Cyclerides.com Weekly Update
8/26/09
 

Greetings Riders,
 
Well, August is just about over and our prime fall riding season is just around the corner. I personally can't wait. There are so many great day rides around the area that it is sometimes hard to pick one. Starters would be to go to the Cyclerides.com Day Rides and see what looks good to you. One ride that a lot of you will be doing in the near future is the Oak Creek Canyon on 89A from Sedona to Flagstaff. A great little ride and even prettier when some of the trees start turning. Have you ever wanted to see what Oak Creek Canyon looks like from the air? I did, so a few weeks ago we took a flight up to Sedona and followed Oak Creek Canyon North to take some pictures of what we are riding through. Kind of gives you a little different perspective from the air. Click Here to view the 16 photos I took of the area.
 
This week I am going to cover Day 2 of our 2009 trip. As I was going to the pictures for this week I have to admit that it really got me kind of fired up to hit the road again. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen to that proportion for at least another year, but I would definitely go do this same exact route again. Since every day of a long ride is usually different, I started thinking what was different about this particular day. Some days might be about mountains, oceans or just making time on the flat land. But this particular day seemed to be about old towns, spending the day on the back roads and crossing into another country. I love taking pictures of barns and churches, so you will see a lot of those on this trip.
 
We started in one of the coolest little old towns we have been in named Winthrop, WA and followed Hwy. 20 through old towns like Okanogan, Omak, Republic (a neat old town), the Sherman Pass Byway and Kettle Falls before crossing the Canadian border and ultimately to Nakusp. One thing about riding a motorcycle cross country is that we tend to seek the back roads off the beaten path. And an interesting thing about being on those types of roads is that you never no what you are going to see. On this particular day we really got an eye full of something that you definitely won't see on the freeway. As were enjoying the rolling hills of a pretty farming area in Northeastern Washington we crested a hill to see about a 600 pound Angus cow being slaughtered on the side of the road. It was hanging from a cargo truck after just being skinned. Sounds kind of gross doesn't it?
 
We went on past and I asked Mrs. C., did you see that?! So we turned around to get a closer look and to talk to the 2 guys that were doing the work to get the down low on what they were doing. A woman pulled up in a Polaris and said that this would be there meet for the winter. So we had a good chat with the guys for about 5 minutes and then we were off. As we did our U-Turn and headed off, the old guy took out the chain saw and started going to town on it. Even being an old farm boy from Kansas myself, we never did this. Ok, I know you are waiting to see the pictures. One was posted on the Cyclerides Facebook 3 weeks ago, but here they are for the first time on Cyclerides.com. Pic 1, the cow hanging from the truck, Pic 2, the lady that pulled up to talk to us, Pic 3, the old boy going "Jason" on the cow. Yep, you won't find this on the freeway!
 
So after that unique experience it gave us plenty to talk about for the next 30 miles on our way to Omak to find some breakfast. Steak and Eggs seemed to be appropriate. We then followed Hwy. 20 to Kettle Falls before turning North on Hwy. 25 to follow the Columbia River for the final 30 miles to the Canadian Border crossing at Paterson, British Columbia. (Click Here for one of my best photos of the trip) It is always a little exciting crossing into another country, be it to the North or to the South, because things just seem a little different in the presentation of signs, warnings, etc. For one thing, speed is measured in kilometers per hour instead of MPH. So one of the first things we saw was a little lesson in how to compare speeds. Apparently 80km/h is equal to 50 mph. Not bad information to have since I don't have km/h on my Road Glide speedo. Another observation was how clean and well manicured the little towns were.
 
The next 150 miles of our trek into British Columbia took us through Castlegar, a really cool old town of Nelson, through the Valhalla Provincial Park on our way to Nakusp located on Arrow Lake. This was thoroughly enjoying riding as most of the day was spent on quiet roads in the pines and next to a fair amount of lakes. Rather than trying to make it to Revelstoke that night, we decided to end our day in Nakusp, BC. A nice little old town with Hot Springs nearby. The good news was that we fortunately got one of the last rooms in town. The bad news was that it had no air conditioning. Apparently this is not a real concern here, but we happen to be there during a record heat wave in the 90's. Needless to say, the little window in the room on the second floor with no cross ventilation provided one of the hottest sleeping nights I have had in a very long time. But it was a bed, and we were glad to have one.
 
After eating dinner on the patio of the old Leland Hotel, overlooking the Selkirk Mountains across Arrow Lakes, we took a walk along the lake to the Marina before taking as much time as we could to get back to our room that we knew was going to be less than comfortable. Nakusp is a great little stop on your way North to Revelstoke and beyond.
 
Day 2 ended up being a leisurely 354 mile day through some truly beautiful riding country. But we were now on the doorstep of ratcheting it up a notch as the next day we would be going through world class scenery of Waterton National Park, Yoho National Park in Alberta and ending at Lake Louise. It doesn't get much better than that. I posted 83 pictures for you to view today. But get ready for next week.
 
Click Here to View Pictures.
Click Here to View Map.
 
Useful Links: 
The town of Nakusp, BC
Discover Nelson, BC
Republic, Washington
Facts about Crossing the Canadian Border 



 
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Highlights This Week 

Saturday, August 29th
Arrowhead Harley-Davidson Presents the Hottest Hostess & Beautiful Bartender Bikini Contest.
Ride by and voice your opinion from the crowd as 15 Hostess's and Bartender's from Hooters, McDuffy's,
Fox and Hound,
Salty Senorita's and the Native New Yorker do what it takes to be noticed in the 2nd Arrowhead HD Bikini Contest. 
The contest will kick off at 11am.
Click Here to see last year's bikini contest video. 

Saturday, August 29th
Buddy Stubbs Texas Hold 'Em. Test your poker skills in the Buddy Stubbs Texas Hold 'Em Tournament.
Starts at 12 PM in the air conditioned Buddy Stubbs Dealership. $20 Buy in.
Top 5 finishers share $1000 in cash and prizes.


 
Bike Nights This Week 

Wednesday 

NEW!!!

Chester's Harley-Davidson Wednesday Bike Night. Chester's HD invites you to Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill Bike Night every Wednesday night. If you looking to get your bike out of the garage and ride someplace where you know other riders will be, head out to Toby Keith's located in the Mesa Riverview next to Bass Pro Shop, Loop 202 and Dobson, Mesa. 6PM til Close. Live Band starts at 7PM. Free Raffle and great prizes. Half price selected appetizers, $2 wells til 7pm. $3 longnecks or $12/bucket of 5. Designated bike parking. Ride With Us and get a free Chester's koozie! Leaves Chester's at 5:30PM sharp. This is really a fun place for a bike night that includes a large outdoor patio. Great Food, Great Music, Great Place, Great Time! For more information call Chester's HD at 480-894-0404. 

Thursday Night 

The Bike Night At The Billet Bar The Billet Bar is the place to be for the Summer nights and weekends. Set on the patio and watch the action. Voted "BEST BIKER BAR IN PHOENIX" by New Times. There is no better place to watch all the Bikes ride down Scottsdale road than from The Billet Bar Patio. The Billet is ALWAYS packed with bikes Every Day. Stop by and take a look at the New Flamed Booths on the Paradise Patio. The new bars front and rear provide spacious seating, fresh air atmosphere, perfect temperature and courteous staff. The food is amazing and always the latest in cold libations await. You can sit at the back bar and watch your favorite TV on any of the seven big inch televisions. Play pool, listen to the latest music and socialize. The front patio seats over 75 people and is perfect for people watching on Scottsdale Rd. The Billet Bar is located on 3752 N. Scottsdale Rd. Check it out this Thursday night and all weekend long. Info: at 480-941-1876. Click Here for the New Billet Bar Page with pictures. 

This Week 

Saturday, August 29th
Buddy Stubbs Texas Hold 'Em. Test your poker skills in the Buddy Stubbs Texas Hold 'Em Tournament. Starts at 12 PM in the air conditioned Buddy Stubbs Dealership. $20 Buy in. Top 5 finishers share $1000 in cash and prizes. Sign-Up in person now at Buddy Stubbs HD or call 602-971-3400. Only 50 player spots. Even if you are the next Hold 'Em champion, stop by from 11am - 3pm for FREE Food and Drinks, pool Tournament and Museum Tours with Buddy. Buddy Stubbs HD is located at 13850 N. Cave Creek Rd. in Phoenix, AZ. www.buddystubbshd.com .  
 
Saturday, August 29th
Arrowhead Harley-Davidson Presents the Hottest Hostess & Beautiful Bartender Bikini Contest.
Ride by and voice your opinion from the crowd as 15 Hostess's and Bartender's from Hooters, McDuffy's,
Fox and Hound, Salty Senorita's and the Native New Yorker do what it takes to be noticed in the 2nd Arrowhead HD Bikini Contest. Click Here to see last year's bikini contest video. The contest will kick off at 11am. Winners will be announced at 1pm. Special Guest Judges, Music, Food, Vendors, Bike Wash from 1-am - 3pm. Looking to ad some new accessories to your bike or pick up some new gear? Tier discounts on this day. Spend $1-$200, Save 10%. $201-$500, Save 15%. $500 and up Save 20%. While you are there, check out the New 2010 HD Motorcycles. Arrowhead HD is located at 16130 N. Arrowhead Ftn. Dr. in Peoria, AZ. 623-247-5542. 

Upcoming Events 

Don't forget, the Rocky Point Rally is ON! November 5-8. If you plan on going you will need to get your passport card ordered soon. If you missed the newsletter a couple of weeks ago with the announcement of the Rocky Point Rally being UN-Cancelled, Click Here to Read and have instruction on how to get your passport card. The Rally is on an being planned with some very cool additions this year. More will be announced in the coming weeks. Get your passport cards and reservations now. www.rockypointrally.com . 

Extras 

Cyclerides.com is now on Facebook! I am inviting you to "Become A Fan" on the Cyclerides.com Facebook page.
Go to
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cycleridescom/108447575697 to add your name and bookmark this page. If you are not on Facebook, you can still go to the page, but you will not be able to communicate. There will be a link there for you to sign up for Facebook if you are inclined. 

Bikers Bay Stimulis Package!
Stimulus Packages have come to the Biker World! Every little bit helps these days.
For the month of September all Bikers Bay Stores in the Valley will be offering a 20% Discount on all Full Synthetic Oil Services. This is good at Glendale, Mesa and Phoenix only. Find your nearest location at www.mybikersbay.com. Or call 602-923-0114.
 
I have no idea how these kids do this or how many takes to get it right,
but they are talented.  Click Here to View.
 
I have no idea if this is real or from a movie, but I have heard of controlling drones
from the U.S. and dropping bombs in Iraq. So it is plausible. Regardless, it is entertaining. Here is how it is done. Click Here to View 

Video of the Week
Once again, I don't know if this is trick photography, but it sure looks real. I'd hate to be the first guy to test out this slip n' slide. Amazing! Click Here to View. Click on the Video of the Week graphic on the page. 

 

Until Next Week,
Blessings and Safe Riding To All,
 
Barry Caraway
"The Road Is Yours - Take The Ride"
www.cyclerides.com
info@cyclerides.com

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