WEATHER HAS BEEN GREAT SO FAR

Hope I don't jinx it by commenting on how good the weather has been. Can't say the same for the bike. Rear tire had to be replaced. $239 bucks! Geez! I could get all four tires on my car replaced for that price. Drive shaft is leaking. Not bad. Worse, was loosing my clutch and not able to shift gears while heading up over a 10 thousand foot pass on the way to Aspen. Spooky! Got stopped at the top of the pass after screamin' like a sissy and scattering a bunch of people....now what. I figured I could coast to the bottom....and then what. I'm thinking push the bike over a cliff when no one is looking and tell State Farm it was stolen. Alright Aaron...Don't have a cow! Popped the fill cap off for the clutch fluid and noticed some air bubbles as I exercised the clutch. Seemed to fix the problem somewhat. Not the best...but at least I can shift gears. I'm such a lucky duck!
Yet, who can complain after seeing veiws like this...














Stopped at a small mountain town this past week-end. Celebrating "Donkey Days" with a parade. There's something to be said for a small town and the people in it.








Not to mention small town mountain girls.








Birds eye view of town. One main street less than a mile long. Main street lined with casinos, mostly with just slot machines and lots of old buggahs losing their kids' inheritance.












And we're off!







That's all the marching guys in the parade. As I said, it's a small town.










Damn fine looking fire truck. The loudest part of the parade.








Got to wonder what kind of milage this thing gets.








Old cars driven by really old people



























The jack-ass is probably thinking he would rather be roaming a field.








Oh mama, what fun!












The parade "Queen".








Lots of horses and riders. Only one donkey, so far.







Lots of this, and I am directly down wind. Not so much fun. Good thing this was the end of the parade.




And then the donkey race. Down the street and around the block.






Presently in Glenwood Springs and will be heading up into Wyoming tomorrow. That is if the bike cooperates.

FREE WIFI IN SHORT SUPPLY

Probably because the motels (cheap) are in the have not parts of town and people don't have routers. I'm presently sitting in a Panera Bread outlet eating lunch. They offer free wifi access. And I thought when "Pong" came out, it couldn't get any better than that.
Went to Cheyenne from Rapid City. Great day but hot. Up in the high ninties. Not much to see along the way.





Went to Fort Collins, spent some time touring the countryside and then to Colorado Springs. Will be here for a few days. The back roads are great to travel on and traffic is light. Been warm here the past couple of days, however the mountain passes are cool. Snow still on the ground in some places. Scenery is great. Deer running out in front of me not so much fun. On one mountain turn, a lady in a car coming in the opposite direction was waving her arm at me and thinking she wanted a date, I slowed down. Good thing, for there were three deer directly in my path as I rounded the bend. Scared the sh_ _ out of me!


No, not these.


























20 minute wait for road construction.



























































Looks like a storm is rollin' in. So, thanks, Panera Bread.

DEADWOOD

Gold strike in this area around 1876 brought thousands in the hope of getting rich.







Gambling town with lots of small casinos








I've never seen a place with so many parking meters. Meters need to be fed seven days a week. This meter person says she writes about 100 plus tickets a day. Not much time for bathroom breaks. Fine for first offense, $5. Second and third offenses, $10 and $15 respectively. No free parking anywhere around town. Believe me, this china man looked.

One of the more colorful legends, Wild Bill Hickok.








Wild Bill is buried in Mt. Moriah Cemetery. Calamity Jane is next to him.







There is controversy about the relationship between the two.


















Lots buried at "Boot Hill". Many lived long lives, many did not.








This guy says he's waiting for the next open spot on Boot Hill. Hmmm.









Deadwood as seen from the cemetery.

CRAZY HORSE

A mountain carving to honor North American Indians started by Korzcak Ziolkowski (good chinese name) back in 1948. It's an ongoing project and not funded by the government.





Took 59 years to get to this point. At this rate, I'll be an ol' guy when it's finished.



Front view










Overview of project. When finished it will include an Indian University and medical training center.





Mountain carving will look like this when finished.









Korczak and wife in later life. He has since passed away and the project is being continued by his wife and family. I think they had 10 kids.









Passed through Mount Rushmore. Not impressed.






On to my favorite place for a meal
And then to my motel for a good nights sleep

WALL DRUG & BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK

Stopped at Wall Drug on the way to the Badlands. Good sized emporium offering souveniers, tee shirts, native american artifacts, etc. Started during the early thirties and is noted for giving free iced water to tourists and the many roadside billboards across the states.












Oh my gawd! One of my old girlfriends.








For you GPS types.









Chiseled spires, steep canyons, low-slung buttes and jagged ridges were created from millions of years of ruthless ravages by wind and water. When they first encountered these unusual formations, the Lakota aptly called them Mako Sica or bad land.












Nice to know....



















The "Haves"
Many bus type rv's trailering autos.







The "Have Nots"
I should have studied harder.....