Sunday, July 18, 2010
Map of the Ride
Map of the route we used going to Des Moines and back home to Lake County. I listed the cities we slept in below the map. The route was approximately 5,200 miles. Larry did such a good job of leading, most of the time I didn't pay attention to what road we were riding.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Ride to Lake County
We departed Klamath Falls around 8 a.m. Hwy 97 to Weed for a fuel stop and then I-5 to Corning for a fuel and Olive Pit stop.
We stopped in Williams at Granzella's for lunch. We figured that since we had begun the ride with breakfast at Granzella's it was only right to end the ride there as well.
Uneventful (thank you, God!) ride home. Temperatures around 100 - amazing how on a motorcycle you know when the temperature changed by a couple of degrees. We were well suited to the hot weather with our Techniche brand evaporative cooling vests. Worth every penny we paid for them. John toughed it out without putting on his vest.
I didn't make a lot of comments about the scenery because if you really want to know you need to go there yourself.
Observations about this ride:
Idaho needs to put more law enforcement on Hwy 20 so people don't feel they can drive as stupidly as they do.
South Dakota has the shortest, littlest toilets! We opined that perhaps they got a real deal on some used kindergarten toilets.
Iowa needs to have the same person determining what constitutes a 'bump' - and let that person drive on all the roads. Right now there must be too many people deciding!
Choosing a motel room is easier with Trip Advisor.
The deli owner in Madrid, NM needs to learn some people skills.
Don't believe that Jason Alexander Quality Inn advertisement on television - it is a lie or they slipped the name on some run down motel in Klamath Falls. No nice breakfast, badly decorated, no operating ice maker in the annex building we were in, hot tub that didn't know the meaning of hot, bad wifi, and ignorant staff.
For me the best motel was the La Quinta in Albuquerque. Embassy Suites in Des Moines was nice. However the staff at La Quinta performed above and beyond to make our stay nice. The staff at Embassy Suites did not - and the housekeeping staff was substandard.
There were many times during the ride that one of the five of us would make a comment about something and someone else would respond that they too had thought the same thing. Talk about getting comfortable with your riding partners.
For me this was a thoroughly enjoyable ride. No tantrums (except by me!); no pouting because of some little thing; no storming off; no dithering at gas stations and parking lots. When we agreed to a time to leave everyone was ready to go on time.
I hope everyone else had as good a time as I did and feels that this adventure was outstanding.
We road just short of 4,000 miles.
Next adventure....more national parks in California.
We stopped in Williams at Granzella's for lunch. We figured that since we had begun the ride with breakfast at Granzella's it was only right to end the ride there as well.
Uneventful (thank you, God!) ride home. Temperatures around 100 - amazing how on a motorcycle you know when the temperature changed by a couple of degrees. We were well suited to the hot weather with our Techniche brand evaporative cooling vests. Worth every penny we paid for them. John toughed it out without putting on his vest.
I didn't make a lot of comments about the scenery because if you really want to know you need to go there yourself.
Observations about this ride:
Idaho needs to put more law enforcement on Hwy 20 so people don't feel they can drive as stupidly as they do.
South Dakota has the shortest, littlest toilets! We opined that perhaps they got a real deal on some used kindergarten toilets.
Iowa needs to have the same person determining what constitutes a 'bump' - and let that person drive on all the roads. Right now there must be too many people deciding!
Choosing a motel room is easier with Trip Advisor.
The deli owner in Madrid, NM needs to learn some people skills.
Don't believe that Jason Alexander Quality Inn advertisement on television - it is a lie or they slipped the name on some run down motel in Klamath Falls. No nice breakfast, badly decorated, no operating ice maker in the annex building we were in, hot tub that didn't know the meaning of hot, bad wifi, and ignorant staff.
For me the best motel was the La Quinta in Albuquerque. Embassy Suites in Des Moines was nice. However the staff at La Quinta performed above and beyond to make our stay nice. The staff at Embassy Suites did not - and the housekeeping staff was substandard.
There were many times during the ride that one of the five of us would make a comment about something and someone else would respond that they too had thought the same thing. Talk about getting comfortable with your riding partners.
For me this was a thoroughly enjoyable ride. No tantrums (except by me!); no pouting because of some little thing; no storming off; no dithering at gas stations and parking lots. When we agreed to a time to leave everyone was ready to go on time.
I hope everyone else had as good a time as I did and feels that this adventure was outstanding.
We road just short of 4,000 miles.
Next adventure....more national parks in California.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Ride to Klamath Falls, Oregon
We started the day a little warm....and stopped in Burns, Oregon at the McDonalds for a late breakfast...big mistake. The person at the cash register was new and UNTRAINED. She got pissed when we asked for another glass after she put her fingers in the glass.
John called the telephone number AND talked with the manager. There was even one employee wearing jewelry.
Over all, we lost close to an hour at this stop.
We continued on Hwy 395 out of Burns - speed limit 55....we rode 65 mph most of the time.
Lunch in Lakeside....reasonable rates and good food.
We turned on to Hwy 140 and headed toward Klamath Falls. Again the speed limit was 55 and we rode 65...and just happened to slow down to the speed limit before we saw the highway patrol.
That happened twice today. We made good time and didn't get speeding tickets.
A close call on Hwy 140 with a oversize load. Not only was it long it was extra wide because it was carrying a piece of farm equipment. The truck was traveling so fast that if it HAD a regular or large size vehicle coming at it they would have collided. Dumb butt!
It wasn't has hot today as we thought, so we aren't quite as exhausted....although we did get a little testy checking in to the Quality Inn. We are wondering if being a twit is a requirement for the job.
Home tomorrow!
John called the telephone number AND talked with the manager. There was even one employee wearing jewelry.
Over all, we lost close to an hour at this stop.
We continued on Hwy 395 out of Burns - speed limit 55....we rode 65 mph most of the time.
Lunch in Lakeside....reasonable rates and good food.
We turned on to Hwy 140 and headed toward Klamath Falls. Again the speed limit was 55 and we rode 65...and just happened to slow down to the speed limit before we saw the highway patrol.
That happened twice today. We made good time and didn't get speeding tickets.
A close call on Hwy 140 with a oversize load. Not only was it long it was extra wide because it was carrying a piece of farm equipment. The truck was traveling so fast that if it HAD a regular or large size vehicle coming at it they would have collided. Dumb butt!
It wasn't has hot today as we thought, so we aren't quite as exhausted....although we did get a little testy checking in to the Quality Inn. We are wondering if being a twit is a requirement for the job.
Home tomorrow!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Ride to Ontario, Oregon
We rode Hwy. 20 from Idaho Falls to Boise, ID. Nice road. LOUSY DRIVERS. INCONSIDERATE DRIVERS. DANGEROUS DRIVERS.
The speed limit is 65 mph - most vehicles drove in excess of 75 mph and ALL had Idaho license plates.
Never on this year's ride or in the past have we experienced the total lack of safe drivers that we did today.
Shame on the state of Idaho for not patrolling this section of Hwy. 20. There is no way these people would be driving they way they are if the road was patrolled.
As we left the highway at Mountain Home a patrol car and ambulance headed east of Hwy. 20 - and we weren't surprised.
Once we got on I-84 things ran more smoothly. There was construction going through Boise so that held drivers to ONLY five miles an hour over the 55 required.
It was 95 degrees as we rode through Boise - and 97 when we arrived in Ontario. Thank goodness for evaporative vests!
We are at the Super 8 in Ontario, Oregon. A very nice facility near a Country Kitchen with good food and staff.
The speed limit is 65 mph - most vehicles drove in excess of 75 mph and ALL had Idaho license plates.
Never on this year's ride or in the past have we experienced the total lack of safe drivers that we did today.
Shame on the state of Idaho for not patrolling this section of Hwy. 20. There is no way these people would be driving they way they are if the road was patrolled.
As we left the highway at Mountain Home a patrol car and ambulance headed east of Hwy. 20 - and we weren't surprised.
Once we got on I-84 things ran more smoothly. There was construction going through Boise so that held drivers to ONLY five miles an hour over the 55 required.
It was 95 degrees as we rode through Boise - and 97 when we arrived in Ontario. Thank goodness for evaporative vests!
We are at the Super 8 in Ontario, Oregon. A very nice facility near a Country Kitchen with good food and staff.
Ride to Idaho Falls, ID
While a ride to Idaho Falls may not sound exciting, guess again!
We entered Yellowstone National Park around 9 a.m. The weather was outstanding and the traffic wasn't heavy. What more could one need in this awesome park.
We stopped at the Fishing Bridge and stamped out passports.
This really was a ride to Idaho - all of us have been to Yellowstone and Teton many times. We were fortunate to be able to enjoy the ride with little impact from other drivers.
On leaving Yellowstone we stopped for a photo op.
We even sailed through Jackson Hole, WY with no problems. We've experienced big backups in other rides.
We rode Wyoming Highway 22 to Idaho - 10% grades up and down into the Teton Valley. As we neared Idaho Falls we had ride through some construction, but with little traffic.
On arriving at our motel, Best Western on Lindsay we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the accommodations - for less than the room in Cody. The pool was large and clean and the hot tub was HOT and large!
We had a nice dinner at The Sandpiper...food was good but the other patrons on the patio were LOUD!
These photos were taken to capture the Yellowstone sign in the background - we were tired and didn't want to walk over there!
Today we are riding to Ontario, Oregon....
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Ride to Cody, Wyoming
Leaving Rapid City it was a little chilly, but the sky was clear.
We opted to ride I-90 to Sheridan and then Hwy 14A to Lovell and on to Cody.
Hwy 14A goes over the mountain top....over 9k feet above sea level. Over the Big Horn Mountains. The weather was what one would expect in the mountains - cloudy and cool. The only additional item was a little rain and a little sleet/hail. Very little!
Once you ride up the mountain you get to ride down the mountain. No 6% grade.....10% for approximately 10 miles. Once the van from Minnesota got out of the way our ride was smoother.
Down the mountain the sun was shining and the temperature quickly rose to 72 degrees.
We stopped in Lovell for food....the only thing available was a combination Blimpy/Taco Johns. The food was surprisingly good.
Once we left Lovell we ended up in road construction - over 5 miles on dirt/gravel in heavy traffic. Cough, cough! Lots of dust.
We are now checked in at the Alters Inn Motel in Cody - refreshing ourselves before we heading out to enjoy the town!
The photos were taken on our ride over the Big Horn Mountains.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Rapid City, South Dakota
273 miles on I-90....talk about a fast ride.
We stopped in Wall, SD to enjoy the tourist thing for several hours. Robert lost his prescription sunglasses.
If you haven't been to Wall Drug, you should give it a try sometime. Lots of atmosphere!
We arrived at our motel around 2 p.m. - Travelodge. Reasonable rate, clean.
After relaxing for a few hours we got back on the rides to go to Mount Rushmore - about 25 miles away. Only one u-turn and we were there. The weather was overcast and chilly so we were bundled up like snow people in our layers and Frogg Toggs.
We parked in #4 parking garage - the same one we used the first time we parked at Mount Rushmore. And just like the first time there were very few cars. Only this time no mountain goat visiting.
We had several hours to wait before the 9 p.m. presentation and lighting of the faces so some of us napped (guess who!), did some shopping, ate some dinner, looked in the museum and show a could a videos in the theaters.
The lighting of the faces and the presentation are well worth the wait. At the end of the presentation the ranger asked that all active and inactive military personnel come down to the stage. I think were were close to 100 people who stood there - and the crowd paid tribute.
I will post photos tomorrow. We leave at 7 a.m. to ride to Cody, WY - 391 miles.
The photo with the people is of the veterans who attended the evening presentation - Larry is there in the second row, fourth from the left. As the flag was taken down the boy scouts handed the flag to the veterans the flag was then handed down the line to each veteran.
We stopped in Wall, SD to enjoy the tourist thing for several hours. Robert lost his prescription sunglasses.
If you haven't been to Wall Drug, you should give it a try sometime. Lots of atmosphere!
We arrived at our motel around 2 p.m. - Travelodge. Reasonable rate, clean.
After relaxing for a few hours we got back on the rides to go to Mount Rushmore - about 25 miles away. Only one u-turn and we were there. The weather was overcast and chilly so we were bundled up like snow people in our layers and Frogg Toggs.
We parked in #4 parking garage - the same one we used the first time we parked at Mount Rushmore. And just like the first time there were very few cars. Only this time no mountain goat visiting.
We had several hours to wait before the 9 p.m. presentation and lighting of the faces so some of us napped (guess who!), did some shopping, ate some dinner, looked in the museum and show a could a videos in the theaters.
The lighting of the faces and the presentation are well worth the wait. At the end of the presentation the ranger asked that all active and inactive military personnel come down to the stage. I think were were close to 100 people who stood there - and the crowd paid tribute.
I will post photos tomorrow. We leave at 7 a.m. to ride to Cody, WY - 391 miles.
The photo with the people is of the veterans who attended the evening presentation - Larry is there in the second row, fourth from the left. As the flag was taken down the boy scouts handed the flag to the veterans the flag was then handed down the line to each veteran.
Mitchell, South Dakota
384 miles via the back roads of Iowa. As Robert said yesterday - it took years for John to actually GET to Iowa and we all thought we'd never get out of it!
The route we chose included Hwy 30 and Hwy 17- both of which had detours that added useless miles to a very boring ride.
How boring? I, or one, came dangerously close to dozing off while riding!
If you ever think California has corn - forget it! Iowa has miles and miles of corn and quite a few feed lots too!
We had some rain, but we were still on the two lane road so it wasn't too bad.
We arrived in Mitchell at the Thunderbird Lodge early enough to go to Cabela's - I believe it is Mitchell's one claim to fame! Mitchell also must have the largest herd of mosquitoes in the USA!
Today we are riding the interstate to Rapid City. We hope to get there early enough to check in and then head to Mount Rushmore.
The route we chose included Hwy 30 and Hwy 17- both of which had detours that added useless miles to a very boring ride.
How boring? I, or one, came dangerously close to dozing off while riding!
If you ever think California has corn - forget it! Iowa has miles and miles of corn and quite a few feed lots too!
We had some rain, but we were still on the two lane road so it wasn't too bad.
We arrived in Mitchell at the Thunderbird Lodge early enough to go to Cabela's - I believe it is Mitchell's one claim to fame! Mitchell also must have the largest herd of mosquitoes in the USA!
Today we are riding the interstate to Rapid City. We hope to get there early enough to check in and then head to Mount Rushmore.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Rainy Des Moines
Today was our day to be lazy. Good thing too! When we had the shuttle driver take us to our late lunch NOTHING was open (except bars) in downtown Des Moines.
We ended up back at the hotel where we ate, played Farkle and drank some free booze.
Larry spent most of the evening getting our rides ready to go for tomorrow. Both trailers were a mess but are now tidy.
No fireworks because of the rain. No baseball game either. There was a concert downtown, but not exactly the type of music we'd stand in the rain to hear!
Tomorrow's ride will be wet. We are hoping that as we ride into South Dakota it will be drier.
We ended up back at the hotel where we ate, played Farkle and drank some free booze.
Larry spent most of the evening getting our rides ready to go for tomorrow. Both trailers were a mess but are now tidy.
No fireworks because of the rain. No baseball game either. There was a concert downtown, but not exactly the type of music we'd stand in the rain to hear!
Tomorrow's ride will be wet. We are hoping that as we ride into South Dakota it will be drier.
Fireworks in Des Moines, IA
These photos were captured from a video taken by Larry with his Canon digital Powershot camera
Independence Day!
Happy 4th of July from a wet Des Moines, Iowa. The rain isn't too bad but far from ideal conditions for any fireworks.
A leisurely breakfast, followed by preparations for tomorrow's departure. I'm doing laundry (ha, ha - made it to the laundry room before the yuppy moms!)
A leisurely breakfast, followed by preparations for tomorrow's departure. I'm doing laundry (ha, ha - made it to the laundry room before the yuppy moms!)
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Des Moines July 3
Last morning for the Wing Ding....made a final swing through the vendors and ended up with new helmets! (I think our fellow travelers managed to find all the items they were looking for as well.)
The Wing Ding was over at 1:30 p.m. The remainder of our afternoon was spent doing some maintenance on the rides and generally relaxing.
The hotel has veggies and pretzels with drinks in the evening so no one was interested in a big meal this evening so we topped it off with dinner a McDonald's!
We ended our evening with several games of Farkle with new friends from Sioux City, Iowa. (Farkle is a game using six dice that is easy and loads of fun!)
One of the perks at this hotel is the shuttle service. Given the fact that this Wing Ding was not in a single location the shuttle was a God send. The only complaints we heard were about the fact that the location did not afford the opportunity to see all the motorcycles in one location; that one had to travel away from the convention center to participate in the light parade, etc.
Tomorrow it is supposed to rain - heavily - so we'll get the gear ready for the ride out on Monday. Happy 4th of July!
The Wing Ding was over at 1:30 p.m. The remainder of our afternoon was spent doing some maintenance on the rides and generally relaxing.
The hotel has veggies and pretzels with drinks in the evening so no one was interested in a big meal this evening so we topped it off with dinner a McDonald's!
We ended our evening with several games of Farkle with new friends from Sioux City, Iowa. (Farkle is a game using six dice that is easy and loads of fun!)
One of the perks at this hotel is the shuttle service. Given the fact that this Wing Ding was not in a single location the shuttle was a God send. The only complaints we heard were about the fact that the location did not afford the opportunity to see all the motorcycles in one location; that one had to travel away from the convention center to participate in the light parade, etc.
Tomorrow it is supposed to rain - heavily - so we'll get the gear ready for the ride out on Monday. Happy 4th of July!
July 2 in Des Moines
We spent the morning checking out more of the vendors.
In the afternoon we hopped on a tour bus for a little tour of the governor's residence and the Weeks mansion. Both are National History Sites.
The Weeks mansion (on the inside) looks a lot like the Hearst Castle. Rich dudes with money to blow and looking to Europe for the interior furnishings.
A stop at Suzette's Candy wrapped up the tour. Very nice. A little candy kitchen that puts out a lot of yummy candies.
For dinner we took the advice of our tour guide, our shuttle driver and the lady serving cocktails in the hotel....Centro. Glad we went there - just wish I hadn't eaten all day so I could have eaten more! The food and our server were five star.
I keep hoping that all the walking we are doing throughout the day at the Wing Ding is burning more calories than I am eating!
In the afternoon we hopped on a tour bus for a little tour of the governor's residence and the Weeks mansion. Both are National History Sites.
The Weeks mansion (on the inside) looks a lot like the Hearst Castle. Rich dudes with money to blow and looking to Europe for the interior furnishings.
A stop at Suzette's Candy wrapped up the tour. Very nice. A little candy kitchen that puts out a lot of yummy candies.
For dinner we took the advice of our tour guide, our shuttle driver and the lady serving cocktails in the hotel....Centro. Glad we went there - just wish I hadn't eaten all day so I could have eaten more! The food and our server were five star.
I keep hoping that all the walking we are doing throughout the day at the Wing Ding is burning more calories than I am eating!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Wing Ding 32
What a day...walk, walk, walk, walk.
Turn out looked good. Lots of vendors.
GREAT fireworks display put on by the City of Des Moines this evening. Don't think I've seen anything as nice in many of year.
Turn out looked good. Lots of vendors.
GREAT fireworks display put on by the City of Des Moines this evening. Don't think I've seen anything as nice in many of year.
Des Moines
The ride from Branson was delightfully uneventful.
We opted to use Highway 65 for the entire ride. In addition to avoiding interstate traffic we were blessed with moderate temperatures until the mid afternoon.
We missed the green light at a construction area on Hwy. 65 - we could have raced the yellow light, but opted to be squeaky clean with traffic laws. Little did we know that the light would remain red for such a long time....cat naps were the item.
At our last stop before heading into the city we opted to put on our cooling vests. We knew that with the slower speeds and 85 degree temperature we would be far more comfortable.
We are staying at Embassy Suites on the river in Des Moines. We arrived in time for the evening cocktail 'party'. This is a VERY nice facility. In the 14 hours we have been here I only have one complaint - they charge for internet access - at isn't any nominal fee either!
Today we will register at the Wing Ding and spend the day mosying through the convention. Des Moines is hoping 14k motorcyclists spend $4 million dollars over four days.
These photos were taken last evening from our room's window. The river below is at flood stage.
We opted to use Highway 65 for the entire ride. In addition to avoiding interstate traffic we were blessed with moderate temperatures until the mid afternoon.
We missed the green light at a construction area on Hwy. 65 - we could have raced the yellow light, but opted to be squeaky clean with traffic laws. Little did we know that the light would remain red for such a long time....cat naps were the item.
At our last stop before heading into the city we opted to put on our cooling vests. We knew that with the slower speeds and 85 degree temperature we would be far more comfortable.
We are staying at Embassy Suites on the river in Des Moines. We arrived in time for the evening cocktail 'party'. This is a VERY nice facility. In the 14 hours we have been here I only have one complaint - they charge for internet access - at isn't any nominal fee either!
Today we will register at the Wing Ding and spend the day mosying through the convention. Des Moines is hoping 14k motorcyclists spend $4 million dollars over four days.
These photos were taken last evening from our room's window. The river below is at flood stage.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Branson for lunch
Good thing we didn't go for a ride today....we all slept in!
I discovered a plastic bag of very smelly dirty clothes so we all decided to do laundry. It took us a hour to get to the laundromat (a short distance away) because of the traffic.
It only took a hour to wash, dry, fold and ride back to the motel.
Gary & Marj met us at the motel to guide us to the restaurant. A good lunch at Mr. G's. Then up to Dino's Cakes for dessert.
Gary then led us over to RFD TV. They departed to take care of their laundry.
A big thanks to Gary for being so hospitable! (We have relatives who wouldn't take a day off to show us around.)
This evening we are lazing around the pool because our 400 mile ride tomorrow.
Again - no photos because the freaking internet connection sucks at the motel. (Everything else is fine!)
I discovered a plastic bag of very smelly dirty clothes so we all decided to do laundry. It took us a hour to get to the laundromat (a short distance away) because of the traffic.
It only took a hour to wash, dry, fold and ride back to the motel.
Gary & Marj met us at the motel to guide us to the restaurant. A good lunch at Mr. G's. Then up to Dino's Cakes for dessert.
Gary then led us over to RFD TV. They departed to take care of their laundry.
A big thanks to Gary for being so hospitable! (We have relatives who wouldn't take a day off to show us around.)
This evening we are lazing around the pool because our 400 mile ride tomorrow.
Again - no photos because the freaking internet connection sucks at the motel. (Everything else is fine!)
Monday, June 28, 2010
Albuquerque, NM to Branson, MO
It has been a few days....
We departed Albuquerque headed for Roswell via Alamogordo. Our first ride to Ruidoso. Except for the rain, a nice ride.
Got into Roswell early enough to check out the UFO Museum. Stayed at the Day's Inn and had a good Mexican food dinner at the Amigos.
We left fairly early the next morning because it was HOT.
We stopped in Amarillo, Texas for lunch at the Big Texan...as good as we recall!
As soon as we rode across the Oklahoma border we were slammed by the wind. The combination of hot temperatures and wind just sapped our energy.
We spent the night in Clinton, Oklahoma - at the Super 8. There was a festival going on so there weren't many rooms, otherwise we would have stayed somewhere with a pool.
Restaurant warning - stay away from the Branding Iron Restaurant at the Day's Inn. Lousy service, lousy food. Biggest part of the lousy - they just did not give a damn.
The following day we again departed early to try and beat the heat....as John said, we would have had to leave at 5 a.m. to beat the heat. We intended the most direct route to Branson, but ended up on a 20 mile scenic route at the end of a very hot, long ride.
We arrived at the Yellow Rose motel early enough to get the rides covered before the big storm hit....which took down a tree across the street from where our rooms are. Cooled it off nicely though!
Today we had the pleasure of the company of Marj and Gary Covert. Gary had planned a ride for us tomorrow but we are so beat up by the heat and long day from yesterday we had to bow out. Rather, we will be meeting them for lunch at Mr. G's.
No photos because the freaking internet wifi at the motel SUCKS! I'll up load photos when we get to Des Moines.
We departed Albuquerque headed for Roswell via Alamogordo. Our first ride to Ruidoso. Except for the rain, a nice ride.
Got into Roswell early enough to check out the UFO Museum. Stayed at the Day's Inn and had a good Mexican food dinner at the Amigos.
We left fairly early the next morning because it was HOT.
We stopped in Amarillo, Texas for lunch at the Big Texan...as good as we recall!
As soon as we rode across the Oklahoma border we were slammed by the wind. The combination of hot temperatures and wind just sapped our energy.
We spent the night in Clinton, Oklahoma - at the Super 8. There was a festival going on so there weren't many rooms, otherwise we would have stayed somewhere with a pool.
Restaurant warning - stay away from the Branding Iron Restaurant at the Day's Inn. Lousy service, lousy food. Biggest part of the lousy - they just did not give a damn.
The following day we again departed early to try and beat the heat....as John said, we would have had to leave at 5 a.m. to beat the heat. We intended the most direct route to Branson, but ended up on a 20 mile scenic route at the end of a very hot, long ride.
We arrived at the Yellow Rose motel early enough to get the rides covered before the big storm hit....which took down a tree across the street from where our rooms are. Cooled it off nicely though!
Today we had the pleasure of the company of Marj and Gary Covert. Gary had planned a ride for us tomorrow but we are so beat up by the heat and long day from yesterday we had to bow out. Rather, we will be meeting them for lunch at Mr. G's.
No photos because the freaking internet wifi at the motel SUCKS! I'll up load photos when we get to Des Moines.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Cal-Tex Albuquerque, NM
Yesterday we participated in the Cal-Tex Poker Run. We began the ride at the Hilton and rode to Sandia Crest - 10,876 feet above sea level. Only 16 miles up the mountain! A truly awesome view.
On leaving the Sandia National Forest we headed to Madrid, NM - home of the town where the movie Wild Hogs was filmed. Poor little town was overwhelmed by all the Cal-Tex riders. Some shop owners were gracious, others acted like doing business with us was an imposition.
I'm positive the residents of Madrid aren't always pleased with the notoriety after the movie came out, but I do believe that a business owner should at least be pleasant to people who are willing to spend money in their establishments. If not, they should put out the "Closed" sign!
The weather had been cool at Sandia Crest, but warmed up quickly as we rode to Madrid. After leaving Madrid we experienced some partly cloudy skies that worsened as we rode toward Interstate 25. After merging on I-25 we watched the clouds darken and started to hear thunder. The rains came, as did the lightening so we continued to an overpass to wait out the electrical storm. Within 30 minutes we were back on the road - with a little rain for a short time and then sunny, hot weather. The temperature was 55 as we sat out the storm under the overpass and got up to 99 as we headed back into Albuquerque.
For dinner we went to the Monte Carlo Steak House - another restaurant mentioned in the Guy Fieri book. Food was good!
On leaving the restaurant we were pelted with wind driven sand for the entire ride back to the La Quinta. Blowing sand HURTS!
Today we are taking it easy and getting caught up on computer, GPS, and camera business. This evening is the Cal-Tex banquet.
Tomorrow we are riding to Roswell, NM via Alamogordo and Ruidoso.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Farmington to Albuquerque
We ate breakfast at the motel. Not only did the America's Best Value Inn have Belgian waffles, they had eggs, sausage, yogurt and the usual stuff.
The road from Farmington to Albuquerque is four lanes and mostly down hill. There isn't a lot of traffic but you have to be really careful because the people who drive off the reservations don't stop before entering the highway. I shudder to think of the number of people who have been killed or injured!
About 100 miles from our destination we stopped to put on our cooling vests...ahh! What a difference the vest makes to our comfort.
Before leaving home John had made a list of restaurants recommended in Guy Fieri's books. One of the recommendations was in the Garmin GPS so we headed to Sophia's for lunch. I believe everyone enjoyed their food. For some reason the chef didn't believe John when he said we had ridden all the way from Lake County, CA to check out the restaurant Guy Fieri had recommended!
We arrived safely at the La Quinta in Albuquerque. It will be nice to rest for a couple of days!
The road from Farmington to Albuquerque is four lanes and mostly down hill. There isn't a lot of traffic but you have to be really careful because the people who drive off the reservations don't stop before entering the highway. I shudder to think of the number of people who have been killed or injured!
About 100 miles from our destination we stopped to put on our cooling vests...ahh! What a difference the vest makes to our comfort.
Before leaving home John had made a list of restaurants recommended in Guy Fieri's books. One of the recommendations was in the Garmin GPS so we headed to Sophia's for lunch. I believe everyone enjoyed their food. For some reason the chef didn't believe John when he said we had ridden all the way from Lake County, CA to check out the restaurant Guy Fieri had recommended!
We arrived safely at the La Quinta in Albuquerque. It will be nice to rest for a couple of days!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Two days....
Yesterday we rode from Beaver, Utah to Page Arizona via Bryce Canyon...we opted not to go to Zion because of time. Turned out to be a good decision because there is a huge fire in Flagstaff that would have impacted us.
We all now have National Park Passports....and are hoping to get many stamps this ride.
Advice - when going to Bryce Canyon National Park take advantage of the free shuttle service. It just isn't work the hassle of finding a parking spot when the shuttle takes you everywhere, drops you off and there is another shuttle within 10 minutes.
Nice Super 8 in Page. Ken's Old restaurant was recommended by staff at the Super 8and it was an excellent meal.
Today we headed to Four Corners National Monument. Should have checked first - it is closed for construction. At least we weren't the only people who did not know it was closed as there were other people on motorcycles and motorhomes turning around too! It just seems odd to have a national monument closed during tourist season.
We continued on Hwy 160 to Durango for a beverage at McDonald's before riding to Farmington.
We stayed at American's Best Value Inn. This facility has just changed hands and the new owners are making headway to making this into a nice place. The pool was being repaired so that was a bummer.
We've had a great ride....
Chipmunks at Bryce Canyon
Robert and Carol at Bryce Canyon
Larry at Bryce Canyon Visitor Center
John at Dixie National Forest - on the way to Bryce Canyon
Rock formation in Dixie National Forest
Larry at Bryce Canyon
More Bryce Canyon
Gas stop in Durango, Colorado
We all now have National Park Passports....and are hoping to get many stamps this ride.
Advice - when going to Bryce Canyon National Park take advantage of the free shuttle service. It just isn't work the hassle of finding a parking spot when the shuttle takes you everywhere, drops you off and there is another shuttle within 10 minutes.
Nice Super 8 in Page. Ken's Old restaurant was recommended by staff at the Super 8and it was an excellent meal.
Today we headed to Four Corners National Monument. Should have checked first - it is closed for construction. At least we weren't the only people who did not know it was closed as there were other people on motorcycles and motorhomes turning around too! It just seems odd to have a national monument closed during tourist season.
We continued on Hwy 160 to Durango for a beverage at McDonald's before riding to Farmington.
We stayed at American's Best Value Inn. This facility has just changed hands and the new owners are making headway to making this into a nice place. The pool was being repaired so that was a bummer.
We've had a great ride....
Chipmunks at Bryce Canyon
Robert and Carol at Bryce Canyon
Larry at Bryce Canyon Visitor Center
John at Dixie National Forest - on the way to Bryce Canyon
Rock formation in Dixie National Forest
Larry at Bryce Canyon
More Bryce Canyon
Gas stop in Durango, Colorado
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)