bermuda Green Pearl SE With Tri-Wing Trike conversion The more I try to keep my Trike clean, the less I like Chrome. |
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| Posted: Wed Aug 31st, 2011 12:52 am | 6th Post |
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DougW wrote:Think how much more fun it would have been if you had gotten the hitch on that Mazda so you could have brought along the Aspen Camper. Just got the hitch this morning..... will be on soon.....
____________________ First name: Mel (Red's: Sandy) "It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might be swept off to." (Bilbo Baggins) |
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| Posted: Wed Aug 31st, 2011 01:00 am | 7th Post |
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What a beautiful trip ,Glad yall had a good time !!!!! Never been on that end of 20 HMMM!!! maybe some day
____________________ John3:16 The Road is long winding hilly flat hot cold sun stars AINT IT FUN!!!! 1st bike 125HD in 1969 250Honda Dream 750Honda 10 HD 89aspencade 1994 GL 1500 Trike Past ------------------- 91HD Maybe Trike project |
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| Posted: Wed Aug 31st, 2011 01:44 am | 8th Post |
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Very beautiful pictures. Glad you had a great trip!
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| Posted: Wed Aug 31st, 2011 08:36 pm | 9th Post |
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Mel Great pictures.. We stopped at your Red Caboose BBQ going the other way, it was very good.. But what got us to stop, was the gas station there.. My fuel light was bright red.. One of those deals where you don't care if gas is $8.00 a gal and we lucked out for a good lunch.........
____________________ Back to riding after a 30 yr lay off.. Started with a 86 Magna 750 on to a 02 Shadow 1100,99 Magna 750,91 ST1100, finaly a 93 Wing.. and now an 06 1800 Loven Life... |
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| Posted: Wed Aug 31st, 2011 09:13 pm | 10th Post |
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Nice CJ!!!! Next is to put a small hitch on the back of the Miata and then you can pull the camper with the car or the bike....
____________________ Please consider helping Rudy at the link... LINK TO HELP RUDY --------------- Have a Gold Wing? Please take the AGE POLL HERE ! --------------- If a man speaks in the forest and there is no woman to hear him, is he still wrong? --------------- SDB/Jim 2000 GL1500SE in CA 1983 GL1100I in SC --------------- But formerly San Diego and now "temporarily" Aiken, SC |
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| Posted: Wed Aug 31st, 2011 09:26 pm | 11th Post |
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Good to see you both livin' the dream Nice pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
____________________ Yesterday is for memories! Today is for making memories! Tomorrow is a concept that does not exist! What are you waiting for? ... Sam-n-Elaine Just livin' the dream!!!!! Just another day in paradise!!!!! Honor above all else!!!!! Thank you Dylan Saunders for the layout of my greeting!!!! |
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| Posted: Wed Aug 31st, 2011 10:50 pm | 12th Post |
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sandiegobrass wrote:Nice CJ!!!! Laying on my living room floor as we speak..... just gotta get enough "unlazy" to install it. Y'all ready for some more? Here we are docking at Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, the largest "city" in the chain. You can travel the San Juans by foot, bicycle, motorcycle, small boat, kayak and canoe, and automobile, and over the years we've done all of them. If you go, set up a base camp here on San Juan Island....then you can travel on the ferry to the other two main islands of Lopez and Orcas Island. http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd226/roscinante/2011%20San%20Juan%20Open%20Car%20Tour/2011SanJuansDrivingMsSandy116.jpg We immediately raced across San Juan Island to try and land a camping spot in our favorite place, San Juan County Park, but it was not to be.... full, as we expected, and we had no reservations. Our favorite place is on that bluff to the right which looks out over the Straits of Juan de Fuca, and to watch ocean-going ships going up and down it at night is a truly unique camping experience! This small bay is called 'Smallpox Bay' because some 19th century sailors suffered from it there (or at least so I think..... don't take it to the bank!) http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd226/roscinante/2011%20San%20Juan%20Open%20Car%20Tour/2011SanJuansDrivingMsSandy122.jpg Here's another way of exploring the islands....come across foot traffic on the ferry, and rent one of these silly things. They also rent single rider mopeds. Don't know who makes them, but all the people riding them have big cheesy grins on their faces! http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd226/roscinante/2011%20San%20Juan%20Open%20Car%20Tour/2011SanJuansDrivingMsSandy132.jpg Red again, cheerfully discussing our misfortune of not having reservations, and that this might be a good place to build our mansion (yeah, right!) http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd226/roscinante/2011%20San%20Juan%20Open%20Car%20Tour/2011SanJuansDrivingMsSandy135.jpg Searching hard for a campground, we went on to Roche Harbor, one of the early ports and "industrial hubs (lime kilsn)" of the islands. There's some serious old and heavy money here, and the word "campground" ain't in anyone's vocabulary! http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd226/roscinante/2011%20San%20Juan%20Open%20Car%20Tour/2011SanJuansDrivingMsSandy150.jpg One of the oldest buildings standing on San Juan Island...Teddy Roosevelt slept here! (But we didn't!) http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd226/roscinante/2011%20San%20Juan%20Open%20Car%20Tour/2011SanJuansDrivingMsSandy142.jpg Last edited on Wed Aug 31st, 2011 10:51 pm by Cousin Jack ____________________ First name: Mel (Red's: Sandy) "It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might be swept off to." (Bilbo Baggins) |
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| Posted: Thu Sep 1st, 2011 12:24 am | 13th Post |
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I think the moderators ought to start a few pinned threads on here for those who take such interesting travels. yours can be the "The Adventures of Red & CJ" . I love the pictures you share of all the places that you go. Your description of the pictures gives me the feeling of being there. You two are the best! Can't wait for that hitch to get on the miata, I know there will be more pictures then!
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| Posted: Thu Sep 1st, 2011 03:01 am | 14th Post |
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What a familiar view CJ! Shot from the passenger seat of a Peterbilt back in February. Attachment: Truckin - 120.jpg (Downloaded 333 times)
____________________ Mike Kramer "Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: Now." Denis Waitley |
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| Posted: Thu Sep 1st, 2011 05:38 pm | 15th Post |
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You were that close, Kramer, and you didn't call us? The river's kind of cool, ain't it?
____________________ First name: Mel (Red's: Sandy) "It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might be swept off to." (Bilbo Baggins) |
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| Posted: Thu Sep 1st, 2011 05:59 pm | 16th Post |
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(edit: sorry, people, but I don't get along with the new photo hosting site I tried either! I'll go away until I get my act together! LOL..... Hokay! Hey! I think I got one that works! Let's see.... Wowser! I think I got a photo host that I can understand! As I left off, we were stranded on San Juan Island without a campsite.... but looky here! We nailed one down in little Snug Harbor....$30 a night, but still a bargain since rooms go for $150-175 daily. And check out that tent door view! Not shabby, hey? http://www.flickr.com/photos/st1300/6104851592/ not a bad spot to land at all..... http://www.flickr.com/photos/st1300/6104851664/ Serious and heavy money...... I used to love tying up my 21' San Juan sloop next to monsters like these! http://www.flickr.com/photos/st1300/6104848802/ Yup....The King is alive and well, and on a yacht in Roche Harbor, Wa.! http://www.flickr.com/photos/st1300/6104304917/ Next day, driving the little car through countryside like this..... the islands have a vibrant economic history, not all of it good! Small farms, sheep ranches, fishing, timber, and smuggling -- both goods and people. The waterways were once nocturnally alive with boats carrying illegal Chinese labor and untaxed whiskey. Both of which were sometimes dumped overboard..... :-( http://www.flickr.com/photos/st1300/6104311767/ Hunter Bay, Lopez Island....one of our favorite anchorages when we had the boat... http://www.flickr.com/photos/st1300/6104870560/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/st1300/6104871380/ 19th century One-room school..... early settlers built (1) a wharf, (2.) a Church, and (3.) a school. Courtrooms and jails came later.... http://www.flickr.com/photos/st1300/6104324191/ Another of our favorite places... Doe Bay, Orcas Island, hippie commune once, utopian community just lately..... very bad organic restaurant! Lol.... http://www.flickr.com/photos/st1300/6104318469/ Used to anchor here! With our swing keel up and about 6'-10' of rode! You were fine unless a gale from the south; if it did, you were screwed..... http://www.flickr.com/photos/st1300/6104864942/ Another favorite boat destination: Olga, Orcas Island.... you could tie up at night to this community dock for .50 a foot, which rounded up to $10 for our mighty yacht..... http://www.flickr.com/photos/st1300/6104859596/ One happy lady.... I live for that smile. Smartest thing I've ever done (other than marrying her) was to get her in that car! http://www.flickr.com/photos/st1300/6104323231/ Here's ol Cousin at one of his favorite spots... the top of Mt. Constitution, Orcas Island, with Rosario Strait down below..... In those waters below, we once made a very serious mistake. Small craft advisories were posted, but we had to be home the next day, and the sea was flat and unrippled, so we left anyway, puttering across Rosario Strait under a four horse motor. Halfway across, a southern gale hit us with 35 knots of wind! We nearly lost the boat, if not our lives.....the motor drowned, but we made it into Fairview Harbor with a reefed main, a blown-out jib, and with fingernail marks all over the damned boat! Those flat and unrippled seas went to 5-6' breaking waves in under five minutes. It would take a regiment of U.S. Marines to get me to ever leave dock under small craft advisories again! Lol! http://www.flickr.com/photos/st1300/6104860488/ This is probably enough.... don't wanna suffocate you..... but if you ever get out here, put the San Juan Islands on your schedule.... hell, give me a call, and I'll go there with you! http://www.flickr.com/photos/st1300/6104855854/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/st1300/6104866788/ Last edited on Fri Sep 2nd, 2011 01:34 am by Cousin Jack ____________________ First name: Mel (Red's: Sandy) "It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might be swept off to." (Bilbo Baggins) |
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| Posted: Fri Sep 2nd, 2011 12:37 pm | 17th Post |
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Awesome CJ and Red! I am so happy for you both! Dubs
____________________ GL1500 Valkyrie Work for tomorrow, live for today. Live life like you mean it! American Legion Member Patriot Guard Rider Member Vietnam Veteran 68/69 MSF Instructor |
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| Posted: Fri Sep 2nd, 2011 05:10 pm | 18th Post |
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Dubswing wrote:Awesome CJ and Red! I am so happy for you both! Couldn't of done it without you, ol' son.... you found us the car! Looks like the trailer's gonna work out, too, both for the bike and the car. Not too sure about the bike, may have to trade up someday for an 1800.....we'll see......
____________________ First name: Mel (Red's: Sandy) "It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might be swept off to." (Bilbo Baggins) |
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| Posted: Fri Sep 2nd, 2011 07:35 pm | 19th Post |
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Very nice CJ. Looks like you enjoyed the summer a bit this year!! It has been a while since my wife and I visited the San Juans, your photo's and descriptions make me want to visit again. One caution on Flickr - once you put up 200 photo's in their free hosting they begin to drop off the oldest ones. This means that anything that links to those dropped folders will no longer work because Flickr will not longer have them. You can pay to get the "Pro" version where they will not delete your oldest photo's. I'm currently at the 197 photo's point and they have warned me that if I don't sign up for pro that when I upload more photo's they will drop the oldest ones off. Henry
____________________ Bikes I've owned 1962 50cc Honda Cub ~3,400 miles,1970 Yamaha 250 Enduro ? miles - all off road 1972 Yamaha 350 R5C Street bike ? > 45,000 miles, 1976 Moto Guzzi 850 T3 Police Special 196,216 miles, 2004 GL1800A Dark Red Yes that is ice on the fender!!! Darksider #902 |
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| Posted: Sat Sep 3rd, 2011 12:47 am | 20th Post |
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Cousin Jack wrote: You were that close, Kramer, and you didn't call us? The river's kind of cool, ain't it? I apologize my friend, but I wasn't driving, we landed in Pasco, WA around 10pm, and were back on the road by 7am the next morning, otherwise I would have. The river is cool...especially that view during the day. The night previous we couldn't see it at all for the snow that was blowing around on a 55mph wind...I just had to take my buddy's word for it that it was there. 
____________________ Mike Kramer "Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: Now." Denis Waitley |
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