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.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Four Corners

I exited the Grand Canyon from the east, and took Hwy 89 north, then Hwy 160 east towards the Four Corners monument where Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico all come together.  The entire area is essentially populated by native Indian tribes, and there is some really freaky scenery along the route.  Lots of odd canyons, rocks, and mesas with crazy colors.


I found this interesting road-side memorial along the way.


Standing in 4 states at the same time.  One foot is in Utah and Arizona, the other in Colorado and New Mexico.  You can't do that every day.  Interestingly, the monument appears to be on Navajo  land.

When I searched for information about the Four Corners monument, info on the Four Corners Bike Rally also came up, and it just happens to be held on Labor Day weekend.  The event is spread across the cities of Durango, Ignacio, and Mancos, which are relatively close by, and each event in these cities has its own characteristics.

The people that own the Sugar Pine Ranch just outside of Mancos have been hosting a "traditional" biker event for many years.  It's a working ranch for 360 days of the year, but a biker's playground for the other 5.  Tent camping is free, minors have to leave the grounds by 6:00 pm, and there is live music and other entertainment events every night.


 


The music for Saturday night was provided by two cover-bands.  One did Fleetwood Mac, and the other did Bob Seger.  Both were surprisingly good.


Not really sure what's going on here.  It was taking place on the other side of the tent and there were a lot of people in the way, so I couldn't see anything.  There was lots of cheering from the crowd, though.

All was good, except that you always get the few knuckle-heads that have to wind-up their bikes at 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning. And after a good 6 or 8 hours of drinking, the big group of people that were all a bunch of friends earlier start getting a little cranky and start a big fight.  Always interesting, though.

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