Monday July 02, 2007 HOME

I’M HOME
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
THE JOURNEY IS OVER! (whew!)
27 states and 2 provinces. 12897 miles and I don’t want to know what it cost. Would I do it again? You bet – but give me a chance to rest first! And I’ll need some new gear, along with getting all the “quirks” fixed on the bike. I’m really getting tired of the clunk sound when shifting, but it’s a common trait on goldwings. The fuel gauge still doesn’t work right. When I started, it never read less than ½ full. One time during the trip, I hit the brake real hard, and then it started showing ¼ full after about 50 miles. All I know is I start looking for gas after about 150 miles. That kept me safe.
I know it’s silly, and I have nothing to prove to anyone other than myself, but this gave me a great deal of satisfaction and accomplishment. After the first day on the trip I was feeling that this was something that maybe I shouldn’t have tackled. Maybe I bit off more than I could chew. Just look at a map of the US and try to understand the magnitude of what was accomplished. I tried not to because it made me feel it was too much to handle, but take it one day at a time, and break it down to LOTS of little trips – and it’s much more manageable. I’m now looking for an encore. The IBA has a 48-10 trip. All 48 states in 10 days. I think I need a LOT of rest first.
I wish everyone could have the opportunity to experience what I did. To have the clear view of what’s in front of them, to the side of them, and the top; to not have it muddied up with a roof or pillars holding the windshield in front of you and blowing the A/C in your face. To be able to smell the land that you pass through; be it the surf in the Keys or west coast, the pine trees in upstate New York or Oregon, or even the smell of fertilizer being sprayed in Quebec or Minnesota. To know that you conquered the cold in Maine, or the heat in Arizona, or the rain in Louisiana. Even to be able to walk the mountains in California and Wyoming, or to descend the Caverns in New Mexico. I hope everyone would have a chance to really see how large this country is and to understand that there is much more than the city or the suburbs we all reside in.
Agriculture is king is this country, and I never really understood how much so until after this trip. Whether it’s crops or ranching, everything relies on what we can get to eat, and I was not only surprised, but impressed by how much hard work is being done by so many people that we never get to know. I know I said it before, but I was just astounded by how we can flood fields in the desert to grow the crops that we all enjoy. Unfortunately, as reported in this morning’s paper, one in every four farmers is over the age of 65, with very few young folks starting fresh.
I hope everyone enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed blogging it. Thanks to Karen for the idea. Thanks also goes to the people I stayed with for putting up with me. To Charlie in Orlando and his room-mate Brian for the use of his bed. To Ron and Nancy Adams in Yuma and to my cousin Brian and his wife Else in Port Townsend, WA. Also to Corky and Kathy Linfoot in Santa Barbara for dinner, and to Bonnie for the nightly comments, and last but not least, to Jen & Greg in Chicago. Thanks to everyone for following my adventure – it was a pleasure to have you all along.
And as always; to my lovely wife – “THANKS WEEZ. YOU’RE THE BEST!!!”

For those of you with a geek streak inside screaming to get out – here is a list of when and where I was along with the miles ridden:

Day Date City, St Miles Mileage

Tues 5/22 Mentor, OH 59,416

Tues 5/22 Schroon Lake, NY 469 59,885

Wed 5/23 Madawaska, ME 475 60,360

Thur 5/24 Albany, NY 637 60,997

Fri 5/25 Roanoke, VA 604 61,601

Sat 5/26 Jacksonville, FL 616 62,217

Sun 5/27 Key West, FL 522 62,739

Mon 5/28 Orlando, FL 408 63,147

Tue 5/29 Orlando, FL

Wed 5/30 DeFuniak Springs, FL 415 63,562

Thur 5/31 Beaumont, TX 540 64,102

Fri 6/01 Ozona, TX 504 64,606

Sat 6/02 Whites City, NM 294 64,900

Sun 6/03 Tombstone, AZ 464 65,364

Mon 6/04 Yuma, AZ 310 65,674

Tues 6/05 Upland, CA 357 66,031

Wed 6/06 San Simeon, CA 300 66,331

Thur 6/07 Buellton, CA 115 66,446

Fri 6/08 Buellton, CA 198 66,644

Sat 6/09 Oakhurst, CA 335 66,979

Sun 6/10 Red Bluff, CA 359 67,338

Mon 6/11 Woodland, WA 513 67,851

Tues 6/12 Blaine, WA 270 68,121

Tues 6/12 Ferndale, WA 20 68,141

Wed 6/13 Port Townsend, WA 91 68,232

Thurs 6/14 Hood River, OR 326 68,558

Fri 6/15 Baker City, OR 247 68,805

Sat 6/16 Twin Falls, ID 271 69,076

Sun 6/17 Pocatello, ID 128 69,204

Mon 6/18 Pocatello, ID

Tues 6/19 Jackson, WY 140 69,344

Wed 6/20 Jackson, WY

Thur 6/21 Jackson, WY

Fri 6/22 Jackson, WY

Sat 6/23 Jackson, WY

Sun 6/24 Jackson, WY

Mon 6/25 Jackson, WY 966 70,170

Tues 6/26 Cody, WY 187 70,357

Wed 6/27 Spearfish, SD 500 70,857

Thurs 6/28 Worthington, MN 484 71,341

Fri 6/29 Chicago, IL 545 71,886

Sat 6/30 Chicago, IL

Sun 7/01 Mentor, OH 397 72,283

Total Miles on Trip 12,867

So that’s it! I guess I have to go out and find myself a paycheck now. For me and my Goldwing – thanks for being with me, and until my next journey:
SO LONG EVERYONE!!!
MATT

Sunday July 01, 2007 Mentor, OH

My last day! We went to a local restaurant for a Sunday breakfast, and then off to get my bike. Jen rode back with me on the back, and then it was pack ‘em, load ‘em, and go. Getting to the freeway was no problem, but once I got there, it took me 30 minutes to go 4 miles – ON SUNDAY MORNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don’t these people know that I’m trying to get home? $2.50 to cross the Skyway Bridge – for a motorcycle! That’s ridiculous. I was glad to finally get on the Indiana Toll way until I got to the end. There’s a sign at the eastern end that tells you to pay the toll in 2 miles. That’s where the traffic stopped – 2 miles from the end. Where are all these people going? At my last gas stop, I called Louise to tell her I wouldn’t be home till about 7:30, so she went to visit mom with Maddie and Ethan. I was about ready to leave the gas plaza when I saw a white Goldwing that could have been a twin to the one I saw in Worthington, MN. I asked him if he came from there and he said no, but told me of his pending trip out to a little place in NW Washington called Blaine. I told him I just came from there, and the ensuing conversation lasted about ½ hr. We rode together through about a 4 mile back up due to a wreck, and I waved goodbye as I got off the turnpike. Jim and Vilma were outside working in their yard as I pulled in the drive and welcomed me home. They even had balloons hanging on the mailbox for me! And Louise and the kids had a banner made for me.
I’ll have a wrap-up tomorrow.

Saturday, June 30, 2007 Chicago

Today was a day to relax. I got up about 7:30 when Jen was getting ready to go to work. She pointed me in the direction of the nearest McDonalds so I could get some coffee. While I was there, I bought the Tribune and a couple breakfast burritos while I read all about the Indians win the previous day. I strolled on back to shower and do a little typing. After that, I just kind of laid around and watched TV. Greg evidently had a hard time sleeping that night, so he didn’t get up till about noon. He had to help a friend move that afternoon, so he dropped me off where Jen was after work, and we just kind of strolled around through Millennium Park and the Taste of Chicago celebration that was going on. It was too many people, on too hot a day, with expensive food – so we left. She took me to a little Irish watering hole where we had a beer and a light lunch. Just the kind of day I was looking for after driving through Chicago the day before and to get ready for my last day on the road.
I stayed up till about 1:30 that night working on a review of the trip, and hit the sack.

Friday, June 29,2007 Chicago, IL

I was trying to get to Chicago early afternoon before the traffic got bad – what was I thinking? Traffic is always bad in Chicago!! So I was awake at 4:30 and thinking to myself - WHY????!!! I lounged around a while and turned on the TV and watched the AG REPORT. Talk about exciting!! I did the free breakfast thing, and was ready to climb on board before 7:00, but to my disgust, it turned out my bike had turned into a “padiddle”. You know – when your vehicle only has one headlight working. I think it’s a Michigan thing. No problem – I have a spare bulb. So 45 minutes and 2 bloody knuckles later, I still have a padiddle. I think I got another bad bulb. That’s 2 in the last 2 months! I’ll worry about it when I get home. It also means I got a later start than I wanted and all I can think of is that ^#&*%#@ Chicago traffic. No warming up to the 5mph over the limit today – set the cruise at 75 and go.
A beautiful day for a ride. Mid 60’s and sunny. As I was cruising down the road in early AM, there was about 30 miles of riding where you could see the clouds forming a half moon shape in varying degrees of darkness and the sun was shining through the cracks to make it look like rain showers ahead. You could see the rays of sun shining down at angles to left and the right, and directly in front, they were coming straight down as if to be searching for you. These are the kind of ordinary things you don’t realize are happening at the time if you’re just out in the car and going someplace. On a trip like this, you look for common place things to make you realize how lucky you are to be able to do this sort of thing. You don’t get the scope of that magnitude in the confines of a car. (I know – I’m rambling, sorry ‘bout that)
I found some more of those snow gates in Minnesota along I-90. And miles and miles of corn. I read today that there are more acres of corn planted this year that any time since 1944. The landscape is starting to look more like home, with rolling hills and the greenery of trees and grass, but it’s pretty desolate out here in the middle of farm land. Would you believe that there is no turnout for pictures at the Mississippi? Our most storied river, and no place to pull off to the side to snap a shot!! Oh well – like I said before, they all start to look alike.
And then there was Chicago traffic. This was worse than L.A.!! At least there – it was moving. I talked to Jen a couple times before I got close and she says NOT to take I-90. She says take I-290, then turn left here, go past this street, turn right there and here we are. OK!! Everything is fine except take the I-290 part. She says the traffic is REALLY bad on I-90. I don’t know how ANYTHING can be worse than where I was. I’ve been used to going about 500 miles a day in about 8 hours, including gas and pit stops. The last 25 miles or so took about an hour and 15 minutes and over four dollars in tolls. Talk about hiway robbery – motorcycles should NOT have to pay the same as cars! Oh well – I’m here. Jen & Greg helped carry my gear upstairs, and a cold beer was waiting. After an hour or so, we took the bike to a friend’s house for safe keeping and away from prying eyes and then came back for a home cooked meal!!! OUTSTANDING! More beer, look at pictures, get tired, go to bed. Another day is done! Looks like just one more day away from home.

Thursday, June 28, 2007 Worthington, MN

So I lost a couple hours today. I forgot about the time change from mountain to central, and then I blew about an hour wandering through one of my favorite parks – Badlands National Park. I guess I’m just an old cowboy at heart, but I find the western plains and mountains fascinating. I expect to see the Lone Ranger or Matt Dillon step out from around one of the bends in the road any minute. Unfortunately, Badlands is so unique, unless you go through the park, you won’t see anything like it anywhere. The trip through S. Dakota was uneventful. I even enjoyed the landscape, although some would say it’s boring. My only complaint was that I-90 has a terrible washboard effect in so many places; I almost couldn’t tell what radio station I was on, it was shaking so badly. The warnings about the road being closed because of drifting snow were finally left behind. Even though I knew what the signs were for, every time I came across one, I was worried that the lights would be flashing and I’d have to return to the previous town. Pretty stupid, huh? I stopped at a rest area as I crossed the Missouri River, and even took some pictures. After looking at them, I realized that unless you know what you’re looking at, you can’t tell the difference between the Columbia, Snake, or Missouri river from a distance. When I cross the Mississippi tomorrow and take a picture of that, I’ll say the same thing.
As I was sitting here typing this, I was on hold with the Wi-Fi supplier to this motel because I couldn’t get connected. When I finally got hold of a live body – who sounded like they were from India – it turns out they were from POLAND! No – not Poland, Ohio – POLAND, like the country. Talk about a world economy.
I’m off to see Jen tomorrow. If she doesn’t have to work on Saturday and I can spend a whole day with her, I may opt to leave for home on Sunday to avoid Chicago traffic. Who am I kidding – Chicago ALWAYS has traffic. Kind of like L.A. I’ll see how it goes and play it by ear. After all – that’s how I’ve done the whole trip.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007 Spearfish, SD

Now I understand the allure of Sturgis Bike Week. Maybe I should take a look at a map once in a while. I never realized how close Sturgis is to the Black Hills. NO – that’s not right – it’s IN the Black Hills. And this has got to be some of the best motorcycling roads this side of the Mississippi. It also has Mt. Rushmore, and not to far from Badlands National Park. This could be a summer destination for many people, just as Lake George in New York, or Yosemite in California. There are also some great roads in Wyoming, but the scenic ones are a little further west. As I was leaving Cody and coming over the crest on a small butte, it made me realize just how HUGE and RURAL this area really is. The roads seemed to extend into neverland in any direction you looked, but it wasn’t that unusual to not see any cars. For the first 45 miles I traveled out of Cody, I counted 19 cars, 3 trucks, and 7 motorcycles – and countless livestock. At one point, I had to stop because they were herding cattle across and down the road, like it was a big round-up. Another thing that you won’t see anywhere that we live – even though we are in the Snow Belt. They have signs warning you that the road ahead is closed because of snow if the flashing lights are activated. In some cases, they even tell you what to do if the road is closed – turn around and go back to the previous town! They even have these signs on the interstate – with gates that close and signs warning of high fines. As much as I think this is a beautiful area, it’s only for visiting – not living!
It doesn’t appear that Mt Rushmore has changed over the last 20 years, but the surrounding areas are BOOMING! The small town of Keystone, just outside the monument, is like of who’s who of motel chains and restaurants. The historical town of Deadwood, which gained fame for the Black Hills gold rush and the town where Wild Bill Hickok was killed, has done an admirable job of attracting tourists with its old west image and gaming casinos.
As enjoyable as the US and state routes were to travel, it felt good to get back to the security of the interstates where there are fewer worries about livestock and cars coming from the side, and where you can set the cruise control and watch the miles melt away. I’m about 1000 miles from Jens place in Chicago, so the plan of attack is to get enough miles tomorrow so I can make the Windy City by Friday, which should be no problem. Home on Monday – what a trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, June 26, 2007 Cody, WY

In my never ending quest to find the real American west, I stopped in Cody, WY to tour the Bill Cody Museum. This was at the suggestion of my neighbors, Jim & Vilma, who said their son found it fascinating; and it is, if you have the time to do the whole thing, and with the right attitude. Unfortunately, I went in tired, hungry, and with aching knees. But it was still worth the journey. This place has the most amazing collection of firearms that you will EVER lay your eyes on – and not just from the old west. They go from the 1500’s to present day, and include ALL kinds of guns. I thought Gettysburg had a lot of firearms, but this is incredible – and I only saw the main floor. I didn’t even go downstairs. There are about 3000 firearms to be seen – if you have the time, along with a time line on Bill Cody himself, a wing about prairie tribal living, and two other wings I didn’t even get to. It’s really quite a place, and something to be seen if travels ever get you to this part of the country. But getting to this part of the country from where I was is a royal pain in the iron butt. From Jackson to Cody is about 175 miles, but half that is going through Yellowstone where the top speed limit is 45. Add to that the construction I faced going out the east side of the park, which gave me about a 45 minute delay, and what should take about 2 ½ hrs turned into 4 ½ . The next time I come here, that’s the entrance I want to take. The pictures would be fantastic, but as it was, it was gravel and one lane for about the last 8 miles, and the drop off the side of the road was almost scary it was so steep – and close.
The scenery was more along the lines of what I expected Wyoming to look like, but the pictures didn’t turn out all that well. As I walked the streets on the way to eat, it felt like any small town - just about 40 years ago. There were a lot of 5&10 kind of stores with open doors, and a movie theatre that had one movie to see and someone to take your money and give you a ticket right in front near the sidewalk. I have a room at an EconoLodge, which is not very nice considering it’s one of the more expensive rooms on this trip, but that’s what you get when you’re this close to Yellowstone. There’s also a rodeo in town, as there is every night here between June and August, but it’s another 2 hr rodeo with the local cowboys, and I just saw that back in Jackson – and for $5 less than here.
One thing I did notice on our week long excursion to the Tetons and Yellowstone – the RV industry is STRONG!! You can’t believe the number of big bus type RV’s driving along with a car or boat on the back. I’m not talking about a pickup with a camper – these are the mega buck, 4 gallons to the mile kind of rigs. They probably outnumbered the motorcycles!
That’s it! Hoping to make Deadwood tomorrow if the roads are OK.

Monday June 25, 2007 Jenny Lake & Inspiration Point

My last day with Louise till I get home. In honor of that, I’m going to put her to work one last time as guest blogger, so don’t get used to her style, cause this is it!!
Here she is – LOUISE!!!!!!!!!!!
We wore ourselves out today – our last day in this beautiful country. We hiked a trail by Jenny Lake, which is not far from Jackson. We took the shuttle boat across the lake, and then hiked a mile up to Hidden Falls, and Inspiration Point after that. For those of you that know about my apprehensions with heights, you would be surprised that I made it to the point. There was a section at the top that was a bit narrow, and had a cliff drop off. But the view from the top was fantastic! We decided to walk the 2 miles back to the visitor’s center and parking lot. This was the longest 2 miles. It felt like 20, with all the ups and downs. So Matt and I are taking some aspirin before bed tonight. (I am glad we did it, as the scenery was gorgeous!)
We then had lunch at a Mexican restaurant in town, and later returned to town to see the nightly gun battle that occurs by the square at 6. It is actually a promotion for the local theatre group that is putting on 7 Brides for 7 Brothers. It was entertaining, and we were surprised at the size of the crowd.
Early to bed this evening, as my airport transportation arrives at 5am for the 7am flight. What was I thinking??? Matt is off to Cody WY tomorrow on his way home. He has some interesting stops planned – so stay tuned.
Louise

Sunday, June 24, 2007 Teton Village Area

My guest blogger is back! Only because there isn’t much to talk about, and she drags things on better than anyone I know.
No applause this time??
Today was another laid back day. Matt washed the bike and I washed clothes. Our highlight was having dinner with Jamie and Lisa Walter at Calico Italian restaurant over by Teton Village. We learned many interesting facts about living year round in Jackson WY; nearest department store is in Idaho Falls, 1 ½ hours away, no Wal-Mart or Target, but there is a Kmart, minimal street lights, restaurants stop serving dinner about 9, and the town has a volunteer fire department. This last fact played havoc with them when Jaime’s house burned to its' foundation last year. It was a nice day in May and the different volunteers were out enjoying the weather. But these facts show how spoiled I am. Jaime and Lisa both seem very happy with their lives here and their lives together. They are newlyweds, and shared their wedding photos with us. What a beautiful wedding in Mexico! I loved the fact that all guests were barefoot, except for the dads. Before dinner, we went to the Teton Village area. This is the main ski area for Jackson Hole. It has 116 runs on 2500 acres. There are 12 ski lifts, one being the Bridger Gondola. One gondola can take 8 people up 3000 feet to about 9000 feet above sea level. This is not the top of the highest peak in that area, but it was a beautiful view. There was a deli, snack shop and restaurant at the top. We shared a large cookie, and had some pop on the deck, it was so relaxing. By the way, if you are interested in buying a condo at the Four Seasons resort here, there was one for sale for $8 million about 3 years ago. Sad that even winning an Ohio lottery might not provide for this purchase!

Saturday, June 23, 2007 Yellowstone National Park

What could be more all-American than Yellowstone Park and a rodeo in Jackson Hole, Wyoming? Maybe add mom’s apple pie – but my mom doesn’t cook anymore. We got an early start for Yellowstone because we knew we were traveling a bit further than we did the day before. We traveled the south rim of the canyon in Canyon Village, and did the walk to Artists Point. I can see why the artists like this place – you don’t have to work at finding something to be artistic about – just look anywhere and you’ll find it. Stunning landscapes, but unfortunately, the camera just doesn’t pick up the distance or the color to do it justice. The walk there was only about a mile, but it was some serious ups and downs, so we walked back via the roadway. As we were walking back, I noticed one of the bison walking toward me through the woods. I tried getting a couple pictures, but all I got were woods. As I made my way far enough from it to feel as though I wasn’t in danger – it just came walking up to the road and stopping any traffic that might have been coming. Kind of like they own the road – and they do!! We continued on the park road to Roosevelt Lodge for lunch, and then turned around to head home. As we gassed up in Canyon Village, there was a huge crowd on the road with cameras in hand and rangers standing by. This usually means bears, but this time it was a moose and her calf. Louise managed to get some good pictures as we drove by. Actually, we came to a halt in the road as all the cars and trucks we jockeying for parking spots. The day was clear and the roads were clean for the most part, but in areas where there was loose gravel, it always seemed to be in places that had no guard rails and a drop that made Louise cringe, along with wind gusts that put you all over the road. Not a good thing when it’s only 2 lanes. The temperature fluctuated with the rise in the mountains and canyons, and of course got colder as we traveled along some of the larger lakes.
We got back to the motel for a short rest, and walked down to the fairgrounds for the rodeo. There must not be much to do around here on Saturday nights, because the place was packed! Louise had never been to a rodeo before, but seemed to have enjoyed one of the west’s great sporting events. The one thing she didn’t like is the bull riding. Actually, it was what happens to the rider if something doesn’t go right. The final round saw one of the cowboys hardly making it out of the bucking chute, only to land on his head after his helmet came off. He was PLANTED. Didn’t move a muscle! After the ambulance came to cart him off, the announcer said he was awake and talking, but he sure looked dead to me. Another cowboy got his hand locked in the rope, and couldn’t let go. He got sort of swung around and kicked up. They had to help him off the ground and out of the arena. He needed a hospital too – I hope they got him to one.
After the rodeo, we went to get a bite to eat; only to find that just about everything closes down in this town at about 10:00 – on a Saturday! We eventually split a sandwich at a converted Denny’s and called it a night.
Other than cleaning the bike and doing laundry tomorrow, it looks pretty much open. We’ll see what kind of trouble we can get into.

Friday, June 22, 2007 Jackson, WY

My guest blogger is all blogged out. See – it’s not easy doing what I’ve been doing. After a full day on the bike yesterday, today was go into town and shop day. (How exciting) I needed (well, I didn’t exactly need) a hat, and Louise needed a neckerchief because the motorcycle jacket was a bit rough on her neck. With all the cowboy and motorcycle outfitters around here, you’d think it would be easy. It’s not! And then of course we had to go into every store that sells stuff. After that, I rewarded myself, both of us actually, by stopping in the MILLION DOLLAR COWBOY BAR. Nothing is on tap, but when you saddle up to the bar – you really saddle up. Every one of the bar stools is a western saddle. Not exactly the most comfortable seat in the house, but it gives you a good place to hang your plastic bags of souvenirs in. While we were there, we got to see the space shuttle land. After we walked back, I had a chance to rest my eyes a bit, and then take off for the town of Moose, where we had lunch before our boat trip on South Jenny Lake. While that might sound boring, it was a great trip that was well narrated by our pilot. He talked about the history of the area, along with the geological formations, the forest and wildlife. But most of all he talked about the mountains, each of which he has climbed. The trip started at 6:30 and as the sun went down, the setting became even more spectacular as you can see by the photo at the beginning.
Tomorrow – it’s off to Yellowstone again to see if we can find the large herd of bison that’s roaming the grasslands, and then off to see the rodeo in the evening.

Thursday, June 21, 2007 Yellowstone National Park

I’ve always tried to use all the resources available to me, and one of the best resources I’ve had over the years has been my better half, Louise. So as a special treat to all of you who have been following my blog for a month now, you have a guest blogger who made one of the more memorable journeys with me yesterday, and here to tell you all about it – give a warm round of applause to – GRANDMA WEEZ!!!!!!
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She’s a little shy. Here she comes – once again, put your hands together for LOUISE!!
He is so silly! Yesterday was just a beautiful day for riding. We so enjoyed it, that we neglected to follow a map, and assumed we could follow signs. Not wise in this part of WY. We ended up about 30 miles outside of Dubois WY which is east of Yellowstone. It was gorgeous country, and we saw a young or female moose, and a young wolf or coyote. Actually it looked like a puppy, a young golden or lab, but it was out in the middle of nowhere. It sounds better to say a wolf cub. After the second set of construction, we asked the young lady holding the stop sign how much longer we had until Yellowstone. She laughed, and said we were not the first to miss the turn. Back track 50 miles, and turn right.
Yellowstone is great. We went to the Old Faithfull area, and then up to Madison – just because of the name. As we arrived at the Old Faithful lodge, we say many people standing around the geyser. Looked like it was erupting, but it was 2:30 and I was hungry, since the cereal breakfast was @ 8, so we passed it up. Old Faithfull is faithful – right? Goes off frequently – so we thought – but it would be an hour more after we finished lunch. Therefore we walked the miles of boardwalk, which we both found very interesting. Such a contrast to the volcanic landscape we saw in Hawaii. These white coverings with blue and orange thermal pools are definitely different than the black ‘brownie’ look covering that is on Hawaii. By the time we finished a tour, we were on the east side of Old Faithful. We saw all the people standing around the lodge side so we thought we would stay put, and watch it from there. It was fascinating. We soon realized why no one stands on the east side. We were soon showered with the sulfur tasting mist. What a surprise. We all laughed about it. Then as we walked to the lodge, we saw a lone bison lying in front of the geyser. Another spectator said the bison was there before the eruption, and wasn’t fazed by the people or the eruption. He thought the park planted him there for the effect.
Our next stop was the Fountain Paint Pot. This is a mud geyser. Instead of the clear thermal pools, the chemicals mix with the soil and water to form mud bubbles that percolate on the earth’s surface. There was ‘Spasm Geyser’ at this location that erupts continuously. Again – very fascinating.
Madison picnic area was our next stop. It was a facility stop, but was a nice picnic area. We then took the 2 mile Firehole Canyon Drive back towards Old Faithful for our trip back to Jackson. We stumbled upon the Firehole Canyon swimming hole. It was packed – at 5:30 at night. Have to remember this spot should we return with the grandkids.
We stopped back at Old Faithful to gas up, and found the Castle Geyser erupting. That was neat because it lasted a long time, and looks more dramatic than Old Faithful because its base looks like a castle. Our timing couldn’t have been better.
Our trip back to Jackson was highlighted with the sight of a deer, and then a mama bear and 3 cubs, digging at roots not far from the road. By the time we arrived, there were 3 ranger cars, one with flashers on, and about 30 spectators’ cars. The bears seemed oblivious to all of the people. You can see from the pictures that we were not that far away. It reminded me of the time Matt and I saw the bears eating berries with Bonnie and Dan in Glacier National Park, and the ranger had to tell Matt to stay back – or to get back in the car. Matt wasn’t as aggressive this time, thankfully.
I am looking forward to our next visit in the park. Hind sight says I should have made reservations to stay in Yellowstone a couple of nights. Jackson is 64 miles from the south entrance, and Old Faithful was 40 miles from that entrance. Staying in the park would have saved some of that traveling. I had hoped to go to Cody WY, but it is 177 miles from Jackson. The mountains prevent many direct routes. That is too much for a day trip on a motorcycle for me.

Wednesday June 20, 2007 Jackson Hole, WY

All I can say is – WOW!! That’s for the Teton Mountains. They almost don’t look like they belong there. Kind of like Denali in Alaska, which is so big in comparison to the other mountains – it just looks out of place. These don’t look out of place because there are other mountains there; it’s just that these are so spectacular. Maybe photogenic is a better word. They just rise straight up in the air with their snow capped tops. And all along the way are grassy flatlands, flowing rivers, and what looks like desert sagebrush. We obviously aren’t in a desert, so I’m not sure what the vegetation is, but it completely covers some of the land to the point it almost looks green. All along the way are signs warning of wildlife on the road, although we saw none – on the road. We did see a couple of lone bison with calf along the side, and when we stopped at Jackson Lake, off in the distance we could see a moose with her calf. This is when you really wish for a better camera with a telephoto lens. We had lunch along the way at Jenny Lake, and while it was OK, it was overpriced like I’m sure all the parks are going to be.
It turns out the beer I bought yesterday, while pretty good, doesn’t have twist off caps. I was able to get the first two undone, but I broke down and bought a bottle opener, you know, the kind with a can opener on the other end that nobody uses anymore. I didn’t even know they made them any longer.
We got back to the motel and Louise took a swim, I did the blog. She’s buying dinner tonight, so I have to find someplace expensive.
Tomorrow we’re off to Yellowstone!!!

Tuesday, June 19, 2007 Jackson Hole, WY

This was pretty close to a perfect day. I knew there was no point in getting here early, and Louise isn’t getting here till about 9:00, so I slept in till about 6:30 and just read the complimentary paper and drank the in house coffee. I didn’t have the bike packed till about 10:00, and proceeded to the fairgrounds again for the rodeo. I got to see the first round of everything they didn’t have yesterday, and it was warmer and you could sit in the grandstands out of the sun. I got there just in time to see all the district cowboys and cowgirls introduced by state district. They started off with bareback riding (boys – nobody finished) and then in order: pole bending (girls), steer wrestling (boys), goat tie (girls), saddlebronc riding (boys), cow roping (girls), team roping (boys/girls), barrel racing (girls), and finally, bull riding. They were done with the first round by 12:30 which is perfect timing – I jumped on the bike and took off. It was a very entertaining morning and I enjoyed the heck out of it. As I had breakfast, or sitting in the stands, or just watching all the people involved in this rodeo, it reminded me of the tight community that polo has been all the years for me, with parents and kids immersed in one thing that the whole family can enjoy. As they introduced all these kids, they gave a quick background on what they like to do and what they have accomplished. Most all these kids are high GPA and have many interests, both athletically and academically, along with being very involved with the communities they come from. All of this was the best of yessir/nosir western upbringing and small town America at its best. What a great morning!
The afternoon wasn’t all that bad either. It was high 70’s with lots of sun, the roads were thisway/thatway and pretty much free of loose gravel till you got to the scenic back roads, and then you had to be careful because there were not always guard rails – and in some places, you NEEDED guard rails. I went from the grass lands of southeast Idaho to what looked like lava flows, and back again. All of sudden, you see these mountains coming up on you, but you still see fields of crops. Then you start making the climb up with cooler temps and some wind. Once you get to the top, it’s like – WOW!! Have to stop and take a picture, and enjoy why you’re really on this trip. As you descend, it gets warmer and the wind goes away. The grass lands are still here, and now you’re looking at snow capped mountains all around. Just before I got to town, I stopped and gassed up and bought a 6 pack of “Old Faithful Ale”. It’s billed as Yellowstone’s finest. We’ll see – I plan on trying a few different ones, but in the meantime, I have this 6 pack that I have to finish. DAMN – I hate it when that happens.
This Best Western that Louise booked has a FIREPLACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A motel with a FIREPLACE!!!!! Whoa! I’m glad she’s paying for this.

Monday, June 18, 2007 Pocatello, ID

I had breakfast this morning in the Holiday Inn dining room. Now I know why they were less expensive than the Comfort Inn or the Best Western next door. They don’t include a complimentary breakfast, and it’s not cheap here. Maybe tomorrow, I’ll go to one of the complimentary breakfasts.
I thought I was going to enjoy a couple days of nothing to do. I was wrong. But it was a nice day for a walk, so I went to the fairgrounds to watch the high school state rodeo finals. It was only about a mile down the road, but once I got there, the wind kicked up, and I didn’t bring my sweatshirt with me, so I only hung around for about 2 hrs. The only thing they had today was the cutting horse competition, so I left and came back later on the bike. It all seemed to be the horse doing the work, so I couldn’t understand why they separated the boys from the girls, and there were about 4 times more girls. It’s always fun watching those horses work. It reminds me of a good basketball player on defense. I wish I understood how they did the scoring. Tomorrow, everything else starts – bull riding, bulldogging, roping, bronc riding, and all the stuff I wanted to see today. I’ll go back tomorrow morning to watch what I can, and then leave for Jackson Hole where I’ll meet up with Weez in the evening.
After the cutting competition, I took off to watch another movie. This time I saw Oceans 13. Again – entertaining, but not as enjoyable as the first one (with the same cast).

Sunday, June 17, 2007 Pocatello, ID

Not much going on today. I was on the road at about 8:30 with gusty winds but not quite worthy of Nanuk. As long as the sun was shining, it was really quite a nice ride, but short. I only went about 150 miles today, so I took my time. It never fails to amaze me by all the irrigation going on with these big sprinklers on wheels. For a hundred miles, on both sides of the road, you could see fields being watered. It looked it could have come from both underground wells or the maze of canals that criss-cross this area.
Got to the Holiday Inn where I’ll be spending the next couple days a bit early. Since I had nowhere to go, and nobody to see – I went to a movie. Spiderman 3 was entertaining, but not as good as the first two. As I came out of the theater, I almost couldn’t find my bike because the smoke was so thick. Turns out there was a huge fire raging on the top of a nearby mountain and the wind was turning it our way. It even got TV coverage.
When I got back to check in, there were cowboys everywhere. It looks like the state bird here is the pickup truck, and they all had 5th wheel hook-ups in ‘em, so I knew something was up. Sure enough – the Idaho High School Rodeo Finals start tomorrow. This should give me a change of pace from riding my bike. It might even be close enough to walk to, and after sitting on my butt for the last 4 weeks, I can use some exercise.

Saturday, June 16, 2007 Twin Falls, ID

Nanuk is gone!! I believe he evaporated in the 94 degree heat. At least there was no wind. Nothing exciting today. I grabbed breakfast from McD this morning and took it to my room to finish yesterday’s blog entry. I was still on the road by 8:00. I stopped in Boise this morning to view the “Birds of Prey of the World” exhibit. It was kind of neat. Not a lot of birds, but some that are near extinction. They did have a condor there. GEEZ – those things are HUGE!! And ugly! But not as ugly as the turkey vulture. Wow – if that bird was a person, it would have to sneak up on a glass of water.
I did something I’ve never done before. I got off the exit to get gas (at a SINCLAIR station, of all things), but it was about ½ mile down the road – along with the entrance to get back ON the Interstate. The problem is they had just put down fresh tar and gravel! Can you imagine what that would have done to my bike? (like anybody cares) Well – I turned around and got back on the interstate by driving UP the exit ramp – you know, where it says “DO NOT ENTER”. Yup – I broke the law. Go ahead and report me if you want. I was either in Oregon or Idaho. I’m not sure of the number – you can look it up!
See – I told you nothing exciting today. Some intriguing landscape, but nothing spectacular, long rolling hills with mountains on either side. I probably think it’s neat just because we don’t have that in Ohio. That’s it! Off to do laundry. See you tomorrow.

Friday, June 16, 2007 Baker City, OR

I went almost three weeks on the road and only got rain one day. Now all of a sudden I’m a rain maker. The last three mornings I woke to drizzle. That’s not a bad thing – I enjoy riding in drizzle, it’s just that you don’t know if it’s going to become a regular rain, so you have to get out all the rain gear. Other than going through Louisiana, that hasn’t happened yet.
This was just kind of a lazy morning. The motel served their continental breakfast till 9:30, and I’m still drinking coffee at 9:35. Ooops! I better get a move on. About 40 miles east of here is the little town of Maryhill. It was founded by Sam Hill and boast a tiny little museum, but what really intrigued me was there is also a replica of Stonehenge and was built by Hill to memorialize the local troops that fought and died in WWI, of which there were about a dozen. A few years ago, when I was still riding my Honda Valkyrie, I remember reading about the Valkyrie Owners Group making an annual ride on the first day of summer to Stonehenge. I had fantasized about making that trip one day, and while I’m a few days early and riding a Goldwing, it was still fun to see it. The actual museum is about 4 miles away and while the grounds are in a beautiful setting, high above the Columbia River, I chose only to wander the area and take pictures of the numerous peacocks and some of the outside artwork. I could have paid to go inside to view more artifacts, but come on – I’m not a cultural kind of guy. WOW – now it’s almost 12:30. Better get my a$$ in gear. I drive back across the Columbia, where the sign says “Warning – High wind gusts on bridge” I knew that – why didn’t they have that sign on the other side when I first came across?
When Louise and I first made this trip on a river cruise a few years ago, we both thought how beautiful it was, but you really can’t appreciate the vastness until you get a little higher up on a hill to see just how far the river flows and how high the hills are around you. The river just seems to go on forever, but eventually, the interstate moves away from the river valley and you start heading into higher elevations. I’ll say this for Oregon – they have the best Interstates for motorcycles. I remember thinking that when I first came into this state almost a week ago and today just reinforced it. As you climb the hills, it’s one big curve after another. The roads are free of loose gravel and in most cases about three lanes wide. The traffic warning signs say to slow down to 45mph. I don’t think so! This is perfect, but at the same time I’m thinking – don’t screw up, you’ve come this far without hurting yourself. So then I start riding like Louise is on the back. It was still fun. I’m still amazed by the landscape and the ability of farmers. On one side of the road is mountains and sagebrush, and on the other is fields of crops with water sprinklers for as far as the eye can see. Really remarkable!
I tried stopping in LaGrande for the night, but it appears that a local college is having graduation ceremonies, and what should be a 75 dollar room in now 200 and the town is pretty much booked. Guess I’ll move on down the road.

Thursday, June 14, 2007 Hood River, OR

I am Nanuk of the North – dumb guy!! Why? What does EVERYONE expect it to do almost every day in the Great Pacific Northwest? Yes – it rains. What can every motorcyclist do to keep their machines from getting wet at night? They can cover them up. And the one night I don’t put on my cover was last night. I am Nanuk of the North – dumb guy!!
It gets light up here a little earlier in the morning than at home, like about 4:45. After a wonderful breakfast and more conversation, it’s time to say good-bye. It’s a steadier rain that yesterday morning, so on comes the rain gear and all the stuff to make me look like Nanuk. Brian tells me they actually get very little rain and it’s usually sunny in the morning this time of year. It seems that Olympic National Park gets all the water dumped on it before it gets to Port Townsend and then picks up more moisture on its way to Seattle. Just my luck.
I start by topping off the gas tank. You never know what you won’t run into. I traveled highway 101 between the coast and Olympic all the way to Olympia and it never got above the mid 50’s with varying degrees of drizzle along the way. My original intent was to re-visit Mt. St. Helen, and after a talk with a local guy at a rest area on I-5, I decided to approach it from the eastern side. This meant traveling rt 12 and pick up some of the national forest roads. While it was wonderful riding, you really feel kind of isolated because you rarely see another vehicle and kind of worry about anything going wrong. When I turned down the road to get to the viewing area for the volcano, I was promptly stopped by a gate proclaiming the road to be closed. It appears the snow is still too heavy at the higher elevations. Oh well – I still enjoyed the ride, and there were plenty of spectacular sights to be enjoyed. I rode all the way to the Columbia River and traveled the road to Hood River where Louise and I had a stop when we did our Columbia River Cruise a few years ago. This is a hot spot for wind surfers. I’m surprised they don’t run into each other, there are so many of them.
Well – the Cavs made it close in the last game, but the season is over. I never thought they would make it that far anyway, so a successful campaign was had by all and I’m sure they expect nothing less than at least the same for next year.
Go Tribe!

Wednesday June 13, 2007 Port Townsend, WA

After I left the reservation on Wednesday, It was off to Port Townsend. Started off with cloudy skies, mid 50’s, brisk wind, drizzle. It stayed that way most of the day but the drizzle let up. I don’t think it ever did get to 60 degrees. Some beautiful scenery, with winding roads so thick with large pine trees that you wonder how they can keep growing for lack of room. I had to use a ferry to get to port, and on approach, you could almost imagine you were In New England with the homes sitting high atop the hill overlooking the water. Brian was there to meet me as I rode off the boat and I followed him to his home and was re-introduced to his wife Else. We both knew we had met previously, but couldn’t remember when. They live in a small home on a short peninsula that has an abundance of what many people would think is living a dream. Their boat is right in front of the house, and on the other side of the bay is a small marina. Nora (my sister) would be having a field day since she is such an avid bird watcher. She would need more books to reference because there is just WAY to many birds, along with otters. And – if you’re hungry, just walk down the shore for clams or oyster. The water thing is not necessarily my cup of tea, but I must admit, it made for a VERY relaxing stay. Else also did a fine job of some home cooked and home grown, meals. We sat around for hours talking about family stuff that sometimes just needs to get caught up on, and learn about things you never knew before. Brian told me they used to refer to my mom, who was the only girl in the family, as the “pretty” aunt. I cracked up when I heard that. I didn’t disagree with it; I just had never heard that before. He also told me the story of how my grandmother died. I was only about 2 when it happened, and he gave a perspective to it that was more personal and with a little history. Time flies when you’re having fun, and before you know it – bed time.

Wednesday June 13, 2007 Ferndale, WA

So it’s 8:30 here, in Ferndale, WA at the Silver Reef Hotel/Casino/Spa. I’ve just had the best complimentary breakfast of my trip at the best place to stay during the same time. Other than reasonable prices and no taxes, you’d never know it was run by Native Americans because there aren't any here.
Just a few random thoughts for those of you who were wondering, as I was attempting this trip – “what in the world is he thinking?” Well – let me tell you.
I remember thinking what a wonderful thing satellite radio is (60’s on 6/MLB) and thankful that I bought a GPS (Garmin). The clunking noise when shifting and other noises that you hear all the time are heightened when you’re thousands of miles from home. I remember the “different” kind of room I had in Key West, and despite the horrendous drive there, I remember in fondly. I remember the HEAT and the WIND. (nuff said) I wish I could have spent more time with those people that I stopped to see (and a big thank you for putting up with me). I’m amazed by how BIG agriculture is – and hopefully I’ll expound on that at a later time.
2 things that I think about daily. Just before I left home on May 22, I checked by voicemail to hear Maddie, Ethan, and Ellie singing happy birthday to me. That rendition has gone through my head on a daily basis. And finally, every evening after calling home and talking to Louise, I remember how lucky I am to be married to the best person in the whole world!!
THANKS WEEZ.
Don’t go away. There are still a couple weeks to go.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007 Blaine, WA

I
MADE
IT!!!
So congratulate me!
Thank-you, thank-you very much.
(that’s my best Elvis impersonation)
The mission is over - the journey continues. Stay tuned.

Monday, June 11, 2007 Woodland, WA

I got one picture today, and you’re looking at it. This snow capped peak was greeting me as I was leaving California, in stark contrast to the 100 degree heat and desert that I saw as I entered. The one thing I did think was appropriate when I arrived about 5 days ago was that, despite the fact it looked like the Middle East, the Beach Boys were playing on the radio.
The days are all starting to run together, and I’m having a hard time remembering where I was the day before. I do know that I got on the road about 7:30 and it was a reasonable mid 60’s and sun. I thought it would warm up, so I didn’t bother getting all bundled for cold weather. About 30 minutes later, out comes the liner. Even further down the road, I had to pull off to a McDonalds to warm up. It was in the city of Weed, CA. Now there is a town that HAD to have had a big population boom in the 60’s. Anyway – this McD doesn’t serve hot chocolate! I’ve never heard of such a thing. Later in the day, I go to a gas station that only takes cash and DEBIT (ATM) cards. So to get on with the story, here comes my Nanuk of the North look again! After I got all bundled up, it was actually one of the better days to ride, especially when the sun was out, but that didn’t last long. As soon as you come into Oregon, you go up a big hill that lets you know it’s the highest elevation on I-5 in the state. I think it was about 4300 ft. The roads were clear of any loose gravel, and curves were long enough and tight enough to make a motorcyclist think this must be heaven. Had it been warm enough to turn off the heated grips, this would have been a perfect ride.
As I approached Portland, it was apparent that I was going to have to face rush hour traffic either tonight going north from the city, or tomorrow morning if I shut down early. I chose to get through town first so I wouldn’t be forcing myself to rush in the AM.
My final destination is close at hand. Blaine, WA is about 250 miles away – can you believe it? I phoned my cousin, Brian, just a bit ago to let him know where I am and how to get together. It seemed strange making the call. After all, I haven’t seen or spoken to him in years, but I know that if the circumstances were reversed, I would certainly open our house to him.
So here we go – one more day, and the “official” part of the tour will be over. Then the only part I have to worry about is making sure I’m in Jackson when Louise gets there.

Sunday, June 10, 2007 Red Bluff, CA

I’m glad I didn’t listen to Corky. He said “Don’t go. Too many people!” He was right, but he didn’t say it would be worth it. I had no idea. Yosemite is a jewel. And I didn’t even go on some of the more scenic drives. After yesterday’s drive and the problem of getting a room, today started off just perfect. I was up early (4:00) either because of the burrito from last night or I just wanted to beat any more traffic. On the road by 7:00, and for a guy on a motorcycle – it was PERFECT!! Twisties, turnies, ups, and downs. It got a little chilly at 4000 ft, but it was still early (46 degrees at 8:00). I only went 67 miles, but it took me 3 hours to do it. If I stopped to take a picture everywhere that deserved a picture – I’d still be there. This is the kind of place you go for a week and try to stay inside the park. I’d like to see it in the evening, but early morning was great. I saw lots and lots of bikes. One guy was even there from Anchorage. The trip out of the park wasn’t boring either. After you get out of the park area, you have to go down a steep 5 mile grade of nothing but switchbacks to get to the main road. After that, it was just another day on the interstates. Had to stop early to call mom at 7:00, which is 4:00 here. Spent the rest of the early evening washing my bike and laundry. It made me glad we have our own washer & dryer. I’m about 750 miles from my final destination. While I could certainly do it in one day, I would then have more time to kill waiting to get to Jackson, WY. It will be an easy 2 day trip. I’ll give my cousin, Brian, a call tomorrow to let him know I’m getting close.
The Cavs look pretty crummy so far.

Saturday, June 09, 2007 Oakhurst CA

Nothing special happened today. I got my oil changed and was on the road by about 11:00. The weather sure can be different within a couple of short miles. When I left Lompoc, near Vandenburg AFB, it was about 66 degrees. Within a hour or so, after getting over the mountain, it was 86 and climbing to a high of 94 on the route today. I did lots of 2 lane hiways just for a change, but I’ll be glad when I get back to the safety of the interstate. Corky warned me not to do Yosemite, but others said it should be OK. It’s not OK. I think I got the last room within a 40 mile radius. If people were degrees, in would be a gazillion in the shade. If it’s REALLY backed up going to the park tomorrow, I may just turn around and say I gave it the old college try. With any kind of luck, I should be out of California tomorrow and getting out of the heat but into the northwest rains.
That’s it!! No pictures. No humorous quips. Just a quick idea of what happened today. Hey – I heard the filly won the Belmont! How about that!

Friday, June 08, 2007 Buellton, CA

This has been the kind of day I haven’t had on this trip. It has seemed at times that this was more of a mission to accomplish than a trip to enjoy. Today – I enjoyed it. I slept in (till about 6:30) and pretty much just fiddle farted the morning away with coffee and sending out post cards. Decided to try and get the oil changed on the bike, so I drove into Lompoc at a Honda dealer. He said he was short handed, but if I came back the next morning, he not only could get to it, but there would be coffee and donuts. I had some time to kill now, so I went exploring. I found some coastal roads and some roads that went winding through hills and valleys. Got off the bike a couple times to take pictures, although none of them really turned out all that well. The best of them all was coming into Santa Barbara with twists and turns that reminded me of the Cherahola Skyway in Tenn/NC area. The temperature changed that much also – in the valley it was warm, coming up the mountains, it cooled down nicely, and as you got closer to the coast, it got pretty chilly.
My destination for the afternoon was the Santa Barbara Polo Club to watch what I was hoping to be some good 12 goal polo and visit with Kathy and Corky. Well – it was 12 goal polo, but wasn’t very good. I was amazed at the mallet work of the players and the ability of the horses they have. I was also terribly disappointed in that nobody backs the ball anymore. They would rather turn it and make a play, but maybe it’s to justify the dollars they’re making. The field they were playing on (and there were 3 of them) was like a putting green. A little brown in spots, but cut that close, that smooth, and as soft and spongy as you can imagine. The polo club sits at the bottom of some beautiful mountains with condos at one end of the fields, and at the top of the mountains, you can see some lavish homes have been built.
Cork and Kathy really haven’t changed much over the years, although to be honest, had Corky come up to me without Kathy being there, I may not have recognized him. It wasn’t till he got off the horse and got rid of the sunglasses and hat while we were in a restaurant that his features came back to me. After looking at the required pictures that were taken, I swear Kathy hasn’t changed much in the last 35 years. They certainly seem to have developed a good niche in the polo world. They’ve worked hard at it and I’m glad for them. They’re good people.
Trying to beat the dark to get back to the motel was a treat. After having driven this road a couple times in the last few days, I was feeling a bit more comfortable driving it, so the curves at 75mph were a real trip. That was just what I needed to make a great day.

Thursday, June 07, 2007 Buellton, CA

FINALLY!! A day where I’m not fighting the WIND. This is the one night I didn’t bother putting a cover on the bike, so I spent some time getting it clean and dry. Well – dry anyway. Boy - does that thing need a bath! Spent a leisurely morning breakfast at the hotel listening to Perry Como, Dean Martin, and Nat King Cole – and enjoying it. I must be getting old. I’m liking my dad’s music.
Rode on to the Hearst Castle. WOW!! For those of you that don’t know – you board a bus at the visitor center and they drive you up the hill to the castle 5 miles. There were cattle all over the place – still owned by the Hearst Corp., even though they donated the castle to the state park system. I was wondering what all that brown stuff is the cattle are grazing on. Cattle are supposed to be grazing on green grass and there’s not a whole lot of green around here, except money. The Hearst Castle is along the same line of grand mansions as Biltmore in NC, but a little more spectacular if only because of the landscape. It does, after all, sit atop a mountain looking over the Pacific Ocean. I could actually see someone building something like this someday, but no one could ever match the works of art that are not only hanging inside, but have become built into the walls and ceilings.
After I finished the castle tour, it was a leisurely stroll back down the highway in weather that didn’t require extra clothing – until I got about 5 miles down the road. Geez – isn’t this ever gonna quit? Put on my Nanuk of the North outfit again, and was quite comfortable when it got down to 54, but then it got up to 72 REAL quick, and then back down to 60. At this point, I wouldn’t mind a steady 100+ again. At least I’d know how to dress.
Just got off the phone with Kathy. She’ll be coming back from Milwaukee tomorrow, so I’ll have a chance to see some polo and visit for a little bit. Then all I have to do is figure out how to get back to the safety of 2 lane interstate

Wednesday June 06, 2007 San Simeon, CA

Remember yesterday when I said I may have to ride in WIND somewhere along the line? Welcome to yesterday. I'm really tired of this sh(oops - insert french word here. Maddie knows what I'm talking about). Another short day, only 300 miles. The intent was to get to San Simeon early enough to do a short tour of the Hearst Castle, but when I checked in about 3:30, I was just worn out. Started the morning with cloudy skies, and it never did reach 70 degrees. Traffic - ugh. The only good thing I can say about LA is they have car pool lanes for cars with 2 or more people, and motorcycles can use them. But if those lanes didn't exist, it's just 5 or 6 lanes of concrete with slow moving traffic. In many cases, I found myself in the far right lane going 5mph over the limit, and EVERYBODY was still passing me!! That of course was after I got out of the rush hour direction. After I got back on I-5 just north of LA, things seemed to get a little better. I took rt 126 through Filmore and on to Ventura. Beautiful fields of everything agricultural. It's amazing the diversity of crops you can grow here. As soon as I hit the coast - WIND, and more WIND. Doesn't it ever let up? Well - according to every person I talked to at the gas stations I stopped at, it's been like this for the last couple weeks. And then it got cold. Not bitter cold, but at 60 mph, when it get down to 54, that's cold. Had to stop and put on not only my liner, but my neck warmer, heavier gloves, and my chaps. I felt like Nanuk of the North. It only got cold the last 40 miles or so, but the wind kicked up about 50 miles before that. On the positive side of things, it was a beautiful drive. Not what I was expecting, but beautiful none the less. The mountains are in stark contrast to the ones in Alaska, or even Tenn., or even Arizona for that matter. AZ mountains were just big pieces of rock. At least here, there is some vegitation. Most of it's brown, but it gives it a softer look. When you get to the ocean, it just is a look that I have never seen anywhere else. Boy - that wind really made for some big waves!!
So the idea for tomorrow is to get to the Castle and do a tour or two. Hopefully, the weather will calm down some. It's really getting to the point of being scary on occasion when I'm on the road. Heading inland and picking up the interstate is looking more appealing all the time. Oh - the problems of being me!
No pictures today - maybe tomorrow.

Tuesday June 05, 2007 Upland, CA

Whew!!!! I'm glad that's over. This was the shortest day of the trip so far in miles, but also the most hair raising. I don't ever want to do that again, although somewhere along the way it might happen. WIND. Lots and lots of WIND. And it's not like I didn't know it was coming. There were signs. "WARNING - HIGH WINDS POSSIBLE FOR NEXT 89 MILES" For almost 100 miles, it hit me so hard it knocked my head back, then it hit from the left and then the right. Just when you think you have the lean angle correct to you can go down the road at a steady rate, it changes and you almost go into another lane. I started off this morning about 10:30 and the sign said 99 degrees. Here we go again. For the next 2 hrs is went from 104 to 94, but about 1/2 hr before it cooled down, I got the wind. As I started coming down mountains into San Diego, it cooled down. No - I mean it COOLED DOWN. To 64 degrees, and I'm in my summer jacket. This just wasn't a good day. Got to San Ysidro, took the picture of my bike in front of the PO, got all my paperwork in order, and went off to find a Walgreen, or Wal Mart or CVS or someplace to make a picture from my memory stick. NOPE - not in San Ysidro. Talk about frustrating. I'll finish it when I get home. Stopped for the night at what used to be a Best Western in Upland, CA. It really didn't matter where. I was a tired little puppy dog and just wanted to get off the road. I didn't even know where I was.
My friend Kathy was called back to Milwaukee as it seemed her mom might not make it. It now sounds like she will make it and Kathy will be back on Friday. I can't come this far and not see her, so maybe I'll take a trip up the coast highway and see the Hearst mansion. I can probably kill a couple days doing that.
Ron and Nancy Adams sent me off this morning with cereal, fresh fruit, bacon, toast and coffee. Geez - I don't even like to eat that well, I might get healthy! They could of course told me about the winds.
I'm now 3/4 of the way through my destinations. The shortest distance is yet to come, but depending on Kathy, it may take a full week. That's OK. That's why they give you 21 days. After that I get to visit with my cousin Brian who I haven't seen in about (guessing) 12 years. If Louise moves her trip to Jackson up sooner, things may change.
I posted a picture (I think it actually worked this time) of my license plate with my garnish from the Iron Butt Association. If you can't see it, it says "WORLDS TOUGHEST RIDERS" I think after the last two days of heat and wind, I can proudly say that I qualify.

Monday June 04, 2007 Yuma, AZ

There are times you have to feel a little concerned for your very well being. Today was one of those days. Thank goodness for the reliability of the Honda Goldwing and Metzler tires. Did I say yesterday was hot? That was a walk in the park. Try 108 degrees. That wasn't a spike. That was the last 45 minutes. Fortunately, this was one of my shorter days - about 350 miles. For about the last 2 1/2 hours, the temp was anywhere from 100 - 108. I went through about 4 bottles of water. The hardest part about drinking was raising my face shield to get the straw to my mouth because the heat just BLASTED you until the mask was back down.
Started this morning waiting for Boot Hill to open. Got the pictures just to prove I was there. By the time I hit I-10 at 10:30 it was 86 degrees. I felt a little light headed at first, but chalked it up to the coffee I had for breakfast. After a brief time out, some water, and a promise to myself to make sure I kept drinking plenty of water, I hit the interstate. The roads were in great shape, just hot. What amazed me as I was driving is how smart we can be in diverting water from so far away. In the middle of the DESERT, you find the greenest fields of whatever needs to be grown, just by flooding them from water that came from I don't know how far away.
I arrived at Ron and Nancy Adams place in Yuma about 3:00 and was greeted with a cold beer and some great conversation. The last time Weez and I had seen them was after our Columbia River Expedition a few years ago. Nancy said she wished Louise could have been here - I agreed. Later on was steak and potatoes and some margaritas. Life is good!!

Sunday June 03, 2007 Tombstone, AZ

TOMBSTONE – HOT, HOT, HOT. Don’t come here. It’s HOT!!.
Left New Mexico about 9:30 to what looked like rain down the road, but thought the sun would burn it off. Put the rain gear on about 15 minutes down the road cause it looked like it would get worse. Stopped at the Guadalupe Mountain Park to see nothing but fog. The only other vehicles there were motorcycles. Both of them had riders 2 up. We stood around and talked a bit, and then took off. The fog disappeared as I was riding, and since I wasn’t on an interstate, and there was virtually no traffic for as far as the eye could see, I just stopped and took some pictures. After a while, I started carrying the camera in my pocket and taking pictures as I was moving. Most of them didn’t turn out to well. I still wouldn’t have been fast enough to catch the Road Runner I saw. (no, not the car) I shed all the rain gear just outside of El Paso. The New Mexico mountains are very pretty, but also very far away so they don’t lend themselves to my little camera. Most of NM was about 90 degrees, but didn’t feel very hot. As soon as I crossed into Arizona, it was like someone turned on a switch and it got to 97. That was pretty warm. Decided to go to Tombstone just because the time will allow me to go, and to see what it was like. Pretty much a tourist thing, but the history behind it all still is still intriguing. Forced myself to shower and head into town to see what it’s all about. I determined that the beer I had at the Chrystal Palace was probably the best I ever had. If it were not for the fact that I was alone and on a motorcycle, there would have probably been a few more.
Hopefully, this will be a short day. I’m off to see Ron & Nancy Adams in Yuma. With the heat today, the less time on a bike – the better.