We arrived home safely to a great reception last night. Gary and Bob will post our summary thoughts, a post script, if you will, before the weekend.
Our Last day of riding home took us along a great route near the New River in West Virginia.
Thanks for all of the support.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Great time today to ride. It was a little chilly (there is a frost advisory here in West Virginia tonight). We are following the front that dumped rain on the Heartland and brought cold weather ahead of us.Our route took us 480 miles today. We mostly rode I-64. We did, however, ride a stretch of Indiana state road 62 which parallels I-64. It was a recommended scenic route in the Harley-Davidson atlas; 
and well worth the detour. That leaves us only 287 for tomorrow to get home. We will choose a route through West Virginia for tomorrow.
and well worth the detour. That leaves us only 287 for tomorrow to get home. We will choose a route through West Virginia for tomorrow.Along or deviated course we found the Overlook Restaurant in Leavenworth, Indiana (not Kansas). This looks out over the Ohio River where these two Pictures were taken.
So far it has been a great trip! Tomorrow, we will finish this part of our adventure... this part.
Back to the Mother Road
Yesterday morning we left Wichita, KS. 491 miles later we are in Fairview Heights, IL. The miles were great. Gary was surprised at how pretty Kansas and Missouri were. We have gotten used to riding on highways. Today was our first day on an interstate since we left the 405 in LA a week ago. Now it will be mostly interstate until we get home.
In Missouri we were back on Route 66 for a while. It was a return to the Mother Road for the last time. We got through St Louis but we break off to the east and are now on our way home via I-64. Route 66 continues on to Chicago.One great thin along the way has been family and friends. The trip started with Bob in San Diego for a business trip. When he came north to meet Gary, he saw his Grandmother and parents. Then he spent the afternoon with his brother, Craig, and sister-in-law, Tiffany. Gary arrived later that day. Connie, Tiffany’s younger sister and Bob’s childhood friend came over that evening too. The next morning we got the bikes loaded and we were able to meet Gary’s brother, David, and his wife, Millie, and their son, Mikey, before hitting the road. We were then joined by Tim and Larry. Larry (aka; JR) is a long time friend of Gary’s. Tim was a new acquaintance to Gary and Bob, but quickly became a friend to both along the road. We arrived as a group of four in Colorado at Bob’s Aunt Cathy and Uncle Dan’s house. There we had dinner with them as well as Bob’s cousin Danielle, and her son, Logan. When we got into Missouri, we met a friend of Gary’s, Brad who has worked with Gary for many years. From here on it is just us, Gary and Bob, until we get home to our families who have been helping, supporting and waiting all along. The many people who have been part of this process have added so much to the enjoyment of the adventure. There have been innumerable comments on the blog too. Thanks to all who have supported us along the way.
News flash: Gary traded his Harley for a Russian bike with a side car at a truck stop in Missouri... really this is the bike that belongs to Brad, Gary's friend we met in Rolla, MO.Sunday, May 17, 2009
Get the Hell outa Dodge
Saturday was a long day of riding. We rode from Pueblo, CO to Wichita, KS. Our odometers had 465.3 miles. The Google map shows 427, we are not sure what the discrepancy is.Yesterday the primary sight was the road stretching out in front of us in what seemed a straight line off into the horizon. There was lots of cattle… literally, thousands of head of cattle standing around in "feed lots", farm fields and some oil wells.
We rode through Dodge City. This is one of the legends of the old west, and the setting for the old TV series, Gunsmoke. Although the term "Boot Hill" was used ubiquitously across the west as the cemetery where gunfighters and cowboys without families or homes were buried -- they died with their boots on -- one of the more famous Boot Hill Cemeteries is in Dodge City. While in Dodge City, we made the obligatory trip to the Dodge City Harley-Davidson dealer.
Our route took us through Kingman, KS. This is a town that Bob has been to before, but not for 40 years. This is the town that his mother’s side of the family was from. They lived in Kingman from before 1900 until after WWII. It was shortly after the war that Bob’s mother and her family moved to Pueblo.
Other than that, the ride was cold. The temperature was in the high 40’s when we left Pueblo and it never really rose above 60 along the route. We wore all of our cold weather gear except for rain suits (which we have not had to wear at all with 8 days of riding, knock on wood). Now for you non-riders you might think 50’s isn’t so bad… but 40’s and 50’s with a 70 MPH wind chill for 10 hours straight can cool you down. We did warm up with a wee nip o’ The Macallan last night.
We would have more pictures of the day. But you can imagine what it looks like… Gary standing in front of his lawn, but it goes on for 400 miles into the horizon. Here are a couple of pictures from the archives from Arizona, and the road we did near Mexican Hat, Utah.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Top of the World Baby
Today we rode from Montrose, Colorado to Pueblo, Colorado. Bob has several family members in Pueblo. Our route took us over Monarch Pass, the highest point of our ride (11,312 feet). The road twists its way to the top. At the top the temperature was in the 40’s and there was still snow, and it was fairly deep. Gary and Larry loved the sweeping curves on the way up. There are amazing mountains in every direction you can look.
We settled in to Bob’s Aunt and Uncle’s house and she cooked dinner for all four of us. Then, Larry and Tim set off on their own. They are headed north whereas, Gary and Bob will go east. So the team that has been together for 7 days is now broken apart. Larry and Tim were great riding partners – tons of fun to be with.Other milestones of the day Larry never got pulled over by the police and Bob’s bike started every time.
From the Deserts to the Mountains
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
A good ride today and some good miles. 376 miles from Kanab, UT to Mexican Hat, UT. It was a long loop up and around Bryce Canyon. It was amazing. We crossed a pass at 9600 feet and desert canyons. If you have not seen some of the canyon lands of Utah, I would highly recommend it. And, it was just good to have a day when we weren’t worried about the bikes or having to be concerned about mechanical or electrical issues.
Towards the end of the ride, we descended a narrow section of gravel road with multiple
switchbacks. It was a very steep descent. As we approached this narrow section of road, we overlooked a near vertical drop of 1000 feet to the valley below. The picture of Gary is at the top of that cliff right before we rode down.
Once we were at the valley below we went to the very small, but charming, town of Mexican Hat, UT. There we were joined by a BMW rider whom we had seen along the route during the day several times. His name was Palmer and he is a musician. We ate dinner at an outdoor cantina called the Swinging Steak. There the cook grills steaks over an open fire on a grating that swings back and forth over the fire. My steak was perfect, and everyone was pleased with the food… then to top it off there was live music, mostly old western style music, and Palmer, our BMW rider friend joined in.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Our Thursday route brought us into Colorado. We came into Colorado near four corners and headed north through Cortez and over Lizard Head Pass (10,222 feet). The last several days have been desert. But yesterday was the first day in the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains. Lizard Head Pass is a section of road that Bob has always wanted ride on a motorcycle. Gary has never seen this area of the country, and this is some of the best scenery that Colorado has to offer.
Then at the end of the day, we ran up to Bob’s cabin and drank some beers around the fire. No noise at all (except for shooting the .45 for a while) -- a stark contrast to hours on the back of a motorcycle.
See more pictures and read more at Larry and Tim's site.
Terri, look at the bugs on Gary's bike :-)
A good ride today and some good miles. 376 miles from Kanab, UT to Mexican Hat, UT. It was a long loop up and around Bryce Canyon. It was amazing. We crossed a pass at 9600 feet and desert canyons. If you have not seen some of the canyon lands of Utah, I would highly recommend it. And, it was just good to have a day when we weren’t worried about the bikes or having to be concerned about mechanical or electrical issues.
Towards the end of the ride, we descended a narrow section of gravel road with multiple
switchbacks. It was a very steep descent. As we approached this narrow section of road, we overlooked a near vertical drop of 1000 feet to the valley below. The picture of Gary is at the top of that cliff right before we rode down.
Once we were at the valley below we went to the very small, but charming, town of Mexican Hat, UT. There we were joined by a BMW rider whom we had seen along the route during the day several times. His name was Palmer and he is a musician. We ate dinner at an outdoor cantina called the Swinging Steak. There the cook grills steaks over an open fire on a grating that swings back and forth over the fire. My steak was perfect, and everyone was pleased with the food… then to top it off there was live music, mostly old western style music, and Palmer, our BMW rider friend joined in.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Our Thursday route brought us into Colorado. We came into Colorado near four corners and headed north through Cortez and over Lizard Head Pass (10,222 feet). The last several days have been desert. But yesterday was the first day in the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains. Lizard Head Pass is a section of road that Bob has always wanted ride on a motorcycle. Gary has never seen this area of the country, and this is some of the best scenery that Colorado has to offer.Then at the end of the day, we ran up to Bob’s cabin and drank some beers around the fire. No noise at all (except for shooting the .45 for a while) -- a stark contrast to hours on the back of a motorcycle.
See more pictures and read more at Larry and Tim's site.
Terri, look at the bugs on Gary's bike :-)
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
2 Days Posts
9:32 AM Tuesday, May 12, 2009
It is Tuesday morning and we are at the Red Feather Lodge near the Grand Canyon. Originally, the Grand Canyon was not on our stop list. However, Gary had never seen the canyon and we were driving right by. So we pretty much had to stop to see it. That will be later today.
We have become the 200 mile a day club. With Saturday -- getting out of LA Traffic; Sunday -- flat tire and loose engine mount; and Monday – stuck at the Harley Dealer while repairs were made; we have driven almost exactly 200 miles each day.
The day started yesterday getting Bob’s bike to Mother Road Harley-Davidson in Kingman, AZ. It was picked up by Shawn (wearing the hat in the picture) on a flatbed; he works for Great West Towing. We called as soon as the Harley shop was open and he said, “I’ll be there is 35 minutes”. We got the bike there in a hurry, but we were already 3rd in line for service to get back on the road. But at the bike shop they were very helpful. We told them what we thought was wrong with the bike and our diagnosis was correct. It needed a new front tire, new rear tube, and tightening of the motor mount. There is still a little issue with the electrical system, but we did not want to wait for that service to be done; and the bike runs anyway. We didn’t get started back up Route 66 until 4:30 PM.
We did a long stretch of the Mother Road right out of Kingman. We had to catch a section of the interstate. And we did our last 50 miles into Tusamaya in the dark. Here at the Red Feather Lodge we do not have internet access… we do not even have cell phone service; so this one will be saved until we can get back online.
It is Tuesday morning and we are at the Red Feather Lodge near the Grand Canyon. Originally, the Grand Canyon was not on our stop list. However, Gary had never seen the canyon and we were driving right by. So we pretty much had to stop to see it. That will be later today.
We have become the 200 mile a day club. With Saturday -- getting out of LA Traffic; Sunday -- flat tire and loose engine mount; and Monday – stuck at the Harley Dealer while repairs were made; we have driven almost exactly 200 miles each day.
The day started yesterday getting Bob’s bike to Mother Road Harley-Davidson in Kingman, AZ. It was picked up by Shawn (wearing the hat in the picture) on a flatbed; he works for Great West Towing. We called as soon as the Harley shop was open and he said, “I’ll be there is 35 minutes”. We got the bike there in a hurry, but we were already 3rd in line for service to get back on the road. But at the bike shop they were very helpful. We told them what we thought was wrong with the bike and our diagnosis was correct. It needed a new front tire, new rear tube, and tightening of the motor mount. There is still a little issue with the electrical system, but we did not want to wait for that service to be done; and the bike runs anyway. We didn’t get started back up Route 66 until 4:30 PM.We did a long stretch of the Mother Road right out of Kingman. We had to catch a section of the interstate. And we did our last 50 miles into Tusamaya in the dark. Here at the Red Feather Lodge we do not have internet access… we do not even have cell phone service; so this one will be saved until we can get back online.
May 12, 2009 11:36 PM
Today was a pretty good day of riding. It still wasn’t much in the distance category, but we saw some cool things and made some distance. We started in Tusayan, AZ which is right outside of the Grand Canyon National Park area. We watched the IMAX movie of the Grand Canyon and then
drove to the edge. Then we rode along the south rim getting spectacular views of the expanse of the canyon as we went.
Then we were back out into the desert and we saw spectacular scenery along the way. We ranged in altitude from 2600 feet where it was very hot to 7900 feet where is was pretty chilly, especially at 65 MPH. We saw balancing rocks right out of the Road Runner cartoons. And we saw California Condors perched on the rocks at the Navajo Bridge over the Green River in Northern Arizona.
Tonight we are in Kanab, UT. We were going to keep riding but all of the hotels in the towns along our route were booked for the night. The internet access here sucks, so we may not get everything we want downloaded tonight.
Today was a pretty good day of riding. It still wasn’t much in the distance category, but we saw some cool things and made some distance. We started in Tusayan, AZ which is right outside of the Grand Canyon National Park area. We watched the IMAX movie of the Grand Canyon and then
drove to the edge. Then we rode along the south rim getting spectacular views of the expanse of the canyon as we went.Then we were back out into the desert and we saw spectacular scenery along the way. We ranged in altitude from 2600 feet where it was very hot to 7900 feet where is was pretty chilly, especially at 65 MPH. We saw balancing rocks right out of the Road Runner cartoons. And we saw California Condors perched on the rocks at the Navajo Bridge over the Green River in Northern Arizona.
Tonight we are in Kanab, UT. We were going to keep riding but all of the hotels in the towns along our route were booked for the night. The internet access here sucks, so we may not get everything we want downloaded tonight.
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