Vacation over

We actually got home Thursday September 29 after a week on the road riding to Charleston, SC to Pigeon Forge, TN and then over to Gary an Lisa Mace’s for a night stay. All in all it was a good trip. We got to see some of the sights in Charleston and learned a few things along the way. The one that I came away with is that I really want to trace my family roots.

In Pigeon Forge we played a little bit and saw a show, which is something that Lori and I rarely do. The show was a musical with a 50-60-70- and 80’s review. It was fun and I would recommend it, even though it was a bit loud. The Grand Majestic Theatre was the name of the place in Pigeon Forge. I would also like to mention that if you time, you have to eat at the Applewood Farmhouse at least once in life time for a great southern meal and neat place to shop. Just make sure your hungry because it is a lot of food.

Lastly if you click the picture link below you will see Gary and Lisa's retirement home and what a fine job they did picking out their spot. It might not be for everybody out there, but you cannot deny how pretty the layout is and how well a job they did building around their personalities and needs. The trailer in the first couple of pictures is where Lori and I stayed for the night. It brought back some fond memories of camping when I was a kid going with my parents. The only difference is that my parents had a 22’ popup tent trailer, so staying in this trailer was like staying in the Ritz. The Mace’s two boys and Lisa fixed us a nice dinner, cooking out on the grill and their boys are quite the cooks. I do not believe that Gary is having a hard time adjusting to his new job of honey do’s, arranging his toy box, playing around with his boys, motorcycle riding, fishing, and retirement in general. As for me, after our visit to Pigeon Forge and the Mace’s, it has restored my interest in finding property in this general area just to sit on until my time arrives.

Thanks again Mace’s.

Picture of the Day

Day 4-5 now in Pigeon Forge

We made the drive from Charleston SC to Pigeon Forge TN yesterday and now we are here to play and relax a little bit. Oh, did I mention shop? Yes, shop. That’s Lori’s definition of relaxation is to shop and my definition of, of, never mind, I stay in trouble enough as it is. Either way she got all her shopping out of the way and then we were off to play.

We signed up to do a little ATV riding just outside of Pigeon Forge. I made the mistake on signing up on the 11 mile ride that included rookies. Next time, I signup for the advance class. Either way, I drove and Lori rode along with me and we crawled up mountain to a elevation of about 2400 feet. It was pretty but on a scale to 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest for a good adrenaline rush, I’d give it a 1. Lori had fun, so I guess we are good.

After our little ATV run, we drove over to the Apple Farmhouse Restaurant so Lori could do some more shopping, yes shopping, and then have a 5 course dinner. This is by far one of the best restaurants that I have eaten at in the Pigeon Forge area. The Apple fritters and Apple butter are to die for. The funny thing is, I really do not care for apple butter, but their stuff is good stuff. Lori and I left this place in pain because there was just to much food.

The final thing that we did for the day was to go see a local show. The Grand Majestic Theatre to hear singers sing songs from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, and beyond. The show was good, not fantastic, but good and I would recommend it.

Tomorrow we head out of Pigeon Forge and make our way over to Gary and Lisa Mace’s for a cookout. We will be staying with the Mace’s one night and then start making our way back to Stephens City. I might actually get Lori to look at another possible retirement spot, but we will see how that goes when the time comes. This is all for today and enjoy the few pictures I have from the ATV ride.

Pictures of the Day.

Day 3 in Charleston, SC

Today was our final day planned for Charleston, SC and the only thing we had on the things to do list was to see a Plantation or two. Well it came down to one and that was the Middleton Place just northwest of Charleston out Route 61. I basically choose this Plantation because the original owner son was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Arthur Middleton was the son that signed. Arthur Middleton’s Grandson signed South Carolina's Ordinance of Secession and that was the beginning of the end of the family wealth. All in all they had twenty plantations throughout South Carolina and were one of the most wealthy families in the area. Did this impress me? Nope. What really caught my eye was the amount of slaves that they owned and how they placed a value on each individual. Most of the slaves were referred to by a single name so it would make it all most impossible to trace a family tree. This part of American History bothers me more than any one thing that I have ever read about.

So in conclusion, I’m glad I’m American, I’m so glad the south lost for so many reasons. We take so much for granted in our country now and in my eyes that is a shame. Anyways, here are the pictures of the Middleton plantation.

Pictures for the day.

Our first two days in Charleston, SC.

The trip down from Stephens City, Va. was pretty uneventful  in that traffic was light and the weather nice. We left home at 6am in the morning so we could hit Mac’ Speed Shop in Charlotte, NC which was recommended from a fellow BBQ lover. It was good, portions were large, tea was sweet, but Wilbur’s Barbecue in Goldsboro NC still does it better.

Our first full day in Charleston began with us doing a 2.5 hour walking tour around the Historic District with a guide. It is always better when the person giving the tour grew up in the area and to top it off, his family roots in Charleston dated back to 1790. That just made me jealous because I always wanted to research my own tree. Maybe this amongst other things will finally light that fire under my butt. If you are ever in Charleston, lookup Footprint Tours by MICHAEL TROUCHE on Tripadvisor and you will not regret it. After the tour we got a quick lunch at Poogan's Porch and went right back to walking. We ended up walking down Market street and Lori and I got to see some of the local tourist trap shopping, but overall I even enjoyed it. Did we buy anything? I think not, but my feet were tired and it started raining, so we left to find Fort Moultrie. While in route, we ran into a Submarine exhibit or monument that was dedicated to all Submarine Navy personal that made the ultimate sacrifice of life and time to serve our country. Eventually we found Fort Moultrie, but it was to late to tour it. So we called it a day.

Day two we got started fairly early to a large breakfast at Crakerbarrel which was intentional to hold us most of the day. I knew after breakfast where I wanted to go, so I headed east to Tangier Outlets so Lori could do some shopping. I was going to lock the doors and windows, then circle the mall and just tease her so she couldn’t shop, but my heart just couldn’t do it. She spent the better part of 2 hours walking around shopping, buying this that until finally it was time for H.L. Hunley tour.

Not very often in life do you get to see something in History or in the past come to life in front of you, but here it is. They located the Sub in 1995, recovery in 2002 I think, then buried the 8 men 2 years later on the 140 anniversary of their death. They are still in the process of research and restoring the sub to save it for histories sake. In case you do not know, this was the first submarine in the world to actually sink an enemy vessel while submerged. This was a hand cranked vessel and amazing considering that this feat was not repeated again until World War I. Unfortunately they do not allow pictures of the actual vessel yet, but it is and was worth the visit. If you do not enjoy History, then this is not for you.

After the Hunley tour, we tracked back over to Fort Moultrie and completed that tour. Not to much to see there, but it was easy to understand why that spot in the sand was so critical to the defenses of Charleston SC. Tomorrow we will visit at least one Plantation called, Middleton Place. Below you will find 60 plus picture of Charleston and stuff. Enjoy.

Our Pictures so far in Charleston.

Update–July 23, 2011 Peaks of Otter run

The modified plan for the Peaks of Otter run will be displayed below. I will be leaving Stephens City, at 9am and running the entire length of the Skyline Drive. I will pickup the Blue Ridge Parkway on top of Afton Mountain and then run that to Peaks of Otter. John Cassarly will be in the area since he and his wife will be camping nearby testing out their RV, so we will hookup with him for dinner and maybe some campfire chatter. I will be staying at the Peaks of Otter Lodge and then the next morning, swinging through Bedford, Smith Mountain Lake, Rocky Point, and Boones Mill. Then I will swing back to the northwest and start working my way back through the backroads of Virginia and West Virginia until I return to Stephens City, Va. If I have no riders with me, I will likely cruise around Roanoke, Va. most of the day.

Ok, if I have no riders with me Sunday morning at Peaks of Otter, I will be spending most of Sunday, 121 miles worth, riding around Rocky Mount and Boones Mill Virginia scanning for potential retirement spots. You can click on the little picture here to see most of that route if you are curious. Depending on time I finish, will determine how I will travel back to Stephens City.

 

July 23–24, Mace ride to Peaks of Otter

On the dates above, Gary & Lisa Mace will be rolling into Stephens City Va around 11:30-12pm. We will leave soon after they arrive and drive down 522 south to McAlister’s in Front Royal for lunch and then held south for Peaks of Otter. Primary day 1 route will be 340 south to Waynesboro, Va and pick up Blue Ridge Parkway and follow that to Peaks of Otter. We will stay the night and then part ways with the Mace’s. Day 2 we will drop off the Blue Ridge and snake through the country side of Virginia and West Virginia for 414 miles of  twisted roads and pretty scenery. So if you want to join us, meet at 111 New Market Dr., Stephens City, Va. at 11:30am. We will lift off as soon as the Mace’s roll in and are ready to ride.

Finally got my other girl put back together.

To say that the 28 day, 10400 plus mile trip was hard on the Valkyrie is likely an under statement.  The Honda itself and all the Honda components, did an outstanding job for a bike that is 12 years old and now has 82,000 miles on her. But to say everything mechanically went well on the trip is also an under statement.

First an foremost we blew a brand new tire in Texas that only had 2000 miles on it and had to have that replaced. Then just 15 or 17 days later we had wore that tire out and had to install the spare on the bike just to make it home. We also blew a shock in Texas and it leaked for at least 8 to 10 days making a mess but did not interrupt our trip. I also had to put new rear brakes on because I forgot to check them before I left home. Oops!Somewhere around Page Arizona my Garmin GPS stopped charging. I took the complete wiring system apart and put it back together on the road and determined that it was either the Cradle or the Garmin itself. Then around Denver the trailer tires had to be replaced, but that had nothing to do with the poor Valkyrie. By the time we rolled into Virginia the shocks were in such bad shape that when I leaned left, the rear tire would rub on the fender well and you could smell rubber burning. My fog lights also stop working somewhere in the last two days of the trip.

Well as of today the Valkyrie is back and she is better than ever. Today I put the final touches on repairs by fixing the burned out blubs where the foglights are concerned. I also installed a permanent outside temperature gauge made by Marlin and it really looks nice mounted on the handle bars. I have already installed brand new Progressive 412 stocks and what a difference they made in the ride. Lori and I both came to the conclusion that the old shocks must have been fading for sometime. Now about that Garmin GPS. Something inside the Garmin got fried and Garmin the company sent me a new unit but not free of charge. It still cost me $150 bucks but when you price a new Zumo 550 Garmin, you will see that $150 was cheap.

I did one more thing to the Valkyrie and that was to run some Quickshot from Amsoil through the gas tank to clean any old deposit in the 6 carburetor fuel system that runs my bike. It is a new product and has already won some awards on best new product. Let me tell you this much, after running just one tank through the system my bike got 40 mpg gallon and I didn’t flip to reserve until 205 miles was displaying on my odometer. Normally I flip to reserve between 175 and 185 riding two up with no trailer. The other things I noticed was the bike ran quieter and I’m not sure how that happened, and it was enough that even Lori noticed it. Engine performance has also increased specially the low end. It idles smoother and takeoff from the line is much smoother. My plan is to run 3 tanks of this stuff through the system and then will see how she runs after.

I’m glad to have the Valkyrie back in riding shape and this week if the weather holds up, I will have to start riding her to work. We also have a planned day ride with Gary an Lisa Mace when they come buzzing through the area. So Mark is happy again that the Valk is road ready.

Thanks

There was a lot of thought and dreaming involved with making this cross country adventure come true. I thought about what I wanted to see, what the weather going to be like as an average for the territory that I was going to be crossing. How many miles I could go in a day and still make it fun and get to where I needed to be in the amount of time that I had? Then I had to think about maintenance on the motorcycle and then what I needed for tires. As it turned out, tires were the biggest part of my entire ride. Some expected and some not expected, like that flat tire. What tools to bring? What is the best gear to have to wear to cover all riding situations? Since space is a valued commodity, you want to keep riding gear as simple as possible without sacrificing safety and comfort. I spent the better part of 2 months just laying out routes, hotels, restaurants, and what to see.

All the above would make most people scratch their head and ask why? But if you love riding motorcycles, I have to explain nothing. If you enjoy an adventure, then I have to explain nothing. If you live your life in doubt and fear, then all of the above would stop you in your tracks. I enjoy all of the above and would leave tomorrow if I could figure out how.

The one person that I really need to Thank above all else in this world is my wife. She allowed me to accomplish one of my dream adventures and she actually wanted to be part of it. Doing this trip by myself, would have been kind of empty without having her there to share it with. She has tolerated and been by my side for more than 30 years and I just can’t imagine her not being there. So thanks for putting up with my good days, bad days, so so days, and allowing this man who is still a little boy inside, do his thing. I hope at the end of my line, that I leave you with stories you can tell to all and when your done telling it, all have smiles.

I have two more folks I would to thank, first would be Gary Mace. He knew I was laying this trip out. He has always given me ideas on what to see and what routes to take and I thank him for that. It is always good when you know where to go and someone has already been there. Gary and I share GPS routes on anything we find that is important to us or just outstanding. That backrest that I asked Gary about before making the purchase was priceless. This is the first trip of any length that my back or neck did not bother me. It forced me to sit with the proper posture. Gary and I have different riding styles, but we both share the passion for tour riding.

I also wanted to thank Joy Tippens for meeting Lori and I for dinner in Houston. I have always enjoyed working with Joy in the past and I miss her presence at Washington Center and that laugh. Thanks for bringing Blair, Glenn, and his wife also because I haven’t seen them in quite a while.

There are also 4 businesses out there that help keep us on track when things were looking grim. All of you know I had a flat tire on Day 4 and Wood’s Fun Center Honda in Austin Texas put us ahead of some of their regular customers to get us back up and running. Then when we wore out our trailer tires, the folks at Bushtec were so easy to deal with and got those tires out next day air and had them waiting on me when I arrived in Dillion, Co. Then there was Silverthorne Power sports in Dillion. The service guy wasn’t to happy with the re-installation procedures for the trailer tires, but he came in early that morning just to make sure we got waited on quickly and back on the road. Then lastly the Honda dealer in Kansas City, Mo. We pulled into the parking lot without a call prior to showing up and one of the owners heard our story and made sure that we got pushed to the front of the line to get us back on the road. Ok, they maybe didn’t install the rear tire properly because it looks like it is not mounted centered in the trailing arm, but they got me home. Thanks again, Dell’s Motorsports. All of these companies did their best for us and we appreciate what they did in our time of need.

I wish I could remember all the names and places of the people we met on the road that came up to us to talk about our trip. We met some very friendly people out there and it helps restore your faith in the world that all is not evil out there. What a wonderful and diverse country we have and I would recommend that all take time out of your so called busy life and enjoy it.

Day 28–Home Sweet Home

This morning we got an earlier start than normal leaving the hotel by 7am, but it must have been luck because for the first time since we left, Lori over slept. She decided that she was so ready to get home that being a princess and going through all her normal process was not needed today. What that process is, is something only women understand and men always wait for. So goes the song, “Wait’n on a woman?” We left the hotel behind and jumped on the Interstate to be welcomed by a flurry of traffic all racing toward Louisville Kentucky. Who knew? After navigating through the morning rush hour our ride was pretty smooth sailing for the first 125 miles.

The second leg of the day had me processing information that had been rattling through my brain since the tire change yesterday. I was smelling something burning and could not put my finger on it. At first I thought it was my riding pants touching the exhaust pipes, but no. When I stopped the bike I looked all around and underneath to find nothing at first. But then I also noticed that I only smelled something when I turned or leaned left. So I looked at the tire that was just put on really close on the right side and there was a warm, sticky, newly burnt strip all the way around the tire. It was rubbing on my trailing arm when I leaned left and the tire flexed under pressure to the right of center frame. When the guy at the Honda shop in Kansas City came to me to tell he was done, he also told me the bushings in the trailing arm might need to be replaced. He also told me he tightened it up and torqued it down. Not sure what he did, but the tire is not centered in the trailing arm and I will have to fix that.

So with this knowledge, I made sure the tire had the correct pressure, and then just took it easy when turning left. I only smelled the burning rubber a couple of times once I figured what was going on. The rest of our trip home today was filled with heat and a reintroduction to I-81 north and all the Tractor trailer traffic. We arrived back in our driveway safely at 4:45pm.

Over the next few days, I will write a summation of our trip with the Good, the bad, and the ugly. I will attempt to get some input by Lori, but sometimes she just doesn’t want to play. The one thing that I learned from this trip is that I can make Alaska and back and I can deal with diversity in small doses. Anyone want to go?

Todays run was 572 miles, and our total is now 10,415.

The Picture below shows what we have completed and what we have left. The Red is complete and the Green is what is left. We have nothing left!!!

Day 27–Spare is on and we R burning it !

The plan today was to get up, drive to the other side or east side of Kansas City and to be at the selected Honda shop by 8:30am. That way I could at least get 85 miles further east and not waste the entire morning waiting for a shop to open. Well it worked out perfectly as planned and as soon as we pulled into the lot and started removing gear, someone greeted us immediately. We chatted for a few minutes about our ride and then what I needed done and there was some hesitation on their part about using my old tire, but in the end they installed it. So by 10 or 10:15 we were back on the road and heading east.

We traveled east far enough to burn what was left in my gas tank then we stopped to top her off, ate lunch, and decide how far east we were going to shoot for and make a hotel reservation. We decided to hit Corydon, Indiana which is only 31 away from our original destination in order to keep the last leg as short as possible.

So we made it to the Hampton Inn in Corydon and we pulled in about 6:45pm we thought. Somewhere along the line we switched to Eastern Standard time, so we lost another hour today. So today was long, but not quite as hot at 98 degrees and we lost another hour. Good part is that when we wake tomorrow, we will not have to fight the time transition again.

So in two days, we have ridden 1107 miles and tomorrow we will do another 574 according to the GPS. You would think by now our butts would be use to this, but there is something different about riding on the Interstate and running on back roads like I normally do. You just do not get as tired or sore because of the constant leaning back an forth and stopping to take pictures or whatever.

Once Lori and I get in the go home frame of mind, we can and will put in some long times and distances to get there. We once did 630 in one day and though we will not do that tomorrow or any of the other legs driven, this will be our longest overall ride ever at over 10,000 miles. Tomorrow will be the first time since we left that I can turn the Garmin GPS on, hit Home, and just follow it to the end. If we leave Corydon by our normal 8am target time, we should be back in Stephens City around 5:30-6pm. As fun as this trip has been, we are looking forward to being home.

Todays run was 557 miles, and our total is now 9843.

Click here for todays pictures:

Tomorrows route is pictured below:

The Picture below shows what we have completed and what we have left. The Red is complete and the Green is what is left.

Day 26–It was a cooker!!

People in the lobby always smile and wonder how we are going to fit all this stuff on a motorcycle, not knowing that we have a trailer. They see the helmet hanging and you can see the look in their eyes saying, “No way!”

This morning we got up bright an early an hour sooner than normal because we would losing an hour heading east. We moved from Mountain to Central time zone when we crossed into Kansas. The first 3 hours of the ride was great considering we were just rolling along east bound toward home. Then about 11:30am the temperatures started to roll. We had to stop at a rest area just to redo our riding gears. So now just riding in the proper armor and the bare essentials underneath we were ready for the rest of the ride.

 

 

We rolled into Colby, KS for lunch an fuel and the reported temps on my Iphone weather.com was 91. After leaving Colby and about 30 minutes into the ride I reached down and grab the thermometer hanging on the bike and it read 102. It stayed that way the rest of the ride into Topeka. I guess the heat that was being generated off the concrete, bike, and air was combining to make the 102. I made sure to drink something every 30 minutes and offer Lori the same. Then I also stopped every 90-100 miles and made sure we both drank at least 8-12 ounces of water. It was not fun but we have done it before and will do it again tomorrow. That gas pump picture above, did you catch the price per gallon? Can you imagine what I thought when I first saw it? Can you just imagine?

 

 

Tomorrow? We are scheduled to ride from Topeka to Louisville KY, but we may or may not make that because of tires again. To my despair, the back tire has 7500 miles on it and it is not going to make it home. She has started to show the cords and needs to be replaced as soon as possible. So the plan is to get up in the morning and ride to Kansas City an stop at a Honda shop and see if they will put my spare tire on the bike. The worst case scenario is that I will have to buy a new tire from them, but I really want to burn this old tire up instead of just throwing it away. I figure I got 3000 miles left on it, plus I dragged it across the country and back in my trailer, so let’s burn it. Depending on how long this takes, we may be riding in the dark for the first time on this trip to makeup lost time in the shop. let’s just hope once again, they can fit me in.

Todays run was 550 miles, and our total is now 9286.

Click here for todays pictures:

Tomorrows route is pictured below:

The Picture below shows what we have completed and what we have left. The Red is complete and the Green is what is left.

Day 25–My Girl turned 80 !

I guess I should explain that title before I get in trouble with the wife, you think? On today’s run around the state of Colorado, the Valkyrie’s odometer rolled over 80,000 miles since I bought her new 12 years ago. It has been a very reliable bike that I would recommend over and over again to anyone. So far, the bike has never let me down. Mark, on the other hand has let her down a few times and last time was just the other day. I pulled into the parking lot after changing the oil, hit the kill switch that I never use, started leaning the bike over to ease it onto the kickstand, and forgot to put the stand down. Doh! I laid her right on the crashbars just as softly as a feather hitting the ground, but I laid her down. I had to laugh because that was a first for me, ever! It was embarrassing, but the first thing I did when I walked into the hotel room was to tell Lori what I did. She just shook her head and gave me that your such a little boy look that mothers do. Anyway, the Honda has been a very dependable machine to date.

Today prove to me that of all states that I have been to, Colorado is a very diverse state. The only thing that I can think that it lacks is a border to the ocean. Flat lands that are green and good for farming and ranching. Then the mountains shoot up to over 14,000 feet giving a different climate all year long and providing water for life. Then today I felt at times I was riding through the desert south west of Pueblo. There is so much to offer everyone here from small town to large towns, and then you can almost choose your climate which to me makes this a very diverse state. I can see why people love it.

When we pulled out of Estes Park this morning the first thing on the list was to stop and take a picture of a church that Lori and I saw from the day before. You have to click the full size picture to see the details but this church was built on top of boulders. The stone work is incredible to see in person and is a very unique structure.

I can tell you point blank the rest of this day is going to bore the average reader, but the route laid out was from Road Runner Magazine and there wasn’t much to see or take pictures of, but the roads were great. I spent most of the 360 miles leaning on one side of the tires or the other. The only thing that bothers me is the speed limits in this state. The people of Colorado must really have a hard time making a corner at speed, because they change speed limits here in almost every corner of the road as your driving. The must spend a fortune in speed limit signs. Lori and I did stop once today at an overlook, not to take pictures but to get a quick snack and drink because we were between cities in no mans land. Through the hills you could hear several motorcycles coming and coming fast. It was about 6 or 7 sport bike riders and let’s just say they were flying. Why is this important? Well I got a lecture from Wife that I ever thought about riding and driving like that, she was tripling my life insurance and she was no longer riding with me. So I get in trouble and it wasn’t even me driving!!! Dang!! No worries, I gave up the sport bike thing because they should not be driven by men just for the reason we saw today, if the power is there, we will use it.

Today as predicted we went from 45 degrees in Estes park to 91 degrees in Pueblo. It wasn’t all that bad and I would much rather ride in the heat than the cold below 45. One last thing that I want to talk about is forest fires. We all see it TV in California and what is happening now in Arizona but you just cannot visualize it until you see it first hand. First the current fire in Arizona, I do not know the exact mileage we are from that fire but it is more than 500 miles, but the smoke in the air here is unbelievable think. We crested a mountain range was descending into a valley and visibility was cut from way over 20 miles to 3 at best. The fire itself is not even close to us, but it affects you. Today we also road through a past fire event that was likely a year old, maybe more, and it was devastating. You could not see all the damage because all the mountains and hills but it was a tremendous amount of acreage. I would estimate close to 200,000 to 300,000 acres. We road about 40-50 miles in one direction before the fire damage finally stopped. Nothing but blacken tree trunks laying down and some still standing soon to buckle over. It was ugly.

Tomorrow begins our three day blast back to Virginia and to be honest, I’m not looking forward to this part of the trip. I hate riding a motorcycle on the Interstates because it is just out right boring. You see almost nothing and you really have to be careful not to let your guard down because it’s boring. We will make almost a straight line blast from Pueblo to Topeka, Ks., or 554 miles according to the GPS software. It also looks like if you look at the weather map for the nation, we will be riding in the hot zone. A true butt burner!!

Todays run was 360 miles, and our total is now 8736.

Click here for todays pictures:

Tomorrows route is pictured below:

The Picture below shows what we have completed and what we have left. The Red is complete and the Green is what is left.

Day 24–To face fear or turn an run?

The order of business first thing this morning was to get our trailer tires changed and then attempt to do our route as planned. So at 8:45am we’re sitting at the Yamaha dealer waiting for the door to open so we can get it done. At first I thought they were dragging their feet because they didn’t open those doors right at 9am. But in the shop there was Jason who came in early to finish other work he had promised knowing that I was going to be there at 9am. So he told us it would take him about another 30 minutes to finish the current job and then he would get to our trailer. I handed him the re-installation instructions from Bushtec Trailer Company and he said something that really bothered me, “I don’t need no instructions.” That kind of rubbed me wrong, but I didn’t change my expression, tone, or body language and I just said, they do not want you use Red thread lock, tires are directional, 35 PSI cold, and when tightening the wheel set the nut against the wheel then turn just another 1/4 turn. I basically read him the instructions and you could see he didn’t like it to much.

Lori and I left to find a cup of coffee and ended up find an Outlet Mall and all the stores were still closed. Teehee!! We were just finishing up our coffee and my phone rang and it was Jason. Trailer was done but he wanted me to sign a paper releasing them of responsibility that a wheel might fly off. He did not like the thread lock thing and he didn’t like the short shaft they were mounted to. He also had me do the final torque of the wheel and that suited me fine, because I was going to double check him anyhow. I was happy, he was happy, and Lori and I took off to??????, the Under Armor store that was now open. Well after tolerating all this riding on the motorcycle for the past 24 days, I figured I owed her at least 5 minutes in a store. She bought a few things and I bought a hat thing to wear under my helmet and that didn’t work at all, and then we were off.

Those in my family know very well that not much scares me or bothers me that I will not face head on. There is one thing that I fought all my life and that is a fear of heights. When I was in my teenage years, 200 or 300 feet would make me feel uneasy. Then as I age it got a little better. So today the task at hand was to convince myself that I was going to ride a motorcycle pulling a trailer to the highest paved road in the United States. Sounds simple, but if you have never traveled this road, once you get above 10,500 the trees are gone and there are very few guard rails. The snow heaves in the road make you slow to 10 mph or less. Then there is that nasty little wind that likes to blow you around, but only above 10,000. When we arrived at the fee station, the Ranger asked if I would like to park my trailer at the bottom like most riders do and I declined. So up we went and up we went, and the higher we went the slower it seemed I was traveling. The speed limit is only 30 mph and I felt like I was moving about 10 or 15, but every time I checked, I was holding pretty steady 30 mph. The entire run even with all the 180 degree turns, I only blew one corner and went a little wide, but no one was in my way. I did it. I reached the top of Mt. Evans and it didn’t bother me nowhere near as much as I thought it was going to. I put up a celebrating fist in the air and people around me looked at me like I was just a bit crazy. That’s ok, they will never see me again. We walked around for a few minutes, took some pictures of some mountain goats that seemed way to friendly, and then started downhill to get out the cold air. 70 degrees at the bottom of the hill and 44 degrees at the top of the hill.

The rest of the day we spent casually skimming the eastern edge of the Rocky National Park. We rolled into Estes Park around 5pm and if you have never been here, it compares to Gatlinburg, Tn. in beauty but is a little more spread out. The mountains are a little bit taller here to.

Tomorrow we turn due south and retrace part of route heading toward Pueblo Colorado. The main thing that we want to see other than the Rockies themselves is Royal Gorge Bridge. The other thing to note is what is going to be a wild temperature swing for us tomorrow. When we leave Estes Park, it will be 45 and when we arrive in Pueblo the forecasted temperature is 97. That is a 50 degree change. How do you dress for that? Technically tomorrow will end the scenery and attractions that I have on my list to see for this trip. Once in Pueblo, the following morning we will point the Valkyrie East and blast our way back across 2/3’s of this country. It will take us 3 days to get home from Pueblo and this is going to be some long butt burning days. This was the price I was willing to pay to spend more time west of the Mississippi River. Through all the weather and other mechanical issues that we have dealt with, this has been a great trip that I would do again in a heart beat.

Todays run was 183 miles, and our total is now 8376.

Click here for todays pictures:

Tomorrows route is pictured below:

The Picture below shows what we have completed and what we have left. The Red is complete and the Green is what is left.

Day 23–Four 11,000 plus passes!

When we first got our weather report this morning it said Durango was 35 degrees! Brrr! That was about 7am and by the time we got everything on the bike and ready to go, we were 45 and rising fast. We only got 30 or 40 miles down the road and I had to stop to change gloves and take a layer off because I was smoking!! Lori just kept adjusting her suit as needed.

Today we road at an average elevation of 8000 feet all day but looking at what was around us, it looked like we almost at sea level. You could see mountain tops in all directions, some with snow caps, others with green tops and others rocky brown. We also saw some magnificent ranches with who knows how many acres of land. We saw waterfalls and tunnels that water flowed over top of. I really can see why people love this place because it’s beauty is so diverse. We road one section today for about an hour before we saw any humans and that was kind of weird. We also road one section were my passenger nodded off and kept head butting for about 15 minutes. I was nice and let her sleep, but it was tempting to rock the bike to wake her up. Instead, I just enjoyed the silence and the scenery.

We crossed 4 passes today and each was over 11,000 feet. Each time climbing through 9500 feet the temperatures dropped to a very uncomfortable 55 or below and 65 mph, that’s chilly. At one of the passes, we actually stopped and on a sign, it pointed to a 13,500 peak were the Rio Grande starts it’s 1,885 mile run to Mexico. We crisscrossed the Rio Grande at least 20 times as we snaked through the valley. 11,530 was the new highest elevation of the day and for this trip.

We stopped in a little town named Lake City for lunch and fuel today and Lori made the comment when she saw the gas pump, “I wonder if our boys would know how to use this kind of pump?” There was no place to put a credit card or debit card. You could not choose fuel type and the on lever was on the side, which caused all the numbers to rollback to zero. I haven’t seen one of these since the 80’s. Sitting just a few feet away was an actual pay phone that still worked. Then across the street we ate lunch at “The SmoQue Shack BBQ.” It was good, filling, and hit the spot. As we were leaving this little town that time left behind, I notice eating on both side of the road, deer. They acting like I was the stranger in town and was wondering who I was. Hmm!

We pulled into our stopping point of Dillon, Colorado about 4:45 pm and the town is sitting right on a very large lake. There was actually two sailboats out playing as we were pulling into the parking lot looking as though summer time had been here a long time. There was still a bit of a chill in the air, but I guess it didn’t bother these sailors at all. When I was checking in and before I could even ask, the nice lady behind the counter told me, your tires are here. Nice!! So I thanked her for taking the shipment for me and then proceeded to our room to call the installer. He told me to show up right at 9am opening and he would get us on the road as quickly as possible. So I’m down to just one issue that concerns me and that is the rear tire on the Valkyrie and I will let it come to me. If a cord shows up before we make it to Stephens City, Va., I will replace it.

Tomorrow after the tires are installed on the trailer, I will make the decision on the fly on whether I climb Mt. Evans with the Valkyrie. I’m getting conflicting information on their webpage on whether the road is open all the way to the top. On their page it say’s open to the first Summit but the last 5 miles to the top is closed until all snow has been removed. Then in the Denver Post as of today, it say’s it is open all the way to the top. I’ll check the weather in the area in the morning and make that decision on the fly. No matter what, we will cross the Berthond Pass an drop into Estes Park for the evening. Tomorrow will be a short mileage day and will be a relaxing run. 

Todays run was 394 miles, and our total is now 8193.

Click here for todays pictures:

Tomorrows route is pictured below:

The Picture below shows what we have completed and what we have left. The Red is complete and the Green is what is left.

Day 22 - Over 2 miles high!!

We left Moab Utah this morning on time and ready to roll to Colorado. The weather was nice, so after eating breakfast and fueling up, we hit the road. The first part of the ride was basically a retrace from yesterdays route until we hit Monticello. 20 miles outside of Monticello the winds picked up big time and the temperature dropped 15 degrees. I was like damn, I gotta pull over an put on another layer or maybe two! I turned to look at Lori when we stopped and she just muttered, “I’m cold!” She didn’t plug in her suit and in fairness to her, it felt very warm in Moab when we left, but the change in elevation and wind made for the dramatic change.

So while stopped in Monticello, I noticed that Bushtec had called an left me a message. So I fueled the bike up, left Lori outside putting on her heated suit and I went to see about getting those trailer tires. Jackpot, after speaking with Bushtec for only a few minutes we had it all worked out where those tires are going to meet me in Dillon, Colorado tomorrow by 3pm. That is a relief and the hotel was more than happy to let my package arrive prior to me getting there, so that is all worked out. Now all I have to work out, who is going to install them, me or some company. More on this later.

After putting on a layer and Lori all snuggled with her heated (spoiled rotten) suit, we hit the road eastbound out of Monticello. I was really surprised to see just how flat the country side was as we made our way into Colorado. I guess about 115 miles into the ride we turned onto Highway 145 and it looked all innocent but you could tell after about 10 or so miles we were steady climbing. Now with the temps falling again and my senses telling me we are climbing, I turn the GPS on to do a elevation check and we were 8000 feet and climbing. We were starting to see snow capped mountains getting closer and closer as the mile clicked off. Our first highest ever moment on the motorcycle was breaking through 9000, then 10000, and then 10127 feet. At this point we started downhill and found fuel and lunch in Telluride.

After refueling the machine and the humans, we got back to the ride. The weather was still holding up nicely but that pesky little wind just wouldn’t go away. On the flat land is doesn’t bother me to much, but put me on the outside lane with no guardrail and I can see over the edge a 1000 foot drop or more, and it bothers me just a little. This part of Colorado is playing up their western heritage and all the small towns that you ride through are extremely cute. Course if your looking for McDonald’s, Wal-mart, or some other big chain out here, you’re out of luck and that adds to there charm.

Somewhere along the road we ran into a real cowboy driving cattle down the side of the road. I kid you not, we are talking about 10 cowboys on horses along with a few hundred cattle trotting down the side of the road. Then one calf got spooked and he/she turned tail running in the opposite direction, which happen to be the same direction we are going. Two of them there cowboys took-off after the calf with the rope swinging overhead. Dang, this was just like the movies or a rodeo. One, two, three attempts and finally he roped the runaway and brought him to a stand still, just like in a rodeo. Yeeha!! Then out of no where I hear this in my helmet, “Wow them cowboys sure were sexy!” To which I could only muster, “Really?” I think I need to unplug her suit so she can cool off.

After the un-expected Cowboy show, we turned onto Highway 550 and up we went. We twisted and turned back and forth and it got colder and colder until we finally hit the high of the day of 11,120. I did pretty good dealing with the high altitudes, no guard rails, and wind, so maybe there is hope I can find the internal fortitude to climb Mt. Evans on a motorcycle. I might get luck and that run will be closed! If you do not know about Mt. Evans, it is the highest paved road in the United States at 14,000 plus feet. Google it.

We came rolling into Durango around 3pm and it was 5000 foot lower than the high of the day and a whole lot warmer. Since we arrived a little early, I took this opportunity to change the oil in the Valkyrie for the second and last time while on the road. Lori did some more laundry and that will be the last time and will get us home. I also did a little research in Dillon, made one call, and found someone to install my trailer tires for me Friday afternoon or Saturday morning. So all is looking good in that respect and my last concern is that rear tire on the motorcycle. I told Lori today that we would ride on it until the cords start to show then I will stop and have my spare installed to get us home. The further I push that ME880 Metzler toward home, the more likely my spare will make it. I would feel confortable if the spare is installed within 2500 miles of planned mileage left.

Tomorrow will do another high altitude mountain run from Durango to Dillon. We will cross back over to the eastern side of the Continental Divide, Chimney Rock, and the Tennessee Pass. Looking at the weather it should be really nice, with no wind and temperature 55-65.

Todays run was 391 miles, and our total is now 7799.

Click here for todays pictures:

Tomorrows route is pictured below:

The Picture below shows what we have completed and what we have left. The Red is complete and the Green is what is left.

Day 21 - Another really nice day.

Once again we were blessed with another really nice day all around. The sun was out, it’s wasn’t to hot and no rain or snow. We got a little chatty with a couple of Motorcycle riders in Moab and then again down the road at natural bridges. So all this talking and not doing put us a little behind, but we enjoyed that almost as much as riding and looking at scenery.

First off I got the oil for the Motorcycle and I will be changing that on the road sometime in the near future when opportunity strikes. Second item is that I thought my trailer tires were good but closer examination this morning showed tread starting to peak through the rubber of one tire. Grrr! I got a call into Bushtec Trailers to see if they can ship pronto to a designated location so I can ensure that the trailer will make it home without grief. If I can get the tires in my hands, I can do the change myself. I knew tires was going to be an issue with this entire trip and it is living up to that fear. Moving on…..

We drove down to Nature Bridges National Park just southwest of Blanding Utah this morning and there were three bridges here that we really wanted to checkout. What we didn’t know was how difficult the first two trails were going to be. To be as brief as possible, trail one had 3 ladders that we had to transition, two set of steps that were about 30 steps each, and too many rails attached to rocks to keep you from slipping down the rock face to fast to count. Going down to the first bridge I told Lori this is all cool right now, but wait for the return trip. It was steep and we needed three rest breaks on the way back to catch a breath. I consider myself in pretty good shape, but this was almost straight up climbs without ropes.

The second bridge trail wasn’t quite as steep but it was longer in distance so since we were already taxed from the first trail, this just added to it. The last trail was like a relief for the first two in that it wasn’t steep at all and much, much, shorter. The reward at the end of each trail of the natural bridges that were formed from erosion from millions of years was spectacular. Once again the picture are nice, but do the size no justice.

We were at this park for more than 4 hours, so by the time we did lunch and drove back to Moab it was already 5pm. So I turned into Moab Adventure to ask about a Hummer Desert ride for this evening and unfortunately they were booked. So we didn’t get to do this, nor did we make Canyonlands for the second straight day. Like Mr. Mace said, you will need a couple of weeks here to see everything that it has to offer and he is right.

Tomorrow we are not going to extend are stay in Moab because to be honest, I’m ready to roll-on. I like to ride and like driving to see things and it is not important to me to stop to see stuff. Sometimes it is just as much fun to fill the senses with all that surrounds you as you are driving by. So tomorrow we will leave Moab and make are way into Colorado. One of the roads is classified as one of the Top 10 most dangerous roads in the United States. It is really not all that bad for cars an or motorcycles, but for big rigs, buses, and large RV’s, it is a dangerous road. The road in question is Highway 550.

Todays run was 238 miles, and our total is now 7402.

Click here for todays pictures:

Tomorrows route is pictured below:

The Picture below shows what we have completed and what we have left. The Red is complete and the Green is what is left.

Day 20–Those feet were made for walking.

It was an awesome day here in Moab, Ut. with clear skies, a cool morning that later on in the day warmed up to 87 degrees. My neck and arms are now red as a beet and I may pay for that tonight, but it was worth it. Lori has been going to a tanning salon so she did not get burnt today.

First thing out we hit Highway 128 for a 14 mile sprint in one direction, then made a U-turn and came running back the other way. That was a beautiful road and on the way back, I had Lori shoot a video so if I can get a little of it cut down an loaded to the Internet, I will post a link at the bottom or in the future. After that little bit of fun we made our way down the road to Arches National Park. I was told by a friend that he could have easily have spent two weeks hiking and looking around all the parks here in Moab and it is true. We spent at least 5 to 6 hours in this park and we did not eat lunch or leave the park for lunch. We just snacked on some Granola bars and drank water or Gatorade. We also got our exercise today and I put all that whining from Lori about doing nothing but riding an no exercise to rest. We hiked a total of 14 miles of trails today without proper footwear and my poor big toes agree. When you walk downhill at steep grades and you have slip-on tennis shoes, your feet tend to jam to front of the shoe with all your body weight. After 6 hours of this, my toes said uncle.

The view and scenery inside the Arches park is another must see by all at least once in your life time. Put it on your list of things to do with kids or without, just make sure those kids are more than 7 or 8 years old or you will be carrying them on your back. We took another 127 pictures that I consider keepers so beware when you hit the picture link at the bottom it is going to play for a bit but it was so beautiful.

We finally saw all we wanted to see and left the park for the hotel room. We rested for only 15 or 20 minutes and left to go get dinner slant lunch at the same time. Once we finished dinner the time was around 6pm and that left enough daylight to try to squeeze in one more short ride before we called it a day. So we took off to Potash Road and unlike 128 early in the day, this road was much less traveled and a bit tighter. We also so at least three groups of folk repealing up and down the cliff walls. We were going to stop and get pictures on the way back by, but they had called it a day by the time we made the return pass. All in all, today was another great day.

Tomorrow I had a 400 mile loop laid out, but I’m going to be forced to modify this because we did not make Canyonlands today. So first thing in the morning we will do a 120 mile ride down to Natural Bridges, then reverse course and stop in Monticello at a Honda shop. After that we will comeback through the town of Moab and up to Canyonlands. We will also have to make a decision tomorrow to stay or go another day in Moab. It is going to depend on how much we can get done tomorrow.

John Cassarly, if you read this post, you need to take 2 or 3 weeks off next summer and come park in Moab. The hiking, camping, and boating will fill your bill nicely. If you really feel frisky, you can rent a Jeep, ATV, Dirt bike, and or a Side-by-Side to enjoy the scenery. It’s only 2000 miles out here!!!

One more thing to note here that I did research on this afternoon after our riding. The new back tire that we put on will likely not make the trip back to Virginia. It is going to be so very close because I currently have 5462 miles on that tire and I have a minimum of 3300 miles to go to get home. The tire is indicating that it is 75-80% wore out now. It started with 8-9mm of tread depth and is currently reading 1-3mm depending on where you read it. The center tread is wearing quickly. I have a tire with me that has 3000 miles left on it and if I have to get a new tire prior to making Virginia, I will have someone throw that tire on. The broken shock is holding up ok, the bike just bounces more than normal in some situations. The GPS is no factor because I have been able to work around that broken charging cable and only turn it on when I need information. The front tire is holding very well with over 7000 miles on it, so it is no factor. The Trailer tires will likely make it home but they will be bald on arrival. So oil change and rear tire is the only things I should have to deal with before I return to Virginia.

Todays run was 130 miles, and our total is now 7164.

Click here for todays pictures:

Tomorrows route is pictured below:

The Picture below shows what we have completed and what we have left. The Red is complete and the Green is what is left.

Day 19 - A reward for changing our route, Nice!!

When I looked out the window this morning in Las Vegas there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and it was the bluest of blues. The starting temperature was 60 degrees at 7 in morning and it looked like it was going to be a beautiful day. I did a quick check of what to expect down the road and it was also nice, but maybe a little cooler in places because of elevation. Some of the places we had to cross were within a 100 or so feet of 8000.

So after breakfast, we loaded up once again and we took off to Hoover Dam. I’ve taken the Damn Tour in the past, so I was really interested in seeing the new bridge that was built to relieve local traffic from traveling over the dam and mixing with tourist. You know the locals had to hate that commute knowing everyday in the summer they would get caught up in the tourist zoo. To drive directly across the bridge is not exciting at all and you can barely see over the edge. Maybe if you’re in an SUV or Tractor-trailer you might get a better view, but on the motorcycle all I could see was the tops of hills. So we turned around and drove under the bridge and across the dam and that is where the magic is. It is an awesome sight underneath and it makes you wonder how the laid all that concrete. We also walked halfway across the bridge and took some shots of the Dam from the best vantage point ever. You have to see these shots, amazing.

After the visit to the bridge and dam, our long journey to Moab began and even though I was not looking forward to the long Interstate ride, I was looking forward to the sights. I must warn you, Lori took and I keep about 130 pictures because so many were keepers. The rock formations and all the different colors is something you never see on the east coast and is even more amazing to see in person. I cannot count how many times I came around a corner and said inside my helmet, Amazing or Awesome. No sweeping turning, no exciting twisties, and nothing abnormal in the road, just sights that I have never seen in person. The other thing that stood out was the weather all day long was pretty much perfect. I loved how the big puffy white clouds lingered over top of some the snow covered mountain tops to make them look almost like a Hallmark card.

About the only negative that happen all day was the fact that the Honda shop in Richfield, Utah was closed so I could not purchase the oil and filter to do another oil change while in Moab. I will have to push this oil change into Colorado as soon as I can find the supplies. I still have another 1500 miles to burn before she is actually ready for another change. Today we also officially put more miles on the Valkyrie in one trip than any trip I have done in the past and we are not done yet. We have done 2 other one month trips and neither one of those trips exceeded 6700 miles, but both were over 6000 miles.

So today was very rewarding day for taking that re-route through Las Vegas to avoid the cold, rain, and snow that we would have hit going through Salt Lake City. Lori and I were a little bit tired when we rolled into Moab, Utah but we will sit here for three nights an see the sights that Gary Mace recommended to me in the past. I’m also considering doing a Hummer ride through the desert called “Hell’s Revenge”, if we decide to stay an extra night. Tomorrow we will take it easy and see the sights and do no more than 200 miles. Our 2 main goals tomorrow will be to see Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park.

Todays run was 547 miles, and our total is now 7034.

Click here for todays pictures:

Tomorrows route is pictured below:

The Picture below shows what we have completed and what we have left. The Red is complete and the Green is what is left.

Day 18–Brrr, it was a bit chilly.

I knew before we walked outside it was going to be brisk and the possibility of rain along part of my route was highly likely. But unlike driving to Salt Lake City where I knew it was going to be cold and rainy the entire ride, the Las Vegas route would break into sunshine and warmer temperatures around Tonopah. So we loaded the trailer and then we layered up the best we could. Lori having the heated suit did not have to many worries, me on the other hand was a bit worried about the hands. It was just 39 degrees and cruising at 65-70 mph the wind chill would be around 7 degrees. Even with my Gerbing gloves, this was extreme. Now add rain, and it is a bad combination.

Luckily, we pulled out of Reno there was no rain but the skies looked like they could break open at anytime. What was even more impressive was the view of the mountains that surrounded Reno from about 5000 feet and up were covered in a fresh blanket of snow. It was an amazing sight to see in combination with clouds and sun trying to peak through. I wish we had taken some pictures of this, but we didn’t.

We made our first run about 135 miles as we passed Lake Walker and entered Hawthorne. Along this route we ran into rain and sleet but they were so brief that my gloves never got wet. Lori actually dipped off into a nap until the sleet started pinging her helmet and woke her, so I can only assume she was cozy. My fingers were approaching numb so we stopped for coffee, gas, and a warm up for me.

When we finally reached Tonopah the wind gust were approaching 30 – 40 knots and were most impressive just trying to walk across the parking lot. We stopped here for lunch and gas and then jumped back on the road to where I hope in the next few miles, we would break the cold. As soon as we left the town limits we were hit broadside with one of the strongest cross wind that I have ever experienced. No clue to it’s strength, but my initial lean did nothing to stop it from pushing me 4 feet across the lane. As I approached the center line I just gave it more lean, let off the throttle and was just about to hit the back brake when the bike finally started moving right. It felt as if someone was pushing me on my shoulder and I couldn’t stop it. I think it spooked Lori a little too, but since there was no traffic on coming or behind me, I have no idea why it bothered her.

As we rolled into Beatty the weather had finally calmed down and warmed up to the point that I could change back to summer gloves. Since this entire leg was long and tiring, I decided that Death Valley was a no go and we just cruised into Las Vegas for the night.

Tomorrow we have another long day in front of us to make Moab where we will stay for 3 nights, maybe 4. I’m considering renting ATV’s or a Jeep for riding the country side or desert. The weather for most of this leg should be perfect until we hit the northern edge. There we might find temperatures in the 50’s which is fine compares to high 30’s and low 40’s. I see no rain in the forecast.

Todays run was 443 miles, and our total is now 6487.

Click here for todays pictures:

Tomorrows route is pictured below:

The Picture below shows what we have completed and what we have left. The Red is complete and the Green is what is left.

Day 17–One of those days you just say, “Wow”.

Ok, I did the weather report thing last night and then the morning of and it made me load 3 routes into the GPS in case I need to bail out on the fly. All the information that I gained from 3 different sources told me to go south and enter Lake Tahoe from the southwest side and get through it before 4pm and I should be good. All the weather forecast indicated that higher elevations 4000 and above around Lake Tahoe could get 1-3 inches of snow and they were warning all the Holiday campers.

So we left Sacramento about 7:30, stop at McD’s, Lori ‘s request to get oatmeal, and then we were on the road. We had a beautiful ride through little towns like El Dorado, Jackson, MickelLumne Hill, and a few more that I have forgotten. We turned on one road that ran for about 10-15 miles that had grades that would make most people in a car cringe but we plowed ahead. That same section of road gave my poor broken shock a work out and it kept my speed back to 20 mph of less most of that 20 mile run. There was just to much bouncing. Where as if I had my F650GS Dakar Dual Sport, I would have been doing 50-60 mph most of the time because the bike it built for absorbing those types of bumps.

Now the Fun really started, we pulled out of Avery and the road started climbing and climbing and it made me turn the GPS on to check elevation.  I also bought a temperature gauge to hang on the handle bar so I could keep tabs of outside temps in case it got close to freezing, I was turning around. Before I could blink, we were climbing through 7000 and enter the bases of the clouds. If that wasn’t enough snow was on the sides of the roads and it was high. How high you ask? In some places it was stacked 10 feet tall at least. I could not see over the top of the snow from side to side. So it was like we were driving in a snow tunnel with no top. Do you think that was as bad as it got? Not quite!!! It started snowing on us again. By this time I had hooked up with another Fool, excuse me, I mean motorcycle rider that I didn’t know but I was following him and we were going to make sure that we both got through it. The outside air temperature fell to somewhere between 38-39 and I was bit cold in some of my fingers and toes, but my core was good and warm. Lori on the other hand, she was just warm and little worried. I saw the guy and gal on the bike in front of us give celebration wave and then I noticed the sign they were pointing to was the high point of 8730 which is just short of 9000 feet. After this point we started to descend and after 5 or so miles he pulled over and we chatted a bit. They lived just 100 miles away and travel this road a lot. They were caught off guard with the snow to. I do not know how they did it, open face helmets and really thin gloves and maybe three layers total including a jacket. To Damn cold for me and riding in the snow, even knowing it isn’t cold enough to stick, sucks.

We parted ways with the Johnson’s from California and made our way into Lake Tahoe. It is a very busy place and reminded me of Gatlinburg, Tn. The Lake itself was very large from what I could see, but due to the cloud, rain, snow, and mist, you just couldn’t see all the way across to the other side. We stopped once again at McDonald’s for a Apple pie and coffee and watched a 5 minute blizzard rush by. Lori and I just looked at each and laughed. So, after driving through all that stuff, I loaded up the GPS and told it to go with plan B and shoot me out of Lake Tahoe and into Carson City so we could drive out of all these snow showers.  Even though Carson City is still about 5000’, it was enough to drop us out of the snow and freezing cold. Yes, even 50 degree feels warm after riding for 2 or 3 hours at 38-42.

Our day ended in Reno as planned with the skies overcast and spiting rain. We are staying in the Peppermill Casino Hotel and we country bumpkins do not belong here. To many people and we do not gamble, but it sure is pretty. Neither Lori or I drop a penny in a slot, just returned to our room to post this blog, watch a little TV, and read. Ahhhhh.

Tomorrow’s plan is going to be another dramatic route change. After studying the weather reports along Interstate 80 from Reno to Salt Lake City, it is going to rain the entire route and the temps are going to be between 38-45 all day. I could not wrap my mind around that ride for 522 miles and 9 hours, just to see the Salt Flats. So, we are turning southeast and we will stay at a Hampton Inn in Las Vegas. I was trying to figure all along how to fit this in my route, so this just makes it easy. Las Vegas forecast is sunny and 72. I also might look into driving through Death Valley and crossing that new bridge at Hoover Dam. I have to review some of Gary Mace’s routes and Road Runner routes and try to keep it under 500 miles. So, below you will see a GPS route from Reno to Vegas, but it is hotel to hotel and it might change after this post.

The Motorcycle, Trailer, and us are holding up well and it has been a very, very, interesting trip that I will remember the rest of my life.

Todays run was 273 miles, and our total is now 6044.

Click here for todays pictures:

Tomorrows route is pictured below:

The Picture below shows what we have completed and what we have left. The Red is complete and the Green is what is left.

Day 16–We slowed to Smell the Roses.

Some old guy and fellow rider recently told me that he only plans about 300 miles a day max so he and his wife could smell the roses while they travel. Well today, thanks to the weather at the higher elevations above 5300 feet, we did just that. I had a 400 mile loop laid out, but once we got about 25 miles northeast of Nevada City, it started to mist and then rain as we were climbing. I was not in the mood for this, so I just made a different plan on the fly and went with it.

Before we entered the rain levels, we had passed through a little town named Nevada City, Ca. It looked like it was taken out of the 1800’s and just placed in our current time. So I retraced our path and found a place to park the beast and it’s attachment, and set a foot to look around. We found a little place to eat tucked away in one of it’s corners called “New Moon Café”. Their niche seemed to be organic food because Lori and I both had Quesadilla with no meat. Click here for the About on their webpage. Once we were done with lunch, we walk some more around the town of 3000 residents, talked to about our motorcycle, our rig, and where we from and where we are going.

During our riding today, we actually got to ride some pretty nice twisty but they were just to short. We also got to ride in and about the snow that cover large portions of the side of the roads and most of the mountain tops. We reached our highest elevation of 5800 feet and the temperatures were right around 45 degrees. Then we head back to Sacramento which is only 25 feet above sea level and it was 75 degrees. So in 60 miles the temperature changed almost 30 degrees.

As we approached Sacramento the 6 lane Interstate started to come to a stand still, so I magically detoured off the Interstate and into a BMW dealership just to look around. I swear it was just like magic, teehee. I love my GPS. I also setup the GPS to stay off the Interstate and we took nothing but primary roads back to the hotel. It gives you a good look at the city you are staying, instead of blasting by on the Interstate system.

So we ended our day with just a small run just over 200 miles and we stayed dry and one of us stayed warm the entire ride. Lori doesn’t get on the bike now without the Gerbing Heated Suit plugged in ready to go. No Gerbings, no go!!

Tomorrow we move to Reno and I have 3 different routes laid out. I have once that swings westside of Lake Tahoe and into Reno and one that swings to the east of Lake Tahoe. The third route is a straight Interstate shot which only guarantees me that if it rains or snows that should be able to cross the mountain range between Sacramento and Reno. Depending on the weather reports I get in the morning, I will make my decision and go. What I see right now is just cold temperature until after 5 or 6pm and at that point it is suppose to start raining and depending on elevation, snow. I will only show my preferred route below.

One last notes to all the ladies tracking Lori here and may be wondering why you do not see her two cents worth. I setup her IPAD to allow her to post, but she reads my post after I put it up and just says, “you covered it, so I guess I do not need to post anything.”

Todays run was 213 miles, and our total is now 5771.

Click here for todays pictures:

Tomorrows route is pictured below:

The Picture below shows what we have completed and what we have left. The Red is complete and the Green is what is left.

Day 15 was Golden

With a new 3 day plan in hand and new reservations made we started our journey this morning to partly cloudy skies and cool temperatures around 55. No rain in the forecast for are entire route so things were looking good. Still I could not be just a little disappointed that after 5000 miles covered that we were going to miss the Redwood forest, the drive thru tree, and Crater Lake. Lori and I will just have to fly out here some August, their dry season, rent a motorcycle and drive up there a see the sights.

 

 

 

First order of business today was to travel back to San Francisco to see the Golden Gate Bridge. As we headed toward that way using the morning commute interstate, Mark got his first chance at lane splitting. In California it is legal, but I wasn’t 100% sure of the rules. So I saw a police getting ready to join the traffic flow and I flagged him down. Traffic must be moving 30 mph or slower, your speed cannot exceed 10 mph of the traffic flow. You cannot do it on two lane roads. You can use it at stop lights. When traffic comes to a complete halt, it is a great tool to have and their lanes here are a little wider. But, Lori still held here breath the few times that I did it. Pulling a trailer made it a little tricky but most drivers see you coming and give you more room. Pretty cool. In DC it would never work with all the road rage, here it is accepted and the law.

The Golden Gate bridge is a sight to see in person and no picture will do it justice. It’s pretty, it’s unique, it’s old, it’s weathered, but it is still a cool sight to see. I think Lori and I were the only English speaking people on the ground. Nothing like being strangers in our own country.

Leaving the Golden Gate, we venture back the wine country of Napa Valley and the rest. We did not stop at any of the Vineyards but they were pretty, the vineyards themselves covered so many acres I would only be guessing how much land they covered. If I had to guess looking at all the vineyards, there is gold in them there grapes. I’m glad we decided to cover this ride we missed yesterday because I finally got to use the sidewalls of those motorcycle tires. Where there were flats running around the middle, I rounded them flats out today. I would say we did at least 200 miles of curvy roads thanks to the layout from Road Runner Magazine. I also did not drag a peg the entire day. I feel very limited pushing the motorcycle so far from home, on a broken shock, and pulling a trailer. I’ll drag them pegs when I get home. Today would have been a great day to have two good shocks!!!!

About the only negative of the day was, in the middle of nowhere USA,  we got stopped for road construction for such a long period, it was engine off and kickstand down. We sat for a total of 30 minutes in the construction zone. Ugh! At least it wasn’t a 100 degrees.

Last highlight of the day, we rolled into and through Dixon California and maybe just maybe, I might retire here. That’ll never happen because it is to far from Virginia and family. Also of note, today officially marked our turn eastbound toward Virginia even if it is just a gradual turn until Pueblo Colorado. Once I reach Pueblo, it will be a three day sprint across the country just to get home and through Tornado Alley.

We are currently in Sacramento, Ca. and will be spending two nights here. I have a 400 mile loop laid out to run here tomorrow, but I will make the decision in the morning with Lori to see what she feels like doing. If she would like to do something other than ride, then we will do it.

Todays run was 336 miles, and our total is now 5558.

Click here for todays pictures:

Tomorrows route is pictured below:

he Picture below shows what we have completed and what we have left. The Red is complete and the Green is what is left.