Sea Stacks at Ruby Beach with those bleached logs in the foreground. Mary P is not among them
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
7/28
The sky was blue and the air was crisp this morning. Gailbird and Jackie were riding in the car. Stinger , Bear , Uncle Eddie and Mary P all donned their motorcycle protective apparel. Even Uncle Eddie wore a helmet due to the state law. Pacific Coastal Highway 101 North with a destination of Port Angeles , Washington about 200 miles.
Off we went, I love when the warmth of the sun kisses my cheeks and the gust of wind tip toes across my face. Along the road was the evergreen forest combined with the green meadows with patches of tall brilliant colored wildflowers adorning the landscape. Bridges we traveled to cross streams and rivers. Road signs here are unlike Pa. ,such as , Rocks , Slide Area, Tsunami evacuation routes, moose and elk crossings. Gas prices here for regular gas ranges from $ 4.07 - $ 4.89 a gallon.
Uncle Eddie had three 10 inch diameter pancakes this morning and he complained that it felt like lead in his stomach all day. I experienced his releasing of gas pressure periodically through the day while we were riding the Harley. Mary P.
What a ride up through the Olympic Peninsula! The weather was perfect, in the high 60's and clear which is unusual for a rain forest, and the road was a great motorcycle road in most places. Some of it was as straight as a die, but a lot of it was the twisty stuff that faithfully follows a coast line, roads that are nonexistent through most of the mid section of the country. The Peninsula has seen a lot of clear cutting and it is obvious that the logging companies are very aware of the “Save Our Trees” mindset held by many people. As we traveled Highway 101, we could see signs posted with the last date that a particular plot was cut, the date it was replanted, and the date that it would again be harvested. Our destination for this day was the Olympic Rain Forest tour, which was only a half mile of walking, but gave one a clear understanding of how this ecosystem works. This section of the peninsula has never been harvested and is highlighted by a 900 year old Douglas Fir. Douglas Fir are a tree that grows after a disaster like a fire or the devastation of a Mt St Helens. In fact it can double root, meaning it can be buried in mud to the top and grow again, one of the only trees that can do that. New trees won't grow in an old growth forest because of the canopy and eventually it is replaced by species like Western Red Cedar. Because trees in the rain forest have such a shallow root system, their biggest enemy, causing 80% of mortality, is storms. The Peninsula gets on average 145 inches of rainfall a year. We saw trees growing out of trees, called nurse logs that had been felled by natural disasters. This situation can only happen in a rain forest because of the abundant moisture. The nurse log can hold tons of water, which sustains the “parasite” tree during the drier months of July and August. Our next stop was Ruby Beach, a place that we could view sea stacks. Sea Stacks are the rock left after wave action erodes away the softer rock. They stick up out of the beach like towers or bluffs. At this location we also saw the carcasses of huge trees washed up on the beach and bleached white by the sun. Then it was time to head to Port Angeles and the hotel. At this point Mary P decided she had enough of Uncle Eddie and opted for the car. Actually, she thought it was going to rain and the temperature kept dropping. About 15 minutes after we were underway Uncle Eddie pulled up alongside Bear and, lacking a radio, tried to communicate with much shouting and gesticulation, that he had left her at the beach. It turns out that she laid down in the back seat to take a nap, and Uncle Eddie couldn't see her in the car, hence his concern. Bear radiod the car to confirm she was there, crisis averted. Then miraculously Mary P's broken and missing glasses reappeared, all of it except the screw of course. The temple piece was found in her riding jacket, and the glasses were found in her camera case along with an old church bulletin and wedding program, items most people would file elsewhere like in a trash can. So, here we are at the Super 8 Motel in Port Angeles, all of us, including Mary P. And we made it to the Pacific Ocean where Bear got his feat wet and Stinger, like all good journalists, put himself in harms way to cover the story. See you tomorrow.
The sky was blue and the air was crisp this morning. Gailbird and Jackie were riding in the car. Stinger , Bear , Uncle Eddie and Mary P all donned their motorcycle protective apparel. Even Uncle Eddie wore a helmet due to the state law. Pacific Coastal Highway 101 North with a destination of Port Angeles , Washington about 200 miles.
Off we went, I love when the warmth of the sun kisses my cheeks and the gust of wind tip toes across my face. Along the road was the evergreen forest combined with the green meadows with patches of tall brilliant colored wildflowers adorning the landscape. Bridges we traveled to cross streams and rivers. Road signs here are unlike Pa. ,such as , Rocks , Slide Area, Tsunami evacuation routes, moose and elk crossings. Gas prices here for regular gas ranges from $ 4.07 - $ 4.89 a gallon.
Uncle Eddie had three 10 inch diameter pancakes this morning and he complained that it felt like lead in his stomach all day. I experienced his releasing of gas pressure periodically through the day while we were riding the Harley. Mary P.
What a ride up through the Olympic Peninsula! The weather was perfect, in the high 60's and clear which is unusual for a rain forest, and the road was a great motorcycle road in most places. Some of it was as straight as a die, but a lot of it was the twisty stuff that faithfully follows a coast line, roads that are nonexistent through most of the mid section of the country. The Peninsula has seen a lot of clear cutting and it is obvious that the logging companies are very aware of the “Save Our Trees” mindset held by many people. As we traveled Highway 101, we could see signs posted with the last date that a particular plot was cut, the date it was replanted, and the date that it would again be harvested. Our destination for this day was the Olympic Rain Forest tour, which was only a half mile of walking, but gave one a clear understanding of how this ecosystem works. This section of the peninsula has never been harvested and is highlighted by a 900 year old Douglas Fir. Douglas Fir are a tree that grows after a disaster like a fire or the devastation of a Mt St Helens. In fact it can double root, meaning it can be buried in mud to the top and grow again, one of the only trees that can do that. New trees won't grow in an old growth forest because of the canopy and eventually it is replaced by species like Western Red Cedar. Because trees in the rain forest have such a shallow root system, their biggest enemy, causing 80% of mortality, is storms. The Peninsula gets on average 145 inches of rainfall a year. We saw trees growing out of trees, called nurse logs that had been felled by natural disasters. This situation can only happen in a rain forest because of the abundant moisture. The nurse log can hold tons of water, which sustains the “parasite” tree during the drier months of July and August. Our next stop was Ruby Beach, a place that we could view sea stacks. Sea Stacks are the rock left after wave action erodes away the softer rock. They stick up out of the beach like towers or bluffs. At this location we also saw the carcasses of huge trees washed up on the beach and bleached white by the sun. Then it was time to head to Port Angeles and the hotel. At this point Mary P decided she had enough of Uncle Eddie and opted for the car. Actually, she thought it was going to rain and the temperature kept dropping. About 15 minutes after we were underway Uncle Eddie pulled up alongside Bear and, lacking a radio, tried to communicate with much shouting and gesticulation, that he had left her at the beach. It turns out that she laid down in the back seat to take a nap, and Uncle Eddie couldn't see her in the car, hence his concern. Bear radiod the car to confirm she was there, crisis averted. Then miraculously Mary P's broken and missing glasses reappeared, all of it except the screw of course. The temple piece was found in her riding jacket, and the glasses were found in her camera case along with an old church bulletin and wedding program, items most people would file elsewhere like in a trash can. So, here we are at the Super 8 Motel in Port Angeles, all of us, including Mary P. And we made it to the Pacific Ocean where Bear got his feat wet and Stinger, like all good journalists, put himself in harms way to cover the story. See you tomorrow.
Sunday, July 27
Despite wanting to see Mt. St. Helen's (since we were around at the time of the eruption as opposed to young people we met who only heard about it from their parents), Queen Bee and Gailbird had had enough of rocks and trees and decided they needed to see some shops! Plus we were tired of long car rides ...... so we parted ways with Stinger and the Bear and headed off to Astoria, OR. Uncle Eddie and Mary P. headed off on the Harley to ride route 101 along the coastline of OR – they didn't want to make the trek to Mt.St. Helen's either. We were lucky enough to hit the Sunday market there which was three city blocks of street vendors selling everything from jewelry (yeah!) to flowers and produce. There was a great river front walk with lots of seafood shops and restaurants, so of course we had to try one for lunch. It was called the Wet Dog Cafe and Brewery – the food was great and the atmosphere really unique. Then, we decided to get back to nature and headed for the Cape Disappointment State Park, WA (we still don't know why it is called Cape Disappoinment). This was part of the Lewis and Clark Trail. There we managed to hike through the woods over 1.5 miles to see two light houses – to be honest the light houses themselves really weren't that special looking but thank goodness the views were. Then, with the assistance of Gabby the GPS, we managed to arrive at the Boardwalk Cottages. These are really neat individual cottages 1 block off the ocean – reminds me of places I stayed on summer vacations as a child in Dewey Beach, Delaware. Gailbird.
Determined to see the Mt St Helens area, Bear and Stinger parted company with the rest of the contingent and headed northeast. Looking for some twisty roads, we trusted the GPS to get us there as opposed to using the map. While we had the opportunity to ride a really twisty road, it turned out to be a 15 mile dead end. Of course the sign was only a mile from the end. Looking at the map later showed it went nowhere, but we had a good time discovering that. After getting on the right route, we stopped for gas and headed to St Helens. Along the way there are stopping off points to view the area affected by the blast. By coincidence we pulled off at one on the edge of the blast zone, which was 14.8 miles from the crater. Everything in its path to that point was destroyed by heat and wind. In fact if we had been standing there that day, we would have been toasted. Some climbers on Mt Adams over 20 miles away reported feeling the temperature rise 30 to 40 degrees 10 minutes after the eruption. The water in Silver Lake was forced 850 feet up the sides of the adjacent mountains and a river of mud and debris flowed down all sides of the mountain including the Toutle River. At one of the stopping points we found a ranger who told us that the road we were traveling used to be in the valley and at the point we were standing, the original road was buried under 50 feet of mud and ash. The average depth of the ash and mud was about 250 feet. You can see how the river is cutting a new channel in the surface, but not much has changed after 28 years. There are big areas where no growth has occurred because there's not much in the way of nutrients in the ash. At this same location we were able to view a herd of Elk including a bull that was bedded some distance away. Continuing on, the temperature dropped as we kept climbing and the road became wet and treacherous from a brief shower before we got there. There wasn't enough rain to wash away the oil from the cars and the generous amount of aggregate in the road surface doesn't lend itself to great traction when the roadway is wet. Our final stop was to view the crater which was enshrouded in clouds when we first stopped, but patience paid off as we were able to view the lava dome from about 2 to 3 miles away. Then it was off to find the cottages at Long Beach, our accommodations for the night. We had to backtrack the way we came and then head out the peninsula on US 30. Bear got to test his antilock brakes when a car started to turn in front of him, but she did stop - inattention blindness. If you want to know more about that subject, read my newsletter at www.roberts-automotive.com. Incredibly, all of the Toad contingent arrived at the cottages within 15 minutes of each other. After checking in we headed for dinner, which was not that impressive, and then for a walk on the boardwalk. Long Beach is just that. You can see for miles. The sand is not like the east coast. It is really fine and dark, and must be ground up volcanic ash. There is not much commercialization here either. This is a great spot and I would highly recommend Boardwalk Cottages as a place to stay if you are looking for a laid back vacation. From here you can make some day trips into the Olympic Peninsula, which is where we are now headed and then on to accommodations in Port Angeles. See you tonight.
Despite wanting to see Mt. St. Helen's (since we were around at the time of the eruption as opposed to young people we met who only heard about it from their parents), Queen Bee and Gailbird had had enough of rocks and trees and decided they needed to see some shops! Plus we were tired of long car rides ...... so we parted ways with Stinger and the Bear and headed off to Astoria, OR. Uncle Eddie and Mary P. headed off on the Harley to ride route 101 along the coastline of OR – they didn't want to make the trek to Mt.St. Helen's either. We were lucky enough to hit the Sunday market there which was three city blocks of street vendors selling everything from jewelry (yeah!) to flowers and produce. There was a great river front walk with lots of seafood shops and restaurants, so of course we had to try one for lunch. It was called the Wet Dog Cafe and Brewery – the food was great and the atmosphere really unique. Then, we decided to get back to nature and headed for the Cape Disappointment State Park, WA (we still don't know why it is called Cape Disappoinment). This was part of the Lewis and Clark Trail. There we managed to hike through the woods over 1.5 miles to see two light houses – to be honest the light houses themselves really weren't that special looking but thank goodness the views were. Then, with the assistance of Gabby the GPS, we managed to arrive at the Boardwalk Cottages. These are really neat individual cottages 1 block off the ocean – reminds me of places I stayed on summer vacations as a child in Dewey Beach, Delaware. Gailbird.
Determined to see the Mt St Helens area, Bear and Stinger parted company with the rest of the contingent and headed northeast. Looking for some twisty roads, we trusted the GPS to get us there as opposed to using the map. While we had the opportunity to ride a really twisty road, it turned out to be a 15 mile dead end. Of course the sign was only a mile from the end. Looking at the map later showed it went nowhere, but we had a good time discovering that. After getting on the right route, we stopped for gas and headed to St Helens. Along the way there are stopping off points to view the area affected by the blast. By coincidence we pulled off at one on the edge of the blast zone, which was 14.8 miles from the crater. Everything in its path to that point was destroyed by heat and wind. In fact if we had been standing there that day, we would have been toasted. Some climbers on Mt Adams over 20 miles away reported feeling the temperature rise 30 to 40 degrees 10 minutes after the eruption. The water in Silver Lake was forced 850 feet up the sides of the adjacent mountains and a river of mud and debris flowed down all sides of the mountain including the Toutle River. At one of the stopping points we found a ranger who told us that the road we were traveling used to be in the valley and at the point we were standing, the original road was buried under 50 feet of mud and ash. The average depth of the ash and mud was about 250 feet. You can see how the river is cutting a new channel in the surface, but not much has changed after 28 years. There are big areas where no growth has occurred because there's not much in the way of nutrients in the ash. At this same location we were able to view a herd of Elk including a bull that was bedded some distance away. Continuing on, the temperature dropped as we kept climbing and the road became wet and treacherous from a brief shower before we got there. There wasn't enough rain to wash away the oil from the cars and the generous amount of aggregate in the road surface doesn't lend itself to great traction when the roadway is wet. Our final stop was to view the crater which was enshrouded in clouds when we first stopped, but patience paid off as we were able to view the lava dome from about 2 to 3 miles away. Then it was off to find the cottages at Long Beach, our accommodations for the night. We had to backtrack the way we came and then head out the peninsula on US 30. Bear got to test his antilock brakes when a car started to turn in front of him, but she did stop - inattention blindness. If you want to know more about that subject, read my newsletter at www.roberts-automotive.com. Incredibly, all of the Toad contingent arrived at the cottages within 15 minutes of each other. After checking in we headed for dinner, which was not that impressive, and then for a walk on the boardwalk. Long Beach is just that. You can see for miles. The sand is not like the east coast. It is really fine and dark, and must be ground up volcanic ash. There is not much commercialization here either. This is a great spot and I would highly recommend Boardwalk Cottages as a place to stay if you are looking for a laid back vacation. From here you can make some day trips into the Olympic Peninsula, which is where we are now headed and then on to accommodations in Port Angeles. See you tonight.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
7/26/08
Although The Dalles had more to offer, we packed up and headed toward Portland with a stop at Cascade Locks for a cruise on a sternwheeler up and down the Columbia River. This excursion was set up by Mary P and proved to be a relaxing way to spend the day. The whole affair started off with a champagne brunch with everything from shrimp, to cesar salad, to locks and more served in an elegant dining room. The brunch was served immediately after we boarded and the boat stayed docked until most of the passengers had eaten. Once underway the captain gave us a history and geography lesson. When Lewis and Clark traversed this waterway, there were rapids and falls on it so they had to portage around those on their way to Oregon City. Now there are a series of dams, which can be bypassed by locks making it a navigable waterway. We didn't get to go through a lock because our cruise was too short, but we did get to see a sailboat race, although lacking a program we had no idea who was winning. Because of some favorable geographical features the area around the Cascade Locks is perfect for water activities such as kite boarding and sailboarding. Moving on we made a beeline to Portland and the Saturday Market, which didn't much interest the male contingent of the Toads group. We managed to park ourselves at a Starbucks until the ladies exhausted their shopping proclivities or ran out of cash, neither of which could be determined by the males. Exiting the city was a challenge, but Bear and his GPS got us out, although we lost the ladies in the process. Not to worry though as they showed up shortly after we arrived at the hotel in St Helens, OR, another Best Western of course. We should be getting credits from these guys by now. After checking in and resting for 20 minutes (a long time for this group), we were off to a family style restaurant for halibut. Great dinner and to top off the evening we went to Wal Mart, Uncle Eddie's favorite store. Bear and I got to listen to him grouse about Wal Mart not selling guns in the East anymore, while Mary P went shopping for sunglasses to replace the ones she had broken/lost. It all started when the screw fell out of the temple piece, escalated to a crisis when she lost the temple piece, and became a calamity when she lost the rest of the glasses. Even though we expected Uncle Eddie to linger in the sporting goods section awhile, he surprised us with his decisiveness, purchasing a fleece sleeping bag in record time.
Not knowing what to expect when we planned this expedition almost a year and a half ago, we have found that we are discovering destinations for future vacations. We are constantly on the move, rarely staying anywhere more than two nights. This approach has allowed us to gather enough information about places we have visited to decide whether it would make sense to revisit those areas at a future time and explore them more thoroughly. In the process we have made some unusual discoveries, like Detroit. Who would ever think of going there for a vacation? And Mackinac Island is certainly a place that the wives would love to visit of a week. Covering great distances on motorcycles has been easier and more enjoyable than those same distances in a car. By its very nature riding a motorcycle forces one to pay attention reducing the boredom factor. Inattention will almost certainly get one injured or worse, and there is the element factor with gusting winds, temperature changes, and road surface changes. Oregon for some reason uses the most abrasive surface on their roads that I have seen anywhere outside of Arkansas. There is a lot of aggregate (rock) mixed into the black top creating a lot of road noise and making the bike feel unstable. In other places the road is just torn up and one is riding on dirt for miles. Bear has discovered a utility for the helmet one wouldn't normally think about, deflecting rocks. Already 4500 miles have passed under our tires including about 1000 with the ladies. While a 250 mile sight-seeing trip is nothing to the Toads anymore, the ladies are tired of riding and want a day off. There is talk of visiting Mt St Helens tomorrow, but that is a 250 mile trip including the route to our next accommodation, lodges right on the beach in Washington just north of Astoria, OR. Stay tuned to find out whether to Toads wimp out.
Although The Dalles had more to offer, we packed up and headed toward Portland with a stop at Cascade Locks for a cruise on a sternwheeler up and down the Columbia River. This excursion was set up by Mary P and proved to be a relaxing way to spend the day. The whole affair started off with a champagne brunch with everything from shrimp, to cesar salad, to locks and more served in an elegant dining room. The brunch was served immediately after we boarded and the boat stayed docked until most of the passengers had eaten. Once underway the captain gave us a history and geography lesson. When Lewis and Clark traversed this waterway, there were rapids and falls on it so they had to portage around those on their way to Oregon City. Now there are a series of dams, which can be bypassed by locks making it a navigable waterway. We didn't get to go through a lock because our cruise was too short, but we did get to see a sailboat race, although lacking a program we had no idea who was winning. Because of some favorable geographical features the area around the Cascade Locks is perfect for water activities such as kite boarding and sailboarding. Moving on we made a beeline to Portland and the Saturday Market, which didn't much interest the male contingent of the Toads group. We managed to park ourselves at a Starbucks until the ladies exhausted their shopping proclivities or ran out of cash, neither of which could be determined by the males. Exiting the city was a challenge, but Bear and his GPS got us out, although we lost the ladies in the process. Not to worry though as they showed up shortly after we arrived at the hotel in St Helens, OR, another Best Western of course. We should be getting credits from these guys by now. After checking in and resting for 20 minutes (a long time for this group), we were off to a family style restaurant for halibut. Great dinner and to top off the evening we went to Wal Mart, Uncle Eddie's favorite store. Bear and I got to listen to him grouse about Wal Mart not selling guns in the East anymore, while Mary P went shopping for sunglasses to replace the ones she had broken/lost. It all started when the screw fell out of the temple piece, escalated to a crisis when she lost the temple piece, and became a calamity when she lost the rest of the glasses. Even though we expected Uncle Eddie to linger in the sporting goods section awhile, he surprised us with his decisiveness, purchasing a fleece sleeping bag in record time.
Not knowing what to expect when we planned this expedition almost a year and a half ago, we have found that we are discovering destinations for future vacations. We are constantly on the move, rarely staying anywhere more than two nights. This approach has allowed us to gather enough information about places we have visited to decide whether it would make sense to revisit those areas at a future time and explore them more thoroughly. In the process we have made some unusual discoveries, like Detroit. Who would ever think of going there for a vacation? And Mackinac Island is certainly a place that the wives would love to visit of a week. Covering great distances on motorcycles has been easier and more enjoyable than those same distances in a car. By its very nature riding a motorcycle forces one to pay attention reducing the boredom factor. Inattention will almost certainly get one injured or worse, and there is the element factor with gusting winds, temperature changes, and road surface changes. Oregon for some reason uses the most abrasive surface on their roads that I have seen anywhere outside of Arkansas. There is a lot of aggregate (rock) mixed into the black top creating a lot of road noise and making the bike feel unstable. In other places the road is just torn up and one is riding on dirt for miles. Bear has discovered a utility for the helmet one wouldn't normally think about, deflecting rocks. Already 4500 miles have passed under our tires including about 1000 with the ladies. While a 250 mile sight-seeing trip is nothing to the Toads anymore, the ladies are tired of riding and want a day off. There is talk of visiting Mt St Helens tomorrow, but that is a 250 mile trip including the route to our next accommodation, lodges right on the beach in Washington just north of Astoria, OR. Stay tuned to find out whether to Toads wimp out.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Our journey to Orofino wouldn't be complete without describing the Lolo Pass and visitors center. I neglected to say that US 12 took us over the route that Lewis and Clark followed through the Bitterroot Mountains . The visitors center at the border of Montana and Idaho gave a thorough account of the Lewis and Clark expedition and the difficulty of negotiating this formidable terrain. A remarkable statistic is that over a two and a half year journey they only lost one person and that was to appendicitis. On a heavier note, the men burned 13,ooo calories per day and required 9 pounds of meat per day to sustain that level of activity. After the visitor center it was on to Lewiston where we found a museum that chronicled the life of Abraham Lincoln. Expecting to find a Lewis and Clark exhibit, we instead got a lesson in history complete with copies of original documents and some of the last communications that Lincoln wrote before his death. It kind of seemed out of place, but was interesting anyway. Crossing the border between Idaho and Washington we headed for Hermiston, OR.
The Best Western in Hermiston, famous for its watermelons, did not compare to where we had stayed the night before, but was comfortable nonetheless. The area was more industrial park than anything else, so we had to get in the car with Bear on his bike to find dinner and headed to Hale's Restaurant, recommended by the front desk. Great place, but we were getting to dinner later each night. I ordered a Cesar salad, which couldn't be finished at any normal hour much less 9:30 PM. Nobody else could finish their dinners either. The ride across southern Washington and into Oregon was really hot(95 deg on the bike thermometers), so Bear and I jumped right in the pool when we got here. Traveling with the ladies has been interesting and fun although we had to indoctrinate them on coordinating bathroom stops with Uncle Eddie's carbon needs. When he stops for gas, they get to use the bathroom.
7/25/08
As we bid farewell to Hermiston, we looked forward to touring the Mount Hood area and the Dalles. The Dalles is a tourist area right on the Columbia River. Expecting another hot day we were pleasantly surprised to be able to travel in comfortable temperatures only because we escaped the Hermiston area before the day got too old. Our route took us right along the Columbia River, which is beautiful, wide, and windy. We found dozens of people sailboarding, but the wind didn't prove to be too bad for the bikes. Arriving at The Dalles we dropped off some bags at the hotel bell desk because we were too early to check in and headed out US 30(yes the same one as in Lancaster) and stopped at the Discovery Center situated on the river. We watched a film detailing life on the Oregon Trail, which turned out to be a couple of miles wide at some points only because the travelers were choked with dust as they walked toward their destination. Thirty thousand people died making the trip from the Missouri territory to Oregon, mostly from disease. Contrary to the movies and TV, people walked alongside the wagons which were loaded with their possessions. There wasn't any room for anyone to ride except for the sick and children too young to walk. It made one stop and think about the hardships these people were willing to endure to seek a better life. The Discovery Center held much more, but it was time to visit Mount Hood. Our destination was the Timberline Lodge, which you can guess was located at Timberline. Mt Hood is a dormant volcano that is 11,100 feet high and Timberline was located at about 5500 ft. As we ascended the road to the lodge we could see snow still lying in the forest. Constructed entirely of wood, Timberline Lodge is a magnificent structure with massive columns inside and sturdy construction to say the least. It has many guest rooms, dining room, bar, etc all elegantly decorated. Probably costs a mint to stay there. On the way back from Timberline we stopped at a fruit stand and the ladies made another stop for wine and cheese for a party in Bear and Gail-Bird's room. Tomorrow we are taking a cruise down the Columbia on a paddle wheel boat and then heading for Portland.
The Best Western in Hermiston, famous for its watermelons, did not compare to where we had stayed the night before, but was comfortable nonetheless. The area was more industrial park than anything else, so we had to get in the car with Bear on his bike to find dinner and headed to Hale's Restaurant, recommended by the front desk. Great place, but we were getting to dinner later each night. I ordered a Cesar salad, which couldn't be finished at any normal hour much less 9:30 PM. Nobody else could finish their dinners either. The ride across southern Washington and into Oregon was really hot(95 deg on the bike thermometers), so Bear and I jumped right in the pool when we got here. Traveling with the ladies has been interesting and fun although we had to indoctrinate them on coordinating bathroom stops with Uncle Eddie's carbon needs. When he stops for gas, they get to use the bathroom.
7/25/08
As we bid farewell to Hermiston, we looked forward to touring the Mount Hood area and the Dalles. The Dalles is a tourist area right on the Columbia River. Expecting another hot day we were pleasantly surprised to be able to travel in comfortable temperatures only because we escaped the Hermiston area before the day got too old. Our route took us right along the Columbia River, which is beautiful, wide, and windy. We found dozens of people sailboarding, but the wind didn't prove to be too bad for the bikes. Arriving at The Dalles we dropped off some bags at the hotel bell desk because we were too early to check in and headed out US 30(yes the same one as in Lancaster) and stopped at the Discovery Center situated on the river. We watched a film detailing life on the Oregon Trail, which turned out to be a couple of miles wide at some points only because the travelers were choked with dust as they walked toward their destination. Thirty thousand people died making the trip from the Missouri territory to Oregon, mostly from disease. Contrary to the movies and TV, people walked alongside the wagons which were loaded with their possessions. There wasn't any room for anyone to ride except for the sick and children too young to walk. It made one stop and think about the hardships these people were willing to endure to seek a better life. The Discovery Center held much more, but it was time to visit Mount Hood. Our destination was the Timberline Lodge, which you can guess was located at Timberline. Mt Hood is a dormant volcano that is 11,100 feet high and Timberline was located at about 5500 ft. As we ascended the road to the lodge we could see snow still lying in the forest. Constructed entirely of wood, Timberline Lodge is a magnificent structure with massive columns inside and sturdy construction to say the least. It has many guest rooms, dining room, bar, etc all elegantly decorated. Probably costs a mint to stay there. On the way back from Timberline we stopped at a fruit stand and the ladies made another stop for wine and cheese for a party in Bear and Gail-Bird's room. Tomorrow we are taking a cruise down the Columbia on a paddle wheel boat and then heading for Portland.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
7/24/08
Leaving Whitefish we headed down MT 93 to US 12. This road was awesome, although the ladies got tired of looking at a river for 80 miles. I have never seen a presttier drive than this. The road is faithful to the river with light traffic, sweeping curves and beautiful vistas, a perfect motorcycle road. The curves were much more predictable than the Needles highway. The only issue we had was finding gas for Uncle Eddie as there is nothing on this road for miles. When we finally found a place, Bear and I decided to pass due to a minimum purchase with a credit card of $25. Uncle Eddie paid cash and the exhorbitant price and we moved on finding another station about 25 miles down the road. The ladies were so impressed with the Best Western at Whitefish that they made reservations at one in Orofino, ID. This one was really impressive, brand new and right on the river. We ordered pizza for take out and sat at the outside tables to enjoy a great meal without having to leave the place. Then we went for a walk around town, which took all of 20 minutes. Not much here.
Leaving Whitefish we headed down MT 93 to US 12. This road was awesome, although the ladies got tired of looking at a river for 80 miles. I have never seen a presttier drive than this. The road is faithful to the river with light traffic, sweeping curves and beautiful vistas, a perfect motorcycle road. The curves were much more predictable than the Needles highway. The only issue we had was finding gas for Uncle Eddie as there is nothing on this road for miles. When we finally found a place, Bear and I decided to pass due to a minimum purchase with a credit card of $25. Uncle Eddie paid cash and the exhorbitant price and we moved on finding another station about 25 miles down the road. The ladies were so impressed with the Best Western at Whitefish that they made reservations at one in Orofino, ID. This one was really impressive, brand new and right on the river. We ordered pizza for take out and sat at the outside tables to enjoy a great meal without having to leave the place. Then we went for a walk around town, which took all of 20 minutes. Not much here.
7/20/08
It was great to meet up with the wives at Glacier after not having seen them for two weeks, and we didn't have to wonder what we would be doing next. A horseback ride, which was approached with some trepidation by Stinger, was the next order of business for Monday. Not being able to sign up until the afternoon, we got something to eat and took a hike around the lake. The mosquitos around here are as big as B52's. Mary was well protected however. A rain jacket and constantly flailing one's arms around works well to ward off the little pests as well as build an appetite. Well, the big moment arrived and we headed for a debriefing and a bunch of paperwork. It was almost like signing papers to authorize surgery in a hospital. Actually, this activity proved to be rather enjoyable. The waves of dust kicked up by the horses kept flying pests at bay and noboby had any issues except Jackie and Gail. Jackie's horse kept wanting to stop and eat, so Gail's horse decided to do the same. Jackie kept jerking it's head up and saying “no” just like she was talking to Lucy, our dog. We were waiting for her to say “bad horse!”, but it never happened. The end of the day saw us celebrating Uncle Eddie's birthday at the Cattle Baron's Supper Club. The outing had another purpose also as we were to witness his ability to down a 32 ounce steak, but alas, they didn't offer it in that size anymore. He took the next best thing, a 26 ounce steak, but it proved to be no challenge. Bear and Stinger threw down the gauntlet of a 72 ounce steak in 2 hours at the BMW Rally in Gillette, but he wouldn't take it. Uncle Eddie does know his limits.
Left Glacier under cloudy skies with a little rain, and headed for the Best Western in Whitefish MT. Since the Road to the Sun was torn up, we headed to MT 2, which goes around the bottom of the park. This proved to be a pretty ride although this road was also torn up in places. Had a great meal at an Italian restaurant at the end of the day and there were no incidents to report.
It was great to meet up with the wives at Glacier after not having seen them for two weeks, and we didn't have to wonder what we would be doing next. A horseback ride, which was approached with some trepidation by Stinger, was the next order of business for Monday. Not being able to sign up until the afternoon, we got something to eat and took a hike around the lake. The mosquitos around here are as big as B52's. Mary was well protected however. A rain jacket and constantly flailing one's arms around works well to ward off the little pests as well as build an appetite. Well, the big moment arrived and we headed for a debriefing and a bunch of paperwork. It was almost like signing papers to authorize surgery in a hospital. Actually, this activity proved to be rather enjoyable. The waves of dust kicked up by the horses kept flying pests at bay and noboby had any issues except Jackie and Gail. Jackie's horse kept wanting to stop and eat, so Gail's horse decided to do the same. Jackie kept jerking it's head up and saying “no” just like she was talking to Lucy, our dog. We were waiting for her to say “bad horse!”, but it never happened. The end of the day saw us celebrating Uncle Eddie's birthday at the Cattle Baron's Supper Club. The outing had another purpose also as we were to witness his ability to down a 32 ounce steak, but alas, they didn't offer it in that size anymore. He took the next best thing, a 26 ounce steak, but it proved to be no challenge. Bear and Stinger threw down the gauntlet of a 72 ounce steak in 2 hours at the BMW Rally in Gillette, but he wouldn't take it. Uncle Eddie does know his limits.
Left Glacier under cloudy skies with a little rain, and headed for the Best Western in Whitefish MT. Since the Road to the Sun was torn up, we headed to MT 2, which goes around the bottom of the park. This proved to be a pretty ride although this road was also torn up in places. Had a great meal at an Italian restaurant at the end of the day and there were no incidents to report.
Today's entry is from the ladies of the group otherwise known as the “Lady Toads”. The ladies are usually known as Jackie (Queen Bee), Mary (Mary P.) and Gail (Gailbird). Wednesday, July 23 – the day began with cloudy skies after raining throughout the night. Queen Bee promptly gave the wrong directions to the Bear and we headed off in the complete wrong direction. Once we listened to Gail's GPS (named Gabby), we headed in the right direction. After we left Whitefish, MT we drove 300 miles on scenic route 12 following the path of Lewis and Clark. The lovely ladies are now saturated by having seen nothing but rocks and trees for 6 hours and are now really ready to see some urban life! We were disappointed in that we saw no wildlife on this leg of the trip – the only wild life we saw were three gray haired guys at the end of the day with helmets off and a wild tired look in their eyes. (of course they'd never admit to being tired). Mary says she sees more wildlife on Wilmar Drive in Tunkhannock every morning on her way to work! As we followed Uncle Eddie in our support vehicle (a 2008 Nissan Altima) all we could see were orange bungie cords holding things together on his Harley – his head doesn't even stick up above all the stuff. The Bear either sat on or tramped on his glasses last night (he's not sure, imagine that!) and now is limited to being able to see only distances – so much for being able to see the GPS on his bike. So, guess who was leading the expedition for most of today?? However, we got to our destination without problems and now it's time for pizza and beverages. Of course with the ladies present the focus is now on good food, good wine and entertainment. The Toads say they are very happy to have us here, but in reality we know we have complicated their trip! (in a good way no less) Rocks and trees, rocks and trees, that's all for now.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
18 July to 20 July
We hung around the rally all day taking in the different vendors and socializing with the participants. Getting a shower is a big deal at a rally, something you take for granted at home, but with 8 to ten thousand people in one spot, it becomes a luxury. Tenting for the first time in 25 years proved to be an enjoyable experience, but not something the Toads would go out of their way to do. KOA Kamping Kabins feel like the Hilton after the camping experience. With some severe weather closing in Thursday evening, Bear and Stinger (PJ) decided to head for the beer garden, actually a huge warehouse where everyone could gather for just that kind of reason. Of course the beer was more than enough incentive to head over there. Uncle Eddie decided to hibernate in his tent. While having a beer and planning (a foreign idea for Toads) our next move, I overheard the guy next to me making some references to Pennsylvania, so I asked where he was from. Pittsburgh was the reply so he and Bear struck up a conversation. Turned out they knew each other from high school. Rabbit Alexis now lives at the base of a mountain in Colorado, skis 50 days a year, and has bartended most of his life. Starting off life as a teacher drove him to drink, hence his new profession. Amazing. Travel 3000 miles and run into somebody you grew up with. The announcement came that the storm had passed so we bid goodbye to our buddies and headed off to the tents. Around midnight we awoke to probably one of the worst storms we have seen anywhere with constant lightning, pounding rain and high winds that lasted for hours. In the first hour I didn't see any water coming in so went back to sleep. In the morning we found that our tent setup was good and, unlike some of our neighbors, the Toads were dry. Some of our campers lacked common sense or didn't believe it would rain as they set up in low areas or didn't stake the tents. One camper was in a swamp and another had mud wash into and around his tent. With predictions of another storm coming that afternoon, the Toads decided that they had got all they could out of this event and broke camp. Getting out of the place proved to be a real challenge due to the mud. Bear and Uncle Eddie made it out, but Stinger dropped his bike in the mud and had to visit the bike wash before leaving. The bike wash proved to be an effective way to get the mud off himself also. Breakfast was the next order of business, and due to the number of motorcyclists in town, took about an hour and a half. Finally departing the place we headed for Devil's Tower and some really dramatic topography. Uncle Eddie told the park ranger at the booth that Gene and I were Arab terrorists planning to blow up Devil's Tower. I'll include a picture of it because it is kind of hard to describe.
Traveling through the country and being able to observe the varying topography gives one a real appreciation of the power of nature, especially on a motorcycle because you become a part of the environment, feeling temperature changes instantly as well as various odors, and the ability to predict rain. As we headed into darkening skies, we had a sense that this storm was one we should sit out, so a gas stop was in order. A friendly manager of the convenience store let us park the bikes under the canopy, so we sat around deciding where to camp for the night while the storm played itself out. It proved to be a wise choice. We left for Hardin, MT and Kamping Kabins that night. Hardin is a couple of houses, a gas station, the Purple Cow restaurant and a golf course restaurant. Pulling into the campground I noticed that the stones were fairly deep and soft in places, not a hospitable environment for a motorcycle. I parked about ten feet from the front as did Bear and Uncle Eddie. However, rather than back up Uncle Eddie (or Fred Flinstone) decided to make a right turn and promptly sunk the bike to the mufflers in the stones. With stones flying everywhere, Bear and I looked on in amazement as he dug a 50 foot trench with the rear wheel in a successful attempt to extricate himself from the morass. We were hoping the owner wouldn't charge us to regrade the place. We're now convinced his motorcycle could pull a two bottom plow. Dinner was only two choices so we headed for the golf course where Bear dropped his bike in the parking lot. After righting it we headed inside for a delicious meal, Uncle Eddie's tune up for the 32 ounce steak he will attempt to eat at the Cattlemen's Club outside of Glacier Park.
Our next objective was the site of the Battle of Little Big Horn at Custer National Park. Luckily, we decided to listen to a presentation by a park ranger before touring the park. His ability to relate the story of the events leading up to the battle and of the battle itself brought the event to life like nothing we have experienced before. Touring the battlefield afterward, one could “see” the Indian encampments and envision the events as they unfolded. Contrary to conventional wisdom, Custer was ordered into the area by his commanding officers based on the intelligence they had at the time. It was really a moving experience.
Moving on we headed to Great Falls, MT, where we were expecting to tent again since no Kabins were available. Not being happy with the site, we decide to try one 40 miles farther on, but first we needed food and found a Chinese restaurant. After stuffing ourselves on Chinese and as we were leaving the parking lot, Uncle Eddied dropped his bike. After righting it, we headed for the gas station where Stinger dropped his bike and got catapualted about six feet in the process landing on his shoulder and head. At this point we have a new rally cry: One for All, All for One, We Dropped Them All. This was going to be another trip to the emergency room and maybe the end of the trip for him. A state patrolman called for an ambulance, which came out, but an EMT, who was there checked him out and it was decided to put him on the back of Uncle Eddie's bike, his first ride on a Harley, and a trip to the emergency room. Fortunately, it turned out to be a sprain. However, Stinger is now convinced that this bike could pull a two bottom plow. By 11 pm most of the hotel rooms were taken, but the hospital staff found us one room with two double beds at a Best Western. As we headed to the hotel with Stinger on Uncle Eddie's bike we were stopped by a cop because we went through a red light that wouldn't change. The guy actually believed Uncle Eddie's story about his injury and let us go. Meanwhile Bear, not noticing the cruiser's lights, kept going. Now we had no idea of the location of the hotel, but we kept forging ahead and found him coming back toward us. Checking in at the hotel, Uncle Eddie was attempting to remove Stinger's helmet, but was taking his head with it. It was obvious he had no skills at removing another person's helmet. Putting it on was not much better as he got his ears folded over on the first attempt. We pretty much resembled the Three Stooges with them putting the helmet on and taking it off to pick up a prescription and some other stuff at the drug store. By the next day Stinger could put it on by himself, but not get it off. The hotel accommodations proved to be the most sensitive with Bear and Uncle Eddie sharing a queen size bed. Stinger didn't sleep too well so had a chance to observe this situation first hand. It was probably the first time in history that two individuals were able to sleep in the same bed and not move an inch. Bear befriended the EMT, Doug, who stored Stinger's bike until the next morning. I was determined to ride and 660 grams of Advil and a Tylenol later, we were heading for Glacier Park with Doug, whose buddies wimped out on him when he wanted to ride. Not sure if Bear and Uncle Eddie conspired to have him go along or not. The drive as one approaches Glacier cannot be described in words. The beauty of the place is beyond descripition. We arrived before our wives so we perched on the couch in the lobby, had a couple of beers and rated the people walking by on the deck in front of us. On a scale of one to ten, none scored higher than a five. Realizing we were minutes away from relinquishing the unstructured life we lead for the last two weeks, we had a couple more beers.
We hung around the rally all day taking in the different vendors and socializing with the participants. Getting a shower is a big deal at a rally, something you take for granted at home, but with 8 to ten thousand people in one spot, it becomes a luxury. Tenting for the first time in 25 years proved to be an enjoyable experience, but not something the Toads would go out of their way to do. KOA Kamping Kabins feel like the Hilton after the camping experience. With some severe weather closing in Thursday evening, Bear and Stinger (PJ) decided to head for the beer garden, actually a huge warehouse where everyone could gather for just that kind of reason. Of course the beer was more than enough incentive to head over there. Uncle Eddie decided to hibernate in his tent. While having a beer and planning (a foreign idea for Toads) our next move, I overheard the guy next to me making some references to Pennsylvania, so I asked where he was from. Pittsburgh was the reply so he and Bear struck up a conversation. Turned out they knew each other from high school. Rabbit Alexis now lives at the base of a mountain in Colorado, skis 50 days a year, and has bartended most of his life. Starting off life as a teacher drove him to drink, hence his new profession. Amazing. Travel 3000 miles and run into somebody you grew up with. The announcement came that the storm had passed so we bid goodbye to our buddies and headed off to the tents. Around midnight we awoke to probably one of the worst storms we have seen anywhere with constant lightning, pounding rain and high winds that lasted for hours. In the first hour I didn't see any water coming in so went back to sleep. In the morning we found that our tent setup was good and, unlike some of our neighbors, the Toads were dry. Some of our campers lacked common sense or didn't believe it would rain as they set up in low areas or didn't stake the tents. One camper was in a swamp and another had mud wash into and around his tent. With predictions of another storm coming that afternoon, the Toads decided that they had got all they could out of this event and broke camp. Getting out of the place proved to be a real challenge due to the mud. Bear and Uncle Eddie made it out, but Stinger dropped his bike in the mud and had to visit the bike wash before leaving. The bike wash proved to be an effective way to get the mud off himself also. Breakfast was the next order of business, and due to the number of motorcyclists in town, took about an hour and a half. Finally departing the place we headed for Devil's Tower and some really dramatic topography. Uncle Eddie told the park ranger at the booth that Gene and I were Arab terrorists planning to blow up Devil's Tower. I'll include a picture of it because it is kind of hard to describe.
Traveling through the country and being able to observe the varying topography gives one a real appreciation of the power of nature, especially on a motorcycle because you become a part of the environment, feeling temperature changes instantly as well as various odors, and the ability to predict rain. As we headed into darkening skies, we had a sense that this storm was one we should sit out, so a gas stop was in order. A friendly manager of the convenience store let us park the bikes under the canopy, so we sat around deciding where to camp for the night while the storm played itself out. It proved to be a wise choice. We left for Hardin, MT and Kamping Kabins that night. Hardin is a couple of houses, a gas station, the Purple Cow restaurant and a golf course restaurant. Pulling into the campground I noticed that the stones were fairly deep and soft in places, not a hospitable environment for a motorcycle. I parked about ten feet from the front as did Bear and Uncle Eddie. However, rather than back up Uncle Eddie (or Fred Flinstone) decided to make a right turn and promptly sunk the bike to the mufflers in the stones. With stones flying everywhere, Bear and I looked on in amazement as he dug a 50 foot trench with the rear wheel in a successful attempt to extricate himself from the morass. We were hoping the owner wouldn't charge us to regrade the place. We're now convinced his motorcycle could pull a two bottom plow. Dinner was only two choices so we headed for the golf course where Bear dropped his bike in the parking lot. After righting it we headed inside for a delicious meal, Uncle Eddie's tune up for the 32 ounce steak he will attempt to eat at the Cattlemen's Club outside of Glacier Park.
Our next objective was the site of the Battle of Little Big Horn at Custer National Park. Luckily, we decided to listen to a presentation by a park ranger before touring the park. His ability to relate the story of the events leading up to the battle and of the battle itself brought the event to life like nothing we have experienced before. Touring the battlefield afterward, one could “see” the Indian encampments and envision the events as they unfolded. Contrary to conventional wisdom, Custer was ordered into the area by his commanding officers based on the intelligence they had at the time. It was really a moving experience.
Moving on we headed to Great Falls, MT, where we were expecting to tent again since no Kabins were available. Not being happy with the site, we decide to try one 40 miles farther on, but first we needed food and found a Chinese restaurant. After stuffing ourselves on Chinese and as we were leaving the parking lot, Uncle Eddied dropped his bike. After righting it, we headed for the gas station where Stinger dropped his bike and got catapualted about six feet in the process landing on his shoulder and head. At this point we have a new rally cry: One for All, All for One, We Dropped Them All. This was going to be another trip to the emergency room and maybe the end of the trip for him. A state patrolman called for an ambulance, which came out, but an EMT, who was there checked him out and it was decided to put him on the back of Uncle Eddie's bike, his first ride on a Harley, and a trip to the emergency room. Fortunately, it turned out to be a sprain. However, Stinger is now convinced that this bike could pull a two bottom plow. By 11 pm most of the hotel rooms were taken, but the hospital staff found us one room with two double beds at a Best Western. As we headed to the hotel with Stinger on Uncle Eddie's bike we were stopped by a cop because we went through a red light that wouldn't change. The guy actually believed Uncle Eddie's story about his injury and let us go. Meanwhile Bear, not noticing the cruiser's lights, kept going. Now we had no idea of the location of the hotel, but we kept forging ahead and found him coming back toward us. Checking in at the hotel, Uncle Eddie was attempting to remove Stinger's helmet, but was taking his head with it. It was obvious he had no skills at removing another person's helmet. Putting it on was not much better as he got his ears folded over on the first attempt. We pretty much resembled the Three Stooges with them putting the helmet on and taking it off to pick up a prescription and some other stuff at the drug store. By the next day Stinger could put it on by himself, but not get it off. The hotel accommodations proved to be the most sensitive with Bear and Uncle Eddie sharing a queen size bed. Stinger didn't sleep too well so had a chance to observe this situation first hand. It was probably the first time in history that two individuals were able to sleep in the same bed and not move an inch. Bear befriended the EMT, Doug, who stored Stinger's bike until the next morning. I was determined to ride and 660 grams of Advil and a Tylenol later, we were heading for Glacier Park with Doug, whose buddies wimped out on him when he wanted to ride. Not sure if Bear and Uncle Eddie conspired to have him go along or not. The drive as one approaches Glacier cannot be described in words. The beauty of the place is beyond descripition. We arrived before our wives so we perched on the couch in the lobby, had a couple of beers and rated the people walking by on the deck in front of us. On a scale of one to ten, none scored higher than a five. Realizing we were minutes away from relinquishing the unstructured life we lead for the last two weeks, we had a couple more beers.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
7/16/08
This area of the country is motorcycling nirvana. Between Ohio and here the only reason to turn is to avoid road construction, but getting into the western South Dakota area it is easy to find roads with lots of twists and turns. The road leading to the Needles highway is awesome with smooth pavement and lots of elevation changes. The Needles is much more challenging with unpredictable pavement, sharp switchbacks combined with elevation changes and banked turns that lull you into taking a line more constistent with the way roads are built in the east, only to suck you to the inside unexpectedly. Also, we noticed a lot more decreasing radius turns out here on the major roads than in the east. Leaving the campground we decided to visit the Crazy Horse exhibit and tour the Wind Cave Loop, which lead us to the Custer State Park loop. Buffalo as well as antelope were in abundance on both of these routes, and we even encountered some wild donkeys that as you will see from the pictures were wild in name only. Crazy Horse has changed a lot since I had been there in 1997. The progress on the memorial itself wasn't all that aparent, but the visitors center was expanded considerably with a lot more information than previously. The curious thing about it was that there was no story of Crazy Horse himself, but there was extensive history of the architect who was working on the project. He has since died, but he had a wife and ten kids, 7 of whom are carrying out the work. From the looks of things, it won't be done in my lifetime. Continuing on from Crazy Horse and through the Wind Cave Loop, Custer State Park, and Needles Highway, we passed Mount Rushmore and made a stop in Deadwood for lunch/dinner. Deadwood is kind of a tourist trap, but interesting nonetheless. By then the day was getting late so we decided to make a beeline to the rally by the fastest route, which was about 100 miles of I90. Expecting to have our pick of campsites, we were shocked to discover tents everwhere. This would be our first night of tent camping, and the weather prediction was for severe thunderstorms with hail. Fortunately, that didn't happen. However, there is no shade so activities must be planned accordingly, in other words, there would be no afternoon nap (I tried though). Although temperatures were cool, it was a tough night for sleeping with a freight train running by the place every hour and hard ground. We registered Thursday morning and walked around the vendor exhibits until noon. Our neighbors (and in this situation that could be everyone) have a basset/beagle combination, which didn't howl and wouldn't have made more noise than the train anyway. The owner rides an ancient BMW with what looks like home made saddlebags. In the afternoon, Gene and I attended some seminars, one of which was really interesting and involved riding two up on bikes. The seminar leader was the editor of the BMW Owners Magazine. It was standing room only. Uncle Eddie headed for Sturgis, about 150 miles away, trying to track down a headset. We loaned him my phone since his doesn't work, but there is no chance that he will answer if we call since he can't hear the thing ring. This is a huge rally with tents everywhere and quite an experience. BMW rallies are quiet affairs, almost erie. There is more noise from humans than the bikes, which is alright with us. Right now we are sitting in a shelter waiting out a severe weather warning. I'll try to get some pictures up on the blog tomorrow.
This area of the country is motorcycling nirvana. Between Ohio and here the only reason to turn is to avoid road construction, but getting into the western South Dakota area it is easy to find roads with lots of twists and turns. The road leading to the Needles highway is awesome with smooth pavement and lots of elevation changes. The Needles is much more challenging with unpredictable pavement, sharp switchbacks combined with elevation changes and banked turns that lull you into taking a line more constistent with the way roads are built in the east, only to suck you to the inside unexpectedly. Also, we noticed a lot more decreasing radius turns out here on the major roads than in the east. Leaving the campground we decided to visit the Crazy Horse exhibit and tour the Wind Cave Loop, which lead us to the Custer State Park loop. Buffalo as well as antelope were in abundance on both of these routes, and we even encountered some wild donkeys that as you will see from the pictures were wild in name only. Crazy Horse has changed a lot since I had been there in 1997. The progress on the memorial itself wasn't all that aparent, but the visitors center was expanded considerably with a lot more information than previously. The curious thing about it was that there was no story of Crazy Horse himself, but there was extensive history of the architect who was working on the project. He has since died, but he had a wife and ten kids, 7 of whom are carrying out the work. From the looks of things, it won't be done in my lifetime. Continuing on from Crazy Horse and through the Wind Cave Loop, Custer State Park, and Needles Highway, we passed Mount Rushmore and made a stop in Deadwood for lunch/dinner. Deadwood is kind of a tourist trap, but interesting nonetheless. By then the day was getting late so we decided to make a beeline to the rally by the fastest route, which was about 100 miles of I90. Expecting to have our pick of campsites, we were shocked to discover tents everwhere. This would be our first night of tent camping, and the weather prediction was for severe thunderstorms with hail. Fortunately, that didn't happen. However, there is no shade so activities must be planned accordingly, in other words, there would be no afternoon nap (I tried though). Although temperatures were cool, it was a tough night for sleeping with a freight train running by the place every hour and hard ground. We registered Thursday morning and walked around the vendor exhibits until noon. Our neighbors (and in this situation that could be everyone) have a basset/beagle combination, which didn't howl and wouldn't have made more noise than the train anyway. The owner rides an ancient BMW with what looks like home made saddlebags. In the afternoon, Gene and I attended some seminars, one of which was really interesting and involved riding two up on bikes. The seminar leader was the editor of the BMW Owners Magazine. It was standing room only. Uncle Eddie headed for Sturgis, about 150 miles away, trying to track down a headset. We loaned him my phone since his doesn't work, but there is no chance that he will answer if we call since he can't hear the thing ring. This is a huge rally with tents everywhere and quite an experience. BMW rallies are quiet affairs, almost erie. There is more noise from humans than the bikes, which is alright with us. Right now we are sitting in a shelter waiting out a severe weather warning. I'll try to get some pictures up on the blog tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
7/15/08
After yesterday's challenges the Super 8 was a real luxury. Again, we awoke to cloudless skies, but the temperature was more normal, about 68 degrees, which felt good compared to the hot ride of the day before. Little did we know that what we thought was hot, was actually nothing. As we rode toward the Badlands, it started getting hot and kept getting hotter. Our objective was to tour the Badlands and then make Wall, SD a stop for gas and ice cream. The Badlands are a national park, so we bought a national park pass because we will be hitting more of them on this trip. Entering the Badlands the temperature on the bike thermometers showed 110. Needless to say, we didn't make too many stops at the cut outs, but did get some good pictures and saw a herd of antelope. The ice cream at Wall Drug, 35 miles distant, sounded really good by this point so we pointed the bikes toward that target. Forty minutes later we were downing ice cream cones and drinking the free water and ice that was advertised on the billboards along I90. Here we broke with our objective of staying off the interstates. Since time was of the essence, we decided that traveling that way would give us more time in the Badlands. Actually, it gave us more time at Wall Drug. Needing to make our next campground in Custer, SD, we reluctantly left the comfort of the air conditioning and ventured back out into the heat. A snag developed when Gene couldn't find his keys, so he left the bike in the middle of the parking lot and went back to the store. This damn parking lot was about 150 degrees and I think the heat was getting to him because I found them stuck in the lock of his top case. Uncle Eddie had to go track him down while I watched the bikes. Well, the ride to Rapid City, SD was no cooler, and in fact I could feel the heat from the macadam through my socks and boots. Things changed dramatically as we got away from Rapid City and ascended into the mountains passing Crazy Horse, and Mount Rushmore to get to the Custer KOA and another Kamping Kabin. So, here we are as usual with me writing the blog and the other two toads sawing logs. Tomorrow we are going to check out the Needles highway, Crazy Horse, and Mount Rushmore.
After yesterday's challenges the Super 8 was a real luxury. Again, we awoke to cloudless skies, but the temperature was more normal, about 68 degrees, which felt good compared to the hot ride of the day before. Little did we know that what we thought was hot, was actually nothing. As we rode toward the Badlands, it started getting hot and kept getting hotter. Our objective was to tour the Badlands and then make Wall, SD a stop for gas and ice cream. The Badlands are a national park, so we bought a national park pass because we will be hitting more of them on this trip. Entering the Badlands the temperature on the bike thermometers showed 110. Needless to say, we didn't make too many stops at the cut outs, but did get some good pictures and saw a herd of antelope. The ice cream at Wall Drug, 35 miles distant, sounded really good by this point so we pointed the bikes toward that target. Forty minutes later we were downing ice cream cones and drinking the free water and ice that was advertised on the billboards along I90. Here we broke with our objective of staying off the interstates. Since time was of the essence, we decided that traveling that way would give us more time in the Badlands. Actually, it gave us more time at Wall Drug. Needing to make our next campground in Custer, SD, we reluctantly left the comfort of the air conditioning and ventured back out into the heat. A snag developed when Gene couldn't find his keys, so he left the bike in the middle of the parking lot and went back to the store. This damn parking lot was about 150 degrees and I think the heat was getting to him because I found them stuck in the lock of his top case. Uncle Eddie had to go track him down while I watched the bikes. Well, the ride to Rapid City, SD was no cooler, and in fact I could feel the heat from the macadam through my socks and boots. Things changed dramatically as we got away from Rapid City and ascended into the mountains passing Crazy Horse, and Mount Rushmore to get to the Custer KOA and another Kamping Kabin. So, here we are as usual with me writing the blog and the other two toads sawing logs. Tomorrow we are going to check out the Needles highway, Crazy Horse, and Mount Rushmore.
Monday, July 14, 2008
7/14/08
Today we awoke to cloudless skies and a temperature of 48 degrees. Glad I took a shower last night. Gene and I didn't cover our bikes, which were soaking wet with dew when we got up this morning. Apparently Harley guys don't cover their bikes at all. It was interesting that we passed a town this morning that had a John Deere tractor dealership and a Harley dealership right next to each other. The BMW owners can only conclude that they must be located that way to make it easy to swap parts back and forth. After another hardy breakfast and a couple of wrong turns, we headed for the Aerostitch Factory. This place is located in the low rent district of Duluth and is so nondescript that we passed it twice before finally getting it right. It is a model of efficiency and of how to run a business on a tight budget. We picked up a couple of things and headed for somewhere in South Dakota. Minnesota is supposed to be the land of 10,000 lakes, but we saw more water in South Dakota. Right before we got into SD, we came upon a windmill operation that numbered 350. They stretched for as far as the eye could see, and they weren't small by any stretch of the imagination. Keeping to our plan to stay off the interstates, we met some challenging situations, the worst one being a road resurfacing operation (oil and chip no less) that stretched for miles. It was signed at 40 mph, we were doing 55 and a lunatic in a semi passed us. Being showered with loose gravel from a semi was no fun, and having stowed his helmet safely in the saddle bags, Uncle Eddie took the worst of it. Restraint not being his strong point, he gave the guy the finger after we repassed him on some better road. We were safely ahead and pulling away when Bear took a wrong turn and we ended up right behind the doofus again. Not good. We played cat and mouse with the guy for miles before we finally took another route. Uncle Eddie has still not cooled off. It being another 400 plus mile day, we decided on a Super 8 motel, and had a burger (Eddie had two) in some Irish Pub in Heron, SD. The plan is to ride to somewhere else in SD tomorrow far, far away from this place. These are some wide open spaces. Wondering what the bikes would do, Gene and I took them up to 101 mph and were still 2000 rpm below redline. Uncle Eddie stayed with us but said that he was about tapped out. The Harley guy has been coming down hard on the Beemer guys saying our bikes sound like coffee grinders, but so far we haven't had to visit the repair shop and we haven't irritated any of the various campground inhabitants at the places we have stayed. More tomorrow.
Today we awoke to cloudless skies and a temperature of 48 degrees. Glad I took a shower last night. Gene and I didn't cover our bikes, which were soaking wet with dew when we got up this morning. Apparently Harley guys don't cover their bikes at all. It was interesting that we passed a town this morning that had a John Deere tractor dealership and a Harley dealership right next to each other. The BMW owners can only conclude that they must be located that way to make it easy to swap parts back and forth. After another hardy breakfast and a couple of wrong turns, we headed for the Aerostitch Factory. This place is located in the low rent district of Duluth and is so nondescript that we passed it twice before finally getting it right. It is a model of efficiency and of how to run a business on a tight budget. We picked up a couple of things and headed for somewhere in South Dakota. Minnesota is supposed to be the land of 10,000 lakes, but we saw more water in South Dakota. Right before we got into SD, we came upon a windmill operation that numbered 350. They stretched for as far as the eye could see, and they weren't small by any stretch of the imagination. Keeping to our plan to stay off the interstates, we met some challenging situations, the worst one being a road resurfacing operation (oil and chip no less) that stretched for miles. It was signed at 40 mph, we were doing 55 and a lunatic in a semi passed us. Being showered with loose gravel from a semi was no fun, and having stowed his helmet safely in the saddle bags, Uncle Eddie took the worst of it. Restraint not being his strong point, he gave the guy the finger after we repassed him on some better road. We were safely ahead and pulling away when Bear took a wrong turn and we ended up right behind the doofus again. Not good. We played cat and mouse with the guy for miles before we finally took another route. Uncle Eddie has still not cooled off. It being another 400 plus mile day, we decided on a Super 8 motel, and had a burger (Eddie had two) in some Irish Pub in Heron, SD. The plan is to ride to somewhere else in SD tomorrow far, far away from this place. These are some wide open spaces. Wondering what the bikes would do, Gene and I took them up to 101 mph and were still 2000 rpm below redline. Uncle Eddie stayed with us but said that he was about tapped out. The Harley guy has been coming down hard on the Beemer guys saying our bikes sound like coffee grinders, but so far we haven't had to visit the repair shop and we haven't irritated any of the various campground inhabitants at the places we have stayed. More tomorrow.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
We stopped some teenage kid and had him take our picture in front of the Henry Ford Museum. As you can see, he lives in a horizontally challenged world. We were so stupified that he would hold the camera at that angle that we let him take the picture anyway. Obviously, he hasn't benefited from the No Child Left Behind Program.
7/13/08
Not much to report today except that we spent all of it on the road through the UP, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Not much wildlife to be seen in the UP, but we did see a couple of deer standing by the side of the road and a bunch of dead porcupines. It was an exciting ride because of the wind, which must have been gusting to 30 mph at times. We figured it was because of the lakes, but 8 hours later, it was still roaring. A couple of times wind gusts were strong enough to about tear you off the bike. It was tougher than dealing with the winds on the Mackinac Bridge, which were steady, but strong. The way to deal with it was to just let it blow your body around and stay loose on the bike, which would dance around a little bit. Trying to hold against the wind with your arms only served to cause steeing inputs at the handlebars, which made control difficult and was tiring. Due to lack of time we weren't able to take the tour of Lambeau Field, but we did get this picture.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
07/11/08
The security permissions on the router at this KOA must not be letting me post pictures. We will find an internet cafe somewhere to get these up. Meanwhile tomorrow will be a long one as we plan to push on to Duluth via Green Bay. We have to make up time because the Harley broke. Hopefully, the repair will last until we get home!
Today we did Mackinac Island and the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Breakfast was at the Pink Pony and was awesome. Mackinac Island is really something to see. No vehicular traffic is allowed on it, only bicycles, foot traffic and horse traffic. The island is eight miles around and is a throwback to times gone by. It is really quiet without vehicles and as you can guess, no one is in a hurry. We took a tour via one of the horse drawn taxis to get a lay of the land, but weren't really interested in riding bicycles, and there are literally millions of them. All of the supplies come in be ferry and then are distributed using horse drawn conveyences. The town reminds one of Cape May, lots of shops, fudge vendors, etc. The Grand Hotel requires ties for men after 6 PM and there is a cover charge of fifteen bucks if you just want to walk arround the hotel lobby, an extravagance not worthy of the Toads, or maybe it is the other way around. There are hotel accommodations and bed and breakfasts aplenty, so this would be a good vacation spot if you wanted a laid back vacation. Your baggage gets there the same way everything else does, by horse. I am sitting here at 9:54 writing this and it is still light outside (just an aside). After that, we rode up to Sault Ste Marie and the Soo Locks, a real marvel of engineering. There is no charge for ships to use them and everything from freighters to row boats can go through them. Fortunately, we got there just as a thousand foot long freighter was approaching from Lake Superior, which is 27 feet higher than Lake Huron. The ship was only five feet narrower than the lock and they didn't use a tug boat to bring it in. It was really cool watching that thing drop that far. Now we're back to the St Ignace KOA and ready to head out tomorrow.
The security permissions on the router at this KOA must not be letting me post pictures. We will find an internet cafe somewhere to get these up. Meanwhile tomorrow will be a long one as we plan to push on to Duluth via Green Bay. We have to make up time because the Harley broke. Hopefully, the repair will last until we get home!
Today we did Mackinac Island and the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Breakfast was at the Pink Pony and was awesome. Mackinac Island is really something to see. No vehicular traffic is allowed on it, only bicycles, foot traffic and horse traffic. The island is eight miles around and is a throwback to times gone by. It is really quiet without vehicles and as you can guess, no one is in a hurry. We took a tour via one of the horse drawn taxis to get a lay of the land, but weren't really interested in riding bicycles, and there are literally millions of them. All of the supplies come in be ferry and then are distributed using horse drawn conveyences. The town reminds one of Cape May, lots of shops, fudge vendors, etc. The Grand Hotel requires ties for men after 6 PM and there is a cover charge of fifteen bucks if you just want to walk arround the hotel lobby, an extravagance not worthy of the Toads, or maybe it is the other way around. There are hotel accommodations and bed and breakfasts aplenty, so this would be a good vacation spot if you wanted a laid back vacation. Your baggage gets there the same way everything else does, by horse. I am sitting here at 9:54 writing this and it is still light outside (just an aside). After that, we rode up to Sault Ste Marie and the Soo Locks, a real marvel of engineering. There is no charge for ships to use them and everything from freighters to row boats can go through them. Fortunately, we got there just as a thousand foot long freighter was approaching from Lake Superior, which is 27 feet higher than Lake Huron. The ship was only five feet narrower than the lock and they didn't use a tug boat to bring it in. It was really cool watching that thing drop that far. Now we're back to the St Ignace KOA and ready to head out tomorrow.
07/11/08
We departed Roscommon for a Harley Dealer about 40 minutes away. Well, as you can imagine, the problem was of the most serious kind, a stator failure, which must be common to these bikes as this dealer installed thirty of them so far this year. Uncle Eddie's travails did not dull Gene and PJ's appetites so we headed to Gobblers of Gaylord, a name that really doesn't do the place justice. It's theme was some kind of potpourri of human interest from the fifties and sixties. The food was good, the service was excellent, a model of customer service. In fact the people are really friendly and helpful no matter we we have been in Michigan. Well, we ended up leaving Uncle Eddie at the Harley dealer because it was going to be a long job, and Gene and I struck out for the west coast of Michigan. At Charlevoix we found Ed Fralick a guy who manufactures wrought iron and steel sculptures. We stopped to take a picture and struck up a conversation with him. He ships all over the world, but you would never know it from the look of his establishment. It is a throwback to the sixties.
After leaving Ed, we went through Petosky, a touristy town, and headed for the coastline and Lake Michigan along the Cherry Orchards Drive. Along this route we found Legs, a restaurant/gift shop sort of place along the lake. Ed told us about it. All of the furnishings were made out of driftwood, a pretty cool place. Dessert was the order of the day in this place so we got the special. Apparently the waiter didn't think we could handle our own, so he brought one for us to split. It made for good conversation around the other tables. Continuing on we headed for the Mackinaw bridge, a thrilling ride under the best of conditions. The wind was so strong that if our helmets weren't strapped to our heads, I'm sure they would have come off. Our evening meal was partaken at Java Joe's, a tip we obtained from someone at Gloria's restaurant in Witmore Lake, MI, and obviously another local establishment not frequented by tourists. This was definitely family owned and operated. So here we are at another KOA in St Ignace and tomorrow we are planning to tour Mackinac Island for a day out of the saddle. Well, most of the day. When we get back from there we are heading for the Soo Locks. It is pretty obvious that the price of fuel has taken a toll on travel. This campground is not even ten percent full and it is a Friday night. So far we have had no trouble getting these camping cabins when calling a couple of hours ahead. Will try to get you some pictures tonight. Not able to upload at this time.
We departed Roscommon for a Harley Dealer about 40 minutes away. Well, as you can imagine, the problem was of the most serious kind, a stator failure, which must be common to these bikes as this dealer installed thirty of them so far this year. Uncle Eddie's travails did not dull Gene and PJ's appetites so we headed to Gobblers of Gaylord, a name that really doesn't do the place justice. It's theme was some kind of potpourri of human interest from the fifties and sixties. The food was good, the service was excellent, a model of customer service. In fact the people are really friendly and helpful no matter we we have been in Michigan. Well, we ended up leaving Uncle Eddie at the Harley dealer because it was going to be a long job, and Gene and I struck out for the west coast of Michigan. At Charlevoix we found Ed Fralick a guy who manufactures wrought iron and steel sculptures. We stopped to take a picture and struck up a conversation with him. He ships all over the world, but you would never know it from the look of his establishment. It is a throwback to the sixties.
After leaving Ed, we went through Petosky, a touristy town, and headed for the coastline and Lake Michigan along the Cherry Orchards Drive. Along this route we found Legs, a restaurant/gift shop sort of place along the lake. Ed told us about it. All of the furnishings were made out of driftwood, a pretty cool place. Dessert was the order of the day in this place so we got the special. Apparently the waiter didn't think we could handle our own, so he brought one for us to split. It made for good conversation around the other tables. Continuing on we headed for the Mackinaw bridge, a thrilling ride under the best of conditions. The wind was so strong that if our helmets weren't strapped to our heads, I'm sure they would have come off. Our evening meal was partaken at Java Joe's, a tip we obtained from someone at Gloria's restaurant in Witmore Lake, MI, and obviously another local establishment not frequented by tourists. This was definitely family owned and operated. So here we are at another KOA in St Ignace and tomorrow we are planning to tour Mackinac Island for a day out of the saddle. Well, most of the day. When we get back from there we are heading for the Soo Locks. It is pretty obvious that the price of fuel has taken a toll on travel. This campground is not even ten percent full and it is a Friday night. So far we have had no trouble getting these camping cabins when calling a couple of hours ahead. Will try to get you some pictures tonight. Not able to upload at this time.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Got up about 6:30 after a hot night (no AC or fan at this KOA) and headed for a breakfast at Denny's. We were too hungry to look for anything with local flavor. After that we headed for the Henry Ford Museum and and on the way got to experience some of the local neighborhoods once again. The museum was awesome and housed a variety of displays from trains to cars, to time pieces, aircraft, furniture, an old gas station setup, a 50's diner, turn of the century electric cars, steam engines, an expose on cacao beans and much more. This area could be a destination and you could stay here for a week touring around. Not sure why this museum has such a variety of displays, but it was well worth the visit. Even had th
e Lincoln in which Kennedy was shot.
You would think a museum trip would be pretty uneventful, but you would be wrong if you are experiencing it with Bear and Uncle Eddie. Here is a picture of them just before 3 security guards came into the picture, and we just got in the door! Notice the sign that says “Don't Climb on Engine” just below Uncle Eddie and on both sides of the train. Just for your information this engine could pull 1.5 miles of cars.
Tonight we are heading to Max and Erma's, a local restaurant recommended by the person manning the booth at the entrance to the KOA. Tomorrow we are making a dash to the UP. For us a dash is rather circuitous. Unlike yesterday the weather is beautiful, low humidity with temps in the high 70's, perfect riding weather.
07/10/08
ing again. Tomorrow we find a Harley dealer. Well after that, we made a bee line to a KOA near Roscommon WI. These Wi Fi connections at the campgrounds are becoming a challenge so we may have to stop at a Starbucks.
e Lincoln in which Kennedy was shot.You would think a museum trip would be pretty uneventful, but you would be wrong if you are experiencing it with Bear and Uncle Eddie. Here is a picture of them just before 3 security guards came into the picture, and we just got in the door! Notice the sign that says “Don't Climb on Engine” just below Uncle Eddie and on both sides of the train. Just for your information this engine could pull 1.5 miles of cars.
Tonight we are heading to Max and Erma's, a local restaurant recommended by the person manning the booth at the entrance to the KOA. Tomorrow we are making a dash to the UP. For us a dash is rather circuitous. Unlike yesterday the weather is beautiful, low humidity with temps in the high 70's, perfect riding weather.
07/10/08
This was going to be the day where we got an early start and meandered to the Upper Peninsula. We got the early start, but the day did not go remotely as planned. Breakfast was uneventful. We stopped at Gloria's at Witmore Lake, found only because our intrepid leader was astute enough to solicit the opinion of some locals. Great breakfast, but the place was smoky. This restaurant was on the other side of a beautiful lake, so we got some good scenery while searching for it. After that it was off to the UP or so we thought. Uncle Eddie needed gas so we pulled into a Marathon, big in these parts. Gene pulled to the regular pump, leaving me at the hi test pump and Harold at a regular pump. Harold wanted the hi test, so rather than jockey them around, I just filled mine and moved up. After we started the bikes, neither of us could move away from the pump. They would barely run so we turned around and went back. It turns out the hi test tank had water in it so we pumped about three gallons into each bike. We were able to siphon the gas out of Harold's bike, but mine was another story. Gene and I completely disassembled it, took off the gas tank and dumped it out.
After siphoning, Uncle Eddie got his started, sort of. The battery went dead and he had to buy a new one from CarQuest, too small, but it got the bike cranking. Once it started, it was discovered that it wasn't charging, so Harold pulled the fuse to the headlight and we were going to drive it to a Harley dealer. We reassembled my bike, filled it with regular, and it started up with a little sputtering, but cleared up quickly. All in all it took about 6 hours out of the day. Then we took off to find a Harley dealer. On the way it started charging so we turned around and headed north again. We may still be in trouble with this bike because when the fuse was reinserted for the headlights, it wasn't charg
ing again. Tomorrow we find a Harley dealer. Well after that, we made a bee line to a KOA near Roscommon WI. These Wi Fi connections at the campgrounds are becoming a challenge so we may have to stop at a Starbucks.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
07/07/08
Left Gene's cabin and headed for Oil City, met former Mayor Joe and his buddies Joe, the township supervisor, and Fred, a fellow gadfly, at Spill the Beans Cafe. Mayor Joe claims he was ousted from office by a drunk. Joe the super shared some porn on his phone with us. Hit rain on the way down RT62 (nice scenic road), but they were just showers off and on. Having forgot to change from his dark glasses, Uncle Eddy(Harold) had some issues with vision, but no incidents. We managed to stay off the interstates much of the time and got to see. Unfortunately, we had to do I 80 for a few miles to I11 South and back to 62 to get to Canton. Pulled into a KOA around 8 and hit the rack.
07/08/08
Left the KOA at Canton and headed for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which everyone agreed was sort of a disappointment. Spent a couple of hours there and then decided to head for a KOA close the Detroit. What was not a disappointment was Taggart's Ice Cream, which we found after the Hall of Fame. Following Bear (Gene) has taken us through parts of Ohio that no tourist has ever seen nor ever will. In fact the places we have seen would rival that old series on TV authored by Charles Kurault. He has taken us through actual neighborhoods so we can see how people interact in their own environment without outside forces influencing behavior, kind of like watching an ant farm. At one point he stopped and asked a homeless person if they knew of a good place to eat . Of course all the guy could think of was MacDonald's. Thinking better of it, he found a construction worker a couple of blocks down, who was not from the area, but knew of a good place for breakfast(Lindsey's). Here Bear met a guy named Ron, who was wearing on electronic sign advertising the restaurant. He got a picture, but it may not turn out too well. The guy eats there twice a day unless he is going to the Olive Garden, and he had the girth to prove it. There being no shortage of construction workers on this trip, we should eat pretty good. Weather was more of a challenge on this leg of the trip. As the sky turned black ahead, I suggested we pull off and suit up. Uncle Eddy (Harold), put on his rain gear and helmet, but Bear, figuring it wasn't going to last long, didn't. Bad move. This storm was heavy for a while and lasted a couple of hours. At one point we lost Uncle Eddy, who had to stop and change glasses again. The nice thing about the storm was that the temperature dropped from the 90's to 70, a welcome relief, and it only rose another ten degrees afterward. getting on toward 7 we found a place to eat called Aimee's Pizza Factory which had great food. I got a salad and huge piece of lasagna, which Uncle Eddy graciously polished off, and Bear got a salad and pizza, 8 inch with onions. Uncle Eddy got a sub. Leaving there we had to do some Interstate again. Approaching Toledo from the south we were greeted by a huge Islamic Temple, the Islamic Society of Greater Toledo or something like that, kind of a shock. Well, we made Ypsilanti (yeah, that is a town) KOA by 9 and just hit the rack. The office was closed so they left the light on for us. Tomorrow it is the Henry Ford Museum and then maybe a dash to the UP.
Left Gene's cabin and headed for Oil City, met former Mayor Joe and his buddies Joe, the township supervisor, and Fred, a fellow gadfly, at Spill the Beans Cafe. Mayor Joe claims he was ousted from office by a drunk. Joe the super shared some porn on his phone with us. Hit rain on the way down RT62 (nice scenic road), but they were just showers off and on. Having forgot to change from his dark glasses, Uncle Eddy(Harold) had some issues with vision, but no incidents. We managed to stay off the interstates much of the time and got to see. Unfortunately, we had to do I 80 for a few miles to I11 South and back to 62 to get to Canton. Pulled into a KOA around 8 and hit the rack.
07/08/08
Left the KOA at Canton and headed for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which everyone agreed was sort of a disappointment. Spent a couple of hours there and then decided to head for a KOA close the Detroit. What was not a disappointment was Taggart's Ice Cream, which we found after the Hall of Fame. Following Bear (Gene) has taken us through parts of Ohio that no tourist has ever seen nor ever will. In fact the places we have seen would rival that old series on TV authored by Charles Kurault. He has taken us through actual neighborhoods so we can see how people interact in their own environment without outside forces influencing behavior, kind of like watching an ant farm. At one point he stopped and asked a homeless person if they knew of a good place to eat . Of course all the guy could think of was MacDonald's. Thinking better of it, he found a construction worker a couple of blocks down, who was not from the area, but knew of a good place for breakfast(Lindsey's). Here Bear met a guy named Ron, who was wearing on electronic sign advertising the restaurant. He got a picture, but it may not turn out too well. The guy eats there twice a day unless he is going to the Olive Garden, and he had the girth to prove it. There being no shortage of construction workers on this trip, we should eat pretty good. Weather was more of a challenge on this leg of the trip. As the sky turned black ahead, I suggested we pull off and suit up. Uncle Eddy (Harold), put on his rain gear and helmet, but Bear, figuring it wasn't going to last long, didn't. Bad move. This storm was heavy for a while and lasted a couple of hours. At one point we lost Uncle Eddy, who had to stop and change glasses again. The nice thing about the storm was that the temperature dropped from the 90's to 70, a welcome relief, and it only rose another ten degrees afterward. getting on toward 7 we found a place to eat called Aimee's Pizza Factory which had great food. I got a salad and huge piece of lasagna, which Uncle Eddy graciously polished off, and Bear got a salad and pizza, 8 inch with onions. Uncle Eddy got a sub. Leaving there we had to do some Interstate again. Approaching Toledo from the south we were greeted by a huge Islamic Temple, the Islamic Society of Greater Toledo or something like that, kind of a shock. Well, we made Ypsilanti (yeah, that is a town) KOA by 9 and just hit the rack. The office was closed so they left the light on for us. Tomorrow it is the Henry Ford Museum and then maybe a dash to the UP.
Monday, July 7, 2008
07/07/08
Two of the toads warmed up with a scenic ride to Potter County to Gene's cabin. Warm it was, but not unbearable. Rain threatened, but never materialized, although being realists, we know we are going to get wet at some point on this trip. As we were riding in northern PA, I was thinking about just how picturesque this state is. Just past English Center we found a couple of miles of rhododendren in full bloom on both sides of the road. Watsontown was a pretty little town that warrants future exploration. About an hour after we arrived the third toad met us at the cabin. No one encountered any problems on this trip, but toad number 3 was suffering from a bit of flatulence at the cabin causing toads #1 and 2 to pine for the odor of a pig farm. His problem could have stemmed from the gourmet meal of macaroni and cheese cooked up by Gene. Tomorrow we head for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton OH. Time of departure is.. uh, well, who knows?
Two of the toads warmed up with a scenic ride to Potter County to Gene's cabin. Warm it was, but not unbearable. Rain threatened, but never materialized, although being realists, we know we are going to get wet at some point on this trip. As we were riding in northern PA, I was thinking about just how picturesque this state is. Just past English Center we found a couple of miles of rhododendren in full bloom on both sides of the road. Watsontown was a pretty little town that warrants future exploration. About an hour after we arrived the third toad met us at the cabin. No one encountered any problems on this trip, but toad number 3 was suffering from a bit of flatulence at the cabin causing toads #1 and 2 to pine for the odor of a pig farm. His problem could have stemmed from the gourmet meal of macaroni and cheese cooked up by Gene. Tomorrow we head for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton OH. Time of departure is.. uh, well, who knows?
Saturday, July 5, 2008
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