KTMrad 482 Posted October 24, 2017 While in Vegas, I needed a place to stay and catch up on my trip report, order some sound proofing insulation for the sidecar, etc. My best friend Alfred could not host us because he has cats, that would not work with Doc being there. So, I had an idea. The company I used to work for has a company condo in Vegas and I'm still good friends with them all. I called them and asked if they'd mind if we stayed at the company condo for a few days. They checked to make sure nobody else was staying there that week, then sent me a key in the mail. So, I stayed there for 5 days and took care of a few things and maintenance on the rig. Here, Doc was making friends with the locals at the condo complex. While in Vegas, I decided to go to a local Cycle Gear and see if they had any specials on cold weather gear, I needed to upgrade some of my gear. Sure enough, I picked up some insulated long johns, top and balaclava all for about $50. A family was in the store, and of course Doc got their attention and made friends immediately with the kids. As I was getting ready to leave, this guy pulls up in a pickup truck...we both look at each other and recognize each other. It was Mike Skurkis (Viking Mike Skurkis) who has done our Desert Dash Dualsport Ride many times. He has been racing competitively in the Baja races and has won the Ironman Class....he's now racing lots of other events all over the world. Was great to see him, and what a coincidence !!! Later that night, found a pub and needed dinner and a refreshment....couldn't pass up this place, had to try one of each ! haha Another night, while visiting my friend Alfred, I had to stop at my favorite NY Pizza Joint near his house...this is the best mural I have ever seen of NY City. Real NY Pizza in Vegas....yeah baby !! Doc playin' ball inside the company condo. And a Vegas sunset.....they have some incredible sunsets there ! After 5 days in Vegas, we had to head back to San Diego to take care of some personal business before continuing on our trip....to be continued. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KTMrad 482 Posted October 24, 2017 We got back to San Diego and the first thing we did was go to an Open House / Grand Opening at Torque Moto Cafe in North Park. A bunch of my moto friends and Airhead Beemer friends were there.... The owner and I.... She had to sit in the sidecar....Doc looked at her like, "Hey, that's my rig" ! Reserved bike parking. Some of my Airhead friends.... My friend Isaac on the left, who used to own Trophy Motorcycles, now runs San Diego Triumph. The Torque Moto Cafe is pretty cool.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wierdrider 178 Posted October 24, 2017 I'm going to the Torque Moto Cafe tomorrow eve? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KTMrad 482 Posted October 25, 2017 Since I was back in San Diego for a short time, my Airhead friends had a little get together for us at Bert and Lisa's house....great time. We stayed with Bert and Lisa for 3 days. We enjoyed dog beach as much as possible since we'd only be here for a short while. I was invited to stay for Thanksgiving at Jan and Di's house (Jan Hoffman started the Airheads Beemer Club), but we didn't have another place to stay...my friend Noel said, "well now you do, come stay with me for a few days". Noel has a dog named Claire, so her and Doc became instant friends. Then it was time for Thanksgiving at the Hoffman's....I've been here many times over the years and they've been hosting turkey day for about 25 years in a row....always a great time with lots of food ! After Thanksgiving, it was time to say bye to Noel and Claire....I think Claire wanted to go with Doc, she had no problem getting in the sidecar. Before leaving San Diego, we had to say bye to some more good friends and neighbors.... My good friend John P. And Ed.... Skip, me and Joe.... On the road again towards Arizona....crashed for the night. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simicrintz 177 Posted October 25, 2017 Something tells me the company condo was purchased in the 80's Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KTMrad 482 Posted October 25, 2017 Next stop....the outskirts of Phoenix at my friend Jim's house. I met Jim on a job in Phoenix years ago, doing construction defect inspections. He's an expert in the structural field and has done very well for himself....he's got a gorgeous house with a garage the size of a small house, with LOTS of toys and collectibles. Pantera ! HIs boss Ron, who is also his good friend and riding buddy, lives across the street. They invited me over for some birthday cake and coffee, celebrating Ron's Dad's 92nd birthday, was very happy to be there. Jim and I were sitting in the backyard drinking beers. I asked him where the nearest motel was. All of a sudden a windstorm kicked up, blew the umbrellas over and it started pouring....guess it was a monsoon. Jim said, "you're not going anywhere, you can sleep on the couch". Enjoyed my stay with Jim and his wife. Next day headed southeast and found the Casa Grande Monument.... A very interesting place. When I went out to the parking lot, I saw a younger guy with his bike and we started talking. His Dad came out and we talked for awhile. Marc and Jon were on a father / son road trip from Indiana, I thought that was awesome. We exchanged information to stay in touch. As we were getting ready to leave, a woman saw Doc in the sidecar and came over to talk to us. She told me to wait a minute so she could get her husband. He came out and said he was on ADVrider Forums, his name Paul Gadgett. He and his wife were caretakers at the Casa Grande Monument....small world this is. Getting close to sunset at the monument..... Ended up riding with Marc and Jon to a motel. We hung out and drank some beers talking for a few hours that night. Next morning, they had to get on their way back to Indiana, and I would go exploring dirt roads towards the south. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KTMrad 482 Posted October 25, 2017 Finally found some dirt roads to explore....and good scenery ! Ahhh yes, we love the "Pavement Ends" sign ! Stopped to ask these guys who were grading the roads, which dirt road was the one I wanted....they were really cool and loved our rig, so they posed for a pic. Mad Maxx. Doc loves riding off-road...his head is out the window almost the entire time and he's always lookin' for critters.... Stopped in the little town of Oracle and met this nice lady who loved Doc at the information office. It would be cold tonight....she told me which motel in town would be reasonable, out of only 2 or 3. This place was nice and cozy with a nice heater....it would get below freezing tonight. A history lesson about the area and Buffalo Bill Cody....I love this stuff ! Had a huge steak dinner at the local steak house that night. Next day, we did a 40 mile dirt road along a dry river, the San Pedro River, heading towards Benson, Arizona....next destination....TOMBSTONE !! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KTMrad 482 Posted October 25, 2017 Earlier in the year before we started the trip, I talked to a guy on Facebook who has a sidecar dog. We became friends, and one reason we went to Tombstone was to meet him. He knew all the locals, worked as a tour guide at the Silver Mine, and had worked as one of the gunfighters in town. When I pulled into Tombstone, I saw a sidecar rig with bright lights coming down the street. I realized it must be Gene....he pulled into the middle turn lane on the street and stopped, stood up on his rig and put his arms in the air, welcoming me to Tombstone....that was an awesome welcome ! I went and got a room, then we headed out for a drink. Doc and his sidecar buddy Chaco were friends right away.... This would become my favorite place in town for the next month...the 4 Deuces.... We immediately met a bunch of people and other local dogs....Doc started making new friends. Grizzly, the little brown pup would become another one of Doc's best buds. This dog thought he owned the place.... After socializing at the 4 Deuces and meeting the locals, we went over to Allen Street to get some pix in front of the OK Corral....site of the infamous gunfight between the Earps with Doc Holliday on their side, against the Clantons and the Cowboy Gang.... Chaco the Canyon Commander.... To be continued from Tombstone..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kato 53 Posted October 25, 2017 1 hour ago, KTMrad said: A Pantera (w/ a "roof"rack!?!) and a 2CV next to each other!!!! Tasty. Keep em' coming amigooo Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wierdrider 178 Posted October 25, 2017 Enjoying your travels Rad n Doc, what an adventure?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KTMrad 482 Posted October 25, 2017 More from Tombstone...Stagecoach on Allen Street At the historic Crystal Palace Saloon I asked what Doc Holliday's favorite drink was....Old Overhalt. I said, "I'll take a shot of that". Gene with a couple of lovely ladies at the Crystal Palace. Since Gene was a gunfighter there and has lived there a few months, he has a lot of western outfits...as do many of the locals. It still is a real cowboy town. Deer roam the streets of town every day, as do Javalina. I saw the gunfighters standing in the middle of Allen Street before their next OK Corral gunfight. I asked if they minded if my boy "Doc Holliday" posed with them...they said no problem. Doc has his head turned towards the guy playing Doc Holliday in the grey trench coat. Next morning had breakfast at the OK Cafe....guess what i had to get....yep, the Doc Holliday Burrito ! Add a little Arizona Gunslinger hot sauce to that.... A bunch of ladies diggin' our sidecar rig. The next day, Gene and Chaco led us to the Dragoon Mountains just northeast of Tombstone, where Cochise and a couple hundred men held off the Cavalry for months. The Cavalry was afraid to go in there because Cochise and his men had the advantage from above in the rocky outcroppings with plenty of cover. Gene knows a lot of the history of the area, he's an excellent guide ! Beautiful area..... A great ending to a great day. Stay tuned for more.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Czechsix 1 Posted October 25, 2017 Good to see you two are doing well! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
danrider 5 Posted October 26, 2017 Keep on Randy and Doc! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KTMrad 482 Posted October 26, 2017 The next day, Gene and Chaco, Doc and I went exploring for a bit. We found a dirt road outside of town but turned around after going a ways since it was getting late. Gene showed us the Ed Schieffelin Monument. Ed was the founder of Tombstone....below is a little history about Ed and how Tombstone got it's name. We checked out the Tombstone Cemetery (not the Boot Hill tourist attraction) Then the Schieffelin Monument where Ed Schieffelin is buried.... Edward Schieffelin, one of Arizona’s most famed prospectors was born in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, in 1847. Schieffelin’s penchant for prospecting began in the Pacific Northwest in 1864. A decade later, Schieffelin scoured Arizona for riches around the Grand Canyon, Mineral Park and Irataba districts. He journeyed farther south, investigating potential riches around Prescott, and eventually relocated to southeastern Arizona at Camp Huachuca in 1877. Ignoring the copper carbonate found often in southeastern Arizona, gold and silver were the primary metals on Schieffelin’s quest. It was outcrops of silver chloride that drew Schieffelin to the Tombstone Hills. Previously employed as a guard for an assessment crew at the Brunckow Mine — located 5 miles west of Tombstone — Schieffelin relied on his rifle as protection against Apaches while he used his field glasses to observe distant mountains for faults, synclines and other indicators of potential mineralization. Earlier mineral exploration by Prussian prospector Frederick Brunckow, an engineer of the Sonora Exploring and Mining Co. of New York, included a silver mine and adobe reverberatory furnance in 1859. Brunckow was murdered by Mexican employees that same year while working his mine known as the “Bronco” and later the Dean Richmond claim. In the heart of Apache territory, the soldiers stationed at Camp Huachuca warned Schieffelin that his stalwart prospecting would earn him a tombstone. From that statement, Schieffelin would go on to name his first claim the “Tombstone,” which he discovered that same year 4 miles east of the San Pedro River. Keeping with the prevailing theme, he would name additional claims “Graveyard No. 1” and “Graveyard No. 2.” The samples Schieffelin gathered from these claims did not secure confidence from Tucson investors, including Sydney DeLong, an owner of the Brunckow Mine who considered them low-grade. The local mercantile of Tully & Ochoa would not loan Schieffelin credit for mining supplies because they considered his operation in Apache territory precarious. Persistence paid off for Schieffelin, who found temporary employment as a windlass operator at the Champion Mine northeast of Globe, thus obtaining the necessary funding to sustain his travels in search of his brother Albert. After reuniting with his brother, who was employed at the Signal Mill in Mohave County, they rendered the services of Richard Gird, a renowned assayer. Gird assayed Schieffelin’s ore samples, discovering high values of gold and silver ranging from $40 to $2,000 a ton. All three journeyed to the San Pedro Valley, staking claims in 1878, including the Owl’s Nest, Lucky Cuss, Toughnut and Goodenough. They would later sell the Contention Mine, named after a grubstake dispute and subsequent lawsuit, for $10,000. Arizona Territorial Governor Anson P.K. Safford, a noted mine speculator, contributed finances toward the Schieffelin venture by building a 10-stamp mill on the San Pedro River in exchange for a quarter interest in the Toughnut claim. With the help of Safford, the Schieffelins and Gird founded the Tombstone Gold and Silver Mill and Mining Co., valued at $5 million, including 80 acres of mining property. By July 1880, the Schieffelin brothers cashed out their 244,000 shares of stock valued at $600,000 to a Connecticut syndicate. Ed left for California and reinvested some of his profits in an Alaska venture. Journeying along the Yukon River in 1883 on a steamboat in search of a great mineral belt, he discovered traces of gold in the Lower Ramparts though the harsh environs of the Arctic —including temperatures of 40-below — deterred Schieffelin from claiming the bonanza discovered 13 years later in the Klondike gold rush. Passing away on May 14, 1897, at his cabin near Canonville, Oregon, Schieffelin was laid to rest as stipulated by his will with his pick and canteen in the town of Tombstone that he had founded. A 25-foot-high granite monument over his gravesite was erected in his honor, and sculpted by M.W. Jones. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After taking a break at the Monument, we were riding back and saw the entrance to Tombstone Monument Ranch. Gene had never been so he turned in...then we saw a sign for Saloon, so we went to check this place out. It's a Bed and Breakfast Ranch with horseback rides, etc. and is set up like a mini Tombstone Town. Of course, our sidecar dogs immediately drew a lot of attention. We were welcomed by the folks at the bar, some of them were the owners from England. This turned out to be a really cool place, with interesting characters. We talked with everyone in the place and had a blast ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KTMrad 482 Posted October 26, 2017 So, we met an interesting guy at the Tombstone Monument Ranch Saloon....here is the background story I posted on Facebook...... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A few weeks ago, I joined a Dutch Shepherd Facebook group….Turns out this group is like a small family, really good people. When I posted in the group that we were in Tombstone, one woman Louise said that her Dutch Shepherd breeder from North Carolina who was also K9 trainer and K9 officer for many years, moved to Tombstone. She asked if i could try to find him and find out if he still had her dog’s parents. I figured I would try to do that for her since this is such a small town, figured somebody's got to know him. So one day I was riding with my sidecar friends Gene and Chaco, and we found the Tombstone Monument Ranch…Gene had never been, so we pulled in and it had a Saloon, so I said let’s get a beer. We ended up meeting a bunch of really cool locals and English people, so we hung out. This cowboy comes in and sees Doc, and asks what type of dog he is ( I think he was testing me to see if I knew )….I said I believe he’s mainly Dutch Shepherd. He agreed and said he used to breed them. I didn’t put 2 and 2 together until thinking about it the next day….this guy might be the woman’s DS breeder from North Carolina. I googled his name, and in a blurb about the horseback tours at Tombstone Ranch, it mentioned Mike Evans being an ex-K9 police officer and dog trainer/breeder, so I was almost sure it was him. I posted a couple pix of Mike and I shaking hands at the Monument Ranch. We had talked for awhile, and he is a wealth of knowledge about the local history and stuff you don’t hear about, like the usual Earp stories, etc. When Louise on the Dutch Shepherd FB page saw the photo of Mike and I, she said, OMG…you found him. ( I didn’t know it at the time ). So a few days later, I went back to the Ranch and there was only 2 people at the bar….I asked the bartender if Mike Evans was around….she pointed to the end of the bar, I didn’t recognize him without his cowboy hat. He motioned for me to come over and we started talking. I said I wanted to talk to him about 2 things: 1. His professional opinion of what Doc is…he said he’s 99.9% sure Doc is Dutch Shepherd mixed with German Shepherd. He said some breeders did that, and the dog would end up being super smart like a Dutch, but not as hyper….mellower like a German. He said also, often the ears would not pop up on their own, just like Doc….so I was right, that Doc has got a lot of DS in him, and Mike's description of the mix fits Doc to a tee. 2. Next, I told him about the woman Louise and that she wanted to know if he remembered her and the dog she got from him in North Carolina. He said yes….I showed him photos of her dog and a tear almost came to his eye….he said her dog turned out so beautiful. I asked about her dogs parents…the father, his dog Booger, passed away a year ago…I could tell he was emotional about that dog. The mother, he gave away to someone in North Carolina before he moved out here. When I posted all this on the DS Facebook page, Louise was so thankful that I went back to talk to him and gave her all this info. What a small world….I think it’s a cool story. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A pic of Mike and I.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KTMrad 482 Posted October 26, 2017 A Tombstone Sunset.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KTMrad 482 Posted October 26, 2017 There was so much to see around the area....we decided to go do a big loop through the countryside in search of local ghost towns...we would not be disappointed. It's funny that when Gene and Chaco are riding ahead of us, Doc barks and whines the whole time, maybe because he thinks his buddy Chaco is getting away or he wants to make sure he's OK....whatever it is, it cracks me up. When we're ahead of Gene and Chaco, Doc doesn't bark....who knows what he's thinkin'. He wants to git the cow ! We stopped in the old town of Pearce....Gene was checking a loose bolt. We continued on more dirt roads and found another ghost town and jail.... I believe this was the foundation of the old Hotel. Nice sunset on the way back to town, great ending to another fantastic day exploring the Old West ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tntmo 855 Posted October 26, 2017 That entire area of Arizona is beautiful. I stayed with a friend last year near Fort Huachuca but didn't check out Tombstone, it's on my to do list even more so after seeing all of your pictures. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dress4Less 162 Posted October 26, 2017 What an adventure! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KTMrad 482 Posted October 26, 2017 Some more random pix of Tombstone....we spent a month there, so have lots of photos. We did many a late night walks thru town looking for ghosts, Doc chasing deer in town. Here, Doc Holliday is lounging after a rough night at his Saloon.... Guarding the courthouse entrance. Big Nose Kate's Saloon.... Doc Holliday and his lady, Big Nose Kate Love the woodwork and craftsmanship in these old saloons.... Nice art too !! Just a bunch of cowgirls wearing chaps. There are these plaques all over town, depicting major events in the town's history. Doc Holliday guarding the back entrance to his own Saloon. And will the real Doc Holliday please stand up ! Walking the streets at 2:00 am. I think Doc saw a ghost.... Doc had his own bed at the motel. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KTMrad 482 Posted October 26, 2017 And the Tombstone story continues.... With new friends Cheryl and her hubby. Thought I'd try to crash a private party at the Crystal Palace...but it didn't work. More new friends.... Nettie, Nova and David Awww, the ladies givin' me some lovin' From the outskirts of town.... Had many a pizza and some steaks at Johnny Ringo's.... We did a lot of lounging and relaxing while there. Really liked this mural at the motel. Met another cool dude who was traveling around the southwest... And yet another beautiful sunset to end another day in the Old West.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KTMrad 482 Posted October 26, 2017 Doc Holliday made tons of friends and got into a bunch of bar brawls.....kinda fitting for the "Town Too Tough to Die"... Ate breakfast here many times... Sometimes I had a second breakfast in a glass ! Best bloodies around ! One of the best poems ever....Friends The coolest urinal I've ever seen. I met so many good people and made a lot of new friends. Lovely Suzanna and her pup. Tombstone Brewery had it's Grand Opening while we were there....they had some good beers. My friend Karin from Germany We met this other dog named Wyatt Earp....too funny, Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp in real life. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
