Well, I made it back HOME at 4:20 pm EDT today. I competed 11,660 total miles from 4 weeks ago today. Had a very HOT trip today. Saw temps around 105 coming across Virgina today. The hottest of the entire trip. This compares to the low of 37 in Cooper Landing, Alaska! Was around 102 at home when I pulled in. Nice to be home from quite a trip!!!
Make it to Lexington, KY today. Took my time and went on some scenic roads in Indiana. Ran upon Abe Lincoln’s boyhood home National Park in southern Indiana. Just happened to see the sign as I was going by. Stopped, showed my annual park pass and did some walking around and took some pictures. It was interesting, as I never knew that Lincoln had lived in Indiana (from age 7 to 21). I always think of Illinois with Lincoln! (Hey Joe, got that picture of the train while I was there too, that you and I could never time right in North Dakota!). There were several people there, surprisingly, even one of the Park Rangers commented to me that it was not a well known park. I did talk to a couple from Indiana about my Alaska trip. (They just had to ask where I was coming from!!!). On to Powhatan tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, I did not take a single picture today!! Made it 408 miles from St Joseph, MO to Mt Vernon, IL. Very hot today and sunny. Lot’s of traffic too, I guess because of the 4th weekend! There was one wreck on I70 in the middle of Missouri. Traffic was backed up for two miles. I took a pleasant detour through the neat little town of Boonville, MO!! I checked into the same motel here at Mt Vernon that I used back on June 8. I told the lady I had stayed here over 3 weeks ago. She looked it up on the computer and she had given me the exact same room again. What a coincidence!! Will probably be Monday when I get back to Powhatan. I have ridden 10,894 miles since I left on June 7. The ole Harley has performed great with no problems
Made it 389 miles today to St. Joseph, MO. Had the high cross winds again today to Sioux Falls and then a high head wind!! Had breakfast at the Rollin Pin restaurant in Sioux Falls! Only two pics today!! Not much to see heading back cross the mid USA!! Did meet a couple at a rest stop on I29 from South Dakota that wanted to know "everything" abouit my Alaska trip. He had just retired and wanted to get an Ultra and go to Alaska. Spent about 45 minutes with them talking about the trip and showing him my motorcycle!! That is all part of this great road trip!!
Only did 232 mile today but they were tough miles. Had a south wind of 25 with gust to 35 all day. Made riding very difficult!! Stopped for lunch at Al’s Oasis and saw the guy again from Seattle riding the Wide Glide with no windshield!! He was heading to New Jersey. He was having a very tough time!! I had met him yesterday in Montana. Stopped at a Best Western in Mitchell, SD after visiting the "corny" Corn Palace. It was really kinda neat!!
Made it to Wall, SD today. Total of 398 miles. Hit 110 degrees F this afternoon. Also had high winds from the south in SD. Made it a struggle to ride! Hope the winds die down tomorrow! Visited the Little Bighorn National Monument this morning where Colonel Custer met his fate. Really impressive place of American history! Met a man there that had owned an Indian motorcycle and had served in WWII, Korean and Vietnam Wars. Really neat talking to him. He liked my Ultra but said his Indian was a better looking/riding motorcycle. I am sure it was!! He regretted selling it years ago! His favorite movie is "The World’s Fastest Indian". I have a picture of him with his walker in front of my motorcycle, That was special today!! Also met a Crow Indian at breakfast in Hardin, MT and he blessed me and my motorcycle!! That was neat! Maybe he was a medicine man, I don’t know, but it can;’t hurt!! Walked downtown Wall this evening and had a buffalo burger for dinner. Then to Wall Drug Store for a piece of huckleberry pie and coffee (their coffee is only 5 cents a cup!!)
Had a 494 mile ride today from Whitefish to Billings, Montana. Had breakfast this moring at the Huckleberry Patch in Hungry Horse, MT. They were very good. Had to have a piece of pie and ice cream too, so my breakfast and lunch were combined!! hehe! Keith and I had visited the Huckleberry Patch restaurant 3 years ago on our cross USA trip of 2007 (hard to believe that was 3 whole years ago!). It was exactly the same! Headed down RT 35 on the east side of Flathead Lake (based on the advice of another Harley rider I met at the restaurant). It was a beautiful ride. Headed on down US 93 to I90 at Missoula and east to Billings. Nice road for interstate all the way and nice scenery. Stopped at Billings as there were dark clouds ahead. Just as I finished unpacking the bike, the rain stated. Even had some pea size hail!! Hope that is all gone by morning. Plan to visit the Little Bighorn National Park in the morning to see where Custer met his fate!! Looks like I have about 2,500 miles to go!
Well, I am back in the good ole USA tonight. Started this morning waking up to a beautiful view out the bedroom window at the home of Hermann & Joann in Hinton, Alberta. Hermann and I did a lot of motorcycle talking, with him showing me all the customizing he has done to his Deluxe to make it into a great touring bike for he and Joann. Wow, it was a lot more fun and easier talking to Hermann in person then on the internet through the HD Forum!! : >) aid goodbyes and I headed out to Jasper and the Icefields Parkway along the Canadian Rockies. Started out with beautiful weather but the clouds and rain moved in near the Columbia Icefield on the Parkway. Temperature went to 50 degrees F too!! Could have taken a lot more pictures of the beautiful scenery had it not been for the rain and fog! Did see a group of elk up close along the road and a herd of bighorn sheep in a field. There were a lot of RV’s and tour busses in the park today (apparently the speed limits do not apply to the tour busses as they were flying around me many times – a little messy in the rain!). This reminded me of Yellowstone on a midday in August!! Was going up to Mount Edith Cavell Road but it was closed completly due to construction. Hit a looong line of major constructuion on the south end coming into Banff. Had plenty of time to check my motorcycle out and eat lots of snacks!!! The weather cleared after I left Banff. Did 489 miles and make it to Whitefish, MT. Nice motel, the owner brought out clean rags for my motorcycle and put them on the seat before I had everything unpacked. Then he offered their water hose out front to wash my DIRTY bike, which I DID!! (Gees, I hope I don’t as obsessed as Keith on keeping my bike clean!!). (Speaking of Keith!!) I am planning to be at The Huckleberry Patch restaurant in the morning for some Huckleberry pancakes and Huckleberry coffee!! They open at 7 am.
Left Chetwynd, BC around 8 am. Weather was sunny and in the mid 50’s. Thought I would go by Prince George, BC and visit the Harley shop there. I arrived there at 12 noon and checked at the service desk if the service dept was open today. The guy there said there was no one in the service shop today but asked what I needed. I told him where I was from and was close to needing my tires replaced. He said, "well I think I can take care of you, pull your bike on around"! Ended up, he was the owner of Prince George HD, Len. He did all the work on my bike himself, replaced the front & rear tires and changed the engine and primary oil. That was GREAT service. By the time I left, the sky had clouded up and it was starting to rain. That is why you don’t see an pictures until I arrived in Hinton. I spent the night with Hermann and Joann in their home in Hinton Alberta. Met Hermann on a Harley forum on the internet. He had invited me to come by on this trip. They are super nice folks and are great hosts!! Heading out to the IceFields Parkway on Monday.
On down the Alaska Highway for 488 miles today IN THE RAIN and FOG! It never rained real hard just pretty steady until this afternoon. Really used the rainsuit and heated gear today! Did see my first elk, although they were small and I got their picture. Stopped at the Toad River Lodge for coffee. This is another unique place (every place on the Alaska Highway is unique and that is one of the things that makes it interesting!!) They have over 7,000 hats that people have given them since 1950. Pretty cool! Did see two more black bear and one was standing on its hind legs! I was going 70 mph, it was raining and I just knew it would be down on all fours by the time I turned around, so NO picture (except for the one in my head and I like that one!!). I gassed up just north of Fort St. John and saw some blue sky to the west, so I headed down RT 29. This was a beautiful road down the Peace River valley and a nice curvy motorcycle road too. The sun came out, the rain clouds went away and it warmed up to around 80! Off came the rain suit and heated gear! I ended up in the town of Chetwynd, BC. This is a tmber/wood manufacturing town. It is also home of the international chainsaw wood sculpturing contest!! Took a walk downtown and there was a great display walk with many of the sculptures. It was really interesting. Got photos of many of them posted. On to Prince George, Jasper and Banf National Parks tomorrow. (Note that I have rode 8,001 miles now on the trip)
Jim's space 