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.