Here’s the rundown on day 5, folks -

We left Santa Rosa early;  moderate temps and sunny skies with just a hint of wind.  Made good time enjoying the ride, and had to run a special errand for Frank’s stepmother Donna just outside of Albuquerque.  She wanted us to run up to Rio Rancho to check out the 4 lots she has for sale.  Easier said than done…with no real estate contacts and only the lot and block numbers to go by.  We got close, but didn’t find the exact location even after calling some local realtors.  Took some pictures of the general area, then got on the road again, heading for Flagstaff, AZ.  This excursion took 2 hours out of our day, and added 80 miles to our itinerary.  Mission only half accomplished; such is life!

Saw a lot of antelope on the way from Santa Rosa, NM, and did we mention the 2 prairie dogs we saw yesterday in Amarillo, TX?  Traveling through the rest of New Mexico was  uneventful, although the scenery was pretty cool.  Once we crossed into Arizona, the wind picked up and we almost lost Sharon to the wind shear!  We thought it was windy a couple days ago, but HAH!  This was quite intense - in fact, it was so windy we had to lean the bike to go straight.  Along with the challenge of the wind, it also brought two sandstorms for us to contend with.  Ok, Mother Nature, enough already!!

Our day 5 destination was Holbrook, AZ, but we decided to push on toward Flagstaff instead.  The time changes we have been through make us think we are making really great time to each destination, but we’re just going along as we feel able.  As we neared Flagstaff, the elevation went from 5,000 ft to 6,000 ft, and kept climbing.  As such, the weather changed as well, and not for the better.  We thought we were heading toward the heat, not the cold!  We left that behind in MI!!

For the numbers-minded folks, here are today’s stats:  total miles: 505.  Fuel economy: 37.4, 43.7 and 38.1 mpg.

Only 273 miles to Vegas, our week 1 destination.  Should be around a 4 hour trip.  Tomorrow we will be riding old Route 66 on the far west side of AZ - should be a special ride![gallery link="file"]

Welcome to day 4 of our cross-country journey!  Today found us leaving Shawnee, OK with clear skies and a nice tail wind.  Temps in the 50’s when we left, and got up to mid 80’s by the time we were in Texas.

Our first break found us at the National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, OK.  We took the nickle tour and when leaving, met a couple of riders on big ol’ Triumphs.  They were traveling to Flagstaff, AZ on their way to perform with their bluegrass gospel group, The Hinkle Family Gospel Singers.  Seems like every time we stopped after that, we ran into them!

We had an early dinner in Amarillo, TX at the Country Barn BBQ and Steaks Restaurant.  They are known for their Bonsmara beef, which comes from a breed of cattle from South Africa.  It is even lower in fat, cholesterol and saturated fats than chicken breast without the skin!  Boy, was it tasty.  Frank had filet mignon and Sharon had a sirloin steak.  We saw the funniest dang thing in the restrooms at this restaurant - something you’d only see in Texas - and that was sinks shaped like the state of TX!

After we ate, we headed back on the road again and crossed the border from Texas to New Mexico.  For those of you with lead feet, you’ll appreciate that in NM, the speed limit is 75 mph!   We were going to stop at Tucumcari for the night; however, when we arrived, we still had plenty of daylight and stamina to continue on.  We ended up in Santa Rosa, NM for the night.

By the numbers:  478 miles traveled; 42 mpg w/ tailwind; 38mpg when the wind shifted; 34 mpg running 85 - 90 mph!  Who, me?  Love that 75 mph limit![gallery link="file"]

After yesterday’s rain and the gorgeous sunshine this morning, we looked forward to a great day of riding, and it pretty much delivered.  The wind, however, kept the chill on until after lunch, and made for two very weary riders by day’s end.  Our route plan was very simple; follow I 40 West to Shawnee, OK.  Of course, we couldn’t just stay on the interstate all day!  We veered off onto Arkansas highway 64 at Clarksville, still heading west.  This put us in Altus, AR at lunch time, so we went in to Kelt’s Pub  http://www.keltspubinfo.com/ for some excellent Irish ambiance and food.  I had the grilled tilapia sandwich and Sharon had the corned beef.  Both came with a side salad and we selected their homemade ranch dressing.  Outstanding, all of it, and chased with a pint of Newcastle brown ale.  Thank you, Dan McMillen!  We went up the hill and dropped in on Bud and Joan Burns and Cathy for a brief visit before getting back on the road.

We finally got into Shawnee at 6:30 local time.  We are both beat up by the crosswind on the road, so hit the pool and hot tub to relax after we checked into the motel.  Dinner was ordered in and nothing worth writing about.

Today by the numbers: 405 miles traveled. Three fill ups, last one here in Shawnee, 35 mpg, 37 mpg, and 36 mpg.  I guess it was a crossing headwind, because I wasn’t heavy on the throttle, but the bike was thirsty, and the wind was smacking us upside our heads all day!

One note missed yesterday, we saw two deer in Mammoth Cave National Park, and Sharon saw a coyote in the median, and I saw some turkey vultures feeding on the shoulder (yum).   We also forgot to mention the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile.  It was exiting the freeway as we were getting back on after a fill up.  What a hoot!

All in all, it was a good day of riding and we hope the clear skies hold.

[gallery link="file"]

Wow, what a difference a day makes!  The sun is shining bright here in Ar-kan-sas, and the temps are moderate.  It’s supposed to get into the 80’s today.  Whoo-hooo!  Lots of sunblock needed.  It’s windy, so that will be the challenge of today’s ride from the look of things.  Slept good last night, so feeling strong.

On another note from yesterday, bought gas twice, got 40 mpg on the first tank, 37 on the second.  If I keep the rpm below 3000, and the speed under 73 mph, Ican squeeze out a few more mpg’s.  This may help crossing the long stretches in NM, AZ, and TX.

We stayed in a cheapo place last night, had to ask at  the desk for cups, no spare roll of tp, and the continental breakfast is cereal (didn’t see milk, probably have to ask), donut bites, and coffee.  There wasn’t any juice out, either.  I guess you get what you pay for.  At least there were clean sheets and hot water!

Till tonight!

PS:  Happy birthday to Teddy H!  Celebrate in style, girlfriend! ;o}

Two Harley rainsuits, one new and one used -$160.00   

A full tank of premium - $9.00                                                                                

Staying warm and dry on the road - priceless

Oh, man, did the rain come our way!  We left Elizabethtown around 10:30 eastern time, with only a light drizzle still falling.  We got the word from Stephanie at LaQuinta Inn that the Blue Grass Parkway wouldn’t be friendly in the rain, with poor pavement and stops few and far between.  So we decided to stay with the interstates, taking I 65 South to I 40 West.  Stephanie also said we shouldn’t miss Hoover Dam while in Vegas, as she used to live there and assures us it’s worth seeing.  As soon as we headed out on the highway, the rain picked up and christened us nicely.  After a short while, it stopped, and we thought we had a clear run ahead, so we did a little side trip to Mammoth Cave.  A word of advice - don’t do that on the spur of the moment - the shortest tour is 1 1/4 hours, and it helps to buy tickets ahead online.  We used up some valuable dry time on that little venture.  We would have stopped at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, but we used up too much valuable drive time at Mammoth Cave.

We hit a local restaurant called the Ole Sawmill Cafe for a buffet dinner.  It was mighty tasty and had a good selection of food.  It was reminiscent of the Cracker Barrel with rocking chairs on the front porch and a gift shop. 

On day two for all you  eggheads, we rode 430 miles today and a cumulative total of 837 miles since yesterday.  Whew!  Our butts should be really sore by now, but thanks to the new bike, we’re sitting pretty.

Well, we knew there would be days like this…..wet, wet, wet.  It is currently raining quite steadily here in Etown, KY.  Radar looks like it well ease up or give us a short reprieve in an hour or so.  I think we’ll make a break for it then.  It will definitely be an adventure. 

We both got quite sun and wind burned yesterday, despite using 30 spf sunblock and reapplying once midday.  I am all red, Sharon has that lovely raccoon eyed look!  We’ll post again tonight to let you know how we fare!

Our Escorts out of Michigan

We made it to our day 1 target destination, Elizabethtown, KY.  It was a great day for a ride, and we had a great escort out of Michigan.  My bro Geoff, friend Tim and his son Tommy, and friend Mike rode with us across the Ohio border and we stopped at Waffle House to eat.  That was at Tim’s request!

Ohio was the usual - flat and boring.  We gassed up the bike just yards from the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum - they had a mock up of the Gemini capsule and Apollo command module outside.  That was in Wapakoneta (say that 3 times fast!) Ohio.  After we crossed into Kentucky and turned on I-71 toward Louisville, the scenery changed for the better.  The road had more curves and the grass was much greener because we actually were on the other side!

Another with our escorts

For all you eggheads out there, we traveled 408 miles, got 35 mpg from the first fillup and 40 from the second.  We left Belleville at 10 am sharp and arrived in Elizabethtown, KY around 6 pm.

Another point of interest we found in town was the Open Road Motorcycle Supply store, which unfortunately was closing just as we pulled up - dang it!  There were about 20 bikes around the store, all makes and models, and that leads us to believe that it may be an all right kind of place for us to visit before we head out on the highway tomorrow.

The day has finally arrived - we are on the road as of today!  We are totally geeked about this trip, and have a beautiful, sunny day beckoning us toward the south and west.  Amazingly, we were both able to get some sleep last night, which is a good thing.  I’d be of no use taking command of the bike since it’s way too big for me to handle. We hope you enjoy taking this journey along with us, and appreciate all the comments we have seen so far.

Frank’s bro Geoff and friends Tim and others will be riding along with us at least to the border, and we hope to have others join us as well.  It’s great having friends and relatives care enough to see us off, and we appreciate all the support and good wishes you all have sent our way!  With that and our St. Christopher medals (a gift from my friend and co-worker Donna) we are all set to begin this journey of a lifetime!

Sit back, relax, and let us do the riding - just enjoy the trip through us and we’ll do our best to keep you entertained along the way!  See you when we get back!   Sharon and Frank