• Nancy Webb...Pat Bonetar
mar – ott 2021

Summer on the Harley

Un’avventura di 198 giorni di Nancy Webb...Pat Bonetar Leggi altro
  • Happy Birthday, America

    4 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ 🌧 59 °F

    After lunch at Panera, I continued my route into New Hampshire--new state! The weather stayed wet and dreary the whole way to Dover, NH, where I met Thom. A mutual military friend connected us, and he was right. We're kindred spirits. Thom invited me to stay a couple of nights, so today we're relaxing with his dog and chatting about whatever. The town fireworks.show will be right over Thom's house, and although I don't do well with fireworks, I'm looking forward to them anyway.

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

    Day 106 mileage: 163.8 (total 24488.6)
    HD Dealership Challenge: 2 (total 214)
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  • Sunshine! Finally!

    5 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    Well, the fireworks were good and despite the dog and I jumping and shaking at each boom, we got through them. Thom and I wrapped up the night by chatting away until I finally had to call it a night so I could get up this morning.

    After a very warm send off by Thom and Cochise, I rolled out at 08:30. It was overcast but dry, and by the time I hit Maine--new state!--an hour later, the clouds were beginning to thin out and the sun was shining through ☀️. Finally.

    Thanks, Thom, for being such a welcoming host and opening your home to me. I'm so very happy we met and even happier to call you friend. I hope to see you again soon!

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

    Day 107 mileage: 0 (total still 24488.6)
    HD Dealership Challenge: 3 (total 217)
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  • South Bound

    6 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    Yesterday afternoon, I grabbed Maine's 50 Rides 1 Nation photo at the entrance of Acadia National Park, then made the loop into Bar Harbor. I had planned on getting some lobster, but it was packed with people, so I kept going to Bangor.

    The Maine puns abound. Chow Maine struck me as the funniest, while I gave Maine Course, Maine Squeeze, and Maine Ingredient a chuckle. Then there are the slogans, like "The World's Your Lobster" and "We’re Really Cold But We Have Cheap Lobster." 🤣🤦

    I had a clam dinner in downtown Bangor last night. Yummy. I also swung by Stephen King's House to say hi, but I didn't see him 😉. His front gate is a spider web 🤣.

    This morning, I left the hotel at 06:30 in a cold fog that turned into light rain in less than an hour. I stopped to put on my rain gear top and to cover the bags. It stayed light but was intermittent until I got back into New Hampshire, where I was able to peel off my gear.

    Then I made my way down the Kancamagus Highway to get New Hampshire's 50 Rides 1 Nation photo. It was a lovely ride through White Mountain National Forest. Unfortunately, I didn't have to stop for moose 😳.

    I'm stopped for lunch in New Hampton, NH (just outside of Laconia) at the Route 104 Diner. Hopefully my pulled pork and mac-n-cheese will be very tasty. Maybe I'll get pie and coffee after....

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

    Day 108 mileage: 320.0 (total 24808.6)
    HD Dealership Challenge: 5 (total 222)
    50 Rides, 1 Nation: 2 (total 23)
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  • Back in New York

    7 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F

    My pulled pork mac-n-cheese was deeeeelicious! And I followed it with a cup of coffee and bread pudding covered in maple syrup 😱. I needed a nap afterwards 🤣.

    The weather held until 17:00 when I, heading southwest, ran smack into a storm front moving southeast. Moving fast. The lightning was beautiful in the distance, but not so much when it was above me 😳. The road spray was the worst though. Although I put on my rain gear top, I didn't put on the bottoms, so by the time I made it to the hotel, my chaps and most of my jeans were wet. Worst of all, because I was trying to find a gas station in the storm, I missed the Harley dealership in Leominster, MA 😭. But I went 142.2 miles on that tank 😳😁.

    I made it to the hotel in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, about the time the front passed me, 18:30-ish, but I still didn't want to get out for food, so I stayed in and called it an early night.

    I woke up this morning to a gorgeous day, clear skies and sunshine. I hit the road at 07:00, and it has remained a great day through Connecticut and New York. While in Connecticut, I picked up the 50 Rides 1 Nation photo at a beautiful covered bridge. This makes 24 of the 48 I plan to hit this summer. Half way!!!

    I'm now stopped at gas station for lunch in rural New York. The nice weather has dried out my chaps and jeans, and it's gotten quite warm. It's very pretty here and thankfully they drive faster than in Maine. Wow, do Maine-iacs drive slowly, like 10 miles an hour under the very low speed limits. It's nice to feel I'm making progress again.

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

    Day 109 mileage: 463.6 (total 25272.2)
    HD Dealership Challenge: 7 (total 229)
    50 Rides, 1 Nation: 1 (total 24)
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  • Rain, Rain, Go Away

    8 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ 🌧 73 °F

    After my lunch yesterday, I dipped into Pennsylvania for a dealership or two, then squiggled back up to Ithaca, NY, for the night. I was surprised to pass over quite a large waterfall in the Mulholland Wildflower Preserve. Check it out here: Wells Falls https://maps.app.goo.gl/6ubnTRp3iwQ5nh5h9

    I skipped my last dealership near the hotel because a big storm was rolling in on me. Again. But I made it to the hotel without getting caught.

    I had dinner across the street at Old Mexico. The shrimp ceviche was delicious. Nothing to tell about the rest of the night except the storm rolled through. It was a doozy!

    I left this morning at 06:45 with a planned 500-mile route ahead of me. The roads were very wet with lots of debris.

    I headed to Taughannock Falls State Park to get New York's 50 Rides 1 Nation photo. What a stunning park! The falls you can see in the attached picture, but the whole park was quite beautiful. If you're in the Finger Lakes area, definitely stop there.
    (Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/yvkFkHjk3e61yRmX8)

    The morning began sunny but turned on me not long after I left the park. First the temperature dropped 🥶, so I put on my rain gear jacket for another layer. Then it started to rain🌦️. Just a little, then it stopped for a while. Then a lot of rain 🌧️. Then a momma duck and her brood decided to cross the road in front of me🦆. Luckily, they scurried back into the bush as I roared around them. I hope the other traffic missed them. Then dry roads🛣️. Then a little rain☁️. Then road spray💦. Then....

    It's been like this all morning, but I'm not stopping for lunch because of the distance I want to make, which takes longer in the wet. So, I'm now at the Williamsport, PA, dealership hoping the weather will let up before too long 🤞.

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

    Day 110 mileage: 433.0 (total 25705.2)
    HD Dealership Challenge: 10 (total 239)
    50 Rides, 1 Nation: 1 (total 25)
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  • Running Behind

    9 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F

    Well, the weather did not play nice yesterday, although there weren't any downpours. Just road spray and a little rain here and there. But as I moved out of the mountains and into urban areas, the temperature increased. So, I couldn't take off the rain jacket ☹️. In fact, I unzipped it halfway once to let air in and 15 minutes later was zipping it back up to keep out the rain 😭. By the time I got to the hotel, I was a sweaty mess.

    I cut out my final dealership last night and went straight to the hotel because another storm system was moving in on me. I made it to the hotel, but used DoorDash for dinner 😁. It crashed in about 45 minutes later and I was very thankful I didn't get caught in it.

    This morning I just couldn't get going. I'm staying with friends this evening and wanted to leave the hotel before 07:00, but didn't make it out until almost 08:00.

    I squiggled my way through Pennsylvania, including Hershey 🍫, dodging tree debris from the storm. And a few turtles 🐢. I crossed into Maryland about five minutes before noon. Crossing that border was like Mr. Mason and Mr. Dixon looked up from their survey papers and said, "We hoped you enjoyed your trip up North. Welcome back to the South, where it's 15 degrees hotter and 50 percent more humid." In Pennsylvania, I was comfortable in the chaps, jacket, and vest. But when I hit Maryland, I was immediately hot 🥵. Crazy.

    I'm now stopped at the Baltimore HD and am very behind on my route. The weather has been good so far, but the clouds are looking iffy now, so fingers crossed again 🤞🤞🤞. Rain will slow me down and I have to press hard to make it to their house before dark. As cool as the song is, I do not wear my sunglasses at night and do not want to drive anywhere near Washington D.C. in the dark 😳.

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

    Day 111 mileage: 521.2 (total 26226.4)
    HD Dealership Challenge: 11 (total 250)
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  • I Know What's At The End Of The 🌈!

    10 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F

    So, let me sum up yesterday: ☀️☁️🌧️💦💦💦🌦️💦💦💦⚡☀️⛈️🌧️☁️💦💦💦🌌. Right after my last post, I put on my rain jacket and spent the next 7 hours in torrential downpours, heavy road spray, and horrible traffic because of crashes and people fleeing D.C. on Friday evening. I finally got to my friend's home at 20:00 and was soaked even through my gear. That was a very long 12 hours on the bike 😩.

    There was an amazing thing that happened to me yesterday though, and I suspect I won't ever see it again. In between the downpours, the sun broke through and created a gorgeous rainbow. Right in front of me. It literally ended in the middle of the highway. I drove right though it. It was so cool. The cars in front of me were kicking up road spray, and when they passed through the rainbow, the spray became smaller rainbows. So, what's at the end of the rainbow? More rainbows 😉. [Note: Rainbows are actually complete circles, which you can shoot yourself through after you've jumped out of a perfectly good airplane 😁.]

    When I got the my friends' house, they and the kids met me with such enthusiasm that I ended the long, tiring day with a smile. The three kids are amazing people and I hope to see them all again very soon. Thanks, Lumpy, Tammy, Connor, Hope, and Maximo for opening your home to me. (The two parents are pretty amazing, too 😉.)

    This morning, after a nice Bob Evans breakfast with the Clan, I was on my way south...but so was everyone else in D.C. I guess not everyone was able to escape yesterday evening🤣. It took me an hour to go 30 miles--even without taking I-95 which was a parking lot--and at 10:38 I still had 507 miles to go 😭. But, the sun is sort of shining, I've seen a couple of cool cars, and it's a humid 90°F, so maybe the rain is done🤞🤞🤞.

    Note: Texas is still #1 for hanging out in the left lane. Ohio comes in a close second, but Virginia definitely rounds out the top three 😠.

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

    Day 112 mileage: 477.1 (total 26703.5)
    HD Dealership Challenge: 10 (total 260)
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  • Sprinkles--Not You, Dano--and Wet Roads

    11 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F

    Update to yesterday's note: Virginia is now in second place in the jerk drivers contest. There is obviously a state-wide shortage of blinker fluid because no one in that state indicates at all ever for anything 🤬.

    Yesterday evening was just more ⛈️⛈️⛈️.

    This morning started off brilliantly ☀️, but I knew I would hit a front, so I dressed in all my rain gear to save a stop and to stay as dry as I can.

    Which was good because 30 miles south of Lexington I hit the front. Luckily it wasn't anywhere near as bad as the past few days. No serious downpour. Mostly just sprinkles--thinking of you, Dano 🤣-- wet roads, and road spray.

    But I made it to the hotel despite the Florida guy that changed three lanes from the left to the right (where I was) without looking and almost got me and despite the Illinois tractor-trailer that changed into the left lane (where I was) going 25 miles a hour slower than traffic. By the way, both of these 💩heads used their indicators.

    I'm done riding for the day and am going to have a nice half day break 😁.

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

    Day 113 mileage: 562.5 (total 27259.0)
    HD Dealership Challenge: 6 (total 266)
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  • Rain Again 😩

    12 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F

    I left the hotel at 07:15 this morning under heavy skies. The rest of the day was ☁️🌧️🌦️💦☁️☀️☁️🌧️🌦️💦☀️. I am so tired of wet roads 😭.

    This post is later than noon because I'm ending the day now and I didn't hit any dealerships. Whaaaat 😱?!? I know, but I've already hit all of them on this route 😁. At noon I was on an I-40 bridge passing over the Tennessee River and Kentucky Lake. Not sure how one body of water can be both a river and a lake, but there it is.

    I made it to West Memphis, Arkansas, via the interstate system without too many people trying to kill me. They really should build separate roads for passenger vehicles and tractor-trailers.

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

    Day 114 mileage: 271.4 (total 27530.4)

    [No photos because I dropped my camera on I-40 before I downloaded the pics from the past few days 😭.]
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  • Finally Blue Skies

    13 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    I pulled out of the hotel at 09:00 this morning, but went to Denny's across the highway for a hearty breakfast. While I was eating, a little shower passed over, just enough to get everything wet but not stay wet. I hit the road at 10:00 under cloudy but clearing skies and am almost back to Texas now 😁.

    Unfortunately, after one of my gas stops, I forgot to close my vest. When I got back on I-40 it started to flap and my camera did a nosedive out of my pocket. I had it on a tether for that very reason, but it snapped 😭. The SD card may have survived, but the photos from the past few days weren't worth walking around on the side of the interstate looking for the pieces.

    Now I'm stopped for gas again. Running over 3,000 rpm really sucks it down. But the sky is only spotted with clouds and I've managed to miss the really big potholes.

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

    Day 115 mileage: 510.7 (total 28041.1)
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  • Made It To Mom's

    14 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    I survived the interstate system yesterday and made it to my mother's house around 18:00. I'm so very happy I didn't have to wear rain gear because even without it I was a sloppy, sodden mess by the time I worked through traffic around Dallas.

    I had a nice surprise waiting for me when I got here: coins and poker chips from Harley for completing 8 x 50 Rides 1 Nation and 3 x 10 Rides for 2021 stops 😁.

    Today I'm working on my next routes, dealerships, and ride stops.

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

    Day 116 mileage: 501.8 (total 28542.9)
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  • 45,000-Mile Service

    16 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F

    Well, the past two days have been eventful. Yesterday, my uncle and aunt drove in to see my mom, and I spent the better part of the day with my sister-in-law unpacking her boxes. Moving takes a lot of adulting, but together we got it done.

    Today, I'm having the 45,000-mile service done on the bike, as well as rear brake pads replaced and engine guards installed. The guards keep the bike from laying flat on the ground when it does stuff it's not supposed to do 😉. Expensive day, but worth it.

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

    Day 117-118 mileage: ? (total 28542.9 + I'll catch up later)
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  • Home Depot Visit

    18 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F

    Remember how I dropped my camera? Well, I got a new one. This time the lanyard is not going to break. I've stopped at Home Depot and picked up some parts to make a metal lanyard 😁.

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

    Day 117-120 mileage: 20.5 🤣 (total 28563.4) [This mileage is so low it's a wonder I even started the bike. 🤣]
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  • More Rain

    19 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ 🌧 77 °F

    Yesterday I made it back to my barn to adjust my pack a little and see family.

    This morning I rode through another terrible storm to get to Tyler for an appointment. Now I'm getting gas before jumping on I-20 and dealing with the traffic around Dallas and Fort Worth...while still riding in the rain 😩.

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

    Day 121 mileage: 129.4 (total 28692.8)
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  • New Rear Tire

    20 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    By the time I made it to Southwest Fort Worth, I had passed through the storm. I had a couple of close calls though. First, my rear tire broke lose as I was making a right turn. I felt like a dirt track racer going sideways through a turn. But I recovered and kept going. The second time was on I-20 after passing a crash. When the traffic opened, I hit the throttle too hard and broke the rear tire loose. It squiggled but corrected and we were off again.

    I spent the night in Lubbock without further incident and was at Wild West HD at 08:00 this morning to replace that rear tire. Nice sunny skies today 😁.

    After the tire, I made it to the Yoakum County Courthouse giant arrow for a stop on the Motorcycle Grand Tour of Texas. Now I'm stopped at Champion HD in Roswell, NM.

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

    Day 122 mileage: 527.5 (total 29220.3)
    HD Dealership Challenge: 1 (total 267)
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  • El Paso Again

    21 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 91 °F

    Made it back to El Paso for the start of the Border to Border HOG Road Rally!! I met up with my friend Ben and today we went to see the Magoffin Home State Historic Site. Still cool.

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

    Day 123 mileage: 402.6 (total 29622.9)
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  • Border to Border Posse Ride Day 1

    22 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    After a drive-by tour of El Paso yesterday, Ben and I checked into the rally and had a nice dinner with almost 250 old and new friends. We ran into two riding buddies from the Old Spanish Trail rally, Lumpy and Bob. A friend of Ben's from San Francisco, Denny, also showed up, so the five of us are riding together today.

    So far it's a great day. We took a photo at the Big Chile Inn and stopped at White Sands National Monument for another 10 Rides for 2021 photo.

    At noon today we were just passing through Cloudcroft. What a quirky little town.

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

    Day 124 mileage: 206.1 (total 29829.0)
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  • B2B Day 2

    23 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    After our stop at White Sands yesterday, we rode through some beautiful country to end the day in Ruidoso. We hadn't stopped for lunch, so we went straight to a steak house for a great meal together before splitting off to our respective hotels.

    This morning, we headed out again and our first major stop was in Lincoln, the seat of Lincoln County where the Lincoln War took place. The movie "Young Guns" immortalized the violence and is surprisingly somewhat historically accurate. We also visited Fort Stanton, where we are now, which wasn't a fort for very long, but has survived because it became a tuberculosis hospital.

    The weather is getting very bad ☹️.

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

    Day 125 mileage: 255.0 (total 30084.0)
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  • B2B Day 3

    24 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    When we left Fort Stanton, it was in a downpour. Lightning, lots of rain, and road spray made the afternoon unpleasant, but we had to keep rolling. We finally made it to Madrid (pronounced MAD-rid) where the movie "Wild Hogs" ended and where Maggie's Diner still stands.

    We finally made it to the Santa Fe Harley dealership, but missed dinner (we really didn't miss much though). With all the storms, we were beat and split to our hotels from there.

    This morning was beautiful and clear as we headed from Santa Fe towards Taos. Since we have all been this way before, I tried to find a different route, but missed my turn. We came out just west of the Rio Grande Gorge and headed back east to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Angel Fire so Ben could grab his 50 Rides 1 Nation photo. We doubled back through Taos and stopped for lunch at Toribios, the same little Mexican cafe we stopped at on the Old Spanish Trail rally. Still great!!

    Then we headed back west over the Gorge again, past the Earthship Biotecture community, and into Carson National Forest, which is a beautiful, twisty, sweeping ride. (More info: EarthshipBiotecture.com)

    Again, because we've all been here before, we deviated from the rally route to head further west to Farmington, home to the Four Corners dealership, where we are now. Unfortunately, the weather is not cooperating, so we're debating whether or not to put on our rain gear again ☹️.

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

    Day 126 mileage: Oops (total 30084.0 + today)
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  • B2B Day 4

    25 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Well, we hit rain again after leaving Farmington, but made it to Durango just in time for the dealership-hosted dinner. Then it was crash hard at the hotel.

    We were up way too early at 06:00 to get some local grub at the Durango Diner. This place is simply amazing. They make their hash brown by grating the potatoes onto the grill 😱. The portions are huge, the cost is very low, and the green chile sauce is out of this world.

    We hit the Million Dollar Highway (US 550) at about 07:30 and slowly made our way into Silverton. We've all been there before, so we didn't stop there or anywhere else for very long.

    We're having lunch now at Butch's Cafe in Delta, CO. Breakfast all day and down home cookin'. Yum!

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

    Day 127 mileage: Oops again (total 30084.0 + yesterday + today)
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  • B2B Day 5 Rocky Mountain National Park

    26 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    After lunch, we continued making our way north, passing through Grand Mesa National Forest on our way to Glenwood Springs. After settling into our hotels, we met for a "historical" drink at Doc Holliday's Saloon, then an amazing dinner at the Riviera. Best of all, Ben, Lumpy, and I climbed up to Linwood Cemetery to visit ol' Doc.

    It was quite a climb, but the view of the city was exceptional from the top. No one is quite sure where Doc lies exactly, but there is a respectable marker and memorial deep among the old tombstones. The attached photo explains more.

    We awoke to a beautifully clear morning. We split up today, so Ben, Bob, and I left Glenwood Springs excited to be heading for Rocky Mountain National Park. The National Park system has implemented a new thing this year called Timed Entry. Our tickets were for 11:00 to 13:00, which meant we could only enter the park during that window. Therefore, we decided to do a picnic lunch in the park.

    We're noshing at the Holzwarth Historic Site not too far into the park from the Grand Lake entrance. Awesome day so far!!

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

    Day 128 mileage: Oops again (total 30084.0 + day before yesterday + yesterday + today)
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  • B2B Day 6 New Front Tire & All the HDs

    27 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    Our drive through Rocky Mountain National Park was exciting and stunning despite the heavy traffic. We didn't make any further stops in the park and continued on to our overnight stop in Loveland, CO.

    We're in Loveland for two nights which is great because I need a new front tire. So this morning, Ben and I rode to Greeley HD and dropped off my bike. Now, we're doubled up and are in the process of hitting all the Fort Collins/Denver/Colorado Springs area dealerships.

    We're stopped now at a Starbucks for a shot of energy on our way to Garden of the Gods for another 10 Rides for 2021 photo.

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

    Day 126-129 mileage: 908.7 (total 30992.7)
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  • B2B Day 7

    28 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    Well, Ben and I hit all nine of the area HDs yesterday, plus the Garden of the Gods photo, and we were still able to pick up my bike and get to Thunder Mountain Harley in time for the rally dinner. Winning!

    The four of us plus three others we met last night met this morning and rode to the Cheyenne HD for coffee and doughnuts and to meet up with Lumpy. He's leading us today through his old stomping grounds.

    He took us through old downtown Cheyenne, then we stopped at Interstate 80's highest elevation point at Summit Rest Area, which also has a lot of information about I-80 "Lincoln Highway," a tribute to President Lincoln, a sign about the first person to cross America on a motorcycle, and more. What a really cool rest area that even has prairie dogs almost close enough to pet.

    Lumpy then took us on Snowy Range Scenic Byway through Medicine Bow National Forest. We stopped at Snowy Range Pass at an elevation of almost 11,000 feet. Beautiful but brrr 🥶.

    We've warmed up now that we're at a lower elevation, and we're stopped for gas in Saratoga, WY. What a great day, yet again.

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

    Day 130 mileage: 37.8* (total 31030.5)
    * I'm not counting the mileage I did as Ben's passenger yesterday.
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  • B2B Day 8 Part 1 Beartooth Pass

    29 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    Yesterday was a terrific ride, but a very long one as we made our way through the heart of Wyoming. We passed through Rawlins up to Lander, then Shoshoni to Thermopolis to Meeteetse before finally rolling into Cody. There weren't many gas stations, and I was thankful I had my 1-gallon can with me as we stopped in the middle of nowhere so I could top up.

    We were too late for dinner at the HD, so we met at Buffalo Bill's Irma Hotel and Restaurant for a wonderful prime rib dinner. What an amazing, historical place!

    Ben and I had the Colonel Cody room with two luxurious queen beds, a horsehair settee, cut glass lamps, and completely tiled bathroom with brass fixtures. Just wow! Irma was Buffalo Bill's daughter and it was simply amazing knowing I was walking in the footsteps of such historical people.

    After dinner, Ben and I went down the street to play pool at a local hole in the wall, then crashed hard for an early morning.

    We didn't want to be late because today we're riding through Beartooth Pass and Yellowstone National Park!

    Back down to the five is is, we headed north into Montana to take the 308 across to Red Lodge. Along the 308 we passed the site of the Smith Mine, Montana's worst coal mine disaster that killed 74 men. (More info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_Mine_disaster)

    Soon after we made it to Red Lodge just to find the Harley dealership was closed and the Hell's Angels were having a summer retreat 😳 🤣 😳. After stopping for gas at a Sinclair's and to ride the saddled dinosaur 🤦, we pressed on back into Wyoming along Beartooth Pass.

    We were fortunate the pass was open because there was still quite a bit of snow at the nearly 11,000-foot summit. We stopped for a photo with the sign, which is Wyoming's 50 Rides 1 Nation location.

    After coming back down, we took a breather at Long Lake with the sun shining and water rippling. It was so peaceful. We pressed on but before long came to a stop. Construction on the highway took it down to one lane, and the red light lasts about 30 minutes. So here we are next to Beartooth Lake waiting for the light to change, taking photos by the lake, and chatting with the two HAs in front of us. What a day...and it's only half way done!

    TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 2...
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  • B2B Day 8 Part 2 Yellowstone Nat'l Park

    29 luglio 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    ...CONTINUED FROM PART 1

    After making it through the 40-minute red light, we continued down Beartooth Highway into Cooke City, Montana, where stopped for a late lunch.

    Next stop...Yellowstone National Park! We're only going from the northeast entrance to the north entrance, but it's still very exciting for me.

    Despite the smokey haze from forest fires, the park is magnificent. Best of all, we saw a ton of buffalo. One huge male crossed the road just a few feet in front of my bike 😳. Too close for me but absolutely magnificent. We had to completely stop three times for buffalo in the road and once for a herd of young cows 🤣.

    In the distance a massive storm was rolling in on us, so we stopped to don our rain gear. And it's a really good thing we did because we got hammered! Even through jackets and leather, the rain actually hurt as it pounded us. By the time we reached Mammoth Springs, I was totally wiped out. We stopped for just a minute, but kept going because we still had quite a ways to go past Bozeman into Belgrade for the night.

    We made it to the dealership for dinner, but while we were there, another storm front blew in...literally. We chased down plates and jackets and raffle tickets, then hightailed it to the hotel one mile away. We were soaked by the time we got there and still hungry. Lumpy was in the same hotel, so we ran across the parking lot to a deli to get food and met in Lumpy's room for a picnic like dinner. It was a terrific way to end a crazy and wonderful day!

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

    Day 131 mileage: 532.4 (total 31562.9)
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