Day 14 Didn't end like I hoped

Got a good start today, my co-pilot had her share in 7 Feathers and we even got
a free breakfast, what a deal. Traffic was lite and rolling right along,just before
Woodburn we both heard this thud, hadn't seen anything on the road that I could
of run over, didn't see any rubber flying OK next exit will do a walk around, well I
didn't even complete that thought and I started feeling a slight viberation and its
getting worse [where is a exit when you need one ] finally got to a exit, rolled thru
the stop seen a wide on the left but had to stop for traffic, that was it NO GO in.
middle of  street . Put Donna in the tow car to push it on in , so we did get a couple
single finger waves crossing traffic but we made it. Try finding a 2" fine thread nut
in Woodburn  and a 23/4 socket but after a couple labor intense hours we are on the
road again and HOME

                                                            THE END

Day 13 and heading home

So today we rolling again and burning diesel help support those poor oil
companies !! The big decision of the day was I-5 or 97 would be great
if it had more passing lanes but I-5 won atleast you can pass the day
dreamers [thats my nice name for them] rolled into 7 feathers middle
afternoon, so the co-pilot can buy another share in the casino.

Day 12and last race tonight

Coming down to the races this year had me a little worried with the car count
down, 10 years ago the car count run 110+ slowly going down every year at
47 this year. They dropped the pay out for Sat nite from 50,000 to 20,000 to
win and with the seating only 2/3 full I think the Gold Cups days are almost
over unless GOOD OLD AMERICA gets going again , we as the baby
boomers have probably seen the best part of America anyone will ever see.
and enjoy.
Tomorrow we will head out pay the crazy fuel prices, as the oil companies
get richer and richer so how much is America willing to pay for fuel is the
Question of the day

Day 11 and another Casino

Well another day the Co-Pilot plotted another coarse to this little town just to see
what was there not much but the return coarse some how went by another casino,
however I found a old converted bus in pretty good shape and a speedshop with
a record holding Bonneville car.

Day 10 and just looking

Today we went for just a little drive and somehow my Co-Pilot managed to find 2 casino's
out in the middle of nothing I was sorta looking for old cars or something interesting, but like
they say if they are happy you probably will be too.
The races have been good even with the car count down

Day 9and running on full

Today we finished off our booze shopping and the cargo bay is full and
its not luggage. The weather was easy on us today only 93* almost getting
used to it.
Got our first nite of  races in, now these rigs are real race cars, 1200lbs &
750+ ponies run the 1/4 mile in 11 sec. with  4 corners on dirt.

Day 8 and its getting warmer

Old mother nature is turning up the heat 104* today up by Redding. Races start
Wed. nite and most of the time the wind picks up in the afternoon, with covered
stands we might survive.With most of our booze shopping done all I have left
is the cheap shit for myself  I'm not a connoisseur ,just a alcholic so it will work
just fine.

Day 7 and ????????

Today we just hung out and let those people in a big hurry trying to get there !!!!
Took a few pictures of the lodge and area around it.The excitement of the day was
we killed a bunch of ants.

Day 6 and lots of sun

No dude on a motorcycle with a death wish, just a day of  driving, run I 80 down to Sparks
and headed N on 395 till we got to US 70 to Portola that had a nice R/R museum 8 or 10
diesel units and 1 old steam engine a 4-8-4 in restoration stages. For a 175.00 bucks I
could have learned to run a switching engine, now if that was the steam locomotive I  might
have bit not many guys today could say they  know how to run a steam  locomotive, there is
always people out there with a good line but its our job to sort the truth from the BULL -SHIT.
Heading  on down 70 run us into the feather river canyon, I was over length for the narrow  2
lane road but I didn't that sign officer. The R/R grade was built in the early 1900's and it is hard
to believe what they did the only railroad wye in the world with 2 legs on bridges and a closing track in a tunnel, 2 7000 ft tunnels and the Willams loop that makes a continious 1 mile loop with longer trains
passing over themselves to gain elevation.Then the workers discovered gold in the tunnel cuts and
that created a new problem.
So we found our way into the Chico Elks and will let the crazies have the roads

Day 5 some big waves but still afloat

Left Wendover today with thunder & lighting headed W on I 80 after Wells headed W the
road has some nice flat strechs with hills that make the little kitty work and burn some of
this high priced fuel.
Today we landed in Winnemucca., just a mining town, didn't see any ladies of the night on
the street corner, most camp grounds are close to full with mine workers.
The highlite of the day was as a pickup was slowly passing us a  lonely HOG rider squeezed
between us with only few feet to spare [death rider] I honked my car horn on the bus this guy
slowed up along the pickup and gave them the sign, so he must of thought they honked at him,
lucky he didn't pull out the 45 and empty it, rode on off right down the center line

Day 4 and smooth sailing

Today we stayed on the main roads and rolled into Wendover mid day. Our
first stop was the Historic Wendover Air base which they are in the process
of restoring some buildings. Some of the barracks which housed 20,000
personnel have caved in others are being lived in by ???? filth and garabage
will try to post some pictures.Restoration is almost complete on the only
heavy steel hangar which kept some of the B 29's including the ENOLA GAY
that dropped the big one on Japan. At the start of the tour they had a good
film on the history of the airfield. Back to the old buildings one had in big
print Wendover Racing surrounded with old cars dragster frames 32 ford etc
and KEEP OUT  every where not for sale
Drove out to the salt flats so the co-pilot could check them out. I got the
impression she was more interested in the Casino's so that was a quick trip

Lost & confussed on day 3

To start with today, something  I left out yesterday was for Bob D the big yellow
building in Pentleton is the J high it can be seen for miles.
Last nite we stayed at the Baker Elks, you pickup the key at the lodge and drive
to another site a few miles away, overlooking a small creek with trees and just out
of sight is the ? R/R main line , I lost count after about 17 or 18 trains, little sleep.
so sometimes trying to save a buck just doesn't work out.
Back on the road with the toothpicks, at Bliss I tried to take a shortcut, we[was ] on
the right road but misssssssed some turn, and got the farmers tour with little road
signs that only the farmers understand.
That shortcut cost me 50 bucks in fuel,an hour out of our busy day but however I did
have the opportunity to smell lots of fresh cow shit, farm living
Back on 93 we rolled into Jack Pot for the nite, payed our camping fee only to find
out if we had checked at the hotel first it would have been FREE camping.
Just keep those wheels rolling

So today we are up early again and off to the Pendelton Woolen mill
first tour 9;00 o'clock, was disappointed the first machine in line that
took the raw material [wool balls ] and turned it into a twisted wool
twine was not working but product they had run eariler was being used
to make a somewhat of a finished product on spools with hundred of
yards of material on the next machine, then color, a pattern and a
blanked that will last for years, not quite that easy but was interesting.
Leaving pendelton heading for Baker Elks,on the way stopped at the
Oregon trail interpretive center,  Oregon did a great job laying out the
struggles of these peoples but they didn't sell me on the wagon ruts left
from 150 years ago. 

JUST LOOKIN AROUND

Aug 28

Got a good start for us today, on the road by 7:30 lite traffic and good to be on the road again. First stop was the Hood River car & air museum.My so called buddies waited till I was off playing in the B sand to
go so I will just take my partner in crime, much better looking and will probably buy me lunch if I let her
go to the Casino.Back to the museum, we had called ahead about parking for a 60ft rig and were told no
problem, what my CO-PILOT didn't ask was there room to turn around a 60ft rig that didn't bend in the
middle NO!! didn't want to get stuck in there standing water lawn, about that time a worker came out and
was nice enough to move a truck so I could pull ahead enough to get straight and then back the tow car out
on the water soaked lawn and kept me from unhooking the tow car.
So on to Pendelton,let the Other Woman rest after that grueling climb from Portland up along the mighty
Columbia river

and the 38th day with the end of the trail in sight

Originally we had planned to stay in Sumpter another day but that wasn't eched in
stone, so we are on the back roads heading towards Pendlenton . It seems whenever
I let my trusty Co-Pilot plot our coarse we end up at a casino.We passed several more
ghost towns and ATV riding area's on way out. Hopefully we can go back to that area
next year around this time of year before it gets to dry.
We have had a good time on this trip and seen some interesting sights, along with meeting
some interesting people.
                                             THE  END

and the 37th day and no car museums

Before we left Boise I had 2 car museum to check out this morning, and struck out
on both [ closed ] We are off to Sumpter Oregon today, this little town has been around
since 1862, by 1901 Sumpter had grown to 3000 people and 81 businesses. In 1913
they started dredging the valley, by 1916 the 2nd dredge was working. In 1917  3/4 of
the town burnt down. the #2 dredge worked until 1923, # 1 dredge until 1924. Things
died down including the town until 1935 they built a new dredge #3 from  1&2s parts
#3 worked until 1954 and it alone recovered 4.5 million.and is on display today.. I can
only think what the first settlers thought when they saw this valley, now its piles of rock
from one end to the other. How can it be left like this ??
After visiting the Dredge and Steam train we headed into the hills looking for Bourne
a ghost town that was finished off in 1937 when a flash flood finished off the town.
a few building remain with a couple of mines above the town