Crescent City

Mark and I had a great day the other day. We took a great ride to Crescent City and enjoyed not only the sunshine, but the beach. We live in a beautiful place and sure have great places to ride. Both Mark and I have had a great summer of riding. Last night we went to Carlotta and ate at Shamus T-Bones, it was great! We had heard that it was good, but I would say it's pretty great. On an average we are riding at least 80 miles per day, often more. We are sure enjoying ourselves.

Wonderful Weekend at Stevenswood Spa, Mendocino

Mark and I hit the road again and went to Mendocino for the weekend. My Mother's Day present was a two night stay at the Stevenswood Spa and Resort in Mendocino, California. We had a wonderful time. As usual, we ate too much. The food was fantastic, the service and amenities were wonderful. We took evening hot tubs outside, rode during the day, visited with very interesting people and just relaxed. I'm telling you, this is what the doctor ordered for a relaxing weekend. Though a bit pricey, it was worth every dime. I slept better over the weekend then I have slept in a year. The ride to Mendocino is absolutely beautiful. Mark and I visited the ocean and tide pools which was really a wonderful day. As stated, the food at the Spa was incredible. Also, daily we were served a free bottle of wine and a beautiful picnic lunch that was fabulous. As far as taking advantage of the spa features, I didn't. Instead, Mark bought me an absolutely beautiful bracelet made of amethyst and an incredible blue stone, I'm not too sure what it is, but it is unusual and beautiful. As I said, I only wish there was a way to make a living traveling and teaching on wheels, for both of us are having a wonderful time. Though I would like to involve the entire family, I am too paranoid to allow my children to ride. However, I am thinking it would be awesome to add a sidecar to Mark's bike so Cody, our dog, could accompany us on our travels. I know he would absolutely love it.

Already Thinking Of Where We Might Go Next

Though we have come to no conclusions, I must admit I am already thinking about our next big adventure. I have always wanted to go to Canada and Mark and I are discussing that this might be our next big trip. I was a bit surprised that this trip would be every bit as long as our recent journey. In fact, it will be much further, for we will be riding this one two ways. Nonetheless, I think this would be an awesome trip and I foresee Mark and I seriously considering this destination as our next Harley journey.

Challenges

Glitter Graphics ::: Glitterboom.com

Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are.

It's funny but Mark and I are going on 29 years of marriage. Has it all been a bed of roses? The answer to that question should be obvious, no! However, it is wonderful to be entering a time in our life when we can experience change and a bit of freedom, for our children are grown and ALMOST ready to leave the nest. Our children have commented that we are going through a midlife crises. Maybe, maybe not! Nonetheless, it really doesn't matter what you call it, for we are doing it together and I believe that this type of togetherness will only strengthen our marriage; hopefully making it better like an aging bottle of wine. Marriage is certainly something that people have to continue working at or they will grow apart. Life is full of trials and tribulations which threaten the family unit. Changing together is a good thing! Shouldn't we get better with age? Though I'm not looking forward to the "big 50," in just a couple of months, I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds for Mark and I and our children. We are hopeful that one day we might be blessed with grandchildren instead of grand dogs. " If nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies."

Trikes A New Rage

Yesterday I took a nice long ride and met many bikers along the way, for Bikes by the Bay have brought many people into our area. I met a group of four bikers who had traveled over 4,000 miles. One couple who had been riding together for well over 30 years and were from Texas were on a Honda Goldwing Trike. What a beautiful machine. It's interesting because Mark and I saw many of these trikes on our journey. Talk about looking comfortable! Riding one of these would be like riding in your living room down the road. I must say that they were highly impressed that I rode a Sportster across country. They asked about the wind factor and of course I shared how frightening it was; nonetheless, I explained to them that I had practiced riding in the wind on my Honda Rebel 250 here in Humboldt County. Clearly, that practice was one of the best things I did for myself, for it made me less nervous than I might have been. They mentioned me getting a bigger bike and, of course, I laughed telling them this was a bigger bike going from a 250 to 1200 was a huge jump and would probably be as big as I went until Mark and I decide on buying touring bikes many years down the road. It was wonderful meeting these folks and as always they told me that if we ever found our way to Texas stop in and say hi. My comment was thank-you but Texas is a state I hope to never visit again; it's too big and too hot. They agreed!

A Little More Red For My Bike

I have come to the conclusion that I need a bit more red in my bike; therefore, my next purchase will be the red/black clutch covers. I like these, for they will give my bike a vintage look, plus they match my new jacket. It is always good to look stylish while riding. Also, Mark and I are checking into new seats. Without a doubt, comfort on long rides is important and our seats are not the most comfortable. We are investigating our options and thus far we are not in agreement. I am fairly convinced that I am going to go with a Mustang seat and Mark is thinking Corbin. It doesn't matter, for not all rear ends are created equally.

Southeast Custom Cycles

Ric

Patrick

It would be very rude if I didn't name Southeast Custom Cycles and Ric and Patrick. This is the custom shop that Mark and I bought our bikes at in Concord, North Carolina. Without doubt, I would recommend that anyone shop here, for Ric is not only honest, but everything that he said about our bikes proved to be true. It's not common for people to buy bikes unseen and travel across country without knowing the bikes. Nonetheless, Mark trusted Ric after having many conversations with him. I am here to say that his trust was not misplaced. If anyone knows of someone in the market for a custom Harley, please recommend Southeast Custom Cycles in Concord, North Carolina, for though it is geographically removed from us, it will well be worth the effort to buy from Ric. I was unable to meet Chris, the artist who painted my bike, but without doubt this guy is unbelievably talented. I understand that in September Southeast Custom Cycles will be published in a famous biker magazine. I will keep you posted on when this happens. Great Job Ric, Patrick and Chris!

Our First Event As Newbees

Yesterday, Mark and I rode to Samoa and were partakers in the annual Bikes by the Bay. It was a wonderful event, with great looking motorcycles and some really nice folks. What I enjoyed most about it was the fact that this was a fundraiser for the North Coast Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. Once again, it's fantastic to see how involved many bikers are in their community. I foresee that Mark and I might enjoy other local biker events in the future.

The Blog Has Changed

As most of you can see, I've changed our blog, for now I will begin writing about our continued Harley adventures. After realizing that Mark and I have a deep love for riding, I foresee that our adventures will continue not end; this is just the beginning for Mark and I, not the end!

Harley Folks Are Some Of The Nicest People You Ever Met!

Glitter Graphics ::: Glitterboom.com

Yes, I realize that "Easy Rider" and the "Hell's Angels" gave most of us our image of who Harley Davidson folks were; however, I must say that those sterotypes are mistaken. Mark and I found that some of the nicest, most helpful people on our journey were others who like to take to the road. Certainly, Harley folks are not all created equally, for now there are doctors, lawyers and other professionals who find the Harley life exciting and one worth investigating. Nonetheless, Mark and I found that the "old Harley" folks, you know the ones who wear leather, lots of rings, dew rags, skull caps and still wear their hair long, were some of the most helpful, understanding people we met on our trip. It's funny how sterotyping individuals can cause us to miss out on meeting wonderful people. I highly recommend that each of us should make it a point to talk with someone who might be out of our proverbial "comfort zone," for it is in this type of growth that often we experience wonderful blessings.

There Are Still Honest People In The World

I just wanted to share with all of you the saga of my lost wallet in the desert of Utah. Upon arriving home yesterday, a package was waiting for me. I couldn't believe it when I opened it; it was my wallet, my phone and all the other belongings in my purse. There was a note attached telling me that $10.00 had been removed from my wallet in order to pay for shipping. Along with the note, was the shipping slip showing how much it had cost to ship it to me. To make a long story short, a man who lived in Grand Junction had found my wallet out on the road near Salina, Nevada where I thought I had lost it and stopped and picked it up and sent it back to me. Although my phone and all the other belongings were "toast" because they had been run over so many times, I was just blessed that this guy was so honest and took it upon himself to send it all back to me. The great thing is that my driver's license was okay and I don't have to go through the hassle of getting a new one. You know when things like this happen it just reminds you that there are still really good people in the world.

3,000 Miles Later

Well friends and family we made it home! What an amazing trip it was. While there were many bumps in the road, both literally and figuratively, it was an absolutely wonderful trip. It is wonderful to be home and I can't wait to sleep in my own bed; it's wonderful to see my my girls and dog, cody. What an adventure it was and to be honest I can't wait until out next trip. Certainly there is no place like home, but it is wonderful to do something unusual once in a while just to make you remember that you're alive. It was fantastic to hear from all of you while we were on the road. It just reminded us of how important each of you are in our lives. Anyway, I will close for now because I am just burned out; however, I will post and share some of our funnier moments with you tomorrow.

We are in Redding

We made it to Redding! Meaning, we are almost home. We were very smart to get out of Jeremy's at about 5:30 this morning. We took highway 44 and it was a beautiful drive. We went through Lassen National Park, there was very little traffic and the scenery was awesome. However, leaving at 5:30 this morning saved our "bacon," for when we pulled in to Redding just before noon it was well over 100 degrees; just a little too hot for leathers. Nonetheless, we made it safe and if all goes as planned we should be home early tomorrow.

Back on the Road Again

Well our time with the kids is almost up and Mark and I will be heading out early tomorrow morning. Obviously, it's our goal to miss the heat since we will probably be going into Redding to spend the night. We should return home early on Thursday afternoon. We are both looking forward to returning home to see the girls, Cody our dog, and our friends. It's been a wonderful adventure, though full of trials and tribulations, but I can honestly say we have had a great time; grown closer; felt the watch care of God on our trip and, enjoyed seeing so much of the United States. Would we do it again? Yes, with a few tweaks in the plan; namely, new seats on our bike and summer gear if we travel in the summer again, which I'm sure we will. Have we learned anything? The answer for me is, YES! I've learned how fear and worry is part of my nature, though I knew this before, I've learned that there are many things in life we are not in control of and it's best to have faith that God is indeed in control of our lives and freedom occurs when we understand that many of those things we try to control are illusions and are truly not within our power to control. The best example on this trip was of course the elements of weather and the drivers in Denver, CO. Nonetheless, we found our way here safe and without too many bumps and bruises. To worry about those things you can not control is nothing more than a waste of time and energy. Hopefully, I can bring this lesson home with me and remember it when situations arise in life that are indeed not within my power to change. We have so enjoyed hearing from each of you and it is our hope that you have enjoyed sharing this experience with us.

Confessions of a Shopoholic

Okay, it's time to set the record straight for those of you who know how I like to shop. The truth of the matter is this, when you have very limited space you're unable to buy things, for there is no place to put them. With that being said, if you buy "little" things then you're able to fold them up tiny enough to fit in those small places left behind in your pack. Therefore, the only thing that "Mark" bought me was a really cute Harley vest for one of those hot days in the desert when I was "dying" from heatstroke. We do plan to visit Macy's on the way home, maybe in Redding. Once again, if Mark insists that I get something, it will have to be tiny. So for fellow shopoholics, remember when you have limited space, go for the small stuff to fill the empty space left behind in your pack. Of course, Teresa continues to tell me that there is always UPS too.

We Visited the Harley Shop in Reno, Nevada

Today we went in to Reno and visited Scheels, the largest Scheels in the nation. For those who don't know what a Scheels is, it's a sporting good store. It was so large it had an indoor ferris wheel in it. After that we visited the Harley shop in Reno. I wasn't all that impressed, but they did have a lot of nice bikes.

We Are Really Enjoying Our Visit With The Kids

It is really nice being at Jeremy and Stephanie's. They have done some beautiful work to their home in the last year. In fact, it's amazing how much they've done in such a short period of time. As usual, Stephanie is being a wonderful hostess and cooking everything under the sun. The food and fellowship is great and we are really enjoying our stay. Today we had a BBQ and met many of the kid's friends, it was really nice. Stephanie has to work tomorrow, but Jeremy is taking the day off and we are going to Reno for the day. When Stephanie gets home it's our plan to go out to dinner and relieve Stephanie of cooking for a day. Just more food to add to our ever-increasing list of meals.

Stevenswood in Mendocino

I just thought I'd add that upon our return home, Mark and I are taking a much shorter trip to Mendocino. Now this place is unbelievably beautiful and upon our arrival here, no helmet hair will exist, for instead, we will be pampered. I can hardly wait for this trip. No, not just for the pampering, though that is tempting too, but because according to some of the best motorcycle rides in America, the Mendocino Coast is right up there amongst the top. Interestingly enough, Humboldt County has some of the best roads for motorcyclists in America.

Helmet Hair Across America

I will say Mark and I have had many bad hair days across the United States. Helmet Hair is not a good look, most specifically when mixed with sweat and humidity. One particularly nice look that I went for was my "rap rag," which of course is just that, a rag that rappers wear. I picked one of these up along side the road in a little store in the desert of Utah. I soaked that baby in water and put it on my head under my helmet. It kept me cooler, but when I took it off it really gave my hair an interesting effect. Of course, Mark just went for the flat, sweaty look that cursed both of us during our 3,000 mile journey. The looks we received when we checked in to our hotels were very interesting. They were either pity, fear or something that bordered on confusion. I must say that pretty much all vanity goes out the window on a journey such as this. So much for getting my nails done before I left. I will admit that was a really bad idea, since now the french manicure is black, not white, due to stains left behind from my gloves.

Icon's Number One Place To Eat

Mark wanted all the HSU carnivores to know that he has eaten at one of the top 10 steak houses in America. Was it worth it? Mark says you're missing out if you don't visit "The Stock-yard" once in your life. I have to agree, this was by far one of the best restaurants I have ever eaten in. It was pricey, but it was unbelievable. So HSU carnivores, put this on your list of places to eat. For serious carnivores only, you will have to travel to Nashville. TN, for this is the only Stock-yard. As Drew says, "If you don't eat meat, you can't get strong."

We Made It To Jeremy and Stephanie's

Hi all,
We made it! Mark and I had a wonderful ride today. We left early today, at about 7:30 this morning and we had perfect weather. We arrived at Jeremy's about 2:30 this afternoon, which was excellent. It is so good to be here and know that we don't have to get up in the morning and ride anywhere. It's hard to believe that we've made it this far. This really has been a wonderful trip. Of course, we've had our fair share of trials, but it has been part of the adventure. I think our next trip will either be to Canada or Mexico, but one thing for sure, we will be investing in new seats. Also, we've learned about summer gear; leather is not the way to go in the summer. Nonetheless, it is good to be here and know that we can rest for a few days.

Ely, Nevada

Near Ely, Nevada in Utah. Hard to believe but people live here!

Today was a pretty nice day of driving, for Mark and I got out early and missed most of the heat. Highway 50 is a nice, mellow drive and we really enjoyed the ride from Salina Utah to Ely, Nevada. We are staying in a pretty nice motel, Ramada, which had a wonderful place to eat right in the motel. We arrived at our destination at 2:30 this afternoon, which was great, for it gives us a chance to rest before our big day tomorrow. We are hoping to arrive at Jeremy and Stephanie's tomorrow, weather permitting. We have seen that there is a 30% chance of rain, thunderstorms tomorrow. Also, it's important that we get out of here early, for the wind picks up in the afternoon in the desert and with gusts up to 50 - 60 miles per hour, I am being blown all over the rode. Overall, today was pretty mellow and we are getting a much needed rest. Thus far, we have traveled over 2,200 miles. We continue to miss all of you and are looking forward to arriving home in about a week. I will say this, Utah is very ugly in my opionion. It looks like the other side of the moon.

Colorado National Monument on to Salina, Utah

Today Mark and I got a very late start because we visited the National Monument in Grand Junction, Colorado. It was awesome and we got some pretty great shots of some of the most interesting rock formations I have ever seen. Needless to say, upon leaving Grand Junction and entering Utah it was just flat out hot. We did find a pretty good trick though; I just pour ice down my shirt and ride with a bunch of ice in my shirt. It's a pretty good way to keep cool. Again, the wind just roars through the desert in the afternoons. I get blown around, but I will say this, my Harley stays on the road, whereas, my Honda would never in a million years been able to take this type of wind. Utah in my opinion is just ugly, although, it too has some interesting rock formations. Tonight we are staying in a little town out in the middle of nowhere called, Salina. It is our goal to get to Ely, Nevada tomorrow and then arrive at Jeremy and Stephanie's the next day. We miss all of you and are looking forward to seeing everyone soon. Oh yes, the stupid thing for today. Mark and I went over some pretty bumpy roads today and I guess one of my side packs wasn't tied, so my wallet, phone, driver's license and other assorted goodies are along the road in Utah, somewhere between Grand Junction and Salina. Mark and I had to cancel my debit card, credit card and phone. Just one more interesting memory in a long line of memorable moments on this trek.

Adventure

Beautiful place we stopped in the Rocky Mountains to enjoy the scenery and rest our rears.

Mark escaping the heat for a bit

The beginning of the Colorado River. Mark and I stopped here for a breather

I just though this was so pretty. What a difference from yesterday's Kansas

You know, it's interesting what the dictionary meaning of the word "adventure is; To take a risk; dare; to proceed despite risks. I can certainly say that Mark and I have experienced this on our journey. I was unable to blog yesterday due to the fact that we had a day very much like the dictionary meaning of adventure. First, please family and friends, if I am unable to blog for a day, don't worry, just assume that the day was long and we didn't get to out destination until late. If anything significant or bad happens, know that I will call each of you. Yesterday was a "killer." We traveled 400 miles and experienced several different trials along the way. To begin, I dumped my bike first thing in the morning in the parking lot of our hotel in Hays, Kansas. Thank goodness Mark bought an engine guard for my bike, for nothing happened to it except a small scrape on the windshield. After that little problem, we noticed a small leak on my bike so we took it over to the Harley dealership and found that it was nothing (this was a blessing). Needless to say we got a very late start yesterday. All I can say is Kansas is "flat," "boring," and "windy." I fought the wind all day with gusts probably up to 50 miles an hour. This was not too fun, but we made it through. However, as we entered Colorado, we got caught in a hail storm. Mark was able to get under the overpass, I wasn't so I was being pelted by hail with lighting flashing all around me. Thank goodness, this passed and we were able to continue onward to Denver. We we got to Denver it was rush hour traffic which was just another wonderful way to end an already stressful day. You would think this would have been enough, but we had a few other surprises along the way, like people giving us wrong directions for our hotel. We wandered around for at least an hour looking for a hotel, not getting checked in until close to 9:00 p.m. Yes, it was quite the day yesterday, but we made it despite the adversity. Today, was a beautiful drive through the Rocky Mountains, nonetheless, it too had it's fair share of trials; namely, wind. Oh MY GOSH, the wind through those mountain gorges was crazy. I seriously thought I would "go to the bathroom in my pants on several occasions. However, we made it safely to end up in the flat lands of Colorado, where the wind continued and the temp soared to close to 100 degrees. I never thought I would ride without leathers, but I absolutely had to due to the fact that Mark and I were becoming dehydrated. We had to stop a great deal today due to heat, however, we did see some beautiful country. Tomorrow, we are going to take it a bit easy, I think. Supposedly, we are going to the Colorado National Monument and then onward to Salina, Utah, which is only 208 miles, one of the shortest driving days we have had so far. We are enjoying ourselves, seeing lots of the United States, growing and being challenged. We miss all of you and are looking forward to seeing all of you in the near future.

We Are Back On Track

Here is the state park we stopped at in Missouri. It was really beautiful

Here are some pictures of Kansas City taken from the 24th floor of our hotel room

Here is a place that Mark and I stopped to rest today. It was in Kansas. Kansas is flat but there are beautiful skies in Kansas. After about 100 miles we have to stop because our rears hurt too much.

So yesterday was a huge ride. We had to make up ground from the day before. We rode from Mt. Vernon to Kansas City and stayed on the 24th floor of the Hyatt Regency Crown. It was a beautiful hotel. We went through St. Louis and saw the arch from the rode, it was pretty cool. We crossed the Missouri River which was huge. We stopped and ate breakfast at an IHOP and continued riding. Along the way we stopped at an historic state park that was off the beaten path and was really quite beautiful. Today our ride was just as under 300 miles. We rode from Kansas City, MO., to Hays, Kansas. It was a really nice ride. Both Mark and I are becoming much more comfortable on our bikes and are able to ride the Interstates at 70 miles per hour. It was pretty hot today, especially in our leathers. Of course, many of these states don't have helmet laws, so we see many people riding without any safety gear. In heat like this, it's tempting, but we stopped at a Harley Davidson store along the road and saw a guy who obviously had lost half his face to the cement due to not wearing a helmet. That temptation was soon gone after seeing that. We are seeing some pretty country. Thus far, both Mark and I agree that Tennessee was the prettiest state we have been thru so far. We have been following the Louis and Clark expedition trail on this trip which is pretty neat. We ate at LB Brewery tonight in Hays, it was excellent, serving handcrafted rootbeer made right there in the brewery. We are having a wonderful time, despite the challenges along the rode. Our goal tommorrow is to arrive in Denver. However, we hear there is a possibility of thunder storms. We are hoping they will pass through tonight. The two strangest things we have seen on this trip was a place in Nashville, by the way, we didn't visit it, but it was a naked karoke bar. I had no idea such a place existed. I seriously think I am permantly scarred just knowing such an odd place exists. Another strange sighting happened by the ozarks. Some old pickup was going down the road. It had a giant smokestack in it's bed and it was spewing out black, foul smelling smoke. It appeared that the guy was driving down the highway just to spew the smoke. It was very "Deliverance Country" in appearance. Mark and I hightailed it down the highway just to get out of this guys way.