Ride With Tank

Skidplates revenge, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

Well, it looks like it is payback time for making Skidplate sleep in the forest last night. Now we are swimming in luxury in St. Marys, PA.

I suggested that we try to spot some elk and this is the only place we could get to stay. Skid is delighted.

Morning at the campsite., originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

It was a very cold night. The thermometer on the motorcycle is showing 44 degrees right now. I still managed to get a pretty good nights sleep even with the cold. I got a solid 9 hours of sleep and it is looking like today is going to be a perfect day. There is not a cloud in the sky and I am sure once the sun gets above the mountains it is going to warm up fast!

Labor Day Ride, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

I am spending this weekend riding PA Rt. 6.

I am writing this from inside my tent at Twin Lakes Recreation Area near Kane, PA. It is a very nice campground in a very nice area of Pennsylvania. It is getting a little brisk right now and Slidplate is whining about being cold. I am not even in the sleeping bag but I am comfortable.

Tomorrow we will continue east on 6 until we get bored with it. We have no specific plans so it is impossible to know where we may spend the night tomorrow.

I know there are a lot of people who are really interested in covered bridges.  I have to admit that I am not one of them, but I sure do love riding motorcycles.  Last weekend I was trying to dream up some kind of an excuse to ride my motorcycle when I decided I would ride to each of the covered bridges in Ashtabula.

GPS makes attempting such a thing pretty simple.  I simply downloaded a file of waypoints for each of the bridges and told the GPS to route me to each one of them.  I know a lot of people say that a GPS takes away the freedom of riding a motorcycle, but I think it does just the opposite.  I think it gives complete freedom when you are riding.  It would be so much more work to do a ride like this without a GPS.  With the GPS all you do is enjoy the ride and you don’t have to worry one bit where the next turn might be.

We have a new nomination for a helmet sticker!

The following email was sent to me:

The whole helmet sticker concept is to reward acts of stupidity and/or acts of greatness.  As I look over an application for a helmet sticker I am looking for an accomplishment that is worthy of the very high praise that a helmet sticker conveys.  I have to tell you that I really don’t see much in the way of stupidity here.

Here is what is working against you:

• You nominated yourself.  That never looks good.  If you want to nominate yourself you are better off to pretend to be somebody else when you nominate yourself.  It just looks better that way.
• You speak of riding in comfort for 3 years.  Riding in comfort?  What is that all about?
• Why would anybody wash a motorcycle?
• I am not even going to touch on the fact that your girlfriend has been with you a long time and has never been wet.

You do seem like a good guy, and I would love to see you get a helmet sticker, so lets see what we can put down in favor of getting a helmet sticker:

• 33,000 miles is a long way for a Harley.  How many rebuilds on the engine did that take?
• You live in Tennesse, and you live near the Gap.
• With a name like TNbikerbitch it sounds like your girlfriend could probably kick my sissy ass so I would not want to upset her.

I am sorry my man, but I just cannot award a helmet sticker at this time, but I know how you can earn one.

Next time I am down there we will get together and do some riding.  If I am there it will rain.  We will then ride in the rain and I will give you a helmet sticker!

The fire is burning!, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

The campfire is burning and we are preparing to enter part two of the “drinking phase” of the weekend. Last nights drinking went very well, and I can say with confidence that I did the best. I did real well. I did so well I do not know if I am going to be able to retain the title tonight. It is looking like I am going to have some pretty serious competition.

Velvet ice cream, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

We stopped at Velvet Ice Cream. It is more than a ice cream place, it is like an entire destination that also has delicious ice cream. I think we had around 30 motorcycles on the ride and it was just amazing to see the line of motorcycles winding through the countryside.

Heinis, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

Bob gave us a great tour of Heinis. I ate so many cheese samples they are probably going to have to lay someone off!

Their cheese is so good I can’t believe it.

After the tour Bob led us on a great ride to a delicious buffet. While at the buffet I was presented with a beautifull plaque thanking me for my contribution to motorcycling and eating! I will post a picture of it when I return home.

I was also given a stuffed sheep. You don’t want to know the story behind that one…….

I can’t believe what a great group of folks we have here at Tanked 08. We have a huge variety of motorcycles and personalities and that is what keeps things interesting!

Pasta is done!, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

Here is the end result of Redtrcks work. It was delicious and we are all very thankfull for all his hard work feeding us.

Cooking pasta at Tanked 08!, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

The weather is perfect and the pasta is cooking! Not everyone is here yet but we are not waiting so they better hurry up.

We need to give the pasta time to digest before the heavy drinking can begin.

Some unfortunate family is in the camp site next to us. God help them.

Anybody who is reading this is probably already aware, but Tanked 08 is finally here!

This is the weekend all of Ohio has been waiting all summer for!  Riding, Camping, Drinking, Eating, and maybe even a little fishing!

I will be posting updates throughout the weekend so even if you cannot attend in person, you can attend in spirit!  Hopefully the posts on Friday will not scare anybody away from attending on Saturday!

If you have been living in a cave all summer and don’t know what Tanked 08 is, but need a weekend where you put aside all human dignity click here for all the details!

Waffle House, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

Almost to Akron!

Zanesville, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

Just when you thought you saw the worst! Now we are heading into rain!

We are so stupid…….., originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

Hocking Hills 10;06