Old Boys Toys

Mojave Desert and Death Valley Ride – Day 7

bknysh — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 05:39:33 +0000

Trona Pinnacles

Today was our last day in Death Valley. We packed up and met at the Forty Niner Cafe for breakfast. Then we were on the road. It was a long ride back to the Raw Hyde Adventures compound. Two hundred and ninety miles of mostly highway. On the positive side, we stopped at Trona Pinnacles on the way.

Mojave Desert and Death Valley Ride – Day 6

bknysh — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 04:22:31 +0000

Ride through Titus Canyon - Death Valley

I have to stop saying that today was the best motorcycle ride ever. It’s getting repetitious. But, today was an amazing day. We rode through Titus Canyon, and then to Scotty’s Castle and the Ubehebe Crater.

Death Valley Ride – Furnace Creek Ranch

bknysh — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 05:12:59 +0000

Furnace Creek - Death Valley California

We spent our two nights at Death Valley staying at the Furnace Creek Ranch. It was a very nice resort. A big step up from camping in Mojave Desert the previous two nights.

Mojave Desert and Death Valley Ride – Day 5

bknysh — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 03:26:40 +0000

Road from Aguereberry Point overlooking Death Valley

This morning we packed up our tents and other gear and left Base Camp Alpha. We headed for Death Valley and Furnace Creek Ranch.

Mojave Desert and Death Valley Ride – Day 4

bknysh — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:21:12 +0000

Old Toll Road from Darwin to Panamint Springs

I thought yesterday was my most fun riding day, ever. Well, today was even better. And, we are not even to Death Valley, yet.

Mojave Desert and Death Valley Ride – Day 3

bknysh — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 03:03:52 +0000

Mojave Desert motorcycle ride

After two days of off road training, I was excited to be heading into the Mojave Desert. We were told it would be cold camping at Base Camp Alpha, and we needed to pack two sleeping bags. Since we could only carry one duffle bag, this meant leaving behind clothes and other gear I’d planned to take for the week. I’d be recycling a few more t-shirts.

Raw Hyde – BMW Off Road Academy

bknysh — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 03:44:10 +0000

Raw Hyde - BMW Off Road Academy Training

Last fall my daughter signed up for a high school field trip to Moab. I went to the parents meeting to check it out. The teacher presented a slideshow of a previous trip with students hiking, biking, rappelling and 4-wheeling driving around Moab and Monticello, Utah. It looked amazing. This got me exploring a motorcycle trip to Moab. So, what does this have to do with the Raw Hyde Adventures – BMW Off Road Academy? In trying to find out about motorcycle riding in Moab, I came across some Raw Hyde Adventure Tours in Moab, Mojave Desert, Death Valley, Alaska and others. And, this led me to the training academy.

Mojave Desert and Death Valley Motorcycle Ride

bknysh — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:59:21 +0000

Mojave Desert

After months of anticipation, my motorcycle ride in the Mojave Desert and Death Valley is here. I leave this morning for Raw-Hyde Adventures. I’ll spend the next week dual-sport riding through the Mojave Desert and Death Valley. I’m renting a BMW R1200GS for the off-road riding experience. This should be a lot of fun.

Crash Free Commutes

bknysh — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 20:40:07 +0000

Google Self Driving Car

The other day I was driving along Highway 280 in the San Jose, CA area and I passed a Toyota Prius with a strange looking contraption on the roof. According to the signs on the car, it was a Google self driving car.

My Day with a Toyota Prius

bknysh — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:46:38 +0000

Toyota Prius

I had to take my Toyota Land Cruiser in for service today. After dropping it off, I had the opportunity to get a Toyota Prius for the day. I have a friend that raves about his Prius. I’ve had a Prius rental car twice before, but never understood the attraction. So this time, I decided to spend the day running errands to get more experience with the Prius. After about 200 miles of city and highway driving, I thought I’d pass along my thoughts and opinions.