| Author | Message | ||
     Tootal |
Well it seems you enjoy checking out the local fare. Stop by and I'll give you better memories of St. Louis than rush hour traffic and thunder storms!  | ||
| 1313 |
If you ever get to Cincinnati, make it a point to try some. That's my Homecoming ritual on the way up. Dinner the first night - for the past handful of years - has been Skyline Chili. A small 3 way and a couple of chili dogs with onions. Of course, this is after stopping and picking up enough canned Skyline Chili to tide me over the mild winters of NC. Ah, another joy of a sport touring bike - carrying capacity... The oyster crackers from Skyline are really unique and I haven't been able to find anything to satisfactorily replace them on the 'cold' winter nights in NC. Dangitall - I just finished my lunch and I'm hungry already... 1313 | ||
| Zane |
Crusty, When you leave Cincinnati, if you're heading east stop in Springfield for the best donuts that God allows to exist. Get off of I-70 at 72 (Limestone Street). Head north about a half a mile or less and there is a Schuler's Bakery. Ask for a whole wheat glazed donut. These things are legendary. | ||
| Crusty |
I Wake Up In The Morning… Well; I’m back on the road and “I’ve got a head full of ideas, and they’re driving me insane”. I used my new tent for the first time last night. I really like it. It’s a dramatic improvement over my old tent. It does take a little longer to set up, but it’s worth the extra effort. It has the same amount of room as my old tent, but the features and design and more durable materials make it so much better that there’s no real comparison. I wish I’d gotten it sooner. I stayed in the Kimmel City Park in Vincennes, Indiana last night. I stayed there on my way to Springfield last May, and I liked it and I wanted to stay there again to compare my impression after having stayed at so many other City Parks this summer. I’d rank it in the higher end of City Park campgrounds, but not at the top. Supposedly, there are showers there, but I couldn’t find them. Then again, I didn’t look too hard. Also, supposedly there’s a fee to stay there but, as in May, I couldn’t find anybody to pay. I don’t even know what the price is supposed to be. It’s right on the banks of the Wabash River, and it’s very nice. I’d stay there again; especially at the price (Free!) When I left Cincinnati, I was thinking that I would head south after seeing the Mile this weekend. However, this morning, I’m thinking that I’ll head up to Nebraska and see Carhenge. I was going to go there a couple of weeks ago, but my cash was really running low, so I ducked east instead. Now, it’s a reachable goal. I keep forgetting to take picturesI’ve taken a few, but nowhere as many as I should have. Maybe I;ll get a few good pix at the Mile. One thing that I’m very aware of is the price of Gas and how it varies with location. It had dropped to $2.28/ gal. in Cincinnati. Then, when I got on Rt. 50, it went up to $2.49. Then, it started dropping as I went west until it hit a low of $1.97 in North Bend, Indiana. It’s been gradually climbing, and now that I’m in Illinois, it’s at $2.59. When I looked online the other day, I saw that Oil is down to $45.00 a barrel or so. I also heard on the news in Taxachusetts that by winter, gas should be under $2.00/gal. I really think the price of should be regulated, just as electricity and natural gas prices are. One of my fears while traveling is that I’ll wear out my welcome. I think I did with David and Jack in Cincinnati. If I didn’t wear it out, the fabric has gotten pretty thin. I try to be as minimal a disruption as I possibly can be, but still, it’s an intrusion on other people’s lives and it can wear on them. In years past, when people would stay with me, or when I would stay with other people, it wasn’t an issue unless it continued for a very long time. Now, however, I am reminded of that line by Ben Franklin that House Guests are like fish; after three days, they both begin to stink. Somebody told me that at the last Noon meeting I went to in Cincinnati, and when he said it, it hit home. I’ll have to give a lot of thought to where I stay and for how long. I really don’t want to be a burden on my friends and family. Well, I’ve had my coffee; it’s time to put on some miles and head for The Mile}. | ||
| Nittanyxt |
Crusty, take Tootal up on his offer, great host  | ||
| Crusty |
95 F I’m in Springfield. I arrived a few hours ago, and the first thing I did was to proceed directly to the Fairgrounds. I was going to head straight for the campground, but I couldn’t resist riding over to the Mile track and checking out how it’s looking. I parked my Sportster over near the turn four track entrance and walked up to the outside edge of the track. The dirt is looking good; there were crews stacking hay bales at the turns, and the bundles of air fence were sitting in the middle of the turns. The water truck was out watering the track, and when he pulled off the track to take on another load of water, the driver motioned me over and asked if I wanted to take a lap as a passenger in the truck. He didn’t have to ask me twice. I was in the passenger seat as fast as I could hop in. I had talked with him in May when I came, and he remembered me. I found out that they’d been putting down water for days, and even though the sun dried off the top, the dirt held most of the moisture beneath the surface, and the driver figured that the track was going to hold up and be racy come Sunday. He said that for the Sprint Car races during the State Fair, they’d put down 80,000 gallons of water on the morning before the race. The truck held 2400 gallons, and that was just enough for one lap around the track. Pretty impressive stuff. I thanked him, then rode over to the campground and got my tent site. I’m camped just outside the fence by the Arena where the short track races are being held tomorrow evening. I like the campground better than Riverside park, even if all the tent spaces are on hillsides. The spot I chose is under a big tree for shade, and almost level. I decided to put the desert tan side of the rain fly out. Last night, I had the camo side out. I think the tan side might repel a little more of the Sun. (Yeah, right! In my dreams, maybe.) The weather here is supposed to be hot all weekend.I hope it cools down enough that I can sleep comfortably at night. Supposedly, the lows are going to be 70, so if it does cool down that much, I’ll sleep like a baby. Last night in Vincennes, it was supposed to cool down to 70, but when I broke camp and hit the road, it was 76. Still, I slept well enough in spite of hearing train horns all night long. I heard a train while I was setting my tent up here at the Fairgrounds, but it was a ways off, and not really loud. I hope that’s the norm. I keep thinking of the line from Don’t Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me The Pliers by the Firesign Theater, …”the endless plains of Iowa, the Lonesome Trains of Illinois…”. Although I heard trains at nearly every City Park in the midwest, Columbus, Nebraska had the loudest and most frequent, by far. I really doubt that anyplace I camp will exceed that AG park for annoyingly loud trains passing by often. Gas prices have dropped as I approached Springfield. Gas here is running around 2.28/gal. Last Memorial day, gas prices were higher than average here; but now, the lowest prices I’ve seen in Illinois are in Springfield. Go figure. I can’t make heads or tails out of it. The Mile should be pretty interesting. I hope that some of the teams have found enough horsepower to give Brian Smith a real run for the win. Jared Mees has a fast bike; he was closing on Smith last week at the Charlotte !/2 Mile when his engine blew on the last lap. I hope he has both the speed and reliability to challenge for the win. I’d also like to see Kenny Coolbeth up in the mix. He won here last year. Jake Johnson is riding Brad Baker’s bike. Baker broke his leg, and Johnson’s filling in for him. Baker won the Indy Mile, so the bike is fast enough; I just hope Johnson can get it dialed in for his riding style. And I read that Danny Eslick is going to be riding a Bill Werner Kawasaki here. It would be nice if the same synergy that existed between Springer and Werner and Parker and Werner could exist between Eslick and Werner. I’d love to see Danny win a Mile, and to see it this weekend would be particularly sweet. There are a lot of other racers that I’d enjoy seeing win, but to be honest, I think it’s going to be one of the people I mentioned. Probably Smith, but I can hope. The Short Track is also looking really nice, but I'll save that for another Snippet. . | ||
| 86129squids |
Serendipity strikes, Roadcrust! Sounds like a fun weekend is in store. | ||
| Crusty |
Waiting For The Mile In a couple of hours, I’ll be in the grandstands at the Illinois State Fairgrounds sweating my butt off and waiting for Practice to begin. Right now though, I’m sitting in a McBuffoon’s eating a Sausage McMuffin and drinking a Senior coffee. Yesterday, I spent something like 11 hours in the stands watching something like 40 different Amateur and Pro races at the Short Track. My personal feeling is that the Promoters (the IMDA) have sacrificed quality for quantity. By the time the night ended, I was burnt out; and I love racing. I have to admit, though that for the first time, when they called up a local to sing the Star Spangled Banner, they had somebody who could actually sing. The girl had a wonderful voice, and she hit every note. It’s the first time in years that I haven’t been grimacing inside or grumbling at sour notes. Prior to this pleasant young woman, there was a “singer” who did a classic job of butchering, God Bless The USA. I don’t think I was the only person in the stands who felt like they had just experienced the Aural equivalent of having to chug a bottle of Mrs. Butterworth’s syrup. Some of the racing was really good. The Bultaco Astro Cup race was a classic with Joe Kopp and Chris Carr having a real dogfight for the win. First one would lead, then the other would pass him, then there was a re-pass and so on. Joe Kopp won, but it could just as easily have been Chris Carr. There were a number of “retired” racers there. Steve Morehead was also racing in the Bultaco series and ex-World Champion John Kosinski showed he still has the skills to win races. Ronnie Jones was there, and he was putting in some laps on a Kawasaki Twin. I guess that for next year, The AMA is considering making a rules change mandating that all motorcycles must have two cylinders for all four forms of Dirt Track; Short Track, TT, 1/2 Mile and Mile. Jones was doing some “Demo” laps to showcase the idea for the crowd. I walked through the pits during the break between the “qualifying” races and the “Main Event” races and I took a bunch of pictures of the assorted Short Track bikes there . One of these days, I need to download my camera and share some of them. I went to a “States Visited website and filled in a map of the states I’ve been to this summer. I’ll try to attach it, but if it doesn’t work, then just use your imagination. As of right now, I’ve been in 39 different states (and the District of Columbia). I don’t know if I’ll hit any new states before I get back to Taxachusetts, but still, 39 ain’t bad for one summer. I’ve put 21,000 miles on my bike since I set out, and there will be at least 2,000 more before I get back to the shop. I’m keeping an eye on my tires; I’m 99% positive that they won’t last as long as the previous Dunlops, but I’m hoping that they’ll last 10,000 miles. Time to go.  | ||
| Tootal |
The maps looking good Crusty! It took me a lot of vacation time over the years but I have made the lower 48 and 6 provinces of Canada. It took me 3 different bikes! Oh, and don't be afraid of Canada, especially the East coast. Been to Newfoundland twice and will go back again some day when I have more time. Enjoy the races! | ||
| Griffmeister |
Gee Crusty, it looks like you could just skim MI without wasting too much rubber just to say that you hit it. I know, not like a real visit. I read about you getting ready to sweat your butt off in the stands, and I can just imagine the racers there in full gear getting ready to hit the track. Either way that's not for someone with a weak constitution. Hope you're having a good time and make it back with rubber to spare. | ||
| Crusty |
Labor Day Another Mile is in the books. Brian Smith won it, even though I was hoping he wouldn’t. Oh, well; it was still a great race that came down to a three wide group of riders crossing the finish line at the end with only inches separating first from third. There were a lot of highlights from the races. Nichole Mees won her heat race after a pretty good battle with Jake Johnson. Shayna Texter also made the Main, though she had to come through a Semi to get there. The Main was a record setter in that it was the first time that any National had two women in the Main Event. Also, there were a married couple (Jared and Nichole Mees) and a brother/sister (Cory and Shayna Texter) in the main. The weather was extremely hot, officially, it was 96º F but it felt a lot hotter, especially in the sun. I paid ten bucks and got to ride a “Parade” lap of the track. I didn’t go quite as fast as I did on my “Parade” lap of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but my Sportster did get into fifth gear on the back straight. I didn’t look at the speedometer, but I know I was well past 70. It wasn’t my fault; after that dude blew by me on a 450 dirt tracker, I just wanted to see what kind of engine it had in it so I tried to catch him. The Parade lap turned out to be two laps long, and I loved riding every inch of it. In my younger days, I used to road race, but I never got into dirt tracking. I kind of wish I had; then again, I think I’ve had a pretty interesting life in spite of that. After the race, I just went back to my tent. Yesterday morning, I saw some folks breaking camp, so after asking if they were leaving and getting a yes, I had moved to a more level location. I set my tent up so that the annoyingly bright night lighting would be blocked by a tree. That was a good idea, and it worked. I kicked back and drank a quart of Powerade and ate a bag of “Louisiana” Kitchen Cooked BBQ chips. They weren’t bad, but they were a little too salty for my taste. I’ve tried BBQ chips all over the country, and of them all, by two favorites are Ute’s Kettle Cooked Sweet Heat BBQ and Grippo’s BBQ chips. Both have very different flavors, but both are really good. After that sumptuous repast, I called Melia in Australia. Ron’s gone back to work on some obscure South Pacific island, so I did't get to talk to him. Melia and I shot the bull for nearly 40 minutes, though. We were kicking around some of the places she, Ron and I could go when I get over there. Now, all I have to do is figure out how to come up with the air fare. I have a couple of ideas; It will happen. When I first started thinking about traveling this summer, I had no idea if I could do it, yet it happened. I’ll be in Australia before winter hits the Northern Hemisphere. This morning, I’m going to break camp then hit a Laundromat. I’ve been sweating so much that I can only wear a set of jeans for two days, then they start to smell and my T-shirts hall have streaks of salt on them from sweat. I won’t discuss my socks and shorts. After that, I’m heading west and north towards Carhenge. | ||
| Tootal |
West and North equals rain for tomorrow. You should blow through in a day though. | ||
| 46champ |
Crusty I watched the race on the computer. Does it seem to you that Smith has about 7 to 10 horsepower on the best running Harleys. It seems as though we have reached the limit of the pushrod motor and it is time they see if they can make that street 750 run. Still do not like that as a name for a bike. | ||
| Crusty |
One Froggy Morning I’m in Seneca, KS. My new tent doesn’t leak! I camped for free at a lake north of Sabetha last night. I arrived just after sunset and had to hurry to get the tent set up before I was working in the dark. There was a bit of wind and but once I got the tent up, everything was fine. I had both doors of the tent open with the screens up to keep the bugs out and the breeze felt comfortable. Sometime around midnight, I was awakened by thunder, followed by the patter of rain hitting the fly. I zipped the door on the fly, and listened to the rain and thunder to see if it was going to be as bad as the rain in Indy, but fell back asleep after a short while. I don’t think it lasted very long, though. I slept in until 7:00 this morning; the sun doesn’t come up early any more, and I’m getting toward the western end of the time zone. It was light until after 8:00 last night, so it follows that the sun will rise later, as well. I’m already missing the long days back in late June and early July. The days are going to keep getting shorter for a while, though and there ain’t nuthin’ I can do about it. There was no drinking water at the campground, so I was unable to make coffee before I broke camp. I also couldn’t brush my teeth, which I really don’t enjoy. I rode about 30 miles to Seneca and there was a McDonald’s here so I stopped. The first thing I did was hit the men’s room with my toothbrush and toothpaste in hand. Sometimes I wish I was riding on a Land Yacht like a Harley Dresser and had the room to carry a little more than I can comfortably carry now; but that would only lead to me finding more “indispensable” items. I’m trying to be as minimalist as I can be. About 10 miles after I left the campground, I hit rain, so I put my rain gear on. I just looked at the weather radar, and it looks like I’ll be wearing it for a while; though I should ride out of it in a few hours. I should make it to Alliance Nebraska today. Hopefully, I’ll get there early enough to see Carhenge. If not, then I’ll just have to wait until tomorrow. | ||
| Buellish |
Crusty,I have a friend who is also a Guzzi guy,who just bought an 883R to convert into a touring bike. I told him about your adventures touring on a Sportster and suggested he check out your discussion. | ||
| Froggy |
I don't know what that morning has to do with me, but that was a good read  | ||
| Crusty |
Frank; the title was a play on the title of the Warner Brothers Cartoon with Michigan J Frog in it 46 Champ; I don't think Smith has quite that much of an advantage. Maybe 3 or 4 Horses. I was talking with one of the Vance & Hines reps at one race, (either Du Quoin or Indy) and he was saying that the Don's Kawasaki team have got that Kaw turning 14,000 RPM. V&H are working on the Street 750 motor, but won't put it on the track until they're sure it will be competetive and reliable. The rep I talked to this weekend said that he figures maybe by next season. He also told me that there are at least two other fast motor builders who are working on making one work. I hope somebody figures out how to make the Street fast and reliable. I'd really like to see somebody be able to outpower Smith's bike. | ||
| 1313 |
Carhenge, Carhenge, Carhenge! One place - of many - that I've always wanted to experience, but haven't gotten to yet. Of course I'd have to check out and take some pics of the front end of the hearse that is sticking out of the ground. But that just may be me... Heck, for all I can tell from the crappy pics on the internet, it might actually be an old ambulance - which just doesn't have the same 'character', IMHO... In any event- GO, CRUSTY, GO! | ||
| Crusty |
Am I a Bad Influence? Over the years, I’ve had several people think that I’m a bad influence. When I was young, Bernie Aucoin’s mother didn’t like me one bit, and there were several other kid’s parents who also didn’t like or trust me. I got used to getting the hairy eyeball from parents who had no reason to not like me other than they didn’t like my looks. This has carried over to my adult life, as well. I’ve had wives of a few friends glare at me for leading their husbands astray and causing disharmony in their neatly organized lives. I remember one in particular who absolutely hated me and I’d only met her once for a few minutes. She thought I was Evil Incarnate. Another was a friend’s wife. I’d known both before they married, and hadn’t seen them in a long while. I visited them one day, and Billy and I went to Home Depot (or someplace similar) and when we got back to the house her look and tone of voice made it clear that it was time for me to head out. I’ve gotten some flack about how my Snippets are leading someone to do things they ordinarily wouldn’t do. To spontaneously jump up and go to some distant location. Some spouses really don’t like this; and instead of looking at their own lives, they choose to look in my direction and pin the blame directly on me. In the movie The Bucket List, there’s a scene where Morgan Freeman tells his wife that he’s going with Jack Nicholson. The look she gives Nicholson as she’s storming out of the hospital is exactly how some people look at me. I just got an e-mail from one of the people on my mailing list who’s wife is accusing me of leading him toward the Dark Side. It both bothers me in a painful sort of way and pisses me off. I’m not trying to tell anyone what to do. I’m just living my own life and trying to not hurt anyone in the process. I am not responsible for anyone’s actions other than my own. If your husband or wife is blaming me for problems in your relationship, then you two need to take a hard look at your lives and see what needs to be changed. Now that I’ve got that off my chest; I think I’ll make it to Carhenge today. I stayed in the Hall County Park in Grand Island, Nebraska last night. It’s a nice campground; very park like. I was the only tent camper there. I paid the $15.00 fee at the pay station, but I think I could have stayed for free. Nobody even came through the tent area the whole time I was there. The bathroom was clean, and though the shower was quarter operated, you got 3 minutes for half a buck. The shower had good pressure and temperature control. All in all, it was a fair deal. for the money. I don’t like the shortening of daylight hours. The sun went down about 8:00 local time last night, but it didn’t come up until well after 7:00 this morning. I finally got up at 7:10 (after lying there from around 6:00) and it was barely light enough to distinguish color at that hour. I don’t know what I’m going to do as the days get even shorter. I can only sleep so much, and I hate packing up the tent while it’s still wet from dew, but there are only so many hours of light in the day, now. My daily mileage has dropped. Ah, well; I’ll adjust. Time to go. | ||
| 86129squids |
"Am I a Bad Influence?"    Wow. Crusty, my friend, to the vast majority of folks who know you, you're simply an inspiration. I pity those who see you otherwise... hard to say whether it's hilarious, sad or pathetic. Probably all three. Keep on keepin' on!!! | ||
| 86129squids |
BTW, THAT was a great scene in "Bucket List"... truly a fantastic movie. Think I'll go get a fresh cup of Kopi Luwak now... | ||
| Crusty |
Carhenge, The BNSF And The Dew Drop Inn I made it to Carhenge yesterday. In doing so, I learned a few things. I learned that Nebraska isn’t all flat and boring. Route 2 took me through the Sand Hills, and it’s really neat country. There are very few trees and not many crops. But there’s a lot of grassland. The country looks like a very bumpy, enormous ranch; and it should because that’s exactly what it is. Thousands of head of cattle grazing, and not much else. The road twists and turns with the landscape, and it made for a very enjoyable ride. I did get caught by a thunderstorm, and rode in my raingear for about 100 miles. I actually needed the gear for only about 20 miles, but I kept it on until I was certain that I was clear of the thunderstorms. I had no trouble finding Carhenge. Once I got there, I walked around taking pictures, then the battery on my camera died. Carhenge is free, but they have a couple of boxes asking for donations. There is also a little store that sells souvenir T-shirts, hats, etc, and cold beverages. I bought a bottle of blue Gatorade and a hat. My Danner cap has has been heading downhill for a while now, and a Carhenge hat seemed like a great replacement. Carhenge is one of those places that exceeded my expectations. Even though I’ve seen many pictures of it over the years, the reality had a really strong impact on me. It really is both neat and impressive. One thing that really impressed me, and I don’t know why, is that pigeons live in the wheel wells of the upper cars. I got a real charge out of that. Also, there’s more to Carhenge than just the cars painted grey and looking like the Menhirs of Stonehenge, there are other sculptures made from car and truck parts. There’s a particularly vicious looking barracuda made from the hood of an old Chevy pickup, and a T-rex made from car parts, as well. There are other car Art displays in the park, and the cars are painted in assorted colors. The thing that I really enjoyed was the park benches made from tailgates from pickup trucks welded to wheels. One has the tailgate from an International pickup as the seat portion and a Chevy tailgate as the back. They’re functional art, and they tickled my sense of what art can be. My description of Carhenge really is inadequate; you should visit it and experience it for yourself. If you don’t think it’s as impressive as I do, I’ll cheerfully refund your admission price. After I left Carhenge, I considered my options. I was thinking that maybe I should head back to Glacier National Park. But I checked the mileage and it was something like 860 miles. Then I looked at the amount of tread on my rear tire, and decided I should head east, instead. I had enjoyed riding Nebraska Rt.2 west so much, I felt I’d enjoy riding it east, as well. I was right. It’s a nice road with very little traffic. It’s not a racetrack of a road, but it twists, turns, rises and falls in a pleasing way. Like most of the highways in the midwest, it runs parallel to a railroad line (the BNSF), and I was impressed with the amount of coal that’s headed east. Every few miles, I’d pass another train with well over 100 cars full of coal. I don’t know where all that coal was mined, but I saw thousands and maybe millions of tons on the move. I also saw thousands of empty coal cars heading west. It makes me think about just how much energy it takes to maintain out present level of civilization. As sundown approached, I started looking for a campground, and couldn’t find one. I finally saw a motel, undecided that a night in a room might not be a bad thing, so I stopped. It turned out they were full, so I continued east. Then I came upon the Nebraska National Forest, so I turned in. I spotted a few campsites, and immediately set about setting up my tent. Now, with all the trouble I’ve had sleeping near Railroad lines this summer, you’d think I would have noticed that my campsite was only 100 yards from a Railroad crossing. I was made aware of the fact just about when I had the tent set up. Since the sun had set, and the sky was showing a wonderful display of reds and oranges. I resigned myself to the fact that I was going to be hearing train horns all night. Did you know that there are many different train horns? I thought they all sounded the same. they don’t. Some have different tones and some have different pitches, some Engineers blow the horns longer than others but the one thing they all have in common is that they’re all loud. If you ever get the chance, sleep in tent site #39 in the Nebraska National Forest, and you’ll clearly understand what I mean. Another surprising thing about Nebraska is that they get some incredibly heavy morning fog here. The fog was so dense that water was dripping on my tent from the tree over it. I thought it was raining, but it was only the dew dropping on the rain fly. (I think I’ll name my tent The Dew Drop Inn) Anyway, I broke camp and hit the road this morning, and I rode in fog for over 60 miles until I reached Broken Bow. The water on my windshield never cleared off. However, the sun has broken through while I’ve been writing this, and I think it’s supposed to get into the 80s today (it was in the 50s when I broke camp), so I’d better finish this up and get back on the road. (Message edited by Crusty on September 10, 2015) | ||
| 46champ |
one mans inspiration is another womans bad influence. | ||
| Two_seasons |
That coal comes from the eastern edge of Wyoming. Pretty impressive as there are three sets of tracks in that area for the comings and goings. Thanks for the updates Crusty  | ||
| Robertl |
Crusty, I have really enjoyed your writings. Don't let the issues of others be a burden on you. People that spend money on experiences are happier than those that just buy things. Ride safe and enjoy life to the fullest. | ||
| Crusty |
Where Am I Going? So, I wimped out last night and got a room at the Motel 6. I was tired and needed to sort out where I’m going and what route to take. I didn’t sleep as well as I would have liked the night before and I wanted a hot shower and a bed to sleep on and no train horns. I mentally kicked myself for having wasted money, but it was quiet and I enjoyed the break. I’m heading in an easterly direction. After looking at the Weather Report on TV, I’ve decided to aim in a southeasterly direction. Today’s high temps here are only supposed to be in the 60s. It’s funny; at this time of year, a high temperature in the 60s feels pretty cold; but in the early spring, when the daily highs hit the 60s we all love the warm temperatures. Anyhow, it looks like I’ll be wearing my sweatshirt today. I’m finding myself dropping back into my Hermit mode. I could head up to the Cedar Rapids area and spend a night at Matt & Lorraine’s place, or I could drop down to Saint Louis and take up Tootal on his offer of a place to stay for a night, but I don’t want to be around people right now. I’ve got some priorities that need to be shifted around and sorted in my head, and I need to take a hard look at myself and what I’m doing. I wouldn’t be good company, and I really hate to be rude to good people. I know that sounds screwy to some folks (it even does to me), but it’s how my head operates. I tend to be a Loner and sometimes that tendency is stronger than at other times. I hope nobody is offended by this, but it’s just the way I am. So, to answer the question in the title; I don’t know for sure. I will be at the 1/2 Mile in Delmar, Delaware, but that’s not until the 19th. I’ve got eight days to get there. I was thinking of ducking up and adding Michigan to my list of States Visited, but the low temperatures have put that on the back burner. I think that campground that I liked last May in Peoria should be over the flooding that had it submerged in July. That might be a good destination for tonight. Or maybe back to the State Fairgrounds in Springfield. I guess I’ll just head out and see where I wind up. (Message edited by Crusty on September 11, 2015) | ||
| Ourdee |
Crusty, Thank you so much for the adventures. My wife said I can't go for a Crusty ride today, but, she just got out of surgery yesterday, So, I think she gets a pass on that. You do keep reminding me that a couple hundred miles to a camp site for a couple of nights is totally doable. People wear on everyone sooner or later. I wish I had a little out building that I could let you escape to. I've been sick enough this week that I took a sick day. Un-heard of for me. I still am out of strength. Suggestion: look for a way to carry water for those mornings I don't consider you a threat, just an eye opener. Thanks, R.D. | ||
| Ocbueller |
Crusty, Bikeweek in Ocean City 17th-19th. Ties in with Delmar. SteveH | ||
| Crusty |
Coyotes, Puffins and Getting Stopped for Speeding One thing that I keep forgetting to mention is that when I wasn’t listening to passing trains, I heard Coyotes singing (howling?) the other night when I was camped in the Nebraska National Forest. They don’t sound exactly like they do in the movies (now ain’t that a surprise!). They have a much higher pitch and sound more like small to medium sized dogs howling. Nevertheless, it was pretty unmistakable. They were a good distance off, but I put that in the file of new and neat things. Another notable thing was that many of the ducks who weren’t in North and South Dakota were in Nebraska. A few ponds and lakes that I passed were having waterfowl overpopulation problems. There were a huge amount of ducks, but I also saw Canadian Geese, Cormorants and even a few Puffins. When I saw the first one, I thought it was only my imagination. But then I saw a couple of others, and they were definitely Puffins. That also goes in the file. This ride through Nebraska has really left me with a much higher level of appreciation for the state. Previously, I thought of it as a boring and flat kind of place. Now, I see it as an undiscovered jewel. After I left Omaha yesterday, I was taking US Rt. 34 east and I got stopped for speeding by an Iowa State Trooper. He clocked me at 71 in a 55. I never even got to show him my Driver’s License. The first thing he said to me was, “Those Sportsters can be hard to put in Neutral sometimes”. Then he told me how fast I was going, and I admitted it. Then he told me to relax, he wasn’t going to write me up. It turns out that he has a Sportster and an Electra Glide Ultra, and we talked about bikes and traveling for about 20 minutes. He asked me which National Park was the most impressive and I told him Glacier was, hands down, the neatest Park to me. That surprised him; he figured the Grand Canyon would have been the one. Finally, he told me to keep my speed down to within 5 or 6 MPH over the posted limit, and I’d be OK. I thanked him and rode off. For the rest of the day, I kept a more watchful eye on what my speedometer was reading. That makes twice on this trip that I’ve been stopped and let go. If Bill is being my Guardian Angel, he’s doing a pretty good job. I really need to keep my speed down. I can’t help it; I’m not racing, I’m just traveling at a comfortable speed for me. Unfortunately, comfortable for me is too fast, according to the posted limit. I’ve been warned twice; it’s time to pay attention. I’m back in Springfield, staying at the Fairgrounds. I think I’ll hang here for a day and get some minor things accomplished. I need to go to Wally-World and get some Vitamin D and a new daily pill holder, I want to wash my poor filthy bike, maybe I’ll check out a meeting and the Parkway Cafe is having an All-You-Can-Eat special tonight of Prime Rib. I haven’t had Prime Rib in a while, and I like the breakfasts at the Parkway; plus I like the campground at the Fairgrounds, so I think I’ll stick around for one more day. | ||
| Tootal |
Well it sounds like you're heading on East but just wanted to let you know that if you're ever back in the area and need a free bed or a garage full of tools you're welcome to spend whatever you need to get yourself back on the road. Mechanically or mentally. Also I feel for you. When my brother and I went across Iowa on 34 it was very hard to keep a Uly at 5 over the limit!! Safe travels! |
