Twin Peaks Steve’s Ultralight…

Our good buddy Twin Peaks Steve sent me a note about catching the same cold bug I had…I guess it’s making the rounds.   Steve also sent me a photo of his ultralight…

Twin Peaks Steve and his ultralight aircraft

That’s a pretty cool aircraft, Steve, and I’ve often wondered what it would be like to fly one of those puppies.   About the last thing I need is another expensive hobby, but your airplane sure has me thinking about what it would take to get into this sport.

I am just about over my cold (I hope you are, too, Steve), and weather permitting, we’re still on for the company ride this Friday.   If you’re wondering what these rides are like, here’s the video we put together on our last company ride.    You’ll recognize Twin Peaks Steve in that video….he’s the guy with the black Bobber…

More interesting news…Chevy just released info on the 2015 Z-06 Vette…it’s going to have what appears to be essentially the same powertrain as the earlier ZR-1 (a supercharged small block producing north of 620 horsepower).   I’m guessing they’ll sell for $80K to $90K.   Big bucks, for sure.  Interesting times and interesting cars.    The new Vettes just don’t photograph well, in my opinion.   In person, though, these cars are stunning.   They look like a super-exotic, and I guess they are.

The 2015 Z-06 Corvette

My 2004 Z-06 on Glendora Ridge Road….that set of twisties in the background is the actual ridgeline we’ll be riding this Friday on our California Scooters!

I bought my Z-06 almost exactly 10 years ago (it will be 10 years in February).     It’s still in like new condition because I take care of it and I don’t drive it much.  In fact, this year it was due for its periodic smog inspection, and the guy at the service station couldn’t believe I only had 35,000 miles on a 10-year old car.   (When I rolled in for the smog check, the odo had just ticked over to exactly 35,000.0 miles.)   I told him that the Vette was not my daily driver.

“What’s your daily driver?” he asked.

“I have a Lamborghini,” I answered, and we both had a good laugh.

The Vette is fun, and it scratched an itch I had all my life.   When I was a kid, having a Vette was the ultimate expression of automotive exotica, and I guess that feeling stuck with me (I just never understood the fascination with other exotics like the 911 (too ugly), the Ferrari (too expensive), or others.   But when I want to have a fun ride, the Vette stays parked and you know what I turn to…yep, my Baja Blaster, which has also seen a lot of time up on Glendora Ridge Road, Baja, Death Valley, and elsewhere…

The Baja Blaster (the bright red one) at a marker denoting the Tropic of Cancer in Baja California Sur, with the Sea of Cortez in the background…

That’s it for now, folks.   Ride safe, stay warm, and stay tuned!