My Freedom RIDE! Around the Western USA.

[Merk]

---------------------------------------------------------------------

"EDIT! EDIT! EDIT"

UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE!

The Ride Report is posted in post 32, 33, and 34 of the Thread! Enjoy.

---------------------------------------------------------------------


After 21 years, 1 month and 27 days I am now FREE and retired from the U.S. Air Force. This isn’t a complete retirement (I wish though) as I’m only 41 and since I have 116 days of paid vacation I will use 3 or so weeks of those days to go on an Adventure and grow a beard in the process. What I mean about an Adventure is I will leave Las Vegas, NV and ride through California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and back to Vegas with no plan other than riding through those states. I do have parks and places I want/am going to see just no plan as to when or how I will get to them. I was going to go the other direction but with the fires in Colorado I thought I’d give them a little more time to get them out and if not I’ll be close enough later to return. I would like to stay out longer, except I have to get back in time to move back to Texas and find a job so 4 weeks will be all I can stay out.

I joined TWT a few years ago but since I live in Las Vegas and most of the action happened in Texas I wasn’t an active member. That is going to change as soon as I get back from this ride as I’m moving back home and will start joining on rides and events with you all. I figured my first ride report with you all will be my retirement ride and let you all join in on a sightseeing Adventure that is hard to get away from Texas to see, so enjoy and can’t wait to join fellow Texans on some Texas rides.

This will be an ongoing ride report and every few days when I have access to the internet I will post a few pics and tell some lies about the previous few days. I will keep the stories and lies too the fewest words possible and try and add pics as if most of you are like me you hate to read a lot. So now I’ll start with the first pic.

Here I am ready to go with the trusty 2 wheels that will be joining me on this adventure. I leave early, early in the morning as I’ve ridden enough in the Nevada heat so I’m going to try and get to cooler temps ASAP. Also here is my SPOT link if anyone wants to follow along.

SPOT SPOT SPOT SPOT
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/f...aF7zcVPts7Jkdf

[Tourmeister]

Have a great trip!!

[achesley]

Thanks for including us in your retirement trip. And Congrats and Thanks for your years of service. Will be watching for updates.

[Sweet-E]

Be safe and can't wait for the pictures

[tshelfer]

Sounds like a great plan. We'll be looking forward to the ride report. Where are you moving to?

[wanabeguru]

Originally Posted by achesley

Thanks for including us in your retirement trip. And Congrats and Thanks for your years of service. Will be watching for updates.

+1

[Downs]

Congrats man I've got another 11 years before I can do something like that. Until then it's one or two weeks at a time when I go out.

[Merk]

Originally Posted by tshelfer

Sounds like a great plan. We'll be looking forward to the ride report. Where are you moving to?

I haven't decided where I'm going to move to yet but i would like to move somewhere around San Antonio. I don't have internet for the tablet and didn't take many pics today and typing on my phone sucks LOL but stand by they're on the way in a few days

[cdc]

Congratulations and enjoy your ride!

[XRSDD74]

Sounds like a great ride to me. Thank you for your service to our country.

[The Bruce]

Ride safe and enjoy the trip. I hope to do this kind of adventure in a couple of years. I'll be watching yours for inspiration.

from the phone

[tshelfer]

Originally Posted by Merk

I haven't decided where I'm going to move to yet but i would like to move somewhere around San Antonio. I don't have internet for the tablet and didn't take many pics today and typing on my phone sucks LOL but stand by they're on the way in a few days

I love San Antonio. I was born there. Haven't lived there since I was 15 (that would be 1966), but I'll always love the area.

[Merk]

Crap! This internet connection I have sucks, I can't load pics on Photobucket. It worked from home and they loaded up on FaceBook so I think its the internet but I will get some up soon. Yosemite was Outstanding by the way, just hot in Yosemite Valley, nice and cool up at altitude.

[MaxxTraxx]

Thanks for your service!! Sounds like an awesome trip, have fun and be safe.

[The Bruce]

Matt, a suggestion. Place the link to your SPOT in your signature so it's easily available to us slaves wanting to follow your progress. Thanks

[Merk]

OK I got to a hotel that has ok internet, well good enough to get some pictures uploaded.

Mono Lake.



Kind of looks like a bear in a tree.



Yosemite Valley, it was hot down there, nice but hot.



Waterfall.



The river that runs through Yosemite Valley.



After I left Yosemite I found a nice curvy single lane road.



I stayed the night in Jackson Ca. and headed to Lake Tahoe the next day, very nice road.



I made it to Lassen Volcanic National Park and camped there.



Nice Lake in the background



Lassen Peak, AKA a Volcano.



I found this lake and the water was a blue'ish/green and clear. Really awesome.



I think this is the back side of Lassen Peak.



Yeah I made it to the Pacific, north of Eureka Ca.



That's it this round. Tomorrow I hit Redwoods National Park and should make it to Crater Lake and camp around there and then north.

[klb1122]

Wishing you safe travels!

[The Bruce]

[SwampFox]

Thanks for your service. Please travel safe. And keep the pics coming.

[Merk]

I got some really awesome pictures in Redwood National Park but I got to the hotel late and had to wash my clothes and didn't have time to load them up but stay tuned as Crater Lake is tomorrow. and I'll get them up in a couple of days. I plan to camp on the beach tomorrow night.