We did it!
If you have not read the prior posts the following is a brief summary of our trip...
Debbie and I recently completed a motorcycle trip of 25 days, 6972 miles, through 20 states. During this time we returned to Birmingham, my childhood home... went to Nashville, which we decided might be a great place to spend more time. We saw the Arch in St Louis, rode through 7 National parks, visited several national monuments and many national forests. We slept under the stars at a campground in Sturgis after a concert, in a cabin at Old Faithful Lodge, in a wonderful room at the Hard Rock in Biloxi, and 17 others of various quality and comfort along the way. We took a raft ride down the Snake River in The Grand Tetons and hiked up the Virgin River in Zion.
Although most days the weather was clear, we did ride through rain, and on occasion sought shelter from storms so heavy we couldn't see to ride or lightning so close we didn't feel safe. We saw temperatures ranging from the low 50's at night to triple digits in the afternoons. We road through cities, along cobblestone streets, interstates at 75 mph and mountain roads with switchbacks up and down steep grades which, at times, forced us to slow to 25 mph, or less.
We learned that big city traffic is less fun than the open road on a bike... that high bridges, tunnels and mountain roads and switchbacks with no guardrails, while fun and challenging for the rider can be stressful and more challenging for the passenger who has no control of the situation.
Although we had not even one close call, on two occasions we passed others who were not so fortunate. The latest statistics I could find indicated 4 motorcycle related deaths at this year's rally.
We met dozens of others who were on, or had taken trips similar to our own, and found that people who would not otherwise give you the time of day, will when they see you riding a bike... or even wearing evidence of attendance at Sturgis will engage you in conversation. They will inquire as to the details of your trip and share their own experience. These folks may range from we might call mainstream, to those who may be more 'seasoned' or 'colorful' and living closer to the edge, but all share this common interest, which seems to help bridge other cultural and socioeconomic barriers.
In order for us to preserve our memories we tried to keep track of everything from our big events to small ones including our meals (we splurged and each had 8 hamburgers, the best from Oscars, a Mexican Restaurant in Springdale Utah outside Zion, the worst from a vendor on Main Street in Sturgis and twelve of our lunch stops consisted of peanut butter sandwiches at rest areas or gas stations.) Our worst day was day # 4 when we got lost in downtown St Louis, stuck in rush hour traffic and the only hotel we could find was one where you had to turn the key, lift the knob and kick the door all at once in order to enter. We ended up leaving the IPOD there in our rush to get out the next morning. Our best day could have been the concert at the campground or riding through Yellowstone or Tetons or hiking in Zion... it would be impossible to choose.
Our biggest surprise was that we were not more tired and at the end of 3 weeks we were not really ready to be home. If we would change anything, it might be to add more points of interest along the route home rather than having such a long ride with no real sightseeing along the way. We'll keep that in mind when planning our next ride.
Thanks for taking time to read our notes and check out our pictures.....
Jeff & Debbie
Debbie and I recently completed a motorcycle trip of 25 days, 6972 miles, through 20 states. During this time we returned to Birmingham, my childhood home... went to Nashville, which we decided might be a great place to spend more time. We saw the Arch in St Louis, rode through 7 National parks, visited several national monuments and many national forests. We slept under the stars at a campground in Sturgis after a concert, in a cabin at Old Faithful Lodge, in a wonderful room at the Hard Rock in Biloxi, and 17 others of various quality and comfort along the way. We took a raft ride down the Snake River in The Grand Tetons and hiked up the Virgin River in Zion.
Although most days the weather was clear, we did ride through rain, and on occasion sought shelter from storms so heavy we couldn't see to ride or lightning so close we didn't feel safe. We saw temperatures ranging from the low 50's at night to triple digits in the afternoons. We road through cities, along cobblestone streets, interstates at 75 mph and mountain roads with switchbacks up and down steep grades which, at times, forced us to slow to 25 mph, or less.
We learned that big city traffic is less fun than the open road on a bike... that high bridges, tunnels and mountain roads and switchbacks with no guardrails, while fun and challenging for the rider can be stressful and more challenging for the passenger who has no control of the situation.
Although we had not even one close call, on two occasions we passed others who were not so fortunate. The latest statistics I could find indicated 4 motorcycle related deaths at this year's rally.
We met dozens of others who were on, or had taken trips similar to our own, and found that people who would not otherwise give you the time of day, will when they see you riding a bike... or even wearing evidence of attendance at Sturgis will engage you in conversation. They will inquire as to the details of your trip and share their own experience. These folks may range from we might call mainstream, to those who may be more 'seasoned' or 'colorful' and living closer to the edge, but all share this common interest, which seems to help bridge other cultural and socioeconomic barriers.
In order for us to preserve our memories we tried to keep track of everything from our big events to small ones including our meals (we splurged and each had 8 hamburgers, the best from Oscars, a Mexican Restaurant in Springdale Utah outside Zion, the worst from a vendor on Main Street in Sturgis and twelve of our lunch stops consisted of peanut butter sandwiches at rest areas or gas stations.) Our worst day was day # 4 when we got lost in downtown St Louis, stuck in rush hour traffic and the only hotel we could find was one where you had to turn the key, lift the knob and kick the door all at once in order to enter. We ended up leaving the IPOD there in our rush to get out the next morning. Our best day could have been the concert at the campground or riding through Yellowstone or Tetons or hiking in Zion... it would be impossible to choose.
Our biggest surprise was that we were not more tired and at the end of 3 weeks we were not really ready to be home. If we would change anything, it might be to add more points of interest along the route home rather than having such a long ride with no real sightseeing along the way. We'll keep that in mind when planning our next ride.
Thanks for taking time to read our notes and check out our pictures.....
Jeff & Debbie
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