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Touring Tips
Follow the exploits of my riding buddy, Tequila John, on his journal site.
| MUTHUH'S COMPLETED ADVENTURES! | |||||||||||
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| DATE | TRIP NAME: | TYPE: | DESCRIPTION: | ||||||||
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- WHAT'S NEW - I've been adding some old rides, stories and journals mixed in with the rides you've been following for years, so when I add a new one, I'll highlight it here for a few weeks... |
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2/18/08 to 3/13/08 |
NEW ZEALAND '08 |
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While the trip type is shown as a car trip, the first week of this trip was hiking the Milford Track on the South Island, the remaining two + weeks was a car trip around one of the most beautiful countries in the world. This was our 30th Anniversary trip. Prior to the actual trip, this journal is open as a Blog journal for pre-trip preparations. You don't wanna miss this one! | ||||||||
| DATE | TRIP NAME: | TYPE: | DESCRIPTION: | ||||||||
| - 2008 - | |||||||||||
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2/18/08 to 3/13/08 |
NEW ZEALAND '08 |
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While the trip type is shown as a car trip, the first week of this trip was hiking the Milford Track on the South Island, the remaining two + weeks was a car trip around one of the most beautiful countries in the world. This was our 30th Anniversary trip. Prior to the actual trip, this journal is open as a Blog journal for pre-trip preparations. You don't wanna miss this one! | ||||||||
| - 2007 - | |||||||||||
| December 22~23, 2007 | WINTER CAMPOUT '07 |
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We originally started calling this the "Cold as hell torture ride" but the weather wasn't all that bad...me and TJ and Dog do an overnight campout in the rain at Morrow Mountain State Park in NC. | ||||||||
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10/19/07 to 10/21/07 |
FALL COLORS '07 |
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It's becoming an annual tradition - the mountains in October for the fall colors. This year I'm heading to Southwest Virginia to the Parkway, and the Floyd, VA area for their weekly Mountain Music streetcorner jams, and some wandering through the falling leaves on Virginia's backroads. I've invited some old riding buddies along, Cuz, TJ, Dog and Yank from the Sturgis ride last year, and a couple new friends. | ||||||||
| October 13, 2007 | Rockingham Drags |
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All Harley Drags Finals - An overnighter camping trip to Rockingham to watch a client run in the Top Fuel Harley Drag finals. Includes a 2 min video of one of the top fuel drags bikes. | ||||||||
| August 6-16, 2007 | Key West |
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Family Reunion Ride - OK... so I claimed to have retired from riding - but a family reunion in Key West is just the thing to get me to dust off the boots for another trip... this one with an old friend Capt'n Blaine. | ||||||||
| April 11~16, 2007 | Ireland |
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Ancestral Home visit...actually, it's just an excuse for an Irish Pub crawl in the muthuh country. Presented in five daily slide shows of the visit - this is definately a country to be visited by motorcycle if the weather is good! | ||||||||
| - 2006 - | |||||||||||
| September 10 | Battle at Zachary Hill |
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Civil War Re-enactment - I see no reason why I don't just keep up my ride journal, even though I'm on 4-wheels now - here's my first post-farewell ride to a Battle Re-enactment in Alamance County, NC | ||||||||
| August 1-20 | Sturgis '06 |
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5800 mile Farewell Ride - Looks like this one will be my last. We rode to South Dakota for a few days at the Buffalo Chip, then started a 10 day tour of Montana and mostly Wyoming - Bighorns, Beartooths, Yellowstone, Tetons, Jackson and the Wind Rivers. Then we rode back home slowly... | ||||||||
| July 23-29 | Family Reunion |
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Rocky Mountain National Park - Kim's family holds their first family reunion out west - new journal format works more like a slideshow with captions for each picture. Lemme know if you like this format better. | ||||||||
| July 14-16 | Doin' the Charleston |
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Hogs for Dogs revisited - Kim and I go to Charleston, SC in the ragtop to visit old friends, Blaine and Janet, Max and Bailey, and do some sailing off Charleston Harbor. | ||||||||
| May 4-7 | OBX'06 |
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This one is looking like a pre-Sturgis ride, with most of the people going on that trip, signed up for this one, too. 11 Riders on 4 days in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. | ||||||||
| April 4 | Test Ride |
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In preparation for the upcoming 20-day ride to Wyoming and Sturgis, I take an overnight test camp to see if the gear is sufficient, and loads doable. | ||||||||
| January | Passing the Torch |
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An article published in Thunder Press Magazine about an older rider making the ultimate biker choice. | ||||||||
| - 2005 - | |||||||||||
| October 20~23 | Fall Colors '05 |
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A Biketoberfest Alternative - I've never been to Biketoberfest - may never go... the North Carolina Mountains during Fall Colors isn't to be missed. A long weekend to the mountains and a visit to the Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge in Stecoah, NC | ||||||||
| July 29~31 | Summer Rage |
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My Annual trek to Rider's Roost - this time for the "Summer Rage" Full-Moon party - Ought to check out the last few years of Rider's Roost parties for an idea what goes on at these parties... this year I did the mid-summer party (There's 3 parties each year) | ||||||||
| June 6~19 |
Laconia (very big file) |
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Civil War Battlefields, and Laconia, NH Rally - I combined two trips into one this time - a 5 day ride with my daughter to revisit the Civil War Battlefields, dropping her off in PA and picking up Kim in CT for the remainder of the 2 week trip to Laconia. This is a very big page with MANY pictures, animations and Panaramas - BE PATIENT! | ||||||||
| May 11, 2005 | Quick Lift |
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Not a real Ride Journal, like you're used to, but a tip for your garage... an easy way to make your own ride-on lift, operated by one person from the seat of your bike...plus a tip for wayward antenna's. | ||||||||
| Week of March 5~11 | rIdes of March |
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Julius Ceasar once warned us of the Ides of March - For years now, my rIdes to Florida for Daytona has been marked by some of the worst weather of all my rides, so heed the warning and "Beware the rIdes of March!" This one was no exception. Cold and wet marked another Daytona trip. | ||||||||
| - 2004 - | |||||||||||
| December 4 | Homecoming Ride |
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The Hogs for Dogs team returns to Raleigh for a BBQ Party - After 25,000 miles, 7 months and 48 states, Hogs For Dogs crossed the Finish line to a huge party at Ray Price Harley-Davidson. For pictures, check out www.hogsfordogs.org | ||||||||
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October 14-17 2004 |
Smokey Colors '04 |
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A long weekend in the Great Smokey's during the Fall Colors. One night in Chimney Rock and two nights at the new Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge near Deal's Gap. Includes the Cherahala Parkway, Foothills Parkway, Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smokey's, Nantahala Gorge and Lake Lure. | ||||||||
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September 16-19 2004 |
California Dreamin' |
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As a Board Member in the U.S. Hogs for Dogs organization, I flew out to San Francisco and hopped on a (ugh!) rental bike for the Bay area festivities. Some good, some not so good. | ||||||||
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August 27-29 2004 |
Liquid Steel |
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Concord, NC Bike Rally Plus coverage of the Discovery Channel's Biker Build-Off and 8 Laps around Charlotte Motor Speedway. Going down to near Charlotte, NC to cover the Liquid Steel Bike Show for Thunder Press. Part of the coverage includes a morning school at SpeedTech to prepare me for 8 laps around Lowe's Motor Speedway in a 600+ hp NASCAR racecar, then over to Cabarrus Areana for the weekend show. I'm bringin' a change of underwear this trip! Includes access to a 28MB streaming video clip of my 8 laps around the speedway from inside the car. I'll warn ya - I wasn't real impressed with the Liquid Steel Event. |
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August 13-15 2004 |
Jinx Ride |
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Friday the 13th Parkway Ride - Mid-August in North Carolina can be brutal, so we're riding to the mountains to chill, day-tripping from the Hillbilly Hilton right on the Parkway. Even TWO hurricanes couldn't dampen our spirits...although there were plenty of 'spirits' on this trip. | ||||||||
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July 21-28 2004 |
Adirondack Mountains |
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This year's two-up ride will bring us to the Adirondack Mountains of New York. A bit of a wash-out, but some spectacular days. | ||||||||
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June 11-13 2004 |
Rider's Roost Spring Fling |
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Join us for Uncle Roy's Annual Spring Fling bash in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Friday Night stand-up comedy and Saturday night band blow-out. | ||||||||
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May 30 - June 2 2004 |
On the Rebound |
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Escorting the Hogs For Dogs crew as they rebound from the mid-west on their 48 state adventure. | ||||||||
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May 14-15 2004 |
Myrtle Beach |
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I know, I know... I keep saying I hate rallies, and I keep goin' to them... let's see if we can stir up a little trouble this time. | ||||||||
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May 1 2004 |
Banjos, Fiddles, Hogs and Dogs |
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A side trip to MerleFest and a hookup with the Hogs For Dogs crew for their kickoff party. A little departure from the usual Muthuh's Rides story - I join in with tens of thousands of BlueGrass fans across the country - and the world - at the Annual MerleFest Bluegrass Festival in Wilkesboro, NC, then haul ass in the rain to join the Hogs For Dogs Kickoff Party in Burlington...followed by a slow ride home with eight bikes for a little drinkin' at The Little Bar in Apex. | ||||||||
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April 9-11 2004 |
Hogs for Dogs Shakedown Ride |
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2nd Annual Outer Banks Rally, North Carolina - An introduction to a charity I am involved in, where two friends are making a 48-state ride all summer to help in providing Assistance Dogs for the mobility impaired. | ||||||||
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February 26 - March 5, 2004 |
The Flying Leap |
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On the way down to Daytona this year, I stop off in Tallahassee to join in what is becoming an annual tradition for me - another Wakulla Waltz (see archives), this year on Leap Day 2/29/04... then on to Daytona. | ||||||||
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February 21 2004 |
Winter Sucks Party |
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"Biker's Boulevard" held another Winter Sucks Party - sounds like my kinda romp. | ||||||||
| - 2003 - | |||||||||||
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October 17-19 2003 |
Fleet Ride |
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The Rumble through the Tunnels - Part of Fleet Week activities, I run up to Norfolk to cover a rally for Thunder Press Magazine... and bump into Creedence Cleerwater Revisited in the Elevator. | ||||||||
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October 8 2003 |
An Uphill Grunt |
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I wanted to turn 50 on top of a mountain... the 8 mile uphill climb to the top of Mt. LeConte was just the ticket. | ||||||||
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September 10-11 2003 |
Wheels Thru Time |
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Maggie Valley, NC ...a Mad Maps Research Ride. On another research ride for Mad Maps trying to document great scenic rides for bikers, I stop in at arguably the best vintage and rare transportation museum in the country - heavy on motorcycling memorabilia. |
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July 13-18 2003 |
Family Vacation |
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Lake Burton, GA ...a bikeless trip with the kids and friends. Ahhhh - vacation time again. This year, a mindless trip to a lake in Georgia. Turned out to be the last time we saw a dear friend of ours ... one of the kids we took with us was killed in a car wreck a few weeks later - |
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June 13-15 2003 |
Roost Party |
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Join me and the Colonel, and the girls, on a ride to the foothills of the Blue Ridge and the no-to-be-missed Uncle Roy Riders Roost Party, one of three each year ( www.ridersroost.com ), followed by a day of riding the Parkway and a night in Blowing Rock. | ||||||||
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May 10-23 2003 |
Grandpa's Ride |
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Out to visit my first grandbaby in Denver ... but I'm still 29, of course! A 14-day ride that includes a visit with my dad in OKC and brother and daughter in Denver, with many points in-between. Map available. |
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May 3 2003 |
Military Families Benefit Poker Ride |
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NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of the Year Scott Riggs (Nesquik #10 Car) is ride leader. A benefit ride and Poker Run for area military families. A pair of Kings is the best I could do...sheeesh | ||||||||
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March 6-9 2003 |
Daytona Beach '03 |
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A three-nighter visit to Bike Week, a Guest Ranch near Ocala and Savannah. | ||||||||
| - 2002 - | |||||||||||
| 12/5-10/02 | Ice Storm '02 |
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Not a bike ride - just some pictures of the Ice Storm - 6 days without power ... searching eBay for a Nuclear Power Plant. | ||||||||
| 11/1-3/02 | Hilton Head |
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Concours d' Elegance - Collectable Auto Show These ain't yer Daddy's Oldsmobiles! A two nighter down in South Carolina ... one night in Murrells Inlet, my favorite alternative to Myrtle Beach, and one night in Hilton Head for the Car Show. |
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| 10/02/02 | The Prodigal Son Returns |
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A 5 day trip that included a return to my old boyhood Ohio home from 38 yrs ago... plus new friends in WV and our Annual Brunswick Stew Party in NC, KY, OH, WV, PA, MD, and VA | ||||||||
| July 20, 2002 | Up, Up and Away.... |
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...with the 39th Aggressor Squadron - Goofing off at 15,000 feet in a Czech Fighter Jet |
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| July 12-14, 2002 | Blue Ridge Weekend |
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Low-key rainy weekend ride... gotta love 'em! |
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| June 19-29, 2002 | Family Vacation |
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3 days in Vegas & 8 days in / around the Grand Canyon | ||||||||
| June 15-16, 2002 | Rider's Roost Spring Fling |
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Join me and Uncle Roy for the fun in the NC Mountains. Rider's Roost MC Campground |
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| May 18 - 28, 2002 | Aquatic and Indoor Wildlife |
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A David Vance adventure - Elephant Seals, Sea Lions, Seagulls and Barmaids of the West | ||||||||
| May 20 - 25, 2002 | Southern West By God Virginia |
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Almost Heaven Part 2 (I'm told if it was really Heaven, I'd be in the northern part of the state!) |
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| May 11-12, 2002 |
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Got my stool reserved at BullFeathers Bar & Grill |
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| April 26-27, 2002 | Cherokee Survivors Rally? No way! |
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An alternative to just another Rally - Hwy 276 and the Blue Ridge Pkwy. | ||||||||
| April 13 - 23, 2002 | Alien Drags, Mexico and Red Rocks |
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A David Vance adventure - 10 Days, 2200 miles in a new saddle | ||||||||
| March 7-10, 2002 | Daytona Beach Alternative |
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Ya won't find me on Main Street - I promise. This ride will center on the Ormond Loop and a tiny little bar I found. | ||||||||
| - 2001 - | |||||||||||
| November 29 - December 2, 2001 | Care to Dance? |
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The Wakulla Waltz II. | ||||||||
| Oct 20-24, 2001 | Mountain Peaks |
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5 Day ride to the Mountains during Peak Fall Colors. Including the Cherahalla Skyway, Foothills Parkway, Smokey Mountains National Park, and the Blue Ridge Parkway. | ||||||||
| Aug 28 - Sep 10, 2001 | Four Corners '01 |
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A David Vance adventure - 12 Days in the Southwest | ||||||||
| August 21-25, 2001 | Almost Heaven |
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4 Night trip to the Mountains of West Virginia. Escape the summer heat in the mountains! | ||||||||
| July 26-Aug 13, 2001 | Sturgis '01 |
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A David Vance adventure - 2 week Sturgis Trip | ||||||||
| July 20, 2001 | Outer Banks |
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You broke your WHAT?...or How to Ride with a Cast on your Leg! | ||||||||
| June 14-28, 2001 | Northern Exposure |
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Bikeless Family Vacation to ALASKA Would have made an awesome bike ride! | ||||||||
| May 26, 2001 | Gimme a Brake! |
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Heading up to D.C..... ......just - heading! | ||||||||
| May 25, 2001 | Arizona Saloon Rumble |
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A David Vance adventure - Arizona & New Mexico | ||||||||
| May 15-18, 2001 | Myrtle Beach Bike Week |
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Another Beach Rally...... | ||||||||
| May 4, 2001 | Got Dem ol' Dead Harley Blues |
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Half a mile away... this isn't fun! Back on the trailer... | ||||||||
| April 29, 2001 | TourPak Repair |
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...or How to repair a broken TourPak frame with Duct Tape. Don't try this at home! | ||||||||
| March 15 - 18, 2001 | Outer Banks Music Festival |
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Outer Banks Winter Folk Festival on the Outer Banks - Bring on the Green Beer! | ||||||||
| March 6-11, 2001 | Daytona Bike Week '01 |
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another damned rally......gotta stop this ! | ||||||||
| February 23-25, 2001 | Vision Quest II |
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Annual Winter Camping Trip to Hanging Rock - It ain't all that it seems to be! | ||||||||
| February 9, 2001 | Me and Huckleberry |
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Another cold morning in Carolina..... but still good to be on the road. | ||||||||
| - 2000 - | |||||||||||
| November 10-11, 2000 | Dismal Swamp Ride |
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A long way to go for a canoe trip in the swamps, but worth it. | ||||||||
| Oct 21-22, 2000 | Brunswick Stew |
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Muthuh's Almost Excellent Adventure - Woulda been totally excellent if my little plan had worked! | ||||||||
| Oct 7 - 8, 2000 | Rockingham Drags |
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One nighter to the AHDRA Bike Drags - Rockingham Dragway | ||||||||
| Oct 6, 2000 | Ground Zero |
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Another David Vance journey, to the site of the World's first Atomic Blast - Socorro, NM and White Sands Missle Range | ||||||||
| Sept 29-30, 2000 | Myrtle Beach Fall Rally |
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The Myrtle Beach Fall Rally in South Carolina. | ||||||||
| Sept 23-24, 2000 | An Aussies Weekend Out |
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A David Ipkendanz Adventure - A 2-day Ride in New South Wales, Australia. An introduction to biking and how a wife, a bike dealer and an insurance company have made me a convert to touring! | ||||||||
| Sept 15 - 16, 2000 | Rally in the Valley |
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I-40, Asheville, Maggie Valley, Great Smokey Mountains AND a great couple of email letters from a lady I met on the ride. |
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| Sept 1-5, 2000 | Four Corners |
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A David Vance Adventure - Four Corners, Ignacio, Durango and Silverton | ||||||||
| July 28 - August10, 2000 | Sturgis '00 |
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13 Night Loop Ride - 2500 miles. - Rocky Mtns, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Beartooth Mtns, Black Hills | ||||||||
| July 28 - Aug 15, 2000 | Sturgis Rally |
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A David Vance Adventure -Two-Week Ride from NM to Sturgis and Back. 44 pics and plenty to say! Another great Vance Journal. | ||||||||
| July 13-15, 2000 | Mountain Jam |
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2-night Appalacian Mountain Music Fests on the Blue Ridge Parkway - Floyd, VA and Blowing Rock, NC on the Blue Ridge Parkway | ||||||||
| July 6, 2000 | Disney Camping |
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Originally was Central Florida Ride to the Kennedy Space Center - Lousy Weather forced a change of plans! | ||||||||
| July 4, 2000 | Roswell, NM |
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David Vance and his brother yuck it up with Aliens. UFO's Firecrackers and Bar-Rooms - Back to NM | ||||||||
| July 2, 2000 | Panhandling |
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Mostly a Family Reunion Trip, but includes a Day Ride on the Florida Gulf Coast in Florida's Panhandle. Wakulla Springs, Apalachicola, Panama City | ||||||||
| May 27 - 30, 2000 | Run for the Border |
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3 day solo ride to the Mexican border in New Mexico. I think David Vance found every saloon between Albuquerque and the Mexican Border! | ||||||||
| May 25 - 29, 2000 |
Thunder on the Ridge Run for the Wall |
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4 day Ride with my wife through the Mountains and the Rolling Thunder Rally. Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Drive, Virginia Horse Country, Vietnam Vet's Memorial | ||||||||
| May 15 - 16, 2000 | Myrtle Beach, SC Rally |
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A short 2 day trip to the SC coast for the regional Bike Week in Myrtle. Via Wilmington, NC and the NC coast. | ||||||||
| April 29, 2000 | The Blueline Ride |
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A 225 mile run with the renowned Sheriff of Davidson County, Gerald K. Hege, known for his pink prison cells and no-nonsense approach to justice. This ride is in support of officers disabled in the line of duty. | ||||||||
| April 13-18, 2000 | Coronado Trail |
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A six-day ride in southwestern New Mexico and eastern Arizona. A David Vance Adventure - 1100 miles through God's Country. | ||||||||
| April 8, 2000 | Rockingham Harley Drags |
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A behind-the-scenes, in-the-pits look at a Top Fuel Harley Drag Bike at The Rock. Follow the Ray Price Racing Team on 200mph+ runs at less than 7 seconds. | ||||||||
| March 19, 2000 | Bentonville Civil War Battle Reenactment Ride |
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A once every five years battle reenactment in NC - Damned Yankees! | ||||||||
| March 14, 2000 | Poster Photoshoot |
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>A behind-the-scenes look at a Motorcycle Poster Photoshoot with two models. Be Warned: Lots of "R" rated Pictures. | ||||||||
| March 1 - 6, 2000 | Daytona Bike Week |
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6 Day Ride with my Wife to Bike Week - Visits in Charleston, SC; Savannah, GA; St. Augustines Bch, FL | ||||||||
| February 25, 2000 | Indian Dealership |
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A day ride to the local Indian shop and Biker restaurant in Greensboro, NC - These are really nice bikes! | ||||||||
| February 10, 2000 | Day-Ride |
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Short ride through the NC Piedmont. First ride after the 19" snowfall. | ||||||||
| February 2, 2000 | It's a girl! |
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Muthuh's new baby arrives in the middle of a snowstorm. Just in time for Daytona Bike week....! | ||||||||
| January 28, 2000 | Photoshoot! |
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Behind-the-scenes at a bike magazine photoshoot. A neat insight into a professional photoshoot. This one made the March '00 cover of Easyriders! | ||||||||
| - 1999 - | |||||||||||
| December, 1999 | Vision Quest 1999 |
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2 Day Solo Camping Ride to the NC Mountains - This is a short introductory trip! | ||||||||
| July, 1999 | Hey Yogi! |
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3 week family camping trip. OK, so it's not on a Harley - still a fun travelogue! | ||||||||
| May, 1999 | Trail of Tears |
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12 day solo ride to Oklahoma City. Wanna see Muthuh's First Virtual Biker Trip? This is the story that started this Website... earlier stories have been added over the years, but this is the one that started it all. Its in a different format, but still a classic! | ||||||||
| - 1993 - | |||||||||||
| March 1993 | Daytona 1993 |
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The first trip to Daytona on my OWN Harley... | ||||||||
| - 1992 - | |||||||||||
| Misc. 1992 | Misc. 1992 shots |
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Myrtle Beach, Blue Ridge Parkway, Photoshoot, Santa Ride | ||||||||
| - 1991 - | |||||||||||
| August 1991 | Yellowstone Backpacking Hike |
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My fourth backpacking hike into the Yellowstone/Teton wilderness, this year with three friends from work. 7 nights hiking and many hours in one of the best spots on earth - Bechler Hot Pots! | ||||||||
| - 1990 - | |||||||||||
| Sometime in 1990 | Indian Princess |
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With my oldest daughter about 6-7 years old, we joined a YMCA Father-Daughter program called Indian Princesses... and ya just can't be an Indian Princess without your very own Tipi, now can ya? | ||||||||
| - 1987 - | |||||||||||
| November 1987 | 10th Anniversary Sailing Charter |
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Our tenth Anniversary sailing cruise on board a 60' schooner with some old friends for a week. Rated 'R' | ||||||||
| - Set the Wayback Machine for 1976, Sherman... - | |||||||||||
| December, 1976 | Key West 1976 |
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Probably the oldest surviving pictures of me on a motorcycle trip to the Keys with Kim before we were married. | ||||||||
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