The starting line at the clubhouse
Stan Brein
Oh do we want to get away! Anyway, anyhow, anywhere (thank you Pete Townsend). Can we do it safely? What about the heat? Where can we go without a hassle? Is there a place that has great roads, scenery, is relatively unpopulated, and we can find cooler temperatures?
The answer: New Mexico.
Always a favorite of motorcycle riders, it offers Texans a fairly close-by escape, miles of great roads, and a break from the summer sweat. The ride had been planned for a while, and took on added excitement as most of us were coming out of a prolonged period of non-riding.
On June 7, Mike Conley, Elaine and Ed Barnett, Dennis Dotson, Doug Henderson, Joe Ace, Dick and Terry Spivey, Larry and Joy Denk, and Reggie Rother headed out early on a northwestern route to get to the Land of Enchantment. Through Childress, Henrietta, and stopping in Amarillo for the first night, they proceeded to the Longhorn Steakhouse to fuel up for the next day’s ride into the mountains. Through Dalhart, then Clayton, they made their way to northern New Mexico, destination Angel Fire and thereabouts. Steve and Donna Williams joined the group from their home in Angel Fire, and lodging was arranged at Altitude Adjustment at the Resort at Angel Fire.
For those of you who have never experienced the roads through New Mexico, I urge you to do so. They are scenic and peaceful. The temperatures ranged from 40 degrees in the morning to 75 degrees in the afternoon. They enjoyed daily rides of three to five hours through Taos, Red River Gorge, and all the other great mountain scenery and twisty turns. Thanks to Ride Captains Mike Conley, Steve Williams, and Sweep Doug Henderson. Please be on the lookout for my forthcoming book, “Ace and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.”
Going forward, to everyone’s dismay, the 4th of July Parade has been cancelled. Wait till next year! The club is scheduling only breakfast rides for July and August during off-peak restaurant times. Look to GroupWorks for updated current information. The board is trying to schedule a quarterly meeting for Thursday, August 27 at 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Lone Star room. This will not be a dinner, but a meeting to discuss club activities. This will allow us to remain within the room use guidelines and maintain appropriate social distancing.
The September Branson trip has been cancelled, since it was unlikely a number of the venues we would be visiting would not be open at this time. This trip will be rescheduled in the 2021 time frame. The Granbury Trip on October 23 to 24 is still on the schedule. It will be an overnight stay.
See you on the road!
Beware of cagers and keep the rubber side down.