Photos from Penny - Devlinstravels2 and more...

From: penny.devlin@gmail.com To: devlinstravels.devlin@blogger.com Hi. If you have a minute, check out these photos from my Webshots photo album! Enjoy, Penny

Click on a photo below to view the entire photo album! Devlinstravels2

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Milwaukee, OR

We're in Milwaukee, Or. Going to service the bikes at Paul and
Nancy's before we head East.

We want to thank Jim and Carol for letting us stay in Chateau
Winnebago and thank Dave for the ride to Mary's Peak.

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Plans

We have plans for the first time in several weeks. We're going to
head East again on either Monday or Tuesday - heading to Maine for a
ride there.

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Gold Beach, OR

We're in foggy Gold Beach, OR. Heading up to Albany, OR tomorrow.

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Thank you

We want to extend a HUGE thank you to Brian and Dana for letting us stay with them for a couple of days and for feeding us and letting Jim burn up all their fire wood.  Now we're off to Eagle Point, OR.......taking the scenic route to Canada.  ;-)


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Springfield, Oregon

We're in Springfield, Oregon right now, staying with our friends Brian and Dana. They made the mistake of feeding us, so we're planning on sticking around for a while. ;-) Jim tried to burn their backyard last night, but Brian managed to keep him under control by not giving him anymore fire wood. Their fire pit has been successfully broke in, if the glowing red grate is an indication of anything.

After leaving Sunnyside, WA we spent a few days in Newport, just hanging out, walking around on the beach and relaxing. On the way to Newport we stopped in McMinnville to see the Spruce Goose. There are no words to describe the size of the Spruce Goose. It took up almost the entire museum.

We're planning on leaving here tomorrow and heading down to the Grants Pass area for a few days, then making our way north again, visiting friends along the way, on our way to Canada.

In springfield, oregon.

In springfield, oregon.

On the Road Again

In McMinnville, Oregon. Going to the air museum tomorrow to see the
Spruce Goose, then on to the coast for a couple of days. Thought we
were going to get rained on but it missed us.

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Thank you

A HUGE Thank You to our families for putting up with us for the last couple of weeks.  We appreciate all your support and prayers and food and beds, etc....



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Heading out

We're heading out again tomorrow - August 7.  Our plan is to hit the Oregon coast for a few days then work our way up, visiting friends along the way.  Then into Canada for some foreign exploration.  ;-)



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Newest photos

New photos at Webshots starting at:

 

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/558688779iAvBtx?start=384

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From Michigan to Washington

The saga continues - after a small break.....

We left Phil and Jennifer's on July 1. We spent the night in Snow Lake, Michigan. July 2 we made it to Traverse City, MI. We ended up staying in a motel because of rain. July 3 we stayed in Elk Rapids and July 4 we camped out at the TeePee Campground in Mackinaw City, where we watched some awesome fireworks. We met a couple at the campground who have been traveling in their RV for the last 14 years - and still enjoy every day of it. Everything they own is in their RV. We also met another guy who sold most of his property and is traveling in his RV with his two dogs for the summer.

July 5th we stayed in Gould City where we stayed in a small, older cabin that cost us $35/night. It was old, but clean, and the owners live next door and were really nice people. We ate dinner at the Elks Lodge, a short walk from the cabin. It was one of those moments where everyone stops what they're doing to see who the strangers are who just walked in the door. Dinner and a couple of beers cost us an entire $12 ;-) and we were stuffed when we left. Once the locals decided we were fairly normal they became more friendly and starting talking to us. We had a nice visit with them and hit the hay for the night.

July 6 we stayed in Winter, WI. We rode up and down the road looking for a motel or campground. We opted for a motel, but it was one of the strangest check-in experiences we ever had. On the office door there was a note with a phone number to call to check in. Jim called the number and the guy (who was in Illinois) told Jim once he gave him his credit card number he'd give Jim the combo to the lock box to get a room key. There were 9 rooms and 9 lock boxes. Jim didn't feel comfortable doing this, but we'd been all over looking for a place to stay and I talked him into it. The room was clean, but needed a little TLC. The water didn't turn on right, but it worked once we figured it out. While there we met the only other patron of the motel, Ace. We sat outside our rooms and chatted with Ace until bedtime. Ace is a contractor and has stayed in this motel numerous times and said that's the way he's always had to check in.

On the 7th we rode around the area to find the town where my Mom was born - Lemington, WI. It's not on the map, but one of the locals told us where to find it. We found the sign where Lemington was and took several pictures for my Mom. We rode up and down the road, taking more pictures, and then headed out.

We spent the night of the 7th in Siren, WI. We watched their local parade which took two hours to complete. Whew - that was a long parade. It included all the small towns in the area - floats, marching bands, horses, clowns, firetrucks, politicians, you name it, they had it.

On the 8th we stayed in Brookings, SD, hit the edges of the Badlands and on the 9th we stayed in Keystone, SD. We visited Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse monument. We stayed several hours at the Crazy Horse monument, which is still being built. It's not as commercialized as Mt. Rushmore, so we both actually enjoyed it more.

On the 10th we stayed in Buffalo, WY. We had tried to get a room in Gillette, but there were no rooms available in a price range we were willing to pay. The only room we were able to find in Gillette was a Motel 6, and they wanted over $100. We've had to splurge like that a few times, but I was unwilling to pay that much for a Motel 6 room. On the way to Gillette we rode through Sturgis to see what it looked like without all the bikes. I always thought it was a really small town, but it's a pretty good sized one. There were tons of "get your official Sturgis tee-shirt" shops along the way.

We stayed in Cody, WY on the 11th. We visited the Buffalo Bill museum which was interesting. We didn't have enough time to see it all. It's one of those places - if you're interested in museums - that you need to allocate an entire day to see. We got there mid-afternoon after riding in the hot weather so were to tired to spend enough time to see it all.

On the 12th we stayed in Pocatello, ID and returned to Baker City, OR on the 13th. On the 14th we went to a retirement party in John Day and spent the night there. On the 15th we went back to Baker City and the next day Jim changed the oil/filter and chain and sprockets on my bike, and put new tires on. It was like a new bike!

We were planning on heading up to Sunnyside, WA but ended up having to go to Omak, WA because we got a phone call that Jim's Mom was ill and had to be put into the hospital. Our pickup was still in La Grande on the lot to be sold so we rode to La Grande and picked it up. We loaded my bike into the back of it and Jim left his bike in the service managers garage. We took turns driving up to Omak, getting there at 2 AM. Jim's Mom was asleep so we went to her house for the night. They released her from the hospital the next morning with more tests to follow later. They're not sure yet what was going on.

I left Omak Thursday morning to go to Sunnyside where my Uncle and Aunt and cousins from Missouri were visiting my parents, and to attend my 20th class reunion on Friday. Jim decided to drive back to Sunnyside on Friday to go with me, then drove back up to Omak to attend his 21st class reunion.

On Monday (I've lost track of dates) we met back up in La Grande where he got his bike so he could ride to California to visit family and to get his bike seat readjusted. I stayed in Baker City and Ontario to visit friends, then came back to Sunnyside, where I'm still at. Jim will be back about the 1st or 2nd of August.

Once he gets back, we'll plan where we're heading next and take off. We're ready to go again. It's nice to relax and see family, but we're anxious to hit the road again.

Omak & Sunnyside

The latest news from the front line (July 18th) is that the Ninks (no income, no kids) were in Omak. Penny headed back to Sunnyside (Thursday July 19th) for her High school class reunion which is tonight the 20th.

Jim was staying in Omak this past week as his mother was in the hospital but she is out and seems to be OK. He'll be come down to Sunnyside in the TRUCK today for Penny's reunion then zip back to Omak Saturday for his reunion. (Clear as mud?)

Monday Jim will leave Omak in the TRUCK and Penny will leave Sunnyside on her MOTORCYCLE to meet up in LeGrand where they'll put the truck back up on the "For Sale" lot. Jim will pick up his bike and then they'll head to Baker City for a few days. After that Jim will leave for California to visit family and have his motorcycle seat adjusted while Penny will be working on her tan ;-) .

Baker City

Arrived in Baker City on the 13th. Keith and Paulette had a few
friends over and we had a great time. We're in John Day right now
where we went to a retirement party. Planning on heading to
Sunnyside, WA on Wednesday. Hopefully my tires come in before then.

The area around us is on fire. It's close enough that we can see ash
falling out of the sky.

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Pocatello, ID

We're in Pocatello, Id. We were hoping to get further today but road
construction in Yellowstone held us up for a while. Should hit Baker
City tomorrow afternoon. Supposed to be 97 tomorrow. HOT.

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Cody, WY

In Cody, Wy. Went to the Buffalo Bill Museum. Heading through
Yellowstone tomorrow. It's nice to be back where there are mountains
in the horizon. Should be in Baker on Friday.

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Brookings, SD

We're in Brookings, SD. Heading for the Badlands and Mt. Rushmore.
Jim's never been there. Rode in the rain for a bit today, but it was
so hot the rain felt good. Planning to be in Baker City, OR on
Friday.

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Siren, WI

Survived the Fourth of July at Macinaw City and are now in Siren, WI.
Were ableto find the town my Mom was born in - Lemington, WI. Not
even on the map but a local knew where we could find it. Heading West
tomorrow.

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Elk Rapids, MI

Camping at Elk Rapids, MI. Only tent in an RV park. Right on the
lake. Hope it doesn't rain. Trying to find a 4th of July parade and
fireworks tomorrow morning and evening.

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Traverse City, Michigan

We're in Traverse City, MI. Planned to camp but are hiding out from the rain in a motel instead. All is going great.

We camped out last night at Snow Lake. It was a popular campground. Between Snow Lake and Traverse City we had lunch at the Oasis in Branch, MI. The food was excellant and the owner shared traveling stories with us.

Before leaving Phil and Jennifer's, they gave us some spare gear they had. I left with a brand new leather jacket and Jim got some nice summer gloves. Thanks again, Phil and Jennifer. We appreciate your hospitality and your generousity.

I forgot to mention that when we were at Phil and Jennifer's, they took us into Detroit to a free concert (Grand Funk RR) along the river. They also took us to an Ethiopian restaurant for dinner. That was a new experience, for sure. The food was good. Not totally sure what we had, but it's eaten with fingers - no silverware. Instead a flat bread, tortilla like bread is used.

Detroit was an experience. We passed numerous buildings that were empty - huge buildings, including skyscrapers and the original Tigers Stadium. Yet they continue to build new buildings and sky scrapers. It seemed like a huge waste. The river walk area was in a nicer part of town with newer buildings. Along with Phil and Jennifer we met up with Eric and Laura and Erik's son to watch the concert.

We're taking our time and taking back roads to get to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. After crossing the Mackinaw Bridge we'll catch Hwy. 2 to come across the northern states back home. We're going to make a stop in Wisconsin to take some pictures for my Mom then make our way to Idaho, where we'll start going south to John Day, OR where we need to be for a retirement party on July 14. Then up to Washington for class reunions. Then back to Baker City for another appointment on the 24th. From there, Jim is going to go to California to spend some time with his grandparents. I'll visit some friends in Eastern Oregon for a few days and then go back to Washington.

Ypsilanti, Michigan

We've taken a couple day break from our travels to stay with Phil and
Jennifer in Ypsilanti, MI before we start making the Western trek.
We're either going to start heading back tomorrow or Monday. Phil
took us for a tour of the Ford museum in Detroit and we did some other
sight-seeing of the Ann Arbor area with Phil and Jennifer. We've been
having a great time.

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From Kitchener to Ravenwood

We left Chris' place on June 10 and spent the night in Petersborough, Ontario, then on to Kingston on the 11th. We went from the Land of 1,000 Lakes to the Land of 1,000 Islands. Crossing the bridge back into the States, we were able to look down and sure enough, the water was full of thousands of little islands, several of which had a house or two sitting on, with a boat garage next to it. We saw a place offering boat tours and stopped in to check it out, but it was closed.

One odd sight we saw on the way was a small goat farm. The goats had big horns, but on the tips of their horns the owners had placed tennis balls, assumably to keep them from stabbing each other.

From Kingston we rode to Lake Placid, NY. That wasn't one of our intended destinations, but Toby and several other's had suggested it, so we figured why not.

We stayed at the Wildwood Inn - overlooking the lake and priced right. We were on the second floor and had a wonderful view of the lake and were within walking distance of town.

While we were there, we met up with a group from Canada which we refer to as the Canadian version of Wild Hogs. They were five guys out for a short vacation. We ended up spending the afternoon and part of the evening visiting with them and having a great time. They all work together and some of them are in the same motorcycle group.

They left early the next morning and Jim and I walked into Lake Placid and checked out the sights. We visited the ice-skating rink where the Olympics were held and did some shopping. We bought new stuff sacks for our gear. The previous ones opened at the top so if we needed something at the bottom we had to dump everything out. The new ones open on the sides, so it's easier to dig around to find what we need without having to empty the whole bag.

From Lake Placid we rode back to Rochester on June 14 where we stayed with Toby again.

On the 15th we rode to Columbus where we stayed with Ann. We started out taking some marvelous back roads, but by 3:30 realized we'd never make it there by dark if we didn't get on the freeway. We stayed with Ann three nights.

While there we went shopping at the Iron Pony and bought new, cooler gear. Jim bought some First Gear mesh gear and I got some Fieldsheer mesh gear. Much cooler than the leather gear we'd been wearing. Ann was kind enough to ship our other gear to my sister for us so we wouldn't have to haul it all the way back.

We had a great time at Ann's just hanging out. Ann's daughter and some of her friends came over and we played the Cornhole game. Jim and Danielle were the champions. The next day we went and watched Ann's daughter at her softball game. It was nice to be off the bikes for a few days, but we were ready to hit the road again.

On June 18 we rode out to the Hocking Hills State Park where we camped out for three nights. While we were there we did a lot of hiking. There were a lot of caves and bluffs to explore. One day we hiked close to six miles.

Out in the trees it's easy to let the imagination run wild. I could see where some of the science fiction and fantasy writers get their ideas. For example, the trees with their roots spread out above ground reminded me of the scenes in the Lord of the Rings movies where the trees were walking. We also saw some weird bugs, and one spider that was absolutely HUGE!

The water falls weren't running because of the dry conditions in the area. They usually don't start drying up until July we've been told. The area does look dry - the fields and yards are starting to turn brown and the creeks and rivers are all low.

We left the campground on the 21st to head over to Burr Oak where we were going to meet up with some people from the Sabmag group. On the way we stopped at Ravenwood Castle near New Plymouth. It's a recreation of a castle that we saw an advertisement for.

We arrived at the cabins at Burr Oak, but didn't see any other bikes, so we rode to the Lodge to check in. We ran into ZimBob there and made introductions. We got the key to our cabin and went back. Tom Blum and Pat Coffee were already there so we visited with them for a short while before the others started showing up.

Our roommate - Sean Votier showed up with Vic, a guy he had just sold his Triumph Sprint ST to. Numerous others showed up as the night went on.

The next day, after breakfast, Phil Ross took Jim and I and Chris Park for a nice ride where we experienced the twists and turns of the Ohio roads. We had lunch in New Matamoris and headed back to camp. Phil managed to keep the ride around 200 miles so we weren't to exhausted when we got back to camp. More people had shown up during the day.

The next day, Katherine Becker was our leader. It was a nice leisurely ride. Katherine escorted Jim and I and Sean around the countryside, picking up Phil along the way. We had lunch in Marietta along the river. Jim ordered some tires from the Triple Nickel motorcycle shop. He's not sure he'll make it home on the current tires.

On the way back to camp we stopped at an information center that showed pictures of the strip mining that had taken place in that area. They had a bucket from the machine that did the strip mining. It was huge. It made our gold dredge mining buckets back home look small.

Back at the cabins people were hanging out and telling stories about the days rides.

People started pulling out the next morning. We hung out until nearly everyone was gone - not quite sure yet where we were going to go.

We ending up spending the night (June 24) in New Matamoras at the Aldeco Motel - where previous Sabmag events had been held.

We spent June 25 and 26 at Ravenwood Castle. It's a quiet and peaceful place, nice to relax in before we start making the trek back west for our class reunions. We really enjoyed ourselves at Ravenwood.

So far, we've ridden over 10,000 miles.

Burr Oak & Ravenwood Castle

I finally got news from the NINKS that they were at Burr Oak Ohio attending a SabMag (Honda - Sabre Magna) get together with many folks they've met through their years on the SabMag internet forum list.

They had recently purchased some new rain/summer riding gear and were able to do a quick 20 min test which Jim said they worked great and are keeping them much cooler than the leathers.

Not sure where or what they plan on doing today but Monday and Tuesday nights they plan on staying at Ravenwood Castle www.ravenwoodcastle.com

I'm sure pictures and more news will follow when they get to somewhere with a internet connection.

Busy day relaxing

We've learned a new sport that's sweeping Ohio by storm called Corn Holing. http://www.cornholeoutlet.com/ The object is to throw a little bag full of corn into a hole on a board. Sounds easier than it is. Ann's daughter brought the game over and let us entertain her and her friend with our attempts.




We also visited the American Motorcycle Association museum. It showcased the motorcycle from it's early days through today.


And we finished off the day by accompanying Ann to watch her daughter's softball game. Jess' team's name is Tappa Kegga Drinka. Pretty cute!




Tomorrow morning we head off towards Burr Oak. We're going to spend a few days in the Hocking Hills before the ride to do some exploring.

We've had a great time at Ann's, playing with her dog Tucker and her cat Jack, entertaining her daughter and friends, and just relaxing. It's been nice to take a couple of days off from riding. Ann's been a great host and we're going to miss her and her hospitality.

Columbus, Ohio

We are relaxing at Ann's place in Columbus, Ohio.  We are now well rested and well fed and heading to the Iron Pony this afternoon to check out gear.  We rode from Toby's place in Rochester, NY to Ann's yesterday.  We started out taking back roads, but about 2:30 decided we better slab it the rest of the way.  The back roads we did take led us through some beautiful countryside in New York and Pennsylvania. 

Prior to heading back to Toby's from Canada we spent two nights in Lake Placid, NY.  While there we met the Canadian version of Wild Hogs.  Five guys were out having a great time.  We visited with them and had a lot of laughs. 

On to Burr Oak mid-week, then start making the trek back West for class reunions in Washington mid-July.



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Lake Placid, NY

Got a note yesterday while I was out enjoying the sunshine that they are in Lake Placid, New York. They plan on staying 2 nights so this is their 2nd day and they say the countryside is just beautiful.

Here are a few pictures of the dynamic duo before they left on the trip. Notice how DRY they were :^)




Jim and Penny said I've jinxed them with rain but I mentioned I haven't even gotten out the voodoo dolls yet ;-) Remember to have Jim do "The Dance" for food.

June 10

We're spending the night in Peterborough, ON. May do some touristy
things tomorrow. Nice day out.

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June 10

I forgot to mention in my first post what great hosts Chris and Jenn
have been. The food's been great, and Chris did our laundry for us.
He insisted that he do it for us rather than us do it ourselves.
Can't beat service like that!!

Jenn's taking the Canadian equivalent of the MSF course right now, so
hopefully she'll be riding her own bike soon. We rode down and
watched her for a few minutes and she was doing a great job.

Muskoka area, Ontario, Canada

We have spent the last two nights with Chris P and Jenn in Kitchener,Ontario.

To get here Friday night, we had to ride through the worst downpour I
think I've ever been in. We finally managed to get off the freeway
and take refuge under a semi-trailer at a truck loading dock. We were
completely soaked through. Normally our boots are waterproof, but
because we had so much water running down our legs, our boots even
filled up with water. After the rain let up, we rode the last few
miles to Chris' house and dried out.

Saturday, Chris and a friend of his from the VFR list took us for a
ride. We had to ride about 3 hours to get to the "good" roads. We
discovered that we are very spoiled where we come from. Bikes were
lined up to go down this "one good road" in Ontario. While the curves
and twists of the road were nice, the road itself was not. It was
covered in frost heaves and sand and broken limbs and gravelly spots.
We survived, and Chris and friend took us on some more roads that were
a lot more smoother and had bigger sweepers. I prefer the bigger
sweepers to the tighter technical stuff anyway, so I liked the less
popular roads better than the "one good road".

The area we were at was the Muskoka area. It is surrounded by
numerous smaller lakes and is a very beautiful area.

This afternoon we head back to Rochester, NY. From there we're
heading to Columbus, Ohio area and then down to Burr Oak for a ride
there in a week and a half.

Penny

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