My most current blog entry:
Entries in Bicycle (6)
USA Road Trip: Moab & Dead Horse Point, Utah
Tuesday, May 11, 2021 at 6:21PM 
My year-long USA camper road trip/sabbatical continued on from Winslow, Arizona to Moab, Utah. Early October 2018.
Rain. Yes, it rains in the desert.
After an all day drive from Winslow, Arizona - through beautiful desert country in the Four Corners area of the American Southwest, I arrived in Moab, Utah in the middle of a major rain storm . . . record rain and a danger of flash flooding. I wanted to stay a night in a motel rather than in my camper . . . dry and warm. I Googled motels in Moab, looked up quite a few: all expensive and showing FULL . . . but one . . .
As I neared the town of Moab the rain increased, streaking the red cliffs.
The red rock formations got wetter and wetter as I approached Moab.
I discovered desert rock formations become even more fascinating when they are wet.
And the rain continued to come down harder and harder. When I arrived at the only motel showing vacancies in Moab, I found out that the last room had just been taken, but I could come back the next day and stay for two nights. I booked it and went up the highway for 51 miles to Green River, Utah, on Interstate 70 where I found a room for the night.
Driving north on Highway 191 out of Moab in a driving rain storm.
Water poured off of the mesas and buttes.
After a Sunday night in a Green River, Utah roadside motel (where I was able to watch an NFL game), I drove back to Moab to check for motels there . . . still in a light rain. I found one and sat out the day on the internet and watching Monday Night Football, as the rain became heavy all day. The next morning it was cloudy, with clear spots, so I headed to an RV park and bought a slot for camper next to a German couple who had been on a one year camper road trip in the USA.
Moab is the "Outdoor Adventure Capitol of the USA" . . . and also a very interesting old mining town. I stopped in a gems and fossil shop to look for dinosaur fossils for my grandson at a place that had lots of antique mining equipment laying about . . .
. . . an old mine winch . . .
. . . a water wagon that once services a long forgotten mining operation.
The good people in the rock shop advised that I go and see Dead Horse Overlook State Park, about 20 miles out of town . . . and through fantastic high desert chaparral country.
The small paved road out to Dead Horse Overlook was GRAND!
The sky became very dark and I was worried that I would lose another day in bad weather . . . I pushed on to Dead Horse Overlook.
As I neared the overlook I knew I was in for something truly wonderful.
Now and again I would get a glimpse through the roadside shrubbery of a grand landscape . . . .
When I finally arrived at Dead Horse Overlook I parked right next to the precipice of this amazing sight! The grandest view I have ever seen! I was parked out on a ridge that jutted out into this spectacular canyon! There was a 300 degree view from where I stood. This view is looking north.
I walked across the road to this south facing view of the mammoth canyon!
Potash evaporation ponds could be seen in the distance in the south side view.
I was left speechless by the grandeur of this place . . . and so were the 15-20 other tourists there . . . walking around very slowly with their mouths open . . . in complete silence.
Astonishing beauty.
I walked along the south edge toward the outermost point of the ridge . . .
A meandering Colorado River cuts its way through the red rock.
At last I stood out at the end of the ridge . . . with the entire canyon below . . .
Looking north from the ridge point I could see the storm clouds gathering on the far canyon rim.
Indescribable beauty.
The rain moved rapidly across the canyon.
The rain came swiftly . . . I ran to my camper.
I hated to have to leave this incredible place . . . I slowly drove away from Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah.
Back down the road through the rain toward my motel room in Moab . . . too cold and wet for a campground . . .
Hard rain on hard flat rock.
The next morning broke bright and sunny. I left my motel and found a nice RV park at the edge of town, got a space, set up, and set off on my bicycle. As it turned out, my RV park was at the beginning of a long and paved bike trail that led out of town and up into the red rock canyons.
The trail was beautifully paved and at a not too steep grade. Perfect.
The views coming up the bike trail out of Moab were spectacular!
The cut-off road to the Arches National Park was just outside of town . . . .
I thought about going into the Arches National Park, but the road was always busy . . . and so was the Visitors Center. I couldn't imagine seeing anything more impressive than Dead Horse Point overlook.
I must have been a geologist in a previous life. My college roommate was a 'geomorphologist' and I guess I got the geology interest from him. This scenery fascinates me no end.
Layered rock outcrops lined the bike trail.
Layers of ancient, solidified mud (?) along the way.
The geological formations seemed to completely change every 200-300 meters.
I stopped often (especially when the bike trail got steep) to snap photos and drink water. I packed a nice lunch too.
A lovely spot to stop and be amazed by the geology of this fabulous place.
The opportunities for dramatic nature photos were endless.
At one point just out of Moab, the canyon widened out as the Colorado River crossed under the bike path. It was the best bicycle bridge I had ever seen.
Such a wondrous place for a long bike ride.
There were only occasionally patches of large plant life . . .
I rode my bike on up the very long steep uphill trail . . . noticing more "cactus" type plants the higher I went.
More and more geological changes.
Rocky desert portrait.
Rocky desert flora portrait.
After riding uphill all day I was getting ready to turn back in the late afternoon . . . after I climbed this last steep hill.
My last steep climb.
At last I reach my 'this is far enough for the day' point . . . and it was beautiful. I consoled myself with the knowledge that it would be all downhill to my RV camp site in Moab.
I felt that it must get pretty windy and dusty up here . . . and turned around right here . . .
And downhill I went . . . and saw the very first bike rider all day . . . a woman from South Africa. She stopped and we asked each other where we were from. I said Bangkok, Thailand . . . and she laughed. On we rode, she uphill, and I coasting back to my camper.
The bike trail ran next to Highway 191 for a short while on my way back.
And back across the Colorado River bike bridge . . .
My last stop for a photo of my bike and a stone cliff . . . not far from my Slick Rock RV Campground (very nice place with very nice people working there). The next morning I would wake before dawn . . . and before coffee . . . for the long drive over the Rocky Mountains to my next destination: visiting an old high school friend in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
I headed out of Moab on my birthday on highway I-70 heading east to Colorado . . . this was the last view of Utah . . . snow on the mountains . . . little did I know that I would drive across the high Rocky Mountain passes during the very first snow storm of the season . . . but that is another story.
Road Trip USA: The New Jersey Shore
Saturday, December 22, 2018 at 11:59AM 
I have good friends who are semi-retired and live year round in Ocean City, New Jersey. I spent a wonderful five days visiting them.
I brought my bicycle with me so that I could ride the many miles of Ocean City boardwalk.
Although Ocean City is a very old beach resort (for mostly rich folks from Philadelphia), many of the old beach houses were torn down and replaced with these fanciful 'kit' beach houses. About 80% of these are vacant during the off-season.
Ocean City has a nice beach. There used to be a major pier, but it was washed away during Hurricane Sandy . . . which also inundated Ocean City streets. The pier in the background is the private pier of the Ocean City Fishing Club.
Ocean City has a few attractions, including a very fine boardwalk. The town is 'dry' - alcohol is not sold in stores, so it has gained a reputation as a family beach.
We had the beach to ourselves every day.
I had the good luck to be here between storms . . . and wind. Quite mild and calm days for December. We took a nice bike ride to a nearby island and saw this inlet along the way.
Much of the area to the west of Ocean City is designated as a wildlife reserve.
Beach erosion is still an issue. Successive hurricanes and 'noreasters' severely depleted the sands. The local government dredged the seabed and sprayed sand back to make a new beach. It will have to find it's new 'natural' levels.
Wonderful patterns, shapes, and shadows in the beach dunes.
Wind patterns in the sand.
With my good buddy, Bud.
My friends and I drove 20 minutes south to the lovely colonial seaside village of Cape May in the late afternoon to see the decorated old Victorian and Colonial houses.
The sun had just gone down . . . and the houses were beginning to take on their night identity.
There are so many cute houses in Cape May. The Cape May Historic District has over 600 listed homes. Fantastic!
Cape May was first established as a village in 1632, on of the earliest settlements along the Atlantic coast. Most of the homes in the Historic District are of the Late Victorian Era Style.
The beautiful Victoria B&B . . . .
The Queen Victoria B&B front door.
Lovely turreted Victorian mansion.
The pastel colors of the perfectly restored (maintained?) Victorians were so sweet.
As the darkness continued to fall, the old houses began to light up in their Christmas charm.
Although not as grand or ornate as some others in Cape May, I like this modest white house the most: it seems so inviting.
Another one of my favorites . . . that enclosed porch is just perfect!
A typical Cape May street in the Historical District.
Photographers love the 'magic hour' - the first and last hour of sunlight, but we also love the 'Blue Hour' - the time just before dark when the sky is a deep blue.
The holiday decorations were very nicely done . . . and NONE of those horrible inflatables!
Such a lovely little town . . . "The way it used it be" . . . at least for the few who could afford it, even back then. My friends said this is "Philadelphia money."
At times it seemed we were walking through a movie set . . . so perfect was the restoration . . . 
These two were gems: big porches on both floors!
Such a fantasy house!
Cape May! 
A beautiful gem in the blue hour.
I could live here!
The old houses come in many colors.
Tourists come to Cape May all year. 
There is an old timey park in Cape May with a lovely gazebo.
Such a festive feeling.
The buildings around the old town square.
There is a nice walking street of old shops in Cape May proper.
The shop windows were dressed for the season.
So pretty.
My friend, Bud, doing some last minute shopping.
Christmas trees seemingly in every window!
The interior of this hotel was nicely festooned with Christmas regalia.
There was even a small Christmas Market in the garden of the old Heritage Hall Hotel. Yes, we had glüwine.
There were many cute little shops around the town center.
As sweet as the commercial area of Cape May was, the star of the city is the vast numbers of Victorian houses lit in Christmas decorations.
Gems in the night.
Lit up like Christmas, as they say.
A dream house . . . 
Another favorite of mine . . . this pink grand dame in all its glory!
Seen earlier in the daylight, now a gem box of amazing color and form.
It was late (and cold!) when we finally left Cape May. I want to come back and stay in one of these old beauties. I have added an additional entry at the end of this blog focusing on just the front porches of these old Victorians (Bottom).
I drove north 30minutes from Ocean City one nice winter day. I brought my bicycle with me and had a nice 10 mile ride along he famous Atlantic City boardwalk.
Atlantic City has been the dream retirement spot for eastcoasters for generations. . .
Hurricane Sandy and other major storms have played havoc with the Jersey Shore. After dredged sand was blown in, an attempt to stabilize the new beach.
The boardwalk and most of the buildings seemed to be in a good state of repair.
The famous pier at Atlantic City was closed for the season.
But, of curse, it is the Atlantic City boardwalk that attracts people, even on this cold and clear December day. I really enjoyed my 10 mile bike ride along this wooden bike path.
As I took a closer look at the large hotels, I was shocked to see so many of them boarded up . . . closed and abandoned. The economic collapse of 2008 and the establishment of Native American casinos in Pennsylvania had a major negative eeconomic impact on Atlantic City.
There were a few shops and a couple of cafes open to service the winter wanderers, like me.
The weathered remains of a hotel beach party set-up . . . the last trace of the summer season. I rode my bike back five miles, loaded it into my camper, and drove back to Ocean City . . . good exercise for the day.Dr. Jeff Harper
The Victorian Porches of Cape May, New Jersey
One of the most beautiful architectural features of Cape May, New Jersey are the front porches of the old Victorian houses.
These houses date form a period in cultural history when the front door mattered as the face of the family that lived inside.
In summer the porch serves as a place to sit and greet your neighbors as they pass by. In winter, it serves as a stage to light the Holiday Season.
Closed or open porches . . . they are such a beautiful feature one wonders why they ever fell out of fashion.
Please, step on in . . .
The many B&Bs in Cape May must be packed during the summer season . . . and the rocking chairs on the porches fully occupied.
Festive, to say the least.
The Carpenter Victorian porch is just pure fantasy!
Charming and bold colors.
An old Victorian in all its Yuletide glory.
Soooo inviting!
Porch Life has not vanished from the Earth . . . it lives on in Cape May, New Jersey!
Road Trip USA: Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah
Friday, November 30, 2018 at 4:16AM World of Speed, September 14-17, 2018
Out on the great Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in mid-September to attend the World of Speed land speed record event. It was a great experience.
This is what I came all this way to see . . . pure speed . . . and enough room to run flat out! Bonneville land speed racing is a very special and rarified form of mortorsport.
American 'Hot Rods' have their roots on the dry desert lake beds of California and the salt flats of Utah. Early hot rodders would strip their cars down so they were as light as possible and modify their engines for maximum power and then take them out to the salt flats to "see what she'll do."
_______________________________
The Bonneville Salt Flats have been used to set land speed records since 1896. I always wanted to go to the salt flats and my road trip offered me the chance to attend.
I arrived at the race track in the late afternoon after having driven from Winnemucca, Nevada, just as they were closing the salt for the night. Only racers with race entered race cars are allowed to camp on the salt.
The Bonneville Salt Flats are famous all over the world. A steady stream of cars would show up and people would get out and wander around on the salt.
There was still quite a lot of action on the salt. Race cars were being towed to and from the starting line for some reason.
The first actual race car I saw from behind the entry gate was this nice early 50s Chevrolet.
I was getting excited. There are many, many different classes of land speed race cars . . . all the way from 100cc sidecar motorcycle to wheel-driven and jet powered 500++ mile per hour streamliners.
There is a 'long course' and a 'short course.' The long course pits were about three miles from the starting line. A row of cars leaving the salt as it began to get dark.
A strong wind came up out of nowhere as the sun set.
I love desert sunsets, but this one was among the best I have seen.
I stayed the night in my camper just outside of the entrance.
I was awakened early by the sound of unmuffled race engines as racers were driving to the starting line in preparation for a day of speed. I loved this car: my very first car was a 1957 Chevrolet station wagon like this, but in all white.
I drove across the salt to the pit area and set up camp for the day, offloaded my bicycle and rode it around the pits for a look see. I camped next to this big 4X4 truck owned by a Belgian family who were driving from Alaska to Patagonia!
The pits were full of every kind of race car imaginable. From these 'antique' street roadsters to . . .
. . . to futuristic, sophisticated land speed streamliners.
Working on a B/Competition Coupe in the pits. Basic tools and a simple trailer. They could only muster a troubled 174mph run on a 265mph class record.
This V4F/Competition Coupe did much better, setting a new record in their class of 159.5mph (bettering the old record of 156.5mph). The 'V4F' class designates a "Pre-1935 American made four cylinder flathead" engine. Fantastic performance for such an old engine technology.
This race car would look right at home on a drag strip. But look closely and you can see that the chassis is much more sturdy than your typical 1/4 mile dragster. These cars have to run at top speed for three miles . . . and then another mile or two to shut down . . . and not always on a smooth salt flat (although this year it was 'perfect' according to the racers). However, this team experienced true heartbreak: Utilizing a 430 cubic inch HEMI on nitromethane, they ran a 359.11mph against a class record of 360.07mph!! They missed the record by less than 1 mile per hour!!!
A streamliner team all the way from New Zealand with an F/Gas Streamliner (N/A 183ci, or 2.5L). They set a new class record at 304mph (the old record was 298mph). Congratulations Kiwis!
Like drag racing, you can roam the pit area at a salt flats race and get up close to the race cars.
I like to follow a few cars and teams across an event. These 'geezers' (like me!) were here with a brand new race car that looked like a very old 'belly tank' lakester. I can tell you from my own racing experience, having a race car and being on a race team is a HUGE and consuming drama . . . and a fantastic life experience.
Being towed to the starting line staging area . . . hoping everything is just right for the perfect pass down the Long Course.
Time to buckle in for the big event. This is an exciting moment for the whole crew. This is what you have lived for.
After being pushed up to a speed that the first gear can handle, he is off down the track . . . WOW!
After the thrill-of-a-lifetime run (a test pass) . . . towed back to the team pit for refinement, adjustment, maintenance, and readying for the next pass. The test pass netted them a troubled 116mph on a 279mph class record.
The rules allow some pretty radical modification: look closely and you can see that this is a Ford Model T roadster . . . with a really, really long nose (and a supercharged engine). They ran 190.99 on Sunday.
Special tires with low rolling resistance and capable of very high speeds.
Some of these land speed race cars are really impressive. This one has an engine of just 1.65L (100 cubic inches) . . . supercharged on nitromethane fuel, and classified as a motorcycle with a side car (it has three wheels).
The rear end final drive gearing is so 'steep' that the cars cannot move from a standing start; they require a push up to about 60 miles an hour to begin their timed run.
Off on a timed run . . . through three timing intervals . . . at one, two and three miles! I am so impressed with this car . . to go 304 miles an hour (489.2 kph) on 100 cubic inches!!!!
Raising your children the right way!!!
Not something I expected to see out on the salt flats: a bicycle with unbelievably tall gearing.
Yep, that's right, this woman will pedal her bicycle behind this land speed dragster to try and set the assisted bicycle land speed record.
She will be pulled up to about 160mph while pedaling and then be cut loose to see if she can stay within the faring.
It takes a very big fuel injected Chevy engine on methanol to get up to the speeds they will need to set the record.
This is what she saw . . . . at 186 miles an hour . . . the record she set!
A classic salt flats roadster. I loved this car.
In the staging lanes. A V8? No, a 4 cylinder. Some of these land speed cars have been raced for many years, with many different engine combinations, and hold multiple records in multiple classes.
The purple roadster had this 4 cylinder engine.
Running in the G/FMR class (G= 93-122 cubic inches, FMR = Fuel Modified Roadster) it ran 181.8mph for a new class record (the previous record was 181.2mph).
I would love to make a high speed pass down the salt . . . but NOT in this race vehicle!
Yes, a human being squeezes into this contraption HEAD FIRST, only inches from the hard salt surface.
The driver, in fact, becomes part of his car: he is wearing a carbon fiber 'turtle shell' on his back which he will use to slide on in case the car tips upside down. Insane.
Getting in involves first sticking your legs back into a pair of padded tubes on either side of the engine. No kidding.
The next step is for you to duck your head into the front of the race car as your crew members push down on your back, forcing your head forward in the process. No kidding!
Next, your crewman tightly straps you in so you cannot move an inch. You are now part of the car itself.
You are now ready to go 130 miles an hour while peeking out of the front window, your chin almost resting on the salt. No thank you.
Can you imagine this guy's excitement as his crew member guides him to the starting line! They snapped the top panel on and he was off. He set the 100cc sidecar record at 130 miles an hour. Impressive, to say the least.
This healthy, turbo-charged, injected big block Corvette was trying for 300mph . . . . he went an impressive 294mph on a 264mph record on Saturday.
A 'run-whatcha-brung' Buick V-6 powered Jaguar 4-door sedan. I was surprised when they joined the 200 Mile Per Hour Club with a run of 209mph (eclipsing the old record of 194mph). Class XX0/BGCC = "Speciality Cylinder Head", Blown Gas Competition Coupe. Congratulations to these guys!!!
A vintage 'Lakester' class racer.
They ran a 155mph on a tough to beat 221mph record. Some racers are not really going for the Land Speed Record, but for personal bests. A class I/Fuel Lakester can only have an engine up to 61 cubic inches.
Readying for a record setting run?
There were four 400mph-capable streamliners on the salt for the week-end. Unfortunately this AA/Blown Fuel Streamliner could not find the combination - it ran a respectable 303mph on a 417mph record.
Off it went . . . .
And away it went . . . faster and faster. This photo shows the mile marker orange cones (1, 2, and 3). It is very difficult to estimate distance on such a flat and white surface, but those orange mile markers are exactly one mile apart. I love this photo.
Here is another streamliner, but at speed just past the finish line. This AA/Fuel Streamliner went 417 on this run against a 448mph record (which would be lowered soon after his run). One of the other 400mph-capable streamliner went 451mph, but I do not have a photo . . . I was wandering in the pits at the time.
For me, and many others at the event, this Ford Galaxy was the star of the event. Owned and built by an 84 year old body shop owner from La Pine, Oregon (pop. 1,653), they won the hearts and minds of everyone there.
The driver/builder's 84 year old wife buckled him in before the run.
And his wife wished him luck.
And off he went in his 472 cubic inch big block Ford . . . .
A 147.9mph on a 226.3mph was not close, but I am sure he had a great time. I talked to him afterward and he said he could not find any traction on the salt . . . he lacked the technique . . . it was his very first time at the salt flats with a race car!!!
Although there is a separate Bike Week for motorcycles, there were a few on hand . . . and I guess they let anybody run. This yellow BSA just missed the record with a 149.4mph against a 150.1mph record . . . just 1/2 mile per hour short of the record.
A great variety of machines ran: this scratch-build turbo Harley had trouble and aborted his run early.
This very professional streamlined motorcycle ran 169mph before mechanical problems set in.
But the undisputed headliner of the meet was the Vesco Turbinator II streamliner.
The press was everywhere around this car. There was great expectation that they were going to set the wheel-driven land speed record that day!
Pre-staged . . . last minute instructions from the crew before starting the engine.
The Turbinator II is powered by a turbojet helicopter engine driving a shaft through a rear end and, ultimately, through the pnumatic tires. It was loud and it gave off a lot of heat.
And off it went in a great hurry . . . it vanished into a dot on the horizon in no time at all! They did it! 486mph average for a new wheel-driven land speed record . . . and I was there to see it.
Two weeks at the same place the TeamVesco Turbinator II set the record again at 503mph. Amazing.
There were so many cool race cars at Bonneville . . . and I took a million photos. I will leave a few more of my favorites:
Competition Coupe.
Yes, another modified T-bucket, but with rear engine and streamlining.
With only 91 cubic inches, it ran 180 miles per hour against a very tough 201mph record!
I will treasure my memories of this race forever . . . a 'Bucket List' checked off!
This photo epitomises the essence of land speed record racing at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Biking The Chehalis Western Trail In Early Spring: Heaven!
Friday, April 27, 2018 at 11:08PM 
April 27, and the refoliation is nerly complete.
Dr. Jeff Harper
Suphanburi Province: A Day Trip Northwest Of Bangkok
Wednesday, March 14, 2018 at 8:31AM A RAMBLE IN FOUR PARTS
Part Three: Thai Farm Museum and Lemon Temple
My friend John Stiles and I set off in my old truck up the road to the rural province of Suphanburi, to the northwest of Bangkok. As usual, we had a vague idea, from a tertiary Google search, of what we wanted to see, but no particular plan: we would ramble. We would eventually see several amazing Buddhist temple complexes, a Buffalo park, and a Farm Museum. We never 'found' the actual town of Suphanburi, but we didn't care: we had a grand adventure rambling about the rural Thai countryside.
Never trust your GPS completely. After a wonderful stop at a river Wat we decided we wanted to see the Farm Museum, so we punched it into the GPS and took off. 20 minutes later we arrived at the spot on the GPS map and found the Lemon Temple instead. Where is the Farm Museum, we thought?
We walked around a little and could not find anything like a Farm Museum. Instead we found an interesting 'spiritual center' - a kind of Buddhist temple - and walked in to ask where the Farm Museum was.
Whoever is making donations to this temple must be expecting large crowds. Beautiful wooden pews. John found someone to ask . . . they said we were about 20K from the Farm Museum. Oops! Wrong place . . . but still interesting.
I walked around a bit and went up some stairs to find a locked door. Fortunately there was a window I could rest my camera on to take this HDR shot of the temple upper floor. The raised platform to the left is where the monks would sit and chant.
We spent 10 minutes at the Lemon Temple, found the lemon bushes, and left for Farm Museum.
The entrance to the Lifestyle and Spirit of Thai Farmers Learning Center looked promising. And we were hungry.
Fortunately they had an eatery where we could get a bowl of noodle soup. They also had a cafe where we had a fine cup of coffee.
The museum had a fine recreated historical rural shop.
Historical store.
A very beautiful space.
Strangely, not all the items on the display shelves were old and antique.
It was a very beautiful place with covered walkways.
There were fields to show different types of rice.
Trimming the rice fields . . . only at the museum.
Flowers in the rice fields.
The center is designed to educate farmers about farming methods, and to educate the public about farming in general. None of the visitors we saw looked like farmers.
A child's teeter-totter made of parts from an old buffalo farm cart. You hate to see these old items repurposed this way.
It was interesting to watch workers reassemble an old Thai style teak house.
There were a few small exhibits of random 'old stuff.' This old Suzuki and bicycle in a grass shack was particularly beautiful. We headed on to our next destination: The Hell Garden (Wat Phai Rong Wua) of Suphanburi.
