West Coast Ride Aug 2012

So the plan was Tony and I were going to join our cousin Ron and his crew out of Washington DC as they rode from San Francisco to Sturgis for the annual motorcycle rally there.



It was a great start to the ride and we had an absolute blast for the first two and a half days!  We started in San Francisco and rode across the Golden Gate Bridge (shrouded in fog) and north up the coast along Hwy 1 and Hwy 101, through the Redwoods along the Avenue of the Giants, to Eureka CA.









August 2nd found us continuing up the coast to Crescent City CA, then on to Grants Pass OR before a very scenic stop at Crater Lake before riding on to Bend OR for the night.






The third day's scheduled destinations included Mount Hood and the Columbia River Gorge.  Unfortunately, when leaving a fuel stop in Detroit OR, Tony's drive belt broke, leaving his bike (my old Road King) immobile.  After several phone calls to arrange service in Salem OR, we were recommended a fellow with a trailer to haul the bike to the Harley dealership for hasty repairs.  Tony and I planned to haul ass to catch up with the rest of the group that night in Pendleton OR after his bike was fixed.  Unfortunately, as we were entering Salem, the trailer hauling the bike fishtailed and overturned, causing irreparable damage to the bike.

Tony and I decided to abandon the ride and he returned to Alaska to await the decision on the bike form the insurance adjuster.  I rode to Portland OR on Sunday to visit Kevin and Stephanie Austermann and their boys.  After a fun dinner, I rode to Springfield OR for the night.

On Monday, I rode to Klamath Falls to visit Mom's grave.  After riding around town, I decided to stay the night.  I spoke with a buddy who was on a ride of his own up to Emmett ID.  We decided to meet in Winnemucca NV on Tuesday evening.

Bob and I returned to Sacramento on Wednesday, meeting Brad from Central FL and Rob from Boise along the way.  It was fun meeting up with the guys and definitely lifted my spirits after the events from a couple days before.




I returned home and was saddened by the half-empty garage.


Click HERE to see the rest of the pictures from this ride!









RIP, my trusty Road King!  Thanks for the memories!

Crater Lake NP, OR

Southernmost Point of the continental US, Key West FL

Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe CA

Grand Tetons, WY

Taking a break from grinding the floorboards through the twisties of the Sierra foothills, CA

David and Sandra's wedding

I spent this weekend on the Washington coast celebrating the wedding of my cousin David Miller to his bride Sandra Peterson. It was a wonderful opportunity to become reacquainted with the Miller side of the family who I've been out of touch with for several years. We all had a fabulous time and the weather couldn't have been better! Tina, Lezlie, Kirstin, and I even had a chance to visit with Tony for a couple of hours before we all had to race off to catch our flights.

We're already looking forward to the next time we can put together a big family gathering!




Congratulations
David and Sandra!!



Click HERE to see
more photos of this fun weekend!

Captain Tony's Interview

Tony was recently interviewed by a radio station in Portland, OR. If it doesn't automatically begin to play, click on the link below to hear this interesting conversation.

Watch this at 1080 The Fan

Season Finale

Captain Tony's current run on Deadliest Catch wrapped up this past Tuesday. It was good to see the boat finish on a high note but an uncertain future lies ahead. Will Tony be back on next season? Only time will tell!

Captain Tony's First Pot

Kickin' ass and takin' names! :)

Captain Tony's Debut

On 7 June 2011, Discovery Channel's show Deadliest Catch will feature my brother Tony as he takes over the job of skipper of the F/V Cornelia Marie for the 2011 Opilio Crab season. It is a huge responsibility. Not only must he proficiently and safely run the boat (not to mention actually finding the crab), he must also coordinate the efforts of his crew as well as endure the media frenzy that has occurred since the departure of Captain Derrick Ray at the end of Red King Crab season.

Here is the first clip as Tony arrives in the wheelhouse and meets Josh Harris.



You can also follow Tony on his Facebook fanpage. Good luck, Captain Tony! (That has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?)

Halftime in Hawaii!