Cruiser Rides 2001

(He rides his to work 6 mi/day most days, and she rides hers to do her shopping when she can.)

December 09, 2001 - Duncan Toy Run - The Viet Nam Vets MC sponsored the Annual Toy Run in Duncan, OK. to benefit the Duncan Toy Shop. Bear & I joined them along with several other SW Oklahoma Southern Cruisers for a fun run in cool but beautiful weather. It's always fun visiting with other bikers at these events. After dropping our toys off and receiving a snack, everyone was invited over to the Cedar Street Grill at 10th and Cedar Street for a wonderful brisket dinner. They opened up on a Sunday to feed the bikers, no charge unless you wanted to make a donation. Later, Bear & I rode through the Festival of Lights at Chickasha, OK, and also through the Randlett Park Light Display in Anadarko, OK. A great day of cruising!

November 18, 2001 - Lawton Toy Run - Bear & I each took our 3 cans of food and 1 new toy to Lawton, OK for the annual toy and food drive. The SW Oklahoma Southern Cruisers were one of the sponsors for this year's event. There were bikes everywhere! Several folks wore some kind of a costume or head gear for fun, and Santa was there on his Harley. This was our first year to attend and the turn-out looked great! An estimated 300 motorcycles took part in the mile-long parade through Lawton to the Food Bank and the Fire Department. Later, a potluck-style meal was provided to the Bikers, hosted at the American Legion.

November 10-11, 2001 - Loopidyloop Run - Needing to get some more "Ride Oklahoma IV" destinations made, we decided to take a MAP Cruiser loop out around through Eastern Oklahoma. Stops shown here are Tishomingo, Broken Bow, Stigler, Okmulgee (2 pics) and Midwest City. Although chilly in the mornings, the weather was great for cruising!

November 3, 2001 - Cherokee Run - Taking advantage of the mild weather to get in one more nice ride before winter, a group of SOM Riders with 13 bikes and 2 trikes met at the Cherokee Trading Post Restaurant for steaks and burgers. Afterwards, the group continued visiting in the parking lot. Again, we met some more new people and had a great meal.

October 24, 2001 - N Padre Island Run - After CD completed a business commitment, we took a MAP Cruiser ride around the Corpus Christi, TX area, including Aransas Pass, Mustang Island, & North Padre Island.

October 19-20, 2001 - Biketoberfest Run - Daytona - With our son, Daniel, we took a MAP Cruiser ride down the coast highway (top left) from Jacksonville to Main Street Daytona Beach, FL (top right). There, we saw about every kind of bike imaginable, and a mass of people enjoying the rally activities. Look closely at the photo of the wheel chair rider in the sidecar (upper left, row 2). CD took time to set along Main St. to watch the never ending parade of bikes (upper right, row 2). We met for Friday evening dinner at the Light House Restaurant with a group of Southern Cruisers from several states (lower left, row 3). Saturday morning, we rode out to Daytona Speedway to look at the newest crop of motorcycles (lower right, row 3, and bottom left). Before wrapping up the trip and leaving the rally, we had to make a stop at the vendors area across from the famous Iron Horse Saloon in Ormond Beach (bottom right).

October 17-18, 2001 - Biketoberfest Run - Jacksonville - We took a MAP Cruiser trip down to Biketoberfest in Daytona Beach, FL, by way of Jacksonville, FL where son Daniel is living. Along with enjoying a 100+ mile run around Jacksonville, we met some NE Florida SCRC members at the Bike Night held at Buffalo's Cafe.

October 13, 2001 - Cheese Run - The SOM Riders got a group of 26 bikes and 1 trike together as an entry in the Annual Watonga Cheese Festival Parade in downtown Watonga, OK. We rode up there and enjoyed participating in the event, and met some new folks from the area. Check out the goggles, helmet and leather jacket on the poodle in the photo (upper right).

October 7, 2001 - Neighbor Run - Although CD was off on a work trip, Bear and some of the other SW Oklahoma Southern Cruisers joined the visiting 1st Officer and his wife from the San Antonio SCRC for a run up to Holy City and the Wichita Wildlife Refuge near Lawton, OK. The weather was great for a very pleasant ride and an opportunity to meet other Southern Cruiser neighbors.

September 29, 2001 - Kids Kamp Run - Being invited to participate at a special event involving the SOM Riders and the Oklahoma Children's Cancer Ass'n at a camp in Roman Nose State Park was just what we've been looking for. The 20+ bike group gave motorcycle rides to the kids, and Bear donated a "Thayer Rags™" doo-rag to each kid participating, so they could be honorary "Bikers" for the afternoon. The smiles on both biker and kid's faces was worth the trip.

September 23, 2001 - Hospice Poker Run - We rode with the SW Oklahoma Southern Cruisers and friends around the Poker Run Route at Marlow, OK. The proceeds benefited a 7-county Hospice in the area. Congratulations to Mike and DC, two members of the SW SCRC, for winning two out of three poker hands! Looks like they'll be eating high on the hog for a while now!

September 22, 2001 - Dry Beaver Run - We rode with the SW Oklahoma Southern Cruisers on the weekly dinner ride to the Dry Beaver Supper Club near Lawton, OK. A little tough to find, but a great place to eat big steaks and grilled shrimp. I'm not sure what everyone is looking at in the lower left photo, but any talk about Mike running stolen plates on his bike are just rumors.

September 8, 2001 - Hoop-Dee-Doo Run - We rode with the SW Oklahoma Southern Cruisers and friends around through the Wichita Wildlife Refuge, including a side run up Mount Scott, to the town of Cache, OK to take in the town's 1st Annual Family Western Days. Along with a car show and several fun events for young and old alike, we got to see Terri Poahway, Miss Lawton Oklahoma, perform the Hoop Dance. And as always, we had to take time to sample the cuisine.

August 30 - September 3, 2001 - Iron Horse Run - We got the family together for a "bike reunion" trip to the Four Corners Iron Horse Rally in Ignacio, CO. We all used to live in the area, and Bear's parents still live about 10 miles from the rally, so it was like going home for a while. It was kind of rainy the first day, but we dodged the storms for the rest of the weekend and had a great time at the rally. We were joined by more members of the family from the Ft. Lupton, CO area, and enjoyed a ride to the Vietnam Memorial in Farmington, NM while in the area. Iron Horse is definitely a rally to put on your to-do list of motorcycle events.

August 25, 2001 - Thunder Run - A few of the SW Oklahoma Southern Cruisers attended the all bikes welcome Thunder in the Wichitas HOG Rally held in Lawton, OK. The Vendors did a brisk business with us, and we were glad to help with the charities that the event assisted. Maybe the most fun was the bike parade around Lawton. Several spectators turned out to wave, photograph and enjoy the thunder of (an estimated) 150 bikes & trikes.

August 10, 2001 - Whorehouse Run - SW Oklahoma Southern Cruisers Weekly Dinner Ride to the Old Plantation Restaurant (a brothel in the old days) in Medicine Park, OK, then a leisurely ride around Lake Lawtonka. The group stopped for a visit at a camping site, and looked through Bear's new supply of custom "Thayer Rags™" doo-rags.

August 4, 2001 - Doo Run Run - We joined a group of the SOM Riders in Fay, OK and rode to Alfredo's Mexican Cafe in Weatherford, OK for some pretty good "vittles". There were 16 bikes and 1 trike in the group, and a couple of more bikes rolled in from the east coming out of OKC. The group had a fun time looking through Bear's supply of custom "Thayer Rags™" doo-rags.

August 3, 2001 - Emu Run - We joined a few other SW Oklahoma Southern Cruisers for a dinner run over to Giuseppi's Italian Dining in Marlow, OK. Everyone had a great ride and a good meal. CD especially enjoyed the traditional "Emu - Italian Style". We got to meet some more of the SWOKSCRC Club Members, and even enjoyed a ride back through Chickasha, OK with a couple of new biker acquaintances from Chickasha. We may be able to add them to our SW SCRC roster sometime in the future.

July 28, 2001 - Canton Lake Run - We rode as SW Oklahoma Southern Cruisers up to Canton Lake, OK to attend the 1st Annual Canton Lake Run sponsored by the Midwest OK SCRC Chapter. We had a great ride going up, a lazy afternoon at the camp ground in the rain, and a late ride back in a t-storm. The rain actually was refreshing, since we've had 100+ temps for so long. A few things got wet and had to be dried out, but we enjoyed our first regional-size rally and look forward to more.

(Sorry, we didn't get any photos)

July 21, 2001 - Pizza Run - We rode for the first time as members of the Southwest Oklahoma Southern Cruisers Riding Club. The weekly evening ride took us to a pizza party at the home of one of the club members that has not been able to ride with the club for a while due to medical reasons. As always, we had a good time talking about motorcycles.

July 14, 2001 - Picnic Run - We took another MAP Cruiser ride, this time to the Meers and Mt Scott, OK area with the final destination being CD's Company Picnic at LETRA. Bear caught another "Ride Oklahoma IV" photo while CD talked with riders from Wichita Falls, TX that were preparing to leave Meers. CD is at the far left in the photo. The view from the top of Mt Scott was a little hazy due to the clouds, but the temperature was great for an enjoyable ride.

July 1, 2001 - Ft Cobb Lake Run - Joining SOM Riders from the Watonga, OK area, we enjoyed a lazy afternoon of burgers, visiting and swimming at Ft Cobb Lake, OK. A couple of the SOM Riders present have a summer home in the area, and were kind enough to host the group for a very nice place to get out of the hot weather. They even had a pool table for our enjoyment. A nice way to spend the day!

June 23-24, 2001 - Honky Tonk Run - Went on a MAP Cruiser ride down to Wichita Falls, TX. (MAP=Ma & Pa) We met up with the kids from Dallas and the in-laws from Wichita Falls for a great Tex-Mex dinner at Zocalo Restaurant, then C&W dancing most of the night at "Texas Nite Life". Had a great time, and a great ride! And had to make a couple of trips over the new elevated roadway!

June 16, 2001 - Albino Weenie Run -Enjoyed a ride with the SW Oklahoma Chapter of the Southern Cruisers up to Moore, OK for some really good Bavarian food. Good ride, good food, & good people. Maybe you can tell by now that we always seem to migrate towards food on our rides...

June 10, 2001 - Foss Lake Run - Still enjoying the ride to "Ride Oklahoma IV" locations, we made the Foss Lake, OK run. This run was particularly pleasant because we rode up with a friend and joined other friends from the SOM Riders, Watonga, OK area, at the Route 66 Museum in Clinton, OK. Then the 19 bike & 1 trike group rode over to the lake for dinner at the Portside Cafe, Marina Del Rey. Great food, great company, and many new friends. There was an additional small group of SOM Riders that arrived later. Great folks.

June 3, 2001 - Quick Flick Run - CD & Bear took the bikes out to experiment with the RAM® handle bar camera mounts on each bike to get some "Rolling Photos". With a little practice and the right setting, slow speed photography of bikers should make for some great images.

(Photos not available)

May 26-28, 2001 - Wylie World Run - Memorial Day Weekend, we rode down to visit the kids in Wylie, TX. Thunderstorms swept down across Oklahoma and Texas on Sunday while we were safe & sound inside of the house. We had such a nice "laid-back" time that we forgot to shoot any pictures. Saw a lot of bikers out, and Bear got to try out her new Mustang Vintage seat.

(Photos not available)

May 19, 2001 - Tortilla Run - We rode down to Southwest Kawasaki-Suzuki in Lawton, OK to pick up a manual that we'd ordered. Then we stopped by Zapata's Cafe & Cantina for a great lunch. I guess we stayed too long, because we got caught in the rain on the way back. We got some valuable experience with "riding in the rain" and how our gear holds up. Photos were the last thing on our minds, so we didn't get any.

(Photos not available)	May 6, 2001 - Panhandle Run - We had our first "road-side" experience just north of Watonga, OK on the way back. The electrical system on Bear's Marauder shut down. Thanks to local bikers Sammy, Joanne, Mark, Michelle & Jim, "Bruiser" got a ride home on a trailer. It's nice to find great people like them.
	May 6, 2001 - Panhandle Run - After stuffing ourselves with Cajun Boiled Shrimp and Alligator-on-a-stick last night, we headed back home. We made one last "Ride Oklahoma IV" stop at Beaver State Park, watched the 4-wheelers playing in the sand, and had a nice visit with an "ex-cruiser-now-4-wheeler".

May 5, 2001 - Panhandle Run - "Cinco de Mayo", and we're off to Guymon, OK to see the kids. We stopped off at 3 additional "Ride Oklahoma IV" destinations on the way. The destinations shown here are Red Rock Canyon State Park, Hinton, OK; City of Watonga, OK; and Little Sahara State Park, Waynoka, OK.

April 28, 2001 - Mansion Run - Rode to our first destination of the "Ride Oklahoma IV" 12-month tour of Oklahoma, sponsored by Oklahoma Honda-Suzuki. The Murray-Lindsay Mansion, Lindsay, OK, is one of 14 locations on this year's tour.

April 15, 2001 - Nowhere Run - Easter Sunday and we hadn't made any plans to go anywhere, so we went on a MAP Cruiser ride to Nowhere, Oklahoma. (Nowhere, OK. is 4 miles north of Ft. Cobb, OK. near Ft. Cobb State Park.)

	March 22, 2001 - Rug Rat Run - Daughter Jen & Bear head out for a spin on the bikes. Jen rode and maintained her own motorcycle while in school in '94 through '96.
	March 22, 2001 - Bear & daughter Jen head out for some open road, and later, son-in-law Hoss begins his work at learning how to ride a cruiser.

March 19, 2001 - Gettin' Goin' Run III - CD finally got to take his first spin on 'Babe' after recovering from surgery. A set of Willie & Max bags have been added. CD had motocross motorcycles back in the early '70s.

March 2001 - We found our second cruiser! A '98 Suzuki Marauder VZ800. Now we can both ride our own machine with plenty or room for stuff and freedom to be a little "independent" from each other when we want. Bear will take the Marauder for her ride, and CD will keep the Vulcan 750 for his ride. The previous owner of the VZ has added several accessories to add comfort and convenience that Bear will enjoy. By the way, Bear said that since she'd laid CD's Vulcan over earlier, she won't need to do the same thing with her VZ, because now she's been there and done that and doesn't need to do it again. CD hopes she's right, but wonders if he got "took" on the deal....

February 2001 - Now that the kids are all raised and out of the house, CD & Bear can finally get started on fulfilling one of their dreams. Road Bikes! Of course, the fact that two of the three kids own road bikes already, including a Harley Davidson FXST "Softtail" & a Suzuki GSX R600 "Crotch Rocket", it just didn't seem right for them to have all of the fun! We're hoping to get a second cruiser soon. Bear was the first to lay the Vulcan over..... in the grass (gently)...... the first day we had it when she drove it home. She fell off of the back of her brother's Harley years ago when she was just 13, so maybe she was having "flash-backs". I think she was just wanting to see how hard it was to stand it back up. Tweren't hard a'tal'.....'Nuf said. (Bear and the Vulcan are both ok) Bear will be out there having another go at it soon.

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