Harley2004's Travel Blog

Rock Springs, Wyoming, May 4th, 2004 - Rock Springs, Wyoming

 This place was Great visited May 4, 2004

Power went off in the motel last night, so I had to reset the motel room clock early this morning. I read my watch wrong and set it one hour later than it really was. Woke Peggy up to get ready to leave the motel around 10:00AM and when we got ready to depart at what the clock said was around 9:30AM it was actually 8:30 and only 51 degrees outside. We decided to wait the additional hour and finally departed the hotel slilghtly before 10:00AM, with 54 degree temperatures and a lot of heavy wind again. Wind stayed with us most of the way, heavier at times and from different directions. We did cross through one mountain pass around Elk Mountain and just missed a nice shower, although we did get about three or four drops on the windshield. How lucky can we get? Peggy enjoyed the ride though,even with the high wind, we say many herds of Antilope and a number of Elk in the fields. Must not be hunting season. We stayed on Interstate 80 because it was really the only road going our way. Crossed the Continental Divide twice, once just past Rawlings, Wyoming, at 7,000 feet and again about 30 miles down the road at around 6,3?? feet. The area inbetween is called the Great Divide Basin. We saw a lot snow still piled up along the road beneath those snow barracades and even one lake that still had snow and ice around the edges. We also still saw many, many long trains headed east. A lot of road construction going on out here also, so I guess the economy is not too bad. Into the motel around 4:00PM after a warm, but windy ride of 253 miles today, 9,352 this trip, 131,012 total miles.

posted Apr 12, 2005 | Comments (0)

Cheyenne, Wyoming, May 3rd, 2004 - Cheyenne, Wyoming

 This place was Amazing visited May 3, 2004

Stayed cold for a long time this morning. It finally made it up to 51 degrees by the time we checked out of the motel in North Platte. Skies were clear but we still had the wind to contend with. Followed Interstate 80 most of the way today crossing into Mountain Time Zone before we reached Ogallala, Nebraska. Nice highway, 75 MPH speed limit and very little traffic. It did warm up nicely and even made it into the upper 70’s by the time we got to Cheyenne. We followed Interstate 80 to where Interstate 76 cuts off towards Denver. About 2 miles down Interstate 76 we crossed into Colorado where we stopped and got our first ABC’s of Touring picture of the day - the Colorado state sign. Continued on to the first exit in Colorado and joined Highway 385 back North through Julesburg, Colorado, passing back into Nebraska and again joining Interstate 80 westbound. Saw plenty of feeder cattle operations again close to Interstate 80 near where Northeastern Colorado joins Nebraska. Continued on West on Interstate 80, stopping at the Wyoming state sign for our second ABC’s of Touring picture for today. We have a total of 75 points now. Left Interstate 80 at the intersection of Interstate 25 and proceeded South for l mile to our stop for tonight. Into the motel after a nice, warm but windy ride of 227 miles today, 9,099 miles this trip, 130,759 total miles.

posted Apr 12, 2005 | Comments (0)

Julesburg, Colorado, May 3rd, 2004 - Julesburg, Colorado

 This place was Great visited May 3, 2004

Needed to post this visit to Julesburg, Colorado so the computer program would pick up the visit to the State of Colorado. Please check our journal for Cheyene, Wyoming for the entire day.

posted Apr 12, 2005 | Comments (0)

North Platte, Nebraska, May 2nd, 2004 - North Platte, Nebraska

 This place was Great visited May 2, 2004

Not too many miles today either. Still cold and still very windy. Need to maximize the travel during the warmest part of the day. Temperatures were 53 degrees when we left the motel in Grand Island at 11:00AM with a wind chill of 47 degrees. Winds were from the NNW at 20 to 30MPH. Clear sky though, no rain and very few clouds. Decided to stay on Highway 30 for the entire trip rather than ride at a higher 75MPH and on a built up road with little or no protection from the wind. Speed limit on Highway 30 was mostly 55 and 60 except for the few towns we passed throuh. At least the towns gave us some welcomed protection from the wind. A railroad track runs beside Highway 30 for the entire trip and we saw many, many trains along that track. Peggy asked about it at a service station and the lady behind the counter says that a train usually passes through there about every two minutes. Sounds to me like there is nothing wrong with the economy. Gasoline is cheep in this area also. The wind finally let up for about the last 30 miles making it kind of a nice ride of only 143 miles today, 8,872 miles this trip, 130,532 total miles.

posted Apr 12, 2005 | Comments (0)

Grand Island, Nebraska, May 1st, 2004 - Grand Island, Nebraska

 This place was Amazing visited May 1, 2004

Rain stopped, mostly, although you could see a few small showers in the distance. Temperature was 54 when we left the motel this morning at 11:00AM. Not moving on yet, not until tomorrow. Just a short visit to Harley Davidson Central in Grand Island. Very, very small store, but friendly and of course we were the only ones that showed up on a motorcycle, all other customers were in "cages". They do have a local HOG Chapter, but they only do the Saturday "Hot Dog" thingy once a month in the Summer. Bought a new air filter at $6.00 cheaper than what I usually have to pay and they loaned me a screwdriver to change the filter in their parking lot. Also had them read my odometer and fill out our form for our 125,000 HOG mileage award. Had lunch in a Wendy’s, need to get back on our diet. We’ve been living too good. This is a strange place, after three days here, I have not seen a single African American, no Indian in the motel, no rap, hip-hop or pop music in Wendy’s and the children are very well behaved and are usually together with both of their parents. This week end is the Cornhusker National High School Trapshoot where 1,400 Junior and Senior High School students will compete in a three-day event. Anyway it is nice to see a school supporting shooting sports and teaching the young people how and when to us firearms instead of banning guns from a campus. That’s all for now, back on the road to North Platte, Nebraska tomorrow, where we will not be able to get on the internet. Will post again from Cheyenne, Wyoming on Monday night. Back into the motel after only 12 miles, 8,729 miles this trip, 130,389 total miles.

posted Apr 12, 2005 | Comments (0)