Came back last week from a road trip from our home in New York City to Arizona with my wife on the FJR (well, the actual ending point was Las Vegas, but that wasn't really part of the trip).
Anyway, following is a summary of the days, if you're interested. A detailed trip report would be way too time consuming for me and for you.
You can check out the uncut and unedited pictures at:
https://photos.yahoo.com/bfritsch1
(Albums Arizona1-Arizona8). No descriptions yet and its all there, including the bad pictures and everything. See what you recognize. It'll be easier to understand where we are in conjunction with the following daily digest:
Day 1 we left NYC on October 25, in unpleasantly cold weather, made it down to Front Royal, VA where we checked into a motel for the night.
Day 2 we headed down Skyline Drive and stopped at Waynesboro, VA, just before it started raining.
Day 3 was a wash because of the rain. We did 20 miles from Waynesboro to Raphine, VA, where we spent most of the day in a bed and breakfast.
Day 4 started at Natural Bridge, VA and then down US 211, parallel with the Blue Ridge Parkway, through Roanoke VA and down to Hillsville, VA.
Day 5 Crossed into North Carolina, left the mountains and ended up in Hendersonville, NC.
Day 6 Quick pass through South Carolina and into Georgia. Arrived at Atlanta, checked Rony's childhood home (which apparently was recently burnt down) and settled in a small hotel.
Day 7 Morning visit at the Atlanta High Museum of Art and then off West. Made it to Cullman Alabama.
Day 8 Started with a visit to D&H Cycle, the biggest FJR seller in the country. Talk about a different world. While they were changing my oil a guy (Ron) gave me an hour long tour of their entire operation, I shook hands with pretty much every person on the premises and got a bunch of little promo gifts. Their idea of running a business is very different from any motorcycle dealer I've ever seen. Then we set out in slight rain that turned out to be a pour that lasted until late afternoon, just to be replaced by very cold dry air in its wake during the evening. Made it across the Mississippi to Helena Arkansas around 8:00PM.
Day 9 Short day, to Hot Springs, AR.
Day 10 Through the Oachita mountains to Oklahoma, made it to Ada.
Day 11 Only ticket the whole trip, for blowing a stop sign (which niether of us saw). The officer was friendly, even told us that he rides a Harley (although he doesn't do the "lid thing"...) but wouldn't wave the ticket. Ended at Shamrock, Texas.
Day 12 Crossed the Texas panhandle to Clayton, New Mexico.
Day 13 Hit the Rockies. Slept in Taos, NM.
Day 14 Round about route to Santa Fe.
Day 15 Rest day. No riding. Just hanging out in Santa Fe.
Day 16 Small loop through Los Alamos, then hit the interstate to Gallup, NM.
Day 17 Crossed to Arizona and ended up in Tuba City, in a Navajo reservation just East of the Grand Canyon.
Day 18 Arrived at Grand Canyon from the East. Slept at Bright Angel Lodge in Grand Canyon Village.
Day 19 Rest day. No riding, but a nice 8 mile hike along the canyon rim.
Day 20 Out of Grand Canyon, picked up Route 66 to Kingman, AZ.
Day 21 Kingman to Vegas. Dropped the FJR at the shipper's location. got a ride to the airport. Landed in Newark at 7:30 AM. It was all over in a blink : (
Epilogue: The FJR arrived about a week later. Somewhere along the route one of the straps got unhooked from the ring on the container. The bike tilted over to the right, broke the right mirror and seriously scuffed the right saddlebag. I'm in the process of making a complaint. See what I can get from them.
Amazing trip! Many more stories, but not enough time to write it all out.
Bennie
Anyway, following is a summary of the days, if you're interested. A detailed trip report would be way too time consuming for me and for you.
You can check out the uncut and unedited pictures at:
https://photos.yahoo.com/bfritsch1
(Albums Arizona1-Arizona8). No descriptions yet and its all there, including the bad pictures and everything. See what you recognize. It'll be easier to understand where we are in conjunction with the following daily digest:
Day 1 we left NYC on October 25, in unpleasantly cold weather, made it down to Front Royal, VA where we checked into a motel for the night.
Day 2 we headed down Skyline Drive and stopped at Waynesboro, VA, just before it started raining.
Day 3 was a wash because of the rain. We did 20 miles from Waynesboro to Raphine, VA, where we spent most of the day in a bed and breakfast.
Day 4 started at Natural Bridge, VA and then down US 211, parallel with the Blue Ridge Parkway, through Roanoke VA and down to Hillsville, VA.
Day 5 Crossed into North Carolina, left the mountains and ended up in Hendersonville, NC.
Day 6 Quick pass through South Carolina and into Georgia. Arrived at Atlanta, checked Rony's childhood home (which apparently was recently burnt down) and settled in a small hotel.
Day 7 Morning visit at the Atlanta High Museum of Art and then off West. Made it to Cullman Alabama.
Day 8 Started with a visit to D&H Cycle, the biggest FJR seller in the country. Talk about a different world. While they were changing my oil a guy (Ron) gave me an hour long tour of their entire operation, I shook hands with pretty much every person on the premises and got a bunch of little promo gifts. Their idea of running a business is very different from any motorcycle dealer I've ever seen. Then we set out in slight rain that turned out to be a pour that lasted until late afternoon, just to be replaced by very cold dry air in its wake during the evening. Made it across the Mississippi to Helena Arkansas around 8:00PM.
Day 9 Short day, to Hot Springs, AR.
Day 10 Through the Oachita mountains to Oklahoma, made it to Ada.
Day 11 Only ticket the whole trip, for blowing a stop sign (which niether of us saw). The officer was friendly, even told us that he rides a Harley (although he doesn't do the "lid thing"...) but wouldn't wave the ticket. Ended at Shamrock, Texas.
Day 12 Crossed the Texas panhandle to Clayton, New Mexico.
Day 13 Hit the Rockies. Slept in Taos, NM.
Day 14 Round about route to Santa Fe.
Day 15 Rest day. No riding. Just hanging out in Santa Fe.
Day 16 Small loop through Los Alamos, then hit the interstate to Gallup, NM.
Day 17 Crossed to Arizona and ended up in Tuba City, in a Navajo reservation just East of the Grand Canyon.
Day 18 Arrived at Grand Canyon from the East. Slept at Bright Angel Lodge in Grand Canyon Village.
Day 19 Rest day. No riding, but a nice 8 mile hike along the canyon rim.
Day 20 Out of Grand Canyon, picked up Route 66 to Kingman, AZ.
Day 21 Kingman to Vegas. Dropped the FJR at the shipper's location. got a ride to the airport. Landed in Newark at 7:30 AM. It was all over in a blink : (
Epilogue: The FJR arrived about a week later. Somewhere along the route one of the straps got unhooked from the ring on the container. The bike tilted over to the right, broke the right mirror and seriously scuffed the right saddlebag. I'm in the process of making a complaint. See what I can get from them.
Amazing trip! Many more stories, but not enough time to write it all out.
Bennie
