tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30612326157391968742024-03-21T21:40:28.402-07:00The View From Herespideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-65664744952086636912019-05-18T13:49:00.002-07:002019-05-18T13:49:26.690-07:00RFTW 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWhrWK8-TqJ6YmbmoZsksz0VJIo6kUgWloCdBFhTfmmKoX2so6WECL08QsAqSEt5MEHG4mVxQvh_CZbsrH5tV0rC2YyCcSdKal_10hMSD0GBOeYNjSroMO6W-ldZKNs8cozOu15TALkDh/s1600/spideyclick_nametag.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="1275" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWhrWK8-TqJ6YmbmoZsksz0VJIo6kUgWloCdBFhTfmmKoX2so6WECL08QsAqSEt5MEHG4mVxQvh_CZbsrH5tV0rC2YyCcSdKal_10hMSD0GBOeYNjSroMO6W-ldZKNs8cozOu15TALkDh/s320/spideyclick_nametag.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-40141557433952489452012-09-25T11:03:00.001-07:002012-09-25T11:03:04.981-07:00I'm getting a Harley!Well, it's been in the making for quite a while now (over a year, I think) but it's now official: I am getting a 2005 Harley Davidson 883 Sportster! My parents got a message from one of Dad's friends a while ago showing the motorcycle and the question asking if anyone in the family wanted to buy it. I saw it and recognized the motorcycle I have always wanted, so I asked Dad if he thought it would be a good idea for me to get it and he said it would be perfect for me!<div>
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However, the bike is in Wyoming. The hard part has been trying to figure out a way to bring it home in Colorado. For over a year we have made a few plans, tried to schedule things, but they never seemed to work out. But now I am old enough just to ride it down on my own!</div>
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I took an ABATE course in basic motorcycle riding a week or two ago and, having passed it, I feel pretty confident that with Dad's help we'll be able to bring it down without any mishaps. I'll ride with him on the way up, then we'll ride each on our own motorcycle on the way back. I think it's going to be some great fun!</div>
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Last week I worked on getting it insured (ouch), and this week I am getting packed and ready for the trip. I hope to be blogging about it as I did on Run For The Wall--you can follow if you want at:</div>
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<a href="http://infinityfocusphotos.blogspot.com/">infinityfocusphotos.blogspot.com</a></div>
spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-34874931167667344952011-07-14T14:25:00.000-07:002011-07-14T14:25:49.000-07:00Run For The Wall In Five MinutesI have now made a short five minute version of the documentary I am making. I plan on making a longer version. Thank you all who let me interview them. enjoy!<br />
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<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/26131600?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="398" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/26131600">Run for the Wall in five Minutes</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/ifphotos">Zachary Hubbell</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><p>This is a five minute summary of Run For The Wall, a run I have ridden on for three years. I plan on making a longer version sometime soon...</p>spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-59748117525557691722011-06-16T19:31:00.000-07:002011-06-16T19:31:21.068-07:00Run For The Wall: a DocumentaryMany who were on the Run may have been asked by me if they could "answer a few questions for a documentary I'm making." If you were wondering when that will be coming out, here is an update.<br />
The filming process was easy enough, but post production has always been difficult for me. I recently bought a new laptop that was supposed to be great for video editing but it is having technical troubles so severe I can no longer even open my editing program for very long, so it has to be shipped to the manufacturer to be fixed, which will take a couple of weeks.<br />
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Also, since I was not able to finish the Run, I have asked a fellow Chaplain to provide me with footage from the Wall and other parts of the Run--that way I can have footage from the whole trip.<br />
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Editing may take a while, but I have some great interviews and shots and would hate to let them go to waste. It may take longer than I'd like, but I plan on getting it done as soon as possible.<br />
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Thanks to all who let me interview them--no one ever rejected me when I asked!spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-40538490743387971202011-05-23T14:43:00.000-07:002011-05-25T22:20:58.242-07:00A New Challenge<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQsH6FqHNSNUeK-pETIHPjzXS-Ra9XXAFvRO1vCBON2b0UYdz78xMhWF9EyQVGs7A8gQd6RIzCXaMdD5reAsGbl7YEDmlP5WDipRNQOrPnANFm82h10ZUa2qtXsqvZlPs9kTz3J_H8yDC/s1600/IMAG0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQsH6FqHNSNUeK-pETIHPjzXS-Ra9XXAFvRO1vCBON2b0UYdz78xMhWF9EyQVGs7A8gQd6RIzCXaMdD5reAsGbl7YEDmlP5WDipRNQOrPnANFm82h10ZUa2qtXsqvZlPs9kTz3J_H8yDC/s200/IMAG0003.JPG" width="200" /></a>In my first year going on Run For The Wall, I was going on it because it was a tough challenge and learning experience that Dad wanted me to do in order to prove that I was becoming a young man. In the years that followed, I did not think I would come up against many new challenges. But this year I think I have come to a harder challenge than any in the years before.<br />
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It was a cold morning, but definitely better than the one in Williams, AZ. I kept comparing Angel Fire to Williams and it might just be me but I think it was warmer in Angel Fire the whole way through.<br />
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We had breakfast in the same building that we had eaten dinner in the night before. The rider's meeting was just outside the door in a parking lot.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgRE9T-DTQBGYZL4b6DoQMkSeACwb7BqBpKLlIoJcJsj01E7QzQzIPXSWLOe5pM1_WkAAHecNiEJCsbY_tuRLQIKga9gEeYS56a6kxoVrBy2d52LtHimdqvSdHlmZ1VedNUhkyNI4Awhv3/s1600/IMAG0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgRE9T-DTQBGYZL4b6DoQMkSeACwb7BqBpKLlIoJcJsj01E7QzQzIPXSWLOe5pM1_WkAAHecNiEJCsbY_tuRLQIKga9gEeYS56a6kxoVrBy2d52LtHimdqvSdHlmZ1VedNUhkyNI4Awhv3/s200/IMAG0007.JPG" width="200" /></a>The meeting itself was pretty routine, but at the end there was an announcement that it was Mr. Kevin's Birthday. We had fun humiliating him as we sang happy birthday to him. I also noticed throughout the day everybody referred to him as the birthday boy. I think we had a better time than he did.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8ha89DhHH_zXQMh4bW3eB7u7-sT7ldLAD2VuJFmam2LgfJ0lYuxv5z2DL3mvc9JlMp3O2euRE3qheo2cOjjPiMeVngjYcyrBJChIdJiYj5BIHmTUzFf5a4CbhWp1zKJA4n22tSGNJZ6P/s1600/IMAG0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8ha89DhHH_zXQMh4bW3eB7u7-sT7ldLAD2VuJFmam2LgfJ0lYuxv5z2DL3mvc9JlMp3O2euRE3qheo2cOjjPiMeVngjYcyrBJChIdJiYj5BIHmTUzFf5a4CbhWp1zKJA4n22tSGNJZ6P/s200/IMAG0013.JPG" width="200" /></a>I thought the ride would be miserably cold, but it wasn't bad for very long. As we got lower down the mountain it warmed up. It was probably the best day of riding I had the whole Run.<br />
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We arrived at Raton with no problems. I remembered that on my last run this was the only leg we had had with rain on the Run. And I had thought that was bad.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi36bSRNM7xrly0M60q94yCp3h3VginjBqsYvBQKuq_7YsYugJSMap-PKWQNDvWzh7A55q5AY7my478tbToLLcwkeIZ5JZEozlbCxy9FGf4Tnu8nU-d2PfTGjpBMnMM0wpbvLTHcvWJtnL_/s1600/IMAG0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi36bSRNM7xrly0M60q94yCp3h3VginjBqsYvBQKuq_7YsYugJSMap-PKWQNDvWzh7A55q5AY7my478tbToLLcwkeIZ5JZEozlbCxy9FGf4Tnu8nU-d2PfTGjpBMnMM0wpbvLTHcvWJtnL_/s200/IMAG0017.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
We fuelled there and afterward the Independent Riders of Raton held a small ceremony for us. They were the ones who provided the free fuel at this stop. The Mayor of Raton came up and said a few words. Of course, plaques were given, and shortly after that we took off again.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8MB6iLMARXf7ualT0rvewd9TyySkX-UaVSpQe5-nYMN5UD2AjusmgbJbfNfbSniYm6vQdCnR6AxLgMNKPMKe3alNUY_ksTZg6fALqiuOMKHv0p1tGRw87sy2NwfYTBn1NEHrVrz8EGxy/s1600/IMAG0037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8MB6iLMARXf7ualT0rvewd9TyySkX-UaVSpQe5-nYMN5UD2AjusmgbJbfNfbSniYm6vQdCnR6AxLgMNKPMKe3alNUY_ksTZg6fALqiuOMKHv0p1tGRw87sy2NwfYTBn1NEHrVrz8EGxy/s200/IMAG0037.JPG" width="200" /></a>We paraded through Trinidad, where we used to get fuel years ago. However, the people there did not think that was a reason not to let us parade on through. There were lots and lots of people with lots and lots of flags.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6yyx8d2pEurx7lewH_ETBfu2n741XgsOnWUj1RD31Kd96NCI8wPusE3fIvBKlGn2e_1fxtUAlL-BJHfVw_bv1Vys9N7ZzPayZZnH6_WXFRsdQ0ST8BxF2Wi-yjPS2lfD8FSi2xPLRY_q/s1600/IMAG0051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6yyx8d2pEurx7lewH_ETBfu2n741XgsOnWUj1RD31Kd96NCI8wPusE3fIvBKlGn2e_1fxtUAlL-BJHfVw_bv1Vys9N7ZzPayZZnH6_WXFRsdQ0ST8BxF2Wi-yjPS2lfD8FSi2xPLRY_q/s200/IMAG0051.JPG" width="200" /></a>The ride was starting to get hot now. We had a hard time at the lunch stop in La Junta keeping cool. However, I wasn't thinking much about the heat because my Mom had come over along with extra supplies. We unpacked the bike, added what was new, repacked the bike and tried to fit lunch in. We barely got on the bike in time to leave with the pack.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_Pd9uRmW04eOKs9fqxHw4imp-Zxfii1r3Oc4ZbWUOyd-iab_ndU3VSA0jarGBhL7CkEntn9vzNN5qbKe-eKRBRDXlC2xlzPfs9PccoCZFEMHbaU74RLn1wendHykgGCTgjTz8wlHK6O7/s1600/IMAG0058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_Pd9uRmW04eOKs9fqxHw4imp-Zxfii1r3Oc4ZbWUOyd-iab_ndU3VSA0jarGBhL7CkEntn9vzNN5qbKe-eKRBRDXlC2xlzPfs9PccoCZFEMHbaU74RLn1wendHykgGCTgjTz8wlHK6O7/s200/IMAG0058.JPG" width="200" /></a>The last leg was nice. The mountains came in and out of sight and the hills rolled along endlessly. It was a nice ride, a little too hot at first but as evening set in it got cooler. We stopped in Limon at a truck stop for fuel. As we got off the bike for a break, Pastor Arnie Swift came up to me and asked if I heard a clicking noise on the motorcycle. I wasn't really listening to the bike but hadn't noticed a difference, so I just said no.<br />
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Well, it turns out he was right. Dad heard the noise too and started looking the bike over. When I had finished my break and was walking out to the bike Arnie and Pastor Dan came to me and started saying they were sorry and would miss me. I wasn't sure what they meant until Dad and them explained that the bike was having engine troubles. We couldn't fix it in time to join back with the Run and had nothing else that would work this year. I couldn't continue the Run.<br />
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There have been a lot of hard times on the Run For The Wall--riding through rain (and snow), camping for days, staying up late and then waking up early to name a few of them. But this was the hardest part this year: watching the entire pack slowly ride away, platoon by platoon, without me.<br />
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We rolled the bike back out of the parking lot and put it next to the building. Dad bought a lunch of corn dogs, chips and soda and had me get the computer off the bike. We were both having a hard time coping with this huge change of plans. Dad was really sad. I was disappointed. We tried to get the Run off our minds with movies from the Internet while we waited for some people from Dad's church to come from Pueblo with a trailer and pick us up. Those were some hard hours of waiting.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqE7EinhmfHjE8XC2Ks7Nr4M5OF8xOovAb1cle1xKiPzNAnF8sZyl-eUMS8pS9WdfDB2Xcmm9yPepNnlVLNvkEOKDjAHbcFDOZPlPCGEDDLkbpDGHsgrK2zxWgbqxC8MncReXJCO1En3gF/s1600/IMAG0068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqE7EinhmfHjE8XC2Ks7Nr4M5OF8xOovAb1cle1xKiPzNAnF8sZyl-eUMS8pS9WdfDB2Xcmm9yPepNnlVLNvkEOKDjAHbcFDOZPlPCGEDDLkbpDGHsgrK2zxWgbqxC8MncReXJCO1En3gF/s200/IMAG0068.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
Eventually, the trailer came and we loaded the bike. The drive back was quite different, even though we were on the same roads. Not only was the scenery different when viewed inside a car, but looking on it from the other side of the Run just isn't the same.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxMgP8JffiGOuCKTAyDZOCm9fizKSWtujrq3R36gneIY2nVNKB2FmcLB_kmYgTq7gnpx-FFyuks2IXxCN5cM6FXYJEE-H5Xcb2VZuzj_Esl_h-DnenM7kY5rXdKz29DmOFSszOOpr7aYq/s1600/IMAG0069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxMgP8JffiGOuCKTAyDZOCm9fizKSWtujrq3R36gneIY2nVNKB2FmcLB_kmYgTq7gnpx-FFyuks2IXxCN5cM6FXYJEE-H5Xcb2VZuzj_Esl_h-DnenM7kY5rXdKz29DmOFSszOOpr7aYq/s200/IMAG0069.JPG" width="200" /></a>It was late when we stopped. We dropped the bike off at Dad's mechanic's house. When we got home, it was very late. I hadn't thought I'd be sleeping in my own bed that night.<br />
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The Run was fun, even though hard. I didn't make it all the way, but I know that if I could have, I would have. It would have been easier for me to have finished, but then again, being a man sometimes means just getting through it even when it's hard.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4wIhh8wPB_7joPVHwdlOMzlYw2FmsQeNTFqU43_4M4zCioMGR-D3k0cb9VRlhXCzGJJrw14khYqzMqMmHPEFVv-eh2UvE2JhUX1pXWubUe7OchZApGiztDoKvEXbHdLTtw9fdU70OIxvx/s1600/IMAG0073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4wIhh8wPB_7joPVHwdlOMzlYw2FmsQeNTFqU43_4M4zCioMGR-D3k0cb9VRlhXCzGJJrw14khYqzMqMmHPEFVv-eh2UvE2JhUX1pXWubUe7OchZApGiztDoKvEXbHdLTtw9fdU70OIxvx/s200/IMAG0073.JPG" width="200" /></a>I already asked Dad and he has confirmed that Emily, my little sister, is coming on the Run next year, so the next time I am on the Run I will be on my own bike. I'm not sure what year I'll be able to join again, but I just know I want to complete my trip to the Wall someday.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9NosDDfip720aYpqrDr_KB9Kv7o6kObZ2u40RBY7PUNZg7ryhWxvi3A2EYes38lnMSNKomUZLZ-sA3GN8v34Jl74KvrwQTZQ7oEOASTeXijlqhkGg-E13aZSBbVDphW3WVIZ-BtDs7ebp/s1600/IMAG0074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9NosDDfip720aYpqrDr_KB9Kv7o6kObZ2u40RBY7PUNZg7ryhWxvi3A2EYes38lnMSNKomUZLZ-sA3GN8v34Jl74KvrwQTZQ7oEOASTeXijlqhkGg-E13aZSBbVDphW3WVIZ-BtDs7ebp/s200/IMAG0074.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-13441242836976360002011-05-20T21:53:00.000-07:002011-05-20T21:53:51.146-07:00Day 8: Angel Fire (New Mexico)<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ZV1wb-3AggQoBobZctx9DuWcZvNwkRwK5s2R8NC7L-purfampt7wxl0xumevJw099eQ8oHbbcCrhJNIEc07xbDYCZNy03ph4BnnMTMXb_xA-PcRuuLiXVXfrH0sc7cwdpHAM_SX2grud/s1600/IMG_6287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ZV1wb-3AggQoBobZctx9DuWcZvNwkRwK5s2R8NC7L-purfampt7wxl0xumevJw099eQ8oHbbcCrhJNIEc07xbDYCZNy03ph4BnnMTMXb_xA-PcRuuLiXVXfrH0sc7cwdpHAM_SX2grud/s200/IMG_6287.JPG" width="200" /></a>The pattern is setting in. Wake up, pack up cords and clothes, get breakfast, go to the meeting and ride, ride, ride. Of course, this morning was a little different than the others. For the first time, there was neither rain or snow on the ground. Also, the meeting was at a movie theatre that was heated, so when we wanted to we could go inside and get warm.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The meeting went about as usual. When we took off, it was not as cold as previous mornings. New Mexico was doing its best to be warm but the clouds that had covered the sky yesterday followed us today as well.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We stopped at the Route 66 Casino Hotel. It has always been a great stop for a couple of reasons. First of all, the fuel for everyone on the Run is free. Second, they don't hold back on the snacks. They had beef jerky, peanuts, different candies, soda and more.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJy2ROtsWbZa9XTkpSlo-ybENpi4ajaFW9UC2UQEdUP5PwGfq6h_OYDGL1zseNRkT5xDZ_ZMIklBrHlN-0cySIcWOQmCR_D2uzZwzwpPBgl5E9cMwzQpeEqpFdfei3aVby3j_4Zhi8u_EP/s1600/IMAG2+%252843%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJy2ROtsWbZa9XTkpSlo-ybENpi4ajaFW9UC2UQEdUP5PwGfq6h_OYDGL1zseNRkT5xDZ_ZMIklBrHlN-0cySIcWOQmCR_D2uzZwzwpPBgl5E9cMwzQpeEqpFdfei3aVby3j_4Zhi8u_EP/s200/IMAG2+%252843%2529.JPG" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="200" /></a>We continued into Albuquerque and turned North. We now took a different route than the one we had used to get to the Run and eventually ended up at the Camel Rock Casino, where we had lunch.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjYXj1klNo4LjYnB-TqmlJZ-aB5zrJoSXxc9j86-mDUIP-8OGDzemcYGNTdrekl5skd6iJH93DKhw2lL6Ras2-Oykqi6-iEVl7uZq4oiqZjUO1MH65khvK109INRUEs0uEgW3AaaM-muQ/s1600/IMG_6096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjYXj1klNo4LjYnB-TqmlJZ-aB5zrJoSXxc9j86-mDUIP-8OGDzemcYGNTdrekl5skd6iJH93DKhw2lL6Ras2-Oykqi6-iEVl7uZq4oiqZjUO1MH65khvK109INRUEs0uEgW3AaaM-muQ/s200/IMG_6096.JPG" width="200" /></a>I needed to get in front of the bikes when we rolled into Angelfire, so I asked the Advance team if I could tag along with them for one leg in their car. I was a little disappointed I would have to be off the bike for a leg, but there was no other way to get ahead of the Run.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqHq-u1DSgty04FaM2GD_K7UqdcOyfitvfBsIKxioJWG06D-2dCqo0mUZIU1d35Mwak12_QoCJMTZXmiu7nnfChL2GSRknG9sEfXHbxZH2isuVyGlagtt8pvrEJqNq6YnUBdNBlRBhECy/s1600/IMG_6214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqHq-u1DSgty04FaM2GD_K7UqdcOyfitvfBsIKxioJWG06D-2dCqo0mUZIU1d35Mwak12_QoCJMTZXmiu7nnfChL2GSRknG9sEfXHbxZH2isuVyGlagtt8pvrEJqNq6YnUBdNBlRBhECy/s200/IMG_6214.JPG" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 472px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 756px; visibility: hidden;" width="96" /></a>I think the ride on the bike might have been easier. We finished lunch in a hurry and got into the car just after the five minute departure alarm had been called. We got out of the parking lot just before it was too late and started on our way to Angelfire. It looked like we wouldn't be able to get ahead for a while because the police escort almost had us pull over so that the Run could go ahead. But they saw the Advance Team sticker on the windshield and let us pass. Soon we were well ahead.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqHq-u1DSgty04FaM2GD_K7UqdcOyfitvfBsIKxioJWG06D-2dCqo0mUZIU1d35Mwak12_QoCJMTZXmiu7nnfChL2GSRknG9sEfXHbxZH2isuVyGlagtt8pvrEJqNq6YnUBdNBlRBhECy/s1600/IMG_6214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqHq-u1DSgty04FaM2GD_K7UqdcOyfitvfBsIKxioJWG06D-2dCqo0mUZIU1d35Mwak12_QoCJMTZXmiu7nnfChL2GSRknG9sEfXHbxZH2isuVyGlagtt8pvrEJqNq6YnUBdNBlRBhECy/s200/IMG_6214.JPG" width="200" /></a> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The road was full of twists and turns. Going up and down mountainsides required these kinds of roads and was a hazard to the bikes. Luckily everyone came through safely as far as I have heard.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6OalOGG9WIn1KU3j9TEx_2a5aZesi-Ln1zZy126NB1ak7hDlhPNVhqHz1jC0mzvfuVwSC0JKFL20lyxIyXLJnep4Y9vwKNv4BG1cSzdm4NypNULO76-sCJu6AuxPDLccfLtyvPJJ2tB80/s1600/IMG_6170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; height: 135px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 201px;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6OalOGG9WIn1KU3j9TEx_2a5aZesi-Ln1zZy126NB1ak7hDlhPNVhqHz1jC0mzvfuVwSC0JKFL20lyxIyXLJnep4Y9vwKNv4BG1cSzdm4NypNULO76-sCJu6AuxPDLccfLtyvPJJ2tB80/s200/IMG_6170.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As soon as we reached the memorial I got out of the car with my equipment and set up the cameras for filming and taking pictures. It was incredible, watching every bike come up out of the valley and onto the mountain-like hill the memorial is built on.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8lDz3obS6mwh3mUwU5VywxcLUw7muK2HVYOhuutQFXRQDupfUsmYxstXkDu-3UqeFSd9-XCzxmxagmhq-phQjhgzgcYkJoLV6CjYyyFwR24OAbLJ0DQrcZVQSgwDJVfux9H4T0-G1m8hr/s1600/IMG_6241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8lDz3obS6mwh3mUwU5VywxcLUw7muK2HVYOhuutQFXRQDupfUsmYxstXkDu-3UqeFSd9-XCzxmxagmhq-phQjhgzgcYkJoLV6CjYyyFwR24OAbLJ0DQrcZVQSgwDJVfux9H4T0-G1m8hr/s200/IMG_6241.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidltDJWlJVp6c2kGy8dE0cnQKuvedtbi0jAtt6Bfyn3dM304jxaZdLnzwiY3xuutp3ZAew7vZpiI-tFYY6nVD5aTxNoeWxoMdfsZuSTWeBWYt08CycNxvOH_IDyA4nPE4Qjv0Lv-5tDnXw/s1600/IMG_6242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidltDJWlJVp6c2kGy8dE0cnQKuvedtbi0jAtt6Bfyn3dM304jxaZdLnzwiY3xuutp3ZAew7vZpiI-tFYY6nVD5aTxNoeWxoMdfsZuSTWeBWYt08CycNxvOH_IDyA4nPE4Qjv0Lv-5tDnXw/s200/IMG_6242.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7rCg5Y6teoPcaZC36oqxBhE7xJUjfaAzj6ggYKtU3ccGDrIMPz97momfbxOcl6Vuao16_LZ-Geu0TiAexdx6uu22YuL4Vc0UulNnf6_RZ3qC6B8QxUzxqKa5YWRBAtYcN5hq76AkLkSEE/s1600/IMG_6215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7rCg5Y6teoPcaZC36oqxBhE7xJUjfaAzj6ggYKtU3ccGDrIMPz97momfbxOcl6Vuao16_LZ-Geu0TiAexdx6uu22YuL4Vc0UulNnf6_RZ3qC6B8QxUzxqKa5YWRBAtYcN5hq76AkLkSEE/s200/IMG_6215.JPG" width="200" /></a>When everyone was there, I picked up my cameras and went in the memorial. There were people all over, both veterans and citizens, looking at the pictures, items, models, books and rooms. Many people were very emotional as they took it all in.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As for me it was a humbling experience to see the dedication and sacrifice our troops displayed in their service. The pictures stuck out to me. Pictures of soldiers in Vietnam doing many things, from playing with children to taking cover from enemy fire. I remembered the pictures from previous years, but that did not take away from their effect this year.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The Chapel was a quiet place where people lit candles at the far corner and could sit and think. I tried to stay as quiet as I could with my noisy camera.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QPEyhbdgAlm13c4zjSre-hgMcNlopQyRZMgkE_X-XAFoP3OGofKoHTDaSt81hQ_dNC29q52NkG07Fz93-MWoJGV5QK7aHB1ymnc0ToYkyX1XIBdl7GcDduDeFC3g93F8lK4BKg4evmky/s1600/IMG_6274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QPEyhbdgAlm13c4zjSre-hgMcNlopQyRZMgkE_X-XAFoP3OGofKoHTDaSt81hQ_dNC29q52NkG07Fz93-MWoJGV5QK7aHB1ymnc0ToYkyX1XIBdl7GcDduDeFC3g93F8lK4BKg4evmky/s200/IMG_6274.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">After looking around some more, Dad and I left for dinner, which was served a few miles away for free. The building was a little cramped, but we were all glad to eat. Someone volunteered to give free back massages and many people took advantage of it.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFM8sRGPbH-UYgT6-Ep6Qswnfh0uTQLOlsuv925PWnZMFfJvzhySFoaBOK9oQu1zde5KzpRXX8k6JuYQ_bJ_2RTFPKaUK88xabwv0Z1wFesyWhRiyIJIrYrJpYOncmzu3g-aTB0V3-zq1K/s1600/IMG_6248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFM8sRGPbH-UYgT6-Ep6Qswnfh0uTQLOlsuv925PWnZMFfJvzhySFoaBOK9oQu1zde5KzpRXX8k6JuYQ_bJ_2RTFPKaUK88xabwv0Z1wFesyWhRiyIJIrYrJpYOncmzu3g-aTB0V3-zq1K/s200/IMG_6248.JPG" width="200" /></a>When dinner had finished, Mr. Kevin joined us again and we all went to the hotel. It is pretty fancy; I always feel kind of bad when we're at such a nice place to leave it so early in the morning the next day. Tomorrow we have to get up as early as 4:45 in the morning, so I'll try to get some hard sleep before the next big day. We will pass Colorado in one day and end up in Kansas according to the plan.</div><img height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7rCg5Y6teoPcaZC36oqxBhE7xJUjfaAzj6ggYKtU3ccGDrIMPz97momfbxOcl6Vuao16_LZ-Geu0TiAexdx6uu22YuL4Vc0UulNnf6_RZ3qC6B8QxUzxqKa5YWRBAtYcN5hq76AkLkSEE/s200/IMG_6215.JPG" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 92px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 835px; visibility: hidden;" width="96" /><img height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJy2ROtsWbZa9XTkpSlo-ybENpi4ajaFW9UC2UQEdUP5PwGfq6h_OYDGL1zseNRkT5xDZ_ZMIklBrHlN-0cySIcWOQmCR_D2uzZwzwpPBgl5E9cMwzQpeEqpFdfei3aVby3j_4Zhi8u_EP/s200/IMAG2+%252843%2529.JPG" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 139px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 491px; visibility: hidden;" width="96" /><img height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqHq-u1DSgty04FaM2GD_K7UqdcOyfitvfBsIKxioJWG06D-2dCqo0mUZIU1d35Mwak12_QoCJMTZXmiu7nnfChL2GSRknG9sEfXHbxZH2isuVyGlagtt8pvrEJqNq6YnUBdNBlRBhECy/s200/IMG_6214.JPG" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 496px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 444px; visibility: hidden;" width="96" />spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-11348313675217000352011-05-19T22:08:00.000-07:002011-05-19T22:08:05.847-07:00Day 7: Arizona-New MexicoI was not looking forward to going outside again. There was a lot of snow on the ground and it was still pretty cold. But we needed to get out there at some point, so after breakfast at the hotel we got loaded and left.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWb3Hv35NRzwmYlt8D5maEkVOnP4g9GBHiYO5nFnkWmM9Cec_dRNeFbRTHlLmHfWYkYHK7vrUzMacxg9o-8gMQvahuYPBaDdwMa0QftxhK8acsnCkIipSXHpKzvqdrkY0Z3NTXrdGB2Ua5/s1600/IMAG0+%252820%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWb3Hv35NRzwmYlt8D5maEkVOnP4g9GBHiYO5nFnkWmM9Cec_dRNeFbRTHlLmHfWYkYHK7vrUzMacxg9o-8gMQvahuYPBaDdwMa0QftxhK8acsnCkIipSXHpKzvqdrkY0Z3NTXrdGB2Ua5/s200/IMAG0+%252820%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a>It wasn't as cold as I was afraid it would be, but it was still chilly. We rode a few minutes and then got to where we had the morning rider's meeting. We all stayed there for an hour or two, talking and waiting for it to start. It wasn't very cold now. The meeting was fine, but I knew it would be a lot colder during the ride.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I had been worried the road might be icy and the weather would be terrible, but it was pretty good compared to the day before. The roads were clear and we had just a little fog. We got out of mountains and it cleared up immediately. In fact, I almost got warm for a few minutes.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUitf5D8REt44acmtpYFz2kJHlAQyOCyxg5_FEF3pwuQgHgEkOHe28ZYc-_3Mac0skDE-RYh9k5gs21E7xnj3q5c-32AQ1Dr5mTouDsjxXfELoLAHAGUZeUpvQvGrtW4vQgXGr39BESPZ/s1600/319_0123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUitf5D8REt44acmtpYFz2kJHlAQyOCyxg5_FEF3pwuQgHgEkOHe28ZYc-_3Mac0skDE-RYh9k5gs21E7xnj3q5c-32AQ1Dr5mTouDsjxXfELoLAHAGUZeUpvQvGrtW4vQgXGr39BESPZ/s200/319_0123.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">By the time we stopped for gas it was cloudy again. It was a short day, so we had lunch after a thirty mile leg. Dozens of people lined the streets, welcoming the Veterans home. We stopped at a Veterans of Foreign Wars post. Lots of people had flags. What stuck out to me was that all the people, from the ones saluting us to the ones serving the food, were happy while they worked. I was shown once again the appreciation people have for their vets.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The last leg of the day was longer than the others, at just over 100 miles. Someone pulled over on the way and Dad hadn't seen a thumbs up sign (which means they're okay), so we stopped as well. We were about walk over and see what the problem was but just then we saw the bike pull away and continue as usual.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjav5ItHw4sQYKKw_JdbrwKe9O6TpRV2GstSk-wIZfa6EB3E1uecGhVKOV1ha0fPGL1ABsBK1RrYRYKzEO1cs85IWeqsoo8ceY-5hgdQ66tAgcMwZOi8qNtcOU8I-jC7ZnfXGjhqpYKvQxL/s1600/IMG_5964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjav5ItHw4sQYKKw_JdbrwKe9O6TpRV2GstSk-wIZfa6EB3E1uecGhVKOV1ha0fPGL1ABsBK1RrYRYKzEO1cs85IWeqsoo8ceY-5hgdQ66tAgcMwZOi8qNtcOU8I-jC7ZnfXGjhqpYKvQxL/s200/IMG_5964.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The rest of the ride was spent catching up to the pack. A few miles after we got in place, we arrived in Gallup. I had thought people were enthusiastic at the lunch stop, but here in Gallup there were far more people waving hundreds of flags. The city went on and on, with people waving and welcoming veterans home.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Then we rounded a corner and I saw a giant flag hung by fire trucks. Most of the people were grouped here, forming a walled path to the parking lot. We got off the bikes and gathered in a large circle. In the middle there were some drummers and people doing native Indian dances. A man played bagpipes and many came and spoke about the Run and the city's heritage, not to mention the plaques that were given away. During all this the weather changed from cloudy to hailing to raining and then back to just cloudy. It was hard to stand out there in the hail but we stayed.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMPZxuVRFYtMxxKsnHJyUUymixZsk4W5TNWmEGebf_I9uyGb_eCminqyf1k8cmgPRpSQYx3Lw-wRl-36uSy2RRz2XSf270ncGhWcHJ7rbCa13rM0hJ9twbWiufDxNRayAx4bquY3hlrm2/s1600/IMG_5972.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMPZxuVRFYtMxxKsnHJyUUymixZsk4W5TNWmEGebf_I9uyGb_eCminqyf1k8cmgPRpSQYx3Lw-wRl-36uSy2RRz2XSf270ncGhWcHJ7rbCa13rM0hJ9twbWiufDxNRayAx4bquY3hlrm2/s200/IMG_5972.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
Afterwards we had some of the free steak dinner and went to our hotel. It was starting to hail again, and we were all sick of the wet weather.spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-86901344865002778892011-05-19T21:58:00.000-07:002011-05-19T22:11:55.156-07:00Day 6: The Run Begins (California-Arizona)<span style="font-family: inherit;">We got up at five this morning so we could get packed up and be at the daily mandatory rider’s meeting by six. We were lost for a while, until we found someone who knew where to go.</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIeHBfys0Mks3ZtRZt6WQOU8HDYw8YFtp1mUcgmdT5n9oKbRJ6iDxxS_V_aHXzLNrr4OedbrLyqXmsZLe-iwUwFIMhf8-j_goBIPPv6WWszhaWobY6a4HVzTcx_zknqfP1h9JmZ_ppanX/s1600/IMAG0110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIeHBfys0Mks3ZtRZt6WQOU8HDYw8YFtp1mUcgmdT5n9oKbRJ6iDxxS_V_aHXzLNrr4OedbrLyqXmsZLe-iwUwFIMhf8-j_goBIPPv6WWszhaWobY6a4HVzTcx_zknqfP1h9JmZ_ppanX/s200/IMAG0110.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was lightly raining and very cloudy. We got breakfast, free at the meeting, and talked while people got the meeting ready.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The meeting included, among other things, an introduction to RFTW and many tips on safety. After that meeting the Platoon leaders had a meeting with their platoons (or in the case of the chaplains we had a prayer meeting), and then we got on our bikes and prepared to leave. The procession of moving all the hundreds of bikes took some time, but we got through it and soon were on our way.</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pWAP9kiJusuBNfurKEB_H5av-qaxIobIF5Puzt5H4dJHbuIcrQuvJNl4yg_q1oXmPb7TJfzTYTro49Y63bDH8uDwl_DhbiULOxqAVRjBD8TppzQVywDE_mfs6lPfZZg5t2mJMTETpouv/s1600/IMAG0117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pWAP9kiJusuBNfurKEB_H5av-qaxIobIF5Puzt5H4dJHbuIcrQuvJNl4yg_q1oXmPb7TJfzTYTro49Y63bDH8uDwl_DhbiULOxqAVRjBD8TppzQVywDE_mfs6lPfZZg5t2mJMTETpouv/s200/IMAG0117.JPG" width="200" /></a> <br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The first leg of the run was much like when we were going to Rancho Cucamonga. Since the road we used was the same, the effect was even more pronounced. Mist had set in heavily again and was mixed with a little rain now and then. As we climbed up mountains, it got more clear until we could see the end of the mist. It was pretty clear the rest of the way.</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our first stop brought back a few memories. The bikes lined up into a huge parking lot, sorted by platoons. We gassed up in order and were done relatively quickly--at least, quickly for hundreds of bikes.</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNwwj2XP_efWRUll-9n_qJPl76ehqc65X6fXQHJleea66rKmkquO3WUxPnSE3uGKNZVxSYNdhM-lOyNof58Ct6WGo8UyZqahJ_SP4aE_Sktco5v47xiyyAbv6267VSZ3osAOdMvwC2erl/s1600/IMG_5865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNwwj2XP_efWRUll-9n_qJPl76ehqc65X6fXQHJleea66rKmkquO3WUxPnSE3uGKNZVxSYNdhM-lOyNof58Ct6WGo8UyZqahJ_SP4aE_Sktco5v47xiyyAbv6267VSZ3osAOdMvwC2erl/s200/IMG_5865.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">We had a little time to just wait and have a break from riding, but soon it was time to go again. It is always amazing to watch so many bikes hit the Highway, one by one in order until the entire parking lot was emptied.</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We went on like this for many hours. The next stop the refreshment trailer was open and almost everyone went to grab a bottle of water or a snack. I found slim jims and made sure to grab a few.</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A little after we got into Arizona we stopped for lunch at Kingman. Something seemed wrong. Every year I had been here it was really, really hot. This year it seemed fine. Then I heard it was snowing ahead, which explained the cool temperature. I had never seen snow on the Run except at Angelfire, New Mexico, which is in the mountains and is usually the coldest point on the Run. I also heard it was supposed to be thirty degrees. Suddenly I didn’t want to leave the lunch area.</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hydltbMxIndOnh6B3bAnaDrVwkAcHugZDpboH7SNWl0x4a0vud8NeJO6UHl00khSMIZRown0IfKJZ1iqjFgTFB2swA6FWjtdxVhbwjkrqUkl75fZPYZuVhyKg4gPqiF9S_TMsHBPMvWr/s1600/IMG_5893.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hydltbMxIndOnh6B3bAnaDrVwkAcHugZDpboH7SNWl0x4a0vud8NeJO6UHl00khSMIZRown0IfKJZ1iqjFgTFB2swA6FWjtdxVhbwjkrqUkl75fZPYZuVhyKg4gPqiF9S_TMsHBPMvWr/s200/IMG_5893.JPG" width="200" /></a> <br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The next leg was fine, but it started cooling more. We barely had fuelled when everyone started to leave again. There was supposed to be a chance of rain ahead, so Dad took some time to get ready for it rather than hurrying to keep up. And when we did take off, it was not long until we found all the others.</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjySJnlpOXnlQt7DrESKRCodeR83r7Jjumw5ioArgmvexMo_hmQL_y0ni6qdpDsqd9OXY1yB5ZYUwAYLrKhG2ArVkliQrrhVdPW9raS86bu5sc15l1AHBEMjwkUftwc8683JPaKUyfIoaT1/s1600/IMAG0+%252815%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjySJnlpOXnlQt7DrESKRCodeR83r7Jjumw5ioArgmvexMo_hmQL_y0ni6qdpDsqd9OXY1yB5ZYUwAYLrKhG2ArVkliQrrhVdPW9raS86bu5sc15l1AHBEMjwkUftwc8683JPaKUyfIoaT1/s200/IMAG0+%252815%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The weather cooled even more. It was getting really cold, but when we came to where it had snowed it got miserable. We just wanted to finish the ride. Luckily, this was the last leg of the day, but Dad had gotten so cold we went straight to a hotel after coming into Williams.</span> </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We took a long time warming up in the hotel and were really glad we could. The storm looks like it may continue tomorrow and it’s hard to say how we’ll get through it with ice on the roads. The rider’s meeting tomorrow has been delayed an hour already. I hope that’s all we have to wait for the roads to become ridable.</span></div></div>spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-83758404155153690852011-05-18T02:12:00.000-07:002011-05-18T02:12:19.014-07:00Day 5: Last Day Before the Run<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We got to sleep in and have a slow breakfast one more time. Chaplain Duane Gryder came and joined us, along with "Road Thing," the Central Route Senior Chaplain this year. It was raining lightly, so I was glad we could stay inside.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJolMmi-eU9br2hJd_sRIPjuMTeBUczaw1DhhLezMRd0T9dM9RRilcV10UF0kqIWTqRnNljJwmTtt-jVyodq5ORhcYf5nbgYlv3Mf-P69I9hdR1O-NcSa_Teoba5q3-0lxnZ4ewUyVQpug/s1600/IMG_5772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJolMmi-eU9br2hJd_sRIPjuMTeBUczaw1DhhLezMRd0T9dM9RRilcV10UF0kqIWTqRnNljJwmTtt-jVyodq5ORhcYf5nbgYlv3Mf-P69I9hdR1O-NcSa_Teoba5q3-0lxnZ4ewUyVQpug/s200/IMG_5772.JPG" width="200" /></a>Dad needed a few giant safety pins to get his chaplain armband on his vest. The pins were actually kilt pins, or something like that, but they looked like they wouldn't come loose like the little safety pins we had used in the past. Chaplain Gryder bought his at a craft store about a mile away. Dad had me walk over there, but I got lost for just a little while. Eventually, I figured out where I was and where I needed to be and found the store. I felt awkward in my biker leathers next to a bunch of sewing people with "kilt pins" and was glad to be walking back to the hotel.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">When it came around lunch time, Dad and I went to a Barbecue pit to talk for a while, but we didn't want to blow a bunch of cash there, so we just walked a little way over to Carl's Jr. to eat.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The FNG* meeting followed soon after. There were many new people coming to the Run this year, so the meeting was very crowded. The Route Coordinator and others discussed the basics of the Run--what to do, how to ride, things to avoid and more.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9yhAtlzHD9HrqoAbkzHTsTWEDfabIKGFA7S_1yW8faIzflxOyzKl10AvsjF7570QT-8uans9a4M0ILSlvtmogruvEljyCa7C35gG2lCPNwT1tnVhpEtEbVmRHmhpu9WO7aAUfzvC8Hiyt/s1600/IMG_5778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9yhAtlzHD9HrqoAbkzHTsTWEDfabIKGFA7S_1yW8faIzflxOyzKl10AvsjF7570QT-8uans9a4M0ILSlvtmogruvEljyCa7C35gG2lCPNwT1tnVhpEtEbVmRHmhpu9WO7aAUfzvC8Hiyt/s200/IMG_5778.JPG" width="200" /></a>Then there was a bike blessing. Dad gave away a lot of bike blessing stickers. A free dinner was served afterward. With almost all of the riders there, the line was extremely long. I just waited until most of the people had eaten before I got in line.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5alJE5ndDUU1UbUyKtz6ewdVFIrIxlFiljq3zvUuNRdbIFzZPbOh3jswoIcUJc07Kcj8i9ykQHJhE6tg3DXgzEsQl5W-XFTdViMd0VLwtiHrhZpymQzLWfqSnzWt2AnKYcWpqfOt51F-7/s1600/IMG_5845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5alJE5ndDUU1UbUyKtz6ewdVFIrIxlFiljq3zvUuNRdbIFzZPbOh3jswoIcUJc07Kcj8i9ykQHJhE6tg3DXgzEsQl5W-XFTdViMd0VLwtiHrhZpymQzLWfqSnzWt2AnKYcWpqfOt51F-7/s200/IMG_5845.JPG" width="200" /></a>While we all ate, there were free giveaways and many people talked on a trailer with speakers hooked up. Dad went up and talked about RFTA, which stands for Run For Them All, and organization Dad has helped start. The goal of the organization is to get new people on the Run so when Vietnam era vets cannot continue the ride it does not end. They helped five FNG's afford going on the ride this year and are raising funds by selling patches.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">After that there wasn't much left to do but go to bed and get ready for the start of the Run For The Wall.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">*New people to the Run are called FNG's. In Vietnam, this was a name for new soldiers. On the Run, many refer to FNG as Fine New Guy.</div>spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-70591309194398887972011-05-17T06:08:00.000-07:002011-05-17T06:08:17.564-07:00Day 4: RegistrationWe slept in this morning and did not hurry through breakfast. It was pretty uneventful, although I felt a little sick for a while.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEXeuvIrZNMOsxH0D0ZtSN_sZM0Dp1k7PUDOh6lBbuvhaD7kUNw0RBT_PMnwMH_Sm3nBVc3DhHdBxuiQZjCZfMIxGRCKBA3KJIapJp_JiHg2eFTw714PGZs6-4qBtTOZY7mwppdtT10L6/s1600/IMG_5706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEXeuvIrZNMOsxH0D0ZtSN_sZM0Dp1k7PUDOh6lBbuvhaD7kUNw0RBT_PMnwMH_Sm3nBVc3DhHdBxuiQZjCZfMIxGRCKBA3KJIapJp_JiHg2eFTw714PGZs6-4qBtTOZY7mwppdtT10L6/s200/IMG_5706.JPG" width="200" /></a>Mr. Kevin asked if I could help with registration. He needed me around noon, so I got up and went to the Hotel across the parking lot, where everyone would gather to sign up for RFTW. Most of the bikers had come by now and there were plenty of opportunities to talk to people.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I spent some time labeling papers and tags with numbers 1-200, and by the time I had finished with that the registration line was very long. It took a long time for very much progress to be made at all.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_i4MNgGz6aSZpkXcKxUgokYV-53Eqp2gP5DRsjRno7evuMJ3HhXFbAhdV6eMRqaKxXjH5V_blo52pwlGz4lxotbXniO9onJ6pHh01UsYw3GNQ-EPMS2Gyj0tslYINvW-p0DkS_DG9AnY/s1600/IMG_5717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_i4MNgGz6aSZpkXcKxUgokYV-53Eqp2gP5DRsjRno7evuMJ3HhXFbAhdV6eMRqaKxXjH5V_blo52pwlGz4lxotbXniO9onJ6pHh01UsYw3GNQ-EPMS2Gyj0tslYINvW-p0DkS_DG9AnY/s200/IMG_5717.JPG" width="200" /></a>The line did not end all day. Just as soon as it got close another group would arrive, making the registration workers busy for hours on end.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Dad and I eventually got registered after the line had shortened quite a bit. It seemed strange to me that after all this, we were only just now on the Run officially.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">After that, we were invited to eat dinner at a spaghetti restaurant. We had a great time talking with many people. The portions of spaghetti were so large that many of us did not finish our meals, although Dad and I did.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>We went back to the hotel, very sleepy from a busy day and a huge dinner.spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-87535644515573114552011-05-15T22:44:00.000-07:002011-05-20T05:01:48.161-07:00Day 3: Rancho CucamungaWe got up and left by six. It was cool outside, which meant the ride was a little cold. Things were going pretty smoothly. We only had a couple hundred miles and it looked like we would be there in no time.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkoBd_v9EdpqQy4krJf7fZ27GGdZxJUGawip8u19RcdqnVcK09_gfpLj_hSDEPW5C5TaiTS9pvUUBohYZeGzhJaYBvSH42CzQTccxijtR56-10__xAeV81yLjGfw3rIRP3vC9Sp-uKZUb9/s1600/IMAG0060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkoBd_v9EdpqQy4krJf7fZ27GGdZxJUGawip8u19RcdqnVcK09_gfpLj_hSDEPW5C5TaiTS9pvUUBohYZeGzhJaYBvSH42CzQTccxijtR56-10__xAeV81yLjGfw3rIRP3vC9Sp-uKZUb9/s200/IMAG0060.JPG" width="200" /></a>Then we saw clouds--lots of clouds. Big, dark, cold and soaking wet black clouds. We stopped for gas before we hit them and thought about what to do. I think all of us wanted to stay at the gas station and wait it out, but Dad decided we should just go for it in case it only got worse. We only had one more leg and we weren't sure we would hit the storm anyway.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Keeping a close eye on those clouds, we set off again, keeping ready for the worst. We seemed to be headed straight for the storm, but the road turned in time and we avoided it, at least for a little while. Then it turned again and we faced a thick wall of water. It looked a bit like heavy rain, but as we got closer it turned out to be really thick fog. The change from clear air to the worst of the fog was abrupt. As soon as we entered the fog, I looked back and could not see anything else.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It was better than rain, but it was still miserable. Water didn't fall on us; it just got us wet as we rode through it. Thankfully our electronic gear stayed dry.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNNET8E1ljy_qHVIO-Ft9JJQ8t8pXgs8crEZDCx_Oj36074WNNJdcFOLSl01OP2WPoFXjMUMeQ0DznZrtThrP-WZkXuyGgY6jvR10J08BxixTf2Q3CSZweTWCJXTCoBwdJvAPRMtKiWyl/s1600/IMAG0069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNNET8E1ljy_qHVIO-Ft9JJQ8t8pXgs8crEZDCx_Oj36074WNNJdcFOLSl01OP2WPoFXjMUMeQ0DznZrtThrP-WZkXuyGgY6jvR10J08BxixTf2Q3CSZweTWCJXTCoBwdJvAPRMtKiWyl/s200/IMAG0069.JPG" width="200" /></a>It also got really cold. I don't think it was quite as bad as Trinidad, but it got close. I'm not sure how long we were in the fog; it seemed somewhere around a half hour. I was so happy to see a sign saying Rancho Cucamonga was five miles away.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It started raining lightly as we pulled into the hotel parking lot. We couldn't find the entrance at first, but after we circled the building we figured out where it was. Finally, we parked and I was able to get off the bike. We went inside as soon as we could to check in. When we did, we heard that breakfast was still open for another ten minutes. We hadn't eaten yet, so me hurried and got some. Being some of the first bikers to have arrived at the hotel, most of everyone else there were "normal" people with suits and ties. Our hands were still clumsy from the cold, and while we made a bit of a mess of our breakfast people starting giving us weird looks.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBV7sVinU3_O-BBugac2IOiiJ30JbQRCWB7pe-avA_ZLR1rJd57bMLq3Uy6nSwHuKDBKApVqgrEaeCUHnCbic4vV0ZZihZ-sMFT4tC85R7UFMpHKR0rFQCde2sWbbESPlbu6fO8thdp2La/s1600/IMG_5651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBV7sVinU3_O-BBugac2IOiiJ30JbQRCWB7pe-avA_ZLR1rJd57bMLq3Uy6nSwHuKDBKApVqgrEaeCUHnCbic4vV0ZZihZ-sMFT4tC85R7UFMpHKR0rFQCde2sWbbESPlbu6fO8thdp2La/s200/IMG_5651.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We did not come out to get our stuff until we had gone into our room and settled in a bit. It rained some more while we were indoors, but eventually we went outside to move the luggage and the bikes.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We stayed in the room for a few hours, waiting for Dad's meeting at one. When it came around, Dad left and I stayed in the room for a couple hours longer.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh09GtkO-nnN4qub5cFX-CLb9ArOqwrj1DG5zHumgC4VM-iZXifF4Bi80-NWB5-2FTmdlFTZXVsO8Ft2AtTaw0vfINrjxb5GBd-hN88LQNXlJVAt7J9qpje1_3eJ9V0iNTudG68dMWfgWk8/s1600/IMG_5652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh09GtkO-nnN4qub5cFX-CLb9ArOqwrj1DG5zHumgC4VM-iZXifF4Bi80-NWB5-2FTmdlFTZXVsO8Ft2AtTaw0vfINrjxb5GBd-hN88LQNXlJVAt7J9qpje1_3eJ9V0iNTudG68dMWfgWk8/s200/IMG_5652.JPG" width="200" /></a>When he came back, he let me leave the hotel and talk to the people who had come since the last time I was outside. People were arriving pretty steadily for it being this early. I talked to many people I recognized, and the rest of the day was mostly spent talking. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3j4qfCkXkWobHDifqtM1KZxe8YPJwXQ6FfbdCuI9SyFddhlxYv84RcbYicabIz-uddyLNyHTXd4JjP9dSdI1Kybh1-wyVWup8XooUd1vZlQ3PFsBRbb-xBAihTnfTeuvd66bnZ3RL1-nM/s1600/IMG_5686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3j4qfCkXkWobHDifqtM1KZxe8YPJwXQ6FfbdCuI9SyFddhlxYv84RcbYicabIz-uddyLNyHTXd4JjP9dSdI1Kybh1-wyVWup8XooUd1vZlQ3PFsBRbb-xBAihTnfTeuvd66bnZ3RL1-nM/s200/IMG_5686.JPG" width="200" /></a>In the evening, Dad, Mr. Kevin, Chaplain Gryder (who rode with Dad, me and Chaplain Dean last year) and another friend walked around for a few minutes. We found a Carl's Jr. where we ate dinner. We all talked a while, and when we were done we all went home for the night. Tomorrow more bikers will arrive and will be filling out paperwork to sign up for RFTW.</div>spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-4984279823731059452011-05-15T14:24:00.000-07:002011-05-15T14:29:48.544-07:00Day 2: New Mexico-ArizonaWe started out again much like the day before. We did not have to get up early again, so we took it pretty easy while we got packed and ate breakfast. Dad had a good time talking with DC before we took off again.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1NCkbk828vXc3rk5_Mo0XVH5Y4dNowXAVMzHwqwNK1GBHKbgHUvH1lJHQBaDYwBHyuaReHiuD8m_PVYKTRrvg5D664Ea2zlZ9BUMXdg02GoE2DaZw0JCxbXJhp_2NjDanrfCPqGO9NvE/s1600/IMAG0030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1NCkbk828vXc3rk5_Mo0XVH5Y4dNowXAVMzHwqwNK1GBHKbgHUvH1lJHQBaDYwBHyuaReHiuD8m_PVYKTRrvg5D664Ea2zlZ9BUMXdg02GoE2DaZw0JCxbXJhp_2NjDanrfCPqGO9NvE/s200/IMAG0030.JPG" width="200" /></a>It was hot and windy as we rode across Arizona on Highway 40. I enjoyed recognizing a lot of the same places we stop on the Run For The Wall route. We stuck with each other for most of the day, but we weren't stopping in Las Vegas, so when we had lunch at McDonald's we parted ways. It was a bit of a letdown to be back to two bikes, but I knew we would see each other the next day.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoKZY-RFYzndFmVCf13bf0irmUt0Ks29Wm9TVsNdyDYRrLYOI2Ry11RBRzSwWQuYH1MFNoCUVw5XHh00gbc0pdmSEcrjMjCn_cSq7A7qTF3DNOGtvm3QrG2XJ8VJin_fYMT8pBrh-kaAX/s1600/IMAG0040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoKZY-RFYzndFmVCf13bf0irmUt0Ks29Wm9TVsNdyDYRrLYOI2Ry11RBRzSwWQuYH1MFNoCUVw5XHh00gbc0pdmSEcrjMjCn_cSq7A7qTF3DNOGtvm3QrG2XJ8VJin_fYMT8pBrh-kaAX/s200/IMAG0040.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<br />
</div>We continued on our way to Needles, CA. It got a lot hotter right after stopping at Kingman. I was glad we were moving fast as the wind kept me relatively cool.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNuBL0SyQYqKHCnSclwE_XlfKm-OD2bxwkY8ulhjBzfRJ8UVhDQa7kPpC4Ake1JwbBEkCFoWpqZAXtx43vT_NW8OwpNxZgucHdjdiIQZbAwyAujLHCCtn__329rUWpEH4adQA5-Nv6Xfp/s1600/IMAG0039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNuBL0SyQYqKHCnSclwE_XlfKm-OD2bxwkY8ulhjBzfRJ8UVhDQa7kPpC4Ake1JwbBEkCFoWpqZAXtx43vT_NW8OwpNxZgucHdjdiIQZbAwyAujLHCCtn__329rUWpEH4adQA5-Nv6Xfp/s200/IMAG0039.JPG" width="200" /></a>Soon we stopped for the day. Gas was ridiculous in California, at $4.89 a gallon for the cheap stuff! I hated to stop at all, because when the wind quit blowing it was hotter than before. We quickly checked into a Motel 6 and turned the air conditioning on. I was glad we rode so hard the day before so that we didn't have to go far today. Better yet, tomorrow is going to be even shorter. However, Dad needs to be at Rancho Cucamunga by 11AM for a meeting, so we won't have quite as much time to be slow. After that, we can relax for a few days before the Run starts.</div>spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-30572610120942665632011-05-13T20:17:00.000-07:002011-05-14T05:05:16.825-07:00Day 1: The Trip Begins...Again.<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A few days ago Mr. Kevin came to our house. He is riding with Dad and I this year, so he stayed with us at the house until today. We got everything loaded on (including all three of my cameras/camcorders) and said goodbye. We prayed briefly for safety on the road and that things would go well at home, too.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOj5x5wkrx5NsfSoMX8zQYixeaebK0q3RdM182ecQjjCCkEOdZrVPdwglTchyphenhyphenQrFdBsrs5v06Y-oCxezEXGxLEf5QYwRfKrs7ifdHRmG62oHimszO4PJQopjYlCfei-O0a-FqeGXNtPbu9/s1600/IMAG0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOj5x5wkrx5NsfSoMX8zQYixeaebK0q3RdM182ecQjjCCkEOdZrVPdwglTchyphenhyphenQrFdBsrs5v06Y-oCxezEXGxLEf5QYwRfKrs7ifdHRmG62oHimszO4PJQopjYlCfei-O0a-FqeGXNtPbu9/s200/IMAG0001.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Then we were off. We had waited to leave until eight because the temperature was twenty degrees colder at six, but when we did get on the road it was still cold. The temperature itself wasn't so bad, but we were on motorcycles, which meant a lot of windchill. I figured out right away what I had forgotten to take. Gloves. My hands felt so cold, but there was nothing to do.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ4xDF90hKonN4TxJ1oEI75S3u7_JC-ou21Tg0hBxPhjzyjE07zSVRxB-GRGEzcGxMJOcxpcus9jgf3eGGAvDAP05m1avI71X6KD3MgKSO_3PSe64XGHfo_5fBph59OWXqbGsuxOYtZ3Z1/s1600/IMAG0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ4xDF90hKonN4TxJ1oEI75S3u7_JC-ou21Tg0hBxPhjzyjE07zSVRxB-GRGEzcGxMJOcxpcus9jgf3eGGAvDAP05m1avI71X6KD3MgKSO_3PSe64XGHfo_5fBph59OWXqbGsuxOYtZ3Z1/s200/IMAG0015.JPG" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We stopped in Avondale, just a few minutes West of our house, to make sure we had enough gas for the ride. From there, we went through Pueblo and got on I-25. We traveled for a while just fine, but the it got colder. Dad only had fingerless gloves on, and he didn't want to put his winter gloves on until our next fuel stop. The only thing for us to do was to tough through it.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqAE-K6f1WOAErQcJX8ebMQH35vlufxFZ5-DjzA03rlLPvERqVl0AZVa0TYdaAOZ5sN2PgZ1udXfzkZCME9tzZu6erlT_Rfifa2bOCIDy9ahGGiIdd_3mM0oI1IpRq7TAyjRmHQAPwz1d/s1600/IMAG0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqAE-K6f1WOAErQcJX8ebMQH35vlufxFZ5-DjzA03rlLPvERqVl0AZVa0TYdaAOZ5sN2PgZ1udXfzkZCME9tzZu6erlT_Rfifa2bOCIDy9ahGGiIdd_3mM0oI1IpRq7TAyjRmHQAPwz1d/s200/IMAG0009.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Finally, we made it to Trinidad and stopped. Dad was barely able to use the gas pump, but after he did we went inside and got coffee. We stayed for a half hour, but our hands were numb for most of that time. We were all glad for the break.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Reluctantly we pulled ourselves away from the indoors and took off again. Dad had his winter gloves on now, but it turned out he didn't need them much. The weather got warmer the further South we went. Soon it was almost hot.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We crossed into New Mexico and made it to Albuquerque, where we stopped again for gas. But we weren't expecting to recognize anyone. When we pulled in, I recognised DC, who has been on the Run for several years, and two others. They were going the same route we were, so we just rode together for the rest of the day.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUygOHots5b3HpcocWHVdmk5i-JT646i0aK38qZNibifn1BmxcOD5DcIninNmPVc0v9qnxT_YPgRtcPV2fEb27AvpzsRtO-7AlFj_GqEaYV-uj0n3uzoswSbQ9gII3etLnI5jxkVM96z9/s1600/IMAG0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUygOHots5b3HpcocWHVdmk5i-JT646i0aK38qZNibifn1BmxcOD5DcIninNmPVc0v9qnxT_YPgRtcPV2fEb27AvpzsRtO-7AlFj_GqEaYV-uj0n3uzoswSbQ9gII3etLnI5jxkVM96z9/s200/IMAG0010.JPG" width="200" /></a>Someone else on a motorcycle with a large bag strapped to the back of his bike tried following us. He had a bright greenish-yellow safety vest, so I guessed that was a road guard. However, we were going pretty fast and he just couldn't keep up, so he eventually fell out of site. For a while, though, it seemed like we were leading our own run!</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We finally stopped in Gallup, where we found a hotel to stay in. I was glad that we ate at Denny's for dinner after a long and hard day of riding. We talked a while before heading off to our rooms again. We had covered 500 miles today and the plan is to go 300 miles tomorrow, then 200 miles the day after to get us to Rancho Cucamunga, CA, where the Run begins. We should have a couple days to rest there before the Run begins. As always, I can't wait!</div>spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-4921986879932612322011-04-21T19:24:00.000-07:002011-04-21T19:24:17.289-07:00I'm BackIt's been a while since my last post on this blog. I've had to skip Run For The Wall for a year while my Mom, Teresa Hubbell, went. But now my Dad has let me come back to finish my third and final year (that is, until I learn how to ride and get a bike, etc.)<br />
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I'm getting very excited about seeing everyone again. Last time I was on the Run, I had a little Sony camera I used to take the pictures for the blog. In the aspect of photography, I've gotten a little more ambitious. I now own a Canon Rebel T1i, an SLR camera that I was only dreaming of earlier. Also my Dad has a camcorder and I have a Flip video camera loaned to me, so not only will I be taking pictures but I will also shoot video. I hope to be able to put together a documentary of some sort when it's all said and done...<br />
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In the meantime, I have to prepare for the ride. With all of my new equipment, I have to find something to put it all in. SLR cameras take up a lot of room so I'll have to get creative.<br />
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That said, I can't wait to ride again!spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-75406113246221048012009-06-29T19:18:00.001-07:002009-06-29T19:21:20.148-07:00The Missionary KidTo read about further adventures of my life, visit my new blog <em>The Missionary Kid </em>at<br /><br />themissionarykid-spidey.blogspot.com<br /><br />I hope you enjoyed reading about my trip on Run For The Wall and I also hope you will enjoy reading my new blog.<br /><br /> --Spideyspideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-27969822623796209012009-06-23T11:16:00.000-07:002009-06-23T11:19:30.492-07:00Conclusion<div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFg60b5irNuW_sL55KEMxcBk9lvzliB8Ub7XuPw_uyP0M5vBv4NbG8NpbLDs3Rb1dPshN-eqbkV9SB9wQdxTcWUJD8rFV8uGRDqAGzbIc-v-b88WxF-I0nvx2wE_UlEOOJHBM5USOiX9m/s1600-h/DSC00880.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350588922103130306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFg60b5irNuW_sL55KEMxcBk9lvzliB8Ub7XuPw_uyP0M5vBv4NbG8NpbLDs3Rb1dPshN-eqbkV9SB9wQdxTcWUJD8rFV8uGRDqAGzbIc-v-b88WxF-I0nvx2wE_UlEOOJHBM5USOiX9m/s200/DSC00880.JPG" /></a>From Colorado to California, from Washington, DC to Canada, from New Hampshire to home, this whole ride has been one of the most memorable times of my life. Though the hardships of bike trouble, bad weather, changed plans and much more have made the ride difficult, I do not regret going. I will do it again next year if I can and I can't wait to go on the Run once more. But until then, I wait and treasure the memories of the ride that I have completed already. Memories like being a part of NCOM and seeing all the presentations there, or finishing<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_oyYBeg7nTxgKmFdK2rwq078NDCMdPF-UZKDDo8Jjs8BE39qbffViN8OsBaAGL2YOfDxdGVmso4xAqBdb9tB9wmHV7ud9JjSUAJfhev-OvXSSDELjWvl-sG259v_cBkvqo2m0m43EjzaP/s1600-h/DSC08341.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350589091863012434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_oyYBeg7nTxgKmFdK2rwq078NDCMdPF-UZKDDo8Jjs8BE39qbffViN8OsBaAGL2YOfDxdGVmso4xAqBdb9tB9wmHV7ud9JjSUAJfhev-OvXSSDELjWvl-sG259v_cBkvqo2m0m43EjzaP/s200/DSC08341.JPG" /></a> the Run and going to the Wall, staying at the church in Arlington and being able to see DC at night, riding to bike events and serving free coffee, seeing Niagara Falls in Canada and traveling home with the Vicories in their car--those are the memories that are embedded in me for life. I will not forget them. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0ksJ8Z7b0Cjm8kxIDrfITiUyb5ykecFPgii7KUbKBwgyg_SnpQz1dUdi3h8hQSq7qFx-4LNtr2ow6Bk93vfMnnBJBpnVx1kD53bTQxlZZoR5cP3KChRdZS4A-GrxrKdYuIn_KsyWa4Px/s1600-h/DSC08475.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350588929555888130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0ksJ8Z7b0Cjm8kxIDrfITiUyb5ykecFPgii7KUbKBwgyg_SnpQz1dUdi3h8hQSq7qFx-4LNtr2ow6Bk93vfMnnBJBpnVx1kD53bTQxlZZoR5cP3KChRdZS4A-GrxrKdYuIn_KsyWa4Px/s200/DSC08475.JPG" /></a></div><div><br />Finishing the Run was a fulfilling experience, full of fun, hardships, friends and so much more. Some day I hope I will be able to do it on a motorcycle of my own--but for now, I am content to be on the back of my dad's bike.<br /></div><div>If all goes well, I will be blogging again next year. Until then...<br /></div><div>--Zach</div></div></div>spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-8779822591572612262009-06-23T11:04:00.000-07:002009-06-23T11:15:49.923-07:00Day 47<div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgooDfbqv8uLLvQvefSNigEVhM2_v9DSdiHlfjX4iwh4pRBPDF7pIRnEGOKrTy9fwoKybjHIPMvrHL42kcj07yG-sbcOqKywlOLi8hZ8wrP4Q0Dit2aBQqtolrTeR74qOuzqUhmg9-yuXWv/s1600-h/DSC08425.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350586046024745090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgooDfbqv8uLLvQvefSNigEVhM2_v9DSdiHlfjX4iwh4pRBPDF7pIRnEGOKrTy9fwoKybjHIPMvrHL42kcj07yG-sbcOqKywlOLi8hZ8wrP4Q0Dit2aBQqtolrTeR74qOuzqUhmg9-yuXWv/s200/DSC08425.JPG" /></a>In the morning we talked with Pastor Arnie and got ready for the day. We would not be riding on the bike because we did not think it could make it the hundreds of miles we had left to get home. Instead, our friends the Vicories came in their car and picked us up. We got our things packed up, loaded the bike onto the trailer and soon we were ready to go.<br /></div><div>We had an enjoyable ride in the car. Since we had no air conditioning, we rolled down the windows and let the air in. I was grateful that we did not have to battle the ever-present winds of Kansas or get sprayed with oil. We didn't have to stop so often for gas, either.<br /></div><div>I ate snacks for lunch. We looked at the scenery, listened to music <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPq5rBpoHSt4pZj2Y3ZTB9-4tjNwGRh4o2upY3t9iNjet5CXsVVa95DEurJPFACfBkU2cOKtoQfw9jxCKtXEQbCzjAKmmi5Ebktk0Tm4ZGeHd62LiwF4v_cbztuI6B1-Os6qobTdaOjeg/s1600-h/DSC08459.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350588208436326546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPq5rBpoHSt4pZj2Y3ZTB9-4tjNwGRh4o2upY3t9iNjet5CXsVVa95DEurJPFACfBkU2cOKtoQfw9jxCKtXEQbCzjAKmmi5Ebktk0Tm4ZGeHd62LiwF4v_cbztuI6B1-Os6qobTdaOjeg/s200/DSC08459.JPG" /></a>and talked all day. It was nice, but both Dad and I were eager to get home.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP21QmiF5Q2RB6Om-MQGja3UculXbhM7ghJkMzkVey3xwh_E0aevYDP1_gauah4om-n97C-Jee6tD9gmr-TBKrHmC1fJA6X30ZhwzbXs-ItNgqx95I1Pqwl4N1ElCAXTNo-_BepQ71Tium/s1600-h/DSC08459.JPG"></a></div><div>After hours of driving, we finally crossed into Colorado! We were sure it would not be long until we got home.<br /></div><div>But we were wrong.<br /></div><div>Suddenly we heard a bang followed by several repetitive thumping noises. I thought we had blown a tire, but when we got out we found it was much more complicated. Immediately everyone was on their phones, calling insurance companies, tow trucks, family and more. But at the end of it all we were in almost the same spot as before.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHRjRekvrKxg0FpTdXrnmqIh2qleScFlfRUMb6SUfERRpnKSdHBOh0ao7G5yKdPE67GFUtCLTPFBEzjhsq8ResG-PDJeGapBZ4_tx9ZxjsvpHVeOB-MEtCg36Rcx3-EKqHlS9cDWB7TuaR/s1600-h/DSC08472.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350586052943410946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHRjRekvrKxg0FpTdXrnmqIh2qleScFlfRUMb6SUfERRpnKSdHBOh0ao7G5yKdPE67GFUtCLTPFBEzjhsq8ResG-PDJeGapBZ4_tx9ZxjsvpHVeOB-MEtCg36Rcx3-EKqHlS9cDWB7TuaR/s200/DSC08472.JPG" /></a>Luckily Mr. Russell, who had been driving the whole time, came up with a solution. He took out what had snapped and, since the rear wheels would not be able to accelerate, put it into four-wheel drive! It worked, and we drove all the way home using the method. Not only had our bike broken down, but the car had, too. </div><div> </div><div>We had barely gotten home--but we had arrived.<br />We were greeted by the rest of the family. It felt so good to be back! We got our bags in the house, said goodbye to the Vicories and enjoyed the rest of the evening with the family. For the first time in about a month and a half, I actually got to sleep in my own bed.<br /></div><div>Our journey had ended. The trip was over. Our mission is complete.</div></div></div></div>spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-60698035135464606322009-06-18T18:59:00.001-07:002009-06-18T19:12:27.766-07:00Day 46<div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBuBa_Qd50MjzARMohmH0D1ZFmjGo8ODj8TWa05zxgeEhLd17kav9jQOxybCSbHqwyU_L5eEd4ixkjTg78-hjeS1GIYavrfF-fN6j1sE2oi5VndXvIP4R78NsMfxwv7TTt1wg0ri11a8O8/s1600-h/DSC08383.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348853432552721538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBuBa_Qd50MjzARMohmH0D1ZFmjGo8ODj8TWa05zxgeEhLd17kav9jQOxybCSbHqwyU_L5eEd4ixkjTg78-hjeS1GIYavrfF-fN6j1sE2oi5VndXvIP4R78NsMfxwv7TTt1wg0ri11a8O8/s200/DSC08383.JPG" /></a>In the morning it was raining very hard and we could hear loud thunder. It did not look like a fun day to ride.<br /></div><div>We got some breakfast and waited in the motel, hoping the rain would let up before we had to check out. And luckily, it did! It stayed cloudy, but the rain and thunder had quit coming down. </div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8tP4Je9QJGcpUkvfRyhXBr5cYklHptxNCWMdCuPIWWcoAj0oBbYipgmIYqDipRw0zKrGl4ByZ3EKa4IRnW2qrtSXJbYyimyqU8NqXnI8wgc73vPb5JkpiMHMcnfYK06JpWNYkuikCXgl/s1600-h/DSC08403.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348854907401684178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8tP4Je9QJGcpUkvfRyhXBr5cYklHptxNCWMdCuPIWWcoAj0oBbYipgmIYqDipRw0zKrGl4ByZ3EKa4IRnW2qrtSXJbYyimyqU8NqXnI8wgc73vPb5JkpiMHMcnfYK06JpWNYkuikCXgl/s200/DSC08403.JPG" /></a>Dad took the opportunity to work on the bike and see if he could stop the huge oil leak that had started up a couple days before. </div><div><br />After Dad had finished tinkering with the bike and had put it back together we got packed and set off. It started heating up quickly and before we knew what had happened we were unzipping or taking off our jackets.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_tUbe5tjrI9ttmI1Jgqw9b6E2Mw0I6uiRSJreNWYVBiGfRp69bH4inNoCYJYiCJp8kSpsKJB8s3Jvt9uEIp4U94YKOQua5-NyNdWQXSrnOR0WklstmZeAQqT-bsBH1kup0eereADjb2y/s1600-h/DSC08417.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348853441127773346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_tUbe5tjrI9ttmI1Jgqw9b6E2Mw0I6uiRSJreNWYVBiGfRp69bH4inNoCYJYiCJp8kSpsKJB8s3Jvt9uEIp4U94YKOQua5-NyNdWQXSrnOR0WklstmZeAQqT-bsBH1kup0eereADjb2y/s200/DSC08417.JPG" /></a>We crossed from the East side of the US to the West and had left Illinois. We rode most of the day in Missouri and got hot dogs for lunch. We rode a few hundred miles, but it felt much longer in the heat. Each time we stopped we had to clean the bike because oil was still flying everywhere. </div><div> </div><div>My leg was constantly covered with the slippery substance and I could not keep my foot on the floorboards. </div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ2v_aYjPwJTevaEzCjNcVA5dosss1NQ2BjYm9KozvMyBDb1PAW9WmnpBXV9MjjA5FjoltkQ33Twi9clwsw68K42VBVl5zeHx_a6FQXcfjTrZR7kPy9clsdNlZ2613qQvt8qfr-PQ0wbW6/s1600-h/DSC08422.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348854909436766802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ2v_aYjPwJTevaEzCjNcVA5dosss1NQ2BjYm9KozvMyBDb1PAW9WmnpBXV9MjjA5FjoltkQ33Twi9clwsw68K42VBVl5zeHx_a6FQXcfjTrZR7kPy9clsdNlZ2613qQvt8qfr-PQ0wbW6/s200/DSC08422.JPG" /></a></div><div>Finally we crossed into Kansas. We did not have to ride long before we got to Pastor Arnie's house where we would be staying the night. But first, being that he was not home yet, we tried to clean the oil off ourselves. We got our bags in and waited a while. When Pastor Arnie came home, we got pizza for dinner and enjoyed the evening with him.<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div></div></div>spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-83168926186492999832009-06-18T15:38:00.000-07:002009-06-18T15:48:33.197-07:00Day 45<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzR8wVnNXFs1B2EQUEQU2f_c31XovPNwL2oDhZMNGBlhXjg-XVI4Zm4BD4TRTeBr1qR9xyalIkKFgVY7vNnySptGwDAkHKJnH73K8GPsSMsFIikp5b06l2g5D374621etjTEkU-pLMaUR/s1600-h/DSC08360.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348802274072515634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzR8wVnNXFs1B2EQUEQU2f_c31XovPNwL2oDhZMNGBlhXjg-XVI4Zm4BD4TRTeBr1qR9xyalIkKFgVY7vNnySptGwDAkHKJnH73K8GPsSMsFIikp5b06l2g5D374621etjTEkU-pLMaUR/s200/DSC08360.JPG" /></a>We got packed quickly and set off for a long day of riding. We wanted to get home in three days at latest, which meant about five hundred miles a day. <br /><br />Soon it was raining hard, so we got our rain gear on and kept riding. For lunch we got corn dogs. When we were out of New York, the rain cleared up, so we took our rain gear off.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lntCOSvRHtKmr-ydyb3-YhLjxdPCfbNqVYz73jTSUS8R0mzYo56E2KFSn4nqfc8_pr1E5a0KDZVL6po7zM6XgseAO0cd5lrsmMN2qcib7gaobPw-uZFQUTlLGA2gvGEjeFP4MqbqdbLW/s1600-h/DSC08371.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348802469892849954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lntCOSvRHtKmr-ydyb3-YhLjxdPCfbNqVYz73jTSUS8R0mzYo56E2KFSn4nqfc8_pr1E5a0KDZVL6po7zM6XgseAO0cd5lrsmMN2qcib7gaobPw-uZFQUTlLGA2gvGEjeFP4MqbqdbLW/s200/DSC08371.JPG" /></a>The day went by slowly. It was filled with much riding and stopping for gas. We also got much oil because the bike was leaking a lot. By the end of the day my right leg was covered in oil!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTWAlgxgBVB7kvQgSO0m2SHCLxDPmtSc_crGwaSJkSgV2phdmh2ZJA0qunwHEdvjxwcg2iI-Kq3OHGUKsCEj0Jm6lCy8p7yQmbRhfnXGCDizj_FNvNjH3fIGLbj_Qjxa_VE5vWyA9qY00B/s1600-h/DSC08375.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348802283164861426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTWAlgxgBVB7kvQgSO0m2SHCLxDPmtSc_crGwaSJkSgV2phdmh2ZJA0qunwHEdvjxwcg2iI-Kq3OHGUKsCEj0Jm6lCy8p7yQmbRhfnXGCDizj_FNvNjH3fIGLbj_Qjxa_VE5vWyA9qY00B/s200/DSC08375.JPG" /></a>Soon it got late, so we checked into a motel. I picked up some dinner and we spent a good night after a long, hard day.spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-68396358398619260392009-06-18T15:15:00.000-07:002009-06-18T15:33:48.092-07:00Day 44<div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gPdwtuM9WAV73DS2hQucY3ipb3d0rqbnZgCRuvuA1gKrf0QakvG6wWdGoDoAvj3xOhdWQVWzB00Dft_MIzDB2IyOq8ZCQZ8H7MdJtL1uJnReTC51LZooP6E61gIoVWTBftTGBnhhG87n/s1600-h/DSC08219.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348795443455067490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gPdwtuM9WAV73DS2hQucY3ipb3d0rqbnZgCRuvuA1gKrf0QakvG6wWdGoDoAvj3xOhdWQVWzB00Dft_MIzDB2IyOq8ZCQZ8H7MdJtL1uJnReTC51LZooP6E61gIoVWTBftTGBnhhG87n/s200/DSC08219.JPG" /></a>In the morning we got some breakfast, packed everything up and headed back to the Harley Dealership. It was a long, hot walk, but we eventually made it. There, we found that all the parts we needed for the bike had come in. Now all the bike needed was a bit of work to get the parts in and then we could leave!<br /></div><div>We had to wait for a few hours before it would be ready, so we walked to a nearby fish store and looked around. We soon got tired of that so we went back. Dad got out the computer and was on the Internet for most of the time. I watched him a lot and looked at bikes. It was a long morning.<br />Finally the bike was finished. We got to see what was wrong with it and found that one rod that was very important had burned and <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rRJPWJ7V2rxJF4QMIdk-eWhRFKvYtGHbh1WtWJFA3OiZbkKa-EDXHJSNDn0EE9XIJUbao-fDOGyR199KaC8ksTNY2AlI8XgNbpuNloCuUAbzc60wpYyDAbwS7bvvjoHDTARP8c1DkDkw/s1600-h/DSC08224.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348796259267864514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rRJPWJ7V2rxJF4QMIdk-eWhRFKvYtGHbh1WtWJFA3OiZbkKa-EDXHJSNDn0EE9XIJUbao-fDOGyR199KaC8ksTNY2AlI8XgNbpuNloCuUAbzc60wpYyDAbwS7bvvjoHDTARP8c1DkDkw/s200/DSC08224.JPG" /></a>broken into several pieces!<br /></div><div>We got on the road again after putting the last bags on the bike. The day was clear and enjoyed the good weather. We traveled a little, then stopped and got some dinner. After that we went on a bit more and stopped for some oil and gas.<br /></div><div>When we stopped again we were at the Canadian border. It took some time to get across and there was so much security I was not even allowed to take pictures! First we got our passports checked and there were questions constantly--where are you going, what are you doing, how long will you be here, and much more. Then we waited in a big room and took papers and gave them back and all sorts of things. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftKK_i_Z9kTRQOThvf-dFvAxrf2Jbwrh5WKV2FYaMg5SsZyKvo6bzKzzlLpzo0hVcSmE2GCCnkrW5CXMj52Q4PbeeDzMk26lckyCq0JWHQXr1iB-kaQlQfg-aBh_h5qoS9DUs1McJTJH9/s1600-h/DSC08281.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348795450538152642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftKK_i_Z9kTRQOThvf-dFvAxrf2Jbwrh5WKV2FYaMg5SsZyKvo6bzKzzlLpzo0hVcSmE2GCCnkrW5CXMj52Q4PbeeDzMk26lckyCq0JWHQXr1iB-kaQlQfg-aBh_h5qoS9DUs1McJTJH9/s200/DSC08281.JPG" /></a></div><div><br />Finally, we got through. After a bit of riding around we found a spot to park and looked at Niagara Falls. Thick mist covered us and got everything wet. Tons of water all came gushing down in unbelievable constant amounts. It was really something to look at.<br /></div><div>When we had finished getting soaked with mist and looking at the Falls we walked indoors. Most everything was closed but I was able to get a molded penny with a Niagara falls design on it.<br /></div><div>Then bad news came. When we had walked back to the bike Dad decided we would not go any farther into Canada because among other reasons the bike was leaking oil badly and the last thing we wanted was to be stranded in a foreign country hundreds and hundreds of miles away from home.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDeSfwkqvGLQYcoXtgD4In5x16HpvYEtve5octuhCD92awNtAx3P14pvHMwTuHFqABrB8ZD_S24LyvFUQtQJkhxGK-6PONUFY47RC-Zm89gswFsbfWfwWvvaKHepmrUPU6rvObjTh_SMM/s1600-h/DSC08290.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348796261746510802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDeSfwkqvGLQYcoXtgD4In5x16HpvYEtve5octuhCD92awNtAx3P14pvHMwTuHFqABrB8ZD_S24LyvFUQtQJkhxGK-6PONUFY47RC-Zm89gswFsbfWfwWvvaKHepmrUPU6rvObjTh_SMM/s200/DSC08290.JPG" /></a>So we rode back. By the time we crossed back over into America the Falls were lit up and it was getting dark quickly. Going back into the USA was a lot easier than leaving and soon we were back in our homeland.<br /></div><div>We looked for some camping but it was really expensive, so we rode away from the Falls and found a cheap motel room, where we spent the night.</div></div></div></div>spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-15684863837825734612009-06-15T18:55:00.000-07:002009-06-15T19:10:55.482-07:00Day 43<div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQaQv-806NkGRYktK-U5laWkVbD_GxWaUaY-G7XBje8EW7Bz7xc1_8U-jNhouIDy3PDYfVxRABS4Aq41c28TDUbkgnV7fUdGvIo-WTOvlLP6M-I4_bFig6B9LE8eQlOGn21-RcBhw4D-uQ/s1600-h/DSC08194.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347739153818968770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQaQv-806NkGRYktK-U5laWkVbD_GxWaUaY-G7XBje8EW7Bz7xc1_8U-jNhouIDy3PDYfVxRABS4Aq41c28TDUbkgnV7fUdGvIo-WTOvlLP6M-I4_bFig6B9LE8eQlOGn21-RcBhw4D-uQ/s200/DSC08194.JPG" /></a>After the long night before, I woke up rather late. We immediately started packing and <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40_ImjmUC4tujB4hq62udyztZvZd6TrCjz7B06j1ZRbYto92QYLqG2PEDD4tV5cnxy7fo-w-RLmmgDFteBLx1a27YAUuzqkPBAC1FdJP-wS7ML210dvgQGuUiYJW_Atnu7SHGLqdZixAo/s1600-h/DSC08196.JPG"></a>got some breakfast in the lobby. Being that the bike would not work, we did not get on it and ride another few hundred miles that day--instead, we waited for a tow truck to pick us up. When it arrived Dad and the tow truck man (plus with a tiny bit of help from me) got the bike into a trailer, along with our luggage. Then we climbed into the truck and were driven to the nearest Harley Davidson dealership, where we got the bike into the shop.<br /></div><div>In the best case scenario we would not be able to leave until the afternoon of the following day. First, the mechanics would have to make sure they knew that the problem was what they thought it was. After that, they would have to order and over-night the right parts because they did not have them at the time. In addition to all that, two other bikers were broken down there <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5wtv-yhSopjKUSyCtEAALA4a-i8HBT4tNzWnHWQq_v67otwMizrnpQ2zVbBRqbICWj4DdAhc4hAM-KgnWSxucLybmdFtU4snXKuvRMt_pR9c9ftwTdod0TwX6Kge6M5HfqSk12rI6mIp/s1600-h/DSC08196.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347740351798892754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5wtv-yhSopjKUSyCtEAALA4a-i8HBT4tNzWnHWQq_v67otwMizrnpQ2zVbBRqbICWj4DdAhc4hAM-KgnWSxucLybmdFtU4snXKuvRMt_pR9c9ftwTdod0TwX6Kge6M5HfqSk12rI6mIp/s200/DSC08196.JPG" /></a>and we would have to come last. We were in for a long stay in Rome, NY.<br /></div><div>Someone graciously gave us and our luggage a ride in his car. We were going to go to the nearest cheap motel, but Dad thought we might as well rent a car if we were to stay for a while with no transportation. So at the last second Dad got us stopped at an Enterprise car rental. Once in the building, we found our error: no cars were available at the time.<br /></div><div>Our ride was gone. We were left with our bags. The nearest motel was at least a mile away. And we had no choice but to pick up our bags and walk all the way on what would seem like the longest mile of the whole trip.<br /></div><div>After much walking and sweating in the hot sun we finally got to the motel. I felt hot and tired, but I knew Dad must have been feeling worse because he was carrying the heavier bag. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIE9Y8D3YaqQQm_HF2dbMa41IEcthuK63V2GdgkxotbWpbEmXmPE3O4rIMDS5nVFDUW4aaa107dViHcrERDHna5dsOBUGL5JAeq6DTuVjru9TwoBeuiPou_1DFuShB_Vzt0qGFwfhExGCO/s1600-h/DSC08201.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347741752200896594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIE9Y8D3YaqQQm_HF2dbMa41IEcthuK63V2GdgkxotbWpbEmXmPE3O4rIMDS5nVFDUW4aaa107dViHcrERDHna5dsOBUGL5JAeq6DTuVjru9TwoBeuiPou_1DFuShB_Vzt0qGFwfhExGCO/s200/DSC08201.JPG" /></a><br /></div><div>When we found how expensive it was for a room, we walked to another motel. But that one's prices were even worse, so we went back to the first one and got a room. We almost stayed there for the rest of the day except when we got some fried chicken for lunch and when we got a few snacks at a pharmacy nearby. We also did laundry.<br /></div><div>Hopefully we could make it home soon--but for the night we knew we would have to wait a few extra days.</div></div></div></div></div>spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-77655777307163485362009-06-14T19:50:00.001-07:002009-06-15T04:55:45.671-07:00Day 42<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1Z-09Q8hn7E2gjSmPB8tOi99NtxFyLi8aAcgJnVFyWS1eq3uiJfxmbWaWXsfUTJwfDx2NLzXvCyAbPn3BFkRx23_cw7PtSZakbJztNVgUFmTSpf3DqGoX-ZhMu6s6d9QVuzkcyQDi87c/s1600-h/DSC08156.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347381517917944546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1Z-09Q8hn7E2gjSmPB8tOi99NtxFyLi8aAcgJnVFyWS1eq3uiJfxmbWaWXsfUTJwfDx2NLzXvCyAbPn3BFkRx23_cw7PtSZakbJztNVgUFmTSpf3DqGoX-ZhMu6s6d9QVuzkcyQDi87c/s200/DSC08156.JPG" border="0" /></a>It was raining hard when I woke up. That was not good, being that we had to leave for home that day. But first, we tried to pack up a little. We got most of our things ready, but there were a few details left after we had to go to church.<br /><br />Dad preached another good sermon, even though it lasted until<br />nearly noon.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Gl1LL-RgLMaxYYiLhEUvfMylGVMlrwRO9ENpVkKxPGtHt_EUydHVW6NoPqkp1t6hIMWfJwWwSL8JxaQ-D2MzCdeUTsXbk4Gp40X_Z_AxY6hQu_TXxt09KneCckjr_JZe0h_0-va9TlMT/s1600-h/DSC08164.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347381646919151394" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Gl1LL-RgLMaxYYiLhEUvfMylGVMlrwRO9ENpVkKxPGtHt_EUydHVW6NoPqkp1t6hIMWfJwWwSL8JxaQ-D2MzCdeUTsXbk4Gp40X_Z_AxY6hQu_TXxt09KneCckjr_JZe0h_0-va9TlMT/s200/DSC08164.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Afterwards we had lunch in the Pastor's house. We had a good time and when it was time to leave we said goodbye. After that we finished packing for the trip home. We put on our rain gear and got on the bike. The trip home had begun.<br /><br />It was cold and raining hard. Our rain suits kept us mostly dry. We stopped for gas not long after leaving. We did not spend much time at the stop. We had had a late start to the day and we wanted to make some good mileage before the night came. As we rode, the rain started to clear. Blue sky peaked out of the gray and black clouds and we took off our rain gear.<br /><br />In one leg we crossed through Vermont. We saw the Battle of Bennington Monument again and we got to see the Hubbell Homestead as well. When we stopped again we were in New York. At the big truck station we fueled up and got dinner. It was already getting late in the day, so we rode on for one more leg.<br /><br />It went by fine until the end. We had just gotten off an exit and passed through a toll booth when <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHjPNuplcWik2jNLyJMl_Sil8h977tkeYiUYaaAjz1Pu8DOmdcCD1QuszVVSX-GluMJT-sd8XoPhW2x7RePVosNKzMdpVJnpbmHswxIevQeg6-x-sSpmj6pk-utS_sczKY8nCwaBRSEzZ/s1600-h/DSC08187.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347381523517067234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHjPNuplcWik2jNLyJMl_Sil8h977tkeYiUYaaAjz1Pu8DOmdcCD1QuszVVSX-GluMJT-sd8XoPhW2x7RePVosNKzMdpVJnpbmHswxIevQeg6-x-sSpmj6pk-utS_sczKY8nCwaBRSEzZ/s200/DSC08187.JPG" border="0" /></a>something went wrong with the bike. We came to a sudden stop with some quick jolts and bumps. Dad broke out the tools and tried to see what was wrong. The problem was too complicated to fix right then, so we tried to get the bike to run a few more miles to the gas station. We barely got it there. Dad called to see if we could get towed to a motorcycle shop, but he decided it would be better to try and go to the nearby hotel--pushing the bike there if we needed to. Luckily, the bike started up one more time and we somehow got to the hotel. It completely stopped right in the parking lot. We had somehow made it. Even though the room was expensive, we spent the night there. We had no choice--there was nothing to take us anywhere else.spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-17449339353002957742009-06-14T19:46:00.000-07:002009-06-15T04:48:24.380-07:00Day 41<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yeots_5L3mo4zULsT0atkjXcr12P6rJatPodJPs8gBYtTnlKhMOOT9ymo4Wid7bJDNg8HlSJsxwSZBB3WxF9CuIP2NtB6iWD4PDvZp3habY-yV3Ct4JiL25IPnuCnMrKaOBcGsiVeH_H/s1600-h/DSC07992.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347380757418118610" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yeots_5L3mo4zULsT0atkjXcr12P6rJatPodJPs8gBYtTnlKhMOOT9ymo4Wid7bJDNg8HlSJsxwSZBB3WxF9CuIP2NtB6iWD4PDvZp3habY-yV3Ct4JiL25IPnuCnMrKaOBcGsiVeH_H/s200/DSC07992.JPG" border="0" /></a>We got up early in the morning and both of us took showers. After that we rode for a while then stopped in a church parking lot where several other bikes had gathered. We got to see Mr. Mark Rittermeyer and his wife along with Mr. Keith and his wife. It was good to see them, brief as the visit was. They were doing another free coffee tent for the Laconia event. For the moment they were going on a run with the other bikes and needed to go. Since we weren't doing it with them, we just went off on our own after saying goodbye. We wouldn't see them again on the run.<br /><br />We went to a Harley Davidson dealership, where vendors were set up everywhere. We looked around a little bit and bought a thing or two, then moved on.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpGg7eg0-nKvQmfYupskn_kHh3F92yL6TWzBRLKseR7Yqw5YqAPQVjwiCBpbb2RnAfp3OXSzco0XBrB9MFTZLgz26brNy3L_qxmXC3rTJ9voFUTQ9FJw0HjNNeXYprDKj1KueFNm8EOXF0/s1600-h/DSC07995.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347380849565930994" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpGg7eg0-nKvQmfYupskn_kHh3F92yL6TWzBRLKseR7Yqw5YqAPQVjwiCBpbb2RnAfp3OXSzco0XBrB9MFTZLgz26brNy3L_qxmXC3rTJ9voFUTQ9FJw0HjNNeXYprDKj1KueFNm8EOXF0/s200/DSC07995.JPG" border="0" /></a>The next place we went was a long ride away. We were trying to get to a Christian Unity Meeting, but found only ourselves and one other person there. We found that we had arrived on the wrong Saturday--the meeting would happen in a week! So we just went back. When we got to where all the vendors were set up at, we found the road jam packed! Traffic was hardly moving, so we stopped by an ice cream shop near a lake to wait out the traffic.<br /><br />We also got some ice cream. We watched the motor boats speed by and had a good time. But we eventually had to keep going.<br /><br />We finally got to all the vendors. We parked and walked around. It was very hot. We got some t-<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeny4Jy4xZBwwGhBNy1IHfPmA9f9jC4BsVII1qJdrRHRkJm6_Amph6uJbVQm_rQ9Ve7Uuj7F8Oej3qDTGV2irvIfbJxo_qnk439kdJeJkE48uy6OXjObBK5WUzTn5zULxO0Ho6z2dE8of/s1600-h/DSC08004.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347380760785452930" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeny4Jy4xZBwwGhBNy1IHfPmA9f9jC4BsVII1qJdrRHRkJm6_Amph6uJbVQm_rQ9Ve7Uuj7F8Oej3qDTGV2irvIfbJxo_qnk439kdJeJkE48uy6OXjObBK5WUzTn5zULxO0Ho6z2dE8of/s200/DSC08004.JPG" border="0" /></a>shirts and stopped to get some soda and rest. We also talked with the family back at home.<br /><br />We went back home after that and ate what fried chicken we had left over from a day or two before. After that we went to bed.spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-3544223427945990532009-06-14T19:43:00.000-07:002009-06-15T04:39:55.455-07:00Day 40<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqyW4UcqCurqKg7ggJYZkTXiL7IXitUt-tUitxeFB1ArvxYvphhK9_iSbiW2uSCK-lKz0klxkxOzcLr0XICGsxkowmqSVQPfoZNIG2l1PXaJTIXGDEIMuesqQvftuSs8CnvVlpXBCgujkk/s1600-h/DSC07983.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347379955373337858" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqyW4UcqCurqKg7ggJYZkTXiL7IXitUt-tUitxeFB1ArvxYvphhK9_iSbiW2uSCK-lKz0klxkxOzcLr0XICGsxkowmqSVQPfoZNIG2l1PXaJTIXGDEIMuesqQvftuSs8CnvVlpXBCgujkk/s200/DSC07983.JPG" border="0" /></a>We started the day with playing some video games that the Pastor had let us borrow. He also invited us for breakfast and the Pastor's wife cooked us some eggs.<br /><br />After breakfast we rode to many stores. We went to a different Harley Davidson dealership than we had been in the day before and looked at more bikes. We also bought another tent that looked pretty good and was cheap. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39P2KRkWQPKtIzFSHDcZq1xYw7cpaYCiwquLqsoNzQrCSiWMw0tProjndcBglu674iFTdDHx6oIXiM9BWe8Fdl3MyilwGUZC6HIQk3mOgQm5-1TTfXHPmNiaqGdOqz09AFhIIgOnPqQnU/s1600-h/DSC07977.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347380052698848850" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39P2KRkWQPKtIzFSHDcZq1xYw7cpaYCiwquLqsoNzQrCSiWMw0tProjndcBglu674iFTdDHx6oIXiM9BWe8Fdl3MyilwGUZC6HIQk3mOgQm5-1TTfXHPmNiaqGdOqz09AFhIIgOnPqQnU/s200/DSC07977.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We got fried chicken for lunch and had some left over for later. We rode around a little while more, then went back to the church. We nearly ran out of gas on the way, but luckily we found a gas station before we were stranded. Meanwhile the weather had finally cleared and it was even <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigziKboQriesdYevm5IAUqxJYUr2gaffsdToVCT95XTrIC6XG2tmNYA4XWpP6k03TaF6czMjcxCDJp72W9OZnUecKpvU_ypuoS3A3m5BAPyFjUDdw1gDhCo-_NrIz4CbIKDQVcg7zmjw2r/s1600-h/DSC07984.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347379956089166210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigziKboQriesdYevm5IAUqxJYUr2gaffsdToVCT95XTrIC6XG2tmNYA4XWpP6k03TaF6czMjcxCDJp72W9OZnUecKpvU_ypuoS3A3m5BAPyFjUDdw1gDhCo-_NrIz4CbIKDQVcg7zmjw2r/s200/DSC07984.JPG" border="0" /></a>hot!<br /><br />We sat and played video games most of the day. We had another dinner that the Pastor gave us and then went to bed.spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061232615739196874.post-6252506156317362412009-06-14T19:40:00.000-07:002009-06-15T04:36:35.081-07:00Day 39<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiArbJZ5gL_O-b4-Xwgsf7heuM7ggkuBfRvainiTPLDzuBYC8V30J2XxR2sgrBBS6OUq25CmGx3yz4g2YPXd1YS02LL3PbTfaTjog_UplOs05aIyCzrZDcdv5dZhIFLvgSN7gfmf2wsG4I1/s1600-h/DSC07947.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347379187811266674" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiArbJZ5gL_O-b4-Xwgsf7heuM7ggkuBfRvainiTPLDzuBYC8V30J2XxR2sgrBBS6OUq25CmGx3yz4g2YPXd1YS02LL3PbTfaTjog_UplOs05aIyCzrZDcdv5dZhIFLvgSN7gfmf2wsG4I1/s200/DSC07947.JPG" border="0" /></a>In the morning it looked like the weather had cleared up, but when I got out of the tent I found it was still cloudy. We packed up the camp and once again got on the road.<br /><br />We had sixty miles to travel. It was a little cold, but not that bad. The riding was okay, however tolls seemed to be placed on the road every few <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Epfrwrh_Ppb0vBec7LdUev3DRgU5s2nX0CBGuvsCabX_iTeG9SedLcomjAwJ2gkKmmZ0A-m3d1I9o6mDS6nqMEHlIjgbCTl0-7Pj4aH0I-th1EG9RtsAZHK-5SPBuVg9As01ofXT5JUt/s1600-h/DSC07954.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347379285363319314" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Epfrwrh_Ppb0vBec7LdUev3DRgU5s2nX0CBGuvsCabX_iTeG9SedLcomjAwJ2gkKmmZ0A-m3d1I9o6mDS6nqMEHlIjgbCTl0-7Pj4aH0I-th1EG9RtsAZHK-5SPBuVg9As01ofXT5JUt/s200/DSC07954.JPG" border="0" /></a>miles. Other cars also crowded the road. We stopped halfway through the trip and got some breakfast. We stayed a while, enjoying the warmth of the indoors and talking to the family back at home. Homesickness was starting to attack us both.<br /><br />We traveled the other half of the trip and got to a church. The pastor and his family lived in a separate section of the church.<br /><br />They were busy getting our RV guest house ready. We helped out a little, then went on the bike again to see the town. We rode to a Harley Davidson dealership, then went over to a WalMart, where we returned the tent we had just bought. Dad <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1E_G8Eg83hbgv3rPYHVqfIOIssxqFTyIM5s4ZYXHoXh4OtuFp-UQo6QGWyikUfU2mE32m9yjJptQUz9S1C8u5NblZ7b2ecLhQJvoUmEblx0k5bZ1l34BYwD1X8swTnJOrBU9IDrIxpFD/s1600-h/DSC07957.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347379195086165794" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1E_G8Eg83hbgv3rPYHVqfIOIssxqFTyIM5s4ZYXHoXh4OtuFp-UQo6QGWyikUfU2mE32m9yjJptQUz9S1C8u5NblZ7b2ecLhQJvoUmEblx0k5bZ1l34BYwD1X8swTnJOrBU9IDrIxpFD/s200/DSC07957.JPG" border="0" /></a>wasn't satisfied with the design and knew it would let rain in. So we just got our money back and hoped for another tent that would work for us. After that we went to another store and got some groceries.<br /><br />The Pastor provided lunch and we greatfully took it. When the day came to a close, we had some snacks and went to bed.spideyclickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08857616544103783061noreply@blogger.com0