The Everyday Millionaire Series

The Devil's Backbone - Part 8 of 8

Sunday – June 10^th

The American Iron guys left really early.  I didn’t get up to say goodbye.  I said goodbye the last night. Mark and I met with Billy and the film crew by the pool to film a final piece for Mark’s motorcycle accessories and for The Money Thing Made Easy.  We were just too tired to do it.  Billy, being the constant promoter, invited Mark and I back to the lodge for two complimentary days of fishing, sporting clays shooting and shooting promotional pieces for our products in the fall.  I had such a great time on this trip that I jumped at the chance to come back.  I had already got enough on film and in pictures to promote the book. 

Sammy and Mike drove Mark and I to the Airport.  We thanked them for making this the ultimate guys vacation. 

We had experienced a lot in the past week.  We rode The Devils Backbone, ate too much, drank too much, made a TV show, made some great new friends, burned, crashed and laughed uncontrollably. 

Not bad for an old guy trying to sell a book!

The Devil's Backbone - Part 7 of 8

Saturday – June 9^th

Sammy knocked on the door at 4:30 with coffee.  I told him that I didn’t need any.  We were supposed to meet in the parking lot at 5:15 for breakfast so we could be to the dock by 6:00.  I didn’t plan to eat much anyway so I slept another hour and ran to meet the guys.  I got there when we were supposed to leave and still had time for a piece of toast and a cup of coffee.  I took a couple of Dramamines so I wouldn’t get seasick.  They warned me that I might get drowsy but that would be better than getting sick.

We got to the docks and split into two teams.  The Botana boys on the other boat consisted of Sam and Joe from American Iron and J-Mac from Steel Thunder Outfitters.  J-Mac was a little sore from going down on his bike a couple of days earlier but he was there with a smile on his face ready to go.  I found out later that the name Botana came from a strip club in town that they visited on their previous trip to Mazatlan. We called our team the Boomers.  Billy, Mark, Chris and I are all over 50 so we went with the Baby-Boomer thing.  There may be another strip club somewhere named Boomer but I have no idea. 

Since there already was a lot of testosterone on the trip, the whole competition thing incited some real tough talk between Billy, our tour leader and Sam, from American Iron.  I didn’t care much because, like I said, I am not much of a fisher-guy.  As a matter of fact, I don’t even like fishing.  I haven’t been fishing since I was 16 and even that wasn’t much fun.  However, I am here and Billy went to the trouble of putting the whole thing together so I would go, I would participate and I would do my part to have a good time and help the team.

We would have to go out over 20 miles to where the fish were.  They tell me that this time of year is great for fishing.  We would be bill fishing.  That means the fish we were out for have a bill, like a sword or pointed end.  Sailfish are the most common.  They range from 70-130 pounds.  We also might get into some Marlin which can go over 200 pounds.  They also mentioned Swordfish but that would be unlikely.  We might see a Dorado, which is also called Mahi Mahi in Hawaii. 

It took about an hour to get out to the area we would fish.  We got our lines in the water and guessed numbers for who would go in which order on our boat.  Mark won so he would go first, Chris second and I got the third spot.

We were only there about 10 minutes when Sam on the other boat hooked a Sailfish.  It took him about 10 minutes to land it and that started the whole testosterone thing between the boats again.  It was the Botana boys (them): 1 and the Boomers (Us): 0  By the way, we would not keep any of these fish.  We caught them and let them go.

A few minutes later Mark from our boat hooked a Sailfish.  It was great to watch him work the fish.  Like me, he didn’t have much fishing experience either.  He listened to the guide tell him what to do and got the fish to the boat.  Now the score was tied.

About 30 minutes later, Chris hooked another Sailfish and landed it.  I missed most of it because the Dramamine had kicked in and I slept most of the trip.  However, I didn’t get sick.  I woke up long enough to see Chris land the fish and for us to yell to the other boat that we were now leading 2 to 1.

Joe from American Iron hooked another Sailfish and landed it quickly.  The score was tied again.  All four fish that were caught were Sailfish and were 80-90 pounds.  I was next.  I was excited but I couldn’t keep my eyes open.  I laid down on the bed in the cabin and I was out again.  I heard someone yell fish on and I jumped up and went out the chair in the back of the boat.  The guide handed me the pole and the line instantly started running out.  When it slowed I pulled on the pole and about 250 yards behind the boat I saw this huge fish jump.  They said it was a Marlin and it was over 200 pounds.  I got to work that fish for only a few minutes and the line went slack.  I lost it.  I guess it was because I was still partially asleep and I guess Marlin are tougher to land and, oh yeah, I had no idea what I was doing too.  In any event I get a short experience of what it is like to tangle with large fish.  However, I did not help my team by landing the fish.

We spent a few more hours out without any activity.  The score was still tied.  We were just talking about heading in when the other boat started yelling we knew that meant that they had a fish on.  We expected to see J-Mac working the fish because it was his turn.  Instead, it was Mike the cameraman working the fish.  J-Mac must have been a little more pain from the accident than we thought.  It took Mike about 10 minutes to land the fish.  That started a huge round of trash talking from the other boat.   We trash talked back but as we turned for home we knew that the Botana Boys were the winners.

We got back to the doc and put the award ceremony on film for the TV show.  The prize was a baby hog, a tie in to the motorcycle thing.  Sam was so excited that he kissed the pig on camera.  A cute ending to a great experience.  I had a great time fishing but it is still not on my top 20 things to do on vacation.

We got back to the hotel and spent some time in the pool.  We met for dinner at a nice Italian restaurant.  We didn’t eat much or drink much.  I guess everyone was pretty spent after a day of all of the fishing excitement.

The Devil's Backbone - Part 6 of 8

Friday – June 8

Sammy knocked on my door at 7:00 with another cup of coffee prepared just the way I like it.  I didn’t know what time I went to bed the night before because I couldn’t find my watch and my cell phone was dead.  I realized when he came to wake me up that again I did not get as much sleep as I wanted.  I didn’t know then that I would not get enough sleep until after I got home.

I was upset with Billy because he got us up at 7:00 and we didn’t leave until almost 10:00.  I am pretty punctual and I don’t eat much for breakfast.  I could have slept for another couple of hours and still not held anyone up.  I spent the extra time in the morning writing some of what you are reading, which is enjoyable for me and hopefully for you too.

We pulled out of Mexiquillo just before 10:00.  The roads we were traveling today would be pretty good but are filled with turns and lots of construction too.  There would be opportunities for photos and filming some great riding and beautiful vistas.  The views coming down the mountains are completely different than those going up.  Unfortunately when you are riding The Devil’s Backbone on a motorcycle you don’t want to be looking around too much.  Any lack of focus could cause you to miss a turn and cause serious injury or even kill you.  The crew is getting lots of pictures, which I am including, in this story. 

The closer we got to Mazatlan, the hotter it got.  When I ride, I am always looking for the perfect temperature, adding and shedding clothes as I go trying to be as comfortable as possible.  Since my preference is to be a little cold rather than to be a little warm the perfect temperature eluded me on this trip except for a very short period of time. 

We reached the outskirts of Mazatlan about 4:00 and the traffic was pretty heavy.  I don’t think it was a rush hour thing, I think it is usually pretty busy.  The stop and go traffic, the hottest part of the day and having ridden all week made the final 15 miles or so really uncomfortable.  If we were going slow, it was brutally hot.  If we were going fast, we were getting pelted with rocks and sand being thrown up from the cars and trucks ahead of us.  That little bit of discomfort was overshadowed by the fact that we were almost home and we had successfully ridded The Devil’s Backbone. 

We got back to Billy’s air-conditioned shop and got cooled down a bit.  We hung out for about an hour and got back into the van for the 15-minute ride to the hotel.  Sammy greeted us at the hotel with Margarita’s.  We went out to the pool to film a teaser for the TV show.  We were hot and dirty and just wanted to put on some shorts but we filmed the teaser before we adjourned to the pool for a real cool down.

We had dinner in the parking lot across the street from the hotel.  Giovanni made another shrimp feast.  Prepared several different ways along with incredible corn chowder to start off with.  We decided that the parking lot would be easier and quicker because our final full day in Mexico would include a bill-fishing trip 20 miles off shore.  I am not a big fisher-guy and part of the reason is that it would require a 4:30AM wakeup call. 

We ate and headed out to try to get some sleep.  I didn’t get to sleep until about midnight and my last thought was I hope I don’t get seasick.

The Devil's Backbone - Part 5 of 8

Thursday – June 7^th

It was kickstands up again at 8:00.  We were headed back to the cabins.  This time we would head back up the eastern side of the Sierra Madres and start our descent to the cabins.  As we crested the summit, the views were spectacular.  Our descent today and tomorrow would be particularly slow because of the constant starting and stopping for filming. 

We stopped for lunch at the side of the road where and old steam train was set up for display.  Billy wanted to use the train as a backdrop for some American Iron Magazine commercials that they would shoot right after lunch.  This all happened right next to an Oxxo gas station and a place at the side of the road where they fix truck tires.  We had roasted chicken and tortillas with fresh steamed vegetables.  We set up the cots under a covering at the back of a vacant lot full of piles of rocks.  The sun was hot so the shade felt great and we all napped away part of the afternoon.  I know it sound rough.  It was.

The guys from American Iron shot a whole slew of takes for commercials as we all looked on.  We laughed a lot but mostly at Joe.  Joe is a large man with a scruffy beard.  He did a few takes ordering people to subscribe to the magazine or he would come to their house.  We laughed until we cried out next to the Oxxo station in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico.

We were at a gas station about two miles from the cabins when Chris noticed that we had been there for several minutes and Joe and J-Mac weren’t here yet.  Sometimes on The Backbone we get separated by traffic or the unplanned pit stop, but this was too long.  Chris, Billy and I took off to go back to see if anything had happened.  We got about four miles back and found J-Mac’s bike off the road and pretty messed up.  He had tried to take a corner too fast and wound up off the road.  He went off the road in a place where there was about a 12 inch drop from the paved road to the shoulder.  The engine guard caught on the road and spun him around in the dirt of the shoulder.  Fortunately this was right at a turn out section and not near a cliff.  His pants were torn up and he was little scraped up but nothing was broken.  We all expressed our thankfulness that he was okay but we knew that he would be sore for a few days.  We were only going to be riding for one more day but J-Mac would spend that day in the van with his bike on the trailer. 

Dinner that night was another feast by Giovanni.  Filet mignon wrapped in bacon with baked potatoes and steamed vegetables.  We thoroughly enjoyed our meal under the stars high in the Sierra Madre Mountains.

We stayed up too late again on this night.  It is amazing how a few adult beverages; motorcycles and a campfire can keep the boys talking.

The Devil's Backbone - Part 4 of 8

Wednesday – June 6^th

Today was our day to do what ever we wanted.  I was tired, hot and my face was pretty sunburned.  My hand was still sore but I knew that I would be fine to ride on Thursday.  I took a real slow day to myself.  I slept late, wrote a little, read a book and got to wear shorts.  Wearing jeans and riding boots in 90 degree weather takes a lot out of a Seattle guy used to cooler weather. 

I spent some time with Billy talking about his plans for STO and his Anglers Inn Lodge on Lake El Salto just north of Mazatlan.  I guess Billy’s lodge considered one of the top ten in the world for bass fishing.    He also has sporting clays up there which excited me more but we would not get up there on this trip.

Billy explained to me that he is opening another lodge in November of this year south of Mazatlan.  He has his Harley tours and he owns four acres on the ocean that he is going to build a hotel on in 2009.  His plan is to use TV tour shows to draw business to his bass fishing and motorcycle tours.  People can come down to Mazatlan with their families and if the family doesn’t want to go fishing or motorcycle riding they can stay in the hotel and the others can go for a few days to do those events. 

This is really fun for me.  The Everyday Millionaire is based on my helping people to think differently and to think bigger about their money.  I believe that if you have a goal and set a plan you can achieve it.  Billy’s plans are bigger than I have ever dreamed for myself.  It convinced me that I have to dream bigger to help the people that The Everyday Millionaire will help to dream bigger too.

We finished the day with afternoon with a tour around town, a big church, a theatre and a bar.  We headed back for some shooting around the pool and a steak dinner.

The Devil's Backbone - Part 3 of 8

Tuesday – June 5^th

Sammy knocked on my door at 6:30AM with a cup of coffee in hand and said breakfast was at 7:00 and it would be kickstands up at 8:00.  I slowly rolled out of bed and headed for the shower.  Breakfast was whatever we wanted and was made to order. I had some pancakes and some bacon while we all talked about the fun we had the day and the night before. 

As promised, it was kickstands up at 8:00 and we were on our way.  We were high in the Sierra Madres and it was actually chilly.  I put on another shirt to keep me warm.  The temps the day before got me too warm and the cooler weather actually felt great.

We were already used to each others riding styles.  If you are not a motorcycle rider, we ride in packs.  Most of the time on the highways in the states, we ride in a staggered formation.  One rider rides in the left side of the lane and the person behind them rides in the right side of the lane and so on.  You keep a one second buffer behind the rider adjacent to you and two seconds from the person directly in front of you.  If you can see the face of the person next to you in their rear view mirror, that’s perfect because then they can see you too.  It is important in this formation that you stay in your side of the lane and keep your distances.  This type of a pack formation allows us to move as one group and it allows the “cages” (cars) to easily know that we are there.  Having said all of that, in Mexico and especially on The Devil’s Backbone, all of that goes out the window.  We ride single file and spread out even more. 

The ride to Durango would take all day, even thought it was only about 75-80 miles.  It takes longer because we made many stops to film the adventure.  We set up shots and then sometimes we would have to go back and do it over and over to get the shot Billy was looking for.  It was really fun but as the day wore on, we got to lower elevations and the heat continued to build. 

You can’t really count the distance we are traveling in a day and equate that to travel in the US.  We probably average 23-30 miles per hour because of the number or turns and how tight they are.  When you combine that with semi trucks it slows down the travel.  I was really alright with it because you don’t conquer “The Backbone”, you experience it.

We arrived at our hotel in Durango at 4:00PM.  Durango is the capital city of the State of Durango.  We were in Durango, Durango.  Like New York, New York only smaller, and warmer.  We didn’t get to rest for long because we had a really fun event planned for the evening.  There is a western town in Durango that been the location of over 60 western movies like El Dorado and The Sons of Katie Elder.  Both big John Wayne hits.  The town puts on western shows on the weekends but in Mexico, all things are possible.  They opened the town just for us.... for a price of course.

We arrived at the town about 6:00.  We were greeted by fifteen or eighteen people that made up the town.  We had the town Marshall to the everyday folks along with some Indians and dance hall girls.  They gave us all props that consisted of coats, hats and guns that we would use to create a scene for the TV show.  We all got dressed and got back on our bikes.  We lined the bikes up at one end of town.  Several of the dance hall girls hopped on the back and we were going to run through town creating a ruckus like they used to in the Old West, only on Harleys. 

Our first pass was a great.  We stirred up dust, made a lot of noise and felt like we were real desperados.  We went to the other end of town and turned around for a second pass.  As I sat waiting for the second pass to start, I started to feel really hot.  I looked down and saw the reflection of fire in the chrome of my air cleaner.  My long jacket had stuck to the tailpipe and caught on fire.  I was burning.  I laid the bike down and jumped away.  The coat was burning even more.  I had it buttoned up so I grabbed the opening and pulled, jerking the buttons off and getting the coat off before it was completely engulfed in flames. 

The coat was destroyed, but the bike was fine.  I burned my right hand so I would be out of the rest of the evening’s events.  I sat on the sidelines keeping ice on my hand so I would be able to ride the next day.

They used the rest of the guys in a little skit about the bank being robbed and the good guys showing up to save the town.  It was fun and we got most of the support crew involved too.  What a blast.  We got back to the hotel about 8:30 in time for a late dinner.

The Devil's Backbone - Part 2 of 8

Monday – June 4^th

I got a knock on my door at 7:15.  Sammy, one of the STO staff handed me a cup of coffee and told me breakfast was at 7:30 in the restaurant. We ate and talked about the trip ahead.  We took 30 minutes after breakfast to shower and get our stuff together.  We loaded into a van for the 15-minute trip to the Steel Thunder Outfitters office.  When we arrived, they had 7 motorcycles lined up for us.  Our names were on the bike we would ride for the week.  All of the bikes in STO’s fleet are Harley-Davidson’s.  This week, I would be riding a red Road King.  They wanted to make sure we were going to be comfortable on our bikes so J-Mac, who is also  the technician for STO had me sit on the bike and made sure that pegs, handlebars and mirrors were adjusted for me. 

It took about an hour before we were ready to leave.  When we pulled out into the Mazatlan traffic I felt a little nervous.  I have been to Mexico many times but I have never driven a car, much less ridden a motorcycle in their traffic.  I was a little nervous at first but it didn’t take long to get into the swing of things.   

On this adventure we travel with a pretty big group.  There are 7 motorcycles, a van, a jeep, and a truck with a camper and a semi with a big 5^th wheel trailer behind it.  In those vehicles, is a crew of nine.  We have our own chef, masseuse the camera crew and several others that are there to make sure that everything we want or need is there before we ask for it. This all seems like little overkill but as I mentioned, Billy is a promoter. 

It was really hot in Mazatlan.  We left about 9:30 and the temps were already in the 80’s and going higher.  When you combine that with protective clothing and the heat from the bike, I thought it would be a really uncomfortable trip.  We were headed for the mountains where I knew it would be cooler so I just had to gut it out. 

We stopped just outside of town so we could re-equip ourselves.   Every time we stop, Sammy would hop out with handfuls of cold water and Gatorade.  He wears a tool belt full of anything we could want, sanitary cleaner for our hands and treats.  He is always offering us something and seems to anticipate our every want.  The entire staff of STO is very well trained.  They seem to know what we need before we need it.  I made a mental note of this so that we can get better at it for the The Everyday Millionaire and Old West Mortgage too. 

We all shedded some clothes and our helmets and hit the road again.  I was surprised, but Joe and Chris from American Iron wore jackets the whole time while Sam just wore t-shirt.  Mark likes to wear his leather vest and I like a sleeveless shirt with a long sleeved wick away shirt underneath. 

We stopped several time for photo opportunities and to set up shots for the show.  I had never been involved in any of this before so it was a learning experience for me.  It was fun too.  The best part was riding through some beautiful country on roads that were surprisingly good.  I knew that coming to Mexico to ride would be an adventure.  As much for bad roads as anything.  I was wrong.  The roads are pretty good. 

We stopped for lunch and our Chef Giovanni cooked up some carne asada with onions and vegetables.  They pulled out the canopy of the trailer and set up a little restaurant there for us to eat.  They found some shade and set out cots so we could take a little siesta after lunch.  I thought that this must be the way rock stars get treated.  After lunch and before the siesta, Gabby, the masseuse gave me a fifteen minute neck massage.  I laid down on the cot and I was out.  We napped for about 3-45 minutes then it was time to tackle the backbone again. 

The Devil’s Backbone is an old road that goes from the Western coast to the Eastern part of Mexico.  It is the only way to get over the mountains so it is a very heavily traveled road.  There are lots of big trucks, tour buses and everyday traffic.  That in itself is not a big deal but you add in that the road is one lane in each direction with a sheer rock wall on one side and a very steep cliff on the other.  Combine that with the fact that it has over 900 turns in the first 60 miles and you have the makings of a challenging adventure.

We spent Monday night at a group of cabins high in the Sierra Madre Mountains just outside a little town called Mexiquillo.  There is nothing much there but we are traveling with a whole crew, we were treated by the STO staff like rock stars.

We settled into our cabins and we were treated to mojito’s, which is a Cuban rum drink and my wife’s favorite.  If you haven’t tried a Mojito before, we are having them at our Old West Mortgage Customer Appreciation Party on August 4^th.  Oh yeah, The Beatniks will be there too.

For dinner, chef Giovanni made us a seafood feast of shrimp, bass and Lobster.  Joe from American Iron doesn’t like seafood so Giovanni made him a filet that Joe said was exceptional.  The food and its presentation would not have given away the fact that we were in the middle of nowhere eating next to a campfire. 

For the second night, I got to spent lots of time with the American Iron guys.  They have incredible stories about their travels, their lives and some of the famous people they have met along the way. The thing I didn’t realize from reading the magazine is how much these guys know about motorcycles.  Not just the superficial stuff, but their inner workings too.  They ride bikes sure, but they build them too.   We have become friends and already we are talking about having them out to the Northwest for a ride sometime. 

Can’t wait for Tuesdays ride to Durango…

The Devil's Backbone - Part 1 of 8

Here is the first of a eight part series on my trip on what many people say is the #1 motorcycle road in the world.

Sunday - June 3, 2007

My adventure got started really early.  The alarm went off at 3:30AM for the trip to the airport, my flight didn’t leave until 7:00AM but I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t late.  I was so excited that I didn’t sleep anyway.  I can always sleep on the plane.  Mark Reeves of Reeves Custom Motorcycle Accessories got to my house a little after 4 AM.   Mark and his wife Pam live in Stanwood.  I met them four years ago in an experienced rider’s class.  We have become friends and we run into each other around town and on bike events all the time.    We left for the airport about 4:30 and to my surprise, by 4:45 the sun was coming up.  Who knew?  I am never up that early so I had no idea. 

I am usually pretty good about packing for trips but this time I was packing for a motorcycle trip.  I didn’t have to take my bike but I did have to pack all of my leathers and jackets, protective clothing and of course copies of the “The Money Thing Made Easy”.  It took up so much space that I had to take two suitcases. I felt a little embarrassed, but I brought both of them anyway.

The flight was great.  No problems with anything even though we left 40 minutes late.   We arrived in Mazatlan at 3:30 and were greeted by JMac of Steel Thunder Outfitters.  It was about a 30-minute ride to the Holiday Inn on the Ocean where we would spend our first night.  We went right out to the pool by the ocean and met Billy Chapman Jr., the owner of STO and the three editors of American Magazine, Chris Maida, Sam Whitehead and Joe Knezevic.  They greeted us like we were old friends and handed us a cerveza.  What a treat is was for me having been a reader of American Iron for years.  I get to meet the guys that put the magazine together and have had countless motorcycle adventures with some of the most famous people in the motorcycle world.  I get to spend a week with them and ride the best motorcycle road in the world, The Devil’s Backbone. 

Billy is super promoter.  This trip is not just about the ride, we will be traveling with a film crew that will film the adventure for a show that will air this fall on the Men’s Channel.  The Men’s channel is available on the dish network and Direct TV.  You can find is by the moniker MOR as you are surfing channels.

We hadn’t been there for an hour before Billy takes us down the beach to where they had a couple of wave runners for the American Iron guys and a parasailing adventure for Mark and me.  Since Mark had not been parasailing before, he went first.  You should have seen the look on his face as he took off.  He said the trip was great but when he landed, he landed a bit hard and twisted his ankle.  It didn’t stop him though, we got him some ice and he has kept up well. 

When I was coming in to land, I was flying over the top of a beachfront hotel.  I got so close that I thought I might end up there but suddenly I turned slightly and made a soft landing on the beach.  We filmed all of it and some of it should make the show.

We went to our rooms and showered and got presentable. We met in the lobby and went out for a great Oceanside dinner of shrimp, lobster and of course a couple of Corona’s.  At dinner, I gave each of the American Iron guys a signed copy of The Money Thing Made Easy.  I have to admit I was a little nervous because these guys are all educated, well read and write for a living.  As hard as I worked on the book, I was nervous that they would not like the book or my writing style.  This was my first real test of the book with professional journalists. 

Do you have your eye on the wrong ball?

The other night I sat down to watch a baseball game. I follow the major leagues but I don’t sit down and watch a whole game on TV all that often anymore. Having played and watched hundreds, maybe thousands of games, it still amazes me how hitters can decipher a pitch and make the adjustments in the blink of an eye to hit it. They can do it because even thought the pitchers are doing everything they can to fool them or overpower them, the good hitters all have one thing in common. They don’t get distracted. They keep their eye on the ball.

Companies in America try to fool you or overpower you ton order to get your money. They try to distract you to get you to focus on something that is less important but maybe easier to compare. In the mortgage business, the trick is to get your focus on the interest rate. At first, you might think that the lowest rate on your mortgage should be the main factor to consider. They truth s that the interest rate is only one of the many factors that create the best mortgage solutions.

A low interest rate on the wrong loan, especially a bad loan that is not structured correctly for your financial situation, could create a financial disaster. Many times if you take a higher rate on a better loan for you, you will see financial benefits every month. I know it sounds odd, but if you have followed any of the news stories lately you have heard about the many people who are loosing their homes to foreclosure.

Money is tight today and we don’t get as many at-bats with our money as we used to. I created the Everyday Millionaire to help working Americans take a better shot at the at-bats they do get.