Five Days Crossing the United States

Key West Florida to Henderson Nevada

Overview:

Once I reached the fourth corner on Sunday, August 18th, the clock stopped, and I completed the objective in 15 days. There is a time limit of 21-days, but this is not a race. This is the third time that I completed this journey (2014, 2017 and 2019). The remainder of the trip is the long trek back home.

Monday, August 19th - Key West to Lake City Florida

One of the things that requires attention while on a long motorcycle trip, is having the bike serviced. There is a constant vibration and pounding that the bike takes, so it is good practice to have service performed every 5,000 miles. Most Harley-Davidson dealers have a section of the shop open for biker's who are travelling through. Mostly for oil and/or tire changes that are unscheduled. Normally, I call several days ahead to schedule an appointment but since so many factors can move that date with little or no notice. What I have found is that if I can be there when they open the shop doors, I can usually get in.

I looked to see when the shop opens and plan to arrive 15-30 minutes prior to that so that I can be the first one in line. I left Key West around 5:30 AM and headed to Peterson's H-D in Homestead which was about 3-hours away. I was able to get in and have a full-service completed which was more that I could hope for. They found that I have a broken exhaust bracket which will require special ordering the part at some later date. The battery was showing problems, so we replaced it. I was back on the road around noon.

Shortly after departure I hit some moderate rainstorms. There was nowhere to pull over on the Turnpike, so I just kept riding. Because the weather was in the upper 80's with high humidity, I have found that you can just press on since the likelihood of getting chilled is minimal. I hit an additional three small rain bursts the remainder of the day.

I stopped for gas about an hour north of Fort Lauderdale and noticed that my exhaust noise was returning. I looked for the flange nut I had replaced back in Spokane. I didn't have the proper tool to tighten it. A while later, the noise became louder and the bike ran rough which sounded like I was running straight pipes. I continued despite the noise.

I realized that if I ever do this again, I will want to get a "Florida Pass" so I don't have to stop and pay cash tolls. When you encounter this, you must stop the bike, shut off the engine and remove your gloves to pay the toll and stash any change. You then need to put the gear back on and restart the engine. Meanwhile, the cars behind you are honking their horns impatiently.

Lake City is where I-75 and I-10 meet in Northern Florida. I had dinner at the Cracker Barrel before checking into the hotel that evening.

I covered 540 miles. I was on the road for 16 hours today, so I was tired when my head hit the pillow.

Tuesday, August 20th, Lake City to Alexandria Louisiana

I knew this was going to be a long day and planned my starting time around reaching the next H-D dealer to get the exhaust fixed. I left at 5:30 AM and headed to Capital City Harley-Davidson in Tallahassee Florida. I was able to pull into the shop when I arrived. The exhaust problem was more serious than I had hoped for. It turns out that the exhaust gasket had blown out, so they needed to drop the pipes and replace that. The service took three hours and I was able to get rolling again around noon. The good news is I gain an hour due to the time change. I wish that it made the trip an hour shorter.

As I was passing through the Western Florida Panhandle near Panama City, I started to notice that the Interstate Highway signs were mangled. They are designed to breakaway when a vehicle hits them. That was my initial thought until I started to notice that entire groups of trees were snapped in half or knocked over. I then realized that Hurricane Michael had destroyed this area last October. When I stopped for gas, I noticed that roofs were still covered with blue tarps to minimize any further damage. I recall last year's attempt at the 4-corners that I aborted because of Hurricane Florence hitting North Carolina. This brought back memories from a mission trip I took to New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina to help some families begin the long road to recovery.

I bypassed New Orleans since I was in a hurry to return home. As I was passing through Slidell Louisiana, the visor on my helmet broke loose. I had one side attached and the other flapping in the breeze. Five years before, on my first trip, the visor on that helmet broke on the exact same stretch of highway. Since I was heading into a sunset, I decided to pull off and try to fix the helmet, get something to eat, and wait for the sun to set. I tried taping the visor back on but that didn't last. I decided to discard it when it finally broke loose again.

I reached the hotel around 9:30 PM after covering 675 miles.

Wednesday, August 21st, Alexandria to El Reno Oklahoma

I left a little later that I originally planned so that I could get a couple of extra hours of sleep. I still left an hour before sunrise and proceeded to Barksdale where I spent some time at while I was in the Air Force back in the early 70's. I then headed towards Dallas but stopped at a rest area to take a short nap since I was still tired from two long days and two short nights.

I entered Dallas traffic around 11:00 AM and made my way around town without much traffic at all. I stopped for lunch to cool down and drink lots of water. This afternoon was going to be a struggle to deal with the heat. I utilized the cool vest as well as a cool rag for my head. That helped me manage in the 100-degree sunbaked route.

I arrived at the hotel around 2:00 PM. I immediately got into the shower to cool down and get cleaned up before heading to bed. I slept for about 3-hours before getting up and catching up on two days of paperwork. I decided as I started heading for home to start very early in the morning and arrive at my hotels around midday. This means that I am riding in cooler weather longer, as well as avoid driving into sunsets.

Around 10:00 PM, I walked next door to the convenience store to grab something to eat.

I covered 535 miles today.

Thursday, August 22nd, El Reno to Grants New Mexico

I left the hotel an hour or so before sunrise. Around Groom Texas, I put on the rain pants and my leather jacket since I was headed into a driving rainstorm. Here the temperatures were in the high 60's so getting chilled was very likely. I continued and stopped for gas and breakfast. I took some extra time eating since I was heading into Amarillo morning rush hour. They are doing major road construction to widen the highway. I was still able to pass without any difficulties.

At this point in the trip, I have no idea what the date is, nor what day of the week it is. I finally realize that I will return home on Friday a day earlier than I thought!

I reached Albuquerque New Mexico around 11:30 and passed through without any slowdowns. I arrived in Grants around two hours later. I stopped and filled my gas tank, had lunch next door, stopped at the drug store for somethings and checked into the motel.

I did some paperwork and got cleaned up before heading to bed around 3:30 PM. I woke up at 9:30 PM and called to have something delivered for dinner to the room. After spending all day on a motorcycle, having it delivered is so much easier.

I took a short nap and departed the motel at Midnight. Today was 535 miles and I was able to manage the heat and my hydration well.

Friday, August 23rd, Grants to Henderson (HOME)

I left wearing my leather jacket and winter gloves since I would be encountering various temperatures as I traveled through the night. This segment of the trip concerned me the most since crossing Arizona in August is usually in the 100-110 range. So, I decided to travel at night. I had planned this earlier in the week, so I was gradually getting into this schedule. My departure time was determined so that I arrive in Henderson before 7:00 AM and consider the time change.

I had to stop and put on warmer gear because the temperatures had dropped into the 50's. Unfortunately, an hour later it was back in the upper 70's and I was too warm. As I have mentioned in my other posts, the problem I encounter when I get too warm is that I get drowsy. I had to fight the fatigue and changed in and out of the cold weather gear several times.

Changing gear is a time-consuming process and since I was on a time schedule it was frustrating. Fighting bone-chilling weather is no fun and neither is being afraid to close your eyes for fear of falling asleep. In a car, you have the entire structure wrapped around you and are wearing a seat belt protection. On a motorcycle, you have none of that. I might survive a crash in my SUV but the consequences on a motorcycle are fatal. 

I finally took off the gloves and opened the vents on my jacket. I had bought a Payday candy bar earlier, so I finished eating it, drank plenty of water, and chewed gum to stay awake. I struggled and finally reached Kingman Arizona. I stopped for gas and a short break and packed away the leather jacket for the final time this trip. The temperatures were in the low 80's which means it is shirt sleeve weather. 

Friday Morning Breakfast Club

After travelling 500 miles, I arrived at my destination at 6:45 AM. This was exactly the time I had planned to arrive. Every Friday morning for the last ten years a group of 4-6 of us meet for breakfast at the "Original Sunrise Cafe" for breakfast at 7:00 AM. I always joked that the original group all had doctorate degrees and I knew a lot of doctors, just like Howard from Big Bang Theory. I missed the past three weeks, so when I figured out that I could make it this morning, I did everything that I could to be there.

We had a nice visit and since three of us had ridden our motorcycles to breakfast. This is unusual since I am too lazy on most Friday's to get out the bike. It is so much easier to just pre-start the car, walk out, and drive off. One of the guys is heading out next week to go to Promontory Point for the celebration of driving the Golden Spike to signify the completion of the first Transcontinental Railroad. I was able to show them some of my gear and swap some more stories.

I stopped on the way home and filled up my gas tank for the last time. I walked in the door around 9:00 AM and got out of my sweaty clothes and took a shower. I took a three-hour nap and has some lunch and spoke with my wife for a few minutes before she had to take her mother to a doctor's appointment.

I rested the remainder of the day. Around 7 PM, we headed out for dinner and then saw the new movie "Overcomer". This movie resonated with me in so many ways. First, one of the major songs entitled "Who You Say I Am" was something that I was singing to myself throughout this entire trip. The second reason, which is even more significant, is that the story features a broken relationship between a father and daughter. Since I have not spoken to my daughter since 1993, this ripped at my very soul.

What a fitting ending for this story.

What is next?

I am unpacking, doing laundry and getting ready to repack and head out next Thursday morning for another 12-day trip. I will be heading to San Luis RIo Colorado, Mexico and riding the "Three Flags Classic" from there across the United States and ending up in Vernon British Columbia in Canada.

On my return trip I will resume the pursuit of a California Triple Crown event. I will describe that much later.

I made the Fourth Corner on Sunday - I MADE IT!!!

I finished the run down the East Coast

Happy Anniversary

I want to take this opportunity to wish my wife Trish a (belated) very happy 29th Anniversary. We were married on a very hot and muggy Saturday afternoon at the Third Street Pier in downtown Milwaukee. We had our reception on a dinner cruise.

Fourth and final corner - 15 days

Saturday, August 17th, 2019 - Roanoke to Jacksonville Florida

I left the hotel around 7:00 AM with heavy fog. A few miles down the road it cleared up as I pulled out of the valley. The hotel was nice and let me park the bike under the overhang. When I arrived the previous evening, I was totally soaked and every item of clothing I had on was dripping. I rung them out and hung them up but that was not good enough, so I had to pack them away while there were still damp. I didn't think that would be a serious problem since I was doing laundry when I reached Jacksonville that evening.

It was 70 when I left, so I took the chance to not wear any extra gear. It was a little cool at the beginning but when the sun came out it warmed nicely. By the time I reached Columbia, SC the temperature climbed to 84 and remained there the remainder of the day.

I reached the hotel about 5:30 PM. I had to wait awhile to get an open washing machine. I was only able to get one machine, so it took nearly 2-1/2 hours to complete the two loads. Once I had the final load in the dryer, I called a Domino's pizza which told me it would be midnight (2 hours) before they could deliver to my room. I decided to go to bed without dinner that night.

I got everything repacked and called it a night around 11:30. I was tired, and the trip has caught up with me. I covered 605 miles today in very hot weather.

Sunday, August 18th, 2019 - Jacksonville to Key West!!!

I was going to sleep in and get a later start in order to get more than 4 hours of sleep. However, when I looked at my NOAA Weather App, I saw storms were headed towards my path. I ended up leaving at 6:00 AM just as the sun was rising. I stopped for gas in Daytona and got into discussion with another motorcyclist. After 30 minutes or so, we took off on our separate ways.

I ended up getting gas at Daytona, Fort Pierce, Hialeah before reaching Key West. When I reached the Miami area (Hialeah) the temperatures climbed into the low 90's. I pulled out the cool vest and soaked it in order to keep cool. I had lunch and drank a lot of water because I was getting dehydrated. After an hour of cooling down, I took off for the final corner.

I got my official gas receipt before heading to the Southernmost Corner of the United States. It is interesting that we are only 90-miles from Cuba. It is a busy place with people lining up to have their picture taken at the monument. There are a number of cars, tour buses and bicycle also passing by. Parking the bike and getting the picture is awkward. I was able to get someone to take my picture since the wind kept blowing the "official" towel with my rider number on it.

I headed to the hotel and arrived around 5:00 PM. It was a small room but was nicely decorated. Because it was a Sunday night, the rate was only $100. I decided to stay there because it had a restaurant on premise. I got to the room and took a shower and a short nap. I headed to the restaurant around 7:30 PM and ordered a couple of appetizers. The food was awesome. I had a shrimp and baby octopus ceviche as well as some coconut shrimp. I topped that of with a slice of key lime pie

This was a nice restaurant and my waiter Sean was very friendly. When he delivered the disk in the picture, he also placed on the table what looked like a Baseball Players card. It was for the fisherman who caught the shrimp that morning. All their seafood is locally caught the day it is served.

I finished my dinner and headed back to the room as I was very tired. I covered nearly the entire length of Florida which was 520 miles.

It will be an early morning because I want to be at the Harley-Davidson dealer in Homestead when they open in the morning. After that I will start the trip home.

Heading South to the 4th and Final Corner

Days 12 and 13

Thursday, August 15th, 2019 - Caribou Maine to Hartford Connecticut

I started out at 7:00 AM today. I didn't want to ride in the dark this morning because this is moose country. It was 53 this morning, so it was winter gear. I noticed that I got chilled and stayed that way. I realized when I stopped to get something to eat that I had left the vents on the jacket open. Sometimes, I amaze myself.

I rode in the leather jacket until midday when I stopped for lunch. I rode the rest of the day in shirt sleeves. I bypassed Boston as I headed to Hartford Connecticut. Traffic was backed up in several locations. Most of the time it was moving at 15-20 mph. Slow and hot. I finally made it to the Hartford area around 4:00 PM and got checked into the motel. I went to the Denny's that was located next door. I was going to have a steak, but I saw someone else's order and decided to order the breakfast crepes instead. It was a good call.

I completed 514 miles today. I finished up some paperwork and called it an early evening.

Friday, August 15th, 2019 - Hartford to Roanoke Virginia

I set the alarm for 3:00 AM because I wanted to get past New York City before 6. I got rolling at 4:00 wearing the winter gear because the temperature was in the low 50's. I enjoy riding in the predawn hours because the traffic is light, and the temperatures are cooler. However, this morning the Connecticut highways are rough, and, on several occasions, it felt like my hips were being pile-driven into my skull. I felt like I was going to be two inches shorter. The lane markers were intermittent, so it was a challenge to see where I was heading.

I crossed the new Tappan Zee bridge that crosses the Hudson River at 5:30 AM (ahead of schedule). I had not encountered any traffic and the sun was starting to rise so my visibility was improved. I cleared the Newark area and stopped for breakfast and gasoline. I pressed on a traveled through 7 states today (CT, NY, NJ, PA, MD, WV and VA). I stopped in West Virginia. This was the only state that I never ridden in. On my first trip in 2014, I hit 40 of the states. In 2016 when I did the True-X, I picked up all the core states except WV. Today I have successfully ridden in all 48-states.

I hit traffic in Central Virginia on I-81. This is mostly 2-lane with heavy traffic. There were several locations where the traffic came to a complete stop. After fighting traffic in the Boston area yesterday, my hands were very sore from working the clutch, break and throttle. I took a couple of Aleve at one of my morning stops and that seemed to help.

I stopped for lunch but didn't realize that I was only 20-miles from my hotel. I should have tried to make it, but I was worn out, so the break gave me a chance to re-hydrate. When I resumed by journey, I noticed that there were some ominous storm clouds ahead. I should have stopped to put my jacket on, but I thought I might make it before hitting the storm. HUGE MISTAKE!!! 

It rained so hard and visibility was poor. My helmet visor was fogging up, so I had to ride with it opened. The same thing happened to my sun visor later, so I had to raise that as well. Traffic came to a stop several times, but I ended up riding the shoulder because it didn't make sense to just sit in the rain. I was cold and needed to keep rolling. There was a small river running across the street in front of the hotel. I was dripping water everywhere when I walked into the hotel lobby. I got checked into my room and took my clothes off. There was one patch (6" x 6") in the middle of my back that was dry. My boots squished when I walked because there was standing water it them. I hung up the clothes to try and dry them out, but I will need to pack them damp in the morning.

Today, I covered 562 miles. I had a nice dinner at a Mexican restaurant that was next door to the hotel. I walked back up the hill and getting ready for the next two days.

It has been an Interesting Week - 3 Corners Complete!!!

It has been a Week since my Last Corner

As I mentioned in my earlier posts, I have been fighting an electrical problem with my rear lights. After three straight days, 1,300 miles and 22-hours of riding the lights have been working without a problem. It looks like the loose wires that I found on Sunday were the problem.

Monday, August 12th, 2019 - Waterford, WI to Port Huron, MI

I woke up early and was working on my blog, when the bedroom door opened, and my great-grandson Bennett came to make sure I was up. Alexa followed about 5-minutes later. This is the very best wake-up call ever. I got dressed and packed my bags to get ready to go. After a quick breakfast with the kids, I started loading the motorcycle for the trip.

I snapped a picture of the family with the bike, but the kids didn't like it because the sun was glaring in their eyes. They wanted to see the bike move. I was getting ready to start the engine when they reminded me that my leather jacket was still in the house. So, I finally got going and as I was pulling away and waving goodbye, I realized my eyes were tearing up. I really enjoy them.

I drove through downtown Chicago running into some traffic in the downtown area. I wasn't delayed much and made a quick dash to Northwest Indiana to visit my brother Bill. I was only able to spend about 45-minutes with him since it was going to be a long day. I will get a chance next month to see him and my other brother when I return for my High School Class Reunion. Five years ago, when I was riding my first Four Corners, the entire schedule was centered on that Reunion.

I stopped in Sawyer Michigan for gas and some lunch. Around 100-miles later, I pulled off the highway to visit a little town outside of Battle Creek called Ceresco. This little town is where our Aunt Mary lived and where my mom spent much of her teen years there. We used to visit every summer. I drove by her house she built on the corner of her farm. The original farmhouse was still there but there were several newer outbuildings. The dairy barn was destroyed over 30-years ago. It was nice to reminisce about growing up. I also drove past the Baptist Church where my Grandfather was the pastor.

As I drove up I-69 towards Lansing, I recall the long 8-hour drives from Wurtsmith AFB to Hobart Indiana when we came home when I had a three-day pass or on leave. So today my mind was occupied reliving my past.

I was about 10-miles from my destination when I hit rain. It had been cloudy but warm all day. I was fortunate to only brush the edge of the storm, so I did not get too wet. My GPS directed me to what I thought was my hotel. However, there were two sister hotels which switch names. I then had to manually put in the proper address to find the correct hotel.

I covered 425-miles in about 8 hours. I am positioned to cross into Canada tomorrow morning.

Tuesday, August 13th, 2019 - Port Huron, MI to Cornwall, Ontario

I decided while I was planning the trip, to do the border crossing around 9:30 AM in order to miss the rush hour. I grabbed a simple breakfast at the hotel before heading out. I crossed the Blue Water Bridge which crosses the St. Clair river to the south and Lake Huron to the north. I was able to clear the border area in around 10-minutes. So, my plan worked.

In Ontario, the major highways that head through Toronto on its way to Montreal had full-service rest areas with food courts. I stopped at three of these over the course of the day. During the 2016 trip that I made, I was talking with a couple and mentioned where I was headed. They recommended that I take the 410 Tollway in order to bypass downtown Toronto which is always congested. They were correct, and I have never encountered traffic on this route.

I normally stop and spend the night in Kingston Ontario which is where the Great Lakes end and the St Lawrence Seaway begins. This time since I started at the border, I decided to drive a couple of hours closer to Montreal. I really want to get an early start to make it through before rush hour.

The hotel clerk recommended a pizza place called Philo's in Cornwell. It may be the best pizza that I have ever had. I made sure to let the front desk staff to know how much I appreciated their recommendation.

Today, I covered 450 miles in about 9-hours arriving at the hotel around 8:00 PM

Wednesday, August 14th, 2019 - Cornwall, Ontario to Madawaska Maine

I had some difficulty sleeping so I only got about 4-hours, so I was ready to go on-time this morning. The temperature at 4:00 AM was 56 degrees. I put on the leather jacket and something to cover my neck and face. I cleared the Montreal metro area by 5:30 which was still before sunrise. It got very cold, so I stopped and got gas and pulled out the cold weather gear. This consists of a hooded sweatshirt to wear under the leather jacket. I also have a pair of heavy gloves that cover the sleeves so cold air does not get up the arm. I also turned on the handle grip heaters to help my fingers stay warm. The reason that I did this was the temperatures had dropped into the 50's, which is very cold when riding. I had to stop about 90-minutes later because I was frozen. I stopped and filled the gas tank and got a bite to eat. The lack of sleep must have caught up with me as I dozed off for a while at a corner table. I continued for a couple of hours in the cold-weather gear. 

I decided that every time I stop for a break or change gear, I will fill up the gas tank. If I don't require any further changes, then I can ride for 3-hours until I need gas again. I cleared the US Border crossing around noon. I completed my documentation for the checkpoint. 

This corner is different from the others since the community built a park to commemorate the fact that they are one of the corners of the Continental US. Each time I visit there are a few more items that have been added. Much of the park has engraved paving blocks on the walkways and benches. They have a small welcome center and gift shop. In my three previous passes I have arrived late in the day after the founder and his wife have left for the day. This time the park was busy, 3-4 cars and several motorcycles were there.

The founder, Joe LaChance showed me the details of the park. He stated that they have a number of volunteers in the community that help with the upkeep of the park and the town council has been supportive as well. The council was skeptical at first, thinking that it would bring in outlaw biker gangs. After some convincing, they approved the project and the rest is history.

I continued to Caribou to spend the night and have dinner at the hotel. Today was cool the entire day so I needed to wear the leather jacket the entire time. I covered another 450-miles over a 10-hour period. Tomorrow I head for Hartford Connecticut.

Taking a Break in the Trip

Made it to Wisconsin - Time for a Break

Saturday, August 10th, 2019 - Albert Lea, MN to Watertown, WI

I left the hotel at 6:10 AM. It was after sunrise, however, because of the heavy overcast and light showers it was still dark. I decided to start riding even though I had no rear running lights. About a half-hour later the skies cleared, and it was no longer a factor. I put on the leather jacket again since the temperature was 65.

I hit several small patches with very light rain. Enough though that I had to use a small towel to clear my visor. I stopped around 2 hours later to get gas and have some breakfast. There was a small cafe at the gas station. I ordered a Denver Omelet, which was one of the best I have ever had. It was very cheesy. I put the leather jacket back on since was still 65 but was now partly cloudy. I crossed over the Mississippi River at La Cross Wisconsin around 9:00 AM,

About an hour later, I was getting drowsy and I started to open the vents in my jacket in order to stay cool. The drowsiness is usually a sign that I am getting too warm. In my early trips in 2014, this would happen often until I discovered the pattern in 2016. I also learned that chewing gum also minimized this as well.

I pulled off the road at a rest area near Camp Douglas. I have stopped there several times in the past when driving to Minneapolis for work 20-years ago. It is a nice shaded park with several large limestone formations called Castle Rock that people stop and climb. I took off my gear and stretched out on a picnic table and took a short nap. I got up and shed the jacket even though the temperature was 72. This is still a little cool to ride without something extra on, but I took it off anyways.

I made good time and remembered as I was passing Madison, this is where I usually stopped. This time is different since our daughter has moved to Oshkosh. I headed east towards Milwaukee. I stopped for gas in Waukesha. I covered nearly 210 miles on a tank of gas which is the longest run on a tank so far this trip. I didn't encounter any winds which probably had much to do with that.

I arrived at my granddaughter Angie's home at around 1:00 PM. I covered 337.5 miles in 6 and a half hours. I was greeted by my two three-year-old great-grandchildren. While sitting in the Harley dealer waiting for my motorcycle to be fixed, it dawned on me that stopping here was a break I desperately needed. We drove to an auto parts store later in the afternoon to get some fuses and a multi-meter. I was able to do two loads of laundry and repack my gear for the next segment of the trip. During the interim, it was nice to get into casual clothes for the first time in seven days.

We had a very nice pasta dinner that Angie prepared that was made from scratch. It was so good, I had three helpings. It was so great to sit down and have a wonderful home cooked meal and enjoy family. As I get older, I regret that I didn't spend more time with my own daughter when she was growing up. I let my career take precedence and did not balance the other portions of my life at the time. The kids tried on my jacket which weighs nearly as much as they do. Bennett and Alexa are great kids with personalities. Alexa loves to sing when she is bored at mealtime. Bennett is a very good eater. They love to dance with each other when there is music playing. 

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and we sat out and enjoyed watching the kids play outside. The kids were drawing things on the driveway with chalk, so I had them lay down as I traced an outline of their bodies down by the street. It wasn't as good as CSI, but I thought it would be fun. It turns out, when Angie and her husband Trevor were installing new flooring in the living room, they did the same thing with Trevor's brother. That should cause the next owner some shock when they replace the flooring.

We cooked S'mores that evening in a small fire that we built in the back yard. I went to bed around the same time as the kids. I had one without the chocolate (allergy) and then just ate a handful of marshmallows (weakness).

Sunday, August 11th, 2019 - Fixing the Electrical Problem

We got up and had eggs, bacon and pancakes for breakfast. The kids ran off to play, and I went out and accessed the fuse panel and removed the liner from the Touring Box storage to access the electrical wiring where the problems have been occurring. There are about a dozen 15 Amp fuses and it was the next to last one that was blown. I put the new one in upside down so that it will be easy to spot if it reoccurs. I found a loose connection and a broken wire which was most likely causing the electrical short. I fixed those two things and checked out the system before putting it all back together. I am grateful that I found a couple of You Tube videos showing me how to do the job.

I took the day to relax and I was able to change my hotel reservation for the night to Monday, so I extended the trip by one day to enjoy family. If I had thought about it earlier, we could have gone to the State Fair since it was cloudy and moderate temperatures. We ultimately went out for dinner at an old Lakefront Supper Club that my wife Trish and I used to eat at when we lived in Muskego. I was only about a mile or so from our old house.

After the kids went to bed, I did some paperwork and adjusted the plans for the remainder of the trip. It was great to spend time with family, but I must reluctantly press on with the remainder of the trip. I will miss the kids waking me up in the morning.

I will be heading to Port Huron Michigan on Monday and will most likely stop to see one of my brothers when I pass through town. I will leave after breakfast in order to miss the Chicago rush hour.

100 Motorcycles in McDonald's Parking Lot - MUST BE STURGIS !!!

One Very Long Drive - One Very Interesting Breakfast

Friday, August 9th, 2019 - Gillette, WY to Albert Lea, MN

I knew this was going to be a long day when I got on the Interstate and my GPS unit stated that my next turn was 655 miles away.

I got on the road around 6:30 AM. I had originally planned to leave earlier, but the blown fuse on my running lights prevents me driving before sunrise. I immediately filled up with gas before venturing onto the highway. I chose to do this that I could ride for 2-3 hours before my first stop. After yesterday's close calls, I kept a keen eye on the gas gauge. It is difficult to see instruments when driving into the sun because I am looking through three layers of protection (safety glasses, sun visor and face shield).

The electronic highway signs said things like: "Live to Ride, Ride to Live" and "Watch out for Motorcycles". This is the main route into the Black Hills, and this is the week that bikers converge on the little town of Sturgis South Dakota which transforms from a sleepy little town to a major metropolis for 10-days every year. I have attached a photo from the internet that shows what Main Street looks like this year. I wasn't going to stop if there was any traffic but since it was around 8:00 AM there was none, so I decided to stop at the McDonald's for breakfast. The line was not very long, and I enjoyed my Egg McMuffin. I was able to restock my mug with ice water for the trip. I decided to not fight the crowds to get a T-Shirt or to ride down Main Street although I was tempted to. But since I needed to cover many miles before sunset, I decided to get back on the highway.

It seemed like I stopped at many of the same remote gas stations today as I did last year on my trip. The morning started off in the 60's and I shed the leather jacket around 10:00 AM when the temperature was 79. The ride after that was quite pleasant in my long-sleeved T-Shirt. The wind forced my sleeves up on my wrists, so I was glad that I had put on some SPF-30 sunscreen. By the end of the trip, I will have some very strange tan lines on my wrists and back of my hands.

I stopped at a truck stop in Vivian for gas and a quick break. Lots of motorcycles as people are heading home. There were a large number of bikes still heading to Sturgis for the rally. I grabbed a small order of fried chicken wings. When I pulled in, I was thinking of putting the leather jacket back on since it was starting to get cool again and it looked like there was a storm ahead. However, when I finished eating, the storms had moved north, the sun was out, and the temperatures were in the low 80's. I remained in long-sleeves for most of the afternoon.

I hit some construction traffic as I was leaving Sioux Falls but got around it quickly. By staying in the lane that was closed ahead until the last minute, I was able to pass what seemed like a mile (hundreds) of vehicles. I typically refer to this as my "Chicago School of Offensive Driving Skills" which I perfected in the 1970 thru 1990-timeframe.

I put on the leather jacket for the last 200-miles, since it was getting cooler and it looked like I was heading into some weather. I was lucky that I didn't run into any rain, however, in some areas the road was wet from an earlier storm that I was fortunate to miss.

I arrived in the city of Albert Lea Minnesota around 7:00 PM and grabbed a bite at a Taco John's. I love their Steak Street Tacos. I had some potato nuggets and cheese dip which had a little kick to it. I took my time and enjoyed not eating pizza again. The hotel was a couple of blocks down the street and I got settled in just before sunset. Lots of motorcycles everywhere.

It was a total of 13 hours of travel time today and I covered 673.3 miles. I decided to change up my plans and spend Saturday afternoon and evening with my granddaughter and her family. I think I will take advantage of her good nature to do two loads of laundry that I have accumulated over the past week.

Days 4 and 5

Starting the Cross-Country Leg but having problems

Wednesday, August 7th, 2019

Today was supposed to be a long haul from Spokane Washington to Gillette Wyoming. However, on Tuesday evening I started to notice a strange clicking noise coming from the engine mostly when it idled. I check the oil level every day or two and have not noticed any appreciable loss but having been stuck in traffic several times the past two weeks, I was concerned that the engine had overheated and I was having a mechanical problem with the valves on the rear cylinder. The rear cylinder does not get any airflow when the motorcycle is idling in traffic. I can feel the heat as it rises around the gas tank and into my face. It is transmitted through the seat as well.

Lone Wolf Harley-Davidson, Spokane Washington

I was so pleased that I had avoided the dreaded traffic jams while passing through Seattle (twice) and hit the open highway across the State of Washington. I had originally planned to have the bike serviced in Gillette Wyoming on Thursday. Instead, I looked up the Spokane Harley-Davidson which was 7-miles from my hotel. I headed there so that I could be there when they opened at 10:00 AM. The service technician was able to determine that an "exhaust flange nut" had come off that holds the exhaust pipe to the engine cylinder. This was a $2.15 part. Since I had it in the shop, I decided to have the oil changed a couple of days early. I try to change the oil and have the bike serviced every 5,000 miles and it was due for its 80K service. The rear tire had worn so I had it replaced as well. I was in and out in 4-hours which was good since I didn't have an appointment and they had to fit me in.

While I was waiting, I met two very interesting bikers in the lounge area. Most H-D dealers have leather couches and chairs in the retail area of the store or a side room. We visited while we all waited for our bikes to be serviced. We were all passing through town and were getting oil changes. The first individual was from Northern Wisconsin. His travelling partner had an Indian motorcycle and decided to change the oil himself at one of the nearby auto parts store. The second gentleman was from Alaska. He had his bike shipped by Alaskan Airlines to Seattle. The price was about $1 per pound. He has also driven several times between Alaska and the Continental US. He had some very interesting stories. This made the time pass quickly.

I left the Spokane area around 2:30 PM and decided to head east to Missoula Montana for the evening. There was a Cracker Barrel near the hotel, so I had dinner prior to checking into the hotel. I looked at the rear of the bike to see if another item I had fixed was still intact. I have a set of additional lights on the bottom of the 'touring box' that improve visibility. One of the fixtures had broken off and was hanging by the wire. The dealer had fastened it to the bike for no charge. However, I noticed that my rear running lights were no longer working.

Because of the late start, I only traveled 221 miles today. The temperatures were in the upper 90's during the late afternoon.

Thursday, August 8th, 2019

I noticed that I had passed the Grizzly Harley-Davidson dealer two miles back the evening before. I headed to the dealer early so that I could be the first motorcycle that they saw that morning. I was able to pull into the shop 15-minutes before opening and they determined what I had suspected was that it was a $4 blown fuse. They put it up on the rack to see if there was an underlying problem and didn't see any shorts.

Grizzly H-D, Missoula, Montana

While I was waiting, I sat in the waiting area and there was what I call a "coffee table" book that was put together by one of their local customers. It was Volume 2 of his journal visiting the 48 State Capitol Buildings on a 96-day journey. I was impressed so much that I read through the scrap book presentation. He was a widower that made the journey as part of a bucket list wish that he had come up with. In addition to stopping at each Capitol, he also stopped at the local H-D dealer and bought a set of three poker chips that are specific to each dealership. At the end he framed the three sets and presented them to some of his friends who had supported him while he was on his epic journey. I was just reading through the final recap (appendix) when the Service Tech informed me that my bike was ready. I quickly finished reading the book before heading back to the service department.

There were several other bikers how stopped at the dealership. Some of them were to get their bikes fixed like me. Most of them were on their way home from the Sturgis Bike Rally. I will be passing by there on Friday and may stop if there is no traffic backup.

I arrived in Gillette Wyoming around 8:00 PM and had pizza delivered to the room. I encountered a bit of rain during the late afternoon. I had to struggle with gasoline since it is a long distance between stations. On one occasion, I was comparing the estimated miles on the tank creep nearer to the distance to the station on my GPS. I noticed that about a mile ahead there was heavy rain, so I stopped. I used one of the spare gallons to make sure I had enough fuel to reach the next station and put on my rain jacket. I may have had enough to get there, but I didn't want to run out of gas in the rain. After being in the rain for about 2-miles, it stopped. I reached to gas station with no further issues and stashed the rain gear as the temperatures had returned into the upper 80's and I was sweating in the jacket.

About 30 miles prior to my destination, I noticed additional rain ahead. I put on my leather jacket since the temperatures had dropped around 20 degrees. The jacket has zippers that open/close vents to allow airflow and I can adjust my comfort level. While I was doing that, I noticed that my running lights were out again. I pressed onto the hotel and did some paperwork before calling it a night.

I was careful when I put the bag over the bike to make sure that it was secure since there were thunderstorms in the area. I covered 580 miles today in around 9 hours.

Technically, I am back on schedule since I was going to leave Gillette on Friday morning. I have decided to call ahead to some of the dealerships to see if I can get an appointment to find the electrical problem. In the meantime, I will not leave about an hour later so that I limit travel to daytime hours. The plan for Friday is to reach Albert Lea Minnesota around 7:00 PM.