Day Five

He Said:

Today was going to be a busy day. Our plan was to get to Mt. Rushmore early on in the day, which was about two hours from where we woke up in Gillette. Whoever said Gillette is "the best a man can get", is an idiot. I didn't sleep very well and the cowboys down the hall were up all night drinking it up. I only wish I partner wouldn't have been with them. Kidding.

We left Gillette at eight or so and hit the road fast and hard. My mom would have been proud, only 90 mph (kidding again). Before we hit the Presidents, we were blessed with the opportunity to see Deadwood, SD, famous for gold, drinking, gambling, cowboys, Wild Bill, and brothels. After scouring the town over for the latter, I gave up. Depressed and in tears, I stumbled into the ten cent slot machine house, in hopes of better luck. Since I had been drinking since 9:30 (caffeine), I didn't have the luck nor the hand-eye coordination I needed to strike it rich. So I headed back outside with only my empty pockets and went searching for a sticker.

Deadwood is a very cool place and one that I would love to go back to someday, maybe with more money and time to search out a proper gentlemen's club. My partner in crime also enjoyed it, but I am sure she will write all about Her skewed perspective below.

After Deadwood, we headed for Mt. Rushmore. In no time at all, we were seeing the heads of four dead people on a big rock, all with the same expression. They all seem to be thinking the same thing, "why the hell am I on a rock?". Regardless, it was impressive and I took lots of photos, none of which you will see here because I forgot the camera cord at home. I know what you are thinking, he always forgets things. This is true, but so do my parents, so I just continue to blame them.

Mt. Rushmore was great, but we needed to get a move on so we continued on our death march to Wall Drug. This is a must see for anyone in South Dakota. It is very interesting and full of fun and free things to do. All I really wanted was a sticker, but what I also got was one of the best cheeseburgers in the entire world. The potato salad wasn't bad either.

Once the cheeseburger had settled, we decided it was time to hit the pavement yet again. This time, our destination was east. I know that is a little vague, but neither one of us really knew where we would end up. Our ride was cut a little short due to some inclimate weather. Now, when I say inclimate weather, I really mean scary lightning all around. I was all about sticking to the asphalt, but someone, who shall remain nameless, wasn't to thrilled about the idea. Apparently being struck by lightning isn't on Her to do list. I can't say I blame Her though.

We landed in Kennebec, SD for the night at a lovely KOA campground. It's run by an English couple who are wonderful. They were very funny and the lady was a huge EPL fan. Fantastic. Another great day.

She Said:

Ok, so let's just start with the lightning to "clear the air" of any misconceptions, I did agree to stop early. How could I turn down Trav's pleading?

Back to the beginning of the day...

Deadwood was an absolute hit! What I really wanted was to call it a day, start drinking whiskey, gamble at the 5 cent machines and stay up long enough to get a taste of the Wild West night life. But, it was clear we needed to press on. So I walked up and down the street envisioning my return trip. I did spend $2.00 in the 5 cent machines for a few moments of fun. Prepare yourself Deadwood, you have not seen the last of me.

It is always nice motivation to hop on the moto knowing our next destination is another great landmark. We were off to see Mt. Rushmore. The ride was terrific. The town right below the monument, Keystone, seemed like it would be worth a stop, but with all the intended sites we had for today, we needed to stick to the plan. Mt. Rushmore was an amazing site. The setting is picturesque and it is full of information detailing the work that went in to the creation. I will stop here for a quick diversion...

Dear parents with children under the age of 10,

On behalf of your child, screaming and crying from tired feet and utter boredom, please do not torture above mentioned child with these historic sites full of far away faces and plaques with intolerable amounts of writing. They like the ice cream, yes, but you can treat them to this in your backyard. Save your money and time at these sites for when they are old enough and can appreciate the context. This will probably cut down your yelling and empty threats as well. Of course, making the trip a little less interesting for us bystanders, but we will manage.

Actually, in response to all the angry sweaty parents, I was tempted to relocate to a nearby setting and offer babysitting. I love the kids, don't get me wrong. I just hate to see them in this state of unhappiness.
Back to my adventure with Mt. Rushmore. I quite enjoyed myself. I only leave, after reading all available signage, with one question: why these four guys? You would think one of the signs would cover this. Please someone, tell me what I missed. Thanks Rushmore for a good time and some delicious ice cream.



We still had Wall Drug to look forward to. I kept seeing signs and wondering what the hay was up with this Wall Drug, clearly some funny characters were to be seen. We arrive to a fantastic street full of quirky gadgets, cheap (and delicious) food, and friendly people, ahhh- feels like home to me. The story of how this street came to be so famous is also pretty fantastic. A love story of a man and his wife venturing to this place in hopes of giving something good to what was labeled a "God forsaken community." As this picture depicts-simply brilliant!


I found my favorite beer today. Yep, noteable all right!

Day Four

He Said:

Apparently the years of riding bicycles and long distance motorcycling has done little to callous my bum and help prevent saddle soars. We have been on the bike for a total of 1500 miles or so and still have around a thousand left to Indiana and the sweet salvation of Her sister's delicious desserts. I only mention my rear because if mine hurts, I can only imagine how bad Hers is and yet she hasn't complained once. She has been so wonderful.

This morning we woke up to beautiful skies again and packed up camp. We were on the road by nine this morning, making it one of the earliest days yet. The plan today was to go from Yellowstone to Gillette, WY, via the Chief Joseph Highway and Cody.

We began our morning with more fantastic wildlife through the park and eastern Montana. The scenic Highway was so incredibly beautiful. I never get tired of being on it. Riding a motorcycle on it made it even better. I was glad I was enjoying it with such a wonderful companion.

The rest of the ride itself today wasn't supposed to be very interesting. Looking at a map, one only sees the vast flat landscape that I thought made up eastern Wyoming. However, shortly after leaving Greybull, WY we began a climb up through one of the prettiest canyons I have ever seen. About halfway up this canyon in the Bighorn National Forest, we came to Shell Creek Falls. This was so amazing. A small creek manages to cut through enormous granite slabs and then creates one of the most unbelievable waterfalls. There was a fantastic overlook and ranger outpost to view the falls. It made our day on the bike much more enjoyable.

Once we left the canyon and zigzagged down the road, the ride mellowed out and we rolled into Gillette at around eight or so. Another long day on the bike. We tried to camp at this private campgound called "Crazy Woman" but the lady who ran it frightened us, so we ended up at a Super 8 instead.

She Said:

Trav just about covered the day leaving out only the minor fact that WE ALMOST GOT RUN OVER BY AN RV!!! We were stopped by a large line of cars all attempting a look at the wolf that was hanging out by the road. Very cool to see a wolf! Future visitors beware, people are constantly breaking and halting in the middle of the road and getting out their binoculars for a glimpse of something spectacular. You can hardly blame them except for all the spots designated to pull into for viewing. Come on people- do the right thing :) Anyway...We were stopped and could not move in any direction. We were behind an RV (which to someone on a moto looks like a huge wall on wheels) when they decide they needed to back up. Yep, they were backing up while we were right behind them! Trav starts pushing the bike back, but we were no match f0r the big beast. Luckily we have a very loud horn that finally got their attention. Finally the big wall of imminent death came to a halt and we were saved. I know being on a moto is dangerous, but never imagined the torture of watching yourself get run over in slow motion -creepy. Other than that, he captured the beauty of the day. Oh yeah, and we had a little run-in with a squirrel's tail.

pic

Here we are enjoying each other on a different adventure. We will post pics from this trip soon.

Day Three

He Said:

Wow! That's all I can say. If you would have told me that our first and only day in the park was going to include four bears, several elk, even more bison, a few rocky mountain sheep, and a wolf, I would have laughed out loud. I have been to Yellowstone more times than I can count and I have only seen a few bears and maybe one or two rocky mountain sheep. She must be a lucky charm. We did, in fact, see all of the above mentioned animals and more. With only one day in the Park, I decided that my pillion needed to experience the whole thing, something that is not easily accomplished with all the yahoos out there in their grossly over sized RVs.

We entered the park with every other person in Montana and I was very concerned about not finding a campsite, so we pushed on through as fast as the Winnebago in front of us would go. After a forty-five minute drive (one that should take twenty or so, but remember my wonderful sense of time from yesterday), we landed at Mammoth Mountain and to one of my favorite campgrounds in the park, Mammoth. It has everything: location, sun, large spaces, and most importantly, flush toilets.

After the tent was set up and the gear stowed properly, we began our epic trek around the Park. For those of you who are familiar with the Park, we took the road from Mammoth to Roosevelt Junction and on to Tower, Canyon, Fishing Bridge, the Lake, Old Faithful, Madison Junction, and ending up back at Mammoth. For those who aren't familiar, sorry. Basically we began our journey by traveling clockwise.

Not twenty minutes down the road, we came across a gang of RVs with tourists gawking at something moving in the bushes below...a BEAR! A real live black bear! If you know anything about the wildlife in Yellowstone, you know that seeing a bear is incredibly rare. Here we were, not twenty minutes into our circle, and we see a bear. How cool! She was very excited, as was I. We continued down the road, stopping at all the usual tourist destinations and having a great time enjoying one another.

As we made our way further around the Park, we came to Mt. Washburn. This is where the day got really cool. We saw a grizzly bear! No Way! People never see grizzlies! She is so lucky!

We were running low on time, as we had to make it back to camp to buy firewood by 8:30p.m., so we were a bit worried about seeing Old Faithful erupt...or whatever it does. Traffic was great on the way to the site and right when we got off the bike we saw that the reliable geyser (better name don't you think?) was set to blow. We raced over just in time to see it do its thing. Again, how lucky is She?

After seeing the geyser blow, we headed back to our campsite. On the way we saw bear, buffalo, elk, antelope and other amazing creatures like squirrels and chipmunks. It was too cool. Our first full day in the park and She saw what people come to see every year and don't. We slept like logs, contemplating our futures.

She Said:

Who knew? Me, The Wildlife Whisperer- I felt like Noah without the Ark.

I shared a wonderfully amazing day in Yellowstone with my very best friend. Lucky me.

Bum is holding up nicely :)

Day Two

He Said:

Ok, so before I give Her the computer, let's get one thing out in the open. It is not twelve hours from Portland to Yellowstone National Park. I just wanted to mention this, as I know my counterpart will be complaining of this below. I made a slight miscalculation of the mileage, but I am man enough to admit when I am wrong or when I have made a mistake. It really isn't my fault. My dad always drove to Yellowstone, never mind the six times I have made the pilgrimage myself. Now...on to day two.

So we awoke at 6:30 in the morning to a beautiful blue sky and eagerly packed up the bike. We sped off to McDonald's for a proper breakfast and plotted out our day. She made a couple phone calls and I sent a few texts to family before we mounted the machine for what promised to be a nice relaxing day on the road to Yellowstone Park. Little did I know that the day would end up being one of the longest days for me on a bike.

As mentioned above, I was under the impression that it was a total of twelve hours from home to Yellowstone. So, having done five hours on day one, I figured that we only had approximately seven hours of riding for the day before we were in a nice warm hotel room in West Yellowstone. Because of this thinking, you can imagine my surprise when the seventh hour came around and we still had at least four hours to go. As we fumbled for an explanation, one thing was clear. It isn't twelve hours from Portland to Yellowstone.

As we pushed on, She showed amazing character and had a wonderful attitude towards the whole thing. She proved to be quite a trooper and didn't even make one smart remark...ok, maybe a few. That's just another reason she is the only one for me. She proved to be fantastic, despite a set back that would promise to make her arse soarer than soar.

Eventually we made it to West Yellowstone, tired and sore, but there. My parents had hooked us up with the only available room in town and it turned out to be the best place. The people who own it are fantastic and really believe in customer service. If you are ever in town, stay at the Alpine Motel. You won't regret it.

After a quick pizza and beer, it was lights out at about ten or so. It was the end of a long day.

She said:

***Please note***Yellowstone is not 12 hours from Portland. In case you have also been mislead by several trips there seeming to only take 12 hours.

I have to admit, I have no leverage to complain as I was able to set off on this adventure by stuffing a few clothes and my mascara in a bag and throwing myself into the arms of my trusted companion. I find myself in constant celebration over a trip with no responsibilities attached and therefore do not mind an extra mile here and there.

Noteables:

• Idaho- much the same as it was in March.


• I saw a full rainbow! Like the kind you draw and color in as a kid! It was extremely exciting. I am pretty sure I am living the abundance of the pot of gold end :)


• Seems like bum is doing well. Lower back has taken the brunt of the ride. Nothing a few Advil can't handle :)


• West Yellowstone is fabulous. They have terrific pizza and the nicest couple alive! We were welcomed with hot beverages, a bag full of sample items, and a personal tour of the quarters. Of course, by this time, all I wanted was a shower and some quiet but I would never admit that to the hostess with the mostest. We will come again Alpine Motel!

Day One

He Said:

The first day of our big motorcycle trip from Portland to Indiana started out in a whirlwind really. I had waited too long to get some new tires put on the bike, so I spent the morning of our departure date in Salem, OR getting new rubber instead of riding. This added some stress to the morning for sure. However, to make matters worse, I had given my parents the key to our condo earlier that morning just in case they wanted to check out the nightlife in Old Town. This in itself wouldn't have been a big deal, as I anticipated my lovely "bride-to-be" to be home waiting with a cup of milk and some graham crackers, or at least have the door unlocked. Unfortunately, Lisa was putting in yet another long day at work. So, by the time I made it back to Portland at 1:00p.m. (departure time was supposed to be 2:00p.m.), not only were there not any graham crackers with milk, but the door was locked! This rendered me helpless to complete the packing and get on the road.

When Lisa made it home at 2:30 (yep, 2:30), we were off to the races in terms of getting the bike completely ready to go. We threw the bike and gear together and called it good. Eventually we made it out the door, or should I say parking garage, at 4:00 just a bit behind schedule. This should be no surprise to any of our family or friends as we are generally late to EVERYTHING.

The original plan was to make it to somewhere around Boise, ID the first day. This would have been a great goal but, as mentioned above, we were a bit off schedule already. Our new goal was to at least make it east of The Dalles. Considering this was just eighty or so miles, I figured this would be a goal we could manage.

Much to my surprise and delight, we made it all the way to Baker City, Or on the first night. After checking into the Roadway Inn, and having a somewhat creepy conversation with a fellow motorcyclist, we were counting sheep by 10 'o clock.

She said:

Noteables:

• Dropping Manny off - 4 trips to the car and a personal invitation (a lift really) and we are off...(a few tears after they declined extra pay to lose him).


• Finished work- Ok, a bit late, but I did leave... eventually.


• Tried to leave- something wrong with the technology..hmmm...glad I have Trav or I might still be there sipping a beer thinking about what might be the problem.


• Actually left- sore bum. already? It had only been minutes.


• Ate lint at Denny's. Yep, you read that one right. LINT. I still have a dry hack. I did mention this to the young gal taking my cash; she said she would tell the cook. What the hell? I wanted money off not some sort of good samaritan award.


• Finally, at destination- less sore bum (figure that out) and happy to have a comfortable room and terrific company for the night. Just wishing the lint would go down already. yuck.