We started in Sarasota on July 2, and traveled to Ormond first and then to Savannah for family/friend visits and grandson hugs. Then it was toward Memphis for some Blues by way of Birmingham before continuing west through Arkansas and Oklahoma where we found the worst weather of the trip in the form of heavy rains all day and spent the evening watching reports of floating cars and flooded homes in Oklahoma City 30 miles ahead.
In the next 10 days we rode to and hiked a mile into the Grand Canyon, did the hike up river and back in Zion, rested in Vegas and rode toward the Sierra Nevadas and through Yosemite and the Cascade range and Mount Shasta in California. We went a couple hours out of the way to ride the Columbia River Gorge crossing the Bridge of the Gods and did some sightseeing in Seattle before the cruise.
The weather for the cruise was sunny and warm by local standards providing perfect views of whales and glaciers and huge chunks of floating ice along the way. We would recommend this cruise, but don't blame us if the weather is less than perfect!
After Alaska, it was back on the road, and more mountain views in Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming where we visited Yellowstone and the Tetons before traveling through the Bear Tooth Highway, a road through the high tundra of Montana and Wyoming where we saw fields of wildflowers juxtaposed against a background of snow and ice.
We only spent a few hours in North Dakota, but much of that was slipping and sliding on roads of bare dirt and gravel as we made our way to Sturgis. Over 3 days we spent time in Deadwood, and Keystone, and rode to Mt Rushmore and through tight switchbacks of the Needles Highway in South Dakota. We saw corn fields from Minnesota to Indiana from both interstates and back roads, and they looked the same from both perspectives. We listened to country music in Nashville til well past our normal bedtime, and rode through not too heavy rains the day we returned to Savannah to see the boys.
As we travel we are somewhat removed from the world, taking time to watch the weather but seem to stay a few days behind on real news. We were happy that we only learned later that, while in Yellowstone, we had shared the space not only with bears and bison but also with escaped convicts from Arizona. While we were gone life went on, Lindsay Lohan went from self imposed rehab to jail, was set free and back into rehab... nothing changes.
We stayed in a couple of rustic cabins, a suite in Vegas, modest quarters on the ship, and a bunch of rooms of varying quality and comfort along the way. Many days were packing and loading, riding and unloading again. Most days we were lucky and remained dry, some days were too hot, a few were too cool, but each day on the road offered something new to see. Some days offered more challenges than we would ask for, but we met each and made it safe and sound. Since our first trip, we have always said that ours is the best way to see the country, with views unobstructed, and a schedule of our choosing. A person can see more from the back of a motorcycle than could ever be seen from a car or RV or tour bus. And you can get a real sense of your surroundings, as when a Buffalo pauses 2 feet away as he crosses your path and you can only wait and hope that he moves gently away to allow you to pass through his domain. We didn't see the bear, but spoke to riders who did and saw pictures as proof.
We are talking about a New England ride next...They have bears there too!!!
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