Hit the road after breakfast this morning under clear sunny skies, with light winds. West to I-29 north and then the wind picked up, pushing us along. Stopped for lunch at a little place called Emily’s. Good food and modest prices, a nice combination. Then we headed west over the Missouri River into Decatur, Neb. The two lane was nice, with very light traffic; nice to be off the interstate for a while. Then, the river crossing….a steel grated bridge! Yuck! I hate those things on a motorcycle. Talk about serious butterflies….just relax, don’t do anything abrupt, just relax, don’t look down, ah, concrete again, thank you God! Oh, and the dollar toll for the pleasure. I don’t care if I never cross another one of those steel bridges. This one was worn slick as ice, too. Anyway, then we headed north on US 75, through the Omaha Indian Reservation. Next was the Winnebago Indian Reservation. What a sweet little two lane to cruise. Sioux City and back on the interstate. Can you say straight, flat, and boring? Better than the breathtaking excitement of that damn bridge! Back over the Missouri into SD! Whoo hoo! Our target state, finally. Then west on I-90, and now the wind is really up and out of the south. Crosswinds buffeting us the rest of the day; no riding without earplugs now; it would drive one nuts.
Speed limit 75, rolling at 80 a lot of the time, still getting passed, even by trucks with trailers! One old boy from WV rolling along with a big trailer behind his bike and a sign saying “north to Alaska”. You go, buddy! Rode into Murdo about 6:30 local time, checked in to the Landmark Inn, and went across town to the Buffalo Restaurant for dinner. Excellent salad bar, need work on steak preparation. Ready for a dip in the pool and then sleeeeeeep!
The crosswinds of desire….
August 1st, 2010From one sky to another…..
July 31st, 2010Hit the road under cloudy skies with the threat of rain. Put on the rainsuits just in case, which pretty much insured it wouldn’t rain. We got barely a drizzle. Stopped at Wise Guys Bar & Grill in Princeton, Ill. for lunch. They have really good food and very large portions. The bad part of travelling by bike is you can’t take your leftovers! After lunch the sun was breaking through and the rainsuits got packed up. Had beatiful puffy cumulus clouds and blue skies the rest of the day. Even with sunblock we are red & have raccoon eyes! Rolled along around 80 mph much of the afternoon, still got 35 mpg or better! My motorcycle state count is now up to 18. I think I’ll drift over the line into Nebraska tomorrow just to pick up an extra state!
Late start, good mileage
July 30th, 2010We hit the road about 6:00 tonight, a little later than hoped for, but not bad. Stopped for a quick bite at a Toxic Smell near Jackson, then right back on the road. Hit a light drizzle west of Kzoo, nothing too heavy. Finally decided to pull off for the night at Michigan City, Ind. Not the best choice, hard to find a room and top dollar at that. Note to self: Avoid vacation towns near the lake when travelling in the summer! Filled up once, 165 miles and 4 gallons; not too shabby. Traffic was light and the winds were in our favor. A nice evening’s ride!
Here we go again!
July 30th, 2010Finally! It’s time for another road trip. Sharon and I are heading out to South Dakota to check out the scene at Sturgis just prior to bike week. Since this is our first time out there, we chose the week prior so it wouldn’t be as crowded and we can get around easier and scope things out. Then we’ll have a good idea where we want to spend our time when we come out next year during the official bike week.
The bike has undergone a couple changes from last year…..put in gear drives for the cams, S & S .510 cams, directlink fuel mapping system, new airbox, all done by EB Cycle in Monroe. Have more HP and love the performance! Turns out the oil pressure problem last year was debris from the cam chain tensioners disintegrating and clogging up lines. We were lucky we didn’t break down from it. Also have new artwork on the fairing, pics to follow next post.
We only have nine days, so once again will be on the freeway insstead of secondaries. Maybe someday we’ll have time to do it slow and easy. Oh well…..
See you soon!
Home sweet home…
May 10th, 2009What a way to travel the USA! The passenger perspective will always differ from the driver’s, but it’s a nice vantage point. Being up higher allowed me to see more on either side and above Frank’s head, but also exposed me more to the elements. I didn’t have the advantage of being protected by the windshield, and Frank didn’t offer much protection since he sat lower and is of slight build. But having the wind, sun and rain on my face allowed me to appreciate Mother Nature’s majesty!
For anyone contemplating doing this type of ride, I would do it again in a heartbeat! It’s one of the best ways to see the country and to really appreciate the beauty of the good ol’ US of A. It would have been great having others with us, and perhaps the next long ride we take will be with Geoff and Neecer, Frank’s bro and sis-in-law (sis really!), among others. To share this experience with more than just the two of us would be all the more special.
For all you women out there who think you can’t possibly do this type of trip because you have to take your entire wardrobe and beauty products along with you, think again! I think I’m a pretty high maintenance gal because I have my hair and makeup products within easy reach, but really, I made this trip with a quarter of what I normally use when home. I packed a couple pairs of jeans, enough undergarments for about 5 days, 3 pairs of shoes, a lot of t-shirts cuz you don’t get dressed up on a ride like this, and enough bath and beauty products to feel comfortable. Everything in travel size is the key! So if I can do it, y’all can do it as well!
The best part of the journey was spending time with friends and family, as they made the trip all the more special. Seeing my best friends Debra and Teddy again was marvelous, and meeting Frank’s sis Susan and his son Jason was wonderful as well. We are blessed with many wonderful friends and family. It was also great spending time with Frank and getting to know him a little more. It was also great knowing we can spend 3 weeks together and not get on each other’s nerves, or want to run away screaming!!
So that’s my perspective as a female, as a passenger and as someone who is fairly new to riding - I only began this experience last summer, so it’s not like I’m a pro at sitting a bike!
Again, it was a great way to see the country, great to spend time with everyone, and I appreciate Frank for allowing me to share his journey. Can’t wait to do it again!! Thanks to all of you again who have been a part of this trip, made comments and kept us in your prayers as we crossed the USA. Till next time! Adios!
And I’m comin’ off this long and winding road…
May 10th, 2009Home sweet home. It’s always good to get home, but after a couple days, it’s like you never left. Why is that?
Here are the final numbers from our adventure:
21 days away from home, 4/18/09 to 5/8/09.
16 of those riding, 5 visiting.
40 gas stops, 145.5 gallons, $359.80, average of $2.47/gallon, average of 41.75 mpg, costing $.06 per mile.
15 nights in motels, for $1217.16; 5 nights in private homes with friends/family.
Souvenirs, meals, and other expenses: $1634.12
Total cost for 3 weeks on the road touring the southwest and visiting: $3211.08.
Opportunity to travel the US by Harley: PRICELESS!
We didn’t stay at the cheapest motels. We found the LaQuinta chain to be moderate in price and comfortable in amenities. One of the best things about that chain is good quality shower heads. Maybe it’s just me, but I hate those cheap joints with the little crappy shower heads that either spray too hard, or not enough to rinse off. Many motels now have an expanded continental breakfast that includes waffles, some even had eggs, french toast, plus the usual choices in cereal, danish, bagels, and such. We did try a cheaper motel one night and regretted the decision. Hard mattress, crummy shower, rough towels. It’s true you generally get what you pay for.
What will I do different next time? More research in points of interest in route. Knowing where I want to stop and what I want to do there, what it will cost, how much time I will need. I was a little ambitious in my planning on how far I was going and how much visiting I wanted to do. We’d have liked more time with everyone, and to have done more at each stop. I would also plan more time on secondary highways than the interstate, though you can’t beat the interstate for getting from point A to point B quickly. Sometimes it gets a bit intense at 75 or 80 mph!
My next travel will likely be more in the summer months. We did get very lucky in only having to deal with heavy rains one day. We were often just ahead of or just behind the bad weather. Whew! I’d also like to take the northern route west and see some of the national parks up that way.
Once again, thank you to all who shared our journey!
Home, where my music’s playing…..
May 8th, 2009Homeward bound! Does that sound sweet! We knew we only had a little over 400 miles to ride today, so were taking our time getting ready, when….
We hear on the morning news there are tornados on the leading edge of a storm cell in Missouri, and of course it’s heading our way! Time to pack and run! Can we stay ahead of the storm? Just to be sure, we put on our rain gear before we even hit the road. Again. Rain gear. We got spoiled with all that hot dry air in the southwest. Rain? Would we be lucky again and stay dry? Yes! Fate smiled upon us once more as we barely got hit with a drizzle all day.
Traffic was heavy pretty much all day, but we just stayed with the fast movers and kept an escape route. This is the second day in a row, and the only times the whole trip, we had lane changers not see us and had to brake to avoid them. I make a practice of not riding in someone’s blind spot, and moving through it quickly when I pass, but sometime’s they still don’t see us. Twice in three weeks and 6000 miles isn’t bad, though.
Stopping for lunch and gas just south of Dayton; we thought it was going to have to be chain food (oh no!). But as we turned into Perkins, there it was! The Dark Horse Tavern! Yes, cold beer! Very nice decor and excellent food & service. Then back on the road home.
We got into Belleville at 5:30, and breathed big sighs of relief. As much as we enjoyed the journey and adventure, it’s always nice to be home.
A few statistics: 405 miles ridden today; 37.5 mpg; 45.3 mpg; and 44 mpg. 21 days away from home, 16 of those on the road. 6,164 total miles ridden, average of 385 per travel day. Tomorrow I’ll do a little bit on what I learned, what I’d do differently, and what I wouldn’t change. I’ll also share details on expenses for anyone planning their next adventure.
We’d again like to thank Martin for allowing us to use his website for the blog, and Ryan for all the hard work setting everything up and making it look great! We’d also like to thank each and every one of you who followed our journey - it was great having you “ride” along with us! Frank and Sharon
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Back in the saddle again….
May 7th, 2009We woke up to overcast skies this morning. Over breakfast we decided to play it safe and wear our rain gear right from the get go. I guess that gave us good mojo, because we hardly got any rain at all. We left Memphis at 9:00 sharp, looking to have lunch in Nashville at Mad Donna’s (www.maddonnasnashville.com). Unbeknownst to us, they changed their hours and don’t open until 5:00 for dinner. So we headed down the street and had lunch at a local sports bar called The Edgefield. Very good cajun burger!
After stuffing our faces, we gassed up the bike and headed north. At Park City, we turned off and toured the Diamond Caverns. It was shorter and easier to get in than Mammoth Cave, and after all, a cave is a cave, right? We enjoyed the tour and got back on the road. We decided to stay over in Elizabethtown again since we had a good stay there the first night. Our favorite desk clerk Stephanie hooked us up with a room that has a jacuzzi. I hope this computer doesn’t fall in! Ahhhhhhhh…..
Tomorrow we’ll be back in Belleville barring any untoward events. Saturday night whoever has time is welcome to drop by and listen to our stories and see the rest of the pictures. Say around 7:00?
The numbers: 346 miles ridden; 40 mpg; 44 mpg.
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The long and winding road….
May 6th, 2009After filling our bellies and fueling the bike, we headed out of Lafayette, LA at 10:00. Not far out of town, we hit the causeway. It goes across a huge swamp, 2 lakes, and a river. How they know which is which, I can’t imagine, as they all looked like one endless body of water with trees everywhere. An hour later, we had Baton Rouge in our rear view mirror. We went up US 61 to Natchez, MS, where we caught the Natchez Trace Parkway. It follows the historic Natchez Trace trail the Indians and early traders used. It’s a National Park, only two lanes, with a 50 mph speed limit. The pavement is in great condition and no commercial traffic is allowed. At times it seemed we were the only ones on the road. It reminded me a little of cruising Hines Drive back home, except the trees are closer to the road, and it wasn’t flooding. The cruising was easy and relaxing, after the rain stopped, which didn’t take long. We were very lucky with the weather; it stayed dry till Natchez, and didn’t rain on us long. It must have been just ahead of us, as the road was wet almost all day. We got about an hour of sun around 3:00, then the clouds rolled back in.
The Parkway runs 445 miles from Natchez to Nashville. We originally planned to drive it all, but after a close look at the maps and seeing how infrequent gas stations and rest spots are, had second thoughts. After riding 100 miles of it to Jackson, MS, we decided the interstate was better for the rest of this leg. So we took I 55 up to Memphis, and got settled in around 6:45. By 7:05, we were in the hot tub! Ahhhhhhhh…….
We did stop at two historic sites on the trace: Emerald Mound indian ceremonial ground, and the “sunken trace” a section of the original trail that is worn deep in the soft loess soil.
The ride north on the interstate was pretty relaxing. We had a tail wind and light traffic making things nice. It was looking like the skies would bust loose again as we got into Memphis, and as we pulled into the motel, here it came. Do we lead charmed lives, or what?
By the numbers: 479 miles ridden; 41.6 mpg; 40.6 mpg; and 42.9 mpg. We have now ridden 5413 miles since leaving Belleville.
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Take a little trip with me…..
May 5th, 2009We got on the road bright and early today (if 9:30 is bright and early to you!). It was kind of bittersweet leaving San Antonio and Jason behind. Our visit was nice but short. Do Texans love their state? Even the waffle irons come in the state shape. Remember the sink in Amarillo? Yowza!
The wind gods turned on us again today, with a strong and stiff cross wind and gusts all day. The landscape in east Texas reminds me a little of back home…rolling hills, trees, farms, etc. We saw no wildlife, but lots of farm animals. There was one ranch with bison and ostriches, an odd combination indeed.
We stopped for lunch near Beaumont, at a little mexican place called Tortugas; they also had some Caribbean cuisine as well. Their food was quite good; it turned out to be a good choice.
Back on the road, we hit a brief traffic jam from an accident in a construction zone, between a semi and a car. Not pretty. Coming into Lake Charles, LA, we went over a very high bridge, which on approach concerned me due to the high winds, the openness, and not knowing if it would be one of those bridges with steel grating. Fortunately, it was concrete all the way.
We motored into Lafayette around 5:30 and got checked into our motel. Then off to WalMart for a few supplies. While there, I inquired about where there might be a restaurant with local cuisine. The man suggested Prejean’s with no hesitation. So off we went, and hit paydirt! There was more crawfish and shrimp and cajun seasons on the menu than anyone ever seen ‘afore! Sharon had the Louisiana Zydeco shrimp, and I had the blackened catfish. Then we topped it off with Creme Brulee and bourbon pecan pie. Quite the meal, indeed.
By the numbers: 462 miles, including about 30 around town yesterday; 40.7 mpg, 34.6 mpg and 38.3 mpg.[gallery]
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