This is a collection of our favorite photos from our motorcycle travels. Over the years we have ridden many miles, to some of the most scenic places here in the U.S.. We have taken a lot of photo’s… Some of them , in my opinion, are good… But then it is hard not to take a few good ones when you have such scenic subject matter. Many of these pictures are found in post in this blog. Each picture caption has a link to the post for those of you who would like to read and see more… or you may want to ride or drive to see them. The post have many details to help with planning your trip.
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Below are some of the rides we have done over the years. There might be one for you. Check them out.
If you liked these rides there are more to come. Don’t miss any ride post. Look for the “Subscribe to Texas Rambler via Email” at the bottom left column to receive notifications of new posts by email. Also please take some time to leave us a comment. We always love hearing from y’all…
Heading to Glacier National Park early morning From Kalispell, MT
Today is day 8 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 were up early and headed to “Going to the Sun Highway”. My friend Avis and her family brought me here 41 years ago. I have looked forward to this leg of our trip because of those fond memories. It is my favorite national park (so far). I can’t describe the amazing scenery here… You must experience it for yourself…
West entrance Going-to-the-Sun Highway Glacier National Park
Our ride today will make a big loop through Glacier National Park back to Kalispell via Hwy 2. We then head north-west through Libby and to Ed and Avis’ just outside Troy, MT.
McDonald Lake Glacier National Park early morning
“The Going-to-the-Sun Road,” borrowed its name from nearby Going-to-the-Sun Mountain. Local legend told the story of the deity, Sour Spirit, who came down from the sun to teach Blackfeet braves the rudiments of the hunt. On his way back to the sun, Sour Spirit had his image reproduced on the top of the mountain for inspiration to the Blackfeet. An alternate story suggests a white explorer in the 1880s concocted the name and the legend. No matter which version is accurate, the road named Going-to-the-Sun still inspires all who travel it. Riding into the Glacier from west to east, this morning, I could see why the road is called “Going-to-the-Sun”… It seemed we were always staring into the sun…
McDonald Lodge Glacier National Park
After entering the park, our first stop was the visitor center and our first view of McDonald Lake. The lake, surrounded by the mountains, is such a peaceful view. The water’s surface was like glass, reflecting the surrounding mountains through the rising mist.
Rushing stream McDonald Lodge Glacier National Park
Our second stop was at McDonald Lodge. The lodge and grounds are a must see. The lodge, a Swiss Chalet, opened its doors on June 14, 1914. The lodge is a three-story structure built on the eastern shore of glaciated, picturesque Lake McDonald. The lobby is a large open space built from large tree trunks with balconies surrounding it on three sides. It has a very inviting rustic decor that is something to see.
McDonald Lodge Glacier National Park
The lobby floors have messages in Kootenai (a local Native American dialect). Some of the messages translate into phrases such as “welcome”, “new life to those who drink here”, “looking toward the mountain”, and “big feast”.
Going-to-the-Sun Highway Glacier National Park
There is a good view of McDonald Lake at the rear of the lodge. I could have sat for hours and listened to the rushing stream that runs into the lake. It was so peaceful sitting in the cool morning air….
Going-to-the-Sun Highway Glacier National Park
“Going-to-the Sun Highway” took us through some of the most spectacular scenery we have seen so far on our ride. Parts of the highway hug the mountainside with a few tight curves. Heading east toward Logan Pass, you are able to look over the edge of the road in a few spots. The speed limit is 40 on the lower part and 25 for the higher part of the road. This pace allows for an enjoyable ride through all the majesty of this very scenic road.
Going-to-the-Sun Highway Glacier National Park
A must stop is Jackson Glacier Overlook. The Overlook is located on the east side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road between Logan Pass and St. Mary. Jackson Glacier Overlook allows the best opportunity to see a glacier from the road.
Going-to-the-Sun Highway Glacier National Park Up close and personal
Glacier has wildlife along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. The most likely place to see Mountain Goats and Bighorn Sheep are typically near Logan Pass. I was on the lookout for the sheep and goats but luck wasn’t with us today… 🙁
Going-to-the-Sun Highway Glacier National Park
We have met many people since our trip began and today was no exception. Everyone was talking about the scenic beauty and offering their suggestions. One suggestion was to ride/drive the “Highway-to-the-Sun” in both directions because you get a whole different perspective of the park on the return trip. We thought we would do that if we had time. Once we got to the other end, we realized that time would not let us to ride “Going-to-the-Sun” road back… If you are planning a trip to Glacier make sure you plan seeing the park in both directions… On our next visit we will do that…
Going-to-the-Sun Highway Glacier National Park
Our ride down Hwy 89 to East Glacier (the town) had many scenic views of mountains on our right and large (relative to Texas) hills on our left. Picking up Hwy 2 back to Kalispell, we had more beautiful scenic views of the glacier capped mountains at times.
St. Mary’s Lake Glacier National Park
From Kalispell we rode Hwy 2 through Libby to Troy. We saw more beautiful mountain scenery all along the way.
Rolling down Highway 2 toward Troy, MT
Today we are staying with a good friend, Avis and her husband Ed. We had a lot (41 years) to catch up on. Ed and Avis were great hosts, feeding us a good home cooked dinner with fresh veggies from their garden. It was nice to have a home cooked meal after 8 days on the road.
After dinner we walked to the Savage Lake across the highway. From the highway the lake is hidden from view by the trees. The reflection of the mountains, across the lake, was beautiful. Ed and Avis sometimes see moose across the lake in the evenings… but not today :(…
Savage Lake near Troy, MT
Ed and Avis have a beautiful home out in the country with a beautiful view of the mountains from their front lawn. I would love to get up every morning and have that view to look at while I drink my morning coffee. Yes, I am a bit jealous…
View from Ed & Avis’ front yard…
Today was a great day with beautiful scenery and time spent with good friends…
For more pictures of our ride click here and don’t forget to like “The Texas Rambler” Facebook page. Look for the “Subscribe to Texas Rambler via Email” at the bottom right column to receive notifications of new post by email. Also please take some time and leave us a comment. We always love hearing from y’all…
Tomorrow we will be an easy day of riding. Just 260 miles to Golden, BC, Canada. We don’t have any planned stops except when we see something interesting… The following day we will be riding Banff National Park. I hope we see you down the road somewhere. Ride safe…
Checkout the slide show of the ride below:
This has been one amazing ride for Larry and me. Check out the other post from this ride using the links below…
Today is day 7 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 head toward Glacier National Park. 407 miles from Gardiner to Kalispell, Montana. Much of the ride was on I-90 so we made good time. Our ride took us through Bozeman, Butte and Missoula, Montana. There was beautiful scenic views all along the way. Rolling hills, prairie grassland with mountains in the distance. The highlight was riding by the west side of Flathead Lake. Flathead is the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. It is clean and clear. The water is the clearest I have ever seen. You won’t believe how far you can see below the water’s surface.
The main reason we stopped was the Car museum. The admission (less than $10) was for all the museums. The car museum had an interesting collection starting from the early 1900’s to present. It is amazing how old cars can transport you to a different place and time. Memories… good memories…
Studebaker Avanti Car Museum Deer, Lodge, Montana
We had a little time to spare so we did a quick tour of the old prison… When touring the prison, I thought of a friend serving time in the Texas prison system. Seeing the area with 3 levels of cells that seemed to go on forever, I imagined what the sights and sounds would have been like when the automatic cell doors opened. The clanking of the metal doors… the chatter of the prisoners… all being amplified by the metal bars, concrete floor and walls. The sounds would have been deafening and depressing. There were no good feelings here. If walls could talk, I’m not sure we would want to hear what they had to say…
Prison museum in Deer Lodge, Montana
Prison in Deer Lodge, Montana
While in Deer Lodge we had a good lunch and I called my good friend Avis, who lives in Troy. Montana, to let her know we were on schedule and would be rolling into her place about 5:30 or 6:00 pm tomorrow.
Deer Lodge was a good stop and I would recommend you stop there. There is much more to see and do there… I wish we could have stayed longer…
Heading north on Hwy 93 to Kalispell, Montana
From Deer Lodge it was on to Missoula down I-90. We turned onto Hwy. 93 and ended our day of riding at Kalispell.
Flathead Lake in Montana
The adventure continues… Come follow along tomorrow as we ride through Glacier National Park via”Going to the Sun Highway“… Ride safe and I hope we see you down the road somewhere…
For more pictures of our ride click here and don’t forget to like “The Texas Rambler” Facebook page. Look for the “Subscribe to Texas Rambler via Email” at the bottom right column to receive notifications of new post by email. Also please take some time and leave us a comment. We always love hearing from y’all…
This has been one amazing ride for Larry and me. Check out the other post from this ride using the links below…
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.
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…
This is the first day of my two-week (16 days) 5000 miles plus motorcycle ride to several of the best National Parks, National Monuments and National Historical sites 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 visit Pikes Peak, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Glacier, Banff, Little Bighorn, Devils Tower, Mount Rushmore and everything in between.
We had planned to do this ride 2 years ago but life got in the way and we had to cancel. The plans are complete and reservations have been made… all that is left is the execution of our plans.
I’m doing something I have never done before… write post each day or as often as time will allow… So stay tune for post as our ride progresses.
Heading down Hwy 183 on start of or National Park Motorcycle Ride
Day 1
Several days out from my departure it was looking like I could be riding in triple digit heat… In my younger days I probably wouldn’t have given this much thought… but now I’m a bit older and I think wiser. I’m sure I could get someone to disagree with that… 551 miles in triple digit heat is something I don’t want to do. As it turned out today was very cool for this time of the year. I left at 1:30 pm. It was overcast and just 81 degrees and a drop of rain every mile or so. The temperature eventually dropped to 76 degrees.Very pleasant riding. When I got Lampasas it started to rain enough that I lowered my face shield. When I reached the other side of Lampasas the rain stopped and the sun came out and took the temperature up to 90 degrees. About 60 mile from Sweetwater the clouds returned and the wind picked up and temperature drop to 82 degrees. At Sweetwater the wind started to blow much harder causing a lot of dust to be picked up. I was glad to have finally reached my motel in Snyder.
Tomorrow I meet Larry in Amarillo. From there it is a short ride to Dalhart our destination for the day.
Wind turbines in the distance… Near Sweetwater, Texas
Day 2
This trip will be just the two of us. Larry C. my old Air Force buddy wasn’t able to make this trip and our wives decided to sit this one out too. Larry T. rode in from Tunnel Hill, Georgia (1140 miles) on his spaceship… a Victory Vision… I wasn’t crazy about the Visions when they first came out but… since I’ve seen Larry’s they are starting to grow on me… Larry is loving his so far…
Misting rain leaving Snyder, Texas
We had a pretty big rain last night. I was on the road a little after 7:00, temperature 62 degrees, with a slight mist and overcast. Shortly after leaving the mist got heavier… heavy enough for me to lower the face shield. It eventually stopped misting, the roads dried and the sun peeked through the clouds.
I-27 heading to Amarillo, Texas
I am meeting Larry in Amarillo. 205 miles of nice riding (excluding the rain). I was at his motel just before 11:00. I haven’t seen Larry since our last ride in September so we had some catching up to do.
The Cadillac Ranch was just down I-40 about 10 miles so to kill some time we decide to give it a quick look. Neither of us has been there before and wasn’t sure what to expect. The cars have been there longer than they have been on the road. Over the years visitors have covered them in graffiti. It has become a tradition. Everyone that visited, except us, seem to be leaving their mark. You had to be careful when touching because of the wet paint. The paint has become inches thick over the many years… Different but interesting and worth the time visiting this unique art (??) work.
Larry at the Cadillac Ranch
From the Cadillac Ranch it was on to Dumas for gas and a late lunch before heading to Dalhart our destination for the day.
My ridding mascot Kow A. Saky with Larry bring up the rear.
The original destination for today was Amarillo but Larry wanted to ride up Pikes Peak tomorrow. That would add at least 2 hours to the ride so we moved our destination to shave some miles off the next day. This will allow us to take our time and enjoy the ride… and there is a lot to be enjoyed tomorrow.
Stay tuned… We will see you tomorrow.
This has been one amazing ride for Larry and me. Check out the other post from this ride using the links below…
Quit Roads
Paul and Ty are a couple of brothers-in-law who just happen to enjoy climbing on their Harleys and exploring the quite roads around the West.
