I have an old Friend that lives up north of Spokane about 60 miles in a little town called Usk which has no more then a store, a post office,a tavern and a cafe. I used to go up and visit him once a year, but because life has gotten so busy I haven't been up there for a few years, so I decided to have road trip this last week to make a visit.

I had to stop and take some pictures of the wind mills on the gorge, for some reason they just fascinate me because there so big and they are turning so slow. I think there has to be hundreds of them.

Larry likes tractors so he looks for old ones and then repairs and paints them. They get alot of snow up his way most of the winter so he uses them to plow. The one thing that he has wanted for a long time is a crawler so when he had the chance to get this old one from Barbs uncle he went all the way to Eugene Oregon for it.


This is Larry on it. When Larry called me last month to tell me about it I new it was time to go up to visit because you see I have always wanted to drive a crawler.

I think I have wanted to drive one from the time I was a little kid so here I am driving it in his driveway and I don't have pictures but I did take it out back and push up some brush and move some dirt.

It was cold up at his house and I did run into some snow on the drive home. Larry and Barb are good Friends and I always have a good time when I visit.

US OPEN 2009 2009 trip to New York

Broad and I went to the US OPEN again this year, but we had semi-finals tickets this time and the good thing was it was not as hot as last year. Its just a good time going out and walking around the grounds because their is a good spirit of fun just being there. I forgot how much it cost to eat there and that when you get on the ground they have you and if you are hungry you need to get it from them. I had a hot dog, frys, a cookie and a drink that cost me $21.oo.

This stadium is the biggist tennis stadium in the world holding 22,000. We had seats up high but we were on the side unlike last year (we were on the end), but the seats are good any where you sit.

One of the two matchas we watched was the Williams sisters doubles match.

Time Square fun 2009 New York trip

I like going to Time Square and looking in the shops and watching the people. We went to three musicals this year, and if we had more time I would like to have gone to one more but it gives me more to see next time I go. We saw Shrek which I didn't know that I would like very well but it turned out OK. The sets were the best. We then went to see Bye Bye Birdie and other then some good dance routines and some good songs it was OK, but not my favorite. The last day just before going to the Airport we went to Rock Of Ages which was totally cool. It's probably my 2nd or 3rd favorite musical that I have seen.

We had lunch at the Stardust Cafe which is a cool cafe were the waiters all sing old rock songs to you as you eat and drink milk shakes like I had to have.

The first day I had to go to Time Square and get some pizza at Pax, its not the best pizza in town but I like the mushroom and cheese. I have always been told that New York Pizza is the best but I don't think there pizza is as good as Papa Murphy's take-n-bake here at home.

Time Square is cool at night and now they have added tables and chairs out in one of the streets so you can sit out and watch the people.

Baseball in New York

We had to go and watch the Yankees play a game while in town and what are the chances we get our tickets three months before we go and it ends up being the game where Jeter brakes the all time hit record set by L0u Garig. I have liked the Yankees since I was a little kid and Jeter is one of my favorite players.

It was fun to go to the new stadium the first year it was open and to go to the old stadium last year was time I will always remember.

This is Jeter hitting his record braking hit 2722, it was so cool the crowed went crazy, it was worth setting in the cold and rain to see it. The game was one and a half hours rain delay and then called in the 7th for rain.

We were there for Erik's Birthday, it was grate fun we went out for dinner at the Tavern On The Green and we gave here present at here apartment. We gave her a cook stove for backpacking.

Trip to New York with Kari and Broad.

Here are some more picture from New York

Tavern On The Green for Erika's Birthday it was so cool and the food was so good and it was expensive but I would do it again. I had Lobster Bisque for the first time and I could have just had a big bowl of it and called it good.

We called ahead and had them make a cake for Erika and I must say it was so chocolaty it almost gave me a buzz.

This is the wrong picture I wanted to put in put I did spend one morning in Central Park.

Broad and Kari setting in Time Square .

The Last of my trip pictures

This Trinidad this was a day because the sun was out in California and this town has a cool port with this little light house on the hill over looking the bay. I set on this bench for the longest time just taking in the sun and watching the boats coming in and out of the bay.

Netty picked me up in Eureka and we spent some time the next day checking out the town and we went south to check out the Redwoods.

More of my 2009 Bike trip

All of the times that I have been down the Oregon coast on my bike I never when over Cape Meares and to the Light House because everyone has told me that it was I long hard climb but this year I decided to take the right turn after leaving Tillamook. I tell you it wasn't the hardest climb but it was one long climb and to make it bad was it was foggy going up and when you get to the top you have to go down a long hill to the light house and to top it of when I got up there it was so foggy i couldn't see much. But the ride down to Netarts cold but fun I always love the long rides down and when I got there it was sunny.

Cape Lookout State Park has what I think id the best Biker Hiker site on the Oregon Coast and my most faverit stop when i go down the cost. The biker camps are next to the ocean so you can set and watch the ocean and stay next to camp and the camp sits are in the trees.

When I got to the Yaquina Head Lighthouse it was overcast and cool and more fog but the two day ride down here was much of the same. I spent the last night at Beverly Beach and there were about six bikers in this camp and its probable the most I think I have ever stayed with in a biker camp. I stopped in Lincoln City for some chocolate from one of my favorite spots and I didn't stop at Depoe Bay because I was there with my brother the week before.

This is the Heceta Head Light House and I think every time I have been down the beach on my bike I have stoped and taken a pictures at this spot. You go througe a tunnal and up a hill to this road side rest stop. I spent the night at Honeyman state park with I think was the same gruop I was with the last night and that happens somtimes on bike trips if you just ride 50 to 60 miles a day.

I think I have a picture of this boat in Brookings and it has a cool history but because I have a hard time with writing it would take to long.

My Bike Trip For 2009

This year my bike trip was not as long as last year, I decided to only make a nine day trip down the Oregon Coast starting at Longview Washington and riding out to Fort Stevens park and finishing up in Erika California.

Netty dropped me off in Longview where I proceeded out to the coast on HWY 30 to Fort Stevens.

The first night I stayed at Fort Stevens state park and it could have been a good night sleep but for some reason the park has chosen to put the trash compactor next to the Biker Hiker camp and I had to lesson to people run it most of the night. But it was good but I did have a wet tent in the morning because of heavy fog at night, which left me with a wet tent at the next camp.

I camped at Nehalem Bay State Park and I had time to dry my tent and I went on a bike trip into Manzanita to check out the town which I had never don before. Its a cool little town I would like to come back some time with the car and spend more time checking it out.

It was foggy and cool most every day of this trip and I found myself drying everything out every day, so it wasn't my best bike trips but I always have a good time some just better then others.

SPENDING TIME WITH THE GIRLS IN THE WILDERNESS

Erika has been home for a week and wanted to try out backpacking which I am always in to so it didn't take much for me to get talked into going. We had a good time it was hot out and it was good that we went in on a Thursday because more people were coming in on the week end so it was not very crowded except for the misquotes which were in plenty. We hiked into Marion Lake that's in the Jefferson Wilderness and only a three and half mile hike in but it is up hill all the way. I had a good time anytime I can spend time with Erika and Kari its time well spent so it didn't make any difference how it turned out but I must confess I did have some concerns for Kari's health but being the trooper that she is she made it.