Day 9 - Coming home

Well it had to happen, this evening the bike took a nap in the parking lot. But more about that later. First I have to talk about our day and where we rode.

When the sun rose we got up and started packing. After being off the road for 3 days we had to figure out how everything went back together. Thankfully we shipped a few things home that we wouldn't need along with some things we picked up at the Rally. So by 7:30 local time we had the bike packed up and we were checked out of the hotel. A fuel stop and an adjustment to tire pressures and we were ready to go.

We headed east on I-90 out of Gillette. The route going home is a little more direct to get us home by Tuesday evening. However, I wanted to see Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore since we were up here. I also wanted to go through Sturgis, SD and stop by the Sturgis BMW dealership just to say I've been there. Then we continued on to Rapid City and took I-190 south to Hwy 16 over to Mt. Rushmore. A quick stop there and then we continued over to Crazy Horse. We had lunch on-site since it was about the right time and their salad bar looked really good.

With lunch complete, we headed south on 16 to Custer and then picked up 385 south. This road has some nice sweepers and made the trip fun. This took us all the way down to I-80 in Sidney, where we headed east a bit, then southwest on I-76 and then back on 385 going south. We stopped in Holyoke and Wray looking for a room. There were no rooms to be had so we continued on to Burlington. The plan was to stay at a Super 8 that was in the GPS but when we got there we found a Comfort Inn instead. Since we needed one more night to get our $50 gas card we decided to stay at the Comfort Inn.

So I pulled into the parking lot to make a call to Choice Hotels and book the room. If I book the room online or over the phone I can save 15% with my AMA discount. I can't get that discount by just walking up to the counter. So Reagan and I are sitting on the bike, waiting on hold for the next available sales clerk when I get the bright idea to pull my laptop out of the side case. Of course, I go off the bike on the right (wrong) side and as I'm getting off the bike, it decides to follow me over. The next thing I know it's tipping over toward me with Reagan still onboard. It probably wouldn't have been a problem except that we were close to a curb and flower bed lined with those concrete border stones. Well as luck would have it we both landed on the concrete borders with Reagan taking the harder hit. After I checked to make sure we didn't break anything (on our bodies) I started working to get the bike up. Nope, that wasn't happening with everything loaded. Luckily 2 guys came out and asked if they could help. I tossed my pride aside and took them up on their offer and told them where to grab. The bike popped right back up on it's wheels.

We go ahead and check in without the AMA discount and unload the bike. My butt hurts and Reagan's side is pretty banged up. We'll have to see how she's feeling tomorrow, then we can decide if she's going to Denver for a plane flight or continue on the bike.

Today was a big day for Reagan. It's the furthest she's gone in one day with 583 miles. We stopped a total of 3 times for fuel since we fueled up just as we left this morning. It was also the first time she rode in 100+ degree temps. She learned the benefits of pouring water in the jacket for cooling. Oh and she got to fall off the bike with it standing still. Hopefully a night of rest will make us both feel better.

Day 7 & 8 - At the Rally

The past 2 days have been spent at the BMW MOA Rally and there hasn't been any riding other than to and from the hotel. We've bought a few things at "Rally special" prices and we've heard a lot of great seminars. The people have been great too. There was a great stunt show and Reagan got to sit on some bikes. She seemed to like the F800ST so the campaign for it as the second bike will have to begin soon.

I wish I could say good things about the town. The hotel doubled their prices when they found out the rally was coming to town. The restaurants weren't used to having customers and generally people just aren't very nice. Tonight we were locked in a restaurant by the GM because she was trying to close the place and it took over an hour to get our food. But then again what can you expect out of a town that's so small they don't even have a movie theatre.

Tomorrow we are back on the road and back behind the bars. So there should be some good tales to tell. Unfortunately we are going to make the return trip a little more direct so we can get home by Tuesday night hopefully.

Day 6 - Gillette / Rally Day 1

Today would be the first day of the Rally, but first we had to get there. And that meant covering the final 248 miles from Cheyenne. There was pretty much one choice, north on I-25 then Hwy 59 into Gillette.

We were up at 5am and on the road by 5:45. It's always great to be on the road at this time because you get to see the sun rise. This morning the sun hid behind the clouds but it still looked nice when combined with the rolling plains of Wyoming. With a speed limit of 75 mph we made excellent time up to Douglas. At first the temperature was comfortable but as we continued up I-25 it seemed to drop. Douglas was a great spot to warm up a little.

Then it was back out and heading up Hwy 59, we were less than 2 hours from our destination. With a speed limit of 65 mph and no traffic I decided to kick up the speed a little. That was until we started seeing deer all over the place. First Reagan spotted 2 on the side of the road while I was worried about the dead one in front of me. Then we saw one walking in the ditch along the road and then 2 more trying to cross the road coming up out of the ditch. I decided we'd keep it at 65 and below. If it took us a little longer that would be better than not getting there at all. We saw so many pronghorns and deer after that that we lost count but at least the rest were on the other side of fences and not such a concern.

We rolled into town just before 10am and found the Cam-plex facility. We had arrived! Reagan and I had travelled 1,933 miles in 6 days. It is the longest trip she has taken on a motorcycle and the farthest I've travelled with a passenger. And the best part is that after our 3 days of Rally going we get to travel another 1,400 miles home but we're going to do that in just 3 days.

Rally Day 1:
Being our first rally we weren't exactly sure to what to expect. So we found registration thanks to the help of volunteers and then started walking around. The outside vendor area was small and didn't take long to go through and I was sort of disappointed thinking this was all we had in the way of vendors. But a little later we found the indoor vendor area and had plenty to look at. After a 2up seminar I won a door prize, purchased a few things and generally looked around. Then it was back into seminars before calling it quits today.

Many attendees are camping, and that might certainly be a great experience. But for our first rally and with all the other things we had to figure out with being on the road together for 12 days I think the hotel we are staying at is a fantastic set of accomodations even if they are price gouging this weekend.

The sun is setting, ice is melting in my glass of whiskey and we are at the rally. It can't get much better than this. Except, Reagan has already starting talking about future trips. Now if I can just get her to go with me to Alaska.... :)

Day 5 - Cheyenne

We managed our best fuel mileage of the trip today, 52.01 miles per gallon! Woohoo. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Today was planned from the beginning to be a short day. We were going to Rocky Mountain National Park and didn't want to be rushed. However in the interest of tomorrow's travel to Gillette we decided to make it a little longer to save time tomorrow. Total length of today's ride, 229 miles. We took advantage of the continental breakfast again and this time Reagan made sure to eat. Then we checked out of the room and headed across the street for fuel. It was was just after 8 o'clock when I thumbed the starter and pulled away from the pump. Just like yesterday the plan was to go west to get out of the plains and into the mountains. But first we had to get on I-70 to get out of town.

Just outside of Denver we took hwy 6 into Golden and stayed on it. Outside of Golden, 6 turns into a great little river road twisting through the mountains. I found about this road from the Internet and was glad I did. It was a fantastic way to start the morning. The only downside was the ever present smell of gasoline. Last night I had pulled the tank off to work on the mic-mute module and I was beginning to think that I had split a fuel line. To make things even more entertaining Reagan came on the intercomm and asked a trivia question. In a down hill sloping tunnel which way do you run in the event of a fire? Oh great I can see it now, the bike is going to erupt in a ball of flame while we are passing through a tunnel and I have to worry about which way to run. Oh, the answer is downhill.

Hwy 6 runs into I-70 west bound so we merged back on and I took the first exit into a little town so I could stop at a gas station and sort things out. Once stopped, I removed the tank bag and low and behold the gas cap had not latched all the way. I was relieved and annoyed at the same time. I had just worried my way through a fantastic road over something that should have been taken care of at the fuel stop. Oh well, it was a chance to take a quick nature break and let Reagan get some gatorade. At this point I also discovered why she was going through so much gatorade. It seems a good bit of it was spilling on the bike as the valve wasn't completely closing.

Back to I-70 west bound until exit 232 then it was north on Hwy 40. It was clear that we were in the more touristy part of Colorado now as there was more effort in speed control. And you saw more little lodges and places to spend your money on stuff. But Hwy 40 also had it's perks as we got to climb to over 11,000 feet before decending. The road was in great condition with very little traffic. The curves were great and the scenery was fantastic. Of course the higher you go the colder it gets, not having my thermometer any more I can't tell you how cold it was but it was definitely chilly.

Just past Granby we turned right onto Hwy 34, we were just 16 miles from the park. There were signs of tourism all over the place. And there was more traffic. The scenery was nice, the temp cool, and the road was just sort of there. Not a super twisty stretch but not board straight either. Just a road to ride to another place.

At the park entrance we paid our $20 and talked to the attendant. She said that the Pine Bark Beatle population had just exploded in the park and that was what was killing the pine trees. It's sad to see so many dead trees in the forrest. So we continued into the park. Speed limit was 45mph, experience from Big Bend tells me to keep it at or below the posted speed. At one point along the way it seemed everyone was all over the road and out of their cars. Upon stopping we discovered it's because they were trying to take a picture of moose. We see the backside of the moose as he's trying to graze and figure there's got to be better things to see so we go on. There's a Goldwing couple in front of us and we end up following them all the way up to the Alpine visitor center. The climb was great although a little slow thanks to the cars in front of us.

We had talked about stopping at the visitor center to get some post cards and take a break so that's what we did. There was a neat snow shelf to look at and I found a cool post card with it's picture, I figured that was probably a better shot than we'd get with our camera so I bought it. We also had "second breakfast" next door at the souvenier shop. They had Smuckers "Uncrustables" PB&J sandwiches. Folks involved with the 3Day event know just how good they are. Yum! Then it was time to get back on the bike, we had a few hundred feet to go before we'd reach the 12,226 foot high point along the road.

Up the hill and around the corner and I thought we had made it since the gps read 12,000 feet so I pulled over into a look out and snapped some pictures. Then back on the road but wait, it kept climbing. Around a corner we got stuck behind a van load of people who just decided to stop in the road. When it was safe I passed them only to find the reason they were stopping had to do with 3 big elk bulls resting in the field below. Finally I got to see my elk, and he wasn't in the road. Reagan managed to snap a picture as we kept moving and then a little ways farther we found the rest of the heard, no bulls just cows. Again people were all over the road taking pictures.

Finally we reach the peak elevation of the road and it begins to slowly descend. And as we descend the temperature begins to rise. We get behind 2 Harley's with the lead rider really using his brakes alot. Finally we pulled off to let them and a car behind us get on down the road a bit. I didn't really want to have to watch a motorcycle crash if I didn't have to. Besides it was a chance to snap a few photos of the gorgeous scenery.

I pulled off at a ranger station to shed my liner and let Reagan run in. Meanwhile I met a Goldwing couple from northern Arkansas. They were coming in from the north and hadn't seen anything bigger than a ground squirrel. I told them to be patient as the elks were a few thousand feet higher in elevation, when the gps said 12,000 they would almost be there. The wife was excited.

Finally we left the park still on 34 and stayed on it until we reached I-25. Much of the road followed a creek and so we had lots of curves, the only problem was the traffic and the lack of passing opportunities. So I puttered along, looking around and trying to stay cool. It was warming up and without a good 50 mph breeze it was getting toasty.

We stopped just before I-25 for a quick break and to put our ear plugs back in. There was a red BMW RT fueling up but didn't seem much into conversation. Ashame really, he had a cool USA themed paint job I would have liked to know more about. With plugs in and breaks taken, we hopped on I-25 and struggled with the traffic. The posted speed was 75 but we were doing good to go 65. It seemed people just weren't in a hurry and it wasn't like there was law enforcement or anything to slow people down.

Finally a few miles up the road the traffic cleared and the road opened up. I set the speed as close to 80mph as possible and just rode. We only had 50 miles to Cheyenne. We talked about pushing on to Douglas which would have been another 100 miles. Alone I probably would have done it, but since we had a reservation and I didn't know what the room situation was in Douglas we stopped as planned an enjoyed an afternoon nap. Afterwards we went into Cheyenne for dinner. Everyone knows you ride over 1700 miles to eat mexican food in Wyoming. But that's what we found and it was even good. The queso was made from pepper jack cheese and I really enjoyed it.

We have already filled up for tomorrow, hence how I know we got 52mpg today, so we'll get an early start in the morning. As Reagan says "we'll be getting up at the butt crack of dawn". That's my charming wife for you. But she's right we plan to be up by 5 and on the road by 6. With four and a half hours of riding planned we should be able to get there before noon so we can get checked in and attend a seminar starting just after 1pm.

My rant for the day:
What's up with not waving to fellow motorcyclists? It seems that most of the riders (mainly Harleys) don't even want to acknowledge us much less a wave. I know for a fact that they can see us as hi-viz green and pink are 2 colors you can't easily miss. The problem seemed to worsen the farther north we've travelled and now that we are in Wyoming riders will just stare at us like we are aliens from outspace. One guy was turning into a parking lot as we were pulling out, as we waved he just stared, I thought he might actually fall off his bike from staring. I don't know if this is some misguided only-Harleys attitude or what but it's just down right silly and rude. Reagan thinks it's because people up here aren't used to seeing riders actually wear the gear. They are all concerned with looking cool I guess. What ever. We'll keep on waving until one falls over.

Day 4 - Denver

I didn't sleep well last night and woke up early this morning. I could have been out the door at 6am local time. But since this is a vacation for both of us I tried to let Reagan sleep a little. I think I failed. We eventually made it across the street for breakfast at Max's Cafe and then checked out of the hotel. A quick dash next door for gas and we were ready to hit the road at 8:15 AM MDT. We managed a whopping 47mpg on yesterday's second tank of gas making it the best fuel economy on the trip so far.

Since we found out that the Coors brewery did not do tours on Tuesdays and Wednesdays we opted to take a more scenic route through the mountains to reach Denver. The route started by heading west on 165 out of Colorado City. After a few miles in the little town the road started to climb and the temp started to drop. It was pleasant and the scenery was great. The road started getting curvy and fun. Just 24 miles into the ride we took our first break at Bishop's Castle. Apparently some guy started building this castle up in the woods and opened it to the public. It's not a commercialized place by any means just a really cool example of what 1 person can do with stone, steel and glass. Sometime we'd like to visit the castle again while he's there working on it, I think it'd be neat to see.

After climbing throughout the castle it was time to get back on the road. We continued on through the San Isabel Forrest and enjoyed the curves. Up hill, down hill and around hills the curves just kept coming. Finally 165 runs out and we turn right onto 96. Eventually we come up to hwy 50 and go west a short way into Canon City. Reagan wanted to go see the Royal Gorge so we detoured over to the gorge to see what it's all about. It's $23 per person to get in the park and walk across the bridge. No thank you! So we got back on the bike and continued on heading north on 9. Eventually we merged onto 24 going west for a few miles and then continued on 9. So far the roads had been country roads and traffic had been almost non-existent.

When 9 ran into 285 we stopped in Fairplay for a break and some drinks. Reagan is convinced this is really South Park. I wanted a little caffeine to perk me up and a nature break was welcomed as well. Then we got back on the road heading north on 285. Apparently while we were taking our break the entire area decided to get out on the road because traffic went from light to heavy after our break. And to make matters worse there was road construction. Apparently up here they close off a lane and repave it. And that means they have to manage two way traffic on one lane. WAIT is the name of the game. We got lucky and our waiting was minimal today.

The closer we got to Denver the more we seemed to be heading downhill. At 2 points earlier in the day we had gone over 10,000 feet but now we were in the 8000 feet range and falling. And of course as the elevation lowered the temperature rose. It was pretty darn hot by the time we reached 470 on the west side of Denver.

The plan was to stay at the Howard Johnson off exit 266 on I-70. Unfortunately I didn't feel the bike would be safe enough to leave alone long enough to check in much less overnight. So went down the road to a Comfort Inn and got a room.

This was a short mileage day at only 235 miles. But it was a fun day and we got to see a lot of Colorado southwest of Denver. Probably the most disappointing part of the ride was Denver itself. It's a large town, people drive like crap, and it's not friendly. But then we've been staying in little towns for the past 3 mights so today is kind of a culture shock. I'm hoping tomorrow we'll be back in a small town. From now on the only way I'll go through Denver is on one of the Super Slabs and I certainly don't plan to stop, even for gas, if I don't have to. It's not a destination in my book.

On a side note, after getting into the hotel I headed out into Denver for a bottle of locally distilled Colorado Whiskey made by Stranahans. I first learned about it on the History Channel special and I have to say it certainly doesn't disappoint. However the hour long, 34 mile round trip into downtown Denver was another experience all together. People in Denver can't drive and pedestrians own the crosswalks so turning left is impossible. By the time I made it to the liquor story I was justly rattled. I got my hooch and jumped back into the fray.

Colorado doesn't have a helmet law and it shows in the generally care-free attitude about safety gear not worn while on a motorcycle. Most of the time we saw riders in short sleeves and shorts, even young children as co-riders in the same attire. Even in downtown Denver I saw this same attitude toward safety. And there are a lot of people in the city using small bikes and mopeds. I'm pretty sure Colorado probably beats out Texas in several bad motorcyle accident figures. If not then I'm amazed. With the insanity of automobile drivers and even other motorcyclists in Denver I sure as heck wouldn't get on a bike without all the gear I regularly ride in because up here WHEN, not if, you are in an accident with an idiot you'll surely come out on the short end of the stick.

Oh and with regards to the whiskey. It is dang good. There likely won't be any left by the time I get home but you'll have to take my word when I say it's good.

This evening I had to work on the bike before calling it quits. We've been having problems with the intercom cutting out while going down the road. The problem was with the mic-mute module I had installed so I called the company and talked to the owner. He seemed to think it was a faulty connection and wanted me to check everything. So this evening I did and they were all ok. But when I checked out the actual module it was clear what the problem was, the lid had expanded and allowed mosture in thus coroding the circuit board. So I uninstalled it and will deal with the warranty when I get home. Nothing like taking your bike apart in the hotel parking lot.

Tomorrow, the Rocky Mountain Nation and then we head north getting closer to Gillette.

Day 3 - Eagle Nest, NM no Colorado City, Co

Today we slept in a little longer and didn't get up with quite the zeal of the previous day. Partly due to the impending weather and partly because we were on vacation and wanted to get some rest. But we finally got up and started getting ready to go. There was a free continental breakfast down stairs so I lugged some stuff down and stopped for breakfast. While loading the bike I met a fella from Houston, Mississippi. He seemed pretty interested in the Beemer and told me he had a cruiser and his son had a sport bike they had intended to trailer with them on their trip out west but mechanical issues prevented it.

After breakfast was done (Reagan just had coffee) we suited up and went across the street to fill up. Yesterday's travels' netted a 36.76mpg value at the pump. That seemed pretty much on track for the type of riding we did.

The weather was ominous. It was very foggy and rain seemed imminent so we put on our rain gear and took off. The fog was so bad that the XM Radio wouldn't even receive a station. But 10 or 15 miles west on I-40 and everything changed. The sky started clearing and after a reset of the gps I once again had XM radio.

As we crossed the New Mexico state line Reagan wanted a picture of their welcome sign so we pulled over and snapped the picture. While stopped I shed the rain covers and opened the vents on my jacket. Then it was back on the road heading for Tucumcari, NM. We stopped by the post office to mail some post cards and then headed out of town north on 104. This was a typical New Mexico road, long and straight. And a speed limit of 55 mph. Really??? give me a break what are they worried about, hitting a bug?

Finally in Las Vegas (NM) we turned north on to 518. It was getting close to our lunch time and Reagan was hungry since she had skipped breakfast. We looked for a place to grub but 518 out of Las Vegas doesn't have much in the way of local eateries. So we kept going. At noon (CDT) we rolled into Mora and found the Cowboy Kitchen. Of course it was only 11AM local time but we were hungry and they were open. The local folks were friendly and interested in where we were from. The lunch special was a Salsbury Steak for $5.99. It was a good deal and tasted good for a small greasy spoon.

With our stomachs full we figured we'd be in Eagle Nest within an hour and a half. That meant we'd be trying to check in at 1:30 local time. Since tomorrow would be a 300 mile push into Denver, we decided to push on and find a place closer to the Denver area. The exact town we'd stop at wast undetermined.

So leaving Mora we continued on 518 to Taos and stopped for gas. Our mileage for this leg of the trip was 40mpg, Wow! Then we picked up 64 to Eagle Nest. This road was wonderful lots of sweepers. We climbed to 9500 feet before slowly descending into Eagle Nest. The temperature was comfortable with my liner in. But as we descended I started opening the zipper vents to let a little air in.

We passed through Eagle Nest around 1:50 local time and turned onto 38 toward Red River. This road was more of a slow steady climb across a flat plain. I was wondering if I had made the right decision in continuing on. But eventually we reached the mountain passes and it once again became fun.

In Questa we turned onto 522 heading toward Colorado. Our travels to this point included wonderful winding roads along babling brooks, mountain passes and flat high plains. This was a great ride. The temperature was continuing to rise though and we pulled over to ditch the liners and continue on.

Before I knew it we were stopping to take a picture of the Colorado welcome sign. As I continued north on 159 there was something that was clearly evident. We were heading into rain. Not just a little, it was was real honest to goodness rain in the mountains. Just after passing through San Luis we pulled over on the side of the road to put on the rain gear as the rain was starting to come down. Then we jumped back on the road and headed north.

In Fort Garland, 159 ends so we headed east on 160. As I turned I noticed a local motel that we could stop at for the day, but I failed to ask Reagan how she was doing. Ooops! Note to self, in the future check with my co-rider more often. A simple nature break could have made the afternoon more enjoyable for her. By Fort Garland we were just riding in a light sprinkle but the road was wet so as we weaved through the mountains I took it easy and observed the speed limits. The further into the mountain pass though we finally cleared the rain and the road was drying out. So I cranked up the throttle a little and enjoyed the sweeping mountain twisties.

Finally as we were coming down out of the pass, about 16 miles outside of Walsenburg, Reagan came on the intercom and asked for a stop at the first possible point to shed her rain gear. So I applied the binders and pulled off into a driveway leading to a large ranch. We took 10 minutes or so to shed the gear and stretch. Since a nature break was needed we decided to detour to La Veta just 5 miles off of 160. OMG! this was one of those dreaded tourists traps. We stopped at a gas station, checked out the restrooms, bought some water and gatorade. Then headed into town to look around. The local lodge wanted $95 per night so we decided to head on down the road to see what we could find.

Back out on 160 we came into Walsenburg. We passed one affordable place that had a grand opening sign but Reagan vetoed it claiming it was a "Fred" motel. So we pressed on. I was really looking for something in the Choice Hotels chains so I could save a little money with my AMA discount. So we headed north on I-25 toward Denver. Finally we see a sign for Days Inn and Reagan gives me the thumbs up. So I pull into Colorado City. There's a Shell station, liquor store and local diner so we've got everything we need. The front desk clerk was pretty cool and hooked me up with a special $62 rate which was better than the $68 rate that he initially started with. All I had to do was talk about bikes and cars. That was easy.

After checking in, I jumped on line and signed up for a Days Inn reward card. I've stayed with the chain before and been pleased with the rooms and rates I get when I just stop in while on the road. It's better than with my MoTow or AMA discounts with other chains. So if I'm going to stay at the chain I might as well benefit a little.

With everything in the room it was time to have a drink or two, and then shower before dinner. A quick upload of the gps showed that we had traveled 459 miles in the day's travel. That's the farthest Reagan has been in one day. The lack of enough nature breaks and not expecting to travel so far today made things a little hard for her. She was seriously wiped out.

The plan was to go to Golden tomorrow and tour the Coors brewery. The only problem is that they don't do tours on Tuesdays and Wednesdays so the tour is out. I also tried to get a tour of a local Colorado whisky distillery but that may not work out either as they only offer tours from 9:30 to 11am by appointment. I left my name and number, if someone calls early enough we'll hop on the road and go check it out. Otherwise the plan is to take a nice 222 mile ride up through the mountains west of us and stay in Denver. Of course who knows tomorrow we may change our minds, but at least we have a reservation in Denver for a room.

We have a problem with the intercom system. I think it's related to the mic mute module I added and will try to contact the manufacturer tomorrow. If worse comes to worse, I'll just uninstall it tomorrow evening. But I really don't want to have to pull the tank while we're on the road. At least it's only a 30 minute job and I have all the tools.

Day 2 - Vega

This morning we slept in a little as I was up past midnight working on a client issue. Yes, I was supposed to be on vacation but sometimes you've gotta do a little work for the greater good. Besides this way the client can't complain in October when I leave for a 2 week excursion out west to run around New Mexico.

We were out of the motel by 7:30. The instrument panel indicated I needed gas but said I had 40 miles left and since I have at least another 40 past that I decided to push on in hopes that I'd find a Shell or Exxon along the way. The route was simple, we headed up 83 to 380. We stopped in Aspermont around 8:50 at a local restaurant next door to a motel. We walked in about the same time that a few others did and the place was instantly filling up. Turns out there was a reunion in the next town over and many of them were coming to this restaurant for breakfast. I had oatmeal, toast, bacon and OJ. Reagan had coffee and an egg sandwich. Then it was time to get back on the road.

There was a discussion about whether we should back track to the other side of town and fill up or continue on. The gauge said we had around 15 miles left (it had reset since we left Abilene) and I knew I had another 40 past that. So we kept going.

From 380 we took 70 north out of Jayton. The only gas station in Jayton was closed. When we reached Spur I was pretty worried as I didn't think we'd have enough to make it to the next town. The GPS said there was a gas station just off our route outside of town. When we arrived they were closed on Sundays. So we headed back to 70 and as luck would have it there was a Fina station in Spur. It wasn't in the GPS but it was open and that's what I needed. We filled up with 8.67 gallons of fuel. Yes the tank is rated at 8.7 but I've put 9 gallons in there before so we weren't really on fumes and would have made it easily to the next town with gas. But I didn't know this at the time so it was nice to fill up. Moral of the story, when riding out in north Texas fill up while you still have plenty of reserve. Calculations showed we got 35.22mpg on this tank of gas versus yesterday's 37mpg on the first tank. I think the wide open flat runs past Abilene with speeds of 80mph probably had something to do with the decrease. But it was so flat, so straight and so.... empty.

With a full tank it was time to head to Palo Duro Canyon State Park. So far the weather had remained cloudy with only the occassional sputter of rain. But that would change. By the time we reached Matador we had a pretty good misting going on. Not really enough to get you soaked but enough to start making things damp. We stopped for a quick break and started talking to a local rancher. He figured we brought the rain with us and was happy for it.

Next we took FM 2009 which had some nice twisties on it. Since the road was moist and I had all the weight of the luggage I decided to keep the speed moderate. But it was still a nice change. Then we picked up 97 to Flomont where we headed north on 599. By now the scenery was changing and there was enough elevation change to keep things interesting. We ran into 86 and took that through Quitaque.

Just past Silverton we turned onto 207 heading north. The rain was definitely making things wet by this point but we kept going. A little ways up the road we went through the most amazing canyon I had
ever been through. It was only a few miles but we road down into it on
one side and back up out of it on the other. Simply awesome. FM 207
will definitely pop up on future routes if direction and time permits. We caught 285 over to Wayside and finally road out of the rain for the day. Then it was I-27 up to Canyon where we took the 103 exit up to 1541. When we turned onto 1541 the road sign said 8 miles to Palo Duro Canyon. The sky was cloudy but non-threatening and the temperature was comfortable. It was going to be a great time to see the canyon.

The attendant at the front gate was friendly and took our $8 then gave us a receipt and a map. Reagan was a little concerned about the 10% grade sign but I wasn't stopping now. We went to the visitor center for a nature break and to look around. That's the farthest I had gotten the last time I was at the canyon, so I was eager to go ride around. Especially after seeing some of the information at the visitor center. A quick purchase of some post cards and out the door we went.

We hopped back on the bike and headed into the canyon. There was a steep decent with customary switchbacks and then we were in the floor of the canyon. Lots of scenery to see. We checked out some of the cabins they have for rent. Maybe we'll do a trip near my birthday and stay in them. That would be cool. We followed the park road all the way around and then looped back the way we came. With a great overview of the park completed we headed to Amarillo to see the Cadillac ranch and to find our hotel.

Riding up I-27 is like any other super slab so there's nothing to say. Except going 70mph really seemed slow. I wanted to take I-27 to I-40 instead of taking the loop to the west. Once on I-40 we past the Drury Inn where we planned to stay and headed toward the Cadillac ranch. As we passed it there were lots of people there in cars and RVs. So I asked Reagan if she'd like to see it in the morning. About the same time we saw a billboard for Boot Hill Saloon and Grill in Vega. That happens to be the restaurant started by Rory, a contentant on the Food Network's Next Food Network Star. Since it was time for an early dinner and Vega was only 25 minutes up the road we pressed on.

Upon arrival we were the only ones in the parking lot and it was unclear if they were even open. But finally we found a small sign on the door that listed hours of operation and dinner was served from 2 to 10. It was after 3 so we were set. We walked in and sat in the bar area as it didn't seem we had a choice. They could have easily rented out the space as a walk in freezer. It was down right cold in there. We decided what we wanted and placed our orders. The decission was a little difficult as her menu seemed a little unfocussed but it all looked good. Reagan ordered the Onion soup and a burger, and I ordered a burger with jalapenos. I didn't get the Bruechetta because of the salmanila scare of late but now I realize they've also had problems with jalapenos. Too late for regreats maybe they could have thrown in cilantro for extra measure. The food was good but desert was awesome. I highly recommend the Apple Crisp. It comes in a mason jar with ice cream and whipped cream on top. Very tasty indeed. Rory was in the restaurant working and even served Reagan's soup. Considering we were the only people in there at first it would have been nice if she had actually engaged us in conversation. But considering her proximity to I-40 she probably gets alot of traffic that don't know who she is or could care less.

We decided to stay in Vega and Reagan would go to the Cadillac Ranch on a future stop. Ah! another trip to plan... While we were eating I used my laptop and wireless card to book a room at the Comfort Inn and saved 15% with my AMA membership. So we got on the bike and ran back down the little stretch of old route 66 to take a picture of the sign. Then passed Rory's place and pulled into the Comfort Inn next to I-40. The hotel clerk had a smile on his face from ear to ear and was very friendly. He checked us in and even told me to park in a specific spot just outside the frontdesk's window so he could keep an eye on the bike. Then it was time to unpack and lug everything up stairs. No elevator but then I did have that apple crisp less than an hour ago.

So far we've gone 731 miles on the trip, we've met nice people, seen great sites and had fun.

Tomorrow Taos!

Day 1 - Abilene

The vacation is under way. We left the house this morning at 6:38am. I have to give Reagan credit for rushing me a little otherwise it would have been closer to 7 by the time we actually got moving. But with her motivation we were on the bike and rolling. A quick stop by the post office to mail a letter for the business and the vacation was in full swing.

We had a mission on this first day of the trip. That was to reach Snow's BBQ in Lexington before they ran out of brisket. That's right, they are open until they run out and then they close until the next Saturday. With 3/4 or so of a tank of gas we didn't waste time fueling up, besides I wanted to get out of Houston so I could get some real 100% petro instead of the b.s. 10% ethanol crap. Ignoring the GPS we rode down 90A to 99 then up to FM1093 out to Wallis. Then north on 36 until we got to Belleville.

Reagan wanted/needed her dose of caffeine so we stopped in at Neumans Bakery for coffee and a kolache. For 7:45 in the morning it was pretty busy with the locals. The bike crowd hadn't made it there yet so we were in and out by 8 o'clock. The excitement while we were there was next door at the insurnace place. Apparently someone forgot to lock the door. When we arrived officers were walking through the place, and when we left an officer was talking to the fellow who appeared to be the owner. It was big time excitement for the BPD this Saturday morning.

So we continued north on 36 until we got to Brenham and Hwy 290. Then it was a left turn to point us west on 290. As we merged onto the highway a Honda ST1300 riding 2 up passed us so we followed them for a bit. It was easy to keep them in site as she was wearing a pink helmet. I kept waiting for Reagan to point out that SHE found a pink helmet. I guess the Shoei is pretty comfy. Any way I digress, so we continued down 290 and end up in some construction that's got us down to one lane and going 55mph. The Garmin was on "shortest distance" so when we got to Burton it diverted us up 125 to scenic 390. I figured that was better than 290 to 77 considering the construction. Once we got up 390 a little ways it started taking us down back country roads. At least twice I saw signs for "Pavement Ends" just before the gps would have me make a turn. Reagan was starting to wonder about that gps and the pilot up front.

By 9:30 we rolled into the little town of Lexington, home of Snow's BBQ. As expected there was a line out the door waiting to get the tasty Q that Texas Monthly rated as the number 1 BBQ in Texas. Most of the folks in line had read the same article, shocking! We ordered 1/2 pound of brisket, a link of sausage and a potato salad. In all the ordering excitement I forgot to order a side of beans as they are free. Hmmm, guess I'll have to go back. The man with the knife was slightly reluctant to serve us from the brisket flat he had just taken out of the foil as it was a little dry. But it was lean and that's what I like in my brisket. Upon sitting down I picked up a very tender piece of brisket. It was almost as fall apart tender as my own, almost. But not quite as juicy. The flavor was very good and the second bite proved that it also went well with their sauce. Their sausage was a little course ground for my liking but it definitely had that home-made taste to it. So it took a little under 3 hours and 128 miles to get there. Is it worth it? Sure it's BBQ and it's a ride. The next time I go, assuming someone goes with me, I plan to leave a little earlier so I can enjoy a few other roads along the way. But you don't want to dilly dally too much, when we were there they only had 7 briskets left. Considering they appeared to be cooking 10 ~ 12 pounders and there was a constant line coming through I doubt they were serving brisket at 10:30.

So with good Q in our stomachs it was time to knock out the remaining 244 miles to Abilene. The temperature was of course rising, our time critical goal had been acheived and did I mention our tummies were full. We jumped on 77 and got back to 36 where we continued our northern journey. By noon:30 I was ready for a break. Reagan thought there was a Shell station with booths up ahead in the next town. No such luck so we contined on to Commanche. She was hoping for a grocery store or such near our resting spot and in Commanche we found just what we needed. A DQ next to a Shell station with a Family Dollar and Brookshire across the street. We hit the jackpot. So we stopped at the DQ and parked in the shade. Then went inside and I enjoyed a Dr. Pepper Float while she just had a Dr. Pepper. Afterwards she ran across the street to get some things while I filled up the water bladders with ice and chatted with a fellow rider who was in the cage today on a family trip. Once she returned we geared up and finished up the last hour and 20 minutes of the ride.

So as the clock hits 2:30 we are checking in at the Whitten Inn. Not too bad, 8 hours and we ate three times along the way. DQ was about as much of a chain as I want to eat on this trip. The plan for the rest of the day is to take a nap and then head over to Lytle Land & Cattle for a steak.

Tomorrow we're heading to Palo Duro Canyon but Reagan has already said if it's too hot she'll just see it another day. Oh boy, another excuse for an overnight trip!

T minus 1 day and counting

Today is the eve of our vacation. That means there's all sorts of things to do before we leave in the morning. And it seems there's all sorts of work that needs to be done as well. My clients had things that needed to be done before I left. Of course that means there will be some nice checks when I get back.

The bags are almost completely packed. Our cases have been laying in the floor all week with most of the stuff in them. Just a few last minute items in the morning and I should be able to latch them on. Reagan has once again proven that she is the superior packing artist so she is taking the smaller side case. Of course in my defense I am packing the tools in my case. But it's my large walking shoes that actually knocked me out of the small case.

Earlier today I ran some errands to take care of last minute things I wanted to do. I drained about 1/2 a quart of oil as I had over filled it last weekend. I went ahead and put in some Zmax oil and fuel treatment to see if it makes any difference. Then I went to the bank and stopped by AutoZone for some vacuum hose to complete my canister-ectomy that I had started last weekend. I passed by the Kwik-lube to get an inspection but they had several cars waiting so I went on, maybe when I get back.

Then it was over to the Hallmark store for a neoprene wine tote. The only problem was they don't carry them any more. So I headed over to World Market in hopes of finding something there. Indeed they had something that would work, maybe even a little better than the neoprene. It's more like a collapseable cooler with a plastic liner on the inside. Since all I wanted was something to block the heat and wind for my camelback bladder inside the tank pannier this should do the trick.


Now it's just a matter of double checking my packing and waiting for the morning to get here and our vacation to begin. I think I'll have a frosty cold adult beverage while I wait.


Tomorrow's post will be from Abilene, Tx if all goes as planned.

T-12 hours 44 minutes

Pre-trip weekend prep

The 4th of July weekend was a greatly appreciated 3 day weekend. Last weekend was our big bar-b-q and next weekend we are heading to Gillette, WY for the rally. So this weekend I wanted to get the bike prepped and of course do a little riding.

Friday:
Since we didn't have to go to work we slept late before getting up and walking. But once done with our morning walk I got outside and started on a 12K mile service interval routine. It was about 9:30 when I finally got started. First the oil was drained then the transmission and final drive fluids. Then it was time to start filling things up. The final drive was easy enough thanks to the little bottle I got from a beauty supply shop. Then I filled the transmission without much of an issue. Since this was a 12K service interval I needed to adjust the valves before filling with oil. So I pulled the valve covers, refreshed my memory on the procedure using Jim Von Baden's maintenance video, and then proceeded to complete the adjustments. At this point things were just going too well...

As I was putting the valve covers back on I looked for my ratchet and torx bit that I used to loosen the bolts but couldn't find it. At first I assumed I picked it up and carried it inside with me. Nope! I start looking all around the garage. Nothing. Another check inside at my desk, still nothing. Finally I drag Reagan outside to help look. We are both looking and not finding anything. Finally I'm standing near the bike when I glance down at the bike and notice the ratchet resting on the foot peg. Genius!!! I resume my work and finish things up with a throttle body sync. In the end it took me about 4 hours plus another 1.5 hours of searching for a stupid ratchet.

While I was oily I changed the oil in Reagan's bike. It was pretty dirty, much worse than mine. I think I'll start changing it every time I do a 12K service on the BMW.

Saturday:
We got up later than normal but still early enough to enjoy the cool morning. The plan was to ride up to Belleville for breakfast at Neumans. Reagan had some new iPlugz in-ear monitors from Ear Inc to try out. And of course, I never pass up to ride, especially since I didn't do any riding the weekend before. The ride was uneventful, 99 to 1093 to Simonton. Then north to Brookshire and up to Bellville via 359 and 529. We got to Neumans just a few minutes before it got busy. After some coffee and pastries we headed over to the Bellville Meat Market to get some sausage. I tried their dried Jalepeno sausage and will get more the next time I go through there. We head back down 36 to Seally and then cut over to ride Racer's Road before getting on I-10 at Brookshire. The plan was to run over to 99 and get home a little quicker so we could run some errands on our way to a party.

However as we passed the Katy Mills Outlet mall, Reagan decided we should stop to get her a shirt for the party. No problem, we loop around and go to the mall. Then it's back on the road and headed home. Quick showers and we are headed out the door in the truck.

Since the party we were headed to was over in Clear Lake I figured it'd be a good time to stop off at Gulf Coast BMW to look at the new Olympia riding gear. They didn't have the new Recon 2 transformer pants that I was hoping for, but they did have the Stealth one-peice suit I was also interrested in. I thought the suit would be nice for riding around Houston in traffic when I have appointments to go to. I can wear my microfiber pants and shirt underneath and step out of the suit when I get on-site. And the mesh should be a little more comfortable in Houston traffic. Since they had the suit in a medium and it seemed to just fit me, I figured what the heck. At $299 it seemed like a decent deal. With the purchase complete we headed over to the party to learn about home brewing beer.

Sunday:
Sundays we normally go to breakfast with the Fort Bend Riders and this day was no different. Reagan decided to ride her bike so she could go see her mom while I went riding with the guys. After breakfast only Gary wanted to go ride so we took off. At first I wasn't really sure where I was headed but when I got to Fulshear I had a plan. I was heading to Fayetteville, Tx. So we did Racer's Road and then cut over to Seally, headed north to 949 and went west until it met up with 1094. Then right on 109 and onto 1291. FM1291 is still one of my most favortite local roads. This day though presented a little extra excitement. As I came around one of the right handers there were large birds all over the road. I squeezed the brakes and then got on the radio to make sure Gary would slow down behind.

Those birds definitely raised the pucker factor. We roll on into town and stop at the gas station for a break. After some visiting it was time to head home. I was hoping to checkout a gravel road that I hadn't been on since getting the GS. At Frelsburg we turned south on to 109 to Columbus. The sky was looking dark and it was starting to rain, so we decided to skip the gravel road for the day. Once in Columbus we turned east onto 90 and then cut over to 102 to head south to Eagle Lake. Then it was east on 90A until we got to Gary's turn off. Then he peeled off and I continued on until spur 10. A quick ride up 59 to Frys then it was time to go home and get a nap. Another great quick day ride.

In the evening Reagan and I get out the side cases and the top case and figure out how we're going to fit 12 days of gear on the bike. I tried to be the chivalrous and give her the larger case. But in the end I used up 1/3 of her side to pack tools and stuff. The prepacking showed that we should be OK with a little extra space for things we might find along the way.

Now it's just a matter of waiting until next Saturday morning when we pull out. T minus 5 days 7 hours and 50 minutes until our Saturday 6:30 am departure.

Fathers Day: An excuse to ride

Today was Father's Day and we went to San Antonio for the day. Yes, just for the day. Yes it was hot, 102 was the high I believe all though I never saw more than 99 degrees. So why didn't we take the truck with air conditioning, duh!!! It was an excuse to ride.

Friday evening: Reagan was planning to go see her dad in San Antonio on Sunday. Since I hadn't seen her all week (she had been in Dallas on work), I offered to ride with her over to San Antonio. But of course the catch was that we would ride the bike, not just sit in the truck for several hours. At first she was a little hesitant but then agreed.

This morning we got up early like we do on most Sundays and rode down to Rosenberg to have breakfast with the Fort Bend Riders group. As usual, we were the last ones to arrive and once Reagan walked in they could finally order. Breakfast was pretty much like always. There was talk of upcoming rides. Dan talk about the problem with his Shadow which turned out to be the ignition switch. Then the group tried to remember who had originally identified the problem as the ignition switch.

At some point Reagan mentioned that we were riding to San Antonio on the bike. Of course the Why question came up. And then everyone gave Reagan tips on staying cool while on the bike. As always with this group, there were lots of good tips for her. We both took bathroom breaks and then it was time to mount up and head out.

The route was pretty simple, take 90A from Rosenberg west to Seguin, then get on I-10 to the 1604 loop and head around to the northwest side of San Antonio. I was a little concerned about Reagan and the traffic on the loop. But she handled it very well.

Along the way we decided to stop in Seguin for a break. This was the first stop since breakfast as we had filled up the tank before breakfast. Reagan called her dad to get the address to his house so we could plug it into the GPS. I called my dad to wish him a happy fathers day. Once the phone calls were made it was time to get back on the bike. Now with a destination in the Zumo we had an idea about our arrival time, 11:23am. That was less than an hour up the road.

As sometimes happens, the Zumo knew of a quicker way to I-10 than just staying on 90A until it joined with the Interstate so I followed it's directions. Before I knew it we were on the super slab heading west. Turning onto the 1604 loop I was glad to see traffic was light. I hoped that it would stay that way. Of course the further around we went the busier it got. The stretch between I-10 and Hwy 16 was the busiest part of all. I kept the bike moving and rode defensively and things were fairly pleasant.

Following the prompts of the Zumo I exited for Hwy 16 and rode down to the correct side street, entered the subdivision, and found her dad's house. Pulling into the driveway I was careful with my footing. I didn't think it would be too inspiring if I were to tip the bike over in her dad's driveway.

...

After a good visit and lunch at Jim's (sort of like Denny's) it was time to head home. With our gear on, we said our goodbyes, fired up the bike and headed out of the garage. Instead of going back out the way we came we exited the subdivision another way to stop at an Exxon and fill up. Afterwards I told the Zumo to take us home.

I started following it and then realized it wanted to put us on I-10 on the northwest side of San Antonio. No thank you! Reagan might have done fine on 1604 but I wasn't about to take her on that part of I-10 with all the crazies. So when I got to Hwy 16 and 410 I went south to Hwy 90 and headed east. This was better from a traffic perspective than 1604 I believe, and I think it got us out of San Antonio quicker.

As we approached Seguin, I asked Reagan if she wanted to take Hwy 90 or Hwy 90A back home. I really didn't care which way we took as either would be better than riding on I-10 with all the crazy folks who were trying to get home at the speed of light. She wanted to go back on 90A so that's what we did.

The longer we rode the lower the sun got which meant the cooler the temperature was. As we passed through Hallettsville, Reagan came on the intercom and asked if we could stop in Shiner for a break. Sure! That was a great place to stop because I knew the gas station there had booths inside were you could sit and rest.

When we got to Shiner I pulled into the Vallero and parked the bike in the shade. We went inside to cool off, drink some gatorade and just relax. Of course Reagan had to play a bingo scratch off lottery ticket. And for the second week in a row she won $10. That's not too bad for a $2 card. With her winnings collected it was time to head home.

Once we got to Eagle Lake, I decided to get off of Hwy 90A and take FM 1093 through Wallis over to Hwy 99. This would allow us to avoid Rosenberg and Hwy 59 and save a little time. When we turned onto 1093 I could tell Reagan was tired and ready to be home. I was getting that way myself.

It never seems to fail, and this was no exception. The whole trip was pretty much free of crazy people trying to hit us. But as we got back onto Hwy 90A from Hwy 99 I knew we'd see somebody do something stupid. Sure enough just about a mile down the road an idiot pulled out of a subdivision in front of another car, talking on the cell phone, riding on a little donut spare tire, and weaving in his lane. I wanted to get past him and put distance between us. It's sad but the worst drivers seem to be concentrated right here around Sugar Land.

We pulled into the driveway a little before 9pm. The sun had almost set completely but there was still light to see by. Overall we traveled 411 miles for the day, used 12.436 gallons of premium unleaded at $4.199 per gallon and spent $52.22 in fuel for the day. That works out 33.065 miles per gallon which is almost twice as good as we get in the truck. It usually gets 16.5 to 17mpg on regular unleaded and at today's price of $3.93 per gallon it would have cost approximately $95 to take the truck to San Antonio. So we saved money and had a good time too. That's a great day.

Heading for home

This morning I had the advantage of a timezone change on my side. I wanted to be on the road by 6AM CDT and lucky for me the Days Inn started serving breakfast at 6am, EDT! It was a normal motel continental breakfast but they had Quaker instant oatmeal, so I finally got another bowl of oatmeal on my trip. Last time I had oatmeal was last Wednesday in Amarillo.

I loaded up the bike and checked out of the room. There was a Texaco station across the way so I figured I'd fill up before getting on the I-20 super slab. I swiped my card a few times without luck, I then got off the bike and went in, only to be told to slowly remove my card from the card reader. That did the trick! With 6.925 gallons of gas in the tank I was ready to go, and it wasn't even 7am local time. The Zumo told me I'd be home by 5:15 with 760 miles left. Ear plugs in, XM station 12 turned on, radar detector on, I was ready and it was time to go!

Traveling west on I-20 is about as exciting as watching paint dry, but then that's how most of the interstates are. This ride was no exception. The gps wanted me to stay on 20 until I got to I-55 and then head south. The only problem with that plan was that as I neared Meridian, MS. mother-nature wanted to wash my motorcycle again. Not really wanting to ride through the rain if I didn't have to I decided to take I-59 south to avoid the rain. My plan worked. The gps recalculated and I had lost less than 5 minutes taking this route, however it wanted me to cut over to I-55 about 50 miles down the road. That wouldn't help so I ignored the Zumo for a while.

As I got close to Hiedelberg, the fuel was getting low and I was ready for a bathroom break. So I pulled into an Exxon, filled up the tank, and visited the facilities, then it was back on the bike. Total stop time was just over 7 minutes. I wasn't really trying to make it a quick stop but when traveling alone and with a comfortable seat it's easy to gas and go. So by 9:43am I was back on the road 4 hours into the trip and 284 less miles to home.

Before the gas stop I had already broken the ride down, I knew I would have to stop 2 times for gas while in route plus my start and end stops. Each stop was going to be about three and a half to four hours apart and close to 300 miles. The range depended on my throttle usage more than anything else. Riding down the super slab I like to do all sorts of math to keep my mind busy.

When I got down to Hattiesburg I decided to listen to the gps and cut over toward I-55. The zumo guided me onto highway 98. I began wondering if I was ever going to get out of the stop lights and back up to highway cruising speeds. After about 10 minutes and what seemed like a million stop lights I was back up to cruising speed. Only 333 miles since I left the motel, but at least I was closer to home.

Not much to say about hwy 98 in Mississippi. Parts of it are divided 4 lane and other parts aren't. It does intersect with I-55 at McComb though and that was what I was looking for. So I took the little clover leaf around and then I was heading south toward Louisiana and my next fuel stop.

Around 11:40 I crossed the state line into Louisiana and was starting to get hungry. Plus I needed to shed my liner as the temperature was climbing the farther south I went. So I pulled into the welcome center, ditched my liner, chewed on a cliff bar and then it was back on the road. The trip odometer said I'd done 421 miles today, I was more than half way home.

Once I got down to I-12 traffic became much more noticeable and it required me to be more attentive to the other people on the road. Crossing the bridge in Baton Rouge the 18 wheelers were in every lane. What the heck were they thinking? Slower traffic keep right people!

As I neared the Atchafalaya bridge there was all sorts of chatter on the CB. It seemed law enforcement was heavy on the bridge today. Just as my front tire crossed onto the bridge my radar detector goes crazy indicating laser radar ahead and indeed it was. But that was just the beginning, at least 2 spots along the bridge they have unmanned radar stations that supposedly allow officers to clock your speed, record your violation and then they pull you over at the other end of the bridge. Couple that with the LEOs enforcing the speed limit on the bridge and nobody was moving quickly on the bridge.

When I got to the other side there were 4 police cars waiting and all of them took off after drivers before I could get off the bridge. So at least I knew I wasn't getting a ticket at that time. Besides, with traffic as heavy as it was, I really wasn't doing anything more than just going with the flow.

By 1:50pm I was in Rayne, La. and needed gas. Plus with the warmer weather I had consumed all the water in my camelback so I need to get something cold to drink. Fuel, bathroom break, and loading gatorade/water in the camelback were the highlights of this stop. With the heat, boring interstate and traffic I was starting to get tired. I knew the next stop was going to be in Sugar Land. I took a little longer and called Reagan to let her know how I was doing and about what time I'd be home. Then it was back on the road. Total stop time, 13 minutes.

The temperature kept climbing and by the time I crossed the Texas state line it was 89 degrees with plenty of humidity. What a shock that was to my system since I had been riding in 50 and 60 degree temps the past several days. Of course, it was nice to see the welcome sign with the big Texas flag on it. I thought about what it will be like in the future when I'm traveling from coast to coast to complete my Coast to Coast or Coast to Coast to Coast iron butt rides. On those rides when I reach Texas it'll just be another state I'm passing through. Of course heading west and seeing that mile marker 880 will definitely be interesting.

Anyway, it was 3:16 when I crossed over the Sabine river into Texas. Just a little over two hours to the house. And unfortunately it was looking more and more like I was going to be going through Houston during the beginning of rush hour. And the sky was getting darker to boot. At least if I'm going to get wet it'll be at the end of the day.

Going through Beaumont, the rain was starting as a slight drizzle. Nothing to get you wet but just enough to get the windshield dirty and make the pavement slick. At least the big trucks were staying in the right lane more often then not so it was easier to move along the road.

By the time I reached Houston the sky had cleared and the sun was out. It was 4:41 when I passed the east side of the 610 loop. I was heading for 59 south in downtown. As luck would have it rush hour got an early start today and I was crawling when I reached 59. But I knew I only had a few miles before I could get in the HOV lane and resume near cruising speeds.

Once I reached the HOV entrance I jumped on the throttle only to end up behind some cars that really believed the posted speed limit on the HOV. When we got to the few little curves underneath 610 I thought I was going so slow the bike might tip over. But I was still going faster than the rest of the folks on the freeway.

By 5:15 I'm taking the Sweetwater exit in Sugar Land so I can stop at the Exxon where my journey began. Just before I get there, some clueless cager pulls out in front of me. If I hadn't anticipated her reckless behavior I might have had a collision, instead I had a good laugh as I laid on my Stebel horn and she nearly jumped out of her car while cutting across 3 lanes of the feeder.

It was 5:19 when I completed the last fill up of the trip. I had traveled 4,037 miles and used 110.7272 gallons of gas. The trip average was 36.46 miles per gallon. Interestingly the miles and fuel used after my iron butt ride yielded a slightly better 38.38 miles per gallon. That might have been even better except for the five passes on the Dragon where I definitely wasn't worried about fuel economy.

Gear: What worked

• Russell Day Long Seat: #1 farkle for any bike, order yours already!
  
• Aerostitch Tank Paniers: they allowed me to leave my side cases at home.
• Stadium Pal: it was really nice not to have to wait until the next stop.
• Valentine 1: I didn't get any tickets
• SPOT: this allowed friends and family to keep up with me

So many curves

At 6:40AM my alarm started going off. This morning was the latest I've slept on the entire trip. Today was my day to ride around the area, check out the roads and eventually head toward. I'd only get one morning in the Smokey Mountains and this was it.

The plan was simple, another pass on the Dragon and then I was going to take the Foothills Parkway over to Townsend, then 73 over to 441 and ride through the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, then back around onto 28 (Hellbender) and arrive at the Deals Gap Resort to buy some souvenirs. The route was planned and loaded into the GPS.

I packed up pretty quickly and checked out of the Inn. I was getting on the road before Sweetwater BBQ started serving breakfast so I thought I'd find something up the road. Preferably a small cafe with a friendly waitress and good food.

By 8:15am my bike is dipping into the first turn of the Dragon. The road was a little damp with the morning dew and last night's weather. I take it easy just in case there's debris in the road. There's not another soul on the road, again it's my road to enjoy. Of course I remind myself that if things get out of hand no one will know either so I take it easy. But now the corners are developing a sort of natural feel to them, a rhythm. By looking far ahead things seem really slow but when I glance down at the speedometer I notice I'm going over the speed limit, oooops!. Now it's getting fun...

By the time I reached the end of the Dragon I hadn't seen a single motorcycle and only a few cars. Unlucky folks going to work I guessed. The GPS tells me my next turn is in a few miles. It's the Foothills Parkway which is supposed to be a great way to weave through the area. As I make the turn onto the parkway I see a gate across the road. It seems the road is closed. There's a sign warning of penalties for ignoring road closures. I get back on US 129 and head north.

When I get to 411 I head toward Maryville. By now I'm on 4 lane roads with lots of people and traffic for the region. I stop for gas only to see a sign mentioning 10% ethanol. NO THANK YOU!!!! So I continue on until I reach 321 toward Townsend. I had passed a little cafe just before Maryville and hadn't seen anything since when I see a sign for a cafe, gift shop and more. The name escapes me now but it was probably the meca for scrap booking types and old folks riding around in their RVs. Of course no customers were there when I pulled in but a sign said they served breakfast and I new I was getting close to the park roads.

The staff was friendly but it was definitely not the type of place I was looking for. It sort of reminded me of those Oakridge Farms stores you find in the mall around the holidays. I will say they fried my eggs just like I like them HARD...

So with food in my stomach it was was time to get back on the road. I continue on 321 toward Gatlinburg. When I pass through Townsend the GPS decides it wants me to take 337 into the park, the only problem with that idea is that the road was closed for work. So I turned around and resumed my travels on 321 toward Gatlinburg.

Finally when I get to Lyon Springs I see a road to the right that I figure will get me into the Park. After riding through some residential area sure enough I'm in the park. I meet up with Cades Cove which was closed at this end as well. I discovered the reason for the closure was so they could mow. That's right, they close the roads to mow. I was now on Little River Road and riding through a very beautiful park. I reach 441 and head south. There wasn't much change in the size or speed on 441 compared to Little River road. But I wasn't trying to make time, I was just having fun riding through a beautiful area.

Much like riding on the Blue Ridge parkway, 441 has some pretty good elevation changes. When I got up over 5000 this time the temperature fell to 35 degrees. I passed a couple who apparently decided they were cold because they looked like they were putting on everything they had on the bike. Thank goodness for heated grips and a gerbing liner...

Once out of the park I stopped in Cherokee for more gas. This was the same place I filled up the day before. That's one of the benefits of the larger tank. After a fill up and a chat with a Harley rider I was back on 441.

A few miles down the road I met up with 19 and took that west to Robbinsville again. This part was familiar from the day before. It's a nice 4 lane highway so speeds were normal but some of the curves were still fun.

Just like the day before, as I come up to 28, "Barney Fife" is there shooting radar at those on 19. It's an easy place to let the speed creep up. Fortunately for me, you need to slow down to make the right hand curve onto 28.

This stretch was also familiar. That is until I got to where 143 intersects. Yesterday that's where I turned off but not today. I stay on 28 and the road gets twisty in a hurry. Not quite like the Dragon twisty but very fun none the less. Later I find out this little stretch of heaven is known as Hell Bender. That seems like an appropriate name. Heading west most of the curves were uphill so I was really able to carve the corners as it seems easier to control speed going uphill.

Hwy 28 comes out at the Deals Gap resort so I pulled in there to get some shirts and a drink before I made one more pass on the Dragon. As I'm getting off my bike I see two fellow instructors from the conference, Mitch and Regina. I had tried to get them to ride over with me but they didn't want to take the long way from Memphis. We talked for a while when a few more instructors from the conference showed up. After some shopping and more talking Mitch, Regina and I headed out onto the Dragon. Since I had been on it several times already I took the lead. Mitch was with me into the first corner and then he seemed to drop back slowly. That Ultra Classic is a comfy bike but it can't corner like the GS.

When I got to the observation point I stopped to let them catchup. We hung out there for a while and then continued down the other side of the Dragon. I turned around at the gravel lot and waited for them. As they got close I headed back on to the Dragon and waived goodbye. That last pass had been my best, I even left a little bit of my engine guard on one of the corners. This pass though started out with me meeting 2 gravel trucks. I took that as an omen and kept my speed low and left plenty of space between me and the center. I could also tell I was getting tired.

When I got to the Dragon Resort I stopped again to straighten out an exchange for a friend and to rest a little bit. I couldn't believe it, but all those curves had worn me out. After getting the right size shirt and a little rest I mounted up and headed toward the Cherohala Skyway. Since I still felt a little tired I took it easy and enjoyed the scenery of the skyway. It was nice but not as nice as the Blue Ridge Parkway.

When I finally got to 411 it was refreshing to see a straight road. As I traveled farther down the road it was clear that I was getting away from mountains and onto flat land again. The temperature was also rising as well. I stopped along the roadside to shed the liner then it was back on the road. I managed to stay on back roads through Tennessee and Georgia finally ending up in Bremen, Ga next to I-20. The GPS said I was less than 800 miles from home so I figured this was a great place to stay for the night.

After checking into the motel I talked to a few other riders and then walked over to Arbys for dinner. Afterwards I went back to the room and found the ice machine so I could polish off the remainder of the Crown Royal. It was a great day on the road, all those curves wore me out. Tomorrow would be filled with boring interstates.

Smokey Mountain High

It's 4:30am when my alarm clock went off today. I've got a great day planned. The conference was over yesterday afternoon but bad weather was rolling across the area so I decided to stay in Memphis for the night. Besides I really enjoy the beds in a Marriot, I wake up so refreshed.

I had packed the night before and just needed to put away a few things like the lap top and toiletries. It was going to take two trips to get everything lugged down to the bike. Once that was done a call to the front desk and I was checked out of the hotel. It was nice to start the bike again and hear the purr of the boxer. Inside the parking garage the exhaust rumbled around making the bike sound huge.

Once I got out of the garage I decided to take the southern loop around Memphis since I had traveled on the northern side earlier. It's not like I was on a serious time crunch. I only had 700 miles to go and I was leaving early enough to easily reach my hotel in Robbinsville, North Carolina before dark.

As I road through Nashville there was an interview on XM12 about an artist who struggled to get their songs recorded. I wondered about the road I was riding on and just how many of the famous and not so famous country artists had traveled on that same stretch of highway. Heck I might have been traveling down the same lane that Gretchen Wilson traveled in (I was riding in the fast lane). I looked around like a silly tourist to see if there were any famous people in cars around me. Nope! But then at 8 o'clock in the morning on mothers day I wasn't expecting much.

Around 9am I stopped for fuel near Gordonsville, TN. The stop was quick and then I was back out on the road. By now, I had a rhythm to my stops. Without any other riders it really was up to my whims as to how long I stopped. After getting gas I saw a Huddle House so I pulled in for a good breakfast. No oatmeal on the menu so I had a biscuit, egg and bacon sandwich with a side of hash browns and coffee. Yum!!! Although the food might not be the healthiest I like these places because you can get in and out pretty quick. Total time spent for fuel and food was 20 minutes and I wasn't even hurrying.

With the recommendation of a friend I had decided to take the long way to my room for the night and ride 50 miles or so of the Blue Ridge Parkway. If I didn't do it today, I wouldn't do it on this trip as I wasn't going to get this far east any more. By 1pm I was getting on the Blue Ridge Parkway just south of Ashville, NC and west of I-26. Although I wasn't really in need of fuel I started to look around for some but kept going when I didn't find a name brand station I liked.

The Blue Ridge was definitely worth the ride. The scenery is gorgeous. There are look outs around every corner and it just seems so peaceful. As I continued along I noticed I was getting higher and higher. 3000 feet... 4000 feet.... 5000 feet. At around 5,500 feet I pulled over at a stop to look around, it was beautiful up there. Then I kept going. Now above 5000 feet I was routine riding through clouds as they would rush up the side of the mountain. I stopped at 6062 feet and tried to call my mom to wish her a happy mother's day. I had reception but she wasn't there. Then I called Reagan to let her know where I was (as if she couldn't tell with the SPOT). I made sure to take a picture in front of the sign marking the highest point along the Blue Ridge. Then it was back on the bike.

With the slower speeds my gas mileage really did well and I didn't stop until I reached Cherokee, NC. where I found an Exxon. I had to go in for a bottle of water and my receipt when the young guy behind the counter told me I'd better find a place soon because bad weather was coming. I said I had a room in Robbinsville and he urged me to get on down the road, so that's what I did.

Even the large highways in this part of the country are wonderful. I didn't know it at the time but I missed out on a fun road known as Hellbender or US28 on the map. But that's not to say I didn't ride on wonderful roads getting to Robbinsville.

By 4pm I was rolling into town. The sky was getting a little dark but the rain hadn't started. I wanted to get checked in at the Two Wheel Inn and then find a place to eat. As I was riding through town I noticed a place called Sweetwater BBQ. Hmmm, that looked like a good choice.

The Inn was about 2 miles south of town on US 129 and well marked with signs. I checked in and was shown my room. Everything looked good. I asked about good BBQ in the area and Sweetwater was recommended so that sealed the deal. I unpacked the biked and thought maybe I might run up 129 to the Dragon after dinner depending on the weather.

Dinner at Sweetwater was OK. They served pulled brisket which I found odd. And the waitress charged me an extra $1 for white meat chicken which is something I settled for as they were out of ribs and pork loin. I tried to reason with her and finally just said, it was going to be part of her tip so she could straighten it out if she wanted to. No where on the menu did it mention an upcharge for white meat chicken. I did get to go back in the kitchen and check out their smoker though. Will, the owner, was proud to show me his kitchen. I inquired about the pulled brisket and he said it was a Sweetwater BBQ thing as he didn't originally do 'Q but started cooking it after he couldn't find any he liked in the area. I could understand that.

As I was leaving the parking lot I almost dropped the bike twice. It was on a steep hill, I was rolling backwards and had turned the handlebars to navigate away. Through shear determination I kept the bike up, I wasn't about to let the locals see this bright green city slicker drop his fancy motorcycle.

Once on the road, I figured I'd just run up and see how far it was to the Dragon. A few miles into the journey I realized I probably should have brought my Gerbing liner as the temperature was dropping and was currently at 53. I turned on the heated grips and kept going. Maybe that heated seat option would have been a nice benefit.

As I passed the Deals Gap resort I knew I had reached the famed Dragon. For the first pass I wanted to take things slow. As I got into the rhythm it occurred to me that I hadn't seen any other motorists on the road. It was as if I had the road to myself. Left, right, left another left.... the road kept twisting and turning with rises and falls along the way. I was having a blast. I passed the scenic lookout at the top and kept going until I reached the river crossing and the obvious gravel turn around area. I was grinning from ear to ear as I turned around.

Back through it I road. This time stopping at the scenic lookout for a few minutes to take in the view. It neat to see how they had created a lake by damming up one end of valley. The road called and I answered with a clunk of the shifter and a twist of the rest. During this pass I encountered a few cars and motorcycles but still I was mostly alone. It was great.

When I passed the Deals Gap resort I kept on going because I was getting a little cold and wanted to get home before the rain started. I figured I had pushed my luck enough. Sure enough, about 5 miles from town I encountered a light sprinkle, nothing to even wet my windshield.

Since I hadn't scoped out the ice machine situation at the Inn I decided to stop and get a bag of ice so I could enjoy some Crown Royal back at the room. Once in the room I pulled out the laptop and started planning the next day's ride. Hmm, definitely gotta go ride the dragon 1, 2, 3 times at least!

Sweet dreams... of a dragon

Not so Saddle Sore with the Russell Day Long

3:30 AM and my phone's alarm clock is going off. My how time flies when you are sleeping. I got to sleep last night just after 9pm. The plan is to check the weather radar and decide whether I'm heading north through Joplin or south down to I-40.... Radar indicates storms up around Joplin, I guess I'm heading south. Hopefully traffic won't be bad on I-40 going into Memphis.

That's how my morning started. With a little uncertainty regarding the time it would take along with a little disappointment for not getting to go through Missouri on this trip. But taking the lower route also meant I'd have a little extra time to pack up and maybe even grab breakfast.

By 5:15 I had things packed and checked out the bike. It was time to head out, I just needed to pickup a start receipt from the Quiktrip around the corner. 5:25am and I'm logging the receipt and telling the GPS to get me to Memphis via Little Rock. As I'm leaving Tulsa I make a mistake and end up exiting onto a service road but I jump right back on and take the next exit onto 412 heading east.

At 6:25 I'm pulling up to the Cherokee Turnpike toll plaza, this time I'm much drier and in high spirits. Just an hour into the day's ride and I've covered 66 miles. I made a little small talk with the attendant while I record my mileage and then it's back on the throttle and down the road. This time of the morning is so beautiful as the sun is rising.

When I got over to Springdale, Arkansas I thought I had stumbled onto a law enforcement convention. They were on every corner, parked on exit ramps, in the mediums, and rolling down the road. I certainly didn't want to get any souvenirs from them so I took it easy until I got a ways down the road. The rest of the trip down 540 was nice and pleasant, with beautiful green covered mountains and hills to wind through.

The first gas stop was in Plumerville, Arkansas at 9:06am with 260 miles on the trip meter. I was getting good mileage so I could have kept going but this just looked like an easy place to get off and back on without issue. While I was there I talked to a fellow rider told me I had rain toward Memphis. Rats!!! No more rain please. Oh well, I get my receipt, dash in for a facilities break and back on the bike. The stop was just a little over 5 minutes. By now I was getting pretty good at quick stops.

The closer I got to Memphis, the darker the sky got. But then about 11am the sky seemed to clear and I had sun once again. The temperatures were in the low 70's so riding was pleasant. As I got close the state line, there was a Bar-B-Q guy hawking his 'Q on the CB. His confidence in his Q seemed pretty genuine and I thought about turning around and coming back after I reached my end point in Memphis.

Since I was ahead of schedule I decided to make it a 2100 mile trip in 48 hours so I rode on through Memphis until the odometer showed the magical numbers of 32,830. That was it, 2100 miles done! I pulled into a Shell station and got my final receipt for the ride. 11:52am on the receipt and 32,834 on the odometer. I had done it.

Since I didn't have anywhere special to be, I just sort of stood around for a little while. I took off my liner, called Reagan and just reveled in my accomplishment. Then I realized I hadn't stopped for breakfast. I was going to go back through Memphis and see the Bar-B-Q man in Arkansas on channel 16.

One block away from the Shell station and my plans changed drastically. My nose told me there was good Q in the immediate area. So I stopped in at a place called Jim and Nick's. It was a little too fancy for my tastes and I thought a little over priced but I was hungry. I had their brisket and pulled pork. The pork was dry and the brisket was cut strange. Instead of slicing the brisket vertically, they sliced it horizontally. I asked my waiter about the cut of the brisket and he said he had never seen it cut like that before. Dandy! They must have had a new guy in back.

After lunch I was heading toward the hotel for the convention, not really sure who I was going to get to be my end witnesses. I figured I had friends at the convention or I might find a police or fire station by going through town. It was just then that I saw the attraction sign for Harley Davidson rentals. That was perfect, I'd go by and get some folks at the local dealership to sign my form. I thought it added a little bit of a cool factor to the whole thing since I had come to Memphis for the Harley Davidson Riders Edge conference.

The folks at Bumpus Harley Davidson were friendly and helpful. I got the Riders Edge program manager and a sales guy to sign the form. I stuck around for a little bit and shot the breeze with the sales guy and almost went over and sat on a Ulysses but thought better of it. I mean I had just gotten my Russell seat for the BMW, I definitely didn't need a new bike.


Thoughts about the ride:
Some of my friends joke about my obsession with farkles on the bike. But the farkles helped to make the ride fun. The XM Radio provided me with music, the GPS helped me to watch the weather and stay on time, and the CB helped me to meet a few truckers along the way. I might have even given one of them a reason to wear his helmet.

But the best farkle of all has to be the Russell Day Long seat. It's the best money I've spent on the bike, even better than the Adventure tank conversion. It's easy to stop for fuel in five minutes but you can't get a new rear end in 5 minutes. Of course, I was really risking my comfort on the seat as I had only ridden with it for 100 miles the day before leaving, but even in that short time I knew I had something good. RDL recommends 500 to 1000 miles to properly break in the seat. I'm pretty sure the seat was broken in by the time I reached El Paso on the first day.




Well the next few days I'll be a convention attendee but then I'm heading east for some beautiful twisties in North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee.
Go go gadget Beemer!!!

Bun Burner Gold in the bag

Minus the bumpy start in my pre-ride inspection things were just about on schedule. With the start witness form signed I headed off to the nearby Exxon station to get my start receipt. The Speed Pass works and I have a full tank of gas. My start time is 12:05PM Central time. Everything is ready and I pull out.

The ride from Houston to San Antonio was pretty much straight forward and common. Excitement was high as the miles were clicking away. I would occasionally get frustrated with cagers for not moving out of the way and causing needless congestion on I-10. After working my way through one such cluster, I took a minute and asked myself what sort of ride this would be. Did I want to cut in and out of traffic as if this was a race or did I want to take it easy and be patient while realizing these poor saps were stuck in cages with no sense of the world around them. I decided pitying the poor saps and taking it easy would result in a much better ride.

Near San Antonio I opted to go straight through San Antonio as opposed to taking the 1604 loop since it had stop lights. My plan was to keep the "stopped" time to zero until my first official stop. Going through town around 2:30PM I figured it would be pretty calm. Was I ever wrong, folks in San Antonio are crazy on their road ways. I ended up behind a rider on a 'busa who apparently thought not wearing a helmet and wearing shorts made him cool with the ladies. I figured he must be crazy riding around in traffic like that without any protection.

First stop Junction, Texas. My fuel light had come on quite some time ago and I was really pushing to get to my first planned stop. 314 miles into the trip and the gas pump said I put in over 9 gallons of gas. Problem is, my tank is only supposed to be 8.7 gallons. I decided I'd probably have to shorten up the next stop as I wasn't getting the sort of mileage I expected. Must have been a combination of speed and the tank panniers. None the less, this stop was early according to my cheat sheet and I only spent 5 minutes stopped. Back on the road and ahead of schedule.

Second stop was an early one in Kent, Texas. My fuel light had come on even earlier and I was at 273 miles when I saw the sign for the Chevron station. Apparently the boxer isn't so economical running at speeds between 80 and 90 mph. And just to be clear, west of Kerrville the posted speed limit is 80 mph. 9 more gallons packed in, I made mental note to stop pushing my luck on the range and then I was back out on the road. Combined "stopped" time for the first 2 stops was only 14.5 minutes. I was definitely ahead of my schedule.

When I passed through Van Horn it was 8:07pm, according to my cheat sheet I was supposed to stop in Van Horn and leave by 9:36. I had already completed my second stop in Kent and was rolling through so that meant I was an hour and half ahead of schedule. I was feeling pretty good but knew anything could happen and probably would to jeopardize my completing this ride. Stay focussed and keep going.

My third stop was in Hatch, New Mexico. It had been dark for a few hours already as the sun was setting as I left Van Horn earlier. This stop was more of a "let's be cautious" stop as it was getting late and I was getting away from Las Cruces and civilization. I wasn't for sure what I'd find out on I-25 and didn't want to chance blowing my otherwise great time so far. So with 242 miles on the trip meter and my fuel light just coming on I decided to pull in. There were no stations visible from the road, but the blue information sign said it was only 2 tenths of a mile away. Sure enough, there it was. A Quick Pic station with well lit pumps. I decided to take my helmet off at this stop, walk around and even go in and get a bottle of water. I took the full 20 minutes which I had allotted for each stop. I used time to put on my Gerbing liner and clean the windshield. The forecast said it was going to get down to 51 in the early AM hours.

It was 12:43 AM by my clock when I passed through Socorro, NM which was supposed to be the third stop. My plan was to leave Socorro by 2:27AM. I was 1 hour and 47 minutes ahead of schedule. I was also 900 plus miles through the ride and just past the halfway mark for time. So far so good.

By my fourth stop I was starting to feel a little tired. It was 3:20AM by my clock. The weather was starting to get a little cool as the temperature dropped. I had turned on my Gerbing liner and I was staying nice and warm. I had gone 300 miles since the last stop and my mileage was seemingly better as I had just reached the 0 miles indicator on my fuel warning which with the larger tank meant I had at least another gallon of fuel in reserve. This was just about true as I was only able to stuff 7.99 gallons of gas into the tank. Remember it's an 8.7 gallon tank. At 300 miles I seemed to be back on my planned distance between stops. I figured I could easily make it to Amarillo which was a planned stop. So back on the bike for a total of an 11 minute stop. Not bad.

Tucumcari, NM was supposed to be the fourth stop and when I passed by it was 4:22AM and according to my cheat sheet I was supposed to be leaving there by 6:21AM. Yep! That's right I was 2 hours ahead. Well best laid plans and all that....

You see when you get too comfortable with a ride like this something is bound to happen and happen it did. After my fourth stop mother-nature decided to start washing my bike in the form of liquid moonlight a.k.a. RAIN. No biggie, riding in rain is fine as it was only a light mist. But finally it started coming down hard and there was no letting up. I was quite the entertainment for some truck drivers who thought I had to be a little crazy and wet. I tried talking to them but never got a response. I'm not sure if my CB was on the fritz or what but my XM Radio had tunes in my helmet so it kept me going. Finally though I pulled off the road for a break to adjust things, cover my seat and change gloves as my so called waterproof cold weather gloves were soaked through. Problem was my summer gloves had also gotten wet in the tank panniers so that left me with my bulkier summer gloves which were difficult to fit inside my Aerostitch triple digit rain covers. Finally I managed to get them on though. When I shut down the bike there was a problem with my electrical stuff which resulted in nothing coming back on when I turned on the key. So I unpacked everything and tapped the relay. It would come on as long as the key was on so I figured I was OK. This unplanned stop happened at 5:15AM in Adrian, Texas and cost me 16 minutes. See best laid plans and stuff...

When I pulled into the Flying J in Amarillo, I was wet and tired with only 1303 miles completed. My speeds had definitely slowed down due to the rain and that meant I had given up some of my extra time. It was 6:23AM when I stopped, according to the cheat sheet I was supposed to arrive at 8:03. Screw it! I was going inside to warm up, eat some breakfast and relax for a little bit. As long as I was on the road by 7am I'd still be an hour and half ahead. I used a trick I learned from the IBA Archive of Wisdom and found the waiter, placed my order, laid down my gear and went to the bathroom to wash up. Washing up, yes I know it's ironic considering I had been in the rain. But the water on my face felt refreshing and helped. When I got back, my food was on the table and I was able to enjoy it without wasting any more time. Even though the waiter spilled butter on some of my gear I tipped him well for such great and fast service. With food in my stomach it was time to fill the bike and get going. Walking back out in the rain sucked. When I got on the bike I nearly dropped it because of a slick surface under my foot but I sure wasn't going to let that happen and told the bike to stand up. It did! With fuel in the tank and my receipt tucked away I was back on the road at 7:01AM, my schedule told me I needed to leave by 8:23 so I was only 1 hour and 23 minutes ahead at this point. But still ahead none the less.

I continued across I-40 and the rain wasn't letting up. I arrived at the Flying J in Oklahoma City at 10:27AM which was an hour and 20 minutes ahead of schedule. The rain was coming down pretty heavy and I was just hoping to find a slot to park in so I could get my receipt without getting soaked further. The stop only took about 5 minutes and I was back out on the road. But this was the most interesting stop of the trip...

Just as I pull up to my pump I notice a pickup truck pulling up right next to me. My first thought is "Can't this idiot wait in his dry truck and let me fill up in peace". Then he starts talking to me about the weather and asking how long I've been riding in it. I talk to him while pumping gas. Then he asks where I'm heading and I say I'd like to make Joplin. He offers to let me crash at his house which he says is on the north side of town. Now I've decided this guy has gone from being a jerk to a psycho motorcycle stalker and figure it's time to make an excuse to get to my top case where I have my pistol. I mean who the heck offers a stranger a place to stay these days. When the pump finally clicks off to tell me the tank is full this guy asks me where my witness form is for him to sign. It was at this point that I had a little laugh. I introduced myself and he said his name was Gary. So now Gary didn't seem so scary and psychotic to me. I thought twice about his offer for a place to stay but figured I'd be better off with the extra mileage. Gary wanted to help so he put a few dollars in a ziplock baggie for the tollway and checked on my snack supply. He told me about a great Hampton Inn up in Joplin just off the road and said I could make it in a few hours depending on the weather. We shook hands and off I went, bound and determined to make Joplin. And feeling pretty good knowing there was a fellow IBA member who had taken time out of his day to meet me and help out along the way. From jerk to psycho to friend in five minutes what a stop. Thanks Gary!

My next stop was 11:43AM at the Turner Turnpike toll booth. I used the baggie of dollar bills that Gary had given me and asked the attendant to please take the necessary amount as I couldn't get the money out with my rain covers on. Apparently she was a trainee and when her supervisor saw the situation she agreed and they very ceremoniously took out 4 1 dollar bills and then put 50 cents back in the bag along with a receipt. They thought I was a little crazy to be out in weather like this but when I told them I had just ridden 1600 miles in the last 24 hours I'm pretty sure they thought about calling the looney pen for me.

Since my stop at the Flying J was so quick I waited until I was heading north on I-44 past the toll booth to call Reagan. I knew she was watching things on the SPOT site but figured it would be good to call and say I made it. She asked where I was planning to stop since the weather was really bad ahead and included large hail. I didn't see any places to stop so I pressed on into Tulsa.

By the time I reached Tulsa my pants had started leaking and my boots were filling with water as a result. I was done! I knew I had managed to do the needed distance in time and I was tired and wet. A hot shower and comfy bed were what I wanted. I first tried a Super 8 but when I asked about parking the bike under an awning they said NO and so I decided to leave. Wet, frustrated and tired I looked up lodging on the Zumo. There was a Days Inn around the corner. I went over there and found out they had a room for a lower rate and didn't care where I parked my bike. After getting my room key I realized I had failed to get an end receipt before stopping at the motel, so back out I go to the Quiktrip for a fill up and my end receipt for the day. It was 12:34pm and I had gone 1652 miles in just over 24 hours.

Once back to the room it was time to unload the bike and get inside. I got out of my wet clothes and tried to hang everything up to dry so I could start out dry the next morning. Then it was time for sleep. I only wanted to sleep for 4 hours so I wouldn't completely ruin my sleep schedule for the next day. It didn't take long to fall asleep.

After a good nap I got up and resumed efforts to dry out my clothes. There wasn't anything close to eat and I didn't feel like pulling on my wet boots to get down the way to Arby's. Thank goodness for Chinese delivery. An hour later it arrived while news reports talked about horrible weather around Tulsa with storm watchers scouring the area for twisters.

I made some adjustments to my route to complete the SaddleSore 2000 and would go back down to Little Rock and ride in I-40. With a full stomach and things starting to dry, it was time to get more sleep, 3:30am would come very early.