MSTA Star Rally 2026

Not to be forgotten is the MSTA Star Rally October 17-21 in Springdale, AR.  This rally is the old Honda Club.  I have gone to a number of these and they are great.  It is not a brand specific rally anymore.  It is well attended and they tend to have the rallies in locations where you and I would want to ride.  While there is some shopping it is mostly about seeing the area.  They have numerous rallies around the US throughout the year.  The timing of this one will be great for fall colors.

https://ridemsta.com/star/

They have prepared routes and gps files to follow on your own.  They have group rides with a leader.  There are road, dirt and adventure routes.

With something for everyone you will see families, couples and singles there.  The Banquet at the end is well attended with prizes and a motorcycle raffle. 

Early thoughts and information on the BMW MOA Rally in Vermont

 I am at the early stage of planning for the Rallies this next summer.  I have started looking at the mapping for going to both rallies.  The total mileage looks like around 3500 miles and will be over 2 weeks. There will be a couple of ways it can be reduced in distance.  The biggest is to not go via Duluth but I am building that in so I can make a stop at Aerostich to buy a new riding suit.  When I get the final route down I will post a GPX file that originates in North Carolina.  Clearly I am not planning on traveling the interstates for most of it so I will deal with that on the final route and GPX.

The rough outline of the route is the following:

As part of the research I would suggest that those planning on attending the MOA Rally would find useful information on travel in New England and down the coast.  A great resource that I have used many times.

https://www.newenglandriders.org    

You might even join the club or throw them a few bucks to support this great resource.

 

BMW MOA & RA RALLIES 2026 - Early thoughts on next summer riding!

Given the scheduling of the BMW MOA and BMW RA in June one week apart it looks like a good opportunity to do both rallies on the same trip.  The MOA Rally is more about brand and shopping than riding.  The rallies are typically held at locations with parking lots large enough for all the merchandise trailers and space for the various riding training and other events.  The RA Rally is more about the ride than shopping for the Brand.

If you have recently purchased a motorcycle then the MOA Rally will have all the accessories in the world, most with discounts and installation.

The BMW MOA is June 11-13, 2026 in Essex Jct., VT 

https://rally.bmwmoa.org

The BMW RA is the following week June 17-21 in Chippewa Falls Wisconsin.  

https://rally.bmwra.org

It could be a great trip going to the MOA then looping over the Great Lakes through Canada (if they will let US residents in) and into Wisconsin.  I have toured in both states and they are 2 of my favorites.  It would also be a great opportunity for the Canadians to come to both rallies.   I wish these organizations would have their rallies in Canada, it's such a wonderful country to travel.  I have toured everything Ontario and east multiple times and would go back in a second. 

More to come when I start trip planning in January!

Stop Veteran Suicide Foundation

I participated in this unorganized event where everyone decides what route and when to do it around Veterans Day.  Looks like I raised $600.  Of course it had to be a very cold day with the high around 47 degrees.  I set out at 1 pm heading to Greensboro, NC to the BMW Motorcycle dealer which is about 62 miles from my house.  I decided to take the Gold Wing due to the cold and wind.  The handle bar and seat heaters were wonderful, making the trip enjoyable.  I traveled through Chapel Hill to University Lake then onto the old Chapel Hill - Greensboro highway.  It is a beautiful 2 lane through the countryside.  The only challenge was the gusting wind.  There is always the fear of deer during Rut season and they were all around in the fields.  But as usual my rides seem to be without incident and I took a short break at the dealer to drool over the 2026 BMW motorcycles.  The return home was uneventful but all in was a beautiful day but on the chilly side.  I must be a bit strange because I enjoy riding on the cold side and also I enjoy rain rides.  Things will probably slow down with winter on its way.  

The next stop to enjoy is January which is my month for planning the summers rides and doing routes to download to the GPS systems.  The BMW MOA Rally will be in June in Vermont and the BMW RA rally is in Wisconsin the following week.  This looks like a big loop to catch both rallies and the route over the Great Lakes in Canada might be the way to go.

On that note, I hate what is going on between the US and Canada!!!  I love that country and the people.  I have many friends in Canada and would even consider moving there if that were possible.  However, my wife hates the cold.  If they let me in I will spend some dollars in Canada on my way to Wisconsin!

Return home to Western North Carolina

I was just up in Chimney Rock for an over night.  I took Sugar Hill Rd. into Chimney Rock and it was a beautiful road.  That is exit 81 off of I40.  Sad and more shocking than the pictures!  I spent the night and ate at one of the 2 restaurants that are now open.  Nothing open for breakfast.  The only way to get to Asheville is to go south to I74 or loop back to Marion.  Bat cave is still closed and the crossroads there are still closed.  No access to Fairview.  I wrapped it up with a stop in Asheville and toured Biltmore as well as Black Mountain to Asheville on route 70. 

I rode part of the BRP up to the Haw Creek overlook. Below this overlook is where I grew up. 

The next day I went to Asheville and met the Tuesday lunch bunch.  Larry Rosenberg, my childhood best friend,  then let me know that his sister Ellen Sue died on Nov. 1 st. Unexpectedly.  So I stayed over for the funeral.  

Not what I would call a fun trip.

WELL, You just don't know what you missed until you get home!

When I returned from 8400 miles, 7800 on the motorcycle, for 51 days, I made the statement that I would never cross the Mississippi again on 2 wheels.  I have to take that back.  Sanity has returned and I am getting the urge to return to the road.  This is because when you do any trip, no matter how many days or miles, you will reflect on it for some time and will realize that you missed some things.  You will think about how you could have spent another week or two weeks and maybe longer.  This country is so big and no trip will take it all in for the traveler to be satisfied.  So it is with me and here is why I want to go back.

1.  I set out to finish riding on my motorcycle in all 48 states.  It didn't happen due to the heat in Nevada and California.  I am currently at 46 states!  I rented a car to see the people and places but the bike was in storage in Flagstaff, AZ.  So easy enough, at a better time of year, to fly to Las Vegas and rent a bike and do a small loop to finish this.  Then I think about what else I missed and it is all within a reasonable distance.

2.  It was a long day with temps in the high 90's and I was tired.  I passed WINSLOW, AZ on my way to an air conditioned room in Flagstaff, AZ.  Standing on the Corner in Winslow, AZ with the bike in front is an iconic picture.  The more I think about it the more I want to go back.  It is also a short distance from other routes that I want to do.

3.  While I did the Kingman to Needles route thru Oatman in the car, I want to go back on the motorcycle.  I missed the earlier part of Rt. 66 from Seligman, AZ to Kingman which gives the true flavor of the route.   These two parts of Rt. 66 are a don't miss part because it gets you away from I-40 and onto the roads that actually were used in the early 1900's.  The roads are narrow and not well maintained but passable and especially fun on a motorcycle.  I would, however, go back on my 2017 BMW R1200 GSA and not on my Goldwing.  It would give me a better tool to take side roads that may not be paved.

4.  Prescott, AZ to Flagstaff on Rt. 89a 

A close friend is planning on moving to Prescott, AZ in retirement.  Then I came home and read a couple of articles about 89a and that it winds through old mining areas with ghost towns and haunted mines.  It is also an excellent motorcycle route with winding twisty roads.  It's not a lot of miles just around 80 so a nice add on to other trips.  I could have easily added this on to my route from Needles, CA to Flagstaff but again, I was in a car due to the outrageous heat.  Timing of the year to do this is important.

5.  Bryce Canyon and beyond

My friend Ray met me in Kanab, UT and we traveled to Bryce Canyon.  We had a ways to go to his house in Provo, UT but we made a stop at Bryce.  While there a small forest fire became much bigger and we did travel to the end of the road but decided that we should move on.  As we left Bryce, had we turned right on Rt. 12 there was a lot to see in Escalante Grand Staircase.  This is on my list for my next trip out West.

I haven’t even touched on Moab!  You see the problem here?  Every trip will lead to another trip…an endless cycle of trips.  So I keep the bikes ready to go because I am retired and the United States/Canada is a very big place with lots to see!

The Long and Winding Road - Alone!

You have decided to do a trip over 2-3 days to a very interesting place where you have never been before.  There is a good chance that someone would like to join you.  Say it’s a trip over a week, then fewer people will be willing to take the time off,  No, you want to do a real trip of 2-3 weeks crossing the US or into Canada and visiting people and places along the way….you are on your own!  You are lucky to have this flexibility to be gone this long but very few other riders can do this.  Money, family responsibilities, late changes in weather, problems with equipment and that ugly word WORK will cause many to drop out.  You will have some that want to change your plans to accommodate their schedule, called high-jacking  your trip, but don’t let this happen;  they will probably drop out at the last minute!  It’s your trip and doing it with someone that you don’t really know is a recipe for a very bad trip.  After all, going by yourself is a trip with someone you have known your whole life and you will discover more about yourself and meet interesting people along the way.

Now the first thing you do is go to YouTube and watch the videos of long distance risks and disasters.  You should keep in mind that no one watches YouTube videos of a nice ride down the road, that’s boring, but add in a bear attack or mechanical disaster even wrecks attract viewers and that’s how they get paid for the video.  Had I believed in these videos then I would have stayed home with the occasional trip to Dairy Queen!

First off you need to be somewhat comfortable in your own skin!  It is not as lonely as many think.  I have found that traveling by yourself makes you very approachable, assuming you shower and do laundry regularly.  I can’t tell you how many people have come over to me at a restaurant or coffee shop and asked if they could join me.  I have had people join me and buy my lunch or coffee.  They have brought their family over to meet me and produced maps of the area so they could point out interesting sights to see.  I have found that people in Nebraska don’t like  to see you eating by yourself. 

While camping in Nova Scotia a woman from a neighboring campsite brought me a half of a blueberry pie, they couldn’t eat all of it and thought I would enjoy it and I did!  A man in a pickup truck stopped at my campsite when I was getting my fly rod out and told me to get in the truck, he new all the streams in the area and fishes there every summer for a month.  We had 3 great days of fishing the Nova Scotia coast and we caught lots of trout.  Take note of the 9' 2 piece fly rod sticking through the sleeping bag.  I wonder what happened to that rod.  I almost took out some toll takers on the George Washington Bridge in NY.  So get over this fear of the unknown and go!  But first:

Get the bike and gear ready!

1,  Do your service – having your service done by a mechanic you know and trust is far better than dropping in somewhere for service by someone that will never see you again and the price will reflect this,  I carry on my phone the directory of Independent BMW Mechanics just in case.  But I have been ripped off price wise by major dealers more frequently than the independents.  You don’t want to wander in looking for a tire that isn’t in stock and waiting days or accepting some other tire.  If I am leaving on a long trip then I leave with fresh oil and filter, good air filter, checked brakes, new tires and checked bolts for tightness.

2.  Carry enough tools to be self sufficient – Tire patch or plug kit, critical tools for changing a tire, small amount of emergency oil, first aid kit.

3.  Clothes – imagine the worst weather you might encounter and pack for it.  These bikes can carry a significant amount of stuff.  I pack for 4 days of clean clothes.  Every 4^th day I stay at a motel that has a laundry.  Good rain gear is critical as well as warm clothes in cold weather.  Bad gear can and will make a trip miserable.  Remember all your toiletries and medicines.

4.  Lift off! - Yes, you are going to be a bit apprehensive but this will pass as you go down the road. Anything that you have forgotten is available at drug stores, Walmart, motorcycle dealers or grocery stores.  You have packed energy bars, Gatorade, and plenty of water (very important)!  I drink lots of water so it kind of makes a pit stop necessary every hour.  Some people stop every 45 minutes and take a 15 minute break, you will figure it out.  A lot is unique to the rider.  I typically do 300-400 miles a day.  If it is hot I leave earlier in the morning, sometimes as early as 4:00 am and find a place to camp or a motel around noon.  Most days I ride from 7 until lunch when I figure out how far I want to go and put that town in my Hotels.Com account and reserve a room.  I am always where I want to be by 4 pm because at 5 pm all the tourists come rolling in to lodging without reservations and you could be blocked out!  In Amarillo, TX I pulled into a Hampton Inn at 3 pm and was the only vehicle in the parking lot.  I thought it was closed.  At 5:30 pm they turned on the NO Vacancy sign.  Whether it is a rest stop or the end of the day, go for a walk, even a short one.  Sitting all day in one position is not good for the circulation!  I try to do a 2 mile walk every night when I get to a new place.

5.  Routing – It’s your call!  If I am on the big highways doing big miles it is a point to point fastest route on the phone or GPS.  If it is the blue highways then routing with detail is a great help.  When I went to the MOA Rally in Great Falls, MT I did 80% of my miles on the back roads and used Basecamp for most of it.  You are not going to see it all.  Your first trip to a location will just whet your appetite. When you get home you will recall what you missed and want to go back.  I am already thinking of retracting my statement that I won’t cross the Mississippi on two wheels again.  There is a long stretch of Rt 66 that I missed.  I would also like to spend 2 weeks on US89 in Utah seeing all the National Parks.  This would also let me pick up NV and CA for my 47^th and 48^th state on a motorcycle.  So much to see and so little time.

Important

Do not make this a race!  Every morning do a self assessment and if you don’t feel it, do a short 150-200 mile day.  Better yet is to take a day off.  I typically take every 4-5^th day off as laundry and tourist day, see the sights and check the bike oil, tires and repack.

It's a wrap! Boone to Cary, NC

Well, after 7,827 miles and 51 days on the road, I have arrived home!  It has been a wonderful time visiting friends, seeing new places.  Some days I did 400 miles and other days I did 120 miles but mostly I did 250-300 miles.  Weather dictated the ride with heat the prevailing problem.  I only had rain on one day and that was the ride from London to Boone, NC.  I/we put on rain gear a couple of times but it didn't rain.  Other than heat the most difficult issue to address was the serious cross winds.  I returned home with significant pain in my rib cage due to fighting the crosswinds.  I experienced this the last time when I crossed Kansas and it took a couple of weeks to go away.

I have washed Waldo and will wax him in the coming days.  He is also due for an oil/filter change which i will do this week.  Mechanically the bike was solid and the tires seem to have another 7,000 miles left on them.

No, I didn't get attacked by gangs or indians on this trip.  I found all the people that I encountered welcoming and curious about where I was going by my self.  I only had 2 near misses with one being the box truck on I-20 going across Louisiana that ran me off the road.  I saw it coming because I saw a motorcycle on the side of the road to the right with the rider standing there drink from a water bottle.  I knew that most people move away from vehicles on the side of the road so I had scoped out my exit.  I rode a bit on the left side of the rumble strip in the passing lane until the driver realized I was there.  The second near miss was the FedEx truck tire tread that flew by my right shoulder.  That could have been bad because that would have gone through the windshield had it hit me.  But again, all clear.

My thanks to my many friends that took me in and fed me.  My friends have always been very special to me.  I am very lucky to have my health, and energy to do stupid things like this.  I encourage everyone to go out and see this country of ours.  It is so diverse and beautiful. 

I have riden in 46 of the lower 48 States.  It looks like I will have to fly into Las Vegas and rent a motorcycle to ride in California and Nevada.  Then the lower 48 by motorcycle will be complete.  That still leaves Alaska as a teaser.  Will I do it next year?

London to Boone 7/20

 As the crow flies this route was only around 170 miles but allowing for the twisties and detour it was 220 miles.  A fun route that I started on at 7 am since the temperature would be in the high 70’s for most of it. 

After 50 days on the road and no rain it is raining on me!  There were many days over the last 7 weeks that I wished for rain but nada.  I usually enjoy the rain and today was one of those days. 

A word of warning to those traveling this route through Middlesboro.  A friend of mine got a ticket there passing through the tunnel, east to west, and it was obvious that this was a revenue generator for the town.  As you enter the tunnel from the east it is 45 mph and the second you exit it’s 35 mph.  There were 3 officers surrounding this speed trap, 2 on the west side and one on my route.  I stayed well below the speed limit.

I was originally going to travel the Mount Gilead route coming into Boone from the north on a beautiful winding road.  Shortly after I entered TN, then VA, my gps said it was rerouting me due to a closed road.  Instead it sent me more southerly to come into NC through the Banner Elk Highway.  I have done both routes so it really didn’t matter to me,  both are fun on a motorcycle and beautiful.

This is my last night on the road.  It will be hot and muggy on the road to Cary so in the morning I will be leaving very early for the short ride home.  I am a little sad the trip is coming to an end but glad to be getting home.

Cape Girardeau to London 7/19

 I got up at 4 am expecting to leave around 5 am but I was dragging my feet and didn’t get out of the hotel until 5:30 am.  It was very muggy and around 78 degrees but looked pretty clear.  They were calling for 56 % chance of rain so I buttoned up the rain gear and look off planning to ride for a couple of hours then have breakfast.  It didn’t rain but cooled off after I crossed the Mississippi and after 10 miles the temperature came down to 72.  It then started to rise up to 80 and I found a church parking lot to change to summer mesh gear for the heat.  Very little traffic over the Ohio River bridge which is every bit as wide as the Mississippi.  This was where I had my bit of excitement for the day.  I was on a divided 4 lane approaching  a FedEx Truck when he threw is rear tire tread and the whole thing whizzed by my right shoulder close enough for me to catch it if I was stupid enough to try.  His tire didn’t blow and I doubt he knew that the recap had come off.  That was enough excitement for the day.  The remainder of the day was up around 88-89 but muggy.  I did manage to miss rain once again and the 380 miles landed me in London, KY.

The weather reports for tomorrow have me in rain all the way to Cary so the decision is on which route to take the high mountain, cooler route, through Meadows of Dan or go to Boone, NC on a short  ride then get up early on Monday and go home before the heat.  The rain should keep it comfortable anyway.  There have been many days when I would have welcomed riding in the rain.

Cape Girardeau - July 18th

 Another quiet day.  I was expecting rain but decided to chance it and go without rain gear.  It didn’t rain and the temperatures were around 80-84 degrees until I was 10 miles from the hotel and the temperatures jumped to 90 degrees.  I guess that is because we are approaching the Mississippi and the river crossing.  I know the temps will come down as I move into Kentucky tomorrow so I am hoping for a 375 mile day so I can get on home.

Getting around St. Louis or just glancing off it then turning south was an experience with terrible roads and chaotic traffic.  That was about 60 miles then it calmed down assisted by the numerous Highway Patrolmen pulling over speeders in the construction zones.

I am looking forward to an early morning…leaving around 5 am and getting well into Ky.

Columbia, MO - July 17

I left Saint Josephs at around 7:30 but it was a short day going to Columbia, MO.  A very high humidity reading today.  The cloud cover was right on top of me and so dense the you couldn’t see the tops of the Wind Turbines.  So you saw the arm come sweeping down and start back up but couldn’t see the top of the arc.  It was kind of spooky.  It was a peaceful day and the 165 miles went quickly.

There had been a good rain overnight and to my surprise the crop dusters were out flying all around over the crops.  I suspect the crops need to be wet for the dust to stick.  They were very acrobatic and appeared to be very small planes.  There flight patterns were tight to the crops they were targeting.

I arrived at Tom and Marcia’s right at 12:00 in time for lunch.  Tom and I served in the army together at Fort Leonard Wood then after we each were transferred twice we ended up in Darmstadt in different units but next door to each other.  We camped and traveled Germany, Switzerland, Holland and Austria before we returned home.  We have always kept up with each other.  He has been having some health issues so it was a good time to visit on his birthday.  Marcia is a champ taking good care of him.  It was wonderful seeing them and spending the night there.

The long road across Nebraska I-80. July 15-16

 I have spent 3 days trying to get through Nebraska.  I have to say I like Rt 20 across upper Nebraska more than this route.   I-80 is a mess with all the bridges under construction and the roadway being dug up on one side or the other.  Traffic is shifted to one side and is 2-way.  It is not consistent it may be the west bound side or the east bound side.  It seems that traffic going west is affected more than the east bound side.  Every time the lanes narrow and shift the west bound side has a backup of 4-5 miles of just tractor trailers.  This hasn’t happened on the east bound side so I have had pretty smooth sailing.

Western Nebraska seems to be more cattle ranches and the eastern end is more agriculture.  The mornings have been very peaceful leaving before 6 am and riding only until 11:30.  That is when the temperature climbs up to 90 degrees.  That lets me get in 250-300 miles in the morning before checking into the next hotel.  Still 45 days without rain but there have been days when it would have been nice to get wet!

I left Nebraska today 7/16 and passed through 10 miles of Iowa then into Missouri.  I am enjoying the morning routine.  I haven’t seen any wildlife on this trip, I guess that is good.

Sorry for the lack of pictures but there isn’t much to take a picture of on I-80!

The toughest part of crossing the plains is a combination of the cross winds and the buffeting of the tractor trailers traveling at 70-80 mph.  The cross wind gusts are hard on my ribs with pain every night requiring Advil to kill the pain.  It also contributes to being so tired on the windy days.  It is easy to see how there are many Utube videos on the tractor trailers blown over.  On a couple of occasions a sudden gust has made me shift lanes.  I have found that traveling at 80 mph is very painful with high gusts so I have found that 72 mph seems to be my happy spot.  The buffeting of the trucks is also more painful at 80 mph.  I don’t linger beside the trucks, frequently exceeding 80 mph but if one tips over I don’t want to be squashed.

I arrived in Saint Joseph, home of the Kansas City Chiefs training camp at around 11:30.  This is the first time I have stayed at a Drury Inn and it was wonderful.  It also included Popcorn at 4:00, Dinner at 5:30 and breakfast at 6 am.  The food was excellent and the room was beautiful.  No complaints from me.

I-80 and the Lincoln Highway Rt30! July 13-14

 The Lincoln Highway is kind of like Rt66 in that the interstate highway 80 sits on the route at times and the actual highway trails off then back on to 80.  The mornings have been great yesterday and today.  Both days I got up at 4:30, packed up and left by 5 - 5:30.  The mornings has been cool with temps around 55 degrees then rising over 4 hours to upper 80’s.  I try to ride for 1 1/2 hrs then breakfast then 60 mile segments with coffee and fuel stops.  I have enjoyed the quiet early hours on the highway.  I have waited for some sun to peek through so I can see if animals or potholes are on my track.  Because the afternoon temperatures are in the mid to upper 90’s I have been getting off the highway around 11:30 while temps are in the 80’s.  The afternoon temperatures also bring high winds that can be crushing as crosswinds.  I am now at 44 days without rain and coming east so my record may run out but if the rain brings cooler temperatures then I am ok with that.

I need to upgrade my lodging since I will no longer stay a Quality Inns!  This one was a dump and all the motels around it were boarded up.  I should have told the manager to order his plywood now cause his days are numbered.  But I lived to ride another day so I guess it wasn’t all bad.

Pattie took most of her stuff when she flew out.  It has made my packing and unpacking much easier.  I constantly worry that I am leaving a trail of clothes since it was all very tight with both of us on the bike and now very easy to pack in the dark.

Rest in Provo July 11-12

 Ray and Shauna are great hosts!  Their new house is beautiful and the garage is huge.  Thankfully they talked me into staying until Sunday.  It was great to hear the story of how their paths crossed!  I also did my laundry so now I am super clean.  Ray helped me clean the bike that had so many dead bugs that the headlights really couldn’t shine down the road.  Now it is sparkling clean!

Ray got tickets to the Salt Lake Bees minor league team.  It was a beautiful night, the ball park food was great but the Bees didn’t do so well.  It was great fun and the new stadium was beautiful!

Yes, the Bees didn’t do so well but the fireworks were great at the end. 

 I am having a bit of a problem with the internet in the motels so I have had to go back to post pictures after I write the text.

July 11 - the long day. (400 miles)

 It was going to be hot in Salt Lake City so if I was going to do 400 miles then it had to be early to beat the heat.  I got up at 4:30 am and was on the road by 5:00 am.  It was a beautiful morning.  Still dark with a 3/4 moon and clear skies.  It was also 65 degrees!  Perfect.  Once down the road it dropped to 61 degrees but still very nice.  There was little traffic and a totally relaxing ride.  At 6 o’clock the golden sunrise was peaking over the mountains or plains and I could see well down the road to watch for potholes and animals.  You couldn’t ask for a better setting to ride in at the right temperature.  It stayed in the 60’s for 4 of my 6 hours on the road with 1 hour of breaks for breakfast and lunch.  It started to heat up to the upper 80’s as I approached Salt Lake and the traffic became much more crowded.  I arrived right on time at 12:08 and it was great to be back at Ray and Shauna’s house.  I was going to leave on Saturday but decided to take a rest day and leave Sunday morning.

A great find on the road - July 10th

 I just couldn’t face another free breakfast at the cheap motel!  I decide to dash off down rt20 heading to Boise and find breakfast along the way….I needed coffee.  An hour and a half later I was approaching Hines OR and I passed a little strip store with 2 motorcycles in front and I looked up at the sign….BAKERY!  I did a very quick U-turn!  One bike was a BMW GSA so I knew it would be a friendly face.  I asked to join him at his table and we had a good conversation about our trips.  I wish I could remember his name but he was returning from Alaska, I think Valdez.  We spent about 45 minutes drinking coffee and story telling then we parted in opposite directions.   Temperatures stayed in the mid-80’s and it was a very comfortable ride into Boise, ID.

A lot of the scenery was beautiful but hard to photograph.

Heading home! But problems.

Pattie left Portland at 11:20 on an American flight thru DFW.  Good flight to Dallas but after loading the plane for RDU they then unloaded the plane and delayed the flight.  They did 3-4 more repetitions of this until at 2:00 am they cancelled the flight into RDU.  The next flight was at 2:00 pm the next day.  So Pattie had to sit in the airport for 18 hours lacking decent food for her diet.  When the flight did take off on time it was diverted to Richmond, VA to wait on the ground for a storm at RDU to pass by.  I think she got home around 6 pm, starved and tired.  She then had a problem with the baggage but ultimately found her bag that had gotten there on an earlier flight.  The storms were all over Dallas and Raleigh/Durham.

I, on the other hand, had a wonderful ride down I-5 to Salem, OR then on to rt22 heading to Bend OR.  All was well and good until in the absolutely gorgeous mountain roads weaving along at a nice pace, encountered a road painting crew putting new lines with a pilot car stopping all traffic from passing.  So a line of 8 RV’s and 7 dump trucks with one Honda Goldwing(that would be me) followed along at 10-15 mph with many stops for 50 minutes.  It was maddening.  I finally got to Bend Or and decided I was too tired to go on so I took the first motel that I could find.  I will live to fight another day.

July 5-9 Portland

It was a beautiful ride into the city.  The road paralleled the Columbia River and ran down the gorge.  The water was so blue and the scenery was stunning all the way into Portland.  I had never seen a river that huge, looking more like a lake or bay.  The only problem was the significant wind up the gorge.  We made multiple stops for stretch brakes and arrived at our hotel around 3.  The next 4 days were very busy.  We stayed at the Paramount Hotel which was central to the city.  It was an easy walking city and we got a car to make trips outside of town.

If you go to Oregon you have to see some waterfalls.  We took the car out to see the famous one, Multnamaha, which was stunning.  We walked up to the bridge and a great site.  

We took an Uber to the International Rose Garden in the afternoon.  The roses were just past their prime but beautiful  just the same.  We chose to walk back to the hotel on the beautiful day.

On the 6th we went to the same area of Portland to see the Portland Japanese Garden which was very pretty.  That evening we had dinner with Pattie’s college roommate that we hadn’t seen since our wedding 45 years ago.  It was a great evening recalling all the memories.

The 7th was a visit to the Portland Zoo in the morning and since it was very hot we decided to take in a movie at the Regal cinema.  How I trained my Dragon was a little different from our usual viewing but a nice break on a hot day.

On the 8th, our last full day with the car, we drove to Cannon Beach to see the Pacific coast.  It was amazing how cold it was and windy so no swimming for us.  The scenery was stunning and the ride down the coast to Tillimuck was beautiful.

On our return to Portland we dropped the car and started packing for the trip home.  Pattie would fly on the 9th and I would be going to Provo, UT to Ray and Shauna’s home to pick up my hot weather gear for the trip across the center of the US.

July 4th in Boardman, OR

 We again had a mild day and good roads.  This was the longer of the days on the road.  About 190 miles but Pattie easily handled it with mild back pain.  She discovered that an empty soda bottle behind her back relieved much of the pain she had experienced.  The nice surprise was the 4th of July fireworks on the Columbia River.  We had a second floor room with a clear view of the festivities on the river.  The bad part was the lack of food for either of us.  Seems everyone shut down on the 4th but we did find a good breakfast the next morning.  We were packed and ready to go to Portland.