Photos

Silly me! I uploaded all my photos to Shutterfly and forgot to post a link to the albums over here in my blog. You can check out all the photos from my HOG 25 road trip here: http://hog25roadtrip.shutterfly.com/

The Old Hum-Drum

Sadly, it's been over a week now since we pulled the bikes into the garage. Life quickly went back to the same 'ol routine...work and all the other stuff that comes with it. Our bikes still sit in the same spot...dirt, bugs and all. Only the luggage that carried our few changes of clothes and other personal items have been removed. Sad, so sad.

Our bikes are in desperate need of a wash and another service from the dealer. And they really want us to hop on and take 'em for a ride. The rain will be here soon. We need to put the hum-drum life stuff aside and enjoy them while we can.

Meet My Angel / My Co-Pilot

As Curtis and I were packing up our bikes in preparation for our big trek across the states, I picked up my little "race for a cure" beanie bear -- sporting goggles and pink feather boa -- and commented to Curtis how cool it would be if she could make the travel with me. He then picked her up, grabbed a zip-tie, and attached her to the risers of my handlebars. She stayed there the whole trip and brought me home safely. Every time I'd get through one of those scary moments of wind, drop-offs, rain and whatever else was thrown my way, I'd tap her head a few times and thank her for helping me through it again.

Several of us have companions like my Lois Ellen. Lori has a little Harley bear that rides with her just about everywhere she goes; Kerrie has Spanky, a monkey with leather pants, strapped behind her T-bag that gives you an occasional wave; and Laura has a cute little Canadian moose that tried to jump ship just a few days before we made it back home, but Gregg rescued him from the roadside and brought him safely back to Laura, only now he is sporting a new hat style.

Bears, monkeys, angels, faith, luck, or whatever you believe, we all came home safe!

Day 16: We Made it!!

Boise, ID to Portland, OR: 2 states, 410 miles, 8 hours on the road, 7 in the saddle.

We did it! I made it all the way to Milwaukee and back home, over 5300 miles, safe and sound. A fabulous experience that I will never forget.

Today's ride didn't start until late morning after we stopped by to visit the wife of a long-time co-worker of Curtis'. Her husband, whom Curtis worked with for many years, passed away while we were on the road. It was a short but very nice visit and I'm happy we were able to stop by. I think she really appreciated it.

I had to conquer another mountain pass today but I was ready. I'd driven over this pass in a car and was scared then but I knew my angels would help me through the scary parts and they did. When the drop-off stared me in the face, I worked through it; when the big, red diesel truck that was quickly getting closer in my rear view mirror and I knew if I didn't get a move on or I'd be squashed like a bug, I worked through it.

After the pass, we started down the last 200 miles toward home with the Columbia River at my side. I became relaxed and started to reflect on the last 16 days. It was great for about 25 miles and then that darn Columbia gorge wind kicked in. I had another "being blown off the road" experience but worked through it. And just when I thought that was behind me the joys of riding a motorcycle threw another new experience my way.

Curtis rolled over what looked like a kitchen bag. The object then flew back my way and I got an up-close view of it as it wrapped around my engine guard. Sure enough...a white, tall kitchen bag with the red ties and all.

As it flapped around the guard, I wasn't sure if I should pull over to remove it or if the wind would eventually work it off. I tried kicking it a few times but no luck. The wind did eventually work it off the guard but only to have it wrap on my boot. I thought I'd shake it off but, whoa, that was not good. The bag became a parachute and pulled my leg back. I managed to put my foot back on my peg (along with the attached flapping bag) and thought out my next move...pull over! I slowed down and turned on my turn signal but when I looked at the side of the road there really wasn't any place to safely pull over. I looked back down at the bag and contemplated on what to do. After a few seconds and what seemed like an hour, I somehow was able to reach down and pull the darn thing off. As soon as I removed it I looked over to the left lane and saw a biker that had pulled in behind Curtis and I some miles back. He gave me a signal as if asking if all was okay and I gave him my thumbs up. I then twisted the throttle to catch back up to Curtis and the biker pulled back behind me. For a moment, a thought came over me that that biker was miraculously put there to watch my back and I was thankful for that.

A few more miles down the road Curtis and I pulled off for refueling and the biker behind me continued on. As I stopped at the gas pump and told Curtis what just happened he surprisingly missed the whole thing. I told him about the biker and Curtis commented that he could have been a Hells Angel. My thought was, Hells Angel or Heavens Angel that biker gave me comfort and I was happy for that.

The rest of the way home was uneventful. I was able to enjoy the beautiful river on one side and mountains on the other. I'm now home, enjoying a glass of wine, and looking forward to sleeping in my own bed.

Thank you everyone that has followed me in my adventure and prayed for our safe return. I will post more again tomorrow but for now I'm off to relax.

Day 15: Within Reach

Rawlins, WY to Boise, ID: 3 states, 600 miles, 11 hours on the road, 9.5 in the saddle.

First off, looking back at my blog I noticed I repeated day 11's title, so I corrected my error and my days are back on track.

Today was pretty much a repeat of yesterday, only a much colder morning and not quite as much wind. We all started out together and then Curtis and I split from the other eight at about Evanston, WY. We took 84 on in to Boise while the others headed to Winnemucca.

Our ride was good until we got to the Snake River Canyon. The wind really picked up and was pushing my smaller bike (and me) all over. As I crossed the first bridge over the river the crazy thought of being blown over into the canyon crept into my mind. I then recalled Erika's words of advice to just think, "It's okay, it's going to be okay, I'll make it through this." And after many times of repeating that I was through the bad stuff and only a short distance from the hotel. Thank the lord and my wonderful angels.....and Erika too!

The others all made it to their hotel in Winnemucca; however, just as they were on the off ramp, Paul's shift linkage went out again. Darn it!

Curtis and I will stop by his office here in Boise tomorrow morning and then visit some friends before heading out of town. I'm hoping to be home before dark. Yes, home.....home sweet home!

Day 14: Angels On Our Side

Lincoln, NE to Rawlins, WY: 2 states, 600 miles, 11 hours on the road, 9.5 in the saddle.

Today was a very looooong day. We rode, and rode, and rode, and rode. Stopping only for gas, hit the head, and a short bite to eat. After 600 miles of fighting the cold this morning and the awful wind this afternoon, three of us girls (the less seasoned) were done. The group found a nearby hotel and called it a day.

My angels watched over Laura today. She had a bit of a scary moment but with her quick reaction and the hug of a angel she worked through it and I am proud of her for that.

We didn't make it to Casper as originally planned. Everyone is anxious to get home so we decided to take a more direct route straight down I80. Not near as pretty and the wind and semis suck.

Besides doing a lot of thinking on my bike, sometimes things get a bit boring so I've been singing some of the little ditties my siblings and I sang as a kid while traveling in the car across country. I can only seem to recall about 5 or 6 though and some are quite short. Sometimes I get tired of hearing the same song over and over but until I can think of new ones, I'm stuck with what I have so far.

Tomorrow Curtis and I will split from the group and head to Boise to visit some friends there. The rest of the group will continue down 80 into Winnemucca. Sadly, things are definitely winding down now.

Don flew home yesterday (the news on his bike is not good) and hit the road this morning in his truck to pick his bike up in Sioux Fall, SD. He called earlier this evening and was already in Billings, MT. Have a safe trip Don and see you back home shortly.

Day 13: Back Together

Clinton, MO to Lincoln, NE: 3 states, 300 miles, 9.5 hours on the road, 5.5 in the saddle.

Grandma Chris met us at our hotel this morning with some great breakfast fixens perfect for hungry bikers ready to hit the road. She is such a wonderful person and a great cook too.

Our fist stop was the Harley factory in Kansas City. We took the tour and watched Dynas, Sportsters and VRods being built. It was pretty cool.

Our weather was a bit crazy today. It was hot and muggy in MO but by the time we got to Iowa the temp dropped 20 degrees. Then, a few more miles up the road in Nebreska it rained on us. It wasn't too much but I was sure cold when we finally arrived at the hotel.

We kept in close contact with Paul and made plans to meet up in Lincoln. Robyn's bike is back to normal and our group is back together.

Traveling across country on a motorcycle gives you a lot of time to think about things and really enjoy all the beauty we have around us. Such as wildlife, spectacular landscapes, big city views and small towns in the middle of nowhere. It really is amazing and somewhat indescribable. Even racing against the elements -- and not always winning -- is part of the experience. They say “it’s not the destination but the journey” and I agree. My journey has taken me more than just the miles put in my saddle and given me so memories of a lifetime.

It looks like tomorrow is going to be a long day in the saddle. The last I heard we were heading to Casper, WY (over 600 miles).

Day 12: Good Old Home Cookin'

Macomb, IL to Clinton, MO: 2 states, 313 miles, 6 hours on the road, 5 in the saddle.

We crossed back over the Mississippi River today and into Missouri. The weather was good but a bit hot. Traffic wasn't too bad as we tried to stay off the main highways. The travel takes a bit longer on the smaller roads and some of the roads are pretty crappy but it's nice to ride through the small towns and check out other parts of this wonderful country we live in.

When we arrived in Clinton, we went straight to Gregg's mom’s house. She had a fabulous spread of food for all of us to enjoy: ham, chicken, all kinds of salads and casseroles, bread, cakes, fudge, and ice cream. It was absolutely wonderful and delicious. Two of Gregg's aunts and an uncle were there for us to meet and chat with too. What a great family! Thanks Aunt Margaret, Aunt Mac, Uncle Melburne, and Grandma Chris. Your welcome and generous hospitality to these seven hot, tired, stinky and hungry bikers is much appreciated.

Our ride today was the shortest ride day I've had since we hit the road 11 days ago. It was nice to get to our destination early afternoon to relax, visit and do some laundry.

I can't believe we've been on the road for 11 days! While I have thoroughly enjoyed myself, the hotel beds are getting old. I'm ready to be home and in my own bed. Won't be long now. We're shooting for Saturday and unless weather gets in our way, Saturday shouldn't be a problem.

Paul and Robyn weren’t able to get service in Galesburg as hoped but arranged to get service first thing tomorrow in Davenport. Hopefully, the repair will be quick and we can meet back up with them in Omaha or thereabouts. It was sad to see them leave our group this morning but we are looking forward to joining up with them soon.

Don is still waiting patiently in Sioux Falls to get his bike serviced and Lori is down in Springfield visiting her folks. She’ll catch up with us in Kansas City tomorrow.

Our final destination for tomorrow is unsure but will be somewhere around Omaha.

Day 11: On the Road Again

Milwaukee, WI to Macomb, IL: 2 states, 357 miles, 11 hours on the road, 7.5 in the saddle.

Today we said goodbye to Milwaukee and started our trek back home. Seven of us took a "planned" detour into Chicago to check out the city and have some lunch. Our route included a couple of toll booths. The first one took forever to get through. The weather was hot. I still had on my leather jacket and sweat was just pouring off me; my legs were just frying from the motor. After we finally got through that, the road we paid to ride on totally sucked. Geez!

Riding into Chicago was another awesome sight. You could see the big city from quite a distance and it was beautiful. After several minutes and many times around the block, we all got parked and had a wonderful lunch. The pizza was just as good as Paul said it was.

After lunch we headed for Macomb to meet up with Lori, Troy, and Kerrie. Lori's sister fixed up an absolutely awesome home-cooked meal for us. Her fresh potato salad and apple-crisp were just to die for. Thanks Leann!!

We did have a couple issues today. About 50 miles before Macomb, Robyn's bike started having issues with the shifter. We managed to get to Macomb but they will be hitting a nearby Harley store first thing tomorrow. Hopefully they will able to help them since tomorrow is a holiday and then catch up with the rest of us.

Our other issue occurred during dinner tonight. Laura and I took our boots off before entering the house. After dinner, Laura went out for a smoke and couldn’t find her boots. It appears Max (Lori’s sister’s dog) has a shoe fetish. The damage to our boots isn’t too bad and we all had a good laugh.

Gregg talked to Don tonight. Don left early this morning to shoot straight back to Portland via I90. Don’s bike broke down about 70 miles east of Sioux Falls, SD. The Harley dealer can’t get him in before Tuesday so he’s stuck there for the duration. Bummer but happy to hear he is safe.

We are all now back safely in our hotel rooms resting up for another ride tomorrow. My angels continue to watch over us.

Day 10: High Fives and Ooh Rahs!

Milwaukee, WI: Day 3 of the local festivities

Today Milwaukee opened their arms and welcomed the thousands of Harley riders back into their city. It was awesome! After 3 hours of putting in our volunteer duties of directing bikes to line up for the parade, Don and I hopped on his bike and rode through downtown Milwaukee, holding our chapter flag proud and high. People were lined up all along the 4.5 mile route. They cheered, smiled, waved, and gave high fives. Totally cool. Again, signs welcoming us back home by the locals were seen all over. I did see a few guys with mardi-gras beads and signs about showing your jugs or something like that but seriously guys, this is HOG not Sturgis.

The rest of the day we pretty much relaxed, did some laundry at a nearby laundry mat, walked to the post office to send some items home, and relaxed some more. Our hotel has a nice roof top where we sat and watched the sunset, visited, and listened to the Bruce Springsteen concert just across the way.

Tomorrow we head out to Macomb, IL where we will meet more of Lori's family. We are hoping to stop in Chicago for lunch and have some real Chicago pizza.

We still don't have a definitive plan for our route home. We're trying to keep an eye on the weather and avoid as much of the nasty stuff as possible.

Day 9: My Tired Feet

Milwaukee, WI: Day 2 of the local festivities

Today was a full day of walking. We started our day with a visit to Harley's new museum, another fantastically, amazing sight. Lots of cool things see, read and learn about. You could spend hours or maybe even days in order to see everything. Kerrie and Troy participated in a focus group study about hand control modifications. Kerrie's comment was, "I don't want to buy a BMW. I want a Harley." I don't think she was very pleased with the set-up they were testing.

We came back to the hotel and walked down to the waterfront to check out some of the 105th festivities. We also walked through the Discovery World, which was pretty cool. Milwaukee is a beautiful city, other than the not so pretty part of the city we found ourselves in earlier this evening when we pulled into a local gas station to fill up. When a couple of cops sitting in their car told Robyn and I that they were going to hang out until we left so that they could watch our backs, we quickly helped Laura write her mileage down and got out of there.

Tomorrow we have to be up before the buttcrack of dawn and head back over to Miller Park. Harley needed more volunteers for the big parade tomorrow (7500 bikes) so our group jumped to the call. We have to meet up at 5 am which means wake up at 4 am, ugh. I need to hit the sack.

Day 8: Rubbing Elbows

Milwaukee, WI: Day 1 of the local festivities

As planned, we rode the bikes down to one of the local Harley stores this morning for oil changes. It's a bit sad, actually. We just got here and already preparing for the ride home....but so it goes.

After everyone's bikes were serviced -- a couple hours is all -- we headed over to Miller Park for the H.O.G. 25 festivities. The first thing we did when we got there was check out the Wall of Ink where all the photos of tattoos were displayed for judging. We found Paul's and each of us submitted our vote for entry number 158.

We then proceeded in to the stage area to find decent seats for the concerts. We watched The Billy Bob Thorton Band and Sugarland perform. Both were awesome shows. Lori was thoroughly enjoying herself and grooving to the music. A fun time was had by all.

By the time Sugarland finished I looked around and saw nothing but people everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Kid Rock was up next and people were still coming in. Thoughts of trying to get out of there after Kid Rock and then fighting all the bike traffic was just too over whelming for me (not to mention I don’t have the best night vision). Curtis, Kerrie, Troy and I decided to head outside of the stage area to get us closer to the bikes and further away from the crowd. Curtis’ cousin from New Orleans was outside the stage area and we wanted to hook up with him anyway. After several minutes of rubbing elbows, we eventually found Barry and visited for a while; we’ll hook up again tomorrow.

The number of people and bikes at Miller Park today was even more than Harley expected. Bikes were lined up along the freeway for hours rolling down into the parking lot. When we left, people were still coming in. Amazing, truly amazing!

Tomorrow we visit the new Harley museum and then catch the festivities closer to our hotel. I’m thinking my bike will stay parked for the day.

Day 7: Welcome Home

Spencer, IA to Milwaukee, WI: 3 states, 457 miles, 11 hours on the road, 10 in the saddle.

We made it! After 2600+ miles in the saddle, rain, wind, scary mountain passes, unplanned detours, and all the other great stuff, WE MADE IT! All safely too I must add (thank you angels). Only one small issue with one of the bikes today, which considering there were up to 13 of us at times, that's pretty good.

Today's ride was another adventure. Over 200 miles of rain. Yuck, yuck, yuck. Pretty much the whole time in Minnesota it rained. Thank goodness the roads are pretty straight. We were all absolutely soaked, but we pushed on as nothing was going to stop us from what we'd traveled over 2500 miles for.

The rain stopped just before we reached Milwaukee. For a moment we thought that was going to be the best thing that would happen today but we soon learned different. About 30 miles west of Milwaukee we started seeing folks standing at the over passes waving at all the bikes as they passed under. It was pretty cool. Some even had signs hanging down for all the bikers to read. And I was one of the bikers! How cool is that! I did it!

Paul happened to notice that the on and off ramps to the freeway were blocked by the local police and clued in that the parade was just a few minutes behind us. So, our group made a beeline for one of the off ramps and waited for the parade to come by. It was awesome! I couldn't even guess how many bikes went by but it had to be well over 500. Unbelievable! Paul then led the group into joining the parade. Things got a bit chaotic from there as people got separated, the heat was getting over whelming, and bikes and cars were weaving all about. But in the end we all made it to our hotels safely . Another great day of riding, regardless of the miserable rain.

Seven of us are at the same hotel and hooked up for dinner. Kerrie, Troy, and Tiffany rode over and joined us. We found a really cool Italian restaurant just around the corner of the hotel. The hostess asked us if we wanted to eat at the kitchen table and we took up the offer. It was such a blast. We actually ate at a table in the kitchen. Every time a server would walk out to deliver a plate, they'd announce the item and present it to us to look it over. Don pretty much wanted everything that went by. The chef even came over several times to chat with us. It really was a lot of fun.

Tomorrow will be a day of festivities and I'm looking forward to it. We do need to get our bikes in for oil changes and will do that first thing. One of the Harley stores is open 24hrs. Neat!

Day 6: And I'll Huff, and I"ll Puff

Rapid City, SD to Spencer, IA: 3 states, 517 miles, 11 hours on the road, 9.5 in the saddle.

Today's big event was fighting the wind. Riding a motorcycle sideways at 75mph in order to stay on the road was another new adventure for me. The biggest part was passing the semi's. Wooo, what a ride! Not one I thoroughly enjoyed either. I was happy I had my mp3 player going to help keep my mind at ease.

Our group started the morning with a little excitement. Lori took off a few minutes ahead of us and about 40 minutes down the road we passed her on the side of the road. It appears her throttle was a bit too open and the local police had to give her a talkin' to. Luckily, she just received a warning.

Our "planned" detour for today was to visit Lori's home town of La Mars, IA, which, by the way, is the home of Blue Bunny ice cream and Bob's Drive In. Lori treated us all to lunch at Bob's so that we can enjoy the world's best hot dogs and a tavern (loose meat) sandwich. Yummy! We also had ice cream of course. Definitely worth the detour. Thanks Lori!!

We finally made it to Spencer about 6:30 CT safely (thank you angels) and exhausted. Tomorrow will be another long day as we make our final leg of this fabulous adventure, well, the first half anyway.

Next stop, Milwaukee!

Day 5: A Day of Rest

Rapid City, SD: 1 state, 170 miles, 7 hours on the road, 0 in my saddle.

Today was a day of rest and seeing the local sights. I parked my bike and road two-up with Curtis today. I feel a bit guilty about not riding my bike (Laura rode hers) but it was nice to spend a day with Curtis and relax for a bit. I now feel rested and ready for a couple of long days ahead.

After a quick wash of the bikes we hit the road for the day’s excursions. Our first stop was Mt Rushmore. What a sight! It really is amazing to see the detail in the monument. After some wandering around there for a bit and meeting other Harley family members, some from New York and some from Alaska, Paul took us on a really awesome ride through the Pigtail bridges, the backside of Custer, a short stop at Crazy Horse and then to Deadwood. Paul knows all the cool places to see and ride.

While in Deadwood we visited Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane’s graves. It’s mostly touristy but interesting. People still go to their graves and leave offerings. We saw coins, bullets, empty booze bottles, and a stick with a message written on it to Bill. The town itself reminds me a lot of Virginia City. I think Curtis was a bit disappointed and was expecting to see more of a “Deadwood” the HBO series look. Darn Hollywood!!

Tomorrow’s a long day of riding, about 500 miles. Most of it is freeway and probably a lot of corn fields. I predict a gazillion dead grass hoppers on my bike before the end of the day. And those big ones can hurt at 75 mph!

Next stop Spencer, IA.

Day 4: Close Encounters

Cody, WY to Rapid City, SD: 2 states, 421 miles, 9.5 hours on the road, 8 in the saddle.

Left Cody bright and early and traveled through Wyoming. The roads were curvy with lots of rolling hills. More beautiful country to be seen from the saddle.

Instead of going directly to Rapid City, we took a slight detour (this one planned) so we could see Devil's Tower. Yes, it is just a big rock but it's a pretty impressive big rock. I looked for Richard Dryfus but he was nowhere to be found. Perhaps he hasn't returned from his encounter yet.

We stopped for lunch in Sturgis. The town is pretty quiet now that bike week has passed but it's neat to say that I've been there. As we were leaving Sturgis a heavy black cloud was in our path. I was hoping that too would be a close encounter but no such luck. About 15 miles before Rapid City the sky let loose on us. Another first for me....being pelted by rain at 75 mph and navigating through a construction zone with lightening nearby.

Alas, we all made it to the hotel safely (thank you angels) and met up with the others that had separated throughout the day. Even Jim is now with us and Patty and Dave from Salem are here as well. It's cool to meet up with friends from home so many miles away. Not to mention all the new friends you meet along the way. Kerrie even ran in to some HOG members from Asia while she was at the Harley store dropping her bike off for service. She wasn't able to communicate very well with them but the HOG logo is universal and they both understood that.

Gregg chatted with some Milwaukee chapter folks while we were at dinner and got the scoop on the final ride in to Milwaukee. Not sure if our schedule will allow but we're going to try and meet up with them in Madison on Wednesday.

Most of us did laundry tonight, giving us another 4-5 days of fresh clothes. Yeah!

Tomorrow is a free day and we'll check out some of the local sights: Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Deadwood, and the Harley store of course!

Day 3: Where the Buffalo Roam

Jackson, WY to Cody, WY: 1 state, 287 miles, 11 hours on the road, 6.5 in the saddle.

We started the day by riding through the Tetons. It was beautiful and only the beginning! We rode all around Yellowstone. Stopped to see geysers, Old Faithful blow, lots of bison (one even wandering down the road ahead of us), a bald eagle, and a bear. Fabulous! Seeing all these things from the seat of a motorcycle is such an undescribable view.

I made it over another pass and even 2 miles of gravel road (another first). Laura and I still tend to fall back from the rest of the group and our patient husbands stick with us (thanks guys, we appreciate it). Not only do I prefer to slow down a few extra MPH, it also allows me time to take in the beautiful scenery.

Another safe, beautiful day!

A new member joined our group yesterday; her name is Yewnice. She's really more of a mascot and has already brought the group many laughs and memories.

Tomorrow we're off to Rapid City.

Day 2: Detour

Mountain Home, ID to Jackson, WY: 2 states, 480 miles, 9.5 hours on the road, 8.5 in the saddle.

Another great day seeing the beautiful country in Idaho. We started out early again, about 6:30. Weather was cold (I wore my heated gear). Our group split into two groups and we stayed in the back so we could go a bit slower. About 60 miles into the trip we turned where the rest of the group had gone straight several minutes ahead of us. By the time we realized it, however, we were too far north to turn back. Gas was an issue -- Don was in our group :) -- and north was the decision.

The detour added a little over 200 miles but it was totally worth it. We saw more of God's beautiful country that quite possibly we would never have seen. Sometimes unplanned is the best planned.

Laura played leader for a while and did an awesome job. I made it down two mountain passes without losing my cookies. It was a great ride.

My angels guided us all safely once again and brought us back to the rest of the group in time to shower and meet them for dinner.

Tomorrow is Yellowstone and on to Cody.

Day 1

Portland, OR to Mountain Home, ID: 2 states, 487 miles, 10 hours on the road, 9 in the saddle.

Wow! Seeing the country this way is indescribable. I recall as a kid how my mom loved to take Sunday drives after church to see God's beauty and today I understood why...and my trip has just begun. I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring. We're off to Jackson, WY.

Today's departure was wet until we got over Mt Hood, yuck, but the rest of the ride was fabulous. Even stopped along the way to see some petroglyphs, thanks to Gregg for showing us this off-the-path secret.

All my angels were watching over me and my friends today, and I'm thankful for that. Life is really good.

Troy and a few of the other guys picked Kerrie up in Ontario and we all met up at the hotel. The group is near complete now. Just one more member joining up with us later. Ride safe Jim and see you soon.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

The past couple of days have been damp and dreary, giving more and more reason to get the heck out of Dodge. The weather man forecasts a clear departure for Thursday morning. I'll keep my fingers crossed but even if he's wrong...we're GONE.

The Mohawk group (down to just a select few) have sheared and shaped their precious locks. I can't wait to see the results.

It's going to be a great trip! No matter what Mother Nature sends our way, we will come back with new friendships, stronger friendships, and memories to last a lifetime.

It Has Begun

Yesterday was the official kick-off for Harley Davidson's Ride Home. One of the local Harley dealerships hosted a party with lots of food and fun entertainment.

We're down to just a few days until 14 of us will be cruising our way to Milwaukee. One of our group members has already begun her ride. She has some business to tend to in Ontario, Oregon, where we'll meet up with her Thursday night. Hang in there, Kerrie. We won't forget you!

Our bikes are just about ready and I started packing up last night. I'm hoping for good weather but also hoping I'm prepared for whatever comes our way.

With 14 of us, the adventure is sure to be memorable.

Today's affirmation: "Nothing is impossible when you believe!"

Head Trips and Mind Games

I'm such a goober! The past couple of days my mind has been spinning with nervous anticipation of the trip. All of a sudden I'm having negative thoughts and they're really pissing me off. I constantly have to remind myself how fun things are going to be and to not think so much. Of course, hearing people constantly tell me that I'm crazy and "riding 5000 miles on a motorcycle doesn't sound fun" to them sure doesn't help my situation.

Maybe I just need to get on my bike and take a short ride. Maybe I just need to take a chill-pill! Oh, to heck with those naysayers, I say!!! It's my vacation. I've been planning and looking forward to it for many months now and it's going to be awesome! Soon I will be relaxing and enjoying a wonderful vacation with fabulous friends.

Today's affirmation: "I am healthy, happy, and confident"

A Clearer View

My husband bought me a new, detachable windshield a few weeks ago to replace the WindVest I currently used. I was having a bit of trouble with my field of vision. The edge seemed to be right in my line of sight.

We received a referral from Latus where we could have the windshield shaved for my height. So, yesterday, a girlfriend and I rode out to the gentleman's place. I was supposed to check before the ride to make sure he had a paved driveway but I didn't. And wouldn't you know, we get there and not only is it gravel but a very looong gravel driveway.

Paul, a real sweetheart, noticed our heavy anticipation with the situation and just as we were about halfway down the driveway he met up with us and offered to ride the bike the rest of the way. I took him up on the offer. My girlfriend carefully rode her bike a bit further to a cement section where she was able to turn around and park.

After Paul finished, he offered to ride both our bikes out to the end of the driveway. Of course we took him up on the offer. What a great guy!

Paul also gave us a tip on a ride so that we could spend a couple hours out and about. By the time my girlfriend and I had to part ways, we ended up with a good 100 miles in the saddle. It was great. I love riding with my girlfriends. We just understand each other. That preasure that we put on ourselves when we ride with the boys is gone. It's just ride your ride and don't feel ashamed if you slow to 25-30 for a 25mph curve.

Don't Look Down

A dear friend of mine recently commented, "If you go looking for trouble, you're bound to find it" and yesterday I think I did just that. I started playing around with Google Maps, entering our scheduled destinations and checking out time and distances for each day. I then found myself using the street view feature in Google Maps. If you haven't checked that out yourself you should. A pic of my sister-in-law is even out there if you happen to type in their street address.

Anyway, crazy me, I just had to start looking at the street view for Yellowstone. It's the one big fear I have right now with the upcoming trip. Riding alongside a huge drop off is giving me the heebie-jeebies.

So, after a bit of searching I found the trouble I set out to find. You can bet my heart will sink to my stomach when we reach this portion of the road. Oh well, it's all good and this too shall pass. I just hope there aren't any oncoming cars when I reach that stretch or I might just be rubbing mirrors.

15 days now!

No Room for Sally

It looks like sweet little Silicone Sally won't be able to make the trip to Milwaukee. Although most (if not all) of us would have enjoyed seeing her bright, smiling face perked on the back of one of the bikes, the trip would just be too risky for her fair skin. We'll miss her presence that brings exuberant laughter to any room she enters.

Just 16 days now!

Mohawks to Milwaukee

You heard it right. The boys are getting so excited about the trip that they have decided to sport new hairstyles as their tribute to the trek. Who says mohawks are for the strange and lost souls? Certainly, not Mr. T.!

Of course, some of us girls are wondering if a mohawk is even possible for those with little to no hair. Oh well, I'll bring the gel and dye. Should be interesting.

Mobile Technology

Sometimes I just love today's technology. In preparation of the upcoming road trip, I have set things up so that I can now make blog posts with my mobile phone. In fact, this post is being done from my mobile phone. This should provide some interesting, impromptu posts. Only 27 days now!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Wounded and Bent Out of Shape

A little over a week ago, on my way to the Oregon Coast, I hit a pothole about the size of the Grand Canyon. The incident took me by surprise and scared the crap out of me. My butt actually left my seat for a second -- and my heart stopped momentarily -- but I survived the crater without losing my balance and continued on.

It wasn't until after lunch when we were all climbing back on the bikes to head further north along the coast when my husband noticed a slight bend in my front rim. Needless to say, I was nervous about the possible out comings that a bent rim could lead to. He assured me it was fine but to pay attention in case I notice anything different. Well, the roads were crap so noticing anything different was going to be a challenge.

I managed to make it home without incident and even met up with some other friends the next day for another 200 mile adventure. My husband and I stopped by the Harley store (Latus Motors) on our way home that day and ordered a new rim. Unfortunately, this is the busy time of year so I had to book 2 weeks out for the service and install.

I didn't think it was a big deal. After all, I just rode over 400 miles on the bent rim without an issue. That was until this last Saturday. It was our HOG Chapter's annual poker run and all the volunteers got to go on the pre-ride. I followed my husband up to Latus (the meeting point) with no problem. I got to talking to a girlfriend about the rim and when I showed her the actual bend, well, holy moly, if that thing hadn't gotten worse. I hadn't noticed an issue with the ride there but there was no way I was going to take that thing out on a group ride. All my safety education told me to park the sucker.

And so I did. I rode with my husband on his bike...it wasn't the same but it was nice sitting in the saddle with him. I miss that part but not the boring passenger part.

So, now I have to wait until this Saturday to get my front wheel replaced. My poor, wounded little train! Don't worry baby. You'll have some nice new shiny chrome come Saturday!

Five Weeks and Counting

That's right, just five weeks from today and I'll be cruising down the road, hand on the throttle, wind beating against my face, Portland in my rear view mirror and Milwaukee full speed ahead.

I'll be riding with several of my Rose City H.O.G. friends as well as my ever-so-patient husband (I say patient because it's been a long process for me to develop my riding skills and more than once I've pushed his patience with me). We've been planning the trip for several months now. Our route to Milwaukee is set and hotel rooms booked. The plan is to arrive in Milwaukee on Wednesday, August 27, so that we can enjoy Harley Davidson's 105th and HOG's 25th celebration . It's going to be a blast and I can't wait!