No Photo Ride Report

[bigjohnsd]

With 50F and a 30 mph breeze, the Damn Ice finally melted yesterday, leaving a "Clear Path" from my garage to the street.

The Black Hills BMW Group has their weekly Koffee Klatch every Sunday at 1000 AM somewhere in Rapid City, strangely never at a Starbucks?

This mornings coffee was at Dunn Brothers, it was 33.5 F when I rolled the "Yet to be named" GSA out of the garage after gearing up with my Gerbing Jacket and Gloves as well as my Merino wool long johns. I set the digital controller to 5 and 5, figured I could adjust along the way if needed though my remote Heatroller has taken a crap on me, changed the battery with no improvement in operation, didn't have time to mess with it, but I recall it being a bit intermittent in operation when I rode my FJR home from Missouri in October after the fateful BMW GS Test ride.

I 90 was clear and unbusy, the 5/5 settings were fine, the GSA burned the tarmac handily. Not the same as the "Gray Ghost" but quite comfortable and surprisingly quieter than the FJR as far as helmet noise factor. With my Head sock on I can comfortably ride the GSA at freeway speeds with no earplugs. Who woulda thunk?

Ten people at coffee, three rode, seven caged, WTF?

Not many opportunities to ride in December in these parts.
There was only a little sand and that was mostly confined to the outer edges of the intersections and on-ramps One Icy spot beneath a bridge on I-90 but I could see it from afar.

The Jacket and Gloves worked to perfection. Amazing how having the back of one's hands warm makes things so much more comfortable.

The group was generally unaware of Black Hills Moto and Alex Johnson, I shared contact info with them, hope they take advantage of the opportunities.

I left Rapid City about 1200, the temperature was a right balmy 50F with little breeze.
I rode home to Spearfish taking frontage roads then a detour through Belle Fourche just to enjoy a little more time on the road.
Got home just in time to see the end of a Great Vikings Victory and a great Dallas Ass Kicking!

Life can't get much better than this. Next week a run to Minneapolis for a quick Christmas Visit with my "Portland Rose"!

Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year too!

 

[akbeemer]

We were riding today in Montana as well, and it looks like we will be riding for the next few days.

Unusual winter so far, no snow to speak of and mild temperatures.

 

[motodan]

I got 50 miles in yesterday in northern Indiana. Almost like an early Spring day...50 degrees, clam and sunny. Come on Spring!!!

 

[bmwdean]

Here in Tucson, AZ, it is great riding weather now -- 60s & 70s.

You can yuk it up, however, when it is great up north in July and it's over 100° down here.

 

[mikegalbicka]

Same here. Did a few hundred miles yesterday in perfect weather.

 

[mehrten]

I'll jump in with a quick ride across the desert...got to put in one picture though.

Off to Palm Springs to see Marilyn!

Every year around Thanksgiving the Best Western hotel chain offers rooms for 10,000 Best Western points. That’s quite a bit off the normal 20,000 to 36,000 points a room in a standard Best Western goes for. Seeing how we had some 50,000 plus points…time to go for a ride!

Several years back Wanda and I stopped in Palm Springs just as they were completing the construction of a 26 some foot tall Marilyn Monroe statue. She was gorgeous, but the temperature was close to 120…it was just too hot to stop and get out the camera. We made a note to visit Palm Springs again and get a picture of Marilyn in her most famous pose.

Now some history. My dad was the Recreation Service Officer in Korea back in the early 50s during “The Korean Conflict” when Marilyn Monroe came to town. Dad was the Escort Officer who made all the arrangements for billeting and such. A separate latrine was constructed just for Ms. Monroe. The troops of course went nuts.

There’s more to the story. After Ms. Monroe left country the toilet seat from her personal latrine was cut up into pieces and auctioned off! Somewhere in the good old USofA there’s a bunch of small pieces of a wooden toilet seat that have very special meanings to the lucky soldiers who got them in Korea. There’s no Soldier like an American Soldier!

Anyway, I wanted a picture of the Marilyn statue to go with the picture I have of my dad and Ms. Monroe in Korea. Unfortunately it was not to be. Some two years ago the statue was moved to the east coast. Bummer! Now she is being displayed in a different state each year. Who knows, maybe she’ll make it to Arizona in a year or ten.

Our trip was a hoot, and it only cost us gas and food - and oil and tires if you want to be exact. The Best Western Las Brisas hotel in Palm Springs is a really good one with lots of restaurants and shopping right out the front door. The ride over was via mostly familiar roads with a stop at the Tohono O'odham Cultural Center and Museum just south of Sells on IR 19 in Topawa. Worth a visit.

Oh by the way…this was my annual birthday ride that Wanda plans for me. I’ll do the same for Wanda in July for her birthday. Ain’t it grand! Deryle & Wanda Mehrten