Epilogue

There is no better way to see the country and feel the environment than on a motorcycle. We experienced almost every kind of weather there was from hot, humid and windy conditions in Kansas to foggy, rainy and cold going over a mountain pass in Wyoming. Those being the extremes, we also enjoyed the perfect weather every day in California. After reviewing our trip here are our opinions as well as some statistics.

Most enjoyable ride: Pacific Coast Hwy (or CA1) from Morrow Bay to San Francisco.

Least enjoyable ride: I-40 across Kansas due to wind, heat and humidity.

Most Challenging ride: US550 from Ouray, CO to Silverton, CO, aka the Million Dollar Hwy due to vertigo caused when riding next to the edge of the road with no guard rail and significant drops to the canyon floor.

Close second challenging ride: Powder River Pass, WY due to cold, fog and rain.

Other great rides: CO94 from US40 to Colorado Springs; US50 from Canon City, CO to Montrose, CO; US550 from Silverton, CO to Durango, CO; UT162 and UT163 from CO boarder to AZ boarder; AZ67 from US89 to North Rim of Grand Canyon, AZ; NE167 thru Valley of Fire State Park, NE; Death Valley National Park; CA178 from US395 to Bakersfield; Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA; CA4 from CA49 to CA89 across the Sierra Nevada Mountains; CA89 from CA4 past Lake Tahoe, CA; Yellowstone National Park; US14 from Yellowstone National Park to Cody, WY.

The above rides are what made the trip worthwhile. It's a good thing too as we also rode some of the worst for a motorcycle such as:

• UT9 thru Zion National Park which was under reconstruction. On a motorcycle this is treacherous on a mountain pass.
• NE167 from the Valley of Fire State Park, NE to US95 at the Hoover Dam. There were miles of gravel road that were not identified until we were there.
• I-80 thru Chicago.

Statistics:

• Total Miles: 6360
• Miles to the West Coast: 3115
  
• Max miles in a day: 602
• Least miles in a day: 68
• Number of riding days: 16
• Average miles/day: 398
• Max temp while riding: 111 in Nevada
• Min temp while riding: 36 going over a mountain pass in WY
• Max elevation: 14,082 on US550, Windom Peak, CO
  
• Min elevation: -282 in Death Valley
• Number of states traveled (other than Michigan): 15
• Most congested areas: Lake Tahoe, Yellowstone National Park and Chicago

As you can see, we collected a lot of statistics as this was an important trip to me. As a matter of fact it was on my bucket list. So now, I can check this off as complete. Except now, I have another added because of this trip. Time to start planning.

trip leg for 7/8

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Thursday's events, 7/8

Our last day on the trip was a long one! Headed east on I-80 from Des Moine, IA into Illinois and past Chicago. Going thru Chicago on I-80 on a Thursday afternoon (3:30 Chicago time) was one of the worst portions of our trip. Once into Indiana, took I-94 north into Michigan until we had enough of interstate riding and took US12 east. Steve and I decided to split in Sturgis so we could both get home the quickest route from there. I arrived home @ 9:30 pm.

Wednesday's events, 7/7

Left Chamberlain, SD about 10:30 heading east on I-90. Would probably got an earlier start except one of us slept in a little longer than normal. Must have been the cookies and pop consumed the night before. Anyway, there were storm clouds all along our path this day. Stopped a couple of times to check the radar and forecast and actually altered our route to try to avoid storms by going south on I-29. No such luck, we got caught in a storm just north of Sioux City, IA causing us to wait at a rest stop for about an hour before continuing on I-80 to our final destination for the day at Des Moines, IA. Stayed at another great Best Western Motel. We will hopefully finish our trip tomorrow as we have about 550 miles left to go and plan to get an early start if we can both get up in time to get going to beat the Chicago rush hour traffic on I-80.

Sunday, July 4th, events

Today was a ride day to get as close to Yellowstone National Park as possible. Left Fenley, NE about 9:30 and headed east to US93, then north to I-15, then east on I-84. Encountered a significant cross wind all along US93. Ended the day in Idaho Falls, ID. Significant day because it was our first 600 mile day on bikes; quite the accomplishment.

trip leg for 7/7

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trip leg for 7/6

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Tuesday's events, 7/6

Left Worland, WY about 8:30 heading east on US16 toward I-90 via the Powder Rim Pass. Temp as we left was 54 degrees.. I think this would normally be a great ride..........except on this day. As we entered the pass and started climbing, it got colder and mistier and foggier. By the time we reached to summit, it was 36 degrees, foggy and rainy. Nice! We couldn't wait to start the downward trek to get out of that miserable weather. As soon as we got to Buffalo, WY at the bottom of the other side, we stopped at McDonald's and warmed up with their delicious coffer and mocha.

Continuing on I-90 east we continued to see pockets of light rain until late afternoon. Ended the day in Chamberlain, SD. Very nice little town with a nice Best Western. Patti would love it.

This was the last day for any mountain pass riding as the rest of the trip is interstate all the way home.

Views from the road:

trip leg for 7/5

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Monday's events, 7/5

Left Idaho Falls about 10:30 heading for Yellowstone. Arrived about 12:30. Huge line to get in but we bought the annual pass for the Grand Canyon so we were able to go thru the "express lane" and got thru much faster. The first thing we attempted was to see Old Faithful but there were so many people there we literally couldn't find a parking spot so we left. Traveled south around the park to the continental divide and then continued around to the east side for lunch at the park store. Went north from there to leave the park and ride the Bear Tooth Pass east of the Northeast entrance but as we got closer, we were climbing and it got colder and windy and started to rain. We finally decided it safer to abandon the attempt and go back south and leave the park via the east entrance. Then headed east on US14 to Cody, WY. Great ride thru the canyon. Stopped at a cafe in Cody to check weather and have a coffee to warm up as the whole day was in the fifties.

Left Cody about 8:00 to try to get a few more miles (our biggest mistake) and finally ended up in Worland, WY at a fleabag Super 8 motel for the night. Or should I say starling motel.

Starling nests outside window of fine hotel room in Worland, Wy:

Yellowstone National Park Continental Divide:

Scenery between Yellowstone National Park and Cody, WY:

Sunday, July 4th, events

This was a day to boogie! Left Wadsworth, NE about 9:30 heading as far as we could get by the end of the day or as much as our bodies could handle to get close to Yellowstone National Park. Heading east on I-80, where the weather was sunny and a cool 70 degrees with the wind at our backs and great road conditions was perfect for traveling on motorcycles. After about 300 miles we stopped for lunch, then headed north on US93, a two nice two lane road, into Idaho until we reached I-86. Then headed east to I-15 and finally ended the day in Idaho Falls, ID. Eleven hours and 602 miles on the day was enough for Steve. I wanted to go all the way to the Grand Tetons but I would have had to connect the bikes with a tow rope the rest of the way. Sorry, no photos today as there really wasn't much to capture in the desert. Although Idaho looked more like Michigan with the fields and irrigation.

Loyal readers:

I have a confession to make. For days now, I've been posting in Ron's name, while he has wallowed in the sun like an elephant seal (picture below) ignoring the important documentary aspect of our trip. I did this in hopes that he might be somehow motivated to participate by seeing his name in print.

As the trip is winding down now, i must regretfully cease this selfless venture and focus on recreating.

Cheers,

Your humble documentarian

trip leg for 7/4

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Saturday's events, 7/3

The girls left about 9:45 and left shortly afterward heading east on CA116 to CA12 to CA49 to get to our first scenic ride on CA4. Along the way we traveled thru many Napa Valley vineyards. CA4 crosses the Sierra Nevada mountains. The westerly portion of the road was a very enjoyable ride, sweeping cures and gradual changes in elevation. I got a little nervous seeing the sign that said "Vehicles with trailers not advisable past Alpine lake".

As approached Bear Valley on CA4, I was following Steve to slow down to stop for a photo at a turn out when a brown bear jumped out behind Steve and in front of me to cross the road. This was my first close call of the trip where I almost hit this mammoth animal and would have if I weren't already slowing down. Needless to say, I had to spend some extra time at our stop to recover. Along the way on this mountain pass there were many beautiful lakes. The price paid to view them was a very narrow road with significant elevation changes and very tight turns.

After cross the mountains we headed north along CA89 to Lake Tahoe, another beautiful road. Upon reaching the lake we found so many people congregating all along the California side of the lake that we couldn't wait to get out of there. No signs of a recession there. Ended the day in Wadsworth, NE where Steve had his first exposure to a Casino. Not that we gambled but walked thru it to get to the restaurant. I think he said he might become a professional gambler when he gets back to AA.

North Shore of Lake Tahoe:

Mountains/Alpine lake along CA4:

Another Alpine lake along CA4:

Steve near the Alpine lake along CA4:

Scenic view very, very near site Ron almost hit bear:

Friday's events, 7/2

This was a day of relaxation before the long ride back east. Spent a few hours visiting a couple of wineries. The first was Kendall-Jackson. They had a beautiful garden adjoining the tasting building with a tour of the garden. One interesting thing about the garden was that they shaped apple trees into a trellis, just like grape vines. Marilee and Steve signed up for one of those high end wine deliveries shipped every two months. I will be sure to invite myself about the third week of every odd month for dinner!

Next was the Rodney Strong winery which had fermenting equipment on site which was a cool thing to see. Apparently this is very similar to beer making according to Steve. The rest of the day was spent drinking wine and smoking a cigar after dinner.

trip leg for 7/3

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Monroe Boys

We made it back all of us in great shape. easiest ride to date! only averaged 240 miles per day.

Wednesday, 6/30 and Thursday, 7/1 events

Wednesday: After a good night's rest with the ocean waves hitting the beach nearby, we left Half Moon Bay State Park to meet our significant others in Salsalito, CA which is just on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge. Today's technology (GPS and cell phones) made this rendezvous happen as if we planned the exact time and place to meet. Perfect! Had lunch in Salsalito and then went north to Petaluma, CA. We used this as our base for the next three days. Had a very nice dinner @ Dexter's in Petaluma that evening.

Thursday: Left early for Muir Woods, a Redwood Forest and National Monument. Great stand of old Redwoods. Weather was sunny and about 60 degrees, very pleasant. Then left for San Francisco to see some of the sites. Parked near the Wharf and had lunch at an Italian restaurant. I had clam chowder in a bread bowl, best I've ever had. Did a little shopping then I went to get the car while the other three went to Ghirardelli's to buy chocolate and get ice cream with chocolate. I drove the hilly streets awhile while they stuffed themselves. Was fun to drive some of the same streets as driven in the movie Bullitt. Also drove around looking for those "Painted Ladies" homes. After that drove back across the bridge to drive along the shoreline looking for a lighthouse in the Point Reyes National Seashore but turned around after about an hour of driving without success. Finished the day with a meal at a Nepal Indian Restaurant.

Tuesday's events, 6/29

Started the day with a wonderful breakfast at Kitty's Cafe, then a liesure walk along the waterfront before heading north along the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), also known as Hwy 1. This is the main reason for this trip, to ride the PCH and I wasn't disappointed. Most of this road hugs the coast line with breath taking views, although I wasn't able to really appreciate the views as my concentration was required on making sure I didn't run off the cliffs.

Lunched at Lucia Lodge in Big Sur, good food and great view of the coast and ocean. Also very nice flowers. Following lunch, we continued north toward San Francisco hoping to find a state campground close to the city. As we passed a couple of state parks, the signs said campgrounds full which didn't leave us much hope we could get a site with the great weather for camping, eg. 65 F and sunny. As we approached Half Moon Bay, we decided to stop at the state park to see if they had any sites and to our luck they had one left which we took. This was about two hours before sunset giving us plenty of time to set up our tents and stow our gear. Met out campsite neighbor, Tom McGee, who is an LA County motorcycle patrolman. Naturally talked for hours about a host of topics including motorcycles. Sunset on the Pacific Coast is absolutely spectacular this evening; cool and cloudless weather made for great photos. Had a fire and drank a glass (or two) of wine before calling it a night. A great day!

Morro Bay boat dock:

View from PCH:

Elephant Seals along PCH:

View from Lucia Lodge:

Sunset @ Half Moon Bay State Park:

trip leg for 6/29

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trip leg for 6/28

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Monday's events, 6/28

Left Beatty, NE about 8:30 PDT to travel across Death Valley National Park, US190, early before the extreme heat. The terrain was much different than I envisioned; plenty of mountain passes to cross. The valley is located in the middle of the park. Temps reached about 105F before noon. Glad we crossed it when we did.

Death Valley, CA:

Death Valley, CA:

Next, we headed for the west coast, taking US395 south to CA178. This provided more difficult mountain roads to cross, specifically the Kern River Canyon before we reached Bakersfield. After lunch continued on US58 to Morro Bay. Arrived at the West Coast about 7:30 pm PDT. HOORAY!

Kern's Canyon, CA along CA178:

Big rock formation of the coast at Morro Bay, CA:

The docks at Morro Bay, CA:

Very hot day, 100 plus temps, all day except when we reached the coast. By the time we got to Morro Bay it was 60 and cloudy, perfect for riding motorcycles. We hope not to repeat the temps of the last few days for quite some time.

Sunday's events, 6/27

Left St. George, UT for the Hoover Dam about 9:00. Traveled thru the Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada's first, on NE167 on our way. Beautiful rock formations like this:

As we approached Hoover Dam, ran into a very slow moving line of traffic, so slow we couldn't ride without stopping the bikes. It took us an hour to go the three miles to get to the security check point. Didn't spend much time there, enough to take some pictures and eat and head out to our final destination for the day which was Beatty, NE.

The day was extremely HOT, starting our trip in the 90's and ending about 110F.

View from the Hoover Dam:

Power Stuff at the Hoover Dam:

View of the Dam itself:

trip leg for 6/27

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Saturday's events, 6/26

Left the Navajo town of Tuba City about 10:00 heading for the north rim of the Grand Canyon via US160 and US89. We chose the north rim because apparently less people are willing to take the extra time to go there, about one in ten. Stopped at the Navajo Bridge (photos) to see the Colorado River. Bridge built in 1928. Stunning view is difficult to convey in photos.

Steve and Ron on bridge crossing the Colorado River on Alt US89:

Colorado River @ Alt US89:

Continued on to the north rim. The ride in on US67 was as pleasurable for us motorcyclists as the visit to the canyon itself. Again, photos cannot completely convey the feeling you get when you're there. The rock at the bottom of the canyon approaches two billion years old. Now I don't feel so old myself. It's 13 miles across from the north rim to the south rim but if you drove around it's 213 miles.

North Rim view of the Grand Canyon:

A hiking trail at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon:

Left the north rim of the Grand Canyon in late afternoon and headed for Zion National Park in Utah, about two hours away via US89 and US9. Easy riding to get there. After entering the park, discovered road construction the entire length along US9 which is not fun on two wheels when they remove most of the road surface and what's left is pot holes, loose gravel and very uneven surfaces. Not a pleasant experience for us, so much so that we didn't even stop in the visitor center to pick up a souvenir. Although I did take a couple of photos while we were stopped for traffic to pass.

Zion National Park (when we were stopped for construction):

Continued west and ended the day at St. George, UT. Will head for Hoover Dam tomorrow. Predictions for temps well over 100 degrees. Looks like a good day to end our journey early.

trip leg for 6/26

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Friday's afternoon events, 6/25

A lot has happened since yesterday's entry.

Left Durango in early afternoon heading for the Four Corners on US160. Lunched in Cortez, CO. Arrived at Four Corners late afternoon and found that the monument was under reconstruction and thus closed to the public (photo). Not sure when it would be opened again but the locals thought around the end of July.

Four Corners Monument:

So, after that short stay, headed west via US162 and US163. We saw some of the most beautiful rock formations I've ever seen. (photos). Very little traffic made this route very nice as well.

The day was getting late and in part of the country there are very few facilities. We got into a situation where we were riding much later than we wanted but had no choice. As we were heading to Tuba City along US160 it started to rain. Imagine that, rain in the desert southwest. We were riding along the edge of a thunderstorm about dusk. We could see a lot of lightning to the south and sun to the north. The result............two beautiful rainbows. This happened not once but twice within about 30 minutes.

Ended the long day in Tuba City after searching for a reasonably priced hotel. That is a story in and of itself.

River at Mexican Hat, UT:

Rock Outcroppings in Monument Valley, UT:

trip leg for 6/25

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Friday morning events, 6/25

Since last posted, we've traveled US50 from Colorado Springs to Montrose, CO then finished the day (Thursday) at Ridgeway State Park campground on US550. First time camping on this trip. Got to the site late so we had to hustle to get set up before nightfall but made it. Good experience.

Today, started with breakfast in Ridgeway @ Kate's Place. Great local restaurant. Then started our ride south thru Red Mountain, Coal Bank Pass and Windom Peak with elevation @ 14K. Not a ride for the inexperienced motorcycle rider at all. In some places it rivals the Tail of the Dragon at the south end of the Smokey Mountains. Currently taking a break in Durango, CO before we head southwest to reach the Four Corners. Then to Monument Valley at the Utah/Arizona boarder before day's end.

It's a miserable life but someone has to live it!

Ron

Thursday events, 6/24

Left Colorado Springs about noon after spending the morning with my good friend Kevin Johnson and his son having breakfast and doing some shopping. Then started the portion of the trip it took us three days to get to which is the mountain roads by starting on US50 west from Colorado Springs to Montrose, CO crossing the continental divide before heading south on US550. This was a beautiful day for riding and camping as it was sunny and comfortable temps in the 70s so we decided to camp at Ridgeway State Campground. As we entered about dusk, we were greeted by about a dozen head of deer at the campground entrance.

The campsite at Ridgeway State Park:

Local fauna, who kept greedily eyeing our supply of Gentleman Jack. Note the wicked gleam:

Steve along M50 in CO:

One of many beautiful views along the road:

trip leg for 6/24

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This guy keeps following me.

Mountain views along highway 50 on the way to the San Juan mountains

mile after mile of curvy roads and gorgeous scenery (which don't necessarily go hand in hand while on a motorbike)

Hey White Boy! The sun's out! Hide!

note the red splotches on my wrist where there was no jacket, glove, or watch to protect me from the ball of fire.

Wednesday events, 6/23

Today was much, much better than yesterday. Mild temps, low humidity and sunny all day. Still Windy in KS. Surprise? Now I know why they have so many wind powered generators in KS. We must have seen several hundred north of I-70 in mid-state KS.

Stopped for fuel in Rush, KS and found some of the rural humor in the window of the station:

Finally left I-70 in west KS and took US40 to CO94 to get to Colorado Springs. Wonderful ride in rural KS and CO. Two lane, great condition and not traffic.

Met friends(Johnson's and Dennis Dalton) in Colorado Springs for dinner. Very enjoyable evening. Accepted the Johnson's generous offer to stay at their place for the evening.

Miles traveled this day, 431.

Now let the excellent riding begin!

Park, KS gas station:

Wind generators in KS: