Looks like a big snowstorm coming, guess this was the last ride of the season
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Winter's coming
Wow, December 26, it was close to 50 degrees, went for a dirt bike ride. The ground wasn't even frozen... pretty rare, and a bit bizarre
Saturday, December 26, 2015
What's on the Telly?
My first recollection of television was, I think, when I was about 6 at my Aunts house for Thanksgiving. My uncles were all watching football on what was probably an 8 inch black and white screen.
The first set I can remember at our house was probably around 1957. It was a huge cabinet made of blonde oak. It had 3 doors in front, 2 of which revealed the glorious 12 inch screen. There were 6 knobs to control the volume, vertical hold, horizontal hold, brightness, contrast and the channel knob with 13 numbers. The third door housed the 45 rpm record player, record storage and the large drawer beneath the TV had the 33 and 1/3 record player. Neither my sister nor I were allowed to touch anything!
We lived half way between Boston and Providence, so we got 2 channels pretty good and 4 others ok. We got to watch the "Mickey Mouse Club" in the afternoons, Thursday nights was "I Love Lucy" and my Dad's favorite, "The Real McCoys". Saturday mornings I remember "The Lone Ranger", "Sky King" and "Rin Tin Tin". But Sunday was the big TV night, "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" and then "The Wonderful World of Disney" There was nothing but a test pattern on between midnight and 5 AM. Somewhere along the way, UHF channels were added, color of course, bigger screens, cable and now streaming. Kids watch TV on their phones, computers and of course every kid has a TV in their room too. I suppose at some time in the future, TV will stream directly into our brains.
Luckily we have a DVR, because the annoying ads still exist in ridiculous numbers. I counted 18 different ads in just one break while watching "A Christmas Story" With the DVR we record a few shows or a movie, and football games and watch them when we feel like it zipping past the commercials.
You Tube and Streaming are changing the way we watch, but now the commercials are creeping in there too... Guess I'll just go watch "Jeopardy"
The first set I can remember at our house was probably around 1957. It was a huge cabinet made of blonde oak. It had 3 doors in front, 2 of which revealed the glorious 12 inch screen. There were 6 knobs to control the volume, vertical hold, horizontal hold, brightness, contrast and the channel knob with 13 numbers. The third door housed the 45 rpm record player, record storage and the large drawer beneath the TV had the 33 and 1/3 record player. Neither my sister nor I were allowed to touch anything!
We lived half way between Boston and Providence, so we got 2 channels pretty good and 4 others ok. We got to watch the "Mickey Mouse Club" in the afternoons, Thursday nights was "I Love Lucy" and my Dad's favorite, "The Real McCoys". Saturday mornings I remember "The Lone Ranger", "Sky King" and "Rin Tin Tin". But Sunday was the big TV night, "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" and then "The Wonderful World of Disney" There was nothing but a test pattern on between midnight and 5 AM. Somewhere along the way, UHF channels were added, color of course, bigger screens, cable and now streaming. Kids watch TV on their phones, computers and of course every kid has a TV in their room too. I suppose at some time in the future, TV will stream directly into our brains.
Luckily we have a DVR, because the annoying ads still exist in ridiculous numbers. I counted 18 different ads in just one break while watching "A Christmas Story" With the DVR we record a few shows or a movie, and football games and watch them when we feel like it zipping past the commercials.
You Tube and Streaming are changing the way we watch, but now the commercials are creeping in there too... Guess I'll just go watch "Jeopardy"
Friday, December 25, 2015
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve..
Having lost both my parents fairly recently, I can't help but think back to the many Christmas eves that are now so long ago. My Mom would always make a special lobster dinner, we'd eat in the living room between the fire and the Christmas Tree, have hot cocoa and get to open one present, but just one, no matter how much I begged.
Christmas eve as a young adult wasn't always so special until Jessica came along, and once again, it was special. Now she gets to have her Christmas eves with her kids, and build great memories.
Some years later, DeeDee and I started having friends and relatives over on Christmas Eve. It was always a pretty classic event, My family, DeeDee's family, and always our friends Paul and Wendy and their kids as they came along. Wendy and my Mother dancing into the wee hours. As we all got older, that tradition became the past as well.
Now, Christmas Eve is just the two of us, and although a bit more quiet than the past and we don't do gifts anymore, it is still a special night, we have each other.
And over the next few days we'll get together with family and friends and spoil the grandkids with piles of stuff.
Having lost both my parents fairly recently, I can't help but think back to the many Christmas eves that are now so long ago. My Mom would always make a special lobster dinner, we'd eat in the living room between the fire and the Christmas Tree, have hot cocoa and get to open one present, but just one, no matter how much I begged.
Christmas eve as a young adult wasn't always so special until Jessica came along, and once again, it was special. Now she gets to have her Christmas eves with her kids, and build great memories.
Some years later, DeeDee and I started having friends and relatives over on Christmas Eve. It was always a pretty classic event, My family, DeeDee's family, and always our friends Paul and Wendy and their kids as they came along. Wendy and my Mother dancing into the wee hours. As we all got older, that tradition became the past as well.
Now, Christmas Eve is just the two of us, and although a bit more quiet than the past and we don't do gifts anymore, it is still a special night, we have each other.
And over the next few days we'll get together with family and friends and spoil the grandkids with piles of stuff.
And so this is Christmas
And so this is Christmas, and what have you done
Another year over, a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas, I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones, the old and the young,
A very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one, without any fears,
And so this is Christmas, for weak and for strong
The rich and the poor ones, the road is so long
And so Happy Christmas, for black and for white
For the yellow and red ones, let's stop all the fight
And so this is Christmas, and what have you done
Another year over, a new one just begun
Another year over, a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas, I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones, the old and the young,
A very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one, without any fears,
And so this is Christmas, for weak and for strong
The rich and the poor ones, the road is so long
And so Happy Christmas, for black and for white
For the yellow and red ones, let's stop all the fight
And so this is Christmas, and what have you done
Another year over, a new one just begun
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Bang, Bang... you're dead
Some Yule Tide Trivia..
Santa Claus, brought to you, by Coco-Cola
The modern image of Santa Claus as the jolly man in the red suit was introduced into American culture in 1931. Artist Haddon Sundblom illustrated him that way for a widely-circulated campaign for Coca-Cola.
St Nicholas was a real person back in the year 270 in what is now Turkey. He gave coins and treats to children, leaving them in their shoes. The dutch kept the tradition alive, and called him Sinterklaas, In 1773, a New York newspaper first called him Santa Claus. The flying sleigh and reindeer were from Clement Moore's 1822 poem, "A visit from St Nicholas"
On a more somber note..
I just read that gun sales are up nearly 25% in December over last year. Christmas presents? Really? Why have we become such a fear driven, paranoid society?
The second amendment guarantees us the right to bear arms, yeah, I get it, although I cannot imagine Jefferson and Madison seeing how we have evolved not wanting to change that amendment in some form or another. The NRA and gun lobby will make damn sure that never happens, no matter how many lives are lost.
Guns kept in a home are far more likely to be used in an accidental shooting, suicide attempt or criminal activity than to be used in self defense. Over 100,000 people each year are shot in this country, with over 30,000 dying. With more and more guns out there, it is inevitable that every one of us will be directly or indirectly affected by gun violence sooner or later, and with guns being sold at a record pace, most likely sooner.
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas?
Ok, I'm really not a complete Scrooge when it comes to Christmas. I do like hearing about people doing random acts of kindness and try to do my share as well.
I like the classic Christmas movies and watch at least a few every year, of course "A Christmas Story" is the best. (Just ask DeeDee!) Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" has had many, many movie and TV adaptations, the first being in 1901. Most feel that the 1951 version with Alastair Sim as Scrooge is the best. Other versions that are also excellent are, the 1984 version with George C. Scott, the Muppets, "A Christmas Carol" featuring Michael Caine and Bill Murray's comic version "Scrooged" and all are worth watching.
And although it's not shown as much these days, I always look for "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" Boris Karloff's narration is just timeless. Hopefully I get to watch it with my daughter and my Grand kids.
It looks like no white Christmas this year, climate change is real, do what you can.
and remember:
It costs $0.00 to be a decent person.
I like the classic Christmas movies and watch at least a few every year, of course "A Christmas Story" is the best. (Just ask DeeDee!) Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" has had many, many movie and TV adaptations, the first being in 1901. Most feel that the 1951 version with Alastair Sim as Scrooge is the best. Other versions that are also excellent are, the 1984 version with George C. Scott, the Muppets, "A Christmas Carol" featuring Michael Caine and Bill Murray's comic version "Scrooged" and all are worth watching.
And although it's not shown as much these days, I always look for "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" Boris Karloff's narration is just timeless. Hopefully I get to watch it with my daughter and my Grand kids.
It looks like no white Christmas this year, climate change is real, do what you can.
and remember:
It costs $0.00 to be a decent person.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Holiday Spirit or Spirits?
It seems our lives have become so shallow these days that our total existence seems to revolve around Holidays. When I was a kid, Christmas was maybe a week long deal, the lights and tree went up 4 or 5 days before, and then they came down, usually before New Years. Halloween was a day making a costume and then a night of trick or treating, On Thanksgiving we piled into the car, went to my Aunts house, the kids played outside, the men drank and smoked cigars, we ate tons of food, went home, holiday over.
Now, months are defined by Hallmark and advertisers, Valentines Day ads will start in January, Easter too has become a month long affair. When did decorating your house for Easter and Halloween become a thing? Mother's day sales will begin in April, same for Father's Day. The Fourth of July has Christmas sales, Then of course it's "Back to School" which we'll hear about in June...
I used to look forward to Christmas, it was a special eve, and a day, when all was good. Now we've been saturated with Christmas since before Thanksgiving, Everyone has to have a Christmas party, so they begin even weeks before Christmas,
Now I can't wait for it to be over, it's not so special anymore, and it's not because I'm older, just Holidayed Out...
Now, months are defined by Hallmark and advertisers, Valentines Day ads will start in January, Easter too has become a month long affair. When did decorating your house for Easter and Halloween become a thing? Mother's day sales will begin in April, same for Father's Day. The Fourth of July has Christmas sales, Then of course it's "Back to School" which we'll hear about in June...
I used to look forward to Christmas, it was a special eve, and a day, when all was good. Now we've been saturated with Christmas since before Thanksgiving, Everyone has to have a Christmas party, so they begin even weeks before Christmas,
Now I can't wait for it to be over, it's not so special anymore, and it's not because I'm older, just Holidayed Out...
Thursday, December 17, 2015
One Last Autumn Ride
The sun creeps along the horizon, a common criminal
Stealing my daylight, my warmth
The engine reluctantly wakens and surges to life
Wheels crunch over a carpet of frost
The pavement is hard,
the acceleration feels good
Cold air invades every crevice of my clothing
My warm breath spawns a mystical fog in my helmet
The trees have withdrawn their green blood , exposing their
true colors
In a final glorious display they lose their grip on life and
fall to earth
My senses become even more alive as the bike weaves through
each corner
The smell of apples fermenting on the ground
Leaves decaying to bring forth new life in the Spring
Small chicks a few months ago, Turkeys dart before me
Geese overhead follow that thief the sun
The white hair of winter gleans on the mountain tops
The road snakes up
Past onlookers of spruce and oak
Hustling squirrels play chicken
Faster
One with the road, one last time
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Highlights from the Republican Debate
There weren't any..
Eight dudes on the stage. All dressed almost exactly the same, spewing the same old BS
December 15, still riding my dirt bike in the woods, unreal.
Heading to Baja soon, without the big bike this year, sad. Trying to come up with a big bike trip for next spring...
How is it the deer know when hunting season starts and finishes? We see them all summer long, then they disappear, saw three in the yard yesterday.
It's tough not buying the grandkids piles of stuff for Christmas, trying to be creative and healthy, it's not that easy.
Eight dudes on the stage. All dressed almost exactly the same, spewing the same old BS
December 15, still riding my dirt bike in the woods, unreal.
Heading to Baja soon, without the big bike this year, sad. Trying to come up with a big bike trip for next spring...
How is it the deer know when hunting season starts and finishes? We see them all summer long, then they disappear, saw three in the yard yesterday.
It's tough not buying the grandkids piles of stuff for Christmas, trying to be creative and healthy, it's not that easy.
Monday, December 14, 2015
Strange Days
Mid December, no snow, and the ground isn't even frozen ... Skiers aren't too happy, but the hiking has been great and still getting out on the motorcycles...
Hiked 4 times the past week or so, including a great hike yesterday up Albany Mountain in Albany Maine. with our friends Liz and Lucas. Of course no hike would be complete without a few beers afterwards. Our destination was Ebenezer's Pub in Lovell. Great food and incredible Belgian beer selection, with over 35 on tap and numerous bottles. Voted best beer bar in America for 5 years!. Pretty cool for a small pub in the backwoods of Maine!
This interesting foot bridge crossing the Cold River in Evan's Notch was built in 1923 by the father of Mabel Chester, an early advocate for the environment and natural beauty of the area.
Hiked 4 times the past week or so, including a great hike yesterday up Albany Mountain in Albany Maine. with our friends Liz and Lucas. Of course no hike would be complete without a few beers afterwards. Our destination was Ebenezer's Pub in Lovell. Great food and incredible Belgian beer selection, with over 35 on tap and numerous bottles. Voted best beer bar in America for 5 years!. Pretty cool for a small pub in the backwoods of Maine!
This interesting foot bridge crossing the Cold River in Evan's Notch was built in 1923 by the father of Mabel Chester, an early advocate for the environment and natural beauty of the area.
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Continuing along...
I had a lot of fun writing the blog of our motorcycle trip from Mexico to Maine, soI thought I'd pick it up again as we prepare to head back to Baja.
We had the opportunity to visit the Body Worlds Exhibit at the Portland Science Center the other day with our friends Rick and Nano. The exhibit is pretty interesting with real bodies dissected and then plasticized. Pretty fascinating seeing just how complex we all are and what incredible damage we do to ourselves via injury, smoking and poor eating habits. Worth a visit.
The weather has been unseasonably warm so far and with temps in the 50's, so a walk around Portland's historic Old Port was in order, of course stopping in several of the 230 restaurants and bars! We finished up the evening at the "Chocolate Bar" which specializes in Martinis and desserts. DeeDee and Nano partook of a decadent Peanut Butter Chocolate Martini, while Rick and I had Mocha Espresso Martinis and then we tried Absinthe. Absinthe was until recently illegal due to falsely perceived notions that is was addictive and a hallucinogenic. I'm not sure about the addictive properties, but I was seeing things on the way home!
Interesting link to 25 songs that were originally banned for one reason or another
25 Banned Songs
We had the opportunity to visit the Body Worlds Exhibit at the Portland Science Center the other day with our friends Rick and Nano. The exhibit is pretty interesting with real bodies dissected and then plasticized. Pretty fascinating seeing just how complex we all are and what incredible damage we do to ourselves via injury, smoking and poor eating habits. Worth a visit.
The weather has been unseasonably warm so far and with temps in the 50's, so a walk around Portland's historic Old Port was in order, of course stopping in several of the 230 restaurants and bars! We finished up the evening at the "Chocolate Bar" which specializes in Martinis and desserts. DeeDee and Nano partook of a decadent Peanut Butter Chocolate Martini, while Rick and I had Mocha Espresso Martinis and then we tried Absinthe. Absinthe was until recently illegal due to falsely perceived notions that is was addictive and a hallucinogenic. I'm not sure about the addictive properties, but I was seeing things on the way home!
Interesting link to 25 songs that were originally banned for one reason or another
25 Banned Songs
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Retrospective
July 26, 2015
We woke up this morning to a steady rain...can't cut the grass today
Looking back
Just thinking about the trip and would we do anything different...
First of all, my riding partner was amazing. It wouldn't have been such an incredible trip without her.
Surprises, Pleasant ones and not so much
The weather, we were incredibly lucky, although the heat was tough at times, it was better than cold rain. Just a few hours of rain in 28 days was amazing.
No speeding tickets, a lot of luck there too
No mechanical breakdowns, just a leaky fork seal
We never really got lost
We stayed healthy
We always managed to find a decent place to stay
The best roads were the ones we weren't expecting
Not too many close calls
I think we saw more hay bales and hay fields than corn or wheat
The KTM drew lots of attention, from riders wanting to know how we liked it, to non riders trying to figure out what it was
Not happy with the Sena Headsets
KTM Oil heat sensor, gave false readings and would have to wait 3-4 minutes to start the bike
I guess not a surprise, but there are a lot of bad drivers out there
The Itinerary
Not having any deadlines or schedule or even a timeline was a really good thing. We could make any day longer or shorter, we could change any days plan mid-stream. Having that much flexibility was really important.
The Route
Since there was no real route plan, the only really smart thing we did was go north into Canada. This kept us in nice cool air and above the really nasty weather happening in the mid west. I have to think that it was a bit more scenic than Kansas! Going through the big National Parks in the summer was a mistake. We'd like to see more of them, but next time in September or May.
Navigation
Maps, GPS, Google Earth, and Google Maps were all important tools in planning each day's ride. The Butler Motorcycle maps were awesome, highlighting the best roads and categorizing them as to scenery, curves, road quality etc. The only problem is they only print them for a few states. My $40 refurbished Garmin Nuvi GPS worked fine once I figured out exactly how to set the way points so it would take us the way we wanted to go on the maps. I'm not sure a more expensive motorcycle specific GPS would have been any better, except the Nuvi is not waterproof.
The Bike
The KTM was a really good choice, of course the only other bikes I have to compare it to, were my 2 previous BMW's. The KTM's suspension and handling were excellent, the power was unbelievable, we were fully loaded, 2 up, and we could accelerate to pass at any speed in any gear. The wind screeen, although pretty small, worked well. In the 'up' position, it deflected the wind just over my helmet. In the 'low' position, you got wind in your face, nice on the hot days. The transmission was so much smoother than the beemer, and the gearing was way better. One problem with the bike is heat coming up from the motor, I added heat shields from Black Dog and had Sargent add insulation to the seat bottom and that helped considerably.
Tires. I choose the Metzler Karoo III, thinking we would do more dirt roads than we did. The tire was surprisingly good and pretty quiet on the pavement, worked well on dirt roads, but not so good in mud. We got about 8000 miles out of the front although it starting cupping pretty good at about 6k. We only got about 4k out of the rear. If I knew how much pavement we would end up doing, a street tire probably would have been the better choice. All in all, the Metzler worked well.
The only real complaint with the bike was the seat. The stock KTM seat is not very comfortable. At the time, there were no real better after market choices available. I had a Sargent seat on my BMW that was the most comfortable seat ever. So I contacted them and they were working on a seat for the KTM. I sent them my seat and they designed and built a new seat. It was better than the stock, but not nearly as comfortable as the seat on the BMW. We'll be looking for a better option.
Communication
I bought the latest, greatest, state-of-the-art headset system for the trip. A Sena SM 10. Having communication was really good, except this system failed repeatedly, and no real way to get it fixed on the road.
Cameras, Computers etc
I brought my Go-Pro and my big SLR. Besides the Go-Pro case self-destructing, the camera wasn't very practical. It does action video well, but scenery and stills, not very good. My big camera takes great photos, but a pain to use every day on the bike. Next time, a good quality small camera with some type of mount on the handlebars. My laptop was just too big, I'll need to break down and get a tablet kind of thing. DeeDee's little Samsung Galaxy worked perfectly.
Luggage
Our luggage system worked great. I went with the 8" Jesse Odyssey bags, they are strong and narrow, only 33 " total width on the bike. and hold an amazing 80 litres. On the tail I mounted a Jesse quick release double plate with a 14x19x7 Pelican Box. This held my laptop, extra maps, charging cords, DeeDee's hair stuff, 2 pair of hiking shoes and 2 pair of sandals. On top of the box we mounted a Cortech tail bag which popped on and off easily with 4 Fastek buckles. This was great for carrying extra gloves and anything we may need to get at during the day. We carried our rain gear and extra riding layers in 2 Wolfman dry bags mounted on top of the Jesse side boxes. These mounted easily with 4 straps that connect to the D loops on the Jeese boxes. The only problem was the neat little swivel carabiners that came with the Wolfman bags would't quite fit through the D loops, so we had to use a small piece of cord to connect the 2 which worked fine. I could never find a tank bag that I really liked that would fit the bike, so I settled for a Givi Enduro model. It worked ok, but I'll be looking for something better. I don't know why so many tank bag designers feel that something has to come off the bag to form a waist belt to walk around with. I've never seen anyone use it and I never have.
Clothing
Every trip I've ever taken, there are always clothing items that I never used. We brought hiking shoes and socks and shorts hoping to do some short hikes. That turned out to be just not possible. My riding jacket was too heavy, it was fine the last week up in Canada and ok mostly except for the really hot days. DeeDee had her Joe Rocket jacket with 2 removable liners that worked really well. We both had riding pants for cold or bad weather, DeeDee wore hers quite a bit, I never wore mine, but they still needed to be there. We wore our rain suits just once for a few hours, but that was due to just good luck with the weather.
Bottom Line
I think we did pretty well, next time we'll change a few things. We are definite happy to be home and to see friends and family, although everyone seems to think we are happy to be off the bike, not really. It becomes your way of life, part of you. All the cliches about 'freedom of the open road', the wind in your hair etc are pretty much true. Riding a motorcycle, you become part of the scenery, part of the road. You feel the weather, you smell everything and there's just nothing like leaning into a corner to see another corner and another. Not knowing what the next day will bring is exciting.
We woke up this morning to a steady rain...can't cut the grass today
Looking back
Just thinking about the trip and would we do anything different...
First of all, my riding partner was amazing. It wouldn't have been such an incredible trip without her.
Surprises, Pleasant ones and not so much
The weather, we were incredibly lucky, although the heat was tough at times, it was better than cold rain. Just a few hours of rain in 28 days was amazing.
No speeding tickets, a lot of luck there too
No mechanical breakdowns, just a leaky fork seal
We never really got lost
We stayed healthy
We always managed to find a decent place to stay
The best roads were the ones we weren't expecting
Not too many close calls
I think we saw more hay bales and hay fields than corn or wheat
The KTM drew lots of attention, from riders wanting to know how we liked it, to non riders trying to figure out what it was
Not happy with the Sena Headsets
KTM Oil heat sensor, gave false readings and would have to wait 3-4 minutes to start the bike
I guess not a surprise, but there are a lot of bad drivers out there
The Itinerary
Not having any deadlines or schedule or even a timeline was a really good thing. We could make any day longer or shorter, we could change any days plan mid-stream. Having that much flexibility was really important.
The Route
Since there was no real route plan, the only really smart thing we did was go north into Canada. This kept us in nice cool air and above the really nasty weather happening in the mid west. I have to think that it was a bit more scenic than Kansas! Going through the big National Parks in the summer was a mistake. We'd like to see more of them, but next time in September or May.
Navigation
Maps, GPS, Google Earth, and Google Maps were all important tools in planning each day's ride. The Butler Motorcycle maps were awesome, highlighting the best roads and categorizing them as to scenery, curves, road quality etc. The only problem is they only print them for a few states. My $40 refurbished Garmin Nuvi GPS worked fine once I figured out exactly how to set the way points so it would take us the way we wanted to go on the maps. I'm not sure a more expensive motorcycle specific GPS would have been any better, except the Nuvi is not waterproof.
The Bike
The KTM was a really good choice, of course the only other bikes I have to compare it to, were my 2 previous BMW's. The KTM's suspension and handling were excellent, the power was unbelievable, we were fully loaded, 2 up, and we could accelerate to pass at any speed in any gear. The wind screeen, although pretty small, worked well. In the 'up' position, it deflected the wind just over my helmet. In the 'low' position, you got wind in your face, nice on the hot days. The transmission was so much smoother than the beemer, and the gearing was way better. One problem with the bike is heat coming up from the motor, I added heat shields from Black Dog and had Sargent add insulation to the seat bottom and that helped considerably.
Tires. I choose the Metzler Karoo III, thinking we would do more dirt roads than we did. The tire was surprisingly good and pretty quiet on the pavement, worked well on dirt roads, but not so good in mud. We got about 8000 miles out of the front although it starting cupping pretty good at about 6k. We only got about 4k out of the rear. If I knew how much pavement we would end up doing, a street tire probably would have been the better choice. All in all, the Metzler worked well.
The only real complaint with the bike was the seat. The stock KTM seat is not very comfortable. At the time, there were no real better after market choices available. I had a Sargent seat on my BMW that was the most comfortable seat ever. So I contacted them and they were working on a seat for the KTM. I sent them my seat and they designed and built a new seat. It was better than the stock, but not nearly as comfortable as the seat on the BMW. We'll be looking for a better option.
Communication
I bought the latest, greatest, state-of-the-art headset system for the trip. A Sena SM 10. Having communication was really good, except this system failed repeatedly, and no real way to get it fixed on the road.
Cameras, Computers etc
I brought my Go-Pro and my big SLR. Besides the Go-Pro case self-destructing, the camera wasn't very practical. It does action video well, but scenery and stills, not very good. My big camera takes great photos, but a pain to use every day on the bike. Next time, a good quality small camera with some type of mount on the handlebars. My laptop was just too big, I'll need to break down and get a tablet kind of thing. DeeDee's little Samsung Galaxy worked perfectly.
Luggage
Our luggage system worked great. I went with the 8" Jesse Odyssey bags, they are strong and narrow, only 33 " total width on the bike. and hold an amazing 80 litres. On the tail I mounted a Jesse quick release double plate with a 14x19x7 Pelican Box. This held my laptop, extra maps, charging cords, DeeDee's hair stuff, 2 pair of hiking shoes and 2 pair of sandals. On top of the box we mounted a Cortech tail bag which popped on and off easily with 4 Fastek buckles. This was great for carrying extra gloves and anything we may need to get at during the day. We carried our rain gear and extra riding layers in 2 Wolfman dry bags mounted on top of the Jesse side boxes. These mounted easily with 4 straps that connect to the D loops on the Jeese boxes. The only problem was the neat little swivel carabiners that came with the Wolfman bags would't quite fit through the D loops, so we had to use a small piece of cord to connect the 2 which worked fine. I could never find a tank bag that I really liked that would fit the bike, so I settled for a Givi Enduro model. It worked ok, but I'll be looking for something better. I don't know why so many tank bag designers feel that something has to come off the bag to form a waist belt to walk around with. I've never seen anyone use it and I never have.
Clothing
Every trip I've ever taken, there are always clothing items that I never used. We brought hiking shoes and socks and shorts hoping to do some short hikes. That turned out to be just not possible. My riding jacket was too heavy, it was fine the last week up in Canada and ok mostly except for the really hot days. DeeDee had her Joe Rocket jacket with 2 removable liners that worked really well. We both had riding pants for cold or bad weather, DeeDee wore hers quite a bit, I never wore mine, but they still needed to be there. We wore our rain suits just once for a few hours, but that was due to just good luck with the weather.
Bottom Line
I think we did pretty well, next time we'll change a few things. We are definite happy to be home and to see friends and family, although everyone seems to think we are happy to be off the bike, not really. It becomes your way of life, part of you. All the cliches about 'freedom of the open road', the wind in your hair etc are pretty much true. Riding a motorcycle, you become part of the scenery, part of the road. You feel the weather, you smell everything and there's just nothing like leaning into a corner to see another corner and another. Not knowing what the next day will bring is exciting.
Saturday, July 25, 2015
The Green, Green (and very long) Grass of Home
July 25, 2015
We depart Huletts Landing and ride East. We enter Vermont in about an hour and encounter some of the worse drivers we have seen. Straddling lanes, tossing cigarettes out the window and one woman crosses 2 lanes and nearly rams us. The only time on the trip we were passed repeatedly by cars, and we were travelling at 10 or more miles over the speed limit. The traffic on route 4 was dreadful. Once we crossed into New Hampshire we took some nice back roads, the roads were nice and scenic, but the road surfaces were the worst we had seen. We stop in Plymouth to visit our friends Steve and Michelle, grab a sandwich for the final 2 hours. The sky again is threatening, but we make it to Denmark at 4:30 and ahead of any rain. 6,077 miles in the 28 days since we left Rancho Santa Fe, 7,297 miles since we left Loreto.
The house is in one piece, but projects loom everywhere, for now we shower, sit and relax with a glass of wine. Tonight for the first time in 28 days we won't be scanning maps and tomorrow we won't be packing the bike and heading off exploring the unknown. Bittersweet.... But life is, indeed pretty good. and I'm starting to think about the next adventure
We depart Huletts Landing and ride East. We enter Vermont in about an hour and encounter some of the worse drivers we have seen. Straddling lanes, tossing cigarettes out the window and one woman crosses 2 lanes and nearly rams us. The only time on the trip we were passed repeatedly by cars, and we were travelling at 10 or more miles over the speed limit. The traffic on route 4 was dreadful. Once we crossed into New Hampshire we took some nice back roads, the roads were nice and scenic, but the road surfaces were the worst we had seen. We stop in Plymouth to visit our friends Steve and Michelle, grab a sandwich for the final 2 hours. The sky again is threatening, but we make it to Denmark at 4:30 and ahead of any rain. 6,077 miles in the 28 days since we left Rancho Santa Fe, 7,297 miles since we left Loreto.
The house is in one piece, but projects loom everywhere, for now we shower, sit and relax with a glass of wine. Tonight for the first time in 28 days we won't be scanning maps and tomorrow we won't be packing the bike and heading off exploring the unknown. Bittersweet.... But life is, indeed pretty good. and I'm starting to think about the next adventure
New York, New York
July 24, 2015
5867 miles since Rancho Santa Fe
7077 miles since Loreto
We have an awesome breakfast at the Captain Orchard Inn. We meet the only other couple staying at the Inn, Jerry and Becky from the Toronto area. They are traveling to Ottawa to visit their daughter. Jerry is into sports, so we talk hockey, and Bobby Orr. We agree, the best hockey player ever!
We head out on a nice road past well kept old homes overlooking the St Lawrence. We cross over into the States at Johnstown. The weather's cloudy and for the 5th day in a row, the temperature is a perfect 70. The road down into the Adirondacks is great, as it winds through the hill with scenic views. And finally we see mountains, it's been a while. The traffic is light until we get to Saranac Lake. Our journey slows to a crawl following lines of cars and logging trucks through Lake Placid to the Keene Valley. The traffic dissipates as quickly as it had appeared as we follow the winding road along the shore of Lake Champlain. Above us dark clouds are looming, afternoon showers are predicted. Our destination is cousin Cheryl's cottage at Huletts Landing on Lake George. Ten minutes to go and we are getting hit by a few raindrops. We make it to the house just as the sky opens up. Our good luck with the weather continues!
The rain doesn't last long and soon we are enjoying the views of the lake and mountains and a cold beer. The community here is small and tight, and soon friends and relatives are popping in to say 'Hello', as are the ducks! Cheryl tells us of plans to take down the old cottage to build a larger, more modern 'Vacation Home' to accommodate the growing families. She has mixed emotions as the cottage has a unique character and harbors lots of memories.
She cooks us up a fantastic meal of grilled shrimp and broccoli. After a bottle of wine, we wander down to the 'Casino", the local watering hole, referred to as 'The Hidden Bar' by 'non-Huletts Landing' Boat People. It's a fun little place with Foose ball and pool tables, looks kind of like a summer camp rec hall turned into a bar. There's a band setting up, we're told the music starts at 11:00!, and the bar closes at 4:00! Needless to say we never got to hear the band. This morning, Cheryl tells me she heard the 'Boat People' leaving at about 3:30.
If all goes well, this will be the last day of this part of our adventure. We are both a little anxious to get home and see friends and family.but not because we are weary from 27 days on the road. We could easily go for another month or so, but today we're "Heading down the turnpike for New England, sweet New England" Life is good
5867 miles since Rancho Santa Fe
7077 miles since Loreto
We have an awesome breakfast at the Captain Orchard Inn. We meet the only other couple staying at the Inn, Jerry and Becky from the Toronto area. They are traveling to Ottawa to visit their daughter. Jerry is into sports, so we talk hockey, and Bobby Orr. We agree, the best hockey player ever!
We head out on a nice road past well kept old homes overlooking the St Lawrence. We cross over into the States at Johnstown. The weather's cloudy and for the 5th day in a row, the temperature is a perfect 70. The road down into the Adirondacks is great, as it winds through the hill with scenic views. And finally we see mountains, it's been a while. The traffic is light until we get to Saranac Lake. Our journey slows to a crawl following lines of cars and logging trucks through Lake Placid to the Keene Valley. The traffic dissipates as quickly as it had appeared as we follow the winding road along the shore of Lake Champlain. Above us dark clouds are looming, afternoon showers are predicted. Our destination is cousin Cheryl's cottage at Huletts Landing on Lake George. Ten minutes to go and we are getting hit by a few raindrops. We make it to the house just as the sky opens up. Our good luck with the weather continues!
The rain doesn't last long and soon we are enjoying the views of the lake and mountains and a cold beer. The community here is small and tight, and soon friends and relatives are popping in to say 'Hello', as are the ducks! Cheryl tells us of plans to take down the old cottage to build a larger, more modern 'Vacation Home' to accommodate the growing families. She has mixed emotions as the cottage has a unique character and harbors lots of memories.
She cooks us up a fantastic meal of grilled shrimp and broccoli. After a bottle of wine, we wander down to the 'Casino", the local watering hole, referred to as 'The Hidden Bar' by 'non-Huletts Landing' Boat People. It's a fun little place with Foose ball and pool tables, looks kind of like a summer camp rec hall turned into a bar. There's a band setting up, we're told the music starts at 11:00!, and the bar closes at 4:00! Needless to say we never got to hear the band. This morning, Cheryl tells me she heard the 'Boat People' leaving at about 3:30.
If all goes well, this will be the last day of this part of our adventure. We are both a little anxious to get home and see friends and family.but not because we are weary from 27 days on the road. We could easily go for another month or so, but today we're "Heading down the turnpike for New England, sweet New England" Life is good
Friday, July 24, 2015
Oh Canada...
July 23, 2015
Being in Canada for the last 4 days, a few things I've noticed, and, of course, these could just be coincidence: Canadian drivers, (at least in Ontario) are not horrible drivers, but not great. They either drive really slow or really fast, and the slow ones don't pull over when in passing lanes.
Of all the places we've stayed the wi-fi has been noticeably better in Canada.
The TV choices seem a lot better with more educational choices.
The food in the midwest was pretty boring and lacked vegetables, Ontario hasn't been a whole lot better, the main cuisine seems to be fish and chips.
We have breakfast at The Dockside, where we ate last night. Brooke was our waitress last night and is here this morning. Last night the restaurant was packed and Brooke and one other girl handled the entire place keeping everyone served and happy, a hard task, since there are 16 tables and a bar! This morning Brooke takes care of breakfast by herself. I have Peameal and eggs, Peameal is what we call Canadian Bacon in the States, only much better. While waiting, we watch several boats go through the locks, looks like having a houseboat could be fun.
We have a really nice day riding, perfect weather and great roads that meander around the Kawatha Lakes and then small back roads through rural farmland. Speed limit still 50, but in talking with a few locals, they tell us the police don't really enforce it unless you're pushing it. And they say motorcycles never get stopped... So later in the day I'm doing 68 or so in a 50 and pass a cop parked on my side. He pulls out behind me, no lights, he follows me for a while a ways back, I'm keeping it at 65 (testing my new found information) still no lights, and he's gone, phew...
We end up at a nice little B&B, The King Orchard Inn, on the Saint Lawrence River in the town of Brockville. Brendan, the owner, offers us a glass of wine on the porch as he gives us a little history of the town and recommends a few pubs and restaurants. The Inn is perfect, clean and close to town.
We walk down to a nice park by the water and into town, actually a small city. This is the largest city we've stayed in. It is an old seaport with lots of old, well kept buildings, and lots of history. Large cargo ships pass close by. I think I'd like to spend more time all along the St. Lawrence... next time.
Being in Canada for the last 4 days, a few things I've noticed, and, of course, these could just be coincidence: Canadian drivers, (at least in Ontario) are not horrible drivers, but not great. They either drive really slow or really fast, and the slow ones don't pull over when in passing lanes.
Of all the places we've stayed the wi-fi has been noticeably better in Canada.
The TV choices seem a lot better with more educational choices.
The food in the midwest was pretty boring and lacked vegetables, Ontario hasn't been a whole lot better, the main cuisine seems to be fish and chips.
We have breakfast at The Dockside, where we ate last night. Brooke was our waitress last night and is here this morning. Last night the restaurant was packed and Brooke and one other girl handled the entire place keeping everyone served and happy, a hard task, since there are 16 tables and a bar! This morning Brooke takes care of breakfast by herself. I have Peameal and eggs, Peameal is what we call Canadian Bacon in the States, only much better. While waiting, we watch several boats go through the locks, looks like having a houseboat could be fun.
We have a really nice day riding, perfect weather and great roads that meander around the Kawatha Lakes and then small back roads through rural farmland. Speed limit still 50, but in talking with a few locals, they tell us the police don't really enforce it unless you're pushing it. And they say motorcycles never get stopped... So later in the day I'm doing 68 or so in a 50 and pass a cop parked on my side. He pulls out behind me, no lights, he follows me for a while a ways back, I'm keeping it at 65 (testing my new found information) still no lights, and he's gone, phew...
We end up at a nice little B&B, The King Orchard Inn, on the Saint Lawrence River in the town of Brockville. Brendan, the owner, offers us a glass of wine on the porch as he gives us a little history of the town and recommends a few pubs and restaurants. The Inn is perfect, clean and close to town.
We walk down to a nice park by the water and into town, actually a small city. This is the largest city we've stayed in. It is an old seaport with lots of old, well kept buildings, and lots of history. Large cargo ships pass close by. I think I'd like to spend more time all along the St. Lawrence... next time.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Karwatha Lakes
July 22, 2015
5459 Miles from Rancho Santa Fe
6269 Miles from Loreto
The little town of South Baymouth was neat. Really quiet last night, no bars, no traffic. Peaceful this morning, with just the gulls squawking. It seems odd, it looks like the ocean, but no tides and no salt air smell. It's impossible to imagine the vastness of the great lakes until you've seen them, truly incredible. We grab a coffee and bagel and sit on the dock awaiting the ferry. 3 other bikes and about 40 cars are also waiting. A few locals are fishing and a few boats leave the small marina. The air is chilly and clear and the water calm as the 385 Che-Cheemaun rounds the point heading into the narrow channel. The ferry passes within 30 feet or so of where we stand and then backs into the loading ramp, pretty impressive. Motorcycles board first, (and depart first). The trip across is pleasant and again it's hard to grasp the size of these lakes. We arrive at Tobermory, a nice little town and head east. The speed limit now is just 50, but the road is ok and passes through several Provincial Parks until the end of the peninsula. The traffic is the heaviest we've seen in a while. This keeps up for several hours as we follow the southern coast of Lake Huron. Finally at Wasaga Beach we head inland and leave most of the traffic behind. Our map of Ontario is not very detailed, so we just pick a place that maybe we can get to around 4 or 5 o'clock. We end up in the town of Fenelon Falls. Apparently, the "House Boat Capitol of Ontario" The town is quaint and small with 1 motel and several restaurants. Fenelon Falls is home to Lock 34 in a series of locks on the Trent-Severn Waterway and sits between Sturgeon and Cameron Lakes in the Karwathian Lake district. The lock is pretty big and all the locks on the waterway are still in use, The Alley Cat would even fit. We walk around town a bit and settle in at the bar at the Dockside restaurant. The town seems to be a popular tourist area, yet only 1 hotel, and it was pretty much empty.
5459 Miles from Rancho Santa Fe
6269 Miles from Loreto
The little town of South Baymouth was neat. Really quiet last night, no bars, no traffic. Peaceful this morning, with just the gulls squawking. It seems odd, it looks like the ocean, but no tides and no salt air smell. It's impossible to imagine the vastness of the great lakes until you've seen them, truly incredible. We grab a coffee and bagel and sit on the dock awaiting the ferry. 3 other bikes and about 40 cars are also waiting. A few locals are fishing and a few boats leave the small marina. The air is chilly and clear and the water calm as the 385 Che-Cheemaun rounds the point heading into the narrow channel. The ferry passes within 30 feet or so of where we stand and then backs into the loading ramp, pretty impressive. Motorcycles board first, (and depart first). The trip across is pleasant and again it's hard to grasp the size of these lakes. We arrive at Tobermory, a nice little town and head east. The speed limit now is just 50, but the road is ok and passes through several Provincial Parks until the end of the peninsula. The traffic is the heaviest we've seen in a while. This keeps up for several hours as we follow the southern coast of Lake Huron. Finally at Wasaga Beach we head inland and leave most of the traffic behind. Our map of Ontario is not very detailed, so we just pick a place that maybe we can get to around 4 or 5 o'clock. We end up in the town of Fenelon Falls. Apparently, the "House Boat Capitol of Ontario" The town is quaint and small with 1 motel and several restaurants. Fenelon Falls is home to Lock 34 in a series of locks on the Trent-Severn Waterway and sits between Sturgeon and Cameron Lakes in the Karwathian Lake district. The lock is pretty big and all the locks on the waterway are still in use, The Alley Cat would even fit. We walk around town a bit and settle in at the bar at the Dockside restaurant. The town seems to be a popular tourist area, yet only 1 hotel, and it was pretty much empty.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Huron is Superior to Michigan
July 21, 2015
300 or so miles today after a great breakfast at the Inn. That's one big plus for staying at B&B's and Inns, they always give you a really nice morning send-off. This morning was fresh fruit and OJ, homemade cinnamon bread French Toast with real maple syrup and thick slabs of bacon. The first 10 miles was a nice back country road and then a 50 mile stretch of 2 lane through the Hiawatha National Forest. Mostly flat and straight... and friggin 55 MPH speed limit. I kept it at 75 and pushed it to 90 on the long straights, and slowed it when I crested a hill, and luckily just in time as the Michigan State Cops had just pulled someone over as I slowed it down rapidly to 60.
We then crossed the bridge into Sault Ste Marie Canada. Not a very inspiring city, the same crap as in the states, except Dunkin Donuts is now Tim Hortons, and Burger King is Harvey's or something.
We stop at a Visitor Center and the girl tells me of Manitoulin Island. It sounds nice, so we crank for another 200 miles of ok road, fighting strong winds the entire time. More 55 MPH (90 KPH) and lots of cops, I continue to luck out when we pass them almost always coming upon slower vehicles when they pass, Luck of the Irish, I guess.
We get to the Island and a tiny little town at the tip, South Baymouth. Not much here, but we get a nice motel room with a deck overlooking Lake Huron. The Motel has been here since 1932, refurbished a few times, I think. Our room has the worlds smallest bathroom, but it has a king bed and is clean. It's still really windy and in the 60's.
Almost disaster, no beer or wine store in town, and the best restaurant in town doesn't have a liquor license. I ride back about 10 miles to a Canadian Liquor Store (not much selection) and get a couple of bottles of wine and we sit out on our deck overlooking Lake Huron and enjoy.
Life is pretty damn good.
Across the road is a ferry that goes to the mainland, what the heck, we book passage for 9:00 am tomorrow. Not much to offer for food, but fresh water "Fish and Chips" seems to be the thing.
We catch the "Island Fish and Chips" place just before they close (7:30) and get a huge order of local Whitefish and hand cut fries to go, wrapped in newspaper. We sit outside and chow down, have a little more wine. The sun is still pretty high in the sky at 9:00. My mission now is to get DeeDee up, packed and ready to go for the ferry....
300 or so miles today after a great breakfast at the Inn. That's one big plus for staying at B&B's and Inns, they always give you a really nice morning send-off. This morning was fresh fruit and OJ, homemade cinnamon bread French Toast with real maple syrup and thick slabs of bacon. The first 10 miles was a nice back country road and then a 50 mile stretch of 2 lane through the Hiawatha National Forest. Mostly flat and straight... and friggin 55 MPH speed limit. I kept it at 75 and pushed it to 90 on the long straights, and slowed it when I crested a hill, and luckily just in time as the Michigan State Cops had just pulled someone over as I slowed it down rapidly to 60.
We then crossed the bridge into Sault Ste Marie Canada. Not a very inspiring city, the same crap as in the states, except Dunkin Donuts is now Tim Hortons, and Burger King is Harvey's or something.
We stop at a Visitor Center and the girl tells me of Manitoulin Island. It sounds nice, so we crank for another 200 miles of ok road, fighting strong winds the entire time. More 55 MPH (90 KPH) and lots of cops, I continue to luck out when we pass them almost always coming upon slower vehicles when they pass, Luck of the Irish, I guess.
We get to the Island and a tiny little town at the tip, South Baymouth. Not much here, but we get a nice motel room with a deck overlooking Lake Huron. The Motel has been here since 1932, refurbished a few times, I think. Our room has the worlds smallest bathroom, but it has a king bed and is clean. It's still really windy and in the 60's.
Almost disaster, no beer or wine store in town, and the best restaurant in town doesn't have a liquor license. I ride back about 10 miles to a Canadian Liquor Store (not much selection) and get a couple of bottles of wine and we sit out on our deck overlooking Lake Huron and enjoy.
Life is pretty damn good.
Across the road is a ferry that goes to the mainland, what the heck, we book passage for 9:00 am tomorrow. Not much to offer for food, but fresh water "Fish and Chips" seems to be the thing.
We catch the "Island Fish and Chips" place just before they close (7:30) and get a huge order of local Whitefish and hand cut fries to go, wrapped in newspaper. We sit outside and chow down, have a little more wine. The sun is still pretty high in the sky at 9:00. My mission now is to get DeeDee up, packed and ready to go for the ferry....
The U.P.
July 20, 2015
Miles from Rancho Santa Fe 4900
Miles from Loreto 5,710
The Michigan Upper Peninsula
We leave our cozy little motel on the Eagle River and travel through some small towns on nice roads. The big Agro Farms are behind us, just small farms, lakes, rivers and trees. The 55 MPH speed limit is too much, the roads are pretty straight and no traffic. I'm doing 70-75, been lucky, so far.
After an hour or so, we cross into Michigan and the town of Iron Mountain. Iron Mountain looks like any mid sized city with it's strip malls and usual fare of fast food etc. I was hoping it would be more rural here, but guess not. Not so many bikers here, but Michigan bikers either wave normally or don't wave at all, which is fine by me.
The population thins as we head north through several nice National Forests with lots of green. Very similar to northern Maine.
We pass through the town of Manistique on the shores of Lake Michigan. A nice town that hasn't succumbed to Taco Bell, Wallmart and the rest.
The clouds are building and starting to look threatening, so we opt to try and find a place for the night. We happen on the Chamberlain Inn, a nice old Inn on the shores of Manistique Lake. The lake is big with whitecaps and the wind is howling. We sit out in the gazebo drinking a beer and munching on pistachios. Then I kick DeeDee's butt at "Corn Hole" the bean bag lawn game.
The Inn has a nice dining room and a pub. We settle in at the bar for wine and dinner. I have pan fried Bluegill. I used to catch them by the dozen when I was a kid, but never ate any. The plate arrived with 6 small fillets that were really tasty! We had a nice fresh salad and vegetables too,
Temperatures drop into the 50's, still windy but great for sleeping.
Miles from Rancho Santa Fe 4900
Miles from Loreto 5,710
The Michigan Upper Peninsula
We leave our cozy little motel on the Eagle River and travel through some small towns on nice roads. The big Agro Farms are behind us, just small farms, lakes, rivers and trees. The 55 MPH speed limit is too much, the roads are pretty straight and no traffic. I'm doing 70-75, been lucky, so far.
After an hour or so, we cross into Michigan and the town of Iron Mountain. Iron Mountain looks like any mid sized city with it's strip malls and usual fare of fast food etc. I was hoping it would be more rural here, but guess not. Not so many bikers here, but Michigan bikers either wave normally or don't wave at all, which is fine by me.
We pass through the town of Manistique on the shores of Lake Michigan. A nice town that hasn't succumbed to Taco Bell, Wallmart and the rest.
The clouds are building and starting to look threatening, so we opt to try and find a place for the night. We happen on the Chamberlain Inn, a nice old Inn on the shores of Manistique Lake. The lake is big with whitecaps and the wind is howling. We sit out in the gazebo drinking a beer and munching on pistachios. Then I kick DeeDee's butt at "Corn Hole" the bean bag lawn game.
The Inn has a nice dining room and a pub. We settle in at the bar for wine and dinner. I have pan fried Bluegill. I used to catch them by the dozen when I was a kid, but never ate any. The plate arrived with 6 small fillets that were really tasty! We had a nice fresh salad and vegetables too,
Temperatures drop into the 50's, still windy but great for sleeping.
Monday, July 20, 2015
Lakes, Cheese and Brett Favre
July 20, 2015
Minnesota and Wisconsin, eh? The weather has been perfect, the roads pleasant and the scenery nice, but PLEASE, the speed limits suck. After Montana with pretty much no speed limits and Wyoming and South Dakota with 80, we've had to deal with 45-55 here, killing me, cuz there seems to be a lot of cops around too.
Enjoyed our short stay here in Eagle River, nice and quiet this morning on the water, all the weekenders have departed. I figure it seem to be necessary if you live here to have at least 2 of the following: ATV, fishing boat, snow machine or party boat. The funny thing about the party boats here is that, of the 50 or so we watched go up or down the river last night, hardly any of them were partying. If this was Maine, they'd all be drunk!
We had a good dinner last night, I had a local Walleye fillet and DeeDee had Ahi tuna, came with salad, starch and veg, reasonable price. Off to Ontario today, hopefully.
The super. secret biker wave...
Ok, so along the west coast, pretty much most bikers had some sort of wave to acknowledge another biker. In Montana and South Dakota, most bikers felt they didn't need to wave or otherwise acknowledge one another. In Minnesota and Wisconsin, apparently every biker feels the need to do the "Super Secret Bike Club Wave" which is dropping your left arm as low as possible and pointing TWO fingers at the ground. And I mean every biker; at stop signs, parking lots, 5 lanes away on the highway. Some of them just about crash doing their secret salute. Of course up here they are all on Harleys, no helmets or riding gear, riding side by side. I haven't seen this many 'Ape Hangers' since Laconia in 68. Just tons of them over the weekend, probably won't see many now that it's Monday
Minnesota and Wisconsin, eh? The weather has been perfect, the roads pleasant and the scenery nice, but PLEASE, the speed limits suck. After Montana with pretty much no speed limits and Wyoming and South Dakota with 80, we've had to deal with 45-55 here, killing me, cuz there seems to be a lot of cops around too.
Enjoyed our short stay here in Eagle River, nice and quiet this morning on the water, all the weekenders have departed. I figure it seem to be necessary if you live here to have at least 2 of the following: ATV, fishing boat, snow machine or party boat. The funny thing about the party boats here is that, of the 50 or so we watched go up or down the river last night, hardly any of them were partying. If this was Maine, they'd all be drunk!
We had a good dinner last night, I had a local Walleye fillet and DeeDee had Ahi tuna, came with salad, starch and veg, reasonable price. Off to Ontario today, hopefully.
The super. secret biker wave...
Ok, so along the west coast, pretty much most bikers had some sort of wave to acknowledge another biker. In Montana and South Dakota, most bikers felt they didn't need to wave or otherwise acknowledge one another. In Minnesota and Wisconsin, apparently every biker feels the need to do the "Super Secret Bike Club Wave" which is dropping your left arm as low as possible and pointing TWO fingers at the ground. And I mean every biker; at stop signs, parking lots, 5 lanes away on the highway. Some of them just about crash doing their secret salute. Of course up here they are all on Harleys, no helmets or riding gear, riding side by side. I haven't seen this many 'Ape Hangers' since Laconia in 68. Just tons of them over the weekend, probably won't see many now that it's Monday
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Lake Wobegon
July 18, 2015
4483 Miles from Rancho Santa Fe
5293 Miles from Loreto
For some reason,
every hotel now feels compelled to offer “Free Breakfast”. It's
all pretty much a carbon copy. A couple of cereal choices, a juice
machine, a “Make your own Waffle” thing, scrambled egg like
stuff, and then regionally: California; granola, fruit, Montana;
Bacon and muffins, midwest; Biscuits and gravy and sausage. I think
I'd rather them charge me $10 less for the room, so I could go to the
Diner next door.
Anyway, we chow down
our 'Free Breakfast' and head east towards Wisconsin. The roads are
pleasant, not as flat and boring as S. Dakota. There are trees!, and
a few hills. The temperature is perfect, in the 70's all morning. We
do a lap around Lake Wobegon and by noon we are in the small city of
St Cloud, where we hunt down a WalMart so DD can hunt down a
replacement mirror. Success! The temp is in the 80's now, not bad as
we head for our night in St Croix Falls. Taylor Falls is in
Minnesota across the river from St Croix Falls in Wisconsin, kind of
like Lewiston/Auburn and RumfordMexico... (Maine)
The only room we
could find in the are was a Holiday Inn Express, it was on the
highway and the only restaurant was in strip mall down the street,
and it was expensive. We stopped at a near by Visitor Center and the
woman there was really nice and we found a little motel about 10
miles away on Balsam Lake. Well the motel has probably been around
since the 50's, but it was clean and had what is considered wi-fi in
the mid west. I think they buy a wireless router and hook it up to
their dial-up modem. The last 4 days has been like having AOL in the
nineties. We chill down a few beers, shower up and walk into town,
the only restaurant closes at 3:00, but there are 3 pubs......
We stop at a place called "The Top Spot", it's pretty crowded, and they have salads on the menu. We sit outside, next to 2 groups of Harley Riders. I hate to be prejudice, one group was ok, but the others were pretty much idiots. The waitress's were nice (cute and young!) and the food was good. We had a few more drinks than usual and crawled back to our little hotel, this one has no "Free Breakfast"
Disaster
July 18, 2015
Our first disaster....
DeeDee left her makeup mirror in Wall, South Dakota...
The town of Canby has 3 places to eat, a pizza place, a pizza burger place and a Sports Bar burger place. Everyone recommends the Sports Bar, cuz they have 10 different kinds of burgers! We wander in to the Sports Bar called 'Heroes' It's a big warehouse kind on building, a big odd shaped black bar in the middle, tables here and there and a Bingo hall on one side. There are quite a few locals in the place, mostly drinking, some interesting characters. Amanda, the bartender comes over with menus and brings us our drinks, she is young and pleasant, and we wonder what anyone does in these parts. The 10 different kinds of burgers are, hamburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger with lettuce, cheeseburger with bacon, cheeseburger with salsa, cheeseburger with ham and lettuce, cheeseburger with lettuce, mayo and onion, cheeseburger with Blue cheese, onion and cole slaw and the house specialty, hamburger with ground in bacon! There are, of course, no salads, not even tomatoes. There are a few other options, mostly fried. I order the Blue cheese burger and ask for the cole slaw on the side, and ask for it medium rare. Amanda tells me all the burgers come 'well done', state law she says. She'll ask the cook not to make it too well done. DeeDee has a grilled chicken sandwich, with lettuce. My burger comes, well done an DeeDee's chicken is pretty good. The people watching is better.
We eat and head outside, BOOM, a huge flash of lightning, then another and another. We look to the west and a daunting black line crosses the sky. We watch in awe as the lightning is continuous and the cloud as dark as any we have ever seen. It's moving fairly quickly to the north but creeping towards us as well. The lightning is amazing. The cloud is layered with rippled dark gray waves. I expect the twisted spout of a tornado to emerge. Suddenly the temperature drops twenty maybe thirty degrees with a little rain, then we hear crashes as the wind rips through. More noises as trash cans whip through the air. We head inside and watch from our hotel window. The rain is thrashing in every direction. The clod line is overhead, so I know we are just receiving a glancing blow from this beast, but not far away someone is getting clobbered. Just as quickly as it came, it was gone. The internet (as slow as it is) says the storm may produce heavy rain, damaging hail, 100 mph winds and possible tornado. Welcome to the midwest.
After searching for a while we find a room for Saturday night in a place called St. Croix Fall Wisconsin, a 4 or 5 hour drive. Hopefully we make it there before the weather does.
Our first disaster....
DeeDee left her makeup mirror in Wall, South Dakota...
The town of Canby has 3 places to eat, a pizza place, a pizza burger place and a Sports Bar burger place. Everyone recommends the Sports Bar, cuz they have 10 different kinds of burgers! We wander in to the Sports Bar called 'Heroes' It's a big warehouse kind on building, a big odd shaped black bar in the middle, tables here and there and a Bingo hall on one side. There are quite a few locals in the place, mostly drinking, some interesting characters. Amanda, the bartender comes over with menus and brings us our drinks, she is young and pleasant, and we wonder what anyone does in these parts. The 10 different kinds of burgers are, hamburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger with lettuce, cheeseburger with bacon, cheeseburger with salsa, cheeseburger with ham and lettuce, cheeseburger with lettuce, mayo and onion, cheeseburger with Blue cheese, onion and cole slaw and the house specialty, hamburger with ground in bacon! There are, of course, no salads, not even tomatoes. There are a few other options, mostly fried. I order the Blue cheese burger and ask for the cole slaw on the side, and ask for it medium rare. Amanda tells me all the burgers come 'well done', state law she says. She'll ask the cook not to make it too well done. DeeDee has a grilled chicken sandwich, with lettuce. My burger comes, well done an DeeDee's chicken is pretty good. The people watching is better.
We eat and head outside, BOOM, a huge flash of lightning, then another and another. We look to the west and a daunting black line crosses the sky. We watch in awe as the lightning is continuous and the cloud as dark as any we have ever seen. It's moving fairly quickly to the north but creeping towards us as well. The lightning is amazing. The cloud is layered with rippled dark gray waves. I expect the twisted spout of a tornado to emerge. Suddenly the temperature drops twenty maybe thirty degrees with a little rain, then we hear crashes as the wind rips through. More noises as trash cans whip through the air. We head inside and watch from our hotel window. The rain is thrashing in every direction. The clod line is overhead, so I know we are just receiving a glancing blow from this beast, but not far away someone is getting clobbered. Just as quickly as it came, it was gone. The internet (as slow as it is) says the storm may produce heavy rain, damaging hail, 100 mph winds and possible tornado. Welcome to the midwest.
After searching for a while we find a room for Saturday night in a place called St. Croix Fall Wisconsin, a 4 or 5 hour drive. Hopefully we make it there before the weather does.
Friday, July 17, 2015
Soybeans, Corn and Wheat
July 17, 2015
Long day..
We leave Wall and Wall Drug without regret and hit the long, flat and hot road East. Pretty boring riding unless you like looking at wheat and corn and soybeans and cows and wheat and corn, and more corn, now I know where all 'High Fructose Corn Syrup' comes from. There must have been some strong storms or tornado that went through some places, some big silos were ripped apart. Construction sections were fun, stopped for 20 minutes on new black pavement, 95 degrees, no shade, no wind....
On the way, we pass lots of beehives on both sides of the road, and then a large swarm of bees hits us, and then more bees for a mile or so. Luckily we don't get stung, but I chuckle. We had just passed 2 Harleys dressed in their usual Harley attire, no helmet, no jacket, and one had no wind screen. I can't imagine what 100 bees feel like hitting you at 70... But I guess if you're not smart enough to think you need a helmet, you probably don't need one.
Finally, after 7 hot hours in the saddle, we're both a bit edgy, but we make it to Minnesota and a nice little hotel in Canby... Having a hard time finding a room for tomorrow night, (Saturday) as we head up into the lakes area. Heading out in search of some grub now...
Long day..
We leave Wall and Wall Drug without regret and hit the long, flat and hot road East. Pretty boring riding unless you like looking at wheat and corn and soybeans and cows and wheat and corn, and more corn, now I know where all 'High Fructose Corn Syrup' comes from. There must have been some strong storms or tornado that went through some places, some big silos were ripped apart. Construction sections were fun, stopped for 20 minutes on new black pavement, 95 degrees, no shade, no wind....
On the way, we pass lots of beehives on both sides of the road, and then a large swarm of bees hits us, and then more bees for a mile or so. Luckily we don't get stung, but I chuckle. We had just passed 2 Harleys dressed in their usual Harley attire, no helmet, no jacket, and one had no wind screen. I can't imagine what 100 bees feel like hitting you at 70... But I guess if you're not smart enough to think you need a helmet, you probably don't need one.
Finally, after 7 hot hours in the saddle, we're both a bit edgy, but we make it to Minnesota and a nice little hotel in Canby... Having a hard time finding a room for tomorrow night, (Saturday) as we head up into the lakes area. Heading out in search of some grub now...
Wall Drug
July 17, 2015
After settling in last evening we walk down to Main street in search of something to eat. Food choices in the mid west are getting pretty limited, especially if you're not particularly fond of biscuits and gravy or chicken fried steak. It seems funny in a town with what appears to be thousands of hotel rooms there are so few restaurants. Our choices are Subway, Popeye's, the Wall Drug Cafe and a couple of pizza/burger joints. We opt for one of the latter. There isn't even one salad on the menu, so I ask our waitress and she replies that they can make a salad, "but don't ask for anything fancy" she says. The salad is ok, although it is covered with cheese and tons of black olives. The draft beer selection is the usual fare, Busch Light being the big seller apparently. Luckily I do find a can of local IPA.
After we eat we head across the street to Wall Drug. Wall Drug is "a sprawling tourist attraction of international renown [that] takes in more than $10 million a year and draws some two million annual visitors to a remote town. Apparently Wall Drug got it's start offering free ice water to travelers heading to Mt Rushmore back in the 30.s. Then they began their famous advertising campaign with signs saying how far it was to Wall Drug. Now it seems to be just a mall with lots of memorabilia on the walls and glassy eyed kids working the registers. We head back to our room, tomorrow we start our journey across the mid west. The road ahead looks straight and flat with severe weather predicted in the afternoon. We need to start early, for a change.
After settling in last evening we walk down to Main street in search of something to eat. Food choices in the mid west are getting pretty limited, especially if you're not particularly fond of biscuits and gravy or chicken fried steak. It seems funny in a town with what appears to be thousands of hotel rooms there are so few restaurants. Our choices are Subway, Popeye's, the Wall Drug Cafe and a couple of pizza/burger joints. We opt for one of the latter. There isn't even one salad on the menu, so I ask our waitress and she replies that they can make a salad, "but don't ask for anything fancy" she says. The salad is ok, although it is covered with cheese and tons of black olives. The draft beer selection is the usual fare, Busch Light being the big seller apparently. Luckily I do find a can of local IPA.
After we eat we head across the street to Wall Drug. Wall Drug is "a sprawling tourist attraction of international renown [that] takes in more than $10 million a year and draws some two million annual visitors to a remote town. Apparently Wall Drug got it's start offering free ice water to travelers heading to Mt Rushmore back in the 30.s. Then they began their famous advertising campaign with signs saying how far it was to Wall Drug. Now it seems to be just a mall with lots of memorabilia on the walls and glassy eyed kids working the registers. We head back to our room, tomorrow we start our journey across the mid west. The road ahead looks straight and flat with severe weather predicted in the afternoon. We need to start early, for a change.
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Badlands
July 16, 2015
3857 miles since Rancho Santa Fe
4667 miles since Loreto
Crawled out of Deadwood mid morning. Road construction held us up for a bit, then real nice easy 2 lane through the Black Hills to Rapid City. Nice road to the south entrance of Badlands National Park. The ride through the park is nice, not too much traffic. We exit the park and head to Wall for the night and the world famous tourist trap, Wall Drug. There are lots of motels and the usual Super 8, Econo Lodge, etc. We like to stay at the small local ones if we can. We stop at a few for a look. They are pretty ratty and run down, a result, I'm sure, of the big chains coming to town. The 2 nicer local ones have no one in the office and don't answer the phones. We opt for the Best Western. In reality, the bigger ones have larger and quieter rooms, and the most important feature, being able to get the bike close!
A few More Random Thoughts
3857 miles since Rancho Santa Fe
4667 miles since Loreto
Crawled out of Deadwood mid morning. Road construction held us up for a bit, then real nice easy 2 lane through the Black Hills to Rapid City. Nice road to the south entrance of Badlands National Park. The ride through the park is nice, not too much traffic. We exit the park and head to Wall for the night and the world famous tourist trap, Wall Drug. There are lots of motels and the usual Super 8, Econo Lodge, etc. We like to stay at the small local ones if we can. We stop at a few for a look. They are pretty ratty and run down, a result, I'm sure, of the big chains coming to town. The 2 nicer local ones have no one in the office and don't answer the phones. We opt for the Best Western. In reality, the bigger ones have larger and quieter rooms, and the most important feature, being able to get the bike close!
The Badlands
A few More Random Thoughts
The shortest
distance between two points is boring
If you give anyplace
a second chance, you'll find something interesting
If it has more than
2 wheels, it's not a motorcycle
A person who has not
driven a motorcycle does not know what a good motorcycle road is
Local beer is good
where ever you are
A GPS can be a helpful tool, but a
map is a map and an necessary tool
I've often regretted
not passing a slow moving vehicle when I've had the chance, I've
never regretted passing one
Deadwood
July 16, 2015
We sleep in a bit, have a bagel and coffee and pack up. the packing has become routine, quick and easy. We both know where everything is and where it goes. We head towards Deadwood. Threatening clouds begin to form as a few showers hit us. When we reach Deadwood it has started to rain. We decide to call it an early day and check into one of the many hotels. The town is a tourist town with loads of T-shirt shops and casinos. Twice a day actors re-enact a gunfight out in the street, Wild Bill Hickock, Seth Bullock, Calamity Jane and all the other infamous Deadwood legends. We relax a bit, play some blackjack until way too late. In the morning we have a hotel provided breakfast, and plan our route for the day. Severe Thunderstorms are predicted, so we'll need to plan accordingly.... it's nice not having deadlines in Deadwood
We sleep in a bit, have a bagel and coffee and pack up. the packing has become routine, quick and easy. We both know where everything is and where it goes. We head towards Deadwood. Threatening clouds begin to form as a few showers hit us. When we reach Deadwood it has started to rain. We decide to call it an early day and check into one of the many hotels. The town is a tourist town with loads of T-shirt shops and casinos. Twice a day actors re-enact a gunfight out in the street, Wild Bill Hickock, Seth Bullock, Calamity Jane and all the other infamous Deadwood legends. We relax a bit, play some blackjack until way too late. In the morning we have a hotel provided breakfast, and plan our route for the day. Severe Thunderstorms are predicted, so we'll need to plan accordingly.... it's nice not having deadlines in Deadwood
Somehow it all fits
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Americana
July 15, 2015
The World is a Book, and those who do not Travel only read one page.
We have a nice breakfast cooked outdoors at the Alpine Inn and leave Red Lodge heading east towards the town of Bear Creek. We pass the site of the Smith Mining Disaster of 1943. 74 men died in a coal mine explosion, the worst in Montana history. From there we head into the Big Horn National Forest and the Big Horn Scenic Highway. The road is spectacular rising quickly via tight turns and hairpins to nearly 10,000 feet. Near the summit is the Medicine Wheel. For centuries, the Bighorn Medicine Wheel has been used by Crow youth for fasting and vision quests. Native Americans also go to Bighorn to offer thanks for the creation that sustains them, placing a buffalo skull on the center cairn as a prayer offering. The road then meanders through high prairie meadows ending after 80 miles near Ranchester, where we fuel up. We decide to head to the town of Broadus and hopefully spend the night. The terrain looks to be pretty flat so we opt for the faster route and jump on the highway. The highway is pretty pleasant as we cruise through the plains at 80. We exit at the site of the Battle of Little Big Horn. I can't help but wonder what it must have been like there 140 years ago. The names that seemed just fictional, Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Custer now seem so real.
Lame Deer
About an hour past Little Big Horn we enter the Cheyenne Indian Reservation. Temps are in the 90's so we take a break and stop in the town of Lame Deer. We pull into town and stop at the convenience store. The lot is full and the store is bustling, After a moment we notice everyone is native American, and the signs of poverty become obvious. The cars are barely running and held together with duct tape, there are people sitting anywhere there is shade and we are approached by several, asking for money. We grab a couple of ice cream bars and hangout in the shade. We almost feel like foreigners here. A man with a long gray ponytail heads towards us from underneath some trees. His walk is confident as he approaches with a big smile. His name is Eddie Whitedirt, not Browndirt, he says with a big grin. He asks about our journey, and if we are here for the Sundance Celebration. He explains that it is a Cheyenne Celebration of Nature, where the local tribes get together to thank the sun and the earth, the trees and plants for providing for them. It lasts for 3 days with ceremonial dancing and food. We wish we could stay, but it doesn't start for 3 more days. He also tells us we should come back in September when the Pony Relay happens. Local groups race ponies, and Eddies eyes light up as he tells us how the Cheyenne Ponies are the best, black with white paint, and how they always beat the Crow! A few more folks pass by and ask for money. Eddie checks out my "horse" and we suit up and say goodbye, after he hits me up for a few bucks. I liked Eddie, he was a proud man, accepting what he had, living on the small piece of dirt granted them by the government who took it from them to begin with.
Broadus
We arrive in Broadus, there are 2 motels, a gas station, an IGA, a few cafes and at least 5 Casino/Bars, apparently if you have a few slot machines you can be a Casino. Neither motel looks very appealing. We stop for gas and the attendant tells us of a small new hotel the Sagebrush Inn. We find the Inn, but there is no one in the office. There is a phone number on the wall, no cell service. I walk to the USDA office next door and ask to use the phone, the girl is helpful and tries the number, nothing. it seem the cell tower is down. She tries the number on the land line, no luck. She says the next closest hotel is 100 miles away... ugh.
Now we try and decide, on the bike for 2 more hours or seedy motel. In the nick of time Dan, the owner, shows up and we get a room. It's new and clean, we have a beer, a shower and walk into town. Not many choices, 2 to be exact. We opt for the Bowling Alley. It's right out of the fifties. Metal chairs and tables, an "Out of Order' Juke box, and 5 bowling lanes. We grab a table over looking the lanes. There is a family with small kids trying to bowl. It seems the ball return doesn't work so every time a kid throws a gutter ball, the older gentleman who owns the place runs down and retrieves it. Dinner is ok and the chilled red wine is surprising pretty good, and it's cheap. Some big thunderstorms roll by giving us a great lightning show. The Inn provides coffee and a little breakfast. There are still a few showers in the morning, so we get a slow start heading to Deadwood South Dakota.
The World is a Book, and those who do not Travel only read one page.
We have a nice breakfast cooked outdoors at the Alpine Inn and leave Red Lodge heading east towards the town of Bear Creek. We pass the site of the Smith Mining Disaster of 1943. 74 men died in a coal mine explosion, the worst in Montana history. From there we head into the Big Horn National Forest and the Big Horn Scenic Highway. The road is spectacular rising quickly via tight turns and hairpins to nearly 10,000 feet. Near the summit is the Medicine Wheel. For centuries, the Bighorn Medicine Wheel has been used by Crow youth for fasting and vision quests. Native Americans also go to Bighorn to offer thanks for the creation that sustains them, placing a buffalo skull on the center cairn as a prayer offering. The road then meanders through high prairie meadows ending after 80 miles near Ranchester, where we fuel up. We decide to head to the town of Broadus and hopefully spend the night. The terrain looks to be pretty flat so we opt for the faster route and jump on the highway. The highway is pretty pleasant as we cruise through the plains at 80. We exit at the site of the Battle of Little Big Horn. I can't help but wonder what it must have been like there 140 years ago. The names that seemed just fictional, Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Custer now seem so real.
Lame Deer
About an hour past Little Big Horn we enter the Cheyenne Indian Reservation. Temps are in the 90's so we take a break and stop in the town of Lame Deer. We pull into town and stop at the convenience store. The lot is full and the store is bustling, After a moment we notice everyone is native American, and the signs of poverty become obvious. The cars are barely running and held together with duct tape, there are people sitting anywhere there is shade and we are approached by several, asking for money. We grab a couple of ice cream bars and hangout in the shade. We almost feel like foreigners here. A man with a long gray ponytail heads towards us from underneath some trees. His walk is confident as he approaches with a big smile. His name is Eddie Whitedirt, not Browndirt, he says with a big grin. He asks about our journey, and if we are here for the Sundance Celebration. He explains that it is a Cheyenne Celebration of Nature, where the local tribes get together to thank the sun and the earth, the trees and plants for providing for them. It lasts for 3 days with ceremonial dancing and food. We wish we could stay, but it doesn't start for 3 more days. He also tells us we should come back in September when the Pony Relay happens. Local groups race ponies, and Eddies eyes light up as he tells us how the Cheyenne Ponies are the best, black with white paint, and how they always beat the Crow! A few more folks pass by and ask for money. Eddie checks out my "horse" and we suit up and say goodbye, after he hits me up for a few bucks. I liked Eddie, he was a proud man, accepting what he had, living on the small piece of dirt granted them by the government who took it from them to begin with.
Broadus
We arrive in Broadus, there are 2 motels, a gas station, an IGA, a few cafes and at least 5 Casino/Bars, apparently if you have a few slot machines you can be a Casino. Neither motel looks very appealing. We stop for gas and the attendant tells us of a small new hotel the Sagebrush Inn. We find the Inn, but there is no one in the office. There is a phone number on the wall, no cell service. I walk to the USDA office next door and ask to use the phone, the girl is helpful and tries the number, nothing. it seem the cell tower is down. She tries the number on the land line, no luck. She says the next closest hotel is 100 miles away... ugh.
Now we try and decide, on the bike for 2 more hours or seedy motel. In the nick of time Dan, the owner, shows up and we get a room. It's new and clean, we have a beer, a shower and walk into town. Not many choices, 2 to be exact. We opt for the Bowling Alley. It's right out of the fifties. Metal chairs and tables, an "Out of Order' Juke box, and 5 bowling lanes. We grab a table over looking the lanes. There is a family with small kids trying to bowl. It seems the ball return doesn't work so every time a kid throws a gutter ball, the older gentleman who owns the place runs down and retrieves it. Dinner is ok and the chilled red wine is surprising pretty good, and it's cheap. Some big thunderstorms roll by giving us a great lightning show. The Inn provides coffee and a little breakfast. There are still a few showers in the morning, so we get a slow start heading to Deadwood South Dakota.
Monday, July 13, 2015
Yellowstone and Beyond
July 13, 2015
Miles since Rancho Santa Fe 3253
Miles since Loreto 4063
The first half of today was a repeat of our other National Park days, only worse. Tons of traffic, road construction, every pullout for the geysers and hot springs was full with no place to park, and Old Faithful was a joke, thousands of cars, a multitude of buildings, restaurants, gas stations... it looked like Disneyland. Every time any animal came within view of the road, instant traffic stoppage. 45 minutes construction delay and we finally made it halfway through. The good news, the weather is perfect. Once past Yellowstone Lake, we head north to the northeast park entrance. The traffic is much lighter, and the views are even better. There are large herds of Bison, lots of fisherman (I've yet to see any of them with a fish!) and more great scenery. Once we leave the park we pass through the town of Cooke City, neat old town with some cool looking saloons and lodges. If we come here again. I would definitely enter the park through the North entrance or this one. From here we head up onto the Bear Tooth Pass. 65 miles of awesome beauty, incredible views and hundreds of tight corners. Traffic is light with quite a few bikes, mostly Harleys plodding along with their usual cast of characters dressed in their dew rags, fingerless gloves, and wife beater T-shirts. I can't help but think "WTF" the road goes up to nearly 11,000 feet, temps drop into the 50's.... We do see small groups of Adventure bikes and sport touring bikes, but mostly HD clunkers. The road is open and easy to pass so we breeze along. It is the best road we've hit so far. We end up in the cool town of Red Lodge, lots of small hotels and bars. 3 Harley shops. Our hotel is nice, big room for a change, decorated with old motorcycle photos, beer store across the street. Most of the other rooms have Harleys parked in front. Some of the guys walk by looking at our bike, most have never heard of a KTM.
That's OK, it's all good
Miles since Rancho Santa Fe 3253
Miles since Loreto 4063
The first half of today was a repeat of our other National Park days, only worse. Tons of traffic, road construction, every pullout for the geysers and hot springs was full with no place to park, and Old Faithful was a joke, thousands of cars, a multitude of buildings, restaurants, gas stations... it looked like Disneyland. Every time any animal came within view of the road, instant traffic stoppage. 45 minutes construction delay and we finally made it halfway through. The good news, the weather is perfect. Once past Yellowstone Lake, we head north to the northeast park entrance. The traffic is much lighter, and the views are even better. There are large herds of Bison, lots of fisherman (I've yet to see any of them with a fish!) and more great scenery. Once we leave the park we pass through the town of Cooke City, neat old town with some cool looking saloons and lodges. If we come here again. I would definitely enter the park through the North entrance or this one. From here we head up onto the Bear Tooth Pass. 65 miles of awesome beauty, incredible views and hundreds of tight corners. Traffic is light with quite a few bikes, mostly Harleys plodding along with their usual cast of characters dressed in their dew rags, fingerless gloves, and wife beater T-shirts. I can't help but think "WTF" the road goes up to nearly 11,000 feet, temps drop into the 50's.... We do see small groups of Adventure bikes and sport touring bikes, but mostly HD clunkers. The road is open and easy to pass so we breeze along. It is the best road we've hit so far. We end up in the cool town of Red Lodge, lots of small hotels and bars. 3 Harley shops. Our hotel is nice, big room for a change, decorated with old motorcycle photos, beer store across the street. Most of the other rooms have Harleys parked in front. Some of the guys walk by looking at our bike, most have never heard of a KTM.
That's OK, it's all good
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