OVERGAARD, AZ

THIS WEEKS BUTT CONDITIONING SCOOTER TRIP WAS TO OVERGAARD, AZ., WEST OF SHOW LOW. WE FOUND THE WICKED WOMEN SALOON.

NICE PLACE, BUT JUST A LITTLE TOURISTY FOR ME. WE HEADED ON DOWN THE ROAD TO THE CABIN BAR AND GRILL.

NOW THIS IS MORE LIKE IT. I THOUGHT WE WERE “UP-NORTH” IN WISCONSIN. IN THE BACKYARD THEY HAD THE MOST USED JENGA BOARDS I’D EVER SEEN, AND CORN HOLE , TOO.

LAST WEEKS LESSON WAS SUNBURN, AND I MIGHT ADD THAT THE NEXT DAY I BOUGHT AN EXSPENSIVE LONG SLEEVE POLYESTER SHIRT TO PREVENT THAT PROBLEM. I ALSO FOUND A PAIR OF BLACK JEANS FOR $3 AT THE THRIFT STORE. THIS WEEK’S LESSON WAS RAIN……

TODAY’S RUN WAS 80 MILES, AND WE STILL HAVEN’T DONE AN OVERNIGHT SCOOTER TRIP, SO WE HAVE MORE ADVENTURES TO COME.

SCOOTER UPGRADE

OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS I’VE RIDDEN THE SCOOTER OVER 6,000 MILES. I’VE REALLY ENJOYED IT, ESPECIALLY IN WISCONSIN ON OUR SUMMER TRIPS. I TEND TO RIDE THE SCOOTER MORE IN THE WINTER THAN IN THE SUMMER.

IN ANALIZING MY SCOOTER TIME, I FIGURED OUT WHY I ENJOY WISCONSIN MORE THAN THE SOUTHWEST. IN WISCONSIN THEY HAVE BLACKTOP FARM TO MARKET ROADS WHERE YOU CAN GET ANYWHERE IN THE STATE ON THE BACK ROADS. IN THE SOUTHWEST IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO TOUR WITHOUT USING THE INTERSTATE HIWAYS. THE HONDA JUST DOESN’T DO FREEWAY SPEEDS AND YOU’RE A SLOW MOVING “TARGET” IF YOU TRY IT.

THE REASON I RIDE MORE IN THE WINTER THAN SUMMER IS BECAUSE MARY TAKES THE SUMMERS “OFF” AND SCOOTERING HAS BEEN A SOLO ACTIVITY. OH SURE IT HAS FOOT PEGS AND A PASSENGER SEAT, THAT WERE DESIGNED FOR A 10 YEAR OLD JAPANESE KID.

WHAT I NEED IS A SCOOTER THAT DOES FREEWAY SPEEDS AND PROVIDES A COMFORTABLE SEAT FOR MY FAVORITE PASSENGER, MARY.

 

SUSKI BURGMAN 650

SO HERE IS THE SCOOTER UPGRADE, A SUSKI BURGMAN 650.

 

THIS IS THE DASHBOARD. AT THE TOP, A ROW OF IDIOT LIGHTS, INCLUDING ONE THAT LOOKS LIKE A SNOWFLAKE?  LEFT SPEEDOMETER, RIGHT TACH. THE MIDDLE LED PART FROM THE TOP, THE TIME OF DAY 2:52 PM, THE TEMPERATURE 69 DEGREES, AND 34 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THERE ARE TRIP SETS A & B AND YOU CAN TOGGLE THE TEMPERATURE TO TELL YOU YOUR GAS MILEAGE. TODAY, MY FIRST DAY I GOT 45.3 MILES PER GALLON. YUP, GONE ARE THE DAYS OF BRAGGING ABOUT 100 MILES TO THE GALLON.

 

BUTTONS? I GOT MORE BUTTONS THAN I KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH:

 

 

I EVEN GOT BUTTONS ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE HANDLEBARS.

FOR STORAGE, THERE ARE THREE GLOVE COMPARTMENT, AND THE BIGGEST ONE HAS A 12 VOLT PLUG FOR YOUR GPS OR TO CHARGE YOUR PHONE.

 

AND UNDER THE SEAT, LOT’S ROOM…….

 

MY FIRST IMPRESSION, IT’S BIG! WHITE! AND FAST!

TOPOCK CAR SHOW

TOPOCK MAKES FOR A NICE 60 MILE ROUND TRIP SCOOTER RIDE, AND THE WEATHER TODAY WAS SO WARM….. I MADE THE RIDE IN SHORTS AND T-SHIRT. I JUST LOVE “SUNNY & 80”!!!

THE CARS WERE VERY NICE, BUT FOR SOME REASON I WAS MORE INTERESTED IN THIS NEW SLINGSHOT BY POLARIS SITTING IN THE PARKING LOT.

PICKLE BARREL

THIS OLD MINER STANDS GUARD OVER THE PICKLE BARREL IN THE LOBBY OF THE OATMAN HOTEL.

THE OATMAN HOTEL

I’VE BLOGGED ABOUT THE FAMOUS OATMAN HOTEL BEFORE.

 

MOST PICTURES ON MY BLOG AND ON THE INTERNET ARE OF THE BAR AND DINNING ROOM WHERE EVERY AVAILABLE SPACE IS COVERED WITH SIGNED DOLLAR BILLS.

RECENTLY THEY REOPENED THE SECOND FLOOR WHICH HAS BEEN ROPED OFF FOR YEARS. UPSTAIRS IS THE FAMOUS HONEYMOON SUITE OF CAROL LOMBARD AND CLARK GABBLE FROM MARCH 18, 1939.

OF COURSE NO TRIP TO OATMAN WOULD BE COMPLETE WITH A COLD BEER AT JUDY’S.

GEOCACHE

IN AN EFFORT TO GET MY 75,000 STEPS A WEEK, I OFTEN COMBINE A SCOOTER RIDE WITH FINDING A GEOCACHE. TODAYS ADVENDURE PUT ME FACE TO FACE WITH THIS MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB.

 

EVEN THE BURRO THOUGHT I WAS NUTS TRYING TO CLIMB THIS MOUNTAIN.

 

BUT I MADE IT TO THE TOP, AND HERE IS THE VIEW.

NATURALLY THE BACKSIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN WAS A MUCH EASIER CLIMB, BUT AT LEAST I SAFELY DESENDED.

SHIT, I FORGOT TO TAKE A PICTURE OF THE CACHE. IT WAS HIDDEN IN THE HOLE ON THE FACE OF THE MOUNTAIN.

 

NEXT TIME REMIND ME TO WALK AROUND TO THE OTHER SIDE TO CHECK FOR AN EASIER TRAIL TO THE TOP.

THE END.

$4.50 LUNCH

 

REMEMBER ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE .75 CENT TACOS AT HOUCHS NOT TASTING AS GOOD AS AS THE .50 CENT TACOS? WELL THIS YEAR THE TACOS ARE $1.00. HOUCHS HAS A MONDAY TACO SPECIAL.

YOU KNOW, I NEVER DID LIKE TACOS……..

“SUNNY & 70”

CHILI COOK-OFF

YESTERDAY’S SCOOTER ADVENTURE TOOK ME UP TO LAUGHLIN (25 MILES) TO CHECKOUT A CHILI COOK-OFF COMPETITION.

NOW HERE IS A POT OF CHILI:

 

THE TEAMS HAD SOME INTERESTING NAMES:

  “SUNNY & 70”

GO PACK GO !!!

CALIFORNIA GAS PRICE

THESE TWO GAS STATIONS ARE ABOUT A MILE APART. THE FIRST IN NEEDLES, CALIFORNIA, AND THE SECOND IN MOHAVE VALLEY, ARIZONA.

THAT’S A DIFFERENCE OF $1.23 PER GALLON FOR REGULAR GASOLINE……..

INTERESTING

 

LOOKS LIKE AN OLD OLDSMOBILE HERSE? ALL I KNOW AFTER TAKING THE PICTURE 3 OR 4 PIT BULLS JUMPED UP AND STARTED BARKING, AND THE WINDOWS ARE ROLLED PART WAY DOWN, I DIDN’T LINGER…….

SCOOTER RUN

THIS WEEKS SCOOTER RUN HAD ME RUNNING MY ERRANDS. FIRST STOP WAS THE BANK.

THEN OUT TO THE CASINO, TO PICK UP THIS WEEKS NEWS MAGAZINE, THE LAUGHLIN ENTERTAINER, TO FIND OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE CASINOS THIS WEEK.

 

THEN OVER TO NEEDLES, CA.

OF COURSE IT WOULDN’T BE A SCOOTER TRIP WITHOUT A COLD BEER STOP……

OR TWO…….

 

AND CHECKOUT THE WEATHER……

 

NOT BAD FOR DECEMBER.

  “SUNNY & 75”

THREE DAY SCOOTER TRIP

FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS I’D BEEN PLANNING A THREE DAY SCOOTER TRIP FROM LA CROSSE, WI TO SPOONER, WI. I HAD MY ROUTE ALL MARKED OUT ON THE COUNTRY BACK ROADS. MARY THOUGHT IT WAS A STUPID IDEA AND WAS DISCOURAGING ME.

IN AN E-MAIL TO MY BROTHERS TO LET THEM KNOW ABOUT MY ITINERARY FOR THE WISCONSIN ADVENTURE I CONFESSED MY THREE DAY PLAN AND RIDE. NEIL IMMEDIATELY E-MAILED BACK AND SAID HE HAD A SCOOTER, COULD HE COME?

AND SO A PLAN WAS BORN……

DAY #1

I LEFT LA CROSSE ON FRIDAY MORNING IN 51 DEGREE WEATHER, AND RAIN SHOWERS THREATENING. I HAD SPRINKLES ON MY FACEMASK BEFORE I GOT OUT OF HOLMEN. MY DESTINATION WAS DURAND, WI 102 MILES AWAY, WHERE I WAS TO MEET UP WITH NEIL FROM GREEN BAY, WI. IT WAS ONE COLD RIDE!!!

102 MILES, FOUR AND A HALF HOURS, INCLUDING A HALF HOUR RAIN DELAY, AND I COMPLETED MY LONGEST SCOOTER RIDE TO DATE.

THE FIRST THING I DID AFTER CHECKING INTO THE HOTEL WAS TO STAND IN THE HOT SHOWER A HALF AN HOUR TO WARM UP.

 

NEXT THING WAS A WALK-ABOUT IN DURAND, WI TO CHECK OUT THE BARS. DURAND SITS ON THE EDGE OF THE CHIPPEWA RIVER AND IN THE SPRING THE EDGE COMES UP INTO TOWN A BLOCK.

I HAD A COUPLE OF HOURS TO WAIT FOR NEIL’S ARRIVAL FROM GREEN BAY. NOT 102 MILES AWAY, BUT 250 MILES AWAY. AS I WAS SITTING ON MY COMFORTABLE BAR STOOL SOME GUY KINDA BRUSHED UP AGAINST ME AND SAT DOWN ON THE NEXT STOOL. IMAGINE MY SURPRISE TO SEE UNCLE HANS!!!

NEIL’S ARRIVAL ALSO HAD A SURPRISE AS HE ARRIVED ON A BRAND NEW YAMAHA CHERRY RED MOTORCYCLE.

DAY #2

FROM DURAND, WI TO TURTLE LAKE, WI. 76 MILES, AND 7 HOURS OF TRAVEL TIME? YUP, THOSE NUMBERS ARE CORRECT IF YOU ADD IN THE 7 TAVERN STOPS…… THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE TEMPERATURE TODAY IS 61, NOT 51.

I ENJOYED THE COUNTY BACKROADS WHERE I COULD SCOOT ALONG AT 45 MPH AND NOT BOTHER ANYONE, AND THE BROTHERS ENJOYED THE COUNTY BACKROADS WHERE THEY COULD ZIP ALONG AT 145 MPH AND NOT BOTHER ANYONE.

ONCE WE ARRIVED IN TURTLE LAKE, WI WE MET UP WITH A COUPLE OF HOT CHICKS:

THAT’S “GRANDMA JACK” AND AUNT KATHY…..

DAY #3

IT WAS LIKE A PARADE, ONE RED SCOOTER, ONE SILVER YAMAHA, ONE NEW RED YAMAHA, THE BIG RED PICK-UP, AND NEIL’S RED SURBURBAN & TRAILER. TURTLE LAKE TO SPOONER, 74 MILES AND I LOST COUNT OF THE TAVERN STOPS. THE GOOD NEWS, NOT 51 DEGREES, NOT 61 DEGREES, BUT A SUNNY AND 71 DEGREES FOR TODAY. THE LAST ONE WAS IN SPOONER AND WE FOUND THESE SMILING FACES.

ALL I ALL IT WAS A GREAT ADVENTUE. 252 MILES ON THE SCOOTER OVER THE THREE DAY TRIP AND I LOVED IT. MY THANKS TO THE BROTHERS, A COUPLE OF REAL BIKERS, FOR SLOWING DOWN TO SCOOTER SPEEDS AND TAKING ME FOR A GREAT RIDE.