What's going on here?

So, what's going on here?

The IU Rugby Club is celebrating its 50th anniversary on September 8. The Mayan calendar "runs out of time" a couple months later, and some believe that this may portend the end of the World. Whether that's the case or not, we intend to make this a celebration for the ages, and have branded this event as the EOTW Celebration.

Being rugby guys, we've got some crazy plans for the weekend. Like a golf tournament, a parade, an "old boys" match against our arch-rival Purdue alumni, and a banquet at the IU Memorial Union, from which the rugby club was once banned. Just a guess, but I think that a couple of our favorite college bars might also see a spike in business.

I've always wanted to do another cross-country ride on my Harley, and just in case the World really does end, I figure I can kill two birds with one rock by riding my bike to the EOTW Celebration from Newport Beach, CA. The round-trip distance of my intended route looks to be just over 5,000 miles, and I'll be travelling through 13 states. So I'll give myself +/- 3 weeks to get'er done.

I plan on making some fun stops along the way, including 6 national parks, and will try and invoke my usual biker travel-habits as much as I can; like taking smaller roads when possible, staying away from chain restaurants, and starting a conversation with a local at each stop. I always learn some interesting stuff this way.

A lot of friends like to follow my travels when I do something crazy like this, and I've found these blogs to be a pretty fun way of sharing a story. If you follow this one, I hope that you enjoy the ride! If you'd like to read about some of my other adventures, just click on one of the links at the bottom right.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Colorado Springs, Denver, and Over to Colby, KS

I planned on knocking out a lot of miles today because I need to be in Indy on Thursday night for dinner with  my Mom and my brother Steve. Steve is leaving for Florida on Friday, so this is the only chance that I'm going to have to get to see him on this trip. I was going to stop in Denver to see a good buddy, but considered cancelling and taking a more direct route east.

Then, I got a message that one of my Houston RFC buddies passed away yesterday.  Dave was an amazing athlete, and an incredible person. If you knew a quarter of his stories, you would be certain that cancer should be afraid of him. A couple of weeks ago, I did learn that he had a terminal case of mesothelioma, but they thought that he had 12 to 16 months. Now, he's gone, and the world just became a much less fun place.

So, I decided that I would go to Denver to see my buddy, and that I'd take my time today and just do whatever I felt like doing.

Leaving Colorado Springs, I noticed the B-52 on static display at the Air Force Academy.  I had passed the exit, but decided to turn around and see if I could go in and have a look.  At the gate, they told me that I needed to wear a helmet and full-fingered gloves (even though you don't need a helmet in Colorado).  I had the gear with me, so it wasn't a problem.



It is a big plane, but it's not as big as I thought it would be. It actually looks kind of skinny when you see it up close and personal. But, it does weight about 85 tons.  And this is one of only two B-52's that actually shot down a Russian MiG during the Vietnam War.

Had a good visit with my buddy in Denver, and then made it over to Cody, KS for the night.  A total of about 300 miles.
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