• Look Who I Found in Nebraska

    4 septembre 2021, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    Yesterday I hit loads of HDs and stopped at the old Joliet Prison most known from the Blues Brothers 😁. I made it all the way to western Iowa before dark, stopping at a hotel around 19:00.

    This morning I left early again to hit the Omaha HDs and grab Nebraska's 50 Rides 1 Nation photo.

    A couple of hundred miles later, I met up with Ben from California who is also heading to the Oregon rally. It's nice to ride with someone.

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

    Day 168 mileage: 655.0 (total 45846.7)
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  • Westward Bound...Again 🤣

    3 septembre 2021, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    I made great time yesterday hitting HDs and HQ before getting to the hotel at 14:00. I couldn't check in, so I went to the Museum where the Hometown Rally was starting.

    At 16:00 we had the Lake Michigan Rally's final get together and had several special guests. We met Jennifer, the US HOG Manager, and all three HD Regional Managers were there (Paul, Chris, and Bruce). Most surprising of all, Bill Davidson showed up, said a few words about his mom passing away and how his dad Willie G is faring, and signed autographs. I don't look for famous people, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to have him sign my vest. Pretty cool evening even though I didn't go into the museum. No time to see it well, so I'll save it for another time.

    I left about 06:00 again this morning to hit a bunch of HDs around Chicago as I make my way westward...again...towards Oregon for the next next rally.

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

    Day 167 mileage: 391.0 (total 45191.7)

    P.S.: While at the Museum, I also became a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars 😁.
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  • Lake Michigan Touring Rally Day 4

    2 septembre 2021, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    After lunch at Doc's Emporium 🤣, I continued on to Appleton HD, then a couple of stores to replace the wall charger and cable I left in the hotel the night before 🤦. That done, I hit my hotel at about 15:00, then went to the dinner at Vandervest HD in Green Bay. Wow! What a beautiful dealership!

    This morning, I rolled just before 06:00 to get to Al Johnson's Restaurant by 07:15. I took my Wisconsin 50 Rides 1 Nation photo and back tracked a bit to hit dealerships and HD Headquarters on my way to Milwaukee.

    I'm making such good time that I'm now stopped for lunch at a wonderful seafood place. Yummy!

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

    Day 166 mileage: 394.1 (total 44800.7)
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  • Lake Michigan Touring Rally Day 3

    1 septembre 2021, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    After our fantastic lunch yesterday, we continued on our route until the intersection of M-77 and M-28. There, Bill split off to go straight to Marquette, while Paul, Kathy and I joined Thor and his wife Cheryl to continue north on 77 to Grand Marais and its gorgeous beach on Lake Superior. Wow!

    Even better than the beach, we took H-28 towards Munising, a twisty, turny road that's probably the best paved one in the state. Long, sweeping turns and little traffic. Awesome!

    We got to the dealership just a few minutes after 17:00, and I had enough time to buy a swing arm bag for Willie. Like I need to carry more stuff 😉.

    We had a catered bbq meal at HD, and I was in my room by 19:30. I tried to get to sleep early, but....

    I was wide awake at 04:00, far too early to leave. I had eggs, sausage, and half a bagel at the hotel--very few do a hot breakfast, so it was nice even though it wasn't good--and rolled out at 07:00. Well, I left the parking lot at 06:45, but it was only 44°F and I hadn't dressed warmly enough, so I pulled over to layer up. So, if you're counting, let's say 07:00.

    It was pretty this morning in the early light. The rising mist hung just below the evergreen tops about 50 feet above me. In one section, it reminded me of the movie "The Mist," and I waited for the giant spiders to come scuttling out of the branches. But they didn't. The turkeys did though. There were loads of them along the verge. I also saw a huge bald eagle swoop down on the shoulder, scattering several crows, presumably to claim ownership of whatever the traffic had killed during the night. I thought the crows were big, but the eagle was easily five or even six times larger. Magnificent.

    Isn't it summer?! 44°F did not get any warmer as I made my way east then south to North Woods HD in Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin. I was frozen and my heated gloves were dead when I arrived at 08:30, 2.5 hours later because of the time change to Central. I had to buy a coat liner, socks, and long johns to add more layers, but everything was on sale and they gave me a military discount, so it wasn't as expensive as it could've been.

    I left there at about 09:00 and continued south in 60° weather and better layers, so I was okay.

    Now, I'm stopped for lunch at Doc's HD, which is a dealership, a museum, a zoo, and a restaurant 🤷. Pretty interesting place and worth a stop if you're in the area.

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

    Day 165 mileage: 354.8 (total 44406.6)
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  • Lake Michigan Touring Rally Day 2

    31 août 2021, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    There was a haircut place next door, and after that, I made it to the hotel to do laundry...finally. It's a good thing I got to Traverse City so early because it took forever to wash and dry just one load. I made it to the dealership just in time for hors d'oeuvre (little smokies, jalapeno poppers, and cheese sticks 😶).

    Heading back to the hotel, at the gas station I grabbed a bite for dinner and breakfast, then called it an early night.

    I was up at 06:00 this morning to pack and meet Bill, Paul, and Kathy at their hotel. I've ridden at least one day with Bill each touring rally except the Texas one, so it was nice to jump in him again.

    We rolled at 07:30 or there about and have had a nice day hugging the east side of Lake Michigan and swooping through the Tunnel of Trees to pop out at Legs Inn, Michigan's 50 Rides 1 Nation location.

    Then it was further north to Mackinaw City. I found a couple of pairs of my awesome gloves at the dealership there. (I'm picking up extras because they don't make them anymore.) Plus, we got our photos at a 10 Rides for 2021 location, giving me 9 of the 10. Only 1 to go!!

    Now we're stopped for lunch at a place called Moofinfries. Ice cream and burgers (moo), fish (fin), and fries. Clever. One of the ice cream flavors is Michigan Pot Hole 🤣.

    I have walked across the street to get pasties. That is NOT pronounced with a long A. It's pass-tees. I know what they are, but have never had one. Bill and Kathy have never even heard of them, so I'm getting three for us. Yummy!

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

    Day 164 mileage: 273.7 (total 44051.8)
    50 Rides, 1 Nation: 1 (total 38)
    10 Rides for 2021: 1 (9 of 10)
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  • Lake Michigan Touring Rally Day 1

    30 août 2021, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    After Willie's service, at 13:20 we took off for Indiana to grab the 50 Rides 1 Nation photo in Mentone, "The Egg Basket of the Midwest," whatever that means. Then it was a belong north to get to Battle Creek, Michigan, and the start of the Lake Michigan Touring Rally. We made it to the opening dinner at 18:00, pretty good for almost 300 miles. I skipped a few dealerships to get there, but worth it to chat with new people and hug old friends.

    I left this morning at 06:30 to hit a few dealerships and get to Traverse City early so I could get a pedicure and a haircut and to do laundry. Now, I'm at the nail shop and I think there's a hair place next door. Finally!

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

    Day 163 mileage: 285.8 (total 43778.1)
    50 Rides, 1 Nation: 1 (total 37)
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  • 60,000-Mile Service

    29 août 2021, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    It was strange going 500 miles without hitting a dealership. I got the first of only two yesterday afternoon in Sandusky, OH, then the second in Toledo next door to my hotel. I checked in at 18:00, 11.5 hours and 700 miles from Lake Placid 😁. After DoorDash hummus, fattoush, and chicken shawarma, I turned on a movie and promptly fell asleep 🤣.

    This morning I got to sleep in but was awake before 07:00 anyway. Now I'm waiting for the dealership to finish up Willie's 60,000-mile service so we can head to Battle Creek, Michigan, for the Lake Michigan Touring Rally 😁. I'm lying on the floor because the state's COVID restrictions made the dealership remove their waiting area 😠.

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

    Day 162 mileage: 696.1 (total 43492.3)

    P.S.: Yes, that is another waiting customer on the floor by the vending machines 🤣☹️.
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  • Heading West

    28 août 2021, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    I had a relaxing day yesterday hanging out in Lake Placid by the lake. I was back in my room around 18:00 with dinner and went to bed early to get up at 05:00.

    I couldn't help but hit snooze a couple of times, but I finally rolled out of bed, packed, and hit the road at 06:30.

    Now I'm headed west again for the next rally 😁.

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

    Day 161 mileage: 0 😁 (total still 42796.2)
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  • Working On My Routes

    27 août 2021, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    Picking up on yesterday, I continued south to Massachusetts to get the state's 50 Rides 1 Nation stop. What a great road! Best of all, you don't have to backtrack almost 7 miles after making the summit. I came in from the north, and if you exit from south then you pop out only five miles or so from the Harley dealership.

    From there, I continued on towards Albany to collect a few more dealerships, then swung back north to get to the hotel at about 20:00. It was a really nice day of riding.

    I hit the hotel, did a little bathroom thing, changed shirts, then walked a few blocks north to the Pickled Pig for the rally cornhole tournament. Not surprising it was over before I got there because there were only four teams. But cornhole was the only evening event scheduled for the rally 😳😭. I talked to a couple nice people and then went back to the hotel to crash.

    Yay! I did not have to get up when my alarm went off because my alarm did not go off, but I still woke up at 07:00. [Why is there not a poo emoji with a frowny face?!]

    I'm working on my routes now.

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

    Day 160 mileage: 707.0 (total 42796.2)
    50 Rides, 1 Nation: 1 (total 36)
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  • I made it to the east

    26 août 2021, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F

    Yesterday I made it to a couple of more dealerships, swung into Sackets Harbor for a glimpse of Lake Ontario, then spent the night in Calcium near Fort Drum. I spent about 14 hours on the bike, but because it was mostly back roads through New York, the mileage was a bit shorter than the last few days.

    I was very tired when I got off the bike last night. Yet I couldn't get my brain to turn off, so I didn't get to sleep as quickly as I thought I was going to. In fact, just a little bit after midnight my hotel room phone rang. I answered it and some girl was on the line. I just hung up on her. But it got my brain going again, so I don't think I got to sleep before 01:00. Despite that I was up before my alarm went off at 05:00, so I was rolling at 05:30.

    It was another really pretty sunrise with misty fog. I got to Lake Placid just before 08:00 and went to the Lake Placid Horse Show grounds to pick up my registration package for the Reflections HOG Rally. That only took 5 minutes, so I was back on the bike headed to Vermont for that state's 50 Rides 1 Nation photo at the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream factory.

    During today's ride, so far, I've seen a coyote on the side of the road, its fur wet with dew, and a large, tawny whitetail doe with huge eyes. I also saw several "Moose Crossing" yellow road signs and one "Bear Crossing" sign, but neither of those animals, which is probably a good thing when you're on a motorcycle.

    After making it another 20 miles east past B&J's to the last Vermont dealership, I decided I did not want to backtrack a hundred miles to Lake Placid. Instead, I am now headed south to pick up New Hampshire's 50 Rides 1 Nation photo plus some dealerships. It's going to be another very long day.

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

    Day 159 mileage: 568.5 (total 42089.2)
    50 Rides, 1 Nation: 1 (total 35)
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  • Yep, still heading east

    25 août 2021, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    After the mayhem of Indianapolis traffic, I scooted across the state into Ohio where I saw my buddy Dano as I passed through on I-70. After either a late lunch or an early supper with him, I continued on and grabbed I-71 in Columbus to head up towards Cleveland. I was making good time so I decided to spend the night outside of Erie, PA. On my way there I had a couple of reminders that I was back in Amish Country 🤣.

    I left the hotel early the next morning and made it up to Niagara Falls State Park around 10:00. I paid for parking, what to the falls, took my photo, and left. The town of Niagara Falls is such a dump. It is really bad. I was happy to get out of there.

    Now I am outside Rochester, New York, on my way East.

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

    Day 158 mileage: 750.9 (total 41520.7)
    10 Rides for 2021: 1 (total 8 of 10)
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  • Guess what? I'm still heading east

    24 août 2021, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    Yesterday I rode past the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City on my way to a dealership. I wanted to get past St Louis last night so I wouldn't hit traffic this morning, so I made it all the way to Vandalia, Illinois. It was a 15.5-hour day on the bike and definitely my longest daily mileage yet.

    I rolled out this morning a little later at 06:30. The sun was already coming up, as was the heat, which caused a bit of fog to rise.out of the dew drenched fields. It was beautiful.

    Also beautiful was a hawk resting on top of the stones positioned in front of the Bloomington IL Harley dealership. He had his eye on a small bird perched on the power lines running down the street just above my head where I took the photo 🤣.

    I got behind on these posts again so I'm typing this a couple of days after the fact. I have forgotten why I had the look on my face but I see that I was in Indianapolis when I took it. The traffic was absolutely horrid and half of the interstates were closed down for construction making it even worse. I guess I'm thinking get me out of here quick.

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

    Day 157 mileage: 786.9 (total 40769.8)
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  • Still Heading East

    23 août 2021, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    Well, US 50 didn't get any better. It stayed flat and boring the whole way to Wichita, KS. I spent about 13 hours on the bike yesterday and may have done my highest mileage yet. I've lost track. This morning, however, I rolled 40,000 miles on my trip 😱😁.

    I left the hotel at about 05:45, but forgot to change my GPS to Avoid Tolls. Since Kansas charges tolls on most of the interstates--how is it legal for a state to enforce tolls on a federal road?!--I wound up back-tracking several miles to go around I-35 🤬.

    I planned the route to take KS 177 north to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve sign for Kansas' 50 Rides 1 Nation photo. They must have had a difficult time choosing this state's scenic ride. The only reason KS 177 is not the most boring road in the US is because it's the most interesting road in Kansas. It actually has a couple of turns in it and a few hills...um, a couple of bumps in the road that you can't quite see over. I can't wait to get out of this borrrrrring place.

    Yay, now I'm in Missouri! Um, wait, that didn't come out right. Yay, I'm not in Kansas anymore!

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

    Day 156 mileage: 753.0 (total 39982.9)
    50 Rides, 1 Nation: 1 (total 34)

    P.S.: During yesterday's borrrrrring ride across Kansas, I passed a wind farm that had no less than 300 huge turbines. The wind was about 20 mph straight out of the south, giving me a terrible crosswind, but the turbines should've been trying to lift Kansas off the ground. Instead, only about 30 were turning. What a horrible waste.
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  • Eastward-Bound

    22 août 2021, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 93 °F

    The rally ended yesterday evening at Durango Harley. There were some off-bike games, like tossing cheese puffs onto your partner's shaving cream covered shower cap, and I had a Texas Taco from the BBQ place next door. I took off back to the hotel around 19:00 to pack for today.

    I left the hotel at 05:45 in the 52°F chill and took CO 160 east. After a glimpse of the huge moon setting behind the mountains, the sunrise began to come up in front of me. Like the Japanese Rising Sun, the brilliant orange was serrated by the mountain peaks causing it streak in the clear blue sky. Incredible.

    It took four hours to reach Interstate 25, where I turned north to Pueblo and the last Colorado dealership 😁. Then I took US 50. Ugh. A straight flat line through eastern Colorado and Kansas. Nothing but crops and beef cattle. Boring. By 11:00 I was downing a 5-Hour Energy.

    Now I'm stopped for gas. I believe it's 97°F, an increase of 45° since this morning. Ugh.

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

    Day 155 mileage: 7.2 (total 39229.9)
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  • Photos, Photos, Photos

    21 août 2021, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    Oh, I had soooo much fun yesterday! The steam engine dropped us off in Silverton, where I had a simple lunch of a grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of chili at Natalie's 1912 Restaurant. Then a quick stop at the Harley shop for poker chips since they didn't have them the last two times I was here. I also popped down to the Silverton Hardware store to get a roll of electrical tape, but I really just wanted to let the dog I saw in an advertisement. I got the tape, but very sadly the dog died a couple of weeks ago 😢.

    Anyway, back to the train for the ride back to Durango, which was almost as awesome as the ride up to Silverton. We got back at 18:15, so I hightailed it from the depot at 5th and Main all the way up to 12th and 2nd. I grabbed a sandwich at a coffee shop on the way and got to the stoop of the old high school building at about 18:40. I had just enough time to scarf the sandwich before the Ghost Tour began at 19:00.

    It was a nice, informational walk mostly down 3rd Street with the old homes. Neat stories. My favorite was Judge Turner's old house. There was a single jail cell on the lower level and the Judge's wife would make dinner for anyone who happened to be spending the night. Three hooligans were in residence one night, and she took them their meals, leaving them after tossing an additional log into the stove. Unfortunately, the log blocked the stove's flue and the three men suffocated in the cell. Over the past century, many people have reported seeing three shady characters hanging about the residence 👻👻👻.

    John Wayne even saw one of the ghosts, a lady in a white nightgown sitting on the end of his bed in the now Rochester Hotel Room 204.

    We finished at 20:30, and I walked back to my hotel. By the time I got back, my feet and left ankle were very sore. I estimate I walked well over 5 miles today, much further than I've done since breaking my foot and spraining my ankle in early May. Ouch. But I had a great time.

    Today I'm working on my photos. I've caught up on my 21-31 July posts here, but I still need to add some photos to them. I need to get my routes finished and somewhat packed before the rally's closing ceremonies start at 16:00.

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

    Day 154 mileage: 0 finally (total still 39222.7)
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  • Steam Train to Silverton

    20 août 2021, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F

    Remember how it was pouring at lunch yesterday? Well, the couple was correct. Ten minutes later the sun was shining with fury. And me without my sunglasses.

    I walked around Main Street for a while, checking out the bullet hole in the Diamond Belle Saloon from a gunfight way back when. Or so the story goes 😉. I also scoped out some other buildings from one of the handouts I picked up, then hopped on the bike to go back to the hotel. I was absolutely stuffed from lunch--calamari to start, a main course of pork loin with duck fat-fried potatoes and calabacitas, and creme brulee to finish--so by the time I got back to the hotel, I crashed hard. I woke up an hour or so later, goofed on my phone a while, then got up to go to the street party for the start of the rally.

    For the rally of about 400 people, the city closed off 10th Street between Main and Narrow Gauge Avenue. There was a decent band, food, beverages, and a bike show. We also had a "Drunk Tricycle Race," which was pretty much a fustercluck but really funny (video attached). The goggles you must wear simulate a blood alcohol level of 0.15%, then teams of 4 ride the adult sized tricycle relay-style. Fustercluck 🤣.

    I was chatting with people as they drifted around and ran into Wes whom I met at the Texas rally in April. We rode together for two days from Texas to Arkansas for the Ozarks rally, stopping at Oklahoma's 50 Rides 1 Nation location along the way. Great to see him again.

    Perhaps the best part of the evening, though, was the brilliant rainbow and its distinct reflection directly over town, then the sunset behind the clouds in the opposite direction. Magnificent.

    The mile-long walk back to the hotel was good for me, and I was ready to go to sleep so I could get up at 06:00 this morning.

    When the alarm went off, I jumped up wide awake and got ready to walk back into town. First to eat breakfast at the best place, Durango Diner. Second to make my way to the train depot for my steam train ride to Silverton!

    The train is so much fun and I'm having a great time chatting with my neighbors while gaping over the scenery. These pics don't do it justice. Tomorrow's post will have better pics from my real camera.

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

    Day 153 mileage: 5.2 🤣 (total 39222.7)
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  • Rocky Mountain HOG Rally

    19 août 2021, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    All I did yesterday was work on my remaining GPS routes. I had leftovers for dinner and went to bed at a sensible time.

    I was up this morning around 08:00, which was silly since I didn't have to go anywhere. But my brain started up, so I began working on my photos from the Border to Border rally, uploading them into albums so the guys can download what they want. I'm also adding to this feed the daily posts I missed from 21-31 July.

    Around 11:00, I rode to the nearby Holiday Inn to pick up my registration packet for the Rocky Mountain HOG Rally. I ran into Paul, one of three regional managers whom I met at the Kentucky rally. It's not his region, but he's filling in for Chris. It's nice to see him again.

    After that I parked in downtown, grabbed some historical info from the Visitors Center, and am now having lunch at Seasons while I peruse. As I type this, I am looking outside. It is absolutely pouring. But a local couple is laughing about it and saying it will be sunny in 10 minutes 🤣.

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

    Day 152 mileage: 12.1 🤣 (total 39217.5)
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  • 55,000-Mile Service

    18 août 2021, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    Yesterday, I got to Durango without any significant issue and in great weather. I swung by the dealership to ask about doing my 55,000-mile service. They said to come back this morning.

    After getting checked into my hotel--I got 5 nights for less than the price of 2 nights!--I plugged in my Chromecast and watched a movie while eating DoorDash Chinese. Winning!

    This morning, I was up early and at the dealership at 08:15; they opened at 09:00. They rolled me in at 08:45 and by 10:45 they were done! Winning again!

    Now, I'm back in my room eating leftovers and working on my routes. A nap may be in order at 14:00 😁.

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

    Day 151 mileage: 635.0 (total 39205.4)
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  • Lunch Stop

    17 août 2021, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    Well, I didn't miss the rain. It was terrible! I hit three significant waves of storm fronts yesterday afternoon: one north of Abilene, one east of Lubbock, and one north of Lubbock on my way to Amarillo.

    The first one hit hard, so I slowed down to only 55-60 with my hazards on and promptly got blown across my grooved pavement lane by a semi going 80 mph. I hydroplaned, lost the rear tire traction, and felt the front begin to big-time wobble. I rolled off and pushed hard with both arms to keep the front wheel straight. I don't know what I did with the clutch, but the rear tire smoothly reconnected after what seemed like a very long time and I stayed upright. I really thought I was going down. That one was very scary. The second one was just some fat raindrops and road spray, but the last one was so heavy that by 19:30 it was pitch dark, so I stopped at a hotel in Plainview, TX, for the night.

    I didn't go straight from Abilene to Amarillo because I was collecting four more stops on the Motorcycle Grand Tour of Texas: a giant arrow, a museum, a motorcycle gear store, and veterans memorial 😁.

    The cotton is beginning to bloom now. Seeing the solid white fields just before they're harvested is quite interesting. And after the harvest there will be drifts of cotton like snow on the sides of the road where it has blown out of the trucks. If you've never seen it, add Lubbock, Texas, to your list. I believe the harvest is usually in September/October.

    I left the hotel right at 06:00 this morning and it stayed dark until 07:30 because of the cloud cover. I only had one deer startle across the road, and it was close enough to engage the ABS. A beautiful and big 6- or possibly 8-point whitetail buck. Wow.

    After my fifth and final photo stop for MCGTTX, I hit the road for a straight shot to Durango. I'm stopped for lunch just outside of Albuquerque now. Perfectly dry and cool day so far. Yay!

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

    Day 150 mileage: 625.0 (total 38570.4)
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  • On The Road Again

    16 août 2021, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    The brownies were delicious!! Before I left mom's yesterday, I told her she couldn't eat the whole pan that day 🤣. The whole house.smelled like chocolate 😋.

    I spent the night in Emory and left this morning for Durango, Colorado, and the Rocky Mountain HOG Rally. So far the day has been clear of rain, but the forecasts for Abilene, Lubbock, and Amarillo are calling for heavy rain. Fingers crossed I miss it 🤞.

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

    Day 149 mileage: 122.1 (total 37945.4)
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  • Making Brownies

    15 août 2021, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F

    When I picked up Willie yesterday, I realized why the Service Technician asked if I was paying for this. Ugh. Over $2100 for everything.

    After that I ran to the store for mom. You know, the staples: cookies, ice cream, butter, bananas.... 🤣 Now I'm making her brownies while she naps. Yes, I can cook. With instructions 😉.

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

    Day 148 mileage: too few to count (total still 37823.3)
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  • Waiting For Willie

    14 août 2021, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 90 °F

    After I dropped off Willie at HD, I walked back to my mother's home. I was so tired that I ate, made the bed, and fell asleep around 19:00. I didn't wake up until 03:00 🤣🤣. But I didn't roll out of bed until 10:00, which was really nice.

    Now, I'm just waiting for Harley to call to say Willie's ready to be picked up. Thankfully, the weather front has already moved through, so just a little road spray. I should take a picture of him before he gets dirty again just to prove that he does get cleaned every once in a while 🤣.

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

    Day 147 mileage: 423.3 (total 37823.3)
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  • Willie is a Dirty Boy

    13 août 2021, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 91 °F

    Riding in 98°F in full leathers and a full-face helmet is horrible. Around 14:00 yesterday, instead of a nap, I took my daily 5-Hour Energy shot, ate a sandwich in the gas station's Beer Cave with a couple of bikers headed to Florida, and soaked my cool vest in water. (Thanks, Ben!) I didn't even wring out the vest much when I put it on, yet it was so hot that my soaked clothes barely held back the heat. Ugh. The vest and all of my clothes were completely dry by the time I got to my hotel.

    The highlight of yesterday afternoon was my stop in Metropolis. Yes, Metropolis, Illinois. The town has a Superman statue in the center square, which is the photo stop for Illinois's 50 Rides 1 Nation. Bonus: It was a really nice back roads ride to get there.

    Out of Metropolis, I took more back roads to cross the Mississippi River again into Cape Girardeau, Missouri. During a gas stop, Willie's check engine light came. I thought he was just got hot, but when I got to the Jonesboro HD around 20:00, I checked the error codes and found they were the same old false ones. So, we hit US 167 to get to Little Rock for the evening.

    I didn't make it that far though before I started yawning. At 21:30 I stopped for gas in Searcy, Arkansas, and got a room across the street. Stopping in Searcy left just under 400 miles to get into Dallas, which would get me into the city traffic during lunchtime instead of the Friday evening rush hours. Once in the hotel, I used a wet washcloth to loosen up the coating of dead bugs on Willie's windscreen. What a mess! 🤣 Then I covered him up, took a shower, and instantly fell asleep.

    My alarm went off at 05:00, but I must've hit off instead of snooze because I woke up at 06:00 🤣. No problem though. I uncovered Willie, cleaned off the remaining bug residue, and was on the road at 06:45. US 167 to I-30 and I got to my mother's home just a few minutes ago.

    I off-loaded the bike and went straight to Texas HD across the highway, where they're going to service the neck bearings and forks--the two items from my 50,000-mile service that I couldn't get done in Gillette--and replace the rear tire (10,000) and front brake pads (25,000). This will be expensive. But it keeps Willie and I healthy and whole, so worth it.

    I didn't realize how filthy he was until I parked him next to a bike that is literally the same color Wicked Red. Both the customers and staff were looking at me like I was crazy. 🤣🤣🤣

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

    Day 146 mileage: 688.8 (total 37400.0)
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  • No One Was Looking 🤫

    12 août 2021, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 91 °F

    Like yesterday's post, at 14:00 I had to take a nap, but this time it was on the carpet in the air conditioning at Clinton HD in an office converted into a waiting area with a couple of chairs and free coffee and water. They know how to take care of HOG riders in Clinton!

    I crossed the Mississippi a couple of times between Iowa and Illinois. One time the train trestle running parallel to the highway was turned 90 degrees so a huge barge could pass underneath. Really cool. I also passed signs for the American Gothic House (https://americangothichouse.org/) and President Reagan's birthplace.

    I kept rolling and got to the hotel in Decatur, IL, around 21:00. I didn't quite make Springfield, but it was definitely another very long day. I decided to have a nice lie in this morning and didn't leave until 08:00...which turned out for the best because I just missed a huge storm front that blew right up the highway from Springfield to Decatur. That one would have been bad.

    Despite wet roads and road spray soaking my chaps, I made it to Springfield and beyond without any weather. I hit all the dealerships in the greater St. Louis area and am now at the top of the Arch viewing platform across the river. It's meant for people, but no one is here, so why not? 🤣🤣 Shhh, don't tell 🤫. BTW, this is one of the 10 Rides for 2021 😁. Only 3 to go!

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

    Day 145 mileage: 643.9 (total 36711.2)
    10 Rides for 2021: 1 (total 7)
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  • Iowa = More Corn

    11 août 2021, États Unis ⋅ 🌧 77 °F

    Yesterday at 14:00 I stopped at a dealership hoping for a sofa. It was such a small place that they didn't have anything for tired riders. No chairs, coffee, or water. Just a toilet and 4 of those terrible wood chairs outside. So, I laid down on the sidewalk and promptly fell asleep. At 15:00 I got up, used their toilet, and went on my way. No one even acknowledged I was there 🤣.

    I hit nasty weather all day, lightning and rain, so I was pretty beat by the time I rolled into Des Moines at 20:00. 13 hours on the bike, if you take off the hour I napped 😉. I hit 13 dealerships yesterday 😳, which is probably the most in one day so far. I really don't know any more.

    I left Des Moines at 06:01 this morning. The Quality Inn actually had a hot breakfast of eggs and sausage. Not a sandwich to microwave, but real scrambled eggs and patty sausage. Nice start to the morning for a change.

    Not long after I got going, I pulled over on the side of the road to watch a magnificent red orb begin to rise over the corn fields. I really don't like waking up before the sun, but getting to see the sunrise makes it tolerable. Sort of 😉. I couldn't help but think about my friend who suddenly passed away a few days ago from COVID 😢.

    Iowa looks pretty much like Minnesota and Wisconsin, corn and soy fields with a few cows here and there. I saw a couple of pig farms--more like smelled them--but really it's just more corn.

    Did you know there is a National Balloon Museum, as in hot air balloons? It's in Indianola, IA. Near Albia, IA, I stumbled upon the Welcome Home Soldier Monument and did a u-turn to take some pictures. Very peaceful. I also hit Iowa's 50 Rides 1 Nation location, the state's oldest courthouse (1840).

    Now, I'm stopped at Sonic for a chicken sandwich, tater tots, and limeade. I hope that made you think of Ron White, but if not, then watch this: https://youtu.be/neUaSTSKFZc.

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

    Day 144 mileage: 712.2 (total 36067.3)
    50 Rides, 1 Nation: 1 (total 32)
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