Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Computer and phone advice
I mentioned in a previous blog how valuable my laptop computer was on my trip because I was able to use it to keep up with the weather, things to see, travel distances and routes, as well as getting my email and doing my banking while I was on my extended trip. One thing I discovered however was that as I traveled the computer would bounce around in my saddlebag and after a while I noticed an area on the monitor that was beginning to get worn. After noticing this, I began putting a cloth between the keyboard and the monitor to minimize this wear and tear, and it worked. I am glad that I noticed this early on in the trip. I also had to do the same thing with my cell phone which I kept in a case on my belt. The buttons on the keypad were causing marks on surface of the screen on the phone. I again put some pieces of paper towels over the surface of the keypad and this eliminated the problem.
The Beef Jerky Travel Diet
When I travel I usually do not like to stop for lunch and I very seldom go out for dinner either. This is a good thing because it saves me money and it reduces my calorie intake, which is something I need to do desperately. As I travel, I usually eat about 2 ounces of beef jerky and one crunchy granola bar for lunch. Breakfast is usually whatever is free at motel which usually consists of a bowl of cereal, an English muffin, and a piece of fruit. For dinner I would stop at a local grocery store and pick up a quarter pound of sliced ham, two pieces of fruit, and some carrots or other suitable vegetable to munch on. I did go out to eat several times when I was at one of my relatives homes, but even then I would try to eat lighter portions. The result is, after 5 weeks, that I lost about 10 pounds. Now I just have to try to keep that up now that I am home.
Some of my friends suggested that I should write a book about my "Beef Jerky Travel Diet" to compete with books like the South Beach Diet or the Atkins Diet. I really don't think I have a have enough material to make this into a book however. I suppose I could write a book about the different jerkies I have eaten along the way. One of my favorites was the Gary West Jerky that I picked up in Jacksonville, OR.
Some of my friends suggested that I should write a book about my "Beef Jerky Travel Diet" to compete with books like the South Beach Diet or the Atkins Diet. I really don't think I have a have enough material to make this into a book however. I suppose I could write a book about the different jerkies I have eaten along the way. One of my favorites was the Gary West Jerky that I picked up in Jacksonville, OR.
After thoughts and upcoming videos
For those of you that have been following my blog I want to thank you for your interest in my journey. It was encouraging to me to have so many people show an interest in what I was doing for myself. Now that I am home, I will be working on editing the videos that I took on my trip. If you are interested is seeing them I will be posting them on YouTube and I will put a link to the YouTube site on my blog. Since I am not sure when I will have the editing done, if you want to send me your email address, I can send you an email to let you know when I have posted something new. If interested, please respond by sending me your email address to:
gesvendor@westshore.edu
You will need to send it directly to my email because I cannot respond directly to if you you contact me through this blog site.
gesvendor@westshore.edu
You will need to send it directly to my email because I cannot respond directly to if you you contact me through this blog site.
Day 34 - My last day on the road
Picture 1 - A flower garden in the Open Space in Traverse on the West Bay. Picture 2 and 3 - The state park beach on the East Bay in Traverse City. Picture 4 and 5 - The Boardman River behind the stores on Front Street in Traverse City.
Today was the last leg of my trip but it certainly did not lack in regard to beautiful scenery.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Day 33
All of the pictures are from Palms Book Spring State Park in the Upper Peninsula near Manistique. This is Big Spring or "Kitch-iti-kipi."
Today was my second day in the UP of Michigan near Houghton. The temperature this morning dropped to 32 degrees F and there was frost on the ground. Joyce, Juhanni, and I went to house Chris and Maryann’s house for breakfast this morning. Chris is Joyce’s son and Joyce is my mother-in-law. Juhanni is Chris’ son who has been staying in the big house at the Bohjanen farm where Joyce lives. Maryann, my sister-in-law, made a traditional Finnish breakfast delicacy called Pannukakku. It is mostly egg and milk and is baked in an oven like a soufflé. We ate it with a strawberry topping and it was delicious. When I left Houghton, the sun was shining but it was still cool. After riding for about and hour the sky got overcast and I got pretty cold so I stopped to put on more clothes. After putting on a second long sleeved shirt, and my chaps, I headed back out on the road. With the thin layer of high clouds and a lower level of stratus clouds, the temperature never got above about 65 all day, so the extra clothing was a big help, but I never did get fully warmed up. The towns clicked off as the miles flew by. Towns like Baraga, L’Anse, Ishpeming, Negaunee, and Marquette.
At Marquette I turned south on MI-41 to head down to US-2 at Rapid River. I decided to take this route because it will take me past Palms Book Spring State Park just west of Manistique. This is where you can find one of the Upper Peninsula's major attractions, Kitch-iti-kipi or "The Big Spring." Kitch-iti-kipi is two hundred feet across and forty feet deep. The spring spews out over 10,000 gallons a minute from many fissures in the underlying limestone. The flow continues throughout the year at a constant 45 degree temperature so the spring never freezes and can be enjoyed any season of the year. On the spring is a barge that is guided by a cable stretched across the spring. The center of the barge is open so you can easily see the bottom of the spring in the crystal clear water. Swimming beneath the barge are numerous trout that have been planted there from nearby fish hatcheries. I have posted several pictures from Kitch-iti-kipi including one looking through the bottom of the barge showing some of the trout and the boiling sand at the bottom of the spring. I have been here once before about 20 years ago but the visit today was just as delightful. The spring is truly awesome.
After leaving the spring, I headed toward St. Ignace with the intent of finding a motel there to stay the night. I had forgotten that today was Saturday during the height of the tourist season and every motel that I checked with was full, so I decided to cross the bridge and try my luck there. Most of the motels south of the bridge were full too, so I continued south on US-31. I finally found a motel in Petoskey so this is where I am for the night. I might have just ridden all the way home tonight but I found out that it had been raining in Ludington all day and I was already cold. I didn’t relish the thought of being wet and cold.
Today, the odometer rolled over the 30,000 mile mark since I bought the bike in 2002. On this trip, which has lasted one day short of five weeks, I will surpass the 8,000 mile mark which will occur tomorrow before I arrive at home. Home is approximately 160 miles away if I don’t take any detours.
At Marquette I turned south on MI-41 to head down to US-2 at Rapid River. I decided to take this route because it will take me past Palms Book Spring State Park just west of Manistique. This is where you can find one of the Upper Peninsula's major attractions, Kitch-iti-kipi or "The Big Spring." Kitch-iti-kipi is two hundred feet across and forty feet deep. The spring spews out over 10,000 gallons a minute from many fissures in the underlying limestone. The flow continues throughout the year at a constant 45 degree temperature so the spring never freezes and can be enjoyed any season of the year. On the spring is a barge that is guided by a cable stretched across the spring. The center of the barge is open so you can easily see the bottom of the spring in the crystal clear water. Swimming beneath the barge are numerous trout that have been planted there from nearby fish hatcheries. I have posted several pictures from Kitch-iti-kipi including one looking through the bottom of the barge showing some of the trout and the boiling sand at the bottom of the spring. I have been here once before about 20 years ago but the visit today was just as delightful. The spring is truly awesome.
After leaving the spring, I headed toward St. Ignace with the intent of finding a motel there to stay the night. I had forgotten that today was Saturday during the height of the tourist season and every motel that I checked with was full, so I decided to cross the bridge and try my luck there. Most of the motels south of the bridge were full too, so I continued south on US-31. I finally found a motel in Petoskey so this is where I am for the night. I might have just ridden all the way home tonight but I found out that it had been raining in Ludington all day and I was already cold. I didn’t relish the thought of being wet and cold.
Today, the odometer rolled over the 30,000 mile mark since I bought the bike in 2002. On this trip, which has lasted one day short of five weeks, I will surpass the 8,000 mile mark which will occur tomorrow before I arrive at home. Home is approximately 160 miles away if I don’t take any detours.
Day 32
This next part actually happened yesterday, but I was so long winded on what I wrote in yesterday’s blog that I decided to split up some of the information. As I rode on from Duluth, I entered Superior, Wisconsin where I stopped at Barkley Island. There is a rubber sided ship on display in the harbor there which was rather unique with its rounded sides. You can see it in the picture above. Northern Wisconsin was exactly like Northern Minnesota and Northern Michigan; very wooded with lots of lakes, rivers, swamps, and hills. I eventually made my way into Michigan and headed toward Silver City near the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. I had always wanted to see the Lake of the Clouds which is located there so I took a 9 mile detour to the west of Silver City and a short walk up the hill to see it. The lake was quite beautiful and I was glad I took the time to ride up there. I have a couple of pictures of the lake posted above.Today, Friday, it was quite cool but sunny. It was also extremely windy so I decided not to go for any extended rides on the motorcycle to see any of the sites around the Keweenaw Peninsula. I did take a few pictures of the Bohjanen homestead which I have stitched together as one and included it above.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Day 31
Today I left Grand Rapids, MN and headed toward Duluth, MN and eventually to Joyce Bohjanen’s home in Oskar, MI just north of Houghton, MI in the UP. Joyce is my mother-in-law and has a beautiful 40 acre homestead way out in the north woods. All the way through Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Upper Michigan I was struck by the beauty and similarity of these three states. With their abundant forests and the beautiful lakes I felt like I was really home again. It felt good to be back in familiar territory. What a wonderful change over the prairies in North Dakota and eastern Montana.
On my way down US-2 toward Duluth I was on the lookout for a large steam locomotive that a friend of mine wanted me to take a picture of. He is a truck driver that made a lot of runs through Duluth and was always captivated by the size of this locomotive. He was never able to get a picture of it because there was no place for him to stop with his 18 wheeler. Before heading out toward Duluth I did some research on the computer to see if I could locate where it was. I was not able to find it online but I did find a Railroad Museum in Duluth so I programmed that into my GPS. I figured if nothing else, I could go there and someone would know were it was. I recall as I rode through town of Proctor, just outside of Duluth, my attention was drawn to an Air Force Jet that was poised on a pedestal on the side of the highway. I thought about stopping there to get a picture of it because it was quite neat, but I was going just a little too fast to stop so I just kept heading toward the museum. Shortly after that I saw a turnout for a rest area and tourist information site which I also thought about stopping at but I decided against it at the last minute. After rounding a curve and cresting a hill, I got my first view of Duluth and the harbor on Lake Superior. It was absolutely gorgeous. At that point it was too late to stop to get a picture but I decided that after visiting the museum I would probably go back to that information rest area because it was on an even higher hill overlooking the city and would allow me to get some good pictures.
Upon arriving at the Museum I parked my bike on the street and took both cameras with me to try to get some pictures in the museum. The building that housed the museums (there were actually four museums in this building) was a beautiful old train station. From the road outside I took my 35 mm camera out to take a picture of the building. I noticed that I did not have my memory card in it because I left it in the computer. I thought for a moment that it would be okay because I still had my camcorder with me and it takes pretty good still pictures along with videos; but since I was only a half a block away from my bike I decided to go back and get the memory card. I was so glad I did because when I finally got in the place and tried to take some video I discovered that the battery was dead on the camcorder.
Upon entering the museum, I asked the person at the ticket counter if he knew of a train located along US-2 somewhere. He told me it was right along side the highway in the town of Proctor and you can’t miss it as you drive through. Well Proctor is the town I had just come through and I did miss it. I guess eyesight is the first thing to go when you get old; or is it the second? He told me that if I head back to Proctor, just after passing the first red light, I will crest a hill and the train will be on my left. I thanked him and went about the business of visiting the Railroad Museum. I was impressed by the number of restored old trains that they had on display inside the building. I took a lot of pictures, some of which you can see above. While I was there I also got a short ride on and old restored electric trolley. This trolley was actually built in South America and was used in Duluth for many years. There is a sister trolley that is still in use in Alaska but it has been converted to diesel.
After leaving the museum, I headed back to Proctor to find the locomotive that I somehow missed on my first pass through. As I came to the first red light, I could not see it yet but as I crested the hill I discovered why I did not see it the first time. It was right next to the Air Force Jet that is also on display next to the highway. Anyway, I stopped and got some pictures of the jet and the train and headed into Proctor to get some lunch. At the restaurant I found out that the engine and tender car for this locomotive was 127 feet long and the engine was the most powerful engine in the world at the time.
After eating I then head back onto US-2 to make a stop at the tourist information center to get some pictures of Duluth and the harbor. The view from that hill was breathtaking and I was extremely glad that I came back that way to see it and get some pictures. While I was there I met a nice couple from Boston who had been vacationing in Minnesota and were driving back through Upper Michigan, then Canada, and back to the US in the Thousand Island area on the St. Lawrence Seaway. In our discussion I discovered that he had actually been born in Ann Arbor, MI. They asked for my recommendation on what to see as they passed through the UP. I recommended Pictured Rocks and Tahquamenon Falls. They wrote both things down and said they would definitely stop at each.
On my way down US-2 toward Duluth I was on the lookout for a large steam locomotive that a friend of mine wanted me to take a picture of. He is a truck driver that made a lot of runs through Duluth and was always captivated by the size of this locomotive. He was never able to get a picture of it because there was no place for him to stop with his 18 wheeler. Before heading out toward Duluth I did some research on the computer to see if I could locate where it was. I was not able to find it online but I did find a Railroad Museum in Duluth so I programmed that into my GPS. I figured if nothing else, I could go there and someone would know were it was. I recall as I rode through town of Proctor, just outside of Duluth, my attention was drawn to an Air Force Jet that was poised on a pedestal on the side of the highway. I thought about stopping there to get a picture of it because it was quite neat, but I was going just a little too fast to stop so I just kept heading toward the museum. Shortly after that I saw a turnout for a rest area and tourist information site which I also thought about stopping at but I decided against it at the last minute. After rounding a curve and cresting a hill, I got my first view of Duluth and the harbor on Lake Superior. It was absolutely gorgeous. At that point it was too late to stop to get a picture but I decided that after visiting the museum I would probably go back to that information rest area because it was on an even higher hill overlooking the city and would allow me to get some good pictures.
Upon arriving at the Museum I parked my bike on the street and took both cameras with me to try to get some pictures in the museum. The building that housed the museums (there were actually four museums in this building) was a beautiful old train station. From the road outside I took my 35 mm camera out to take a picture of the building. I noticed that I did not have my memory card in it because I left it in the computer. I thought for a moment that it would be okay because I still had my camcorder with me and it takes pretty good still pictures along with videos; but since I was only a half a block away from my bike I decided to go back and get the memory card. I was so glad I did because when I finally got in the place and tried to take some video I discovered that the battery was dead on the camcorder.
Upon entering the museum, I asked the person at the ticket counter if he knew of a train located along US-2 somewhere. He told me it was right along side the highway in the town of Proctor and you can’t miss it as you drive through. Well Proctor is the town I had just come through and I did miss it. I guess eyesight is the first thing to go when you get old; or is it the second? He told me that if I head back to Proctor, just after passing the first red light, I will crest a hill and the train will be on my left. I thanked him and went about the business of visiting the Railroad Museum. I was impressed by the number of restored old trains that they had on display inside the building. I took a lot of pictures, some of which you can see above. While I was there I also got a short ride on and old restored electric trolley. This trolley was actually built in South America and was used in Duluth for many years. There is a sister trolley that is still in use in Alaska but it has been converted to diesel.
After leaving the museum, I headed back to Proctor to find the locomotive that I somehow missed on my first pass through. As I came to the first red light, I could not see it yet but as I crested the hill I discovered why I did not see it the first time. It was right next to the Air Force Jet that is also on display next to the highway. Anyway, I stopped and got some pictures of the jet and the train and headed into Proctor to get some lunch. At the restaurant I found out that the engine and tender car for this locomotive was 127 feet long and the engine was the most powerful engine in the world at the time.
After eating I then head back onto US-2 to make a stop at the tourist information center to get some pictures of Duluth and the harbor. The view from that hill was breathtaking and I was extremely glad that I came back that way to see it and get some pictures. While I was there I met a nice couple from Boston who had been vacationing in Minnesota and were driving back through Upper Michigan, then Canada, and back to the US in the Thousand Island area on the St. Lawrence Seaway. In our discussion I discovered that he had actually been born in Ann Arbor, MI. They asked for my recommendation on what to see as they passed through the UP. I recommended Pictured Rocks and Tahquamenon Falls. They wrote both things down and said they would definitely stop at each.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Day 30
Picture 1 - Sunflowers growing in a field. Picture 2 - Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox in Bemidji, MN. Picture 3 - Paul and Babe but this time in Oregon taken several days ago. Picture 4 - Large Muskie outside of a bar in Minisota.
This morning I started in Minot, ND and rode to Grand Rapids, MN; a total of 325 miles altogether. The riding was easy and fast. With the speed limit at 70 in North Dakota I was usually running at 75 mph most of the day with spurts up to 80 from time to time. The terrain started out much like yesterday, mostly flat farm land or grazing land. The farther east I went, however, the more I began to see some ponds in the fields, then bigger ponds, and then lakes and bigger lakes. It was nice to see some lakes along the way, but the lake were pretty much wide open. That is, there were no trees around most of them. They were just lakes in a field. Once I crossed over into Minnesota, that is when the landscape really changed. Northern Minnesota looks a lot like the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Covered with trees and the lakes are surrounded by trees. I felt like I was home again; and it felt good.
Let me say something about highway US-2. Before I started my trip a number of people warned me that US-2 might not be in that good a shape because it is not the primary rode for cross country travel like it used to be. I was, in fact, a little apprehensive about taking that route at first, but now that I have been on it from Seattle, WA to Grand Rapids, MN I can tell you that there is nothing wrong with this road. Ever since Montana, the speed limit on the road has been 70 mph (except for in the towns) and 70 is a comfortable speed for the condition of the road; which is good. What I like most about it is that you can travel just as fast as on the interstate, but with much, much less traffic and very few trucks; and you get to see all the little towns along the way. In Montana, US-2 was a two-lane road for the entire state. But with so little traffic, it presented no problem because there was hardly ever anyone to pass along the way. In North Dakota US-2 becomes a four-lane divided highway, but it is not limited access. The four lanes obviously makes passing easier, but still there were very few people on the road to pass anyway. There are only about 30 miles that are not four-lane but they are currently working on that section and it will probably be done this year. Once I got to Minnesota the speed limit dropped to 65 and in Bemidji, MN the road again turned into a two-lane road. In Minnesota the towns are a little closer together than in the other states.
As I rode today, and also a few times yesterday, I came across several huge areas of sun flowers growing in fields. It was quite nice to see some color other than the tannish brown wheat fields that I have see ever since Washington State. I stopped to take a picture of one of the fields, which you can see above. In Bemidji, MN I had to stop to take a picture of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. This is not the first time I have seen these characters. There was a statue of them in Oregon as well; right near the California border and the redwood forests. I have included both pictures above. Halfway between Bemidji and Grand Rapids, I came across a bar that had a huge muskie outside of it. The muskie was actually a building. The doorway was in the mouth and you can see windows on the side as well as a small chimney coming out the back near the fish’s dorsal fin.
Let me say something about highway US-2. Before I started my trip a number of people warned me that US-2 might not be in that good a shape because it is not the primary rode for cross country travel like it used to be. I was, in fact, a little apprehensive about taking that route at first, but now that I have been on it from Seattle, WA to Grand Rapids, MN I can tell you that there is nothing wrong with this road. Ever since Montana, the speed limit on the road has been 70 mph (except for in the towns) and 70 is a comfortable speed for the condition of the road; which is good. What I like most about it is that you can travel just as fast as on the interstate, but with much, much less traffic and very few trucks; and you get to see all the little towns along the way. In Montana, US-2 was a two-lane road for the entire state. But with so little traffic, it presented no problem because there was hardly ever anyone to pass along the way. In North Dakota US-2 becomes a four-lane divided highway, but it is not limited access. The four lanes obviously makes passing easier, but still there were very few people on the road to pass anyway. There are only about 30 miles that are not four-lane but they are currently working on that section and it will probably be done this year. Once I got to Minnesota the speed limit dropped to 65 and in Bemidji, MN the road again turned into a two-lane road. In Minnesota the towns are a little closer together than in the other states.
As I rode today, and also a few times yesterday, I came across several huge areas of sun flowers growing in fields. It was quite nice to see some color other than the tannish brown wheat fields that I have see ever since Washington State. I stopped to take a picture of one of the fields, which you can see above. In Bemidji, MN I had to stop to take a picture of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. This is not the first time I have seen these characters. There was a statue of them in Oregon as well; right near the California border and the redwood forests. I have included both pictures above. Halfway between Bemidji and Grand Rapids, I came across a bar that had a huge muskie outside of it. The muskie was actually a building. The doorway was in the mouth and you can see windows on the side as well as a small chimney coming out the back near the fish’s dorsal fin.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Day 29
Today I took only one picture so I decided to include three pictures from two days ago. Picture 1 – Bridge over Lake Koocanusa about 30 miles north of the Libby Dam. Picture 2 – The gorge and river in Glacier Park where kids were jumping into the river. Picture 3 – A close up of the pool they jumped into. Picture 4 – An old steamboat that was used on the Missouri River near Wolf Point, MT.
Last night I stayed in Glasgow, MT and I rode to Minot, ND to end my day; a distance of about 280 miles. Rain threatened all day but I never got any rain until I secured my motel room in Minot. Then we had about 5 minutes of drizzle. In Williston, ND, which was about half way on today’s ride, I stopped for lunch and checked out the weather channel weather map on my computer. There was a huge band of thunder storms about 60 miles south of my position that stretched almost the entire width of the state. This would have put it smack dab on top of I-94 which made me glad that I was riding US-2 rather than the interstate.
Having left Montana, let me summarize my thoughts about this state. First of all, Montana is one wide state. Riding on US-2 from the Idaho border to the North Dakota border is about 680 miles. That is the equivalent of the distance between Lansing, MI and New York, NY. On the western end of Montana the terrain in mountainous and heavily forested and I might add; it is quite beautiful. Riding through Glacier National Park was some of the best scenery that I have seen anywhere. Once I left Glacier Park, I entered the town of Browning which was probably one of the dumpiest towns I have come across on my trip. Later I found out that it is a town on an Indian Reservation that has an extremely high crime rate and murder rate. Four people had been murdered there in just the last two months with the most recent being just one day before I passed through the town.
From Browning all the way to North Dakota, the terrain changed from mountains to flat dry farm and grazing land. The roads changed from twisty to fast and straight. Riding on US-2 was nice for a change but the scenery got to be a little boring. All along US-2 there were little towns dotting the way about every 20 miles or so, with absolutely nothing in between. The towns were obviously populated by Native Americans because I have never seen so many casinos in my life. Every town had at least one casino and in some towns there were dozens. There were casinos everywhere. They were in gas stations, liquor stores, restaurants, and casinos all by themselves. In my mind, I imagined that Montana to be all mountains and lakes. Boy was I wrong. It is like that only on the western third of the state. Otherwise, it was flat prairie land.
On today’s ride I stopped at three historic sites. The first told about how, in 1837, the Little Girl Band of Assiniboine Indians were exposed to smallpox by the European trappers. The exposure wiped out 94% of the entire tribe. Numerous other tribes were exposed to the disease as well with almost as devastating results as the Assiniboines had. The second was at Wolf Point, MT which told about the Lewis and Clark Expedition which passed through that area in 1805. I might add that I have crossed over the Lewis and Clark trail several times in the last few days. Wolf Point got its name because in 1879 trappers killed several hundred wolves and piled them up along the Missouri River for the steamboats to see as they passed by. The final site was tribute to the steamboats that used to run up and down the Missouri River bringing supplies to the settlers and forts that were populating the area. I have included a picture of one of the steamboats above.
Last night I stayed in Glasgow, MT and I rode to Minot, ND to end my day; a distance of about 280 miles. Rain threatened all day but I never got any rain until I secured my motel room in Minot. Then we had about 5 minutes of drizzle. In Williston, ND, which was about half way on today’s ride, I stopped for lunch and checked out the weather channel weather map on my computer. There was a huge band of thunder storms about 60 miles south of my position that stretched almost the entire width of the state. This would have put it smack dab on top of I-94 which made me glad that I was riding US-2 rather than the interstate.
Having left Montana, let me summarize my thoughts about this state. First of all, Montana is one wide state. Riding on US-2 from the Idaho border to the North Dakota border is about 680 miles. That is the equivalent of the distance between Lansing, MI and New York, NY. On the western end of Montana the terrain in mountainous and heavily forested and I might add; it is quite beautiful. Riding through Glacier National Park was some of the best scenery that I have seen anywhere. Once I left Glacier Park, I entered the town of Browning which was probably one of the dumpiest towns I have come across on my trip. Later I found out that it is a town on an Indian Reservation that has an extremely high crime rate and murder rate. Four people had been murdered there in just the last two months with the most recent being just one day before I passed through the town.
From Browning all the way to North Dakota, the terrain changed from mountains to flat dry farm and grazing land. The roads changed from twisty to fast and straight. Riding on US-2 was nice for a change but the scenery got to be a little boring. All along US-2 there were little towns dotting the way about every 20 miles or so, with absolutely nothing in between. The towns were obviously populated by Native Americans because I have never seen so many casinos in my life. Every town had at least one casino and in some towns there were dozens. There were casinos everywhere. They were in gas stations, liquor stores, restaurants, and casinos all by themselves. In my mind, I imagined that Montana to be all mountains and lakes. Boy was I wrong. It is like that only on the western third of the state. Otherwise, it was flat prairie land.
On today’s ride I stopped at three historic sites. The first told about how, in 1837, the Little Girl Band of Assiniboine Indians were exposed to smallpox by the European trappers. The exposure wiped out 94% of the entire tribe. Numerous other tribes were exposed to the disease as well with almost as devastating results as the Assiniboines had. The second was at Wolf Point, MT which told about the Lewis and Clark Expedition which passed through that area in 1805. I might add that I have crossed over the Lewis and Clark trail several times in the last few days. Wolf Point got its name because in 1879 trappers killed several hundred wolves and piled them up along the Missouri River for the steamboats to see as they passed by. The final site was tribute to the steamboats that used to run up and down the Missouri River bringing supplies to the settlers and forts that were populating the area. I have included a picture of one of the steamboats above.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Day 28
Picture 1 is the picture of the dinosaur at the Philip County Museum in Malta, MT. The picture was actually 4 separate pictures that I took and then stitched together using the panorama feature of my Olympus Master editing software. Picture 2 are some antique clothes from the museum.
Today there isn’t too much to report today. Before leaving I noticed that my cycle cover had some white stuff on it when I went to take it off. At first I didn’t know what it was but then I figured out that it was ash from the distant forest fires that are raging in Idaho and Montana. I left Cut Bank, MT this morning heading east on US-2. For the most part US-2 is as straight as an arrow and has a speed limit of 70 mph. The riding was easy, but the scenery left a little to be desired. Ever since I left Glacier National Park, the land flattened out and became wheat growing or cattle grazing farmland that stretches as far as the eye can see. It has been that way for well over 300 miles. Except for the river valleys, there are almost no trees anywhere. Actually the straighter road riding is kind of a relief from all the twists and turns that I experienced all along the coast and through the mountains that have dominated my riding for the last two weeks or more. Riding US-2 is also a whole lot better than riding the interstate highways. There is definitely a lot less traffic.
Because of the lack of scenery I started to stop at most of the historical markers that were along US-2 near each of the towns that I rode through. I found out about people like: Chief Joseph, Chief of the Nez Perce Indian tribe; Flat Nose Curry, Butch Cassidy, and the Sundance Kid; the slaughtering of the free range buffalo in the 1880s; and things like the various kinds of cattle brands. In the town of Malta, MT I stopped at a museum. The key item at the museum was a complete skeleton of a brachylophosaurus dinosaur that was found near there. This dinosaur is an early cousin of the T-Rex. It measured 28 feet long. The museum nicknamed the dinosaur “Elvis the Pelvis.” I included a picture of Elvis above.
Day 27
Picture 1 – Mountains in Glacier Park . Picture 2 – Entrance to Glacier Park. Picture 3 – Upper Libby Dam and Koocanusa Lake. Picture 4 – Libby Dam
Today was a really great day. It started out with a ride up to the Libby Dam on the Kootenai River which creates the 90 mile long Koocanusa Lake. Forty-two of the lake miles are in Canada, the rest are in the USA. Although the dam does generate electricity, its primary purpose is to control flooding in the area by storing up the spring run off and releasing it over the summer and fall. As I rode along the lake I stopped to watch some people that were rock climbing. There were actually several groups of people.
Glacier National Park was simply fantastic. People told me that it was beautiful, but until you actually see it for yourself it is hard to imagine what it looks like. When you first enter there is a large lake on your left which is really beautiful. Then you begin to rise in altitude and the lake changes to a river and the mountain tops start to come into view. As you rise up further the mountains become more visible and more majestic. They are breathtaking. Part way up, I stop by a waterfall in the river to take some pictures. Just above the falls area is a neat canyon where the river forms a deep pool that swimmers were jumping 15 feet off the canyon walls into.
As you ascend further the mountain become even more rugged than before. During the first part of the ascent, I was on the inside lane, but after negotiating a very sharp switchback I was then in the outside lane for the rest of the ride on the Road to the Sun. About 5 or 10 miles before the end of the Sun Road as I approached the town of St. Mary, another lake appeared but this time on my right. When the lake ended the St. Mary River started.
Once I was out of the park I got on MT89 and headed south. This road took me through an area that was recently burned out by a forest fire. In a few more miles the mountains turned into rolling foot hills with horses and cattle roaming on a free range. Some of the horses were even on the roadway. The farther east I rode the flatter the terrain got and the drier it got. Then the wind started to pick up. It must have been gusting up to 50 miles per hour. I was glad when I turned east so that the wind was at my back. I was traveling on US 2 at about 75 MPH but it didn’t seem that fast because I didn’t feel the wind as much.
Today was a really great day. It started out with a ride up to the Libby Dam on the Kootenai River which creates the 90 mile long Koocanusa Lake. Forty-two of the lake miles are in Canada, the rest are in the USA. Although the dam does generate electricity, its primary purpose is to control flooding in the area by storing up the spring run off and releasing it over the summer and fall. As I rode along the lake I stopped to watch some people that were rock climbing. There were actually several groups of people.
Glacier National Park was simply fantastic. People told me that it was beautiful, but until you actually see it for yourself it is hard to imagine what it looks like. When you first enter there is a large lake on your left which is really beautiful. Then you begin to rise in altitude and the lake changes to a river and the mountain tops start to come into view. As you rise up further the mountains become more visible and more majestic. They are breathtaking. Part way up, I stop by a waterfall in the river to take some pictures. Just above the falls area is a neat canyon where the river forms a deep pool that swimmers were jumping 15 feet off the canyon walls into.
As you ascend further the mountain become even more rugged than before. During the first part of the ascent, I was on the inside lane, but after negotiating a very sharp switchback I was then in the outside lane for the rest of the ride on the Road to the Sun. About 5 or 10 miles before the end of the Sun Road as I approached the town of St. Mary, another lake appeared but this time on my right. When the lake ended the St. Mary River started.
Once I was out of the park I got on MT89 and headed south. This road took me through an area that was recently burned out by a forest fire. In a few more miles the mountains turned into rolling foot hills with horses and cattle roaming on a free range. Some of the horses were even on the roadway. The farther east I rode the flatter the terrain got and the drier it got. Then the wind started to pick up. It must have been gusting up to 50 miles per hour. I was glad when I turned east so that the wind was at my back. I was traveling on US 2 at about 75 MPH but it didn’t seem that fast because I didn’t feel the wind as much.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Day 26
Picture 1 - A neat restored schoolhouse near Reardan, WA. Picture 2 - Kootenai River in Idaho. Picture 3 & 4 - Kootenai Falls in Montana. Picture 5 - Me standing in front of Kootenai Falls.
This morning I left Davenport heading for Shumate Harley Davidson in Spokane, WA. I just turned over 6,000 miles and needed my second oil change of the trip. My first oil change was at Santa Barbara H-D in Carpenteria, CA, just a couple of weeks ago. Although I am not in the business of writing about dealers on my trip, I think a comparison of the two might be in order. I called ahead at both dealers to see if I could get an oil change and both could accommodate. Both were very friendly and both had me in and out within an hour. Now let’s talk about the differences. In California they tried to add on all kinds of extras which would have cost me $341. After I objected and said all I wanted was and oil change, he backed out some of the items. When it was done I ended up with a bill for $145 for an oil change. This was the first time I ever had my oil changed at a dealer before so I did not have anything to compare it to. Today I was surprised to find out that my cost for the oil change in Spokane, WA was $66 and they even checked over the bike to make sure everything was still in place and nothing had come loose. I realize this is a small sample from which to base an opinion, but when an oil change costs more than twice as much, at one dealer over another dealer, I am forced to state my opinion. First I want to express my thanks to Shumate H-D in Spokane for doing a great job at a reasonable price. My recommendation to anyone planning on making a long trip on a Harley; don’t get your oil changed in the Los Angeles area and especially not at Santa Barbara H-D in Carpenteria, CA. I am not sure that the price was high just because it was near LA, but I would not want to test the theory if I were in the LA area again.
While I was at the dealership in Spokane, a delightful 68 year old gentleman overheard that I had ridden Route 66 and he couldn’t stop asking questions about my experience. I filled him in on some of the generalities of the trip and advised him to check out my blog if he wanted more detail about my experience. He told me that he would definitely do that because he wanted to ride it next year.
After leaving the dealership I programmed my GPS to take me to Glacier National Park. Because I was already east of US-2 the GPS pointed me to Idaho 95 which would head north and eventually connect with US-2. This seemed reasonable to me so I followed the GPS, but did that ever turn out to be a mistake. The problem was not with the road or the route, it was the fact that this route took me past a large amusement park in Sandpoint, ID. This being a weekend, the traffic was especially heavy on this road and to make matters worse, there was a major accident just north of the park which completely closed down the road. This created a major traffic jam that took me about an hour to get through, and when I finally thought I was through it, I found out that I then had to take a detour around the accident that was ahead.
After getting through the traffic problems I eventually linked up with US-2 and the ride again became delightful as usual. It wasn’t long before I was riding in the Idaho mountains next to the majestic Kootenai River. The longer I road along the river the nicer it got. I eventually came across a turnout that boasted a view of Kootenai Falls. I almost passed it up, but decided to make the stop; and am I glad I did. This river was one of the most powerful rivers I have seen on my trip. The falls are not large in terms of height, but the rush of water through this gorge and around the rocky islands was overwhelming. I was totally blown away. I took some really good video of the falls and some pictures as well. The pictures are good but they do not give the total impression that you get from the videos. Even the videos don’t capture it all, however. One aspect not captured on the videos is the thunderous sound that engulfed you as you stood near the river. The videos could pick up the sound of rushing water which by itself was impressive, but what it didn’t pick up was a thunderous din which emanated from the falls and reverberated from the surrounding mountains and canyon walls. At first I wasn’t sure it was there, but the longed I stayed there, the more I was aware of its presence.
You may recall that I had previously talked about the Meryl Streep movie, “The River Wild,” which was partly filmed at the Hellsgate, Canyon on the Rogue River in Oregon. I have now discovered that the movie scenes involving the major rapids were filmed at this site on the Kootenai River. I can easily see why they chose this spot.
Currently I am at Libby, Montana which is about 100 miles west of Glacier National Park which I intend to visit tomorrow. I have passed the 6,000 mile mark on my odometer and I have now been it 15 different states on my trip. When I started this journey, I had a vision of what I expected to experience. Although some of what I envisioned has been correct, the extent of what I have really experienced has far exceeded the vision. This is probably not unusual because how can you know what is there until you actually get out and see it for yourself. If you aren’t able read into the meaning of that statement, let me spell it out for you. Get out and discover America. You will never regret it. This is one great country.
While I was at the dealership in Spokane, a delightful 68 year old gentleman overheard that I had ridden Route 66 and he couldn’t stop asking questions about my experience. I filled him in on some of the generalities of the trip and advised him to check out my blog if he wanted more detail about my experience. He told me that he would definitely do that because he wanted to ride it next year.
After leaving the dealership I programmed my GPS to take me to Glacier National Park. Because I was already east of US-2 the GPS pointed me to Idaho 95 which would head north and eventually connect with US-2. This seemed reasonable to me so I followed the GPS, but did that ever turn out to be a mistake. The problem was not with the road or the route, it was the fact that this route took me past a large amusement park in Sandpoint, ID. This being a weekend, the traffic was especially heavy on this road and to make matters worse, there was a major accident just north of the park which completely closed down the road. This created a major traffic jam that took me about an hour to get through, and when I finally thought I was through it, I found out that I then had to take a detour around the accident that was ahead.
After getting through the traffic problems I eventually linked up with US-2 and the ride again became delightful as usual. It wasn’t long before I was riding in the Idaho mountains next to the majestic Kootenai River. The longer I road along the river the nicer it got. I eventually came across a turnout that boasted a view of Kootenai Falls. I almost passed it up, but decided to make the stop; and am I glad I did. This river was one of the most powerful rivers I have seen on my trip. The falls are not large in terms of height, but the rush of water through this gorge and around the rocky islands was overwhelming. I was totally blown away. I took some really good video of the falls and some pictures as well. The pictures are good but they do not give the total impression that you get from the videos. Even the videos don’t capture it all, however. One aspect not captured on the videos is the thunderous sound that engulfed you as you stood near the river. The videos could pick up the sound of rushing water which by itself was impressive, but what it didn’t pick up was a thunderous din which emanated from the falls and reverberated from the surrounding mountains and canyon walls. At first I wasn’t sure it was there, but the longed I stayed there, the more I was aware of its presence.
You may recall that I had previously talked about the Meryl Streep movie, “The River Wild,” which was partly filmed at the Hellsgate, Canyon on the Rogue River in Oregon. I have now discovered that the movie scenes involving the major rapids were filmed at this site on the Kootenai River. I can easily see why they chose this spot.
Currently I am at Libby, Montana which is about 100 miles west of Glacier National Park which I intend to visit tomorrow. I have passed the 6,000 mile mark on my odometer and I have now been it 15 different states on my trip. When I started this journey, I had a vision of what I expected to experience. Although some of what I envisioned has been correct, the extent of what I have really experienced has far exceeded the vision. This is probably not unusual because how can you know what is there until you actually get out and see it for yourself. If you aren’t able read into the meaning of that statement, let me spell it out for you. Get out and discover America. You will never regret it. This is one great country.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Day 25
Picture 1 - Grant and me heading to Davenport. Picture 2 - Chris, Zach, and me going for a ride. Picture 3 - Leena and Donny's front yard. Picture 4 - Front of their house.
I stayed at Leena’s house today and did not travel so there is not too much to report today. This morning I took Grant with me into Davenport to go to the post office to mail
Heather’s car keys back to her that I had in my pocket when I left. I also mailed out another package as well. While I was in town, I parked outside of Donny’s office to connect to the wireless internet so I could post my blog and to check my email. After that we headed back home and I gave the other two kids a short ride on the motorcycle because they have been bugging me for a ride ever since I arrived yesterday. While I was in town, I also called the Harley dealer in Spokane to see if they would be able to change my oil on Saturday morning. They indicated it would not be a problems so I will stop there on my way out tomorrow.
Once I leave Spokane, I will be getting back on US-2 to head toward Glacier National Park in Montana which is 330 miles from here and probably about 275 miles from Spokane.
Last night we all went out to dinner at Milford’s Seafood in Spokane, WA. Following dinner we dropped Donny and Grant off at the railroad station so they could take a train to Montana to pick up Donny’s truck.
Heather’s car keys back to her that I had in my pocket when I left. I also mailed out another package as well. While I was in town, I parked outside of Donny’s office to connect to the wireless internet so I could post my blog and to check my email. After that we headed back home and I gave the other two kids a short ride on the motorcycle because they have been bugging me for a ride ever since I arrived yesterday. While I was in town, I also called the Harley dealer in Spokane to see if they would be able to change my oil on Saturday morning. They indicated it would not be a problems so I will stop there on my way out tomorrow.
Once I leave Spokane, I will be getting back on US-2 to head toward Glacier National Park in Montana which is 330 miles from here and probably about 275 miles from Spokane.
Last night we all went out to dinner at Milford’s Seafood in Spokane, WA. Following dinner we dropped Donny and Grant off at the railroad station so they could take a train to Montana to pick up Donny’s truck.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Day 24
Picture 1 – Pike Place Fish Market. Picture 2 – Bear and Yokoyama at Fish Market. Picture 3 – Wenatchee River along US-2 in the Cascade Mountains. Picture 4 – Leavenworth a Bavarian Village in the Cascade Mountains. Picture 5 – Svea, Zach, and Grant.
Today I left Heather’s house in Yelm, WA heading toward Seattle. My first stop for the day was going to be the world famous, Pike Place Fish Market. The fish market was one place that I could not pass up. Many of you are familiar with the Fish Philosophy training that I did at West Shore Community College. This training was based on the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, so I had to stop. In the training I dress up like Bear, one of the prominent characters in both the Fish book and Fish video. As it turns out Bear still works there and I was able to get a couple of pictures of him at the market today. Many of the employees are new since the Fish video was published, but there were two of the old guard that were still there and working today: Bear and the brother of Johnny Yokoyama. Johnny is the owner of Pike Place Fish and the person that helped to make it world famous.
One thing that surprised me about Seattle was how steep the streets are that lead to Pike Place. It reminded me of San Francisco. I felt a little uneasy riding down them and then back up as I was leaving. I think going up was worse because I hit every red light and had to keep the brake on to keep from rolling backwards while trying to feather the clutch and give it gas to get going all at the same time. I didn’t stay at the market long because parking was $5 for half an hour. Pike Place Market is actually a whole bunch of shops connected together. It was really crowded and difficult to move around. The best activity was around the Pike Place Fish market which is where I spent most of my time.
After leaving Seattle, I headed a little north to get on US-2 which would take me to Davenport, WA where my niece Leena lives with her husband Donny and their four kids: Grant, Svea, Zach, Maija. The trip there from Seattle was about 280 miles, but I had already ridden 60+ miles from Yelm to Seattle. What struck me most about the ride today were the changes in terrain and climate. For about the last two weeks, I have been riding along the coast and have always been west of the Cascade Mountains. Along the coast it has been extremely cold with temperatures mostly in the 60s for highs and the lows have been in the 50’s with a time or two in the 40s. As I headed up the Cascade Mountains I was struck by their beauty. Much like the Olympic Mountains, they looked a lot like the Swiss Alps. In Seattle I was pretty close to sea level. At the highest point in the Cascades, I was at just over 4,000 feet, but the surrounding mountains were much higher than that. The temperature was cool at that elevation but it began to warm up as I descended down the other side. For a long time US-2 followed the Wenatchee River which was a beautiful blue\green when it wasn’t boiling over in the rocky areas. US-2 was extremely beautiful through this section. With the mountains rising up on both sides of the road and the river running along my right side, it was all I could do to keep my eyes on the road as I traveled along. On the eastern side of the Cascades was the town of Leavenworth. This was a delightful little town that was patterned after a Bavarian town nestled in the Alps. It looked a lot like Frankenmuth, MI except that it was surrounded by mountains. Shortly after leaving Leavenworth, the terrain and climate made an abrupt change. The lush green mountains gave way to brown un-vegetated hills that looked more like the desert southwest than the northwest. The temperature jumped significantly as well. After passing over the Columbia River the elevation began to climb again as I rode up the desert-like mountains. What really surprised me was when I got to the top of the mountain (about 2,800 feet above sea level). There the land opened up into a vast area of wheat farms as far as the eye could see in every direction. The road at this point became straight as an arrow. The only curves in the road were the up and down undulations as the road contoured itself to the rolling terrain of the farmland. This lasted for pretty much the rest of my trip today which was at least 100 miles. I don’t think I have ever seen this much wheat farming in my life.
In Davenport, where my niece lives I discovered that her house was actually 16 miles north of Davenport and US-2. As I headed north I was again seeing nothing but wheat farms in every direction. It was only in the last few miles when I turned onto Porcupine Bay road that the scenery changed to pine covered mountains that were just beautiful. When my GPS took me on the last turn on the last road to Leena’s house, it wasn’t quite sure where her house was, so it took me past her house down a gravel road and left me in the middle of no where; and I me no where. Luckily they heard me go by and sent their son Grant out on his dirt bike to retrieve me and get me back to their place. I was relieved to see Grant coming because, as I said, we were in the boonies and I discovered I had no cell phone service
Today I left Heather’s house in Yelm, WA heading toward Seattle. My first stop for the day was going to be the world famous, Pike Place Fish Market. The fish market was one place that I could not pass up. Many of you are familiar with the Fish Philosophy training that I did at West Shore Community College. This training was based on the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, so I had to stop. In the training I dress up like Bear, one of the prominent characters in both the Fish book and Fish video. As it turns out Bear still works there and I was able to get a couple of pictures of him at the market today. Many of the employees are new since the Fish video was published, but there were two of the old guard that were still there and working today: Bear and the brother of Johnny Yokoyama. Johnny is the owner of Pike Place Fish and the person that helped to make it world famous.
One thing that surprised me about Seattle was how steep the streets are that lead to Pike Place. It reminded me of San Francisco. I felt a little uneasy riding down them and then back up as I was leaving. I think going up was worse because I hit every red light and had to keep the brake on to keep from rolling backwards while trying to feather the clutch and give it gas to get going all at the same time. I didn’t stay at the market long because parking was $5 for half an hour. Pike Place Market is actually a whole bunch of shops connected together. It was really crowded and difficult to move around. The best activity was around the Pike Place Fish market which is where I spent most of my time.
After leaving Seattle, I headed a little north to get on US-2 which would take me to Davenport, WA where my niece Leena lives with her husband Donny and their four kids: Grant, Svea, Zach, Maija. The trip there from Seattle was about 280 miles, but I had already ridden 60+ miles from Yelm to Seattle. What struck me most about the ride today were the changes in terrain and climate. For about the last two weeks, I have been riding along the coast and have always been west of the Cascade Mountains. Along the coast it has been extremely cold with temperatures mostly in the 60s for highs and the lows have been in the 50’s with a time or two in the 40s. As I headed up the Cascade Mountains I was struck by their beauty. Much like the Olympic Mountains, they looked a lot like the Swiss Alps. In Seattle I was pretty close to sea level. At the highest point in the Cascades, I was at just over 4,000 feet, but the surrounding mountains were much higher than that. The temperature was cool at that elevation but it began to warm up as I descended down the other side. For a long time US-2 followed the Wenatchee River which was a beautiful blue\green when it wasn’t boiling over in the rocky areas. US-2 was extremely beautiful through this section. With the mountains rising up on both sides of the road and the river running along my right side, it was all I could do to keep my eyes on the road as I traveled along. On the eastern side of the Cascades was the town of Leavenworth. This was a delightful little town that was patterned after a Bavarian town nestled in the Alps. It looked a lot like Frankenmuth, MI except that it was surrounded by mountains. Shortly after leaving Leavenworth, the terrain and climate made an abrupt change. The lush green mountains gave way to brown un-vegetated hills that looked more like the desert southwest than the northwest. The temperature jumped significantly as well. After passing over the Columbia River the elevation began to climb again as I rode up the desert-like mountains. What really surprised me was when I got to the top of the mountain (about 2,800 feet above sea level). There the land opened up into a vast area of wheat farms as far as the eye could see in every direction. The road at this point became straight as an arrow. The only curves in the road were the up and down undulations as the road contoured itself to the rolling terrain of the farmland. This lasted for pretty much the rest of my trip today which was at least 100 miles. I don’t think I have ever seen this much wheat farming in my life.
In Davenport, where my niece lives I discovered that her house was actually 16 miles north of Davenport and US-2. As I headed north I was again seeing nothing but wheat farms in every direction. It was only in the last few miles when I turned onto Porcupine Bay road that the scenery changed to pine covered mountains that were just beautiful. When my GPS took me on the last turn on the last road to Leena’s house, it wasn’t quite sure where her house was, so it took me past her house down a gravel road and left me in the middle of no where; and I me no where. Luckily they heard me go by and sent their son Grant out on his dirt bike to retrieve me and get me back to their place. I was relieved to see Grant coming because, as I said, we were in the boonies and I discovered I had no cell phone service
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Day 23
Picture 1 - Entering the Quinault Rain Forest in Olympic National Park. Picture 2 and 3 - Moss covered trees on the Maple Glade Trail. Picture 4 - An area with some huge cedar trees. Picture 5 - A huge log on the beach in the Olympic National Park.
Today I headed back to the Olympic National Park but this time to the southwest side and the Quinault Rain Forest. The ride there was on the cool side as usual but the sun peaked out every once in a while. I arrived at the rain forest just before noon and headed right for the ranger station to check out one of the trails through the forest. It only took a few steps into the forest to make me feel that I was in a different world. This place was just amazing. The trees were huge and in many cases completely moss covered. The forest floor was completely green with ferns, moss, and many other types of plants. Being in the rain forest was like stepping back into prehistoric times. I was expecting to see dinosaurs at any minute. There was a creek running the forest in one area and it was absolutely beautiful. The undergrowth in the forest came right up to the banks of the creek and into it as well. Everything was so lush that not even the water would keep the plants from growing. The creek ran into a pond that was just completely engulfed with plant life. It was really beautiful. The water in the creek was absolutely clear. Probably because there were so many plants to filter it. There are two rain forest areas in Olympic Park, but I only visited one of them. I would suggest that if you are ever in this area, put this on your must see list.
After seeing the rain forest I head northwest on US101 toward the coast and the beach areas of the Olympic National Park. Although the highway is right on the coast for several miles, you cannot see the ocean from the highway because there is a small hill full of trees between the ocean and the road. Being short on time I only rode as far as Beach 3. Each of these beaches had only a small parking area by the road and path that led down to the beach. Not seeing much of the ocean, I decided to turn around and go back to South Beach because it had a camping area and you could drive down to the beach area. I was not impressed by the camping area. It was nothing more than a long gravel parking lot with campers parked all along its perimeter. From the parking lot the land dropped off down to the beach. I wasn’t really impressed by the beach itself but what did impress me were the huge driftwood logs that had washed up on the beach. They were massive. You can see one in picture 5 above.
Tomorrow I will be heading up to Seattle and then out on US2 in the general direction of home, but first I will be stopping at my niece Leena’s house in Davenport, WA.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Day 22
Picture 1 is Heather on Mount Rainier. Picture 2 is a dammed up lake on the way to Mount Rainier. Picture 3 and 4 are Narada Falls which are at the 3500 foot level on Mount Rainier.
I know you have all been waiting for the one big event or the one big story that becomes the defining moment in my trip. All biker trips have to have at least one. This is the event that separates the men from the boys; the Harley dudes from the other bikers. Well, I think I have it for you today. If you haven't read the other blogs, that's ok; BUT DON'T MISS THIS ONE.
So far on my trip I have been staying in motels or on several occasions I have been lucky enough to stay with relatives. I want to thank Lisa in San Bernardino CA, Betty in Medford OR, David in Dundee OR, and now Heather in Yelm WA where I am currently staying. The time I have spent with each of them has been wonderful and I appreciate, very much, the hospitality they have shown me. In addition, staying with them has saved me hundreds of dollars in motel cost that I didn’t have to shell out. Today, however, I think I paid the ultimate price for staying with relatives, especially ones that have little kids. This morning Heather needed to take Aiden to his swimming lesson so I volunteered to baby sit for Keilani (4) and Hailey (7 months). When Heather left, Haley was napping but woke up just as she was leaving. Heather had given me instructions on how to warm up her formula and where the diapers were in case I needed them. Haley was just fine playing for a while but then she started to fuss and Keilani said she was probably hungry; so I warmed up the formula and Haley started to eat. I decided that I better burp her so I walked over to get a dish towel to put over my shoulder. As I grabbed the dish towel and put it over my shoulder, I discover some yellow stuff on Hailey’s arm and my hands. Upon further investigation, I could see poop coming out the back of her diaper. It was all over my arm, shirt, and the baby’s clothes. What a mess! Every time I tried to lay her down to get something to clean her up with she would scream, so I would pick her up again. I laid down a dish towel on the counter but then I couldn’t get to the water so I move everything closer to the sink. Every time I would try to take her shirt off she would scream, but eventually I got it off. Then the pants; after trying to unbutton or unsnap them for about 2 minutes I realized that the button was just for decoration, so I pulled the pants down and off. It was at this point that I saw the extent of the mess. It had squeezed out of her diaper and was all over her back and legs. Using wet paper towel, I finally wiped off most of the exposed poop. It was time to dig into the main event. After untaping the diaper I pulled it away. I could see I still had a lot more work to do. With Hailey fussing all the while, I eventually got the entire mess cleaned up from her body. Now my next dilemma; I could not remember where Heather said the diapers were. I asked Keilani if she knew but she said she didn’t. So after wiping the poop off my arms, I took the naked baby in my arms to search the house. I was hoping all the while that she wouldn’t come up with any more surprises for me. I eventually found the diapers in a basket on top of the TV. Once I had the diaper on her I then needed to find some clean clothes. Once again, Keilani was no help. After going through a few drawers, I found a shirt that goes over her head and snaps between her legs. Heiley, however, didn’t want anything to do with that shirt, but after struggling with her for a few minutes I eventually got it over her head and wrestled her arms through the arm holes. I figured that was close enough and said the heck with the snaps between the legs. Soon after that she fell asleep and I put her in her crib. What a relief! Now I could wash myself off a little better and change my clothes. The only good part of this is that the poop didn’t smell too bad so my gag reflex did not reach its maximum capabilities. The poop actually smelled sort of fruity. Thank God for small favors. [How is that for a defining moment? There probably aren't many Harley riders that can tell a story like that.]
After Heather got home with Aiden and the babysitter, Heather and I got ready to go for a motorcycle ride to Mount Rainier National Park. The sky was cloudy again but we were dressed warm. We weren’t too far out when it started to drizzle on us. Luckily it didn’t last too long so we kept on heading to Mount Rainier. The ride to the mountain was just gorgeous and after entering the park, it was even better. As we climbed in elevation the temperature really started to drop. When we arrived at the Paradise Observation area, we were in the clouds and could not see a thing. So I am relying on Heather’s word that there really is a mountain there and that it really is beautiful. We were at 5700 feet and the temperature was probably in the 40s and it was really damp. After warming up inside for a while and buying a Mount Rainier yo-yo in the gift shop, we started our trek back to Heather’s house. About 16 miles before getting there, however, it started to rain pretty steady. At least we were at lower elevations and the temperature was up in the 60s. Even though it was cold and wet, and we couldn’t see the mountain, we both enjoyed the ride very much.
By the way, I reached another milestone today. I have not cranked out more that 5,000 miles for the trip now.
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