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The Pam and Jerry Fields' Blog Page

Month: June 2011

California motorcycle rally

June 24, 2011 / / 3 Comments

(Note: Slide show at bottom. Thanks!)

Once a year I take a long motorcycle trip as a vacation. This year I went to a rally based out of Santa Margarita, California. Santa Margarita is not far from San Louis Obispo and Morro Bay.

 I have been going to rallies since 2000, so know many of the people who show up at these things. Its always a great way to meet and greet friends not seen for a year or more, and meet some new friends along the way.

 This year I stayed at Las Vegas (Circus, Circus) on both the outgoing and return legs of the trip. Price for the room was not bad, about $42.00 per night, but I am not a big city person and I certainly felt out of place on “the strip”. But…it was good to have a nice air-condition room to sleep in (daytime temps in the 90’s) when I got off the bike!

 Day 1 got me as far as Las Vegas. On day 2 (A Thursday) I arrived at the Santa Margarita KOA. I had camp set up by around 5:30 local time, so decided to take off for a ride to the ocean (Morro Bay) and get something to eat.

 It was quite cool at the beach, but I enjoyed the ride, watching the waves break, and watch the antics of the sea gulls. As much as I like my mountains, there is something about a sunset over the ocean that is very satisfying to watch.

 Dinner that night was pizza. I had developed a hunger for one on the ride out, and finally found a local joint in the town of Itascadero. I managed to eat an entire 10-inch Canadian Bacon, and boy it sure tasted good!

 The next morning I called a pair of friends who had also arrived early (Main rally was  scheduled  for Saturday) and we got together for breakfast at Denny’s in Paso Robles. We decided to head up to a national monument named The Pinnacles. Of more interest to people who have an interest in geology, The Pinnacles sits on the edge of the San Andreas Fault. Right on the edge…broken formations are separated by several miles, showing how the fault has slipped over the eons.

 The best part of this trip way California Hwy 25, which is the route to the eastern entrance to the monument. It runs along the edge of a fertile valley, and is great for motorcycle riding. 

 After visiting The Pinnacles, the 3 of us headed north to Hollister, west to 101, then back south to the KOA where the rally host was cooking dinner. A nice evening ensued, with other riders showing up and eating dinner around a fire.

 The Saturday main group ride began after a campground breakfast of French Toast and Sausage. The group leaders set up a route out to the Pacific Coast, taking back roads through valleys and a planned stop for lunch. As with the previous morning, temperatures were a bit on the cool side, 50’s with some morning fog.

 Now, getting a group of bikers to do anything in unison is akin to herding cats. None the less, we finally got going and did some riding. I confess to being part of the problem, as myself and another guy headed out to get supplies and fuel. We met the rest of the group on the way back to the KOA.

 We stopped for lunch in the town of Cambria. It was a very pleasant stop, with good food at reasonable prices. Once everyone was full, we mounted up ant took off north along the coast, stopping for some group riding shots.

 Eventually we headed back to the KOA for dinner. Larry and Kelli, the hosts, did an excellent job of preparing a meal of briskit and trimmings. Lots of talk, a few beers, some wine, and good company made for a very pleasant evening.

 Sunday was departure day for some of the riders. Not me…I had planned to start back on Monday. As it was, a group of 5, including me, formed up to ride north, as the other 4 were heading that direction on their homeward routs. We got on the road after saying our goodbyes to the others, rode up Hwy 101, ate at a genuine Mexican restaurant (I still don’t know exactly what I had) and headed west. Turning north-west on G-16, we were riding through Carmel Valley.

 This is a very nice bike ride. Carmel-by-the-sea is a high-bucks area, and I can see why. Beautiful old houses and ranches, flowers blooming everywhere, and picturesque fields and pastures abound. Eventually we arrived in Monterey Bay, and took in Fisherman’s Warf. After walking around and getting a souvenir for Pam (I had my orders!) it was time for me to head back to camp, and the others to continue their trips home.

 I was able to come back on Hwy 1, the Pacific Coast Highway. Even better, the fog and cloudiness that had been with us for most of the day cleared out on this last leg. I was able to get some good bridge and landscape photos, and stopped at a look out point to watch the sun set over the ocean. It was a very nice way to wrap up the rally.

 Monday morning I packed up and headed home. I stayed in Las Vegas that night, and arrived home at about 6:30 P.M. on Tuesday.

 Over-all, I rode 2,920 miles. Of these, about 990 miles were “local” miles ridden after I arrived at the KOA and before I left to return home. Monterey Bay had the highest gas prices, about $4.60 per gallon for mid-grade, or about $4.50 for regular unleaded. Longest stretch is the home-to-Las Vegas segment, about 548 miles. However, the Barstow to Bakesfield link is probably the ugliest. Best stretch is through western Utah into the St. George area, as the elevation is high enough to be cooler, you can see some snow in the mountain peaks, and the valleys have enough water to stay green.

I do enjoy these outings, and look forward to planning next year’s trip.

 That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Note on photos:  This is a very limited selection. If you are interested in seeing more photos, including the people I rode with, see my CaliRally page. The link is on the Jerry’s Toys page, or you can click on view page.

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Click on an image to open a larger copy. You can also go forward and backward through the photos by clicking on the forward and back buttons on the larger images. To activate these arrows, move your cursor near the 11:00 or 1:00 positions on the photo.

Kitt’s Visit

June 16, 2011 / / 2 Comments

My sister Carol (AKA: Kitt) came to visit us the week after I was in Wisconsin. In fact, Kitt rode with me on the drive back to Colorado. The plan was to have Kitt visit a few of the our favorite spots, have some time to talk, and wind down from the Wisconsin trip.

Kitt and I had always been able to talk. Perhaps it is being the oldest daughter and oldest son out of the 4 kids. At any rate, we feel comfortable in each other’s company. It helps that we share a similar sense of humor and appreciation of the absurd.

After surviving a storm near Kearney, Nebraska (we pulled off the interstate 3 times) we arrived back in Colorado 23 hours after leaving Wisconsin. First order of business: Get minimally unpacked and get some rest. Pam had not yet left for work when we arrived, so she was able to confirm that we were tired but otherwise OK.

I had taken a few days off work, so the next morning Kitt and I took off to vist one of my favorite ‘quirky’ spots: Brush Creek. A large ranch is located in the valley that Brush Creek flows through. The ranch caters to hunting parties and corporate get-aways. A few miles up a  gravel road you suddenly see these metal horses. Made out of hammered metal and 3 or 4 times life size, 4 horses are on the east side of the road, and another is on the west side. They appear to be coming out of a canyon and running toward the road. Here are a couple photos:

Lady posing by metal horse.

Kitt with Iron Horse #2.

Statues of wild horses in a running position.

Wild horse statues - Brush Creek.

After admiring the valley and getting a few pictures we headed home.

That afternoon we headed out to another favorite spot, Redstone. Home of the Redstone Inn and the Crystal Dreams B&B, Redstone sits on the banks of the Crystal River. We stopped at the park, walked downtown, had some lunch, strolled though an antique store, and visited the Redstone Inn. For the historically minded, we visited the coke ovens just outside of town. This coke is not a beverage; locally mined coal was “coaked” to make it burn hotter in furnaces that were used to make iron. Redstone was a coal company town, and houses were provided to the workers and their families. Some of these houses, now on the Historic Register, remain in private ownership. Now a haven for summer art festivals and music-in-the-park concerts, Redstone is hard to imagine as a company mining town. The big draw for us is the park on the edge of the river.

Here are a few photos:

Lady posing near a river.

Kitt at the Crystal River Park in Redstone.

Person and statue outside a fancy inn.

We visit the Redstone Inn.

Beehive ovens used to coke coal in the 1860's.

Beehive coke ovens, Redstone, Mt. Sopris in the background.

Just up from Redstone is McClure Pass, and to get there you pass Hayes Creek:

lady poses near a waterfall.

Kitt near Hayes Creek

As it was getting later in the day, we turned toward home.

Alas, even travelers have to stop and rest sometime. The next day we went grocery shopping, did laundry, and took care of chores around the house. Kitt travels with her Kindle, and was able to pass some quiet time sitting on our deck and reading.

By this time we had gone north, west, and east from our house, so the next logical route took us south. The final day of Kitt’s visit we (Pam took the day off to join in the fun) had planned to visit Crested Butte, an old mining town turned tourist town. The most direct route was over Grand Mesa. Still lots of snow at the top, as the elevation is 10,860+ feet. We stopped at the Visitor’s Center to take it in:

Snow still deep at the top of grand Mesa.

Visitor's Center in early June - Grand Mesa, Colorado

After crossing the Mesa, we continued toward our destination. Alas, we found the road over Kebler Pass, our planned route into Crested Butte,  was closed by the Forest Service for maintenance! Shucks, Darn, and stuff like that. On to plan B.

After taking some photos from the part of the road we could travel, (see below)  we backtracked into the town of Paonia, where we asked a local bicyclist to recommend a good eatery. She pointed us to the “Fork In The Road” restaurant and bakery. Good tip…we had a relaxing Italian lunch in the outdoor garden under a tree. Food (and dessert) was excellent.

Gravel road with mountain in the background.

Kebler Pass Road.

After we finished lunch we walked up town to see if we could find any t-shirts for Kitt to take home. Didn’t find any, to our surprise. However, I did find a “memory maker” in an antique store…a Little Lady toy cook stove. I remember Kitt and Sienna having one of these. Kitt says she still has the cupcake pan that fit in the stove, and the china set that she used to use at her tea parties. She recounted how Dad would come up, sit in the kid’s chairs around the table, and have a cupcake and drink tea from these tiny tea cups. It was one of her strong memories of Dad.  I just remember that Mom was afraid someone would get burned on the stove…the 4 top burners as well as the oven would get hot when in use. Neither of us has the place to show or store such an article, so we left the store without it but with some strong revived memories. We headed back to the car and made our way home.

The following morning Kitt was scheduled to fly  back to Chicago, so she packed her stuff and I dropped her off at the Grand Junction airport. (She later called to let me know she had arrived home OK.) I did some grocery shopping and ran a few errands, then headed for home. Pam and I planned to head over to Colorado Springs that afternoon for another look at property, looking for our Colorado Dream land. That trip will be the subject of my next post. After that, my motorcycle trip to California will be on deck.

We had a good visit and Kitt enjoyed the trips we took. I think  it was a very good 3 days!

Thats it for now. Thanks for looking in on us!

Wisconsin…there we were.

June 7, 2011 / / 2 Comments

I  took a trip to Wisconsin the last weekend in May. There were 2 main reasons for this trip: Inter my father’s ashes, and help my mother and siblings (brother Jon and sisters Kitt and Sienna) clean out my father’s 24 by 60 foot storage shed.

The first part, interring my father’s ashes, came off well. My mother had invited a small group of people to attend, and we had lunch in a local restaraunt after leaving the cemetery. Here are a few photos of that event:

Kitt taking a picture at cemetary.

My sister Kitt setting up a photo shot.

 

3 women taling to each other in the cemetary.

Dad's sisters Helen and Gina with my sister-in-law Diane.

This photo was taken at the restaraunt where we ate lunch:

Sienna with grandchild.

My sister Sienna with her grandchild, Marisela.

I had taken my Flip video recorder, but the light wind blowing that morning caused the sound track to be very poor. Lots of microphone “whistle” is present. I was disappointed, as I took fewer stills and tried to get more video. I am sure my sibblings will send me more photos from the ceremony.

That night we had a cook-out and took a couple more family photos:

Family photo #1.

Mom, niece Molly, my brother Jon, and Malia, one of Sienna's grandchildren.

 

Family roasting hot dogs.

Jon helps Molly's Jaiden and Malia rost hot dogs.

The clean-out of Dad’s shed went well. We ended up with 4 piles of stuff: metal and recycleables, garbage, wood, and stuff Mom will try to sell at a garage sale.

Jon and I dealt mostly with the attic, and most of the stuff up there had few emotional ties. Jon did find a suitcase of my late-’60s and early ’70s car magazines, which I brought home. They will be fun to go through. We found odd bits of stuff, like the tops (no bottoms) of old chicken feeders.  Dad had kept around 50 coffee ground cans, and we figured he was going to use them to sort “stuff” into and never got around to it. The cans went to recycle.

Down below it was a bit more difficult, as all of us had memories of Dad using his tools to build things like our swing sets and picnic tables. He had collected old insulators, and all of us remember him telling us the history and source of these items. Dad enjoyed this hobby, and it was hard for Mom and my sisters to sort through his collection. In the end we had quite a few items for the garage sale, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Mom took a few things off the sale tables to keep.

There were odd things down stairs as well, such as the Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer lawn ornament that was missing a rear leg. I guess Dad had always planned to fix it. Rudy ended up in the wood pile. That pile, by the way, eventually reached up about 12 feet and was about 30 – 35 feet around. Mom had to get a burn permit to torch it, and the fire department sent out a pumper to stand by, just in case. Apparently Dad had never thrown away even the smaller pieces of wood he ever had. Jon and I were amazed at how much he had accumulated over the last 50 years.

All of us had plenty of opportunity to talk, remember, and catch up on family news. At one point we 4 children were sitting in the kitchen and playing cards. I can’t even remember the last time that happened, if it ever had. We  passed around some wine and had some good conversations. All-in-all the weekend went better than I had expected.

While I still need to get Dad’s old Ford 8N tractor out here to Colorado, cleaning out this shed was a major accomplishment and all of us were satisfied with the work done.

My next post will be about Kitt’s visit to Colorado. Kitt had visited us back  in  ’83 or ’84, but had little chance to see much of Colorado that trip. This time we visited a few favorite spots. Here is just a sample:

Girl posing near a statue of a horse.

Kitt poses with a metal horse. Quirky, yes?

 

Thanks for stopping in!

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