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OK, last catch-up post before I go out for a ride I’d thought about going from Kristen’s place down to San Diego to spend Saturday night with other friends, but the forecast was for a very cold storm to come through southern California. I’d been cold enough on the trip down and lacking warm and waterproof gear, I didn’t think it would be a good idea to try to ride home on Sunday through cold and wet weather. At least Saturday had pretty good weather. Well, I wasn’t about to stay off the bike on Sunday as long as the weather wasn’t too bad here in Vegas  6 November 2011 - Storm clouds in Red Rock Canyon Fairly clear skies prevailed over much of the Las Vegas valley, but clouds and precipitation dominated in Red Rock Canyon.  6 November 2011 - Looking out at the storm I'm about to ride through in Red Rock Canyon  6 November 2011 - Looking out at the storm I'm about to ride through in Red Rock Canyon  6 November 2011 - Looking out at the storm I'm about to ride through in Red Rock Canyon I stopped for a quick drink up at one of the overlooks on the scenic loop and got a few pictures I really liked  6 November 2011 - Panorama - Closer to the storm  6 November 2011 - Snow on the mountains and misty rain on my visor I also made sure to stop a couple of more times on that scenic loop for a few more nice pics Here’s hopin’ you’re still having fun  I said I’d try to catch up on posts and here’s proof! I’ve got about ten more that have pics uploaded and just need to be written, but I’m going to take a break soon to go for a Christmas ride I’ve known Kristen for quite a few years now and I met her fiance Steven the last time they were out here in Vegas. I’d meant to go visit them “sometime” but things always got in the way. They live out in Anza, CA which is just a little ways north of San Diego and east of Temecula. I finally got tired of waiting, said to heck with it, and headed down on the bike  3 November 2011 - Alien Fresh Jerky in Baker, CA on the way to Anza, CA My first stop was in Baker, CA and I made sure to stop at Alien Fresh Jerky. They’ve got a great theme and good jerky The most “entertaining” part of the trip came a little ways west of Barstow, CA near Apple Valley. I hit 60+ MPH headwinds which meant that I had to keep the throttle wide open in fourth gear just to stay running at 60 MPH myself  3 November 2011 - One of California's greatest drivers in Temecula, CA I’m glad I grew up and learned to drive in southern California because otherwise I might not know to expect things like this or just how to deal with it when it happens. I mean really, WTF  3 November 2011 - Sunset from beautiful Anza, CA This is the sky as it appeared when I finally arrived at my destination. The ride down really wasn’t bad and it sure wasn’t boring I traveled south on a Thursday and we had plans for Friday, but they fell through due to a bit of a storm. Rain, wind, and sometimes snow kept us inside and watching TV most of the time. Later on in the evening, Kristen took me out to Killarneys – an Irish pub – where I found out about Magners hard cider (AWESOME  5 November 2011 - Kristen and Steven's place  5 November 2011 - Yeah, I didn't think the V-Star would make it out on this mud either I really liked my stay with Kristen and Steven, but I hope it doesn’t rain next time. You see, my V-Star is a heavy bike and it’s not made for mud. I know it’s not a dirt bike, either but did great on the dry dirt on the way in. The driveway and access road had become slicker than a politician at election time during the rain and I was gonna need some help to get the bike out.  5 November 2011 - Many thanks to Steven's brother Adam for helping out with Kristen's truck  5 November 2011 - How about that mud?  5 November 2011 - Panorama - We finally got the bike unloaded! Thankfully, Kristen left her truck when she went to work and Adam – one of Steven’s brothers – helped me get it into and out of the bed of that 4×4  5 November 2011 - The odometer turned over 14,000 miles on the way home I’ve put quite a few miles on the bike and I have no plans to change that in the future  5 November 2011 - My V-Star 650 at the March Field Air Museum  5 November 2011 - AT-6 Texan at the March Field Air Museum  5 November 2011 - I do love the F-14 Tomcat  5 November 2011 - D-12 reconnaissance drone and engine It just so happens that the March Field Air Museum is on the way home from Kristen’s Have fun everyone
——————— Long time readers will likely remember that I actually have a small interest in firearms even if I’ve neglected it for quite a while  24 December 2011 - Good times and gun smoke at the Clark County Shooting Park Well, today I managed to get out to the Clark County Shooting Park with my AR-15 and Heritage Rough Rider revolver  24 December 2011 - My wonderful bike with a new bit of luggage What was even better today than a normal shooting trip was that I managed to do it on the V-Star The inspiration for this trip came from my need to test a new bit of kit for the bike that I’ve recently acquired. You see, on a long trip I have motorcycle stuff like a quart of oil and alternate shield in one of the saddle bags and the CPAP takes up 90% or so of the other one. That means I have to find another way to carry all my clothes and such which has always meant using a back pack. It’s worked, but it’s not the most comfortable thing in the world. I’d rather have that load on the bike somewhere. I’ve looked at luggage racks and a few other things, but they tend to be expensive and they’d be useless if I get a different bike in the future. My solution was to purchase a pair of Rok Straps from my friends at BMW Motorcycles of Las Vegas and a 35 liter Sea To Summit Big River dry bag from the nice people at REI. The Big River dry bag has something I felt was rather important for my travels – tie down points on the sides of the bag. The less expensive version doesn’t have these and I’d rather be able to pass my tie down straps through something like the attachment points on the Big River than to trust only friction and compression. I figured this system would keep the load on the bike instead of on me and would keep the clothes dry without using a trash bag inside of the main bag. I also noticed that the bag looked just about big enough for my AR-15′s upper half… Yep, it fits I’ve got quite a few pictures all edited and ready for posting, but it’s getting a bit late. I’ll be back with more pics tomorrow, but until then I’ll wish everyone a very Merry Christmas It’s Christmas Eve and I’ve been working on getting a whole bunch of photos edited and ready for uploading. Oh, I’ll have some pics from today – I did actually leave the apartment and get on the bike  13 November 2011 - Pratt and Whitney R2800 Double Wasp demonstration engine  13 November 2011 - Pratt and Whitney R2800 Double Wasp demonstration engine  13 November 2011 - Pratt and Whitney R2800 Double Wasp demonstration engine  13 November 2011 - Pratt and Whitney R2800 Double Wasp demonstration engine  13 November 2011 - Pratt and Whitney R2800 Double Wasp demonstration engine
 13 November 2011 - Pratt and Whitney R2800 Double Wasp demonstration engine
 13 November 2011 - Pratt and Whitney R2800 Double Wasp main connecting rod  13 November 2011 - Pratt and Whitney R2800 Double Wasp demonstration engine The guys from Pratt & Whitney brought something incredibly cool with them that I’ve never seen before. To be honest, it’s amazing that this display engine still exists. This display was built in 1947 for use in conventions and sales functions and somehow was never scrapped. They don’t know if the parts were new or salvaged and much of its back story has been lost, but I’m glad to have been able to see it. One of the really unique things about this particular display is that it has a geared electric motor at the back end of the engine which turns it over so that you can see how it all works. I never knew there is a single carburetor which feeds the atomized fuel into the supercharger, that the pushrods are actuated by a cam ring instead of a cam shaft, or that there is a planetary gear reduction drive from the crankshaft to the prop shaft. A good animation of the basic operation and function of the radial pistons and the master connecting rod can be found here.  13 November 2011 - Commemorative Air Force Tuskegee Airmen tribute P-51 'By Request'  13 November 2011 - Commemorative Air Force Tuskegee Airmen tribute P-51 'By Request' I don’t know if it’s that I’m used to seeing bubble canopies on the P-51D Mustangs, but I really like the older style on this Mustang  13 November 2011 - RideNow Powersports brought some bikes to the airshow RideNow Powersports on Craig Road brought a few motorcycles down to the airshow. This Yamaha Roadliner was originally $15,000 but has been marked down to $9,000! Yes, it’s a very nice bike, but I think I’ll keep my V-Star for now  13 November 2011 - Cessna O-2A Skymaster cockpit I really could live with having a Skymaster like this to play with  13 November 2011 - B-1B Lancer heading out in full burner  13 November 2011 - Nose art on a B-1B Lancer I really like the B-1B Lancer. Its nickname, The Bone comes from B-ONE and it always sounds fantastic with all four engines in afterburner  13 November 2011 - A-37 Dragonfly cockpit Remember that A-37 Dragonfly from yesterday? I think I got a decent picture of the cockpit from way back by the wingtip  13 November 2011 - Japanese Zero flying by As I said before, I don’t care if it has the wrong engine – I just love seeing this Zero fly  13 November 2011 - Patriots display team jet number 4 taxiing out Now, why couldn’t they let me ride along in that back seat  13 November 2011 - USAF Red Horse construction troops jumping from a C-130  13 November 2011 - USAF Red Horse troops descending behind the B-2 Spirit The Red Horse squadrons are to the Air Force what the Seabees are to the Navy. They’re deployable construction crews and they rock  13 November 2011 - USAF THUNDERBIRDS I couldn’t let this post go by without a gratuitous pic of the T-Birds  13 November 2011 - C-17 Globemaster III taking off for its demo  13 November 2011 - C-17 Globemaster III flying by  13 November 2011 - C-17 Globemaster III slow pass  13 November 2011 - C-17 Globemaster III and the Thunderbirds I know how much Kath likes the C-17, so I made sure to get a few good pics of that one for her  13 November 2011 - Patriots jet demonstration team I swear I’m going to get some better pics of the Patriots the next time I’m at an airshow where they’re performing  13 November 2011 - B-2 Spirit approaching in the distance  13 November 2011 - B-2 Spirit flying overhead  13 November 2011 - B-2 Spirit turning in the distance  13 November 2011 - B-2 Spirit turning in the distance  13 November 2011 - B-2 Spirit turning in the distance  13 November 2011 - B-2 Spirit with the bomb bays coming open  13 November 2011 - B-2 Spirit with the bomb bays open Attendees at the Sunday edition of Aviation Nation 2011 were very lucky indeed. Not only did we get to see a B-2 Spirit on static display, we got to see one fly as well  13 November 2011 - C-17 Globemaster III on static display One more C-17 pic for Kath  13 November 2011 - A-10 Warthog maneuvering hard during its demo  13 November 2011 - A-10 Warthog  13 November 2011 - F-16 Viper  13 November 2011 - F-15E Strike Eagle AKA Mud Hen  13 November 2011 - F-15E Strike Eagles ejecting decoy flares at the start of a bomb run  13 November 2011 - MH-60 Pave Hawk coming in during an air support demo  13 November 2011 - MH-60 Pave Hawk coming in during an air support demo  13 November 2011 - MH-60 Pave Hawk coming in during an air support demo  13 November 2011 - MH-60 Pave Hawk  13 November 2011 - MH-60 Pave Hawk coming in during an air support demo The close air support demo was a great addition to the standard airshow I’ve come to know at Nellis AFB  13 November 2011 - F-16 Aggressor taxiing back from the air support demo  13 November 2011 - F-16 Aggressor taxiing back from the air support demo  13 November 2011 - F-15E Strike Eagle taxiing back from the air support demo  13 November 2011 - F-16 Viper taxiing back from the air support demo After their demonstration flights, all the aircraft taxied back along the crowd line on their way back to the hot pits. All the pilots waved back to the crowd and I think their smiles were almost as big as the ones the kids along the fence line had Out of all the pics from both days at Aviation Nation 2011, I think two of my favorites are the pic of the second Aggressor F-16 taxiing back and the one with the F-15E cruising down the crowd line. The kids waving their American flags and the pilots responses from inside the cockpit just seem to bring together and focus the feelings everyone was enjoying that day  13 November 2011 - The Phabulous F-4 Phantom!!!  13 November 2011 - USAF Heritage Flight - F-4 Phantom, A-10 Warthog, F-86 Sabre These two pics represent my best effort at making lemonade out of a big pile of lemons  13 November 2011 - C-5 Galaxy I just thought this C-5 Galaxy with the American flag in the hold looked rather impressive  13 November 2011 - Panorama - P-51D Mustang 'Section Eight' I only have three panoramas this time, but I really like ‘em  13 November 2011 - Panorama - I still love the nose art on this Cessna Skymaster There’s just something humorous about Sylvester the Cat riding a pair of target marking rockets  13 November 2011 - Panorama - F/A-18 Super Hornet Once again, I made sure to include a bit of Naval Aviation Pr0n – The Super Hornet just looks super That’s all for Aviation Nation 2011. Here’s hoping you enjoyed the pics almost as much as I enjoyed the show and taking them Have fun everyone
I know I’m more than just a little late in getting this posted, but that’s how life goes sometimes. Between a trip to Utah for Thanksgiving and working overtime, it’s been more than a little busy and my mind just hasn’t been all that creative. I’ve been much more interested in watching a few movies or YouTube. With the early darkness and late departures from work, I haven’t been able to get out on the bike as much as I’d like. Oh well, whatchagonnado  12 November 2011 - Yes, I did ride my motorcycle to the air show One difference in 2011 from past years was taking my V-Star to the airshow. I knew this might limit my shopping options, but I’d much rather be on the bike than in the car 99.9% of the time. Funny thing – motorcycle riding is one of the closest experiences that I’ve found to flying that I can actually afford. Leaning in the corners is very similar and addictive  12 November 2011 - Just off the bus and heading onto the flight line The first sight that greeted us as we left the bus was this C-5 Galaxy – gotta love those big planes  12 November 2011 - They were giving tours of the E-3 Sentry AWACS jet!  12 November 2011 - E-3 Sentry AWACS  12 November 2011 - View from the rear hatch of the E-3 Sentry AWACS I’ve often seen the doors open for tours on these E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS) jets, but there’s always been too long of a line for my interest to override my dislike of standing in line. Thankfully, there was no line during the Saturday airshow so I jumped at the chance  12 November 2011 - The Cold War Air Museum brought their Mi-24 Hind!  12 November 2011 - Pilot's cockpit on the Mi-24 Hind  12 November 2011 - Gunner's cockpit on the Mi-24 Hind Long time readers will remember that I’ve actually sat in a helicopter like this a few years ago. That one was at the Nellis AFB Threat Training Facility and is not in flying condition, but it was rather cool to see something from the Cold War and all so close. This Mi-24 Hind attack and transport helicopter is a flying example and it’s in private hands  12 November 2011 - Flare dispenser aboard the Mi-24 Hind  12 November 2011 - Information about the Mi-24 Hind Something I wanted to point out about this aircraft were these blue sticks under the tail boom. Those are flare launchers used to decoy heat seeking missiles – especially the shoulder fired variety. They were fitted in a rather hasty fashion right about the time the U.S. started sending Stinger missiles to the rebels in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation. The guys at the CWAM call them the Charlie Wilson Memorial Flare Launchers  12 November 2011 - A6M2 Zero and B-25 from the CAF firing up the engines  12 November 2011 - T-33 'Ace Maker' returned to thrill the crowds One of the things I love about Aviation Nation at Nellis AFB is that they make every effort to have as many planes available for close inspection as possible. One of the ways they do this is by having the “hot pits” with most of the airplanes which will be flying open to the public while they aren’t actually being flown or run. Here we have the B-25 Mitchell bomber “Heavenly Body” firing up the engines and the T-33 Shooting Star “Ace Maker.” I think the pic of Heavenly Body shows nicely how good the vantage points are even when you’re not in the enclosure with the aircraft  12 November 2011 - A military skydiver brings in the Colors during the National Anthem The National Anthem was performed by the cast of the Las Vegas show “Jersey Boys” and was a spectacular performance as well! Having this skydiver bring in the Colors was a great sight as well  12 November 2011 - Lots of great airplanes at Aviation Nation 2011 Now, there’s something you don’t see every day – A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber on the ground and the Thunderbirds all in one picture  12 November 2011 - WWII AT-6 Texan flying by  12 November 2011 - B-25 Mitchell on a bomb run over the airfield  12 November 2011 - Twin beech screaming down the runway The weather was beautiful and the backdrop wonderful as well as the first of the demonstrations got underway with the WWII aircraft taking turns “attacking” the runway for our enjoyment.  12 November 2011 - F-86 Sabre from Planes of Fame  12 November 2011 - MiG-15 from Planes of Fame The two best known rivals from the Korean War were in attendance as well. Once again, the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, CA sent over a communist MiG-15 (this time in North Korean markings!) and a gorgeous F-86 Sabre. Both are superb examples in lovely condition and they flew beautifully as well  12 November 2011 - C-17 Globemaster III on takeoff  12 November 2011 - C-17 Globemaster III flyby during its demo  12 November 2011 - C-17 Globemaster III over the B-52 Stratofortress At least one of my readers is a big fan of the C-17 Globemaster III so I made sure to take some pictures of that aircraft during its demonstration. Hope you like these, Kath  12 November 2011 - Cessna A-37 Dragonfly  12 November 2011 - Info on the Cessna A-37 Dragonfly I’ve known about the A-37 Dragonfly for quite a few years and talked with a few who’ve flown them in combat. They’re great jets in many ways and it’s a shame there’s not more of them in private hands.  12 November 2011 - Tuskegee Airmen memorial P-51 Mustang and exhibit The Commemorative Air Force has a very nice P-51 all done up in the colors of the Tuskegee Airmen of WWII. As most people know, the Tuskegee Airmen were the first black pilots to fly into combat in the United States Army Air Corps and they had a stellar record. White bomber crews initially shunned these pilots, but their aerial combat feats eventually led to their being requested. That’s how this particular airplane got it’s name – it’s known as “By Request”  12 November 2011 - USAF Heritage Flight I managed to meet up with my good friends Connie May, T.D. Barnes, and his lovely wife Doris a bit later in the day. It was good to see them all again and we enjoyed the afternoon immensely  12 November 2011 - USAF Thunderbirds diamond 2011  12 November 2011 - USAF Thunderbirds solo over the Thunderbirds T-38  12 November 2011 - USAF Thunderbirds I didn’t get too many pics of the Thunderbirds, but I did get a few that I’m happy to post  12 November 2011 - The mighty F-16 Viper on static display Another thing I love about Nellis AFB is the backdrop afforded by Sunrise Mountain. It works rather well with jets like this F-16, don’t you think?  12 November 2011 - Yours truly with a B-2 Spirit Who wouldn’t be happy to have their picture taken with a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber  12 November 2011 - Mitsubishi A6M Zero  12 November 2011 - Mitsubishi A6M Zero I’ve seen many rare aircraft at Aviation Nation over the years and this Zero has been a repeated visitor. It’s the real deal, but has an American engine. The only one flying with the correct Japanese engine is at the Planes of Fame museum in Chino, CA and they don’t fly it very often due to wear and tear. Even with an “incorrect” engine, I’m glad to see this one out flying for the crowd  12 November 2011 - B-25 Mitchell tail guns These tail guns on the B-25 Mitchell “Heavenly Body” aren’t real, but something tells me that installing the right ones wouldn’t take much time and would provide some very fun times  12 November 2011 - Cool NASA helmet on the canopy rail of a NASA T-38 Talon NASA jets have visited Aviation Nation several times in past years, but this one had the canopy open and a seriously über-cool NASA helmet on the rail and I couldn’t pass up taking a pic  12 November 2011 - Planes of Fame F-86 Sabre I wanted to get this picture right and I did! I just love the way the canopy bends the light and shows both Sunrise Mountain and the sky  12 November 2011 - Awesome nose art on this B-52 Stratofortress! Wagering that this particular jet has put warheads on foreheads in repayment for the events of September 11, 2001 would likely be a very safe bet.  12 November 2011 - B-1B Lancer AKA 'The Bone' in the evening light You always get the best lighting on the static displays when the sun gets down toward the horizon.  12 November 2011 - SBD Dauntless WWII Navy dive bomber  12 November 2011 - T-45 Goshawk Y’all didn’t think I’d leave the Navy out of this post, did ya  12 November 2011 - Wonderful light at the end of the evening Just look at the light on the mountains in the distance and those wonderful airplanes  12 November 2011 - NASA T-38 Talon Gotta love the way this T-38 looked in the encroaching darkness And now it’s on to the panoramas  12 November 2011 - Panorama - B-2 Spirit  12 November 2011 - Panorama - I got artistic with the B-2  12 November 2011 - Panorama - B-2 Spirit enjoying the limelight I know I keep gushing over the B-2, but it’s just so rare to have one on static display and it is so very photogenic  12 November 2011 - Panorama - The Patriots civilian jet demonstration team The Patriots jet demonstration team is a civilian endeavour which is sponsored by Fry’s electronics and they really are very good. They normally perform with six jets but for some reason only five made it to Aviation Nation this year. I’m just glad I got to see them fly  12 November 2011 - Panorama - Planes of Fame F-86 Sabre in the evening light  12 November 2011 - Panorama - T-33 'Ace Maker'  12 November 2011 - Panorama - The mighty F-4 Phantom II  12 November 2011 - Panorama - F-4 Phantom cockpit detail  12 November 2011 - Panorama - B-25 Mitchell 'Heavenly Body' nose art The evening light proved great as always back down at the hot pits That’s all for this post, but this is only the pics from Saturday – there’s more from Sunday that I’m working on posting as well
 13 December 2011 - A short ride after work can do wonders for the mind and soul I had another tough day at work with ten hours on the phones and not much order to any it. Frustration built at so many levels that I just wanted to go home. Yes, I stayed the course and completed my shift. I’d have much rather been elsewhere, but sometimes you’ve just got to keep working. A roof overhead and a bed to sleep on can sometimes be expensive both in terms of what must be given up and what must be endured to maintain them. I truly cherish my friends. They keep me going with humor and support and I try to return the same to them. I would be lost without them. I really needed them today. Thank you to all my friends out there Still, sometimes the day at work ends and I feel utterly spent – mentally and emotionally. Ten hours of anger and broken hopes on the other end of so many conversations can really put a dent my armor. I know that the turmoil of my occupation has finished for the day when I walk out the door, but I feel empty inside. Or is it full? Maybe too much chaos disturbs my mind. Too much of the day past remains tangled in my brain and I just can’t seem to let it go. It clings to my psyche like the stench of rotting garbage. That describes tonight fairly well. On nights like tonight when all that jumble seems to be getting the better of me, I find comfort on my motorcycle. Twisting the throttle seems to flip a switch and everything else just melts away. Something kind of just snaps, but in a good way. No more thoughts of work or worry about the next day to come trouble me. From that point until I arrive at my destination, the world shrinks to nothing more than me and the road. With my warm gear I can feel the night’s cold air, but it refreshes rather than punishes. My headlight guides my way through the darker sections where no streetlights shine. I twist the throttle and I can feel the vibration of the engine, the force of the acceleration and the wind picking up as I slip through the air more quickly. My senses seem to sharpen and broaden at the same time. I smell the wood smoke of the hearth fires in the nearby homes. I hear the tires of the nearby cars as they roll along on the asphalt. My peripheral vision becomes more apparent as I cruise up the roadway and I can taste the higher humidity in the air. I feel so much more alive! And I always seem to grin In ten I leave behind ten hours of dissonance as I ride on into harmony. The rumble and roar from the exhaust pipes as the revs build, the lean in the corners, the satisfaction of making at least one of them just right displaces the rest of the world. On nights like this, I find my solace on two wheels 12 November 2011 - Yours truly with a B-2 Spirit Folks, I’ve got a big backlog of pics to post including quite a few from this past weekend’s airshow at Nellis AFB. I finally got through all the pics from Saturday at the airshow and I hope to have them posted tonight Have fun and I hope to see you back here soon The Great Salt Lake and Salt Lake City. It was after a rather tasty lunch at Applebee’s with other old War Horses and Sea Dogs. The link is to Old Retired Petty Officer where most of them are. But I will toss in a few as well here. http://oldretiredpettyofficer.blogspot.com/2011/11/great-salt-lake-antelope-island-and.html
 The Wasatch reflected in the Lake  Antelope Island in the Lake  The Causeway to Syracuse, Clearfield, Layton and Hill AFB  Monument honouring the Mormon Battalion
Folks, it’s getting late and I’m getting a bit tired but I wanted to finally get this post published before I set off on another fun motorcycle trip of extended range You’ve seen plenty of pictures from the regular road that runs through the general area of Red Rock Canyon. It’s very nice to look at, but there’s quite a lot more to see if you’re willing to spend a few dollars to travel the thirteen miles of twisting asphalt and concrete known as the scenic loop  9 October 2011 - Calico Hills in Red Rock Canyon  9 October 2011 - Zoom in on the specks to see the rock climbers  9 October 2011 - Red rocks and a distant peak  9 October 2011 - Calico Hills and juniper  9 October 2011 - Red Rock Canyon Overlook from the other side  9 October 2011 - Looking down Red Rock Canyon from the north  9 October 2011 - Sunlight reflecting off one peak onto another Panoramas  9 October 2011 - Panorama - Calico Hills from a different point of view  9 October 2011 - Panorama - Desert juniper  9 October 2011 - Panorama - Evening in Red Rock Canyon The Bureau of Land Management charges $7 per car or $3.00 for a motorcycle, bicycle, or pedestrian to drive this gorgeous road. A twelve month pass is only $30, so I picked one up a few weeks ago and it’s already paid for itself That’s all for tonight, but I’ll be back sooner than last time Wow! It’s been how long since I posted something here Life’s been a bit busy and tiring as usual, but I wanted to finally get a couple of posts published for a change The Road Runners Internationale are a special group of people. They’re the men who built the base at Groom Dry Lake, the reconnaissance aircraft that gave the U.S. the edge in the Cold War, the pilots who flew them, and the families who supported them. Some of the programs were more tightly held secrets than the atomic bomb was in WWII and have only recently begun to be declassified. I met T.D. Barnes and first learned about the Road Runners at Aviation Nation 2004 – my first trip to Nellis Air Force Base for an airshow. Over time we chatted via email and I was honored to be invited to join as an associate member. Reunions are held every two years and I sadly missed the last one. I wasn’t going to miss this one  5 October 2011 - Yours truly at the Black Mailbox  5 October 2011 - Roadrunners and friends at the Black Mailbox  5 October 2011 - About to mail a letter to the aliens  5 October 2011 - Panorama - Mailbox Road  5 October 2011 - Panorama - The Black Mailbox on the Extraterrestrial Highway Every reunion, the Road Runners have a field trip somewhere nearby. This is the first time I’ve managed to clear time to go on one We all got together in a convoy and headed north from Las Vegas, then onto Highway 93 north, and then west on the Extraterrestrial Highway. We made a couple of stops along the way including the one in the pictures above at the Black Mailbox. Long time readers will likely remember seeing pictures of this place before from back when I first got my HHR. It was along again due to the need to help carry people to our destination for the day. Yes, even in the cold and rain, I’d rather have been on my bike – just as long as I had the right gear  5 October 2011 - Down at the Little A'Le'Inn  5 October 2011 - A small view inside the Little A'Le'Inn The 2011 Road Runners field trip was to the closest bit of civilization you can find near Groom Dry Lake. That place is Rachel, NV and it is very small, indeed. The largest business in Rachel is the Little A’Le’Inn  5 October 2011 - Panorama - Looking southeast from the Little A'Le'Inn  5 October 2011 - Panorama - Looking east from the Little A'Le'Inn As you can see from these pictures, the Little A’Le’Inn is rather remote and in that sense is similar to Groom Dry Lake.  5 October 2011 - Mining history in the Groom Lake area There were prior attempts at making use of the area before the Air Force showed up in the early 1950′s, but they didn’t quite pan out. I can only imagine the tough life that those early miners lead out in the southern Nevada desert.  5 October 2011 - The Roadrunners Internationale and friends at the Little A'Le'Inn Inside the Little A’Le’Inn, people were packed in like sardines in a tin. Everyone enjoyed the great camaraderie, delicious food, and superb hospitality of the owners and staff It’s amazing to me that this event even happened. T.D. and several of the Road Runners also commented that even a few years ago, they never could have imagined that they would be at a place like the Little A’Le’Inn which is so close to Groom Dry Lake, packed in with friends, family, and news media, accompanied by the Central Intelligence Agency’s gift shop staff. The novelty still remains when telling the stories about some of their formerly secret projects. I still can’t believe I get to be in the middle of it all and I get to talk to the people who developed the planes I never thought I’d be allowed to know much about. This was a truly great day  5 October 2011 - Joerg Arnu at the podium in the Road Runners' command post! Joerg Arnu is the webmaster for Dreamland Resort and the Road Runners’ websites. Originally from Germany, Joerg knows more about the Nellis Range than I’ve ever thought to ask. This trip was his doing and I commend him for managing to organize such a great day  5 October 2011 - Panorama - Groom Lake Road in the diffused storm light I took the photos that became this panorama on the way back to Las Vegas from the Little A’Le’Inn. That road you see off in the distance is Groom Lake Road. That is the road that leads to a place I’d love to visit someday, but which I will likely never reach. It’s the road to Paradaise Ranch, AKA Watertown, AKA Dreamland, AKA Area 51. It’s the place where the U-2, A-12, SR-71, and many other very special aircraft were developed. Work still continues to this day on aircraft development and flight test out at Groom Dry Lake. I don’t know what’s going on at that secret spot in the desert and I know it’s for the best that I don’t as I don’t have the need to know. In the end, I’m just glad I’ve had the chance to meet the people who made history there in the past and that’s enough for me Thank you, Road Runners, for all you’ve done for your country in the past and for all you continue to do to educate the rest of us today |
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I headed on over toward Red Rock Canyon as I am wont to do when I want a nice, stress-free ride 
Of course, the “entertainment” factor continued to climb as I began to descend through the Cajon Pass. Those headwinds became crosswinds, my speed increased to 70 MPH, and I had big rigs in the lane to my right. The fun still wasn’t over, but I won’t go into detail about the guy who passed me on the 215 while changing lanes from my right to left and missed me by about a foot or two while going 100+ MPH 
) and had some great bangers and mash 
They really are good 
OK, I’ve never seen any UFOs out there, but the place is pretty cool 