Captain’s Log - Stardate: 20-16-07-14 – Mission Day 8

First Officer’s Entry:

I’m baaaaack!  My two day R&R was quite refreshing.   

Some of our members were here in 1996!

Yesterday I joined a group ride up to Bucks Lake and surprisingly had a good time.  You see, I’m not really a fan of group rides.  Heck, I’m not really a fan of group anything.  Double heck, I’m not a fan of groups!  But yesterday was fun.

The ride was supposed to leave at 12 noon, but the local chapter’s ride leader was suddenly not available.  That left about 25 of us standing around looking at the ride map, which was very well done by the way, and deciding if we should go it alone as individuals or to elect a leader.  We did the latter and left about 12:20.

The leader was OK, but turned out to be a “Ricky Road Racer” while most of the rest of us were “Sunday morning ride to breakfast” riders.  I tried to keep up with the six or seven riders who were drafting RRR but gave up after about 15 minutes and slacked off to my usual old guy pace.  A few minutes later the rest of the group caught up and nobody passed me, so I found myself elected leader of the slow group.  

The ride was not long but went up a 15% grade for about 20 miles of sharp twisty-turnies.  I had put fresh tires on the Norton about two years ago and this was the first time I feathered the edges of those tires.  Some turns were so tight I dropped all the way down to first gear.  We topped out at 5100 feet on ABM (Another Beautiful Mountain) in tall pines, clear air, at a very nice restaurant on the edge of ABL (Another Beautiful Lake).  Lunch time!

The group dissipated during lunch so when I was ready to go I just go’d.  There was a secondary route back down the mountain that was much less twisty and far more enjoyable so I cruised back to Quincy at my usual slow-guy pace being passed all the way by bigger, badder, bedder riders.

Today I am lending one of my bikes to a long time member-friend so he can go on another group ride.  He hasn’t decided which one he’ll take as the ’68 Triumph 500cc “Bobber” is a bit small for him (he’s a big guy) and the Norton’s café’ racer low handlebars will probably tie him in a knot before the ride is over as he has a bit of back trouble.  The Norton is the first choice of course, as it is bigger, badder, bedder, faster, but the Triumph will let him sit up straight.

FYI and BTW:  I’m doing most of the cooking around here as the captain is working almost full time on her #$%^& inner circle.  (But I really don’t mind as I happen to be a really good cook and actually enjoy it.)

This was another group ride.  More about this later.

End First Officer’s Entry.

Captain’s Entry:

The captain is trapped in the inner circle.  I am coordinating a rescue mission.

First Officer Frank.  (aka Commander Rusty Pistons)

End Captain’s Entry

Captain’s Log - Stardate: 20-16-07-12 – Mission Day 7

Captain’s Day Trip Photo Splash:

 

Passenger Car California Zephyr

Original Locomotive California Zephyr

Description of the Locomotive Above

The Once Glorious Domed Passenger Car

What's Left of Another Domed Car

Another Domed Car

 

Reflections on a Once Grand Train

The California Zephyr's Original Locomotive

 End Captain's Photo Splash

Captain’s Log - Stardate: 20-16-07-11 – Mission Day 6

Captain’s Entry:

I’m sorry to report that although I’m carefully nearing the “inner circle,” it is not yet complete!  I promise there will be a photo of the “inner circle” within the next day or so. Please stay alert for the reveal. 

My First Officer has requested a day’s leave, so I’ve sent him to one of the outer planets to “chill.” Today we registered and received our Feather River Rally tee shirts, raffle tickets and rally book showing the activities planned for the week. The maps and details in the book are first rate, so we’ll have no excuses for getting lost!  Tomorrow, when he returns from the outer planets, the First Officer will be driving Maxwell over to the Western Pacific Railroad Museum (WPRM) located 75 miles south of Quincy. 

Coincidentally, way back in the late 50’s or early 60’s my dad rode the train from Chicago out to California for a business conference. He often talked about the California Zephyr and traveling on it through the Feather River Canyon. The engine and several cars and artifacts from the Zephyr are now housed at the WPRM! I can hardly wait to see it, and I wonder if they might have the domed observation car my dad spoke about so often. It’s amazing the unexpected opportunities that crop up on a trip like this one!

Notice the domed observation cars in the background  (California Zephyr - Public Domain Photograph - Publisher: Lyman Cox-Photograph: Western Pacific Railroad)

However, our trip pales in excitement as we re-join Charles and Anne in flight on their way to Nome, Alaska in the dark! They had been flying with the midnight sun, but suddenly night returned (caught up with them!). Anne desperately tapped out code on the radio and finally reached a way station that would relay her message to Nome. 

Finally, the message got through and came back with the news that the crew at Nome would light flares and a bonfire to guide the fliers to their landing. Unfortunately, our heroes encountered fog over the mountains, and Charles chose to land on an uncharted lagoon rather than continue to Nome. Anne barely had time to relay that message to Nome and reel in the antenna before they were safely floating on the water after a rather harrowing landing. As night crept up on them while they were still in the air, Anne explained she felt terror at the approaching darkness as if she had never experienced night before. 

As we’ve learned lessons about traveling in the RV, one of our mantras borrowed from Frank’s RV-enthusiast brother, Greg, has become “In the park before dark.” It’s truly comforting to find “safe harbor” before the night makes travel and settling in at a strange place such a chore. 

Once Anne and Charles were out of the sky and anchored near the coast of the Seward Peninsula, they made their bed in the baggage compartment of their small aircraft and settled in to sleep on “parachutes, flying suits, and sleeping bags.” The next morning dawned clear, and they made their way safely to Nome. 

. . . and tomorrow, barring fog and the perils of highway travel, we’ll be returning “home” to Quincy with stories and photos of engines, cabooses and “the most talked about train in America.”

End Captain’s Entry

Captain’s Log - Stardate: 20-16-07-10 – Mission Day 5

First Officer’s Entry:

I am under Captain’s orders to explain my dislike of California.  But first let me tell you how really nice this particular part of California is.  Quincy is smack dab in the middle of the Plumas National Forest, which in turn is smack dab in the middle of a bunch of trees.  Big trees.  Tall trees.  Green trees.  And cool temperatures!  We slept under a blanket last night!  That’s a far cry from 100 degrees at midnight in Phoenix.

 

A Couple Fun Pictures from our Recent Trip to Tombstone

Did you know "ladies of the night" were required to walk only on the shady side of the streets of Tombstone?

On top of that this is one of the nicest RV parks we’ve stayed in.  Not “nice” as in “POSH Nice”.  It’s not a resort and it’s not elegant.  But it is NICE as in big but not too big.  Nice as in long and wide shaded RV spots.  Nice as in really NICE people running it.  Nice as in spanking new clean facilities.  Nice as in clean, clean, clean grounds.  Nice as in I have never before seen a park with a central area complete with propane BBQ’s and fire ring, and rocking chairs and benches that is free for the park clients to gather around in the evening to swap travel tales and what-to-see suggestions.  We are really comfortable here.

OK, back to my dislike of California.  The first reason is that the first thing you see upon entering the state is a sign that says, “Max Speed Limit for Vehicles Towing Trailers is 55 mph.”  This is a law held over from the 1950’s when cars towed rental trailers with clamp-on bumper hitches. Those hitches were inherently unsafe, caused a lot of accidents, and we are left with their legacy, This speed restriction means we have to drive 10 mph under the other vehicles’ posted speed limit, which is really 20 mph slower than everyone is driving anyway. Believe me those other drivers do not get mad at California when I hold them back.  

Another reason is California’s draconian gun laws.  First of all, they do not recognize Arizona’s Carry Concealed Weapon (CCW) permits.  Second first of all, if you have a weapon in your vehicle, it has to be unloaded, locked in a gun safe type container, and in the trunk of the vehicle.  It cannot be anywhere where anybody can get at it “quickly.”  Since RV’s don’t really have trunks, anywhere you put the lock-box is subject to interpretation by both officer and the judges.  Third first of all is that an officer can demand entry into your RV if he/she believes there might be something illegal in the vehicle.  That “belief” is undefined and can be anything the officer wants it to be.

So bottom line is if we are in a rest stop having a nice lunch and someone threatening pulls open the RV door, I must ask them to please wait while I go into the back of the RV and unlock the gun safe and load a gun.  Or I could always remember to keep the coach doors locked.  Right, like that’s gonna happen.

Think rest stops are safe?  Google “Rest stop murders.” ‘Nuff said.

By the way, this National Norton Owners Rally is being held at the Plumas County Fairgrounds here in Quincy and posted at the entrance of the fairgrounds is a big sign that says “No Two Wheel Vehicles Allowed.”  I sure hope they make an exception for us.  And that’s not a dig at California; I just think it’s funny.

End First Officer’s Entry

Captain’s Entry:

I’ve nearly finished the “inner circle.” Check back tomorrow for a photo. I’ve heard mystery keeps readers engaged. We need that today because it has been a really lazy, do-nothing day. However, the First Officer (with just a teeny weenie bit of help from the Captain) did roll both the Triumph and the Norton down the ramp behind the RV’s garage. Yes, we have a garage! In fact, when the bikes are not along for the ride, our Smart Car (Maxwell) can fit in there.

There are quite a few INOA (International Norton Owners’ Association) members already here and camped out over at the fairgrounds. We took a walking tour of the place this morning and met and got reacquainted with many of them. Leo was busily polishing his Norton when we met him and his wife Pat, who are from Santa Rosa, California. After Frank unloaded the bikes and discovered he forgot his super-special motorcycle polish (Pledge), he zipped over to Leo’s place to use his supplies. It’s nice to make new friendships and then immediately take advantage of them. (All kidding aside, most brother bikers will go out of their way to help, even when it’s not a crisis!).

I’m so settled and comfortable here that I wouldn’t mind living here (until winter). Frank talked with the woman who owns the RV Park, and she mentioned that until moving here she had never experienced really cold weather. One day it was 15 degrees here, so she ventured outside just to see what it felt like. Never again, she said. That kind of cold hurts!

Now that you’ve met some of the people around here, let’s re-join Anne and Charles Lindbergh, who are on their way to the Orient. Their first stop, unlike ours, landed them on Baker Lake not far from Hudson Bay in British Canada. They were greeted by Eskimos and a Canadian Mountie. The Eskimo children seemed fascinated with Anne, and she later learned she was the very first white woman they had ever seen! (So far, no one in camp has seemed fascinated with me as the first 71-year-old woman they’ve ever seen doing embroidery in a camp chair! Oh well.) 

While we can drive a very short distance to a supermarket to satisfy any sort of food craving we might have, the outpost in Canada that served as the Lindbergh’ first stop got supplies once a year (by boat). They struggled to set a decent table for the Lindberghs, but did manage to provide wonderfully prepared fresh-caught salmon. Those few who lived there were sick of eating salmon while waiting for the arrival of the supply boat, and didn’t consider it a delicious treat to offer their guests.  Anne and Charles, however, were delighted. 

I hope you are enjoying hearing about Anne and Charles’s adventures alongside ours. The comparisons are laughable, but hey, we can’t all be famous aviators. We do, however, fly a Starship!

That’s it until tomorrow (or maybe the next day) when the secret of the inner circle will be revealed.

Thanks so much for reading and for your gracious responses to our efforts at blogging.

End Captain’s Entry

First Officer’s Post Script: Got the Norton and the Triumph out of the RV today. The Norton started right up. Triumph’s battery is dead and will not take a charge. Tomorrow I get to explore this rural area and find out how small Quincy really is as I search for a replacement . . . and the adventure continues.