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Showing posts from 2012

Riding with Veterans

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Saturday, November 10, 2012 I have a riding friend that I hadn't ridden with for a long time. Actually, both he and his wife ride, and I always enjoyed riding with them, and the company when we stopped. He had emailed earlier in the year to set up a ride, but we just never got it planned. He hit me up on email once more, and we planned to ride together in the Veteran's Day Parade in Indianapolis. Now, I am not a Veteran, but my riding partner is, serving in the Air Force during the first Persian Gulf War. She is disabled from what she experienced there with the oil fires and such, and so it is an honor to take her and have her participate in a parade in her and other's honor. We started at the Speedway American Legion, coolly numbered Five Hundred, and it sits just across Georgetown Street from the famous oval. Here is out trip from the post to downtown: We had to wait a little bit, but then we got going on the Parade, it took a while to cover a very little distan

A New Addition!

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Saturday, October 20, 2012 Hey Everybody, I know I have been lax about some of my writing, but I didn't want you to have the read the same old trips over and over. Now, though, you can ride along with me! Check this out, riding along the road in Washington Township Park in Avon, Indiana. Later on, we took some country roads down to Monrovia, Indiana and on State Road 39. We were on our way to Robb Hill Road. You have probably read about it before, but now you can ride along! We took some video of the way back, along Cartersburg Road, with the camera backward, but it just didn't turn out very well, so I won't bore you!

Riding for the Fallen

Sunday, September 9th, 2012 So after a summer of riding in temperatures in the triple digits, rain that could be seen on a microscope, spring arrived in Central Indiana at the end of August and beginning of September. After a Friday Night monsoon, the numbers dropped, and we were heading out at 9am on this 60 degree morning. Kasey and I headed through town, passing the Fair on the Square, and on to the Kroger on US 36 where it meets the old US 36. Several bikes dotted the landscape of the parking lots for Kroger, McDonald's and the gas station. A group of four of them looked the people we were meeting. I passed them in the parking lot and rode on over to fuel up The Pearl. We returned and met the group. Anna, who we had ridden with before, Eric from the Clinton, Indiana Cruiser Club, plus Dave, Doug and Rochelle, new people we were just meeting today. After meeting, sharing stories, and waiting for other, we headed up to the Hendricks County Fairgrounds. After a couple of l

Reward Ride

Sunday, August 26, 2012 I don't often like to look at a ride as something I need to earn, after all, it is my right to ride, right? Anyway, today we had some chores to get done, so the ride needed to wait until they were done. First off was to get the refrigerator out of the garage, and cleaned up to put on Craig's List. Then I had to fix the vacuum cleaners, yep, they get jammed up with enough we need a back up. Then a quick shower, some lunch, and it was AIS (Ass In Seat) time! I know it has been over a month since my last entry, and I have been riding, but most of the rides have been work related, so nothing to really report. As for today, we started by leaving Danville on the newly opened State Road 39. Part of the reconstruction including two bridges, so the road has been closed for a while. The fresh pavement meant a smooth ride until the town of Clayton. Some major work going on in town, including the leg from Clayton to US 40. We headed south out of town, and jo

The 70k Milestone

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Monday, July 9th, 2012 Normally I don't much, if at all, about my errand runs, but this one was special. Nearly thirty miles from hitting a milestone, I headed out of town. I meandered my way down Cartersburg Road, much of it newly paved, and smooth. Well it may not be smooth in the places I have drug my floorboard. After a short stint on US 40, and headed south on Miles Drive, which takes a bend, and then heads east connecting with SR 267. A short connection links me to I-70, and heading east. My first stop was Star Financial, for the final time. After taking I-70 across the city of Indianapolis to 465 on the east side of town, then took 465 north to 56th Street. Heading east on 56th Street takes me onto the ground of Fort Harrison, a much reduced Fort, and it used to be the financial center for all the armed services. I arrived at Star Financial Bank, and closed out my business account. I also snapped a picture. Yeah, I missed it by a mile, but I think another 5000 mil

Sheltering Wings Ride

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Saturday, June 30th, 2012 I not really been a big fan of rides for charity, I know they are great and raise a lot of money, but I just don't always feel comfortable with some of the other riders, and being packed into a group like that. I figured this first ride for a domestic abuse shelter in Danville would be a smaller ride. Kasey and I rode down Cartersburg Road once again, with SR 39 closed. Then jumped on US 40, the National Road, and went east until the town of Plainfield. After jogging on a few roads, we ended up at the FOP Post that was the host for the ride. We started by making our way to SR 267, then headed south into Mooresville, Indiana. Then we went east on SR 42. Been on SR 42 a number of times, and its a straight route through farm country. Once at US 231, we went north, and entered Greencastle, where things got a bit confusing, and we ended up at a Hooters for a little snack. I guess the ride was moving faster than thought, so we needed to slow down. W

GOE XVI Day Five: More Heat and Tenderloins

Friday, June 22nd, 2012 After packing up the car, very little to pack on the bike this trip, with a car behind me, we headed out of Toledo, starting out on US 24, the same road we were on a couple of days ago. That happens with this rally from time to time. US 24 would take us back into the Hoosier State, and to Fort Wayne for a loop around on 469. From there we would make a few jogs, then make our way into Huntington, Indiana. I had always known this town as the birthplace of former Vice President Dan Qualye, but I was going to find out something else was born there long before him! We pulled into downtown to find a place to eat, first place looked like a dive, place number two looked too upscale, so we settled on Nick's Kitchen. Apparently, and from the menu, this is a historical place, and lays claim to inventing the Hoosier Delicacy, the Tenderloin. The story seemed pretty detailed, so I guess it is true? We left town heading west on SR 16, a long drive through rolling

GOE XVI Day Four: Down By The Water

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Thursday, June 21st, 2012 (300th Post) Back for another, and the final day of Gathering of Eagles, the national rally for Cruiser Club, USA. Once again, we would be riding along water, but it wouldn't feel too much cooler. The group made its way along Ohio Route 2 so that we would be hugging the Lake Erie Coast. Just outside of Port Clinton, we veered onto Ohio 163 and made our way to Marblehead to look at the light house. We could see Cedar Point from our vista. After lunch on the water, we made our way back, and picked our cards for the Ralph Barnard Memorial Poker Run. I had another looser hand. Tonight we would wrap up and say our good byes, then tomorrow would be the trip home.

GOE XVI Day Three: Oh Lord, Its Still Hot!

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Wednesday, June 20th, 2012 I can't figure out if it is really getting hotter, or I am just getting less tolerant of day after day of heat? Anyway, we headed out for another trip. Before that, i did do a little riding, in the biker games. Here we are loosing the first round of the Balloon Toss. We started out on 475 once again, the thing you have to do when you have a gathering in a city. From there he went down Ohio 65, along a river. Though we were near water, it wasn't any cooler. After a little bit of a trip, a stop for lunch, we headed back on the other side of the river. We made a few scenic stops, but that was about it for the day. The banquet was that evening, so we needed an early return.

GOE XVI Day Two: Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot

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Tuesday, June 19th, 2012 It had already been a hot summer, and just because we had moved to the state to the east didn't mean that was going to let up anytime soon. However, this is a gathering for motorcyclists, and we all want to ride, heat or not! I am not sure which route we actually took, but I will try to summarize it the best that I can. Here is Rose with Shawn, her riding partner for the day. Did I fail to mention that ever since the Indianapolis Rally, it is Tye Dye Tuesday. Shawn wasn't in the group then, but he still found a great shirt to wear. Will had a riding partner as well, from the Philly Chapter named Roland. He spent most of his life in Hawaii, but when he retired, he wanted to live somewhere with seasons. The first part of the trip was on the loop, 475, to get us around Toledo, and into yet another of the United States, Michigan. I am thinking we went on US 223, through Blissfield to State Road 52. There we went north into Tecumseh, Michigan. We m

GOE XVI Day One: Almost Made It Dry

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Monday, June 18th, 2012 I have to admit, not going to this annual event last year really just made it a bad riding season over all. I knew pretty early in the year I wasn't going to make it, and with moving myself, and my business, time was a factor in my reduction of riding as well. Somehow though, the season ended with a bald front tire, and a leaking front fork seal. I figured with these discoveries coming in November, I would have the winter to get the bike fixed. Well, real winter never came, and I should have just gotten the parts and got them put on right away, as I would have had several days through the "off season" to make up for lost mileage. So lets leave last year behind us, and lets start talking about this years Gathering of Eagles. I had a riding partner with me this time out, actually three of them. No we didn't all cram onto the bike like you see in some those countries with an entire family on two wheels. Rather, I had an alternating 14 year o

Mayberry to Mayberry

Sunday, June 10th, 2012 Danville, Indiana is not Mount Airy in North Carolina, the inspiration for Andy Griffins town, but we have a piece of it on the northwest corner of our square in the likes of Mayberry Cafe. This nostalgic TV can be a great draw for a business, and thus Clay City, Indiana has adopted the slogan, Mayberry of the Midwest, and is complimented with the Mayberry Malt Shop. My favorite riding partner and I took off down Cartersburg Road, two GPS working the route. I am still using my old Garmin Streetpilot III, in addition to using a GPS on my Android Phone. Just looking for options for when the old Garmin gives out. At the Old National Road, we jogged onto SR 39. I would have taken SR 39 here, but it is closed just south of town because of road construction. SR 39 took us south to Monrovia, Indiana, were would exchange for SR 42.  We would head west  until US 231, and then go south. From US 231 we veered off to the right onto a road that becomes Rocky Hill Roa

Spring 2012: Getting back in the saddle

Wow, just checked, it has been like two years since I posted here. Been a lot going on, moved myself, moved my business, and had to do some work on The Black Pearl. Anyway, I hope to get back in the saddle more, and then on the blog afterwards. Most of the riding I have been doing has been back and forth from my new home in Danville, Indiana to Cummins Television Studios in Columbus, Indiana. Here is my usual route: I head south out of town on Cartersburg Road, a nice winding road that ends at US 40. A short jaunt to Miles Road, and I am back south, winding through farm country. Then the road bends east, into Plainfield, and eventually to SR 267. SR 267 is a quick connection to I-70, yes I said I, as in Interstate, Highway. I know, but it is a trip to work. From I-70 I run to I-465 to I-65 South. The bulk of the trip is spent on this super slab until US 31. This is also where I really feel the sun rising on my left side. I take the ramps to US 31 South to Indianapolis Road,