Day 17- The End of the Journey

We went, We saw, We conquered...is all I can say about this experience! What a beautiful nation we live in! We met some really nice people along the way that shared their experiences of the road with us that helped to make this trip worthwhile. We are grateful to all who have given us support through prayers, comments, phone calls, or whatever you did to make this a memorable journey, we say "Thanks!" God is a good God and he allowed us to be able to view and take in all that he created for us and we thank you God for all of the natural beauties of this earth!

When I first started the planning of this trip, almost two years ago, I tossed some ideas around of how I would tackle this monumental journey. I asked several people about their cross-country endeavors and they offered me a wealth of advice. So I took what was given to me and generated a plan. Now I have plans to be in politics one day and wanted to take in as much as I could about the Presidents and their administrations, what there policy platforms were, how they dealt with opposition, etc. By knowing these types of things will only better me a statesman in formulating my agenda for a campaign. While deciding to tour these monumental sites, I decided that I should take in some of the historical and national sites along the routes planned. So I began to map out different sites and scenery that would be nice to visit via the motorcycle.

As the plan unfolded, Mike took and interest in the cross-country motorcycle ride. We conversed on different sites to see along the routes and I booked the hotels and campgrounds that were along the way. A great deal of planning and arranging took place for this tour to be successful and I was pleased to be able to complete it! Now, we didn't get to go to California as planned or Boston, due to time constraints and motor problems, but we did complete at least 90% of our tour as planned.

We rode through 28 states (GA, AL,MS,TN,AK,TX,NM,UT,AZ,NV,ID,MT,WY,SD,NE,KS,MO,IA,IL,IN,MI,NY,NJ,PA,MD/D.C,DE,VA,NC and 1 Canadian Province (Ontario)a total of 8802 miles in 17 days! I would not have traded this opportunity for anything as it meant that much to me! To end this journey touring Gettysburg and our nation's capital was just the icing on the cake!

To Mike, you are a great friend and a good motorcyclist and I would be honored to tour this great land or any other country with you again! You made this trip worthwhile and it was never a dull moment! Thanks for the memories man!

Thanks again to you all!

Day 16 pics are ready:
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Day 16- Gettysburg and Washington DC

Today Mike and I got up and made our journey towards Gettysburg. The traffic again was rather heavy but we made it through there ok! We rode in cloudy but fair conditions; as it was a cool day. We arrived at Gettysburg and immediately there was a feeling of honor and respect as we entered the park. Of all of the places that we have visited throughout this trip, Gettysburg was what I have been wanting to visit!

We parked our motors and walked into the visitors center to purchase our tickets for the cyclorama and the museum tour. As we waited for the cyclorama to begin, we walked around and viewed the artifacts that were on display. These artifacts were items that were found on the battlefield after the 3 day battle ended. We then went into the theater to see the presentation narrated by Morgan Freeman. This was an amazing presentation to watch. After the film was over, we went up a 4 story escalator to the Cyclorama, which is a painting of the battlefield as it was in 1863. The artist painted this scene around 1868 from photographs that were taken during the battle. The Cyclorama was 42 feet tall and more than 350 feet wide. It was noted that they wanted to have a painting of the scene in a panoramic view from on top of Seminary hill. This was a breathtaking piece of art; it too, was narrated and you could walk around the top deck in a circle to see the entire scene!

After we left the Cyclorama, we went into the museum and this museum was like no other! It started from the beginning of the Civil War to the very end, the new birth of freedom. We took lots of pictures of the museum artifacts and their descriptions. We even took some pictures of the the 75th Anniversary reunion. In this photo, there were two very old gents (one was a Union soldier, the other a Confederate soldier) laughing together! So it is my hope that you will read up on this war that changed the face of this country for ever!

Well after we viewed the museum, we got on our motors and toured the battlefields. What an amazing feeling that comes over you as you walk on grounds where nearly 17000 men lost their lives or livelihood over a course of 3 days! It was an emotional moment for me because I have studied this war and its meaning; my interpretation maybe entirely different from yours, but that's it, it's my interpretation! To experience Gettysburg is...well I can't say enough about it! I am definitely making a trip back there where I can spend a few days! I would encourage you to have a Gettysburg experience as well, if you are able. They have battlefield shuttle buses that will take you on a tour. We met some bikers on the battlefield that were from Pennsylvania and they were just as deeply moved by Gettysburg as I.

Mike enjoyed reading about the details of the Gettysburg; as he is a history buff! He was a little concerned that they didn't have any information on Abbeville SC or the Burke Stark Mansion or the fact that when SC succeeded from the Union, it happened in Abbeville. It did note however, that SC was the first southern state to succeed from the Union, then the others followed. We left Gettysburg with a deep sense of respect and honor as we rode past the battlefields on our way out of town. Thanks to all who fought and died in this war, for this country would not be what it is today without the sacrifices that were made.

We then made our way to Washington,D.C., the capital of this nation! This was Mike's first time in the nation's capital, so I felt like a tour guide, so-to-speak! We entered Washington on Wisconsin Ave where we stopped and took pictures of the National Cathedral. This place was beautifully constructed, it took two centuries to complete the construction. (started in 1792, completed in 1990) We continued on Wisconsin Ave to Pennsylvania Ave then turned onto Constitution Ave. Once on Constitution, we were parked our motors and walked to the Capitol building, the Supreme Court, and the Library of Congress. These magnificent structures were all illuminated, as night was falling, and we took several pictures of the these structures that have been apart of Washington since its inception. We then moved on down constitution and was able to take pictures of the back of the White House, and no, The Obamas were not there, I checked! They have stopped traffic from going in front of the White House during the evenings now, down Pennsylvania Avenue. We then took pictures of the Washington Monument and spent some time at the Lincoln Memorial. These sites were beautiful at night because you could really see the massive boldness of these monuments!

What a magnificent way to end The American Ride Corss-Country Tour than in Washington DC! We left DC and headed for NC, where we will stay tonight. Then it's back to South Carolina! I will post the pictures from Day 16 once I am home! Thank you all for traveling with us and posting comments on our blog site as we traveled this country over the last 16 days! Your prayers helped us to make the journey safely!

Pictures from Day 11-15, updated!

I finally got all of the pictures uploaded this evening! So you can now be caught up with us and see where we have been! The links are listed below, enjoy!

Day 11:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=391066618114%3A1375844354&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee


Day 12:
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Day 13:
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Day 14:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=419110718114%3A645204149&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee


Day 15:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=739110718114%3A678346267&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee

Day 15- Independence National Park and St. John Neumann

Well today was a full day of site seeing the birthplace of America, Philadelphia! After riding across the Benjamin Frankin Bridge into Philadelphia, we rode into the city and found a place to park right near Independence Hall National Park Service. We toured The New Hall- which was the location of the War department offices from 1791-92;during that time, this was the Pentagon of today. We toured Carpenter's Hall where the First Continental Congress met in 1774 to decide a course of action for their grievances against Great Britain was being ignored. To walk through this hall was just an amazing feeling. We took some pictures of the two halls and even some of the construction was exposed to be able to see how it was built in the 1700's.

Then we walked down the colonial street and saw The Philadelphia Bank, the first bank in Philadelphia. Then We toured the Second Bank of Philadelphia which is now an art gallery with paintings from the late 1700's to early 1800's. It became the Old Custom House of Philadelphia after President Jackson prevented the recharter of the bank in 1836. We walked pass the Signer Statue and the Old City hall which the Supreme Court met in from 1791- 1800. We then walked into the gates of Independence Hall; this building was built between 1732 and 1756 as the State House of the Colony of Pennsylvania. Here is where the Declaration of Independence was developed and signed On July 4, 1776 and the Constitution, in 1787. This was another amazing site to visit; to actually be in the very same building where the framers of the Declaration and the Constitution stood over 230 years ago!

After we left Independence Hall we walked next door into the Congress Hall Capitol United States. In this building sat the first Senate and House of Representatives and is where George Washington was inaugurated as President in 1793 and John Adams in 1797. There was alot of history in these buildings and you could sense a feeling of pride as an American when you walked through these buildings!

We then went to see the Liberty Bell and as we walked into the center we stopped to see where the President's house once stood. It looked like they are going to reconstruct the home, as there was a lot of construction going on there. We then walked into the center and read up about the Liberty Bell and we took pictures of the bell and went to get lunch. Now we were told that while we were in Philadelphia, we needed to eat a real Philly Cheese Steak! So we found a vendor (Mama's Cheese Steaks) and it was GOOD!!!!

We went back to our motors and went to our next stop, St. Peter The Apostle Church, where the Shrine of St.John Neumann is located. The shrine, are you ready for this...is St. John Neumann's body lay in state at the alter of the church. Neumann was the Bishop of Philadelphia who died in 1863 of a heart attack at the age of 48 and he was buried and later was sainted for his good works in building schools and churches for the people during his life. Most catholic churches have relics of Saints; relics are a body parts of saints. St. Peter Apostle Church has the entire body of St. Neumann! We took some pictures and toured the mini museum in the church before the mass started at 5:30pm. The church is still very active and holds mass there. Mike asked me if the body was real and I told him yes. Me being a licensed mortician, I know that they did some touch up work on the Saint's face to make him presentable for public viewing for eternity. He was exhumed in 1964 and his body was in remarkable condition. So they decided to place his body in the church as an alter for all to come and pray. This was an interesting site to visit; how many people would have known this was in Philadelphia?

We left Philadelphia to head toward Gettysburg; and we are staying in Gaithersburg, Maryland. We will depart Gaithersburg and ride to Gettysburg and then to Washington DC, our nation's capital!

Pictures From Day 4- 10

These are the links for you to copy and paste into your search box to view the pics from the days that we have uploaded so far. I will get days 11- 14 done for sure this evening when we stop. Thanks again for your prays and comments and We hope you enjoy the pictures!


Day 4:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=612921618114%3A1908790496&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee

Day 5:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=512921618114%3A1732547438&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee

Day 6 & 7:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=909201618114%3A1951908786&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee

Day 8:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=219201618114%3A1233903253&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee

Day 9 & 10:
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Day 14- FDR Museum and the Vanderbilt Mansion

Today Mike and I went from Albany NY to Hyde Park NY to tour Franklin Delano Roosevelt's museum. FDR was the 32nd President of the United States and the only President ever elected to a 4th term of office. As we traveled down the hwys to Hyde Park, we got caught in the awful traffic in New York...early in the morning! It was an overcast all day while we rode but very comfortable. We went through a town called Rhinebeck NY that houses the America's Oldest operating Hotel and tavern, The Beekman Inn. It opened as a tavern in 1766 and it has never closed its doors since! It was a beautiful piece of American history that we just happened to ride up on, so we stopped and took some pictures and got some information about the Beekman. Then we continued on for about another 12 miles and entered Hyde Park, NY. On our way into Hyde Park, we passed the Vanderbilt Mansion and decided that we would go and visit it after we left FDR's site.

As we arrived at the Roosevelt Estates, we were amazed by the beauty of this historic place! The National Parks Service owns the Roosevelt Estates now and they have a welcome center, the President's Library and Museum, the Roosevelt home, the final resting place and several hundred acres of beautiful farm land. We parked our motors and went into the welcome center and purchased our tour tickets. The tour of the Roosevelt Home was a guided tour and the remainder was self-guided. We had a very knowledgeable tour guide who was a park ranger named Cooper Leatherwood. He was rather comical in appearance and recitation of information about FDR. He took a group of us on a tour to the home which was about a quarter of a mile away from the welcome center. The home was just as it was when FDR passed away in 1945. His wife and 5th cousin, once-removed, Eleanor deeded the home and land to the National Park Services exactly a year to the date of death of the late President, April 1946. She gave the first guided tour of the home on that April day in 1946 to some 5000 people! FDR noted in his will that he was leaving the home to the NPS so that all came come and enjoy Springwood, which is the what his dad called the 1520 acre farm. His father purchased the land and a little farm house there in 1866 for $40K and 3 major updates took place between then and 1916. So the last major renovation was done in 1916, by FDR's mother, Sara, upon his advice.

We were actually able to walk through the home (no pictures policy,unfortunately)and see how he lived in the home from the time he was born to his death. We saw some pictures of his family from the 17th and 18th centuries; and the furniture in the home, you can tell, was dated back to the late 19th to early 20th centuries. It was very humbling to see this historic American home.

We then exited the home to go the Roosevelt Garden where the late President and First Lady now eternally rest. It was a beautiful garden and well manicured. We then toured the museum: seeing his 1936 Ford Car with all hand controls that allowed him to drive even though he was paralyzed in his legs from Polio Myelitis. We saw his replicated oval office and his presidential study. This was something interesting that many people don't know, but FDR was the only sitting President to have a library built and actually utilized by him while serving in the White House.

FDR was a great American President, as it was proven by him serving a 4th term in office, although he never completed his presidency. From WWII to The New Deal to Social Security, FDR accomplished a great deal during his administration that is very prevalent today!

After we left FDR's Site, we went to the Vanderbilt Mansion to take some photos. We didn't tour the home but we took some really nice pictures of the motors with the mansion in the background! Frederick William Vanderbilt (1856-1938) built "Hyde Park" in Hyde Park, New York. Designed by McKim, Mead and White and built in 1896-99, it is now the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site. It was raining on us a little but not a torrential storm, just misting, as we left Hyde Park. We decided to go ahead and make our way toward Philadelphia since we spend a good bit of the day with the Roosevelts! JFK...we will have to catch you on the rebound!

AS we traveled on the the interstate, the traffic was just horrible! We had to sit at the New Jersey Turnpike in traffic for at least an hour! But once we got through the garble, we rocked the throttles and arrived in Philadephia, the birthplace of America! Tomorrow we will tour the Independence National Historical Park and partake in eating a traditionally famous Philly Cheese Steak sandwich!

Day 13- Niagara Falls Canada

Mike and I got started around noon today to go see the Niagara Falls. We started late because we knew it was a short riding day for us, so we got some extra "shut-eye". We arrived in downtown Niagara Falls, ON Canada and rode around for about an hour to find a parking place. There were people all over the place; again, we heard many different accents. It was like a melting pot with so many people from different areas of the world there!

We got our motors parked and began to tour Niagara Falls. The cool thing about the Falls, you can see the American and Canadian side of the falls while standing in Canada! The American Falls were nice but the Canadian Falls formed a horseshoe shape and it was much bigger. I'm not sure if you ever saw Jim Carey's Movie, "Bruce Almighty", where he played a news reporter and he was out at Niagara Falls aboard a ship known as the Maid of the Mist. We got some pictures of the Maid of the Mist as she took her passengers close to the Canadian Falls and back by the American Falls.

After we viewed the Falls, we walked up the main tourist attraction strip with everything kind of store, restaurant, video arcade, museum, etc. you could think of. It was much like Myrtle Beach or any big tourist city. The weather was nice and beautiful and the people were nice as well!

Canada is a beautiful country with alot of similarities to the US. I especially liked driving on their interstate hwys because they measure distance in Kilometers and fuel in Liters. So it took about an hour for me to get my conversions together! Mike said he enjoyed Canada and definitely wouldn't mind going back for a nice long vacation!

We boarded our motors and headed for the Rainbow Bridge back into the US. We sat in traffic for what seemed like an hour but it was only 30mins. As we approached Customs, we issued them our passports and driver's license and we were asked our purpose in Canada. We told them we were there to see the Falls and just passing through heading home now. The Customs agent gave us our documents back and told us to have a safe trip. We then headed into Buffalo NY and made our way across the top half of NY. Our destination for the evening was Albany, we made it to Albany and bedded down for the night. Tomorrow we see FDR's museum and Kennedy's museum then off to Philadelphia.

P.S.
There are more pics (Day 5) uploaded on the Kodak Site late last night. Use the same link to the site that I gave you to see the previous pics. If you don't remember it, it is listed below. We have another short day and I will try to get the rest of the pics on this evening, I'm trying!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=260859108114%3A1308184753&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee

Day 12- Merrillville Indiana, Gerald Ford Museum and into Canada

Hi to you all! We are in Nigara Falls,Ontario Canada tonight! Our day started rather early for us, as we made our way from Merrillville to Elkhart Indiana to meet my long time friend Trent. I haven't seen Trent in 2 yrs or better since he was last in SC for one of our friend's wedding! Mike and I met him in Elkhart and we rode to the Harley shop, not for Mike this time, but for my motorcycle Brandywine. My rear tire had been rubbing the the inside of the rear fender and causing my motorcycle to jar me every time I'd hit a bump in the road. I thought my rear air shocks had gone bad, but I looked at the rear tire after we got into Merrillville and it showed serious signs of wear on the left side wall. This didn't sit well with me; as we are almost completely through our tour and I didn't want to have another tire put on. Luckily, the guys at the Harley Dealership, Hoosiers, said that the rear fender and tour pack needed to be adjusted and it would stop the tire from rubbing the inner fender any longer. They also said that I wasn't going to have to put a new tire on because it was the side wall that was affected and not the tread itself. After hearing this news, I felt alot better. The charge for doing this was very small and we were back on the road again. I tell ya, owning a Harley-Davidson motorcycle is rewarding but it get's pricey too...haha!

Trent, Mike and I rode to Grand Rapids Michigan, which was about 96 miles away from Elkhart, to see Ford's Museum. We made good timing getting there but it was the wrong time! Our clocks were an hour behind because we had them set on Central Standard time and not Eastern... who would a thunk it! (JD Harris) So we got to the Ford Museum at, what we thought was 4:30pm, but it was actually 5:30pm. So we walked around the park outside of the museum and took some pictures. Then we decided to go walk downtown Grand Rapids to get a bite to eat. We went to the Amway Inn, a nice hotel that was just a block or so from the museum. This hotel reminded me of an Embassy Suites; very elaborate in details and design! We went to the hotel restaurant and order our food and drinks; everything was nice, the service, food and the staff! A very good recommendation for those of you who plan on going to Michigan in the future!

After we ate, Trent needed to get back down to Argos Indiana, while Mike and I needed to get to Nigara Falls Ontario Canada. So we said our "see ya laters" and we parted ways. Now the GPS on my motor has been screwy most of the time, but it got us to Canada with no problems! We rode across the Bridge to Canada and there, the Customs Agent asked for our IDs and passports; which we obliged her with. She was a very nice person and was even interested in our trip! She wished us well on our travels and we were permitted to cross into Canada! We crossed Port Huron to get into Canada and went over this GINORMOUS bridge and stopped to take a picture or two. Now this is my first time back in Canada since my parents took us to the World's Fair in Windsor back in the 80's; more than 20 yrs ago!

As we rode along, we smelled skunk for most of the ride from Port Huron to Niagara Falls! I think that's the only animal in Canada or at least one would believe this to be so...haha! As we got closer to Niagara Falls, the temperature started to drop, so we stopped and put on our jackets and kept riding there after. As we got into Niagara Falls, we stopped again to take a picture of the Welcome sign and it was nice, as it was lit up with lights.

So here we are now at the Holiday Inn Hotel/Niagara Falls Convention Center to sleep for the night. Tomorrow morning's plan is it to get up and get over to the Falls to take some photos and them make our way toward Hyde Park NY to see FDR's museum. I will do my best to get some more pictures uploaded to the Kodak site in the next day or so. Thanks again for all of your comments and checking on us as we are just about through with the tour!

Day 11- Eisenhower Museum in Abilene Kansas

Today we went to see Ike's museum in Abilene. We got up at Joe's and got things packed on our motors and we were off to Abilene. Our first stop though, was the Harley Shop in Junction City. I got a new air filter and spark plugs for my motor because she seems to be burning more gas than usual. This was a quick little fix and we got back on the road. When we got to Abilene, the town was much like any of the small towns back in South Carolina, very homely feeling and everybody seems to be nice! We went to Eisenhower's museum and parked our motors. We proceeded to this building that looked to be a old home; much to our surprise, it was Eisenhower's boyhood home. We walked inside and there were two tour guides that gave us the grand tour of this boy hood home. The house is in its original location and everything is as it was when his mother passed away in 1946. His mother lived there until her death and Eisenhower and his five brothers said to leave everything as it was for others to come and see the home. See Eisenhower had some premonition that he would one day be President of the United States since he was already the 5-Star General of the United States Army! The home was beautiful and all of the tapestry was hand-made by Eisenhower's mother.

We left the home and went to the museum and it was just amazing how well designed the museum was. It talked about Eisenhower's boyhood, then his time at WestPoint. Did you know that his graduating class from Westpoint became known as the Class of Stars (General Officers)? As many as 75% of his class became General Officers in the Army and Eisenhower was the only one to become a 5-Star General. He was a fascinating man who was responsible for bringing ally forces together to have Nazi Germany to surrender and end WWII. He came back as an American Hero and had several parades for hime in different cities; Washington, Chicago and his hometown of Abilene!

Many people asked if he would consider running for President and he would never answer. But one day he made his announcement and the rest was history! He was the major cause of desegregating the Armed Services, Establishing the Air Force (separating it from the Army Air Corp), and pushing the first piece of Civil Rights legislation; which he signed in 1957 while he was President. He was the first President to have televised press conferences and the first to have Helicopters land on the front lawn of the White House. He was the first of many things in his life and it made him a great individual to study on! I can go on and on about Dwight David Eisenhower; as he was one of my favorite Presidents to study. Mike, as well, said that he liked this museum out of all that we have seen so far because he likes studying about WWII. We took lots of photos and even went to the President, his wife and their first born son's burial site, known as the Place of Meditation.

We spent a good bit of time at this museum because it meant alot to us as young men, who enjoy history, to really take in what Eisenhower did as he was Commander-In-Chief of the European Theater during WWII before he became President. Did you notice, I said Commander- In-Chief? Yes he was the first to be called Commander-In-Chief as the President after he was known for his heroism during war time. He was a very popular President and easily won a second term in office.

We left his museum with a great deal of gratitude and a feeling of pride for getting to know and understand a Great Commander-In-Chief who was epitome of a hard worker who had accomplished his dreams in life!

We left there and due to the time, we would not make the Truman or Hoover Museums on this trip. So we went on the Merrillville Indiana, where we were staying for the night. We did pass by the West Branch where Hoover's Presidential Center is located and in Illinois where President Regan was born!

Day 10- Souix Falls South Dakota to Junction City Kansas

Today we rode from Souix Falls SD. We got an early start around 8:30am stopping at a truck stop to get some "push water" and coffee. While we were there, we noticed alot of bikers heading towards Sturgis, some pulling their motorcycles; while others rode theirs. This guy and his wife pulled into the station on a huge trike that he built. This thing was HUGE...of course he was a rather large man himself....but the trike was absolutely a monster! We went and talked to him and found out there were from Missouri. He said they trailered it from Missouri to Souix Falls but he was driving it from there on to Sturgis. He built the entire machine himself; from motor to frame to all of the custom work. His wife sat on what appeared to be a back seat that could fit a family of bears on it! The engine was a 454 big block and he had rail buggy tanks for the gas. The tires were huge, that I can't remember the sizes but the headlight was off of a 1979 Peterbilt Truck. The rear had PT Cruiser tail lights and Grill; it was painted a powdercoat gray and the body was a denim black. This trike looked like something from the tv series "The Munsters" and another biker told him that and he laughed saying,"yeah, but we prefer the Adams Family!" He was a jovial guy and he said that this would be the trike's first big run since he finished building her. He did take it out for a test run the night before to make sure there were no leaks or mishaps and I guess it checked out great!
They fired up and were off to Sturgis and we were off to Junction City.

We got on the road and traveled on H-81 S which is a straight long road that ran from South Dakota all the way to Kansas but it was scenic. When I say scenic, I mean we traveled through Nebraska and its corn fields and more corn fields. Did I say we traveled through alot of corn fields...haha! Then we got into Kansas and it's rolling plains. These two states were beautiful in their own right as all of the other states we have been through so far!

We were on our way to Eisenhower's museum but it would have been closed by the time we got there. So luckily we stayed with my adopted brother and grade school friend, Joe and his girlfriend in Junction City; which is only about 20 mins from Abilene, where Eisenhower's museum is. We got to Joe's and got the road grime cleaned off of us from the day and we sat and talked for a while before we retired for the evening. We just planned to go to the Eisenhower museum the next day.

Joe and Lily were very gracious and nice to have let us stay with them in their home while we were passing through. Joe is just like family to me and we have been close for almost 18 years now! So we bedded down for the night to tackle our journey in the morning.

Day 9- Devil's Tower, Sturgis Bike Rally and Mt. Rushmore

We started this morning in Buffalo, Wyoming around 8:30am and was on the road by 9am. We were 182 miles away from Sturgis, South Dakota when we started. We rode for about 60- 70 miles east on I-90 when Mike's motor put him down again. This time, we couldn't fix it on the side of the road. So he contacted HOG (Harley Owners Group) as a member and they had a wrecker on the way to come get his motorcycle. We waited for about 45 mins. to an hour for the wrecker to come on the side of the interstate waving at the bikers as they made their way into Sturgis. There must have been over 200 motorcycles that passed us from all over the US and some from other countries! Mike's motor wouldn't start up, it would just make a clicking noise, which indicated that the stator or the voltage regulator went out, or both. The roll-back truck got there finally and we helped the driver load the motor onto the back of the truck. He had one of those Condor motorcycle wheel chocks (for the motorcycle enthusiasts)that was pretty neat! Hetook the motor and Mike, as I followed, to the nearest Harley dealership, Deluxe H-D, in Gillette, SD; about 39 miles from where the motor broke down.

We arrived at Deluxe Harley Davidson around 11:45am and an 80yr old gentleman, full of spunk and wit, named Bob, met us and got Mike to fill out the service ticket to get his motor repaired. Bob was from Yuba City California and he commented on how good looking my motor was and it was the best paint scheme that Harley put on a bike (although its filthy right now from road grime) he has a 95th Anniversary UltraClassic just like mine! Of course, I thanked him for the compliment. Bob was a volunteer that HOG called to help out with the rally this year in the service department. They had it all organized as to what lane to put your motorcycle in and for what type of service that needed to be done to it. Deluxe really had it going on! This was a rather busy dealership but they got Mike's motor in as soon as it got off the truck and got started on it. Bob invited us to sit under the big canopy with tables set up for the bikers as the rally was going on. He offered us ice cream and water; while they had a BBQ catering rig, Pokey's BBQ, set up selling sandwiches and plates of food. Since we were going to be there a while, we each ate a plate of bbq and drank ALOT of water! I walked around the shop and a browsed at the bikes and merchandise they were selling while Mike's motor was getting serviced.

We met several people while we waited for the motorcycle to get repaired. Bob had us laughing the entire time, talking about his riding experiences over the years and yes he still rides his 98 Ultra; he was sure to mention that! We met a guy from Ohio that was getting, I believe, tires put on his bike. He rode his in from Ohio. We met three guys from California, one rode his motor in from California and it had the same issue Mike's did. So his buddies that were with him drove the truck and pulled the trailer with his motor on it into the shop for repairs. We meet some ladies that took our pictures for us with Bob before we left the dealership. They got Mike's motor going again and I won't tell you what that cost...Mike will have to tell you that! Let's just say, NOT CHEAP AT ALL! We left the dealership around 3;30pm.

We got back on the Interstate and headed toward Devil's Tower and took some really neat pictures of this massive rock. It was the nation's first national monument ever! Once we left there, we rode into STURGIS SD...and what an experience it was! There were motorcycles everywhere; as far as the eye could see! Up hills, down hills, around corners, on the streets, on the highway: a very amazing sight! We rode through Sturgis and up to Mount Rushmore to see Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Theodore and Lincoln. We rode for about 17 miles in the Black Hills to go visit this site and there were bikers going and coming as you will see in the pics. We got to Rushmore and took several pictures as the sun was going down and it started getting dark. I asked Mike if he wanted to still go see Crazy Horse Monument which was another 17 miles up the mountain, and we both decided we better get down the mountain since it was getting dark. There were signs everywhere saying, "Bighorn Sheep Crossing next 5 miles" and the pictures of these sheep look like rams and we surely didn't want to run into one of these monsters! So we came on down out of the mountain with out seeing Crazy Horse but, it's ok, there will always be another time for us to see it! We rode back through Sturgis and down to Rapid City where we ate pizza for dinner and it was really good! The BBQ we ate earlier was already gone so we decided on having pizza. After we ate we rode on into the night to our campground.

Tomorrow we ride from South Dakota to Abilene Kansas to visit President Eisenhower's Museum. This should be an interesting museum because Ike was an interesting President.

I am still working on the photos, so be patient and keep your comments coming and your prayers are solicited for our safe travels!

Day 8- Yellowstone NP to Buffalo Wyoming

Well guys, we are in Buffalo Wyoming tonight. We had plans to be camping at the Flintstones BedRock Campground in Custer South Dakota but after it took us almost half the day to go through Yellowstone, we decided to bunk in Buffalo.

We got up this morning after a peaceful night's sleep in Massacre Rock State Park and got on the road to Sturgis. It rained last night when we got to the state park; cleared up and then it rained again during the night. We stayed dry and slept right through it! We left the park around 8am and headed to Yellowstone. Now Yellowstone is a very beautiful national park with so much to offer; there were thousands of people from all over the world there. We heard many different languages being spoken just as we did at the Grand Canyon. The foreign travelers were amazed by all of the motorcycles that adorned the park today! If you didn't know, you have to go through Yellowstone to get to Sturgis from the West Coast unless you want to travel a few hundred miles out of the way! But why wouldn't you want to see this majestic national park! We saw the hot sulfur springs and even got to see Old Faithful Geyser! The Snake River that goes through the park looked like an ocean, the water was crystal blue and it was beautiful! We did get to see some of the wildlife in the park, but NO BEARS! The temperature in the park was around 72 degrees all day and bright sunshiny skies! It did rain and hail on us again today; did I say HAIL! this was the third time on the trip that it had hailed on us, but this time it was barely noticeable and it didn't last long at all. As we left Old Faithful to head toward Sturgis, we went through several tunnels in the mountains along the water's edge! I would do anything to have stayed there all day long, wait a minute...we did stay there all day...haha!

After we left Yellowstone, we entered into the Big Horn National Forest. This national forest was along the scenic highway that we were riding on, Hwy 14/16/20. We went through several towns and ended up going over Big Horn Mountain. We thought we had gone through and over mountains on this journey, but we went over the biggest mountain I believe in the country! As we rode into the mountain, we noticed signs saying steep inclines and we were thinking, "oh this is going to be like any other mountain."; boy, were we wrong! This mountain had roads that went up along the side of the mountain like an incline on a major roller coaster! We climbed about 10 to 12 miles up this mountain; looking to our right side while riding the motorcycles you could see for miles down below and across the land. We had a few trucks pulling campers that were barely making it up the mountain, so they pulled over to to let us and the other cars go by. We did stop and take a few pictures of the awe-inspiring scenic views and we climbed to an elevation of 9430ft above sea level! The temperature at the top of Big Horn was 42 degrees and there was ice on the some of the caps. The roads were red asphalt, which we have never seen before and the ride down Big Horn was fun! We had alot of twisty curves that my motorcycle, Brandywine, enjoys! Mike seemed to enjoy them as well! We went into a town called Ranchester Wyoming to get to I-90E and then we stopped in Buffalo for gas and decided to stay the night here.

So tomorrow we will see Devil's Tower, Mt. Rushmore, Crazyhorse Monument, and spend some time at the Sturgis Bike Rally. Again, thank you all for keeping up with us on this journey! We are having the time of our lives; seeing the beautiful scenery and meeting some really nice people! Oh, I almost forgot, we have traveled 5403 miles so far and have a good many more to go!

Day 6 and 7- Las Vegas NV to American Falls ID

Well we are here in American Falls ID at Massacre Rock State Park and it is a beautiful park, let me tell you! Our campsite is right along the Snake River on the lower loop. We left Vegas yesterday around 3:30pm to head to California but the route was way too long. So unfortunately we didn't make California on this trip. Sorry Ms. Nancy, we will have to come and visit your husband's library and museum on the rebound. We went down The Strip in Vegas and it was amazing how many travelers were there. Mike and I got our pictures made at the famous " Welcome To Las Vegas" sign. We even went to the world largest Harley Dealer which is in Vegas! We didn't want to leave but we had to.

Since we didn't make Cali, we went North in Nevada through the desert mountains. It was surprisingly not bad, weather wise. We took some really neat pictures of the countryside as we rode up Hwy 93. Now we believe there are more jack rabbits in Nevada than people! One stayed in the middle of the road as Mike and I passed it. It was between our motors! He was a daring little critter! Mike a few nights ago hit a jack rabbit with his crash bar on the bike going down the road and last night I hit one with my crash bar. So we are even now...haha!

We stayed in Ely NV last night and got up this morning around 8:30am and hit the road towards Twin Falls ID. We got stopped in traffic for about 15 mins. because they were doing road construction. What was really nice was that the flag lady holding the stop sign, asked us bikers to come to the front of the traffic so we could get on down the road when the pilot car got there. When we got through the construction, we rocked the throttles and got on up the road! It's amazing how fast you can go in the desert and no body bothers you! We passed a NV State Trooper and he just waved at us and kept going. I guess because there were so many bikers on the road heading to Sturgis for the Bike Rally, he didn't bother stopping anyone.

So we headed on into Twin Falls ID and got caught in the rain and yes, it hailed on us again! So we pulled into this Chevron Station and these guys let us park our motors under the canopy and come in while we waited out the storm. The interesting thing about this gas station was that the attendants actually would go out and pump the customer's gas for them. Talkin' about something you don't see anymore! They said that they were the only service station known in Idaho that does it. After the storm stopped, Mike and I mounted our motors and rode to the Harley Shop since we were less than a mile away. It was a nice dealership and the staff was really friendly. After we spent about 20 minutes there, we got on the road and headed to American Falls Idaho where we are staying tonight. It rained on us as we were about 5 miles from our destination but we made it got our tent set up and getting ready to bed down for the night. We have an early start tomorrow, we are heading to Sturgis South Dakota. So Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument and Sturgis Bike Rally HERE WE COME!

P.S.
I promise to try to get the other pictures that we have taken since the first set posted tomorrow when we get to our campground. Oh, if you are wondering, this State Park does have Wi-Fi that's how we were able to post on the blog tonight. Until tomorrow, you all keep praying for us that we continue to have a safe journey and keep the comments coming! We like seeing what you have written!

Day 5- Cimarron NM to Fabulous Las Vegas

Ok, we are now caught up and in LAS VEGAS NEVADA! We left Cimarron this morning and it was nice and sunny but cool! The temp. was 62 degrees and it stayed cool throughout most of the day. The high was 86 degrees; so Mike and I had a pleasant riding day! We started by riding through the Philmont Scout Ranch on the scenic hwy 64, through several small villages, as they are called. While we were riding, we caught up with the two vets that stayed at the same motel we do and we rode with them for about 40 or 50 miles since we were heading in the same direction. We went through Eagle Nest, saw Wheeler Peak (the highest point in New Mexico), Taos, Tres Piedras, Tierra Amarilla, Chama, Dulce, Bloomfield, Farmington, and then Shiprock! Again we saw some beautiful countryside in the mountains!

We couldn't help but to stop and take as many pictures as we possibly could! I even took several while going down the road! We saw a number of different cultures today as we traveled. We went through two Native American Reservations, Jicarilla Apache and Navajo Nations. So far on this journey, everyone that we have come in contact with have been very pleasant!

We rode to the Four Corners Monument only to find that it was closed due to construction since Feb this year. So we got pictures outside the main entrance and made our way to the Grand Canyons. As we entered Kayenta AZ, we stopped for fuel and this couple pulled up on their Harley ElectraGlide Classic. They too, got gas and we pulled our motors over to the side after we fueled up to rest for a few mins. they also pulled up and we started talking to them. We found out that they were from Austria and rented the Harley to tour some of the US while they were here before going to Sturgis for the bike rally in South Dakota. We shared some experiences with each other, took some pictures together and we were on the road again. As we got about 5 miles out of Kayenta, heading towards Tuba City, it started to lightly rain, so we stopped and put on our rain gear. Then we went about 2 more miles up into the mountain and it started HAILING! So we turned around and rode back down the mountain to wait out the storm. After about 20 or 30 mins. we decided to try again; this time we were good to go. Try going about 50mph on a motorcycle and it starts hailing on you...let me tell you how that goes, NOT TO GOOD!

So we got through all of the little villages heading into the Grand Canyon and WOW, God showed us why he his Great! We got to see the sunset over the Grand Canyon and it was a beautiful and breath-taking experience! You will just have to see the pictures we took and i would encourage you to take a trip out to the Canyons and view this wonder! After we left the Grand Canyon,we were off to LAS VEGAS!

We arrived in Vegas for the night to get some rest. We tour Vegas for a few hours tomorrow!


P.S.
I will be uploading the pics from Day 4 and 5 this evening hopefully!

Day 4- The ride from San Antonio TX to Cimarron NM

My apologies for just getting Day 4 on the blog. We have been hard at work riding those motors and taking in the beautiful scenery along the way! As we rode from San Antonio TX to Cimarron NM, we saw some amazing sites! Sites like the Wind Mills farms in Southwest TX (there had to be thousands of them) that could be seen as far as the eye would allow! We saw, I don't know how many, TX ranches with the crude oil pumps out in the fields, pumping away! There were several horse and cattle ranches as well! The weather was surprisingly nice; none of that South Carolina humidity...haha! The temperature has been around 98-100 degrees and it's been very bearable.

It was our plan to stay in Clovis NM at Oasis State Park, but we had another minor setback, that we took care of in about 45 minutes. So we decided to ride to Cimarron and stay the night there. We stayed at the Canyon Inn, it was a mom and pop outfit, but the service was friendly and impressive and the room was neat and clean. On our way into Cimarron as we turned off of the exit ramp onto the main road, we had 2 Elk cross the road in front of us. And yes, they walked across the road, never did they run! After we got settled in, Mike and I went outside to enjoy the fresh mountain air and two other bikers pulled up to the room beside ours. they got off of their bikes and came over to us and we all greeted each other and got acquainted with them. These guys were much older and they were from TX, on their way to Vancouver Washington for a reunion. They were military veterans of Vietnam and they were in a Huey Unit together. We all enjoyed our time chatting together, for what seemed like hours! Then they retired for the night and so did we.


P.S.
I will be uploading the pics from Days 4 & 5 when we stop for the night in California. So be on the lookout...I think you're going to enjoy these shots! Thank you all for continuing to follow us and posting your comments. This trip is an experience and an opportunity that we may never have again!

Pictures from Day 1-3

I know you guys have been anxiously waiting to see pictures; well here you go! Just cut and paste the link into your web browser and the slide show should start. I found this to be easier to utilize than posting each picture one at the time! Let me know if this link works. Enjoy!


http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=260859108114%3A1308184753&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee

It's going to ask you to sign in, click the join tab and sign up, it's free and easy! I promise!!

Day 3- The George H.W. Bush Museum and LBJ Library

Well today we slept in because the Bush Museum didn't open until 12pm on Sundays. We made our way there and toured another magnificent facility! These former Presidents go out in style! The Bush Museum was very informative and portrayed Bush's Foreign Policy while he served in office. Mike and I traveled onto Austin TX to see the Big Tex's (Lyndon Baine Johnson) Library but it was already closed when we got there...but we did get to see a very refreshing fountain in front of the library that misted us pretty good! We didn't complain at all about the mist, it was very soothing! The temperature today was about 100 degrees and dry, no humidity...just Hot! While we were outside LBJ's Library, we had a fury friend that came up to see what we were taking pictures of and we even got a picture of him/her...the squirrel. We boarded our motors again and off to San Antonio to see the Alamo.

San Antonio is a beautiful city, but the interstate system there is sure confusing and busy! We found the Alamo after a few turn arounds and stops to ask for directions. The Alamo was so beautiful to see it up close and actually be able to touch a building that has remained standing since the 18th Century. What a glorious piece of American History. The armed Ranger told us that the Alamo is guarded 24-7-365; never left unguarded. You will see those pics as well.

We then took some pictures of two of the oldest hotels in San Antonio, the Emily Morgan Hotel and the Crockett Hotel; both are still in operation today. It was a short riding day for us today, but we plan on riding tomorrow to see the four corners monument. So enjoy the pics!

Day 2-The Clinton Presidential Center and Landers Harley Delearship

Well, we completed day 2 of the journey...all is well! The weather was sunny/98 degrees and very HOT! We started the day by going to Landers Harley Davidson Dealership in Little Rock to get Mike's motorcycle repaired. He had an electrical issue (circuit breaker)that took about an hour or better; so we hung around the dealership looking at bikes and listening to the band that was playing outside. The staff at Landers was very friendly and Tammi even placed one of our newspaper articles up in the dealership so all could see! Mike's motor was ready to go again and we were off to the Clinton Presidential Center about 13 miles away from the dealership.

Now let me tell you, that this facility was like no other...it was immaculately designed and well placed. We asked a young lady to take our photo at the main entrance, then we parked the motorcycles and proceeded into the Center. The inside of this center is fascinating! We took pictures in the Cabinet Room while sitting in the Seat of Power that Clinton sat in while in office, the Oval Office, and many other pictures from this Presidential Center. President Clinton was truly a great American and a remarkably brilliant president.

We got back on the road and header to College Station TX where we will visit the George Bush Museum, San Antonio to visit the Alamo, and Houston to visit Lyndon B. Johnson's Museum. Pictures should be loading this afternoon.

Day 1- one Presidential Museum and five States...

Mike and I had a grand time at the Jimmy Carter Museum in Atlanta Georgia today! Many people said that the Carter Museum was just "peanuts"(haha, do you get it!), but it was a very nice museum with a wealth of information and memoirs on exhibition. We thought we might have a chance to meet the Carters today, as we were told by the curators that they visit the Presidential Center on Fridays. Unfortunately they were not there today...maybe next time! We then saddled our Harleys and set our sights on Memphis Tennessee; City of Blues and BBQ! We traveled for what seem like hours upon hours, but we actually made several pit stops for fuel and to stretch our muscles and limbs. We road through some of the most beautiful terrain that God created (sorry no pics of it because we were riding and the traffic was pretty busy) but we did get some pics of the museum and some of the exhibits.

We traveled through Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee (that's four states). Upon our arrival in TN, Mike and I felt like we deserved a nice Memphis style BBQ dinner, so we ate at Tom's BBQ. When we walked into the establishment, much to our surprise Tom was an Asian gentleman and he owned a BBQ house...how different is that! He was a very nice guy and he asked us questions about our bikes, where we were from, where we were going, etc. Mike and I both ate a BBQ plate with BBQ baked beans, homemade coleslaw and dinner bread. The food was amazing, just the right hint of sauce made it perfect; not as good as mine, mind you! After dinner we went to our resting place for the night, TO Fuller State Park. We were going to camp there but the mosquitoes had other plans for us! We got in that tent for no more than 20 mins and relized we were going to get any sleep because the mosquitoes wouldn't let us. So we got up packed the tent and decided it was time to move on. We loaded up our motorcycles and down the interstate we went. We were off to Little Rock Arkansas; there we checked into a Marriott there and got us a well deserved night of rest after a long day of traveling. There you have the fifth state Arkansas!

We are going to be putting the Carter museum pic on here, along with the Clinton museum pics...enjoy!

On the road now....

We are now on the road and its hot...haha! But the ride is nice and the scenery is gorgeous! We will load the pictures when we reach Memphis T(of course after we eat some BBQ and take in some good blues music on Beale St! Destination is not important but the journey is!

3 Days to go....

Less than 72 hours and we will be off on our journey! The open road, the adventure and the thrill are all calling; the heat, well not so much...haha! By this time Friday, we will be on our way! Look forward to seeing your comments daily! We ask for your prayers and support throughout the tour! See you on the trail!

Trip Itinerary

If you will go to the link listed below, there you will find the detailed itinerary for this tour. Any suggestions from you on other destinations that may be along our journey, are welcomed and appreciated! We look forward to hearing from you!

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AsKZv7ti0XjWdFhWRVlvSVVBc044MHJSY2FDZHBRT3c&hl=en

Shake-Down and Pre-Trip Inspection 7/17/2010

Both motorcycles have been serviced: new tires, fresh oil and filter, brakes checked, belts tested, levers tightened, etc... tent is packed, sleeping bags are ready! Also prepped some rubber foam padding for added comfort and support on our seats (don't want soar butts)!

Got some words of encouragement from some friends this past week; which we will definitely need. It's a good feeling to know that there will be a number of supporters blogging with us each day on this huge undertaking. Thank you all for your support now, during and after the tour is over! It takes a loving family and great friends like you all, to be able to keep moving!

We encourage you to post comments as you wish. Each night (if we are able) we will be posting pictures from the current day on this blogsite. So look for a new posting with pictures everyday!

20 Days in counting....

20 days before Mike and I saddle our iron horses to embark on an American journey; riding 8698 miles on pieces of American history (Harley Davidson Touring motorcycles) seeing America -the beautiful. This promises to be one of the most memorable, inspirational and humbling experiences of a lifetime!