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