WELCOME TO RIVER DAVES PLACE

Heading out for a Lap around the Western USA.

TPC

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A visit with Granny Axehandle in Vegas first.
 

Flyinbowtie

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You guys have a great trip Ross. Looking forward to the pics. Perhaps in late September you can sneak up this way for that trip we talked about. That fall my mom took sorta scrambled things up this spring.
 
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HotRod82

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The Black Hills is paradise........not a big Sturgis fan but Deadwood is awesome. So much to see and do, the people love bikers, off roaders and HotRodders. The Halloween cruise in Deadwood is off the hook.
Looking forward to the pics!
 

TPC

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So after a few days drama getting our RV outta the shop we made it to our first leg, Vegas at Sams Town.
We here to visit Granny Axehandle.
An iron hearted Swiss German.

Walking from our RV to the Casino we passed by a few Jeeps that have been customized to a whole new level.
I’ll send a few pix if they are still there when we head back to camp.
Ducks Unlimited is holding a function here and that explains the bad ass Jeeps.

Two hidden bars I drink at Sam Town. Both have long time bartenders that know us.

Me because I’m a regular and the wife because Univ hospital sends their serious cancer treatments patients, some Samstown employees, to USC and they know Alice from their stay.
USC often has new Treatments years ahead of other hospitals.

They confide in us that In 8 and 10 years full time employment respectively they have never seen anyone hit a Royal Flush.
That’s an eye opener gamers.

So I drink and put what ever my bar tab would be in the machines and tip.
 
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TPC

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Those duck hunters like the fine hookers too.
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TPC

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The Black Hills is paradise........not a big Sturgis fan but Deadwood is awesome. So much to see and do, the people love bikers, off roaders and HotRodders. The Halloween cruise in Deadwood is off the hook.
Looking forward to the pics!
Theirs a Sturgis SxS week now
We need to have a good RDP presence there.
 
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TPC

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My first job in Vegas was to help build that mountain.
It’s a nice place for a drink.
Ain’t cheap but cheaper to buy drinks than comp’d.
 
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TPC

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In route on the I 80 before Cheyenne Wy spent time at the roadside rest and the wife fed the Prairie Dogs
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Trick if ya want to spend the night at a rest stop get in before sunset.
 

TPC

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We stopped off in Bar Nunn Wy for lunch at the Hanger.
The Tale goes the former airport on this site’s taxiways and runways became city streets and the Hanger became a bar and grill.

Damfino that’s a take we heard.
 
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TPC

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Zero cell service for a week
Not sure if this will upload
Hitting the road tomorrow and will post some adventures.
 

TPC

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Deadwood is one of the best bar hopping towns I’ve experienced.
Reasonable price drinks and food and entertainment day and night.
Some hoaky tourists junk but good, appreciative service at all the watering holes.
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Lunch and drinks at Saloon 10.
A couple pink nosed puppies almost jumped on the bar.
No “free boobin.”:
 

TPC

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Still one quarter bar Verizon.
We’re in Rainbow Falls campground in Colorado.
Fantastic climbs, rock crawling and trails.

Wife walking a pure Wolf through the forest some lady has.

Some Guy a few camps over wanted to race me in his Wildcat.
Dead heat to about 20 then my X3’s Freak power kick’d
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Into light speed and he was way back in the RVM.

Over 300 trail miles no issues no damage.
 

TPC

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Still have a few weeks to go. Sedona next.

We did the tourist stuff. Seven days in Deadwood total. Caves, museums, ski lifts and bar hopping.

The hoaky Wall Drug was a quick stop. It was like Venus Beach. Freak show.

Surprised at the number of Deadwood casinos that have folded. Didn’t expect it to be so touristy with the Rubber Shrunken Heads and Pirate flags junk shop atmosphere.

The Needles Highway was on the bucket list. Nice drive.

We’ve mostly cooked our own food. Most the joints we stop at offer the same 4 kinds of burgers and cheese curds. Nothing more.
We skip chains.

Hooking up with rock crawling people really got the wife enthused for that.
So much she mapped up and enquired locally in Woodland Park Co about rock crawling trails.
The girls along on those runs love it.
We did it all day yesterday. Wife all over it and doesn’t want spotters.

The X3 Visco loc performs OK but the Polaris 4WD system much better.

The Polaris Ranger really popular at the rental joints but can’t handle technical tricks on the trails at all.

Nice trails here in Rainbow Falls but no real destinations.

One of the RVs ac puked but we still have two that work. Not touching it. The entire unit will be replaced on warranty. The RV places don’t fix them they simply change them out when they die. 12 screws, 4 bolts and 2 wiring harness plugs - good to go.
 
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TPC

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We’re dry camping the rest of the trip.
Our Honda eu2000i suffered the dreaded case cracks around the crankshaft fate. Still runs but the oil leak became unmanageable.

Bought the new Honda eu2200i and it’s a winner. $950 and a tough choice when the HF 2000 is on sale at $469.
Ya get what ya pay for.
 

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TPC

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At the campground bar we hooked up with a group of LEOs that were involved in a MS13 investigation. Drunks make friends easy.
We heard tales of attacks against them and threats against their families.

Next morning we were packing the X3 for a run and they all rolled by and invited us along with them.

Like rolling with an armed convoy.

They were all under the impression a 72” wide couldn’t run the trails and technicals but we did it all and we had the advantage with a wider reach.

What the hey, they took us up a MFSOB rock climb and we did good.
Can Am has a Viscous Coupling front drive dealio that isn’t as good as the Polaris 4WD system but it’s adequate and it works.

That was it for the wife, she loves the climbing and rock crawling. I’ll build her her own matchine. It’ll take a beating.

Wife has been amazing with the mapping and navigating “when you get to the X, take it.”

We’re down to one of three AC’s working in the RV so with the hotter days coming we’ll cut it short and head home early.
 
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TPC

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So we rolled into the Avi last night for a few days.
Takeing the X3 into Ft Mohave for breakfast and start shopping new Toy Haulers.
Frameless windows, quiet, better flowing stealth air conditioning, more storage and several others items on our list.
 

Paul65k

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What a great trip and glad to hear you had no major issues along the way!! Those trails look pretty cool!!

Crazy Horse Memorial is pretty Bad Ass and the story of the guy who started it, raised his family there and the primitive conditions he worked under are an amazing story!!

You got my juices flowing for our trip to Zion/Park City and Glacier in August!!!
 
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TPC

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We saw that - pretty cool.

This country is so bad ass.
Met some excellent people, ignored one asshole, and made some quality lifetime friends and memories.

Wifie convinced she wants to do more of this.
 
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TPC

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A “white martini” and a marshmallow chocolate rum at the Saltgrass
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TPC

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One day a huge group of kids with Beta motorcycles was visiting our campground from Idaho.
They too got stymied on the SD cul de sac short trails and asked to join us on a days run in hopes of finding better riding.
Sure.

The Polaris trails app offered little (but thanks still to those that suggested it) and we got a tip use the Avenza App.
That changed everything. A terrific trail riding app.

The RV Park Operators don’t get it. Visitors eventually figure out you have to ask around. All the office offers is a Forest service map. That’s no good.

The kids all wanted to talk about the X3 and their Betas.
Their general consensus was they chose Beta because it offered the good features from both KTMs and Yamahas combined with a lower price point.
Nice kids with a few adults along we figured was a church group on an outing.

So along with the people that originally invited us on a trip we all went.
These folks ride 4 to 5 hour non stop stretches. No pee brakes, no beer stops just pure marathon trail riding/driving. We never did that before.

One other group we encountered on an eventual trail break all drove Rzrs and wanted to tell of their incredible jumping skills. Damfino, I smiled and remained agreeable. 100 yard jump? Why, that’s fantastic.

Oh well. They wore those old school Elvis polo helmets and the group “guide” had a super loud bullhorn he was barking instructions from. I can’t make this stuff up.

One group with us we eventually learned was a MS13 investigative LEO group. Later over drinks we learned of the threats and attacks they and their families have had to live under. Serious stuff.
So we were a heavily armed convoy on a few days days runs and around camp.

We stopped off at one of the Touristy Caves along one trail and could tell some didn’t want to visit It.
Well, we quickly bought tickets for those that didn’t and they liked it more than anyone.
We love hoaky Americana attractions.
 

Flyinbowtie

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Sounds and looks like you had a blast. After our trip last Feb. Cindy and I both want to do more of that stuff. Probably April next year we are gonna do another one like that. Sorry to hear about the AC problems, will be looking forward to hearing the particulars on the new mobile HQ.
Hopefully we will see you up our way in late Sept. or October. Second or Third weekend in October is usually big fall trip, and we did a recon, while you were gone on your trip, prepping for it. I will fill you in via email or a phone call when it gets closer about fuel stops, etc. and we can sort things out.
It is going to be a blast. We will probably camp at Sand Mountain for a day or two, and hook up with you, then will be moving about 50 miles to another place we have located to set up camp.
We are also going to West Walker River Resort sometime in late July or after the Fair in August. Full hook ups, pool, bar, Sporting clay range, fishing the river and riding right out of camp...
Once we nail down a date for the big trip you will be first to know.
 
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