Man, Motorcycle, Mountains Day 3

Man, Motorcycle, Mountains

Day 3 -- Black Hills, Sturgis

Had some storms last night, came just at sunset.  More wind than rain.  I layed there in the tent and listened to the wind and rain for a short time before I fell asleep.  I must have changed my wristwatch back to Central time zone at some point during the night--I got up at what I thought was 4am, but ended up being 3am.  I was literally the first person to get to every place I went today!

Headed south into the Black Hills National Forest.  Stopped and saw this giant hole in the ground, the Homestake Gold Mine.  Apparently there was a lot of mining in this area way back when.

This is the Pactola dam and resevoir.  It's pretty big, and the cool breeze blowing in from the lake reminded me of the ocean breezes but with the addition of the sound of the wind blowing through all the trees.  I sure enjoyed today's landscape of pines much better than yesterday's Badlands.

This is Mount Rushmore.  Personally , I think the mountains looked better the way they were before man intervened.  Quite a crowd magnet, I didn't linger long.

Rode through an older, twisty section of roads that featured a few narrow tunnels more than a few years old.  The curves slowed my average speed down quite a bit.

These are buffalo, two of the big males were having a go at each other.  They are so big and make a deep grunt that is a little spooky.  This happened in Custer State Park where, in addition to the buffalo, I also saw deer, elk, mules, and prairie dogs.

I stopped here, in Neeles State Park for a lunch of water, nuts, & jerky.  I was just plumb worn out.  Had done a lot riding thanks to getting up so early, plus all the curves and hills kept me busy working the clutch and leaning the bike right and left.  Rode just over 200 miles, but took as much time as 400

They call the park Needles due to the abundance of rock formations similar to this one.  One of the best parks I've ever seen.  Don't miss it if you come this way.

Coming back to Sturgis, I took the Spearfish Canyon route.  I like riding through canyons, where the road follows a meandering mountain stream at a gentle grade with easier curves, acutally quite relaxing.

Now, I'm just waiting for it to cool off so I can shower, do laundry, and crawl back into the tent again.  Camping isn't bad except for the heat and sweating.  My next camping will be in Montana where it is supposed to be mid-40s at night, do you think I'll miss the heat?



Man, Motorcycle, Mountains Day 2

Man, Motorcycle, Mountains

Day 2 -- The Badlands

It was clear and 61 degrees when I got headed west this morning at 630, the leather jacket felt good and I kept it on until about 1100.  I left the crop land behind, and the landscape changed to hay fields and cattle.  The towns were spaced further apart and contained nothing fancy, just gas stations, farm supply stores, and implement companies.

I decided it wise to keep my tank topped-off as I never knew how far before I'd find more gas.

Instead of GPS, I opted for the more reliable PPNS (paper and pen navigation system)  Simply write down your route in big print and place in magnetic holder on your gas tank.  Foolproof!  Was fun to watch the GPS constantly be outdone by the PPNS.  The most useful thing the GPS does is give you a rough estimate of how far to where you are going to end up.

This is what the landscape looked like about mid day.  I began battling crosswinds, which must be enevitable if you travel west.  Makes for white knuckles and more calories burned, leaning your bike into the wind and driving down the road leaned to one side.  Its still fun.

The best I could do for lunch was a bratwurst at a convenience store/casino, even had to stand up to eat.  Sure would have been nicer to eat a dog at the Kum and Go on Gateway Drive!

This is the only picture taken of me today, a stranger took pity on me in the badlands and offered.

This is a view of Big Foot Pass in the Badlands.  I really doubt that squatches would live in an area without trees and fresh water.  Just sayin.

Stopped in the town of Wall, SD to see the world famous Wall Drugs.  Worth stopping for, but really just another tourist trap.  I enjoyed getting a break from the heat and seeing old pharmacy, where the pharmacist actually filled a real prescription while I was there.

80 miles later I arrived at the motorcyle unofficial pilgrimage site of Sturgis.  Got me a T-shirt at the Sturgis Harley Davidson Dealership, had a nice dinner, then returned to the campground where I will be camping tonight.  I'll let you know tomorrow if I liked camping or not.

This is my tent, a one-man variety, and a mummy bag.  Should be cozy! I'm setting up by the camp office using WIFI to write the blog, it is 96 degrees at 630 pm.  When it cools off some, I'm going to take a shower if I have enough quarters for the coin opperated shower.  There is a McDonalds a block away that I plan to have breakfast at before I head out to explore the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore.

Man, Motorcycle, Mountains Day 1

Man, Motorcycle, Mountains

Day 1 -- Heading North

The long awaited and much anticipated day is finally here!  After months of planing and dreaming, the day to start riding has arrived!  No feeling like it, better than the last day of school!

The bike has 2 new tires, new brakes, fresh oil change and service, and has been washed and polished and preped.  I may have set a record for most stuff packed and loaded onto a motorcycle.
Hope it handles allright, surely my stuff doesn't weigh as much as a person.

I rolled away from home at 0630.  Toni prayed with me, hugged me, and took this picture.

I stopped before I got out of town to tie things down better--there was some bad shakin goin on.

I thought about how I had trouble getting out of bed on time, thought it odd, then decided it was God having me get a later start for a reason He knows, and I'm pretty blessed by that.

It was a cool and partly cloudy morning.  Some might have worn a jacket, but I decided not, and waited for the sun to eventually warm things, which it did, burning away the clouds by mid morning, and prompting me to get out the sun screen.  Don't want to get crispy on day one.

Rode on highway 69 north, anxious to be on roads that are new to me, and I recommend trying this road to KC if you haven't before--much less traffic.  Made real good time and stopped for lunch at Ladybug BBQ in Nebraska City.  Ate my favorite lunch, pulled pork!  All the customers were wearing jeans and boots, so I fit right in. Talked to a firefighter from Illinois who was riding his Harley the opposite direction, his trip ending, mine just beginning.

Riding through Iowa, I saw a lot of corn fields.  Really, a nice sight, being food grown out of God's great earth and an honest farmer's efforts.  I noticed that corn does have a smell, just like hay does, but different. 

Slipped into that zone this afternoon--riding the bike, taking in the sun, the wind, the blue sky, and the constant rumble of the V-twin.  You just go and go, totally relaxed and peacefull.  Never in a hurry to get there, always enjoying the ride.

Arrived in Vermillion, South Dakota at about 4pm after riding 486 miles.  Checked into the Prairie Inn across the street from University of South Dakota, apparently home of the YOTES!  I really enjoy the peoples accents up hear, don't cha know, allrighty, yup!  Tomorrow I'll head west.

I didn't have many photo opps today, so here is a pic of Bryan's college friends who came down to visit for the fireworks event 10 days ago.  What a great bunch of yutes!

Texas Hill Country Day 8

Day 8

approx 170 miles

Got an early 7am start today, everyone was anxious to get home, me included.

It was a perfect riding morning, cool, dry, and peaceful as we headed north on hwy 59

through Siloam Springs, Sulfer Springs, Noel, and Anderson.  The smell of blooming honeysuckle was especially discernable in the breeze.  Before long we were cruising into Cycle Connection Harley Davidson in Joplin.  I ordered the part for my trip meter and they told me how to get it to function until the part comes.  I can now tell you the total miles for the trip was 2145--about time for another new back tire and oil change to get ready for the next trip.  Check back in mid July when I'll blog about my next trip, a 2 week solo trip in South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, & Colorado.

Thank you to GOD for His faithfulness to keep us safe and give us good riding weather, no rain at all!

Texas Hill Country Day 7

Day 7

approx 350 miles

It was cloudy and cool this morning at 8am when we headed out.  I wore long sleeves, was still chilly for about and hour, then comfortable.  We rode through the Dallas-Fort Worth area, lots of traffic on the interstates there, not very relaxing. 

We passed the Texas Motor Speedway, then stopped at American Eagle HD in Denton.

The sun came out and we applied suncreen, the tan is looking good (on the arms that is).

We stopped for lunch in Gainsburg, then on to Paris, TX to the HD dealer there.

It got real windy this afternoon, made for some tense, white-knuckle motorcycling.  I think it made us extra tired at the end of the day.  One thing, though, it was not so hot.

For the last leg of our journey today, we headed over into the hills near Talihina, riding scenic 271 through the Ouachita Forest eventually stopping in Poteau for the night.  Anxious to ride home in the morning, I think we have 4-5 hours in front of us, plus stops.



Texas Hill Country Day 6

Day 6

approx 250 miles

Today three of our bikes (four people) parted ways with us to take a different route through Texas.

So we are 10 people on 8 bikes now. Before we headed out this morning, some of our group went shopping in Fredericksburg, some rested some more, and I went to see the WWII pacific theater museum.  It was awesome, and emotional.

One of the exhibits dealt with the battle for Peleliu, which holds special meaning for my family as my wife's Dad fought there with the First Marine Division, the first troops to land on that island to fight for control of the airfield.  It was one of the bloodiest battles in the pacific. We are very proud of William G. Cornelli and all others who fought for the freedoms we enjoy.

This is a twin to the Fat Man atomic bomb that was dropped on Japan to hasten the end of the war. This was an awesome museum, even had a Jap submarine, a B-17 bomber, a fighter plane, and tank.  The history and exhibits seems so comprehensive, a great history lesson.  Don't miss the Nimitz Museum if you are ever in Fredericksburg.

We headed north on highway 16 a little after 10am.  It was much warmer today, so I opted for a sleeveless shirt for comfort and to get some tan on the upper arms (too much detail?)

First stop was a hill called Enchanted Rock.  It was rocky, barren, and popular with the hikers.  We were by no means dressed for hiking, so just a quick look and then back on the road.  It gets so hot that you have to keep moving or stop in the shade.

Look closely in the center of this picture and you will see a deer.

Stopped for BBQ lunch at Lairds in Llano, a mom  & pop joint, good stuff!  BBQ must be very poplular in this part of Texas, I think we passed a joint in every town we went through.  I've noticed that the sauces down here are thinner.  Its good though to taste different BBQ in different regions of the country, especially if you're partial to BBQ.

After lunch we continued riding north.  It was sick hot.  Passed a cemetary with a sign that said "Baby Head Cemetary"  Strange.  It was a first for me today when a bee decided to come inside my shirt while I was riding, had to pinch him dead with my fingers through the shirt, hope Toni can get that stain out (thanks honey!)

Saw lots of wildflowers growing by the roads today--reds, oranges, yellows, blues.  It dawned on me that another difference besides the trees here being squatty, is that they are more sparce, spaced further apart, so you don't get a forest look.

Once in a while some clouds would roll in and it would seem cooler, but then they were gone and we baked again.  I heard it was 100 degrees today.  We made lots of gatoraide stops and one DQ stop.  We are stopped in Mineral Wells, TX for the night.  I'm glad tomorrow is another clean-pair-of-jeans-day!  Not exactly sure where we will end up tomorrow night or what route we will take, going to play it by ear and see what works out, a nice way to approach traveling sometimes.



Texas Hill Country Day 5

Day 5

approx 200 miles

(the knob came off my trip meter)

It was cloudy and chilly this morning.  We checked out of our sub-standard accomodation, then ate an amazing bunkhouse breakfast at a local diner with about 4 cups of coffee. Yum!

Then off to ride the renouned Three Sisters or sometimes refered to as the Twisted Sisters, highways 337, 335, and 336.  They are hilly, curvy, and scenic.

We saw a lot of wildlife, mostly deer.  There were tall fences on both sides of a lot of the roads, maybe to keep the deer in, or maybe to keep them off the road.  Also drove across a lot of cattle gaurds and low water bridges.  Not a lot of places where 11 bikes can safely stop for photo ops, so most of the images are stored in my brains memory.

Ate lunch at this shady, roadhouse type place near a town called Lakey after we had ridden the sisters.  Their gift shop sold some raunchy T-shirts about having ridden the twisted sisters, I passed on them.  Then we took highway 87 (I think) in an area called Los Maples, gorgeous again.

The cactus were blooming along the roads, and I'm told you can eat the red fruit they produce.

The sun came out and it got super hot, we were sweating and baking, looking for shady spots and cool drinks.

For the final leg of today's journey, we rode along the Guadalupe River.  I was dreaming that we had brought swimsuits and could pull over for a dip!  It was one of the prettiest streches I have every been down.  The whole day was so nice, the scenery and pace were very relaxing and enjoyable.

And, we are back in Fredericksburg at the same motel as Monday night, which we are very happy about.  Will be heading north tomorrow on our way home.