"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe."  - John Muir Riding the Range. Veterans Day. High School friends ~ Mike (Vietnam Veteran) and Robert. Bishop Mule Days ~ Nick and Jim (top cowboys). 52nd anniversary ~ Bob and Denise. Honoring the Granite Mountain Hotshots ..read more

Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.  John Muir. Denise and Bob Griego, Pinnacles National Monument, CA— married June 14, 1971. photo by good friend, Greg Gnesios.   Bob and Denise Griego, Three Rivers, CA — 52nd anniversary, June 14, 2023. photo by our daughter, Lori Jimenez ..read more

  "The greatest adventure is what lies ahead."  - J.R.R. Tolkien This picture is dedicated to my niece, Emily Rose Griego. 4/12/1996 ~ 5/16/2023 It's been nine months since my achilles injury in August 2022. This is my first long motorcycle ride and campout, and what better place to go than the Eastern Sierra. My heart, however, is heavy with the passing of our niece, Emily. I'll think about her often as I approach my first camp at the base of the rugged Sierras covered with snow. It's memorial day weekend and I plan to attend the annual Bishop Mule Days. The Lone Pine C ..read more

  "When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe." John Muir. Top L to R: 1. Ride to the Flags—Remembering 9/11 and Honoring a Wounded Warrior by American Rider. 2. Wild Winds across the Badlands of New Mexico by RoadRUNNER. 3. A Brothers Ride to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest by RoadRUNNER. 4. Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve by Destination Lancaster. 5. Robert and Leo Griego—Isla Mujeres, Mexico. "If I were to describe my brother, Leo in a single word, it would be 'explorer.' He could have easily traveled with Cabrillo ..read more

  I painfully know the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day, yet, they blend into my mind, especially this year. My brother, Leo Griego, first cousin Enereo Griego, and our son-in-law's grandfather, Darold Rice, passed away this year. Enereo Griego and Darold Rice were WWII veterans; Leo was a Vietnam veteran. They will be dearly missed. Today, we recognize and thank all Veterans ..read more

Motorcycles ~ Flags ~ 9/11 The roar of six-hundred motorcycles can take your breath away, especially when the police are your escorts, and allow you to run through all traffic lights along the Pacific Coast Highway like a bunch of outlaws.  Hundreds of bikers on the PCH for the 2022 Ride to the Flags. Photo by Windy Wise, Fire Hogs M/C. The invite from the Fire Hogs M/C to attend the 2022 Ride to the Flags came at the perfect time. The summer weather here in Three Rivers, CA has been blazing hot — 112 degrees. This patriotic motorcycle ride along the Pacific Ocean ..read more

  I'm proud of this article and the bikers, especially my Fire Hogs M/C friends, who rode that day in tribute to those lives lost on 9/11 and to honor and support a wounded warrior — Jordan Stevenson.  The entire article, to be released November '22, can be found in American Rider Magazine.  HOPE IS A POWERFUL TOOL  "The recipient of donations for the 2022 ride was Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician, 2nd Class, Jordan Stevenson, who had spent seven years on active duty in the Navy and spoke at the ceremony. Stevenson was grievously injured during a deploymen ..read more

The Ancient Bristlecone  Pine Forest "Climb mountains not so the world can see you, but so you can see the world."  –  David McCullough Jr. The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is home to the oldest trees on earth, bristlecone pines. Some exceed 4,000 years old and appear sculptured by the wind. I’ve never seen them before and I’m looking forward to this adventure. The name alone conjures wild images about this natural area situated off Highway 168, about 24 miles from Big Pine, CA along Highway 395. New destinations are an attraction to me, especially ..read more

 WILD WINDS across the Badlands of New Mexico The Wind, the Open Road, and My Motorcycle. This is my mantra. Rarely, do I heed a warning before a long-distance ride. This message, however, is from my nephew Ruben, who is a wildlands firefighter stationed in Silver City, NM. A credible source.  His message, "It's supposed to be very windy across New Mexico, starting tomorrow." He is also a biker, so I listen. He adds, with a bit of humor I'm sure, "Hopefully, it will blow in the right direction for you." He is currently fighting a large fire, outside of Santa Fe, NM where t ..read more

Our Desert Jewels ANTELOPE VALLEY CALIFORNIA  POPPY RESERVE Text: Robert Griego Photography: Denise and Robert Griego www.mymotorcyletales.com John Steinbeck, in his epic, East of Eden, said, "These too are of a burning color – not orange, not gold, but if pure gold were liquid and could raise a cream, that golden cream might be like the color of the poppies." I've always admired John Steinbeck's writing, falling in love with The Old Man and the Sea, Of Mice of Men, Cannery Row, and of course The Grapes of Wrath. But honestly, I had never heard his infamous quote about poppies ..read more