bbdig
Well-known member
Geezer you know Fred is the biggest anti slab guy on the forum.
Unless it is pouring, remember the airline?
Unless it is pouring, remember the airline?
Fred W and TMJ's Vacation Ride to the Great Divide
- Thread starter Fred W
- Start date
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Geezer
Parsimonious Curmudgeon
Very true.
It will be difficult for them to get home from Dayton in one day without the slab. Maybe they don't plan to be home on Monday.
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Just Krusen
Well-known member
This is one of the absolute best ride reports I have ever read. Great job Fred.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Anti-slab, yes... that is me. And if you've been following our Spotwalla Tracking page you'll note that over the past two weeks we haven't resorted to the interstate very much, preferring greatly to stick to the US routes. Two lanes that connect every town with the next. That is the best way to see the fiber of America, IMO.
But it isn't always the best way to "make time." This weekend, we needed to make time with a get home goal of Tuesday night. So, it has been a slabfest from where we last left you in Sioux City, to where we are right now, in Dayton, OH. I figured that the weekend would be the premium time to put miles and states behind us in an effort to get home from all the fun stuff last week.
Yesterday morning we still left Sioux City early, as usual, but this time jumped right on the interstate and spun her up to warp speed
Nice catch by TMJ here...
The interstate really isn't allthat bad in the early hours. In fact I sort of like it. Just you, your machine, and your thoughts with vert little in the way of other distractions. The unfortunate reality is that everyone else wakes up soon, and gets on these same roads. Then it gets all messed up...
It is so nice to feel welcomed.
A lot of good farm land in Misery.
And as ionbeam mentioned the ride down from the interstate to lake of the Ozarks did not suck. But is was raining (off and on all day), and the camera didn't capture those roads too well.
Bunch'a 8 balls down that way...
We arrived as Josie's brother's place before 2PM and had us a fine visit. It was our first meeting with her niece's two kids, so that was a special treat. We sat around, chewed the fat and caught up with them for a while, then sat down had a wonderfully home cooked meal. Good stuff.
Also got to have my first cigar on the trip, a nice CAO something or other that BIL had bought prior. Since i was the one who first turned him on to the expensive habit of cigar smoking, of course he wanted to reward me with a nice cheroot.
But it isn't always the best way to "make time." This weekend, we needed to make time with a get home goal of Tuesday night. So, it has been a slabfest from where we last left you in Sioux City, to where we are right now, in Dayton, OH. I figured that the weekend would be the premium time to put miles and states behind us in an effort to get home from all the fun stuff last week.
Yesterday morning we still left Sioux City early, as usual, but this time jumped right on the interstate and spun her up to warp speed
Nice catch by TMJ here...
The interstate really isn't allthat bad in the early hours. In fact I sort of like it. Just you, your machine, and your thoughts with vert little in the way of other distractions. The unfortunate reality is that everyone else wakes up soon, and gets on these same roads. Then it gets all messed up...
It is so nice to feel welcomed.
A lot of good farm land in Misery.
And as ionbeam mentioned the ride down from the interstate to lake of the Ozarks did not suck. But is was raining (off and on all day), and the camera didn't capture those roads too well.
Bunch'a 8 balls down that way...
We arrived as Josie's brother's place before 2PM and had us a fine visit. It was our first meeting with her niece's two kids, so that was a special treat. We sat around, chewed the fat and caught up with them for a while, then sat down had a wonderfully home cooked meal. Good stuff.
Also got to have my first cigar on the trip, a nice CAO something or other that BIL had bought prior. Since i was the one who first turned him on to the expensive habit of cigar smoking, of course he wanted to reward me with a nice cheroot.
After staying up too late smoking and talking and catching up, and then having Josie's brother insist on cooking us a fine bacon and egg breakfast before we headed out, we weren't able to get on the road until 8AM today!!
I had noticed that since we had been coming down from elevation that my tire pressures, which had gone up a couple of psi during the climb, were now coming down again. Needed to add about a pound and a half to get them to where i like them (40F 42R). So far so good on these tires.
Headed back up north and east to the interstate again, up through Jeff City and Fulton to get on the speedway thru St Louis, I-70.
But we had not got up to highway speed for long before my laminar lip tried to fly away from me. Apparently the normally tenacious adhesive on those 3M dual lock dots that you use to hold the laminar lip on the windshield are no match for the heat of Misery when you put a cover on the bike. Luckily I caught the fleeing lip just before it got away fully (it was hanging by only two of the chads) and handed is back to Josie to hang onto until I could get off at the next exit.
I was able to re-stick the 4 upper dots to the shield, but the lower two, that are needed to fight the leverage that the wind puts on the lip at speed, were toast. So, being a student of the Red Green show, I did what any red blooded North American "handy" man would do: I re-attached it with Duct Tape!! (aka 90 mile an hour tape)
Like me, it may not be particularly attractive, but it is fully functional.
Assuming it hangs around until we get home two days from now, I intend on drilling and screwing the lip to the shield more permanently. I've come to realize over the course of the past two weeks that this truly is the windshield nirvana that I have been looking for. I'll do a separate post about the windshield and lip later, when I get home, but having this thing along for the ride has been hugely positive.
The point of the day was to put some states behind us, and we did:
First Missouri
Then the state of Ill noise...
Yeah, it was cloudy and drizzly all day. But that kept the temps cool. A good trade off in my books...
Really big roadside religious statement. I may have lost the scale by over-cropping the image, but those are not shrubs, they are trees. It was HUGE.
I'm pretty sure that "He" would not approve.
Then, we put the Hoosier state behind us. (what the hell is a Hoosier anyway?)
Indiana wants me. Lord I can't go back there...
And finally we entered the wide-assed state of O-Hi-O
We stopped at the Days Inn Northeast in Dayton, right off the highway. Definitely nothing special, but it was a good price. Dinner was at the Buffalo Wild Wings next to the hotel. Couple of salads and a good sized plate of wings hit the spot
I was surprised that they already had the Sam Adams Octoberfest out on draft. The other selections weren't very exciting so I gave it a go, and Josie had a Blue Moon Wit.
In past years I've been a fan of this beer. Maybe it was just my mood tonight, but i did not think that it was as good as past years. Not enough Munich malt flavor, absent some of the bready tartness that that gives. Maybe this was just a bad example?
The plan is to take two more days of mixed slab and two lanes to get home from here. We'll be stopping in the Olean, NY vicinity tomorrow night for the final dash home to Cow Hampshire. Hopefully we have time (and weather) for a little play riding in these last two days. I'd hate to end this awesome 2 weeks with just more slab.
Josie is somewhat anxious to get home to her kitties, grandkids and riding lessons.
Me... not so much. I kind'a want to turn around and go back.
I had noticed that since we had been coming down from elevation that my tire pressures, which had gone up a couple of psi during the climb, were now coming down again. Needed to add about a pound and a half to get them to where i like them (40F 42R). So far so good on these tires.
Headed back up north and east to the interstate again, up through Jeff City and Fulton to get on the speedway thru St Louis, I-70.
But we had not got up to highway speed for long before my laminar lip tried to fly away from me. Apparently the normally tenacious adhesive on those 3M dual lock dots that you use to hold the laminar lip on the windshield are no match for the heat of Misery when you put a cover on the bike. Luckily I caught the fleeing lip just before it got away fully (it was hanging by only two of the chads) and handed is back to Josie to hang onto until I could get off at the next exit.
I was able to re-stick the 4 upper dots to the shield, but the lower two, that are needed to fight the leverage that the wind puts on the lip at speed, were toast. So, being a student of the Red Green show, I did what any red blooded North American "handy" man would do: I re-attached it with Duct Tape!! (aka 90 mile an hour tape)
Like me, it may not be particularly attractive, but it is fully functional.
Assuming it hangs around until we get home two days from now, I intend on drilling and screwing the lip to the shield more permanently. I've come to realize over the course of the past two weeks that this truly is the windshield nirvana that I have been looking for. I'll do a separate post about the windshield and lip later, when I get home, but having this thing along for the ride has been hugely positive.
The point of the day was to put some states behind us, and we did:
First Missouri
Then the state of Ill noise...
Yeah, it was cloudy and drizzly all day. But that kept the temps cool. A good trade off in my books...
Really big roadside religious statement. I may have lost the scale by over-cropping the image, but those are not shrubs, they are trees. It was HUGE.
I'm pretty sure that "He" would not approve.
Then, we put the Hoosier state behind us. (what the hell is a Hoosier anyway?)
Indiana wants me. Lord I can't go back there...
And finally we entered the wide-assed state of O-Hi-O
We stopped at the Days Inn Northeast in Dayton, right off the highway. Definitely nothing special, but it was a good price. Dinner was at the Buffalo Wild Wings next to the hotel. Couple of salads and a good sized plate of wings hit the spot
I was surprised that they already had the Sam Adams Octoberfest out on draft. The other selections weren't very exciting so I gave it a go, and Josie had a Blue Moon Wit.
In past years I've been a fan of this beer. Maybe it was just my mood tonight, but i did not think that it was as good as past years. Not enough Munich malt flavor, absent some of the bready tartness that that gives. Maybe this was just a bad example?
The plan is to take two more days of mixed slab and two lanes to get home from here. We'll be stopping in the Olean, NY vicinity tomorrow night for the final dash home to Cow Hampshire. Hopefully we have time (and weather) for a little play riding in these last two days. I'd hate to end this awesome 2 weeks with just more slab.
Josie is somewhat anxious to get home to her kitties, grandkids and riding lessons.
Me... not so much. I kind'a want to turn around and go back.
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GinaMcD
Well-known member
Fred, if the women don't find you handsome...!
Glad to hear the trip went well, and it sounds like you've caught the LD Touring Bug. We knew you would. And if you're anything like us, you'll start thinking about next year's destination as soon as you get home.
The one down side to this long trips is that all the local riding after you get back just seems so mundane.
Thanks for taking us along. And for getting us thinking about a return visit!
Glad to hear the trip went well, and it sounds like you've caught the LD Touring Bug. We knew you would. And if you're anything like us, you'll start thinking about next year's destination as soon as you get home.
The one down side to this long trips is that all the local riding after you get back just seems so mundane.
Thanks for taking us along. And for getting us thinking about a return visit!
BigOgre
Well-known member
Hey Fred. Can imagine you'd just like to get home about now but if you're looking to play around in the Catskills or so on Tuesday give a shout. Been looking for an arm-twist to head up there.The plan is to take two more days of mixed slab and two lanes to get home from here. We'll be stopping in the Olean, NY vicinity tomorrow night for the final dash home to Cow Hampshire. Hopefully we have time (and weather) for a little play riding in these last two days. I'd hate to end this awesome 2 weeks with just more slab.
Josie is somewhat anxious to get home to her kitties, grandkids and riding lessons.
Me... not so much. I kind'a want to turn around and go back.
Or . . . into glass blowing? You'll be near the Corning Museum of Glass which I hear might be worth a stop.
Nice ridin' witcha.
Sorry, Mike. We won't really have that much time to dip down into the Cats to play ride on Tuesday. I'm just hoping to have the extra hour to ride back the way we came (through Troy and then VT Rt 9) instead of having to slab it down "the pike"
We've both scheduled some things for Wednesday (what did we all do before modern electronics?) once we knew the return was going to happen on schedule. So, we do need to get home by Tuesday night, and from Olean it will still be a ~ 500 mile day, going more or less in a straight line.
@Gina - We didn't even wait to get home to start planning our next big ride. We we talking about where to go next (and on what bike!) over the beers and wings last night!!
We've both scheduled some things for Wednesday (what did we all do before modern electronics?) once we knew the return was going to happen on schedule. So, we do need to get home by Tuesday night, and from Olean it will still be a ~ 500 mile day, going more or less in a straight line.
@Gina - We didn't even wait to get home to start planning our next big ride. We we talking about where to go next (and on what bike!) over the beers and wings last night!!
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Redfish Hunter
Gone Fishing
And? And?We didn't even wait to get home to start planning our next big ride. We we talking about where to go next (and on what bike!) over the beers and wings last night!!
Since you did so well this time and you have raised the bar so high, you know we are all looking forward to Next Time. So, where are you taking TMJ (and us) Next Time?
Top_Speed1
Panama Canal Crosser
Sounds like your slabb'n I-86 across to I-88 (to make your VT., non-slab connection/ride-home). If you haven't been to Oneonta, make a stop in that downtown. Quaint, unique and lot's of good eats.
Oh yeah, the return trip is always a buzz kill. One side of you wants to get home, the other side says "let's turn around and do it again!". Thoroughly enjoyed your log reports and Josies beautiful imagery.
I think another "Out West trip" is in order, this time, more southerly, like take in the "Red Rocks".
Oh yeah, the return trip is always a buzz kill. One side of you wants to get home, the other side says "let's turn around and do it again!". Thoroughly enjoyed your log reports and Josies beautiful imagery.
I think another "Out West trip" is in order, this time, more southerly, like take in the "Red Rocks".
Geezer
Parsimonious Curmudgeon
Like I said earlier, take a close look at SWFOG planned for next spring. The ride can take you through the Colorado Rockies. South Utah is one of the most beautiful parts of the country.Sounds like your slabb'n I-86 across to I-88 (to make your VT., non-slab connection/ride-home). If you haven't been to Oneonta, make a stop in that downtown. Quaint, unique and lot's of good eats.
Oh yeah, the return trip is always a buzz kill. One side of you wants to get home, the other side says "let's turn around and do it again!". Thoroughly enjoyed your log reports and Josies beautiful imagery.
I think another "Out West trip" is in order, this time, more southerly, like take in the "Red Rocks".
If you really want to, you can even squeeze in a day crossing Kansas, just so you can say you did.
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Top_Speed1
Panama Canal Crosser
Sold! I've got SWFOG on my radar for next spring. Yeah, Kansas will be an XM-radio State.Like I said earlier, take a close look at SWFOG planned for next spring. The ride can take you through the Colorado Rockies. South Utah is one of the most beautiful parts of the country.Sounds like your slabb'n I-86 across to I-88 (to make your VT., non-slab connection/ride-home). If you haven't been to Oneonta, make a stop in that downtown. Quaint, unique and lot's of good eats.
Oh yeah, the return trip is always a buzz kill. One side of you wants to get home, the other side says "let's turn around and do it again!". Thoroughly enjoyed your log reports and Josies beautiful imagery.
I think another "Out West trip" is in order, this time, more southerly, like take in the "Red Rocks".
If you really want to, you can even squeeze in a day crossing Kansas, just so you can say you did.
gixxerjasen
Well-known member
Today doesn't look as scenic as the West, but I know the area and it doesn't suck either. Looks like a good ride, better than sitting here at my desk for sure!
El Toro Joe
FYYFF
Wish I could have met up with them, as they passed within 10 miles to the south of me
shakin
Well-known member
I absolutely loved reading your reports and viewing your pics (good work J).
It gave me cause to review my pics of a similar trip, with the exception that I did this one in the Spring. Some of our pics are taken from exactly the same places, but mine have more snow, more water, and no fire haze.
I also reread Jack and Jane's logs from their trip last year. I'm sure BBDIG's rereading was good for him as well.
And YES of course it would be like Fred to not slab it. I've always been proud and think of you whenever I've been off roading on a street bike saying (I'm so lost and dirty. Fred would be proud!)
I was visiting MEM a week or so ago and I mentioned our group's return from Cape Breton and flying the Airline road in a fairly heavy rain. I'm happy to know that Jack and Greg remember it too.
So, thanks for sharing your trip and blogging along as I like the reports better in rough draft than polished form.
Happy trails, shakin
It gave me cause to review my pics of a similar trip, with the exception that I did this one in the Spring. Some of our pics are taken from exactly the same places, but mine have more snow, more water, and no fire haze.
I also reread Jack and Jane's logs from their trip last year. I'm sure BBDIG's rereading was good for him as well.
And YES of course it would be like Fred to not slab it. I've always been proud and think of you whenever I've been off roading on a street bike saying (I'm so lost and dirty. Fred would be proud!)
I was visiting MEM a week or so ago and I mentioned our group's return from Cape Breton and flying the Airline road in a fairly heavy rain. I'm happy to know that Jack and Greg remember it too.
So, thanks for sharing your trip and blogging along as I like the reports better in rough draft than polished form.
Happy trails, shakin
ionbeam
2 FUN
I'm a little surprised that Fred didn't have several days planned where it would be nothing but dirt
Hey everyone,
Thanks for hanging on with us through to the end. I hope that some of the reports on these last 2 days are worth reading, though they certainly pale in comparison to the wide open west.
This morning we got back on the slab (after the obligatory FCB) quite early. The skies were overcast and it still felt dark out. Once again I found that the interstates are far more tolerable early in the day, getting increasingly more crowded and turbulent as the day wears on.
Bucolic Ohio farm directly adjacent to the non-bucolic interstate.
While carefully avoiding the Cleveland area traffic, we made our way via interstates up towards the Pennsylvania border.
Get a load out of how these dumb Ohio people spell "Acorn"! What a bunch of maroons...
And then Pennsylvania welcomed us too. Apparently they do not really know us yet.
We weren't in Pennsy long before we ditched the interstate in favor of the state and US "highways". Much better stuff to be looking at, don't you know?
Guess the western PA folks are no better at speling than the Ohioans...
Yes we did indeed get some kicks on route 66. But obviously not the famous on of the American Southwest. This is the route 66 (and also Damien's Highway 666) made famous by shakin in his avatar!
These are the roads that go through the Allegheny National Forest. It's some real nice riding in that area.
Stopped briefly at this:
And noticed some people standing on the dam tossing stuff in the water...
Those are some dam fat fish.
Continued along
through Pennsylvania oil country
... and eventually got onto US 219 (yeah the same one that is so much fun in West by gawd Virginia). Rode that right up into New York State...
... and up to I-86 which will help us get eastward post haste in the AM. Tonight's crash spot is the Econo Lodge in Cuba NY. It's kind of away from everything, so we'll probably get a pizza delivered or something.
As KJ said, we'll be slabbing some lightly traveled upstate Interstates in the AM up to Albany (at least), and then deciding if we want to take the ride back through the Green Mountains, of the Mass Pike thru the Berkshires.
Thanks for hanging on with us through to the end. I hope that some of the reports on these last 2 days are worth reading, though they certainly pale in comparison to the wide open west.
This morning we got back on the slab (after the obligatory FCB) quite early. The skies were overcast and it still felt dark out. Once again I found that the interstates are far more tolerable early in the day, getting increasingly more crowded and turbulent as the day wears on.
Bucolic Ohio farm directly adjacent to the non-bucolic interstate.
While carefully avoiding the Cleveland area traffic, we made our way via interstates up towards the Pennsylvania border.
Get a load out of how these dumb Ohio people spell "Acorn"! What a bunch of maroons...
And then Pennsylvania welcomed us too. Apparently they do not really know us yet.
We weren't in Pennsy long before we ditched the interstate in favor of the state and US "highways". Much better stuff to be looking at, don't you know?
Guess the western PA folks are no better at speling than the Ohioans...
Yes we did indeed get some kicks on route 66. But obviously not the famous on of the American Southwest. This is the route 66 (and also Damien's Highway 666) made famous by shakin in his avatar!
These are the roads that go through the Allegheny National Forest. It's some real nice riding in that area.
Stopped briefly at this:
And noticed some people standing on the dam tossing stuff in the water...
Those are some dam fat fish.
Continued along
through Pennsylvania oil country
... and eventually got onto US 219 (yeah the same one that is so much fun in West by gawd Virginia). Rode that right up into New York State...
... and up to I-86 which will help us get eastward post haste in the AM. Tonight's crash spot is the Econo Lodge in Cuba NY. It's kind of away from everything, so we'll probably get a pizza delivered or something.
As KJ said, we'll be slabbing some lightly traveled upstate Interstates in the AM up to Albany (at least), and then deciding if we want to take the ride back through the Green Mountains, of the Mass Pike thru the Berkshires.
wheatonFJR
...
I've stayed in Cuba...good luck with the delivery.
El Toro Joe
FYYFF
Wow...judging from the spelling, that place had to be in Pittsburgh.Guess the western PA folks are no better at speling than the Ohioans...
Tonight's crash spot is the Econo Lodge in Cuba NY.
Fred, make sure you pick up some of those fine Cuban cigars.
Crazy thing... we ordered a pie and a salad from the local Fox Pizza den. They said, 30-45 minutes. 10 minutes later the guys was here knocking on the door! And the best part was it wasn't half bad. I actually wish we had some delivery pizza that good at home.I've stayed in Cuba...good luck with the delivery.
Oh snap... great ideas. But do you think any of them they might be counterfeit, Joe?
Thanks again for stayin' with us.
