Motorcycle Trip 2008: Lincoln Highway and Route 66

Day 20: Grand Canyon AZ to Callup NM

2008-09-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

Sunday, September 21, 2008
Day miles: 300
Trip miles; 4,196

Pictures for Day 20 (will open in a new tab or browser)

The total trip miles have surpassed 4,000 - and we still have many more to go. Today was a long drive - 300 miles. That is not a long distance if you are traveling in a car or if you have an iron butt. We make a number of stops - some to rest, some for sightseeing.

We hit a treasure of historic Route 66 sites today. We found on old bridge from the original road, the Twin Arrows Trading Post (now defunct), and Two Guns (a real tourist attraction, but now a ghost town).

Two Guns had a display of mountain lions. We found one trying to get out of its cage. Johann was not frightened at all! In the third picture below you can see more ruins on the hill and part of the original Route 66 dirt road.

Meteor Crater was free in the 50s and 60s, but they now charge a considerable fee to view the crater. Dale's AAA card got us a discount. It is worthwhile - for one time. I would not return. The crater is impressive - it was formed by a meteor that hit the earth 20,000 to 50,000 years ago. The crater is 4,000 feet in diameter and 550 feet deep.

"Well, Im a standing on a corner
In Winslow, Arizona
And such a fine sight to see
Its a girl, my lord, in a flatbed
Ford slowin' down to take a look at me .." (Eagles song, Take It Easy).

Route 66 goes through Winslow AZ, I had to get this picture!!

Of course the trip is not complete without visits to the Jack Rabbit Trading Post and the Wigwam Motel.

Day 19: In Grand Canyon

2008-09-20T19:48:00.000-07:00

Saturday, September 20, 2008
Day miles: 8
Trip miles: 3,896

View Grand Canyon Pictures

This morning we headed out to the Grand Canyon. Our hotel was just a few miles south of the canyon entrance. You can view all the pictures at the link above. The pictures will open in a new browser or tab.

On our way into the park we saw an elk. Later in the day as we walked back to our motorcycles, we saw another large elk and got very close!!

Wow!!! The Grand Canyon is another must for everyone's bucket list. A return trip is on my list.

We hiked, and hiked, and hiked. I was amazed at how well I did. I am out of shape and about 10 lbs heavier than my ideal weight. The first part of our hike was 4 miles along the south rim. The views are fantastic and the hiking is easy - very flat and you can meander along at your own pace. We hiked beyond the main tourist trail that is paved, on through the woods to the South Kaibab Trailhead.

The Kaibab Trail goes down into the canyon, winding its way along the canyon edge. We decided to do a short distance down into the canyon. We hiked down for an hour - a distance of 1.5 miles with a drop of 1,140 feet in elevation. The descent took 1 hour. You can see the trail in several of the pictures. (Click on a picture to enlarge.) What a view, and what a different perspective of the canyon. We stopped at Cedar Ridge for 20 minutes to snack on granola bars and drink water. It was then time to begin the trip back up the canyon. After a few feet I wondered if I would make it. I was out of breath due to the steep incline and lower oxygen levels at that altitude. Dale felt the same. Johann took off and said he would see us at the top. Dale and I walked slowly and stopped to rest often. To our amazement we reached the top in 1 hr, 15 min. Johann made it back in 37 minutes!!

We were exhausted and took a bus back to the parking area. But the trip was worthwhile. I'm really interested in a hike to the bottom of the canyon (when I'm in better shape). I think Eileen would join me without hesitation. Only very experienced hikers can go down and back in one day. It is a 2-day hike for most people. I talked with a man, about 65 yrs old, who was hiking down to the bottom the next day. He said you have to make overnight reservations at the Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the canyon one year in advance!!

Day 18: Kingman AZ to Grand Canyon AZ

2008-09-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

Friday, September 19, 2008
Day miles: 184
Trip miles: 3,888

"I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree ...", Joyce Kilmer.

After days and days, and hour upon hour, of driving in the desert it was WONDERFUL to see trees - real trees, as we headed north from Williams, AZ, to the Grand Canyon in northern AZ. At dinner I asked Dale, "What did you notice today?" His immediate answer - "Trees!"

Day 17: Barstow CA to Kingman AZ

2008-09-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Day miles: 231

Trip miles: 3,704

I'm running behind in my blog posts again. I'll try to get caught up in the next day or so with several more brief posts.

We started out the day on old Route 66. Along the way we passed many small old towns. Some don't even exist anymore. Newberry Springs (see picture below) is just a marker along the highway. The Bagdad Cafe was a popular stop along Route 66. The original building is gone - replaced by a new building with someone trying to capitalize on the old name. So many of the businesses that thrived when Route 66 was the main route are now gone.

There are several old volcano sites along the way. The black rocks are lava rocks. The final picture in this group is "going 66 mph on Route 66!!"

We are in the desert!!! The road goes on and on with very little vegetation. Roy's Cafe (see picture) is a famous old stop. The motel and cafe are still there but offer no services. You could buy gas for $5.00/gal. There were many motorcyclists stopped there. There was a group from France and a group from Germany. We've met many Europeans along the way - they rent motorcycles in L.A.

Goffs is another town lost to the interstate. The general store was a popular stop along Rt. 66 many years ago (left picture). Oatman is a town that has survived by transforming itself into a real tourist trap. They advertise "wild donkeys roam the town." There were donkeys roaming in the town, but they were really tame. The donkeys tended to hang out near the kiosks where tourists could buy food and feed the donkeys. They didn't look too wild to me.

Many places along the way there are remains of the very very old original Rt 66 road bed. You can see part of the dirt Rt 66 road in the picture to the left. The gas station below is closed, but nicely maintained. The old gas pumps are really neat.

An exciting part of our trip today was crossing the mountains via Sitgreaves Pass. This is a very steep winding road with many twists, turns and switchbacks. At the bottom of the pass there was a memorial to a motorcylist who was died earlier this year when he went around a curve too fast and drove off the side. The interesting?? part is that the person was from Osceola - a town about 20 miles west of Goshen, IN.

Day 16: Los Angeles CA to Barstow CA

2008-09-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Day miles: 154

Trip miles: 3,473

On our trip through Los Angeles to our hotel last evening we poked along in a bad traffic jam. Our goal for this morning was to get out of L.A. as quickly as possible. We had Jill select the "fastest route" for our exit.

However we had a slight delay - our first motorcycle "incident" on the trip. We filled up with gas at a gas station, then went to the air pump to adust our tire pressure. The pump was broken so we had to go to another gas station down the street. We parked our bikes close together at the air pump and finished adjusting our tire pressure. I walked over to the gas pump area to get some water to wash my hands. When I looked back at the motorcycles I saw my motorcycle move and then fall over. Someone was backing around in the gas station lot and backed into my trailer and knocked over my motorcycle. I quickly ran over to the motorcycle and car that backed into my trailer. At first I thought my bike fell into Dale's bike - it was inches away! Fortunately there was negligible damage - a small knick in the valve cover where the foot peg rotated when the bike fell down.

I'm glad there was no real damage. Getting insurance payment could have been a mess. The person who backed into the trailer was driving a rented car, had a driver's license from Mexico, but lived and worked in Costa Rica. We exchanged information. The driver was very apologetic cooperated very well.

We finally got on our way and had very little traffic out of L.A. We followed the National Trails/Route 66 highway for quite a while.

Outside San Bernadino we stopped at the Wigwam Hotel - a real Route 66 attraction in its day. The hotel is still in operation. The wigwam's are made of concrete.

In Victorville we stopped at the Route 66 Museum - only to find that it is closed on Wednesdays. What a disappointment!

Route 66 is painted on the road in quite a few places. At one point I started a quick stop to take a picture. Johann was behind me left his mark on the road as he avoided me (see the picture).

Day 15: Morro Bay CA to Los Angeles CA

2008-09-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Day miles: 206
Trip miles: 3,319

We again had awesome scenery as we completed our trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles along the Pacific Coast Highway. We immediately went to Palisades Park that marks California terminus of Route 66.

Santa Monica Blvd. and Ocean Ave - the end/beginning of Route 66!!

We found an old English pub nearby and had an early dinner. Then it was off to our hotel to prepare for the Route 66 trip. We are now over half way on the total trip.

Day 14: San Francisco CA to Morro Bay CA

2008-09-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

Monday, September 15, 2008
Day miles: 259
Trip miles: 3,113

The Pacific Coast Highway is one of the most beautiful drives in the entire country. If you have not driven along this route, put it on your bucket list and do it!! If you have done it, do it again.

I'll let the pictures tell the story. Click on each picture to get a larger view.

Day 13: San Francisco (Muir Woods and Sausalito)

2008-09-14T21:17:00.000-07:00

Sunday, September 14, 2008
Day miles: 70
Trip miles: 2,854

Our first task for the day was to go to the end of the Lincoln Highway on the northwest corner of San Francisco - now a large park area. The picture below was taken in the park. A view of The Golden Gate Bridge is hidden by the tree to my left.

We then headed to Muir Woods, a preserve of large, old redwood trees. The drive over Mount Tamalpais on Route 1, the Shore Line Highway, is an exciting drive. The road has many hairpin curves with steep rises and drops. Riding that is a motorcyclist's dream. Johann led the way. Dale and I did quite well keeping up with him.

I love Muir Woods. I think this was my fourth time there. The trees are so tall and stately. The forest is quiet. And there are many hiking trails. We selected a trail that was about a 2.5 hour hike and completed it in 2 hours. We then headed for Muir Beach and a walk in the Pacific Ocean. Dale and Johann have driven coast to coast!!

We had dinner reservations at Scoma's - my favorite restaurant in Sausalito. I've been there five times. The restaurant sits on a pier out over the water and has a beautiful view of San Francisco across the bay. (Thanks to Arnie Dyck for taking me to Scoma's for the first time many years ago) Christian Nuss, a good friend of my son Mark, lives near Sausalito and met us for dinner.

We had a nice nighttime drive back over the Golden Gate Bridge and a good view of San Francisco at night.

Day 12: San Francisco (Fisherman's Wharf)

2008-09-13T20:09:00.000-07:00

Saturday, September 13, 2008
Day miles: 62
Trip miles: 2,784

Dale needed to have his motorcycle oil changed and some minor adjustment done to the trunk lid. He scheduled the service at a motorcycle shop in SF, and we went there first thing in the morning. I then took him on the back of my motorcycle and we parked near Fisherman's Wharf.

I now understand why Lewis and Clark chose someone like Sacajawea for their trip through the uncharted northwest. Jill, my GPS, is our Sacajawea. We put in destinations or load maps from my computer and she expertly guides us to our destination. There have been very few glitches. Jill took us through San Francisco with ease. I call the GPS Jill because that is the name of the voice on the GPS. I built a circuit to tie the GPS output into my motorcycle intercom, so Jill's voice comes through the speakers in my motorcycle helmet.

We spent the day seeing sights in San Francisco. One place I like is an arcade museum near Fisherman's Wharf. It is a collection of really old arcade machines and displays. Most are in working order and you can operate the arcade for 25 or 50 cents. It is amazing what people found amusing 70-80 years ago.

It was soon time for lunch and some good seafood. I went for the mixed seafood kabob. Our table was by a window that looked out over fishing boats and the bay.

After lunch we boarded a cable car and visited the cable car museum. It is one place in SF I've wanted to visit and never got to in the 5 or 6 times I've been to SF. The cable car museum is in the building where all the cables terminate and are powered. It is a fascinating place. One of the cables is over 4 miles long.

We then picked up Dale's motorcycle and drove to Lombard Street - the crookedest street in America (so it is claimed). I've driven a car down the street, but we all decided against taking our motorcycles down. However, we did see a couple motorcycles go down the hill and also two guys who took skateboards down!

Near the top of Lombard Street a cable car got stuck when it released its grip on the cable in order to stop for a vehicle - the vehicle should have stopped! It was not possible for the cable car to reach the dropped cable, so a truck was called to push the cable car to a place where it could get the cable again.

Our day ended with a a quick trip to see the sea lions at Pier 39 and then a drive north of Berkeley to have dinner with Jackie and Alan Klaassen - good friends of Floyd and Eileen from our days in Nigeria. It was good to see them again. Again, we were very thankful for Jill as she expertly guided us through the many twists, turns and hills on the way to see Alan and Jackie.

Day 11: Reno NV to San Francisco CA

2008-09-12T19:40:00.000-07:00

Friday, September 12, 2008
Day miles: 263
Trip miles: 2723

The first activity of the day was to wash our motorcycles. Traveling over dirt roads the day before left a lot of dust on the bikes. We had not washed them since leaving Goshen, IN. Johann wrote "clean me" on the side of the trailer and it was very visible!

We decided to visit Lake Tahoe on our way to California. The drive up over the Sierra-Nevada mountains was fantastic. Reno is about 4,400 feet above sea level and our trek over the mountains took us to 9.000 feet. I set the GPS to track elevation and watched the numbers increase rapidly. Of course the ride down the other side was also exciting - and then the elevation on the GPS rapidly decreased.

Lake Tahoe is beautiful. I should visit the area sometime in winter and go skiing! We pulled into a side street and enjoyed a wonderful view as we ate our lunch snack. Our meal pattern has been to eat a substantial breakfast, then have granola bars, trail mix or beef jerky for a mid-day snack, and finish off the day with a substantial evening meal. It has been great to have a cooler on the trailer for cold water and mineral drinks.

After Lake Tahoe we headed for San Francisco. Wow!! After a week of sparsely populated country and very little traffic, it was a shock to enter San Francisco at the evening rush hour. Johann expertly guided us through the heavy traffic to our hotel in South San Francisco. I knew about a really good Thai restaurant in S. San Francisco so we went there to eat. Dale and Johann said the food was really good and authentic.

Day 10: Elko NV to Reno NV

2008-09-11T22:23:00.000-07:00

Thursday, September 11, 2008
Day miles: 342
Trip miles: 2459

We awoke to a beautiful clear day. Before heading for Reno, we visited Sherman Station, a set of restored buildings moved from outside Elko into the city. The buildings include a school house, a creamery, a stable/livery and a large home. The home serves as a museum and information center. Note the sod roof on the school house.

Our final destination was Reno, but we wanted to visit the ghost town of Unionville along the way. Unionville is an old silver mining 'town' in which most of the original buildings are gone - only foundations remain. It is not the typical ghost town you think of where old dilapidated buildings still stand and no one is around. A few people still live in Unionville in more modern buildings. We had to travel several miles on a dirt road.

In the pictures below you can see foundations of old buildings.

We found this one very modern home - a resident told us a retired doctor built the home. This is a very remote area and most of the residences we saw were old trailers or very modest houses. The picture to the right is an old mine shaft Dale discovered.

Near the end of the road we found this small park. Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) came here to prospect for silver in 1861. He quickly realized he did not want to live the life of a prospector. The picture to the right may be the remains of the shack Mark Twain and his fellow prospectors built. As soon as we got off our bikes, an old man came hobbling out of a building across the street. He used two canes to get around. He is 89 years old and wanted to talk - told us all about his life in the Navy, his wife and kids - all in language liberally sprinkled with the rough language of an old sailor. It was really a riot. Johann discretely took some video of our conversation with him.

To get back on the highway we had a choice of backtracking quite a distance or continuing on dirt roads for about 15 miles. We chose the dirt roads. This is in the middle of nowhere!!

Our bikes and clothes became covered with dust. We arrived in Reno late in the evening - very tired, thirsty, hungry and dusty. After a quick clean-up we headed for a restaurant. My meal was a chicken salad, bar fries and a good cold stout!!

Day 9: Salt Lake City UT to Elko NV

2008-09-10T22:23:00.000-07:00

Wednesday September 10, 2008
Day miles: 340
Trip miles: 2117

We headed out of Salt Lake City in a bit of light rain. I put on my rain gear - mainly because it was so cold, but I also thought we might get into heavier rain. A little to the west of Salt Lake City we headed south on an original path of the Lincoln Highway. We were headed for Orr's Ranch - a stop along the LH where travelers could get fuel, food or lodging.

Out trip took us up and over a mountain. Along the way we saw evidence of a fire that seemed to have happened fairly recently. There was still a very strong smell of smoke and charred wood.

After passing the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground (chemical and biological weapon management and storage) we headed back north and soon found the dirt road to Orr's Ranch.

The building at Orr's Ranch was built in the 1800s. From 1913-1927 this was a popular place for travelers on the Lincoln Highway. We decided against staying for the night. The ranch is actively farmed today by descendants of Matthew Orr - the Scotsman who came to the valley in 1875. No one was around when we were there (there are other more modern buildings and a barn near the old log house.)

We left the ranch and headed back north, then west to Nevada. Along the way we drove through salt flats - near the Bonneville Salt Flats where the land speed trials are held.

We arrived in Elko, NV, late in the evening. Johann discovered a neat Basque restaurant where they served meals family style. The Basques came to the area as sheep herders. I had pork chops - the picture says it all!!

Day 8: Salt Lake City and Surrounding Area

2008-09-09T21:41:00.000-07:00

September 9, 2008
Day miles: 96
Trip miles: 1,778

Today was a full day in Salt Lake City and the surrounding area. After breakfast we headed to the Mormon Family History Center. We viewed a short video introduction to the various available resources, then went to the computer lab where volunteers were waiting to help patrons. The person who helped me was very knowledgeable. I wanted to look for documentation on the Saner family, since that is the branch of my family for which I have the least information. We found census records (on the Saner side) for my grandparents John & Phoebe, great grandparents Andrew and Rebecca, great-great grandparents Andrew & Susan and my great-great-great grandmother Elizabeth Saner. My great-great-great grandfather remains elusive. I also found (and have a copy) of the WWI draft registration of my grandfather John Andrew Saner. An interesting aspect of this registration is that the registrar was John Book - most likely a relative on my mother's side of the family.

At noon we headed for the Mormon Tabernacle for an organ recital by Clay Christiansen. The tabernacle organ is incredible - 206 ranks and a total of 11,623 pipes (yes, eleven thousand)! One selection I really enjoyed was an arrangement by the organist of "Come, Come, Ye Saints." I did not know (or had forgotten) that this is a Mormon hymn written during the Mormon trek from Illinois to Salt Lake City. The final selection in the recital was a rousing toccata by modern composer, John Weaver.

After the recital we walked through the temple square grounds and had lunch in the LDS Administration building. The picture on the left is one of the many gardens; the picture on the right is the Mormon Temple.

After lunch we headed for Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake. We drove about 30 min north of the city, then headed west on a 7 mile causeway that went across the lake salt bed. The lake is really low so most of the causeway had dried salt on either side.

Antelope Island was used by the Mormons as a grazing area for cattle. Ownership later transferred to private individuals who used it for sheep grazing. Today the island is a state park and a preserve for a bison herd.

After driving around the east side of the island, we headed for the 'beach' area on the north and west sides. I took along my swim suit, hoping to take a dip. However, the due to the low level of the lake there is really no place to swim.

We found an area where we could walk out to the water - a several hundred yard trek. I thought about stripping down to my underwear and wading out (I'm known for doing things like this), but there were many many nasty bugs flitting around. I decided to keep my clothes on and walk out into the water - I had on my waterproof motorcycle boots.

You can see dried salt on my hand - left after the water evaporated.

We stayed on the island until close to closing time. On our way back across the causeway there was a really strong south wind - so strong that we had to lean our bikes over to one side in order to go straight. We arrived in Salt Lake City in time for a wonderful meal at Squatters Pub Brewery. This evening it was blackened tilapia for me.

Day 7: Rock Springs WY to Salt Lake City UT

2008-09-08T21:34:00.000-07:00

September 8, 2008
Day miles: 195
Trip miles: 1682

Talk about cold! This morning the temperature was 41 degrees!! By the time we had breakfast it warmed up a bit, but I still dressed warmly - T-shirt, flannel shirt, leather vest, motorcycle jacket, jeans, leather chaps, and warm gloves. The drive was beautiful though. I prefer cold weather for motorcycling - you can keep adding layers. In hot weather there is only so much to remove.

We have seen several windmill farms along the way. The second picture below shows windmills on the hilltop.

After traveling on the interstate for a while, we headed off on a local road that is part of the original Lincoln Highway route. We stopped by a reservoir for a break and to remove several layers of clothing. At the beginning of the day our altitude was around 6,500 feet. By the time we reached the reservoir we had descended about 2000 feet.

We arrived in Salt Lake City around 3:30. The temperature was 85 degrees - 44 degrees warmer than the temperature when I first walked out our hotel door in the morning. After checking into the hotel, I went to the tourist bureau to get sightseeing information. It did not take us long to decide we would stay an extra day. Before heading to dinner we took a tour of the Mormon Temple area. The tour was interesting but involved quite a bit of witnessing about the Mormon faith. All the guides are female missionaries aged 21-23. We had two guides - one from Eastern Germany and one from Los Angeles. The tour included going inside the Tabernacle. The second picture below is where the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs. Unfortunately we will not be here for their Thursday rehearsal. However we will be able to attend an organ recital tomorrow at noon.

Brew pubs have become a favorite for dinner! Red Rock was recommended by someone at the visitor's center, so we went there. Between the three of us we tried every one of their local brews. My dinner was a warm shrimp salad and a side of pub fries to balance out the healthy salad.

Day 6: Laramie WY to Rock Springs WY

2008-09-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

September 7, 2008

Day miles: 245

Trip miles: 1,487

The weather has been great - another cool (almost cold) morning with crisp clear air. As we started out we saw snow-capped mountains far to the south. You can barely see them in the picture. (click pictures to enlarge) Wyoming has to be one of the safest places to ride a motorcycle - especially on the type of road we have travelled. Flat, straight, open, no traffic. It would be very boring except that the landscape is beautiful (the two pictures here do not do justice to the landscape).

For some reason Medicine Bow seemed familiar. Do I know someone who lived there? Did I see something about that in a movie or on TV? I can't remember, but I had to have my picture taken by the sign. Sunset Cottages (sign is to the left, partially cut off in the picture) probably served travellers in an earlier time. We decided against checking for vacancies!

I read about an abandoned stage coach stop located just outside Rock Springs. We took a short detour that involved navigating on a dirt road and found the place - complete with the remains of some animal!!! At first it seemed like someone planted the bones there, but I think they were genuine. This place is not a tourist trap!

While we were at the ruins, some strange mountain man appeared with a skull on his head.

Day 5: Ogallala NE to Laramie WY

2008-09-06T22:11:00.000-07:00

September 7, 2008
Day miles: 222
Trip miles: 1,242

(Click on the pictures to enlarge)

The day started out with cool temps and a beautiful sky. The riding was quite easy. Most of the road was like that shown in the pictures. The speed limit on this two lane road was 60-65 mph. The road closely follows the original Lincoln Highway road bed. I believe the original road was a bit closer to the railroad. We encountered quite a few trains. As we waved (gave us something to do), the train engineer would wave back and blow the train whistle (gave the engineer something to do)!

The wide open spaces are difficult to describe. I remember driving across areas like this many years ago, but I had forgotten how striking the landscape is. It is really beautiful.

Along the way we found some abandoned cottages - most likely motel units in an earlier time.

We stopped at the Lincoln Monument in Wyoming, just before Laramie. It is a tribute to President Lincoln and to the people who conceived and built the Lincoln Highway about 50 years after Lincoln's death.

Day 4: Columbus NE to Ogallala NE

2008-09-05T21:40:00.000-07:00

September 5, 2008
Day miles: 256
Cumulative miles: 1020

Cold and wet - that is the only way to describe today. The morning temps were in the mid 50s. I think the high was 61. We had quite a bit of rain most of the day. In spite of that the trip went well and we made good time. We arrived in Ogallala around 4:30p - however since we crossed into Mountain time it was really 3:30p. We were not aware of the time change until we went to a restaurant and found it quite empty! It was good to eat a bit early and let dinner settle before going to bed.

Ogallala was an important cow town in the late 1800s. However it had a suspect reputation in those days. A brochure about the town quotes the diary of an old trail driver, "From amongst its half hundred buildings, no church spire pointed upward, but instead, 3/4 of its business houses were dance halls, gambling houses and saloons." Another trail boss who let his drivers go into Dodge City for recreation did not allow his drivers to enter Ogallala because of its "wild and unsavory reputation."

Highlights of the day:

Stopping at a restored old bridge that was part of the original Lincoln Highway.
Eating Mountain Oysters - that is the dangling under-part on the south end of a bull that is headed north! Yep, we ate them! We are real men now!


The saloon where we had our mountain oysters.
Note the menu...	Yep, that's the item. Breaded and fried.
Munching on a mountain oyster!!	My main course was salmon and grilled vegetables.

Day 3: Ames IA to Columbus NE

2008-09-04T21:11:00.000-07:00

September 4, 2008
Day miles: 259
Cumulative miles: 764

What a beautiful day for riding! Cool weather with puffy clouds scattered through the sky.

The two highlights of the day were visiting Boy's Town and discovering a brick stretch of the original Lincoln Highway.
I'll let the photos tell the story. Click the pictures for a larger view.

Day 2: Fulton IL to Ames IA

2008-09-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

September 3, 2008
Day miles: 224
Cumulative miles: 505

We woke to cool temperatures. The morning temp was in the 50s; high for the day was in the mid 60s. The day was overcast with some sprinkles, but not enough rain to get into rain gear. What a difference from the 100 degree of yesterday. We also were out of the congested urban area and into the Midwest countryside. We went through a number of small towns, but in between we encountered very little traffic. It is in the small towns you begin see reminders of an earlier era - what things might have looked like when the Lincoln Highway was in its heyday.

Around mid-day we stopped in Cedar Rapids to visit a person Dale met through some business investments.

Iowa is beautiful even on a chilly cloudy day - meadows, rolling hills, and green corn and soy beans. It seems like they have had adequate rain.

Day 1: Goshen IN to Fulton IL

2008-09-02T19:50:00.000-07:00

September 2, 2008
Day miles: 281
Cumulative miles: 281

We are off!!! Eileen was at work so Rachel stopped by to take pictures before we left. Left to right in the picture: Floyd, Johann and Dale. We do wear helmets all the time - just did not have them on for the picture.

At the last moment I decided to take my motorcycle trailer. I had been debating whether or not to take it, but finally decided it would make the trip much easier and give some roomy storage.

I always say the two most difficult days of a motorcycle trip are the first day and the last day. On the first day your body is adjusting to the motorcycle, the riding equipment, the noise, etc. The day can last forever. The last day you are so tired all you want to do is get home as quickly as possible. That day also lasts forever.

This year the difficulty of the first day was compounded by 100 degree temperatures and congested traffic. Northwest Indiana and the areas surrounding Chicago are full of many small towns, traffic lights and way too many vehicles. Toward evening we saw lightening and hear thunder. Not long after that it started to rain. We stopped so Dale and Johann could throw some items into the trailer. I decided against putting on my rain gear. It was so hot, I just wanted to feel the cool rain. It was wonderful!!! The temperature dropped from 100 to 75 in a matter of minutes. We rode in fairly heavy rain for 15-20 minutes, then enjoyed the cool feeling of evaporating water as the wind dried off our clothes.

Jill (the voice on my GPS) has been a great guide. I don't know what we would do without her. Each evening we plan our route using software, then load that route into the GPS. However she must have been tired as she directed us to our hotel the first night. It was late and dark as she guided us through the streets of Fulton. She directed us to a long building that did not look like a hotel. I went in anyway and discovered it was a nursing home!! The nurse on duty thought it was quite funny. She told me she had a few rooms, but thought we might not like them. The old geezer slumped over in a chair by the door didn't seem to notice a guy in motorcycle gear walking into the lobby. In Jill's defense, the map on the hotel website shows the location Jill directed us to. Hmmm - bad data in the map company's database. By the time we arrived at our hotel we were tired and hungry. We made it to a restaurant 30 minutes before closing time.

Trip Overview

2008-08-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

For many years I've thought about taking a motorcycle trip along historic Route 66. My older brother, Dale, has also been part of the dreaming and planning. Recently Dale became interested in adding Lincoln Highway to our trip. This year it all materializes!! Dale, his son Johann and I set out September 2 on what will be about a 4 week 5,000+ mile trip. Several weeks ago Dale and Johann completed the NY Times Square to Philadelphia leg of the Lincoln Highway. August 30 &31 they drove the Lincoln Highway from Philadelphia to Goshen, IN.

The map below shows the approximate route we will follow. Lincoln Highway from Goshen, IN, to San Francisco, CA, then Route 1 along the Pacific coast to Los Angeles, and finally Route 66 back to Chicago, IL, and Goshen. The Lincoln Highway is the northern route below; Route 66 is the southern route.