Rookies and Radar (Day 15)

With the big cities behind us. the raod miles became easy with miles of corn fields and sparse traffic. Okay, maybe the miles were too easy! In the heartland of Minnesota, I apparently entered the district of a Trooper Cadet in training. Unlucky for me, the skill of the day was operation of moving radar in the opposite direction and proper methods of high speed U-Turns through tall grassy medians. Or as his Field Training Officer described it in a Minnesota accent, "I was teaching my rook how to dive the medians".

As a courtesy, I explained that I was armed (cops really like to hear this up front!). This caused the Rook a slight post-academy reaction because his hand instantly rested on the butt of his holstered firearm. Afer the Rook collected my license and insurance and closely examined my commission card it appeared he and his training officer had a short roadside meeting back at their cruiser. Actually, it looked more like a short lecture because the Rook wasn't talking, just nodding his head. The veteran returned to my bike and explained his partner was in training and they were just practicing. He suggested I slow by 1 or 2 MPH and I thnkfully agreed. Since the "business" portion of the stop was concluded, I gave the veteran a Challenge Coin. He immediately gave me one of his SWAT Unit coins and so began the shop talk. After the Rook returned and with the verteran's permission, I gave Rook a coin too. Handshakes and we were on our way.

Next stop was the famous Corn Palace in South Dakota! Each year since the early 1900's, they decorate this building with a differen't theme.

Miles today = 610
Total miles = 5,507
States visited = 23

Road Rage in Chicago (Day 14)

Today marks two weeks on the road and saying goodbye to Al and Penny as we go in different directions since they live in Arizona. We pulled out of Erie and made our way around Lake Michigan and into Chicago. This is where the wheels fell off the bus! Al and Penny are running the entire Route 66 so they can really "Get their Kicks". The starting point is the Art institute of Chicago which is right downtown. Just for fun, we decided to join them. Okay there was NO FUN in it! Dodging taxi cabs, cars, buses and pedestrians I would put Chicago drivers 10 times more dangerous than Seattle drivers.Apparently, the moisture from Lake Michigan causes unique electrical problems in motor vehicles which disables turn signals while at the same time causing car horns to spontaneously honk just because. After one loop around the Art Institute and pondering whether I had enough bullets to escape this city, iback to the freeway we went. But not before sharing some thoughts and opinions I had with a motorcyclist weaving between cars and nearly side swiping me.  Al and Penny were gobbled up by traffic and never to be seen again until he posted a picture posing under a large statue holding a....oh never mind!

Once Jess and I escaped the afternoon traffic snarl of Chicago, we turned West and entered Wisconsin, staying overnight near a tourist town called Wisconsin Dells.

Miles today = 632
Total mileage = 4,897
States visited = 21
Bullets Used = 0 (restraint is not easy!)

Niagara Falls Plunge (Day 13)

This morning we set out from Erie, PA towards Niagara Falls. In less than two hours we had arrived on the American side of the Falls. Similar to the Grand Canyon, Niagara is just one of those places in which pictures don't do any justice. Missing from the picture is the deep rumble created by the Falls which sounds like continuous explosions of thunder. That said, here is one of my favorites:

Most of us have heard about the daredevils who have gone over the Falls. The first one to attempt this did so in a wooden barrel and survived. But did you know a 7 year old boy went over the falls in 1960? He was thrown into the water after a boating incident and went over the 160 foot Horseshoe Falls and lived to tell about it! Here's an article: 7 Year Old Survives
We then took a boat ride to the base of the Falls. The boat is called the Maiden of the Mist. Even with plastic rain covers, we were soaking wet!

We then crossed the boarder and went to the Canadian side of the Falls. We enjoyed a great lunch with a window seat of the Falls. What a great day!

Miles today = 257
Total miles = 4,227
Number of States = 15

iPod song of the day Journey Open Arms Yeah very sappy but it came on just as the Falls came into view.

I Have an Erie Feeling About This! (Day 12)

With a long night in the ER, we got a later start than usual. And that's okay because this IS a vacation. With a slightly narcotic induced hangover, Jessica the TROOPER was up and ready to go. We knocked out some easy miles and landed in Erie, Pennsylvania for the night. Al and Penny joined us for a swim in the hotel pool and then we decided to meet up in the bar for some adult beverages.

The unfortunate timing of our visit coincided with the hotel's Karaoke night. All I can say is Simon Cowell would've opened fire with an Uzi. Shoot, even the Karaoke host looked slightly frightened at some of the entertainment. Well Penny felt so much empathy for the local talent, she decided to join in an offer some background vocals.

Warning!! The amount of alcohol required for this level of support may be harmful to your health. Only consume such quantities after consulting your physician!

Miles today =  320
States visited - 14
Bad Better Midler covers = 4

What's a Vacation Without an ER Visit? (Day 11)

Friday morning we left Chesapeake towards Washington D.C. The temperature was in the high 90's before lunch and the humidity had all four of us dripping from head to toe. Our goal was to spend most of the day in D.C. and see the sights. By the time we found a place to park, it was all we could do to rip off our riding gear and stumble to a street vendor selling bottled water.

We made a big circle and visited the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial Wall, and White House. No kidding, the temperature hit 103 and the humidity brought the temps into the 120's. To top it off, sitting on a bike in traffic with the heat reflecting off the asphalt, I'm sure it was in the 150's. All of our clothes were soaking and you couldn't drink enough water to make up for the dehydration.

We finally left D.C and hit a tremendous traffic snarl. We (wisely) decided to cut our ride short and pulled into Frederick, Maryland for the night. Unfortunately, the heat had taken its toll on all of us. Jessica succumbed to a disabling migraine headache her normal medicine couldn't touch. After hours of quiet time and no improvement, off to the the local ER we went (via Taxi).

Printed with Patient's Permission :-)

Good medicine was administered and she was finally sleeping peacefully at around 12:30 am. I think I was sleeping by 1:30. Yes, a long day but grateful it ended okay!

Miles today = 260
Total States visited = 12 + Washington D.C.
ER visits = 1

Riding with a Dolphin (Day 9)

Today was pretty damn hot...mid 90's but the humidity is something to fear! I rode out to the North Hampton area which involves crossing a 12.5 mile long bridge. What's really cool is the bridge turns into a tunnel in two different spots so ships can cross over it.

There is a rest stop with at one of the tunnel entrances so I pulled in to grab a picture of the bridge just disappearing! You can see the bridge coming back in the background. Pretty cool!

When heading back on the Southbound bridge, a dolphin jumped from the water twice right next to where I was riding. I'm thinking he approves of my new pipes!

Al is on the way to pick up his bike. It was a simple fix (crank position sensor). We are heading out of Chesapeake on Friday morning for more fun and adventures!



Man Down!! (Day 6)

We planned on today's ride being a short day of 379 miles into Chesapeake, Virginia. Of course, plans are always subject to change which is why we rarely book hotels ahead. Rather we just see where the day takes us and depending on weather and stops we make, we are able to adjust our overnight stays easily. This morning was a great example of the need for flexibility!

Man Down!!

Within 20 miles of our ride, Al's Harley simply stopped running. On the side of the freeway with semi trucks whizzing by at 70 MPH, it appeared his bike with 85,000 miles on it might be having either an electrical  or fuel injection problem. A tow arrived quickly and the nearest Harley Dealership turned out to be at the next off ramp. We could have almost hit their building with a rock from where his bike had quit! Since this was Sunday, their service department wasn't open so he and Penny arranged to rent a "cage" so they could continue to our Chesapeake destination.

I continued on and descended from the Virginia hills and into the flat lands. With every mile I think the temperature increased by one degree. By the time I hit Norfolk, temps were in the 90's. That's not so bad but for the humidity! One of the neatest sections of the ride was the tunnel that goes underneath Chesapeake Bay. I arrived in Chesapeake in time to wash some laundry and get some dinner.

I'll be here until Friday morning with my Blue Knight motorcycle friends relaxing pool side and taking a couple of short rides. Jessica flies in on Wednesday and will join us for the rest of the trip. Riding "two-up" requires careful packing of the bike so we can haul what we need. I better stop buying stuff!  Friday we will set out for Niagara Falls and contemplating potential stops in DC and maybe even New York. We are confident Al's bike will be road ready by then!

Miles today = 379
Total miles = 3,251
Total States = 11

iPod song of the day Carter's Chord I can break hearts too. I can't find a link to this new song, but it's a good one!

Truth - Justice - The American Way (Day 5)

My good riding friends Al and Penny were nice enough to take a small detour off our route so we could stop in and see my brother Chris. I hadn't seen him in at least three years and being so close to where he lives in Metropolis, Illinois....it seemed like an opportunity I couldn't pass up. We rode out of Benton, Missouri and and arrived in Metropolis, Illinois just in time for breakfast. Not knowing the area, Chris suggested we meet at a Huddle House. The Huddle is a cross between a Winchell's Donut shop and a very small Denny's and the people watching was awesome. I suppose they were thinking the same thing while watching us!

The short time with Chris was great and then we swung by the Superman statue. Yes, this is THE Metropolis from Superman and there is a 30 foot statue in front of City Hall. Cheesy and neat all at once! Can you see the resemblance?

We then drove through Nashville where I was tempted to start my singing career. Guess I'll keep that one on my bucket list since I was riding sober. As we rode into the beautiful mountains of Virginia, we came across the small town of Glade Spring. Having no idea what we were coming upon, it was quite a surprise to see the remnants of a devastating tornado. The tornado struck on April 28, 2011 and killed several residents. Even several months later, buildings were in ruins and debris piles were everywhere. Trees were snapped in half and signs of rebuilding were everywhere. Here is a picture of some of the damage.

We landed in Marion VA for the night and had a great Margarita with our Mexican dinner before checking into the worst Econolodge I've ever seen. Note to self, ECONO means cheap and dumpy!

Miles traveled today = 550

Total miles for trip = 2860

Number of States accumulated = 11

iPod song of the day Heartbreaker by Pat Benetar Listen and remember the good ole' days!

Highway Underwater! (Day 4)

Riding across Nebraska causes one to think, "Where is all this corn going to?" Hundreds of miles of corn fields as far as the eye can see. They say if you stand in the middle of a corn field, you can hear it growing. I'm not sure about that, but I suppose it's possible.

Temperatures climbed today and reached at least 104. You have to remember riding on asphalt in leather chaps on top of an engine pretty much doubles the heat problem. I took another page out of the infamous Dallas Earl playbook and dug my hydration pack out at a gas stop. Directions: Pack ice into hydration pack, add bottle of vitamin water, place on back, and ride! This makes all the difference and got me through the hottest part of the day.

As we crossed into Missouri, we came across a "Highway Closed Ahead" sign. And sure enough, we rode up to barricades and saw the problem. The highway had become one with the Missouri River during the floods a couple of weeks ago. It cost us at least an hour as we detoured into Kansas and finally found a bridge crossing that wasn't underwater. Crossing the river revelaed miles of flooded fields adjasent to the river. I'm guessing the flood was at least 3 miles wide. Incredible!

The good weather continuing, we put in another long day and ended up in Benton, Missouri.

Mileage today = 773
Total miles = 2310
Number of States so far = 8

Death and Dismemberment (Day 3)

Sorry for the late postings, I did not have Internet for the last couple of nghts. We pulled out of Ogden Utah at 7 am and within 5 minutes, a buck ran across the road in front of us. Now that's a wake up call! We climbed up into the Rockies and crossed the State of Wyoming. Although we started with a bit of rain, the weather cleared up for perfect riding conditions.

With the speed limit at 75, I set the cruise control at 80-83 MPH. As you can imagine, things come up pretty quick at that rate of travel. Coming out of a sweeping curve, I spied a bird standing in my lane. Remembering the advice Robert Duvall gave to Tom Cruise in the movie Days of Thunder, I held my line and aimed right for the bird. I've encountered this same situation hundreds of time and the bird always flies away with time to spare. Well not today...this bird took to flight but aimed right at me in a twisted game of chicken. The bird hit the frame of my bike and exploded. All I could see in my mirror was feathers and parts flying in all directions. That "crime scene" would have kept Masuka and Dexter busy for a long time!

Since the weather was good, we decided to put in some extra miles before stopping for the night in Nebraska. 

Mileage today = 705
Total mileage = 1538
Total number of States = 5
Bird deaths = 1

Falling Apart (Day 2)

I left Pendleton at 8:50 this morning. The climb over the Blue Mountains was chilly and spectacular. Soon after, temps climbed into the 80's with nothing but blue sky. Harley's vibrate a lot and that's okay, it's part of the ride! Unfortunately, my heel shift lever vibrated right off the bike and I only discovered it when I went to downshift after a long stretch in sixth gear. Crap! So a side trip to the local Harley dealer and a quick install of a new shifter, I was back on the road.

Once in Idaho, the speed limit increases to 75 MPH which is great! I rumbled (and vibrated) along at a good pace today and realized it's only the Washington driver's who camp out in the left lane and slow everyone down. Why is that?

As I pulled into Ogden, Utah to meet my friends Al and Penny, I was treated with a super view of the Rockies on my left and the Great Salt Lake on my right. My timing couldn't have been better as thunder showers broke out moments after I dismounted. Whew!

I had to laugh at myself today as I rocked with my iPod to some great tunes...but just as I pulled into a gas station, the song changed to something by Celine Dion blasting on my speakers. Yeah I got some really confused looks. This happened at two of my gas stops. So much for my rough and tough Harley image. Well at least I'm living up to my Road Hogs moniker.

Today's mileage = 535
Total mileage= 830
Total Number of States= 4

iPod song of the day: Brandi Carlile- Sixty Years On

Night Rider (Day 1)

But without the cheesy talking car or the "Hoff", I launched from The Buckley last night at 6:35 with the hopes of getting ahead of the incoming storm. Sounds like my timing was perfect and I missed the Washington rain. Of course now I'm heading into a heat wave in the Midwest and the weather is expected to be well above 100 for several days. I'll be employing the Dallas Earl strategy...Leave early, finish early, stay hydrated! (right Dallas?)

Because I left after having Dinner with Jessica and her kids, much of my ride was after dusk. I rarely ride at night but thoroughly enjoy doing so. Riding at night is risky, the animals start crossing the roads at dusk and it's more difficult to see crap and pot holes in the roadway. Watching the sun set and the nearly full moon come into full view is always amazing on a bike. With each turn, it looked like I would be rained on but it never happened. As I rode across the Columbia and into Pendleton, Oregon I watched a lighting storm ahead of me. Bright flashes all the way into town...it was AWESOME!

Home of the famous Pendleton Roundup and Pendleton Blanket made by the Pendleton Woolen Mill, it's a pretty cool city. I'll be launching from here to Ogden Utah where I'll meet up with good friends Al and Penny for the rest of the trip to the East Coast.
Today's mileage 292

Today's iPod song of the day: Shoot to Thrill by AC/DC (hey you have to start a good trip with a great rock song!)

Making a list and checking it twice

Part of today was spent making a pack list for the trip. Needing to maximize on space, it's impossible to bring everything I might want or need. But sticking with the essentials and planning on laundry stops every four days should do the trick. I'm hoping to have the bike packed up by tomorrow night so I can make sure the weight is distrbuted evenly. A couple pounds difference is really perceptible when bombing down the highway. Sunscreen....check....mail hold....check....bills paid....check.

I've been watching the weather and may decide to leave Tuesday night instead of Wednesday morning. That shortens my ride and it looks like I can avoid having to ride out in rain showers.

Hoping the rain clears up before next week. The East Coast is under water. Maybe I should bring my snorkel?

Trip Route



Probable Trip Route



Wild Hogs

I've decided to use a blog for my upcoming motorcycle trip. This will allow me to document the trip and keep friends and family updated along the way. This should be a fun adventure as I head across the Nation to the East Coast. I've named it Wild Hogs after the movie for obvious reasons, but I'm not the character who kept crashing  his bike throughout the trip!

My friend Dallas and I rented Wild Hogs on pay-per-view in our hotel room on one of our adventures. There's nothing better than watching a movie about middle aged Harley riders with "issues" while on a road trip.

Departure is scheduled in one week on July 13. So come with me one what should be an unforgettable trip!