V: What a challenging day!!! This was the most difficult day of driving by a long shoot. After leaving Spokane we enjoyed the scenery which reminded us of SE south Dakota. But the farms were more numerous. Then we started into the Cascade Mts. Gorgeous!!! But the wind was intense. Both Curt and I were leaning far to the right to have the bike lean right so that the wind would not blow us over to the left...or into another lane of traffic. At one point, the wind caused a truck to blow over into our lane. SCARY!!! Curt did beautifully!!!!!!!! To the wind, add the falling temps. We finally stopped and put on our chaps, winter jackets and leather jackets and winter gloves. It was in the low 50's with terrific wind chill as well. There was no where to get off and rest until we got all the way through the passes...very steep up and down and 3-5 lanes of traffic moving really quickly. We were both whipped when we stopped at 2pm for lunch.
I usually make sandwiches in the motel room, add carrots, fruit and a small bag of pretzels. We often stop to fill with gas and then eat lunch under a tree. That's what we did yesterday. We ate in the cloudiness on a small grassy area at the outside edge of the gas station in our winter coats and relaxed watching all the activity around us. We usually fill our thermoses with coffee, but yesterday we just bought pop at the gas station.
Our normal plan of travel is to stop and rest every 100 miles and also when we refuel. We get off and stretch/walk just to give our bottoms a rest. This has worked very well. Yesterday we stopped at a wayside rest where they advertised free coffee. a church group was offering various goodies for sale to fund a trip to a Christian camp, so we helped out by buying a few items. The coffee was great too. the elderly couple running it had been farmers in that part of eastern WA from dust bowl times. Very interesting to listen to their stories.
We finally got into Seattle and to Aunt Ruth's about 4:30pm She said that she had been listening for our "loud" motorcycle to know when we arrived. Our bike is very quiet, so we snuck up on her and rang the doorbell. She laughed and welcomed us in. We had on all our motorcycle garb including helmets, etc. so we looked pretty funny. Ruth is doing much better than I thought she would be and she looks wonderful - she is 94 years old. The weather here in Seattle is 66 degrees and not raining. You have no idea how warm 66 and calm is!
Photos will follow in separate blog. The Cascades were amazingly gorgeous and worth the work. Happy trails!
C:
Wed, I took the bike to a dealer to have new tires put on..should make for a better ride since the old ones were at least 8 yrs old. While R&Ring the front, the tech found that the front brakes were about one good stop from being metal on metal. So I had the front brake pads replaced also. A hellofalot cheaper than having to have to replace the two rotors also.
By the way, mid 50 degrees sounds like it might be a bit cool but at 70 mph its down right COLD!
The bike is running great, but pulling a trailer up and down mountain passes is a real eyeopener and takes a lot of concentration. So, I didn't get to look at a lot of scenery...I left that to my passenger. V: I took a gazillion pics for Curt, but they missed the grandeur of the whole thing. C: Having a great time with Ruth. I think she likes me better than Vicki...or maybe its just boys vs girls. All my weight loss is going back on. She is a tremendous hostess.
Keep the rubber side down, all
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart."
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Wow is the only word for western Montana
A gloriously sunny day! Wherever we go, people have been telling us how great the weather is now. Apparently, there has been weeks of rain before we arrive. Today we started at 1 mile high in Bozeman = 5280 feet. Then we started climbing to 6500 feet to go over a pass. Because we are traveling on an interstate, the climb and drop are more gradual, but still very challenging especially on a motorcycle.
We saw mountains again/always - so cool! After Bozeman, they started getting really rocky with gi-normous boulders stacked upon each other and trees growing around them. We saw the largest open pit copper mine in the USA, the Anaconda Mine in Butte. The mt rock colors were changing from sandstone to shades of mint green and maroon-rust reds and greys in vertical patterns at all levels of the mts - still having pine trees covering most of the mts.
As we traveled out of Butte, I became intrigued by what I thought was a man-made curving creek, that seemed to be meandering quite quickly along the side of the hwy. It's curving made a beautiful and relaxing pattern, and it was fun for me to follow it's progress. As we continued our quest up to Missoula, this little creek started getting wider and rougher, though still a green/blue color. Whenever we crossed a bridge, there was the creek, ever growing and becoming browner. By the time we reached Missoula, it was the Clark Fork River and very wide. Boats were even on it. It certainly helped us pass the time. This river was flowing west because we crossed the Continental Divide today. God's workmanship is awesome and never boring. The closer we look, the more we see. I also noticed that the pine trees were taller as we got closer to sea level and the mts seemed taller too.
We found a huge lake in Cour de Alene, Idaho (close to NW corner of Idaho and Canada). Looked like Lake Minnetonka with tree covered mountains going down to the water. We're told that this is a very ritzy vacation spot, and the homes we were seeing are impressive. The lake was deep blue and being thoroughly enjoyed by boaters. We were going through 85-92 degree weather as we crossed 2 more passes in Idaho. So, the cool water was inviting. We stopped after each pass for coffee and to relax...and to give our thanks to God. The fact that we are traveling on 2 wheels, does occur to me on some of these curves. How anyone traveled through these mts years ago and survived to settle and make a life, is beyond both of us. Even today, this country is very threatening and full of challenges.
I, however, will follow Curt anywhere...he is taking very good care of me and I am loving him and this adventure alot!!! Vicki
Yesterday to Bozeman
What a wonderful day! We are so enjoying this beautiful country and each other! As soon as we crossed into Montana from Wyoming we noticed something...Montana has "water", lots of it. We saw planted fields. No I can't tell you what they were, but they were irrigating and the numbers of black cows were considerably smaller than in WY. We stopped at the Custer Museum and the Little Big Horn Nat'l Battle Field. Both were quite good. Having been at Normandy Beach in France, I expected that same oppressiveness of death. But it was much lighter, perhaps because the numbers killed were hugely fewer. The sense of reverence for loss of life was present as we walked around the area.
Then we were off to Billings and Bozeman. The countryside was amazing. We started seeing grass and leafy trees, with rivers and lakes. The mountains were bigger and many were covered similarly to the Black hills. I noticed that all the trees were leaning a bit to the east, all the way up the mt. Maybe from the winds that charge through the area. We fought strong winds and Curt did an amazing job!!!! Then we saw the Rockies - WOW!!! We also noticed that it seemed that many scotch pine were dead or dying all over the mts. Apparently, there is a bug that is killing off these pines at an frightening rate. Don't be too surprised to hear of large forest fires in the southern parts of Montana in the future. We arrived at my 3rd cousin's once-removed, Liz, about 4:30. We have never met, and in fact, she and Curt have been e-mailing for months doing Horan (mine) geneology. She really has a passion for geneology, working on all her relations and her husband's too. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with them exploring cemeteries and photos, listening to their stories and adventures. Liz and Jim were wonderfully hospitable to us. They even blessed us with great home cooking! Didn't realize how much we missed it. So far we have traveled 2000 miles in 5 days. We have seen gorgeous country and met terrific people. God is blessing us so-o-o well!
Enjoying retirement and adventuring,
Vicki
For those of you who are confused, Curt and I are both blogging.
Then we were off to Billings and Bozeman. The countryside was amazing. We started seeing grass and leafy trees, with rivers and lakes. The mountains were bigger and many were covered similarly to the Black hills. I noticed that all the trees were leaning a bit to the east, all the way up the mt. Maybe from the winds that charge through the area. We fought strong winds and Curt did an amazing job!!!! Then we saw the Rockies - WOW!!! We also noticed that it seemed that many scotch pine were dead or dying all over the mts. Apparently, there is a bug that is killing off these pines at an frightening rate. Don't be too surprised to hear of large forest fires in the southern parts of Montana in the future. We arrived at my 3rd cousin's once-removed, Liz, about 4:30. We have never met, and in fact, she and Curt have been e-mailing for months doing Horan (mine) geneology. She really has a passion for geneology, working on all her relations and her husband's too. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with them exploring cemeteries and photos, listening to their stories and adventures. Liz and Jim were wonderfully hospitable to us. They even blessed us with great home cooking! Didn't realize how much we missed it. So far we have traveled 2000 miles in 5 days. We have seen gorgeous country and met terrific people. God is blessing us so-o-o well!
Enjoying retirement and adventuring,
Vicki
For those of you who are confused, Curt and I are both blogging.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Wyoming--WOW!!!
If you've never been out west, you've really been missing something. It is so open all through South Dakota and through Wyoming. SD is wide open with virtually nothing to see all the way to to horizon. Wyoming is the same except add hills and mountains and some of the most beautiful landscapes we have seen so far. Only, winters have to be hell here; all the openness and wind...oh God the wind!!!!!!!!! We talked to one sales lady and she had a 40 min commute if there were no cows on the road...they have right of way and she was snowed in for two weeks last winter.
We did a little sight seeing on this leg. We visited Devil's Tower and realized that it has the same formations as Giant's Causeway in Ireland. The difference is the rock. Giant's Causeway is made from Basaltic magma and Devil's Tower is made from feldspar igneous rock...yippee!!!!! Devil's Tower doesn't fit the landscape at all. Worth the $5 to get into the park.
We ran into a little rain around Buffalo Wy but nothing like Milwaukee. We went in between two fronts and caught the edge of the second. I never thought I would drive a MC at 75 mph in a rain storm but I did. I'll tell you if there had been any wind at that time I would have been doing about 50 mph Bike is running well and I don't even notice the trailer. Mileage sucks....With the wind and steep grades. Started out about 38 to 40 mpg and have gotten into the high 20's.
We're seeing lots of bikes with trailers and trikes too. Meeting lots of really nice people riding mostly Wings and HDs from all over the country....and its not even time for Sturgis.
By the way, Pete and Bob Heidi and Barb, this pic of the Fetterman Battle does not depict the one we had in '86...thats 1986 outside Fort Fetterman...hahahaha
We did a little sight seeing on this leg. We visited Devil's Tower and realized that it has the same formations as Giant's Causeway in Ireland. The difference is the rock. Giant's Causeway is made from Basaltic magma and Devil's Tower is made from feldspar igneous rock...yippee!!!!! Devil's Tower doesn't fit the landscape at all. Worth the $5 to get into the park.
We ran into a little rain around Buffalo Wy but nothing like Milwaukee. We went in between two fronts and caught the edge of the second. I never thought I would drive a MC at 75 mph in a rain storm but I did. I'll tell you if there had been any wind at that time I would have been doing about 50 mph Bike is running well and I don't even notice the trailer. Mileage sucks....With the wind and steep grades. Started out about 38 to 40 mpg and have gotten into the high 20's.
We're seeing lots of bikes with trailers and trikes too. Meeting lots of really nice people riding mostly Wings and HDs from all over the country....and its not even time for Sturgis.
By the way, Pete and Bob Heidi and Barb, this pic of the Fetterman Battle does not depict the one we had in '86...thats 1986 outside Fort Fetterman...hahahaha
Friday, June 25, 2010
Hot and Sunny!!
Hi All!We are currently staying the night in Spearfish, ND. The ride was alot of work for Curt and we had a heavy cross or head wind. NO RAIN!!! As we traveled through South Dakota, we enjoyed low rolling hills, plains, badlands, high rolling hills with deep gorges and lots of sanding water. Everything was green or dead. This is highly unusual for SD. We heard that this is the first nice string of weather they have had in 3 months, otherwise, lots of rain. We are most grateful for this good weather. We seem to be in between 2 rain patterns.
We also found our previous symbol for SD...1 half dead tree. Now we found many half dead trees all along the highway. Even found some live deciduous trees usually 1 per 2,000 acres...no kidding! But the Black Hills were gorgeous. They are black because of all the Jack Pines that cover them. Usually the hills are dry grass, now they are green. Beautiful! Curt and I melted as the temps headed toward high 80's with high winds and NO shade all the way across SD. Our bottoms are sore. We have covered almost 1000 miles in 2 days. This is a fun trip though. We have really enjoyed the scenery, the people we have met and each other. God is blessing us well.
We also found a grimy motel we stayed in while on our six week trip in 1986. One block from we are staying now. Still looks exactly the same.
Stay safe and celebrate life,
Vicki
We also found our previous symbol for SD...1 half dead tree. Now we found many half dead trees all along the highway. Even found some live deciduous trees usually 1 per 2,000 acres...no kidding! But the Black Hills were gorgeous. They are black because of all the Jack Pines that cover them. Usually the hills are dry grass, now they are green. Beautiful! Curt and I melted as the temps headed toward high 80's with high winds and NO shade all the way across SD. Our bottoms are sore. We have covered almost 1000 miles in 2 days. This is a fun trip though. We have really enjoyed the scenery, the people we have met and each other. God is blessing us well.
We also found a grimy motel we stayed in while on our six week trip in 1986. One block from we are staying now. Still looks exactly the same.
Stay safe and celebrate life,
Vicki
Thursday, June 24, 2010
"On the Road Again...."
Today's weather was gorgeous!! 80 degrees, partly cloudy without gusty winds. That is terrific for motorcycle travel! We said goodbye to the Beernink family and eagerly headed West. We passed through deep green rolling hills dotted with farms and large stands of deciduous and pine trees with draping canopies of sumac stands alongside the highway. There had to be hundreds of shades of green. WOW! I was thoroughly enjoying the yellow, white and blue wild flowers along the sides of the road. As we came up to Tomah the rock formations left by the glaciers were jutting up through the trees. One of the formations looked much like a deserted castle with turrets, buildings all connected by walls. It set my imagination going. As we came into LaCrosse, the terrain turned into bluffs, all solidly covered with trees. The climb out of the LaCrosse valley took almost an hour and was beautiful every mile of the way. When we got to the top of the grade, the land was suddenly flat with only a sparse dotting of trees indicating the farm buildings. A quick change from thriving woods and farms into boring and 'windy'.
We became immersed in finding a gas station, having completely forgotten that there is only 1 along I90 until you get to Rochester. We were pretty close to fumes by then, but as luck would have it, we turned the right direction and were able to fill up. Off again along I90. We went through 2 large wind mill farms. But only 1 or 2 windmills were turning and the sky was quite foggy or stagnant looking. We pulled into Worthington, MN about 5:20pm having traveled 470 miles today. Not so much for a car, but alot on the back of a motorcycle. Curt decided on a great pattern of rest for us. Every 100 miles we hit a rest stop, gas station or restaurant for a 10-15 minute break and walked around to limber up. Our picnic lunch was eaten in the shade at a picnic table at a rest stop. Very relaxing and beautiful area. You can meet the nicest people at rest stops!!! Tomorrow we are off to Rapid City, SD. Hope that your summer is most enjoyable.
Vicki
We became immersed in finding a gas station, having completely forgotten that there is only 1 along I90 until you get to Rochester. We were pretty close to fumes by then, but as luck would have it, we turned the right direction and were able to fill up. Off again along I90. We went through 2 large wind mill farms. But only 1 or 2 windmills were turning and the sky was quite foggy or stagnant looking. We pulled into Worthington, MN about 5:20pm having traveled 470 miles today. Not so much for a car, but alot on the back of a motorcycle. Curt decided on a great pattern of rest for us. Every 100 miles we hit a rest stop, gas station or restaurant for a 10-15 minute break and walked around to limber up. Our picnic lunch was eaten in the shade at a picnic table at a rest stop. Very relaxing and beautiful area. You can meet the nicest people at rest stops!!! Tomorrow we are off to Rapid City, SD. Hope that your summer is most enjoyable.
Vicki
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Day 5
Well, it looks like the weather is playing a part in our trip. Because of storms, we had to delay leaving Racine by one day. We will leave for Worthington, MN tomorrow morning. Its supposed to be clear and about 81. I'd rather ride out of the rain and hail and gale force winds anyway. I must stop at the MN dept of safty to get a replacement drivers license. Should take about 15 mins...yea right!!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Monday - written Tues
Hi All,
Yesterday was relaxing and fun playing with Andrew, walking Xena, and snuggling with Hannah. Of course, we enjoyed Amos and Heidi alot too. We normally work when we are here...ex. painting, yard work, etc.. But because this is our vacation, neither Amos nor Heidi will let us do anything but play. We can't even cook. They are spoiling us really well....and we are becoming used to it!
The weather was cloudy and muggy much of yesterday. I can melt into a puddle really quickly - so the breeze helped greatly. Last night, we had a series of tornadoes come through the Milwaukee/Racine/Kenosha area with lots of hard rains and winds. The weather people here are obsessed with the weather and have full control of the TV for h-o-u-r-s!!! We did end up sitting in the basement under the stairway, prepared to scurry under the large table under the stairway at a moments notice. All of us were there including sleepy Andrew and Miss Hannah. The time was not wasted, as Heidi found several bags around her chair that she hadn't looked in since they moved in 5 years ago. To quote Heidi, "This is like Christmas!". Lots of excitement over finding things thought lost and treasured mementos. Some kept, some thrown, some to donate. She was also happy to be able to clean out the space. All this while holding Hannah in her lap. I forgot how much moms can do with their hands and arms full. Amos is one of those dad's who can do it too. One of my greatest joys being here, is watching the 2 of them interact with their kids. They are amazing with both kids - loving, teaching, playing, disciplining, encouraging and giving their attention willingly. They remind me why God gives children to young people. I need a nap after watching them. They also give my mother's heart deep joy and comfort. I'm having a ball!! I think that Curt is too.
Well, I will talk with you later .
God's blessings and grace on your day. Vicki
Yesterday was relaxing and fun playing with Andrew, walking Xena, and snuggling with Hannah. Of course, we enjoyed Amos and Heidi alot too. We normally work when we are here...ex. painting, yard work, etc.. But because this is our vacation, neither Amos nor Heidi will let us do anything but play. We can't even cook. They are spoiling us really well....and we are becoming used to it!
The weather was cloudy and muggy much of yesterday. I can melt into a puddle really quickly - so the breeze helped greatly. Last night, we had a series of tornadoes come through the Milwaukee/Racine/Kenosha area with lots of hard rains and winds. The weather people here are obsessed with the weather and have full control of the TV for h-o-u-r-s!!! We did end up sitting in the basement under the stairway, prepared to scurry under the large table under the stairway at a moments notice. All of us were there including sleepy Andrew and Miss Hannah. The time was not wasted, as Heidi found several bags around her chair that she hadn't looked in since they moved in 5 years ago. To quote Heidi, "This is like Christmas!". Lots of excitement over finding things thought lost and treasured mementos. Some kept, some thrown, some to donate. She was also happy to be able to clean out the space. All this while holding Hannah in her lap. I forgot how much moms can do with their hands and arms full. Amos is one of those dad's who can do it too. One of my greatest joys being here, is watching the 2 of them interact with their kids. They are amazing with both kids - loving, teaching, playing, disciplining, encouraging and giving their attention willingly. They remind me why God gives children to young people. I need a nap after watching them. They also give my mother's heart deep joy and comfort. I'm having a ball!! I think that Curt is too.
Well, I will talk with you later .
God's blessings and grace on your day. Vicki
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Day 3
Happy Father's Day!!!
Not much new. Easy day, resting and playing with grandkids. More tomorrow.
Not much new. Easy day, resting and playing with grandkids. More tomorrow.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Day 2 in Racine
Well, a quiet day, no travel. Amos had his first 10 mile race this morning. Finished with a time of 1hr 40mins...very high humidity and very warm. Not what he's been practicing in. The ladies went shopping and when they came home I looked at Vicki to see just what I had to pack. Luckly, all she got was a new wallet for me and some clothes for Hannah, nice lady huh?
Speaking of that subject, went to US Bank and took care of that side of our problem. We now have a new temp ATM card and regular cards are being sent to Mtka. Now, if only the credit cards can show up on Tues I think we can resume this adventure. Otherwise we might just make it to Worthington, MN and then back to Mtka. Enought to make a guy drink, if he was inclined to imbibe.
Getting some needed sleep.
All for now.
C & V
Speaking of that subject, went to US Bank and took care of that side of our problem. We now have a new temp ATM card and regular cards are being sent to Mtka. Now, if only the credit cards can show up on Tues I think we can resume this adventure. Otherwise we might just make it to Worthington, MN and then back to Mtka. Enought to make a guy drink, if he was inclined to imbibe.
Getting some needed sleep.
All for now.
C & V
Friday, June 18, 2010
Day 1 of official trip
It was necessary to edit the blog name as the first thing we did on our "western" trip was head "east" to meet our new granddaughter, Hannah. And, of course, to congratulate Amos and Heidi. Pix included. She is beautiful and getting kisses from all of us, including brother Andrew.
The second thing we did was to loss Curt's wallet. Apparently, while he was wiggling to get comfortable, it popped out somewhere on I94 in WI. We backtracked for a bit, but no luck. I see this as God saying that already we are not in charge...and have to trust Him. Curt sees it as panic. Over the next several hours and miles we talked to a variety of people who asked a gazillion questions, but none could help, until God got us to Lorna and she is sending the New Emergency card(s) to Heidi's. At this point the extra costs were immaterial. They will arrive Tuesday. A little extra time with grandbabies. This is only 1 credit card. Gratefully, Curt insisted that we bring our passports and carried cash separately. Yeah God and Curt!!!
Thirdly, we had a day of great weather, until we were 1/2 way around Milwaukee. As we watched the sky, a roiling mass of angry clouds were speedily heading our way. It quickly became obvious that we were not going to outrun this storm. Curt very wisely pulled into a gas station with a canopy and while being blown over we comically got on our rain gear. The very large garbage can kept attaching itself to Curt during this process. The rain
was pelting us while Curt did a superb job of handling the bike in the rain and the huge sideways wind gusts. This is a motorcyclists nightmare! We arrived safely at Amos and Heidi's to be rewarded by Andrew screaming because we looked so scary in our dripping rain gear and helmets and funky glasses. I hope that you are all laughing. We did and are.
The day was amazing and all has worked out well. No matter what it looks like, God is still in charge.
If I can get this thing to work, here are some pictures of Hannah.
The second thing we did was to loss Curt's wallet. Apparently, while he was wiggling to get comfortable, it popped out somewhere on I94 in WI. We backtracked for a bit, but no luck. I see this as God saying that already we are not in charge...and have to trust Him. Curt sees it as panic. Over the next several hours and miles we talked to a variety of people who asked a gazillion questions, but none could help, until God got us to Lorna and she is sending the New Emergency card(s) to Heidi's. At this point the extra costs were immaterial. They will arrive Tuesday. A little extra time with grandbabies. This is only 1 credit card. Gratefully, Curt insisted that we bring our passports and carried cash separately. Yeah God and Curt!!!
Thirdly, we had a day of great weather, until we were 1/2 way around Milwaukee. As we watched the sky, a roiling mass of angry clouds were speedily heading our way. It quickly became obvious that we were not going to outrun this storm. Curt very wisely pulled into a gas station with a canopy and while being blown over we comically got on our rain gear. The very large garbage can kept attaching itself to Curt during this process. The rain
was pelting us while Curt did a superb job of handling the bike in the rain and the huge sideways wind gusts. This is a motorcyclists nightmare! We arrived safely at Amos and Heidi's to be rewarded by Andrew screaming because we looked so scary in our dripping rain gear and helmets and funky glasses. I hope that you are all laughing. We did and are.
The day was amazing and all has worked out well. No matter what it looks like, God is still in charge.
If I can get this thing to work, here are some pictures of Hannah.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Day Before - June 17, 2010
Wow What a day! We have so-o-o much to do that I had to spend 2 hours with the Lord in order to even get started. I always do much better if I let Him order my/our day.
We are scrambling to dot all our i's and cross all our t's to take what we will need and slice down the unnecessary stuff. We are also finishing house, garden, caretakers of home, etc. and learning how to Blog...thanks to Jewel's kind teaching.
WE ARE SO-O-O-O-O-O EXCITED!! WE GET TO MEET HANNAH AND KISS HER AND HEIDI, AMOS, ANDREW TOO AND OF COURSE, XENA...HUSKY.
We leave tomorrow!!! Plan to be on the road by 8am. Come enjoy our journey with us.
We are scrambling to dot all our i's and cross all our t's to take what we will need and slice down the unnecessary stuff. We are also finishing house, garden, caretakers of home, etc. and learning how to Blog...thanks to Jewel's kind teaching.
WE ARE SO-O-O-O-O-O EXCITED!! WE GET TO MEET HANNAH AND KISS HER AND HEIDI, AMOS, ANDREW TOO AND OF COURSE, XENA...HUSKY.
We leave tomorrow!!! Plan to be on the road by 8am. Come enjoy our journey with us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)