Warriors “Hoka Hey!” was shouted as the legendary Sioux warrior Crazy Horse rode into battle. The meaning was interpreted to be something similar to "This is a good day to die!", meaning he was going to give everything he had in the battle ahead, even if it meant death.
Six men and women have planned a battle of their own for 1000 riders to participate in; a battle of the elements during a 7000 mile ride that will test the stamina, courage and determination of every man and woman on the journey. The idea came from Jim Red Cloud after a close friend and riding buddy passed away. He and other friends had often talked about a ride such as this one, and he didn’t want anyone else to pass on without ever experiencing such an epic journey. Jim’s vision is to hear a thousand warriors yell, “Hoka Hey!” before they ride into battle.
Editor's Note: This is the first installment in a three-part series of Wolff's travels
Riding motorcycles makes me contemplative. It’s an addiction I don’t seek to kick. I need it. It’s how I regain my footing when the world around me tilts or my mojo starts to fade.
Arguably, one of the most spectacular stretches of road on the planet is Pacific Coast Highway 1, between Morro Bay and Monterrey California. It’s pure pharmaceutical grade synchronicity. That’s where I go for my soul-medicine. I first rode this magical mystical highway in 1972 on my way to UC Berkeley. Neil Young’s Harvest album topped the charts. Peace and love wafted through the air. The promise of change and opportunity crackled across the nation like an electrical charge. And Big Sur was a Mecca. Things have changed – though not as much in Big Sur – there the heart still beats strong and true.
Three denim- and leather-clad middle age men cluster beside a 40-year-old Moto Guzzi discussing the fate of the world – a Ducati riding corporate lawyer, an electronic sales rep and his GoldWing, and a high school teacher on a Ninja.
Under different circumstances these three might never meet, but on this Sunday, a common thread ties them together – The Rock Store and a love of motorcycles. And, so it goes on any weekend throughout the year – without fail.
Ed and Vern (Veronica) moved to Southern California from Pittsburgh, Pa., after WWII. In 1961, while traveling the back-road canyons of the Santa Monica Mountains, they stumbled across this building dating back to 1910, made entirely out of volcanic rock, located in the dinky town of Cornell, Calif., and they bought it. They turned this "Rock Store" into a small town grocery store and a piece of motorcycle folklore that stands as sturdy as the building it’s created from.
Putting distance between misaligned priorities, Southern Arizona
Olaf Wolff AllAboutBikes.com Sr.Staff Writer
Editor’s Note: This is the last installment in a three-part series of Wolff’s travels.
The next morning the sun was smiling, the wind was now a breeze. Sunday in the desert was going to be brilliant. The destination for today was Mesa, Arizona, the home of a long time friend, and my turn-around point.
Mesa was 160 miles away. I could explore back roads unhurried and still arrive early enough in Mesa for the first afternoon beer with Nick. Breakfast was still down the road a spell – first it was time for some unhinged, desert cruising with Stevie Ray Vaughn blasting on the stereo.
Harley Owner's Group's Pony Express Rally retraces historic route; the 10-day ride covers stops in seven western states
Harley-Davidson Press Release
Members of the Harley Owner's Group (H.O.G.) took off on Tuesday, retracing the storied route of the legendary Pony Express riders as they journey from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, along a route that will take them to stops in seven western states in the course of the 10-day long-distance motorcycle journey.
H.O.G.'s Pony Express Rally retraces the historic route that the original Pony Express riders followed in 1860-61 as they carried mail across the country. Points of interest include various museums tracing the history of the famous ride and actual Pony Express Station facilities and monuments as well as the opportunity to stand on the actual Pony Express trail in several locations. In addition to the tour stops, nearly 500 H.O.G. members from throughout the United States and the world will gather at seven dealer functions along the route as they cover some of the same territory the Pony Express riders rode on horseback nearly 150 years ago.
Putting distance between misaligned priorities, Southern Arizona
Olaf Wolff AllAboutBikes.com Sr. Staff Writer
Editor’s Note: This is the second installment in a three-part series of Wolff’s travels.
Downtown Pine Valley is about a half mile long – Sheriff Novak’s office stands in the middle. Speaking from experience, the Sheriff figured the weather was only going to worsen for the next few days. It was 2:30 and the Arizona border was still three hours away. I was about five miles from the summit, in the Sheriff’s opinion, unless I planned to hole up in the one hotel in town for the next few days, the best thing was to keep moving – the choice was clear.
The weather remained pretty much the same up to the 4500 ft. Crestwood Summit – sans the hail. As far as I could see the desert was dry and clear, the decision to keep moving had paid off. I was back on I-8, back on course.
Putting distance between misaligned priorities, Southern Arizona
Olaf Wolff AllAboutBikes.com Sr. Staff Writer
Editor’s Note: This is the first installment in a three-part series of Wolff’s travels.
Few things are more fundamentally American than the road trip. From Christopher Columbus to Jack Kerouac, Willie Nelson to the Grateful Dead, Lewis and Clark to Fonda and Hooper – that insatiable craving to hit the road “just because” has helped define this country.
A road trip needn’t be about a particular destination, it can simply be about putting distance between misaligned priorities, an old worn-out perspective and replacing them with fresh ones, and digesting crazy, aimless mileage just because they taste good.
Weather was the key factor in determining the direction of this adventure. Storms threatened to the north, so south it was. Southern Arizona, along the Mexican border, offers moderate weather ideal for nearly year round mileage gratification, so I reasoned anyway.
By Olaf G. Wolff AllAboutBikes.com Sr. Staff Writer
Editor’s Note: This is the last installment in a three-part series of Wolff’s travels.
Davy Crockett’s Vineyard
The first vineyard that comes up on this stretch of Foxen is Fess Parker’s Winery and Vineyard, a must-do for me, not so much because I’m a fan of his wine – but it’s Davy Crockett for crying out loud.
Fess Parker was cast in the roll of Davy Crockett in the mid-1950s, and it changed his life forever. Fess and his son, Eli, originally set out in 1989 to plant a small vineyard and sell fruit to local producers. But, as Fess’ daughter, Ashley explains, “Fess is from Texas, so he can’t do anything small.”
By Olaf G. Wolff AllAboutBikes.com Sr. Staff Writer
Editor’s Note: This is the second installment in a three-part series of Wolff’s travels.
The Santa Ynez Valley is located in Santa Barbara County, between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the San Rafael Mountains. The valley has a population of just over 20,000 residents living in the communities of Santa Ynez, Buellton, Ballard and the aforementioned Solvang and Los Olivos.
Lately though, the valley is best know for the 2004 film “Sideways,” which was set and shot on location in the Santa Ynez Valley. Since then, visits from tourists looking to recreate the experiences of the fictional characters Miles and Jack, have become common. The tale of two middle-aged men and the women they meet on a week-long wine tasting adventure brought world-wide recognition to the area.
If you’re looking to take in a topnotch Rocky Mountain motorcycle ride before the snow takes over high country roads, the “San Juan Mountain Skyway” is one that needs to make your short list.
This breathtaking mountain motorcycle ride makes a loop in the southwestern corner of Colorado and treats the rider to a plethora of scenery, high quality twisty road, and roadside amenities to take in when it’s time to pull over and take a break. In fact, it’s one of the very few motorcycle roads on MotorcycleRoads.com that as earned a perfect 5/5/5 for Scenery/Road Quality/Roadside Amenities.
By Olaf G. Wolff AllAboutBikes.com Sr. Staff Writer
Editor’s Note: This is the first installment in a three-part series of Wolff’s travels.
Occasionally I’ll ride in a group, but it’s either because my job requires it, or because I got pressured. Job-related rides are pretty much all good; everyone is experienced, there’s no guesswork, and no whining. On the other kind of group rides perhaps not so much.
I’m old school when it comes to riding – for me it’s a very personal, verging on a religious kind of thing. I’m at peace hearing the wind whistling around my helmet and I find bliss with the intense, bracing, visceral focus on the moment that motorcycling demands. It’s time-out, private time – why mess it up?
If you enjoy sweepers more than twisties, a route in Washington state may be your ticket to paradise as this northeastern Washington ride is known as the “36 Mile Sweeper Paradise – Tiger to Colville.”
This ride is described as having “an almost hypnotic rhythm of sweepers, small straights, over a bed of continual elevation changes … had me literally grinning from the start to the finish!” Not only will you enjoy the road’s curves but you’ll enjoy the scenery described as “traveling through a forest that Walt Disney created – almost too good to be true.”
Editor’s Note: This is the last installment in a three-part series of Wolff’s travels.
Wednesday, September 10
Last night is the reason I came. New friends and conversations about books, living and writing them, cigars and Makers Mark, smiling until I cramped – great times.
Resting for a while went out the window with the weather report. Ennis is over 100 miles inland, not nearly far enough for hurricane Ike, and it was coming, I could feel it now. Air so thick you could lean against it. They don’t do anything half-ass in Texas.
Editor’s Note: This is the second installment in a three-part series of Wolff’s travels.
Sunday, September 7
The early morning coastal fog was juicy. I watched as water drops traced the workings of the Laminar Flow on my windshield. The road-plan for the day was, get to I-15 towards Vegas and make a right in Barstow (I-40). The Texas border is 956 miles east after that, then another 500 miles to Ennis. I-40, for the most part, cuts a straight line through the historic Route 66.
Mid-day, I reasoned the temperature had peaked at 106. I was fascinated watching the bikes thermometer, passing the time seeing how closely I could guess heat fluctuations. Right after crossing into Arizona, just past the Lake Havasu, I felt it in my shinbones first, the heat ricocheting off the asphalt, through the perforations in my leathers. The new record for the day was 111 degrees.
Editor’s Note: This is the first installment in a three-part series of Wolff’s travels.
Now and again, when all circumstances, for reasons beyond my understanding, collide onto exactly the same point in time – life throws me a bone. This wasn’t just any bone on this run though – I’m talking more like that massive dinosaur shank that toppled Fred Flintstone’s peddle-mobile.
It started with a great big notion bouncing around my noggin. I worked that over for a spell with sensibility and rationale, and when nothing chipped it away, or even scratched a nick, I figured this might be important, so I paid attention. Then I came up with a plan. What is it they say about plans and making God laugh . . .?
Sr. Staff Writer Olaf Wolff visits where entertainment and refreshments are the best in the west
Olaf G. Wolff AllAboutBikes.com Sr. Staff Writer
When describing an all-the-rage motorcycle destination the word “romantic” hardly ever makes the cut. Show up on a weekend when Cold Spring Tavern is packed with a dozen, or a hundred motorcycles of all heritage, and you’ll hear no mention of romantic - anywhere. But, visit at dusk, just before the sun creeps behind the Santa Ynez Mountains, and a touch of hocus-pocus prevails over the tavern.
Cold Spring Tavern is located on Highway 154, the San Marcos Pass, a fast, winding mountain road, 20 minutes from Santa Barbara, Calif. Visitors often joke that the Tavern has been frozen in time – 142 years ago. Which, by-the-way, was considered a very romantic period in California history – often hazardous, but romantic. It was the era of the stagecoach travel and the Cold Spring Tavern was definitely a player.
Rome, Georgia: On minute Zero, John Ryan was in Prudhoe Bay, on the North Shore of Alaska. Just 5,191 minutes later, Ryan was in Key West, Florida, having traversed the entire North American Continent, the long way, on his 2005 Yamaha FJR 1300, outfitted with Metzler Z6 Interact sport-touring tires.
And with those 5,191 minutes, or, if you prefer, 86 hours and 31 minutes, Ryan totally destroyed the existing time record for this trip, of 96:01, by a clean 9.5 hours!
How many times have you seen a roadside warning of twisty road conditions for the next 100 miles!?In northern California there is a twisty-lover’s dream road aptly named by the road sign posted as you approach.The motorcycle road is called simply yet starkly – “Twisty Road next 140 miles”
Read about the road that motorcycle riders describe with words like “rollercoaster,” “never predictable,” twisty heaven,” and warning that it will leave you “queasy.”For a route map and additional information visit the California section of MotorcycleRoads.com for the best motorcycle rides and trips in California.
The Hellbender 28 lies in the northeast corner of North Carolina and is a favorite Blue Ridge Mountain motorcycle road … favored for not only the spectacular scenery but for the fact that it places motorcycle riders at the doorstep of the world famous motorcycle road - Deal’s Gap (AKA –Tail of the Dragon). The Hellbender 28 is a fantastic 22 mile stretch surrounded by water and dense, forested mountains and offers multiple motorcycle friendly establishments as well as other tourist popular amenities along its path.
In a lush wooded area midway between Tampa and Orlando, is a favorite central Florida motorcycle road known to the locals as “The Green Swamp Tour.” The ride passes through Florida’s Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve and treats its visitors to miles of quiet country riding with a generous collection of Florida twisties.
And best of all, the traffic in the area is remarkably light allowing riders to relax and take in the beautiful scenery. Check out the “The Green Swamp Tour” for a map and additional information or visit the Florida section of MotorcycleRoads.com for other great motorcycle rides and trips in Florida.
Editor’s Note: This is the first installment in a three-part series of Wolff’s travels.
How many times have you seen a roadside warning of twisty road conditions for the next 100 miles!?
