Stuck in New Mexico

We were riding through New Mexico Yesterday. We were supposed to make it to Flagstaff Arizona. The weather had a different idea for us. We were only able to make it 100 miles due to the extreme wind. We were in 30 mph winds with gusts up to 60 mph. Tumbleweeds and dust were my companions on the road and the wind almost pushed me off the road more than a few times. It was by far the most dangerous riding day yet. We were forced to take refuge at a local elementary school through the worst of it. By the time we made it to a truck stop called Gallup it was snowing and we pulled in for the night. This is a picture of my bike the next morning. I thought about covering my motorcycle, but when I pulled out the cover it made a parachute and I realized it would turn my bike into a giant sail and probably break my kick stand off.

Even though there is nothing to do in Gallup NM, it is actually a nice area to view. This picture does not do the landscape justice. When the sun came up the clouds were pink, purple, and orange. The mesas, speckled with snow, glittered as the sunlight hit them.

We are going to ride to Flagstaff today (hopefully). The weather is supposed to be nice all day but flagstaff may not get warm enough to melt the ice by the time we get there so our fall back plan is Winslow. Hopefully the weather will cooperate.

Oklahoma City to Amarillo Texas

We rode to Texas today. It was a really windy day. We rode Route 66 on and off today switching between that and interstate 40. Seeing the run down towns reminded me of the Pixar Cars movie. Now I understand why that movie was made.



It is really sad when you think about it. The ride was so much better at the slower speed. You had a chance to enjoy the scenery. I think we have lost our way a little bit and are in too much of a hurry.

We ride tomorrow for Albuquerque New Mexico tomorrow. Hopefully we can include route 66 tomorrow as well. It is actually tough to stay on it because the signs are small and not always well marked. You always seem to end up back on the interstate.

Oklahoma City

I have neglected to update my blog over the last 968 miles. My last real post was in Bristol Virginia and even then I was really too tired to write much. There wasn't much to write about in Virgina. I traveled through the Shenandoah valley and the wind really beat me up. It was all I could do to keep the bike upright. The wind blew me all over the road and every time I had to pass a big rig or when one passed me it was alway a white knuckle adventure.

Exhausted, we arrived in Bristol Virgina. I did not do any sightseeing. I went directly to the hot tub and took a soak. The next day I rode out separate from the girls. I was headed for the Dragon's Tail (Route 129 between Tennessee and North Carolina. The girls headed straight for Nashville Tennessee. The ride was perfect. It was sunny and very little wind. I met a group of bikers outside the local Harley dealership who gave me some helpful hints on riding the dragon's tail. They said to stay away from the center line because the guys on crotch rockets often went over the center line. This was very good advice as this is exactly what happened.



When I caught up with the girls at Nashville they had some interesting pictures to show me. They had snuck into the Bristol Motor Speedway and took some pictures of the track. While in Nashville we went to the Grand Ole Oprey, the main venue for country singing. Last year the Grand Ole Oprey was flooded and they just completed the restoration. We took the tour and headed out for the Country Music Hall of Fame. As we were driving the radio emergency system came on and instructed us to seek immediate shelter for an impending tornado. We got off the road and went into our hotel room. 5 minutes later it came through and knocked out the power to our hotel. Sue got stuck for 10 minutes in the elevator. That explains why no blogging in Tennessee.

The next day we rode to Arkansas. It was a pleasant albeit uneventful ride. Pretty boring countryside. We stayed on post at Little Rock Air Force base where we got a chance to catch up with some of our extended Air Force Family. We hung out with the Browns (Sans Elijah) and enjoyed the nice amenities that an active base has to offer.

Today we set a goal to make it to Elk City Oklahoma. But after a day of getting pounded by the wind we settled on Oklahoma City. I am even more exhausted today than after the Shenandoah ride. We are ordering room service and we will take a shorter ride tomorrow to Amarillo Texas.

Hershey, PA to Nashville TN

Our internet has been down due to a tornado that hit Nashville. I will update the blog once we arrive in Arkansas.

I have video of the Dragon's Tail ride that I will share. Tennessee is our favorite state so far. We are having a blast. Next stop is Arkansas. The weather should be very nice today.

From Hershey Pennsylvania to Bristol Virginia.

We spent a day in Hershey Pennsylvania to let the worst part of the North Eastern storm pass over us. Today we rode around 400 miles to Bristol Virginia which is on the border of Tennessee. The forecast for today's weather called for high wind. The weather forecasters did not let me down. I am very tired after being beat up for over 7 hours by the relentless wind.


It rained on and off all day with beautiful breaks in the clouds revealing lush green cow fields in the rolling hills of Virginia. I am really tired and I think I will go take the girls to the pool and soak in the spa. My muscles can really use a rest.

First Leg of the Trip a Bone Chilling Success!

We made the trek from Hanscom Air Force Base Massachusetts to Hershey Pennsylvania. The weather was overcast the entire day and it rained and snowed on us for a significant portion of the ride. I am man enough to say that I was scared driving over the Poconos Mountains. At one point near the summit it was snowing and the fog was so bad that I could only see 50 feet ahead. It was definitely a white knuckle ride. The weather is even worse today. If we were to try the same ride today there is no doubt in my mind that the Poconos would be inpassible for a motorcycle.

Our first stop was just to use the bathroom but we found this little road side gem. It is a restaurant that gives each person three books of their choosing with each meal. The food was great and the people made it even better. There was a couple from Flagstaff Arizona that did not seem to mind Keira and Kiley running back and forth through the restaurant getting their pent-up energy out. While we were waiting for our meals we walked around to pick out our books. Kristin got one called Airstream Living. A picture book dedicated to Airstream camper trailers and all the ways you can deck them out. It was a cool little place and I am glad that we stopped for a bite to eat.

This picture was taken just before we hit the real nasty weather. We stopped in to a McDonalds to warm up. As we climbed into the mountains my feet and hands started to scream at me. Even with my hand and toe warmers and my waterproof gear the cold found it's way through. The service at McDonalds was terrible and the gas station in this mountain town had only one type of unleaded fuel, 87 octane. I did not want to get stuck on the mountain so Filled up my tank from this ancient looking pump while sniffing the gas to make sure it did not have any funny smells. At this point I put on my Cabelas hunting overalls over my chaps and under my Gortex Pants. It was a smart move because the temperature continued to plummet.

I want to give a special thank you to my family. Every time we stopped to fuel up, eat, or relieve our selves, they were there to encourage me and warm my heart. I don't have any pictures of Kristin or Susan (Kristin was driving and Susan was snapping pictures). They have both been a great help, especially when it comes to helping me put on my gloves when my fingers are too cold to be effective. Susan has been not feeling well so we have been making more frequent stops than originally planned she has been a real trooper. P.S. my back and bum say thank you for that. I hope you feel better and at the same time...maybe you could pretend to feel bad? Just a thought ; ) We are going to spend the day in Hershey today and we will hit the road tomorrow. Look forward to an improvement in the weather.