Updates Since Our Last Entry

June 16th

We departed from our hotel in Destin at 6:30 AM and headed north toward Alabama. As we headed north just prior to approaching the Alabama border, we noticed a sign that we thought might interest you. The sign indicated we were in Lakewood. This is Florida’s highest elevation at 345 ft! WOW!! Amazing, we were so high, I got a nosebleed!

We proceeded into Alabama and stopped in Florala. We stopped at the only place opened for breakfast, Bean’s Diner.

This was a basic eatery, a single large room with a concrete floor and patriotic tablecloths. In one corner of the room was a Television, set on the Fox News Channel. A single customer sat finishing his breakfast intently watching the program. As we entered we couldn’t see anyone else but heard a robust “Good Morning” which we answered not knowing in which direction to look. Suddenly our waitress Renada appeared from the back with menus, silverware and water. After our orders were placed Renada returned and we chatted comfortably like long lost friends. She asked where we were headed and when she realized we were on a motorcycle, she walked outside to check it out. Our breakfast came and it was quite good, hearty and too much to finish. As we were leaving, Renada said, “you better stop back in on the way back because I’ll be watching, waving flags and cheering!”.




Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of Renada or the Diner, guess we’ll have to make that a point when we return.

When we passed into Alabama, we pulled into a McDonald's for a rest and noticed an evergreen type tree. I asked John to pull a group of what was growing so I could get a closer look. These things that looked like some type of nut, had a covering that actually had designs on them. It was incredibly neat and I just had to get a picture! Someone told me they were walnuts, can anyone verify that?

Our next stop was.......are you ready for this? Our next stop was Pine Apple, that's right, ) Pine Apple! As we were passing by, it caught our interest so we stopped to look around. The photographs show a sign of the town's history, it's town hall and the Public Library. The town hall is approximately 10 ft square and the library isn’t much bigger. I didn’t think the library was opened but John turned the doorknob and “voila” we walked inside. Sitting there in an easy chair watch TV and reading a book was the librarian Joyce Martin. Joyce was very friendly and cordial, filling us in with information and the hisory of the town. When we left, Joyce followed us out to see the motorcycle which she thought was very nice. Truly, this was the highlight of our day!

As we rode through Alabama, I lost my foam insulator for my bottle which blew out of my cup holder. That was after losing a pair of sunglasses in Florida. I also lost a state map of Alabama. As we approached Mississippi we could see clouds ahead. It was 8 miles to the welcome center, maybe we could get there before the storm hit! Nope! Not so lucky! About four miles down the road it started. Intense thunder, lightning and shortly after that the hail began to hit! We kept heading down toward the welcome center as fast as we could safely get there. As the hail pinged off our helmets and pelted our bodies, we oohed and ouched the last two miles to the welcome center. John said they looked like little mothballs hitting the ground!

When we arrived at the welcome center we got off the bike as fast as possible, ran into the center and looked like two drowned rats, soaked to the bone. I tried to dry my jacket under the hand dryer in the ladies bathroom. The welcome center was very welcome with comfy couches a large screen HD TV and hot coffee.

We sat and waited for the rain to stop and by the time it ceased we were relatively dry, at least dry enough to get back on the bike and head down the road to a nice clean, dry motel! Unfortunately our clothes packed in the trailer were not so dry!


The bags that ordinarily weighed about 20 pounds each now weighed about 50 pounds each! Yup, drenched!! We stopped for the night in Meridian Mississippi. Lucky for us, if you want to call it lucky…the laundry was right next to our room.

Some people at the motel in Meridian, noticed the Florida tags on the bike and asked John where we were from. When he told them we lived in Lutz, Florida it began. They also lived in Lutz and were staying there with their two children while the wife worked 3 days a week doing nursing at the VA. They combined her work with the family into a vacation. Naturally we had to be polite and waste an hour chatting delaying the drying of the laundry for about an hour! As exhausted as we already were, we stayed up another 2 hours later (until midnight) to dry and refold our clothes, what a day!

June 17th

Today we rode 320 miles. Weather was intensely hot! We passed by a bank that showed the temperature to be a balmy 107 degrees and believe me, the ride was not easy. Per John’s quote; “if it was easy, everyone would do it!”

We did, however, have a pleasant stop in Lynden, MS. We stopped at a roadside rest spot and happened to notice something interesting in a small building behind us. It was The Jim Henson Muppet Museum and the birthplace of the frog! What frog? Well, the one, the only Kermit! Kermit was born in Lynden, MS, created from a blanket that belonged to the mother of Jim Hensen. We decided to go inside and when we met Kermit, he was so impressed with our feat of riding from Florida to California on the Goldwing, that he begged us to take our picture with him, which we kindly obliged. The picture is shown in the photos!

The museum was about to close at 5:00 PM and it was already 4:45. Maria, the hostess at the museum stayed late so we could view everything at our leisure. We told her repeatedly that we would leave so she could go home, but she insisted it was so hot outside that we should stay there and cool off for a while before venturing back out into the hot sun to push on. She sat and chatted with us until 6:30 PM and inquired about our journey. She was so sweet and accommodating that she hugged us both and wished us a safe trip when we finally did leave.

June 18th

We arose early the next morning and had a nice breakfast at the Days Inn in Meridian, MS and once again hit the road. We were only a short distance from the Mississippi River and we both were looking forward to crossing the river and enjoying the view. The mighty Mississippi is awesome and I’ve included a few short videos of the event.

Once across the Mississippi we arrived in Arkansas and went to the Welcome Center where we met Dorothy Lucas who was extremely helpful and generous with her time. She gave us some very good tips on routes to take and places to visit along with pertinent literature and maps. She is shown in the photo with John.

The ride to Hot Springs was hot again brutally hot! We kept our water bottles filled and kept ourselves hydrated constantly. Believe it or not, I actually drank warm water at times! Yum yum!

We arrived in Hot Springs early enough to tour the bathhouses which were very interesting. Look at the videos and watch the bathhouse tour. It’s easier to view the video than for me to try to explain this unique atmosphere. All I can say is it was nothing like I expected.

After the tour we had dinner at a great restaurant called the Brickhouse Grill. The food was excellent and a local police officer recommended it, great choice! We got back to our motel and went for a dip in the pool which felt absolutely fantastic!!! Just prior to entering the pool there were a bunch of young boys filling their mouths with water and spitting it at each other. This annoyed me a little bit and their father didn’t seem to care what they did. I walked up to the edge of the pool and said, “eewww, boys do you really want to do that? How many people do you think peed in that pool before you put that water in your mouth, that’s sickening!” The spitting stopped immediately! The other people cooling off in the pool were delighted with my diplomatic, effective comments and thanked me!

June 19th

We arose the next morning and headed north out of Hot Springs toward Oklahoma. In the northwest corner of Arkansas the small town of Enid was one of the areas hit by the tornadoes. Passing through this little town was a horrible reality of the power of mother nature. Route 7 out of Hot Springs, is a beautiful lush green, rolling hills scenic byway.

Suddenly we noticed areas with absolutely no trees or greenery. The area literally looked like a city dump. Debris was strewn everywhere and huge piles of sticks and trash, and a crumbled ball of metal that looked like it could have been a tin roof for a home was caught in an area where trees still stood. There were cars flipped upside down and what was once a motor home was nothing more than a frame with a single wall still standing.

There was nothing that resembled what could have been a neighborhood or homes. The only thing that gave any indication of an area where homes once stood were foundations in tact and strategically placed along what could have once been a neighborhood street.

We were so awestruck by the devastation and so moved by the losses incurred, the thought of taking pictures gave me a feeling that I couldn’t possibly make a spectacle of such a tragedy. We didn’t expect to see anything like this, but I can assure you, it made a lasting impression on both of us!

We came through several areas where the damage struck, but by far, Enid was the worst hit. The areas ripped apart were barren and brown in contrast to nearby untouched homes and lush green maintained grounds. The stark differences in the landscape made us realize how selective and incredibly powerful and destructive these storms can be.

We passed over the state line and stopped for the night in Pryor, OK.

As we headed west through Oklahoma the wind speed was minimally 30 MPH. To give you a perspective of what it’s like to ride in windy heat, think of standing outside in the hot sun with a hair dryer blowing on you for four hours, it was brutal! We passed through the Osage Indian Reservation as we rode west through Oklahoma and into Kansas. The Osage reservation was pretty well up to date, not poverty stricken like so many others and housed a large Casino that probably funded the fairly comfortable lifestyle of the Osage people. Stopped for the evening in Pryor Oklahoma.

June 20th

Departed Pryor early the next morning and stopped at a Walmart to pick up fruit for snacking and water to keep ourselves well hydrated. According to the weather report the weather would be hot with a steady wind. From Oklahoma we moved on toward Kansas. The wind speed in Kansas increased from 35 to 45 MPH and we rode west with the bike leaning at about a 10 degree angle the entire distance. The temperature remained in the high 90's to low 100's with absolutely no trees for shade. We pushed on and kept ourselves hydrated constantly. We finally reached a small town with a small travel/rest station no bigger than a circle K, but it had air conditioning, a place to sit and some down home friendly people to chat with. Although it was nothing special, it was a very welcome oasis, a good place to catch a rest, get cool and have drink of water that was actually cold! I never realized how good cold water tasted!

June 21st

Today we headed to Dodge City and saw a wild west gunfight. We visited the museum and learned about Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson and Doc Holliday along with other famous characters who passed through or resided there. We strolled around Boot Hill and watched the video in the Welcome Center. John always makes sure we see the video in the historical areas, but he has yet to stay awake through the entire presentation. I don't mind him falling asleep, it's the snoring that embarrasses me!

We had lunch at the local Applebee's and enjoyed the benefit of a nice, air conditioned, relaxing lunch hour. We took photos of the Steam Engine sitting in the Dodge City station. That was one huge locomotive! When we left Dodge City and proceeded on, we had a strong and steady wind from the north. We passed over the Kansas border and spent the night in Lamar, Colorado.

June 22nd

Got a late start today. We didn't leave Lamar until 9:00 AM. On our route, we noticed a National Fort that appeared interesting to both of us, so we decided to stop in and have a look around. This turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. Fort Bent was constructed by the Bent brothers who were involved in trading with the Indians. Their primary trade moved toward furs, primarily from the buffalo. Since the area was so remote and unprotected, they thought the traders should have a secure place to trade their wares. To see the construction of this fantastic place and get a taste of what it was like to live in the old west in the middle of a vast unpopulated land, yet completely protected from the threat of outside forces, was uniquely an amazing treat! The layout of the fort, the trading post, residences, shops, security and resources were truly an interesting and educational experience.


We had an early dinner in Pueblo, Colorado at a Cracker Barrell. After dinner we headed up highway 50 toward Gunnison which was way too far to reach in the limited time available before darkness set in. We did make it to a small town called Salida. I was a bit apprehensive that we would end up in the mountains with no place to stay, since the ride was becoming very limited with civilization and night was coming fast. The only structures were primitive and few with long distances in between. I was very excited to see this little town in the mountains and didn't even mind staying in a less than basic motel. The only benefit was, it was owned by an elderly couple who kept it clean. It's amazing how one's perspective changes as the need changes.



June 23rd

We spent an extra day in Salida and rode up to Leadville. We went to Leadville Airport which is the highest airport in the United States. Managing the airport was Bob who cordially allowed us to use his computer to book a car in Vegas. We had decided it might be smarter if we rented a car and drove the rest of the way into California, due to the freeways and the holiday weekend traffic. As it turned out, this was a very smart idea!

At Leadville Airport, were lucky to see an army military group being certified for helicopter training since the topography is much like it is in Afghanistan with the thin air and mountainous terrain. It was interesting to see the blackhawk helicopters maneuver around the obstacles and land in a forward motion similar to a plane landing. Evidently the thin air under the rotors forces the helicopter downward so they must fly away from their own vortex to land safely.

Leadville was also an interesting treat. It was once an old mining town in the mountains and many of the historic buildings are still standing and in use. We entered a very unique antique store that overwhelmingly captured our interest upon entering. It was so full of precious and captivating pieces that were so abundant, it was impossible to even begin to scan the area to get a perspective of where to find whatever! We had no intention of spending the time that we spent in that store, but it was almost impossible to leave without discovering something new and interesting to inspect! I was so taken by the array of goodies to see! We lost each other in the store as we immersed ourselves in this world of discovery. I asked the proprietor, "how in heaven's name do you take inventory?" Her reply was, "we don't." I was enamoured with these pieces of treasure that were left everywhere to inspect and touch without being hovered over and watched. They certainly were a trusting lot!

We had lunch at the Tennessee Grill on the main street in Leadville which overlooked the beautiful snow capped mountains. What an incredible view!

We saw a biker maneuver his motorcycle into a small slot between two parked cars. The space was so small, we marveled at his ability to nestle his bike into the small space. When he came into the restaurant, John asked him where he came from. He told us he rode in from California. We asked him about some of the roads he took since we were headed in that direction. We chatted further, shared travel experiences for a brief time and his burrito arrived at his table. It was the biggest burrito I had ever seen and I guess it was pretty darn good too! I took his picture for the blog and found out his name is Carl.

The food at The Tennessee Grill was plentiful and delicious. John enjoyed a buffalo burger but I was a little less adventurous with a turkey bacon club which was huge and yummy! Usually John would not finish a burger as large as the one he was given but evidently it was too good NOT to leave and he consumed every last bite! I, on the other hand brought half of my club which we snacked on when we stopped by the river back in Salida. (It was that big!) We removed our socks and dunked our feet in the chilly water as we watched the sport kayakers fight the current and roll upside down and back upright when the current was too much to move against. I was shivering just at the thought of plunging into that water! Brrrrrr. All in all, it was a super day!

June 24th

We were back on the road and headed toward Cortez, Colorado. Prior to leaving we stopped at the local Walmart (YES! Salida actually had a Walmart, can you believe it?) picked up snacks, fruit and water for the next phase of our trip. The ride through the mountains was beautiful, precarious and sometimes downright scary, but the scenery was breathtaking and never ending. The camera lens was just not big enough to capture the awsome and breathtaking wonders! Every direction that you could possibly view was a panoramic perspective of beauty and God's incredible handywork! WOW!

Arrived in Gunnison, Colorado and stopped for lunch at a Taco Bell. We rode past some incredibly beautiful scenery with a twenty six mile long lake which was surrounded by mountains on our way to Black Canyon of Gunnison which was another amazing site. We saw one breathtaking scene after another and I must have taken 500 pictures that day. We spent the night at a Days Inn in Montrose.

June 25^th

Today we were up at 5:00 AM but never got on the road until 9:30 AM. The hotel had a nice breakfast and we ended up talking with other riders traveling and again got caught up in sharing experiences. We were surprised to meet many couples in the same age group as we are, traveling on their motorcycles just experiencing and enjoying this great country.

Our ride took us through a small town called Placerville where we stopped in the small quaint, historical park for a short break. We rested for a while and had some snacks and drink before forging on. Our route brought us through Telluride, beautiful expensive Telluride! This little Colorado town is the get away place for those affluent individuals who can afford a summer home there and escape the every day grind. This beautiful little mountain town is nestled in the valley surrounded by snowcapped mountains with a beautiful waterfall cascading from the snow caps and flowing down into a river that passes through the campground area set at the base of the mountains at the far end of town. The view is absolutely incredible as the river flows through the campground, into a lake feeding back to the river that passes through Telluride.

Upon our departure from Telluride, we continued along route #145 toward Dolores,
Co. We went over Lizard Head Pass at 10,222 ft elevation.

What a ride! The scenery was so incredibly beautiful it seemed like it couldn't possibly be real. We gazed into a green valley, surrounded by snow capped mountains with a beautiful river flowing through the middle.

Along this road we met a bicyclist from Germany. His name was Hans. Hans was not a young man but his lean stature and well cut physique showed him to be in fantastic shape! And why not? He was bicycling to SanFrancisco from New York and here we met him pedaling his bicycle up the mountains of Colorado! What amazing people we have come in contact with so far!

Hans was keeping a journal of his travels which included some of the interesting and nice people he met on his trip. I was fortunate to be included among his list, and after I asked him if he wouldn't mind if I snapped his photo and added him to my blog, he reciprocated and snapped a photo of me for his journal. It was a very pleasant exchange and we found each other's story quite interesting.

We ended up spending the night in Cortez, CO. which was very close to the Utah border.