Harley2004's Travel Blog

Erie, Pennsylvania, Sunday, May 30, 2004 - Erie, Pennsylvania

 This place was Great visited May 30, 2004

What a wonderful day to ride. Slept a little late this morning. Got up in the middle of the night and put the pictures from the last roll of film on line, but Peggy still has to label them. Anyway, when I woke at 7:20AM, the sun was shinning and there were only a few scattered clouds around. Temperatures were in the low 60s and almost no wind. Rain was on the way though, but not until around Noon and we would be long gone. Followed Interstate 80/90, Ohio Turnpike East again today. Traffic was light with plenty of police around to keep the speed down. I just ran the posted speed limit and enjoyed the nice sunny, warm ride. After we left Cleveland, Interstate 90 left the Ohio Turnpike and we continued on to Erie. At the Pennnsylvania state line, we stopped for yet another picture, 99 points now. Nice ride of only 215 miles today, but glad to get into the motel at little early around, 2;00PM, 13.359 miles this trip, 135,019 total miles.

posted Apr 18, 2005 | Comments (0)

Toledo, Ohio, Saturday, May 29th, 2004 - Toledo, Ohio

 This place was Great visited May 29, 2004

Woke up a little later today, 7:10AM to find that rain was headed our way. Hopefully if we hurry and get out of the motel by 9:30AM we would be well ahead of the rain. We did, out of the motel under cloudy skies, temperatures in the low 50s and only light wind. We were ahead of the rain, but not for long. It caught up with us and stayed with us until we crossed into Ohio. Wasn’t bad though, was only a light rain and since the whole trip today would be spent on Interstate 80, it was not a real problem No state sign at the Indiana border on the Toll road, but we lucked out. There was an Indiana State Highway Patrol Station on the Indiana Toll road, with direct access to the Toll Road. Nice big Indiana State Highway Patrol sign above a large window which should reflect us at the bike. Interstate 80 does not go into Michigan, but at Middlebury, Indiana, Interstate 80 comes within ½ mile of Wisconsin. We got off the Interstate and got a picture of the Michigan state sign also. Ohio had a nice sign right on Interstate 80, plus a sign that read"Indiana Ohio State Line". So we got several back-up pictures. Total of 98 points now for the ABC’s of Touring. A total of 134 points won it last year and we are well on our way. Saw one vehicle accident today and one near miss that could have involved us. Some "nut" in a SUV cut in front of me and then in front of a tractor-trailor that was beside me to make a right turn to get off at an exit that we had already nearly passed. I had plenty of room, but I don’t know how the tractor-trailer missed him and really don’t know if the "nut" made it or not. He didn’t have more that an inch or two clearance between him and the tractor-trailer when he cut in front of him. Gonna spend the next two days headed East on Interstate 80. I know all the service plazas will be open, but there will be some gasoline stations closed on the back roads. Plus there will most likely be parades in many of the towns we would have to pass through if we were not on an Interstate. We crossed into the Eastern Standard Time Zone, lost an hour, but today was a good day for that. Into the motel at 4:20PM Eastern Standard Time after a cool, wet, but pleasant ride of 249 miles today, 13,144 miles this trip, 134,804 total miles

posted Apr 18, 2005 | Comments (0)

White Pigeon, Michigan, Saturday, May 29th, 2004 - White Pigeon, Michigan

 This place was Great visited May 29, 2004

Didn't really visit White Pigeon, just needed to mention it here so this program would pick up a visit Michigan. See journal entry for Toledo, Ohio, Saturday, May 29th, 2004 for the complete day's travel.

posted Apr 18, 2005 | Comments (0)

Middlebury, Indiana, Saturday, May 29th, 2004 - Middlebury, Indiana

 This place was Great visited May 29, 2004

Didn't really visit Middlebury, Indiana, just had to make mention of it so this program would pick up a visit to Indiana. See journal entry for Toledo, Ohio, Saturday, May 29th, 2004 for the days travel.

posted Apr 18, 2005 | Comments (0)

Joliet, Illinois, Friday, May 28th, 2004 - Joliet, Illinois

 This place was Great visited May 28, 2004

Clear skies this morning, light wind and cooler temperatures, but no rain. Would be warmer in Joliet than in Milwaukee this afternoon. Out of the motel around 9:30AM and had to head back North on Interstate 94 for a few miles to get on the Milwaukee By-Pass West to get to Highway 43 South to East Troy. Needed to get a picture of the Buell Plant in East Troy for the ABCs of Touring and wanted to mail some items home also. Had trouble finding both the Post Office and the Buell Plant, but that finished, we headed South again on Highway 43 until we got to Highway 12, which would take us out of Wisconsin and into Illinois. Stopped at the Illinois state line for pictures and then got back-up pictures of the Wisconsin state sign also. Two more points today, bringing our total points to 95. At the next gasoline stop I check on a short-cut using Highway 53 and Toll Road 355 and not use the route laid out by my mapping program. It looked good and would save about 100 miles from what the mapping program showed. For only two separate fifty-cent tolls, we had a nice shorter ride, leaving only about 16 miles from the end of the toll road to Joliet. Though we rode less miles than usual, we did spend a lot of time on two lane roads with low speed limits and plenty of stop lights and much, much more traffic than we were used to. Fortunately, the motel we’re in tonight has a Wal-Mart right beside it, so we got another roll of pictures developed and may get them on line tonight. A least I already have them on the computer. Anyway into the motel at 2:30PM after a really great ride, with greater weather after only 150 miles, 12,895 miles this trip, 134,555 total miles..

posted Apr 17, 2005 | Comments (0)