Triumph...

 

We made a run into Rapid City (after I got in a bicycle and motorcycle ride), with a few stops planned and a late lunch at our new favorite Mexican restaurant here.  After a stop at Cabela's, where I anticipated getting some shorts (I didn't, but Joan did), we had some time to kill before heading to the restaurant... I suggested we stop at the nearby Honda (motorcycle) dealer.

They would probably be better off promoting themselves as something besides Honda, since the selection of new Hondas on their sales floor was downright pathetic.  Oh, they had a decent selection of used bikes, so it was apparent that they were buying what they could find for used and putting them on the floor to fill up all that empty space.  If the supply chain is getting back to normal, it didn't show here.

They had a few new CF Moto bikes (Chinese made) on the floor...

 Not my style, but it gives them something to show.  While I am not a fan of the Chinese made bikes, these looked pretty decent.  It remains to be seen if they are reliable.

They are also a Triumph dealer... I have a soft spot in my heart for Triumphs.  This one is my favorite...

It's a Triumph Speedmaster.  The list price they have on it is about $1500 higher than the same bike was last year; and no doubt they will get it.  On that supply and demand range, the supply is still painfully low.  A couple others: a Bonneville (the quintessential Triumph)...

That sign on the front of the bike is proudly declaring that it will get 47 miles per gallon.  For those who think motorcycles are so good on fuel mileage - that seems kinda low to me.  When I fueled up my CTX today, I got 74.5 mpg.

And, a Triumph Bobber...

Stripped down and looking mean.  Kinda like my Vespa last summer, after the front fender removal thanks to Bambi.  ;-)

What's that?  No, I am not looking for another bike - I am very happy with my CTX.  Sometimes, when we are right in the neighborhood, it passes some time to look.  Joan waited in the car - she had no interest.  And, speaking of my CTX, they had a used one for sale...

 

It was equipped to be a touring bike, with the tall windshield, saddle bags, a large trunk, Corbin seat, and crash bars front and rear.  The red looks sharp.  Not a Dual Clutch Transmission model.  I didn't ask price... in fact, no one acknowledged me while I was in there.  Another casualty of today's business climate.

Lunch was good, back at ¿Que Pasa?  With the left overs, we'll have supper for tomorrow.

You Gotta Have Friends...

 

If you said, "Bette Midler, 1972, from the album The Devine Miss M," you get 25 bonus points.    If you said, "Well, it was written by Buzzy Linhart and Moogy Klingman in 1971 and performed by Linhart before Bette Midler did it," you get 250 bonus points.

If you said, "Old friends are good friends," you are so right.  I got to spend some time today with my long-time friend, Dick...

 We first met when Dick was a young salesman at a Honda dealer and Joan and I went in to buy 2 Goldwings.  He said, "Great - what color do you want?"  I remember that clearly because I had gone into a different Honda dealer earlier that day and pointed at 2 Goldwings, an Aspencade and an Interstate,  and the salesman said, "Yeah, right."

I said, "Wrong answer," and we turned around and left.  Dick was smart and engaging and we wrote up the sale.  We have stayed friends ever since.  He later bought that Honda dealership... and then bought another Yamaha, Suzuki, BMW dealership.  He is definitely a go-getter.  We shared a mutual passion for motorcycles, and Joan and I bought quite a few from him over the years.  We have made it a point to stop and see Dick anytime we have been in the Black Hills.  And, when I called his Sturgis shop to schedule an appointment for Joan's Xmax this summer, I found out he had sold the place and is officially retired... one more thing we have in common.  I called him right away and said, "What's up..."

Today, he and I got together for lunch.  Afterwards, we went to his "warehouse/storage building"... he had told me he had a bunch of motorcycles that he has collected over his many years in the business.  These aren't part of a retail business, they are... his bikes.  I was amazed at this eclectic collection...

Some were common in their day, some are very unique.  I'm sure I came across like a little kid: "Is that a ...?"  It was a lot of fun looking at this part of his collection - yes, he has more bikes at his shop at home.  All these years I've known Dick, and I didn't know about this.  And, some cool cars and trucks in that same storage building ... including a 1967 Chevelle 396 that is drool-worthy and came with a story that hit me right in the feelings.

Looking at bikes aside, it was a lot of fun catching up, hearing about his family... and another surprise: his daughter Chrissy happened to be at the same restaurant with her daughter.  I did Chrissy's senior portraits back in the day.  She had worked at the dealership with her Dad.

Dick and I have that kind of friendship where we can go a couple years and not see each other, and pick right up where we left off when we get together again.  He is a good guy.

When I left Sturgis, I took the long way, via twisty roads, back to Hart Ranch.  With a big smile on my face.  A really good day.

Torn about a title...

 

Joan and I put over 100 miles on the bikes just in Custer State Park today.  The riding was good, the traffic was light.

The first title I considered for this post was: "Seasons Change and So Do I..."  If you said, "A line from the song No Time, by The Guess Who, 1969," you get 20 bonus points.  If you said, "Hey, didn't you do a cover of that earlier this year?" you get another 20 bonus points.  The season is changing here in the Black Hills - we saw more UTVs than motorcycles today.  The biker folks have moved on and there is a bit of autumn in the air, even though it was an absolutely gorgeous day.

The other title consideration came later in the ride.  I thought perhaps it might be too suggestive for the title: "A Piece of Tail..."  If you asked, "Are you going to give us too much personal information again, Jim?" you get no bonus points.  We were riding up Highway 89, enjoying the views and fun curves; coming around one curve a squirrel ran across the road... a bit too close in front of me.  I swerved a little - enough that I thought I might miss him, but not enough to get me in trouble.  Apparently (from Joan's description), I caught his tail with my tire, spun him around (minus a bit of tail), and he ran to the side of the road where he started.  I heard Joan's "Ohhhhh!" in my headset.  I asked, "Did I squish him?"  She related what you just read.  It was close.

Our routing today: Spring Creek Road to Hwy 79 to Hwy 36 into Custer State Park.  We took the Wildlife Loop, but the only thing we saw were a few antelope too far off the road to even try for a photo.  Still, the riding was a delight: in the 70s for most of today's ride, and that Wildlife Loop road is just a pleasure to ride.  A few photos...

We stopped for a picnic (twice over the course of the ride)...

Then back to riding...

A view from Highway 89 (prior to the squirrel de-tailing)...

We eventually made our way to Needles Highway...

The second picnic stop and we saw this along the lower part of Needles Highway...

I had put my 360 camera away - we each got a photo of this buffalo with our phones.  Nowhere near the Wildlife Loop.

More fun riding, then back to the motorhome and some patio time with Rufus...

He and I did a couple walks this evening; the last one rather lengthy.  The furry boy has good stamina.  Plus... he's a good boy!

;-)

What a difference a day makes...

 

Yesterday early evening, I took the CTX out for a run on Iron Mountain Road.  I have commented before about timing things to avoid traffic - I am generally referring to anything in my lane.  Yes, I believe that everyone should be able to drive/ride this great road at whatever speed suits them... but, if they are going to drive slow, they should use the pullouts to allow others to drive the speed that suits them.

Absolutely zero traffic in my lane and only 6 vehicles the entire stretch of Iron Mountain Road coming at me in the other lane.  At shortly after 6:00 pm.  On a Friday.  One bike, 2 cars, 1 pickup, 1 SUV, and 1 Sprinter chassis van (a "stealth" camper - no RVish strips or identifiers on the exterior).  Over that 17 mile stretch.  No, I didn't take a camera.

This morning, around 10:00 am, I decided to get in another ride before it got hot.  I eventually made my way to Iron Mountain Road again.  Yeah, a lot more traffic on a Saturday morning.  Still, there were parts of it with no slow-moving vehicles in front of me, so it was an enjoyable outing.

I did shoot some 360 video and made a couple "shorts"...

 

Less than a minute each.  Mostly a little something for me when I can't be out riding.

Hope you're having a great weekend!

RV Show...

 

As I got ready to head out on my bicycle this morning, Joan reminded me that there is an "RV Show" here at Hart Ranch.  That's in quotes, because it isn't what I think of as an actual RV show: something like the annual FMCA Convention where (back in the good ol' days) RV manufacturers brought out examples of their newest and finest.  Of course, the RV units were for sale, but various dealers would be at the manufacturer's display.  The year we bought our last big coach, American Coach brought out 25 units and didn't have to take any of them home.  There were a couple hundred vendors offering anything you might need for an RV, selling right from their booths.  In total, there might be 700 motorhomes on display and 5,000 FMCA member coaches there to take it all in.  There would be seminars offered all day and entertainment in the evening.  You could do as much or as little as you desired.

THAT is an RV Show to me.  We haven't been to anything like that since before the start of the Covid situation.

This is two dealers bringing some units off their sales lot to try to sell you in a different location.  And, of course, offering "show specials" because we all know it is less expensive to bring rigs to a different location to sell them.  (sarcasm intended)  Between the two dealers, there are probably 30 RVs, all 5th wheels and travel trailers.  No motorhomes.

Sadly for these folks, we had a hard pounding rain last night and they are set up in the area around the rodeo grounds, making for a muddy mess...

Yes, that is a giant puddle (and mud hole) in that photo above.

This dealer put out some artificial turf between the units, and leading up to each door.  And also a rug to wipe your feet at the entrance to each RV.

Still, it was a muddy mess.  I feel bad for the clean-up crew when they take these back to their dealerships.  The only "vendor" was a guy selling insurance.  No RV stuff vendors.  Still, it was interesting to look around; not much of a crowd, so the sales people were anxious to "answer any questions."

It looks like the interior colors for this year are light gray/white/charcoal...

Some interesting floorplans.  It is apparent that some manufacturers are trying to make their models "as residential" as possible; catering to the new batch of RVers who have sold their home and are working remotely.  I looked at one toy hauler that would "sleep 10 people"... it had dining facilities for 2.  A bath and a half.  One toy hauler had a double length garage (it would hold 4 motorcycles) and beds that came down from the ceiling in the garage when the bikes are out.

I think it would sleep 12.  44 feet long.  I asked the salesman if he carried any models designed for a couple, two motorcycles, and not so long.  He looked at his phone and determined, "I guess no one is making that."

Some of the shorter travel trailers had decent designs; of course, no way to haul bikes with that kind of set up, unless you could load them into the bed of the truck.  One thing I noticed in all the RVs I looked in: they are being built to a price point; the walls and floors had some degree of flex in them.  They had some pizazz, but lacked structure.  The fabric in them looked OK, but I doubt that it would wear well.  It made me feel quite content with the build and layout of our Aspect; it won't sleep 12, but it feels solid.

I guess I won't be trading today.  ;-)

Flashbacks!

 

Quite a thunderstorm last night, ramping up around 9:00 pm.  Thunderbolts and lightning, very very frightening... Galileo.  Um, sorry, I got off on a tangent.  But, if you said, "Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody, 1975," you get 10 bonus points.

The rain pounded and the thunder rumbled.  We were worried that Rufus might get freaked out, but he took his cues from us and just sat by me... until it was time for his 9:00 feeding, and he ate fine while the storm did its thing.  I thought I heard a couple "tinks" on the skylite - I turned on our outside light to look around: only liquid, nothing of the frozen variety.

It was one year ago today when Hart Ranch got pounded by the biggest hail I've ever seen.  Totaled the CR-V and the cargo trailer, did some gawd-awful damage to the roof and cab on the motorhome.  There were some "Oh, no!" type posts on the Hart Ranch Facebook Group as last night's storm ramped up.  We were both keeping an eye on radar, happy to have a reprieve after 10:00, but seeing that more was coming.  The second round moved over us between 11:00 and midnight, but was much lighter than the first.

Rufus handled it all just fine.  I haven't been out to check, but I'm guessing all that dirt we brought with us from being in the Meadows got rinsed off.

Whew!

 

I thought that was a mountain lion...

 

That's what the guy said as he came to a stop with his golf cart so he could take a good long look at Rufus.

My response, "He's a bit small for that, but he has the heart of a mountain lion."  We are in a corner lot, so once off our patio, we're a bit more visible; and there seems to be plenty of drive-by and walk-by traffic here.  People frequently comment about "that cat on a leash."  Some want to stop and talk cats.  Some ask if they can pet him ("Sure, he's very social.").  And some just gawk.  We have been walking our cats on a leash since we first got Molly (2005 when we officially adopted her), so it seems like everyday stuff to us.

We are still trying out his new harness.  Joan thought the previous one might not be comfortable for him, since he kept pulling one front leg out.  I think he was just going for that "one shoulder look"... or, maybe not.  This new one is just straps, much thinner.  He is not one to pull on the leash (Izzy would do that when she got determined about going a particular direction - usually toward a big dog); usually just a light bit of pressure and a "this way" suggestion (you don't give commands to a cat) will keep Ruf headed in the general direction I'm going for.  But, most of the time, I let him set the pace and direction, with a bit of input from me to keep him from going onto someone else's site or walking through the mud.  He is a boy, and there are a few muddy spots after the rain of the past couple days.

I don't know - does this look like a mountain lion to you?

The boy was looking at some birds through the window.  No, he doesn't chase after the birds when we're out walking.  He does keep an eye on 'em, though.  He doesn't seem to have that hunting/stalking instinct like our girls.  Why hunt when meals are on a convenient schedule?  ;-)

Rufus likes it...

 

And that's what it's all about.  What?  You thought that was the Hokey-Pokey?  Well, yeah, there's that, but we spend a lot of time making sure Rufus is a happy boy.  And, really, he has a delightful disposition.

In our new site, he was anxious to look around.  I took him on several walks and he spent time with Joan on the patio.  I would say the boy likes to be outside, but he really likes to be where we are.  He made some new friends while walking around, including a couple who said they have a cat in their 5th wheel (one of 3 and a dog) "who looks just like Rufus!"

"If that is the case, you have a really handsome cat!"  No doubt, they are just as biased as I am.  They were fascinated that Rufus walks on a leash.  He tends to put on a good show if anyone is watching... they don't see when I am just standing there for what seems like forever while he plops down and just enjoys looking around.

Speaking of just looking around, last night Rufus spent time with Joan on the patio... she took this photo of him...

The boy is a poser.  And, he really likes the new chair we got for him.  He is happy on this new site... he's a good boy.  :-)

Escape from Purgatory (Flats)...

 

Up and at 'em this morning.  Joan made smoothies and cinnamon rolls for a bit of sustenance to hold us while we make the move.  I was just putting shoes on to go out and unhook utilities when Mother Nature surprised us with about 4 minutes of rain... just enough to get everything wet and make mud out of all the dust (from the gravel road) on the hood of the coach.  So, that's fun.

As usual, we did our move in "shifts"... this time: first the bikes, then the coach then back to the Purgatory Flats (aka the Meadows) where we hooked the Equinox to the cargo trailer, backed the rig around so we could load up the stuff on the patio.  Then, off to the new site, where we backed the trailer in, unloaded the stuff, rotated the trailer, put the bikes back in the trailer, then set up utilities and our stuff.  About 2 hours.

On the bright side, Rufus has a nice tree on our site... we are on a paved site, with paved roads.  We'll be on this site for the next 21 days, then one more move before we head out.

Home, sweet home, for now...

I keep switching the bear's sign to "Go Away," but it keeps coming back with "Welcome."  ;-)

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One of the guys on my scooter forum said this about gas prices:  "I guess the price of gasoline is cutting into travel. As you must know well after taking your caravan of vehicles North," when I mentioned that traffic has been lighter when I've been out riding.

My reply: I think Joan figured it cost us an additional $400 or so in gas to get here over last year. RV park site prices have increased as well. Food is more expensive. It hasn't cut into my riding - I'm riding more this summer because I'm going out more often solo. Joan is good for a couple times a week; if I don't get at least 5 outings a week... well, apparently I get cranky. I can't imagine that, because I'm a fu**in' ray of sunshine. If you don't believe me, ask Rufus. He and I have an arrangement: I regularly tell him that he's a "good boy," and he tells me I'm a ray of sunshine.

No riding for me today. It was another "moving day," where we get out of "Purgatory Flats" (what I call their Meadows - gravel roads and sites) and back to the nice, double-wide paved sites. The weather weasels were calling for rain late this afternoon and evening, but clear this morning. They lied; it rained right before we started our move at 8:30 this morning, and has now rained twice more (by noon). After our 9 days in the Meadows, the motorhome, car, and cargo trailer were dusty from the gravel road... they are now muddy. So that means I'll have to take a day off from riding in the next week and spend it washing our stuff. It hasn't been heavy rain, that would rinse stuff off - more of what I call "nuisance rain," where it just grubs up everything. And being candyass, makes me not want to ride in it. But, I'm not cranky about it. What was the question? Oh, yeah: prices... I have always said, "I can make more money, I can't make more time." As I get statistically closer to the big dirt nap, I'm going to enjoy the ride.

The tourist industry here in the Black Hills is apparently down slightly in numbers, but up in what people are spending... so the merchants and tourist attraction people are happy with the season so far. The numbers from Sturgis are in: attendance up the first week of the Rally, and down the last 4 days. They base those numbers on daily traffic counts coming into Sturgis... which apparently doesn't take into account that people spending the whole Rally in the area may be going in and out of Sturgis more than once a day. Here's my observations: crowds seemed about the same - it's a lot of people. Go riding early in the day so the roads aren't as crowded. Vendors must anticipate that each person coming to the Rally will buy a minumum of 10 T-shirts each. There were a metric shit-ton of T-shirts on racks and tables on that last Saturday. Food prices on Main Street were crazy high - it made ballpark food prices seem reasonable. If Harley bike sales are off, it wasn't showing in Sturgis: that was a LOT of Harleys and not much of other brands, although I noticed more Indian motorcycles this year. A Goldwing here and there. I didn't not see another CTX anywhere, but I did see 5 scooters over the 10 days. Riding with a bunch of motorcycles on the roads is still better than getting caught behind minivans and SUVs (especially if they have Minnesota plates). And that's all I got to say about that.

 

I guess the price of gasoline is cutting into travel.  As you must know well after taking your caravan of vehicles North.[/QUOTE]

I think Joan figured it cost us an additional $400 or so in gas to get here over last year.  RV park sites have increased as well.  Food is more expensive.  It hasn't cut into my riding - I'm riding more this summer because I'm going out more often solo.  Joan is good for a couple times a week; if I don't get at least 5 outings a week... well, apparently I get cranky.  I can't imagine that, because I'm a fu**in' ray of sunshine.  If you don't believe me, ask Rufus.  He and I have an arrangement: I regularly tell him that he's a "good boy," and he tells me I'm a ray of sunshine.

No riding for me today.  It was another "moving day," where we get out of "Purgatory Flats" (what I call their Meadows - gravel roads and sites) and back to the nice, double-wide paved sites.  The weather weasels were calling for rain late this afternoon and evening, but clear this morning.  They lied; it rained right before we started our move at 8:30 this morning, and has now rained twice more (by noon).  After our 9 days in the Meadows, the motorhome, car, and cargo trailer were dusty from the gravel road... they are now muddy.  So that means I'll have to take a day off from riding in the next week and spend it washing our stuff.  It hasn't been heavy rain, that would rinse stuff off - more of what I call "nuisance rain," where it just grubs up everything.  And being candyass, makes me not want to ride in it.  But, I'm not cranky about it.  What was the question?  Oh, yeah: prices... I have always said, "I can make more money, I can't make more time."  As I get statistically closer to the big dirt nap, I'm going to enjoy the ride.

The tourist industry here in the Black Hills is apparently down slightly in numbers, but up in what people are spending... so the merchants and tourist attraction people are happy with the season so far.  The numbers from Sturgis are in: attendance up the first week of the Rally, and down the last 4 days.  They base those numbers on daily traffic counts coming into Sturgis... which apparently doesn't take into account that people spending the whole Rally in the area may be going in and out of Sturgis more than once a day.  Here's my observations: crowds seemed about the same - it's a lot of people.  Go riding early in the day so the roads aren't as crowded.  Vendors must anticipate that each person coming to the Rally will buy a minumum of 10 T-shirts each.  There were a metric shit-ton of T-shirts on racks and tables on that last Saturday.  Food prices on Main Street were crazy high - it made ballpark food prices seem reasonable.  If Harley bike sales are off, it wasn't showing in Sturgis: that was a LOT of Harleys and not much of other brands, although I noticed more Indian motorcycles this year.  A Goldwing here and there.  I didn't not see another CTX anywhere, but I did see 5 scooters over the 10 days.  Riding with a bunch of motorcycles on the roads is still better than getting caught behind minivans and SUVs (especially if they have Minnesota plates).  And that's all I got to say about that.

A Strong Profile...

 

Rufus?  Well, yes, he does have a good profile...

 But, I'm talking about my buddy, George.  A swing by Mt Rushmore on today's ride...

I didn't get out until 11:00 or so - we went out for breakfast, then to the grocery store.  Another hot one today; it was a warm ride.  Getting out later than usual for me, I expected to run into a bunch of traffic, but it wasn't bad.  Well, except for a woman driving an SUV (guess where the plates were from) who stopped in the middle of the road on the single lane portion where you can turn to Iron Mountain Road or go into Keystone.  Stopped.  On a highway.  Only one lane.  Maybe she was deciding which way to go?  Or, she is stupid and shouldn't be driving.

But, other than that, it was a pleasant, but warm, ride.

We get to move back to the civilized part of the resort tomorrow.  I drove by the site we are moving to - it was empty.  I checked at the Reservation Desk to see if it was OK if we moved early (we've done that before).  New girl - going by the book.  Lots of empty sites, so it isn't like they will need that site for someone who wants to come in last minute for one night (that doesn't happen, btw).  "OK - we'll get ourselves moved tomorrow."  Probably just as well: we can move in the morning, before the heat of the day.  Back to a lovely paved, double-width site... and a tree... Rufus will be so happy that he will have his very own tree for the next three weeks.  :-)

Well, that was fun...

 

Out on the scoot this morning.  Literally, the scoot - I took Joan's Xmax for a run on Iron Mountain Road and the other fun twisties.

It has been quite a while since I've ridden that bike.  When I had the Vespa, I would take her bike on occasion, because it felt like a sport bike compared to the Vespa.  Now, after spending just over 5 months with the CTX, it gives me a chance to do a comparison, especially after riding the Xmax for a couple hours.

The CTX is significantly bigger and heavier.  You notice that when moving it around and also on the road.  The Xmax has that scooter "flickability" that scooter riders like.  That is a plus and a minus, since the CTX feels more planted on the road.  I think the Xmax may be a little faster through the tightest curves, but that may be the rider.  I use trail braking coming into the corner with the Xmax, and engine braking with the CTX.  No question the CTX will accelerate faster out of the curves.

The CTX is more comfortable for me; Joan still hasn't ridden it, but she likes the way her Xmax is set up.

A short stop for a photo op...

 When I first got the CTX, I felt like I had been riding a horse after the first lengthy ride.  It didn't take long for me to get used to having that tank between my knees - and it was noticeably absent on this ride.  In spite of the differences, I had fun riding her bike.  I was out early enough that the traffic was very light; the only "hold up" came from two very slow moving UTVs - they took the fun out of two of the three pigtail bridges before a healthy application of throttle moved me around them.

Yep, still a scooter boy.

Another day, another...

 

... ride.

I didn't get out quite as early today, so there was some slow moving traffic.  Yes, a Minnesota license plate on the pickup... but it wasn't all his fault - there was an even slower moving Harley trike in front of him.  Neither used any of the pullouts, so I did get around them on a short straight stretch.  Still, any riding is better than no riding.

I took the twisty back roads on my way home, and no traffic to speak of on those.

After the Rally, the traffic on the roads changes - more slow-moving minivans and small SUVs.  

A short...

 

And a few stills...

Featured Performer: The Blonde on the Xmax...

 

Joan will be quick to tell you: "It's his blog - I don't want the limelight."  With all the things we've done, the key word is "WE"... we are a partnership and we do most things together.  So, today, this post is all about Joan and her Xmax.

The Xmax is Yamaha's 300cc sport scooter.  It is fast, handles great, good native (under-seat) storage, and gets impressive gas mileage - when we filled up today, she got 101 mpg; that is better than many scoots with half the horsepower.  Yamaha engineers did a great job in the design of this bike.  And most importantly for Joan: it is a good fit for her.  And she handles it in a confident, fluid manner.  She says she had a good teacher, but she has been riding almost as long as I have; she developed her own style based on the bikes she's had over the years.  We know each other's riding style and work together using the helmet communicators as we ride.

Today, we left Hart Ranch, heading north.  Up Highway 16, west on Rimrock Highway, a right onto Norris Peak Road, a left onto Nemo Highway, through the small community of Nemo, then a right onto today's favorite: Vanocker Canyon Road.

A few images taken from the "camera platform" (aka my bike), capturing the Xmax from the front as it ran through the fun, sweeping turns on that road...

These were snapshots taken from video... so, there will be a video happening.

Vanocker Canyon opens up to Sturgis on the north end.  We rode into town and had lunch at the Loud American Roadhouse.  Town is pretty much back to how it looks the rest of the year...

And proof that I was along today...

With full bellies and gas tanks, it was decision time: take the Interstate back or retrace our fun, curvy route that got us here.  Yep, it's the twisties.

A fun day on the bikes, and Mother Nature blessed us with some reasonably cool weather - it got down to 67º at the higher elevations on the ride.  Nice!

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The completed Xmax Video...

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And, a "YouTube Shorts" clip with the Xmax...