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Saturday, April 27, 2013

Saturday ride with the Goldwing Chapter

We are riding to Bixby OK with the Goldwing Riders today to celebrate the Anniversary of the Bixby Chapter.  A first for us.



No show, so let's Go!!!  
Our instructions are to meet up at the Park & Ride at I-35 and 122nd and we will leave at 9:45am.  We will be riding with Chapter W.

The morning is dry at least. Weather moved out last night leaving us with overcast skies. It is a little cool but not bad at all. We meet Diana & Chris at the McDonald's in Piedmont at 8:30. We head out at 9:00. As we pull into the designated area you can see the aftermath of last nights hail storm. Shredded leaves are everywhere.
We sit there until 9:40 and make a decision. Looks like no one else is coming. Plan B is now in place. Plan B is the high tail it to Shawnee Honda and ride with their group that is leaving from the dealership at 10:45.



Traffic cooperated with us and we were in the parking lot at 10:30. We had time to take a picture for the Museum I know this isn't a museum but it is on our list. I guess since they are the sponsoring dealership they get that honor.











We stand around a couple of minutes and Susan and her husband Bill show up. Well at least we will have one other couple going. Susan is the director for the Shawnee Chapter. They are the Boomerang Chapter or Chapter B.





























This is our first time to ride with their group, and I say the word group very loosely.  There were 2 Trikes and 3 bikes, and we are 2 of the bikes. 

The weather is not that bad, and the overcast skies seem to want to stick around, so we make the best of the day.  Hey, at least we are riding. 






 





Enjoyed the ride over to Bixby, as it was a new route for me and I love to see the towns and scenery along the way. 























We make it to the center around Noon, and there are other members buzzing around as we drive up.  Not a lot of folks on bikes...but I have to say, they are all dressed up with their Wing Stuff on.  Seems like the Wing people are all about matchy, matchy.  Don't get me wrong, it is fine...for other people.  I don't think you will see Chuck and I dressing alike, EVER!!!!  I mean, these people dress alike down to their shoes, and belt buckles....Hell, they may even wear the same undies....but I sure don't want to know about that....

We had a nice lunch, and listened to all their information about their Chapters.  We clapped at the appropriate times.  We even got up and played their "Games"....yep, games.  We bought some 50/50 tickets as we came in, and Chuck and Diana were pretty lucky.  I think they both went home with 3 gifts a piece.  Of course one of Chuck's was a $50 car wash certificate to somewhere...I say somewhere, cause it just had addresses, no city...None of the streets were places we knew, so we gave the certificate to Susan so she could re gift at their Anniversary Party that is next weekend.  Then as quickly as it started, it was over.  Time to get back on the bikes and head west. 

Our plans are to take the turnpike home.  It is time to get back to sunshine.  At least that is what we are hoping for.  The cloud cover is supposed to have already broken, and guess what....it hasn't.  I will say, by the time we get to the I-35 junction, we actually see sunshine.  Wow, it just took all day for that to happen. 

Chuck suggest we go to On the Border and eat, so we turn the bikes to the restaurant.  None of us are that hungry, but we had a really good margarita, and they made some Guacamole Live for us, you know the one that they make at your table!    It was really good.  By the time we leave, it has warmed up quite nicely.  I wonder if we are ever really going to have Spring.  Tomorrow is supposed to be in the 80's.  Let hope that happens. 

We had a fun day, and learned way too much about the Goldwing group.  I think we are just "too young" for them...LOL....really, I do!!!!  I can't believe that I am actually writing this and saying it out loud, but really people, it is just the way I feel about the whole thing.  The people seem very nice, but we are just a little more active (ride the bike) than these people seem to be.  To each his own, and as you very well know...this is my opinion, and mine alone.  :) 






Sunday, April 21, 2013

Sunday 4-21-13 Museum Tour continues

We had fun yesterday finding the museums and getting pictures so we made plans to do some more today.  We will be going to north central portions of Oklahoma today.  We have the same ole wind today that we had yesterday, but at least we will be going more northerly today instead of east & west like yesterday.

We meet Diana & Chris at the Highway 3-4 junction and top off with gas.  We should be able to hit 6 of the museums today if all goes according to our plans.

Chris & Diana 




 The sun is shining, and the temperature is good, and if only the wind wasn't howling at 30 mph, all would be great in the world.  :)  The first town on our list is Yale Oklahoma.  We are looking for the Jim Thorpe Historic Home.  Wasn't that hard to find, and we got our photos taken and we we're off to Pawnee.



Chuck & I 


























We planned this ride so we would be in Pawnee around lunch time.  We like to eat at Click's, so this makes the trip perfect.  We get some of our Museum tours done, and get to eat some good food.  Had to wait a little for a table, but wasn't that bad.  The food was as good as it ever is.  One thing missing was "Smiley".  I nicknamed the hostess a few trips ago.  She has no personality, and acted like she was just totally put out that we were even there to eat.  Never quite understood her, and have to say, she really doesn't have a very good personality to be in a public place.












Back on the bike and heading to Pawnee Bills Ranch & Museum.  It is on the outskirts of town.  Another picture and we are off to the next stop.





















Oops....wrong Museum  :)  

Yep, wrong Museum!!!  
Ponca City is next on the list.  Chuck plugs in Marland Mansion, and we end up at what we thought was the Mansion....but wait, Chris says he thought thinks we aren't in the right place.  Thank goodness he checked, because we weren't.  We had driven to the Marland Grand House.
























  So helmets back on and we find the Marland Mansion.  Another picture taken and we are back on the bike and heading to Perry.






































In Perry we are looking for the Cherokee Strip Museum.  Apparently our GPS and Chris's has no idea where we are going, as we drive right by the place.  We do a little back tracking and follow the signs, and find the place.  Some of these places sure don't look like Museums, but that is what the signs say, so we believe everything we see....LOL





























Our final town is Guthrie and we are getting a two-fer at this one.  We are stopping at the Guthrie Territorial Museum, and the Oklahoma State Capital Publishing Museum.






















I have decided that I am out of shape, as the off and on of the bike from yesterday has left me very sore.  My neck is also, and I can tell you for sure I know it was from the 30 mph. winds we have weathered for 2 days.  It was fun going to the different towns and finding the museums that they have in their community.  I don't guess I have ever paid attention to them.   We logged roughly 300 miles today, and I can tell you that this girl is tired tonight. ( I told you I was out of shape!!! )   Great time with Diana & Chris (as usual)  :)













Saturday, April 20, 2013

Let the Museum Tours begin 4-20-13

One of the Honda Dealerships, Honda of Shawnee, has put together an Oklahoma Historical Museum Tour for 2013.  We signed up a couple of months ago, primarily just to have a destination to ride when we have that "where do you want to ride" question. It seems to always come up when we are wanting to ride on the weekend and have no idea which way to head.  Hopefully this will be an interesting tour for us.  First and foremost, it is always good to read the instructions before you set out on one of these things, but as I wasn't able to find the packet,  I only have the list of museums.  Note to self, read all the instructions.  With that said, here is how the day went.

We are heading to the western part of Oklahoma.  We will cover a few towns and see some sites hopefully.  The weather, well, it is finally warming up.  The wind is blowing over 30mph, and yes we are heading west.  So we will have a side wind most of the day.  Hang on to your helmet cause you just might get "lift off".

We take I-40 to the town of Weatherford.  Since we are not getting started until after noon, we are looking for a place to eat.  Imagine that!  Lucille's in Weatherford will be our lunch stop.  But, before we eat, we make a stop at the Thomas Stafford Air & Space Museum.  This museum is not on the list, but you have a  "Museum of your Choice", so we figured this might as well be our choice.  Pictures were taken and we go back to Lucille's and eat.  The food is as good as it usually is!












Our next town is Cordell.  The ride was nice and we got to see a lot of the yellow canola fields.  You can only imagine what a sea of yellow looks like, because we have that right here in Oklahoma.  They are so vibrant!













The museum we are looking for is the Washita County Museum.  Chuck couldn't get it to come up on the GPS, and I found an address, so that is where we went.  Our pictures were taken in front of the Washita County Pioneer Farm Museum.  Remember that packet that I couldn't find....I will explain this one at the end of the post.














Back on the bikes we head to Clinton.  We have driven by the Route 66 Museum several times, and this time we stopped.  Yep, got our picture taken in front of it.












Since we had eaten not that long ago, we just waved at the Dairy Queen as we drove by.  You know there are only about 3 in the state, so it is just almost UnAmerican to not stop.....














The big town of Watonga is our next stop.  We find the TB Ferguson House without any problem.  Not sure a person could get lost in Watonga....just not that big.  One thing for sure, looking for these places takes you off the normal traveled roads.  Its an adventure!









Our last Museum stop for today is in the town of Kingfisher.  We find the Chisholm Trail Museum without any problem.  Diana says they have been to this one before.  I had no idea that there was a musuem right in the middle of a neighborhood.  Looks like they were doing some work on the front of this one.  See all the yellow tape....its not crime tape, I assure you.  :)




















I  suggest we ride to El Reno and eat a steak at Gilmore's Pub.  We are about 45 minutes out, so the plan is made.  The steak and potato was excellent.  Yes, we sat out in the "outside" room that has the blue tarp over it to make a ceiling.  And yes, the wind was still howling, and beating the tarp to death.  Seems like every time we have ever stopped there, the wind is blowing like crazy.  By the time we finish our steaks, the blue tarp has calmed down quite a bit.  The wind is "finally" calming down.  The ride back to Yukon was a nice ride.

We had a great day today and enjoyed the ride even if it was a windy one.  You know we live in Oklahoma and the wind comes sweeping down the plains!

I got home and checked off our museums, and funny thing....after reading the packet, we actually missed one of the museums in Weatherford, we went to the wrong one in Clinton, and guess what, we even missed one in Kingfisher.  At least they are not too far to catch at a later date. I am now prepared to check my list before we head out again!  Learning curve I guess...You will also note, I don't have pictures of Diana & Chris on a few stops.  We were taking pictures with our I-Phones and then texting them to each other.  I guess as we switched back and forth who would take pictures, I didn't get a few of them...oops!!!  I sure hope Diana has her pics...as I said before....learning curve for me that is for sure.  :)  

Enjoyed the day with our riding buddies, Chris & Diana.  Mileage....I don't have a clue, but it was good to be out on the bike.