Well guys, I 'm starting to get anxious. The bike goes to the shop on Tuesday to have it's "trip service" done & we got some riding in yesterday. I told the little lady we have to do some more so she can get her saddle butt ready, so there are some more planned including a weekend with our friends before we leave.

I'll tell you this I feel like a kid at Christmas time waiting for the countdown til the big day. June 16th is coming (not quick enough) & we'll be rolling down South. The map is continuing to change, we have decided to forego the San Antonio run to pick up some days as to use them in Co. & Ut. The problem with surfing the web is you find all these great places to see & then you have to try to fit them in. Especially now that Google Maps has that photo option (which is really cool if you haven't tried it yet).

Anyway didn't mean to bore you guys I just needed to express the feelings to you my web friends of the anticipation of the event. Hope to have a great time & to see this Great Country up close & personal, also to possibly meet a couple of you guys, some of us have already made the plans.

JUNE 16Th 2010:cool:

You all enjoy that trip The wife and I head out May 29th cant wait myself,
Becareful and Enjoy that ride,Take pictures

Virginia is ok with your route, we're close enough anyway. Any other state out there feel jilted ?

Hey Maestro if you look closely we'll be in the Lone Star State it'll just be in the panhandle.

" The Texas Panhandle has been identified as one of the fastest-growing wind-power-producing regions in the nation over the past decade because of its strong, steady winds. [2]. I feel a lot of hot air blowing again.

That looks like a great trip. A lot of that is on my bucket list. Glacier and Yellowstone are beautiful areas and the redwood are incredible. All I have planned right now is a trip to North Carolina with a group the end of May.

Missing down here in Mississippi and Louisiana in June might be a good idea. Plan a ride down this way in April/May and the weather is very pleasant. Come June it will be in the 90's and humid. Hope it will not be too bad in the desert around Vegas.

Wow Fossil, Nice Trip, We will Miss you In the Southern portion of Texas but I know how it is, much more Territory to cover and not near enough time to carry it out. It really feels nice to have the lil Lady on Board, I certainly enjoy my wife riding with me. Enjoy and Have a Safe Trip, maybe we will catch up with ya somewhere along the trail out here....

Great looking route, Fossil. Just looking at it is making me envious that our US 50 trip from Ocean City, MD to Sacramento, CA got put off from this year to 2011. I will want to get a post operation briefing from you when you return. Ride safe and have a great trip.

Bill

32 days & counting boys, between getting all the pieces together at work to be able to go, making sure that all t's are crossed & i's are dotted for the trip (This is my trip so the little lady is in cruise control & if I don't make sure things are right... Well you guys know that story.) & life in general it is coming fast. Top all that off with a visit from our son from Staten Island, a weekend trip to Wellsboro area with our friends next weekend & commitments to the community I don't know where to turn.

Not crying though this is one ole tough fossil, & "I say bring it on":D
I got our netbook a couple weeks ago & have been setting it up & using it. It will go along with us on the trip & I'll be posting along the way (even an occasional pic).

In case you get lost :http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/2007/02/13/75-a-diagram-of-the-eisenhower-interstate-system/

Bill, looks like things are finally coming together. That is going to be a great route. North of SF is a place called "point rays" which is a lighthouse overlooking the ocean and the place to see the andreas fault line up close and personal. Have a great trip my friend. Wish I was going...

Thanks for the tip on "point rays" Charlie. Your right it looks like it is all coming together. Now just getting anxious. You know you could always tag along.:D

16 Days & counting.

:D:D:D:D

Short Timer.

Hi Fossil, Im excited too. I see your map and am jealous. BTW have you considered the ferry across lake michigan?

Well I am NOW.:D Thanks Bill. That's the one downside to this trip - So much to see, so little time. CAN'T WAIT. 14 to go.

7 to go!

The time's coming an this ole fossil is itching to ride. Looks like we will even start off with decent weather.

6.8 to go! Have a great trip. Keep us up on where you are and how things are going.

Four.........

Great looking trip fossil !
Im so jealous .... I gotta get me a trip planned for this year !
Have a good ride and a safe trip !!!!

Three........

No, It's actually four. The little lady decided she doesn't want to leave right after work now. Plan was to scoot down 81 to Winchester Va. after work. Now since we're leaving in AM on Thursday I decided we'll go down to Harrisonburg & then go on 33 through Seneca Rocks & over to Weston WV. instead.:D

It was that Rapier/Chopin trip that did it!

Great looking trip fossil !

Thanks kevrei & stay tuned there will be posts along the way.

Rt.33 over the hills ! Just follow the peg scrape markings around the turns and you should be fine. What time do you think you will arrive in Winchester on Wednesday ? That's about an hour trip for me, of course the local rush hour traffic here is a time waster.

The plan is to be in Harrisonburg around 1-2 pm & Weston around 6 pm. I'll blow the horn as I go by while your walking the dogs.

Less than 1 1/2 Days to go.


Pull out of the house early Thursday morning.:D

The plan is to be in Harrisonburg around 1-2 pm & Weston around 6 pm. I'll blow the horn as I go by while your walking the dogs.

Harrisonburg at 1:00 p.m. Another 140 miles ( +/- ) to Strasburg, VA. about 3:00 p.m.......... Damn! I'd miss you by twenty minutes. Toot your whistle as you pass the Rt 66 / I 81 interchange. I'll feel it. You are adding about another 100 miles with you detour on Rt 33 to Weston. I hope it's worth it. It was Rapier's idea.

Thank's fossil! I hit the 1000 mile mark on your thread. It was meant to be.

It was Rapier's idea.

Yes, it was. He'll love it and you know it!

Yes, it was. He'll love it and you know it!

Just " CYA " . Never know.

Have fun and keep on :):)

Less than 24 hours...........

Just like a kid on Christmas Eve……….

Have your Bluetooth on, fossil. I'm calling you at 1500 hours sharp tomorrow.

No Bluetooth for this guy. If you want to chat we'll have to do it here.

Hey, by the way the time is almost here. I'm going to try to get some sleep tonight & motor in the morning.

Bon Voyage. This thread to be continued.............

Hopefully, right now, somewhere on Rt33 in West Virginia fossil and his lovely wife are enjoying the " twisties " on their way to Weston WV. Go fossil go................

Day 1 Home to Buckhannon W.V.

Great 1st day straight down 81 to 33 - Special thanks to my buddy Chopin (pronounced Show-Pan) & Rapier for the bug to ride 33 great road & not one Pennsylvania Pothole. Seneca Rocks very nice.

Today Louisville Ky area.

Yahoo! From here on you will be blazing new roads that I have yet to explore. Thanks for checking in.

Glad that you had a good time on 33! Ride safe on the rest of your journey!

Update: the 'ol slugger fossil92 is in Louisville, Kentucky. Ride on.

Landed in East St. Louis for the night just got back from Joe's Crab Shack about 1 hr ago. Good Eats!

Tomorrow the Arch, old 66, Ted Drewes for some custard & maybe the Anhauser Busch tour. Staying South of St. Louis tomorrow.

Only one thing come to my mind at the moment : Ride on fossil, ride on.

Sounds great, makes my little ride today seem silly. Wish I was going on a long one also. Keep it up!

Hey Fossil...I hear that if you go to the Anhauser Busch tour first and then climb the Arch...you have a better perspective of heights.... :D

... good luck and safe travels

....let us know when you get close to WI....me and my wife can meet you and ride through the state

....yes take the fairy across the Lake....lots of construction on I94 and I294 through Chicago....took the fairy last week coming back from Michigan....had a great time with the other bikers on board....

St. Louis for the day. Here's a couple of pictures. Tomorrow Tulsa.


Mark we can be in touch as we come across Ws. We already have plans to Ride with Matt so you can jump on board.

The Little Lady wants to go to Chi-Town so I think the ferry is out & I plan to eat at Lawry's Prime Rib while we're there but thanks for the advice.

Donuts! Well that's one way to carry a spare tire. Any comments on the " undergarments " ? Inquiring minds want to know. Go - nuts. Ride fossil, ride.

Lee, The LD comfort underwear works great. I also bought the helmet liners & our long sleeve uv shirts are all they are supposed to be. They all wick away moisture & reduce body heat. Helmet liner prevents sweat in helmet from running down your face. Then once you get to the hotel all I do is hand wash them all & they're dry by morning, ready to go again. Believe me they have been getting a workout, one thermometer we saw today said 102 & most said 98. neither myself or the little lady have any sunburn.

Maybe someone can use these links.

http://www.ldcomfort.com/

http://wingstuff.com/pgroup_detail/319_Firstgear/22042_FirstGear_TPG_Basegear_Stay_Cool_Unisex_L_S_ Shirt/?goto=%2Fpgroup_list%2Fapparel%2F319_Firstgear%2Fm fg%2F%3Fpage%3D13

Leaving Tulsa this morning, heading to Tucumcari N.M. We stayed an extra day here. I got some tickets to a Michael Buble' concert for the little lady & myself. She was thrilled & I can tell you that the guy puts on a great show. If any of you guys wives like him & you can score tickets, do it. You will be earning Big Big Big Brownie points.

Good morning Bill! You should start seeing some hilly country by now.

So let me say this. I know you Southwest guys might be used to this but it was a new experiance for this Yankee. We are driving on I40 out of Amarillo & things are going just swell (albeit hot). When I look out on the horizon & I say to the little lady "Do they look like storm clouds to you?" Her reply "I think so."

Here's the strange part. Drove another hour & 1/2 or so & beat the storm to the Hotel. It is odd to be able to see the weather that far out & actually, if needed could do something about it. At least I think so.

Anyhow great day yesterday & heading to Mancosa Co, this am.

Watch out for that large wildfire just outside of Flagstaff, AZ. They have Hwy 89 open now but the fire crossed it south of Bitter Springs and adjoins the road just north of there. They say there will be delays if you go that way. Watch out for firefighter traffic.

Love the pictures. Looking forward to seeing more. I’m living vicariously through you right now.

Thanks Mark. I was trying to get a handle on where that was. We are supposed to go to Page from Co. then to Bryce Canyon. Then from there we were going to drop down to Flagstaff. Do you know if it is South or North of Cameron? Because we can & will alter our plan. The last thing the firefighters need is more %&#@ tourists to worry about.

If anyone knows the answer to my question please let me know Thanks.

It is south of Cameron. If you are going south on US 89 to Hwy 64 and then to the Grand Canyon that should be okay. The fire is just west of Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument and north of Flagstaff.

When you hit Arizona Bill, your in the state where my heart is. As we speak, my sister is in Phoenix. If I were there now I'd be waiting for you in Flagstaff: http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&lat=35.640101&lon=-111.695358&zoom=10

It is south of Cameron. If you are going south on US 89 to Hwy 64 and then to the Grand Canyon that should be okay. The fire is just west of Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument and north of Flagstaff.

Thanks Mark. We were planning on only going to North Rim but that will change now. Just didn't want to deal with all the mayhem in South Rim.

Thanks again.

Chopin if you catch a flight now & rent one of those Harleys you can still do that. I won't be down to 40 until Sunday.

Forgot to add a couple of pictures from yesterdays travel.

Some Great roads we were on yesterday. Took 104 NW out of Tucumcari, ran that to 25/84 into Santa Fe (real nice city with lots of friendly people). then 84 to 160 in Co. & accross to Durango (Nice resort town, BUT Crowded) continued on 160 after grabbing supper. to Mancos.

Compared to the size and majesty of the Rockies, our little hills look like speed humps. Never thought about the Continental Divide in terms of east/west water flow. Tanks for the education.

Bill, The ride and pics look great...sounds like you are having a blast....Just Curious...are you communicating to this forum via a lap top or your bluetooth cell phone?.....I still us a campbell soup can and string and thinking about upgrading for my upcoming trips....

No rush....just let me know....

Thanks and safe ride :)

Well guys as a couple of you already know our trip took a minor curve ball yesterday. Going into the North Rim of the Canyon the old girl (Wing) decided to start missing. I pulled plugs & one looked like it was fouled, cleaned them & started back out. Got to Jacob Lake & started running poorly again. We were supposed to go to Bryce Canyon however found a Powersports Dealer in St George Utah (other direction). Nursed the bike there just in time to pickup some new plugs that they left out for me. Changed them in the Hotel lot that evening & still the bike was not right. Here comes the change to trip #2. Being closer to Las Vegas than Flagstaff we decided to run in here. Got some advice from Radarsdad & stopped at Ride Now Powersports on Rancho Drive in North Las Vegas. Their Service Manager Fred, who is a super guy I might add, was in at work today catching up on things has us scheduled in for 1st thing Tuesday morning with his Goldwing mechanic. He got us set up in a Hotel/Casino up the road & made a bunch of calls trying to get us a rental car but everywhere was closed. We decided to take the bike go to hotel & drop off tomorrow when we go to get a car. On our way to Hotel the bike started running good again with no miss whatsoever. So my thoughts are "a possible vacuum leak"? Do any of you guys have input?

Moving back a bit we will be going to Hoover Dam & some sites tomorrow by car, sadly, however it is supposed to be 105 also so I guess that isn't terrible.

Anyway sorry to get long winded here but just wanted to share the story even though it is a little troubling.

Bill, The ride and pics look great...sounds like you are having a blast....Just Curious...are you communicating to this forum via a lap top or your bluetooth cell phone?.....

Thanks Mark the little lady is the photographer & we are having a great time even throwing in this little snafu. When we planned this trip I decided to buy a Mini Netbook. It is small enough to fit into the top bag & big enough that the "old eyes" don't have to strain. Both the little lady & I share time on it when we stop for the evening & before we leave the next morning. Every hotel has had wireless even the Little Rt 66 style one in Mancos. The one we got was a Gateway & it works great. It won't do everthing that your PC will do but if you want to check email, Store pics & cruise the internet I would recommend it.

By the way guys here are a few pictures for the last couple days. The 1st & 2nd are of the Canyon. 3rd is I-15 South between St George & Vegas. The 4th is the Vegas skyline.

fos': The four of us were talking about the southwestern leg of your voyage yesterday. Took Mz. Vickie for a 425 mile round trip to Williamsburg yesterday. Vickie and I met up with Rapier and Loni as planned for a foursome return home ride. Hot as hell and Mz. Vickie held up well....... until the return ride home. We had to stop in near Tappahannock to ice her down. Loni took charge of Vickie's condition. I love you Loni ! I'm better at " dealing " with mechanical issues. Now I'm reading about your " mechanical " condition and feeling helpless there also. My only consolation to this is that I'm new to the Goldwing and I ride an 1800. It's a lame consolation, but I need something to mitigate the feeling of being useless here. And of course I'll refrain from making any connection to your proximity to " Hoover " dam and the possible " Vacuum " leak.

Life's an adventure, ain't it? :D At least you'll have the A/C in the rental car today as you explore Vegas and Hoover Dam. Ya might as well take it to Oatman while yer at it since Laughlin's usually hotter than Vegas. I heard it's supposed to hit 108 here today. :eek:

Don't forget to hit a few buffets while you're in town. :)

Hope the bike problem is a minor issue that is easy to figure out. If you have to rent a car you sure are in the best place for it this time of year. At least it is a dry heat………..

Bill, Thanks for the info on the mini lap top....Sorry to hear about the bike....I am not a mechanic....but did you by any chance run the gas tank real low and then filled up with cold gas....on a very hot engine this can some time cause vapor locks that will take some time to work their way out of the fuel system...it starves the system of gas thus one or two cyclinders will shut down... :confused:

Hope this helps....Good Luck...

Well today was all about 4 wheels. At one point while trying to take one of her patented moving pictures the little lady said "I sure do miss the bike right now." The only decent thing was it was 107 - 109 depending on where you were. So the A/C was nice. We went to Hoover Dam. Traveled into Kingman for the Arizona section of our Rt 66 tour then onto Needles Ca. where we are for the night. Tomorrow we'll head back to Vegas, stop at Oatman Az. on the way & hopefully word on the bike.

Dam! I haven't been to Hoover Dam since 1976, and I haven't been to PA since you left town.

Dam! I haven't been to Hoover Dam since 1976, and I haven't been to PA since you left town.

I thought the last time you were there it was a pond.......:):):eek:

And your always welcome in Pa.

I thought the last time you were there it was a pond.......:):):eek:

And your always welcome in Pa.

" Hoover Dam " use to be a great little fishing hole. As for PA, how about the Sunday after this July 4th weekend ?

Foss. We are waiting for word..........................

While waiting for bike made our way to Needles Ca. laid over. yesterday headed back out through Oatman (Gold Rush, Ghost Town, Old West) town. They have Wild/Tame Burros that wander into town every morning & then go back into the hills at night. The little lady was busy making new friends. It is a neat little tourist trap with some very nice people that don't really take advantage of the tourists. After that we came back up to Sin City for the night, Shop has parts being overnighted in, hopefully be back on the road today.

Keeping my fingers crossed that you guys are able to get back on the road soon, Fossil!

What was the diagnosis on the ol' girl (Wing)?

What was the diagnosis on the ol' girl (Wing)?

I'm with you "Radar " . What parts ???? We need to ask his wife. She may not know the name of the part ( or parts ) but she sure will know the cost of them. From that we can infer something. Fossil is not cryptic: he's just not always specific. Remember , he has been in " sales " for the last few years.

.........??????????...............

I reckon they're out enjoying the Vegas nightlife and just too tired to respond. :D

I reckon they're out enjoying the Vegas nightlife and just too tired to respond. :D

Well your up early. Hang on, the sun is heading your way. I'm looking at it now.

No nightlife for these two.

We are back on the road & just getting ready to leave Beatty.

Bad vacuum pilot assy. $389. including an oil change. Radarsdad good lead to shop. Great people mostly Fred Svc Mgr. Very fair & helpful.

While waiting for the bike we went to Death Valley. In search for the perfect picture the little lady had us hike out on the Salt floor at Badwater Basin.
She forgot the outdoor cardinal rule. Whatever you hike to you have to hike back. Almost 2 miles later we get back to the car & she's exhausted. But the Valley is beautiful in it's own way as you can see.

I'm glad everything worked out. I'm looking forward to following this thread as you continue this awesome trip.

Nice sombrero your sporting there Wild Bill. And of course your Annie Oakley is always fast with an attention getting smile. I'm really glad to hear that you two are back in the saddle again....... Out where a friend is a friend
Where the longhorn cattle feed
On the lowly gypsum weed
Back in the saddle again......

Manteca Ca. for the evening tomorrow a short run into San Fran. & a 1 night stay. Today we saddled up & ran up 95 to 266 to 168 (through some nifty passes) to 395 to 120 right through Yosemite (Beautiful Park) to Manteca.

Little Lady & I really enjoyed the ride & we're are back on schedule. The roads through the Mt passes of 266/168 are awesome as far as entertaining. I highly recommend them to all who get the chance to ride them. Also 120 out of the Park down to the valley is great as well.

" Wagons' Hoah ! "

Where'd you run across all that alkali in the mountains? :D

Well guys, the little lady & I hit the Streets of San Francisco (pun intended). 1st stop Fisherman's Wharf, Boudin Bakery, Alcatraz & then cruise around the City & of course had to drive down Lombard St. The little lady got a couple nice shots going down.

Tomorrow we head to Oregon up the Coast & through Redwood Nat. Park.

Enjoy all the anticipation although I will say if you are this excited 32 days out, you will not need gasoline on the day of departure :).

At 8pm in San Fran, it's 57 degrees. What a difference a day on a Goldwing makes... eh Bill? I went for a meager two hour ride this morning and had to beeline for the pool when I got home to cool off! The good new is it's already down to 98 degrees with a wind-singe factor of about 103. :D One more dip tonight before bedtime should really hit the spot.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's report. :)

Bill, you have hit one of my most favorite spots in the USA. Make sure you go to Ghirardelli's for a chocolate sunday. They are the best. Glad your back on the road.

North of SF is Point Reyes light house. If you go there you can see the movement of the earth from an earthquake. Ground shifted a couple of feet. Ride safe my friend..

[QUOTE=Two Wheel Wing;23562]Bill, you have hit one of my most favorite spots in the USA. Make sure you go to Ghirardelli's for a chocolate sunday. They are the best. Glad your back on the road.

Chocolate, donuts, pasta, etc. By the time Bill get's back he is going to need a GL1800.

[QUOTE=Two Wheel Wing;23562]Bill, you have hit one of my most favorite spots in the USA. Make sure you go to Ghirardelli's for a chocolate sunday. They are the best. Glad your back on the road.

Chocolate, donuts, pasta, etc. By the time Bill get's back he going to need a GL1800.

Hopefully they're just replacing what they burned up on that two mile hike through Death Valley in the dead of summer, albiet a few surplus calories to justify a GL1800 would be calories well spent. :D

Hey Bill,

Just saw a reply from you to Buzzy's trailer thread and was wondering if you'd mind sharing a pic of your Wing with your cross country "luggage"? If I ever go on a long trip, I too would rather not drag a trailer. If you folks can ride coast-to-coast-to-coast with only what you can carry on the bike, then you must have a system that works pretty darn well.

Glenn here's the link to my post showing the rack/bag setup. It has worked great.

http://www.goldwingowners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3771



I'll post tomorrow am, todays events. I've got to get some shuteye.

Thanks Bill, that explains a lot! That's a much better idea than a trailer (IMHO). Another thing I wondered about was how you could stand to ride day after day across America and function at the end of the day, but after looking at your seat, I need not even ask.

:)

Another thing I wondered about was how you could stand to ride day after day across America and function at the end of the day, but after looking at your seat, I need not even ask.

:)

I agree! I've sat on that seat. My computer chair doesn't even come close in comfort. I wouldn't say he is " roughing it ".

Who makes the seat? It may be time to trade in the Corbin.

Okay now that I have a couple of coffees in me I'll fill you in on yeserdays travels.

Left San Fran. went across the Mighty Golden Gate. Up 101 to 128 across to 1 outside Mendocino. Beautiful vineyards, rolling hills & some twisties on 128. Up the coast to Redwood National Park. In & out of the trees had us bundled & then uncovered & then bundled again. Man that wind coming off the Pacific sure is Gnarwly. Landed in Grants Pass for the evening. Today we just need to Cover ground so it's straight up I-5 to Seattle. I know we're going to be missing some cool things in Oregon but we do have to stick to a schedule.

Glenn it's a Hartco.

" Brutus" gives that Redwood tree a two thumbs up.

Wow, great pictures! I'm using your trip to entice my better half into a long trip with me. Glad everything is going well.

Wow, great pictures! I'm using your trip to entice my better half into a long trip with me. Glad everything is going well.

Thanks Mark. We are having an awesome time.

We arrived in Seattle last night grabbed the hotel & found a little Brick Oven Pizza place open for Dinner. Watched the fireworks & went nighty nite. Today we are headed down to the docks & further downtown for the touristy things to do. I'll be sure to post some pictures either tonight or tomorrow am.

Fossil...your pics look great...sounds like you are having a great time....I have been showing my wife your pics to convince her to go to NC in the fall....I just had a chance (alone...could not convince her to come) to ride from Milwaukee Wi -> Des Moine IA (wing ding) -> Omaha NE -> Soiux City SD -> Fargo ND -> Rhilander WI -> back to Milwaukee this past weekend (Friday - Sunday)...put 2100 miles on the new bike....I have one question...It appears you are making great strides in your trip...are you going point to point and then doing sight seeing mostly at your final destination point or are you stopping along the way (other than gas fill ups)...if stopping how are you making so many miles per day...I made one stop in SD and spent an hour talking with the locals...at that pace it would take me three years to make the trip you are doing..just curious...? Glad to see you and the misses are having fun... :)

Fossil- The pictures are great. Look for a house in Seattle for the wife and I. We are thinking about retiring there. We are green with envy...

Okay before I post todays events let me answer a few questions.

I have one question...It appears you are making great strides in your trip...are you going point to point and then doing sight seeing mostly at your final destination point or are you stopping along the way (other than gas fill ups)...if stopping how are you making so many miles per day...I made one stop in SD and spent an hour talking with the locals...at that pace it would take me three years to make the trip you are doing..just curious...? Glad to see you and the misses are having fun...

Mark, I believe the little lady has part Cruise Director in her. I laid out the basic trip for almost a year. When we had 3 weeks to go she said "I would like to see the trip if I may." At that point input from the other side began to happen & we worked together with the plans & some basic principles.

#1. Arrive at a destination in the evening (even if very late). Wake up the next morning where you want to site see & get to it. Less crowded in the morning hours.

#2. Try to stop when you only need fuel or to hydrate. Of course you do have to stop to take the pictures when the oppurtunity is there, but limit those stops to 15 minutes at most.

#3. We stay at the hotels that have breakfast as much as possible that way you can eat before you saddle up. When you stay at budget hotels & you have to get on the bike & shortly thereafter stop for breakfast it kills time. Remember everytime you get off the bike, take off the gear, etc. etc. you are burning daylight.

#4. I'm an early riser so I get up & get the bike uncovered, ck oil, tires, warm it up.

#5. I try to fuel the bike at night before we get settled. See #3

Now I certainly am not rude to local people & we do talk to some but sometimes we have to stay to ourselves to get things done. I don't claim to be the most worthy traveler but these simple things have worked for us.

I would love to have about 3 -4 months to do this same trip I know we could have seen & done more but you have to pick & choose. Plus you never know when a problem will happen & you'll have to miss Bryce Canyon.:(

Fossil- The pictures are great. Look for a house in Seattle for the wife and I. We are thinking about retiring there. We are green with envy...


Badger, Seattle is nice but I don't know if I could live where people have the tendancy to say "Well at least it didn't rain all day";)

Anyway as long as you're asking I will too. If anyone has places in the Santa Fe N.M. area let me know that's where we're thinking about.

Now to todays events. Seattle in the morning after the 4th of July is "Quiet". Not at all like being in N.Y.C.
We went to the Underground Tour. Here's the storyline. I'll try to keep it condensed. In 1800's Seattle was thriving however most was down on the waterfront & they had plumbing issues. In 1889 they had the "Great Seattle Fire". It burned down most of the downtown. At that time the City officials tried to get everyone to raise the ground however some merchants refused or rebuilt. The City then raised the road so they had roads about 8-10 ft above the buildings. Over the years they enclosed them with beams & brickwork, that is what is now Underground Seattle. The pictures will show some of that & wooden piping for their original water lines. We also walked the streets found a great little candy shop. Rocky Mountain Chocolates, I'll bet some of you guys already have had them. Went to the Markets on the water had something to eat & in general a real good time. The last picture is of Puget Sound. (Badger take note to the rain type clouds that loomed while we were out.)

Tomorrow we pull out early & head to Kalispell Mt.

Fos: You may not know it, but your in my city of birth. I was taken from there at a very young age, so your historical discoveries are very interesting to say the least. I still have plenty of relations living there. If you had the time you might have taken the ferry over to Blake Island for the salmon feast. From my point of view, you have walked the streets of a city where great men have been born.

Thanks Fossil for the travel plans....that really helped....Safe Riding... :)

Left Seattle yesterday, stopped to ship souveniers home. The trip across I-90 was fast but was splendid just the same. Stopped by the Ginko Petrified Forest & found the Wild Horses Monument after leaving there. We got into Idaho & the little lady wanted to eat Idaho potatoes in Idaho ( Now she has them at home all the time but I guess it was a priniciple thing). We asked some of the locals for a spot & they directed us to the "Snake Pit". A former Hotel, Brothel & Bar with an eclectic array of decor. Great food & nice people. Buffalo Burger & the little lady got her potato. Beat our buts into Montana & to Kalispell. Today is Glacier I'll have pictures of it to wet the appetites.

Your absence has been duly noted. Thank goodness you went through the " narrow " part of Idaho ( the starch in the middle of the state weighs heavy on the carb-uretors ). Nice detour up north to Glacier Park ! I have only seen pictures from other riders. I have been to Butte ,Montana , though ( don't bother going ). Don't hurry home, but be here by the weekend of the 17th. We have a surprise greeting awaiting you.

Today was a series of Extremely highs to extremely lows. Let me explain. Today was Glacier, the ride was beautiful, the weather was beautiful, the scenery was ... the wildlife was... You get the picture. The delays on the Going To The Sun were 15 minutes at tops. The day was perfect UNTIL we left the park. It has become a habit that if we don't quite catch something I'll turn around & we'll go back. Snap the pic, turn around again & head off. On the 2nd turn around I cut too tight & lost the bike. That is usually not a major issue as you guys know but the problem was the Little Lady tried to catch herself from falling, the bike fell into her & her knee popped. After about a 1/2hr of some pressure splinting I helped her back on the bike & we headed to Browning. Once there we went to the Blackfeet Medical Center & waited for results. Nothing broken but apparently she has torn her ACL. We made it to destination of Conrad, I'm not sure what tomorrow is going to bring but we'll adapt.

Prayers and PM sent.

Prayers and PM sent.

+1 for me too. Let us know if there is something we can do.

Dang! Looks like your flower will have to take the driver's seat from here on out so she can stretch out that sore knee.:D Best wishes for a quick rebound and a safe ride home!

Fossil...Sorry to hear about the mishap....If you need anything let me know...if the misses needs to get off the bike for the ride through Wisconsin...let me know...I can pick her up in the mini van.

Mark H.

Darn, I'm sad as heck to read your post. I hope your ridin' buddy gets up to speed and right soon. You taught me ( and many of us ) a valuable lesson. Never go back. The pictures that matter are taken by the minds eye over the handlebars. I sure hope you guys are back up. Let us know how your wife, treasure that she is, is: I hope all is well and soon.

Sure do hate to hear about mishaps. Hope your wife isn’t hurting too much and gets better soon.

Guys thanks for all the best wishes. I know the little lady really appreciates them. MarkH thanks so much for the offer. I will not say no however she is determined to finish her trip. I'll let you know if that changes.

So anyway todays post will start a little different.

In 1980 the St Louis (then LA/Anaheim) Rams had a DE named Jack Youngblood, they were in the midst of a Super Bowl run & Jack played in the NFC Champ & Super Bowl on a broken leg. I can tell you that ole Jack would have a run for his money because all my little lady did today was crawl back on that bike in her compression brace & did 304 miles. We went from Conrad to Big Timber via Lewistown.

So here is todays side story. You see this ole fossil was an Air Force brat & when he was in 3rd-6th grade he lived on a Radar Base seventeen miles north of Lewistown Mt. The one thing on this trip that has remained constant was visiting the old area. We rode into Great Falls & then headed east to Lewistown there we went to the old base when we were done went back to Town for some lunch & then headed south to Big Timber. I was going to try to make it to Livingston but when we stopped for fuel in Big Timber she wanted to get off the bike for a bit. When I said we should get going her comment was "Okay, We don't have far to the Hotel, We're staying in this town tonight right?" At which point I said "We are now". I mean really guys I think she did okay putting on the mileage she did. I thought she deserved a break, Don't you think?

Anyhow the pictures show how the missus carries her new support system, Lewistown sign & the last 2 are the School where I went, 3 classrooms I might add. 1-3, 4-5, & 6,7,8 & the Base itself.

Great post! I'm laughing out loud and feeling guilty for it at the same time.I don't know if J. feels better, but I sure do ( although I don't think I should ). I'm confused.

It must be great to go back to your "roots" and to show Janice where you grew up. Continue to make memories... Ride safe..

Hey Bill I've got a buddy right down the rode from Lewistown, in the Coffee Creek, Denton area; you can see " Square Butte" from his place. Been out there many times (Big Timber too). Pretty rough country to scatch out a living on. Anyway continued Godspeed on your journey and give Janice our best, we're all pulling for you. P.S. becareful when you're riding on open range, you have to share the road with the livestock (cattle and horses) and you don't want to get crossways with a Montana rancher.:eek:

I like how you centered her support system on the bike. Almost looks like it belongs. Might make a nice anchor point for "Old Glory". Give your flower a hug for showing some true grit! My wife would have been picked up at the hometown airport by now. :D

Sounds like you guys are having a great time despite the extra timber...Sounds like you have a great trooper of a wife...you owe her a day at the spa when you get back home....do they have those in PA... :D

Safe Ride....

Just let me know on any assistance (c) 262-573-2311

Sounds like you have a great trooper of a wife...you owe her a day at the spa when you get back home....do they have those in PA...

You are correct Mark. I will hook her up. We have one of the best I've ever been to in Hershey Pa. at the Hotel Hershey. You can get all the normal spa/massage treatments & you can get Cocoa rubs, Choclate Showers & Baths & Hot Cocoa & choclates to your hearts content. I highly recommend it if you & your missus ever get to Hershey Pa.

Getting ready to leave Greybull Wy. shortly. yesterday was Yellowstone N.P. day. On the way in from Big Timber the little lady says, "You know if we can figure out a way to keep my foot ahead of the floorboard I'll be more comfortable, When trucks go by the wind trys to bend my leg with it." So picture 1 shows the "Art of Invention".

In the park we went in at Mamoth Springs & headed to Old Faithful. Along the way we &others spotted these 2 Elk bedded down by the creek bed. After leaving O.F. we decide to drive up to the meadows area in hopes to see more wildlife as you can see we weren't disappointed. We saw Elk, coyotes, pelicans, & Bison of course.

Deadwood SD Today.

Thanks Bill! I just added a crescent wrench and some zip ties to my Goldwing tool kit. :)

Fossil, you are the man.. The MacGyver of motorcycling. Great job and good thinking. Ride safe my friend..

Wow! Anything I put on my trip report seems lame after seeing these postings! That's pretty awesome and some great pictures, too. We just had a little rain on the way to Baltimore....:rolleyes:

You could find a tennis ball at one of the " Resorts " you stay at and impale it on the end of the wrench. It might provide a bit more padding and increase the surface contact area. As always, just one 'ol chopin's humble opinion. Love the e-mail's. When she's happy, I'm happy.

Good ole yankee inginuity at its best (no offense to you southern boys);)

Yesterday started with an absolutely georgeous ride through Bighorn National Forest. The roads were smooth & somewhat twisty & this Pa boy was smitten by the flashing light systems that they have in place not only on this little road but on I-90 as well. If they have rock slides or I imagine Snow drifts Gates come down lights are flashing & the sign says "Road closed return to Greybull".:eek: That was back 10 miles. Neat stuff. We rode across I-90 to cover some ground, wanted to get to Deadwood so we could do the tourist thing. Walked around feelin all gunslingery except I forgot my Nifty Sombero (Maestro). Had a great Bison steak & the little lady enjoyed some Black Hills shopping. A fine day was had by the Fossil couple.

Lucky you have your crescent wrench with you to take down those gates and adventure across the tundra.....:D

Safe Ride...

Great job with the invention and pictures. My wife is very impressed.

Well I now know the answer to the question: " What is the dead man's hand holding ? " .

Glad to see in your picture you were sitting with your back to the wall, that was Wild Bill's demise (he was'nt):eek:

Well I now know the answer to the question: " What is the dead man's hand holding ? " .

Beware of that odd 5 Maestro.

Today we went through the Black Hills of SD. That means Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Mountain & on the suggestion of Matt & Charlie, Custer State Park. We also went through the Badlands but we did that with a very significant amount of rain so it really wasn't fun. Fortunately we are staying in Wall SD 8 miles from the entrance so tomorrow we are going to go back through. There is a list of travel observations that the we have started to put together that we are going to share at the end of the trip but the one that we commented on again today is that in Pa. & most of the eastern states when the highways get worked on they usually only close 1 lane at a time or build temp roads around the work area. Here in the West (Id, Mt, Wy, & SD the ones we've been in) they tear up the whole road & you travel in dirt/mud. Makes for some intersting travel.

nice writeup with pic's fossil. as for tearing up the whole road to do construction i ran into that in strathroy, on. just as you got into town. i was driving an 18 wheeler at the time. i called dispatch on my bag-phone to get directions and they said " go into town and make a left a such and such ( don't remember the name of the street now ) street " and i told them " even the street signs are missing " so where do you want me to make this left turn

Nice road! Man, I get a little tense with a little gravel. Don't know how I would do on that.

" go into town and make a left a such and such ( don't remember the name of the street now ) street " and i told them " even the street signs are missing " so where do you want me to make this left turn

I know what you mean detdrbuzzard, I've been told things like "You go out of town out here about 8 miles & you look for a right hand cutoff a little bit past that is Larry's point & you make a left at the 2nd road after that. Don't make the 1st that goes to Ginther's Ranch." It is interesting but somehow it all makes sense.

Nice road! Man, I get a little tense with a little gravel. Don't know how I would do on that.

I try to keep the bike as straight as possible, don't worry about the cars behind that want to go faster & look for soft spots to stay out of. This particular one wasn't terrible because it was mostly straight. We hit a series of 4 going into Greybull Wy. that were pretty rough & that was at night (a little harrowing) & the worse one was in Montana where it was ripped up down a twisty mountain. There they had a redlight on each end to let one lane at a time go. That was when I said to the little lady "The next one of these we have to go through can you take some pictures & I need to share this?"

In last nights post I forgot to mention that We have met some of the nicest people on this trip. I know that when you get to touristy areas that their livelyhood depends on it. However both the little lady & I have said that the Midwest both North & South have the most friendliest people we have ever encountered. She even made the comment "It makes you wonder what the heck is wrong with the 2 coasts?"

The latest case in point is our last nights accomadations. Cruising the net in Deadwood Sat. evening for a place to stay Sun. I find the "Frontier Cabins" (see picture). As the Maestro says I've been staying in resorts HAHA anyway I show them to the little lady & make a reservation. I said before how we drove through the Badlands in a heavy rain. We pull in get checked in, The facility is a series of aprox. 50 small individual cabins of different sizes. They have a General Store, laundry, playground area & even an outdoor Hottub. No I wasn't in it.
So I get the bike covered, Mama's not the happiest because of the messy situation & I walk down to the Store. They have some frozen Chimichaungas & BBQ rib sandwiches. I walk up to the counter & the Owner "Lonnie" says "you must be hungry?" At which point I tell him "When you're on a bike & it's raining sometimes you just have to eat what you can get, What am I going to do?". Now I want you to remember I'm buying this stuff from him. He says to me "Here's what you're going to do. You're going to put this stuff back, Go get your sweetheart, come back here & I'll give you my Jeep to go into town. There are some good places & get a decent meal." Of course I think he's joking but soon find out he's dead serious. You should have seen the look on the little ladies face when I told her. When I brought the Jeep back after the trip into Wall & told him I fueled it for him. He quips "Now you didn't have to go & do that, but if I known you were going to I would have siphoned the tank out before you left." As he laughs.

Sorry that this got long winded but we were blown away by the place. Yes this is a plug for this lodging. If you need a place to stay in or near Wall SD go to the "Fontier Cabins." www.frontiercabins.net
Lonnie & his staff of very nice young people are the best. It is located just outside of the town about 8 miles from the Badlands entrance.

The 3 C's - Cozy, clean & Charming.

Bill,

Crazy Horse Mt looks the same as it did in 1989 when the family and I were there. Locals say they are more interested in charging to see the thing than they are in finishing it. Glad you are having a good time. Some of your other photos remind me of our trip back then. You have to love Mt Rushmore, what a great site. Ride safe..

Your poignant story is a great reminder that the Heart of America still beats from others. "Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.” ~ Emerson. Quid-pro-quo to you , " Wild " Bill. You get what you give.

Last evening while the rain was falling the little lady put on the weather channel & saw that this am was supposed to be nice. She made the suggestion that we get moving early & since we stayed so close, go back through the Badlands again. Before we left I took time to enjoy Coffee & a "Wall Drug doughnut". The weather was great. She got to see prarie dogs & coyotes. The scenery is mysterious yet beautiful. Left there saddled up & hit I-90, we had a lot of ground to cover. Stopped in Mitchell SD for lunch & a stop by the Corn Palace. Several times out of S.D. we past bikes being trailered or in the back of pickups. They all had one thing in common. I'll let you guys try to figure it out.

Made it to Fairmont Mn. & tomorrow it's the "Windy". Unfortunatley we couldn't hook up with Matt. There will be another time.

Just makes want to get our little trip to WASHINGTON D.C. happen sooner. Wife and I leave August 5th for 2-weeks of "riden & looken."
There's alot to see in this country of ours.

Sure is a nice looking pickup in that last series of photos. :D

Do you make cross country trips every year?

Sure is a nice looking pickup in that last series of photos. :D

Do you make cross country trips every year?

It's the "Haulin ya Harley" special edition. (comes with oil dry already spread in the bed):D

Umm, Umm, gee, a motorcycle in the back of a truck or two on a trailer bein' towed. In Logic class you would get an F because Logically speaking you have not given enough data to come to a conclusion. Ah, but here in the world of motor cycles we have all seen this vision so often we for sure get it. A bunch of my buddys trailered their 02's to Milwaukee in 03. Im of a mind to wonder... why bother, just look at the metric riders photo album when he or she or they get back :).

Did the bumper read: " Haulin' mASS ! " ? Nice cabin. What's up with the " Corn Palace " ? It looks like something out of the " Red Square " in Moscow.

What's up with the " Corn Palace " ? It looks like something out of the " Red Square " in Moscow.

Don't really know the whole history put I remember as a kid coming across from Mt., Mom dragging Dad & the rest of us there & here I was again. I will tell you not unlike Hershey Pa. the town folk love their Corn Palace. Lot's of referances, advertisements, street lights with corn on the bases, & street signs with corn.

Fossil-

I have seen a lot of these "unnamed" bikes in pick ups along our ride, too. Yet, they don't like to admit it... Caught one at the Gettysburg Bike Week down a back street loading up. Pulled into ask if I could help.... He didn't need any damn help?:rolleyes:

Fossil-

I have seen a lot of these "unnamed" bikes in pick ups along our ride, too. Yet, they don't like to admit it... Caught one at the Gettysburg Bike Week down a back street loading up. Pulled into ask if I could help.... He didn't need any damn help?:rolleyes:

If they need help, they will flag you down. If you see a rider freshly hurt: STOP! Otherwise, don't aggravate the riders personal problems with help. " Wave " goodbye.....

Well, they are on the final stretch now. No doubt fast and furious. The last leg home is always the longest and the least appreciated. It's been a great trip for me from my seat: Adventure; Highlights; Views; Drama ......... Beats T.V.

Well, they are on the final stretch now. No doubt fast and furious. The last leg home is always the longest and the least appreciated. It's been a great trip for me from my seat: Adventure; Highlights; Views; Drama ......... Beats T.V.

Better than any "reality series" that they put on TV. We've lived a great adventure thru our friend Fossil..

Well, they are on the final stretch now. No doubt fast and furious. The last leg home is always the longest and the least appreciated. It's been a great trip for me from my seat: Adventure; Highlights; Views; Drama ......... Beats T.V.

I hope their not on their last leg....how many U-turns did he do...:D

B&J safe travels to your home state....

Let's get 2 days in one shall we? Started Tuesday morning Fairmont Mn. headed toward Chicago. The little lady has had some small goals on the trip one of which was to eat Wisconsin Cheese in Wisconsin. On a tip from MarkH we stopped in West Salem at Le Coulee Cheese, quaint little store with some real friendly citizens lurking & one very nice young man behind the counter. Oah-Ohhkay & You Betcha was a typical saying there and the local restaurant that we had Cheese Curds in. Thanks for the tip Mark it worked out great. Covered ground the rest of the way but all @$^* broke out when we hit the Windy. Poor timing & road construction had us going about 7 miles in an 1 1/2hrs. Made for a very ornery couple. Then to boot the culture shock of going from the nice people we met in the mountain & lake states to the rude, pushy obnoxious city was about enough to push us both over the edge. To say the least we got out of Dodge early this am (I mean 5:30) & rode all the way to Pa. We are here in Clarion & have about a 4 hr trip home in the am. The 1st picture is of the "Ole Man", The Mighty Miss. 2nd & 3rd are obvious.

I will be summing things up tomorrow.

fossil92 I will be going out the way of Chicago and I was going to pick up an epass for the Pa. turnpike and I was hopping that I will be able to use it also out that way, did you notice if or what is used out and passed Chicago, thanks

I hope their not on their last leg....how many U-turns did he do...:D

B&J safe travels to your home state....

That's terribly funny!!!!! That could have been my line. But I'll quote YOU when I see him.

fossil92 I will be going out the way of Chicago and I was going to pick up an epass for the Pa. turnpike and I was hopping that I will be able to use it also out that way, did you notice if or what is used out and passed Chicago, thanks

Golddragon....the I-Pass is used in the west side of Indiana and all of Illinios....

Fossil... :eek: Glad you had a good time at the Le Cheese....I was worried that I would make a fool out of myself and send you to a place that did not even sell cheese...since I never have been there before....

Sorry to hear you had a rough time in Chicago...I know how you feel...use to live there..then move to farm country Wisconsin...Love that smell of Cows....

Safe Ride Home...:)

That's terribly funny!!!!! That could have been my line. But I'll quote YOU when I see him.

Chopin....I'll take any royalties I can get...actually my wife said that was the funniest thing I have said in years....:eek:

That's terribly funny!!!!! That could have been my line. But I'll quote YOU when I see him.

Note to fossil: Notice I said " terribly " funny. ter·ri·bly/ˈterəblē/Adverb
1. Very; extremely: "I'm terribly sorry".
2. Very badly or unpleasantly: "they beat me terribly". See definition # 2. Far be it for me to find humor in another misfortune. Shame on MarkH for making light of this episode. I was wondering however, when you were in Wisconsin at Le Cheese, did anyone cut the cheese ?

I remember there are 2 seasons in Chicago, Winter and Construction.

Today was the last day of our journey. We woke up this am got moving a bit slower pace than we have been on. As we rode through our State on the way home the little lady & I both commented that we had seen so many beautiful places & yet we had forgotten just how pretty Pa. can be as well.

This was a fun & fulfilling trip & we are both glad that all of you have been along with us. For those of you that have posted &/or given us assistance along the way, We thank you for all your help, those who have just been following along we also say thanks for taking time to read the thread.

I encourage all of you to take time to see the wonderful country we live in whether it be a long trip or a series of smaller ones.

Good Luck to all & Ride safe.

Bill & Janice

Thanks for the "ride" ole buddy and welcome home:)

I'm exhausted from your trip but what a great ride it was! Thanks so much for sharing it with all of us. :) Not sure what I'll do for entertainment now while I'm waiting for it to cool down here enough to start riding more than just a couple of hours in the early AM. :(

Bill & Janice....I sold my TV for your reality show...and it was well worth it...Thanks for the great show (ride).

Janice we all wish you a speedy recovery.... hold Bill to one of those Hersey PA spa treatments....

It is GREAT to have both of you on this forum :)

Safe Rides in the Future.