Post Trip - Monday June 8th, Drs. office

Well at the urging of my loving wife I paid a visit to the Dr's office this morning just to check the foot.  A few X-rays taken and in comes the PA with some pointed questions about when, how and where I had injured the food.  "you mean it was 3 1/2 weeks ago that you hurt yourself?" seems like a reasonable question that I confirmed.  Well he pushed on one particular spot and OUCH!  Yes I broke the foot, actual the Tibia at the ankle.  He then told me it was a little late to put a boot on it but he wanted me to use a brace on it that the nurse would fit on my foot.  He then asked in a humorous way if he told me to stay off the foot would I do that?  He answered the question himself and advised me to reduce my activities for 4-6 weeks.  Well 4,800 miles ago I fell and self treated for all that time, guess I did a good job!  Now to rest up for the next trip in August.  Thanks for following!

June 5, 2015 - Home

I know the road from Asheville to Cary like the back of my hand since it was the same road that I drove back and forth to Chapel Hill for many years, too many years.  It would be great getting home to Pattie and seeing the 2 cats plus the new trouble maker cat Lizzie.  I took my time on I-40 and enjoyed the trip stopping regularly for water or snacks but with a lunch break and snack breaks I got there in 4 hours and 30 minutes.  Great to be home and a great trip.

June 3rd & June 4, 2015

The good streak continued with weather in the high 70's and clear but threatening as I approached Nashville, TN.  Staying the night with cousins that I don't see enough of.  It was a wonderful visit, with their  tour of Nashville and the selection of a wonderful restaurant for dinner - Firefly Grille had a wonderful menu and I had the Red Grouper that was great.  It is so nice to see family!  The ride here was beautiful crossing the Ohio River leaving Illinois then going through the lake region at the tip of Kentucky before crossing into Tennessee.  The roads were transitioning to more hilly and windy and a lot more trees.  Only had 125 miles to do today and feeling kind of lazy.  But a great ride.

Wednesday the 4th was again clear for the ride to Asheville of around 300 miles.  It was your typical 4 lane slab ride until the gorge into Asheville.  The only thing new to me was Knoxville, TN.....WOW like all of a sudden the road was 12 lanes wide and packed with tractor trailers then just as suddenly when I-81 branched off and the road to Chattanooga went south all the trucks were gone. Guess I was the only one going to Asheville.  I love I-40 into Asheville either over Old Fort mountain on the east or the gorge from Knoxville.  Little traffic and a nice ride winding through the mountains. Be aware there were 8 pairs of NC Highway Patrol cars stationed along the way but I was on a casual trip and of no concern to them.  I arrived in Asheville around 4:30 to see Judy a childhood friend and her boyfriend Jim and staying with them for the night.  Great times and wonderful stories that had me on the edge of tears, talking about her parents adventures.  For some reason I sleep better in the mountains and I got up a little later than usual.  But today I am off for 240 miles to Asheville.

A day like today makes it all worthwhile getting through the rain!

I left Cheyenne, WY at 8:00 am this morning on a beautiful day around 65 degrees and white cotton ball size clouds floating in the sky.  Out of 350 miles today I was on an interstate for 8 miles, beautiful 2 lane country roads wide and wonderful.  The new tires make the trip smoother except they don't seem to like rain grooves and kind of dance around on them.  WY has big vistas that seem to go on forever.  I compare motorcyclest to golfers, you can ride in rain 6 days in a row then the one great day makes it all worthwhile!  The farms are huge with grassy rolling hills that seem to go on forever to the east and to the west the same hills go on forever but you can see the snow topped mountains in the distance.  Very little traffic and I kept a comfortable pace, not being in a hurry.  I had intended to only do 200 miles today but decided that with the early start it would be an easy day doing 350 to Rapid City.  With views like this why not!

Crossed 4000 miles on this trip and saw the better part of Illinois!

A day to enjoy.  The weather was perfect and the wind was calm.  I decided to ignore Lucille ( my GPS voice) and while she constantly told me to turn left, I took rt 51 straight down through IL almost to the town of Metropolis where I spent maybe 50 miles on interstate.  Only let Lucille tell me what to do for the last little bit.  I asked a gas station attendant what kind of road it was and was told a bad 2 lane with alot of small towns.  Well some people don't know their own state.  It was a nice country 4 lane for 80 miles narrowing for the small towns then back up to 55-60.  Then it became a very nice 2 lane at 60 mph through farm country.  Great ride.  This is where I was asked what I did on the bike all those miles.  The answer wasn't expected.  I said that other than pay attention to everthing around me I sing to the music sent from my ipod over the bluetooth stereo system in the helmet.  Sometimes I get a phone call, like today Ryan called.  Good thing I have a helmet on so people can't hear my terrible voice.  

Little things like the name of the GPS voice is discovered when I crossed the Mississippi and was on a road that dissappeared from the GPS.  At that moment in time Kenny Rogers was singing 'you took a fine time to leave me Lucille" so the name stuck!  Going through Oklahoma in the terrible rains I decided that the motorcycle should have a name......Ducky seems very appropriate since I had fallen in a stream in Tennessee and had been in pretty consistent rain all the way to New Mexico.  Yes, my mind does wander at times like in Iowa when the road is of no interest and there are no towns to enjoy!  But I do love the ride.  Today, into Nashville to see my cousins!

I am in Iowa for one reason.....the Field of Dreams!

Well a curse of travel, the prior person programmed the clock radio to go off at 4:00 am so I am up early and decided rather than lunch on the bleachers at the Field I would get there early and then go for breakfast in town.  60 miles later I was at the Field of Dreams!  Wow, I have wanted to see it for years.  Loved the movie!

The house is now lived in by the new owners but the field is as it was in the movie.

Glad I did this!  Even if I had to see all of Iowa to get here!

I am now off to Illinois for my next overnight.  It was a mix of 2 lane and 4 lane and the weather was great.  Crossed the Mississippi River and now have the feeling that I am on the east coast.  I do really enjoy the rides in the country and there was enough of a mix today to really enjoy it.  Looks like my ride will be pretty much the same as today.  Don't know how far I will get tomorrow but may be able to get close to Nashville, TN where I am stopping to visit cousins on Wednesday.

Loved Nebraska but Iowa is easy to pass up!

The planners in Iowa should be fired.  The beautiful Rt. 20 through Nebraska through the small towns turned into a Rt. 20 divided 4 lane that bypassed all the towns.  Sad, I have no desire to get off this road to find the towns because they are far from the road.  Like I am really going to drive 6 miles to the left or right to discover a town.  No wonder small town America has died in states that have made it easier for travelers to get out of the state or skip the state on the big 4 lanes.  Rt. 20 in Nebraska was 65 mph with short sections of 1 mile in towns every 30 miles or so when it dropped to 35.  A very enjoyable mix to see small town america.  Sorry Iowa, I am outta here after I visit the Field of Dreams and heading south toward Nashville, TN to visit my cousins then home!  Another beautiful day on the cool side starting out at 55 at 9 am and rising to 65 around 12:00 noon.  There is also fine dining in NE and IA......Dairy Queen is everywhere!