Cruiser Rides 2002

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

October 19, 2002 - Oktoberfest Run - CD & Bear joined a hardy group of riders to brave the rain and participate in the ABATE of Lawton Oktoberfest Poker Run in Lawton, OK. The proceeds all went to a young local woman recently widowed by a fatal motorcycle accident. Costumes were encouraged, so Bear's "ride-along Bear" sported his jack-o-lantern Trick or Treat costume and CD donned a blond wig and became "Blondie" for the day. The poker run took us out around through Porter Hill, Sterling, and Pumpkin Center, OK, terminating at the Retired Service Personnel Club in Lawton, OK where a chili feed and benefit auction took place. Yeah, it was wet, but it was fun!

September 17-23, 2002 - Correo Ruidoso Run - CD & Bear made the run out to Ruidoso, NM for the 33rd Annual Golden Aspen Motorcycle Rall and AMA National Road Riding Convention. The wind across West Texas and Eastern NM beat on us all of the way, but living in Oklahoma, we're used to some wind. The low temps in the upper 30's made living in the tent a little different than we're used to since living in Colorado, but other than the rain on Wednesday, it wasn't bad. The riding during the day more than made up for it. Ruidoso has some really great highways that meander around in the pine and aspen covered mountains. The Rally site was a little dusty, but overall, El Ruidoso Rally estuve bien! We had "pool-side" parking at the motel in Lubbock, and took time to look at the War Memorial in Benjamin, TX on the way back.

September 7, 2002 - Run4Peanuts Run - A group of Lawton ABATE members made the trek out to Wellington, TX for their Annual Collingsworth County Peanut Festival, and CD & Bear were among the group. Motorcycle events included an entry in the Peanut Parade for all bikes wishing to participate, Poker Run, Bike Show, & Bike Games. The group went out Friday evening for a fairly cool night-time ride, and the next morning participated in the parade and poker run. Different groups and organizations were preparing all kinds of foods to make the day in the park very enjoyable. Others were selling merchandise of one kind or another, creating a full-blown County Fair atmosphere. CD, and several other bikers, took advantage of the "all you can eat" peanuts in the shell. We counted 89 bikes at the event, and CD & Bear won the plaque for "Furthest Traveled" bikers of those who registered for the Poker Run.

September 2, 2002 - Lugie Run - CD was on-call for his company for the first two days of the Labor Day Weekend, but he & Bear did get away on Monday for yet another Ride Oklahoma V stop at the newly rebuilt Quartz Mountain Lodge at Lake Lugert north of Altus, OK.

PHOTOS

(At the SWOKSCRC Site)

August 16-18, 2002 - Thunder in the Wichitas Rally Run - CD & Bear attended the 2nd Annual Thunder in the Wichitas Rally at Lawton, OK. See the Southwest Oklahoma Southern Cruiser website at http://www.swokscrc.org/rides.htm

August 1-4, 2002 - Wylie Run - The kids invited us down to their 1st Annual Southern Bowtie Club Family Picnic at Lake Lavon, near Wylie, TX. The Southern Bowtie Club is an automobile club for Chevrolet owners (hence the "Bowtie"). The old drive chain on Bear's Suzuki Marauder needed an adjustment midway at Decatur, TX, but we made it in time to watch the boys put the steering column back in Hoss's old Chevy pickup in preparation for the event. CD's at his best setting in the shade drinking beer and picking his nose. They had a good turnout for the car show at the lake, and other than a sore arm from pitching horse shoes, it was a great time.

PHOTOS

(At the SWOKSCRC Site)

July 26-27, 2002 - Canton Lake Run - CD & Bear attended the 2nd Annual Canton Lake Run at Canton, OK, sponsored by the Midwest Chapter of the Oklahoma Southern Cruisers. See the Southwest Oklahoma Southern Cruiser website at http://www.swokscrc.org/rides.htm

July 20, 2002 - Chicken Poker Run - CD & Bear worked one of the stops for the Lawton ABATE Annual Chicken Poker Run. We've been on several poker runs, but this is the first time that we ever worked one of the card draw stops. Actually, it was very enjoyable to get to see all of the bikes participating in the run, and get a chance to talk to all of the participants.

July 6, 2002 - Cedar Run - Ever get one of those phone calls from a friend asking: "Hey, wanna ride a couple of hundred miles to have lunch tomorrow?". Sure! So off we went to Hugo, OK with a group of the Lawton A.B.A.T.E. members. We had a good variety of bikes along for the trip, including Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Harley Davidson. And we mixed it up with styles too, with cruisers, sports and crotch rockets all puttin' down the road together. At the stop in Ringling, OK, we took time to tighten the chain on a bike and get a Ride Oklahoma V photo for one rider, then it was on to the second fuel stop in Durant, OK where we all started seeking shade and pulling off the leathers for the day. An "impromptu" stop at a cedar wood-working shop near Boswell, OK netted a new cedar bird house for a couple of the riders, and upon reaching Hugo it was time for yet another Ride Oklahoma V photo for some riders. Finally, we reached the Cedar Shed BBQ for a delicious meal and chit-chat. Although we all wanted to take a long nap, it was time to head back. A fuel and photo stop in Sulphur, OK collected one more Ride Oklahoma V photo before discovering an oil leak on one bike. A quart of oil was found and everyone was soon back on the road home.

July 4, 2002 - Firecracker Run - CD & Bear cruised on up to Tuttle, OK to check out the Annual Ice Cream Festival. After scarfing down fresh-dipped corndogs and yummy ice cream, it was off to Hydro, OK for a cool afternoon ride and another Ride Oklahoma V stop at the Graffiti Grill. Feeling cocky that we'd dodged the sudden thundershower, we returned to Anadarko, OK only to be caught by another cloud-burst that drenched us both to the bone. The evening picnic went well anyway, even though it was in the garage.

PHOTOS

(At the SWOKSCRC Site)

May 30 -June 2, 2002 - Party in the Woods Run - CD & Bear attended the 1st Annual Party in the Woods Rally at Hawg Holler near Rose, OK, sponsored by the Oklahoma Southern Cruisers. See the Southwest Oklahoma Southern Cruiser website at http://www.swokscrc.org/rides.htm

June 3-6, 2002 - Talimena Run - During the week between the R.O.T. Rally in Austin , TX and the SCRC Oklahoma State Rally in Rose, OK, CD & Bear ran wild. Finding the Texas heat a little too much for camping, they headed straight to Shreveport, LA, and camped out at the KOA. CD took time to log onto the Internet with the mobile rig and purge the junk email. Then it was north to De Queen, AR for the night before spending a full day riding the Talimena Scenic Drive and stopping at nearly all of the 16+ road-side pull-outs along the way. It's a great place to ride motorcycles, and you can learn a lot about the country from the information signs along the way. After a night in Talihina, OK, and waiting the next morning for the rain to end, the ride north to Rose, OK, was interrupted briefly for a quick stop in Muskogee, OK for yet another Ride Oklahoma V stop at the USS Batfish. Counting the two rallies, CD & Bear ran 1661 miles in 11 days, staying in motels or a tent, and didn't get wet once.

PHOTOS

(At the SWOKSCRC Site)

May 30 -June 2, 2002 - ROT-ROH Run - CD & Bear accompanied a group of Southwest Oklahoma Southern Cruiser members to the R.O.T. (Republic of Texas) Rally in Austin, TX. See the Southwest Oklahoma Southern Cruiser website at http://www.swokscrc.org/rides.htm

May 19, 2002 - Rolling Thunder Run - Sunday morning, we were up early to pack up our camp for the ride to El Reno, OK to join in the Rolling Thunder Run of Veterans on their ride across America to honor the POWs & MIAs of all wars. The Sunset Chapter of ABATE gathered 115 local bikes that met and escorted the 15-bike convoy on a portion of their journey from Clinton, OK to El Reno, OK where they were fed and spent the night before continuing on their way. Interstate 40 was a little crowded for a while, but it was nice to see an endless stream of motorcycles in both directions.

May 17-18, 2002 - Mayfit Run - CD & Bear made a Map Cruisers run up to the Mayfit Rally in Pawhuska, OK on Saturday morning, and camped at the Rally for the night. We bumped into some friends from Anadarko, and discovered that our camps were right next to each other. We got to meet some new friends from Duncan, OK. Great party! We caught a couple more of our Ride Oklahoma V destinations on the way. Shown here are the stops for Bartlesville & Hominy Ok.

May 10-12, 2002 - Strawberry Run - CD & Bear made a run with some members of ABATE of Lawton up to the Annual Strawberry Festival in Stilwell, OK for the Bike Show, Parade, & Poker Run. On Friday night, we spent the night at a motel in Sallisaw, OK, then rode into Stilwell Saturday morning for the bike events including a great Poker Run that took us out through Arkansas. A couple of the bikes needed minor mechanical attention at the stop in Arkansas, but everyone made it back to the Oklahoma Station for the finale. We rode back as far as Henryetta, OK Saturday night, then continued on back home in the rain on Sunday.

May 5-6, 2002 - Jalapeno Run - CD & Bear made their annual Map Cruisers run up to the Oklahoma Panhandle to visit their son, and picked up three of the Ride Oklahoma V destinations on the way. Shown here are the stops for Cordell (upper right), Erick (middle left), & Arnett (middle right), Oklahoma. Except for the pea-soup fog when leaving on Saturday morning, and the SW wind when returning on Sunday, the ride was as good as it gets. Having a tail wind running from Sayre to Arnett, OK up US Hwy 283 through the Black Kettle National Grasslands was one of the most pleasant rides we could ask for. To celebrate Cinco de Mayo, CD hauled back another case of Jalapeno-flavored Vienna Sausages that he gets from the United Supermarket in Guymon, OK.

PHOTOS

(At the SWOKSCRC Site)

April 28, 2002 - Patch Party Run - CD & Bear hosted a cookout for Southwest Oklahoma Southern Cruiser members. See the Southwest Oklahoma Southern Cruiser website at http://www.swokscrc.org/rides.htm

PHOTOS

(At the SWOKSCRC Site)

April 21, 2002 - McGehee Run - CD & Bear joined the Southern Cruisers for a ride to McGehee's Catfish Restaurant down near Marietta, OK. See the Southwest Oklahoma Southern Cruiser website at http://www.swokscrc.org/rides.htm

April 14, 2002 - Downed Bikers Run - CD & Bear joined several other Oklahoma Bikers for the 2nd Annual Downed Bikers Poker Run. Beginning at The Country Bar where a tent and band was set up, the run continued to DJ's BarBQue, Country Palace Saloon, & Draper Lake Marina before returning to The Country Bar. The band and the beer truck took over from there. It was a good day for a motorcycle ride.

April 13, 2002 - Ride OK IV Banquet Run - CD & Bear waited for the thunderstorms to pass through, and then followed them into El Reno, OKC, and Del City, OK to take part in the Oklahoma Honda Suzuki Ride Oklahoma 4th Annual Awards Banquet. A couple of the other SWOK Southern Cruisers had also participated in the event. Everyone present got a door prize of some kind, and it was the official kick-off of "Ride Oklahoma V".

March 31, 2002 - Sunrise Service Run - CD & Bear were invited by some neighbor bikers to enjoy a Sunrise Easter pageant near Apache, OK. We headed out in the wee-hours of the morning to meet up with the rest of the group. Everyone arrived early to visit and then watched a live program that was very well done. Hopefully, we can go again next year. After returning to Anadarko, OK to pack a picnic lunch, it was off to Nowhere, OK & Ft Cobb Lake for what is becoming our Annual Easter Sunday Map Cruisers Run. We spent last Easter relaxing at Nowhere, enjoying the peaceful lake atmosphere, and plan to go each year.

March 23, 2002 - No La Junta Run - CD & Bear had scheduled a business meeting with some folks in Lawton, OK, and the J. Roy Dunning Children Shelter Benefit Poker Run just happened to be scheduled for the same time. The business meeting was a "no-show" by the other party, and although CD & Bear didn't have time to make the 77-mile run, there was still time to visit with friends and check out the bikes of those that participated. The wind was up a little, but not to the point where folks wouldn't come out to support the Children's Shelter. The south wind made for some really nice cruising back north to Anadarko, OK, and CD & Bear took time to snap some rolling photos of each other on the way home.

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March 16, 2002 - Corned Beef & Cabbage Run - The riding club that CD & Bear are active in, the Southwest Oklahoma Southern Cruiser Riding Club, braved the cold temperatures to attend the St. Patrick's Day festivities in Shamrock, TX. We didn't see any leprechauns and it was tough to find green beer in that dry county of Texas, but we had a great time anyway. We spent the night at the Irish Inn and then rode back with a different group of folks from the Lawton, OK & Altus, OK ABATE clubs. CD & Bear are members of the Lawton Dist #3 Chapter of ABATE ( A Brotherhood Aiming Toward Education). Follow this link for more Photos.

PHOTOS

(At the SWOKSCRC Site)

March 10, 2002 - Pre-picnic Run - The riding club that CD & Bear are active in, the Southwest Oklahoma Southern Cruiser Riding Club, traveled to the Waurika, OK & Comanche, OK areas to scope out the facilities for a possible picnic location for later this season. Follow this link for Photos.

PHOTOS

(At the SWOKSCRC Site)

March 9, 2002 - Spring Fling Cookout Thing Run - The riding club that CD & Bear are active in, the Southwest Oklahoma Southern Cruiser Riding Club, had a cookout at a member's house in Lawton, OK. Follow this link for Photos.

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February 16, 2002 - Oyster Run - The Annual Oyster Fry in Frederick, OK was an excuse to get out on the road with a group of the Southwest Oklahoma Southern Cruisers. The weather was just right for cruising, so instead of waiting for the oysters to be served up, we grabbed a burger and got back out on the road. Bear & I ran about 250 miles, looping through the Oklahoma communities of Apache, Medicine Park, Snyder, Frederick, Comanche, Chickasha and back to Anadarko.

January 28-29, 2002 - T-T-T-Tulsa Time Run - Having a forecast of high temps in the upper 60's and low 70's for the weekend, we couldn't pass up a chance to ride up to the Tulsa Area to get the last two of our "Ride Oklahoma IV" stops. We headed out at 8:00 Saturday morning and stopped for breakfast at the Chickasha Turnpike McDonalds. At a fuel stop in Henryetta, the special of the day at the restaurant next door was "Barbecued Bin Laden".We passed on lunch and headed on up to Natural State Park in West Silome Springs. We met some Southern Cruisers from Arkansas Chapter 107 Fayetteville at a quickstop in West Silome Springs, out enjoying the warm weather as well. Then, we made a stop at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore before turning in for the night at the Will Rogers Best Western. The next morning, we enjoyed a leisurely ride back down the Turner and H.E. Bailey Turnpikes to home.

January 12, 2002 - Dry Run - We've been working on getting going with camping gear for the 2002 season, and decided to run down to Lawton, OK for the first test-run with the new Tour Master Nylon XLRG Sissybar Bag on CD's bike. It didn't have everything in it that we'll be taking with us, but it had enough weight to find out how it might change the handling characteristics of the motorcycle. Everything went smoothly for the 100 or so miles over an assortment of road types. Can you tell which bike is CD's & which one is Bear's?

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