Whew! What a trip!

I last left you in Nashville, where we were having much fun eating great food, listening to great music, and visiting our pals! Thursday evening our first stop was Robert's Western World. Robert's is ALWAYS our first stop! Gotta have me a Roberts Burger! Their fried bologna sammiches rock, too!
We were greeted by our "daughter" Sammy.

 SAMMY!!!! So good to see her again! Nichole was there, too. We chatted with them both for a while while waiting for my friend David to show up. I've been "Facebook friends" with David for quite a while, and we have a bunch of mutual "real life" friends. We both find ourselves in Nashville several times a year but never at the same time. FINALLY, our paths would cross! We finally got to hang out together and it was like being with an old friend! The rest of the weekend was spent at our usual hangouts....Roberts, Layla's, and the Full Moon. I call it the Bermuda Triangle because we never seem to go anywhere else on Broadway! Those 3 places trap us!
Friday morning we awoke waaaay too early to the sound of garbage trucks emptying the hotel dumpsters, traffic cops blowing whistles, and housekeeping banging around in neighboring rooms. The worst, however, were the 2 unsupervised heathens running up & down the hall, laughing and screaming. Holy crap! Where are the parents!?!?? This went on for way too long. Finally Tom got out of bed and into the hallway. They were nowhere to be found. Just then a nearby door opened and there they were, standing by their Dad. They were both around 5 years old. "Was that you two making all that noise?"Tom asked. "Oh. Sorry", replies Dad. "Knock it off!" Tom says. "This isn't your house. Other people are here trying to sleep!" he adds before storming back to our room. What in the Hell is wrong with people? Control those kids! Not only were they a nuisance, they could've been abducted! Jackwagons.
Ok...let's continue with our regularly scheduled program!
Friday afternoon we took a ride to Springfield to meet David for lunch at Willie Mae's BBQ. Our pals Gail & Joe got Willie Mae's going a couple years ago and we're ALWAYS sure to visit while in Nashville! They sure know how to do it right! AND they're awesome folks! Bonus!

 David was grabbing lunch before heading home to Indiana. After saying farewell to him we sat & chatted with Gail & Joe for a bit before heading back into the big city! We stopped at Roberts. Again. Where we found Ray Doll! Ray is "with child" and looks so happy! She told us that she and her husband Phil would be playing at the Zombie shop later. Mmmmmmm. Never heard Of the Zombie shop! It was close to our hotel....we didn't want to have to ride the bikes anywhere....and I LOVE to hear them play....and they're fun to hang with....so we planned to hit the Zombie Shop later that night!
We mapped it out...it was walking distance from Lower Broadway but not a straight-shot due to the HUGE new convention center they've been building FOREVER! So later that night we set out on foot for the Zombie Shop! I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Ray told me that they were a moped repair shop by day. We walked a few blocks and were soon away from civilization. We found ourselves in an industrial/warehouse type area with the only activity nearby being at a gentlemen's club. Hmmmnn. Looking seedy. And my trusty pistola is back at the room. Crap. Tom tells me that he's packing but I'd feel much better if I had my own with me. Crap. We come to what we THINK is the place. It's the right address but there's no signage whatsoever. And the building is dark. However, there ARE a few cars pulling into the lot next door and music coming from inside. We walk inside to see a table just inside the door with a cash box on it. OK. This MUST be it! We pay our $5 per person admission and wander on in. This is an actual moped-repair garage/warehouse! It's got 2 HUGE garage bay areas and some office & storage areas. They've got makeshift tables set up. At one they're selling PBRs for $2. (the sign says "Drank $2!) At the other they're selling "The Buddies" merchandise. (The Buddies are one of the bands in the line up that night) There was an old console TV set to static, and a bunch of hand-me-down furniture set about.

 There were a couple TVs in a corner with people playing video games on them. One of the bay doors were open leading to the back fenced-in lot where about a dozen folks were congregating near a picnic table. I was feeling kind of out-of-place! Ray & Phil were not yet there and I didn't know anyone in the small crowd.  I was kinda felling like we crashed a small party! I was ready to high-tail it outta there! But we bought a couple PBRs and found an old couch to sit on. Before long our pals Ray & Phil showed! Hooray! They introduced us to their friends that were already there and soon my tension eased!  And the fun began!!!!!

 After laughing, joking, & taking pix with Ray & Phil, they took the stage. I should clarify. They took the corner of the garage!

 Fun stuff, as always, to see them play! Then The Buddies took to the corner when Phil Hummer & the White Falcons were done.

More fun! Great stuff! Awesome music! Here's a clip of the Buddies doing what I can best describe as an Irish drinking song.  The video isn't the best but the audio captures a really cool moment...

I had a BLAST at that place! When the music stopped, we said goodbye to our friends, new & old, and hoofed it back to Lower Broadway to catch the end of Travis Mann's set at the Full Moon.
Here they are doing a little "Train Kept a Rollin'".....complete with some behind the head bass-playing action by "Slick" Joe Fick!

The Full Moon is usually nuts, but this night seemed exceptionally nuts! People were TRASHED!!!!!! The crowd was just as entertaining as the band! Even earlier in the night there seemed to be a higher than usual level of inebriation. As we were walking to the Zombie Shop there was a dude stumbling toward us, bouncing off a building, arms limp at his sides...he looked just like a zombie from The Walking Dead! "We got ourselves a walker"!!! Tom was ready to shoot him in the head if he came for us!
We came back to the hotel pleasantly exhausted. That was one of the best nights I ever had in Nashville! You never know what the night's gonna have in store for you in that town!
I was looking forward to a good night's sleep, maybe even sleep in a little! Unfortunately, the dipshit who tried to toast his breakfast sandwich while it was still in the wrapper had other ideas. 7am fire alarm wake-up call!!! 3 times this thing sounded! ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!? We didn't know the cause at the time but I didn't hear fire trucks. Screw evacuating, I'm going back to sleep! And sleep I did. For about another hour before housekeeping began slamming every slammable object on our floor! FAAAAAK! Sleep!!!! Please!!!! I just need a little more sleep!!! Finally Tom poked his head out the door and told the housekeeper that we're trying to sleep. "Good luck with that", she says, "we've got 83 vacancies that we've gotta clean." Are you kidding me!?!? THAT'S your answer!?!?! To make matters worse, on the other side of the wall our bed was against was a storage room for housekeeping, complete with storage bins lined up against said wall that the staff was constantly accessing. Great design. Not.
(The housekeeper later apologized to Tom and instructed the staff to clean down at the other end of the hall first.).
....side note. We stayed at Home2. They're all suites. Ours looked like a dorm room but it was complete with a good size fridge, dishwasher, a good sized stainless sink, and actual plates, cups, and drink glasses.

Aside from the noise, it's a pretty decent place. With an AWESOMELY comfortable bed! Then again, ALL Hampton/Hilton properties have awesomely comfortable beds!
On with the show! Saturdays in Nashville are always family day for us. We usually take a drive out to my Aunt's in Gallatin to visit with her and my cousins. This time we changed it up a bit. We met instead at my cousin Billy and his lovely wife Charlotte's place in Lebanon. We were greeted by my other cousin Tuffy's ginormous Saint Bernard! This girl is like a horse! A big, slobbery horse! My Aunt Connie was there as were Billy & Charlotte's kids, Bella, Brynn, and Will. Some of the cutest, sweetest, most well behaved little ones you'll ever meet! I sure wish they all lived closer to us!
Billy grilled some burgers & dogs and Charlotte spoiled us with entirely too much food! Bacon wrapped mini-dogs, deviled eggs, okra, Mac & Cheese....she went all out! After we ate we chatted and got caught up with what each of our family's are up to. We talked politics, too. Which was OK because we're all on the same page there! Unfortunately it came time for us to head back into the big city once again. We took some last pix with the kids on Tom's bike before bidding farewell until next time!

Saturday night on Lower Broadway was way low-key for the Terwilligers. We were looking at a 6 am wake-up and a 500+ mile ride back north.

After making our rounds and saying our goodbyes, we were back in our dorm room-suite by 11 pm. We're old and lame! Hahaa!
Sunday morning! Pack it up and head on out! First stop for us: Noshville! Noshville is a nearby delicatessen that serves the BEST lox platter! It's our must-stop every time we're in town!

 Tom and I loaded up our lox on "everything" bagels, complete with cream cheese, capers, red onion, and tomato. A squirt of lemon and a dash of pepper tops it all off. Delish! We were there early enough and the service was quick so we were out the door in no time! As we were leaving one of the waitresses told us there was an armadillo hanging out under a car parked out front. Sweet! This Yankee's never seen an armadillo! At least not one that's still alive! We took some pix of the little dude.

He looked like an opossum wearing a coat of armor! Really kind of cute! (Then again I think bats and snakes are cute!)
Before hitting the interstate we gassed up. After doing so we opted to don our full face helmets, as the sky was looking icky. We also decided to put on just the top half of our rain suits, not the whole rigamarole...bibbed rubber pants, boot covers...the whole get-up is a real pain in the ass to get in and out of. Besides, the skies didn't look TOO icky! My last words as we left the gas station: "I hope I don't regret not putting on the pants". The full face helmet was a good call as it started raining as soon as we left the gas station. Unfortunately, my famous last words came back to bite me as the rain picked up. 30 miles down the road my ankles were soaked. 50 miles down the road and my entire legs were soaked. As I moved my feet around I could feel the cold water sloshing around in my boots. To add insult to injury, the cold rain water was forming little rivers down the front of my rain jacket, and from there down the front of my jeans. Crap. No sense putting the pants on now. We're SOAKED! Besides, I miss my "kidz"!!! Gotta get home to them ASAP. Plus, we lose an hour as it is. Gotta hammer on!  My hands were so cold and getting numb.  Working that brake or clutch if I had to would be interesting.  I kept putting my left hand down underneath my leg to warm it by the motor.  I didn't want to put the cruise on to do the same to the right but finally I couldn't take anymore and I did for short periods.  (Remember kidz, don't use your cruise control in the rain (car or bike) due to the increased risk of hydroplaning.  Your public service message of the day!)
After abut 130 miles of cold, wet, numbing rain, the skies finally cleared in Kentucky and the sun came out!  HOORAY!  By the time we were ready for gas my legs had finally dried.  But not my ass or my socks & boots.  I don't think those will EVER dry!  We gassed up, lost the helmets and rain jackets, grabbed a quick lunch at a Waffle House just outside of Louisville, and headed back out on the road.  The rest of the trip was uneventful with the exception of the usual jackwagons that like to clog up the passing lane on I-71 where it's only 2 lanes.  Grrrrrrrr......  I never DID warm up except while riding through Cincinnati & Columbus.  (As we passed by the stadium in Cincinnati I yelled "Here we go Brownies, Here we go!" at my team playing there.  I don't think they heard me!)  As we were getting further north I noticed the leaves had started changing colors already!  When we left a little over 2 weeks ago the grass was brown and the leaves were green!  It felt like we had been gone forever because now the grass was green and the leaves were brown!  It also started to get colder the further north we rode.  I HATED to stop and put my leather on!  I missed my kidz and I wanted to get home to them!!!!  We were about 20 miles from home and I couldn't take it anymore!  Bah.  We pulled into a rest area and quickly donned the leathers.  Next stop....HOME!!!!
When we got there Gunther was soooo happy to see us!  As usual I sat on the driveway while he gave me kisses and just about wagged his ass off!  He wasn't as crazy as usual because our petsitter moved in while we were gone and gave them ALL more attention then they probably get from us!  (Side note....she even cut our grass while we were gone!  Candace ROCKS!!!!)

Now that we're home I can finally say it.....NEITHER ONE OF OUR BIKES HAD ANY MECHANICAL ISSUES!!!!!  I think this is the first time EVER!!!!  I usually remember our vacations by what malfunctions....My fuel injection in Rapid City, Tom's voltage regulator in Salem, My transmission in Chicago, Tom's wheel bearings in Kentucky....the list goes on & on!  Almost 4800 miles of near-perfect riding!!!!  The weather rocked, our bikes rocked, and the traffic rocked....amazing!

So I guess this is where the story ends.....for now!  I've already got the wheels turning upstairs, planning for next year's big adventure!  Thanks for coming along on this one and I hope you join us for the next!

We're still here! Going a mile a minute and having much fun here in Nashville!  Sooooo much to tell you but it may have to wait until our return to the CLE!

Good Bye, Arkansas...HELLO TENNESSEE!!!!!

We departed Russellville, Arkansas with another clear, cool morning!  Hooray!  About 5 or 10 miles down I-40, I noticed an Arkansas State Trooper in the median.  Tom and I have had our cruise set at about 80 for this entire trip, but we backed off a little when we saw him.  As we passed, I saw his brake lights go on as he put it in "Drive" and pulled out in our direction.  Crap!  My thoughts immediately went to my trusty pistola I keep in my saddlebag.  I THINK Arkansas is a reciprocal state, honoring my Ohio concealed carry permit.  But I'm not POSITIVE offhand.  Crap.  Do I tell him right off the bat like I'm supposed to and then get in trouble if my permit is no good here?  Or do I NOT tell him and get in trouble when he spots it as I'm getting my wallet out of that saddlebag.  Crap!  My purse and some bandanas are covering the gun, maybe I can get my wallet out without him seeing it.  Crap.  I keep an eye out for him in my rear-view mirror and after about another 10 miles I breathe a sigh of relief.  He's nowhere in sight.  Did he pull someone else over?  Who the Hell was going faster than us?  We were passing everyone!  Whew!  Note to self....study up on the reciprocal states before traveling!
Sometime during one of our gas stops I noticed my sunglasses had broke.  The frame snapped just above the lens.  Actually Tom's sunglasses had broke.  I was borrowing them because MY sunglasses broke.  They too, snapped by the lens!  CRAP!!!!!  Both pairs are WileyX and cost about $145 each!  Why does this keep happening?!?!?  When I"M wearing them!?!?!  Tom suggested that we stop in Jackson, TN at Bumpus Harley Davidson to buy me some new shades.  We've been to that dealership several times during past travels so we knew just where it was.  Of course, for the whole day I was saying to myself  "SONS OF BITCHES.....BUMPUSES!!!!!!"  (Remember the Bumpus hounds in "A Christmas Story"?)  So on we rode!  The skies began to get overcast but without the threat of rain.  Perfect!

The traffic wasn't TOO bad considering all the trucks.  We were on a schedule to get to Memphis before the lunch rush at Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken!  THE BEST FRIED CHICKEN EVER!!!!!  Last time we were there our pal "Just-Plain" Bill Curran ate there....TWICE!  (Bill doesn't like any seasonings, sauces, dressings, ANYTHING on his food.....thus "Just Plain Bill"!)  I swear they put crack in the seasoning because I CRAVE this chicken!!! The drawback is that EVERYONE else craves this chicken, too, so the wait is usually ridiculously long and the service is SLOW....but so worth the wait!  Ordinarily it wouldn't be a big deal, but since we were just passing through, and gross and smelly from the road, and wanting to get to Nashville plenty early, I was so hoping to beat the rush!  Soon I could see the bridge leading to the Tennessee State Line that dumps you off right in Memphis!  Woo Hoo!

Beat the lunch rush we did!  We got there at about 11:30 with only a 20 minute wait!  WooHoo!  We ordered some fried green tomatoes right off the bat while we decided how much chicken we wanted to order!  I decided to go with 2 thighs and 2 legs.  The plates come with 2 sides and bread, so I was hoping my eyes weren't bigger than my belly, as is usually the case!  I wanted to order as much as I could because I have no idea when we'll be back in Memphis again!  Tom said that I was like a chipmunk, trying to store chicken in my cheeks to take with me!  Bahahhahaa!!!!

After gorging ourselves on fried chicken goodness, we signed their guestbook and took off.  (But not before I took a some Pepto-Bismol!  I don't usually eat a whole lot of fried stuff and I didn't want "issues" whilst on the road!)
Back on I-40 we headed....destination BUMPUS HD!  Luckily, the glasses were holding up thus far.  I didn't dare touch them for fear of the lens popping out and looking like Ghouldardi for the remainder of the trip!
As we approached Jackson, we got rained on a little bit.  Just enough to soak the bottom of my jeans.  No Biggie.  We pulled into Bumpus Harley Davidson, snapped some photos, quickly picked out some new shades for me, and headed out the door.  The ones I picked out are smaller than my old ones.  I think they look like dog-goggles but Tom says they look OK on me.  I think he just said that to get me out the door!

Before long we were here in NASHVILLE!  I LOVE this city!  I have more to tell you but I have to get cleaned up so we can go eat and listen to music!  Tomorrow I'll tell you all about meeting our friend David Brown from Indiana, meeting up with our local friends here, and lunch at the amazing Willie Mae's BBQ!    Tune in tomorrow!!!!

Dances With Trucks

We departed Gallup, NM bright and early Tuesday morn! Destination, Amarillo, Texas! Home of the Big Texan Steak Ranch! We had reservations at the Big Texan Motel, which I've heard is delightfully cheesy! We were last through Amarillo 2 years ago and we ate at the Big Texan, but didn't stay at their compound. (Last trip, we opted for a free Big Texan shuttle in a limo with horns on the grill!). But I'm getting way ahead of myself! Back to Gallup!
We departed in the cool morning air.  Cool enough to throw on the jacket and the full-faced helmet!  I could've probably used the chaps, too!  Not complaining!  Remember kidz, Cold is Good!  Cool weather = happy motorcycle & happy rider!  There was a bunch of New Mexico nothingness until we got to Albuquerque.  Albuquerque was quite bustling with traffic!  More so than I expected there to be.  They have some really cool looking freeway overpasses!  They're terra cotta colored with turquios accents!  Very southwestern.  Shocking, I know!  Before long, we were back into New Mexico nothingness!  The last time we came this way, we took secondary routes, which were much more scenic and less-traveled.  I find the interstate to be monotonous and boring at times, but when we're on a tight schedule, we have to take the more boring route.  I noticed some refineries there.  Stinky.  Huge stinky operations!  I also noticed the wildlife warning signs.  First was the deer crossing, then the elk crossing signs.  I sure would hate to hit an elk!  As we neared the eastern border, the winds started to really pick up.  When we crossed into Texas, they were BRUTAL!  You'll notice my lack of pictures from the past two days' travels!  It was "2-hands on the handlebars at all times" traveling!  The winds were bad enough on their own, but I-40 is a huge truck -route, and the semi-trucks made for some challenging travel.  Our bikes were at a 45-degree angle for about 150 miles nonstop, and when we'd pass a truck, I could feel the side draft pull me in and then shove me back away when I'd get to the cab.  Then I'd have to muscle the beast over in front of the truck I had just passed.  This went on forever, it seemed.  Tom rides in front of me, so I'd wait until he got just about to the cab before I'd start my pass, then I would hammer it past!  One truck really got slammed by a gust just as Tom was next to it.  I swear the right side tires came off the ground!  Maybe not, but it sure was scary!  For the last 50 miles, it felt like I had a blow-torch pointed up my right nostril!  I noticed the tops of all the trees were permanently bent toward the north so this brutal wind is obviously the norm.  I couldn't wait to get to our hotel, and finally....there it was!  The Big Texan!
We pulled into the lot to find about 30-or so motorcycles already there.  Great.  With my luck it would be a Mongols convention!  I surveyed the crowd and determined them to be harmless, however!  The majority of the bikes were parked in one pack, and there happened to be an empty spot next to them right in front of our room!  On the other side of us was a lone bike, with a couple nearby it, taking pictures.  They both were wearing Motorhead t-shirts, and she seemed to be loud.  But I couldn't understand was she was saying.  I surmised they were foreign.

We got settled into our delightfully cheesy room!  Heavy on the western theme, complete with swinging doors that lead into the bathroom area!  How fun!  And fun they were.  Until about the 3rd time we had to walk through them!  We quickly found out that they were loud, heavy, pains in the ass!  Especially whilst carrying coffee!

...side note and backtrack....the whole area in New Mexico and into Texas struck me as being full of cheesy, chatztke-filled fun stuff!  I almost forgot to tell you about our lunch stop at "Cline's Corners", one of those delightful chatzke-filled tourist traps with awesome Mexican food.  I felt like we stepped into 1960!  When we gassed up there, on the other side of the pump was a car full of monks.  Young guys with nice haircuts and sylish glasses.  If not for the grey hooded burlap robes, large wooden crosses and sandals I would have never pegged them as monks!  When we got off the bikes Tom gave one a nod and said "how ya doin'?"  "Pretty good", he replied!  He spoke!  I hope that Tom didn't send him to eternal damnation by making him speak!  I wish we had more time to check out the various tourist traps and goofy museums!  Damn that interstate!
OK....back to the Big Texan, where we were getting ready for dinner.  (Which required multiple trips through the swinging doors!)
The Big Texan is known for its "Free" 72 OZ Steak.  Free, that is, if you can eat the entire thing along with the side dishes within an hour.  Here's the details!
Joey Chestnut has the record.  He did it in 8 minutes and 52 seconds!!!!  Crazy!
Once inside the restaurant, we were immediately serenaded by the strolling trio-bass, fiddle & guitar.  They played Orange Blossom Special for us.  (Which I heard about 6 other times after that for other patrons as we dined!)

We were seated near the huge group of bikers from our hotel.  There were at least 30 of them, and I detected accents and foreign languages.  We found out that they were from Switzerland, touring the USA on bikes!  How fun!  They ranged in age from our age, (late-30's) to 70-ish.  I then noticed a separate table with more bikers.  This was a smaller group, maybe about 20 of them.  They seemed foreign, too but didn't seem to be with the other group.  They were younger and looked more bad-ass.  Some of them had braided beards and they wore more leather.  The first group appeared  to be more wholesome, all sporting their brand-new Tripp's Harley Davidson dealer T's from just down the street!
We found out the OTHER group is from Finland!  I guess it was just a coincidence that they all ended up at the Big Texan on the same night!
We never did find out their whole story.  I was wishing our pal Bill Curran was with us.  He would've gathered all the intelligence on them!
After dinner we wandered back to our room, where I noticed the foreign couple that were taking pictures earlier were just now heading to dinner....not with the big group.  Hmmmnnn...are they "with" the Switzerland crowd but are just opting for alone-time?  I feel like I'm in a foreign country!
Tom and I wandered around the compound, taking pictures & such.

While heading back toward our room I noticed 2 tourists by our bikes, taking pix!  Hahahahaa!  (I'm trying to load the video I captured of said tourists but the internets here at the Hampton is not cooperating!  Check back later if you don't see it now!)

We turned in for the night, in preparation for a 500+ mile day ahead of us on Wednesday.  We were sure to watch the season premier of "Sons of Anarchy" before getting some shut-eye!  (It was strange to watch a flat-screen TV on the backdrop of cheesy western wallpaper!)

Unfortunately, not much sleep was to be for me due to the loud air conditioner and lack of pillows!  Ugh.  Oh Well.  

Wednesday morning came much too quickly!  The big group from Switzerland were at breakfast with us, as were the Finland group.  Surprisingly, both groups were packed and ready to go quickly!  Traveling in a group is usually comparable to herding cats, so I was impressed by their organization! Both groups had left the compound, separately, but the picture-taking couple was left behind.  I heard Tom say to the guy "I figured you guys were with that group".  The guy didn't speak much English.  The female half stepped in to answer...They weren't with either group.  They're from Italy, had just gotten married, and are here for their honeymoon!  They rented a Heritage Softail and are spending a month doing a 7000+ mile trip from New York to San Diego, with a visit to Vegas and also Route 66 along the way!  HOW COOL IS THAT!!!  They were so happy!  (And I was AMAZED at how little luggage they had for a 1-month road trip!  We're spoiled by our big bikes!)  She spoke excellent English, although she kept apologizing because she felt that she didn't speak "American" very well!  We compared riding here vs. riding in Italy.  She noticed that we weren't wearing helmets and they both seemed surprised that some states don't require them.  She also said that riding here is much safer than riding in Europe.  People drive even more stupid over there!  We bid them farewell and safe travels....and congratulations...and headed on our way!

We headed East on I-40 into another pleasantly cool morning!  YAY for cool temps!  (Last time we came through these parts it was 106 brutal degrees!)

After we got out of Amarillo, there was a lot of Texas nothingness.  Not too different from New Mexico nothingness!  Again, no pictures because of the WIND!  We reached Oklahoma and the wind was even more fierce!  "OOOOoooklahoma, where the wind comes screaming in your lane!"  Those aren't the words?  They should be!  

Between yesterday and today, we rode over 900 miles and spent about 400 of those miles wrestling handlebars and dancing with trucks!

We finally made it to our stop for the night in Russellville, Arkansas.  A happening spot it is not!  Fine with me.  I'm WHOOPED!  Tomorrow.....NASHVILLE!!!

Heading back East....

I'm baaaack!!!  Did ya miss me!?!?!  When I last left you kidz, we were preparing for Cathy's BIG BIRTHDAY DINNER!  We went to a restaurant called Claim Jumpers in the Town Square shopping section in Vegas.  Town Square is pretty nifty...like a Crocker Park or Legacy Village back home.  Some of Bob & Cathy's friends met us there and joined us for dinner.  The food was AWESOME!  The portions were HUGE!  The service SUCKED!  Oh well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad!  Everyone scattered afterward and we went to a local joint called the Blue Hawk Tavern before returning to the homestead.  We had an early morning planned for riding the next day, so that was fine with me!  Especially after I donated so much to the casinos in the days prior!

The Terwilligers and the Tvrdiks at Claim Jumpers!

We woke up Saturday ready to ride!  Have I mentioned HOW HOT IT IS THERE?!?!?!  Have I mentioned that I have NO IDEA HOW YOU PEOPLE LIVE THERE?!?!  Hahaha!!!  Seriously!  That heat just ain't for me!  We took a ride to the Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings, NV.  Tom & I were last there in 2006 with our pals Bill & Sue Curran.  It was freezing last time we were there!  I wished I was freezing that day!  The Pioneer Saloon is a really neat place.  It was where Clark Gable waited for word of Carol Lombard's fate after her plane crashed into the nearby mountain.  There's a bunch of old articles and paraphernalia, and a pot-belly stove, which I remember being warmed by back in 2006.  No need for the pot-belly stove today!  We found out that next May is the Centennial Celebration for the Pioneer Saloon!  They've removed a chunk of the mountain where Carol Lombard crashed and are selling commemorative numbered bricks for $25.  If you donate/buy one, your name will be added to a historical marker placed near the chunk of mountain!  The History Channel is set to film the festivities next May, and Google Street View will be by, so I can zoom in from back home in Cleveland to make sure our names are on there!  (Oh, yes...by the way...we donated/purchased a brick!)  We were also offered the chance to send an envelope to be placed in a time capsule which will be opened in May of 2113!  We could leave a note for our future family members if we want!  Pretty neat!  The man at the Saloon was explaining that Goodsprings was the happening place to be until the 1920's.  That's when Vegas took over!
Here's some info on the Pioneer Saloon!

From the Pioneer we took a ride to a place called Mountain Springs Saloon in the Red Rock Canyon area.  It sure was pretty there!  With all kinds of signs warning of wildlife.  I'd hate to ride through there at night!  It was MUCH cooler there, too!  I was loving that part! The Mountain Springs Saloon is a true biker bar.  More like a biker compound!  There was the main bar, then another out-building that sold t-shirts & such, then another building that had food to order from a window.  We sat outside by the food building and Tom & I split a bacon/mushroom quesadilla because I was STARVING!  (Shocking, I know!)  A few of the patrons had their dogs there.  It was really laid back.  After some time, about 15 new bikes pulled in, and not long after a bad-ass looking dude with a HUMONGOUS knife on his side came back to where we were sitting and quickly went back toward the parking lot.  Hmmmmm.  Wonder who he's with.  Didn't see any colors on him.  A short time later we were ready to head back into the heat that is Las Vegas, so Tom & I decided to stop back in the bar on our way out for some ice water.  I walked in the door to find the place wall-to-wall with Mongols.  CRAP!  I'm not gonna turn around and walk right back out, dammit.  Not gonna show them that they scare the crap outta me!  So we wait at the bar for some water.  And wait.  And wait.  The Mongols are all getting waited on before us....understandably!  The bartender is no fool!  So I wait with a huge pit in my stomach and a VERY uneasy feeling about the whole scene!  Most of the patches are still brand-new looking, which worries me even more, because the newbies probably feel that they have more to prove.  Crap.  After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, we decided to leave.  Without water.  I'm not intimidated by many people or clubs.  These cats managed scared the bejesus out of me just by their mere presence!  

A few minutes later we were thankfully back on the road, heading back toward Vegas.  Our next stop was at Bachi Burger, which was featured on Guy Fieri's Triple-D!  Tom and I split an order of Peking Duck steam buns and a Kalbi Burger, which was messy and loaded with Kim Chi.  (Did I spell that correctly!?!?!)  Anyhow....Super spicy!  And delish!  After returning to the homestead yet again, we got cleaned up and headed for the M Casino and then to South Point  I kept winning at M.  Unfortunately, whatever I won there I would promptly give to a different casino the next day!  Duh.  By 10:00 I was tired and ready to crash.  I never did adjust from Cleveland time.  Ugh!  Back to Casa De Tvrdik for us!  

Then came SUNDAY!  BROWNS FOOTBALL DAY!  WooHoo!!!  Steve picked us up and took us out to the Sun Coast Casino to watch the game.  We got there plenty early and requested that the bartender turn the Browns game on for us, which he did.  Unfortunately, I played the video poker machine for the entire game, which cost me $200.00.  (Actually, it cost me more than $300.00 because I gave back whatever I won!)  By the end of the game, I felt like I was back home at Browns Stadium....Broke, Buzzed, and Disappointed!  Such is the life of a Browns fan!  We hit the In-N-Out burger drive through on the way back "home"!  Hooray!  Double-Double, baby!!!  We said "farewell" to Steve.  Hopefully he'll make it back home for Thanksgiving this year!  The rest of Sunday was spent horizontal on the couch, watching the tube! Perfect!  Here's some miscellaneous pix!

Bella Kisses!   Kissy Kissy Kissy!

Everyone loves the pool!

Steve, looking aloof as always!

Monday morning we woke up bright and early, ready to pack it up and head back east.  :-(  I didn't want to leave.  Bob had just gotten home from work as we were packing the bikes.  Good bye, Bob & Cathy!  Good bye, Abbie & Bella!  Thanks so much for the hospitality!  And down the road we roared!  It was a surprisingly cool, pleasant ride into Arizona!  Riding the bridge over Hoover Dam was a little scary for me.  Lots o' wind.  Luckily I couldn't see over the edge of the bridge but I could only imagine how high we were! We reached the Arizona border and ditched the helmets!  Hooray!

Even into Arizona, the weather was still comfortable!  As we approached Flagstaff, it was even slightly chilly!  I guess Flagstaff is high altitude?!?!  I know nothing of the topography out here and I'm always surprised by the terrain!  We got a little bit of rain on us, but not enough to pull over and suit up.....yet!  As we crested on of the mountain-like hills, I saw ahead what was either fog or heavy rain in the mountains ahead.  Crap.  So off we pull at the next exit, Devil Dog Road,  and put on just the top half of our rain suits and the full-face helmets. I was JUST saying as we left Bob & Cathy's that I hope we get a chance to wear these things since we dragged them all the way across the country!  Well, here's our chance!  

Look!  We're NASCAR drivers now!

I'm glad we opted for the full-facers!  Those things are awesome in the rain!  We stopped for lunch at a Mexican Restaurant in Flagstaff.  I ordered the special, pork tacos with mango, avocado, cilantro, etc....The waiter said they were spicy and asked if that would be OK.  Sure!  I like spicy!  HOLY HELL!!!!!  Those were the spiciest things I've ever ate!  Actually, I couldn't eat them!  All I could taste was HOT!  I loaded up on chips, rice & beans.  Dammit.  Those things looked so good, too.  We departed the restaurant and threw the full-facers back on.  The skies were still looking evil in spots and it's hard to tell which way the road is going to bend...away from it or straight at it!  I kept my bandanna on my head and put the helmet on over it, just as I always do.  Well, something went awry this time because about 5 miles down I-40, my bandanna managed to work its way over my eyes!  I tried shoving my hand up under the chin but could only make it to my nose.  I tried pulling at it from the back but those full facers are so tight, there was no way this thing was budging! How did this happen!?!?!  So I tipped my head back and looked down my nose at the road ahead.  I pulled up next to Tom and managed to get his attention to pull off at the next exit, which was luckily only 1/2 mile away! He wasn't sure what the problem was so when we stopped, I slid the tinted face shield up to show him my bandanna blindfold!  Bahahaa!!!!!!  Too funny!  OK....Crisis averted and back down the road we roll! Even after we passed through the crap weather and the sun broke again, we kept the helmets on as we headed for Gallup.  The gas I had remaining would probably JUST make it to the hotel but Tom always gets crappier mileage than I do, so I figured we'd make one more gas stop before our nightly destination.  I had 20 miles to go, 15, 10...he still wasn't stopping.  The skies were looking crappy again....My reserver then switched to "LO".....which means "Get Gas NOW, stupid"!  If mine was on "LO", Tom's must be EXTRA LO!  We pull off our exit and into our hotel lot, just as the winds pick up and the rain comes!  Whew!  Awesome timing!  I have no idea how but we managed to get 236 miles out of that tank!  Woo Hoo!

As I type, it's Tuesday morning.  We're pretty much packed and ready to leave our hotel room.  Tonight....Amarillo and the Big Texan!  YAY!
........Let's just hope we make it to the gas station, first!

Hanging out in Sin City!

Hi kidz! We've been chillin' the past couple days here in fabulous Las Vegas! Nothing too rip-roaring thus far, which is just fine with me! My body's internal clock is still out of whack so I've been wide awake waaaay to early every day that we've been here. (Those that know me well know that I REALLY appreciate being able to sleep late whenever I can!).
Bob & Cathy are awesome hosts! I'm quite comfy here and loving the fact that I get my dog fix! We've been hanging with my brother for the past couple days. Yesterday he picked Tom & I up and we did some light gambling on the strip, ate a HUMONGOUS Italian buffet lunch, then spent the rest of the afternoon/evening in a food coma at his place! We watched "The Dictator" with Sasha Baron Cohn. Word of advice, if you've never seen it, DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME!!!! What a stupid movie! He dropped us back off at Casa de Tvrdik and then picked us up again this morning to hit the strip again. He literally did not stop the car as we got in! Lol! He's such an ass!

 The strip was very mean to both me and Tom today. We donated a ton of $$$$ to those poor casinos! At least they'll be able to pay their air conditioning bill this month, thanks to us! Of course I complained all day about this God-Awful heat! How do these people live out here!?!?! And of course my brother punched me in the arm each time I complained! It sure is great to see Steve again! Hahaa! He said I've turned into my Grandmother! He never punched Grandma in the arm every time she complained, though! After a few hours of donating to the strip in the God Awful heat, I was ready to return to Bob & Cathy's to relax a bit before dinner tonight. (Cathy's big birthday dinner!!!!!) Steve drove us back to their house and was kind enough to stop the car this time as we exited! As I type this the dogs are wrasslin, Tom's facebooking on the laptop, and Bob's playing his bass in the other room. I think Cathy's either napping or showering. We're out of control, I tell ya! Hahaaha!
OK, kidz! Catch ya tomorrow. Maybe?

Viva Las Vegas!

Tuesday morning we woke up bright and early with plans to leave Richfield, Utah super-early as to beat the Vegas heat the best we could!  We did the re-pack & re-load routine that we're all too familiar with!  It's amazing when we check into a room, within 5 minutes it looks as though our luggage exploded.  Crap everywhere.  When it's time to check out, it's equally amazing how quickly everything finds its place once again!  One of these days I'd like to do some time-lapse pix!  Haha!
We left into the cool, sunny morning.  ANOTHER perfect riding day!  We've been really lucky with the weather thus far and I'm grateful for it!  Utah continues to be beautiful!  We pass the Kanub/Bryce Canyon exit.  That's where Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is!  I've been donating to them monthly for the past 20 years and I've visited once before.  Although, for that visit we had a bout of food poisoning the day before caused by a Barbecue shrimp pizza from Spago's at Caesar's, so the visit wasn't nearly as awesome as it should've been! Had I known it was on our route, I would've planned for another, more enjoyable visit!

As we approached the Zion area, I could see rain up ahead.  The road twisted & turned.  Every time I thought we were heading away from it, the road would twist again right toward it.  Damn.  Our weather luck had apparently run out!  Then the lightning bolts appeared.  One screamer of a bolt cracked in unison with a crack of a drum beat on a Megadeth tune on my iPod.  I just about wet my pants!  I saw a bolt that branched off into 2 bolts!  Fun stuff!  We each get our own bolt!

Tom started giving me signals, asking if I want to pull off.  I kept giving him the palm-up shrug!  Dammit!  I can see clear skies ahead!  We're making good time!  If we can hammer past this we'll be good to go!  But the lightning!  Damn the lightning!  I can handle getting wet.  Getting electrocuted?  Not so much.  So I throw on my turn signal as the next exit approached.  I figure we can't discuss whether or not to pull off while going 80 mph!  As we're exiting, I see Zion Harley-Davidson!  Perfect!  So we pull in, park, and buy a couple T-Shirts!  It drizzled a little bit outside as we were shopping, and the weather was clear by the time we were ready to roll!  Great timing!   

The weather got considerably warmer by the time we reached St. George.  Then Arizona was sweltering!  But the scenery was still awesome so I didn't mind so much!

We reached the Nevada border.  Helmet time.  Ugh.  Welcome to Nevada!  Now throw on that helmet and bake your brain!  From the Border to Vegas there was no exciting scenery.  Brown.  Lots of brown.  Flat brown.  Ugh.  We DID pass the Las Vegas Speedway!  Last time we were there in 2006 for the Cup race we got snowed upon!  I wish we were getting snowed upon about now!  We got into the city and luckily we were getting in at an odd hour during the week because traffic was light.  I was expecting the worst and it wasn't all that bad!  

We pulled into Bob & Cathy's driveway and Bob greeted us!  Hooray!  I knew I was filthy and smelly so I gave him a handshake instead of a hug!  We came into the house to see their chocolate lab, Abbie (Gunther's best friend!) and I finally got to meet their latest addition, Bella!  I get my puppy fix!  Hooray!  I so miss my Gunther! Cathy greeted us then!  She got a handshake, too!  (Seriously...we were NASTY!)  After BS-ing for a bit, we pulled our bikes in the garage to keep Bob's bike company, unloaded our crap, and hit the shower!

After we got presentable, we all hopped in their car and headed down to M Casino for a bite to eat before Bob had to go to sleep.  (He works nights dealing poker at South Point Casino.)

We sat at the 32 degree bar, where Bob & Cathy know everyone!  I stuck a $20 in the machine in front of me to play some video poker.  My first deal gave me 4 Jacks!  Woo Hoo!  Cash Out...I'm going home now!  Hahahaha!

We headed back to the Casa de Tvrdik...their house....hitting the liquor store along the way.  Bob went to sleep while Tom & Cathy & I sat around the pool with the dogs. 

 I was exhausted and ready to go to bed by 9 pm!  The tequila wasn't helping to keep me awake, either!   I was hoping to stay awake at least until Bob got up to go to work but that was not happening!  I found my way to the bedroom and crashed!  I woke up at about 4:30 am, wide awake!  Damn.  Still on Cleveland time!  I managed to fall back to sleep until about 6:30 am.  I was up for good then.  Bah.  The 4 of us drank coffee and hung out for a bit before showering and heading back to M Casino.  Today is Cathy's birthday and the people at M have a carrot cake cupcake waiting for her!  

We enjoyed Hibiscus drinks (Champagne & Cranberry) and then I switched to beer. And I won more money on the same machine I was playing yesterday! 

From there we headed up the road to the Boulevard and had some lunch.  And tequila.  And another beer.  The Boulevard is awesome because the owner has Cleveland ties, so there is a WMMS Buzzard statue behind the bar, lots of Browns & Indians paraphernalia, and scenes of the Cleveland skyline.  

And they have awesome food!  Tom & I shared a HUMONGOUS Margarita style pizza.  Tom & I had plans to meet my brother for a buffet dinner later....when he called and I told him I was day-drinking he kinda figured the buffet plans were on hold!  I still was up for it!  Until we came back to the house to nap.  That was it.  I was done for the day!  

 As I type this, we're hanging out watching football in very comfortable clothing while Bob sleeps!  We're party animals!  Watch out!  Tomorrow we'll meet up with my bro Steve bright and early and spend the day with him! Hopefully my lucky streak will continue, too!

Talk to ya soon and thanks for coming along!

Oh yeah.....we went for a swim before the nap!  I almost forgot!  Ooops!  Damn Day-Drinking!

OK...that is all for today!  See ya!

See ya, Husker-land! HELLO COLORADO!!!! (And UTAH!)

Hi again, Kidz!  Thanks for coming back to join me!  May I suggest getting comfy, perhaps with a spot of tea, a cup o' joe, or a beer because I have to give you TWO days worth of activities in ONE looong blog!  Much fun these past 2 days!  Hang on.....Here we go!
We woke up bright and early at the Best Western in Kearney, Nebraska. We headed to the attached restaurant, free breakfast coupons in hand, to get some grub!  The staff was friendly, the food was average free breakfast fare, but the decor and the vibe from the other customers...YIKES!  It was dark and creepy!  A guy walked in with his family...all I could think of was "sister-wives"!  He was super-skinny, wearing dark dress slacks and a button-down white dress shirt, his longish grey hair slicked back.  The women wore long skirts with their waist-length hair pulled back into low ponytails.  The man asked the waitress if she had something he could put his sausage in! Bahahahahhaa!!!  He phrased it just like that!  Hahahha!!!  What he was really asking for was a "to-go" container so he could enjoy his sausage whilst driving.  (At least that's what I HOPE he meant!)  Anyhow, the place made me feel like I was on the set of "From Dusk Till Dawn"!  At any minute I expected the locals to start morphing into vampires!  Good thing Tom & I were both packing.  Although, I'm not sure how much power 9 mm or .45 cal have against the undead!  Just then, the pack of bikers from Ohio & Missouri walked in!  We met them the day before at a gas stop.  Hooray!  We have back-up!  (Unless...Unless they're one of "THEM"!)  We chatted with them for a while.  They were heading for Deadwood...their first time there. I was sure to tell them to do the "Alkali Ike" Bus Tour in downtown Deadwood.  Although, it was early, and my mouth wasn't yet awake, because it came out "Alkali Ike Butt Tour"!  God help me!!  Hahahhahahaa!  The Ohio half of the group was from Toledo.  Over the course of the conversation we told them we work for Solon.  One of the women bought a horse from someone in Solon!  SMALL WORLD, I say!!!  We bid them farewell and safe travels before heading back to our room to finish packing and loading the bikes.  (Side note...second floor with no elevator.  Bah!)

When I last left you, I was commenting about how Nebraska wasn't nearly as dull as I imagined it would be.  Well, I stand corrected.  From Kearney west to the Colorado border, Nebraska was everything I'd imagined it would be!  Corn..Corn...more corn....very sad-looking dry, brown corn....a herd of cows here and there, which ALWAYS make me smile!  I usually wave or yell "Hello ladies" or "Hello boys" to them!  I'm sure they're tired of hearing the same old "MOOO!".  I can just imagine them rolling their eyes, thinking "how cliche"!  As monotonous as the scenery was, the weather was perfect!  Not too warm, it was early, I was refreshed, the traffic was light and courteous, the road was smooth and the tunes from my iPod were awesome!  I had the cruise control set at about 80 and my feet on the highway pegs.  At times like this, when you're just humming along effortlessly, you almost forget that you're in charge of this 900 pound beast!  Seriously!  I feel like a passenger sometimes when I get in "The Zone"!

As we neared the Colorado line, the wind was pretty brutal coming from the north.  I could imagine the one side of my tires wearing out...I felt the need to go back the other way to even them out!   We finally crossed the Colorado line and pulled off at the first exit to shed those awful helmets!  We pulled into a Shell station to do so and another couple pulled in not far behind us.  The guy was on a Fat Boy and the gal was on a Road King....both with insane custom Green Bay Packers paint jobs, the guy had a GB helmet, and GB patches on his vest.  They pulled up to the pump, turned 'em off, and Tom asked "Where you guys from?"  Bahahaha!  Of course they were from Wisconsin, on their way to visit friends in Arizona.  We chatted for a bit before parting ways.  I noticed that SHE was carrying ALL the luggage on her Road King while he had nothing on his Fat Boy....Hmmmnnn..not fair!  LOL!

Eastern Colorado

As we ventured into Colorado I noticed a street sign that stated "Bicycles-stay far to the right"  What?!?!  We're on the interstate!  Who would ride a bicycle up here?  There's nothing around and a bazillon miles between exits!  (And lots of coyote road-kill on the side of the road!)  Sure enough, about 10 miles later I see 2 guys on bicycles on the opposite side of the interstate!  NO WAY!  That's hard core!  The front bicycle guy must've seen me staring at them across the median because he gave me a wave.  I had to wave back! Props to those guys!  First time I ever gave "The Wave" to a guy on a bicycle!

We stopped in Sterling, Colorado for gas & lunch. We had no idea where to eat, and we're not fans of fast-food, so Tom asked the gas station cashier for ideas.  We were pointed to the River City Grill, which we would've NEVER found on our own!  It was a couple miles off the beaten path.  They had AWESOME food!  Note to travelers....don't settle for fast food offerings directly off the interstate!  Ask the locals for suggestions!

   

Fun with Tom & Dawn Terwilliger

We pulled into our hotel in Golden fairly early, but I needed time to relax for a bit and get cleaned up for our big night out!  We had dinner plans with the OTHER Terwilligers and the Beliveaus!  We met Tom & Dawn Terwilliger and Jay & Kelly Beliveau at the Table Mountain Grill & Cantina in Golden.  What a fun night!  It was a shame that we didn't have more time to spend together!  It was our first time meeting Tom's wife Dawn and Kelly's husband Jay.  It was Tom's first time meeting Kelly, and it was Kelly & Jay's first time meeting the OTHER Terwilligers!  We tried to meet and catch up the best we could in a few short hours, we laughed, ate, laughed some more, and took pictures before parting ways.  The other Tom Terwilliger wanted to see our bikes before we left, so he and Dawn come rolling up to our bikes in his car.  A Ford Edge.  YES!  The other Tom Terwilliger rolls in a Ford Edge, too!  These two Toms are too much!!!!

Fun with Jay & Kelly Bileveau

 Monday morning comes around....time for us to head for our next stop in Utah.  We start off on I-70 West, into the Rockies.  It was so HOT when we left our hotel, but as we continued higher, it got cooler.  (Of course!)  I had on my usual light-weight long-sleeved fishing shirt.  I saw other bikes heading eastbound...they were all bundled up in leathers.  Hmmmmm... I started to get even chillier.  No big deal.  I'd MUCH rather be too cold than too hot.  Finally I saw a bike heading the other way on which both the rider & passenger were dressed like eskimos. (One learns to observe what the opposite-direction bikers are wearing to better gauge the weather you will be hitting!)  At this point, I was thinking maybe I should don my leather.  Luckily, Tom was thinking the same thing!  He pulled off at the next exit...Idaho Springs...and we quickly threw on our leather jackets.  We continued on...up...I was getting even more chilly.  I packed my chaps.  They were in my saddlebag.  A lot of good they were doing me there!  I saw signs along the side of the road with parking spots for trucks to chain their tires.  That only means one thing.  We're going higher and it's going to be getting colder!  Sure enough....I'm freezing!  (But I'd STILL rather be freezing than roasting!  In fact, I'm appreciating every cold mile because I have a feeling we'll be SWELTERING the rest of this trip!)  I see signs warning that proper equipment is required by law from that point foward!  What's proper equipment?  Am I in violation?  Hahaha!  I see another sign offering a bighorn sheep viewing area. I'd love to view some bighorn sheep, but it's not to be.  We're on a mission to get to Richfield, Utah.  The only wildlife I've seen so far were a couple prairie dogs near Denver.  By an Interstate entrance ramp.  WTF?  Are these things like squirrels here?  We're climbing higher and we're about to enter a tunnel, I've got the throttle cranked back and it's hardly responding because of the altitude!  "Captain!  I'm giving it all she's got!"  We are thrust into this tunnel...a VERY LONG tunnel!  My bearings are not what they should be.  It's dark, I've got a semi on one side and a wall on the other, I hear my RPM's souding like they're way up there...I look down and I'm doing 60.  I kick it up to 6th gear...or so I thought....RPM's still high...crap...NOW I kick it up to 6th gear!  I was screaming along at 60 mph in 4th gear!  I'm sorry transmission!  Please don't revolt!  We finally get spit out of the Loooong tunnel into what feels like a deep freeze!  It's sooooo cold, but sooooo beautiful!  I want to take pix!  But hands...so...cold...can't...get...camera...out...of.....pocket!!!!  I get Tom's attention to pull over to put on our chaps.  I lugged my chaps all the way from Ohio....I'm gonna wear them if I need them, dammit!  We pulled over at a scenic pull-off and there we met a couple from Illinois.  We chatted a bit and took pix for each other. He has a bike just like Tom's.  He wanted to ride it from Illinois but his wife wasn't keen on the idea.  Hopefully we helped change her mind for next time!

Words cannot describe the beautiful the ride through the Rockies!  Every turn offered something new for the eyes!  From lush green pines to slate grey stone to red rocks to brown with scrubby trees.  I was in AWE!!!!!  As we were were motoring along, an SUV pulls beside to pass, only doesn't pass me and just hangs next to me.  I look over and in the passenger seat is an elderly Indian woman looking at me like I have 3 heads!  (Indian woman as in...from India.  Not Native American!)  SO I smile and wave and then she breaks into a big smile and waves back at me!  Pretty funny!  I love when we pass minivans full of kids, especially little girls, giving me "the look of awe"!  I'm always sure to wave at them!  I'd like to imagine the conversation in the car going something like this "Mom!  Dad!  Can I get a motorcyc....."  "NO!" the parents interrupt in unison!  Bahahaa!  In my opinion, the more motorcycles there are on the road the less sucky drivers will be!
The rest of the ride through the Rockies was incredible!  The traffic was light and we were able to get on them a little through the twisties...fun stuff!  Again, the traffic was courteous, except for one jackwagon that thought the assured clear distance between me & Tom was enough to wedge his car into!  REALLY?!?!?!  You see 2 bikes loaded with luggage....why would you shoe-horn your car between them and then STAY THERE!?!?!  I passed him and gave him the bad-eye along with a few choice words!  I tried to take more pix but now I had gloves on.  Really hard to work the camera with gloves but I managed to get a few shots in!  As we were descending, the climate warmed and we got rid of the cold-weather gear. I mentioned to Tom that if the Safety Captain were with us, she would probably just be cresting the summit! The Safety Captain is our pal Cyndi. We have a tendency to lose her when we road trip with her and her guy Dan-O!.  We stopped outside of Grand Junction for fuel.  For us and the bikes! Side note....WE GOT 322 Miles on that tank of gas!  And I had 48 to go till empty!  WOW!!!!  I think the Rockies are some kind of fuel-milage alternate universe wormhole because I usually get about 210 miles from a tank on a good day!  For grub, we found a place called Uncle Nubb's!  I opted for the BLT and ice water instead of the burger and beer that I really wanted!  I didn't want to be nodding off like yesterday with a belly full of food and the sun in my eyes!  Good choice, as we headed into Utah there was 100 miles of NOTHING!  It was as beautiful as the Rockies!  The canyons, the colors, and the rock formations were incredible!  We were doing about 75 or 80 and a pig hauler comes hauling-ass past us.  Poor pigs.  They're jammed in there, getting jostled around...makes me sad.  I can easily never eat pork...if not for bacon!  So the pig hauler is in front of us.  And pig haulers smell AWFUL!  Much worse than cow haulers!  And at least with cow haulers I like to imagine that they're just Holstein milk-cows being transferred to a different dairy farm.  With pigs, well...I think I'm pretty sure where they're headed.  :-(  We come to an incline and the pig hauler slows.  We pass.  We come to a decline and the pig hauler gains speed.  It passes us again.  This goes on for a few dozen miles.  I'm so tired of seeing this pig hauler!  We finally lose him after a construction zone!  Whew!  More beautiful scenery!  Nothing as far as the eye can see!  I want to put a house right in the middle of it!  With air conditioning!  We stop for gas about 120 miles from our destination.  I'm still in "the zone"!  I'm loving today's travels!  I've had a smile on my face for every mile of it!  About 50 miles from our Hotel, I look in my rear view mirror....OH NO!  The pig hauler!!!!!  I thought we lost him for good!  He passes us yet again and I notice about 4 or 5 snouts sticking out from the holes in the side....like dogs in a car.  Makes me sad again.  Luckily we only did the you-pass-me, I-pass-you game one more time before our hotel exit!  When we pull into the Hampton Inn lot, I mention to Tom my thoughts on Pig haulers vs Cow haulers.  He said he just imagines that the pigs are going to a 4H farm.  That's pretty cool!  But don't 4H pigs eventually meet the same demise?  Baaahhhh!  Enough pig-talk!  The day was awesome! In fact, it was the most perfect day in the history of motorcycling!  Hahaha!!!  We're here for the night in Richfield, Utah.  Tomorrow....VEGAS!!! We get to see our pals Bob & Cathy and my brother Steve! I haven't seen Steve in 3 years! I'm so excited!

Approaching the Rockies

 These pix are all messed up!  Still learning my way around this blog-thing!  Sorry!

Utah!