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Borrowedbike
| | Posted on Friday, July 03, 2009 - 06:11 pm: | 
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Well were off. Picked up the kids, piled the family (which right now consists of the wife and I, twin eight year olds, the chihuahuas Jack and Jill and thier unfortunately timed three week old pupies, Dick and Jane) into the car and hit the road. Google says about 6000 miles and about 100 hours of driving. Spending the fourth at the family lake cabin outside Spokane, then were off to Yellowstone. I should have a little time every day to update you all, so if to want to share in the "joy" of my Clark Griswald'esk adventure check back in! |
Billetmetallic
| | Posted on Friday, July 03, 2009 - 06:36 pm: |
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So does this mean that grandma is tied to the roof of the wagon?
Have a GREAT time!!!
and happy 4th everyone!
-g |
Thepod
| | Posted on Friday, July 03, 2009 - 07:57 pm: |
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Somewhere along the line you might meet Christey Brinkley in a Ferrari. Be prepared!!! Also, I may remind you that the Griswald family dog was tied to the bumper... Poor fella, he probably kept up for the first few miles...
Sounds like a good time. Post some pics if you can. |
Billetmetallic
| | Posted on Friday, July 03, 2009 - 10:00 pm: |
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So Paul, I was sharing the awesome names you guys came up with for your dogs with my wife and she absolutely loves them then she said "what are the twins names? Bonnie and Clyde?" |
Borrowedbike
| | Posted on Saturday, July 04, 2009 - 12:11 am: |
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Nathan and Elizabeth, but I think "road trip nick" names are in order. Just think about 5% of the driving is done! |
Xbswede
| | Posted on Saturday, July 04, 2009 - 01:44 am: |
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Sounds like your going to have a fun adventure. Road trips are fun and kids will remember them for a long time. I still remember the ones my mom took me on between Vancouver BC and Santa Barbra and New York and Santa Barbra in our old 71 VW bus. |
Billetmetallic
| | Posted on Saturday, July 04, 2009 - 08:39 am: |
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swede, do you have as fond memories of the vw bus as you do the roadtrips themselves? |
Thepod
| | Posted on Saturday, July 04, 2009 - 02:12 pm: |
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Be careful if you drive anywhere near Baker City. It tends to rain there, you may wear your tires out, break the swingarm on your car and leak oil from here to Chicago. |
Borrowedbike
| | Posted on Saturday, July 04, 2009 - 04:48 pm: |
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Fond memories are a large part of choosing to inflict this joy on ourselves. Seeing family in five states, including a 97 year old great aunt they is the last bastion of an era which the twins have no concept of and no other connection. (ask me about the Teays valley some day). I won't do Baker city, but ironically figured "I'd get about 1000 miles out of these tires" and we'll be getting a new set in the Midwest. Kids are on. The beach playing with cousins
"I got a stack of nudie books this tall" |
Billetmetallic
| | Posted on Saturday, July 04, 2009 - 05:02 pm: |
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rusty and audrey would sure be appropriate roadtrip nicknames! |
Xbswede
| | Posted on Saturday, July 04, 2009 - 08:07 pm: |
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Need some road trip pics. Have a great 4th tonight. |
Xbswede
| | Posted on Saturday, July 04, 2009 - 08:09 pm: |
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Billet-
Mostly of the VW and the places we stopped at. |
Borrowedbike
| | Posted on Monday, July 06, 2009 - 11:50 pm: |
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"bread's no good west of the Rockies, water's too alkaline.
Well cell service sucks, so I'll do this on short messages instead of one big long one I loose (again) |
Borrowedbike
| | Posted on Monday, July 06, 2009 - 11:54 pm: |
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3g is hard to come by I guess, funny the things we take for granted! Road trip has been great so far! I'll start with the fourth... |
Borrowedbike
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 07, 2009 - 12:05 am: |
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Spent the holiday with family on the beach and in the lake. Kids LOVED it and were in swimming suits
From about 7 am to 9 pm. Most of it in the water. I did a few chores and anchored
The dock then took a spin on a big 1200 cc Kawi. What a blast! No worries though, this was a jet ski. Talk about throttle control rule number one! You need to hammer the gas to get those things to turn, never reized what a great training aid a jet ski could be. I even took all the kids for rides and no one fell off!
The night was, as allways, awesome. The guy who owns the cabin at the end of the bay ( about six cabins down) drops thousands on fireworks every year. Were not talking sparkelers and smoke bombs either, this is straight off the reservation mortars. Free of charge, no crowds, and watched form a comfortable lawn chair on the beach. Males this
My favorite place To spend the fourth. |
Borrowedbike
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 07, 2009 - 10:57 am: |
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The fifth was mostly a drive day, Sppkane Wa to Yellowstone. Made it to the hotel in the park at about six PM. We were all wiped and stayed close to the hotel. Having the dogs was a pain I didn't have the energy to deal with. Couldn't leave them in the car or the room, and I wasn't in the mood to hike with them. Settled for an overpriced dinner and back to the hotel for an early turn in.
Yesterday was a big day. We jumped on the mammouth hot springs trail and spent an hour. The kids were actuialy impressed and wanted more time in the park so we decided to drive all the way through the park so we could see more. It added about three hours to the day, but was well worth it. If you haven't been, go! We managed to see deer, elk, bison (including one going the other direction on the road, about two feet from the driverside, sort of impressive) and a black bear to top it off. Not to mention all the landscapes and flora, even managed to catch the "show" at oldf faithful. Clark would be proud!
Ended the day with a LOT of driving, got out of the park about two pm and made it to Custer SD. I've forgotten how many miles but we stayed off I90 for most of it and drove two great passes, hitting the hotel about midnight. Needless to say we were all burnt out.
Off in a few minutes to see four big heads then on to Onalaska WI.
Take care, and bonus points for naming the actor and movie quote from the opening message. Hints on request. |
Thepod
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 07, 2009 - 11:26 pm: |
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Borrowedbike
| | Posted on Thursday, July 09, 2009 - 01:17 pm: |
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Nope wasn't another vacation quote... Would have been to easy.
The 7th was a very tough day. Started out great, up at about seven AM out of the hotel fed and washed about 8:30. The drive to Mt. Rushmore was short and easy, and the kids dug on it even more than we expected them to. Out of Rushmore and onto I 90 for what was to be the longest day of the trip, based on miles traveled. Stopped for lunch pretty early at a place Dusty and Audry just loved, Wall drug in Wall SD. A real americiana roadside attraction, I even got a free doughnut for being a vet. |
Borrowedbike
| | Posted on Thursday, July 09, 2009 - 01:36 pm: |
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After wall drug Sabrina took the wheel and we tried to eat up some miles. Didn't go well. Sections of I90 up to 30 miles long are down to one lane each direction with the limit at 45. Stopes for a tank of gas and I took over the driving. One of the things we noticed in SD was the lack of gear the bikers wear. We even say the ultimate squid, a gal in a tube top with nothing bit sunglasses protecting her head. 15 minutes out of the gas station, and back into construction we had to hit the binders for a stack up in front of us. There was a van that had obviously been on it's roof a few times about 30 yards off to the right. As we slowly made our way through the scene we realized there was more to it. Partialy hidden by a car on the roadside was a munched bike and what was once it's rider. I had no warning and couldn't redirect the kids in time, so they both saw it. Were still maintaining the "I didn't see that,I'm sure everyone was fine" just so they have some plausable deniability. Later Sabrina confirmed it was tube top girl, who according to the news I googled earlier drifted into the oncoming lane and was hit by the van, pretty grisley scene.
Sooooo with that wonderfull immage inhead and a few questions from the back seat I deftly parred we hit the gas again only to be twtharted by weather. Comming down so hard I nearly had to stop. |
Borrowedbike
| | Posted on Thursday, July 09, 2009 - 06:16 pm: |
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Sorry about the spelling and typos, not doing a lot of proofreading on the road.
Where were we... Oh yeah the weather. So I'm driving along, minding my own business and out of nowhere FOR NO GOOD REASON this cloud just reaches out and sLapped the shit out of us! Lightning and a constant downpour for about an hour at times so hard I couldn't see the car in front of me. Spent some time at 20 MPH on the freeway. Yuck. Worst part was after the rain and running into a pair of ruts full of water and deep enough to float us. Somewhat exciting at 75 with the cruse control on. Needless to say we made Sabrinas aunts place in OnAlaska WI about midnight. Yesterday was spent around a number of dining room tables catching up and overeating. Kids met family they had never met before, come to think of it, so did I. Back on the road after another family meal, we've had an uneventfull day. Missed my tour of the Buell factory, apparently something secret on the floor. Hitting Chicago traffic now and for the first time neding to tell the kids to be quiet! |
Thepod
| | Posted on Friday, July 10, 2009 - 01:10 am: |
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Sounds like an adventure, sucks about the biker, even if she wasn't properly attired, you never like to see that.
ok - so hit me with this quote again. I'm not sure where it is in your first message. So if you could kindly repeat it, I will rack my brain and give you a legit answer.
Buell tour would have been nice, but sumpin' secret is kinda cool too.
Crazy rain - sounds like our weekend in Baker. |
Borrowedbike
| | Posted on Saturday, July 11, 2009 - 06:20 pm: |
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Ok so the quote was " bread's no good west of the Rockies, waters too alkaline". Hint, Al and Chris in a stinky movie.
While were at it sorry about all the typos, or did I allready say that? |
Xbswede
| | Posted on Saturday, July 11, 2009 - 06:23 pm: |
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Scent of a Woman ? |
Borrowedbike
| | Posted on Saturday, July 11, 2009 - 11:06 pm: |
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NICE! Well done sir!
Let's see where are we...
Spent the night at sabrinas grandma Glo's house. (Gloria). 77 years old and still kicking strong. Had a great time staying up late and drinking talking smack about Sabrinas parents, who pissed grandma off on thier last visit apparently. From the Chicago suburbs it was on to MO, with the goal of Clinton in the AM. We made it to somewhere (don't rember the name of the town) 100 miles short of Clinton about 10 PM and called it quits for the day. On to Clinton to see my 94 year old aunt at the old family house. Talk about a spunky old lady! Still lives alone at 94, be 95 next month. Sharp mind, but a touch short of hearing. Ask me about the chair sometime LOL. I could count on one hand the number of things in the house that were younger than me, starting with a 50" LCD tv! Fr aunt Gingers place we ran to the Teays family chapel and cemetery. (yup, the old homestead). Took a few pictures of the kids and us in front of the chapel and the headstones, and pointed out the places my great aunt told us were the homestead. Let me clarify, the woman who lived in the same house for 56 years referee to the filed to the left of the chapel as the "old homstead where granddad (hers) lived and the REALLY old homstead to the south of that! Talk about history!
Now were in Oklahoma City OK picking up route 66 Grand Canyon bound! |
Borrowedbike
| | Posted on Sunday, July 12, 2009 - 04:29 pm: |
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just past the Cadillac ranch, on Rt.66 heading for an overnight at Tucumcari New Mexico for an Americana overnight, and perhaps new tires. Thought I'd be needing them in the Midwest but no wear bars yet. Now I'll probably be stuck with a set that's too big, shouldn't cause any problems, right?  |
Xbswede
| | Posted on Sunday, July 12, 2009 - 04:49 pm: |
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Just don't go over 80 or try to turn you should be fine. LOL
You already through a set of tires on that rig? |
Thepod
| | Posted on Sunday, July 12, 2009 - 06:31 pm: |
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No, It won't be a problem as long as you have a friend following behind you with a trailer.
Also, once you see cords, you've got a least another 50 miles in em...
(Message edited by thepod on July 12, 2009) |
Borrowedbike
| | Posted on Monday, July 13, 2009 - 12:23 am: |
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Got's no cords, but I do have wear bars, and this 100 deg. heat is eating the rest up fast. Just under 30K on the Rig, Just under 4K of it on this trip!
Tucumcari was a bust. We really wanted to stay in some chicskey americiana place on 66, and this was supposed to be it. One of the last bastions of Rt. 66 still alive. Saddly the town is in it's death rattle. Half the hotel's were closed up, the only two that looked to be worth a damm had no pools, and the twins (Dusty / Clyde, and Audry / Bonnie) would have had daddys ass if there was no pool, so 160 more miles to Albuqueque. At least tires will be available in a major metropolitian area like this. Picked the wrong hotel though, a little run down, but hey we wanted an older place tonight right?
Another Accident on 40 today, gal fell asleep at the wheel and rolled over twice a few cars in front of us. Close enough we stopped, but the trooper didn't want a statement. Everyone was fine this time, so hopefully our Chi is changed.
Tomorrow is tires in the AM, off to the meteor crater, then overnighting in Flagstaff for a Tuesday drive to the rim of the grand canyon and then somewhere near LA for the night. |
Borrowedbike
| | Posted on Monday, July 13, 2009 - 01:48 am: |
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Time for a few pictures:
Off we go, already excited!
SERIOUSLY dad? (Morning of the Fourth. public works outhouse form the 30's BTW, ask me sometime)
My brother and I providing traditional swimming lessons.
W.T.F. a whole lake feet away...
Yellowstone
Traffic Jam
The kids enjoying Rushmore
Rusty and Audry enjoying a rest stop!
All of Sabrinas fathers side of the family.
Sabrinas Grandmother and the family.
My Great Aunt at 94
Check out the name
The kids in front of my grandfathers headstone. The entire row is Teays. Granddad was born in 1910, everything to the left is older!
Rusty enjoying his meal at the Waffel House!
Another FUN stop on Route 66! You can just see the excitement on their faces!
What a GREAT trip so far! |
Billetmetallic
| | Posted on Monday, July 13, 2009 - 11:07 am: |
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How do you contain that kind of excitement?! If you have time you should take a small side trip south out of flagstaff and drive through sedona, I believe the road is 89a? slippery (slick?) rock is a popular swiming hole area right on the side of 89a. It's worth at least the loop drive to see the beauty of northern arizona, 89a loops back to 17 via 179, but in my opinion it is better to turn around in the town of sedona and head back up 89a to flagstaff. You could also hang out and take a Pink Jeep tour leaving outta the town of sedona! Keep having fun and keeping us posted!
-g |
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