Memorial Day Weekend RZR Ride, 2016

A pair of Ace's gassing up at Pilot on our way to Cullman, Alabama to ride the trails in Stoney Lonesome OHV Park.

Meeting up with some friends who are already there.
Gonna cook up some Old Fashion Campsite meals, do a little riding and have a good time on this special day.
We all need to remember what this special day means and not forget that without the sacrifices of our Brave Servicemen these days might never have been possible.

Checking in at the Park Headquarters to get our passes and campsites.

Looks like a big crowd will be on hand today to watch the races and ride the trails.

It is extremely dusty so it will be a very dirty weekend, but hey, that's what we do.
OL' number 6Ky looks ready to go.

This park doesn't have as many acres as the Ky and Tn parks but they have done a nice job with their grounds.

Built a couple years ago with Federal Economic Development funds the County has put every effort into this place.

It is family friendly with well marked one-way trails. There is something for everyone here.

Unloaded and ready to cook up an evening dinner for the crew.

These rides won't stay clean long....

Mama Chafton has everything pre-prepared and ready to serve up.

Our fearless leaders Jimmy and Alison. They do the scouting and map reading to keep us all on track.

We will be riding all day and after dinner we have our permits to ride the trails tonight. Night riding is normally not allowed but this weekend was a special event.

Races start at 11:00 am, hope we can get a morning ride in and be back in time to watch the action.

Jimmy is looking for some EXTREME trails to test our abilities.

Yeah, that's right, the toughest trails on the property.

Look what we found.....This one is called "Who's Your Daddy"...
Let's go see what that is all about.

Well, I found "Who's Your Daddy"..

Now let's see if we can take it.

That Rock Wall don't look very big from here...

Well, I don't think so. Not with this little 800 RZR.....This is a job for a full grown "Rock Crawler"....
That rock ledge up ahead is about 10 feet tall and straight up.
I think we will back this puppy back down the hill and go play on "PowderPuff Hill".....

Here it is, "Powder Puff Hill".....

About 500 yards of loose rocks and it's uphill all the way.

Yes, we did make it to the top and nothing broke.
It amazes me where these damn RZR's will go if you take your time and be careful.

We had a successful fun-filled day and hopefully the night ride will go good as well.

I have the Go-Pro mounted and ready. We got lots of footage today but not sure if I can get that over to this blog page easily.

I don't have a lot of patience for techie stuff....and this damn Go-Pro is way to complicated.




May 29, 2016
Racing Pics and Videos from Stoney Lonesome Raceway

It all started when the girls wanted to race each other on the Track....

Alison had been "Trash Talking " at Andrea all day about how she was going to make Andrea "Eat her Dust"...

So when things on the track calmed down we took over.

Here Jimmy is suiting up Alison for the "Race of the Century"...
while I outfitted Andrea in my RZR.

Jimmy is lining up the girls for three laps of intense racing. Now mind you, Alison hardly ever drives the RZR. She had only one lap of practice to get familiar with the track.
This track is a "High-Speed" --"Very Dusty"--"In Your Face"---Speedway designed for Pro Events.

The track has several small jumps, two large jumps, one Table Top Jump that gets you lots of air, a one-lane bridge crossing with a dog leg, and several "Broad-sliding, High Burmed, Sweeping Turns.

Alison gets a head start by "Jumping The Gun"....She also takes a "short cut" in one of the turns.
She says she thought that was the track.....Right.
But nevertheless the race is officially ON........

Andrea is hard charging to catch up with Alison.....getting some serious AIR as she clears the Tabletop Jump on lap 2....
After eating lots of Alison's dust she is determined to catch her rival and show her the taillights.

Andrea pulls off the "Upset of the Day", taking Alison to the "Limits of Her Abilities" but not after a hard fought battle. Alison tried all the tricks of the trade that Jimmy had showed her (Jump Starts)--(Short Cuts)--(Dust Throwing) and a few others. These two Gals are up for anything.

Two "Hot and Dusty" rivals before the race starts.

They were Shaking to much to hold still for pictures after the race.......

"Cathy the Co-Pilot" was the only one that could hold still for pictures after the race was over......This gal is fear less.


These gals were screaming the whole way....what fun.







Race Day at Stoney Lonesome

The "Gang" just couldn't stand it.....they forced Jimmy and I to take on the "Stoney Lonesome Speedway" for some "Father-Son Competition".
After a heated start we are finally out front and making lots of dust. Jimmy is "Hammer Down" trying to catch the old Man.

Looks like Jimmy might be gaining as Jerry gets sideways off a berm.

But Jerry catches the slid and speeds to the finish line to take the win..

Wish we had some video of this one but Alison was still shaking too much for the camera and the video just didn't turn out, she got lots of shots of the sky.......You just should have been there....

My Co-Driver (Jonathan) and I are getting some AIR just as we cross the Finish Line in First Place. Jimmy is close behind but just couldn't overcome the dust.

Jonathan was a"Happy Racer" after co-piloting his first "MAJOR WIN at Stoney Lonesome" Raceway.

Jimmy after the race looks like he had a lot of fun this weekend. 

that's what it's all about.

Boating to the St. Pete Indy Car Race March 2016

The Admiral and First Mate are busy adjusting the Snubber line on the anchor as we prepare to spend the night on the hook just off Useppa Island.

As most everyone knows, it's been a cold and wet Jan. and Feb. in South Florida. A record setting 13.2 inches of rain in January plus cold front after cold front in February. But finally, we are out cruising the beautiful waters of SW Florida.

Heading up to St. Pete for the annual  Indy Car Grand Prix race in downtown St Pete.

The view from Mystic Lady as we arrive at Useppa.

Looking across the ICW at Cabbage Key. This little restaurant/bar is a hot spot for tourist and serve up a great "Cheeseburger in Paradise"..

Lots of history on this little Key, if ever down this way hop over and check it out.

Annie and Christine making their way through Historic Venice City Park. A gorgeous walk from the Downtown area to Venice Beach.
Lots of Historical Markers along the way for a great little history lesson.

Had lunch at Marker 4 Grill and the best Chocolate Chip Ice Cream ever at a downtown shop.

Heading back to the boat and off to St. Pete early in the morning.

Beautiful sunset at Venice Inlet Park.....lots of folks come here every day just for the view.
Great place for fishing from the jetty too.
Spring Breakers are out in force...

Smooth cruise up to St. Pete on the outside. The Gulf was calm and the skies clear.

Arrived at St. Pete early to beat the crowd that will be coming in this weekend for the big race.
We were lucky to get a good dockage along a face dock with easy access to everything.

Looking forward to a busy weekend of Indy Car Racing. Click link below for schedule of events.


http://www.gpstpete.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=97&Itemid=226

Wednesday, March 9th

Doing a little sight seeing in Downtown St.Pete while we chill-out before the race weekend.

What a neat city this is....lots to do, lots to see, history, arts, waterfront dining, Grand Prix Racing, etc.

Last time we were here it was a Triathlon on one weekend and "The Taste of Pinellas" the next weekend.
Always a lot going on in St. Pete.

A shot of the Baywalk Area.....
can you believe this is the entrance to a parking garage...


Nothing like this where I come from...

Took Annie for a walk on the peninsula park overlooking Tampa Bay.
This is what is left of the "Inverted Pyramid" that stood on the pier site since 1973....
The City fathers have been trying to get this replaced since 2005. Probably took this long just to get a permit to tear it down.

We had dinner in one of the restaurants the last time we were here. It was in pretty bad shape but still active four years ago.

Friday, March 11

The Admiral is heading to the market.....
just a short walk from the marina to shops, markets, restaurants, etc.


Gotta get some Bud Lite cause Uncle David is coming to visit.


Looking forward to having David and Loretta onboard for a day or two while in St. Pete.

It's practice day at the St. Pete Grand Prix race. Lots of activities and vendors, and this is just Friday.

Glad I came today because the General Admission gets you anywhere you want to go today.

Toured the Paddock Area, watched a few laps from the main Grandstand, got up close and personal with some teams, great day....

Pit action during practice..All the big names doing their thing.

The Indy Car Series is not exactly my thing but, Hey....a race is a race.

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Well, the day started out calm and quiet but it didn't last long.

Christine was preparing a nice dinner for my sister and brother-in-law who are coming to the boat for a couple days.
She needed an onion and started walking to the grocery....that's when the day took a turn for the worse.

She tripped on a broken sidewalk and landed flat on her face. EMT was called and she was taken to the hospital just an hour before our company arrived.

That changed our plans for the day but it could have been so much worse.

She had a big goose egg on her forehead (under her bangs), cut on her nose, cut under her chin, abrasions on her chin, cut inside her mouth from her tooth, bruised wrist, bruised and cut knee, etc.

She was a mess, the head injury was cause for concern so she would need  X-rays and an MRI

So she was hauled off by the Medical Team and left me to take care of Annie. She was left on the boat when I got the call.

Thank goodness David and Loretta were on their way. They would give me a ride to the hospital so I could be with Christine and be able to get back to the boat later.

Strange how things work out. We always tell people you're only one incident for a life change.

The good news, no broken bones. Just lots of sore spots.

Having Annie (her therapy dog) in her arms was enough to raise a smile while we wait for David to bring the van around to take us back to the boat.

We didn't get to do our planned afternoon but a quiet evening and nice dinner on the boat was just what the doctor ordered.

It has been so nice having David and Loretta here for an visit.

Maybe next time we can avoid the drama and take a cruise.

Uncle David just enjoying a peaceful evening on Mystic Lady.


Racing action tomorrow, should be a great day......weather is perfect so far.

The folks here at St. Pete Municipal Marina have been very friendly and helpful. It's always fun to come back to St. Pete.

Time to send the Stamps on their way. Packed up and headed over to Tampa to see Joseph.

Thankfully they were here to help me with Christine.

Hopefully, we can get together again before they head back home. We would like to do a boat cruise for a few days.

Safe travels you two.....

Sure enjoyed having you guys aboard "Mystic Lady".....

See ya again soon.







Sunday, March 13, 2016

It's race day at the St. Pete Grand Prix Indy Car race.

Just waiting for the leaders to come around for the first lap.

Really impressed with the effort the Indy Car Series puts forth to hold this event. You can't imagine the barriers, fences, banners, etc. they have to provide just for this event.

Huge problem though...they go out of their way to block the view for General Admission spectator.

This is about as good as it gets. Not my idea of a spectator friendly race.

I managed to get up on a concrete light pole base just to get this view.

They even hang banners on the fence in the corners so you can't see corner action from ground level.

It's gotta be all about the money. I think they want you to pay the big bucks and buy the Grandstand Ticket.

So in my professional opinion here is the best way to watch an Indy Car Grand Prix.

Go back to your boat and turn on the TV, grab a cold beer (or Jack Daniels) in my case , open the door so you can hear the engines and watch the action as if you were there.

Guess i'm just not comfortable with being on the wrong side of the fence.


Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Extremely foggy return trip to Ft. Myers. Never seen the horizon from the time we left St. Pete until entering Boca Grande Pass.

We had less than 1/8 mile visibility for most of the 10 hour trip.

Lots of instrument flight training paid off today.

The admiral and Annie had trouble staying awake with nothing to see for 10 hours.

Annie just napped but the Admiral just went from one area to another, she finally took a nap and left me to do the chores.

All in all it was an uneventful return trip but very tiring...

How's this for a view for 10 hours.

It wasn't as boring as you might think, dodging crab pots and watching for traffic on the radar kept me busy all day.

We made it safely back to Legacy Marina and started cleaning on Mystic Lady.

Wildcat Ride December 2015

December 12, 2015

Thought we would take advantage of the warm December weather and head over to Wildcat for a day ride.

We weren't the only ones with that idea. The line was backed up to the highway and both parking lots were full of trucks and trailers.

Seems like a good place to ride and only three hours from home. We'll see what they have to offer.......

After climbing to the top of the "Dome" we find a nice overlook with a lake in the background.

Between us and the lake is I-75.

So far not much mud and the girls (Annie included) are having a great time on this warm winter day.

It's 72 degrees and cloudy. Perfect....

We found the "Lost Boat"......no idea how this boat got out here. There is no water deep enough to float a boat anywhere near here.

Guess the Wildcat Team just put it out here to be found.


Good trails so far, well marked and not too difficult.....Yet.

Well....what is that climbing over our RZR???

It looks like....well it might be....yes, it is Kathy.
Guess she didn't want to get her feet wet.

We was told about this neat waterfall on the other side of the RailRoad Tracks so we jumped the tracks and took off. Well that was about three hours ago and we just now found it.

Seems the Waterfall is on private land and the trails are unmarked and unkept. Lots of mudholes and slick hills to climb. We discovered we were in the "Daniel Boone National Forest"....that's a big No No.

We made the best of it anyway. Took lots of pictures and let Annie run awhile.

Not much water over the falls but it's been dry for a while here.

Lots of fun being lost for hours and unable to find the falls but guess we better hi-tail it back to the other side of the tracks before the Feds catch us.

Join us sometime for lots of fun in the hills of Kentucky.
Wildcat Offroad Park is a great place to explore the hills of Eastern Kentucky. Nice campground, good maps, trails are marked well, and overall gets a good rating from our clan.
Had a good time with Jimmy, Alison, Steve, Kathy, and Jonathan.

Back through the Railroad Tunnel and across the tracks we go.......If we hurry and we can beat the Feds.

CAMP RZR EAST "BRIMSTONE" 2015

September 18 and 19, 2015

We are all set up and ready for the 2nd Annual Camp RZR East. Lots of activities, two concerts, prizes, racing, and the weather couldn't be better.

Christine and Annie Mae are enjoying the weekend with her peeps. Lots of riding, over 300 miles of trails here at Brimstone.

Should be a great weekend of fun.

Sure hope my new knee cooperates. This is our first outing since surgery.

One of the activities Friday was to ride the trails, check your cell phone for clues, and try to find three Sasquatch. We found one and gave up on the other two.

Each time you participate in an activity you are entered in the prize give aways that night before the concert. Over $300,000 in prizes over the weekend, including two new Turbo 1000 RZR's.

Needless to say, we didn't win squat. But we sure had fun chasing him.









While riding the trails we came across a professional camera crew taking pictures of people enjoying the Good Times at Camp RZR East. He wanted a group pic of a bunch of Rednecks so we complied.
I really think they just wanted a dog in the picture and Annie Mae was the only trail dog around......

And a few miles down the trail we run across this poor guy trying to get unstuck. This mud hole was a little too much for the RZR. His passenger got the worse end of the deal, he was up to his neck in muddy water before he managed to climb out........ Click any picture to enlarge......

Great place for pictures....These RZR's are parked on top of the waterfall.

Not much water running over today, it hasn't rained here in about a week. Great for trail riding....just a bit dusty in places.

Annie Mae "my little chick magnet" is at it again.

She draws a crowd every time we stop. Especially the pretty girls and little kids.

Annie loves to ride in the RZR...

The girls are taking a time out at this creek.

Good place for lunch or just watching the crazy ones try to climb out of the creek bank.

Video coming of the creek bank climbing...or trying.

Back at the campground as preparation for the concerts are underway.

Huge crowd, seems like twice as many people here than last year.
They opened up new fields for camping and they too are full this year.

We had been working on our reservations for several months.