Back home

It was a chilly ride from Eureka to Austin, Nevada on US 50 this morning (Saturday, August 31) with a hint of rain in the air. By Austin we could see haze from the forest fires in Yosemite, and as we went farther west we could smell the smoke mixed in with the delightful smell of sage that always seems stronger when there's been a shower - we also had a tiny sprinkle or two, but from the puddles it looked as though it may have rained overnight.

Windmills along US 50 in Nevada.

 The day became warmer, and by the time we reached Fallon it was hot. In Fallon I saw a man dressed in a devil suit walking purposefully down the sidewalk - a sure sign that we were getting closer to California. We got on I-80 in Fernley and rode that through Reno and into California. We hit our first traffic jam in Reno when we exited for lunch and fuel - there was a street festival going on - so we quickly got back on I-80 and rode another 10 miles to a quieter service area near a casino.

In California we stopped at Ikeda's in Auburn for a couple of frozen pies, which I managed to fit on my bike with a little rearranging. We also stopped at A&S BMW in Roseville, where John bought and fitted a set of highway pegs. All during the trip John said his bike would be perfect if he just had some highway pegs, and now with 100 miles to home he had them.

This /2 BMW from the 1960's looks like a daily rider for one of the A&S shop workers.

I waved good-bye to John at the Corte Madera exit off 101 and then I stopped in Sausalito to see Vanya and Linda and Peter, who had spent the day in Sonoma. Vanya fixed a delicious salmon dinner for us, and then I was back on the bike for the short hop over the Golden Gate Bridge and into San Francisco, where it was cold, foggy, and windy - normal August evening weather.

Carol and Nikki and the cats greeted me, some more warmly than others, and I began making a mental list of all the things that need doing in the next few days, beginning with a good cleaning of the bike.

The trip, all 10,000 miles and 33 days, couldn't have gone better. We had a minimal amount of rain, no breakdowns, no close calls with animals or vehicles, and we saw some beautiful country and rode on interesting roads. We visited family and friends, and at almost every stop we had a conversation with someone who once had a bike, or thought about getting a bike, or was just interested in where we were from and where we were going. We also met quite a few people on bikes, and those conversations tended to be longer - roads we'd been on, places we'd seen, how the bikes were doing. Being on a motorcycle seems to attract friendly people and draw them out. The colors seem brighter through a helmet visor, the smells more vivid (especially the feed lots!) from the saddle of a bike, and I'm thinking about next year's trip(s).

Fortunately, flat tires on a motorcycle are no longer the common occurrence they once were. (Taken at a gas station in Arizona on the 1972 trip with Dick Bouck.)

Two great riding days

The last two days featured many mountain passes, good weather, and interesting roads.

We left Boulder early and followed 119 (Boulder Canyon road) to Nederland, then north on scenic Highway 72 through Peaceful Valley to Highway 7 and then Estes Park at Highway 34. We rode Trail Ridge road in Rocky Mountain National Park to the parking lot and visitor's center where we hung out for an hour or so, talking with other motorcyclists. I walked up to the summit and had someone take my picture. The first time I was there was in 1972 with Dick Bouck - on our motorcycles of course. At that time the only road to the top from the east was one-way dirt and gravel for the last 5 or 10 miles. Once at the top you could only keep going west to Granby, although at least the road west from the summit was two-way and paved. We turned onto US 40 going west over Muddy Pass and Rabbit Ears Pass into Steamboat. We had a little rain at the passes - I don't think I've ever been over those passes when it hasn't been raining. Steamboat Springs just keeps growing and growing - just outside of town is the largest Subaru dealership I've ever seen, and beyond that there's a big trailer park, where I suppose all the service workers live. Steamboat is getting to be like Aspen. We stayed on US 40 to Vernal, Utah, where we spent the night.

View from the Visitors' Center at the top of Trail Ridge Road.

Pete at the summit - I look just the same as I did in 1972 when I was first here except that I no longer have a mustache and goatee. Right.

Taken at the summit of Trail Ridge Road on the 1972 motorcycle trip with Dick Bouck

The old dirt and gravel one-way road in the background

This morning (August 30) we continued west on US 40 to Duschene, Utah where we turned south on US 191. As Utah has grown, US 40 has become a main road into Salt Lake City and there was a fair amount of truck traffic, so we were glad to leave it. Highway 191 south is twisty and interesting and there wasn't much traffic. At Price we turned onto Utah 10 to Huntington, and then went to Fairview via UT 31, which is a great road that goes through a National Forest and over a 9400 foot pass. The weather was good, there was very little traffic, and there were lots of turns - great riding. We turned on Utah 132 and rode into Nephi, and then Delta where we joined US 50, which we followed over several 7400 foot passes into Ely, Nevada and then Eureka, where we are spending the night.

Tomorrow will be the last day on the road, and although it will be good to get home to Carol and Nikki and sleep in my own bed, I have to say that I feel like I could just keep on going.

Iowa, Nebraska, and, finally, Colorado

We spent most of Monday (August 26) morning at J&P Cycles and The National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa. I visited the museum last year, but there is a lot to see, and I looked for things I'd missed the first time.

The National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa.

Motorcycle Gothic (with an apology to Grant Wood).

The King Bill Harley

The Flying Merkel board track racer.

A Vincent Rapide in Chinese Red.

An Aermacchi Chimera. The styling was too radical and the bike wasn't a big seller. Harley later bought the Italian company.

A Norton Manx and period race posters.

Steve McQueen's Indian on which he'd disappear into the desert to get away from it all.

One of the Captain America bikes used in the movie Easy Rider - the only one remaining.

Harleys from the 1930's with period posters.

We continued south and west on US 151, then west on US 30, the Lincoln Highway. It was a good day for riding, although a bit hot - in the mid 90's. We spent the night near the Missouri River, and Tuesday morning crossed into Nebraska, still riding on US 30, to Kearney, NE. The Classic Car Collection, a new museum behind a Cabella's, opened last year. There are 170 cars on the floor, most of which belonged to a private collector who donated them as the foundation for the museum. It is an eclectic collection with everything from a custom-bodied Rolls Royce to a Messerschmidt Kabinenroller "bubble car". Even though it's a new museum the cars are packed too tightly for good photographs or even good viewing - still worth the trip, though.

Exterior of The Classic Car Collection.

Pride of the collection - the Hooper bodied Rolls Royce limousine. 

Two 1956 Ford Crown Victorias.

A 1950's gas station with a Packard awaiting service.

A Messerschmidt Kabinenroller.

A Packard display.

This Plymouth from the 1950's sports a swamp cooler - an early form of air-conditioning

20 miles from Kearney in Minden, NE is the Harold Warp Pioneer Village, which was built in 1953 to trace man's progress since 1830 - the days of the plains pioneers. There are over 20 buildings including a pony express station, a sod house, and barns holding steam tractors, cars, motorcycles, and even a row of snowmobiles. Vanya and Andrew may remember the place from a visit during a cross-country drive in the old Blueberry 15 years ago. John and I spent two hours roaming around the buildings before they closed, but it wasn't enough time, so we decided  to stay at the motel there and spend another couple of hours in the morning. The Wi-Fi at the motel was lacking, so that is why no trip update last night.

Suzuki at the Harold Warp Pioneer Village.

John looks at a row of Willys on the second floor of a barn - no air conditioning in most of the buildings and it was a hot day.

 

A display of early bicycles.

A row of motorcycles. Many of the displays were jumbled together like this

A Flying Merkel single in Tom's bicycle/motorcycle repair shop.

 

Two WWII era airplane engines - an American radial and a German V-12.

Early motorcar touring.

We were there in the morning when the village opened, and we finally left at 11:30 AM, heading west on US 34 through Nebraska and into Colorado. Unlike US 30, US 34 is fairly deserted with mostly local traffic and not many trucks.

We did see an unusual sight on Highway 34 - a pair of unicyclists who were riding across the country in support of Syrian refugees.

We got on I-76 in Brush, CO, and followed that until we got off to go into Boulder, where we checked into our motel and met Vanya for dinner. At the motel I had a text from her saying that she was home from jail - visiting a client, I'm happy to say. She's doing fine, and is optimistic about Rocky, her lab mix puppy. After dinner she drove me to her apartment where I met the little troublemaker, and he seemed very mellow indeed, rolling on his back for a tummy rub, and looking quite innocent. He'd been in doggie day care all day, which is basically like a big dog park, so he was worn out. Even so, Vanya says he's much better than he used to be when she goes out and leaves him.

Tomorrow we'll ride through Rocky Mountain National Park, and then familiar US 40 west.

A sad parting

We departed Geo and Annette's Greenbush Retreat after two days of excellent hospitality that included a trout dinner with delicious rhubarb pie, venison sausage for breakfast, and a guided tour of part of the Kettle Moraine. Dan rode south for Evanston this morning, and John and I headed west an hour later.
We rode  as far as Anamosa, IA, and the National Motorcycle Museum. We  arrived an hour and a half before the museum closes, and that is obviously not enough time to do justice to the 400 motorcycles that reside therein, so we called it an early day and we'll tour the museum tomorrow morning first thing before continuing west.

Back in the USA

We woke early on Thursday (August 22) to a chilly but clear day and rode Canada 17 west through Sudbury, Ontario and along the Georgian Bay to Sault St. Marie where we crossed the border to the USA. There was a lot of traffic going both directions, but once we got to the border gate we got through quickly enough. We stopped for lunch in the American Sault St. Marie at a restaurant right along the Soo Locks where we saw a large freighter make its slow way through. Back on the road we went west on Michigan 28 into the upper peninsula, then turned south to Rt. 2 which eventually goes right along the top end of Lake Michigan. We spend the night at a cheap motel in Manistique, MI - there were many motels along the road, most with only one or two cars in the parking lot. I suspect that the vacation areas in Michigan are still suffering from the recession.

The next morning we continued on Rt. 2 and then south along Green Bay, eventually getting on Highway 41 and the I-43 south to Francis Creek where I had a minor service (oil change and check-up) done on the bike. After that it was just 50 miles to Geo and Annette's house, which is where we are now. This morning we went for a hike in the Kettle Morraine and then had lunch in Elkhart Lake, an old resort town and also home  to a famous car racing track. Geo is cooking trout for dinner, and we are just relaxing here and enjoying the beautiful view from  his back deck.

Dan and John bring Dan's tire pressure up to spec.

Au Revoir, Quebec

Since we weren't stopping in Montreal, we thought that we should at least see a bit of old Quebec (city). John put Hotel Frontenac in his GPS and we followed it to the center of the old town where we parked the bikes and walked around for a couple of hours. The old town area is very quaint with a long narrow street lined with shops selling everything from souvenirs to jewelry and clothing - it reminds me somewhat of Bratislava. Rather touristy with all the cafes and restaurants, but still impressive. We walked along the water for a mile or so and then climbed a long stairway up the side of the hill to the Plains of Abraham, where a famous battle was fought in 1759 that determined the future of Canada as a British colony, rather than a French one.

Back on the road we went by Montreal and stayed at a very strange hotel in Lachute, about 60 miles west of Montreal. The hotel was being remodeled and looked as though it was once quite fancy. The weather was warm and clear all day, and the road we followed alternated between two and four lanes.

This morning we were up early to get to the BMW shop in Ottawa for a service on John's bike. As we approached the city we began to hit a lot of stop and go traffic, mostly due to construction. Ottawa is rather like LA without the charm - I've finally found a Canadian city to which I have no interest in returning. We were at the shop for three hours and left in the early afternoon. The road was pleasant enough once we escaped Ottawa, going along the river in places and eventually Lake Nipissing, where we are spending the night in Sturgeon Falls, Ontario. The area around the lake appears to be a favorite vacation spot, being on the water and not far from Toronto.

Tomorrow we'll be back in the USA.

The Hotel Frontenac in Quebec City.

Looking down at a row of shops in the old town.

How "darling" is that restaurant?

A busy outlet at the motel in Lachute - this wasn't unusual when the three of us shared a room and we needed to charge our phones, Kindles, and even our helmets (Bluetooth).

A foreign land

We've been in Canada for over a week now, but it wasn't until yesterday that I felt we were in a foreign land.

Sunday morning we crossed the river from Campbellton, NB to Quebec and rode east up the south side of the Gaspe peninsula. The weather was balmy and there were many bikes on the road, mostly cruisers. That part of Gaspe is somewhat like the Delaware/New Jersey shore - many summer cottages, ice cream places, small towns every few miles, and vacationers. There aren't that many beaches, however, and I imagine the water is quite cold. Along the way in Perce we took picture of a very large rock just offshore that is the last bit of the Appalachian mountain chain. We rode into the national park at the very tip of the peninsula, and began heading west around the north side. That side of the peninsula isn't as developed as the south side, the terrain is wilder and the road has more hills and turns - it is a bit like the northern California coast, although with less traffic. For much of the way the road goes right near the shore. We stayed at a small motel in Mont St. Pierre for the night.

The next morning we rode about 40 miles before stopping for breakfast in St. Anne des Monts. Although the restaurant was part of a motel, it was quite elegant and the food was delicious. By the time we left it had started raining, and we rode through occasionally heavy rain for an hour or so before it gradually slowed and finally stopped. The farther west we went the shorter the distance between towns and the more traffic there was, so eventually we left the shore road and went a few miles inland to the local equivalent of an Interstate. This took us to St. Jean Port Joli, home of a motorcycle museum that was one of the destinations for the trip. We stopped there and spent an hour or so looking at the bikes; there were a few bikes and scooters I haven't seen before, and the museum was nicely arranged with period displays. Since we had such a large breakfast, we skipped lunch, so we had an early dinner in town before getting back on the divided road and riding for 30 miles to Montmagny, where we are spending the night.

We've enjoyed ourselves in Quebec. The people we've met have been  lively and helpful, and perfectly willing to work with you to understand what you are trying to say. Quite a few of the older people speak little English, but most of the younger ones speak at least some.

Tomorrow we may stop in Quebec (city) for a short visit before heading to Ottawa where John has a service scheduled for his bike on Wednesday.

Perce Rock - the end of the Appalachian chain.

No lighthouse pictures yet - here's one.

The motorcycle museum in St. Jean Port Joli.

A 1972 Honda CB750 - just like the one I rode on my first cross-country motorcycle trip.

A 1971 Yamaha XS-650. My friend, Dick Bouck, had one in 1971 and he and I on my 1970 Yamaha rode to the east coast and up into Quebec.

A display of Moto Guzzis

A re-creation of a 1930's motorcycle shop.

A Clement with period poster.

Dan tries on a Honda chopper for size - he'll stick with his BMW.