Harley2004's Travel Blog

Wells, Nevada, May 6, 2004 - Wells, Nevada

 This place was Great visited May 6, 2004

Up a little later this morning, not too many miles to go today, plus we had no hot water in the motel last night. Still wasn’t any hot water at 8:00AM this morning, but they did have a hot breakfast bar including scrambled eggs and bacon. They did deduct one-half of the motel bill for no hot water so I didn’t complain, as it was one of the most expensive motels we have used. Out of the motel at 9:50AM with clear skies, warm temperatures and more %$#@&* wind. I told Peggy that if we have to contend with more high winds tomorrow I’m heading home. Two weeks riding in high winds are enough! Allowed some extra time for stops today since we were following Interstate 80 West around the Great Salt Lake and through the Salt Flats. Unique, different, but after about 20 miles of salt it gets boring. Passed the Great Salt Lake and stopped for some pictures, then passed Newfound Evaporation Basin (kind of like a swamp) (close to 80 miles of nothing but salt as far as the eye can see) and finally past Bonneville Salt Flats where we stopped for some more pictures. And 4 miles past the Bonneville Salt Flats, another stop at the Nevada State Line for another ABC’s of Touring picture. (77 points now). As soon as we crossed into Nevada the road started to climb back into the mountains. Within 32 miles we passed Silver Zone Pass at elevation 5,940 feet and then 27 miles through Pequop Summit at elevation 6,967 feet and into our motel for the night in Wells, Nevada after a warm and windy ride of 184 miles today, 9,726 miles this trip, 131,386 total miles.

posted Apr 12, 2005 | Comments (0)

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)

Salt Lake City, Utah, May 5th, 2004 - Salt Lake City, Utah

 This place was Great visited May 5, 2004

Out of the motel early this morning, but not out of Rock Springs early. Temperature was a cool 57 degrees but it was still windy. First stop was the post office to mail some items home. Second stop was to The Flaming Gorge Harley-Davidson in Rock Springs. They claim to be the "Friendliest Dealership in the West". Don’t know about that but they sure were the friendliest dealership we’ve ever been to. They also claim to be the "Home of the World’s Largest Lighted Bar and Shield Sign" and I guess they may well be, because I’ve never seen one larger. They also claim to be "First Ever Full-Service Harley-Davidson Dealership Located in a Shopping Mall". They may well be since it’s the only one I’ve ever seen located in a mall. Actually they appear to be the anchor store in a large mall. The store is so large you could fit our entire Palm Beach Harley Davidson property complete onto the sales floor of their store. They gave is a 10% discount on the two t-shirts we purchased, gave us four dealer pins and a current copy of "Hog Tails" since we had not received ours yet. A great store. Finally out of town at 10:15AM and back up on Interstate 80 West under clear skies, slightly warmer temperatures and heavy winds. I’m getting kind of tired of all this wind, everywhere we stop people ask us how we like the wind in Wyoming. Actually I like it soo much I doubt I’ll be back! Stopped at the Utah border and got a picture with the state sign. One more point, 76 points now, for the ABC’s of Touring. The ride through Salt Lake City was kind of rough since one of the roads Interstate 80 had to join for a couple of miles was not on the part of the map I was using, but we made it OK. Not until we got to Salt Lake City were we greeted with warm temperatures. First time we’ve seen mid-80 temperatures in a long, long time. We are lucky enough to have high speed internet at the motel tonight, but we will not have any internet access tomorrow night. Into the motel at 2:00PM, after a windy ride of 190 miles today, 9,532 miles this trip, 131,202 total miles.

posted Apr 12, 2005 | Comments (0)

Joplin, Missouri, April 26th, 2004 - Joplin, Missouri

 This place was Amazing visited Apr 26, 2004

Short ride today due to the longer ride yesterday and I needed it. Rode against a headwind all the way and it does make a difference. Nice weather though. Cool, it was 40 degrees at 6:00AM but it did warm up nicely and would have been a great ride if it hadn’t been windy. All travel was on Interstate 44 today. Out of our motel in Springfield, MO at around 10:00AM and into our motel in Joplin at 11:30AM. Not really, we just stopped in and dropped off our luggage and went back out again to visit the local Harley Davidson dealer, Cycle Connection Harley Davidson of Joplin. The friendliest Harley Davidson dealer yet. Nice store, different style and types of Motorclothes. Peggy bought two shirts and the friendly crew gave her a free $5.95 pin. Wish all the Dealers were that friendly. Anyway spent the next two hours chasing state signs. No problem finding the Kansas state sign. The Oklahoma one was a little more difficult as there was no sign where there should have been. It would have been easy to ride down I-44 just one mile and find the sign, however, after the last exit in Missouri it is 17 miles to the first exit in Oklahoma and the last exit in Missouri is also the last exit before the toll road starts. Just didn’t feel like riding 34 extra miles and then paying a toll also. Went West on Highway 166 to Baxter Springs, Kansas and then South for just 5 miles to the closest Oklahoma state sign. That’s two more states and two more points (69) for the ABC’s of Touring. Stopped in a nice KFC in Baxter Springs for a light lunch and then back to the motel early enough for Peggy to do some laundry. This motel has a guest laundry. Now that we are in the midwestern part of the states they are having record breaking warm weather along the west coast and in the northwestern states. After we make the turn to the West on Wednesday temperatures in the Northwest are going to rapidly cool down, including 'snow showers'. Early morning temperatures will return to the 30’s or below with afternoon temperatures in the upper 40’s or lower 50’s. To continue our movement to the Northwest we plan to shorten our riding day, by leaving later in the morning with maximum utilization of the warm noon and early afternoon temperatures. Hate to slow it down that slow, but I have no intention of riding in 'snow showers'. Anyway, into the motel around 3:00PM after only 125 miles today, 8,205 miles this trip, 129,867 total miles.

posted Apr 12, 2005 | Comments (0)

Commerce, Oklahoma, April 26th, 2004 - Commerce, Oklahoma

 This place was Great visited Apr 26, 2004

Didn't visit Commerce, Oklahoma. I had to show this town so the computer program would pick up the State of Oklahoma. What we actually did was ride down the road to Commerce to get a picture of the Oklahoma State line. See our journal entry for Joplin, Missouri, April 26th, 2004.

posted Apr 12, 2005 | Comments (0)