Anamosa, Iowa

 TheNational Motorcycle Museum opened in downtown Anamosa, Iowa in 1989 and was founded as a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation by a combination of motorcycle dealers, collectors, and motorcycle enthusiasts. The original building occupied two floors - the ground floor and a basement, but in 2010 the museum moved to a repurposed building just outside Anamosa that doubled the size of the museum and also had everything on one floor. The museum kept going via donations, admissions, museum sales (T-shirts, models, books, etc.), memberships, and events. One of the main movers behind the museum was John Parham, founder (in 1979) of J&P Cycles, a motorcycle accessories distributor and manufacturer that does mail order and also has six retail stores, including one down the road from the museum. Parham was an avid collector and many of his bikes and memorabilia are on display in the museum, along with those of other collectors who loaned their bikes to the museum. Parham passed away in 2017, and now the museum will close its doors on September 5 of this year, closely followed by a Mecum auction of Parham's estate. The finances of museums like this are such that they need a foundation or wealthy benefactor (Barber museum, Haas Moto Museum) to keep going - admissions and T-shirt sales won't cover the operating expenses. I've visited the museum three times (maybe four) over the years, and thought that I should go one more time before it closes its doors for good. 

Thursday, July 13 2023: I left the house a little before 10 this morning about an hour later than I wanted to. Aside from a jam up on 19th Avenue due to road construction traffic was light on 101 north, 37 across the delta, and even I-80 through Fairfield. I stopped at Iron Steed Harley Davidson in Vacaville to shed my jacket liner, switch to light gloves, and open all the vents on my jacket and pants. It was 55 when I left SF, 70 in Vallejo, and 85 in Vacaville. I stopped at Granzella’s in Williams on I-5 and had lunch, then continued on I-5 to Redding where it reached 100 degrees. US 299 east from Redding is a good road, scenic and easy riding, but there were three places where I was held up for 15-20 minutes due to road construction - one lane and a pilot car. The temperature was 85 to 90, a little cooler over a couple of low passes. A stop in Burney for gas and on the way out of town I passed the Blackberry Patch restaurant where Carol (and John and Karen) and I had breakfast two years ago on our way to Great Falls, Montana. There were still Help Wanted signs in the restaurant windows. I arrived at the Hotel Niles in Alturas at 6:30 and checked in. This is an old hotel that hasn’t been upgraded a lot - noisy window air conditioner, few electric outlets, poor room lighting, no elevator - I suppose you could call it charming.

My room is the Spirit of Africa Suite. Dinner was downstairs in the Hotel Niles Restaurant. The bike is running fine, although it used a little oil - to be expected going 75-80 mph in 100 degree heat. Tomorrow is a long day and I lose an hour going into mountain time, so I hope to get an early start. (377 miles)

Friday, July 14: Coffee and a pastry from the coffee shop downstairs is included with a stay at Hotel Niles. The room was old-fashioned but comfortable and I slept well and was on the road at 8:30, later than I’d hoped. US 395 is pleasant motoring and there was little traffic. The road goes through ranch land and there are hills in the distance, and Goose Lake to the west. After an hour I stopped in Lakeview, Oregon for gas and breakfast, but I somehow missed the Tall Town Cafe, my intended choice, and ended up in the small downtown area (off 395) at the Downtown Cafe, which was OK. After breakfast I discovered that if I’d continued past the Chevron station for a quarter mile I would have found the Tall Town Cafe - apparently Lakeview is known locally as Tall Town. 

Unlike two years ago there was no road construction on 395 and I enjoyed the scenery and the occasional curvy sections near the lake, although few of the curves required a downshift to fifth gear. At US 20 (AKA Euclid Ave. in the Cleveland, Ohio area) I turned east and there was more traffic, although nothing heavy and everyone moved at or over the limit except for farm vehicles and the occasional elderly truck. After Burns US 20 goes over a couple of low passes - Stinking Water and Drinkwater, both about 4500 feet - and the road is more interesting. In Juntura I rode by the Oasis Cafe where Carol, John, and Karen and I ate breakfast two years ago - it is the only business in town and I was happy to see a few pickups parked out front. Farther down the road in Vale I noticed that the large, freestanding sign for the Bates Motel is still there (Alfred Hitchcock Psycho reference) and the motel itself is actually open. Rather than ride north a ways through Ontario and connect with I-84 there I stayed on US 20/26 south to Nyssa and picked up I-84 farther south at Caldwell. The 15 miles or so was mostly large agricultural farms and a couple of small towns - not very interesting. 

Since I would be going near Boise at 5 PM I was worried about the traffic, but the Interstate (four lanes in each direction at that point) is far enough from the city that the traffic moved at the limit. North Boise has huge condo/apartment/townhouse developments, malls, car dealers, etc. - all signs that Boise is booming. South of Boise the speed limit went up to 80 mph, so I made good time to Mountain Home, where I’m spending the night at the Mountain Home Inn, east of the Interstate and the city. The motel is functional and new and dinner at the Savory Layne Steakhouse (I had crispy chicken salad) was OK. When I returned to the restaurant I spoke with a guy who parked his Harley next to my bike (I’m on my 2008 BMW R1200R this trip). He is from Athens, Ohio and had been up to Spokane, Washington and was heading home. Just after he pulled in a group of six Harleys rode into the parking lot, so I suspect that I’ll see a lot of bikes on the road tomorrow and Sunday. 

The weather today was clear and sunny with temperatures (after mid-morning) mostly from 80-95 with a high of 97 - just about perfect riding weather. The next few days should be more of the same but slightly cooler. No pictures today because there was really nothing noteworthy or quirky. Scenery doesn’t really show up well in a small picture, and anyway I was enjoying myself and didn’t really want to stop. (425 miles)

Saturday, July 15: This morning I had coffee and a light breakfast from the Continental breakfast at the hotel - enough to get me down the road 60 miles to Musher’s Mug in Fairfield. The Mountain Home Inn is part of the Magnuson Group, who have hotels near vacation spots. The room was very functional, well thought out, and up to date. Before I left I spent some time talking motorcycles with the guy with the Harley parked next to me, so I didn’t leave until nine, dressed too warmly for the temperature, although it cooled off going over a couple of 4500 foot hills. I had a little difficulty finding Musher’s Mug - it is a tiny place that faces a dirt road with only a small sign. The town school teams are called The Mushers, and the place was also a stopping point many years ago for an annual sled dog race. 

Although biscuits and gravy was on the menu I ordered French Toast out of deference to Carol (her favorite breakfast - sorry, Clark). Just as I was leaving a man came in and joined a couple at the other table (two tables in the cafe) and asked me about my bike. His name was Steve and he and his sister and brother-in-law (the couple) were staying near town for a family reunion. He was from San Diego, and back in 1976 had an R75/5 like Boris and traveled across the country. We talked bikes and trips we’d taken for awhile and I finally left after opening the vents on my jacket and pants, switching gloves, and packing away the jacket liner. 

Further down the road I stopped at a rest area and when I left I looped around the parking lot and took the wrong exit heading south on ID 75 instead of east on US 20 (the rest area is set back from where the two roads cross). After about five miles I wondered why the sun seemed to be in a different place in the sky, consulted my GPS, and turned around and went east on 20. Carol and the kids have always said that I can get lost in a closet. I rode through Picabo (you may remember Picabo Street, the Olympic skier from many years ago) and Carey (where US 20 joins US 26) and then past the lava fields of Craters of the Moon National Monument, where Nikki and I spent a couple of hour exploring back in 2019. On the west side of Arco there seemed to be a large flea market, which I ignored, and just past the “downtown” I turned right to follow my route and came on a very bad accident scene that featured a crushed small car that was mostly under a pickup truck. Emergency responders were there still trying to extricate the passengers, but they hadn’t worked out a detour yet (the whole road was blocked) so I went through a long gravel parking area to get around. The accident was in front of the Two Rivers Lodge, where I stayed one July 4 many years ago. There are several businesses in that area and the entrances and exits are not clearly defined so I guess I can see how someone could pull out in front of another vehicle - at least I think that is what probably happened. It was a frightful scene.

I rode past the turnoff for Atomic City, home of EBR 1, the first breeder reactor - Arco was the first city in the US to be lit by atomic power. There is an interesting museum and tour at the facility - Nikki and I visited in 2019 on our way to Yellowstone. I stayed on 20 (26 splits off and goes southeast to Blackfoot, and then goes north as part of I-15) to Idaho Falls and followed the GPS in a very roundabout route through town where I picked up US 26 again heading east. In Idaho Falls US 20 becomes part of I-15 north before it splits off some miles up the road to go northeast to the west entrance of Yellowstone Park. I’ve been through Idaho Falls a few times over the years going each direction and it was always confusing because the city had grown up, there was traffic, and the roads were poorly marked. The route that the GPS took me on was strange, but it did get me going in the right direction - without the GPS I’d probably still be riding around in Idaho Falls because there appeared to be no signage for US 20 and 26. At a roundabout in a newer section of town I saw this Waterfall sculpture and stopped to take a picture of it and a couple of impressive new buildings nearby.

            

 

The ride to Swan Valley (where I turned left on ID 31 towards Victor where I followed ID 33 to Teton Pass) became increasingly scenic. The town of Swan Valley isn’t much - ice cream shops, a couple of outfitters, lodges - but the valley itself is beautiful. At one point I crossed the Snake River and looked to the right to see a couple of small islands, wetlands, woods, mountains, and meadows. (Unfortunately, there was no good place to stop. Next time I’m through there I’ll park at one of the fishing parking lots and walk to the bridge.) There is ranch land and fields of green alfalfa and yellow rape seed (canola). It is a beautiful place. 

This being mid-July there was a lot of traffic, although it moved along fairly well. I’d get by a clump of cars and pickups, usually behind a motorhome or a truck pulling a travel trailer, and have clear road for a few miles, and then come upon another clump. Once over Teton Pass (8431 feet) the road (WY 22) descends quickly to US 89 and Jackson, WY, which was, as expected, very crowded on this beautiful Saturday in the middle of summer.

I made a brief stop at the Visitors’  Center north of town to have a cookie and ice tea (nothing to eat since the French toast in Fairfield). I didn’t even consider stopping in Jackson itself. 

    

Traffic was heavy out of town, but once past the turnoff for Teton National Park it thinned out and I enjoyed the scenery and the views of the Grand Tetons, which always look to me like a little kid’s drawing of mountains - all jagged peaks.

     

 

At this point the road is US 191/89/287 and at Moran Junction (where you go left on 191 for Yellowstone) I followed 287 east towards the Continental Divide. By this time traffic was minimal - it was late afternoon - and I enjoyed the scenery and having the sun at my back I crossed the Continental Divide and shortly after went over Togwotee Pass (9658 feet). I’d been passing the occasional cars, trucks, and RVs and hadn’t thought much about it. The BMW has so much power and the fuel injection mapping is so good that I didn’t notice that I was so high up, although I did wonder why some of the small cars I passed were going under the speed limit. The road descended gradually and I went by a few lodges and then was in Dubois, which reminds me of Cooke City at the northeast entrance to Yellowstone - very laid back. I’m staying in a cabin at the Twin Pines Lodge, an older establishment but comfortable. The cabins are named for local waterways - I’m in Kitten Creek. 

    

        I added a little oil to the bike, and then walked up the street to the Cowboy Cafe, where I had buffalo meatloaf. Fortunately, they did not have rhubarb pie, although they sometimes do.

It was a good riding day through beautiful scenery, and I can’t really complain about the traffic I encountered since it’s the middle of vacation season. The weather stayed mostly between 75-85 (high of about 90 at one point, down to 65 over Togwotee Pass) which is my favorite riding temperature. Tomorrow promises to be warmer. (413 miles)

    Sunday, July 16: This morning I was up at six and got coffee from the lobby and ate a Clif bar to get me going. I went for a walk in town and as I left the cabin I saw a bicyclist heading west towards Yellowstone/Teton - it was one of the guys at the other end of the table in the Cowboy Cafe yesterday evening. I’d heard them talking bicycles, and since Dubois is at almost 7000 feet and he was heading toward the pass at almost 10,000 feet he must be in good shape. Dubois is a working western town - I saw no fudge or ice cream shoppes, although there was an old-fashioned soda fountain in the drug store.

       

The town is a bit tired with buildings in need of paint and there are worn wooden sidewalks in places. It seems to cater to sportsmen and sportswomen and people stopping off on their way to the parks.

    

There is a very small Chamber of Commerce in a nice park bay the Wind River, a traditional antler arch, and even what appears to be an old mine right on Main St. (Highway 287).

    

    

     

Back in the cabin I packed the bike and left at 8:15. It was a clear day and I enjoyed the empty road, the occasional red rock outcroppings, the views of the Wind River, and the forest. 

    

After 50 miles the scenery became more grassland and rolling hills, which is what it would remain for the rest of the day. I was wary of wild critters on the road that early in the day, but all I saw were several prairie dogs, a red-tailed hawk that swooped low in search of prey (maybe one of the prairie dogs) and a few cows that wandered across the road. Yesterday evening I’d decided to change my route to go through Lander instead of Riverton; partly because US 287 goes through Lander and beyond that the road shows as a scenic route on my map, and partly because I’d checked for restaurants in Lander and discovered Mamaw’s Kitchen - my maternal grandmother was called Mamaw by the whole family. (Close friends called her that too, but  everyone else called her Mrs. Evans, except for my grandfather who called her Delia.) I hoped that the scenery and food at Mamaw’s would be worth the extra 40 miles or so. The restaurant is in a Travelodge and the food was good - I had the Country Boy breakfast which consisted of biscuits and gravy over hash browns with two eggs and bacon.

    

I managed to finish all of it except for some of the hash browns, and I wouldn’t eat anything until dinner except for an iced tea and a couple of cookies at 4 PM. Service was a bit slow - the restaurant does take out and was short-staffed like most places. I was back on the road an hour later and followed 287 through grasslands, ranches, and along the Sweetwater River. The road follows the Mormon Pioneer Trail and the Oregon Trail in places through the Antelope Hills and the Green Mountains. There was more traffic than I expected, but there are few roads in the area, and everyone moved along at about 5 mph above the generous 65 or 70 mph speed limits. At Muddy Gap I turned north east on WY 220 towards Casper and the scenery was more of the same until the bypass around Casper. There were no convenient gas stations in Casper, so I stopped in at a shopworn Jug & Loaf station in Bar Nunn on I-25 just north of Casper - I’d filled up in Lander figuring that there wouldn’t be gas until Casper, although there was a no-name station at the Muddy Gap junction. After 40 miles on I-25 I exited at WY 250 and followed the GPS to Midwest/Edgerton where I went east on WY 387 to Wright where I stopped at a very nice rest area on a small pond where a couple of kids were fishing. I think that the area is a public relations effort by an energy company - there was an (air-conditioned) room with displays of energy projects and a lady inside who would answer questions. The Thunder Basin produces coal (many coal trains loaded and unloaded nearby, and strip mining going on even on Sunday), oil, gas, and even uranium - everything that keeps the lights on (and the electric cars running). After my stop I went east on WY 450 through the Thunder Basin National Grassland (the official name of the huge area) and finally came to Newcastle where I found my lodging for the night, the Sundowner Inn. I checked in and the inn cat, Barry, checked out my helmet.

    

I think that the people who run the place are new at the game and it seems to be a work in progress. However, everything works and there is the promise of a big breakfast tomorrow. I’m not sure what look they are going for - maybe industrial/steam punk.

    

After dinner at nearby Frida’s Place (Mexican restaurant - good food, but the Mexican music was way too loud. I didn’t realize there was Mexican rap, but I shouldn’t be surprised. I walked around the area, and discovered that this is literally the wrong side of the tracks.

    

This 1958 Chevy Biscayne has possibilities, although it is a four door and the lower trim level.

    

I turned around and crossed the tracks and found that downtown Lander is a quaint old place although quiet on a Sunday evening except for people lined up to see the latest Mission Impossible movie.

    

        

As I said, the Sundowner is a work in progress. When I returned the family who owns it was having dinner in the lobby and they asked if I’d like to join them. I declined, but it sure smelled good. 

Tomorrow I’ll leave early (I hope) for the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum about 70 miles away. After a couple of hours at the museum I’ll ride to Winner, South Dakota where I’m staying at a Super 8 and I hope to get there early enough to do a much needed laundry. I’ll also start a new post - this one is becoming unwieldy. So far there have been no pictures of motorcycles, but that will change tomorrow. (398 miles)