Tag Archives: Georgetown

Day 3 National Park Ride – Dalhart, TX to Georgetown, CO

Posted on August 8, 2013 | Leave a comment

Dalhart to Pikes Peak to Georgetown, CO

Today is day 3 of our national park motorcycle ride. Over the course of 16 days we will ride some of the best national parks, historic sites and national monuments in the U.S. and Canada (Pikes Peak National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park, Banff National Park, Little Bighorn National Historic Site, Devils Tower National Monument and Mount Rushmore National Memorial). Come follow along as we ride one of our dream rides on our bucket list. Today we are headed to Pikes Peak.

We were up early and on the road. Today’s ride was 469 miles from Dalhart, Texas to Georgetown, Colorado via Pikes Peak.

From Dalhart we rode Highway 87/64 to Raton, New Mexico. It was a pleasant 62 degrees with cloud cover that looked as though it could rain at times. It was a scenic ride through the great plains of Northern New Mexico. Miles and miles of ranch land with rolling grass-covered hills and Prairie. Everything is “few and far between” with the occasional barn, home, windmill, cattle and pronghorn antelope.

Rest stop heading to Raton, NM

Capulin Volcano in the distance through the misty rain

100 miles out of Dalhart we rode past Capulin Volcano National Monument. Because of the number of miles we are riding today, and since we stopped here 5 years ago on another ride, we elected to ride on. If you are in the area I would suggest you and stop. Capulin Volcano began over a million years ago. Recently, Capulin has been a hub of activity as native people traversed across the Great Plains. The ride to the top of Capulin spirals around the volcanic cone and has spectacular views. It’s not for the fain of heart as the road is narrow and fairly steep with a shear drop off on your right going up. The panoramic views from the top are incredible. There are views of other extinct volcanoes, snow-capped mountains, and views of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado. All around Capulin are large volcanic fields with over a hundred recognizable extinct volcanoes. At the top you will gain insights into 10 million years of the geological history. So take some time to see this unique site.

Riding over Raton Pass

The ride over Raton Pass is always a highlight on this route. My first time to ride Raton Pass was 36 years ago. Raton Pass’ elevation is 7834 feet/2388 meters and is designated as a National Historic Landmark.

Riding I-25 heading to Colorado Springs & Pikes Peak

We have finally made it to the mountains and cooler temperatures. On Pikes Peak the temperature was 37 degrees and the hottest it got on our ride was 85 degrees. For most of the trip it stayed in the 60’s. Hopefully, we can enjoy the cooler (not cold) temperatures for the rest of our time in the mountains. I know we will have to eventually return to the hot temperature of Texas but for now we will just enjoy…

From Raton Pass we ride up I-25 to Colorado Springs and to the top of Pikes Peak. The Pikes Peak Highway is a breathtaking scenic 19 mile ride to the summit. The terrain and scenery varies along the ride. The road is a tollway. When you pay the toll you receive a map and brochure. You need to take a look at the map to see where there are pullouts for photo opts.

Me and Larry at Pikes Peak

View off Pikes Peak… Noting to see due to cloud cover

The last time I was at Pikes Peak was also in July, many years ago. As soon as we reached the summit it started snowing so hard we were unable to see anything beyond a few feet. Today it was cloud cover that spoiled our view. Part of the ride to the top was difficult in spots for 2 reasons… 1) The clouds made it difficult to see very far ahead. It was nice to see the hair-pin-curves on the GPS ahead of time. 2) We were following a car that slowed almost to a stop in the hair-pin-curves. After the first one I put a lot of distance between us to give them plenty of time to get through the curve.

Heading to Georgetown, Colorado for the night

From Pikes Peak we headed to Georgetown. Yes, Georgetown is a popular town name. It seems that just about every state has a town named Georgetown. When Janet and I lived in Colorado Georgetown was a favorite day trip for us. This is why I picked it as the destination for today. We took Highway 67 to I-70 to Georgetown. This is a very scenic route which took us through Evergreen another favorite day trip destination for Janet and me.

Our home for the night in Georgetown, Colorado

Georgetown, Colorado has many attractions that include the Georgetown Loop Railroad, Hamill House, and Hotel de Paris Museum. Georgetown is a quiet little town, just off busy I-70 an hour west of Denver.

My old friend Jimmie and his wife Diann with Larry and me in Georgetown, Colorado

In Georgetown, I met Jimmie and Dianne . Jimmie and I have been close friends ever since we worked together beginning in June of 1965. We lost contact years ago and I just reconnected with him recently through Facebook. We had a lot to catch up on…

Today was a great ride through some beautiful scenic country and I got to finish the day catching up with and old friend. Tomorrow we ride on to Pinedale, Wyoming through more beautiful Rocky Mountain scenery.

Day 4 National Park Motorcycle Ride – Georgetown, CO to Pinedale, WY

Posted on August 2, 2013 | Leave a comment

Pinedale to Grand Teton to Yellowstone to Gardiner, WY

Georgetown, CO to Pinedale, WY

Today is day 4 of our national park motorcycle ride. Over the course of 16 days we will ride some of the best national parks, historic sites and national monuments in the U.S. and Canada (Pikes Peak National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park, Banff National Park, Little Bighorn National Historic Site, Devils Tower National Monument and Mount Rushmore National Memorial). Come follow along as we ride one of our dream rides on our bucket list.

We have another long (429 miles) ride today from Georgetown to Pinedale, Wyoming so we got another early start. We didn’t plan any stops except for the occasional photo stop as we rode through many scenic areas.

national park, motorcycle, ride, travel, adventure

Day 4 Silverthorne Colorado pit stop

From Georgetown we headed west down I-70 to hwy 9 where we headed north to Steamboat Springs.

In winter Steamboat Springs offers excellent skiing and snow boarding opportunities. In summer the Yampa river is a popular conduit for water sports like fishing, rafting, tubing, and kayaking. In 2011, Steamboat Spring’s was recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as a Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Community.

Day 4 Farm: Heading to Pinedale, Wyoming

From Steamboat Springs we rode west on Hwy 40 to Craig where we stopped for gas. From Craig we headed north on hwy 13 to I-80. We rode I-80 to Rock Springs, WY and another stop for gas. Turning north again on Hwy 191, we rode to Pinedale our destination for today.

Green Mountain Reservoir, Hwy 9

We rode past many scenic farms and ranches in the Rocky Mountain valleys. I did not know there would be so many farms and ranches on this leg of our trip. Many of them had beautiful lakes or streams which caused my imagination to wander to a different place and time. Such a beautiful, rugged, rural life it must be living here.

Kaw A. Saky with Larry following

Today was another good riding day with beautiful weather and scenery. I love riding in the Rockies and was glad to be able to ride places today I have never rode before.

One of the many farms and ranches on our route today.

Tomorrow we will be riding through Grand Teton and the west side of Yellowstone National Park… See y’all Tomorrow… Ride safe…

This has been one amazing ride for Larry and me. Check out the other post from this ride using the links below…

Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Glacier, Little Bighorn and Mt Rushmore 41 Years Ago

Posted on June 23, 2013 | 3 comments

Route Map 41 Years Ago

Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Glacier, Little Bighorn and Mt Rushmore 41 Years Ago

I had just finished my 4 year enlistment in the USAF and was to return to my former civilian job with Geophysical Service Incorporate. But before doing so I took a little break before returning to the real world of civilian life. That was 41 years ago, this August. I drove my AMC Gremlin to Montana to visit Avis my pen-pal for the last 4 years. Along the way I visited Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Glacier, Little Bighorn and Mt. Rushmore.

I have many fond memories of the places I visited and my pen-pal Avis and her family. The scenery and summer climate is beyond description. With low temperatures in the 50’s and highs in the 80’s and smell of pine trees in the forest, you are transported to a heavenly place. I loved Montana. I have always wanted to get back up that way but life has gotten in the way. We had planned to ride there in 2011 but again life got in the way and we cancelled our plans.

Well… the trip is back on for this July and as the time draws near we are getting excited about hitting the road. Plans are finalized, reservations have been made and we are sitting on go.

I know many of you have ridden or driven that part of the country… There is much to see and do… So if you have any suggestions about any part of our trip, please share them here. We would love to hear about your favorite things there.

Below is my route map and itinerary.

Planned Ride Map

From/To	Day	Total Miles For Day	Running Total Mileage
Georgetown – Dalhart	1	561	561
Dalhart — Georgetown via Hwy 67	2	469	1030
Georgetown – Rock Springs, WY — Pinedale	3	429	1459
Pinedale — Gardiner, MT	4	229	1688
Gardiner — Yellowstone — Gardiner	5	174	1862
Gardiner — Kalispell	6	407	2269
Kalispell — Troy	7	306	2575
Troy — Golden	8	260	2835
Golden — Lethbridge	9	296	3131
Lethbridge — Billings	10	404	3535
Billings — Gillette	11	233	3768
Gillette — Rapid City via Hwy 385	12	199	3967
Rapid City — Alliance	13	215	4182
Alliance — Garden City	14	415
Garden City — Abilene	15	420	5017
Abilene — GTN	16	201	5218

Because of the length of this trip I am planning on doing something I have never done before… Post logs of the trip on the road. Space is always an issue when packing for a long trip. To conserve space I have a new Netbook. Wish me luck and stay tuned for on the road post…

One more thing… I lost contact with Avis many… many… years ago. When I see something about Montana I am drawn back to that trip long ago. When planning this trip, memories of that first trip flooded my mind. I again wondered what had become of Avis. I hoped that life has treated her well. This prompted me to see if I could find her using the internet. After searching and hitting many dead ends I did eventually find an address. We have reconnected and we plan on stopping by to see Avis, Ed her husband and her mom. We have a lot to catch up on. We both have good families with lots of history and many stories to share. Seeing this beautiful part of the country again is the cake but seeing Avis and her family after all these years will be the icing.

Ride safe…

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Posted in Miscellaneous

Tagged Banff, Colorado, Dalhart, Gardiner, gardiner mt, Georgetown, Glacier, Grand Teton, Grand Teton National Park, Grand Tetons National Park, Kalispell, Little Bighorn, Montana, Motorcycle, motorcycle ride, motorcycle riding, motorcycle road trips, Motorcycle Touring, motorcycle travel, motorcycle trip, Mount Rushmore, mount rushmore sd, mount rushmore south dakota, mt rushmore sd, mt rushmore south dakota, my travel plan, Nebraska, pin-pal, Pinedale, plan a road trip, planning a motorcycle trip, planning a road trip, ride, road trip ideas, road trip planning, scenic motorcycle rides, South Dakota, south dakota mount rushmore, Teton National Park, Tetons National Park, Texas, touring, travel, travel planning, Troy, where is mount rushmore, Wyoming, yellow stone national park, yellow stone park, Yellowstone, yellowstone and grand teton, yellowstone grand teton, Yellowstone Park

Texas Hill Country Fall Foliage Motorcycle Ride November 2012

Posted on November 24, 2012 | 4 comments

Ingram on the river

Ride map – 270 miles

Texas Hill Country Fall Foliage Motorcycle Ride.

In Central Texas we don’t get the fall foliage displays like they have in some places. Most of our trees are evergreen. Live Oak and Cedar trees are the most prevalent. There are pockets of deciduous trees throughout the area.” Lost Maples State Park” is the best known for its fall colors. The fall foliage displays here can be hit or miss depending on the weather during the year. The drier and colder the weather the better it will be.

On our ride we saw some good colors but not as bright as in the past. The trees with leaves were still green or have not completely turned. The weather has not been cold enough for some of the trees. The Red Oaks and the Lacy Oaks were starting to change some. The ride along the Medina, Guadalupe and the Sabinal Rivers, had beautiful golden brown Sycamores, and copper-colored Cypress trees.

This was a spur of the moment ride. The weather the day before was perfect riding weather with clear sunny skies with temperatures in the 50’s and 60’s. I thought we had better take advantage of our good weather and ride while we can. As it turned out today was overcast. I assumed the clouds would burn off as it did the day before… but I was wrong. There were short burst of sunshine earlier in the day but it remained overcast for most of the day. Being overcast made it a bit chilly riding.

Stonehenge II in Ingram

Our ride took us from Georgetown to Llano via Hwy 29. We then headed south on Hwy 16 to FM 965 past Enchanted Rock to Fredericksburg. From there we picked up Hwy 16 again heading south to Kerrville. We stopped for gas and got a hot cup of coffee to warm up a bit. From there we headed west on Hwy 27 to Ingram. In Ingram we stopped to see the new home of Stonehenge II. Stonehenge II was moved from its original home just outside Hunt to Ingram. The land of its original site was sold and the buyers did not want Stonehenge II. We were glad that it was saved and preserved here in Ingram.

Picnic Area on Guadalupe River off Hwy 39 outside Hunt

From Ingram we picked up Hwy 39 to a picnic area on the Guadalupe River. The picnic area is just outside Hunt. Because of a special diet we are on we packed a lunch. The picnic area is a beautiful spot with the river, waterfalls and cypress trees that had turned to a beautiful copper brown.

Guadalupe River off Hwy 39

Lunch at Picnic Area

After lunch we continued down Hwy 39 to Hwy 187. We always enjoy the ride down Hwy 39. It is always scenic as it follows and criss-crosses the Guadalupe River. The fall colors were good all along the way. Hwy 187 takes us past “Lost Maples State Park”. 187 had nice views of the hill country and the changing colors of the trees. Just past “Lost Maples” we turned east onto RR 337 to Medina. RR 337 is one of the “Three Sisters” or “Twisted Sisters” (RR 335, 336 & 337) as some refer to them. At Medina we turned onto Hwy 16 again and headed north back to Kerrville and Fredericksburg. In Fredericksburg we picked up Hwy 290 east to Johnson City (named for President Johnson). At Johnson City we turned north onto Hwy 183 to Burnet. In Burnet we headed east on Hwy 29 to home.

Hwy 39 Outside Hunt

Guadalupe River

It was a good ride except it was a bit cool. We should have worn an extra layer to help with the cold. Normally we carry extra clothing just for such things, but I misjudged the weather. I won’t do that again.

We hope to see you down the road somewhere. Ride safe…

If you like this post you may like “Hill Country Fall Foliage Ride November 2010”

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Posted in Motorcycle Touring Logs

Tagged 16, 183, 187, 27, 29, 335, 336, 337, 965, area, Burnett, central, color, Cypress, evergreen, fall, fall colors in texas, foliage, Fredericksburg, Georgetown, Guadalupe, highway, Hill Country, hill country of texas, hill country texas, hill country tx, Hunt, Hwy, Ingram, Johnson City, Kerrville, Lacy, live oak, LLano, Lost Maples, lost maples park, map, Medina, motorcycle ride, motorcycle riding, motorcycle road trips, motorcycle texas, Motorcycle Touring, motorcycle travel, motorcycle trip, oaks, park, picnic, red, ride, river, Sabinal, state, Stonehenge, stonehenge texas, Sycamores, Texas, texas highway 16, Texas Hill Country, things to do in texas hill country, Three Sisters, touring, travel, travel by motorcycle, Twisted sisters, weather

Day 7 Big Bend National Park Motorcycle Ride April 2007

Posted on September 27, 2012 | 2 comments

195 Miles – San Angelo, Llano, Georgetown

Heading home…

Day 7 Route Map

This is the last day of our Big Bend National Park motorcycle ride. Thanks for following along on our ride. We hope you enjoyed reading about it as much as we enjoyed riding it.

We had another good free breakfast here at San Angelo Inn. This morning was in the 60’s. Nice riding. We gassed up and headed for Georgetown. It was mainly a nice ride. We did see a lot of Blue Bonnets and other wild flowers along Hwy 71 between Brady and Llano. We stopped in Llano and ate at Cooper’s Pit Bar-B-Q. Janet and I have never ate there but heard it was some of the best. We gassed up and headed home. Outside Llano we stopped to see the Bald Eagle nest but we didn’t see the eagles themselves. This is the first time Janet and I haven’t seen them there. We got to Georgetown some time after 2:00. Larry, Jo, Larry and Shirley were to spend the night and head back Saturday morning to Alabama and Georgia but because Shirley had to get back because of a family matter they loaded up and left around 4:00. All in all we had a good time in spite of some cold and wind. I’m looking forward to doing it again (soon I hope). The pictures don’t do any of what we saw justice. You just have to be there to really appreciate it all. I hope everyone else had as much fun as we did. I need to start planning another trip… Maybe we’ll ride the perimeter of the U.S. next. Does anyone know how far that is?? Links to the other days of our ride… Day 1 – 259 miles – Georgetown, Fredericksburg, Ozona Day 2 – 257 miles – Ozona, Ft. Stockton, Alpine, Terlingua Day 3 – 187 Miles – Terlingua, Santa Elena Canyon, Chisos Basin, Boquillas Canyon, Terlingua (all in Big Bend) Day 4 – 182 miles – Terlingua, Presidio, Marfa, Alpine Day 5 – 188 miles – Alpine, Ft Davis, loop 166, Ft Stockton Day 6 – 165 miles – Ft Stockton, Big Lake, San Angelo If you liked this post you may also like “Big Bend/Carlsbad Motorcycle Trip September ’09” or “Our First Big Bend Motorcycle Ride“.

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Posted in Motorcycle Touring Logs

Tagged adventure, Big Bend, Georgetown, LLano, Motorcycle, motorcycle ride, motorcycle riding, motorcycle road trips, Motorcycle Touring, motorcycle travel, motorcycle trip, riding, San Angelo, touring, travel

Tag Archives: Georgetown

Day 3 National Park Ride – Dalhart, TX to Georgetown, CO

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Day 4 National Park Motorcycle Ride – Georgetown, CO to Pinedale, WY

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Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Glacier, Little Bighorn and Mt Rushmore 41 Years Ago

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Texas Hill Country Fall Foliage Motorcycle Ride November 2012

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Day 7 Big Bend National Park Motorcycle Ride April 2007

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