Valentine's Day 2015 finds Britt and I heading into the West Texas Badlands to visit the ruins of a World War II bomber base near Pyote, Texas. Along the way, we grab some lunch, visit a century old graveyard, and discuss Britt's dad's involvement in the D-Day invasion at Normandy on June 6, 1944.

ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THIS ADVENTURE

Those of you who are longtime patrons of The Superbike Blog will remember that we made almost this exact same ride to Pyote six years ago with our friend David, who we lost to cancer in 2010. Though this return trip was definitely a fun ride and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the day, I couldn't help but dwell on the lingering memories of Dave with every destination.

The sense of Dave's absence wasn't lost on Britt, either. When we arrived at the entrance to the base, we immediately exchanged glances, fully aware of what the other was thinking about. There's a short sequence of us remembering Dave before heading across the interstate to the blocked gate, but after viewing the footage a few times, I decided that it was a bit too sad and that it changed the tone of the episode too much.

Rest in peace, David. You are missed, and this ride was dedicated to your memory.