Barry and Bev's Bike Blog

HOME SAFE & SOUND!!!!

2009-07-06T04:42:00.001-07:00

It is good to be home.

This is a magnificent contry to tour!!!!

2009-07-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, Happy Anniversary Marg and Larry, we hope you are out celebrating.
Well we were up and on the road by 730 AM once again racing the rain. It was either sit in the hotel for a day or get up and race the rain, we chose to race the rain and we won for today. I think we are beyond the rain now.
We ended up going farther than we planned, the roads were great, it was nice and cool, little traffic and Barry was whining that it was too early to quit. The night by the lake was a fantasy.
We are in Youngstown Ohio for the night, so home tomorrow.
I am pleased with the packing we did, a change of clothes yesterday helped the attitude greatly. I am amazed at what you can get by on, I don't know if at some points anyone would want to socialize with us, but we have done it. Home tomorrow.
Note - There was one hotel that we stayed at that had the most glorious, huge, soft, clean, and just lovely bath towels, that was a real treat after weeks of rough, small towels, how spoiled we are.
We are going out to forage for food as it is the 4th and most places are closed, but Barry found a Quaker Steak and Lube "restaurant". We shall see what we find.
Happy Fourth to all and we will post that we are home tomorrow.
By the way the blog will keep rolling as Barry and buddies are heading back to Sturgis the first week of August and other trips are in the planning or planned stage, so if you want to keep up with us, check in.
To our followers, thank you for checking in and the feedback.

Day 6 on the Return

2009-07-03T05:05:00.000-07:00

We have now travelled 4019 miles with just over 1000 left to complete the trip.

Weather appears to be holding favorable over the next few days. We've not gotten wet yet.

We will spend the fourth on the shore of Lake Erie.

Iowa Documented

2009-07-03T05:03:00.000-07:00

Last of the states to be "claimed" on this run.

Nebraska Sand Hills

2009-07-03T05:01:00.000-07:00

Miles and miles of rolling sand hills. Original praire to this day.

Wounded Knee

2009-07-03T04:55:00.000-07:00

To this day the site is still an embarrasment.

Larry Thundercloud, the attending Indian entrepreneur, said over 700 indians were slaughtered by remnants of the 7th Calvary in revenge for the Little Bighorn.

Mount Rushmore

2009-07-03T04:50:00.000-07:00

Tourists sure can ruin an experience. This is like Old Faithful, just too many people.

Still VERY impressive

Heading out for day six

2009-07-02T05:27:00.000-07:00

We are getting ready to head out for day 6 of the return trip. We hope Canada Day was a great one for all of you folks up in Canada.
Today we are going to be racing the rain, so it is up and at em, hopefully we won't get wet.
We do have pictures from yesterday, Mt. Rushmore and Wounded Knee, we will get them posted later. Internet sometimes doesn't always work, so we post as we can. It is that or we are just plum tired when we quit.
The ride yesterday was awesome, just beautiful out there and the smell of spring is still so fresh in the air, mmmm sweet clover smell.
We are a bit like horses to the barn now, the picture taking is over, it is Interstate riding until we pull into the driveway at home. We will keep posting as to where we are and what we are up too.
Have a great day, got to go and race the rain.

DAY FOUR on the RETURN TRIP

2009-06-30T15:47:00.000-07:00

We have completed just over 1100 miles on the home run. We are finished with the big mountain passes and now need to cross the prairies.

Beartooth Pass remains unconquered...for the moment. Big mountain passes need to be approached pretty seriously by us flatlanders.

The bikes are preforming flawlessly. We have posted pictures today for South Dakota, The Center of the USA (# 3), and Sturgis.

Have collected lots of maps and literature for our August return to Sturgis!!!

STURGIS without all the Bikers June 30, 2009

2009-06-30T15:44:00.000-07:00

Not much of a destination without all the bikes. Much easier to get around. It is likely to be a crazy place first of next month.

The riding out here is AWESOME!!!!!!!

The THIRD Location claiming CENTER of U.S.A.

2009-06-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

We have now been at all three. This calculation included Hawaii & Alaska. The other two are just the contiguous states.

Wide Open South Dakota

2009-06-30T15:40:00.001-07:00

South Dakota now claimed

2009-06-30T15:37:00.000-07:00

Custer's Last Stand

2009-06-30T06:39:00.001-07:00

Bought the latest book on the battle. A Terrible Glory. Will be a very intereswting read.

The LITTLE BIG HORN National Monument

2009-06-30T06:35:00.000-07:00

The battle took place over a five mile moving front in June 1876. It was handle by the Indians more like a buffaloe hunt. One could spend alot of time here.

Big Horn Mountains...the last "PASS"

2009-06-30T06:31:00.001-07:00

The decision to NOT do the Beartooth pass was a good one. This ascent to the top of Bald Mountain was very hairy and a thousand feet lower than Beartooth. 9420 feet into the high plateau of the Big Horns

Cody Wyoming is a wonderful tourist town

2009-06-30T06:28:00.000-07:00

Old Faithful...too many tourists!!!!

2009-06-30T06:26:00.000-07:00

Yellowstone is truly a national treasure

2009-06-30T06:24:00.000-07:00

Montana and into the Rockies

2009-06-30T06:22:00.000-07:00

Idaho...LOTS of potatoe fields

2009-06-30T06:19:00.000-07:00

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

2009-06-28T05:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (Saturday) we started the homeward bound bike trip. We documented IDAHO and stopped just short of Yellowstone. Today we see OLD FAITHFUL and complete two Rocky Mountain passes on the way to Cody Wyoming. Short mileage today but lots of grockle stops to see the park and Buffalo Bill country. Will post pictures tonight.

The Four of us do UTAH

2009-06-26T09:09:00.000-07:00

934 miles...the Great Salt Lake, Bryce Canyon, Kanab's Best Friends Sanctuary, Hatch Utah (40 years ago my BSA broke down here), The GRAND CANYON and ZION National Park

ACROPHOBIA at it's best

2009-06-26T09:06:00.001-07:00

Breath taking...literally.

AMAZING GEOGRAPHY

2009-06-26T09:03:00.000-07:00

Truly incredable vista.

Home From the Canyons

2009-06-26T07:32:00.000-07:00

We left on Tuesday heading for Kanab, Utah to see Best Friends Animal Rescue Shelter. On the way we drove in to see Bryce Canyon, this is one of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen. Just awesome. We will get pictures posted. Mother nature is truly something else.
We toured the Rescue Shelter and this was eye opening for this animal lover. We were able to mingle with some of the pets and my pockets were checked before we left the property.
At this point we decided we were only 100 miles from the north rim of the Grand Canyon so we might as well go. This was a great decision, it is almost too much to describe. Once again mother nature has outdone herself, it was just breath taking in many senses. We all were going to hike a bit but soon found out that all of us had a bit of a height problem, the hike was short. Just amazing to see and it is right here in our own backyard. We spent the night and then went on to Zion, this we saw from the bottom looking up as opposed to looking down and out from the top. Just amazing. Goats can still cause a traffic jam.
If you have never been to any of these parks get it on your bucket list, it is well worth the trip and you will leave awe struck. Kanab is a great little town but the town of Springdale is the happening town and right close to Zion.
The Canyons were all well worth the drive and on the way the scenery was beautiful.

Outward Bound Trip Successfully Completed!!!

2009-06-21T08:35:00.001-07:00

Door to door we did 2323 miles in 8 days. A pleasant average pace of just under 300 miles per day.

The internet connection here is not strong so posts will be minimal as we take a week off and visit with friends in Park City.

We are back on the road for the return trip starting Saturday June 27. The return will include Yellowstone, The Beartooth Pass, The Little Big Horn, Sturgis, Mount Rushmore and Wounded Knee.

Utah...The Final Frontier

2009-06-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

Now it's only a 60 mile run into Park City and the Condo

Day 8 Summary

2009-06-19T17:42:00.000-07:00

We are now in Rock Springs Wyoming after 2061 miles. I thought we'd be in the Rockies today however all we have is high plains covered in sage and rocks. Saw ALOT of antelope all across Wyoming.

The GREAT BASIN at the top of the Continental Divide is a vast tract of prairie.

Route 30 Crosses U.S.A. in 1913

2009-06-19T17:38:00.000-07:00

Route 80 has it's genesis in Route 30. It was the first transcontinental auto route.

Today Route 80 goes coast to coast without a stop light!!!

Where's the Rockies???

2009-06-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

This is the GREAT BASIN on top of the Continental Divide at 7000 feet.

No Rockies yet Just High Plains

Cheyenne Wyoming

2009-06-19T17:34:00.000-07:00

Day 7 Summary

2009-06-18T14:35:00.000-07:00

Did 303 miles in 6.5 hours. Crossed the rest of Nebraska, into Wyoming and nipped down into Colorado to "claim" it as well. We are now in the hotel in Cheyenne Wyoming and we are within sight of the Rockies. Trivia...how many countries in the world can you travel across for seven days and still not be even close to the other side?????

This is one very large, very magic country this U S of A. The prairies are wide open but have a real majesty.

Tomorrow we go into the Rockies and up onto the Continental Divide's GREAT BASIN.

Documented Wyoming

2009-06-18T14:33:00.000-07:00

Nipped into Colorado to "Claim" it as well

2009-06-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

Missouri documented from Yesterday

2009-06-17T17:10:00.000-07:00

Day 6 Our NON INTERSTATE DAY

2009-06-17T17:05:00.000-07:00

We did 325 miles in 8 hours so there were lots of stops. There was minimal interstate mileage as most was sight seeing across the center of Kansas and Nebraska. The objective was to travel to the center of the US of A and get pictures. We did it and got some stories too. Very HOT today. Over 90. We stopped in to see one gas stations "weather channel". There was no weather in Kansas today .

Dead Center No. 2 LEBANON Kansas

2009-06-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

We were able to drive right up to this location. At first I thought it was the MIDDLE of NOWHERE but actually it's the middle of the USA

Dead Center and Living Free

2009-06-17T16:56:00.000-07:00

Apparently his name is Randy. He is a free roam rooster that lives at the site. No doubt a white supremacist chicken given his looks and location. Walks right up and talks to you.

Geographical Center No. 1.

2009-06-17T16:47:00.000-07:00

Three spots in the US claim to be dead center of the U.S. The first is the "Ogden Monument at Fort Riley".

This is as close as we elected to get. The actual monument is inside the fort..."Home of The Big Red One".

Regulations to ride in were too severe for a hot day. We were within a mile.

We return on Harleys

2009-06-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

We left Nebraska for Pennsylvania in 1993.

We revisited on bikes.

It is a prairie state.

2009-06-17T06:45:00.000-07:00

We are up and ready to rip. Temperature is going to be close to 100 today so we will get at it and put the pictures on later in the day when it is hot. We'll be staying in Nebraska tonight. This is a sight seeing day, only about 300 miles to do I think. Have a great one.

2009-06-16T18:34:00.000-07:00

Well we had a great plan for this morning, get up early, hit the road and put on some miles. We woke up early and it was raining with some booming thunder and lightning. We rolled back into bed and had a wee bit more sleep. The rain kept us in the hotel until noon and then we made a break for it.
The further west we rode the bluer the sky got, except for the occasional cloud over. 400 plus miles later, we are where we had planned to be, just got in a little later. Heading west we go back in time, so I think we are two hours different to home right now.
Since leaving home we have put on 1266 miles. The day off yesterday was a break but we were both ready to get on the bikes and get going this morning.
Flooding and rain kept us from getting at least one photo that we wanted and traffic kept us from getting the other, we did get one to document our stop in Missouri. It may not get posted tonight.
Another beautiful day, cruising across this beautiful country of ours. Barry and I both commented on how Kansas is much like Alberta, made us feel like we were driving to Edmonton.
We are off to dinner to discuss the day tomorrow. Have a great one, we sure will.

2009-06-15T15:13:00.000-07:00

This morning while waiting to see what the storm was going to do we did a 2 mile walk, trying to keep some kind of exercise program going. So this afternoon, rather than eat more, we just got back from a 4 mile walk with no rain. It is now 5:00PM somewhere and we are going to have a glass of wine. Cheers to all.

Day 4 UPDATE

2009-06-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

Today was a non travel day. The fronts that came through were very severe. I70/I44 junction in St Louis had 12 inches of standing water. I70 was closed to traffic both ways. Multiple points of flash flooding. At it's worst the storm dropped 3 inches per hour. We were safe, dry and surfing in the hotel!!!!

Slow start to Day 4

2009-06-15T06:19:00.001-07:00

We are delaying check out until noon. Major storm fronts are running between St Louis and KC. We will wait till it passes.

Only 300 miles planned for today... a straight west shot on route 70 past the St Louis ARCH and into Kansas City Missouri side.

...and Illinois too

2009-06-15T06:16:00.000-07:00

It would seem not much has happened out here since Lincoln was President

Documented Indiana

2009-06-15T06:13:00.000-07:00

Day 3 A More Robust Accomplishment

2009-06-14T15:36:00.000-07:00

385 miles in 7 hours for an average of 55 mph including 3 quick breaks.

39.81 mpg on average for the two bikes.

Documented Indiana and Illinois...pictures tomorrw with a better Wi Fi

Iron Horses on the Prairie

2009-06-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

six gallons, six speeds plus cruise control ... Very nice accessories for long hauls

Day Two...still warming up.

2009-06-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

Five hours today and 250 miles. Getting into the swing of a long trip. Not a race. Keep the pace enjoyable. Documented two states.

First documentation on this trip

2009-06-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

One more state documented

2009-06-13T13:38:00.000-07:00

A National Chain of Budget Motels

2009-06-13T13:16:00.000-07:00

Ready Set Go

2009-06-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

The mountain top crash scene

2009-06-12T13:28:00.000-07:00

2009-06-12T13:26:00.000-07:00

Day 1 A short Get On The Road day

2009-06-12T13:18:00.000-07:00

First day 204 miles to Somerset PA and the Flight 93 Memorial. On Sept 11, 2001 Bev was driving toward Somerset on the turnpike. She saw the plane flying "too low". She heard the crash and saw the first responders racing to the sight. Now we've seen where it landed. Forty four people voted and agreed to attack the hijackers in the end sacrificing their lives. Eight years later the memorial is impactful but "undeveloped". A major enhancement is in the planning stage.

The Kids going to Camp

2009-06-12T13:12:00.000-07:00

Jasper and Cuddles get a vacation too!!

2009-06-08T10:15:00.000-07:00

On this trip we will add 13 states and multiple points of interest to the list of "places visited by motorcycle." The plan is to eventually include all 48 contiguous states plus the 10 Canadian provinces. We have 22 done. This will make 35.

2009-06-08T09:06:00.000-07:00

We are going to head out on Friday. The plan is to go to the site of the plane that went down on 911 near Somerset, PA. We have been going to go and now is the perfect opportunity. However, today we are going to golf and relax before we get crazy with all the packing etc.

Bikes are ready to roll

2009-06-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

Preparing to Pack

2009-06-08T07:15:00.000-07:00