http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Harley-Mom/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Harley Mom en-us Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:33:42 +0000 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:33:42 +0000 Since my previous Xmas letters are posted in the blog I thought I would post this one too.2009 Seasons Greetings. I hope this letter finds you well. Seems like it was not that long ago that I was writing last years Xmas letter but here I am again. I have had a pretty full year. I took advantage of being able to pay someone else to do my job at the American Legion and took 3 trips this year. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Kansas/Kansas-City/blog-462580.html In DEC 09 I found a bunch of my old Xmas letters so I thought I would post them here in my blog. This is the letter that is send with my Xmas cards. You can find each one posted on Xmas day for that year. 0305 06 08 GreetingsIts that time of year again not that I have been very good about getting Christmas cards out the last couple years. I hope this card finds everyone in good healt http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Kansas/Kansas-City/blog-459236.html In DEC 09 I found a bunch of my old Xmas letters so I thought I would post them here in my blog. Merry Christmas to yarsquoll.Its been a pretty busy year. We are busy as beavers at work lots of new products coming in and lots to do. Its been a good year for us and promises to be pretty good year next year. I spent most of JAN and most of MAR in the Philippines. I really like the people http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Kansas/Kansas-City/blog-459234.html Every year I write a Xmas letter that goes in the Xmas card. In DEC09 I found a bunch of the old letters and I thought I would post them here in this blog. Please notice in this the 2005 letter I say I can not win the ABCs of Touring because you couldn't hold a 5 day a week job and have time to win. Funny I would end up winning it for 2006 while holding a 5 day a week job. Cindyrsquos Chri http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Kansas/Kansas-City/blog-459232.html Every year I write a Xmas letter that goes in the Xmas card. In DEC09 I found a bunch of the old letters and I thought I would post them here in this blog.I hope this find everyone well and looking forward to great xmasAnother year is getting ready to be a memory. Time flies doesnrsquot it The older I get the faster it seems to go. As I write this I am once again working in FL. The of http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Kansas/Kansas-City/blog-459230.html DAY 16 WED 30 SEPTEveryday I have been entering my gas reciepts and mileage in a spreadsheet. Its been interesting looking at my MPG throughout the trip. As I am entering yesterdays reciepts I notice that the best MPG happened yesterday as I was heading north through TX and OK. Believe it or not I got 70 MPG. My average has been around 50 so I double checked my numbers. I have a slight n http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Kansas/blog-444404.html Day 15 Tuesday 29 SEPTI was up early this morning but reluctant to leave because it was cold out. Old age is getting to me. As I was packing the bike I heard a thump thump thumphellip it was the motel housekeeping swinging a rag at the window ledges to get the dust off them. The motel was as interesting this morning as I had found it last night. The parking lot was huge. This motel ha http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Kansas/blog-444252.html On my west coast trip I stopped at Madrid NM and was told by a local that this was a must ride. He was right. Its a 14 mile road that takes you to the top of a local mountain. The only way off is to turn around and come back down. The road is a lot of tight twisties and real fun. It smelled great In the 14 miles you climb 10K feet to an elevation of 10621 ft. 23 miles south of Madrid on Hw http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Sandia-Crest-Byway/blog-444203.html Day 14 Monday 28 SEPT Farmington to Santa Rosa After spending time last night and this morning I have changed my route home. I was planning to head across the top part of NM and then on home. Pretty much the direct route from here. But after talking to Carol I decided that I would take an extra day and see some stuff on the way home. The first thing I thought of was the town that Wild HO http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/blog-443943.html Day 13 Sunday 27 SEPT Ely to FarmingtonIt was an awesome ride today. There isnrsquot a lot to write about on this leg. I didnrsquot stop to see anything cute along the way. I was mainly just riding to get a bunch of miles behind me. I traveled almost 600 miles. Temps in the morning was 43F later in the afternoon it was over 100F I think the day ended with it in the 60s. I missed gett http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Utah/blog-443930.html Day 12 Saturday. 26 SEPTI was the first one up this morning. I packed my gear and folded up the rollaway bed. I knew I had 500600 miles to travel today so I wanted to get going early. In the process of quietly getting my gear to the door when the dogs woke up Lena. I wasnrsquot going to leave before they got up but I figured that I could pack my gear on the bike while they still slept. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nevada/Ely/blog-443697.html DAY 11 FRI 25 SEPTLena Karlrsquos wife had asked on Wednesday if I wanted to go on a wine tasting tour. Are You Kidding So we had planned to go this morning. I was up early after all I donrsquot want to miss this. Karl had taken over the chore of having a cup of hot tea for me in the morning. I was one lucky person. Opa had one for me every morning and most nights when we were in http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Jackson/blog-443696.html Day 9 WED 23 SEPTKarl came and got me last night we loaded up the bike and were gone from the dealership about 830pm 9pm PT I think. My watch is still on CT. Karl drove all day to get here and we are immediately turning around and heading back. I will take around 10 hours to get to Jackson.He drove all night and his sons unloaded the bike this morning while we slept and they looked it over. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Jackson/blog-442217.html Day 8 TUE 22 SEPT Scout and I raise early to get to the HD dealer Hutchins in Yucca Valley CA. I find that travelers do not have a priority there. First come first serve I will be 5th in line. As I talk with the service guy I become uneasy. It could have just been me but he just didn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling. Before I turn Effie over to someone I really want that warm fuzzy that http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Twentynine-Palms/blog-441536.html Day 6 Sunday.Man this was nice. We did nothing. We slept in and sat in the airconditioning all day. I was ready for that.It had been a couple days since I was on line so now I am online so I got to catch up on my email. Three guys are living here at the house so they played World of WarCraft and I got to nap and relax. I was beat. We had McDonalds. Life is good. We watch the three movies http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Twentynine-Palms/blog-438925.html Day 5 Saturday 19 SEPTThe rest of the team was going in for another run on the salt but my son was waiting and I had to travel 600 miles to get there. We said goodbyes that morning and took some last minute pictures. The guys headed to the salt before I left. They were gone before 630 I waited until sun up to start my journey from Wendover UT to 29 Palms CA. One of the first warning sig http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Nevada/blog-438915.html Day 2 WednesdayIt was a bit more enjoyable as I was traveling roads I had never ridden before. I had time to stop along the way to enjoy the views and take some pictures. Who wouldnrsquot want to take a leisurely ride thru CO. I left as Kay and Jackie were getting ready to leave. I wanted to get an early start so I was on the road by 7AM. It was nippy in the mountains 43F for a couple ho http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Utah/Wendover/blog-438677.html This is a last minute trip. Things worked out I thought I might be able to get a magazine article written and check out things on the west coast. Day 1 TuesdayThe plan was to get to Denver early. But my schedule the week before I left didnrsquot leave me anytime to pack so I was up until 3am packing then back up at 730am to load it all on the bike. I was beat before I ever started. I didn http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Colorado/Denver/blog-438674.html I had a busy weekend. Friday I spent a couple hours at the Open House at the Kansas City Harley Factory. Spent some time in Garnett saddling horses for my Dad and a day here in KC fiddling with Effie. Melany and Willie asked if I wanted to ride out to the open house with them in the morning. Willie brought breakfast what a sweetheart. I rode the new XR1200 they had in the demo rides. Wow wh http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Kansas/blog-436387.html It was 1972 and I was in Jr High. I could not remember a time when nightly updates on the Vietnam War did not happen. The popular phrase was Make Love NOT War and I didn't know the true consequences of either. But I got a little taste of the effects of the latter. The Peoples Theater we had in my home town of Garnett offered movies for a quarter unless it was a Disney then it was 35 cents. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Kansas/Garnett/blog-434465.html