Vehicle Type
Motorcycle
Introduction
Date of update
Epic Journey Planned; Mid-Life Crisis Blamed for Lapse in JudgmentEpic Journey Planned
Mid-Life Crisis Blamed for Lapse in Judgment
Updates
DAY 1
Date of update
Sorry for the delays. We have had multiple computer problems and have been unable to update our blog.
Day 1 was 320 miles of rain and 70 miles of blue skies. We made it to Alton, Mo, where we rented an entire house for 40 dollars.
Day 2 was great. Sunny, no humidity and great roads.
We've done 620 miles so far.
See you tomorrow
Hopefully, our computer problems will be behind us tomorrow.
Look forward to
D
Day 1
Date of update
Day 1
Wednesday, September 3, 2003
Nashville to Alton, Missouri
393 Miles
We said we were going to make this trip, come Hell or high water. Hell can wait 'til another day but did we ever see high water. Rain, rain rain! We left Nashville at 8:30 am in a downpour. We drove through White Bluff, Charlotte, Erin and Dover in the rain. Once we hit Kentucky, the rain became intermittent. It remained that way until 5:28 pm when we hit clear blue skies in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.
DAY 3
Date of update
Friday, September 5, 2003
297 Miles
1002 Total Miles
Another day of sunshine. And facing us, the plains of Kansas, over 500 miles of not much. Not or so we thought.
Although farm fields, loooong straight-aways and flat terrain are not most Tennesseans idea of beauty, southern Kansas has been great fun. The people are nice to strangers, the natural beauty is subtle and the roads are great. By the way, I don't think we've mentioned that we are avoiding interstates whenever at all possible.
DAY 2
Date of update
Thursday, September 4, 2003
Alton, Missouri to Joplin, Missouri
315 Miles
708 total miles
So far this web site has been clearly less than advertised. We've grappled with poor phone service and a busted iBook power adapter. But now we're ready to roll.
AWAKE and READY TO RIDE
DAY 4
Date of update
Another day in paradise. We got the full Kansas. Miles and miles of never-ending straight-aways, strong winds coming off the plains and lots of agriculture. Our route took us through the southern part of the state.Day 4
Saturday, September 6, 2003
375 Miles
1377 Total Miles
Wellington, Kansas to Lamar, Colorado
Day 5
Date of update
Short day in a paradise with a brief run in the rain to Pueblo to get free government information...just kidding, but why else come to this town. Great Sant Fe Trail fort visit with pictures. Check it out.Day 5
Lamar, Colorado to Pueblo, Colorado
128 Miles
1505 Total Miles
It was a late start today as the Cow Palace Inn was too comfortable to leave. Actually, we were beat and decided to make it an easy day.
We departed Lamar at 12:00 and drove a total of 128 miles. But they were good miles.
DAY 6
Date of update
travels from Pueblo, CO to Harmel's, a dude ranch/fishing camp outside GunnisonDay 6
Pueblo, Colorado to Almont, Colorado
275 Miles
1780 Total Miles
Our day started out with a quick trip to Mailboxes, Etc. to send home a few unneeded items. This is our first extended motorcycle trip and we packed like it was a car trip. Five days on the road gave us a good idea of what we could do without. About 20 pounds of assorted electrical gear and clothes left our bikes a bit lighter and our luggage easier to pack.
DAYS 7 & 8
Date of update
Gunnison and Harmel's and bad weatherDay 7
A cabin on the Taylor River in Almont, Colorado
0 Miles
1780 Total Miles
A pleasant night at Harmel's Resort was followed by a fun, yet unproductive morning of trout fishing. Could it be that we have neglected our fishing over the past year? Has our motorcyclemania become so obsessive that we have let our fly-fishing skills deteriorate? We chose to think not. We fault the weather. That's our story so believe it.
DAY 9
Date of update
Beautiful run across central rockies and breathtaking ascent of independence passDay 9
Gunnison, Colorado, to Buena Vista, Colorado
251 magnificent, spectacular miles
2006 Total Miles
Yesterday we said that not every day can be wonderful. Well, today was just that, and more.
We broke out of our two-day doldrums in a big way.
DAY 10
Date of update
Eight hours of eye candy. We decided to make a 260 loop that began and ended in Buena Vista.
Day 10
Buena Vista, Colorado to Buena Vista, Colorado
260 miles
2366 Total Miles
Eight hours of eye candy. Have we mentioned yet that the vistas are beyond belief? We know this isn't news to anyone but we have to mention it...repeatedly.
We decided to make a 260 loop that began and ended in Buena Vista.
Day 11
Date of update
Day 11
Buena Vista, Colorado, to Westminster, Colorado
135 miles
2501 total miles
Both of your earnest motorcyclists were looking forward to weekend visits by our spouses. Bill's wife Laurel and Bo's wife Fifi were scheduled to fly into Denver and spend a couple of days with us visiting Estes Park and other Denver area attractions. Unfortunately, Fifi developed a respiratory ailment inherited from their teenagers and was unable to make the trip.
DAY 12
Date of update
Adventures around Denver with Laurel and a trip on the most spectacular highway in North AmericaDay 12
Westminster, Colorado to Westminster, Colorado
257 miles
2758 Total Miles
We assembled at 10:00 in the hotel parking lot. The skies were crystal clear and the temperature was moderate. It looked to be a great day for riding. Today would be a little different because Bill would be carrying a passenger, his wife Laurel.
The three stooges?
Day 13
Date of update
easy trip to Boulder - great weather and interesting townDay 13
Westminster, Colorado to Westminster, Colorado
106 miles
2864 total miles
Another day of perfect sunshine!
We decided to give Laurel a break and make it an easy day. Our agenda included a trip to Boulder, Colorado.
Power poles painted the same color as the mountains ouside Denver
Day 14
Date of update
Westminster, Colorado to Grand Junction, Colorado -
Bo's bike goes on the fritz and we end up near Utah.
What will happen next?Westminster, Colorado to Grand Junction, Colorado
320 Miles
3184 total miles
We neglected to mention it because it is so painful to think about, but yesterday marked the half-way point in our epic journey. At 12:00 noon on September 15, while enjoying homemade ketchup at Lucile's restaurant in Boulder, we both realized that the rest of the trip is downhill. It was such a sobering thought that we quickly put it out of our mind.
Day 15
Date of update
quick and cheap bike repair and on to Moab, Utah and the land of LDSGrand Junction, Colorado, to Moab, Utah
209 Miles
3393 total miles
Our prayers were answered.
At 8:55 am we arrived at AllSport Honda/ BMW and sought out service manager Bill Davis. He looked Bo's bike over for a minute and asked that it be driven into the service area.
Day 16
Date of update
Day 16 was our most ambitious to date. Under sunny skies with mild winds, your intrepid travelers covered two national parks, 320 miles of road, successfully completed our most demanding mountain descent yet and cruised through the center of Monument Valley, Utah.Moab, Utah, to Monument, Valley, Utah
331 miles
3724 total miles
Day 17
Date of update
flat tire and Telluride and a big dose of luck as we return to the canyons and twisties of ColoradoMonument Valley, Utah, to Placerville, Colorado
242 miles
3973 total miles
We awoke for Day 17 still tired from a couple of demanding days. Our plans included a trip to Four Corners and drive on the "Million Dollar Highway." Our destination for the day was Ouray, Colorado, a quiet little town nestled in a box canyon in the San Juan Mountains. Ouray is known for its' hot springs and vapor caves.
Day 18
Date of update
More million dollar highway and Mesa Verde, the home of the cliff dwellersPlacerville, Colorado, to Durango, Colorado
220 miles
4193 total miles
Day 18 continued our fine streak of sunny skies and mild temperatures. Although we've whined annoyingly on occasion due to rain, wind and cold temperatures, we have enjoyed great weather during this trip.
On our route today we planned to make a short visit to Ouray, Colorado, finish the "Million Dollar Highway," tour the Mesa Verde National Park and finish up in Durango, Colorado.
Day 19
Date of update
We turn east and deicide to head home via New Mexico and the last of the Rockies. We see Taos and glimpse the plains and their vast expanse. Durango, Colorado, to Cimmeron, New Mexico
291 Miles
4484 total miles
Day 20
Date of update
Oklahoma OK!Day 20
Cimmeron, New Mexico, to Woodward, Oklahoma
369 miles
4853 total miles
The Kit Carson Inn in Cimmeron is the closest think to the Bates Motel (remember Anthony Perkins in Psycho) we've stayed in yet. Aside from a generally dingy aura, lumpy beds and the lack of a working heater, the TV was manufactured before the advent of the remote control. It actually had a volume dial. Your travelers are spoiled. No doubt.
DAY 21
Date of update
Woodward, Oklahoma, to Ada, Oklahoma
OKC bombing memorial and the return of greenWoodward, Oklahoma, to Ada, Oklahoma
262 miles
5117 total miles
We neglected yesterday to tell you about our dinner on the night of Day 20. It was our great fortune to stumble onto a motel that boasts the chef who won the Woodward, Oklahoma, catfish cooking competition three years running. Bo thinks it was the best catfish he had ever tasted, with the exception of that served by Country & Western Restaurant in Camden, Tennessee. Your travelers do know how to live!
DAY 22
Date of update
Oklahoma mountains (this is not a misprint), fascinating state parks and more moto troubles as we move into Arkansas and bid farewell to the Sooner stateDay 22
Ada, Oklahoma, to Mena, Arkansas
290 miles
5407 total miles
Today's travel exposed us to something we never knew existed - the mountains of Oklahoma. Don't laugh. They're real mountains and they're quite pretty.
The Oklahoma mountains did not disappoint!
DAY 23
Date of update
Y'all come! We go thru the Ozarks and end up in BransonMena, Arkansas, to Branson, Missouri
286 miles
5693 total miles
Day 24
Date of update
Strong finish underway, we shrug off adversity and end up near the big riverDay 24
Branson, Missouri, to Sikeston, Missouri
324 miles
6017 total miles
We approached Day 24 with a great sense of trepidation. After all, the last couple of days of any trip are days of new karma. Thoughts turn to arrival rather than the trip itself. Would Day 24 be that way? Would we no longer live in the moment as our thoughts turned to home?
No way! Not your totally self-absorbed road warriors.
Day 25
Date of update
Sikeston, Missouri, to Nashville, Tennessee
235 miles
6252 Total Miles
All good things must pass. But not without a fight.
Although Day 25 marks the end of this wonderful journey, we decided that the adventure wouldn't end until we reached Nashville.
As the day began we faced a big decision. Do we make an out-of-the-way trip to the BMW Motorcycle dealer in Cape Girardeau and buy a new tire for Bill's bike or do we take a big chance and drive on to Nashville? We drove on to Nashville. After all, this is an adventure.