Road Trip 2014

Ready to roll

I recently returned from what I named my Road Trip 2014. I was fortunate to take some extended time off and go for a ride... quite a long ride. Door to door - 5,165 miles! It was a great trip and very enjoyable in many ways. My departure from home on a Thursday morning included a stop at Max BMW in Troy, NY to take a look at my brand new front tire which had a strange vibration. It turned out to be a defective tire so it got replaced. While at Max's it was also discovered that Blackie was stalling when the tech took her out for a test ride after the tire replacement. News to me but it turns out, after some detective work, that it was a sensor that needed to be fixed. It was all taken care of and a few hours later than planned I was on the road towards Georgia. Everything has a silver lining and I must say I'm glad it happened while at the dealer and not somewhere on a desolate road.

Sunset in Pennsylvania

The goal for this first portion of the road trip was a Saddle Sore 1,000 (a minimum of 1,000 miles in no more than 24 hours). According to my route it was just short of 1,100 miles from my house to my friend Laura's house. She lives a little east of Atlanta. So with the stop at Max's I was sort of three to four hours "behind schedule". But I wasn't worried. After all, you have 24 hours to complete the ride. My travels took me through the following states - New York, New Jersey,

Georgia on my mind

Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and in to Georgia. It was a nice ride and I enjoyed the scenery. There was a part in Virginia that was not so enjoyable as it seemed that every 50 miles or so there was a construction zone that took traffic down to one lane. You'd be surprised how much traffic, even though it is light compared to daytime, there is during the night. Enough to cause a traffic jam in a construction zone. It never got cold over night and I was very comfortable in my riding gear with no need for the heated gear. One of my goals on this road trip was to take a photo of every state welcome sign that I passed. Let me tell you... some of them are not placed in ideal spots for stopping. And not all of them are facing the road properly either. Oh well. But kudos to North Carolina because they not only place them on the state line but also by the Welcome Center!

Taking Matthew for a ride

I arrived at Laura's house right around 7.30 am Friday morning and was very happy to be there. Mission accomplished - one Saddle Sore done on this trip. Laura made me a nice strong cup of coffee and served me freshly baked cinnamon buns. Oh yeah, it was nice! Had the greatest weekend and got royally spoiled. A heavenly pedicure, a great visit to the Georgia Aquarium, a visit to Dahlonega with vine tasting and a tour of the gold mine museum, we had lots of good food, drinks and laughs over the weekend and I had plenty of rest. I also got to take Laura's son Matthew on a little ride on Blackie. That was fun. It was his first real ride on a motorcycle and he enjoyed it. He was a very good passenger.

Home of the Atlanta Braves

After a great weekend it was time to continue my trip and on Monday morning I left Laura's at the crack of dawn to try and beat Atlanta traffic as I had to go right through Atlanta on my route. The destination for the day was Arkansas to visit my "little sister" Dawna (from Big Brothers/Big Sisters in Arizona) who goes to
university in Searcy. I scored another ball park for the Team Strange Touch Em' All Ball Park Tour on my way out of Atlanta. Traffic was not too bad. At some point there was a back up due to an accident but it didn't take up too much time. Funny thing is, I saw these three guys come up on my right, but in the very far right lane. I was in the far left lane. One guy had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. I remember it cause I was thinking, who on Earth smokes while they ride... They ended up taking off in the shoulder and I was tempted to follow them but figured that with my luck I'd be pulled over by a cop.

The day had started with gray clouds and overcast but by the time I was in Alabama it was getting hot and humid. As I'm riding along I saw signs for Talladega Super Speedway. Well, you guessed it. I had to swing

Blackie at Talladega

by and check it out. One of my all time favorite corny movies is Talladega Nights with Will Farrell and John C. Reilly. Love that movie! I scored a few more ball parks and also crossed the mighty Mississippi River before I entered Arkansas. It was probably about 20 miles or so from Searcy when I saw that the sky was getting very dark ahead. I prayed I would make it to the hotel before the storm rolled in. With about five minutes to spare I parked Blackie and unloaded. And then the sky let loose. Thunder, lightning and heavy rain. Luckily Dawna's sister Deva had borrowed a big SUV so we could all fit and they came to pick me up for dinner. We had a scrumptious meal at a Filipino restaurant and after that I was given the grand tour of Harding University. The evening ended with some ice cream that Dawna,

"Sisters" since 1999 - ♥

her boyfriend Ryan and I had before they had to be back on campus. I went to bed with a smile and a happy heart - 565 miles of riding, passing through Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas, and most importantly, knowing that my "little sister" is happy and doing well.

Tuesday morning and after breakfast at the hotel I packed up and got ready to start the next leg of my road trip. This one to Denver, CO. I was just about to leave when I noticed that one of the bolts on my helmet was gone. This is the bolt that allows for the visor to open and close. Time to hit the hardware store. I found the bolt at Lowe's and got the helmet fixed. I also got to see Dawna quickly and hug her one more time. Just as I pulled in to the gas station to get gas and my start receipt for the start of the Denver Gold Rush which was another Saddle Sore 1,000 and part of the IBA (Iron Butt Association) International Meet Ride In to Denver, the sky opened up and it started pouring. This rain blew in from nowhere. Well, of course it came from somewhere but when I had checked the radar just an hour before there was no sign or mention of rain. I had to hunker under the awning of the gas station and wait. After an hour of constant rain I said "to heck with it" and put my rain gear on. After gas and mandatory receipt Blackie and I hit the road.

On top of Tower Mountain

Our first stop was Little Rock for another ball park. Piece of cake. By the time we left Little Rock the rain was gone and it was hot again. We motored on towards Hot Springs. I wanted to go back and visit because 21 years ago I drove through there by car and was already then thinking about riding a motorcycle on some of the roads. Shortly before Hot Springs I had to stop to peel off rain gear and soak my cooling vest.

The temperature was hovering in the 90's. Blackie and I climbed Tower Mountain and I smiled each time we entered one of the sharp turns. It was a nice visit and a walk down memory lane. In 1993 I visited Hot Springs with a Swedish friend of mine, Maria. We were doing a "drivers delivery" of a Chrysler LeBaron from New Jersey to San Diego, CA. It was on top of Tower Mountain that we broke all the rules and took the top down. After all, we were driving a convertible! But that is a whole different story....

In the hills of Oklahoma

The ride continued and brought me in to Oklahoma and Choctaw Nation which is one of the Native American tribes. The scenery was beautiful, the roads perfect and there was no traffic to speak of. But it was getting hotter outside by the minute. At some point I passed a thermometer that showed 99 degrees. Thank goodness for my camel back and the cooling vest! The ride through Oklahoma was nice and I enjoyed the roads and staying off the interstate. It wasn't until I reached Oklahoma City that I was hitting the "slab" and riding the interstate. It was hot, windy and boring. Did I mention boring??? At least the sunset was beautiful somewhere in western Oklahoma. The ride continued and brought me in to Texas where I once again left the the interstate and traveled on smaller secondary roads. Even after the sun had set it was very warm.. There certainly was no need for heated gear!

As I rode through what I think was cattle and oil fields on a fairly narrow road with a 75 mph speed limit I couldn't help but to laugh. Here I was, a girl on a bike in the middle of the big nowhere of Texas, and the

Yehaw - we're in Texas

only two vehicles I saw for hours was a train and a tractor trailer that suddenly came flying up behind me from nowhere. I would say that I was riding the open road so to speak. When I entered in to New Mexico I saw a sign saying "Do not stop for hitchhikers for the next 50 miles - state penitentiary area." I really wanted to stop and take a photo of the sign... but what if a hitchhiker showed up?

It was still dark when I entered Colorado just south of Pueblo. Now it was I-25 for the rest of the way in to Denver. In a short span of road I saw warning signs for: Elk, Moose, Bear and Bicyclists. I didn't realize I had to worry about bicyclists too. :)  The stretch of road between Pueblo and Colorado Springs is very hilly and curvy. Luckily there wasn't much traffic so I got to enjoy a little of the sweepers on the highway. Shortly after I passed by Colorado Springs daylight arrived. It was so beautiful to see the mountain range in the distance on one side and the long vistas of fields and more flat on the other side. I love Colorado! I lived there for a few years in the 90's. Maybe I will move back some day... Around 7.45 am I rolled in to the hotel parking lot of the Marriott where the

WELCOME TO COLORADO!

International IBA meet was held. I had just gotten off the bike when I realized I needed the final gas receipt. Duh! Back on the bike to find a gas station. Luckily there was one about a 1/2 mile from the hotel. While I was getting gas another bike pulled up and the rider said "Hello, I recognize you and your bike". At that time I didn't realize that I was talking to George Barnes. Legendary IBA rider and Iron Butt Rally winner and finisher. That realization came to me later during one of the sessions at the IBA meet. Then I introduced myself properly....

The Gold Rush Certificate and "my badge"

The three days I spent in Denver at the IBA meet were great fun. I earned my Denver Gold Rush SS1K for the ride I did from Arkansas to Colorado.  I attended many good seminars. Learned about routing, planning, taking care of yourself while doing a long distance ride. Met some awesome people that I probably would not have met if I didn't come to this..Listened to seasoned IBA riders who shared their knowledge, triumphs and failures. You always learn from your mistakes. Got to hang out with friends - new and old. Got to meet some of the folks I only knew from social media. Got to see my friend Mike Samsen who was on his epic journey "Into The Light Ride" to raise funds and awareness for suicide prevention while seeing the country. He went as far as Alaska.

Riding the Rockies

My favorite part of being in Colorado was that I got to ride the Rocky Mountain National Park with Mike. We left the hotel around 11 am on Thursday and didn't get back until after sunset. Had a great 250 mile ride that took us through some great canyons, over mountain passes and some seriously curvy and twisty roads.

Mike and I

We rode across the highest portion of paved road in the Rocky Mountain National Park which was above 12,000 feet. You can really feel how much thinner the air is there and the altitude. I must have taken close to 100 photos. I just love the mountains! The air was crisp and the scenery is just breathtaking. I even managed a photo of Mike and I with the IBA Magazine.
The ride through the park is one of my all time highlights so far on Blackie!

My other favorite part was that I got to see my good friend Kate Johnston. She recently returned from her epic trip. She did the Ultimate Coast to Coast to Coast Insanity trip. She rode from Key West, FL to

Kate at the Arctic Circle

Prudhoe Bay, AK and back to Key West, FL in 24 days. That is riding 10,767 miles! She is the first woman to have completed this ride! I am so incredibly proud of her. In total her trip - from home to Florida and then the coast to coast to coast and then back home to Pennsylvania was 13,560 miles. Quite a feat for a girl who has only been riding a little over three years. But she is one determined girl!

Cop cones competition

So many great moments and memories from the IBA meet. Having lunch with Paul Pelland a legend in his own. A sweetly nut and amazing person and the organizer of the MS5000 which I participated in earlier in the year. Meeting Cletha and her hubby Eric from Utah was great. Super nice people that I looked forward to see! Having an awesome BBQ dinner with a bunch of cool riders, like darling Ellen and Howard from California, and Ed from Indiana to name a few. Met Nancy from California who will be riding in the 2015 IBR. You go girl! Oh, and do you remember the mention earlier in this ride report about the three guys on I-20 west of Atlanta? Turns out it was Jesse, Greg and Chuck - all IBA members from Georgia and on their way to Denver. Small world eh? The cop cones competition was fun to watch and there was a part of me that really wanted to participate but I could not muster up the courage to do it! All in all it was a really good time and I'm so glad I went. I'm a tad bit sad that I could not stay for the banquet on Saturday night but with roughly 2,000 miles to get back home I had to head out on Saturday mid morning to be sure I was home and could show up at work Monday. After all, in order to play, you must make some dough :)

I left the hotel around 10.30 am Saturday morning, got my starting fuel receipt and steered Blackie east on I-70. It was quite warm already. As we entered Kansas, one of the most boring states to ride interstate on, the temperature was hovering around 100 degrees. And then the winds kicked in. At times there were 30 to 40 mph wind gusts. Not so much fun. Felt like I was riding through a hot air furnace. Since my goal was to complete a Bun Burner Gold (1,500+ miles in no more than 24 hours) I had to pretty much stick it to the super slab and stay on  interstates. Good thing I have great music on my iPOD and could stay focused. It was truly a uninteresting ride through Kansas and I was glad when that portion was over. I passed by Casey, IL and

Typical Kansas scenery

smiled as I remembered the Moonshine Lunch Run and the Curt Gran Memorial SS1K back in April. Had it not been in the wee hours of the night I would have turned in for a Moonburger.

I missed the Illinois state sign as it was in a bad spot and not safe to stop. The Missouri sign was on a bridge where it was impossible to stop.Somewhere in Indiana I saw five tractor trailers with all the stuff for Jason Aldean's Burn it Down Tour.

Sunrise in Ohio

Those drivers drove like madmen and I was glad to pass them. I like riding at night because there is less traffic and most of the time the tractor trailer drivers are courteous and good. Every once in awhile you do experience some jerks.

50,000 miles!

The sun rise in Ohio was spectacular. I was glad it wasn't as hot as it had been in Kansas. Somewhere on the road Blackie turned over to 50,000 miles! At one gas station in Ohio there was no auto shut off on the gas nozzle so I had gas splatter all over. Luckily it wasn't too bad to clean off. Traffic picked up quite a bit when I entered Pennsylvania and I was glad to pull off in Erie for a break and to confirm my Bun Burner Gold ride. I made with about 25 minutes to spare! Took an hour break, got my end of ride witnesses and had a good lunch and a cup of coffee before I got back on Blackie to continue home. I decided to take the long way and add miles to attempt the final leg to be part of a SS2K (2,000 miles in less than 48 hours).

The remaining miles home took me through south western New York and the ride was beautiful. It was sunny and comfortable. Not too hot. A very pleasant ride.with rolling hills and nice scenery. As I neared Vermont the sun had already set and when I stopped for my customary Welcome Home photo it was dark. The rest of the ride was uneventful and at 9 pm Blackie and I rolled in to our garage.5,165 miles, 20 states and a heck of great road trip. If you asked me - I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Happy in Rocky Mountain National Park