Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh My! and Matt, Kitty, Doc and Chester

Monday Evening June 29 Lunedi Sera 29 Giugno

So today I left for Tulsa to meet the Australian group which is now 6 people. There is a big Honda motorcycle rally there. I am riding there with my friend Deane who I went to Australia with to ride around the country on rented bikes. We are now in Dodge City, Kansas which is of course the setting for the old TV show Gunsmoke. They have a nice replica of an old western town and a museum here but we will be gone tomorrow before it opens for business.
We also passed through Liberal where there is a replica of Dorothy's house from the movie Wizard of Oz. There is an interesting museum about the movie there. Linda and I have been through both the Liberal and the Dodge museums before.
Today I saw a truck carrying a smaller truck which in turn was carrying a motorcycle so I took a picture. We also passed some large wind machines for generating electricity. Underneath them was an old windmill for pumping water. What a contrast between the old and new. I took a picture but the windwill would be too small to be seen on a webpage.
470 miles today.



Dorothy's house, can you see the yellow brick road?

A tale of 5 states

Friday Evening June-19 Venerdi Sera 19-Giugno

June 18 Thursday
The weather report is looking nasty along the way I want to travel. I am heading towards home today and will meet C&C in Tulsa on the 4th of July weekend. So to paraphrase the Blue's Brothers, I've got a full tank of gas, I'm a thousand miles from home and the weather is nasty. Let's go riding!! So I am off at 9 AM with plans to get close to New Mexico by evening. After all, the states I am going through have 75 mph speed limits and the only major city is Salt Lake in Utah. The weather is actually nice starting out and it is easy to see why Montana is called Big Sky Country. So I set the cruise control on my interpretation of the speed limit and enjoy the wonderful views that God has given us. At 10:45 I cross into Idaho which is next to Montana in my opinion for beauty. Montana starts out with mountains, then into green rolling hills with deer running across them which continues into Idaho. Later it becomes sagebrush plains on the west and lush farm fields on the east. The scenery is still green when I cross into Utah at 12:45 but when I get to Ogden it changes into city, traffic and more city. This continues until I am past Salt Lake City which was 50 or 60 miles as I recall. Just before Ogden I stop for gas just as the rain starts. Perfect timing as I am under the gas station canopy when it really starts raining hard. I want to keep going so I am not going to wait for the rain to stop. I am finally through SLC and turn east. The scenery is now the red rock hills of Utah which are rugged and beautiful. Around 7:00 I am into Colorado and it is now not only deer country but it is prime time for deer strikes. So I am quite watchful for the rascals. At 8:15 I cross into New Mexico and it is already dark. If I keep going I can be home about 1 AM so I keep going. New Mexico is not known for good roads and it is rough going in the dark. But the worst hole I hit in 6000 miles so far this trip is in downtown Farmington in the business district! I thought it broke my bike in half and this was at 30 mph. And that hit cost me a couple of parts. Welcome home! I am really not in a high deer population area but I am still watchful. I continue on until I arrive home at 1:15 AM, 1027 miles later. I am still tired as I write this the next afternoon.


Big Cloudy Sky Country


Red rocks hills of Utah

Going to the Sun and Butte

Friday Evening June-19 Venerdi Sera 19-Giugno


June 17, Wednesday
Knowing that the Going to the Sun highway is closed we go there anyway to see how far we can go on it. The answer is 14 miles and then it is blocked off. But there is a nice, fast flowing river along that section of the road which is great for pictures. I have been here before a few times always coming in from the west just like today. Each time I have passed an interesting road that goes to Columbia Falls. But I always passed it by and went through the park and out the east side. This time we had to come back out the west entrance and took the Columbia Falls road and other back roads to get to Butte. We stopped at a casino to debate which road to take or some other decision. And there next to us was a grove of plastic palm trees. Who says that palm trees are not found in the northern climates. Of course the question is what type of a person is a "plastic tree" hugger? A conservationist or a technology lover? I love the Montana scenery and we saw lots of it and even had good weather. Until 50 miles from Butte and then the heavens really gave it to us. When we arrived in Butte the decision was to set up the tents in a rain storm or take another motel. So we chose the motel. Clint signed the credit card slip and the rain instantly stopped and the sun came out. So we relaxed in a motel and ate Taco Bell take out. I was feeling a little low so went to bed early for a good night's sleep. My phone decided to wake me up at 1 AM. It was warning me that the battery was getting low and turned on the display to do so and does not automatically turn it off. Very good for a dying battery. So I fumbled around in the dark and got it plugged into a charger. Of course I now could not sleep. I remember seeing 3 AM come and go before I fell asleep again. 307 miles today.


River in Glacier Park


Charleen the plastic tree hugger

Buzzard Bouncing, Fuel Lights and Tire Again

Tuesday Evening June-16 Martedi Sera 16-Giugno

Beautiful day for riding. Today we are going to Glacier Park hoping to ride some of the “Road to the Sun”. We already know it is not yet open but maybe we can ride some of it. What ambitious plans we had. First we stop at Kootenai Falls. You must hike to the falls and I am the only one interested in doing it. These are not high falls but a series of 10-15 foot drop-offs that the river goes over. It was worth the hike. Later my GPS says to go straight through a town but Clint turns left. He has planned an indirect route that goes along Highway 37 and Libby Dam. He has spent a lot of time planning this trip so that we are usually on back roads with nice scenery. Excellent job. After Libby Dam I notice Clint and Charleen’s brake lights come on as a large bird swoops in front of them. Bad move for the bird as the Honda scores a direct hit. The bird cartwheels through the air and onto the side of the road. C & C go back to check on it but I assumed it was dead. It was only stunned so they left it alone especially as it was snapping at them with it’s beak. It was a buzzard. We continue on, and on and on without seeing a service station. Low fuel lights are glowing an angry red. It’s a good thing Linda is not here as those red lights increase her anxiety level. My trustworthy? GPS says fuel in 10 miles and for once it is right. We each had .4 gallons left, good for about 15 miles. On we go towards Glacier Park. The road has grooves worn in it and I assume that the grooves are moving the trailer left and right which is what is making my bike wander a little. Then I smell very hot rubber when a car goes by. But the smell gets stronger even after the car is gone. Red lights go off in my mind and I find a place to pull over just as my rear tire goes completely flat. It has probably 2 dozen very small cracks in the tread that are leaking air. We do a couple of attempts to get it to hold air but it is a lost cause. We remove the rear wheel and head for Kalispell, Montana about 35 miles away. I pay the big price for a Montana tire and another Montana price to have it mounted. Back to my bike, install the wheel and head to Whitefish and a motel rather than finding a campground at 6 PM. We will surely see Glacier Park tomorrow. 177 miles today but Clint went an extra 70 to and from the bike shop.

Kootenai Falls


And yet another roadside tire repair

Clint and Charleen's blog

I am making this 90 day tour of the United States with Clint and Charleen Lovell from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. They also have a blog recording this trip. Their blog is at

http://www.cnclovell.blogspot.com/

They also have a map that updates several times a day with our current location. It is at

Mapsite

Deja vu, Canada Again

Monday Evening June-15 Lunedi Sera 15-Giugno

Last night it rained so we had wet tents to contend with. After contending we left at 8:05 for some scenic riding before heading back into Canada and back out again after 50 miles or so. I stopped at a site that explained about log flumes which were wooden troughs used to float logs down a mountain. All of these old historical jobs certainly looked like hard work. On the way to Canada we passed through Colville, WA. We entered from the west and as soon as I saw the first building on the left I thought that I had been here before but could not remember when. I also knew that around the curve there was something interesting on the right. Going around the curve I saw, on the right, a lumber mill with a big crane lifting about 20 logs or more at a time. That was the something interesting. The road out of town to the east went up a hill in a residential district. Very familiar! Then further into the mountains we passed a campground and it all came back to me. We stayed at that campground on our way to Alaska. Then we rode into Colville for breakfast. I also saw other sites that brought back memories of the Alaska trip including a store where we all stopped for ice cream. We finally get to the border crossing and we are into Canada again with no problems. And a little later we are out again, back into the USA in one of my favorite states, Idaho. We want to stay in the area of Bonner’s Ferry but there are no campgrounds with shower facilities yet because of the cold weather. We call a motel and they have a room with a kitchenette for $60 a night. That is too great a price to pass up so we are holed up in a nice motel for the evening. A couple of beers and Subway sandwiches and we are all feeling quite content. 307 miles today.

Clint on the log flume replica

Dutchmen, Ski Slopes, Cascades and Rain

Sunday Evening June-14 Domenica Sera 14-Giugno

We are up early and on the road by 7:15. I want to see the town of Lynden as it has a windmill. It was once a Dutch community and many of the buildings in town are done up like the buildings in Holland. It’s a very clean looking town, the store fronts are indeed Dutch looking right down to the mother-in-law hooks at the top which in Holland are used to lift furniture up and through the upstairs window into the house. I see a car wash and it is named De Wagen Wasseri. We are headed up to the Mount Baker ski area. Naturally it is a fun road and at the top we are greeted with snowy ski slopes although the ski resort is shut down. There is not enough snow for any serious skiing. Then it’s back down the mountain and east through the Cascade mountains and National Park. We stop for lots of looking at the great scenery. It’s cold on the west side but when we get to the eastern side of the fist group of mountains it gets sunny. We find our campground and set up the tents. I get the stove ready for Charleen to use and then the heavens open up with rain. This goes on for an hour and finally we can eat. Now it’s dark and I will have to finish posting this from inside my tent. We have a woodpecker here that keeps coming to the tree that our tents are next to. We will see if he wakes us up in the morning. 255 miles today.

Lynden Windmill

Mt. Baker ski area

Whistler, Cereal, Customs and Dairies

Saturday Evening June-13 Sabato Sera 13-Giugno

So this morning it was off the the Whistler ski area which will be home to the 2010 olympics. There is a lot of construction happening and also road repair on the main highway into Whistler. After riding through Whistler which appears to be a typical high priced ski resort town we turned east and got onto a typical Canadian mountain road full of pot holes, frost heaves and crude repairs. Only the roads that the Olympic Game attendees see are being renewed. We are working our way to the Canadian-Washington border. We pass through a good sized city and I check the GPS for a Safeway. The town has one so I speed up to catch Clint but a state policeman gets on the freeway in front of me. I patiently wait and he takes the next off ramp. Time to get on the gas but now an ambulance comes on the freeway in front of me with it’s emergency lights on. Finally I can catch up and we turn around and go back several miles to the Safeway. I am trying to buy a box of Canadian breakfast cereal called Red River. I tried some 2 years ago and liked it, bought a box then and now it is gone. So I wanted to replenish my supply. Finally we get to customs. The agent asks me how I am and I tell him I am fine and ask how he is. He tells me he is in a really bad mood and cannot shake it. I sympathize with him and I am set free. But the Australian duo have to stay longer for some paper work. So I go on into town and get groceries for tonight’s meal. Clint and Charleen see my bike at the store and we all take off for the local KOA campground in Lynden, Washington using the ever popular GPS to guide us. There is a strange smell in the air like dairy farms. Sure enough we are driving by several dairy farms. Finally the road dead ends at a field. So now we have to trick the GPS into giving us a different route which we do and we finally arrive still wondering why there is a KOA in dairy country. This is a big KOA with several hundred motor home spaces and most are filled. There are 2 small lakes for fishing, a swimming pool, playground for kids, miniature golf course. As is typical we are put way in the back far from the restrooms and showers while the big self-contained motor homes are next to the bathrooms. I had purchased 2 small steaks but we did not have a way to cook them. I saw a table covered with dishes beside a motor home and there was a sign saying FREE, TAKE IT. Well, there was a small cast iron skillet there so I took it and voila, Charleen whipped up dinner for us. 320 miles today, no boats.

A tale of 3 ferries

Friday Evening June 12 Venerdi Sera 12-Giugno

We left Vancouver Island this morning after about a 60 mile ride to the ferry terminal. It is interesting that the ferry takes us to the mainland but the only way to get farther south is to take another ferry as there are only about 27 miles of roads here. When we got to the next ferry station we discovered that we had a 3 hour wait so we went back up the coast to a seaside park. Naturally we walked the beach while we were there. There were oysters laying on the rocks of the beach. I did not give them much thought but Clint brought one to me, opened it up and had me eat it. What a difference between fairly fresh oysters and straight from the shell. It was very good. Then it was time to head to the next ferry. When we landed at the next town it was the same idea, limited roads and another ferry to get to the next city, Horsehoe Bay, which is north of Vancouver. It was about 50 miles of nice twisty road to get there. And of course the ferry was late. But it arrived and we finally got to the real mainland. Clint had reserved a motel close to the ferry landing and that is where we stayed. Lo and behold there were other Australians staying there from the area where Clint and Charleen lives. We sat around too long and when I went to get us some sandwiches I found everything closed. So once again I made a mistake that each time I swear will not happen again. I ordered take out fish and chips at a Chinese restaurant. This time I swear I will never, never make that mistake again. 160 miles counting boat rides.

Fresh oyster on the half shell

Third ferry of the day

Ride for Hot Chocolate

Thursday Evening June-11 Giovedi Sera 11-Giugno

One eagle was in the tree across the street early this morning. Unfortunately it flew away before Charleen was up so we did not get a good picture. This morning we were in the mood for hot chocolate so we rode to Port Hardy, 215 miles north, to get it. The weather where we were was too warm to really appreciate it so we went to where it was cold so that we could really enjoy it. On the way there Clint’s GPS had a better idea of how to get there faster so it took us down a narrow back road which finally turned to dirt and then put us right back on the highway we were originally traveling on. We love technology! After our hot chocolate we took a couple of pictures and started right back to Campbell River where we are spending the night camping under the trees. The campground manager has 2 hummingbird feeders and there are about 35 hummingbirds flitting around and there is no fighting. Tomorrow we will take different ferries to various islands in the area. 370 miles

Sunrise at Jan's House

Our hero at Port Hardy

Camping under the trees again

Stamattina abbiamo voluto ciocolatto caldo cosi abbiamo guidato a Port Hardy, 215 miglia nord. Il GPS di Clint ha indicato una strada piu veloce ma quella strada ha diventato una strada di terra e finalmente ci e’ ritornato alla strada originale. Un miracolo della tecnologia. Dopo il nostro ciocolatto abbiamo fatto qualche foto e siamo ritornati a Campbell River dove stiamo stasera campeggiando sotto gli alberi. 370 miglia

Long Beach, Slugs and the Freezing Dutchman

Wednesday Evening June-10 Mercoledi Sera 10 Giugno

First thing in the morning we looked across the street at the tree but there were no eagles in the tree. Maybe tomorrow morning. Today Jan went with us to the west side of the island. Mastering mounting and dismounting the Honda Goldwing is an acquired skill that she had to master but by the end of the day she had it under control. The day started off warm but in the mountains I started to feel cool. I stopped to put on an extra layer of clothing and everyone was glad of it as they also donned extra layers. We stopped at the Pacific Rim park entrance and bought passes. We then went to one of the first park sites and it had a trail through the trees down to the ocean. The trail was not as steep or long as the trail that we did in Washington but it was as scenic. On the trail we saw several banana slugs which are a yellow color sometimes with black markings. We continued north to the city of Tofino where we stopped for lunch. We naturally had fish and chips, only 2 orders split among 4 people. We then went back south and stopped at a park named Incinerator Rock. This was next to Long Beach but without the long walk to the beach. This beach is 12 miles long and it seems very strange to an ex-California boy to go through a pine tree forest to get to a beach. We watched the surfers in their wet suits riding the waves and then noticed a man splashing in the surf in his bathing suit. When he came out of the water the young lady photographing his actions rewarded him with a kiss. We talked to them and they were from Holland. He wanted the complete experience of the Pacific Ocean. I told him it was a lot of effort to get a kiss. But I am sure that I would do the same to get a kiss from my Czech bride. Part of our trip was on a very rough road. All at once the road became very smooth, right at the point where a sign said “End of Road Improvement Section”. Go figure!! 233 miles today.

Banana Slug

Wildlife warning sign, cougars, bears and wolves

Jan enjoying the good life

Oggi siamo partiti sotto il sole nel cielo ma il temperature era freddo. Dopo ~25 miglia sono fermato per un altra giacca. L’altri sono stati felice perche’ loro anche hanno bisogna di un’altra giacca. Abbiamo visto tante spiagge bella ma era strano di vedere una spiaggia accanto gli alberi dale montagne. Abbiamo mangiato pesce e patate per pranzo. Dopo abbiamo visto un’uomo nella acqua fredda. Dopo lui e’ partito dal mare ha ricevuto un baccio dalla sua ragazza. Troppo lavoro per un piccolo baccio ma anch’io sarei fare lo stesso per un baccio da Linda. C’era una strada terribile e subito la strada diventa buona. A questo punto c’era un cartello che indica “Il fine del progetto per fare piu’ buona questa strada”!! Qualcuno ha sbagliato!! Mi chiedo “Come era la strada prima del lavoro?”. Ancora la nostra ospite Jan ha fatto una cena buonissima. 233 miglia oggi.

Ferry to Vancouver Island

Tuesday Evening June 8 Martedi Sera 8 Giugno

Today we took the ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria on Vancouver Island. It was a little over an hour ride. Motorcycles were the last on and the last off on this particular ferry. The weather was very nice today, it was almost warm which is very good riding weather. After getting through immigration (we are in Canada now) we headed north through Victoria on Highway 1. We are not really city tourists, we prefer the countryside. We took a couple of side roads along the beaches but mostly stayed on the highway. I did make one stop at a motorcycle shop to buy some tire irons. But they let me use their tire irons as I did not need another set. The tire on my right trailer wheel was getting fairly worn so I put the tire on that I had kept from my broken wheel. We were heading to Jan’s house in Qualicum Beach. Jan is a friend that stayed at the house during Balloon Fiesta last year. She met us with refreshments and had a “fish pie” ready to pop in the oven when we were hungry. But first we caught up on the latest news and then walked on the beach with her dog Madie, pronounced Maddy. This dog chases logs. Grab a BIG stick and throw it into the water and she swims out to it and brings it back. The bigger the stick the better she likes it. I also took advantage of the opportunity to clean my bike which really needed it. Then we had a great feed at dinner. The fish pie had fish, shrimp, prawns and calamari. Naturally we all overate so I took another walk after dinner. Tomorrow Jan will be our tour guide from the back of my motorcycle. And hopefully we will see the eagles that sit in the tree across the street each morning. Only 125 miles today.

Bikes on Ferry

On the road tire change

Oggi siamo partiti sul nave per Vancouver Island. Il tempo era bello finalmente. Siamo fermata al concessionario e ho prestito qualche atrezzi per cambiando una gomma dal mio carello. Siamo arrivati alla casa di Jan, un’amica che ha fatto una buona cena di tanti tipi di pesce. Anche ho pulito la mia moto. Domani Jan sara’ la nosta guida di Vancouver Island. 125 miglia oggi non incluso del nave.

Northwest point, Eagle and Glasses

Monday Evening June 8 Lunedi Sera 8 Giugno

And we are off again trying to get to the most Northwest point in the continental USA. And today there was no rain!! Less than 25 miles from town Clint and Charleen pull into a turnout area and as they do they see an eagle at the top of a tree. We quickly get out our cameras and start snapping away. Then Charleen gets out the CAMERA! She has a very nice SLR digital camera with a telephoto lens. And she commences to take some real pictures. The eagle is quite nonchalant about the whole deal until a kid in a noisy mini truck pulls in and scares it away. And as we prepare to depart I remove my glasses so that I can slip my helmet over my head. And the glasses come off of my face in 2 pieces. My genuine never fail titanium frames have broken in 2 pieces. So it’s on the road flying blind. So after 65 miles or so we arrive at the parking lot of the most northwest point. What? No sign? Well maybe we will find it in the ½ mile hike (in motorcycle boots) down to the lookout points on the cliffs overlooking the ocean. There is no sign but there are excellent views. It was well worth the hike down and it was even worth the hike back up. So we go back to Port Angeles, get groceries for tonight’s meal and go to Wal-Mart for some other supplies. Well this Wal-Mart has a vision center and they quickly take my lenses and put them in new frames. (Maybe it helps that Linda is a preferred customer?) So I am ready to go again. 217 miles today.

Closeup of the eagle

View from the farthest northwest point

Oggi abbiamo cercato per il punto piu’ nordovest negli Stati Uniti continentale. Anche oggi non c’era pioggia. Dopo 25 miglia sulla strada Clint e Charleen sono fermata acanto la strada nel un piccolo parcheggio. E hanno visto un’aquila nel’albero. Abbiamo fatto molte foto ma finalmente un giovane con un camion rumoroso l’ha spaventato e ha volato via. Poi ho trovato che i miei occhiali sono rotto e non ho avuto un altro paio. Dovevo guidare cieco!! Finalmente siamo arrivati a un parcheggio alla coda della strada. Non c’erac’era un un cartello indicando “il punto piu’ nordovest”. Ma c’era un sentiero attraverso il bosco dal parcheggio al mare. Dopo ½ miglia siamo arrivati al mare dove c’era una vista bellissima. Dopo siamo ritornati alla citta ho trovato occhiali al WalMart e posso vedere ancora. 217 miglia oggi.

Oysters, driftwood and roadside picnics

Sunday Evening June 7 Domenica Sera 7 Giugno

After lamenting the fact that we did not see the race but cheering for Australian Mark Weber’s second place finish we left this morning over the bridge for Washington. Our first stop was Oysterville, a small city with quite a history. Clint and Charleen bought some raw oysters. I assumed that they would be cooked and eaten that evening. I was half right.

We are traveling north on Highway 101 which parallels the coast. In Washington it is more inland than it was in Oregon. But from time to time we do see the ocean. We stopped at one state park where we could walk down to the beach. There were many big driftwood logs there. There are many rivers in Washington flowing to the ocean and when there is flooding it uproots trees which float to the ocean and are washed up on the beaches. Later we were ready for a coffee break but did not see any open restaurants. So we stopped on the side of the road and set up a breakfast on Clint and Charleen’s trailer. Coffee and cereal was enjoyed by all.

We were on our way to Port Angeles where we are staying for 2 nights at a KOA. Highway 101 turns east at the top of Washington and then back south at Port Angeles. On the east bound part of the highway is a beautiful, big lake that we ride alongside of. It is a very scenic ride. At the KOA we set up camp and snacked on chips, wine and the oysters. They were eaten raw. I have eaten small raw oysters before that you swallow whole. These were big, pop them in the mouth and chew them up. Yummie. Tomorrow we will tour the northwest corner of the state and Tuesday morning we catch the ferry for Vancouver Island. 295 miles

Driftwood logs

Roadside Picnic

Lions, Chowder and Bridges, Oh My!

Sunday Morning June 7 Domenica Mattina 7 Giugno

Friday it did not rain a lot but we were always wet. Yesterday it did not really rain hard if at all but we were wetter yet. We were constantly riding in clouds. There was more traffic because it was Saturday and the schools had finished on Friday. I assume that the increase in travel trailer traffic was due to those two things. We saw several lighthouses, Oregon has a lot of lighthouses. We saw a sign for Sea Lion Caves so we turned into the parking lot and paid the admission price. We were 200+ feet above the ocean and an elevator took us down into a cave with ocean access. On a large rock were a lot of sea lions including a big male. Evidently he was the king of the rock and if he didn’t like a few sea lions he simply pushed them off of the rock. Moving north along the coast Clint and Charleen decided it was time for a coffee break. We stopped at a little restaurant for coffee and decided to also have a bowl of clam chowder, It was incredibly good. There were no potatoes or other vegetables in it, simply clams and the cream base without any seasoning. Clint has us turn up a scenic side road and all at once there was a KOA campground. But it was one I had stayed at on last year’s ride that charged over $50 for a tent site. We decided that we wanted a motel for that night. Was it because we were cold and wet? No. Tired and hungry? No. Needed a break from the tents and cabins? No. It was because there was a Formula 1 race the next morning that we would like to watch. We found a motel in Astoria across the bay from Washington state underneath the big bridge across the bay. We verified that the motel did have access to the Speedtv channel and took a room. We disconnected the trailers and moved our night’s supplies into the room. Now after 235 miles or riding in the wet, which by the way had turned dry for the last 50 miles, we wanted to relax. So we went for a motorcycle ride over the bridge into Washington and found a little restaurant/bar and had dinner there. After returning to the motel we checked to see what time the race would be televised. Surprise, it was not on Speedtv, this race was televised by Fox and would not be shown until 1 PM Sunday afternoon. Oh well, we are in a comfortable room, under a big bridge and we have full stomachs. But we are glad that we chose a low-priced motel. And the weather should be much better Sunday. 269 miles today.

Sea Lion Cave

Bridge at Astoria, OR

My First Lighthouse

Friday Evening Venerdi Sera

Well today we left and it was not yet raining. We stopped at the first gas station nd filled up not realizing that the Oregon border was only 3 miles away and gas was 35 cents a gallon cheaper. On the Oregon coast we stopped at many scenic outlooks as well as the Cape Blanco lighthouse. This is the only lighthouse in Oregon that gives tours allowing you up to the top to see tha actual light. I have wanted to do that since I was in grade school so today another dream came true. We also watched the "lighthouse cat" chasing gophers in the field. We have finished the day in Coos Bay where we bought groceries for dinner. We are not renting a cabin tonight as they are too pricey at this KOA. We are using the tents instead. Naturally it started to rain when we arrived in Coos Bay but it was just a teaser. It is not raining now but it is cold and damp so the chill gets right to your bones. It will be a good test of my new sleeping bag. ~160 miles today, lots of sightseeing stops.

Cape Blanco Lighthouse

Looking into the lens at the bulb

Non siamo andati molte miglia oggi ma abbiamo visto tante cose. Il tempo aveva freddo ma nessuna pioggia finalmente. Ma eravamo bagnato perche' dei nuvoli bassi. Abbiamo visitato un lighthouse (casa di luce per le nave sul mare). Era molto interessante. Stanotte dormiamo nelle tende perche' una cabina qui e' troppo caro. Spero che il tempo non sara' brutto! ~160 miglia oggi.

Seeing in the Rain

Thursday Evening Giovedi Sera

Seeing in the rain, sightseeing in the rain. With all due apologies to the original song Singing in the Rain. We left today in the rain to ride a route that I had planned for last year but could not do because of the wildfires. It was a great ride. We went north from Eureka about 2 miles and then turned east into the mountains. We did not see any straight road until Highway 5 about 180 miles later. We saw the Bigfoot Highway named after the seldom seen, maybe mythological large humanoid covered with hair creature that does wonders for tourism. We were going to ride that road on the way back but we changed our plans later in the day. We did go to Lake Trinity ignoring all of the signs warning us about 7 miles of steep, narrow, twisty road that has no snow removal. Great road! When we reached Highway 5 just north of Redding we turned north for about 10 miles of straight road just so we could remember what a straight road was. Then we turned west on the Klamath river road and followed the river for a long time. We saw many new, small, private, floating dredges cleaning the sand from the river bottom looking for gold. It looked like a lot of work to me. We changed our plan and rode north into Oregon and then turned back towards Crescent City, Calif where we rented a cabin at the KOA campground. We are on the coast so we rode into town for fish and chips and then watched the seals laying on the docks. It was getting cold so we returned to the campground for showers, bed and in my case laundry. ~360 miles today.

Looking for Bigfoot on his highway

Una cabina nel bosco di Redwood

Oggi e’ comciato con pioggia ancora ma dopo 3 ore c’era sole senza pioggia. Abbiamo guidato nelle montagne dove le strade sono pieno delle curve. Abbiamo visto boschi, fiumi, laghi e poche polizie. Un bel giorno. Anche abbiamo guidato ~50 miglia accanto un fiume dove la gente sta cercando per oro con apparecchi special. Mi sembra come troppo lavora. Stanotte stiamo sulla costa cosi abbiamo cenato pesce. Buono! ~360 miglia oggi, 350 miglia delle curve!!

Wine and Redwoods

Wednesday Evening Mercoledi Sera

This morning I washed the bike and left for Eureka. I would ride Highway 29 through Napa and connect to 128 and finally 101 through the redwood forests to Eureka. But first I had to cross the toll bridge at Benicia. It seems that the toll has changed since my last time from $2 to $4. And an extra $2 for pulling the Bushtec trailer. The lady kept asking me in an Asian accent if I had 2 axles. I told her I could not hear her because of the helmet. She finally settled for $4 instead of the $6 I should have paid. Tuesday’s trip through Yosemite was a treat for the senses that you always hear motorcycle riders talk about. You could feel the crispness of the air, smell the clean air and the pine trees, hear the rushing water from the melting snow. You don’t get this in a car. But the motorcycle riders do not talk much about other “treats for the senses” like you encounter in stoplight to stoplight traffic on a main highway. The clatter of diesel engines, loud stereos, straight piped Harleys and wonderful smells of diesel exhaust, hot brakes and the enchanting medley of odors from the garbage truck next to you. But finally leaving the city behind I find myself in the wine country of Napa valley, acres of vineyards, beautifully landscaped gardens at the wineries, the fancy houses and tasting rooms, and the rolling hills surrounding it all. I wish I had a way to take pictures as there is a wonderful picturesque sight around every corner, each one better than the last. I stop to take a picture and pull back onto the road behind 2 Harleys. I have broken into a riding group and 6 more pass me to rejoin ranks with the 2 front riders. Then I notice that every one of them had New Mexico license plates and all of the plates looked new. Strange. They turned left to get to Highway 101 and I continued straight. It was their loss as the scenery became better and better such as oak trees hanging over the road making a tunnel for me to drive through with moss hanging from the branches. Farther north I merged onto Highway 101 which has a section called the Redwood Highway. It is a beautiful road and I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was little traffic today. I finally arrived at Eureka just as the heavens opened up with a bountiful supply of rain. That’s day 4, rain every day so far. I met Clint and Charleen who had rented a cabin at the KOA campground. I decided to stay in their cabin instead of pitching a tent in the rain. I got the portable cook stove from my trailer and we cooked canned ravioli on the floor of the front porch for dinner. Dessert was a few cookies that Linda had packed for us. Oh, the good life, I wonder what the non motorcycle riding crowd is doing this year. ~311 miles today.

Stamattina ho pulito la moto e sono partito a Eureka. Ho usato le strade in Napa Valley, la casa dei vini di California. Le viste sono bellissime. Ci sono alberi con rami sopra la strada facendo una galleria per io e mia moto. I campi sono pieno con i vigneti. Questa valle e’ circondata con colline marrone e verde. La strada e’ buona con molte curve, veramente un piacere per i motociclisti. Piu’ nord e’ La Strada dei Alberi Redwood. C’e un albero con una galleria nel tronco e si puo’ guidare attraverso la galleria cosi naturalmente l’ho provato. Finalmente sono arrivato a Eureka e subito c’era pioggia. 4 giorni and e’ piovuto ogni giorno. Ho trovato Clint e Charleen al campeggio dove hanno affittato una cabina per 2 notte. Sono stato felice perche’ non ho voluto fare la mia tenda nella pioggia. Abbiamo fatto la cena (ravioli dalla scatola) con una cucina portabile. Che bella giornata. ~311 miglia oggi.

On the Road Again

Wednesday Morning Mercoledi Mattina

I am now at my parent's house and will leave this morning to catch Clint and Charleen in Eureaka, Calif. Yesterday I went to a coffee shop and used the world's slowest internet to write yesterday's update. It took 2 hours to do something very simple. But when I returned to the campground my wheel was waiting for me. It took only a couple on minutes to install and I was on the road at 11:58. I went across the mountains at Yosemite National Park. It was cold, rainy and beautiful. I arrived at my parent's house at 5:58 exactly 6 hours after I left the campground. My mother had a hot bowl of soup waiting for me which was happily consumed. This morning I will wash the bike and continue on my trip. Total mileage today ~290.

Adesso sono alla casa dei miei genitori. Ieri ho ricevuto la mia ruota nuova e poi ho fatto una gita ieri di 6 ore. Attraverso le montagne a Yosemite Parco Nazionale. Era freddo con pioggia ma bellissima. Sono arrivata ai miei genitori 6 ore dopo partendo il campeggio, ~ 290 miglia. Stamattina puliro' la moto e partiro' per Eureka per trovare Clint e Charleen.

New Wheel Today?

Tuesday Morning Martedi Mattina

Yesterday I had a lot of free time so I naturally went for a motorcycle ride. First I went back to the road up to the Bristlecone Pine National Park. On hot days my bike can run hotter than normal on this type of slow uphill climb. I had made a modification to see if I could change this but yesterday was actually quite cool so I could not test it. Then I rode north about 100 miles to the old mining town of Bodie. I have wanted to see this town for many years and decided that today was the day. I was told by friends that it was a long, bad, dirt road to get there. Not true, it was 13 miles of pavement and 3 miles of dirt road. It was well worth it and I will come back with Linda when we can stay a whole day and when it is not cold, raining, hailing and windy. So far in 3 days of riding I have encountered rain every day. Total mileage for the day was about 275.

Ieri ho molto tempo libero cosi naturalmente ho guidato la moto per piacere. Sono ritornato a una strada stretta e ripida. L’anno scorso su questa strada il mio motore ha avuto un problema con calore. Ho fatto una modifica e ho volute fare una prova. Ma il tempo aveva freddo e il motore non e’ surriscaldato. Poi sono andato nord ~100 miglia alla citta fantasma (abbandonato ) chiamato Bodie. Questa citta e’ esistito per l’oro sotto la terra. Voglio ritornare con Linda quando e’ possible per stare tutto il giorno a quando non c’e pioggia, venti, tempo freddo e grandine. 3 giornate nella gita e c’era pioggia ogni giorno. Ho guidato ~275 miglia.

Bishop, Calif

Monday Morning Lunedi Mattina

This morning I ordered a new wheel assembly from the manufacturer in Tennessee to be shipped overnight. Hopefully it will arrive tomorrow and I can be on the road in the afternoon. Clint and Charleen will go ahead with their planned route and hopefully I will meet them Wednesday in Eureka, California. We hope!

Ho ordinate una ruota nuova che dovrebbe arrivare domani. Clint e Charleen partiranno oggi e ci incontriamo ancora mercoledi a Eureka, California, speriamo.

Broken Wheel

Sunday Morning Domenica Mattina

Ok, the first day is over. We tried a different way to Utah which was longer, 585 miles. We rode about 250 miles until the winds got heavy. Then we rode through 10 miles of a sandstorm which covered our windshields and bikes with sand. Then the weather quickly changed to rain which made mud on our bikes. So this morning Charleen was cleaning both bikes while Clint and I were talking with Dennis Watson. Dennis put us up for the night in his house. It is now Sunday morning and we are at a restaurant eating breakfast. We will go towards Las Vegas and then turn west and then north in Nevada going to the Bristlecone Pine Forest near Big Pine, California.

Il primo giorno e’ finite dopo 585 miglia. Dopo 250 miglia c’erano venti forte e poi una tempesta di sabbia e finalmente pioggia. Le moto sono sporche ma stamattina Charleen pulisce le moto quando Clint e io parlaviamo con Dennis Watson. Dennis e’ un’amico dal liceo e noi permette stare alla casa sua. Adesso e’ domenica e siamo mangiando la colazione al ristorante. Andremo sud attraverso Las Vegas e poi ovest e nord in Nevada e poi California.

Well, on our way north in Nevada we saw a Toyota Camry broken down. We stopped to see if we could help. Too bad, a connecting rod had come through the engine block. Little did we know what lay ahead for us. After turning west towards California I encountered a rockslide with rocks scattered across the road. I went between the biggest ones but I did not know that the trailer wheel hit a rock. Later I noticed that the bike was not handling correctly. Then we came into the twisty section and the bike was dangerous. It seems that I had a flat trailer tire. Clint and Charleen motioned for me to stop. We looked at the wheel and saw that it was NOT just a flat tire. It seems that the rock had broken the actual wheel. Somebody pulling a trailer came by and took my trailer into Bishop to a campground where we spent the night.

In Nevada abbiamo visto una macchina rotta. Siamo fermato per offrire assistenza ma una biella ha rotto distruendo il motore. Non abbiamo saputo che cosa aspettera’ per noi. Un po piu’ primo di California ho visto tante rocce sulla strada. Non ho battuto niente con la moto ma il mio carello ha battuto una roccia grande e ha rotto una ruota. Accidenti!! Presto arriva qualcuno con un camion e carello. Lui ha portato il mio carello al campeggio dove siamo stati la notte.

Monday Morning Lunedi Mattina

This morning I ordered a new wheel assembly from the manufacturer in Tennessee to be shipped overnight. Hopefully it will arrive tomorrow and I can be on the road in the afternoon. Clint and Charleen will go ahead with their planned route and hopefully I will meet them Wednesday in Eureka, California. We hope!

Ho ordinate una ruota nuova che dovrebbe arrivare domani. Clint e Charleen partiranno oggi e ci incontriamo ancora mercoledi a Eureka, California, speriamo.

Departure

Saturday Morning May 30 Sabato Mattina 30 Maggio

After waiting several months my Australian friends have arrived and we are now ready to depart on our moto giro degli Stati Uniti. (motorcycle tour of the USA) Today we go to a friends house in Utah about 550 miles away. Tomorrow we will ride across the Nevada desert to California. We may stay the night in Rachel, Nevada if we do not feel like going all the way to Bridgeport,California which will be another 500+ mile day. Linda is not going on this part of the trip.

Bikes are loaded and ready to go

Le moto sono pronto.

Dopo tanto mesi siamo pronto per la partenza del nostro giro degli Stati Uniti. I miei amici Australiani sono arrivati e partiamo dopo colazione. Oggi andiamo in Utah alla casa di un amico, una gita piu' di 500 miglia. Anche domani sara' un'altra gita di 500 miglia. Non mi accompagna su questa parte della gita.