Jun 24 - Missouri back roads to Knoxville, Iowa

Last night was almost too exciting for David, Noah, and I. David and I were standing in his kitchen talking and I noticed what I thought were lightning flashes going off. I mentioned it to him but he thought I was probably seeing lightning bugs which made sense at the time. A few minutes later he saw the flashes too and we stepped out onto his front porch for a look. It had started raining so hard it was difficult to see, huge torrents falling nearly straight down on his car. The lightning was distant at the moment but we could see it getting brighter. This was a little before 10:00pm and since our day had been a long one we decided to cave in and go to bed.
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David was letting me use his bedroom on the main floor and he was bunking with Noah downstairs. As I lay in bed I began to count the seconds between lightning flashes and they averaged around 2 seconds. Think about it, the lightning flashes, not the thunder. They seemed to be getting closer and more violent by the minute and before long they were hitting not far away. Just about the time I thought I might close the drapes to the patio a huge bolt hit one of the poplar trees in the backyard peeling the bark off of it from the top to the bottom. This was a substantial tree, not some little wussy thing and I was looking directly at it when it happened. Sparks of lightning went everywhere accompanied with flying bark and a small fire struggled to ignite part of it. The heavy rain prevented any real fire from starting but it was pretty scary to see.

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Both David and Noah came running upstairs to see what had happened so we all gathered at the patio door to look. The storm continued and since the tree looked like it wasn’t going to come down we went back to bed. I lay there listening and watching for awhile longer, then closed the drapes and called it a day again. Within an hour or so the storm had moved on without further damage.
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This morning David and I had breakfast at The Corner Café near his home and afterwards we said our goodbyes and I headed north towards Iowa. The sun was out and it was a gorgeous day for riding. My route took me through more back roads and small villages, avoiding the big freeways as much as possible. When I spotted something interesting or unusual I stopped for photos and I’ve posted a few of them above. The camels really caught my eye and after doing a double take I U-turned and headed back for a shot of them. It was very strange to be riding along in the northern end of Missouri and see a barnyard with camels in it.
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Lunch was at Betsy’s Café in a small town where I had their special, fried chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, corn & biscuits. It all tasted great going down but my gut was on fire a couple of hours later, too much chicken fat I think. Coffee with free refills was a mere $.61. Can you believe that?
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I continued on a zigzag pattern of small country roads for the balance of the afternoon and when I reached Knoxville, Iowa I gave it up and checked into the local Super-8 motel. It was hot as heck out and their air conditioning works like a champ so I was done for the day. Tomorrow I’ll be at Mac & Lisa’s in Robins, IA for a reunion visit. We’ve been talking a little about another ride north on our sidecars next year so who knows, maybe we’ll figure something out.

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Dinner? A Big Mac of course...

Jun 23 – Hanging out in KC & El Nino gets new tires

Ten thousand miles is a fair amount of mileage for motorcycle tires and that’s what the set on El Nino was approaching. The ride to Nova Scotia had accumulated nearly 8000 so far and that doesn’t include the trip to central Oregon or the miles spent riding around prior to leaving.

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Bottom line is it was time for a new set and Kansas City was as good a place as any. David called the local Kawasaki dealer, Advantage Powersports and they had a set of Michelin Pilots which they could install today. Their price for the tires was competitive but I thought $127.00 for mounting and balancing the two tires was a bit over the top. Of course I crabbed about it and got the expected response of “Yeah, it does seem high but we can’t change it.” OK, so I’m cheap but I still think it was excessive. I guess I’m spoiled by our local Yamaha dealer at home who charges $20 per tire. Anyway, I’m happy they were available and the deed’s done so I’m ready to move on. Arrrggghhhh!

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The past couple of days I've been riding with just the Bohn armored shirt up top which is made of a loose weave material. Sort of like cheese cloth only with larger holes so now I'm sporting a very odd suntan on my arms. Like a tattoo gone bad perhaps...

We left the bike at the shop and since I was missing my McDonald's fix we stopped at the nearest one for an early lunch or extended breakfast, take your pick. Finished with that we headed back to David’s place where we spent awhile laying out tomorrow’s ride towards Robins, IA, home of my friends Mac & Lisa. Some of you will recall Mac and I rode our sidecars to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska last summer and they had invited me to stop by for a visit.

This afternoon we picked up the bike and then bought chain oil at Lowe's; not where I would expect to find it but the http://www.webbikeworld.com/ web site said so and so it was. I guess that’s why they’re one of my favorite sites, eh? Once we were home again we oiled the chain and put El Nino away for the night. The new tires are made with a softer rubber compound and really stick well; I think I’m going to like them a lot.

Dinner this evening was a real treat; we went to Arthur Bryant’s Barbecue, a place I’d seen as part of an NPR show highlighting America’s best barbecue places. The show aired several months ago and after watching it I went on line and ordered a dozen bottles of their sauce. Who would have known I’d be eating dinner in that very restaurant today? I ate way too much and drank a lot of Bud, something I’m not used to so now I’m feeling bloated. Just deserts…

After dinner David drove us around town and gave me a wonderful guided tour of Kansas City. We saw lots of the older turn of the century buildings and more modern sights like a bust of Charlie Bird, one of Kansas City’s most famous sons. It’s a great place to visit especially if you know someone like him who’s well versed in the city’s history.

I’m a lucky guy. Boy is it ever hot today. Phew...

Jun 22 – On to Kansas City - It's getting hot out there

Early morning heat was an indicator of things to come today. The sky was clear and the weather people were predicting the same all the way to Kansas City. Once the bike was loaded I didn’t waste any time getting on the road, it was the only way I was going to stay half way cool.

Not long into the ride I stopped to visit the Missouri Mines historic site. After seeing the giant elevator rig over the mine entrance I tried to imagine what it must have been like to ride that baby down into the bowels of the earth. It was depressing just thinking about it and once again I counted my blessings for the life of relative ease my career had provided. I’d worked hard to earn a living but nothing like what those miners must have faced.
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On a happier note I stopped to watch farmers in the field mowing hay. The summer smells were all around and I was transported back to a childhood when I spent summers on my Grandma’s dairy farm. At the time I didn’t particularly like it as there were no other kids to play with and I spent my days keeping an eye on a bunch of dumb cows chewing their cuds. Eventually my family moved into town and my herding days were over.
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The temperature continued to rise throughout the day and I stopped often for water and a stretch. The route I’d chosen on the map actually ran on 4-lane highways quite a bit which surprised me. When I set it up I thought it would be mostly on little 2-lane back roads but that proved not to be the case. I was riding with my visor up wearing my sunglasses and occasionally I collided with a really large juicy bug. A couple of them were especially yucky to the point I had to stop and clean things out. Ugh.

I arrived at my friend David Hutson’s house in Kansas City in late afternoon, hot and dry and ready for a cool G&T. I finally got to meet his son Noah, an up and coming Kart racer who’s been winning most of his races lately. I like him, he’s a nice kid and I think a lot of that is due to the special relationship he has with his dad. Later David cooked up some really great steaks on the barbeque and we had a super dinner accompanied with appetizers, salad, and a nice red wine.

Not a bad way to finish the day.

Jun 21 – Happy Fathers Day Dudes!

I started the morning with my Nike T-shirt on inside-out. Izzat cool or what? A nice lady from Scotland pointed it out to me while I was wolfing down my Raisin Bran in the motel breakfast room. I guess the other people liked it, maybe viewed it as a fashion statement? Us guys from Oregon are so hip, eh? So why does Nike make their logo the same on both sides of their dang T-shirts?

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The talking heads on TV said the local temp was 80 degrees at 6:00am, high expected to be 92+ which sounded like a really good reason to get the heck out of the area. As soon as I finished eating I packed it up and headed out. My general direction was towards Kansas City, MO where I expect to hook up with a bud and lay low for a day or so.

Since it’s so hot I’m carrying 2 water bottles instead of 1 and I’m riding a lot slower so the bike doesn’t have to work as hard. Today I wore just the Bohn armor shirt by itself and the pants underneath my Levis. It’s not the best setup for protective gear but it’s better than plain old T-shirts like the locals seem to favor. I doubt any of them have had the pleasure of an unscheduled dismount yet. As soon as they do they’ll be wearing all the gear just like me. Or maybe not riding at all?

I still haven’t found a new battery for my cell phone but it seems to work when it’s plugged in. That’s the pits but maybe I’ll find one in Kansas City tomorrow. Speaking of which today’s ride was not all that long, something on the order of 240 miles so I’m still 348 from Kansas City. In this heat I may not ride that far so it may be Tuesday before I get there. No big deal, my schedule is open, eh?

Hey, how about the food report! Breakfast was at the motel which I’ve already touched on. Raisin Bran & fat city mini-pastries, etc. Lunch was another matter. There’s a restaurant chain in the south called The Waffle House that I sort of got addicted to during my working years when I spent a lot of time in Atlanta. Today I figured I’d hook up with one of them for lunch so when I spotted one I pulled in, parked, took a photo just to prove they really exist, and waltzed in for a waffle fix. After waiting 30 minutes for my waffle to arrive and watching the only two cooks leave the work area for their “lunch break” I decided I could wait until another time for my waffle. What a bunch of clods those idiots were, but hey, that’s their prerogative, maybe they already have all the business they need. I cancelled my order, paid for the milk I’d drunk and moved along to the next available lunch source, the one with the big yellow arches. Mmm… No waiting in their places.

The balance of the day’s ride was evenly divided between back roads and the slab. One thing I noticed about Illinois was the lack of appropriate facilities at their rest stops. Maybe the presence of large trees precluded the necessity for anything else? Hey, it worked for me, I’m accustomed to stepping behind a large tree and the one I used today was very large indeed.

Moving along towards Missouri I spotted a truly elaborate sign beckoning the weary traveler to stop for a moment of relaxation. The part I liked best was the “’Who’s Ur Daddy” I'm so easily entertained... Unfortunately I was on the wrong side of the road so all I could do was photograph the sign and move along.

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I arrived in the city of Farmington, MO in late afternoon and decided this was as good a place as any to spend the night. The monster Super 8 sign was 10 feet higher than anyone else’s so I opted for their place. Hey, it pays to advertise. Besides I hadn’t stayed at one of their places for awhile and their prices are low, low, low.

I checked in, unloaded El Nino, oiled the chain and put her to bed for the night. Email was the next item on my to-do list and then it was dinner time. An Italian restaurant was conveniently located within easy walking distance so the choice was simple. My meal was OK but not memorable, probably due to the huge quantity of steamed broccoli that accompanied the chicken breast. I mean, how much broccoli can one person consume in a lifetime? Assuming you’re not a goat? Think about it.

Jun 20 – On the road again, just can’t wait to get on the road again…

Dick & Linda & I did our sad goodbyes this morning, it was hard for all of us as we’re at that age when it’s likely we won’t see one another again. Isn’t that something to think about? Prince, their Blue Heeler even let me pet him without his usual growl so maybe it’s OK.

When I set up the GPS for today’s travel I selected lots of back roads again. That meant instead of taking 600 miles to reach Kansas City it would take 825, which is a heck of a lot of extra back roads. I’ll stick to the plan unless I get bored out of my skull or winter sets in.

One thing has occurred to plague me, the battery on my cell phone got totally drenched during the time I spent in New Brunswick and it seems to have given up the ghost. Even though it says it’s charged it’s only good for a minute or so on line and then it’s done. This morning I stopped at the first Wal-Mart store I came to as they sell TracFones and I planned to buy a new battery. Not. They referred me to the local Radio Shack as they sell batteries for all kinds of cell phones. Not. Maybe I’ll have better luck in Kansas City.

I rode both the back roads and the slab today, allowing the GPS to move me along. The morning started out pretty neat, within a few miles I’d seen a really long snake crossing the road in front of me and a few minutes later a big doe was standing dead center in the road. She was nice enough to clear out before I got there. Later on workmen paused to wave as I rode by which reminded me how friendly so many people are to bikers. It’s a neat feeling.

One little bit of bad luck happened today, my AirHawk inflatable seat pad went flat again. When I first noticed it I thought things were riding a bit harsh as I’d not used any Anti-Monkey Butt power today but that was not the case. Arriving at the Madisonville, KY Days Inn where I would be staying I submerged it in the bathroom sink expecting the leak location to show itself. Nada, no apparent leaks or bubbles so now I’m not sure what’s going on. I rode over several rough sets of railroad tracks plus there were a lot of rough road miles that may have contributed but if it’s leaking it should show up under water. It’ll probably show up tomorrow when I’m 50 miles down the road. Or maybe my butt's going flat...

I haven’t looked up Madisonville to see where it’s at and since I don’t really care maybe I won’t. The Days Inn motel is nice enough and they have an attached restaurant where I ate an early dinner of fried catfish, beans & onions, hush puppies, and coleslaw. Real southern comfort food done right. Not as good as Linda's cooking but not bad for restaurant fare.

There were zip photo ops today although I'd have liked to have taken a picture of the snake I saw. Unfortunately my camera batteries had gone flat and I hadn't replaced them yet so the moment was lost. The rest of the day didn't have much to offer so this evening I took a shot of the Days Inn sign and El Nino under her cover, both in the dark. Pretty exciting stuff huh?

Jun 19 – Otter Creek, KY Taking it easy for a day

Dick and Linda invited me to stay another day and I was glad to do so, their place is restful and they’re good company. Linda fixed us a tasty breakfast and afterwards they drove me into Hodgenville to visit the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. Hodgenville is a nice quiet little town and the National Historic Site houses the actual log cabin President Lincoln was born in. It’s pretty impressive to see it and we enjoyed walking around the grounds awhile.

After that we headed home for lunch and relaxing plus I bit the bullet and washed El Nino for the first time since leaving home. Sadly she’s acquired quite a few deep scratches and her paint is rubbed through in several areas. Anyone seeing her for the first time would likely think she’s been treated badly but in truth she’s just showing the effects of long distance traveling. So far she’s running solid and her gas mileage remains right around 55 mpg, very satisfactory in my book. I think El Nino was made for this.
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We lazed around for a few hours and when we were rested up a bit we headed into Campbellsville for dinner at Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant where we had a really great meal. I had the best fish tacos since my last trip to San Diego several years ago. Then we made a bee-line to the local ice cream parlor for deserts, which after eating I felt like I needed to have a lie-down. It was still a bit early though, so we went for a drive by the park at Green River Lake and then stopped to visit with Dick and Linda’s oldest daughter and her husband. They’ve got two great dogs and I managed to get them both so wound up they’re probably still panting.
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On the way home I saw the first Lightning Bugs I’d ever seen; they were everywhere along the roadside, thousands of them. I’d read about them in stories but this was a real treat for me. Finally home for the evening I laid out my GPS route for the next couple of days as I head towards Kansas City. I’ll focus on back roads again and hope I don’t run into too much bad weather, I’ve already seen as much lightning as I care to.
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Man, this place is hotter than a pepper sprout!

Jun 18 – Kentucky Rain & Lightning – Wow!

There was no rain this morning and it was already looking like another humid hot day so I dressed accordingly; Bohn armored shirt & pants underneath my Kevlar shirt & Levis. I figured if I got caught in a rain storm I could throw on Big Red but until it happened I wanted to be as cool as possible.

I left Paintsville via the slab around 9:30am and found myself alone most of the time. This allowed me to ride at a steady 55mph with my visor open and enjoy the mild breeze and fresh air. On occasion a car would pass by but not often and that was fine with me, I really like riding alone. The only thing that spoiled the ride was the sight of so many dead animals on the pavement, mostly small forest critters but today there were also two dogs. I’m not used to that and those of you who know me will understand how awful that was to see. Oregon must have provisions for removing dead animals from our roads as they’re usually gone within a day or so. Dogs, like livestock are another matter, drivers are required by law to stop if they hit one and report it to the authorities if they can’t locate the owner. Besides, dogs really are man’s best friend and that should be reason enough. Sorry, guess that’s my rant for the day.

So…moving right along I noticed the farther south I rode the darker the sky was becoming. At one point I thought there might be something going on with my sunglasses so I stopped and took them off. That wasn’t it of course, there was a nasty storm brewing and by 11:30am it was as dark as night.

Just outside of Lexington I pulled over to take a quick picture of a really elegant ranch home, complete with miles of white picket fencing. For someone like myself who’s never seen one of these places outside of a movie it was a special moment. Just as I was ready to leave I felt the first drop of rain splat on my hand. I rode a couple of miles further and decided it might be prudent to change into Big Red as the rain was beginning to increase in intensity. A wide driveway apron soon appeared in the distance and I pulled into it as far as I felt would be acceptable without trespassing, parked the bike and began the tedious routine of changing. The Bohn armored shirt would have to come off, otherwise I’d be underneath two sets of armor and that would be downright miserable to deal with. I guess it’s a good thing I’m not particularly shy as traffic was heavy and moving right past me when I stripped to the waist. Ooohhh....

While I was about to shrug back into Big Red a guy in a pickup stopped and asked if I was alright. I told him what I was doing and I’d be back on the road in a couple more minutes. As we talked the rain began to increase and the wind was kicking up. He told me there was a pretty bad storm in the direction I was traveling with 75-85 mph winds and severe lightning and if I wanted I could ride it out in his place. Winds in that range can be nasty to deal with but if you ride a bit slower than usual it’s not so bad so I thanked him for his offer and moved on.

Man was that storm ever something, lightning like I’ve never seen with blinding rain and cross winds that could blow you away if you relaxed even for a moment. Visibility was down to nearly zip and it couldn’t get much darker. This went on for mile after mile and the only good thing was traffic diminished to the point where I was just about the only one out there.

I’d slowed my speed down to around 55mph which was manageable and I figured I was making good time in spite of the weather when my GPS low fuel warning came on. I don’t have it calibrated exactly right so it’s been preceding the bike’s factory warning light by 15 or 20 miles so I don’t worry about it but I do start looking for a gas station. Noting my next exit and route change was only 28 miles ahead I would be well within the range of my reserve. I arrived at the exit and sure enough there was one lone fuel station and it looked like it was pretty busy, lots of cars & trucks were parked around it. I parked at an available pump, went through the business of removing the tank bag, unlocking the filler cap and selecting the fuel grade I wanted. I poked the button several times and then it hit me, the power was off. Inside the convenience store I could see a lot of people milling around and I couldn’t help laughing at myself for taking so long to notice what was going on. One of the gals inside told me they didn’t have any idea how long the power would be off but I could probably get gas at the next place up the road, around 12 miles so that was that. Judging the amount of mileage I had left on reserve I figured I could take the chance so off I went. I found the place and they were open with business per usual.

Once I finished with refueling I got back on the road south towards my friends Dick & Linda. They live out of town several miles and Linda had told me my GPS wouldn’t be able to find their place. How negative, Garmin knows where everybody lives I thought. Duhh.. So there I was, sitting in a McDonalds in Campbellsville, the nearest town to them and talking to her on the phone. “My GPS can’t find you” I said. “Told you so” she said, thinly disguised smirk in her voice. “So can you find route so and so?” “Yeah, that I can do I think.” She gave me an intersection to look for and I told her I’d give it a shot and call her back if I couldn’t find it. The Garmin found it right away and after a bit of wandering around and one more phone call I arrived at their house.

What a great thing it is to see old friends again, we spent the evening catching up on kids and grandkids and all the stuff we used to do, etc., then my clock ran out and it was off to bed. Tomorrow's another day.