South Dakota to Iowa = grandkid time!!

We left SD for Iowa on Sunday June 19th- HAPPY FATHER's DAY!! It was sunny and no wind which made for a fast ride across I90 and then down I35 to Iowa. One of our best days over the last 30 and it was right in our backyard. Monday we spent resting and catching up with my brother and mom. Monday afternoon was spent getting furniture assembled for the local grain elevator/storage people.

Tuesday- mom and I went to visit with Madison!! She has grown so much in the last month and is now climbing stairs, making every desire known, and is just weeks away from walking. She is really fun to watch and is a real ham!! I can't wait to teach her a bunch of tricks!!

So nice to see JD and Justine!! New job for my girl and she is very happy to have made the change!! Later this week we will go to the Saturday market and art show!!

Sunday Ride

Jordan's first ride with Uncle Mike and his Dad. Bought his bike right before graduation and is learning how to ride. He is riding without a windshield which adds to the difficulty.

Today we rode to Pierre, SD where severe flooding is in process. We rode with KJ, Kenda and Jordan, had some lunch and took a bunch of pictures. There is not much to say except the town is in danger and it is not going to get any better soon.

KJ and Kenda

This was the best riding of our entire trip- sun and light wind topped off the gorgeous day.

Miller Time!!

Thursday Morning we arrive at Cousin John's. It was a cold wet ride into Rapid City, SD. Of course the minute we finished with breakfast- it started to really rain. Out came my raingear, helmet and double gloves.

Thank goodness John had his door open and we could make ourselves at home. A quick trip to a coffee shop and to a grocery store for the night's dinner supplies was in order. Mike's Chili was created and we all enjoyed a night of wine, chocolate, and family stories with Cousin Susan as well.

Friday Morning we took off and headed out East to Kennebec. We could see the rain fronts coming through the area. The clouds were heading south across I-90 and I thought for sure we would get rained on AGAIN!! Even with the clouds heading south and us riding east- there was little wind. It was a very quick (80mph) ride so I could get some work done before the Alaska crowd was in their offices. Once again- it was COLD!! Mike again made Chili to get us warmed up and last night we had a real treat!! Kenda made homemade pizza and dessert (something we have not had for months). We did not founder ourselves and just enjoyed her tasty talents.

Today- Saturday- we have enjoyed sun and a light breeze. I told Mike that we probably chased this weather all around the west and back here again. Next year we should stay in the midwest for a sunny vacation later in the summer. We will see what tomorrow brings.

Who's the boss anyway??

On Tuesday we left Green River and headed north to I-70. The weather gods were upon us- no wind and fairly warm with sun. Had a nice day's ride and no "situations" so the ride went fast and furious. The Colorado River is at an all time high...I-70 had the East Bound lanes closed as well as a couple of bridges. The entire trip was a sea of green...they have had a ton of rain. I guess my challenge was the tunnels (Eisenhower went forever) and I hate tunnels whether in a car or on a bike. Went through Denver without any traffic problems...the day was non- eventful.

Got to Cheyenne, Wyoming and decided to stay the night at the Holiday Inn. Left this morning for Hot Springs, SD. The day was cool with clouds mixed in the sun. An easy day on the bike and we could look around as there was little traffic. The land is so different- flat and green.

A trip like this can be interesting....given that we are both the oldest child, A-type personalities and high achievers...we each want to be the boss. On bikes- you can be the boss of your own wheels but you have to go where the "leader" goes. Trading off on being the leader/follower is a valuable lesson...it is not so easy to lead or to follow. You have to trust the person in front of you knows where they are going and they have to trust that you will not run into them, miss their cue or forget where they are at. Truly a process in building teamwork trust of a different sort.

Tomorrow is a visit with family then off to more family after the weekend.

Deer, Convection ovens and Dorothy

Left Kanab at about 7am. The ride was a cool 40 degrees so out came the headgear and coats again. Breakfast in East Zion and then up the road. We got to the turn off for Bryce Canyon and decided to fore go the 180 mile ride and head north through the Dixie Forest on Hwy 12. Very fun ride with lots of rock formations to see. Decided we had to have a reason to come back again....so Bryce Canyon will be in our future.

I have not addressed all the signs that indicate what you might find on or alongside the road:
elk, mule deer, mountain sheep, deer, donkeys, wild cows (indicated by a bucking bull), normal cows (indicated as a milk cow), horses, tractors and hikers. In addition you will see each of these signs about a 1/4 mile apart...so it is like a Burma Shave series of signs.

We have only had four incidences with animals....deer x 3 and cows x 1. Mike had a real close call today. We were going up a hill behind a bunch of RVs. I was way behind and saw a deer running as fast as it could go out of the woods. Mike saw it out of the corner of his eye and started to stop but the deer was headed his way so he gunned it instead. The deer did a reverse, did a tap dance in the middle of the road, started to fall and then streaked across the highway.
No harm done to anyone and I was witness to it all!!!

Seems everywhere we go people want to talk to us. Each stop at a pullout and people are drawn to the bikes and us. We have met some really interesting folks along the way and they all want to talk about bikes and riding. The heat came up during the day, the coats came off and we got sunburned. What a difference from a week ago!! Makes you feel like you are in a convection oven- wind, the bike wind and a temp of 95 degrees.

So the ride from the Junction of 12 & 24 to Green River made you believe in a "hell's version" of the Wizard of Oz. The wind was so bad that as we rode through the canyons and hills- it would whip around us and push the bikes off to one side or the other. It was unpredictable which made it difficult to anticipate what might happen as you came around a curve. When I say push the bikes to one side or the other...literally...there is no guard rail and in many areas- it is a narrow ridge that a road has been built on. One wrong move and you would be a dead one. So with the wild winds- it was a very scary ride. BUT WAIT...it gets even better...

Mike and I had just had a discussion at one of our coffee breaks...seems that the elements (wind, rain, snow, sun) have been our enemy on this trip rather than other drivers. So with that said....

Mike and I have been following this RV for miles on a two lane road. The RV is also having issues with the wind. We start to pass- Mike goes first and I follow. Just as Mike is beside the RV- the wind picked up so much that it sucked him closer and closer to the road's edge (aka ravine entry point). The bike is angled at a 45 degrees and his leg is hanging out like he is falling...finally he passes the RV. I follow through without any incident but it was very scary to see him almost not make it around the RV. At the next pullout- we stop and gather our wits....the wind continues to build up. AND IT GETS WORSE...

Now we are in an area of "sandy canyons and hillsides"- not only is the wind doing its thing with us- the sand is picking up and pelting us. At "po-dunk" Hanksville- we stop and get gas. The wind is howling, the sand is creating huge clouds around the wide spot in the road and the visibility is getting worse. We decide to stop for a coke and to see if the wind dies down- the locals say it has been like this for two days. The table is gritty with dust from the storm. Hwy 24 is our next leg so we ask the waitress about the road. She says it is the same as we have been riding- canyons, curves and hills. Out comes the headgear, long sleeves and gloves as we decide to head out. We will ride the 55 miles to Green River, then reevaluate the situation. So off we go- the sand is so thick- it is like a snowstorm. It is pelting us, the visibility is very poor (only 3 stripes on the middle line) and the wind keeps picking the sand up. The good news- the road was not curvy or mountainous or hilly or full of canyons- it was a straight north/south road with a couple of slow curves. The wind was from the south so it was at our back. The sand was still a problem but we could deal with that as long as the opposing traffic was watching for others. I was so glad that waitress had no idea what she was talking about.

Finally we make our turn to Green River- the road is East/West...once again we are getting thrown around. Mike makes the decision to stop for the day....it has been a long lucky day for us...no use pushing it any further. We get checked in and showers are in order...the sand has made its way into every crevice on our bodies. We get cleaned up and the wind is still howling....

Zion and the Grand Canyon

This morning we left the hotel and it was about 65 degrees. Perfect temperature for riding with a light jacket on. Zion National Park was unbelievable!! The views were surreal and traffic was light so we could take our time. Lots of pictures at pulloffs and even though we took pictures- they are never like seeing it in person. It is quite amazing what you find growing out of the rocks- greens, flowers and cactus.

The ride to the Grand Canyon was about 80 miles from Zion. The North Rim is beautiful but I prefer Zion as it is much more striking. The Grand Canyon is just so big....it is hard to really appreciate what you are seeing. The Grand Canyon lodge is a nice place to have lunch. The lodge's window views are really something. We walked the narrow path out to a platform that juts out into the canyon a bit. You can get a bird's eye view from here.

On the ride back, Mike saw this gas station that no only sold gas but also sold lotto, GUNS AMMO and Beer!! Yes even in Fredonia Arizona- you can shoot em up and drink after!

A fast ride back to Kanab, Utah got us into the Holiday Inn around 3:30pm. We found a car wash to take all the dirt off of the bikes. Had an early supper at a steak house and headed back to the hotel. It will be an early night...we are both tired. Tomorrow is Bryce Canyon!

Heading North

So the goal today was to get through the Hoover Dam and Zion National Park....we did not make Zion. For some reason- neither one of us got out of bed at 5am. We thought it might be cooler and less traffic through Las Vegas if we got going earlier. We finally left the Monte Carlo at about 7am but first we had to make a stop to get bolts. Mike discovered that the bolt holding his seat on was missing. He had adjusted his snap on bag bracket and did not locktite the bolt....it had vibrated out on our way to LV. Thank goodness he discovered it prior to leaving....that would have been very bad to lose your seat!!! A quick stop at Home depot and he was all set. At 7am- it was about 75 degrees...not bad but the day changed after that. Amazing that just two days ago we were complaining about being so cold....

We went to the Hoover Dam and also got to see the new "Pat Tillman" bridge that diverts all traffic. The dam is no longer used to cross the canyon. After Sept 11, I guess they decided they should really do something about that security issue. You can take your vehicle across the dam, park and walk down to viewing areas or you can take tours for $30.00/person. We elected to just park (charge $7/vehicle x 2 for us), walk the visitor's center (they charge you there too- $8/person). You can just walk the area after you park and skip the visitor center.

After the Hoover Dam we headed north on Hwy 15 and the temperature soared to 90-95 degrees. Back throught LV and tons of traffic....they drive crazy there. Both Mike and I were suffering from the heat....we are not used to such temps. The helmet and leathers made it even worse. About 3pm, Mike decided it was time for lunch and I suggested we stop for the day. He was tired and has a head cold (read grumpy). So the Holiday Inn it was for the night- we got the last room. Washington, Utah is a hot, red earthed place. No trees, no green- just sand and crazy hillside shapes.

Tomorrow we go through Zion and the Grand Canyon. Now that we are in Utah...no more required helmet. Sorry Mom....