after thoughts and more!!

I want to apologize for being so late with this update. You would think that a retired guy has lots of time to finish what was started. I admit that I was just lazy and I needed a prompt from Ed Kiss to get on the bus and get going!! Thanks Ed!!
General after thoughts with my adventure: This trip had been planned for two years prior to my retirement. I was able to use lots of information that I found on the internet to plan and actually get on the road. Thanks! Al Gore, for inventing the internet!!
Why did I choose a KLR 650? It was cheap and reliable. Lots of riders have circumvented the world on a KLR. From my research and readings, it appears that not all countries have available dealerships to procure parts. Thus the KLR has to carry a lot of extra parts. My KLR was virtually trouble free for the entire trip. I did have to have a new fuel petcock installed. The stock chain finally wore out after 17,000 miles. I will have to install new sprockets and a new chain before driving the Mule to Oregon.
Equipment: I did not do any major modifications to the Mule. New tank guards were installed. I'm really glad that I found out about Alaska Butt Pads. Saved my butt!! I really liked using Anti Monkey Butt powder, especially during the extreme hot weather that I encountered. I never used the camp stool that Pat and Courtney gave me for my birthday. Most of the camping that I did was in campgrounds with amenities.
The Jet boil stove was great!!
I packed heavy but I really was glad that I had a good tent, big sleeping bag and a large, 3.5 REI sleeping pad. I used all the tools that I carried in the 4" ABS tool tube. ACCER mini computer worked great.
The route: Thanks again Al Gore!! I conversed with lots of fellow riders on the KLR forum. I also used motowhere.com to plot daily routes and also used Judy "Garmin" GPS when close to cities to find out where I was going. It was eye opening to travel on the east coast. Too many people and they drive too fast!!
Since the KLR was a smaller MC, I plotted routes on back or secondary roads. I really enjoyed talking to all the people in the small towns that I traveled through. It seems that they all have relatives that live or have lived in Alaska.
What I would do different!! As much as I like my KLR, I had many conversations with MC riders. All suggested upgrading to a bigger bike. Well, I took their advice and purchased a 2009 BMW R1200 GS. It's got all the bells and whistles that I'll ever need. The enclosed pics are my new ride. Actually went riding today. Temps were low 30's but this bike has heated hand grips.
My GS hugs the road and is a smooth ride. Should be for 20K price tag. Yeah, it's a lot of money but I can ride all year down here and the speedometer maxs out at 220 mph. I have to baby the GS for 600 miles during break in. There are lots of small, curvy back roads to ride.
I start work next week at the Sherwood Ice Arena. Only doing three nights a week but that will make the MC payment. The GS is set up for two riders. It actually has an on-board computer that lets you change the dampening for different rider configurations and road conditions. Bought two new helmets as the born again date had expired on my older Nolan and I wanted Valley to have a good brain bucket for our adventures.
I am looking forward to adventure riding with Valley and exploring new routes in our new State (We will always be Nanooks!!).

The last day!!

I got up early and looked out the window. RAIN!! WORSE YET!!, the route that I had planned called for severe weather around Houston, TX. I pulled the bike under an overhang outside my room and started to perform the pre-ride maintenance and packing. A gentleman,who was also staying at the motel saw my Alaska license plate and said, "where are you headed? I told him that my route was traveling down to and around Houston. He said, "not a good idea,the people down there are crazy!!". He went to his car and brought a detailed Texas map and said this is your early Christmas present. We plotted an alternate route that would take me west and away from the nasty weather.
I finished packing and put on all my rain gear and reflective vest and head south on the interstate towards Houston. I traveled south, 25 miles, avoiding big trucks and impatient drivers who just had to get to Houston in a hurry. I saw the turnoff for Hwy 105 west and followed this road for about 60 miles before I was able to hook into Hwy 60 south. This was a two lane road that meandered down towards Bay City, TX. I had to stop in Bay City and tighten the chain one more time, hoping that the chain would last the rest of the trip.
The weather had cleared and I shed my vest and rain jacket and turned on to Hwy 35 which would take me into Aransas Pass. When I left Huntsville, there was not much wind but as I started going west away from the rain, the wind started blowing at 25 mph from the north west. When I turned onto Hwy 60, I had a tailwind all the way to Bay City. As I started out on Hwy 35, I was again riding into the wind. Bay City and Hwy 35 follow the shoreline of the Texas gulf coast. Not much there to stop the wind.
I was actually able to cruise at 70 and 75 mph on this section and I made great time. The weather got warm and I stopped for the last fuel fill-up for this trip. I shed my rain pants and enjoyed the +80F temps as I headed to Aransas Pass, TX.
I arrived at Tom and Kathy Barrett's home at 4 PM. No one was home but I took my boots and socks off and enjoyed the warm temps on their deck. Kathy arrived about 30 minutes later and I was awarded ice cold adult beverages while we waited for Tom to finish work. I made it!! I called Valley and let her know that I had arrived safely at her brothers home. Tom and Kathy do not have the "Internet". They had some problems with virus's in the past and decided they did not need the "Internet". So, I tried my mini and no connections were available and I would have to wait until I got back to Alaska to do my final updates.
My plane was an hour late getting back to Fairbanks and the temp was +20F degrees with light snow. Guess what? I was cold. After spending the last two months in nice to hot weather, my body was not acclimated to Fairbanks. My wife and dog, Nikki, met me at the airport and I finally arrived home at about 11:30 PM, Alaska time. Kiss the wife, scratch the dog, have a glass of nice wine and off to bed.
Next post = after thoughts!

A very long day!!

Yes!! my next section turned out to be a very long day. As I had passed Daphne, Alabama, I hooked into US 90 which was the old main road before the interstate was completed. It travels through small and large cities. There are times that I could cruise at 70 mph and others where it was stop and go traffic.
I left Bay St. Louis at 8:30 AM. Weather was in low 60's, nice for riding but I knew it would warm up to the low 80's as the ride progressed. I had a choice to get on the interstate or follow US 90. I chose US 90. I motored over many bridges after I entered Louisiana. I cruised down the coast and bayou's towards New Orleans. I had originally thought about staying north and skirt around Baton Rouge but this is an adventure so I opted so stay on US 90 and see what New Orleans was all about. Well, after entering New Orleans, it took me through the heart of the town. Nice old city with lots of stop and go. I continued to follow the US 90 signs and I came to a "Y" in the road with no specific direction.I went left. After about an hour of wandering around, I back tracked and had to get on the Interstate. Posted speed limit was 65 mph but I had to travel at 70 mph to prevent getting blown off the road. I wish that I could have stopped and taken pics of this part of the Interstate but the shoulders were very narrow. I-10, runs north of New Orleans. It is a series of long bridges over the swamp/bayou. Some of these bridges were miles long. NO STOPPING!!!. I did manage to stop at a fuel point and decided to get off I-10 and I found a route to get me on US 190 traveling west. This was a smaller highway but 75-80 mph was the norm for all others. Posted speed limit was 65 mph. I don't know why they even have speed limits down here. Even the police travel at 75 mph!! I finally crossed over into Texas and had to stop and tighten up the chain. By the way, the posted speed limit jumped to 70 mph. The new chain that was installed in Florida was really begin to stretch. I lubed the chain at every fuel stop and prayed the chain would last until I got to Aransas Pass, TX. US 190 travels through a lot of small towns. As the clock neared 5 PM, I started to look for a place to spend the night. I did see a few motels in Jasper, TX but I motored on hoping to find a nice place to stay a little further down the road. To my surprise, it started to rain and the sun was going down. Eventually, I stopped for fuel and some locals at a gas station alerted me that there were motels in Huntsville, TX. I motored on, in the rain, in the dark. There are many signs along this section alerting drivers not to stop and pick up any hitch hikers. AH!! Huntsville, TX prison.
I found a ECONO Lodge and secured a room for the night. 463 miles traveled today. So far, this is the longest I had spent on the mc. Eleven hours in the saddle but I could really sense that the trip was coming to an end and I was focused on riding.
Next post: This is the end!!

Carrabelle, Florida to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

As a side note; Driving across the panhandle of Florida, I observed a number of animal crossing signs. When I was enjoying my tasty pork barbecue sandwich, I asked the waitress about the "Bear Crossing" signs. She informed me that they had a lot of black bears in the vicinity. In fact, they had chased a bear up a tree right in front of the restaurant the previous evening. As I was eating breakfast the next morning I asked some of the locals about bears in the area. Yes, Carrabelle, Florida, on the gulf coast has a lot of black bears. They said it's not unusual to be walking on the beach and see bears feeding on dead fish. I'm glad I chose a motel instead of camping.
I left Carrabelle at 9 AM and head west on Hwy 98. This is a two lane highway that follows the coast. Nice drive and not a lot of traffic. I had called Brian Person in Daphne, Alabama and planned to visit but it was time for his family to visit relatives in Jackson, Mississippi. So, I motored by Daphne, Alabama through Mobile and crossed a long bridge in to Mississippi. The coast of Mississippi is beautiful but there is still a lot of areas that have not been rebuilt since a hurricane devastated the area. Lots of real estate and homes for sale. Mississippi has a lot of casinos along the coast. I motored on until it was getting dark and found a motel in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. 346 miles traveled. Temps were in the mid 80's, so it was nice riding. Performed a chain adjustments and other checks so I could get on the road early. Next post will be a long one as I travel across Louisiana and into Texas.

Heading back west!

Left St. Pete at 10 AM after the great "Talapia" brunch. Headed north on Hwy 19 towards Perry, Fl. It was only 196 miles and since it was only 2 PM, I headed west on Hwy 98. Nice two lane road. Cruising at 65 mph most of the day. Arrived in Carrabelle, Fl. at 5 PM and pulled over to a motel. Just my luck, there was a barbecue eatery next door. Had a great pulled pork sandwich and fixin's and returned to motel to update blog. 276 miles today and now I need to research where my next destination is. I have been in contact with Brian Person, one of my soccer lads, so I might visit him and family in Daphne, Alabama.
More to come!!

St. Pete

Pics of:
I have not seen Greg Lorenz since 1969. We both attended Wakefield high school in Arlington, Va. We played in a 4/5 piece band called "Souled Out" that played a variety of music but mostly rhythm and blues. We were a great party band. We all kind of went our own way during senior year in college. Greg was in school in Mississippi and I was in North Carolina. We both got drafted and were in the US Army. He did get married but it ended with a divorce. He has one son and a grandson. He has been in St. Petersburg, Fl for 31 years and is working at a nursing home employed as a licensed practical nurse. I was a LPN in the US Army. St. Pete has about 300,000 residents and it is a nice town. Lots of local eateries and lots of beaches.
Greg and his partner, Tessa, gave me the tour of town and the local beaches. The temp had dropped to mid 40's, so no swimming, just lots of local dining.
Greg also has done a lot of landscaping in Tampa and St. Pete. He specialized in crane operating to move around huge palm trees. The front and back yard of his house has numerous types of palms and local shrubbery. It is jungle like but gives them lots of privacy. It was great to hook up with Greg and Tessa but I needed to leave to prevent me from gaining extra weight. My send-off brunch was Talapia in a garlic and scallion sauce with a nice spinach salad. Yes, we ate like this during my whole visit. The afternoon before, we went to a local eatery called "Fish Tails". I had a seafood combo wrap with a bucket of 7 ounce Presidente beer. Wrap was great as was the Dominican Beer. I hope to return here with Valley as she would enjoy the visit.
Next post, heading west!!

On to St. Petersburg, Fl.

Pics of Frank and Brandon at Frank's Cycle Center.
Just to update everyone about the "Mule". I had been experiencing some performance problems with the bike riding down from Jacksonville. I got the name and phone number of Frank's Cycle Center from a family that lives next door to my Mom's house in Satellite Beach. I delivered the bike to the shop and they worked on it until 9 PM that night as they knew that I needed to get back on the road. It needed a new petcock for the gas tank as it had a bad diaphragm. This was was letting in extra air that made the bike run too lean. Also needed some repairs to the air filter box. It got an oil change and a carb rebuild and most of all, a new chain. Frank said the chain was completely stretched out and it would not get me to the next state line. The sprockets are also bad but should get me to Texas.
The shop had the bike completely serviced the next day and I left for St. Petersburg after taking pics at the shop. Nice ride going west to the gulf side of Florida. Took Hwy 192 west towards Orlando. Turned southwest on Hwy 17. I missed the turn to get on Hwy 60 west and got caught in a major rainstorm. Some locals at a gas station gave me directions back towards Tampa. I stopped in Brandon, Fl to hook up Judy Garmin and to my surprise she was not available. Seems that I forgot her. Back at my Mom's house, I had turned her on to check mileage to St Pete and had bad reception, so I put her on a window shelf in the kitchen.
What do I do now!! I barreled through Tampa following Hwy 60. It was supposed to get me to a bridge that goes over to St. Petersburg but I came to a Y in the road that gave the choice of using a toll road or go to the airport. I chose the airport turn off and it lead me back to an exit to get on I 275 to St. Pete. I took the the first exit after a long bridge/causeway which put me on 4th street north. I stopped at a gas station and called my buddy Greg. Just my luck, his home was only a mile away down 4th street north. I arrived safely and was rewarded with an ice cold adult beverage. Thus starts my visit with my old band mate from high school. Pics and story in next post.

Jacksonville to Satelitte Beach, Fl.

I left the campground about 9:20 AM. I wanted to leave earlier but I had to wait for the office to open so I could pay. The office cloes at 4 PM every day, I found the camp host and he said find a spot and pay in the morning. The campground has a building that has free ice, free laundry, free internet and free coffee. It is not staffed after 4 PM and stays open until 10 PM. The campers kind of watch over the facility and someone locks the doors at 10 PM.
I started out on Hwy A1A south but it was stop and go. The temp at 10 AM was +84 degrees. I switched over to US 1 south and cruised on down the road. Nice riding. Little did I know that this is bike week in Daytona. Lots of cool bikes and cool looking people rumbling down the highways. I don't know if was the heat of my chain is real loose but the bike was lurching and seemed to run hot just like in Great Falls, Mt. It is only 176 miles from JAX to Satelitte Beach. The temp in Satelitte Beach was +94 when I arrived. I entered my Mom's house and was blasted by heat. I found the temp contrls and set it to 68 degrees. It is slowly dropping. I have lots of fans on and I'm sitting now in a pair of shorts only and writing this blog.
I introduced myself to the next door neighbor as she had called the police the last time people that she did not know entered the house. Jaunita is retired Navy and is living in the house she grew up in with her three children.
Her son gave me the phone number to Frank's Motorcycle shop. Jaunita consented to lead me there and I dropped the bike off for oil change, chain adjustment, air filter check and anything else necessary to get me back on the road.
I received a phone call from Greg Lorenz. He is a high school buddy that played in a band with me. He lives in St Petersburg, Fl., my next stop.

Atlanta to Jackonsonville, Fla.

Steve, I did not actually see any of the afore mentioned residents. I'm regurgatating info from a resident who lives in a gated community on Dunwoody Crossing about 2 blocks off I 285. I apologize if I tooks things in a bad context! Monday in Atlanta, it rained cats and dogs!!!!. I performed some necassary maintenance and read a lot of my book and played around with routes to Jacksonville, Fl. when I cuold find a wireless connection. Lots of folks out there have unsecured routers.
Wednesday the weather had cleared up, so after a nice fancy omelet cooked by chef Roy, I packed the bike and rushed on to I 285 east that circles Atlanta and turned off on Hwy 78 towards Stone Mountain, Ga. Nice ride, 65 mph. I passed Monroe, Ga. and headed south on SR 83 south. This was a really nice 2 lane road that I really enjoyed riding. This road runs into Hwy 441 south and this one hooks into hwy 1/23 south that got me real close to Jackonsville, Fl. I stopped and manipulated Judy Garmin. I had entered the GPS coordinates to Pleican Grove RV park on NAS Mayport. Judy always tries to find the best rout but she attempted to take me through a private for pay park that had a back entry to Mayport. I got good directions from the gate attendent. Finally found the RV park with the help of Marines at the front gate. Found a nice tent site and set up camp before the sun went down. I had journied 346 miles this day and the sun sets early. I walked over to the shoppette and restocked with food items and some Jim Beam for a sleep aid.
The only other people camping were Jeff and Midge. Jeff is retired Army. He and his wife have been camping in tents for the past 5 years, spending alotted time in warm areas in the southeast. Nice people and Jeff had good stories about serving with CIA and Air America in Vietnam. Honest folks also. I had left my address book on a bench and Jeff returned it to me and asked if I needed any more beer. Midge was one of the first people I met in camp. She offered to make me a meal. She is originally from Houston and she had a lot of interesting stories about growing up in that area. I don't think they own any shoes as they both went barefoot or wore shower sandals.
Got up early the next morning to break camp and Midge offered me some tasty hot links wrapped in tortilla sheels that were dripping cheese. I declined the offer and got on the road to Satelitte Beach, Fl.

Dunwoody, Ga

I had stopped in a small gas station in Clayton, Ga. for fuel and to stretch. A chopper shop was next door and big bikes were burning rubber and making lots of muffler noise. I got talking to a few of the locals and found out they were from Wisconsin and were working down here as painters. They were currently between jobs. They did complain that illegals were gobbling up all the work at lower wages. Seems to be the same story where ever I stop.
Left the Best Western in Demorest, GA for a 61 mile trip to Atlanta. Travelled south on Hwy 23/441, turned east on hwy 369 and drove through Gainesville, Ga. hooked into Hwy 400 south to Peach Tree parkway and after a short ride on interstate 285, I arrived at Roy Johnson's, residence. Roy telss me that hwy 400 is the main rode travelling south into Atlanta. I had less traffic on hwy 23. With construction and detours, it took 95 minutes to travel the 61 miles. Roy lives in a gated community but he has revealed to me that there is lots of crime inside the gates. lots of pimps, hookers and drugs abound. He had me pull the bike up onto his back porch for protection. Roy fixed a nice lunch with some tasty zinfindel and we both took a nap. Had a nice dinner with some tasty merlot. Off to bed early as Roy is preparing for his daughter's weekly visit. This morning, we enjoyed a traditional southern breakfast: grits, toast, eggs and bacon, Mine with hot sauce.
Roy still had some red salmon in his freezer, so we decided to make some smoked salmon. Fish is brining now and we will start smoking at 5 PM.
I performed some maintenance on the mc, specifically adding lubricant to speedometer cable. I'll know tomorrow if that solves the squeeking issue.
I plan to leave tomorrow, south, towards Jacksonville, Fa.

Boone, NC to Demorest, GA

In Boone, NC, the wind was blowing and it was lightly raining. The highway was OK for a while but this last section of the Blue Ridge parkway gets twisty and up and down. The rain was not real bad but as I climbed up, it was into the clouds. It was so wet that I had to ride with the helmet visor up because it fogged up so bad that water was dripping down. Slowed down and watched for animals. It was very surprising to see the large amount of traffic in the fog and rain. Most overlooks were obscured and you could not see any of the views. Keep on riding!! I did get a pic at the peak of the parkway. Wind was ripping so not much fog. Road gets more twisty and drops down near Ashville, NC. I stopped at a Park Service District center. Talked with a couple on BMW's that had jetted down the interstate from Maryland and were taking the parkway north. I warned them about the rain and fog and we travelled on. I saw the exit for Cherokee, NC, route 19 south and dropped down. Did you know that Harrah's has a huge casino in Cherokee, NC. It looks out of place. Also a "Santaland" with wildlife. I stopped at the local McDonald's for a bite and called Valley. Got back on the bike after peeling off rain gear and travelled south on Hwy 441/23 South. As it started to get dark and my butt was screaming, I pulled off in Demorest, GA to find lodging and dry out.
Tomorrow, down 23 south to Gainesville, GA and travel west to hook up to Hwy 19/400 south that runs into Dunwoody, GA where I will visit old college soccer buddy that resides there.
Bike is making a n irritating rubbing noise. I will try and find a Kawasaki dealer in Atlanta to check it out.

More Pics

Boone NC KOA campground silo, Boone, NC KOA campsite, Along the Blue Ridge parkway in NC, An overlook, Another overlook.
I left Buena Vista, Va. and drove south on the Blue Ridge parkway. Weather was cool but no rain. Posted speed limit was 45 but you can cruise at 55 mph at times. Travelled 253 miles and arrived in Boone, NC home of my alma mater, Appalachian State University. Traffic was congested and it was hot. Also homecoming weekend for football. The KOA campground was located north of town away from traffic. Nice place! Just so I don't forget, I saw four deer and a small black bear on the highway. Almost had an encounter with a deer but it jumped into the trees just in time. After setting up camp, I enjoyed some tasty mountain house beef stroganoff, pop tarts and hot tea with "Jack". Did not sleep well and it started raining during the night. I broke camp after a nice hot shower, put on my rain gear and headed south.

Buena Vista, Va

I left Nokesville, Va at 10 AM yesterday. Had a great visit with my sister and her husband, Ron. Definitely ate too much!!
Travelled on Route 66 west and entered the Skyline Drive in Front Royal, Va. The speed limit for this section is 35 mph. It is a twisty, scenic road. I saw two white tailed deer on roadside but no black bears. Ranger at entrance said the black bears were moving and to be careful. After about 120 slow miles, the road turns in to the Blue Ridge parkway. Speed limit is now 45 mph and in some sections 50-55 mph are appropriate. As it got on close to 4:30 PM, I started looking for a place to spend the night. I exited at Buenta Vista, Va and I'm resting in a local motel. After changing clothes, I walked down to Captain Jim's for fish and chips. I ordered a side of hush puppies. This eatery did not charge me for the hush puppies.I', writing this page before I depart for Boone, NC.
I had new tires installed on the mv at the Motorcycle Factory Inc in Woodbridge, Va. I had called them from St. Louis and they ordered the tires I wanted. Actually gave me a 20% discount and 1/2 off moutning fees. My bill for mounting, balancing, check nd grease speedo cable and chain balancer adjustment was $69.00.
Time to sign off and shower and repack for the road.

Lots of pics for Joe YOCUM to view

Blue Ridge parkway, entrance to Skyline Drive, $10 for motorcycles, Arlington National cemetary, Dad's grave stone, Virginia moose that tried to take my bike out, Mom and me, Mom and Irene, Irene and a horse, Neo the famous goat, Irene feeding horses, Barak the wonderdog, Croushorn house (1.2 miles up a hill from the main road),, Ron and Irene Croushorn.

Bristol to Nokesville, Va

Left Bristol, Va at 9 AM on Saturday, headed north on Hwy 11 North. This road runs side by side of Interstate 81. Never really had a good chance to get in the riding mode as 11 North goes through all the small towns but I decided to stay with the plan and follow my planned route. 11 North eventually bonded with Interstate 81 and I was forced to ride on the interstate. The posted speed limit is 65 mph but not fast enough for most people on this highway. I did eventually pass three slow movers. I rode north for 100 miles and turned east on hwy 60 at Buena Vista, Va. Nice twisty road after the interstate experience. Came to Amherst, Va and hooked in to Hwy 29 north which is a nice four lane highway. I stopped at a gas station south of Culpepper, Va and conversed with a fellow mc rider for a while and stretched before heading out again. I called my sister in Nokesville and hooked up Judy Garmin to lead the way. Judy has the ability to lead you down interesting paths. I turned whenever she so directed and eventually ended up on an unimproved gravel road which to my surprise hooked into Carriage Ford road a short distance from my sisters home. Arrived at 3:30 PM after 323 miles. Immediately offered and sccepted a cool adult beverage. After a few more tasty , cool beverages, it was time for a nice supper. To no one's surprise I started fading fast and off to bed I went.
Irene and Ron are now horse people. I will included pics when I am able to use my mini as all the pics are loaded there. They board their two horses with friends a short distance from their house and they do all the feeding, twice a day for all the horses boarded there.
Yesterday, I took the bike into the local Kawasaki dealer for new tires and some other minor maintenance. Ron had to fly to Idaho Falls, Id for work and this AM, Irene is off on a trail ride with her friends. We will be travelling out to visit my MOM this afternoon. Tomorrow, Irene and I plan to visit Arlington National cemetary to visit my DAD's grave and I will get to experince Wash, DC traffic. Plan on leaving Thursday AM to Front Royal, Va to drive Skyline Dive and Blue Ridge parkway south. It's 460 miles and the posted speed limit is 45 mph. This time of year is famous for change of colors in leaves. I will compare to our Fairbanks, short, fall season.
Time for a nice hot shower and some Back RX stretching!!

Allons, Tn & Bristol, Va,

It was great to see Rick Barrett and his family in Allons, Tennesse. Rick had just had seeds implanted to combat prostate cancer,so he was a little under the weather but has improved in the short time I was there. It was nice to finally meet Rick's wife Darlene. Nice lady and a killer at making eggs. Darlene's daughter, Jennifer, had flown up from Texas to help out with chores around the house. Also A good cook. Has a tendency to stay up late but is a hard worker!!! Rick gave me the tour of Livingston, Tn. and we also went out to the local marina. It seems that every place I visit puts out a big spread of food. I really appreciate all the hospitality that everyone has provided to me.
Left Rick's place this AM at 9:30 AM central time. Weather was overcast and light rain. I bundeled up in extra warm clothes and turned east on Hwy 52. Very windey with lots of S curves. Speeds posted at 20 mph in many curves. I took my time as I promised Valley I would ride safe. Finally hooked up to Hwy 63 and had to get on Interstate 75 and travel south. I don't like travelling on the interstates. Posted speed limits are 70 mph but every travels 80+ mph. The "Mule" likes 65 mph, me too!! Hooked into Hwy 331 going east and north and went by the Norris Lake/dam. Nice placce to visit. Travelled through a lot of small towns and finally reached Hwy 11W north. This is a four lane highway and I could cruise at 60-65 mph. I stopped in a gas station outside Kingsport, Tn. and queried a local constable about how far it was to Bristol, Va. Turns out he is a Harley guy and we talked for a while about rides all around this area. Finally got on the road again as it was close to 7 PM eastern standard and getting dark. I lost an hour travelling east and it cut my riding time. I had planned on stopping in Wytheville, Va. but not enough daylight. Found a Budget Inn that has wireless capabilities and now finishing a Subway sandwich that is complemented with some Jack and diet coke.
I will follow 11 North tomorrow. It parrell's Interstae 81. I hope to pull a long day and arrive in Nokesville, VA. and stay with my sister, Irene and her husband Ron Croushorn for a few days. I will be visiting my MOM and hope to get to Arlington National cemetary to visit my fathers grave site. Will be getting new tires and also visitng OLD high school chums before heading out on the Blue Ridge Parkway travelling south towards Boone, NC, home of Appalachian State University and then continue south to Florida.
Gotta get up early and repack some gear. I hope the weather is better but I have all the gear to ride in the rain.

Lots of Pics

MC at Kentucky Lake campground, Richard Barrett (Valley's brother), Me and bear in Arch museum, Top of Arch, St Louis,, The Arch, Bud horse, Me in Bud truck, me at Budweiser brewery Busch stadium, St. Louis, Missouri.

Mount Morris, Illinois & Ballwin Missouri

On Wednesday, I left Stewartville, Minnesota at 10 AM for a 265 mile trip to Mount Morris, Illinois. Weather was overcast and cool but great for riding. I arrived at Grei LaVar's home and no one was there. Luckily, the back door was open, so I ventured in and found the cool adult beverage dispenser (refrigerator). Took my boots and MC pants off and sat out side in the sun until Geri, Cindy Yokum and Pat Farrell arrived. After hello's, it was time to eat. A nice lasanga dinner with salad and wine was greatly appreciated.
Cindy and Pat were leaving for Sryacuse, NY at 10 AM the next day. I spent the rest of the day with Geri. I got the exclusive tour of Cindy's old stomping grounds.
Friday morning, I loaded up the "Mule" for a 305 mile jaunt to Ballwin, Missouri to visit Gilbert Banks, Valley's uncle. The weather was overcast to start but about 30 miles down the road it started pouring rain. I stopped and put on my rain gear and trekked on. I stopped at a small gas staion to get out of the rain and asked the locals about the best route to get to Hwy 78. They sent me on a road that had just been scrapped for refinishing. I dropped the MC into 3rd gear and puttered along for 10 miles before I got to Hwy 78 south. This road had just been resurfaced and was great to ride on. At about 150 miles it stopped raining and after I dried out I ended up taking the liner out of my MC jacket due to +80F temps.
Just let me give you some advice here, The St. Louis and surrounding area is 2.5 million peolpe and you don't want to be in their rush hour traffic. It was hot and I rode miles in 1st and 2nd gear because everyone else was going somewhere also. I finally found Gilbert's home using "Judy Garmin's" advice. More cold adult beverages were in the agenda and since supply was low we ventured to a super booze store to re-supply and pick up some tasty pizza. Watched some Cardinals baseball abd Missouri football and I crashed at 10:30 PM, central time. If you come to St Louis, you have to do the Budweiser tour. A little walking and free beer at the end. Now eating pizza , and getting ready to watch some football while enjoying adult beverage.
Upon arrival here, I inspected my tires and decided they would last until Northern, Virginia. The internet is great!! Found a dealer, 30 miles from my sisters house in Nokesville, Va. By ordering today I received a 20% discount and 1/2 off mounting. Probably leave here on Tuesday to Allons, Tennesse. home of Valley's older brother Rick Barrett. From there up to northern, Virginia.

Stewartville, Minnesota

As I got up in the morning at the Select Inn in Breckenridge, Minnesota, I glanced out the window and GADS!!, it was raining. Luckily I had put the cover over the mc before retiring for the night. After a hardy brealfast of coffee, waffles and orange juice, I absconded the dining area with some extra packets of oatmeal and a few bagels for the road. Got loaded up and headed out. 30 minutes later I had to stop and water the weeds on the side of the road and put on extra rain gear. i had put on lightweight under armor thermal underwear but I needed more protection from wind, rain and cold.
I travelled south, down Minn Hwy 9 until it intersected with Minn Hwy 71, near Wilmar, Minnesota. Continued travelling south till it intersected with Minn Hwy 30 East. This road eventually delivered me to the Beaches front door. Most of my travelling has been on two lane roads to avoid the interstate loonies.
I had departed Breckenridge at 0930 AM and arrived in Stewartville at 5:30 PM. Distance covered today was 360 miles. I unpacked my gear and waited for George Beach to arrive. He had been out and about and Darlene was at work. George decided I was hungry and stated, "Let's go get something to eat". We arrived at the American legion and had some burgers and onion rings and a few cold adult beverages. Only $1.50 for a frosty mug of suds. We drove back to the homestead and watched some baseball, (George is a big Twins fan) and Monday night football. My eyes were drooping so I hit the sack.
Tuesday, George and i explored the use of synthetic oils for a motorcycle. Ended up going to the local Kawasaki shop and buying KAWI oil for motorcycles. Chris and I had performd and oil change in McMinnville using Valvalene 10-40. I think the really hot weather coming across windy, Montana and North Dakota caused the oil to break down quickly. This I will watch as the trip continues.
Tomorrow, on the road to Cindy's moms home in Mt Morris, Illinois.

North Dakota wind!!

After leaving Sidney, Montana, I headed into North Dakota. Someone should have warned me about the wind. The wind attacked me from the south east and at times as Hwy 200 meanders in smacked me head on. The first day I gimped into Turtle Lake, ND after only 220 miles. Small town but had a city park that allowed free camping. I found a protected area behind a row of hedges and set up camp. Top Ramien, pop tart and strong tea for dinner. Went to bed early in order to get an early start in the AM. Left about 9 AM and headed back into the wind. I do have to say that eastern ND has more trees and vegetation on the sides of the road that dimished the gale at times. If you have ever been in a sailboat then you can guess that I spent hours leaning the bike over to the right to compensate for wind velocity.
I was only going to travel about 260 miles and stay in a KOA campground in Moorehead, Minn. I had entered all the data into my Garmin 370 NUVI GPS. I ended up getting a tour of downtown Moorehead and Minnesota State University. After numerous stops and circling around, I finally figured out that the KOA no longer exists as there in a brand new high$$ housing project that has been built there. I did try to circle around and see if the KOA was on the other side but no luck. I stopped and pondered what to do. Had some Gatorade and headed south on I-94 and turned off on Minn Hwy 9 south. I rode ubtil I turned into Breckenridge, Minn. First thing I saw was a motel with free high speed internet and there is a family resturant next door.
Tomorrow back on the road to Stewartville, Minn via Hwy 9 to Wilmar and turn south down Hwy 71 and turn east towards Stewartville on Hwy 30 which runs right by the Beaches home. Probably a 300 mile jaunt but I'm getting used to longer hours.
Butt is still sore but always better after a good nights rest.

Eastern Montana

The pics are: The Mule at the Bob Marshall wilderness sign, Bob Marshall sign, Hwy 200 going east,Malstrom AFB campground, Malstrom campground at sunset and Hwy 200.
I left Missoula at 1130 AM as It was only a 166 mile trip to Malstrom AFB in Great Falls, MT. Nice road but got really hot and windy as I rode in to Great Falls. MC was running hot!! The temp at the campground was +96 in the shade. Camp host said it reaced triple digit temps that day. Malsrom is a small AFB that oversees Missle bunkers. As the sun went down, the wind direction changed and it was howling. now a good Alaskan never goes anywhere without bug dope. Guess waht I did not pack. Small, nasty bugs attacked me and I had to retreat to the tent. Even in the morning the bugs were nasty. At nightfall, nasty clouds and lightening was striking towards the south east. I expected bad weather next AM but was suprised with clear skies and cooler temps. I got on the road at 0930 AM. HWY 200 is long!!!!!!. Speed limit is 70 mph but no one drives that slow. I was doing 65 mph and got passed by a school bus. I did an "Iron Butt" of 380 miles to make up for the previous day. I arrived in Sidney, MT at 6:30 PM and rented a room at a motel that has AC and wireless internet. Tomorrow, I will try some different packing and head into North Dakota.
Stay tuned for more exciting news from the rod.

Missoula, Montana

Pics of Clearwater river in Idaho, Mountains and port near Lewiston, Idaho, KOA campground, friends at breakfast and the mule at rest.
Left the last resort KOA at 9 AM on Hwy 12 going north towards Missoula, Montana. After a 19 mile ride from the campground, I intersected with US 12. I pulled of to make a last inspection and to my surprise as I was turning off I encountered some very loose gravel while decelerating. BAM/SLAM, the mule did not like the loose gravel at low speed and tumbled to it's side. I was launched off the mc onto my right shoulder and I guess I hit the dirt with my helmet as it has a nice set of scratches on the visor. After a few prolonged ****** words, I assessed my situation. Lucky for me, I was able to wave down a local who helped me lift the bike. After numerous thank you's, I got bike back on the road. Long stretches of rolling brown hills and I rode into Lewiston, Id. The temp at 0930 AM was +86F. I got some gas and continued on. The scenery finally changed to more trees as I climbed through the mountain pass. Finally some fun driving lots of S curves. Stopped at a lodge at the summit of Lolo pass for gas and headed downhill towards Lolo/Missoula. Stopped at a gas station in Lolo, MT at 6 pm CENTRAL TIME AND THE TEMP WAS +94. Met a BMW rider from Billings at the gas station that was riding a 1200 GS. He thinks it's the best bike for riding in this area. Fired up the GPS and found the local KOA campgound, rented a space with power. The folks camping next to me had spent the summer in Kenai as camp hosts and hooked me up with a glass of wine and some smoked red salmon. The wine was good and now I'm sipping some "Jack" and coke, and trying to stay awake as I have been waking way to early and need to get used to the time difference form Alaska. Plan on visiting Big Sky Motorsports to see if I can get a replacement face shield.
This adventure is all about change and meeting new people and sharing new experiences. I believe that this blog reflects my new experiences. Fred Kennedy told me to make sure that I write all this down so that some day my grandkids can explore my adventure. I have been copying and pasting everything on the blog to a document that I will review and edit and a later time.
Tomorrow, Hwy 200, east towards Minnesota and Northern, VA.
Irene!! Please have some great wine available!!
My spelling will get better as I get used to this new netbook.

Sincerely, your brother, the "mule" driver!!