Filled with coffee we hit the road on the next leg of our quest. The weather was great, sunny and only slightly warm we rode through the landside of New Mexico. There were lots of cliff walls with the multi-colored bands of red, brown and gold’s.
Sean and I reflected on the 19 states that we visited on this trip. I noted that we saw lots of corn growing in all but Arizona. New Mexico surprised me by the altitudes and the greenery. We saw lots of postural lands, sometimes many acres upon acres of fields with only an occasional fence to divide them.
We stopped in the town of Clines Corner for lunch and to check our bearings and to get some gas. This was a wonderfully clique of a tourist trap kind of store, I loved it. Inside one could find almost any kind of plastic bauble with a name or some New Mexican logo. They sold fudge and burgers, had a Subway restaurant and a home style grill, if you were hungry you would not leave that way.
After leaving we began to watch the clouds. There was a huge storm off to the west of us and it looked fierce. We did not wear our rain gear as it was beginning to get very warm and we felt that we could see the storm from a great enough distance to gear-up if we needed to, but nature has a sense of humor. We were riding along an isolated highway, pasture on both sides, a clear blue sky and a straight road ahead when out of nowhere we were pelted by rain.
Riding a motorcycle in the rain can be an experience. First of all, at 70mph the rain goes everywhere and it hurts. One is quickly reminded of the water cannons used to repel crowds. Not having our rain gear on meant that the legs of our pants were drenched quickly and our arms were soaked. But just as fast as it hit us the rain disappeared. Within about 20 minutes we were once again dry but paying even more attention to the clouds.
Now when I tell you there is nothing between Clines Corners and Roswell I mean that there is NOTHING!!!!! A few abandoned towns and lonely cows, there was also the occasional travel trailer out in the fields but no people to be seen and no gas. We were doing our best to stop for gas between 100 and 120 miles but it was 142 between these two stops and we were not sure if we would make it. Over the last 3 weeks we learned to conserve some gas by watching our speeds and we used this knowledge on this ride.
About 30 miles out of Roswell we decided that we would not be able to out run the storm much longer and we stopped to gear-up. No sooner did we get ready then the rain began. About 10 miles later Sean had to flip over to reserve tank and then the real game was on. Our bikes hold 4 gallons of fuel, 3.2 in the tank and .8 in the reserve. Within five minutes my bike went to reserve and we both were watching the miles go by.
We entered Roswell on fumes, as we drove into the city we began to wonder if they had any gas stations. I joked that they were all on the other side of the town. Finally we found one and after we poured 3.8 gallons into the bikes we went looking for Aliens.
Now the sign outside of Roswell claims it to be the Dairy Capital of the Southwest, but every shop and sign had aliens on them. The local McDonalds had a playground that was shaped like a spaceship and before long we found the fabled Alien Museum. Unfortunately, it had closed an hour earlier, missed it by that much.
So now it was off to Carlsbad. The rain did not let up for us at this point. With the night coming riding became a little harder. The road turned into a two lane, poorly marked highway that seemed to have lots of 18-wheelers coming our way. Carlsbad finally pulled into our sights. The rain was not too bad at this point but still present. We gassed up and drove through town only to find flooded intersections. At more than one I watched Sean lift his feet above his tank as he tried to stay a little dry.
We tried to focus on our target, Pecos Texas. The road seemed to get smaller, curvier and darker. It was also getting colder. We began to count the miles and before too long we saw a beautiful sight, the Welcome to Texas sign.
Now maybe it was wishful thinking or maybe it was real but the road got better lit, a little drier, fewer trucks and yes, it got warmer too. We knew we were back home. Soon we found Pecos and our hotel for the night and settled in for the last night of our trip.
At breakfast I knew I was back in Texas, Texas-shaped waffles next to eggs, bacon, sausage and fresh homemade salsa. This was a great welcome home.
Now Pecos was not a random choice, this was where the roads to Dallas and San Antonio divided for us. I would head east and Sean south. We gassed up and thanked each other for a great trip and headed our separate ways.
I hopped on US 20 and was greeted with another reminder I was in Texas, an 80mph speed limit. Smiling I locked my throttle and for one of the few times in my life I did a good job of staying under the speed limit.
I drove through and gassed in Midland Texas, the birthplace of GW and Laura Bush according to the signs. The Texas skies were friendly and I was enjoying the sunlight that had been missing the last few miles. The ride was somewhat boring to be honest. I did not have Sean to talk to, my speed was the one that counted, and I knew that it was drawing to an end.
As I got to Arlington I knew I was home. The last few miles would pass quickly as I was now on auto pilot. Soon I was pulling into Dallas and then Mesquite; slowly I pulled to my drive and into my garage. Entering the house my dogs were waiting, it almost seemed they were smiling, I knew I was back home.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Kingman AZ to Gallup NM
On this blog I have tried to keep things positive and light. I have worked to be entertaining and informative. In that last vein I offer this, don’t stay at the Comfort Inn in Gallup New Mexico. First, it appears that all heavy equipment drivers come here late at night to have their trucks run. Second, the upkeep is spotty at best. But the worst offence, three times this morning I have tried to get coffee only to find an empty carafe. This is inexcusable. Oh sure they were out of eggs, bagels, butter but who cares, I need coffee!!
The ride yesterday was interesting; it started in Kingman and took us to the Grand Canyon. It is a really big hole in the ground and it is also very pretty. We watched some condors fly overhead and took lots of pictures. I have some good pictures that i will try to upload once i get home.
We met some bikers from England that made us laugh with their friendly silliness. The National park pass proved to be a good value again, it would have cost us $25 each had we not gotten it in the badlands.
We met a man who was once stationed at FT Bliss, he was riding back to New York on a Yamaha with a single day’s change of clothes and no rain suit and no face mask on his helmet, bet he will rethink that, not sure if that was brave or foolish but “Ride on”.
Note: they just found some coffee, ahhhhh much better now.
The weather was good for us, at 9am in Kingman it was 89 degrees. That seems to be where it stayed all day. Now night time is very different. The air gets cooler and on a bike it can get very cold, but we endured making it to Gallup around 10pm local time.
It looks like I should get home sometime late Saturday night and to be honest I am looking forward to taking some time off of the bike.
About to pack up now for today’s ride, stay tuned for more.
The ride yesterday was interesting; it started in Kingman and took us to the Grand Canyon. It is a really big hole in the ground and it is also very pretty. We watched some condors fly overhead and took lots of pictures. I have some good pictures that i will try to upload once i get home.
We met some bikers from England that made us laugh with their friendly silliness. The National park pass proved to be a good value again, it would have cost us $25 each had we not gotten it in the badlands.
We met a man who was once stationed at FT Bliss, he was riding back to New York on a Yamaha with a single day’s change of clothes and no rain suit and no face mask on his helmet, bet he will rethink that, not sure if that was brave or foolish but “Ride on”.
Note: they just found some coffee, ahhhhh much better now.
The weather was good for us, at 9am in Kingman it was 89 degrees. That seems to be where it stayed all day. Now night time is very different. The air gets cooler and on a bike it can get very cold, but we endured making it to Gallup around 10pm local time.
It looks like I should get home sometime late Saturday night and to be honest I am looking forward to taking some time off of the bike.
About to pack up now for today’s ride, stay tuned for more.
from Oakhurst to Kingman
We got a good start leaving Oakhurst and had a great ride back out of the Sierra Mountains. Clear skies and nice temperature made for a wonderful ride. Lots more crops and trees we could not quite figure out what was grown.
On the road people can get kind of silly. Sean and I would make jokes about the road signs. The Prancing Deer was one we saw a lot, but the Backing up Elk was one that had us laughing a lot. Now we also saw the Lost Cattle and Hungry Bears, I like the Riderless Bike and the Not So Smart Walker. There were some signs we could not figure out, in Wyoming they had these little signs that looked like an inverted L with three dashes. The fact that it did not always face the same way made us feel that there was information to be gleaned from this symbol.
On our way out of California we rode through the Mojave Desert. The desert greeted us with some incredible force winds. We were using force to keep our handlebars straight. Sean saw the Airplane graveyard as we drove through the gale force winds. We watched some Air Force jets go through their maneuvers when we stopped for a drink. Sean joked that there really was a worse place to be stationed then El Paso.
When it started to get dark it started to get cold, very cold. We felt that if we could make it to Kingman Az then we would be set for a good day tomorrow. One of the things I have noticed along the way is that as you come close to a state border the roads often become less smooth, sometimes they are just terrible. This was the case between California and Arizona. The odd thing was the weather. The minute we got to Arizona, the temperature shot up again. This was the boost we needed to carry us to Kingman.
The moment we left the Barstow area we kept seeing signs for RT 66 everywhere. It seems that US 40 was built to replace RT 66, but no one told all the shop keepers along the way.
At a few places we did travel the fabled highway and there were vender both open and selling and those that had given up. But be warned, gas prices can sky rocket in some of these places, they know they have you.
Kingman AZ has train tracks everywhere and that of course means trains too. As we came to our hotel we noticed the very loud sounds of trains and worried that we might not get any sleep. The nice girl at the front desk assured us that the building was built to make up for its location. She was right. What she did not tell us was that Kingman is so hot that their water out of the tap is not at all cold. Ever taken medications with very warm water?
On the road people can get kind of silly. Sean and I would make jokes about the road signs. The Prancing Deer was one we saw a lot, but the Backing up Elk was one that had us laughing a lot. Now we also saw the Lost Cattle and Hungry Bears, I like the Riderless Bike and the Not So Smart Walker. There were some signs we could not figure out, in Wyoming they had these little signs that looked like an inverted L with three dashes. The fact that it did not always face the same way made us feel that there was information to be gleaned from this symbol.
On our way out of California we rode through the Mojave Desert. The desert greeted us with some incredible force winds. We were using force to keep our handlebars straight. Sean saw the Airplane graveyard as we drove through the gale force winds. We watched some Air Force jets go through their maneuvers when we stopped for a drink. Sean joked that there really was a worse place to be stationed then El Paso.
When it started to get dark it started to get cold, very cold. We felt that if we could make it to Kingman Az then we would be set for a good day tomorrow. One of the things I have noticed along the way is that as you come close to a state border the roads often become less smooth, sometimes they are just terrible. This was the case between California and Arizona. The odd thing was the weather. The minute we got to Arizona, the temperature shot up again. This was the boost we needed to carry us to Kingman.
The moment we left the Barstow area we kept seeing signs for RT 66 everywhere. It seems that US 40 was built to replace RT 66, but no one told all the shop keepers along the way.
At a few places we did travel the fabled highway and there were vender both open and selling and those that had given up. But be warned, gas prices can sky rocket in some of these places, they know they have you.
Kingman AZ has train tracks everywhere and that of course means trains too. As we came to our hotel we noticed the very loud sounds of trains and worried that we might not get any sleep. The nice girl at the front desk assured us that the building was built to make up for its location. She was right. What she did not tell us was that Kingman is so hot that their water out of the tap is not at all cold. Ever taken medications with very warm water?
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
from big montains to big trees
To start off with, the young lady we sat with at Crazy Horse was named Rhonda and I was very happy she responded to the blog, nice to know people are reading.
Coming through the Redwood forest, one is reminded of just how small they really are. The trees are huge; to see something that big that is alive is truly amazing. The winding twisting roads seemed almost to have been carved around these behemoths on their way up and down the mountains. We were often at elevations of over a mile only to return to sea level moments later. The temperature did the same, freezing one moment warm and friendly the next.
When we stopped to take pictures of one of the largest trees I had ever seen, we ran into a couple from the Dallas area. Don Mull and his wife Debbie were sightseeing too and we talked about how he used to drive for UPS in Mesquite for over 30 years. I guess it really is a small world.
Last night we made it to a little town called Orland California. We ate at a small diner then went over to an RV park where we camped for the night. It was cold enough to sleep and not so cold that we needed to suffer. We got up early and washed our bikes, my god they were dirty. We should have been paid for exterminating so many bugs.
The ride in California was GREAT. As we rode along the coast the fog slowly began to lift and the very cool air that had greeted us also lifted. We took lots of pictures of Redwoods and Ocean views and yes a few of flat Stacy.
We decided to move eastward and to not go to L.A. but to visit Yosemite instead. The weather was nice and cool but not cold, not windy and not raining. We saw lots of almond, olive, lemon and orange trees. Oh, and yes once again, we saw corn. It seems that corn can grow almost anywhere. Traveling down one stretch of highway we noticed lots of tomatoes along the side of the road. Each time we came to a truck that was loaded with tomatoes we passed with extra caution, we did not want to wash our bikes again.
After a while of riding through the sierra mountains we began heading southward through California. We passed Sacramento, Stockton and Modesto on our way to Yosemite National Park and saw more crops than you could shake a stick at. On one part of the ride we noticed that the used of ½ streets was very common. i.e. 23 ½ street, 32 ½ ave.
As we entered Yosemite I first thought there was some mistake, the trees were average at best and did not appear to be anything special to me, this changed quickly. We pulled up to the sequoias and I was blown away. This was truly a Huge tree! We wanted to find the tree that you could drive through but as yet we have not.
As it got dark the temperatures began to drop and we looked for lodging. We came to America’s Best in Oakhurst CA. Natasha helped us get a good deal on a room and we settled in. As I did the laundry I got to talk to Brianna at the front desk.
Coming through the Redwood forest, one is reminded of just how small they really are. The trees are huge; to see something that big that is alive is truly amazing. The winding twisting roads seemed almost to have been carved around these behemoths on their way up and down the mountains. We were often at elevations of over a mile only to return to sea level moments later. The temperature did the same, freezing one moment warm and friendly the next.
When we stopped to take pictures of one of the largest trees I had ever seen, we ran into a couple from the Dallas area. Don Mull and his wife Debbie were sightseeing too and we talked about how he used to drive for UPS in Mesquite for over 30 years. I guess it really is a small world.
Last night we made it to a little town called Orland California. We ate at a small diner then went over to an RV park where we camped for the night. It was cold enough to sleep and not so cold that we needed to suffer. We got up early and washed our bikes, my god they were dirty. We should have been paid for exterminating so many bugs.
The ride in California was GREAT. As we rode along the coast the fog slowly began to lift and the very cool air that had greeted us also lifted. We took lots of pictures of Redwoods and Ocean views and yes a few of flat Stacy.
We decided to move eastward and to not go to L.A. but to visit Yosemite instead. The weather was nice and cool but not cold, not windy and not raining. We saw lots of almond, olive, lemon and orange trees. Oh, and yes once again, we saw corn. It seems that corn can grow almost anywhere. Traveling down one stretch of highway we noticed lots of tomatoes along the side of the road. Each time we came to a truck that was loaded with tomatoes we passed with extra caution, we did not want to wash our bikes again.
After a while of riding through the sierra mountains we began heading southward through California. We passed Sacramento, Stockton and Modesto on our way to Yosemite National Park and saw more crops than you could shake a stick at. On one part of the ride we noticed that the used of ½ streets was very common. i.e. 23 ½ street, 32 ½ ave.
As we entered Yosemite I first thought there was some mistake, the trees were average at best and did not appear to be anything special to me, this changed quickly. We pulled up to the sequoias and I was blown away. This was truly a Huge tree! We wanted to find the tree that you could drive through but as yet we have not.
As it got dark the temperatures began to drop and we looked for lodging. We came to America’s Best in Oakhurst CA. Natasha helped us get a good deal on a room and we settled in. As I did the laundry I got to talk to Brianna at the front desk.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
from the straightest roads to the curviest
Each time I think I have seen the most beautiful sight I am blown away by the next one. Yesterday we rode from Pineview Oregon towards California. There are several things about Oregon one is the long, long straight roads. We rode on several that I know were perfectly straight for over 20 miles each. On one I was able to look back and see the road extend to both horizons. Just when you were about to praise the ODOT for their straight road building they begin mile after mile of wicked turns and curves that seemed designed for motorcycles to enjoy. If you ever travel from Oregon to California I would recommend you take advantage of highway 199. We even got to have another rider follow us through the winding roads of 199 as we each pushed our bikes through switchback and turns that seemed to be full circles.
We drove through national forest that had pines the size of skyscrapers and as big around as a Buick. Amazing stuff, we went from high desert to a sea of pines. One thing I did note, this was the first day riding that I did not see any corn.
Pulling into Crescent City California we met a new weather condition, FOG. This stuff was so thick that it not only coated the inside of our visors but the outside as well. At some points our visibility dropped to mere feet. But, it was good to reach our target for the night. Unloading our bikes I could hear the sounds of sea lions in the distance, we were on the California coast.
Now the time changes have not been too bad so far. I try to think in terms of the local time and this seems to work so well that this morning I still woke at 7am local time.
Tonight we are trying to reach Sonoma and maybe visit another Winery.
We drove through national forest that had pines the size of skyscrapers and as big around as a Buick. Amazing stuff, we went from high desert to a sea of pines. One thing I did note, this was the first day riding that I did not see any corn.
Pulling into Crescent City California we met a new weather condition, FOG. This stuff was so thick that it not only coated the inside of our visors but the outside as well. At some points our visibility dropped to mere feet. But, it was good to reach our target for the night. Unloading our bikes I could hear the sounds of sea lions in the distance, we were on the California coast.
Now the time changes have not been too bad so far. I try to think in terms of the local time and this seems to work so well that this morning I still woke at 7am local time.
Tonight we are trying to reach Sonoma and maybe visit another Winery.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
from Idaho to Oragon, to Idaho, to Oregon....
Friday was quiet a day. We got up and had a very nice breakfast at the hotel. The sky was clear and just a little brisk. We were on the road by 11am MST and heading towards California. We left Idaho about 3pm and entered Oregon after removing some of our cold weather gear.
Now here is where the first problem occurred. I did not update my mapping instructions for the early stop the night before. What does this mean? It means that the direction included a stop at a camping ground that we were not looking for. The problem came with the fact that the directions did not just say “camping grounds” it was just directions and I missed one of the details anyway. So, we re-entered Idaho abit south of our exit point and once we discovered this fact we opted to stop for an early dinner at the Idaho Pizza in Homedale Idaho.
After we ate we completed the circle of misdirection and returned to the Highway we started on. The ride was a very nice one and all was going pretty good, or so we thought. We had decided to stop for the night in the town of Hines Oregon. The last 90 miles to Hines was a very cold ride as the sun went down and the flat lands failed to hold any of the day’s heat.
It turns out that Hines is the location for the State Fair, yes we did it again. Every room was booked in every hotel. Ana Garza at the Best Western in Hines was nice enough to let us thaw in her lobby as she called to check on room availability for two stranded riders. The closest she found was a Best Western in Pineview a mere 128 miles away. So off we went. Now I said that once the sun went down it got colder, this was an understatement, it got Damn Cold. Sean and I would manage about 30-40 miles before we had to pull over and do what ever we could to regain muscle control. Even with two sets of gloves our fingers would begin to numb and we just stopped thinking about how our feet felt. At one point we drove on a road that went straight for over 40 miles and had us thinking we would never reach our target.
Now there was one larger city that was a little closer, the city of Bend Oregon. Bend was to be our gas stop since it would be about 120 miles between stations. The problem was in the fact that Bend locks up the streets about 1am and it was about 1:30 when we arrived. After about 20 more minutes of riding in the frigid temperatures we found the only station that was open and filled up.
Leaving Bend heading towards Pineview we passed a very large deer in the middle of the city streets. The next 20 minutes was somehow even colder than the ride before but we had our mission. Once we found Pineview it only took a few minutes to find our hotel and we pulled in for the night. We checked with the front desk and late check out would be at noon. Under the circumstances we decided to take advantage of this.
Now here is where the first problem occurred. I did not update my mapping instructions for the early stop the night before. What does this mean? It means that the direction included a stop at a camping ground that we were not looking for. The problem came with the fact that the directions did not just say “camping grounds” it was just directions and I missed one of the details anyway. So, we re-entered Idaho abit south of our exit point and once we discovered this fact we opted to stop for an early dinner at the Idaho Pizza in Homedale Idaho.
After we ate we completed the circle of misdirection and returned to the Highway we started on. The ride was a very nice one and all was going pretty good, or so we thought. We had decided to stop for the night in the town of Hines Oregon. The last 90 miles to Hines was a very cold ride as the sun went down and the flat lands failed to hold any of the day’s heat.
It turns out that Hines is the location for the State Fair, yes we did it again. Every room was booked in every hotel. Ana Garza at the Best Western in Hines was nice enough to let us thaw in her lobby as she called to check on room availability for two stranded riders. The closest she found was a Best Western in Pineview a mere 128 miles away. So off we went. Now I said that once the sun went down it got colder, this was an understatement, it got Damn Cold. Sean and I would manage about 30-40 miles before we had to pull over and do what ever we could to regain muscle control. Even with two sets of gloves our fingers would begin to numb and we just stopped thinking about how our feet felt. At one point we drove on a road that went straight for over 40 miles and had us thinking we would never reach our target.
Now there was one larger city that was a little closer, the city of Bend Oregon. Bend was to be our gas stop since it would be about 120 miles between stations. The problem was in the fact that Bend locks up the streets about 1am and it was about 1:30 when we arrived. After about 20 more minutes of riding in the frigid temperatures we found the only station that was open and filled up.
Leaving Bend heading towards Pineview we passed a very large deer in the middle of the city streets. The next 20 minutes was somehow even colder than the ride before but we had our mission. Once we found Pineview it only took a few minutes to find our hotel and we pulled in for the night. We checked with the front desk and late check out would be at noon. Under the circumstances we decided to take advantage of this.
Friday, September 10, 2010
From Idaho to the Redwood Forest
I think mornings are the worst part of the trip. Sure I get plenty of sleep. I have always be blessed that way. No, mornings are the worst because when we wake, we forget to ignore all those little aches and pains that the night before we had so well forgotten. Some mornings it is these little pains that first wake me. Maybe it is my hand feeling asleep or swollen or it can be my knee reminding me that once I was not so lucky. Sometimes it is the sinus pain of being in a new place.
Some of it can be the “need” I feel to be on-time, to be rushed. I wake and do all the little routine things each of us do and then I begin to assess my day. Where must I be, how late am I, will it be a good day? Stress has become such a part of who I am that when I removed it I stress over its absence.
Sean has done well I think in this aspect. To be fair, he has always been somewhat stoic about his feelings but then I have known him his whole life. Sean seems to better take in stride the delays and miscues that we have on this adventure. Me, I wonder if I have reached a place where I enjoy the stress?
We decided to bypass Glacier National Park due to time and the fact that they have snow already. We could make it but there is no wisdom in riding a motorcycle in snow and ice. Mind you, wind and rain ain’t the smartest thing a person could do but snow and ice is by far worse.
Today we will try to make good time towards California. We have too many miles to go but we will make a big dent. The weather looks to be back on our side which makes us both happy. I am doing my part to move us along and see if we can reach Oregon by midday and maybe at least reach California by night fall.
Some of it can be the “need” I feel to be on-time, to be rushed. I wake and do all the little routine things each of us do and then I begin to assess my day. Where must I be, how late am I, will it be a good day? Stress has become such a part of who I am that when I removed it I stress over its absence.
Sean has done well I think in this aspect. To be fair, he has always been somewhat stoic about his feelings but then I have known him his whole life. Sean seems to better take in stride the delays and miscues that we have on this adventure. Me, I wonder if I have reached a place where I enjoy the stress?
We decided to bypass Glacier National Park due to time and the fact that they have snow already. We could make it but there is no wisdom in riding a motorcycle in snow and ice. Mind you, wind and rain ain’t the smartest thing a person could do but snow and ice is by far worse.
Today we will try to make good time towards California. We have too many miles to go but we will make a big dent. The weather looks to be back on our side which makes us both happy. I am doing my part to move us along and see if we can reach Oregon by midday and maybe at least reach California by night fall.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Idaho
Last night I forgot to tell you about the furry friends we encountered on our drive. Leaving Yellowstone the car in front of us suddenly stopped. In the road was a large doe and she was taking her time to cross. Next when we were just a few miles outside of Jackson Hole as I followed Sean, he yelled out “shit, shit, shit” by the time I got to the place he was at a large coyote was in the middle of the road and not sure which way he wanted to go. I hit my breaks and turned my wheel but my foot still managed to kick him in his side but at least we both survived it.
We knew when we woke this morning that today would be a wet one. Leaving Jackson Hole we were met with a light rain and this turned to a heavy rain then to a “wintery mix” that made us very nervous. The motorcycles get traction in the rain but ice is a whole ‘nother story. We did manage to trudge through quiet abit of the rain and the 40-50mph winds but the cold mixed with it proved to be just too dangerous and it was time to man-up and make a smart decision.
So, we pulled into the town of Pocatello ID and got us a room and a much earlier dinner. We appear to have good weather coming tomorrow. That would be nice for a change. We are trying to make it to the Redwood forest next. We have about 700 miles to go so we will make the most of the good weather tomorrow and do some hard riding.
As far as pictures go, I have maxed out the Flickr account so I am working tonight to set up another one. I also now have some pictures I took with the other camera to add once I figure it out.
We knew when we woke this morning that today would be a wet one. Leaving Jackson Hole we were met with a light rain and this turned to a heavy rain then to a “wintery mix” that made us very nervous. The motorcycles get traction in the rain but ice is a whole ‘nother story. We did manage to trudge through quiet abit of the rain and the 40-50mph winds but the cold mixed with it proved to be just too dangerous and it was time to man-up and make a smart decision.
So, we pulled into the town of Pocatello ID and got us a room and a much earlier dinner. We appear to have good weather coming tomorrow. That would be nice for a change. We are trying to make it to the Redwood forest next. We have about 700 miles to go so we will make the most of the good weather tomorrow and do some hard riding.
As far as pictures go, I have maxed out the Flickr account so I am working tonight to set up another one. I also now have some pictures I took with the other camera to add once I figure it out.
from Dubuis to Jackson Hole
Yesterday was a very amazing ride. We traveled from Buffalo to Dubios and we saw lots of deer everywhere we went. The mountains were breathtaking. We did get a little behind, it seems Sean misread the map but it was all good, we saw some wonderful vistas.
In \Casper Wy we stopped for gas and watched two deer walked through the parking lot, the locals did not even seem to notice. From there we headed towards the Shoshoni Indian Reservation, this was not what I expected at all, there were some very nice houses and the people seemed warm and very friendly.
We did have to stop in Riverton to work on the bikes. My handlebars were getting loose and my throttle lock broke. We managed to loosen the bolt on my handlebars to adjust them and used some krazyglue on the plastic throttle lock. I Sean wanted to make some changes to his straps.
As the night drew on it began to get colder. We finally decided to stop in the sleepy town of Dubois Wy. Now there are a few things to know about Dubois, one the restaurants in town all close at 9 sharp. Next the only place open when you arrive at 9pm is the local bar. The River bend bar has a wonderful anti-social bartender named Nichol; a local man named Toby that “ROCKS” and is the king of the jukebox. There was also Matt the pool shark and Rochelle who was very kind and funny pool player. Now don’t think that we just drank our dinner, we had a bag of chips and a slim Jim too. We had a great time and enjoyed all of it.
Today we got up early enough to grab some breakfast at a little diner. As we left Rochelle and Nichole drove by and waved.
We headed to Yellowstone today and ran into something I have not run into before, a mudslide that had 6 miles of highway blocked. For 6 miles we traveled behind a “pilot truck” at a mind blowing speed of 5 miles per hour. But all good things come to an end and we were able to crank up the speed eventually.
We got to the Grand Tetons and the adjectives just can’t begin to describe the beauty of the mountains. The streams were the deepest blue and begged to be fished. Lake Jackson was huge. High up in the Tetons, lake Jackson extended out over the horizon like a watery valley in the mighty mountains.
As we approached Yellowstone there were three things I wanted to see; I wanted to see Old Faithful, I wanted to see herds of Bison and I wanted to see some of the Elk. If I had seen a Bear too that would not have been a bad thing either. So what did I get? I did see Old Faithful it was incredible we watched it spew and got to see the brand new visitor center that just opened a few weeks ago. I did see a dimes worth of Bison, yes, a grand total of two bison! As far as Elk go, a great big goose egg, I did see 5 moose or is that meese?
We had storm clouds follow us all day but they were nice enough to not bother us. It was a wonderful ride and I know I felt like I had seen Mother Nature at her finest. We decided to do some camping in Yellowstone but that was not to be. The only camp grounds available in the park had no showers and the toilet was over a quarter mile from the grounds. Once you add in the fact that the forecast was for rain, well we opted for a hotel instead.
Off to Jackson Hole Wy and a very very cold ride. The temperature fell with the sun and we were on the verge of getting too numb. By 9pm we pulled into Jackson Hole and looked for a room. The town had dozens of hotels and it being a Wednesday we figured no troubles. Boy, were we wrong! It seems that everyone in Wyoming came to Jackson Hole for the night. We tried hotel after hotel and no rooms were to be had. We finally came to the Lexington where a last minute cancellation meant that we had a room. We had Dominos deliver a pizza (seems once again we got here too late for a restaurant) and we were set for the night.
In \Casper Wy we stopped for gas and watched two deer walked through the parking lot, the locals did not even seem to notice. From there we headed towards the Shoshoni Indian Reservation, this was not what I expected at all, there were some very nice houses and the people seemed warm and very friendly.
We did have to stop in Riverton to work on the bikes. My handlebars were getting loose and my throttle lock broke. We managed to loosen the bolt on my handlebars to adjust them and used some krazyglue on the plastic throttle lock. I Sean wanted to make some changes to his straps.
As the night drew on it began to get colder. We finally decided to stop in the sleepy town of Dubois Wy. Now there are a few things to know about Dubois, one the restaurants in town all close at 9 sharp. Next the only place open when you arrive at 9pm is the local bar. The River bend bar has a wonderful anti-social bartender named Nichol; a local man named Toby that “ROCKS” and is the king of the jukebox. There was also Matt the pool shark and Rochelle who was very kind and funny pool player. Now don’t think that we just drank our dinner, we had a bag of chips and a slim Jim too. We had a great time and enjoyed all of it.
Today we got up early enough to grab some breakfast at a little diner. As we left Rochelle and Nichole drove by and waved.
We headed to Yellowstone today and ran into something I have not run into before, a mudslide that had 6 miles of highway blocked. For 6 miles we traveled behind a “pilot truck” at a mind blowing speed of 5 miles per hour. But all good things come to an end and we were able to crank up the speed eventually.
We got to the Grand Tetons and the adjectives just can’t begin to describe the beauty of the mountains. The streams were the deepest blue and begged to be fished. Lake Jackson was huge. High up in the Tetons, lake Jackson extended out over the horizon like a watery valley in the mighty mountains.
As we approached Yellowstone there were three things I wanted to see; I wanted to see Old Faithful, I wanted to see herds of Bison and I wanted to see some of the Elk. If I had seen a Bear too that would not have been a bad thing either. So what did I get? I did see Old Faithful it was incredible we watched it spew and got to see the brand new visitor center that just opened a few weeks ago. I did see a dimes worth of Bison, yes, a grand total of two bison! As far as Elk go, a great big goose egg, I did see 5 moose or is that meese?
We had storm clouds follow us all day but they were nice enough to not bother us. It was a wonderful ride and I know I felt like I had seen Mother Nature at her finest. We decided to do some camping in Yellowstone but that was not to be. The only camp grounds available in the park had no showers and the toilet was over a quarter mile from the grounds. Once you add in the fact that the forecast was for rain, well we opted for a hotel instead.
Off to Jackson Hole Wy and a very very cold ride. The temperature fell with the sun and we were on the verge of getting too numb. By 9pm we pulled into Jackson Hole and looked for a room. The town had dozens of hotels and it being a Wednesday we figured no troubles. Boy, were we wrong! It seems that everyone in Wyoming came to Jackson Hole for the night. We tried hotel after hotel and no rooms were to be had. We finally came to the Lexington where a last minute cancellation meant that we had a room. We had Dominos deliver a pizza (seems once again we got here too late for a restaurant) and we were set for the night.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Buffalo Wy
We got a little bit of a late start today. We headed to Sturgis and we really found it hard to believe that so many bikers can descend on a small town but it is true. For ten days each year Sturgis becomes the largest city in South Dakota. We visited the Motorcycle Museum and saw some amazing bikes. If I can get it to load I will have you some pictures very soon.
You might notice that I have made a couple tiny changes to the blog, I hope that it will make it easier for anyone to make comments and ask questions; please feel free to do so.
The ride from Sturgis to Buffalo was very windy (gust to 40mph)it rained some but not too much and then it got COLD. When we arrived in Buffalo the local temp was 41 and I promise that on the highway it was alot colder.
We stopped at a Holiday Inn Express in Buffalo and was greeted by Tina. She took great care of our needs and got us a room on the first floor and very close to the coffee.
As we ride Sean and I are learning alot about other riders. We met a 73 year old man that said he had been to Canada twice and that his bike has over 112k miles on it. I talked to a woman from Houston that was living up here that looked to by about 60 and after we told her about our ride she said she was going to have to have her husband buy a trike 'cause she wanted to do this ride too.
At Crazy Horse we met up with a woman that was from Texas also. She was very friendly and we enjoyed her company during our long bus ride to see the monument. Unfortunately, I failed to get her name, so if she is reading this please comment and at least give us your first name. (Go Rangers)
Well, I have laundry going and I need to move it over soo, I will stop here for tonight but I may add some more in the morning. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more.
You might notice that I have made a couple tiny changes to the blog, I hope that it will make it easier for anyone to make comments and ask questions; please feel free to do so.
The ride from Sturgis to Buffalo was very windy (gust to 40mph)it rained some but not too much and then it got COLD. When we arrived in Buffalo the local temp was 41 and I promise that on the highway it was alot colder.
We stopped at a Holiday Inn Express in Buffalo and was greeted by Tina. She took great care of our needs and got us a room on the first floor and very close to the coffee.
As we ride Sean and I are learning alot about other riders. We met a 73 year old man that said he had been to Canada twice and that his bike has over 112k miles on it. I talked to a woman from Houston that was living up here that looked to by about 60 and after we told her about our ride she said she was going to have to have her husband buy a trike 'cause she wanted to do this ride too.
At Crazy Horse we met up with a woman that was from Texas also. She was very friendly and we enjoyed her company during our long bus ride to see the monument. Unfortunately, I failed to get her name, so if she is reading this please comment and at least give us your first name. (Go Rangers)
Well, I have laundry going and I need to move it over soo, I will stop here for tonight but I may add some more in the morning. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more.
Monday, September 6, 2010
This was a hell of a day. First we took a ride to the Badlands. Lots of grass and colored rocks that had Sean and I snapping lots of pictures and it only cost us $10 to get in to see. We ended this with a visit to Cactus Flat SD, a city everyone should visit at least once in their life.
Now you might have noticed a small girl slipping into some of our pictures that is Flat Stacy. She belongs to a little girl in San Antonio and we were recruited to help her in her travels.
We traveled next to Rapid City SD and got a room at the Holiday Inn. We went to the bar and had a burger and some ice tea before heading out to see the Crazy Horse monument. This is a monument to the last great Indian chief. This monument will most likely never be finished, at least in my lifetime. We met a woman on the bus to see the monument that was from Texas and we chatted with her for a while, unfortunately we failed to get her name, so if she does read this I hope you tell us. There was a story that was told to us by the guide. It seems the man that began Crazy Horse once worked for the crew that made Mt. Rushmore. At some point he was fired and it was not a friendly parting of ways. Now if you look at the design of the monument you will notice that Crazy Horse is pointing over his horses’ head. Some folks thought he was pointing towards Rushmore but that is not true. The guide said that if it had, it would most likely not have been his index finger that was pointing.
We next went over to see Mt. Rushmore. This one has a show at night that gives a history lesson about the people in the monument. This is followed up by a lighting of the monument for a wonderful night shot. This was topped off with a tribute to the American Veterans. They thanked those that died in the revolutionary war, the civil war (both sides) the World War 1 and 2, Korea and Vietnam and the other forgotten wars. They did not mention the Gulf War or the current engagements and this absence annoyed Sean greatly. He was there for the Gulf War and knew people that died there. The traffic leaving was bad; they really need to re-think that.
We returned to our hotel and relaxed in the hot tub before turning in for the night. Tomorrow we will be going to Sturgis and hopefully Devils Tower. Be sure to come back to see what we do next.
Now you might have noticed a small girl slipping into some of our pictures that is Flat Stacy. She belongs to a little girl in San Antonio and we were recruited to help her in her travels.
We traveled next to Rapid City SD and got a room at the Holiday Inn. We went to the bar and had a burger and some ice tea before heading out to see the Crazy Horse monument. This is a monument to the last great Indian chief. This monument will most likely never be finished, at least in my lifetime. We met a woman on the bus to see the monument that was from Texas and we chatted with her for a while, unfortunately we failed to get her name, so if she does read this I hope you tell us. There was a story that was told to us by the guide. It seems the man that began Crazy Horse once worked for the crew that made Mt. Rushmore. At some point he was fired and it was not a friendly parting of ways. Now if you look at the design of the monument you will notice that Crazy Horse is pointing over his horses’ head. Some folks thought he was pointing towards Rushmore but that is not true. The guide said that if it had, it would most likely not have been his index finger that was pointing.
We next went over to see Mt. Rushmore. This one has a show at night that gives a history lesson about the people in the monument. This is followed up by a lighting of the monument for a wonderful night shot. This was topped off with a tribute to the American Veterans. They thanked those that died in the revolutionary war, the civil war (both sides) the World War 1 and 2, Korea and Vietnam and the other forgotten wars. They did not mention the Gulf War or the current engagements and this absence annoyed Sean greatly. He was there for the Gulf War and knew people that died there. The traffic leaving was bad; they really need to re-think that.
We returned to our hotel and relaxed in the hot tub before turning in for the night. Tomorrow we will be going to Sturgis and hopefully Devils Tower. Be sure to come back to see what we do next.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Well after a long days ride we ended up at Wall SD. The only problem we had was that every hotel was booked, seems Labor Day weekend is a big thing in SD. So we ended up in a small town fleabag motel. This place was next to the motel and once was a house. So we sleep in our sleeping bags on top of the beds, no big deal. We enjoyed the Corn Palace and took some pictures of the great artwork. We had a very good meal at Whiskey Creek grill. The drive from there to Wall was amazing, the gods did good work on the black hills.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Day 8
Today was day 8 and what a day it was. We left Madison WI with some regrets; after all we had 5 Star service and incredible company. Sean was impressed by the fact he was offered a beer when he went to take a shower. We were treated to some amazing meals and wonderful Wisconsin wines.
Once on the road we were greeted by “breezy” weather. Wisconsin and Minnesota both have a strange idea of “breezy” I would call it a near-tornado like weather. Once you add in the very humid air we were beginning to get cold. Riding motorcycles you learn to do a wave to other riders, a kind of fraternity of sorts. This so far has held everywhere we have been except Wisconsin. Now you must understand that Milwaukee is the home of Harley Davidson and Wisconsin has lots of Harley riders. We found then to be very rude to all other bike owners. Not one HD rider in Wisconsin waved. Contrast this with Minnesota where we found all riders to be friendly and willing to greet anyone.
During the day we experienced some problems with fog in the mask. We began to search for anti-fog for your face mask; it does help to see when riding. We pulled into a place called Mouton Motorsports. The owner helped us with some anti-fog and a pair of gloves all with a wonderfully kind and friendly personality. This got us back on the road and moving at a good pace.
We started to have some problems with fuel mileage from the headwinds that blew us all over the road. We talked about “if we find a Honda Dealer” we would stop and check them out. It happened in a town called Austin Minnesota, a city name that made a Texan smile.
Trimble’s Cycle Center at 900 10th Dr SE was just what the bike was asking for. We met Terry Zillgitt and were instantly made to feel at home. We decided we needed to get our oil changed and they got us in right away and began working on the bikes. Sean had a taillight go out that we did not know about and they found and replaced it for us. Terry helped us with some neck warmers that were amazing. He also gave us some of the stores tee-shirts which we put on and wore right away.
Then while talking it turns out that Terry and Sean were in the army, in Germany at the same base and at the same time back in the 80’s, what are the odds? If you ever need any Honda parts or service in Minnesota or anywhere else for that matter you can call Terry at 866-874-6253, tell him we sent you.
We met a man named Bob Hill while in Minnesota, he was riding a Honda ST and while we filled up our tanks asked us about our trip and offered to let us join his group but alas he was heading the wrong direction. We stopped in a town called Blue Earth MN to see an amazing thing, a fifty foot tall Jolly Green Giant. We had to stop.
We were at every stop in Minnesota, amazed by just how friendly and genuine they all were. We will return to this state again.
At nightfall the temperatures began to drop. We decided on Sioux Falls SD for our next stopping point. We settled in at the Holiday Inn for the night.
Once on the road we were greeted by “breezy” weather. Wisconsin and Minnesota both have a strange idea of “breezy” I would call it a near-tornado like weather. Once you add in the very humid air we were beginning to get cold. Riding motorcycles you learn to do a wave to other riders, a kind of fraternity of sorts. This so far has held everywhere we have been except Wisconsin. Now you must understand that Milwaukee is the home of Harley Davidson and Wisconsin has lots of Harley riders. We found then to be very rude to all other bike owners. Not one HD rider in Wisconsin waved. Contrast this with Minnesota where we found all riders to be friendly and willing to greet anyone.
During the day we experienced some problems with fog in the mask. We began to search for anti-fog for your face mask; it does help to see when riding. We pulled into a place called Mouton Motorsports. The owner helped us with some anti-fog and a pair of gloves all with a wonderfully kind and friendly personality. This got us back on the road and moving at a good pace.
We started to have some problems with fuel mileage from the headwinds that blew us all over the road. We talked about “if we find a Honda Dealer” we would stop and check them out. It happened in a town called Austin Minnesota, a city name that made a Texan smile.
Trimble’s Cycle Center at 900 10th Dr SE was just what the bike was asking for. We met Terry Zillgitt and were instantly made to feel at home. We decided we needed to get our oil changed and they got us in right away and began working on the bikes. Sean had a taillight go out that we did not know about and they found and replaced it for us. Terry helped us with some neck warmers that were amazing. He also gave us some of the stores tee-shirts which we put on and wore right away.
Then while talking it turns out that Terry and Sean were in the army, in Germany at the same base and at the same time back in the 80’s, what are the odds? If you ever need any Honda parts or service in Minnesota or anywhere else for that matter you can call Terry at 866-874-6253, tell him we sent you.
We met a man named Bob Hill while in Minnesota, he was riding a Honda ST and while we filled up our tanks asked us about our trip and offered to let us join his group but alas he was heading the wrong direction. We stopped in a town called Blue Earth MN to see an amazing thing, a fifty foot tall Jolly Green Giant. We had to stop.
We were at every stop in Minnesota, amazed by just how friendly and genuine they all were. We will return to this state again.
At nightfall the temperatures began to drop. We decided on Sioux Falls SD for our next stopping point. We settled in at the Holiday Inn for the night.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Madison
Another great day in Madison WI. Biscuits and gravy for breakfast, cheezeburger in paradice for lunch and home made shrimp alfrado. We played gutiar hero, i suck at it. Today we saw the sights of Wisconsin including a winery, yeah i know, i did not know they did wine either. You will notice that i did get my pictures loaded and i will get you somemore as i go. Well tomorrow we get to visit "uncle Joe" and our picture of lake Michigan then off to Minnssota. Stay tuned;
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