Monday, June 30, 2008

Road "HOGS"






Today started and ended with the one thing you have to do on Route 66 ... EAT. So, we started at the Crispy Waffle, a breakfast spot in Joliet recommended by the Harley dealer, and ended at Xochimilco, an authentic Mexican restaurant in Springfield. We were really HOGS. In between was some great Route 66 scenery. We stopped at the Pok-a-Dot Drive-in, but the Crispy Waffle was too much for us to get ice cream at 11:00 a.m. (Yep, that's right - David turned down ice cream.) We passed a great coffee shop that was an early version of a Starbucks. We also saw what must be an original Texaco Gas Station. The only down side of the day was the Harley Dealer was closed on Mondays, the hotel we wanted was too far from everything, the diner we wanted was a dump that closed for dinner, the computer wouldn't work on webcam, the map wouldn't fold right, it rained on the bike while Robin was swimming in a great pool and David was writing on his book, the restaurant we went to before the Mexican place was a cafeteria style and Aiden refused to talk to us on the phone when he found out the webcam wouldn't work. All-in-all a great 2nd day. We are 400 miles down and 5800 to go. (And, Dan, you were right. I only stayed on the back roads for about 100 miles. This bike is meant to be ridden on open highway. Interstate 55 here we come). Miss everyone.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Day One - Singing in the Rain





So, we plan this big trip and we got it almost right, right from the start. The key to the start was buying the iPod Nano and connecting it to the Harley's sound system. Perfect! David is supposed to be saving his voice but all the way here (Joliet, IL - first stop) we are singing at the top of our lungs. Of course, no one can hear us because Dan's pipes (now on our bike) are so loud, but it was a great praise service all the way here. GPS, perfect (almost, but we will talk about that later)! Load, perfect! Highway, perfect! Rider ...:))))) Perfect!!!! But, as you can see from the pictures (we have now changed the date on the camera for pictures) we didn't calculate one thing ... leaving and having rain the first day. We wanted to leave our rain gear in their tight little packages but, the weather didn't cooperate. So, we found ourselves sitting under our first bridge and then, open the little packages. Robin thinks she can get the rain gear back in the bags they came in :))))! Won't happen. But, we are here with just a little rain and looking forward and planning Day 2 - to Springfield, IL. The other pictures are grandson Aiden warming up the Harley for grandpa before we leave and Robin and David entering Indiana. We would have stopped to take a picture of Illinois but it was starting to rain and there was six lanes of traffic between the Harley and a sign. Take our word for it, we're in Illinois.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Perfect Formula for Vacation Success

How do you tell if a vacation was good or not? For most of us it is if we were able to relax and have fun, leave work behind and do some things we haven't done before or in awhile. Most of those will be true for our trip to the west coast and back on the 105th Anniversary Street Glide. But, it is also a working vacation. David is finishing a leadership book he has been working on for a couple of years. So, ride in the morning, write in the afternoon and relax at evening: The Perfect Formula for this vacation success. Kind of a Pre-Book Tour ... a tour before the book is written. Can you imagine the inspiration of the mountains as a back drop for writing? Wonder if the trip can be written off on the tax forms?

Friday, June 13, 2008

Pre-Trip Preparation: Accessories and Chrome

When you are getting ready for a 5,000 mile trip there is lot to do. But, the most important preparation is getting the bike ready and getting the right accessories and enough chrome. So, the bike is in the shop. It has 12,000 miles already (in 10 months ... 10,000 in cold weather) and is getting a fluid change. But, the bike isn't ready with just a fluid change, you have to add some things. So, the bike is getting a little "adjustment" in look. New chrome and accessories won't give us more mileage, won't make us safer, won't get us farther ... but, we will look good.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Butt Time

Since David has put 12,000 miles on the bike in less than seven months his butt is ready to ride. But, Robin (although she has a cute butt) isn't. So, over Memorial Day weekend we took off for a 600 mile ride in three days. Muskegon to Mt. Pleasant to New Era to Jackson and home was enough to get her butt in shape and to keep it cute. Now we are both ready to ride.