• Great Smoky Mountains HOG Rally Day 2

    30. syyskuuta 2021, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    What a great day yesterday! When we left Bryson City, the six of us continued east to Cherokee. We stopped at the HD merchandise store, then spent a little time in the Qualla Arts and Crafts Center. They sell authentic Cherokee-made arts and crafts, like baskets, wood carvings, and pottery.

    We backtracked a little bit west, then started the Cherohala Skyway in the Nantahala National Forest. Although it isn't as difficult a ride as the Tail, it is a beautiful run with lots of overlooks. Great road!!!

    We had dinner by our hotel and called it a night around 21:00. It wasn't a long day of writing, but it was a lot of technical writing, so we were all pretty beat.

    But not beat enough to want to do it again today! Five of us (Kevin rode with some other friends) left the hotel at 09:00 and headed northwest to do the Devil's Triangle. [More info:
    https://devilstriangletn.com/] It may be short, but it is full of switchbacks, twists, and turns! Yay!

    We did the route counterclockwise based on a recommendation from a guy at Bootlegger HD where we stopped this morning on the way up. We came across only one accident. The solo rider was fine, but the bike's nose was slammed into the hillside in the middle of a tight turn. I think he was mostly embarrassed.

    Now we've taken a break at Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary with about 500 other bikers 🤣. It has quite an interesting history, https://tourbrushy.com/history, and is probably most well known for housing James Earl Ray who murdered Martin Luther King, Jr.

    Another great day to ride!!

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 194 mileage: 236.6 (total 54364.8)
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  • Great Smoky Mountains HOG Rally Day 1

    29. syyskuuta 2021, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    Yesterday, I made it into Maryville after a very short ride and went straight to the rally check in location. This makes 11 HOG rallies for me this summer, the maximum possible 😁. Later, I went to the Smoky Mountain HD for the opening ceremony and found several people I met on other rallies. How cool to see folks again.

    This morning, Chris &Tammy from Arizona, Doc & Mary from Missouri, Kevin from California, and I left the hotel at 08:00 to ride the Tail of the Dragon (TN129) and the Hellbender (NC28). Each is a terrific twisty-turny route and the location for the TN and NC 50 Rides 1 Nation photos. That brings me to 46 😁.

    Now we've stopped at the Bryson City HD for a photo (me) and shopping (them). It's a great day to ride!!

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 193 mileage: 131.1 (total 54128.2)

    P.S.: More info on these roads: https://www.smokymountaindrives.com/roads
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  • Rally Day!

    28. syyskuuta 2021, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    Yesterday, I got my 70,000-mile service done and bought a cup holder for the bike, which the guys put on for me. Awesome shop!

    I spent the rest of the day working on routes and photos, then a movie to cap off the night.

    I just left the hotel in Chattanooga bound for Maryville to check in for the Great Smoky Mountain HOG Rally! Yippee!

    You can't eat inside fastfood places, so I'm the Wendy's drive thru. It's not too difficult as long as I don't get a soda 🤣. Oh wait! I have a cup holder now!

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 192 mileage: 60.9 (total 53997.1)
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  • 70,000-Mile Service

    27. syyskuuta 2021, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    Coming back from Fort Payne was a nightmare. As it turns out, yesterday was the Ironman race in downtown Chattanooga, and they apparently closed the Interstate. I took back roads and did some stuff you can't do in a cage, so I made it to town without terrible delays. But my hotel was in an area completely closed off. The GPS wouldn't route me because all the streets were closed, so I went in between the barriers... because I could... and took the wrong direction on the one way streets...because there wasn't any traffic.... I made it back safely and spent the next couple of hours hanging out at the pool. Aaaaaahhhhhh. I spent the rest of my evening in the room with Netflix. Great day.

    Today I'm hanging out in the room. I'll get my 70,000-mile service this afternoon 😁.

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 191 mileage: 92.0 (total 53936.2)
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  • Alabama 50 Rides 1 Nation

    26. syyskuuta 2021, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    If you've glanced at my mileage below, then you can see I went a very long way yesterday, my longest day yet. Mississippi was a blur. I made it to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and was planning on spending the night there, but every hotel from there through Birmingham was booked. I have no idea what was happening, but I decided to push through to Chattanooga, Tennessee.

    15.5 hours after I left Texas, I arrived at the Tennessee hotel at 22:00. I drafted an SUV for the last 80 miles or so because its headlights lit up both lanes well enough that I could see where I was going and if I needed to dodge anything in the road 👍 .

    About 50 miles before Chattanooga, my GPS told me to take an exit. Thinking it was one of many fuel stops I added, I ignored it and kept following the SUV. I realized this morning that it was taking me to the Alabama 50 Rides 1 Nation location in Fort Payne. So, today I've ridden back south to take the photo.

    I got here 15 minutes before I left because of the time zone change at the Georgia border. (I-59 cuts the corner of Georgia as you go between Alabama and Tennessee.) I expect it to take me an hour and 45 minutes to get back though 🤣.

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 190 mileage: 853.2 😱 (total 53844.2)
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  • Magical Morning

    25. syyskuuta 2021, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    Yesterday, I finished 49 of the 50 stops on the Motorcycle Grand Tour of Texas! The last one is tracking down a guy riding to support diabetes. I'll find him later. I also hit the final HD in Texas, Waco HD 😁. Great day riding in beautiful weather along back roads with 70 mph limit. Yippee!

    I spent the night in Buffalo, Texas, which is east of Waco on I-45. I walked across the road to Anthony's Restaurant. They had a buffet, which I opted for before seeing it. Big mistake. Although the fried shrimp was good, the other items I had were middling to poor. There was nothing green, and everything else except the fish filet was fried. Worst of all, when I went back for more shrimp, there were cockroaches on the bar 😝. Nope.

    On the way back to the hotel, I stopped at the Dairy Queen for a Strawberry Cheesecake Blizzard. I took about 10 bites and realized I can't eat this sweet stuff anymore. Too bad because it was really good.

    I left this morning at 06:30 in the pitch dark, heading south on I-45 until I turned off onto Highway 7 towards Davy Crockett National Forest. As the dawning light began to emerge in front of me, it revealed lush fields laden with dew. Atop most laid a gentle mist just high enough to clear the grass yet low enough for sleepy cow eyes to peer above. Occasionally, the mist reached out to caress the road. Rolling through it left fine droplets on my face shield and sent a shiver through me. The warming sun finally broke the horizon about 07:15, and I welcomed its light on my path. It was a truly magical morning.

    The magic ended when I crossed the Sabine River into Louisiana and its horrible roads. I had to drop from 70 mph (80 😉) to 55 because of the potholes and rough patches...and the lower speed limit. Now I'm in some little town where everything is broken. The gas pumps won't take cards, Kentucky Fried Chicken is drive through only, and the Sonic bathroom is closed. Everyone's blinkers must be busted too because no one uses them here 🤦.

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 189 mileage: 599.3 (total 52991.0)
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  • The Tape Didn't Stay

    24. syyskuuta 2021, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    Well, I was right. After I peeled off my rain gear yesterday, the heat came on with a vengeance. It was so hot that the duct tape holding my chaps together came unstuck. But I made it through New Mexico and into Texas without any significant issues.

    The time change had an effect on me last night. Arizona doesn't observe Daylight Savings like the other 47 states, so it was the same time as California (Pacific). New Mexico is in Mountain Time and east of El Paso Central begins. So, when I saw the sun going down at 19:00, I was still feeling like it was only 17:00 with plenty of more miles in me. But no sun + dark roads = big deer & bad news, so I stopped for the night in Odessa.

    Of course, I didn't get to sleep until after midnight because of the... do you still call it jet lag when you're on a motorcycle? ...time change, so when my alarm went off at 05:30, which felt like 03:30, I didn't get up. Instead, I left the hotel just after 07:00 and after using twice as much tape on my chaps. Luckily, 7 o'clock turned out to be the perfect time because the sun was just coming up.

    Today, I've been hitting more stops on my Motorcycle Grand Tour of Texas. I just left the Heart of Texas Museum in Brady and am now at the Geographical Center of Texas. Awesome!!

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 188 mileage: 733.5 (total 52391.7)
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  • Cold Morning

    23. syyskuuta 2021, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F

    After Kingman, I jumped on I-40 towards Flagstaff and no sooner was I on the road when the elevation began to rise and the temperature began to drop. Yay!

    Just south of Flagstaff, I veered onto AZ89A to Sedona. What a beautiful road! Set in Coconino National Forest, this twisty, turny ribbon of asphalt begins with large evergreens lining both sides, occasionally receding to let in a meadow or stream. Then come the switchbacks down into the canyon. Sweet! The town center where the HD is (a t-shirt shop basically) is 💲caa-ching💰 😳. But it's really pretty as it sits nestled into the side of the canyon. When the traffic let's you leave town, you pass by the towering red canyon walls. Great road!

    Leaving Sedona behind, I headed toward Phoenix to hit its numerous HDs. 9! The first one was in Cave Creek, where a pole was sticking up out of the middle of the road...at every crosswalk! WTF? Who does that?! Luckily, I didn't impale myself or Willie, and we continued on into the city.

    Traffic. Traffic. Traffic. We fought and fought, and Willie got me through it all. The last HD photo was at 21:00, and it was just down the street from the hotel in Chandler. Which was excellent because I was beat. I crashed hard...I mean, I went to sleep very quickly 😉. No crashing authorized on this trip 🤞.

    I left at sunrise and was just about to jump on I-10 when I spotted a Whataburger! Yay, I got a taquito for breakfast 😋! With that in my tummy, I made it to the Tucson HD at 08:00, where I put on my jacket liner and fingered gloves 🥶. It was a cold morning ride! I also put on my rain gear and covered my bags because of a front just moving into my area and heading my direction.

    I only hit some light rain🌧️, but the roads were wet for a while and the temperature never rose, so I kept my rain gear on. It finally started warming up about an hour ago and now I can't take it anymore. The cool was nice, but I think the heat is coming again ☹️.

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 187 mileage: 689.0 (total 51658.2)
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  • Why does anyone live in the desert?

    22. syyskuuta 2021, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    After lunch yesterday, I continued south into San Diego. I had on my vest and chaps, which made me feel like I was wearing to most clothes of anyone there. Everyone was in beach attire, and rightly so. It was a beautiful day to be in the sand and on the water. I hit my HDs, then spotted the Hard Rock Hotel on the way out of town, so I grabbed some pins. Bonus!

    After that I headed west to Yuma, Arizona. It was soooo hot 🥵. Like riding in a hair dryer. It was cooler to keep my helmet face shield closed 😨. Terrible. 102°F when I checked into my hotel at 18:00 😳. No thanks.

    I left this morning at 07:00, around 70°F, riding straight into the sun. But I soon turned north on Hwy 95. A vast expanse of 🏜️. That's it. Apparently there are wild burros, but I didn't get to see any of those. Oh! I did see a coyote and a roadrunner, but the first wasn't chasing the last 😉.

    After I duct taped my chaps back together outside of Yuma Proving Grounds, I passed through Parker, which was stunning. Then I found London Bridge in Lake Havasu City 🇬🇧. Neat.

    I finally made it to Kingman, where I am now taking a break at a Flying J. I turned Willie off to let him cool down a little. Not sure he will though because it is sooo hot outside. Again. I haven't looked at the temperature on purpose, but I'm fairly certain it's over 100°F 🥵. I hope my tape stays on.

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 186 mileage: 528.0 (total 50969.2)
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  • 50,000 Miles Later, I'm Headed South

    21. syyskuuta 2021, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 91 °F

    For those of you who read this often, I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. I'll catch up soon. In the meantime, here's a summary of the missing days:
    - Rally was great. We won a banner and mailed it to Lumpy, who couldn't make it.
    - Ben and I continued riding. He showed me some cool sights, like Ferndale and Avenue of the Giants (Redwoods).
    - Minor bike malfunction Sunday morning, so I hopped on the back of Ben's to see San Francisco. I 💜 THIS CITY!!
    - Bike fine Monday morning and off we went. 6.7 miles after we left Ukiah, I rolled 50,000 miles on my trip 😁.

    Ben and I said see ya later yesterday after lunch in Point Richmond. I finally let him go home 😉 while I made my way south to the next HD in San Jose. Continuing along the 101, I hooked a left in Gilroy to take the 152 all the way across to the 99. I passed the San Luis Reservoir on the way. I don't have a comparison, but it seemed the water was very low. Beautiful area.

    After a gorgeous sunset, I spent the night in Bakersfield, arriving around 19:00 and leaving this morning at 06:00. It was 70°F when I left Bakersfield, so I wore my fingerless gloves, but as I passed through the Mojave Desert, my hands were freezing! I held out until I reached the Lancaster HD where I changed gloves.

    Near the Mojave Air and Space Port, I saw what I thought was an airplane graveyard. Google calls it "Mojave Commercial Airliner Storage." I didn't stop to take pics, but I did stop for the huge moon setting behind the scrub-covered hills speckled with wind turbines. Amazing.

    After the Lancaster HD, I began to hit traffic. Traffic. That word really doesn't do justice to driving in LA during rush hour(s) 😳. I cut out the HD that would've taken me near downtown. I would still be north of LA if lane splitting wasn't allowed. (Don't tell Mom what that is 😉.) Anyway, I made it past LA without any problems and am now having a bite to eat in San Marcos.

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 185 mileage: 447.7 (total 50441.2😁)
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  • Lunch Time

    20. syyskuuta 2021, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    Ben took me through San Francisco yesterday. I love this city! We went down Lombard Street, supposedly the twistiest street in America, although I jumped off his bike before the last turn, just in case he had to stop with traffic. We took pics of the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset. Magical.

    Today, I'm heading to Tennessee for the next rally, while Ben goes home. He was a great road partner, but he has to get back to his real life. Hope I see him again down the road.

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 184 mileage: 0 (total still 49993.5)
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  • Oregon Volcanoes Rally Day 2

    13. syyskuuta 2021, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    After not seeing Mount St Helen, Ben and I caught up with the others and we made our way into Cougar. We stopped for lunch at a place because the sign said "Warm Beer & Lousy Service." We figured it was just the place for us 😉. It turned out to be the Cougar Bar & Grill and the food was great.

    When we hit I-5, everyone split off to either go straight to their hotels or to continue the ride. Ben and I went to the hotel, which was across the street from the hosting dealership. We walked over for dinner, then said goodnight.

    We met everyone at a Starbucks and rolled out at 09:00 to head down the 5 to Salem and its dealership. Then we took off east to Bend. There was so much smoke from the fires that you could literally taste it. We made several stops along the way, and now we're having a late lunch in Sisters.

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 177 mileage: 182.1 (total 48785.6)
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  • Oregon Volcanoes HOG Touring Rally

    12. syyskuuta 2021, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    After my service yesterday, Ben and I rode to Latus HD in Gladstone, OR (Portland area) to sign in to the Oregon Volcanoes HOG Touring Rally. This is the sixth and final touring rally of the year, and, other than the organizer Bill, I am the only person who has been at them all!

    We signed in, then hit the hotel before going back for dinner. It was a pretty good meal of bbq ribs and chicken with coleslaw and potato salad. I had a chat with the owner about how his service department wouldn't help me with my 65,000-mile service even though I was coming in for the rally they were hosting. He didn't seem concerned, so I'm very glad I gave my money to Paradise HD instead.

    After dinner it was back to the hotel to get some rest before meeting up with Chris & Tammy and Richard to ride today's route. Not long after we rolled out at 08:00, we passed another buddy Denny, so he came with us as well.

    First, we went to Vista House and got Oregon's 50 Rides 1 Nation photo, which is number 42 😁. Then we rode Highway 30 and stopped at several waterfalls along the way. Now, we're at McClellan Overlook to see Mount St Helen, but it is covered in clouds ☹️. So, I took my final 10 Rides for 2021 photo by the sign instead.

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 176 mileage: 192.2 (total 48603.5)
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  • 65,000-Mile Service

    11. syyskuuta 2021, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    Ben and I had no problems around Seattle yesterday. We stayed in Lacey and had a really nice meal at Red Lobster across the street, then called it an early night.

    We left this morning around 08:00 headed to Yelm then the HD in Vancouver, WA. Volcano HD was doing an Appreciation Day, but we had to keep moving to get to where we are now: Paradise HD in Tigard, Oregon (Portland area).

    Paradise HD is terrific! Despite it being what they call their busiest day of the year, the Saturday after Labor Day, they found a spot to do my 65,000-mile service. Now, Ben and I are eating free red bratwurst on hot dog buns along with the salami, garlic cheese curds, and peanut butter snacks we have in the cooler. Lovely lunch!

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 175 mileage: 125.9 (total 48411.3)
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  • Starbucks Shot Stop

    10. syyskuuta 2021, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    Yesterday, Ben and I visited the incredible Grand Coulee Dam on our way to the gorgeous North Cascades National Park, then grabbed a hotel along Interstate 5 well north of Seattle.

    Today, we're hitting the dealerships and have stopped at a Starbucks for a jolt of caffeine. As typical for Seattle, the sky is overcast and the day is gloomy, but traffic isn't as bad as I had feared, so it's a pretty good day so far.

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 174 mileage: 374.5 (total 48285.4)
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  • Heading West

    9. syyskuuta 2021, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    Oh man, what a wonderful lunch we had yesterday! Calamari, salmon, halibut...yum! After that, we made our way to Spokane. I was stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base 2007-2009, but didn't get to do much in downtown, so we stayed right by the river. I forgot how much I like Spokane. We walked through the park, checked out the carousel, talked to a couple of security guards for the Death Cab For Cutie concert, and popped into the Irish Pub. Then we wrapped up the evening with a filet mignon smothered in grilled onions and shiitake mushrooms and asparagus sprinkled with goat cheese. Oh. My. God. It was one of the best meals I've ever had 😋😋😋.

    We aren't very good at leaving early, and today was no different. But we finally got out of the hotel and are heading west on 2 towards the Coulee Dam.

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 173 mileage: 282.7 (total 47910.9)
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  • Lunch at the Marina

    8. syyskuuta 2021, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    The new tires took a while, so we didn't leave Boise until almost 14:00. Ben and I headed north on 95 towards Lewiston, which was a gorgeous drive along the Salmon River. We stopped around 17:30 at the Salmon River Motel in Riggins, Idaho, a neat little town.

    We had dinner at the cafe next door, then hung out in the evening air before calling it a night.

    We had breakfast at the same cafe and chatted with the owner. She and her partner have the place for sale because they want to retire.

    Although we shot for 07:00, we didn't leave this morning until just before 08:00. But only a few miles down the road we changed to Pacific Time, which put us at 07:00 again. I call that leaving on time 😁.

    We continued up the 95 and hit the Lewiston HD, which was next to a paper mill. Stinky 😝! The rest of the drive up would've been beautiful we could e seen anything. Like so much of the US this summer, Idaho is full of smoke from fires.

    Now we're in Coeur d'Alene for a lovely lunch at the marina.

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 172 mileage: 166.1 (total 47628.2)
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  • Flaming Gorge & Ashley National Forest

    6. syyskuuta 2021, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    If you haven't been to Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, put it on your list of sites to see. And bring your boat 😉.

    After Flaming Gorge HD, we followed WY530 down the west side of the Green River where we hit the Utah border sign you saw in yesterday's post. Then we turned onto UT44 back east, twisting through the Sheep Creek area and finally stopping at the Red Canyon Overlook in Ashley National Forest. Magnificent! We had a very nice lunch at the Red Canyon Lodge--it's for sale if you're interested--then continued to US191. We made it to the dealership in Vernal, still with Trump 2020 signs out front 😝, then decided to press on to Provo.

    We stayed in Lehi and today have been hitting HDs on our way to Idaho. We're stopped now at where the Logan HD used to be 🤣.

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 170 mileage: 415.5 (total 47010.6)
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