• There were many reasons for the change of the site software, the biggest was security. The age of the old software also meant no server updates for certain programs. There are many benefits to the new software, one of the biggest is the mobile functionality. Ill fix up some stuff in the coming days, we'll also try to get some of the old addons back or the data imported back into the site like the garage. To create a thread or to reply with a post is basically the same as it was in the prior software. The default style of the site is light colored, but i temporarily added a darker colored style, to change you can find a link at the bottom of the site.

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  1. Calimusjohn

    48 States in 27 Days at Age 84

    My shape = bent. Problems? I've broken my back in four places. Can't lift more than 30 pounds. I must stop and let my hip joints cool after walking 100 yards. But I'm semi-upright and can still dress and feed myself. I concentrate on can, rather than can't. Most of my friends are looking at the...
  2. Calimusjohn

    48 States in 27 Days at Age 84

    SPYDER TOUR Day 14 I awoke bright-eyed, took a morning shower, put on all my warmest clothes, packed the gear on the motorcycle, and finally, looked at the clock. 0530! The black sky smirked! Good grief! I headed down the highway. Restaurants, cafes, and most gas stations were still closed. The...
  3. Calimusjohn

    48 States in 27 Days at Age 84

    I started trip planning on a Rand McNalley Atlas map. I drew a line that touched the corners of each state, then refined it by following actual roads. On the bike, I have a Garmin Zumo mounted on the handlebars. Bluetooth connects it to my helmet for verbal directions. The Zumo locates gas...
  4. Calimusjohn

    48 States in 27 Days at Age 84

    I do not make reservations. My travel day depends on the existing and forecasted weather, traffic conditions, detours, distractions, my physical limitations. and availability of motels. In Alaska, I'd stop in the early afternoon to ensure I had a place to bed down. In Tok, I slept in a rented...
  5. Calimusjohn

    48 States in 27 Days at Age 84

    SPYDER TOUR Day 11 The motel in Mobridge, South Dakota, had the greatest shower. It pulsed hot water at about 50 psi. The water massage eased aching muscles. A police officer at a gas station told me where to get the best breakfast. He was correct. The road west rolled past fields of...
  6. Calimusjohn

    I did the 2023 Tennessee River 600 Jetski Tour!

    DAY FIVE A cardboard-flavored waffle pretended it was breakfast. We shuttled to the marina and headed out. Ten miles upstream, Chickamauga Dam and Lock raised us to another level of the river. Locks are no longer intimidating. They are like booths on a toll road, simply a slowing of the day’s...
  7. Calimusjohn

    48 States in 27 Days at Age 84

    I assure you that this ride report is as close to the truth as I am capable of. The traffic incident is the closest I've ever come to being killed. Car parts literally flew over my head. I would have gone down on a two-wheeler - wet pavement - hard braking - swerving - ABS and stability systems...
  8. Calimusjohn

    I did the 2023 Tennessee River 600 Jetski Tour!

    DAY ONE After a continental breakfast and being shuttled to the marina, I boarded my machine, applied sunscreen, and began a memorable adventure. Leaders stressed: “This is not a race!” A few riders didn’t get the message. Riders raced away at fifty to sixty miles per hour as they bounced...
  9. Calimusjohn

    48 States in 27 Days at Age 84

    SPYDER TOUR Day 9 The motel clerk informed me that I was in Dyersville, Iowa. It’s always nice to learn where I’ve slept. The day’s ride consisted of rain, fog, rain, fog, more rain, and cold winds. It was not the greatest of conditions. I visited the Spam Museum in Austin. Checked it off the...
  10. Calimusjohn

    48 States in 27 Days at Age 84

    Pegasus1300, I just started a thread in "Off Topic" - Titled: "I did the 2023 Tennessee River 600 Jetski Tour!" It will tell my version of the ride. The ride is a hoot. https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?157112-I-did-the-2023-Tennessee-River-600-Jetski-Tour!
  11. Calimusjohn

    I did the 2023 Tennessee River 600 Jetski Tour!

    RIVER RUN The Tennessee River 600 is an annual event where participants ride jet skis from Paris Landing (66 miles from the Kentucky state line) to Lenoir City, Tennessee. Could an 84-year-old man complete the tour? I investigated. I read the information on the tour’s website...
  12. Calimusjohn

    48 States in 27 Days at Age 84

    SPYDER TOUR Day 8 Morning led to a reluctant departure from my cousin’s home, its camaraderie and (chuckle) free amenities. Five miles after leaving, it began to rain. Nickle-sized blobs of water splatted me for five miles. Then the sun popped out from behind the clouds. I unclenched my teeth...
  13. Calimusjohn

    48 States in 27 Days at Age 84

    SPYDER TOUR Day 7 A day of rest. The family attended church services. I brought my records up to date and studied maps to determine the best route. Expenses: Day’s total: $ 0.00 Trip Total: $1,084.64 Day’s miles: 0 Trip Total: 1,305
  14. Calimusjohn

    48 States in 27 Days at Age 84

    Blacklightning, Hi, you snuck in a comment while I was typing! Planning ahead is good, but don't let the trip slip away while planning. Time passes too quickly. I planned on participating in the 2022 Tennessee River 600 tour. I missed the deadline for signing up and had to wait until...
  15. Calimusjohn

    48 States in 27 Days at Age 84

    Garland417 & Bamajohn, Thanks for the feedback. I can see that folks have peeked at this thread, but wasn't sure anyone cared for its content. With that out of the way, here is another episode of "Spyder Tour." SPYDER TOUR Day 6 No fog! 59 to 80 degrees, sunny day. The motel clerk in...
  16. Calimusjohn

    48 States in 27 Days at Age 84

    SPYDER TOUR Day 5 Utica greeted me with morning 50-degree fog. I put on my warmest clothes and headed west. A hundred miles down the road, I stopped to purchase gasoline. Imagine my dismay on discovering that the credit card I used the previous evening at Delmonico’s Restaurant was not in my...
  17. Calimusjohn

    48 States in 27 Days at Age 84

    SPYDER TOUR Day 4 I awakened in Kittery, Maine. Which was good. That’s where I went to sleep. For breakfast, I ate the cardboard-style waffle featured in most upscale motels. Swapped stories with a man from Park City, Utah. He is visiting all fifty states to see and identify fifty birds in each...
  18. Calimusjohn

    48 States in 27 Days at Age 84

    SPYDER TOUR Day 3 I slept well in Thorofare, New Jersey. Awakened to a clear sunny day. Temps varied from 60 – 77. I tried driving turnpikes, but don’t have an EasyPass to sail through New Jersey, or New York, toll gates. They don’t take cash. There were no toll takers in any booth . . . so, I...
  19. Calimusjohn

    48 States in 27 Days at Age 84

    SPYDER TOUR – Day 2 Weather: Foggy morning, 54 degrees to 77 degrees, sunny most of day. Awakened at 6:00 a.m. in Bluefield, West Virginia. Humidity was 100% in pea soup thick fog. Rode for two hours without seeing anything but taillights. Eventually, Virginia revealed herself as a series of...
  20. Calimusjohn

    48 States in 27 Days at Age 84

    This introduction should have preceded the Day 1 report. But like many aspects of life, “The best-laid schemes of mice and men often go awry.” Robert Burns, To a mouse. My bucket list showed that I had not visited the forty-eight contiguous states on one motorcycle ride. On September 18, 2023...
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