Month: February 2020

Route that was planned for 2017

Day 1: Phoenix to Panguitch, UT

This morning I left about an hour later than expected, but it was good to hang out with the dogs a little longer.  The ride from Phoenix to Flagstaff was horrible, some of the worst drivers I’ve experienced in a long time.  Tailgaters riding me at 75-80mph at about 10-15 feet behind me.  As soon as I could move over they zoomed past me right up the rear end of the person in front of me.  I’ve officially added Jeep to the list and should have known since they are in the Dodge family. 3 Jeeps ranging rom the “Patriot” to the Cherokee.  I put patriot in quotes because Jeep is obviously pandering to the ‘Murica crowd who thinks because it has a Jeep brand on it, it must be capable.  Hardly. Junk.  I saw two Jeeps broken down on the side of the road during today’s ride.  When will people learn to not buy them, but “it’s a Jeep thing” and I definitely do not understand.  (If you knew how many times Dodge vehicles have almost hit me, you’d understand why I do not have high regard for them and I know not ALL drivers of that brand drives poorly, but they are such a high percentage that it’s not a coincidence.) Anyway…had to vent, back to the road.

I stopped in Flagstaff for my usual coffee and breakfast burrito from Matador Coffee and when I walked in I noticed two of my Phoenix friends sitting there drinking coffee.  That was such a nice surprise! Two of my favorite people! We parted ways and I continued north out of Flagstaff to Page, then from Page northwest towards Kanab, then north towards Bryce Canyon and onto Patliotch, UT to stay at the KOA campground.  I have a tiny little cabin and the campground is nice.  The hosts are super nice!

Oh, after I left Kanab, UT and headed north towards Bryce Canyon I caught up with a large group of motorcyclists who were part of the “Combat Veterans Association”.  I rode with them for 20-30 miles before they turned off and I kept riding onto Patliotch.  Tomorrow I head north to the Jackson Hole, WY area…now to find a place to sleep. 🙂

My home for the night.

Day 2: Panguitch, UT to Near Jackson Hole, WY

This morning started out so well! I woke up well rested, boiled water, made coffee and planned my route for today.  I knew where I wanted to go, but wanted to make sure I knew how to get there. After leaving the campground I rode north towards Provo on the 89, and then was supposed to turn off to Provo, but I hit some rain and missed my turn.  About 45 minutes later I realized I was way off course and turned around, thus wasting an hour and a half of ride time.  On the way back I hit an even harder rainstorm and even with my rain suit I got pretty wet.  The bike handled it all well, but I was pretty mad at myself for making such a stupid mistake. Today was already going to be a 8-9 hour riding day and it turned into a 11-12 hour day due to the weather I wouldn’t have hit and the extra 1.5 hours I wouldn’t have used up. Back to the Jeep thing.  It happened again today and this time in the pouring rain.  There was a Jeep “Liberty” behind me, tailgating me when I could not go any faster due to the car in front of me.  This jackass would not back off! At some point there was finally a passing lane and of course he passes me and starts tailgating the person who was also passing someone else.  Do these people not realize how dangerously they are driving?  I don’t remember it being this bad before…before Trump came into office.  Another thing to blame on that orange piece of shit.  Oh, if you like that bullying asshat some like to call Drumpf or 45…too bad.  I really don’t know how any of his followers could still like him after these first 7 months of shit-baggery unless they are just too stubborn to admit they messed up.  No one really cares if you say, “well, that didn’t quite work out the way I had wanted.” We understand, everyone messes up…however; this time you and many millions of others were the suckers born every minute who didn’t see this coming and thought that what he had done for decades prior had no bearing on what kind or person he is.  It’s actually worse than I had thought, I really didn’t think he was as big of an idiot as he has turned out to be. Anyway!  YUUUUGE tangent there…back to the ride. Once I got back on track and I headed northwest to Provo, then a bit northeast, then northwest, then northeast again…mountain highways tend to do that.  I finally made it to Evanston, WY where I stopped for some quick food and gas. The road from Evanston, WY to Jackson, WY takes such a circuitous route…you go into Wyoming, then back to Utah, then into Idaho, then back into Wyoming.  Due to my screw up I ended up riding into the evening.  I really do not like riding at night due to the amount of wildlife in the area.  My helmet’s shield quickly covered with bugs so I had to clean that and also realized that I needed to adjust my headlights down due to the weight on the bike.  Once I did that I am sure there were many drivers who were much happier with me.

It’s dark now, I have no phone signal, no wifi…but I do have a bed and my sleeping bag so I’m going to go to sleep and sleep in a little bit tomorrow morning. Good night.

Day  3: Jackson Hole, WY to Bozeman, MT

Due to yesterday’s long ride I decided to sleep in a little while longer and then head north into Tetons and Yellowstone NPs.  It was a beautiful morning and I realized that my tire pressure gauge had been left somewhere along the way so I stopped into a parts store and picked one up.  During that short visit I talked to two guys on their dual sports.  The first guy was riding a Suzuki DRZ600 and it looked like it had really been used for some awesome off-roading and touring.  The second guy was on a BMW 800 and he also had a great setup for off road fun.  We compared notes, talked about our old bikes and where we were off to this round.  I sure to love meeting people while I’m out riding.  The Africa Twin certainly gets more comments and people coming up to ask me about it compared to my DL650, but a bike is a bike and we’ve all got plenty of great stories about our rides. Once I left JH I went into Tetons and Yellowstone NPs to retrace some of my route from 2 years ago. I was hoping that it wouldn’t be as busy since many schools are now back in session, but I was wrong.  The park was packed and this time there were two spots with road construction and everything was backed up.  I think I sat for a total of at least an hour or so just getting through the park to head out the west gate and then north to Bozeman.

During one of the construction delays I met a nice couple from Phoenix who were out riding their Kawasaki Vulcan 1600 and that bike was awesome.  The guy said they wanted a bike like a Harley, but one that he could trust.  He said he had had a few Harleys in the past and he was just tired of “fiddling around” with them. The bike sure sounded like a Harley.  Loud. I rode with them for about 45 minutes and they turned to the north and I went west. The day also included another Jeep driving.  This was another “patriot” and he was also a tailgater.  I am to the point now where I just move to the right at a turn-off and let them pass so they can tailgate the next person.  What is going on?! Got into Bozeman, had a little snack and got settled in for an early night.  Tomorrow morning I ride to Missoula for a 10am appointment at the Honda shop because the Honda shop in Phoenix didn’t seem to balance the wheels when they put on my new tires.  This is the second time they haven’t fully completed a job, or done it in a way where I don’t think I’ll go back to them.

Day 4 – Missoula, MT

Bozeman to Missoula – see what the shop says and then I can call the Phoenix Honda service to let them know they need to do ALL of the work required. There are a bunch of fires all around the Missoula area and the smoke is heavy. I stopped in Missoula to get my tires balanced because they were acting like they were not after getting my new Heidenau K60 Scouts put on last week.  Sure enough, they were off and I can really tell the difference.  So glad that I took a day off and got this resolved.

Day 5: Missoula, MT to Glacier National Park (US/MT)

Today’s ride started out well, except for a jerk neighbor of the friend I stayed with in Missoula.  She’s a friend from my running group and her landlords said it was fine for me to park in the driveway next to a truck that never moves. All good…right? Wrong.  I came out to find my motorcycle blocked in by the renter in the back house and when I said, “Hey!  Good morning, glad you are here, is that your truck?”  I had expected him to say, “Yes, it sure is…do you need me to move so you can get out?”  Well, instead he replied with, “Yeah, you blocked my truck so I can’t get into it.  I won’t move my other car because you shouldn’t park there.”  I said that it was only for one night and the owners said I could park right there. He said, “Well, they never asked me.” Trying to still be nice to this jerk, I said that I was sorry and that if he could please move his truck I could be on my way.  He said, “No, I have to go.  It’s your problem” or something like that and he took off on his longboard skateboard.  The truck he said I blocked in hadn’t been moved in months according to my host.  Some people are just jerks. Then the day was super windy until I got a bit north of Missoula heading to Seeley (sp?) and heading toward Kalispell, MT.  I even drove by Swan Lake which is in a valley to the east of Flathead Lake.  Our families got together there for a family reunion back in 1985.  I was a kid, but still remember the amazing vacation we all had in Montana. From there I rode west and north to Kalispell, then onto the KOA campground I am staying in tonight.  These little Kabins…yes, they do spell it that way…are really basic, but perfect for a comfortable night’s sleep. There is no bathroom, but an empty Gatorade bottle will keep you from having to brave the dark and night time creepy crawlies until morning. After I checked in I rode west to Glacier NP and rode one of the forest roads north from the “Road to the Sun” for an hour or so in the direction of PoleBridge (sp?).  It was a mix of blacktop and gravel.  The gravel was so washed out that it wasn’t even fun.  I don’t mind gravel or forest service roads, but when it’s just a grooved mess and somewhat dangerous due to the driving of people in cars/trucks it ruins what could be a good time.  I went back to the main intersection and rode on the “Road to the Sun” for a little while, but since I wanted to eat and get a good night’s sleep, knowing I’d be riding it tomorrow on my way to Canada, I turned back.  Halfway back I pulled off and sat by a lake for a while. I’m very happy that the National Parks are as busy as they are, but I’m still surprised at the amount of people this late into the year when I figured most kids would be back in school. Time to do some laundry and get some rest. Last minute update… While I enjoy the cost of the “kabins” compared to the astronomical nightly fees for area hotels, the shared bathrooms are a bit annoying.  I am not sure what these people are eating, but eating meat is eating something that is dead/rotting and that rotting continues in your body after you eat it and what comes out is even more rotten. Laundry done, shower complete…time to relax and get some sleep so I can get an early-ish morning start. They have a buffet style breakfast here, but if you know me, you know I am not a fan of buffets of any type.  They remind me of my first least favorite dining experiences…pot luck meals. Good night!

Day :  Glacier NP to Canada.

Hopefully the WiFi is good…I’m at a Ramada!  I didn’t find much on my way to Banff/Lake Louise that worked well for my hammock, or a cabin so private quarters it is!  And the price was about the same as what my KOA cabins had cost. Glacier NP still holds the top spot for me in our National Parks.  I haven’t been to another that is so beautiful and so grand.  The “Going to the sun road” did not disappoint, the edge of the narrow two lane road was so close and the small ledge wouldn’t have stopped any motorcycle from toppling over the edge…well, when there was a ledge.  In many spots there was no ledge.  I wanted to stop every few minutes because around every bend there was another view that made me catch my breath.

Once again, there was an unexpectedly large amount of visitors to the park, but with Glacier NP’s distance from the many population centers it makes it a little more difficult to visit.  I wish it was more difficult. 🙂 The ride to High River went well.  I also learned how to change my speedometer to Kilometers from Miles per hour. On the east side of Glacier I had a good lunch at a little place called “Park Cafe” where they had Huckleberry Pie for dessert. The Canadian border guards were much more polite than last April as I was traveling to go ski in Nelson, which is north of Spokane, WA.  I stopped at the first Tim Horton’s, had a cup of coffee and a donut. My Canadian adventure was on! Next door to the excellent Ramada Inn in High Point was “Boston Pizza” where I had their hummus tray for dinner, it was quite good.

Day: High River -> Banff -> Lake Louise -> Radium Springs

The morning started out quite cool (around 50F) as I rode west and then north to Banff.  Banff is spectacular!  The mountains were made to feel even more enormous as I rode through valleys, their rocky faces looming over every corner.  It was truly awe inspiring.

There were may “Watch for Mountain Goats” signs and without fail, there were mountain goats chomping on grasses by the road. The Lake Louise area was packed with tourists from all over, but I mostly saw Canadian license plates around the parking lot.  The lake itself is very beautiful with the white-blue water, the mountains rising around and the glaciers above. I wanted to go to the Moraine lake, but they weren’t letting anyone else in due to the amount of traffic. From there I rode onto Radium Springs for the night.

Day: Radim Springs, BC to Priest Lake, ID

Time to head back to the U.S. this morning.  I had one more visit to Tim Horton’s for coffee and breakfast and rode southwest to the border. It took almost an hour to get across the border back into the U.S. 

From there I road to Bonners Ferry, ID where I stopped for lunch at a little cafe downtown.  I had the vegetarian enchilada and it was one of the best I’ve had anywhere! Through Sandpoint and then west to Priest River where I stopped for a coffee before heading north to Priest Lake.

Priest Lake had some haze from the numerous fires throughout the northwest, but overall it was a beautiful day.  I rode to my Uncle’s cabin on the north side of the lake where my many of his family were staying.  It was so great to see them all!  We all played on the beach by their cabin, had some snacks and then a delicious dinner.  Later that night I rode down to the “kids” cabin down the lake where we continued to visit.  This morning I woke up and went on a morning coffee boat ride with my cousin Brian and their new dog, Basho.  The lake was quiet and smooth. After returning to the cabin I cleaned up, packed up the bike, said goodbye to everyone and rode south.

Day: Priest Lake, ID to Ritzville, WA

Today was a fairly short day (5 hour ride) due to me not getting enough sleep the previous night, and it being over 100 degrees with the addition of humidity. I stopped in Spokane for lunch and then continued west.  At a certain point in the day I pulled over to a rest stop and decided that I was done.  It was getting miserable and I wanted some AC and a bed so I could catch up on some sleep.  I’m here now in Ritzville, WA at their local Best Western hotel.  It’s quiet, clean, and the laundry room is across from my room.  I hadn’t realized until this morning how low on clothing I was.

Day:  Ritzville, QA to Portland area

I’ll be getting an oil change on the motorcycle on Monday since I hit 3,000 miles.  Good time for an oil change and check on the bike.

I was happy to leave the middle of Washington state behind.  Ugh, what a wasteland…sorry if you live there.

Went to Mount Saint Helens visitor center with my friends from Longview, WA and also went into Portland to meet up with friends from Phoenix who now live in Portland as well as two guys I haven’t seen in a long time.  I was so happy to see them again.

Day: Longview to Mount Hood to Crater Lake

Today started out well as I rode east along the Columbia River Gorge and then south across the Bridge of the Gods (or something) and then south to Mount Hood and then to Crater Lake.

I stopped in a little town for lunch and had a spinach omelette that was so amazingly good.  Mount hood was so impressive!  I came over a ridge heading south and there it was!  SO HUGE! I spent a little time riding around, but had to hurry to find a place with wifi so I could login to work and quickly help with a couple items. Once that was fixed I kept going south to Crater Lake.

The temperatures ranged from around 80 when I left the Portland area to 70s up on Hood, to 111 in the wasteland above Bend, to 52 in a storm on top of Crater Lake.

I rode up to Crater Lake to find that the road I had expected to take was closed due to fires, then had to ride around the lake into a fairly intense storm in the dark.  Darkness isn’t too bad, but the heavy rain was causing rocks to fall off of the cliffs onto the road.  I did okay avoiding them, but was worried of one falling onto me as I was riding.  Luckily that didn’t happen and I finally made it to my hotel at the Crater Lake Lodge on top of Crater Lake!  It was too dark to see anything when I arrived, but I look forward to the morning with a clear sky due to all of the rain tonight.

Day:  Crater Lake, OR to Reno, NV

Today’s ride was a good one with perfect  temperatures and little traffic. I meandered my way to Reno on small highways through lots of wooded/forested areas.  Had a few sprinkles as well that helped when I got to a section that was a bit warmer.

In Reno I am staying with my cousin and her family.  This is one of the other things I cherish so much about my rides…getting to see and reconnect with family since we’re so spread out across the country.

I had such a great time visiting with my cousin and her family.  The one bad thing about seeing relatives so infrequently is that their children who were tiny the last time you saw them are now almost teenagers.  Their children are pretty disciplined and it was so good to see parents who truly care about every aspect of their lives. I always expect that my family and extended family are responsible parents, but seeing it in action is heart warming.

Day:  Reno, NV to Las Vegas, NV

I was able to get on the road around 830am from Reno and headed southeast to Las Vegas.  The route was primarily on small two lane highways through small towns since there really isn’t anything else going north to south in Nevada. I’d take the highways anyway, but not having that option means that the highways had to handle ALL traffic so there were more trucks on this route than what I would normally see.

Stopped for breakfast in Fallon, NV along the way at a little cafe called “Main Street Cafe”. They had excellent breakfast options and I like to support local businesses over those fast food places that do not provide delicious and healthy meals.

After breakfast I continued south through the state of Nevada and it once again proved itself to be one of the hottest and ugliest states to ride through. It was so windy and so hot as I skirted Death Valley (again) which required me to stop often to re-hydrate.  I drank so much water and gatorade, but rarely had to stop to discard the waste fluids proving that my body was sucking up all the moisture it could. I also soaked myself with water, but the air was so hot that it didn’t help at all.  It just seemed to heat up the water and not cool me down.

Finally near the end of the ride as I was 75 or so miles north of Las Vegas I hit some rain and that really helped! I love a light rain while riding in hot weather!

In Las Vegas I stayed with friends and we all went out into the desert to watch the meteor shower.

Woke up and got on the bike for my last day of riding on this trip.

Day:  Las Vegas, NV to Phoenix, AZ

Left a little later than expected, but it was good to catch up with my friends.

Stopped in Boulder City, NV for breakfast and continued south towards Phoenix.  It was another hot day of riding, but luckily there were clouds for more than half of the ride and even had some light rain.

Las Vegas to Phoenix is a fairly short ride and I was able to complete it in around 5 hours.

The dogs went crazy and I am so happy to be home again with my dogs.

Time to clean all my gear and the motorcycle.

I’ll be focusing primarily on Colorado this year with a quick 5 days up in the Black Hills of South Dakota to spend time with family.

In Colorado I’ll be exploring the Black Canyon area, trails around Ouray, CO and trails around Durango, CO.

General route overview is here:

General route information and daily notes:

Before this trip I decided to try the Heidenau K60 Scout tires so I could more easily go off-roading.  In the past my 80/20 or 90/10 tires didn’t handle gravel or dirt/rock trails very well. The tires look great and handled well during the trip.  They were smooth above 30mph, but got a little squirrely around 90mph. In the sand/dirt/gravel they performed very well and stuck on asphalt and concrete.  I had read some articles concerning their problems in the rain, but didn’t experience anything too bad in the heavy rain I had encountered.

A week after they were installed I hit a construction staple and punctured the rear tire.  Fun. I ordered a new one and was all set.

Phoenix to Grand Junction

Notes:  4:30am on Sunday morning was too early, but I made it.  Leaving the house around 6am worked out well since I caught the sunset (beautiful) and missed the heat and traffic.

In Flagstaff I stopped at my favorite coffee place (Matador Coffee) for a big hot coffee, then was back on the road out of town and headed north through reservation lands, beautiful rock formations, stray dogs, scrub brush and tourists.  Luckily most of the tourists are on busses and not in rental cars.  By the time I pulled into Kayenta for fuel the tourist traffic was in full swing, but most were going through Monument Valley and I was skirting the perimeter and heading north to Moab, UT.  Once in Moab, I filled up again and cut northeast of town through the 128 scenic bi-way toward Grand Junction, CO where I was meeting a coworker and her family for dinner.  They are a wonderful family and always make me happy that I stopped.  I don’t have too many coworkers who I consider friends and especially one who lives outside of Phoenix.

From there I rode onto Rifle, CO where I stopped for the night.

Grand Junction, CO to Laramie, WY (not many miles, but I want to explore a few areas in the Rocky Mountain National Park)

Notes: Monday morning was a bit easier since I wasn’t trying to make it 650 miles, just 400 or so to Laramie, WY.

From Rifle I took the interstate to Georgetown to stop in for a visit to my espresso shop, but they were closed and the place was for sale.  Sadness!  I rode down the street to a nearby cafe for breakfast and sat with two ladies from Denver who had spent the weekend in Vail for a girl’s weekend. We had a good conversation and that is one of the things I really like about my solo travels, it forces me to engage with strangers and turn them into friends.

From Georgetown, I kept going east for a few more miles and cut north through Granby and continued north across the Continental Divide and onto Laramie, WY for the night.

This was the most exciting part of about a 75 mile stretch in southern Wyoming where these two bicycles and a couple of cars heading south were the only signs of human life. There were Deer and Cattle, but not much of those either. #roadtrip #vstrom #dl650 #gopro #ride #suzuki #wyoming #travel #motorcycle #empty

(will link video eventually)
Tomorrow’s route should be an easy 4-5 hours into Rapid City, SD.

Laramie to Rapid City

Notes: Not sure why, but I had a bad feeling from the moment I rode into Laramie, WY to the moment I rode out of that town. Everything went well enough, but it was one of those things I couldn’t shake. I was very happy to leave.

From Laramie I went north/northeast towards Wheatland where I stopped for lunch (at 1045am) at Taco Johns which was my usual stop as soon as I get into Wyoming.  Growing up with Taco Johns in South Dakota is just one of those things us midwest/west people will always have in common.  It may not be great, it may be fast food, but it’ll always be something I’ll get, even it’s only one time during a trip back to South Dakota.

From Wheatland I rode towards Lusk, WY where I stopped at my favorite espresso stop.  It’s the only place in town, but that does not mean that they don’t have to try…they do and they succeed.

Camping in the Black Hills with family

Notes:  I’ve been in Rapid City for a full day now and it’s been great to relax, read, sleep, and catch up with family and friends.

Today I rode around town a bit, picked up some Grain Belt Beer, and rode along Skyline Drive.

Tonight my brother Jeff and his boys fly into town, then tomorrow afternoon we’ll all leave and head out to Custer State Park for the next few days of camping (cabins) and relaxation.

We stayed in the Legion Lake area of Custer State Park in cabins and in the RV area. I decided to sleep in my hammock and it went fairly well.  The first night was uneventful and comfortable, the second night the temperature dropped to around 39F and my 50F sleeping bag didn’t quite cut it, so I used a couple fleece blankets from my Dad’s car to help make up the difference.

The additional blankets helped, but the second night a pack of coyotes were yipping and howling about 345am right around where I was sleeping so that woke me up, then at sunrise the turkeys were wandering around my hammock as well. The final night it was a bit warmer, but again the coyotes woke me up around 4am. I slept in a little later to make up the difference.

During our stay there we went hiking, driving around the wildlife park, saw plenty of wildlife, played games, frisbee, made s’mores, ate good food and just relaxed.

The final day we checked out and I took off for a ride through the hills to revisit a few places I hadn’t been in a while.

That night I met up with local friends and then went back out to meet up with my family at my sister’s home.

Rapid City to Denver

Notes: I left Rapid City a little later than expected since it’s difficult to leave when sitting on a patio overlooking a great view of the Black Hills and enjoying coffee with the parents.  Once I got going, the miles were covered quickly. I stopped in Lusk, WY for espresso, north of Denver for Taco Johns and then into Denver where I met up with friends at Diebolt Brewery in Denver, then to the Phoenix Full Moon Hash where I saw a few friends I hadn’t seen in years.  My friends from Tucson had moved to Denver so I stayed with them.  After catching up a bit it was time for sleep and then back on the road this morning heading to Ouray.

While riding through Denver I rode past a Purina cat food manufacturing facility.  It was so stinky and I almost gagged in my helmet.

Denver to Ouray, CO

Notes: Traffic in Denver is truly awful.  It was stop and go from accidents, road construction and just basic bad driving. Once I finally got out of town it got much better.  My favorite espresso shop in Jefferson, CO was closed so that sucked.  I like to support them one cup at a time, spread out at once per year. Ha! I stopped at the Sherpa Shack in Montrose, CO for a tasty lunch.  From there the weather turned from sun to rain and really picked up south of Gunnison on my way into Ouray.

Once in Ouray I got unpacked, realized I had no signal at all so I jumped on the WiFi here at the hotel. Got settled in, checked Yelp and found a good place down the block where I had some delicious salmon.  From there I stopped at the local liquour store for a tasty beverage and some truffles at the chocolate shop near my motel. Now just catching up on some emails.
Hopefully the rain stops for a while tomorrow so I can ride without wearing my rain gear.

Explore Black Canyon, and trails around Ouray

Notes:  I had a fantastic time riding around the Black Canyon National Park area. Riding to the bottom was suggested by the service manager at my motorcycle shop.  Glad I listened to him, it was a pretty spectacular ride down, and even more fun going up.  I then rode along the rim for a while and took in a few of the sites from there.

Outside of the park I met a guy riding a Husqvarna Motorcycle (I had forgotten that they had been purchased a while back by KTM) and he had been riding for months around the US and Canada. He is meeting up with a buddy in a couple weeks to prep their bike for the Dakar race coming up later this year. Lots of good stories, good suggestions on accessories and it’s always such a pleasure to meet kindred spirits, even if those kindred spirits make my little 2 week rides seem like nothing in comparison to their adventures.

I also noticed that the rain that was hitting the Ouray area when I left had cleared up so it was nice and clear when I returned in the afternoon.

When I got back to Ouray I walked up to the Box Canyon, then took the perimeter trail around the city.  I walked around town and picked up a new Aeropress because Theo decided he wanted to chew it up the day before I left.  Picked up a few items from around town, including some freshly ground espresso to enjoy in the morning.

Ouray, CO to Durango, CO

Notes: I’d heard quite a few stories about the Million Dollar Highway and how treacherous it is, but it’s just a two lane highway through the mountains.  Sure, it may not have guardrails for many sections, but those guardrails do no good for motorcycle riders anyway.  They server more as a launch platform.

I rode through Silverton toward a nearby ski resort, then back into town for lunch.  It was a good lunch and then I was back on the road headed into the rain and Durango.

Near Molas Pass there is a parking area and I stopped there to put on the top to main rain gear, having put the bottoms on before leaving Silverton.  At the parking lot at Molas Pass I met a guy on a KTM who was headed north and into the rain I had left outside of Ouray.  We compared notes on roads and weather and talked about different rides we had done, motorcycle tires and different accessories for our motorcycles that we liked.

As I rode toward Durango I ran into some pretty extensive road construction, lots more rain, and some decent hail.

As I pulled into Durango my hotel was on the right had side of the road.  I got settled, hailed an Uber and went to get some dinner and a beer at the local Ska Brewery.  The food and beer were pretty good.  Back at my motel now typing this and prepping for tomorrow and where I’d like to go for one more day of vacation riding before I head back to Phoenix on Saturday.

Explore areas around Durango, CO

Notes: I woke up in the morning, looked for trails to ride and realized that there weren’t any nearby so I just packed up and rode home. I’d go back to Ouray and Telluride again, but would skip Durango.  It just didn’t have a good feel about it.

Durango, CO to Phoenix

Notes:  Once I decided to ride home, I made great time.  I bet my average speed was 85-90 the entire way back and everything went smoothly.  There was very little traffic until I hit the I-17 south from Flagstaff to Phoenix. The weather was fantastic for riding and stayed around 75F for 80% of the day until I got down to around 4,000 FT south of Flagstaff.  It rained at some points during the ride, but nothing too hard and I was able to skirt by storms or go between two rain systems.  Very good luck.

Heading south of Flagstaff into Phoenix I was into the Friday night traffic headed south into the “big city”. It is incredible that these people drive like they are the only thing that matters and that their trip is worth their life, or other’s lives. I stayed in the right lane and let those people pass, hoping that when they crashed I could avoid it. I only saw one motorcycle on my way back and this kid was going at least 90mph in a 60mph area with curves and lots of traffic.  When that kid crashes and dies I’m sure they won’t mention that he rode as if he wanted to die.  People can be so stupid and inconsiderate.

I made it home around 5pm so it only took me 6.5 hours to make it back from Durango. The dogs were very happy to see me and I was so very happy to see them.  On National Dog Day too!!!!

Thoughts on this trip:

I don’t think that I’ll do a trip like this again…it wasn’t like my previous trips where I had a general route and pretty much knew where I was going each day.  I don’t want to plan to spend more than a day anywhere unless I decide to do so when I get there.  Making a two day reservation in Durango was not a good idea and I didn’t do enough research into the area, I just listened to what some people said about the area and thought it would be similar to Telluride or Ouray.  It was not. Lots of things to do, but nothing that I wanted to do.

I had a really great time exploring some areas I hadn’t had time to explore on my longer distance rides, but if I do this in the future I’ll make sure to research the area thoroughly as I did with Ouray. That was such a neat little town.

Where will my 2017 ride go? At this point I am unsure since I’ll be in Europe again next summer.  If I do ride, it will only be for a week or so.  Perhaps heading up to the Redwoods again!?

My own 2016 trip statistics that I tallied while riding: 

• Brand of car that tried to kill me the most: So far it is STILL Dodge/Chrysler
• Type of car that tailgated me the most: BMW (any and all models)
• Type of car that wanted to be in front of EVERYONE: BMW / VW Golf
• Type of motorcycle rider who was not friendly when passing (usual cyclist wave):  Harley Riders as always
• Worst drivers: Dodge/Chrysler
• Most dangerous road: I-17 between Flagstaff and Phoenix
• Fastest road: I-17 between Flagstaff and Phoenix
• Slowest roads: Roads in Rapid City, SD
• Highest percentage of bad roads: Rapid City, SD
• Highest percentage of good roads: Colorado
• Windiest state while driving: Wyoming
• Most birds killed: 0
• Most bee stings: 1 – Wyoming
• Most rain: Colorado
• Most hail: Colorado
• Most powerful storm driven through: Colorado
• Coldest temps: Colorado
• Hottest temps: Arizona
• State with most bugs hitting the bike: South Dakota
• Favorite city:  Ouray, CO
• City at the bottom of the list: So far it’s my home town of Rapid City, SD – these roads are horrible, everyone is in a hurry and this was at 2-3pm in the afternoon! Denver also was horrible, I was very happy to leave.

See previous year’s notes with these statistics.

Canadian Glacier national Park

My yearly big ride is done! Below are my daily notes and some pictures from the ride. The route below is pretty accurate, but each day has the section traveled.

Full route

The ride was a few hundred miles shorter than expected due to some changes along the way, but it still hit 4,600 miles and that was long enough.  I was able to see so many family members as well as many friends.  Thanks to everyone who hosted me for a night or two!  I sincerely appreciate your warm welcomes and the great conversation and food provided.

——————-

August 1, 2015

Phoenix to Brian Head, UT

Phoenix, AZ to Brian Head, UT

This morning started out by me not wanting to get out of bed at 5am…so I slept until 6am.  I finally got on the road and the traffic on the I-17 was way busier than I had expected.  Enter idiot drivers immediately into this road trip…oh well, I hoped it would subside once I got out of the city.  It did mostly.  Had quite a few drivers behind me today that didn’t realize that I could only go as fast as the car in front of me, and I am not going to tailgate them like the person was behind me.  85 miles an hour and this ass-hat is a few feet from my bike. Guess what he was driving?  A Dodge?  Nope, but the same family… a Jeep. I am now thinking of including ALL Chrysler cars into the “Kill Darin” category.

Anyway… I took a pit stop near the I-17 Prescott exit and when I got back on the I-17 north I was passing another motorcycle and realized it was my friend, Tyler.  We rode together to to Flagstaff where Tyler filled up and then we continued north together through Flagstaff.

Tyler took this picture as we were waiting at a light in Flagstaff, AZ.

As we were riding out of Flagstaff I noticed something in the road in front of us about 300 yards and I moved to the next lane and warned Tyler to move over as well.  As I got closer I thought that someone’s camping gear had fallen out of their pickup, but then realized it was a person way curled up on their side in the middle of the road. Not just relaxing, but looked like they either fell out of a vehicle or hit by one.  There was no blood and I couldn’t see any abrasions as we passed.  Two cars were already stopping and I didn’t see what had happened so we continued forward knowing there wasn’t anything we could do to help.

We continued north and Tyler went east at the Tuba City, AZ split while I continued north and west to Kanab, UT.  Tyler is on his way to his first trip to the Sturgis Motorcycle rally in Sturgis, SD.  It’s the 75th anniversary so it’s going to be HUGE.  I’ve been there enough times to know I don’t want to be there for this one.

As I climbed in elevation the temperatures began to steadily decline and by the time I got to Brian Head, UT it was downright chilly while riding.  I checked into the hotel and took a nap.  I’m up now to have some dinner and get back to sleep.

The hotel room was nice, but so loud.

Tomorrow I head to Boise, ID!

—————-

August 2, 2015 to August 3, 2015

Brian Head, UT to Boise, ID

Brian Head, UT to Boise, ID

I didn’t sleep well at the hotel in Utah due to the noise level in the hotel as well as coming from outside.  I slept an extra hour and got on the road at a decent time, but I wanted to be on the road earlier.  Oh well…

The roads into and out of Brian Head, UT SUCK!  They are lined with tar snakes and gravel is everywhere.   No wonder I only saw ATVs around there, this area is a death trap.  I made it out unscathed, but won’t have it on my list of places to visit when I am on my bike.

The ride out of the mountains and into Salt Lake City went smoothly.  In SLC I was almost taken out by a guy with the plate “COL J” – Utah Veteran license plate.   He saw me at the last minute and pulled back into his lane, but he was merging from another freeway and had already cut across three lanes.  I saw him coming and was moving into the far left lane so he wouldn’t have hit me anyway and I think it scared him more than me.  I am used to this by now…usually by Dodge drivers, but he was driving a HUGE Ford pickup.

Hot ride through northern Utah and southern Idaho

I didn’t take a single picture today other than of the bike during a couple of stops.  There wasn’t anything to see.  It was hot (95) and very humid today for 8.5 hours and I was so happy when I finally pulled into Boise!

Tonight I am staying with my friend, Sarah.  She moved here from Phoenix a while back and I am so glad that to have been offered a place to sleep.  Sarah has two of the best dogs you could want (Heathcliff and Kai) and they definitely missed me as much as I missed them.  Heathcliff even snuggled with me for a while.

We went out to dinner to a local place and had a great dinner and tried some of the local brews.  Very good!  I ended up choosing the Wheat beer and it was delicious. The Sockeye Salmon dinner was so tasty!

Tomorrow we’re going paddleboarding and I will get to meet her boyfriend tomorrow evening.  I am so happy that Sarah likes it here in Boise, her house is in a well established neighborhood and there is park right behind her fence!  The dogs love it and I look forward to exploring Boise a bit more.  It’s been years since I was last here and that was when I was in the military working with the forest service to support the 2,500 troops we had up here fighting forest fires.

Kai and Heathcliff swimming

We went Paddleboarding at a nearby park and then went to Pizza at a local place called, “Pizzalchik” which was created from what they served:  Pizza, Salad and Chicken.  It was really good pizza!  They also have their own beer called Pizzal Drizzle, but they were out so I drank one of their Pilsners.

That night we (Sarah, her boyfriend, and me) went to see the new Amy Schumer movie.  It was funny.  I then prepped for my departure the next day and went to sleep.

Her dogs love me!  Kai just wanted to snuggle and Heathcliff wanted to sleep with my clothes.

Me (making silly face) with Kai and Heathcliff.

On Tuesday morning I left for Priest Lake, ID for a couple of days, then onto Canadian Glacier National Park!

—————–

August 4th, 2015 – August 6th, 2015

Boise, ID to Priest Lake, ID

Boise, ID to Priest Lake, ID

This morning I woke up to the sound of rain in Boise and was hoping it would stop by the time I arose in a few hours from when the thunder woke me.  By the time I woke up at 7am it had stopped, leaving the morning smelling fresh and everything cleansed.

I said goodbye to Sarah, Heathcliff, and Kai and got back on the road.  As I drove north from Boise into the mountains the weather cooled and the desert like hills around Boise turned into pine trees and tall mountains with me riding in the valleys next to the river towards Coeur D’alene.

The route was a trip through memory lane since I had drive it quite a few time during my time supporting my fellow soldiers from Fort Riley, KS while we were deployed there to fight forest fires.  I drove up through McCall and remembered a few areas that stood out because they were especially scenic.

Coffee break in New Meadows, ID

In New Meadow I stopped for coffee at a little shop and relaxed outside in the cool weather listening to two people talking about starting a satellite college campus there. From there I went up to Moscow, ID and kept going to a little cafe outside of Potlatch, ID called “Daddy’s Cafe”.  There were a few people there and the staff was friendly. I had started my meal when three suburbans pulled up and about 30 people got out and came into the restaurant.  They were all Mennonites!  I didn’t know that there was a population in northern Idaho, but wow can they reproduce! There were more little kids than adults.

Lots of road construction in Idaho

From there I drove up a huge hill near Lewiston that was fast and very curvy, but in a way that I could go 70mph and not worry about making the turn.  It was so fun!!!

I arrived at Priest Lake around 6pm and as I was driving up the east side of the lake I realized that I had only been to the “new” cabin by boat and didn’t know exactly where it was.  There is only phone coverage near Coolin, ID so after trying to find the cabin for over an hour I drove all the way back to Coolin and called my family.  My cousin explained to me where the cabin is and I realized that I had been less than a quarter mile away.  I was so glad to stop for the day and enjoy some family time.

Looking south from the beach near the cabin

The cabin

My motorcycle taking a break in front of the cabin

A picture next to the lake as I was leaving and heading into Canada

Tomorrow is a day of fun and relaxation here at the lake and then it’s back on the road to Canada’s Glacier National Park.

Priest Lake, ID

Little cousins knee boarding on a cloudy day at Priest Lake, ID

——————

August 7, 2015

Priest Lake, ID to Golden, BC

Priest Lake, ID to Golden, BC

I had such a relaxing stay in Priest Lake with immediate and extended family!  We boated, jet ski’d, talked, and just caught up with each other after not seeing each other for a year or more.

This morning I woke up, ate some food, packed up the bike and got on the road.  In Sandpoint, ID I stopped for coffee and food.  After a quick break I was heading north and into Canada.

The checkpoint into Canada went smoothly and I was in!  I had great weather, smooth roads (mostly) and no wildlife running across the road.  There were two rams at the “Welcome to Radium” city sign and luckily I was at the start of the line because it quickly backed up so people could see them.

Heading into Canada. At the Canadian border checkpoint.

Rams in Radium, Canada

After that I quickly made it into Golden and found the hotel.  I had read some not so good reviews, but it was the only hotel left with rooms.  Now I know why.  This place sucks and there must be no insulation at all in the walls, doors, ceiling, etc.  The coffee service is sitting on a luggage rack and I can hear the people in the room next to me like they are in my room…and they’re just talking normally.  Oh well, I’ll get to sleep and get going in the morning.  Expedia is going to get a truthful review because the hotel’s description of this place is not.

Coffee Center at hotel. This place was a joke.

Sleep time!

Update:

My review I just posted:

“I was apprehensive about getting a room at this hotel based on the reviews, but there were no other rooms left.  Now I know why.

I used the Expedia app on my phone to make the resevation and the first one failed, then told me to try again.  I tried again and booked a room.  When I arrived they had two reservations.  The kid at the counter said I needed to talk with Expedia.  I called Expedia support that night and waited on hold for over 25 minutes while Expedia support talked with the hotel staff.  At minute 25 (or so) I could suddenly hear the front desk clerk talking with a customer and telling them they had one room left at $310.  WHAT!  They said no, but I couldn’t believe this hotel takes advantage of people so much.

Around 10pm a family checked in the room above me and the floors must be 2″ thick because it sounded like they were about to come through.  Once they settled down I started to sleep, but was woken up around 11pm by my next door neighbors.  It was a mother and daughter and they might as well have been in the room with me.  There is NO sound insulation in this place.

In the morning I could hear them complaining to the manager/owner that the shower was broken.  I offered my shower since I was done and leaving.

Anyway, I never did get a refund and Expedia gave up.  I won’t.  This hotel will give me my money back.

This is the second worst hotel I’ve ever stayed in.  Please do not stay here.  Sleep in your car instead, you’ll be much happier.”

—————–

Here is what I received from Expedia concerning my refund of around $160.

Dear Darin, Thank you for contacting Expedia regarding your hotel reservation with Howard Johnson Hotel Golden. We have received your itinerary for call out to the property, however, after numerous attempts the authorized person to look for is still unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you for choosing Expedia, Expedia Customer Service
This is an unmonitored e-mail box. Please do not reply to this e-mail. If you have further questions, please contact Expedia Customer Service at 1-800-EXPEDIA (1-800-397-3342) or 1-404-728-8787 and reference Customer Case ID: S-1xxxxxxx . You can also visit the Expedia.com “Customer Support” page (http://www.expedia.com/daily/service/default.asp) for more customer service information. Thank you for choosing Expedia. Expedia Customer Service

———————

Update: 8/17/2015 – 3pm – I’ve tweeted Expedia as well, called the hotel in Golden, BC.  Expedia is trying to help again, but the owner of this hotel is a horrible human and won’t respond. This was really Expedia’s fault, but they’re also attempting to pass the buck.  Like $160 is going to hurt their bottom line.  Due to this issue I used hotels.com for the other three nights of rooms I reserved.

———————

Update: 8/23/2015 – Expedia is “investigating” this.  What’s to investigate?  How about investigating and removing the Howard Johnson hotel in Golden, BC?  The owner is a slumlord overcharging travelers for a subpar hotel. We’ll see how it goes…

——————–

Update: 8/26/2015 – Victory!  Thank you Expedia:

August 26, 2015

Darin Klein
Re: Itinerary #xxxxxxxxxxx

Dear Mr. Klein,

Thank you for contacting Expedia via Facebook and giving us an opportunity to address your concerns regarding a refund request for itinerary xxxxxxxxxx.

We regret the difficulty you experienced during your attempt to purchase one night at Howard Johnson Hotel Golden for check-in August 7, 2015. Our research indicates you were unable to see a confirmation page for itinerary xxxxxxxxxx, the first itinerary we show was purchased, and continued on to purchase a duplicate itinerary xxxxxxxxxx for the same rate.

We have processed of refund of the $164.93 you paid for itinerary xxxxxxxxxx. Refunds typically appear on the banking statement within two weeks of processing. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the error. We have also deposited a $50.00 Expedia Travel Coupon into your account for future use. This coupon will be valid for one year toward the purchase of an Expedia Special Rate hotel or a vacation package. 

If you have any questions or would like help applying your coupon to future travel, please call 1-800-EXPEDIA (1-800-397-3342). Our representatives are here to assist you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 


Sincerely, 

Axxx Dxxxxxx
Tier 3 Customer Service

August 8, 2015

Golden, BC to Vancouver, BC

Golden, BC to Burnaby, BC

I woke up to my neighbors in the room next to me calling the front desk to get them to come out and fix their shower so they could get cleaned up.  I showered and still heard them in their room arguing about getting a refund and getting a room to shower.  After a few minutes of this I was packed up and was walking out to my motorcycle and offered my room since the shower worked.  They said yes, but just then the owner got the shower working.  I was so happy to leave that hotel.

Oh, when I checked in they had two reservations for me. The Expedia app said it failed so I resubmitted.  The hotel keeps telling Expedia that the person who can authorize the refund is not available.  The owner of the Howard Johnson in Golden, BC is a piece of crap human being and I hope his greed pays off.

From there I went northwest into Canadian Glacier National Park and was immediately awe struck by the beauty around me as I rode.  There were many of the avalanche / slide tunnels over the highway where you could tell that there had previously been slides.  It was an incredible setup and seemed like it would work pretty well.  There were so many great places to stop and look at  the glaciers high into the mountains. Here’s a video showing them in the winter:  link

Canadian Glacier National Park

Riding through the Canadian Rockies

Snow shed in Canadian Glacier National Park

Canadian Glacier National Park

A few years ago when I went through Saskatchewan I had remarked that everyone drove around the speed limit.  In BC that is not true…they were cruising at around 90mph through the mountains.  It was super fun, but also a bit scaring sometimes.

In Merritt I stopped for a break and was sitting eating a granola bar when an older man came up to me and said, “I just wanted to thank you for your service.  Even us Canadians appreciate the sacrifices that you all have made for us.”  I thought that was pretty great of him to do that.

When I got to Vancouver, BC I changed and went to dinner with my friend Kandre who lives there.  We went to a really good Italian place and then  walked around the city and caught up.

In the morning I set out for Seattle.

—————–

August 9, 2015

Burnaby, BC to Seattle, WA

Burnaby, BC to Seattle, WA

The traffic from Vancouver to Seattle was SUPER heavy.  I met up with an Army friend and his wife.  It was so great to spend some time with him and his wife and we all went to dinner at a seafood place on the shore.

In line to enter the USA

Sunset from the restaurant in Seattle, WA.

That night we talked about our Army days and realized we had more friends in common than we had thought.  In the morning we enjoyed a good breakfast and then I left for the coast to meet with my family at Seabrook.

——————

August 10, 2015

Seattle, WA to Seabrook, WA

Seattle, WA to Seabrook, WA

The drive to Seabrook was mostly uneventful.  I rode with a guy for a while, then turned west toward the coast and through some very depressed areas of Washington state that were impacted by the reduction in forest harvesting.

In Seattle I stopped at the Touratech sales office.  They have such great gear and I love the Zega Pros I bought for my motorcycle.

Touratech office in Seattle

Seabrook is a cute place, but when I go somewhere to get away from life, I do not want to be in a neighborhood environment.  I want to be in the middle of no where with some peace and quiet.

Im-Paws-able Dream cabin in Seabrook

Hanging out with family at Seabrook

An interesting little tidbit is that I ran into the guy hundreds of miles and a days later while riding through the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park scenic byway (Newton B. Drury).

——————

August 12-13, 2015

Seabrook, WA to Vancouver, WA

Seabrook, WA to Vancouver, WA

The drive from Seabrook, WA to Vancouver, WA went smoothly, but slowly since traffic was pretty heavy almost the entire way.

In Astoria I stopped for lunch and took in the local scene in the downtown area for a few minutes.  Neat city.

I drove to the “Goonies House” in Astoria, OR, but didn’t feel like getting off the bike or paying to see the house.  I saw it, it looked like the movie…it is a house.  Kept going.
When I arrived in Vancouver, WA I drove to my friend’s home and we walked around their neighborhood and enjoyed some delicious local brews.  The next morning I was supposed to get my oil changed, but the mechanic had an emergency so I had to find another location.  That messed up my departure time so I spent another night and left this morning.

Break time in Vancouver, WA

We went to the “Lucky Labrador” and met up with some friends from Phoenix who had moved up to the Portland area in the past few years.

—————

August 13, 2015

Vancouver, WA to Crescent City, CA

Vancouver, WA to Crescent City, CA

I left Vancouver, WA around 10:00am after sleeping in a bit and then taking my time getting ready.

I filled the bike with gas at a station off of the I-5 before turning west to the coast and while I was parked and filling up the guy in front of me started backing up and ran into one of my rear bags, but it just scraped along his car.  Of course, this ass-hat was on his phone and not paying attention until I ran up and banged on his window and telling him to stop.  He was apologetic and it didn’t hurt my bike.  It did make a big scratch along his car, but that’s on him. After that little bit of excitement I got back on the road.  STAY OFF OF YOUR CELLPHONE WHILE DRIVING!!!

The drive out of Portland and to the coast went smoothly. Once I got to the coast the temperatures were reduced and made the ride more comfortable.  I saw some great views on the ride and also saw so much forest that was stripped clean for logging.  It looks horrible and I’m sure is not good for the forest in the long run. However; our politicians are owned by businesses so they’ll let them do whatever they want.  They always look short term and what is best for their short, meaningless and greed filled lives…just like the business owners.

Anyway… I hated seeing this unnecessary destruction.

It was great to get out of Oregon so I could fill my own gas at the gas station.  Even though the attendants at the gas stations would just swipe my card and then hand me the gas nozzle. So weird.

In Crescent City the hotel didn’t have my reservation so I had to call Hotels.com to get them to fax it to them.  “Quality” Inn’s computers were down and this hotel owner was complaining that he was losing $50 on each room because of their Internet outage.  Why do I care?  He was losing his $50 markup as the hotels were filling up.  This was a markup, he wasn’t losing any money and why did he bitch about it when customers were checking in. I need to stick with hotels I can trust, but when I’m reserving a day or even two hours out, it’s difficult to get the hotel I want. They received the fax and gave me my room.  The room was nice enough, but I would not stay there again.

I was happy to leave Crescent City in the morning.

—————–

August 14, 2015

Crescent City, CA to Fairfield, CA

Crescent City, CA to Fairfield, CA

I left Crescent City and headed south to Leggett, CA so that I could complete my ride of California.  Last year I rode north to Leggett so I could ride through the Redwood there.  This year I just stopped at the same gas station as last year to take a butt break and then head inland.

Taking a selfie break in the Redwoods.

Really nice rocks at the coast south of Crescent City, CA

Put the GoPro on the back end of the bike as I was riding through the Redwoods.

Taking a break in the “Avenue of the Giants”

Between Leggett and X there was a really bad motorcycle accident where a rider lost control and wiped out.  He ended up in the grass median between the divided highway, but not before his protection… a t-shirt and jeans were ripped from his body and his skin was scraped away.  Remember this the next time you think it’s “cool” to not wear protection.  This guy was not only broken up internally, but externally as well.  It’s cool to be safe, so buy the right gear and don’t be a dumbass.

From Leggett I continued southeast to near Petaluma and then almost straight east to Fairfield.

Near Santa Rosa I rode by another accident where a car had crossed the median into on coming traffic.  The three cars I saw that were impacted by the car that crossed were barely recognizable as cars.  I am sure that someone died in this one.

In Fairfield I checked into Staybridge Suites and then went to eat at a nearby restaurant.

Well, I am on vacation time and forgot to set my alarm for weekend and not weekday.  I woke up around 8:30am and got ready quickly so I could get out the door and on the road to Yosemite!

—————–

August 15, 2015

Fairfield, CA to Lone Pine, CA

Fairfield, CA to Lone Pine, CA

I left Fairfield this morning on my way to Yosemite and beyond…I wasn’t quite sure where I wanted to stop.

Traffic wasn’t too bad, but what was there was slow until I hit the I-5 to Stockton.  From Stockton I took smaller highways to Yosemite.

One thing that surprised me was that even though California is experiencing an extreme drought I saw so many fields with sprinklers running.  One even had grass being watered…GRASS!  What a waste of water. It was Kentucky Blue Grass and I thought, “why don’t they just grow that back in Kentucky and ship it out?” Humans are so stupid.

Windmills and gravel roads

The temperature rose steadily until I started gaining elevation into Yosemite.  Once above 6,000 feet it was pretty nice for riding.

While Yosemite is a nice park, it falls far down on my list of favorite parks in the USA.

Fire in Yosemite Nation Park, CA

Lake in Yosemite, CA with smoke from one of fires burning in the background

I stopped in Mammoth Springs, CA for a late lunch / early dinner at “Slocums” and had the salmon dinner.  It was delicious and I was entertained by a couple guys who had had too much too drink talk about their feelings on our government and all of the mistakes it’s making.  I kept my mouth shut.

Lone Pine, CA is a neat little town near Mount McKinley.

—————–

August 16, 2015

Lone Pine, CA to Phoenix, CA

Lone Pine, CA to Phoenix, AZ

Well, I knew my last day was going to be a hot ride, but not quite as hot as it was.

Little lake south of Lone Pine, CA.

From Lone Pine, CA I drove south towards Barstow, CA.  I decided to skip Death Valley this trip so I could make it home on Sunday and not miss another day of work.

Final day’s ride back to Phoenix.

I stopped at a gas station near the Highway 395 / Highway 14 split and talked with a Ranger who was filling up as well.  He asked me if I had heard about the shooting that took place behind the gas station the night before.  I had not.  He then described to me what had happened and how the gas station attendant recognized the person for whom they were searching.  Here is the story: link

After we talked for a while I rode southeast on the 395 toward 58 east.  There is an intersection there that is the busiest I have ever seen.  Both directions were loaded with big rigs hauling goods and it was so loud!  There is a also a train track that runs through and during my quick hydration break a train went through going very fast.

As I hit Barstow, I jumped on the I-40 east to Needles, CA.  This is where it really started to get hot.  In Needles it was 117F and I decided to take a break and get a sandwich at Denny’s.  The people working asked me “why the hell” I was riding a motorcycle today.  No choice, it wasn’t going to get any cooler for at least a month and I needed to get home.

One method for staying cooler that really worked was to use water bottles with the squirter at the end to soak myself ever 30 minutes or so while riding.  That kept me going for a while and I only needed to stop and refill the bottles once in a while since I put 5 on the bike with me in my mule bags.

When I got to the I-10 west of Phoenix there was less than two hours left! Traffic moved quickly and I was home by 7:30pm as my odometer clicked to 4,600 miles.  It was a shorter trip than I had expected, but with problems in US Glacier National Park (and wanting to stay another day at Priest Lake) as well as cutting out the Whistler, BC area to take a more southerly route through BC (since I’ve been to Whistler already) I shaved off almost 800 miles.

Glad to be home and have another fun ride completed.  I am unsure of where to go next year, but I’m sure an idea will be forming soon.

My trip for 2014 is now over and it turns out I traveled almost the same distance as last year!

2014 Route:

4,584 miles!  I was initially expecting it to be almost 500 miles less, but with my route changes along the way it added up quickly.

Trip Pages:

• If you are interested in seeing last year’s trip info, click here
• Next year’s route idea is here.

Videos from trip:

• Redwoods in/near Navarro River Redwoods State Park:  View Video
• Yellowstone to Rapid City:  View Video
• Denver to Telluride:  View Video
• Telluride to Phoenix:  View Video

New parts and gear for the DL650 (V-Strom) and me:

• Sargent World Sport Performance Seat
• SW-MOTECH Aluminum Engine Guard/Skidplate
• SW-MOTECH Handlebar Riser Barbacks & Top Clamps
• Klim Induction Jacket
• Klim vented socks
• Ram medium wide Aquabox
• GoPro3 Black Edition with remote shutter control
• Extension arm (22″) for GoPro to shoot from year left side of bike

I pretty much had added all of the necessary parts for road trips last year, but tweaking the handlebar position and a new seat should make a huge difference.  I had to get a larger Aquabox due to the increased size of the S5 over the S4.  UPDATE:  The modifications to the positioning of the handlebars and seat made a huge difference in comfort.

Picture of new SW-MOTECH skidplate and new Sargent seat:

1st Leg:  Phoenix to Los Angeles

28 June – I left at 6am heading west on the I-10 from Phoenix to Los Angeles. I had thought that this part of the ride would be awfully boring, but I had put together a great music mix on my phone (BT streaming to Sena headset in helmet) and didn’t even skip a song for almost three hours. Traffic was moving along quite well and my average speed with cars still passing me was 90mph until the California border where it fell to 82mph due to a reduced speed limit and more law enforcement. Even driving into Los Angeles went well due to lighter than expected traffic. I arrived near West Covina around 1130am, stopped at a Starbucks for an espresso and juice to let my cousins know I was near and to take a bit of a break before continuing on into the city where I knew I’d need the extra caffeine to keep me alert. As I was shutting my bike down a woman pulled into a spot nearby and came over asking me where I was going. She turned out to be an editor for ADVMOTO Magazine (Adventure Motorcycle). We talked during our wait in line and after while waiting for our drinks where she also told me about her exes who also are in the dual sport business (writing/testing). I was immediately jealous of their career choices, but so happy that there are great people doing that work so those of us who are looking for a new bike or new gear have someone to turn to when making a buying decision. We swapped info and went our separate ways. I finished my espresso, jumped back on the bike and rode the rest of the way to my cousin’s family home near downtown Los Angeles.

We spent some time catching up, then went downtown to explore a bit. They’ve been here for quite a few years and are proud of how the downtown area has been revitalized. I was really impressed with all of the great places to eat, people watch and buy books. We went to a really excellent bookstore where I found a new book to read on this year’s motorcycle adventure. After returning back to their home we visited the Griffith Observatory and wandered around there before heading back to their house, stopping at a Vietnamese restaurant on the way back. We had a delicious dinner, a beer and continued to chat into the night.

We even visited “The Bradbury”, where quite a bit of the movie, “Blade Runner” was filmed.  Such a beautiful building!

Tomorrow morning I head up the coast to Monterey! I can’t wait to see the sights along the coast since it’s been about 10+ years since I’ve been back to this area.

2nd Leg:  Los Angeles, CA to Monterey, CA

Today’s ride began a little later than expected, but it was great to sleep in a little bit, enjoy conversations with my cousins and just start the day slowly.

I drove north on the 101 to the 1 and ran into very high winds and cold temperatures, but it didn’t dampen my spirits as I rode along that beautiful stretch of highway from Morro Bay to Monterey. South of Big Sur I stopped in at a little restaurant/art gallery and had a delicious veggie enchilada while overlooking the Pacific Ocean. While there I met two German guys who rented Harley’s in San Francisco and rode down the coast. One of the two (Torsten) needed a pair of earplugs and luckily I had a brand new box of “Hear-os” so he received a pair of those. On a Harley I could not imagine riding without earplugs.

From there it was a quick drive into Monterey where I checked into the Hostel. Yes, Hostel. I’ve never stayed in one before and am already regretting it a bit. At this point in my life I enjoy my solitude after a long day riding, but it’s a cheap place to sleep and hopefully no one will steal my stuff. Well, if someone does you’ll hear about it in tomorrow’s blog.

When I checked in I met up with a friend of a friend and his running group (not the HHH), but real runners. What? People actually enjoy just running? I guess so because that is what they did. At least they had beer after. Sounds pretty boring to me. It was great talking with Mark and Rob/Robby about our military days here at DLI. It sure was a challenging time in my life, but I am so glad that I was able to experience it.

I’m now hanging out at a nearby pizza place waiting for my veggie pizza and drinking a vodka/tonic/lime. Delicious!

Hope nobody snores in my shared room. I look forward to getting to my next stop where I’ll have a real hotel room. Glad I didn’t plan on camping, it’s a bit too chilly for my hammock and 45 degree bag along the northern coast.

The bike has been performing perfectly. The new seat is phenomenal! I drove all the way from Phoenix to Los Angeles with one 10 minute break to fill up with gas. Today I stopped once for food, but could have ridden the entire day without stopping. I highly recommend the seat (Sargent – world tour – I think that’s what it’s called). The SW-MOTO bar risers have really made a huge difference in riding comfort as well. My seating position is absolutely perfect now with very little strain on my arms and shoulders.

Tomorrow I’ll give the bike a good once over (PMCS) before heading out to ride around the peninsula before deciding if I’m going to head north to the Bay Area to see more people.

3rd Leg:  Monterey, CA to Napa, CA

Yesterday I stayed at my first hostel. It was also my last. It was clean, people were friendly, it is a great idea and works for so many people. I have been thinking why I did not like it and the only reason that makes sense is that my years in the military ruined it for me. It was fine back then because that was my life. It is not my life now and as many good memories (and bad) I have from my days serving in the Army, those days are long past. So, don’t take my advice on hostels! Try them out!

I woke up, showered, packed, put on my riding gear and rode over to Rosine’s in Monterey for breakfast. Rosine’s is one of my best memories of DLI and I have a TON of excellent memories from my time there. My roommate and I would eat there 2-3 times per week, which is a lot of money for a PFC in the Army, but it was almost a taste of home and real food. The dining facilities at DLI were top notch and I can only remember one other military dining experience that topped DLI and that was at one of the military’s chef schools in southern Germany. Well, sitting and eating at Rosine’s brought back a wave of nostalgia and lots of long forgotten memories.

After breakfast I rode up Franklin to the front gate of DLI,which is now gated and guarded. I spoke with the guard, but knew I wouldn’t be let in to go check out my old facilities. He let me talk for a bit about my time there, but he was a civilian contracted guard and didn’t really care about what some “MI puke” did in the service. I saw Taylor Hall, A company barracks and the Asian language building from the gate. That was enough.

From there I rode around through Pacific Grove around to Carmel on 17 mile drive. The views were as spectacular as ever, but it was pretty cold, windy and wet from the fog and ocean spray so I went east again to Laguna Seca raceway to get a sticker for my motorcycle bags and to check out the track. I hadn’t been there since 1991. The guard there let me in for free since I was just going to the gift shop and then back out. Nice person number one for the day.

As I was heading west to the 101 North I was behind quite a few cars and we were driving at a consistent 60-60mph when all of a sudden the two cars in front of me slammed on their brakes and the one closest to me went to the right to avoid the car in front of him. Luckily for me I saw this the instant they started breaking, but I still had to lock up my tires (back mostly) to keep from hitting them. I always leave quite a distance between me and the car ahead and this is another time I am so glad I did! Not sure who started it, but I bet it was texting, even though it is illegal in California. That woke me up.

From there I went north on the 101, was going to take the 1 through Santa Cruz, but the wind was so strong and it was so chilly that I just stayed on the 101 to San Francisco, then took the Bay Bridge across and continued northeast(ish) to Napa.

I forgot to mention nice person number two! As I was entering the toll area heading towards Sacramento, right before the Napa exit I realized I only had three dollars in cash. Oops. The toll was five dollars. I told the guy my predicament and he said, “No worries, just ride safely” and told me to go. What!? Two nice people who didn’t have to be nice in one day. I am very thankful for them and hope that something wonderful comes their way.

Got settled in, soaked in the hot tub, took a swim and did some laundry…and had a double vodka tonic with my dinner. Delicious.

Tomorrow I am heading to Fort Bragg, CA through some small highways through Pine and Redwood tree forests. I can’t wait!

4th Leg:  Napa, CA to Fort Bragg, CA

After a quick breakfast at the hotel and watching some World Cup soccer I headed north on highway 128, then turned towards Santa Rosa in Calistoga taking Petrified Forest Road to highway 12, then west to connect to the 101 north until I took the Fort Bragg exit. Instead of heading back onto highway 128 I stopped in Cloverdale for a quick coffee and to take a break. Not sure what was wrong with people today (more than the usual), but so many people were tailgating me going through cities and even on the 101 where speeds were around 75-80mph. I kept to the right when not passing, but it seemed that it was in fashion today. Tailgating a motorcycle is rude and unsafe, we can stop much more quickly than a car so please do not do it!

I stopped at a small coffee shop called “Plank” near the center of town, backed the bike to the curb, went into the coffee shop and ordered a cup as well as a piece of coconut banana bread. When I came outside to sit at the tables on the street they were suddenly all taken. I was standing there for a moment deciding who I would ask to sit with when a lady and her dog called me over. Her name was Robyn and her dog was Ace. We had a great discussion ranging from motorcycle riding to how kids are these days…she was mid 50s, no kids and her husband is in his 70s. Her dog was a Shepherd / Border Collie mix and he was super nice. After finishing my coffee I talked with the coffee shop owner for a bit about my bike and my trip this year. So funny that so many think it’s such an adventure, anyone can do it if they have the time and don’t mind callouses on their butt. My trips feel like they are required, there is so much to see and our lives are so short.

Well, I left there and took the 128 west until I came to the Navarro River Redwoods State Park and ran into three bikers taking a break on the side of the road surrounded by Redwoods. I had to pull over to talk with them because one of them was riding a red V-Strom like mine! The other bikes were another Suzuki (Bandit 1200) and a Triumph Triple 3. It was a father and son along with the father’s friend. They were a great group of guys and after talking with them for a while they invited me to ride with them on a different road through the state park, then around on a smaller by-way over the mountain into Mendocino. I was a bit nervous, but said I would give it a shot and not to wait up if I fall behind.

Turns out these guys could ride and I immediately knew I had to bring my A game and ride a little more aggressively than I normally do. It’s still safe-ish, but I am pushing the bike (and myself) a little more than on my trip so far. The roads were mostly excellent, luckily very little gravel since we were really leaning into the curves. When we finally finished and arrived in Fort Bragg for fuel, the lead rider (on the v-strom) told me that he stepped it up a notch because he noticed I was keeping up very well with them. I told him that I did, but my bike is loaded down with 15 days of gear and I could really feel the weight of the bike when I was leaning into the curves. He apologized and said I did a great job. Unfortunately I didn’t meet up with them again after not seeing them at the North Coast brewery shortly after I checked into my hotel. I wish them safe travels and think it was excellent that a father and son would ride together like that. Great times and great memories.

YouTube Redwoods video link:  View Video

For dinner I ate at a local restaurant in the harbor. I had a locally caught Salmon and it was probably the best salmon I have ever eaten. The seasoning was minimal, served on a bed of rice and asparagus. It was exactly what I needed.

Well, tomorrow I head north up the coast, then inland to Lake Tahoe. Should be a 7 hour day if all goes well and I look forward to visiting Lake Tahoe! I have never been there!

5th Leg: Fort Bragg, CA to South Lake Tahoe, CA

This morning started with a cool ride out of Fort Bragg, CA that turned warmer as the fog burned off and the coast was visible. Hooray! I was tired of fog for the past few days. I took the 1 up to Leggett and drove through the Chandelier Redwood tree! Fun!

From there I took the 101 south to the (looking up highway) 20 east, then to the 5 south through Sacramento, then the XX from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe.

It was quite a day for temperature ranges with the coast being very cool (54 when I woke up) to 105 in the Central Valley, then back into the 70s as I gained elevation around Lake Tahoe.

The riding up the 1 and through the redwood forests was awe inspiring. Twisty roads lined with giant trees! Amazing!

My V-Strom continues to perform exceptionally well in all conditions.

Staying at the Basecamp hotel in Lake Tahoe and it is a great little boutique place with a small bar, firepits and a hot tub. I got myself a few beers, sat in the hot tub and let the aches from the past few days drift away.

Off to sleep for tomorrow is a 9 hour ride. Going to be a hot one across the Nevada desert. I’ll update with more later, too tired right now. 🙂

6th Leg:  South Lake Tahoe, CA to Park City, UT

Lake Tahoe was excellent. The hotel called “Basecamp” had a bar and hot tub so I was very excited to soak for a while as I enjoyed a tasty beverage.

I drove west to Emerald Bay as soon as I left the hotel because everyone told me it was very beautiful and it was. From there I drove east, then north around the lake to Incline Village, had a cup of espresso and a breakfast snack, bought my Lake Tahoe sticker for the bike bags and headed east again towards Carson City, NV. From Carson City I continued east on the Interstate on the way to Park City, UT.

The north western/central portion of Nevada is truly a wasteland. People complain about Arizona, but at least there are cactus, etc. to look at, but out there was nothing. It was horrible, hot, windy, truly desolate and people lived there! I could not wait to get through it.

Luckily some storms moved in and it cooled down, which really helped and there were some mountains, green(ish) grass and my mood brightened. Then I check the GPS and found out that I had 3 more hours. I wasn’t going to get to Park City until 11pm. Bah. 12 hours on the road.

As the sun set the temperature continued to decrease, I switched to my night helmet shield and continued on into Park City, UT. I pulled into Melissa’s driveway and she came out to help me with my gear. We caught up with each other and I passed out on the couch. In the morning I woke up, got ready and got back on the bike. My destination for today…Yellowstone!

7th Leg: Park City, UT to Yellowstone National Park, WY

I woke up this morning not exactly wanting to get back onto the bike, but I was going to see the Tetons and Yellowstone!!! That picked up my spirits and after a big coffee and breakfast bagel I was heading north on my way out of Utah.

The roads were great, not too much wind and traffic was light. I left the Interstate and turned north into Wyoming on the road to Jackson Hole. Two lane highways are great! I made excellent time into Jackson Hole and had lunch at a really great little hole in the wall place, then got back on the road to Yellowstone and right into a nice Thunderstorm. It was pretty refreshing and I didn’t stop to put on my rain gear since I knew it would dry off quickly as soon as the rain stopped.

The Tetons were even more majestic than I had remembered and as I entered Tetons and Yellowstone national parks I continued to be impressed by the landscape flying by.

About 30 minutes into the park I noticed a bunch of traffic stopped and wondered what they were watching. It turned out to be an elk! I took a few pictures and got back in gear so I could check in and give my butt a rest.  Relaxing by the road, undisturbed by the numerous people by the road taking pictures.

I reserved a “primitive” cabin. It may be simple, but has everything I need. A comfortable bed, shower, and good air flow letting in the smell of the pine trees surrounding the cabin. There is no cell phone service up here, but the lodge has wifi so I’m sitting on the big front porch enjoying the view of the lake with mountains lit up by the last moments of daylight. So many people are conversing and getting to know one another. As I type people keep asking me if I have service. Yes, wifi. Turn yours on and you’ll have it too.

Tomorrow I finish the ride through Yellowstone, then east through Wyoming and into South Dakota to meet up with family and take a few days off of riding.

8th Leg: Yellowstone National Park, WY to Rapid City, SD

YouTube Yellowstone to Rapid City video link:  View Video

This morning I woke up in Yellowstone and did not want to get back on the bike. I knew I needed to, but after the last two days I really wanted a break. Then I thought,”Hey, I get to meet my new niece when I get home!” Well, that did it and I was back on the bike cruising east out of the park.

Today’s ride went really well. It was about 475 miles today and I also knew I would find a Taco John’s along the route.

Riding east out of Yellowstone I saw deer, waterfalls, snow and fantastic scenery. I took quite a few videos and photos with the gopro so I’ll get those loaded when I get home.

Leaving Yellowstone’s east exit I went through Cody, and the Bighorns National Park. I always think of the Tetons and Yellowstone, but always forget Bighorns. It isn’t the Tetons, but it is a tall range and the ride up and over was quite amazing. There is still snow at the summit around 9,000 feet and it definitely gets cooler, but not enough where I’d have to put on my thermals. Coming down out of the mountains into Cody provided some sharp turns and super views.

Once I made it to the South Dakota border I was home free! I kicked it up to around 90mph and made it from Spearfish to Rapid City in record time. My eldest brother and his family arrived yesterday and my second eldest brother and his arrived 30 minutes before I did. We all met up at our sister’s family home and met our newest family member who was born two days ago. She is so cute!

We all had dinner at my sister’s family home, roasted marshmallows in the firepit and caught up on what’s been happening with everyone.

Tomorrow we all head to the cabin for a few days of outdoor activites. My next ride will be on the 9th or 10th headed south to Denver.

Rapid City to Hill City

Today was the shortest ride so far…45 minutes from my parents home in Rapid City, SD to just outside of Hill City, SD where we are all staying in a big home/cabin in the Black Hills. It’s a nice house run by a ranch so we can go horseback riding, etc.

Tomorrow morning we’re going horseback riding at 10am, then a dinner and show in the evening. Unsure how it will go, but it should be fun. The other days we’re going to the lake to boat, playing tourist, Custer State Park, etc. I’ll update as we go through the week.

It was so strange to not ride today. I’m so used to being on the road, but I think my body needed a break after riding every day for 7 days and 3,200 miles.

On to tomorrow!

July 7th

Around 4am a thunderstorm moved in and we had some incredible lightening and thunder for about an hour with lots of rain and hail. Finally fell back to sleep a little after 5am. My room at the cabin has a window that is kept open so I can hear the water in the creek flow by. Nature is much better than those sound machines!

Riding horses this morning with most of the family and had a fun time. I had a really nice female who wanted to stop and eat along the way, but she wasn’t too stubborn and kept moving along fairly well.

For lunch we went into Hill City, SD to the Alpine Inn and everyone enjoyed their meals. I shared a crazy delicious dessert with my nephew and father. After that we wandered the streets and I picked up a few souvenirs.

Tomorrow we’ll be driving through through Custer State Park.

July 8th

This morning we went south to Custer State Park after my brother Jerrod made us an excellent breakfast. Custer State Park always provides great views of the Black Hills and its wildlife. We saw deer, wild horses, donkeys and herds of buffalo as we drove through the state park. We stopped in the Custer State Park Lodge for an excellent lunch! After my experience at Yellowstone and their almost inedible food I was not expecting much, but it was delicious. From there we went through the Needles highways, went for a nice hike and then continued north to Sylvan Lake, around Mount Rushmore and on to Keystone where we did a little shopping and had pizza for dinner. It was an almost 12 hour day of playing tourist and we were tired. We’re not catching up on the world cup game from today where Germany destroyed Brazil.

Ate entirely too much salt water taffy from my friend’s family business in Keystone:  Rushmore Mountain Taffy Shop – the BEST taffy in the world!  There is never too much!  Great stuff and you must stop in to load up on a pound (or more) if you go through Keystone.

Tonight is our last night here at the cabin and tomorrow we’re back at Mom & Dad’s home in Rapid City where we’ll miss the wilderness, but enjoy the WiFi.

July 9th

Checked out of the cabin this morning and rode back to Rapid City to stay with my parents and siblings (plus their families) until Friday morning. I went to Rice Honda Suzuki today for an oil change and general service bringing my own oil and it came to about $90. I looked at the oil level at the shop on the kickstand and it looked okay, but when I put it on the center stand it was greatly over filled. Thanks guys. It also looks like they didn’t drain it all because it is definitely not as clear as it should be. Not sure what they did, but I am not happy with their service at all. Took over 2 hours and they were done with the bike, but never came to tell me it was done even though they knew it I was waiting. I do not recommend them.

One more day in the Rapid City, SD area, then I am onto Denver and Telluride for my last few days on the road.

July 10th

Great day today in Rapid City! Met up with family for breakfast at the Millstone, said farewell to Jeff, Kim, Mason and Aidan as they head back to Seattle.

Then went with Jerrod and Carson out to Harley Davidson to get some HD stuff for Jerrod while Carson and I critiqued the HD motorcycle styling and paint choices.

After that I came back to the parent’s home to clean and lube the motorcycle chain, and check out the rest of the bike since I now can’t trust that Rice Honda Suzuki service really did anything they said they did. I am still upset about their lack of customer service.

Met up with friends in downtown Rapid City tonight at Independent Ale House, caught up, and had some good beer and delicious pizza.

Home to pack and get ready for the ride to Denver in the morning. It’s supposed to rain so I’ll be ready for that fun.

9th Leg: Rapid City, SD to Denver, CO

The ride from Rapid City to Denver went fairly well. A bit of rain and traffic, but overall no issues.

I stopped in Cheyenne for coffee and I wasn’t able to find a local place, but did find a Starbucks. I haven’t been to a Starbucks this packed in years, it must be the only coffee place in town for that kind of crowd…poor Cheyenne.

I stayed with my Army buddy, Brad and his significant other (Gail). We stayed up late catching up with each other and I was glad to finally meet Gail. So wonderful to see how happy they are.

10th Leg:  Denver, CO to Telluride, CO

Got a great deal on a nice place in Telluride, can’t wait to sit in the hot tub with a tasty beverage.

YouTube Denver to Telluride video link:  View Video

…In the morning I met up with my amazing high school friend, Wendy! We’ve known each other since high school and she is such a super person and friend.

A bit of rain on the way to Telluride, but less than last year and no hail this time! (at least not yet)

I then left for Telluride along a similar route as last year so that I could get my favorite coffee at Jefferson Pony Espresso in Jefferson, CO and my favorite lunch stop in Gunnison, CO.

Oh, outside of Denver I saw a mother Moose and her baby resting in a field near the road and closer to Telluride I saw a BEAR! I was going slowly enough to get a good look at him/her. What a beautiful animal!

I checked into The Mountain Lodge, cleaned up, got ready for the final day of riding and then enjoyed a drink in the hot tub. Very nice final evening on the road.

11th Leg:  Telluride, CO to Phoenix, AZ

The ride out of Telluride is exceptionally beautiful with the curvy roads and incredible views. Last year’s ride through this area was very rainy, but this year it was partly cloudy so I was able to enjoy the ride a bit more and get some better pictures.

I got out of Telluride around 9am, stopped in Dolores at the coffee shop I stopped during last year’s final day and had another delicious breakfast burrito and cup of coffee.

From there I rode south / southwest through southern Colorado, then south through Arizona to the I-40.

I met up with a few other riders along the way, but I was in a hurry to get home so my speeds were a little higher so I passed, waved and kept going.

One guy I met at the gas station in Ganado, AZ was riding a Honda Goldwing and has his little dog on the bike with him.  His pup is a about a two year old black, curly furred who sits on the tank and is held securely (as much as possible on a bike) and just sits there enjoying the wind and views.  The dog also has a kennel on the back of the bike for taking breaks and sleeping.  The rider was riding from Kalispell, MT to Roswell, NM and had ridden 1,100 miles in the last 24 hours.  Heck no.  He rides through the night, honking his horn the entire time so that it keeps the deer/other wildlife off of the road.  Not worth the risk or lack of sleep for me.  Not sure what he was taking to stay awake, but whatever it is, it can’t be healthy.

Lots of rain and hail along the way, but it cleared up right before I got to the I-40 to head west to Flagstaff. From Flagstaff to Phoenix it was on and off rain.

Video will be posted here of this portion of the trip:  VIEW VIDEO

I was very fortunate that it was partly cloudy / rainy as I approached Phoenix because the original forecast was 109 degrees. Not sure what it turned out to be, but I greatly appreciated the cooler temperatures.

Home now, dogs have gotten tons of hugs and belly rubs, laundry is being done and I am relaxing a bit.

Now to go through the pictures and videos…then do something with them.

Updates will be coming as I can get to them. 🙂

Thanks!

My own 2014 trip statistics that I tallied while riding:

• Brand of car that tried to kill me the most:  Dodge (as always) – Dodge pickups to be exact
• Type of car that tailgated me the most:  This trip was pretty decent except for one Acura in Colorado
• Type of car that wanted to be in front of EVERYONE:  BMW as always
• Type of motorcycle rider who was not friendly when passing as a group (wave):  Harley-Davidson as always
• Worst drivers:  Arizona
• Most dangerous road:  Nothing too bad this year
• Fastest road:  Phoenix to the AZ/CA border, but I was pushing it across Nevada just to get that section done
• Slowest roads:  Nothing too slow this year
• Highest percentage of bad roads:  North Dakota, but southern Manitoba was quite bad as well
• Highest percentage of good roads:  Minnesota
• Windiest state while driving: Kansas
• Most birds killed:  0
• Most bee stings:  0
• Most rain:  Northern Arizona
• Most hail:  Northern Arizona
• Most powerful storm driven through:  Northern Arizona
• Coldest temps:  Colorado
• Hottest temps:  Nevada
• State with most bugs hitting the bike:  Wyoming
• Favorite city:  Cloverdale, CA – Plank Coffee Shop
• City at the bottom of the list:  Wendover, Utah

I started my 2013 motorcycle ride on Saturday, July 13 around 6:30am from Phoenix. The reason for the trip was to go to my Grandmother’s 90th birthday in Harvey, ND. We were also celebrating a family reunion and the last time we were all together was five years ago for Grandma’s 85th birthday.

Below is a breakdown for each leg of the trip and at the end I have some personal statistics I thought of while riding.

Below is a breakdown for each leg of the trip and at the end I have some personal statistics I thought of while riding.

Entire route was 4795 miles:

Day 1 – Saturday, July 13, 2013:  Phoenix, AZ to Moab, UT – 471 miles

Today’s ride began in Phoenix and ended in Moab, UT. I stopped in Flagstaff, AZ to have breakfast with Missy and John who used to be a part of Phoenix Area Rottweiler Rescue and are awesome people! John had to work so Missy and I met at Campus Coffee to catch up while we ate.

After that I was back on the road with only one more stop before getting to Moab.

I met up with another rider north of Flagstaff, AZ, then two more about 50 miles south of Kayenta, AZ.  We let the couple riding together lead the way because the female of that riding duo was definitely setting the pace.  It’s always fun riding in a group even though I really enjoyed the miles of being alone in my thoughts.

When we arrived in Kayenta, AZ to fill up and take a break we all snacked and talked for a while.  The one couple was from Australia and was on their way to Sturgis, SD for the annual rally.  This is their fourth or fifth time going to Sturgis and they love riding around America.  Being that I grew up 25 miles south of Sturgis I was able to relate to their stories of the area and how much fun it can be.  They bought a Harley online from Washington state and had it shipped down to Los Angeles where they picked it up and started riding.  They had another few weeks of riding around the country.  The other couple each had their own bike and were finishing up a month of riding.  They were heading back to New Mexico and we talked about the horrible weather the day before that forced them to stop for the day.  That is some serious rain!

As I neared the Moab, UT area it was very obvious why so many people love to visit the area.  It is gorgeous and the landscape is amazingly colorful.  There are arches or almost arches all over the place!  I stopped and took a picture of the bike in front of one a few miles south of Moab.

Driving through the town of Moab was nice too, there were many restaurants and neat little shops to explore.  However; I was on the hunt for a good dinner before I stopped for the night.  After visiting the grocery store to get a few things I asked some folks in line what they’d recommend and settled on a local Thai place that turned out to be very delicious.

After dinner I settled in for the night at a local Holiday Inn Express, got my gear ready for the next day, checked out the bike to make sure all was well and fell to sleep.

Picture of the bike as I left Phoenix:

Picture of arch south of Moab:

Picture as I entered Utah:

Tomorrow I head to Grand Junction, CO to have brunch with friends, then onto Denver for the night and to visit more friends!

Day 2 – Sunday, July14, 2013: Moab, UT to Denver, CO – 354 Miles

Sunday morning started with an amazingly beautiful ride on scenic byway 128 heading northeast out of Moab, UT. From there I headed east on the interstate to Grand Junction, CO for brunch with a coworker and her family.

After brunch I jumped back on interstate 70 east to Denver through some gorgeous country. The rain clouds were moving in, but I was hopeful that I would beat them to Denver. I was not. When I got near Eagle, CO the rain hit me so I stopped, put on my bright yellow rain gear and got back on the road. With the windscreen deflecting most of the rain it was a fairly easy ride. I had to stop again to put on a thermal top once I got close to Vail the temperature had dropped considerably due to the elevation. There was still snow on the peaks!

Near Idaho Springs traffic had come to a standstill due to the weekenders heading back into Denver so it was stop and go for over an hour. Very boring and extremely boring on a bike.

Luckily my Sena headset was working well so the tunes were streaming over bluetooth into my helmet from my windscreen mounted phone. Technology can be so great.

Once I arrived in Denver I went to my lodging for the night at my good friend Teri’s home. For dinner, we went to a place called Lola where I had some sort of Mexican styled Pho. I’m sure it had a real name, but it was more like Pho.  Tasty and the place had strong, good drinks. This morning has been pretty rainy and it is really pouring right now. It should clear up by 11am so I’ll then be on the road to Rapid City.

Here are a couple of pictures from Sunday’s ride:

Colorado!

Visiting Yeong Lee and her family in Grand Junction. Thank you for brunch!!!

Espresso stop in Colorado west of Denver during  heavy traffic caused by the weekenders heading back to Denver:

Day 3 – Monday, July 15th, 2013: Denver, CO to Rapid City, SD – 396 Miles

Monday morning began with a downpour in Denver, CO. Around 11am it began to clear up so I got on the road. The I-25 north out of Denver was bumper to bumper traffic cruising at 80-85mph. Teri was right, Denver does have some of the worst drivers around. I didn’t want to think that, but after spending a few hours on the road with them I can agree. I used to think Miami was the worst, but Denver has now gone to the number one slot. Phoenix has bad drivers as well, but it just didn’t compare.

The miles went by quickly until I got into Wyoming and some hellacious crosswinds starting north of Cheyenne. I took a break in Wheatland, WY and had my first Taco John’s in over a year. That Super Potato was delicious!

North of Wheatland I turned east and rode on small highways until crossing the border into South Dakota. I rode through the Black Hills from Edgemont north through Custer, Hill City, then by Sheridan and Pactola Lakes on the way to the Azevedo home northwest of Rapid City.

Today I’m heading into town to get clear face shield so I can ride at night (if necessary). Mine is sitting in my garage in AZ. Oops.

I’ll be in Rapid City until Wednesday when I head north to Harvey, ND for my Grandmother’s 90th birthday and family reunion.
Wyoming!

Stopped here after first bee sting:

South Dakota!

My home town (Rapid City, SD):

Riding north of Nemo, SD

Day 4 – Wednesday, July 17, 2013: Rapid City, SD to Harvey, ND – 432 Miles

I spent a day in Rapid City with my sister and her family before heading north once again. I went for a couple of rides with my Brother-in-law, Jeremy and even took Brady for a ride on my bike on our way back from Nemo, SD where we had some ice cream.

The day there was spent relaxing, exploring the city to see areas that have been updated since the last visit. Kara and the boys met me at the park on Main Street that has a splash pad where my nephews played in the water as us adults talked and enjoyed the gorgeous weather.  Jeremy even walked down to hang out with us for his lunch break.

I picked up a couple pair of smartwool socks because the “As good as Klim” socks are no where near as good as Klim hot weather motorcycle socks. They worked well on the first ride. My new Klim Dakar touring pants have performed fantastically, kept me cool and protected. The AlpineStars Gore-Tex boots have been amazingly comfortable and cool as well.

The Touratech Zega Pro bags are so nice and hold everything so well. Spend the few hundred more to get them if you are on the fence.

This morning (Wednesday) was a pretty warm and humid day for riding, but was fairly calm so it was a smooth ride.

I left Rapid City and went through Sturgis, which is gearing up for this year’s rally. There were already quite a few bikers in town and I saw many on the road heading into the Sturgis area during the day. Having been to the rally a few times I had no interest in stopping, so I just cruised through town and continued north past Bear Butte on the way north through Newell, SD.

South of Bear Butte I went through a swarm of bees and had two hit my helmet and neck, then eventually into my shirt where they stung me. That’s not fun when you’re doing 75mph, but I pressed on knowing they can only get me once.  I pulled over to check my stings at Bear Butte and took a picture there.

For lunch I stopped in Lemmon, SD at the Alaskan Cafe and had a surprisingly good fish sandwich. There was an older couple in the restaurant as well and we talked about my trip as well as their trip. They were also from the Phoenix area and were from Lemmon. The gentleman had graduated from Lemmon High School in 1949 and had some Great War stories as well as some very interesting perspectives on life and people. We parted ways with them heading east to Minnesota and I north across the North Dakota border to Mandan, ND.

While filling my tank up in Mandan I met another dual sport traveler who was on a Kawasaki and was headed from Wyoming to Grand Forks, ND. He said he had already had two flat tires…I am knocking on wood now. My new Metzeler Tourance tires are doing extremely well and provide a very smooth ride.

After being on small highways for the majority of the day it was strange to get back on an Interstate, but it was for less than 50 miles and I was happy to get off of that and back onto a two lane. As I turned north again off of the Interstate it looked as if the rain was headed my way, but I was lucky enough to drive in between the storms. The temperature went from mid 80s to mid 70s with the cloud cover and surrounding storms and I greatly appreciated the lower temps.

Unfortunately; two birds ran into the bike today as I was riding and I don’t think they survived. One of them hit the top of my windscreen and we locked eyes right before it hit. I tried to apologize for what was about to happen because everything seemed to slow down right before it slammed into my bike and bounced past my helmet. Poor bird. The other hit my fairing and went off to the side.

When I was riding across North Dakota I saw Pheasants and Antelope! That was neat! There were also massive herds of various types of cattle in many fields. The crops seemed to all be growing well so I hope the harvests turn out well for the farmers. Many were out working the fields in their vehicles and it really made me realize how much food our farmers produce for us. When you sit down to eat, remember those who worked hard to grow that food for you.

As I was riding into Harvey the odometer turned over to 1900 miles! I’ve been very impressed with the Sena headset so far. A full charge will last almost two full days of riding while listening to music streaming from my phone, taking calls, making calls using the voice recognition and getting navigation updates when I can’t remember which highways to turn onto.

I called my father on the Sena BT headset using the voice recognition feature and met them at the home where my Grandmother lives. We were able to spend an hour or so talking and catching up with her life. We’ll see her for the next few days and celebrate her birthday with all of her children, grand children, great grand children and great great grand children. This is going to be such a memorable weekend with so many of us together again.

The next portion of my journey will begin again on Monday when I head across the border to Canada and visit friends in Winnipeg and go to Grand Beach north of the city.

North of Sturgis, SD when I needed to stop again due to bee stings:

Northern South Dakota

North Dakota!

Day 5 – Monday, July 22, 2013: Harvey, ND to Winnipeg, Manitoba – 268 Miles

I left Harvey around 830am with low clouds and cool temps.  I hadn’t worn my jacket liner yet, but I did that morning!

Twenty five minutes north of Harvey I pulled into my Uncle Gerald’s home to visit with him and my aunt Bernie.  Over coffee we talked about how the farm is doing, their kids and what is going on in their lives, and their new(ish) dog who was so happy and friendly.

From there I continued north through Rugby, ND which is the geographical center of North America!  (see picture) I saw more Pheasants, Deer and Antelope on the ride and very glad that I missed the herd of Antelope. They were a few hundred yards ahead of me on the road so I had plenty of time to slow down.

It was a fairly uneventful ride to the International Peace Gardens on the Canadian border.  The peace garden area was nice, but I guess I expected more.  I’m not sure what “more” I was expecting, but it didn’t seem to have been updated recently and had a very Cold War feel.  There was a new building that was nice and attached to the sunken gardens.  Those too were very nice, but just not quite as impressive as I had hoped.

From there it was north into Canada!  I did find out that if a person has a DUI/criminal record they can’t cross the border.   The benefits of staying out of trouble are innumerable!  I did have to explain who I knew in Canada and why I was going to see them.  She did seem to have trouble believing that I would drive all the way to Winnipeg to see people I met at a dog park in Phoenix, but let me through.

The border to Winnipeg was fairly uneventful, but windy.  I did find out that Canada has much lower speed limits so I had to keep it around 65 (100 km/h) as I attempted to avoid those pesky international incidents since I don’t have diplomatic immunity.

Once in Winnipeg I met up with Gerry and his dogs.  Unfortunately his wife Susan was visiting family in western Canada so it was us two out on the town.  He showed me around Winnipeg and I was thoroughly impressed!

The two major parks (Assiniboine Park and … can’t remember the name of the other one…) were gigantic, the downtown area was really nice, the Forks area (where two rivers converge) was a great spot for tourists and locals alike.  I finally figured out what “Tim Hortons” was… a coffee place like Starbucks, but much better and they have a much more extensive menu.

We drove by the Human Rights Museum (http://www.humanrightsmuseum.ca/), but couldn’t visit because it won’t be open for a while.  It is a massive building with an amazing design!  I read a newspaper article on it later that night and would recommend it to anyone.  Here is a blurb in the “about” page on their site: “The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is envisioned to be a national and international destination, a centre of learning where Canadians and people from around the world can reflect and be inspired about human rights. The base building is substantially complete since the end of 2012 and Inauguration of the Museum will take place in 2014.”

Shiar and Tucker (their dogs) were happy to see me and I was happy to see them!  They are two of the best Golden Retrievers you’ll ever meet.

Into Canada!!!

Winnipeg:

The Forks in Winnipeg

Day 6 – Tuesday, July 23, 2013: Winnipeg, Manitoba to Minneapolis, MN – 457 Miles

On Tuesday morning I left Gerry and the dogs and rode north of Winnipeg to Grand Beach.  It sits on the southern edge of Lake Winnipeg and has white sandy beaches.  It’s a small town area and is quite appealing.  There were millions of “Fish Flies” everywhere around that area so my windshield was covered with their guts.

After spending some time up there wandering the beach a bit I headed south back to the USA.

At the border of Canada and the US north of Grand Forks I was interrogated by the border guard as I was attempting to get back into the US.  The border guard was even in more disbelief that I would drive all the way to Winnipeg to see friends.  I then explained to her why I was in the area and then she understood and let me back in.  What a pain…

It was about a 12.5 hour day and I was tired when I arrived in Minneapolis.  I stayed with my high school friend, Kara who lives near Brooklyn Park.  On Wednesday we drove to New Ulm, MN to visit the Schell Brewing Company.  The reason I wanted to go was due to us drinking Grain Belt Beer (The Friendly Beer) for the entire time in North Dakota and once I found out that the brewery was in New Ulm it was just a matter of talking Kara into driving out there with me.

We did and it was so much fun!  We looked around the brewery museum, took a tour, had samples and did some shopping in the gift store!

That night we went to a local place and met up with my old army buddy, Chris and Kara’s boyfriend, Brian.  We had a great time catching up and enjoying a few beers with our food.  Our server looked just like Elisabeth Shue!

Grand Beach, Manitoba

Crossing the border into the USA

North Dakota!

Thursday, July 25, 2013: Minneapolis, MN to Lawrence, KS – 476 Miles

This morning I met a high school friend the morning I was leaving Minneapolis.  Dan Dittmer is one of those people you can’t help liking.  He was a great guy in high school and he continues to be that same person.  Dan is an exceptionally good tattoo artist in Minneapolis (dandittmer.com) and has been perfecting his art for almost 20 years!  Check out his site and you’ll agree (you better!).

After leaving the restaurant I called ahead to Struthers Motorcycles in Des Moines, IA to schedule an oil change.  They were extremely helpful and told me that they’d make room for me once I arrived.  The trip to Des Moines was uneventful.  Once I arrived at the shop they got it right in and began working.  I walked around the showroom and talked with one of the sales guys about bikes, road trips and favorite accessories for long trips.  Everyone there was extremely courteous and helpful.  The cost for the work wasn’t even much more than what I spend when I do it myself..even better! If you live in Des Moines and are looking for a motorcycle, these guys are pretty great.

After Des Moines I rode to Lawrence, KS.  There were a few sprinkles on the way down, but nothing that caused any delay.

Once in Lawrence I met up with the local Hash House Harrier Kennel and a Phoenix HHH hasher named Chad who moved back to Lawrence and resurrected their group.  It was a great time, I got some sleep and was back on the road by 9am the next morning after a good breakfast in downtown Lawrence.

Dan and I in Minneapolis:

Day 7 – Friday, July 26, 2013: Lawrence, KS to Denver, CO – 569 Miles

Chad and I had breakfast in downtown Lawrence, KS before I got back on the road to Denver.  It was a 550+ mile day so I had to get going.

Once on the road I was happy to see the 75mph speed limit and kicked it into gear.  Eastern Kansas was humid, but western Kansas was WINDY!  One thing that made me very happy was the sight of so many windmills!  That wind blows constantly so we might as well take advantage of it.

As I was driving my Fort Riley Airfield I realized I was passing a highway patrol doing about 90 so I pushed it to about 95 and turned onto the exit for Fort Riley in the attempt to make the officer think I was stationed there.  I haver veteran plates so I wasn’t too sure how that was going  go.  It went well!  As I was passing him I saw him look over with a look of, “Um, you do realize I am a highway patrol…” and I did, but I rolled the dice and won.

After sitting for a moment looking over the airfield and remembering my time at Fort Riley, I got back on the road.

I pulled into Denver right on time and Teri was prepared with dinner!  Sleep did not come soon due to a 3pm bottle of 5 hour energy.  Well, once is enough for me.  I am done with that junk.  I could not sleep and finally fell to sleep around 4 am or later!

Saturday, July 27, 2013: Denver, CO to Telluride, CO – 329 Miles

I met my high school friend, Wendy and her husband for breakfast before heading out this morning.  It was SO great to see Wendy and her husband, Scott and a good breakfast spot in Denver.  We caught up on the happenings in each other’s lives and then went to Scott’s new barbershop nearby.  It is a great place that is expanding quickly into more than just a barbershop.   The name is “Proper Barbershop” and their website is: http://www.properbarbershop.com  They’ve also been featured in a few magazines

About 30 miles southwest of Denver the clouds moved in and delivered some heavy rain and hail.  Since this was the first time I had experienced hail at 60mph I wasn’t sure what to expect.  Not too painful, but not fun.  I felt bad for those riders out there who don’t wear helmets.

It rained off and on until I arrived in Telluride in the early evening on Friday.  I checked into the hotel, got cleaned up and went to wander the streets a bit.  There is a playwright festival here this weekend, but I was startled at the number of people in Telluride during the non-ski season months.  The area is even more beautiful in the summer, but I could have done without the rain.

Sunday, July 28, 2013: Telluride, CO to Phoenix, AZ – 523 Miles

Woke up to rain…meh.

A quick stop at the coffee place next door for a cup and a breakfast burrito and I’m on my way back up to put on my gear.

The ride out of Telluride was beautiful and I took a few pictures.

Rain, rain, rain and one HUGE downpour with wind that almost knocked me over at 45mph south of Kayente, AZ.

Other than the rain the ride today was quite uneventful except for the crazy drivers on the way from Flagstaff to Phoenix.  I am not sure who decided that 75mph was a good idea on that road, but they need to lower it to 65 because there are too many idiots who don’t drive well enough to handle those roads safely.  I stayed in the right (slow) lane out of their way.

This morning I awoke to 50 degrees (Fahrenheit) in Telluride and ended it at 104 degrees as I road down to Phoenix.  I was very happy to get home, give the dogs hugs and enjoy the A/C.

My hands are sore after the past three days of long rides, but nothing a few Ibuprofen won’t take care of.

Back to work tomorrow…

My own trip statistics that I tallied while riding:

• Brand of car that tried to kill me the most:  Dodge
• Type of car that tailgated me the most:  Land Rover
• Type of car that wanted to be in front of EVERYONE:  BMW
• Type of motorcycle rider who was not friendly when passing as a group (wave):  Harley-Davidson
• Worst drivers:  Initially I thought it was Denver, but coming back on Sunday night on the I-17 Phoenix moved back into the lead.
• Most dangerous road:  I-17 from Flagstaff to Phoenix on Sunday night coming back.
• Fastest road: I-25 north out of Denver to Cheyenne, WY
• Slowest roads:  Canada
• Worst percentage of roads:  North Dakota, but southern Manitoba was quite bad as well
• Best percentage of good roads:  Minnesota
• Windiest state while driving:  Wyoming, but Kansas was close
• Most birds killed:  2, North Dakota
• Most bee stings:  2, South Dakota
• Most rain:  Colorado
• Most hail:  Colorado
• Most powerful storm driven through:  Northern Arizona
• Coldest temps:  Colorado
• Hottest temps:  Arizona
• State with most bugs hitting the bike:  South Dakota
• Favorite city:  Winnipeg
• City at the bottom of the list:  Kansas City as always – what a smelly place

View the full set of pictures here:  Subpage with pictures or just view them in Picasa