bluheelrtx's Blog

Posted by: bluheelrtx, 8:27 PM GMT on October 11, 2010

Canada or Bust: Part 5 (9/15 - 9/17)

Link to Canada or Bust: Part 4

Sept 15, Day 13: Rapid City to Ogallala

Temperatures today were tolerable, a nice 49 degrees. Hey! Beats the frost on the seats we've seen the past few mornings. The day warmed quickly and stayed in the mid 60's. Somehow the howling winds made it seem cooler.

Our day started with a lovely morning at Mt. Rushmore. The monument is an impressive structure in itself, but to an engineering type like me, the most impressive thing is how it was made. The plumb lines and protractor angles --simple things to us now -- were the measuring tools needed to scale up the sculptor's six foot models to bigger than life size figures.

While in line waiting to buy the usual tacky tourist stuff (i.e. state pins), I met another couple from Texas who lived in Pearland -- well, actually on a ranch south of Pearland. By the time we finished paying for our stuff, they had invited me to visit their place. I assured them I'd wave next time I drove by.

Our afternoon was a slugfest, fighting the perpetual crosswind to make miles and get out of South Dakota. The wind blows so hard and steady in South Dakota the trees don't grow, they lean. Matter of fact, the whole state leans, or maybe that is just my perspective from behind my windscreen.

The day's "ask Jason about his motorcycle" moment came from a Nebraska state trooper. No, there were no broken laws involved, just chit-chat at a gas station. What do you say when a law enforcement officer in uniform asks how fast your bike will go? (SRB's answer would have been, "148mph, but not in Nebraska, sir.").

We followed a Nebraska scenic highway through a bunch of quaint little Nebraska towns . . . Compared with what we had seen in Colorado, Idaho, and Wyoming, I think Nebraska stretched it just a little to call it a "scenic highway", but I digress.

At the end of the day, Jason took a wrong turn and a harrowing 16 mile detour into the darkness. I realized that the scariest thing on the trip was not high winds in hairpin curves or crazy Montana drivers passing illegally, it was traveling Interstate 90 after dark with the 18-wheelers. I now know what it sounds like to scream inside a helmet. Jason caught the brunt of my fury after we pulled off the interstate. I believe he still has singed eyebrows, beard, and mustache.

Tomorrow we hope to blow through Kansas and try to make Oklahoma by the time we call it a day. We are both feeling the Texas tug -- the urge to get home, hug the critters, and eat our own cooking instead of road food.

Things we missed today
Enough time to get Iowa on this trip

==========

Sept 16, Day 14: Ogallala to Liberal

The day was spent just making miles to get home. I have no stories about beautiful scenery, 'cause western Nebraska and Kansas are nothing but cornfields and cows -- and the cornfields smell better. So, since I had nothing but time to think about ending world hunger and the meaning of life, here are some random thoughts from a woman bored out of her helmet:

Just for my family who started this state pin contest over ten years ago -- we have accumulated; no, legitimately earned ten new state pins on this trip. Count 'em and weep: Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas. I'll be wearing my vest to NC in October if they let me through the metal detector!

We met a old geezer on a 1989 Moto Guzzi while fueling in a tiny Nebraska town. This guy was from Sacramento CA and on the trip of a lifetime. He was very eager to talk to anyone who would give him the time of day, especially other motorcyclists (or even a little old lady in Colorado who just wanted to talk about flowers). He warned us of upcoming road construction and we were on our way.

Speaking of road construction, we have encountered road construction in just about every state. I have traveled my share of dirt and gravel roads these past two weeks, and have had enough of it. Did you know the state tree of North Dakota is a construction sign?

I'm a little road weary, and the Texas border is less than 50 miles away. It's time to come home to the armadillo -- gee, sounds like a country and western song coming on. If all goes well, we will be home on Saturday, as planned. Can't wait. We have clocked over 3600 miles so far and will be well over 4000 when it's over.

Didn't miss much today except my sanity and the cool temperatures. I can tell that we are on the home stretch, it's getting hot again and I think I can smell Baytown.

==========

Sept 17, Day 15: Liberal to Brownwood

Yippee yahoo! We crossed the border from Oklahoma into Texas around mid morning. Too bad Houston was still 600 miles away... Texas is a BIG state and we crossed the state line at the top of the panhandle. Of course, the first thing we hit was construction.

We spent most of the day putting miles behind us. Jason thinks that we put in over 400 miles today. My fanny thinks so too. Funny, once we hit the state line Jason wanted Mexican food, and I wanted a Blizzard from Dairy Queen. Jason got his wish tonight, I'll stop for mine sometime tomorrow.

I wish we had stories about old geezers met along the route or about beautiful west Texas scenery, but alas! there is not much to say. We managed to photograph four more interesting and sometimes beautiful Texas courthouses along the way. I guess we were just anxious to get back home.

This is our last posting for this trip, and we can truthfully say we've enjoyed (almost) every mile. We haven't killed each other (yet) and our bikes are still holding up (knock on wood). We've even started talking about our next trip and my new bike.

P.S. If something really exciting happens tomorrow, Jason will keep you posted with one more blog. Otherwise, this gal is signing off. See everyone in Houston in the office or the family in Nawth Carolinah in October.

By the numbers:
Over 4000 miles covered
13 states traversed
Went from sea level to almost 11,000 feet
16 days on the road
Temperature ranges from the low 30's to the low 90's
Speeds from 0 to 100+ (but not in Nebraska)
1 camping bag that never got used
Countless bugs on the windscreen
3 national treasures visited (Tetons, Yellowstone, and Mt. Rushmore)
1 engagement ring
2 perfect strangers invited us to visit them at their ranch
Only 1 fast food meal the whole trip (it was the only place open)
Less than 150 miles on Interstates the whole trip
1 trip to the mechanic (...on a Saturday morning...in Jackson, WY)
2 happy travelers

Daily Maps
----------
Day 1: Hockley to Midland
Day 2: Midland to Roswell
Day 3: Roswell to Bernalillo
Day 4: Bernalillo to Cortez
Day 5: Cortez to Grand Junction
Day 6: Grand Junction to Rock Springs
Day 7: Rock Springs to Jackson
Day 8: Jackson to Moose
Day 9: Jackson to Island Park
Day 10: Island Park to Cooke City
Day 11: Cooke City to Miles City
Day 12: Miles City to Rapid City
Day 13: Rapid City to Ogallala
Day 14: Ogallala to Liberal
Day 15: Liberal to Brownwood
Day 16: Brownwood to Hockley

Updated: 9:36 PM GMT on October 11, 2010

Permalink | A A A

View Full Blog Entry — View Comments (0)

Canada or Bust: Part 4

Posted by: bluheelrtx, 9:01 PM GMT on September 24, 2010

Canada or Bust: Part 4 (9/12 - 9/14)Link to Canada or Bust: Part 3Sept 12, Day 10: Island Park to Cooke CityWe woke up to 30 degree temps and a hard frost on the seats of our motorcycles. So hard, that I was able to scratch out a message and take a picture. The only morning that Jason wanted to hit the road early...! My bike did not want to start, and took a long time to warm up. We were off to Yellowstone!Getting in to the park proved to be tough as there was a ...

Updated: 9:24 PM GMT on October 11, 2010

Permalink | A A A

View Full Blog Entry — View Comments (0)

Canada or Bust: Part 3

Posted by: bluheelrtx, 8:05 PM GMT on September 22, 2010

Canada or Bust: Part 3 (9/9 - 9/11) Link to Canada or Bust: Part 2Sept 9, Day 7: Rock Springs to JacksonOur question for the day was, "could Mother Nature throw anything more at us?" We found that her fury had no bounds.We left Rock Springs in a blistering cross wind with gusts to 30mph or more, temperatures in the high 50's. Showers played with us on our path, but we managed to make it to Mitch's Cafe outside of Farsen, WY. Now, keep in mind that this was abou...

Updated: 9:22 PM GMT on October 11, 2010

Permalink | A A A

View Full Blog Entry — View Comments (0)

Canada or Bust: Part 2

Posted by: bluheelrtx, 4:42 AM GMT on September 16, 2010

Canada or Bust: Part 2 (9/6 - 9/8)Link to Canada or Bust: Part 1Sept 6, Day 4: Bernalillo to CortezYippee yahoo! After three days we are finally out of New Mexico...!Our day started much like yesterday... A nice, cool, scenic ride that went south fast. It was 72 degrees and windy for the first half of the day, then it got hot and windy. Bumpy roads, swirling winds, and impatient drivers took it right out of us. Now I know why New Mexico roads have such wide sh...

Updated: 9:18 PM GMT on October 11, 2010

Permalink | A A A

View Full Blog Entry — View Comments (0)

Canada or Bust: Part 1 (9/3 - 9/5)

Posted by: bluheelrtx, 5:27 PM GMT on September 10, 2010

Canada or Bust: Part 1 (9/3 - 9/5)Some time in the last year Susan decided that when she finished the last semester of class work on her master's degree, we needed to take a real road trip . . . on our motocycles. We decided that Canada via the Rockies and back via the Plains fit that bill nicely. This is a brief log of our adventures.Sept 3, Day 1: Hockley to Midland Got up around 6:30am but were not on the road until basically 8:30. Between packing and breakf...

Updated: 9:14 PM GMT on October 11, 2010

Permalink | A A A

View Full Blog Entry — View Comments (0)

« View Older Entries

About bluheelrtx

bluheelrtx doesn't have a bio yet.

Tropical Blogs

Tropical Weather Stickers®

Contact This Author

Recent Photos

bluheelrtx's Wunder Photos

Previous Entries for 2013