tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44326660750260769802011-11-27T17:25:40.660-06:00 Riding Route 66 in 2013 Follow along as we plan to ride our motorcycles along Route 66 the fall of 2013...Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.comBlogger281100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-69381433418446173872011-11-09T20:34:00.000-06:002011-11-09T20:34:01.847-06:00One more time...
Yup, our plans have changed one more time. Last May we announced that we were moving the trip to the fall of 2012 because of Stu's twin granddaughters high school graduation. That date change became even more important when we learned that Stu would be getting both knees replaced in early April 2012.
Fast forward to now....Stu's youngest daughter will be getting married in late October 2012. Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-81541390037514784972011-05-29T09:14:00.000-05:002011-05-29T09:14:52.560-05:00The 'guardian angel' of Route 66They call him many things: The Father of the Mother Road. The Guardian Angel of Route 66. Sometimes, simply, The Ambassador.
His story has been related in travel guides, even on a website for a Route 66 association in the Czech Republic. He and his town were the inspiration for the animated film "Cars," but he has inspired many others, too, with a vigor that age hasn't diminished — a passion forDonna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-65550475979684931682011-05-01T16:28:00.000-05:002011-05-01T16:28:25.078-05:00When will we go?We had originally intended to ride Route 66 in May of this year. That changed when we brought Sadie into our home and we realized that she needed to be a little older. So we moved the date out to May of 2012.
Once again, it looks like the date will change. Stu's twin granddaughters will be graduating high school in May/June 2012. He needs to be there....these two were the apple of his and his Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-77963946736884289132011-04-12T11:02:00.000-05:002011-04-12T11:02:19.646-05:00Denim VestWe both have leather vests, decorated for various functions, for example our Red Knights MC patches. But they are warm...if the temperature is above 85, they can become unbearable.
So Stu has been looking for a denim vest for those times. We finally found one and it's a bargain so we wanted to pass along the information for anyone interested. Right now it's only $19.95 + shipping
http://Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-9312726041357807072011-04-11T14:45:00.000-05:002011-04-11T14:45:18.976-05:00Getting our butts in shape...or getting the shape of our butts!We have been at Leesburg Bike Fest the last couple of days. Stu got his custom artwork done on his faring and we both got work done on our seats.
Stu opted to completely replace his with a full Mustang setup (except for the passenger backrest).
I opted to get mine shaped, memory foam added and a custom color insert added to the seat and the Mustang fender pad.
Our butts are going to Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-70569948824341603632011-04-03T11:43:00.000-05:002011-04-03T11:43:51.362-05:00Bling with a purpose....We've talked a lot about putting highway pegs on my bike. The issue was having already put the fog lights on the engine guard, we weren't sure we could mount any pegs.
Yesterday we stopped at the local Harley dealer and found a pair of peg mounts that looked like they would work. We get a 20% Firefighter discount there so figured it was worth a try. I found pegs to match my current pegs, too.
Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-83013787285062833662011-03-11T21:14:00.001-06:002011-03-12T11:39:37.678-06:00Big Red gets dressed and Gypsy adds more bling!Well, Stu liked my Iron Braid lever covers so much he had to get some of his own today. He picked a red that matched the bike's main color and a gold that matched the detail pinstripe. After a couple of hours of riding, looks like he'll have to trim off and inch or two. The photo was taken from a strange angle...the fringe is much longer than it looks. LOL!As for Gypsy, I found a great bike air Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-2894241271943839622011-03-07T20:29:00.001-06:002011-03-07T20:31:30.412-06:00A little more bling....We're in Daytona for Bike Week and today was our first day out. We opted to ride to the Daytona Harley dealer where we knew there were a lot of vendors. We spent the whole day there, exhausting ourselves and Sadie.
The main reason we planned on visiting there was for me to try out a Mustang solo seat. They didn't have the studded seat in stock but I got to try out the non-studded version. Nope, Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-2975436021312138152011-02-26T17:52:00.000-06:002011-02-26T17:52:00.872-06:00Gypsy is a little more ready....My new detachable sissy bar arrived as well as the bags I ordered. Stu got it all put together and it looks great. I won't use the sissy bar unless we are traveling, but it will work out very well!
In addition we stopped at Gator Harley where we get a 15% firefighter discount and picked up the engine guard and halogen fog lights that we had talked about. I have had the engine guard mounted Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-19419376862995453352011-02-19T14:45:00.001-06:002011-02-19T14:53:36.466-06:00Carrying your own stuff....On our trip we will have a lot to carry, especially now that Sadie will be traveling with us. The BRAT2 will be the carrier for all our camping supplies as well as the cooler and food stuffs. Heavier extra motorcycle gear as well.
Then we each need to carry our clothes and toiletries as well as the daily gear we always carry. Stu has a large trunk, the tour-pack and the luggage rack with the Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-54280909589350781602010-11-28T12:23:00.000-06:002010-11-28T12:23:52.367-06:00BRAT2 makes an appearance...Sometimes a deal you can't pass up comes along. That happened to us this past week. In one of the forums that Donna follows, a gentleman posted a diamond-plate trailer for sale. Brand new, assembled and never used. Forced into early retirement, he put it up for sale knowing that his leisure activities would be restricted due to financial constraints.
We are sad at another's misfortune but glad Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-81574495093260359442010-11-11T21:21:00.000-06:002010-11-11T21:21:08.117-06:00Ch-ch-ch-ch-changesYou will note that our blog header has changed....and that means our plans have changed. For several reasons we are delaying our Route 66 trip until the Spring of 2012. One of the biggest reasons is our puppy, Sadie.
Using our initial plans, she would have only been 9 months old. We realize now that she will still be too much of a puppy for a trip of this magnitude. While she is smart and Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-80084174851557465462010-10-27T07:00:00.001-05:002010-10-27T07:00:11.458-05:00Few changes....If you are using a blog reader, you won't see them. You need to visit the actual blog page. We have added several pages to the blog...About Us, Current Rides and Gear List.
As our gear list evolves and our bikes get modified, we will update these pages.
Still rolling,
Stu and DonnaDonna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-34348151945451684982010-10-26T13:26:00.001-05:002010-10-26T13:26:46.159-05:00Update on my new motorcycleIn our main blog, 2 Taking a 5th, a reader asked for an update on my new motorcycle. I realized that I have neglected to do the same here.
I am happy to say I am THRILLED with it! I had hoped for maybe a 50% improvement in ride comfort but it turns out that it's closer to 100%. Wow!! Bumps that would have had me wincing in pain are barely blips now. Factor in the larger gas tank and call me one Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-31405311274873536262010-10-21T06:15:00.002-05:002010-11-08T09:04:47.861-06:00More solar choicesI finally found the link for the smaller solar charger we have seen at several RV shows. Not sure this is really what we want but Stu keeps referring back to it.
From the website:
4W Foldup Solar Battery Maintainer $49.95
Features
High quality 4w solar cell for year round 12v battery charging
Perfect for cars, trucks, caravans, boats, motorcycles etc.
Support stand incorporated in the hard Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-76559197593954092512010-10-19T08:36:00.003-05:002010-11-08T09:05:19.476-06:00Portable Solar ChargingOne thing we'd like to take on the trip is a solar charger to help us keep laptops, cell phones and camera batteries up to snuff. Here are a couple of promising ones we've found.
Pico Solar Rechargeable Charger
We already have this one, but it won't handle bigger chores like our laptops and camera batteries so we are on the search for other solutions.
Product Features
Recharges most cell Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-3429926290892033852010-10-15T09:37:00.002-05:002010-11-08T09:05:42.389-06:00Books, Planning and an UpdateWe have purchased several books to help us in our planning for the Route 66 ride. The best one so far is Route 66: EZ66 Guide for Travelers. It has page by page maps and directions. The best part is that it's spiral-bound.
Another was given to us by a friend since she is done with the ride. Motorcycle Guide to Route 66
The third is Route 66 Adventure Handbook. It has a lot of information on theDonna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-6687880783809495222010-10-14T08:05:00.002-05:002010-11-08T09:09:18.984-06:00Weather not whether....It's not whether we ride or not, it's what the weather will be. Many have advised us that Sept/Oct is the best time to ride Route 66 and ride it West to East. Better weather is the reason....spring in the Rockies can be very unpredictable (as we found out mid-May this past year). But May/June is the second best time and to hopefully avoid the coldest weather we will watch it closely before Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-77897569582351132172010-10-09T13:35:00.002-05:002010-11-08T09:09:02.620-06:00Puppy Ride TrainingSadie is now 9 weeks old and we've had her 6 days. She is training us well...LOL! She is sitting on command most of the time and we are working on stay. Potty training will take a while but she is doing better than we expected.
So today we loaded the crate onto the back of the motorcycle and took her for her first ride. We started out with a towel across the face of the crate to keep out the Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-58108976968454738092010-10-03T18:52:00.002-05:002010-11-08T09:08:44.179-06:00More gear added to the list....After posting the first draft of our gear list, we've gotten some good feedback on things to add. We probably won't bring it all but here are the suggested additions.
Sheet set for air mattress
Wool or fleece blanket for between sheets & air mattress (keeps you warmer!)
We carry the sleeping bags...but find that we like sheets & a quilt much better. I use a sleeping bag on top if more warmth is Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-51213376703367646202010-09-14T10:05:00.002-05:002010-11-08T09:08:26.683-06:00Building up our gear list....We're starting to build our list of items we need to take with us for our Route 66 ride. Besides the normal motorcycle gear & daily clothes/toiletry items, this is the start of the list.
Kelty Grand Mesa 6 Tent (traveling with dog, need the room)
Kelty Grand Mesa footprint
2 Kelty camp pillows
2 sleeping bags
Queen air mattress
2 GCI Outdoor Express Chairs
1 Folding Aluminum Side Table
1 Roll-topDonna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-62807012558697804722010-08-23T22:34:00.003-05:002010-11-08T09:08:04.565-06:00Looking at a few things....We have spent a couple of weeks checking out tents, reading reviews, checking out detailed specifications (got to have aluminum poles, must be able to stand up inside, etc) and comparing brands and prices.
We had pretty much narrowed our search down to a Kelty Grand Mesa 6 for the tent but wanted to see one in person before committing. Today we stopped at a Gander Mountain (right beside a Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-25569254149879329162010-08-21T22:13:00.002-05:002010-11-08T09:07:51.294-06:00Motorcycle decision is made!If you've been following along, you know one decision that had to be made. Was I going to ride my Nightster on our Route 66 ride.
Two things weighed on my mind. The first was the small gas tank...only 3.2 gallons. That meant stopping about every hundred miles for gas. Doable but a pain...and there are always those times when gas stations are too far apart.
Second was the rough ride on my Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-37164888603969555692010-08-16T16:45:00.003-05:002010-11-08T09:07:38.687-06:00More trailer and puppy thoughts...We know the first thing we need to do it get our puppy used to riding on the motorcycle. That got us looking at pet carriers, even though we know she will get too big at some point for them. But you have to start somewhere...LOL!
Neither of us was thrilled with the idea of using a backpack or sling. We also wanted something that would work if we are both on Big Red. We also didn't want to spend Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-42465592170360361602010-08-11T20:08:00.002-05:002010-11-08T09:07:25.121-06:00Choosing a trailer....Those of you who have followed our other blog, 2 Taking a 5th, know about BRAT (Big Red's Attack Trailer). For those that don't, BRAT is a used cargo trailer that we bought before heading to TX for the winter. Stu cleaned it up, redid all the wiring and added lights. We also got the BRAT Rack custom built to carry the trailer.
Fast forward a year and I bought the Nightster....the BRAT was no Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-65030029493138477442010-07-23T15:03:00.002-05:002010-11-08T09:07:08.621-06:00Things on our planning list....We still have a lot of initial planning to do. We need to set a budget since we live on a fixed income. This will be our big vacation for 2011. So here are some of the things we are still considering and discussing.
How often to hotel it....thinking maybe once a week unless the weather is bad.
Do we use our current cargo trailer (The Brat) and tent camp or do we upgrade to a tent/camper trailer. Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-69633498644928465412010-07-17T18:38:00.002-05:002010-11-08T09:06:49.122-06:00A little background research....We've already started looking at websites, books and maps in preparation for the ride. We are allowing a month to do the ride, most allow two weeks. That said, if it takes us longer, so be it. The only damage would be to our budget (which is TBD).
I suspect this will be the end of my long trips, especially after doing it on the Nightster. It was five years ago when I toured, trips lasting as Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4432666075026076980.post-56636907565728701142010-07-10T14:03:00.001-05:002010-07-17T12:13:18.196-05:00Riding Plans for 2011As if we didn't have enough blogs, we have started one more. We plan to ride our motorcycles the entire Route 66, or what we can find of it, in May of 2011. This blog will chronicle our planning and preparation as well as the ride.
There is a news feed in the right hand column that will take you items relating to Route 66...sometimes interesting, sometimes not, but felt it appropriate to add Donna aka Froggihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13232288000758900407noreply@blogger.com0