The sounds of Flip

August 28, 2014 Laura Sellers-Earl

flip cropped-L We certainly enjoyed Flip more once we found the “off” switch, but thought you might like to hear Flip, in his own squeals.

Hello greeting

Radio Flip

Play it, Flip

Sign-off

Run 101

Day 8: Dressed to kill and ready to fly

August 24, 2014 Carl

We had no idea the ’08 Club’s final day would be so full. Carl and Laura had fabulous plans to attend Bill and Darla’s wedding in Salem, so, Flip donned his best tie with help from tailor Sharon. The Stanoviches were heading home after our trip to the Evergreen Air and Space Museum.

Our bittersweet last hotel breakfast was really subpar, and only rates in the category of “don’t do it,” which is worthy of note by the Red Lion chain.

Our packing skills almost perfected (finally), we loaded up and headed to the museum. Now, Jim and Sharon are placard readers. Carl and Laura are hit and miss, so on the aviation side, C&L were done earlier than the history buffs. All very cool, but our biggest tip is, if you want photos in the cockpit of the Spruce Goose, reserve before your arrival or, at least, when you check in. We saved the Spruce Goose for last and discovered, too late, that the cockpit is an additional cost and the schedule fills up quickly. Now, we have to go back.

Then, Carl and Laura had to skeddadle to Salem for the previously mentioned nuptials. Guess we were overly ambitious, because Carl’s bike crapped out as we were leaving McMinnville.

He called Salem Harley (they could look at it that day, but couldn’t send a trailer to pick it up) and Paradise Harley’s trailer was already out and heading in the opposite direction, but they hook us up with Thunder Mountain Rescue. Fortunately, after about 20 minutes, Carl tried his bike again and all was copasetic.

We rode straight through to Salem Harley, which has a policy of fitting “travelers” in right away. How cool! We spent quite a bit of time there, and didn’t get out until 4,. Even though a problem was not found, at least we got it checked.

Unfortunately, we also missed Bill and Darla’s wedding and the ensuing fun madness.

The final stretch for C&L was fraught with slowdowns and an impatience to get home. But we completed the jaunt, at about the same time as the Stanoviches, who stayed for an aviation movie and the space museum. Crazy!

Then, we went to the very busy Wet Dog Cafe to celebrate the entire trip.

Coming soon, our best-worst lists and a “trip by the numbers” posts. Thanks for riding along with us. We were all ready to head out again today, and if at all possible, probably would have.

Flip, is a little sad that he will not be the star of the show, on a daily basis. We had the greatest of rides because of our good friends, Jim and Sharon, and our propensity to laugh off any and every event on the trip. Our evenings were raucous and too much fun, because we could laugh at ourselves and all the misadventures, as well as the adventures, we encountered.

Please let us know what is missing from this journal or comment on this trip, as we are already planning 2015.

Let’s go! Varooom!

Flip dons the formal black tie for Bill and Darla’s wedding. Little did Flip know he would miss the fun because of motorcycle malfunction. See a taste the wedding fun at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10204386122950780&set=vb.1161650100&type=2&theater. Looking good, fine young critter.

If you have to be sucked into an engine, best it be with good friend and a Flip.

Through wind and rain and sleet and snow, but the U.S. Mail can’t get past a Flip.

Flip heard the Spruce Goose was big, but really … now he’s just wondering “Are you my mother?”

At the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum, with our Flip pal. Jim and Sharon are already sucked into the history vortex. I think we are on our own.

Found our fellow travelers. Get ready to explore.

Flip ogles the Russian stunt plane and dreams of flipping out on a Yak.

M*A*S*H fans join Flip in celebrating early Army Jeeps. I’ll trade our ’98 for one of these.

Howard Hughes (not Hugh Hefner, Sharon) was worried about the floatability of the Spruce Goose, so ordered that beach balls be inflated to fill any empty space.

Perfect! Now, if we only had aviator sunglasses …

Leaving McMinnville for Bill and Darla’s nuptials, Carl’s bike craps out. We strip down in the heat while he figures it out and Flip watches the traffic. Safety first.

Carl calls local Harley dealers – Salem and Paradise – for suggestions and help. We’re on the verge of being towed by Thunder Mountain Rescue when he tries again, and it works! However, now we feel the need to have it checked out and miss the wedding of the century. We get home safe, but what an ending day!

Waiting for the bike to be certified ride-worthy, we stopped in a bar for some refreshment. Flip didn’t feel the vibe so we left for the establishment next door.

Salvadore’s Bakery in Salem had fresh tacos, burritos and chicharrón. It was very tasty and gave us the stamina for more Harley shopping while we wait for the bike repairs. And, if you need a piñata, come here. It reminded Flip of the jellyfish at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Beautiful streamers!

We started at the Wet Dog and must end at the Wet Dog.

Run 101

Getting hitched and heading home

August 23, 2014 Carl

Flip gussies up for Darla and Bill’s wedding as we head over to the air museum, then the nuptials and then HOME!

Run 101

Cruising (and cursing) though Day 7

August 23, 2014 Laura Sellers-Earl

Day 7 was mostly on the road. After a lazy morning sleeping in and a late breakfast, we took a ride back to Bend to check out the local H-D house. This, like most of our travels though Bend, turned out to be harder than it should be. We did a lot of cussing and backtracking and there were no signs to guide our way. But after a few “oops” turn-arounds and finding the alleyway masquerading as a road, we landed. Our marriage still somewhat intact, Laura made a sanity saving purchase. Harley truth: A good pair of gloves makes all the difference in the ride. It only took her seven days to learn it, but what a difference.

Then, off to Sisters, which has the Cannon Beach vibe. Sisters offers lots of shops to wander through. One again, it proved a blessing to be on bikes. We went through several antique/Western shops and Sharon might have loaded up, were it not for our limited space. Then she found the quilt shop (we are at four for this trip). A gentleman sitting out front said he could get 40 pounds of fabric on his bike. How much could we carry?

We stopped at Bronco Billy’s Ranch Gill & Salon for a quick snack, which wasn’t so quick. Bartender Deanna was having a not so good day. We kept over hearing other staff ask her for things and she would reply ” haven’t seen that in a while.” It was like someone came in and moved everything around on her. They were a little busy and she was the only one in the bar. We don’t remember seeing a harder-working server, who had no hope of ever getting ahead. After it all, she did not charge us for our drinks, saying “There were too many mistakes and she wanted to take care of us.” That is service.

Flip ponders his shot at the Eagle Crest resort, Day 7 begins in a place we should all play, at some point.

So, we had overkill of the hot stuff, as this bottle was one of two. Bring it on!

Took forever to find this hidden site, but such fun was had once we did.

This bike is the bomb! Sharon and Laura plan to arm-wrestle for it as the guys vie to recreate this masterpiece.

Flip hangs out in the antler bin in Sisters.

If it wasn’t $10, Flip would have had an new do for the ride.

Bustin’ through the saloon doors at Bronco Billy’s Saloon in Sisters. When you visit, ask for Deanna.

The gang in Sisters at Bronco Billy’s. Deanna rocked the bar while covering the outside and everything else.

Steve and Debbie meet Flip, or as we learned later, Flipp. So glad they could come play at the end our journey.

Flip meets the McMenamins’ alien. All is copacetic.

The real Flipp with a real Flipp license plate poses with THE Flip during the Dragging the Gut Festival in McMinnville

After dinner, Flip enjoyed sitting and watching the cruising.

Finally, we get to bubble away the road. This is good!

Run 101

Day 7: Clear skies, and roads, ahead

August 22, 2014 Carl

Friday, our last full day together, we are taking it easy and slept in a bit. We’ll hit the Harley store, then wend our way to McMinnville, maybe by way of Sisters. This will be another long haul, but we were in this for the ride, right?

Flip enjoys the view over the golf course while he waits for breakfast.

Run 101

Day 6: The longest ride, so far

August 22, 2014 Laura Sellers-Earl

We’re a pretty ambitious crew. From our comfy rooms at the Shilo Inn in Grants Pass, we hit the Oregon Vortex and the House of Mystery, Crater Lake, many, many small towns, Bend and the Deschutes Brewery downtown with Kelsey and Elizabeth and then Laura’s first after-dark highway drive to the Eagle Crest Lodge in Redmond. All told more than four hours on the road. Ouch.

Seriously, there are more windy roads than imaginably possible. Carl and Laura like to joke about the drunken deer who created the trails that our roads were based on. These guys were friggin’ loopy. That is until we cleared Crater Lake and were on the road to Bend, which had nary a loop to be seen. Somebody was using his pica pole when he marked out this one.

So, long ride, short: Thanks for no rain or hail. New asphalt is not too much fun to ride on. There is a naysayer in ever Vortex tour group. You CAN have too many ‘S’ curves. You do NOT have to clean your plate. There are turkey crossings. The wind in Central Oregon may beat the wind AND rain on Highway 101 for most fun while riding a motorcycle, not. Drivers are more impatient in Central Oregon. Vertigo doesn’t go away just because the sheer drop offs are really pretty. Flip is a great way to make friends.

Flip’s watching the waffle get ironed at the Grants Pass Shilo Inn. Almost felt like home, except for the bizarre people hanging out there. But, wait, that describes us.

OK, infuse lots of loaded drama and speak in a deep, loud TV voice and pronounce, “THE … HOUSE … OF … MYSTERY! Bum, bump, bummmmmm!” The gang is all here at the Vortex, ready to debunk mysteries, right and left.

So, inside the vortex zone, your molecules contract or expand depending on where you stand (according to one theory). Sharon and Jim are showing how heights change on a level field. So, in this photo, Jim is humongous man, and Sharon is a shrinking woman.

And, in this one, Sharon grows up. (See previous photo).

On our ride to Crater Lake, Flip needed a sanity stop.

Turns out, there’s this big river running through it., dumping enough water to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool per minute. Got your laundry ready?

Flip contemplates his spelunking options.

The gang, minus photographer Carl, hanging out at the Rogue Gorge wayside

Crater Park Ranger Leandra Lewis wanted to know more about the Flipster. This was a great experience, and Flip thinks she’s a “cutie patootie.”

Sure, it’s big, blue and freakishly deep and vertigo-inducing, but how is the fishing?

Flip’s first major hanging out on the roadway for 30 minutes encounter while traveling the Crater Lake Rim. Good, stinky times.

The luggage carts at the Eagle Crest Lodge at Redmond are a thumb’s up for Flip after a busy sixth day.

Run 101

It’s dark and deep

August 21, 2014 Laura Sellers-Earl

Wednesday’s adventure kicked off with breakfeast at, you guessed it, Good Harvest Cafe. Jim raved so much about the red snapper at the first breakfast, that three-quarters of our party did that, including Flip. They were not disappointed. Laura tends to go her own way, but really had a great culinary experience, too.

We wound up going straight to the Oregon Caves National Historic District, after contemplating more redwood adventures at the Hiouchi Visitor Center. Good thing, as there was a 1.5 hour wait, once you made the twisty-turny, crazy ride up. Baby-rider Laura did really well passing her first reality switchback and hairpin turn test. However, parking at the top posed a real problem. As she pulled into the slot, the downhill slope overwhelmed her motorcycle mass, and as she screamed “catch me” over and over into her helmet microphone, she slowly and inexorably headed toward the ground.

Her traveling companions were helpless, and everyone knew how this was going to play out – horizontally. Laura survived with a scrapped elbow and a tweaked highway peg (bikers will know). The trip down was truly a denouement, but fun to take all those curves.

Shout out to Shilo Inns in Grant Pass as their regular $81 rate went down to $64 since Carl was in the Air Force.

We are battle-weary, cave-competent and wanting this adventure to go on forever.

Thursday, it’s Crater Lake, the Vortex and maybe, Bend.

Play on!

If ever in Crescent City, you must dine at Good Harvest Cafe. Jim could not get over the red snapper breakfast, so after coming back for dinner and then breakfast on Day 5, Flip decided to give it a try. His assessment, two pseudo-thumbs up.

Flip translates for the ranger what the biker boys are really trying to say. Doing double duty as mascot AND chaperone is very taxing. At the Hiouchi Visitor Center in the Jedediah Smith campground in the redwoods.

Just getting to the Oregon Caves is an experience, certainly not for the faint of hearts. No trailers, and switchbacks and hairpin turns galore. We lived to tell.

So, no Flips, purses, machetes, machine guns or chainsaws are allowed in the cave, so Flip will have to hangout with the bikes. Bittersweet, but probably for the best.

Before his banishment from the cave area, Flip reflects on his journey at a pond created from the stream coming from the caves.

Yep. That sky is real as are the fluffy clouds. The sun was vicious, and while we complained and perspired, we secretly relished ditching the California cold.

If you subscribe to the 7th Generation theory, that we are the caretakers for seven generations out, this comparison of the free-from-impurities stalactite drips that are pure after the human-influenced and brown or tan dips, then you get it. What you see is a white, fluorescent drip, as opposed to those colored by human touch.

According to Fitbit, we’ve done 29 flights of stairs and are still smiling. Bring on the shin massagers.

Inside one of the last rooms in the caverns at the Oregon Caves National Monument. Sexy space alien stuff. Wow! Learned that when we toured caverns in our youth, they used colored lights., So, that’s why I think of stalactites and stalagmites as being pink and blue.

On our “easy way” down from the caves (yeah, Team ’08!) we paused for a shot and unwittingly caught mama deer hying up the trail, while her two cutie fawns bounced down. Nice nature touch, courtesy of the National Forest Service. Good, job!

This is the 3-D Flip representing on the road from the caves to the parking lot. He’s a brave wannabe spelunker.

Run 101

Breakfast of champions

August 20, 2014 Carl

On Jim’s recommendation flip tried the red snapper.

Run 101

Got Wood?

August 20, 2014 Laura Sellers-Earl

On Day 4, we bid a fond farewell to the sunny Oregon climes for the gray, chilly wet weather in northern California, I kid you not.

Five miles in the thunder hit. A few miles more the rains came. Not your average Oregon spritz, but a friggin’ downpour. For those who don’t ride motorcycles, each raindrop has a grain of dirt in it, so when it hits your face, ow! Think dermabrasion or sandblasting.

We made Crescent City just fine, and have new stories to tell. Despite the weather and traffic surprises, we are laughing our tails off at the end of each day.

Our trip to Trees of Mystery was a windy, poorly paved coastal road, that was likely very pretty, but the fog was so heavy, it was like a snow whiteout. We had a blast at Trees of Mystery, and Flip especially liked the Sky Ride. Video coming in the future.

We love the Curly Redwood Lodge and all its retro redwood goodness. This was a great launch pad for our adventures in California. We also love the Good Harvest Cafe. In fact breakfast today will make our third visit there.

I think we’ll be back. In fact, we are arguing about whether we can squeeze in one more day here …