Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Okay, I wake up and think it's probably about 8:30. WRONG! It's 10:45!!! I guess my body shut down and made me rest. I got up, got dressed, and packed up the bike. Told Todd goodbye and he led me out to Hwy 421. I cruised on down the highway with no troubles. Stopped in Zebulon at the Sheetz station to get gas and decided to get a hot dog and a coke since I hadn't had anything to eat except for a pack of nabs. Jumped back on the back and headed to Greenville. Made it home a little before 3. It was a wonderful trip and I'm ready for the next one! Anyone ready to join me? I rode almost 4600 miles from the time I left my drive to the time I got back. Whew! It's a good tired.

ttfn

Monday, June 22, 2009

Needless to say, we were not in a hurry to leave Portsmouth very early. It was imperative that we make sure Mike was taken care of as far as a rental car and such. His insurance company told him it would take a business day to get everything in order to get him a car. Todd made some phone calls and got things rolling for him. He had a truck lined up to drive home. Todd had gone back out to where the accident happened hoping to find Mike's camera. He came back with it. He said it was probably about 100 ft from where the bike had landed. The emergency vehicles had actullay pulled over right about where Todd found it. Fortunately, it was working fine. Todd took some pics of the area and the deer so Mike would have them in case the insurance company needs them. Todd and I went for a bite to eat and to get Mike some dressing materials for his arm. We came back and redresssed his road rash and got Mike down to the lobby with his stuff so he could wait for Enterprise to come pick him up. We decided at that point to hit the road and start making our way home. We had about 340 miles to get to Todd's house. I made my plea in the emergency room to ride the interstate instead of back roads as we had talked about before. I was ready to hit the road and get back. Todd agreed with me. We stopped by and looked at the bike in the daylight. It's pretty banged up. Todd says it's totalled. He should know, that's what he does for a living. We rode on and headed towards WV. We had about 40 miles of Hwy 52 then I-64 to I-77. Smooth sailing. We got to Cross Lanes, WV and I told Todd we were going to practically pass my aunt's house going the way we were going and I would feel bad not stopping for a little bit. We did and headed out after about 30 minutes or so. It was after 5 then. We cruised on and made back to Greensboro around 11 o'clock. Another late night but we made it safely. I took a shower and went to the basement to crash for the night. Whew I was tired.

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Sunday, June 21, 2009

We got in real late(650 miles later) and ate dinner even later so we decided we wouldn't leave Chicago quite as early as we have left the other mornings. Before leaving Chicago, Todd led us down to Wrigley Field in hopes to get some pics of the Nomads with the stadium in the background from the McDonald's parking lot. The lot is used for paid parking when there is a game. Well guess what? There was a game. We pulled in and were told by the parking guy we couldn't stay where we were. Todd told him all we wanted to do was take couple of pics and we would be out of his way. He fussed a bit but we got some pics before we pulled out.

CoachA and Tammy in front of Wrigley Field

Our (Todd, Mike and Amy) destination is Huntington, WV. Ron and Tammy were heading to David Jones' place. We pulled out onto the interstate and hauled it fast and hard. Heading to Indiana was rough. The interstate is horrible. The state should be paying people to drive on that thing instead of us paying them to ride on it. We were all tired of the interstate. We stopped for gas and decided to eat some lunch at the buffet place that was there. While we were inside, it rained a bit. It had stopped then started rain a little by the time we were ready to pull out. We said our goodbyes to Ron and Tammy as we weren't sure we would be able to stop again before they split off from us. We started down the interstate and the rain picked up. I didn't care about getting wet, but was having trouble seeing so I let Todd know I needed to stop and put my rain sheild on my helmet. I did that and a few miles down the road, the rain stopped. That figures. Tammy and Ron split off from us as we got close to Indianapolis. We made it through Indiana into Ohio and out to catch the corner of Kentucky and back into Ohio again. We rode along the interstate then picked up Hwy 52. It goes right along the Ohio River. Neat road to ride. We stopped for gas and decided to ride a little longer before grabbing dinner as we were still a ways off from Huntington. We were told there weren't any places on the river to eat until we get to Ripley. We got to a stop light and Todd suggested we turn and get right down to the river and take some pics. Once we got down there, we were looking around for a good place to take pics and a guy on a Nomad comes riding down the road. He was on a blondie. He turned around and chatted with us for a few minutes. Of course we told him about KawaNOW. He said he would check it out. Maybe we will have another new member soon.

Crossing the Ohio state line

The Indiana state line sign across the highway to prove we were there.

Nomads with Ohio River in the background

We got a few shots by the river and even got a couple of kids walking down the street to take pics with us with our bikes. They used Todd and Mike's cameras so I don't have copies yet. We pulled out in search of a place to eat. We stopped at one spot and they didn't serve food. Only alcohol. The second place we checked told us to go to the Boat House. It's right on the river. Cool place to sit and watch the sunset and eat a burger.

The bikes on a street in Ripley, OH

It was 9:30 before we were ready to leave Ripley and still had well over an hour to get to Huntington. Hwy 52 is not one you want to fly down especially in the dark. We looked at finding a way to a route that would get us off 52 but we were pretty much committed at that point to staying on it. We rode slower and cautiously looking for deer as we rode along. We rode through several little townships along the way. We got into Friendly and were moving along and were about 7 miles away from Portsmouth, OH. Todd and I were rolling along trying to light up the road and watch for deer. We both realized at the same time that we no longer had Mike's headlight behind us. I found a drive to pull into and got turned so I could watch the vehicles coming down the road. No single headlights. We decided to head back to check things out. We rode about a mile or so and saw vehicles pulled over, my stomach dropped. Then I saw a dead deer in the road. My stomach dropped again. We got stopped and Mike was lying on the other side of the road. The deer ran out in front of him and he tumbled off the bike and slid down the road on his rear and some on his right arm. His bike apparently continued forward, hit a mailbox which knocked it down to the left side where the clutch cylinder dug into the highway then the bike flipped several times and landed at the bottom of the slight ravine. It was a very scary sight! I was extremely concerned about Mike. He was talking and worried about his bike and us finding his camera. Bless his heart. He said what was hurt was the same ankle that had gotted twisted real bad about 2 years ago when a deer hit him on his bike. He was taken to the local hospital and Todd and I stayed at the scene to help gather up his belongings and make sure the bike was towed. His stuff was strewn everywhere. We couldn't find the camera in the dark. Todd said he would go back in the daylight and look for it. We got the hospital and checked on Mike and got his stuff put in a security room. A guy who was in a pick up behind Mike took his stuff over there and showed us where the hospital was. Once we took care of that, we left to find a hotel and told Mike to call when he was released. It was about 2 am. He called and was on his way out to the hotel. He has a broken ankle. One bone broken and the other fractured. He has some road rash on his right arm. The bike looks to be totalled. We're just glad he's okay and not hurt anymore than he is. He's in great spirits.

ttfn

Saturday, June 20, 2009

We got up this morning, gassed up, and found the Corn Palace before leaving Mitchell, SD. It's a display of the crops grown in the area. Art work done with these crops on the building. A new theme is chosen each year. It's neat to see in person.

All the art work is ears of corn or some other crop.

This was a long day for us. We ended up riding 650 miles. We rode the rest of the distance across South Dakota, into Minnesota and into Wisconsin. Our destination was Chicago, Illinois. We made it. Tired, hungry, and stinky, but we made it. We ordered pizza then hit the hay. I don't have pictures from MN or WI except for the state signs. We didn't stop at any points except for gas or

to use the bathroom. We did meet another Nomad rider somewhere along the way. He actually knows two of our KawaNOW members. It's amazing how small this world really is.

Friday, June 19, 2009

We got up and packed the bikes and met Ron, Tammy, and Mike at the Dakota Cowboy down the street from our hotel for breakfast before pulling out to make our way east. Our plan was to go to Wall Drug and the Badlands. As we got closer to Sturgis, I asked the others if they wanted to travel the extra 30 miles to get to it. Everyone was game. Ron, Tammy, and Mike didn't get to make a visit so we went. It gave Todd and I a chance to see more of the town also. We left Sturgis and headed west towards Wall Drug. As we traveled along we started seeing LOTS of yellow clover. It was real pretty. Here's a shot of the fields behind the gang and Mike is smelling the flowers. We are such BIG, BAD bikers. :o) That has been our joke. We eat pie and stop to smell the flowers.


This area was right before we got to Wall, SD to check out Wall Drug. It's a neat place to check out. LOTS of different departments to visit and tons of people go there. Our first stop was the fresh donut counter. Mmmmm. We got our free ice water and Mike got the 5 cent cup of coffee that is widely advertised. Next, off to the fudge shop! The backyard was a fun place to visit. The jackelope was a hit!

Ain't we a fun bunch of folks!

We finished up at Wall Drug and hopped on the bikes to head to Badlands National Park. What a really neat place to see. The terrain is so different from the surrounding areas. Our country has such unique areas to see.



I will have to update the rest of my trip tomorrow. We made it to Mitchell, SD.

ttfn

Thursday, June 18

This was our last day in the Black Hills of South Dakota. :o(

Todd, Scott(Cactus Jack) and I found a restaurant and ate a real breakfast this morning. I was a bit tired of the hotel French toast. The Cattleman makes a good breakfast. Todd and I went up to the Bavarian to meet Jeff, Robert(Trip), Mark, and Daryl (Audiogooroo). Trip didn't get a chance to ride the Needles Highway, so we went by the State Game Lodge where the finale dinner was to be held to make sure all was taken care of and make the ride afterwards. The main lodge is really nice. Our dinner was assigned to a newer lodge right down from the old lodge. Very nice facility. Everything at the lodge was done, so we headed on for our ride. We had a good time checking out the curves and rolling through them. Stopped at the needle again after going through the very narrow tunnel.

Mark, Trip, Jeff, Todd

Not real sure what's going on here. We're at the Needle's Eye.

We were oringally going to run Needles Highway then head out to Wall and the Badlands. When we figured up the mileage, we decided to forego the trip to the Badlands. We decided we would go to Keystone to eat lunch then come back through and ride the Iron Mountain Road to go back to the twisties and the pigtails. Todd and Trip took video of us going through the pigtails. It should be a good little clip. We saw buffalo, deer, and antelope. No donkeys today.

Our finale meal was a real success. The lodge cooked up a meal of ribs, barbecue chicken, baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad, corn bread, watermelon, and brownies. The food was very good. We had some real nice door prizes that we handed out too.

I think everyone really enjoyed themselves at this gathering. I know I sure did. I have ridden 2580 miles since I left home last Thursday. That's a first for me to put that many miles on in just a week. I should clock close to 1900 more on the way home. I'll fill in with Wall Drug and the Badlands later.

ttfn

Todd sizing up a coon skin


The lady Nomad riders

Amy(Kawgirl), Annette, Nancy(Unwind2), Cycle Cat

The KawaNOW members and spouses who attended the finale dinner

KawaNOW staff

Mark G, Trip Kawgirl, SWB, Todd, Cactus Jack

Wednesday, June 17

Sylvan Lake

For those who are reading my blog and don't know, you can click on the pics to see a bigger version of them.

We had another full day of adventure. Todd, LW, Ray, Bud (Idaho), Jeff, and I decided to head over to Sturgis this morning before the afternoon rides. It's about 70 miles away but with the roads around here, it takes a little longer to get there. It was an, "I can say I've been there," kind of trip. We headed down 385 out of Custer and later picked up 16 to Hill City and on to Rapid City. We picked up I-90 so we could get there and back before the afternoon rides. We went to Hot Leathers to pick up souveneirs and such. I tried on about 6 pairs of leather chaps. Finally found a pair that fit only to find bad places in the leather. The gal got me another pair, tried them on, decided to buy. Got to the checkout and saw some bad places in those. Heard a big crack of thunder and told the girl I didn't have time to try on more. We had to go!

Bud(Idaho) and me right outside of Hot Leathers

This afternoon, I went on the Custer State Park Wildlife Loop, Needles Highway, Iron Mountain ride. What a fantastic ride that was too! Narrow roads with great curves including switchbacks.Todd and I hung in the back. We backed off from the group so we could play a little on the curves. He scraped his floorboards a few times. I never did get leaned over that far. Anyway, we cruised into the state park and stopped by Sylvan Lake and took a few pics then rolled on. We traveled up to the Needles Eye. It's a rock formation where the middle has eroded away and it looks like the eye of a needle. This is also where there is a very narrow tunnel and it's a tight squeeze for a vehicle to come through, let alone a bus. We watched a bus come through while we were there.

When we left there, we made a stop for a sighted buffalo. What a big animal that is. He was eating contently on the side of the road. He looked up oddly when I tour bus rolled by. Interesting animal.

We cruised on and came across the wild donkeys in the park. They are funny to watch. They will walk right up to cars, I guess in hopes that someone will feed them. We stopped the bikes to take pictures. When I tried to get them to come to me, they walked away. I guess they know bikers don't carry food with them. LOL.

We rolled on to turn off on Iron Mountain Road. We could see Mt. Rushmore way off in the distance. We stopped to take pictures from different perspectives.

Mt. Rushmore is in the background.

A zoomed in version from the same area. As close as my camera will get.

On to ride more of Iron Mountain Road. We came to the pigtail bridges. That was a fun one to ride. Todd said it was neat to be in the back of the pack and watch the bikes wind down the bridges. A pigtail bridge is designed to let the road pass over itself when there are sharp changes in the area. These bridges were originally constructed from wood. You can see the construction when you wind down to the bottom of it. Neat idea. I didn't get pics of these. From there we cruised on through the various tunnels on the route. One tunnel has a pullout where you can park and take a picture of Mt. Rushmore in the distance through the tunnel.

Mt. Rushmore through the tunnel on the left side of the mountain are where the faces are.

From here, we rolled on and took the road that runs right in front of Mt. Rushmore and around to the side where you can see the profile of Washington. From this stop, we decided to go into Hill City and check out a local bar and eatery, The Mangy Moose. I wanted to check it out so the guys obliged. Todd suggested eating there then going to the night program at Mt. Rushmore. What a way to end a fantastic day. The sculpture in the mountain is an amazing feat in itself. I have been to Mt. Rushmore before this trip, but it is still awesome to see.

Profile shot of Washington

I'm not sure what I'll do Thursday. I want to go to the Badlands but also need to rest up some to make the trip back home. I think Todd, Scott, and I may take a quicker ride over to Wall Drug and into the Badlands. Stay tuned.

ttfn