Saturday, 25 August 2018

I left Lexington headed for Columbus, OH to meet Andy–not really in the rain.  But rain was in the forecast, and sure enough, a light mist started just North of Cincy.  Rode on.

I stopped at one point to wait it out, but praises for radar on a smart phone–I was almost out of the storm.  If I kept going, I could beat the front to Columbus.  So, I got right back on the Interstate and boogied (that is riding just a little bit faster) on up to Columbus.  I did stay dry, and arrived at about 2:00 PM.  Had lots of time to eat lunch and walk my daily 30 minutes in a Home Depot.

While I was at Home Depot, Andy arrived wondering where I was.  My note to him said walking at Home Depot, but he thought it said walking to Home Depot–and my bike was not there.  Oh well, he had a room key and moved it.  Had a relaxing evening; it was raining hard outside–the weather looked bad for the next day.  We decided not to worry about it until morning.

Sunday, 26 August, 2018

We were ready to go at about 8:00 AM, looked at the radar and decided to go North to miss the big rain.  It worked.  We were in and out of light rain some of the time, but we got around it and started East.  All of this was on back roads as promised.  I remember being on 250 East, then on 30 East.  We will go the rest of the way to Lancaster, PA to visit Amish county on Monday.  Before we stopped I took the one picture of the day:

Somewhat after lunchtime, we stopped at a McDonald’s for a hot-fudge sundae.  The proof is on the windowsill.  The bikes are out the window, and Andy looks sufficiently satisfied with the results.

So, after settling on a motel somewhere on Hwy 30 and walking the 30-minute walk at the local Walmart, we brought a foot-long sandwich (ham and Swiss on white bread from Walmart Deli) back to the hotel and feasted without guilt.

Good night Johnboy; good night Lil–love ya!

Day 1:  Bob’s travels to meet Andy

DAY ONE:  24 August 2018

I cheated; this is last year’s picture.  But it is still me ready to ride!  Today I go to Lexington, KY via Interstate 75.  I always take the interstate on the first day and the last day.  Today I will not go all the way to Columbus, OH to meet Andy.  He will be there tomorrow.

Not the most exciting motel at which I have stayed, but I am by myself–who cares? Got it with points from Choice.  Nice room though; good TV for tennis and football.

From Columbus we will decide which way to go.

Today I had lots of thoughts:  why am I doing this?  How old am I again? Do I really want to do this again?  It did not take many miles for all of the answers to flood in.  This is the closest thing to being a cowboy out West after the Civil War.  It satisfies the longing to drift for no great purpose.  It fulfills my wander lust.  It makes me feel young and vibrant.  On a bike one feels powerful and invincible (an illusion that can get you killed quickly).

I just finished reading a large book of Louis L’Amour short stories.  Now I am acting one out.  I guess you have to be a rider to understand any of this.  But let me assure you, it is exciting, thrilling, chilling, exhausting.  It takes concentration like flying a small plane (I still dream about the days of having access to my own plane).  That allows one to forget about other more serious matters for a little while.

Enough.  Good night.  Love you Lil.

On the Way Home

Out around on the beltway from the SW corner near the airport up to the NE corner on Interstate 80.  Then East all day.  In and out of light rain, but we had overcast skies and cooler air.  it was wonderful.  We had seen an ad for a car museum in Peoria; so we headed there.  Here are the pix:

Here is Lil’s favorite car ever.  I would like to take it home to her.

And Andy had a little fun with one of the displays.

After the museum we headed through Peoria and then split with Andy going East and me going South.  What a great trip!  Hot, but fun anyway.

I have decided that we could have fun anywhere.  It isn’t about the ride, the weather, the time of year, or who we see, or what we see; it is about being together.  It has been that way since we met in the 7th grade.  Everyone knows it when they see us together.  It has been that way since Andy was on his Cushman Eagle and I was following on my Vespa in 1957.  We cannot believe that we are 72 years old and still riding together.  It was a great trip.

Travel to Des Moines

Today we got up early to beat the heat and travel to Des Moines, Iowa.  The heat was overbearing.  I think it fried my GPS:  at one point it led us around every exit and entrance to a cloverleaf intersection.  Finally we just laughed and went on as if we knew where we were going.

It did it again later taking us through some kind of old army base or school several times.  We knew we were close to a mini-golf course, but we could not find it.  So we did the thing that men hate to do:  stopped and asked directions.  One mile down the road past the Blank Zoo of Des Moines to the Blank Golf Course and Mini-Golf course.  Cool course;  look–

Every hole was a par 3.  It was beautiful.

The holes even had flags!

Now here’s the tough part–one of us shot way under par, and one of us shot way over par.  It was fun, and it was not.  It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times.  But it was a time we agreed to forget and not report.  Ha!  Figure that one out.

Tomorrow is another day.  Later that night I learned that because of a mix up between me, my sister, and my niece, we were not able to figure a time to take my niece, Sheri Wilson to dinner.  She had double booked on her job to cover for several vacationers.  She was leaving at 6:00 AM and not getting home until 10:00 PM every day.  We could not work it out any way we tried.

So, the trip was over.  Have you read Travels with Charlie by Steinbeck?  He talks about that at length.  There comes a time when the trip is over.  For us that means we hit the Interstate and bug on home.  Tomorrow we bug out.

Left St. Louis heading for Hannibal, MO.

We left St. Louis from the farthest SW corner on I-270 N all the way to I-70 W. and then up Hwy 79 to Hannibal.  It was a hot ride.  And we both hate that kind of riding in a congested 6-lane Interstate at rush hour in the morning. We survived.

Hannibal is a neat little city.  One can learn a lot about Samuel Clemons in a short time.  Makes one want to read his stories all over again.

Here is where we had lunch.

After lunch?  What should we do?  Mini-Golf,

Dadgumit. Another tie:  one over par, 43.  (We are getting better.)

Then back to see the sights in Hannibal; we really enjoyed this little town.  We toured a museum and Samuel Clemens’ boyhood house.  Becky’s house is across the street.

We then hit the road up to Keokuk, IA.  This is where we stayed for the night.

Our First Match of the Day.

Andy is waiting for Bob to catch up.  Today is the hottest day yet (mid nineties).  This is an exceptionally warm week nearly everywhere, but St. Louis is hotter than most.  It is expected to be 98 to 100 later in the week.  The heat sucks the energy right out of you.

Of course we were disappointed.  Kissing your sister time! (sorry JoAnn)

Disappointment again!  What can we say.  It takes a hot ride in terrible traffic to get to each of these courses; we expect at least one of us to win and one to lose.  Nuts.

There will be one more try on this day.  Our third contest of the day for a total of six so far.

Does this look like the one who hit two holes in one?  Yup.  Beat me by one stroke.  Do you think we are competitive?  You bet.  Tomorrow is another day.  The composite score at this point is Bob up by 2 strokes.  It is as we knew it would be:  hot competition in hot, hot, hot weather.

Tomorrow is another day.

First Order of Business was to watch Wilbledon–Yeah Federer!

We were able to watch the entire match before leaving the motel in Fairview Heights.  There was one of the top ten mini-golf courses left on the East side of the Mississippi; so we found it and played.  Out second round of golf.  Andy was up by 2 strokes going in.

This one was mine by 4.  So now I am up by 2!

The Lewis and Clark Boat Dock and Museum, St. Charles, MO

Andy found this online looking for something to do inside out of the heat (mid-90’s and Humin).  We really enjoyed the experience right beside the Missouri River.

Found a nice hotel in St. Charles.  Then we went to one of the close Mini-Golf sites to play the second round of the day.  I went into it up 2 strokes.

I won by 1.  I had been ahead by 5 in the match, but Andy snuck back into it.  Over all score goes to me by 3.  It will not last; I was lucky today.

Breakfast with Tyler, Stacie, Bjorn, and Meghan Siira, my Neices and Nephews.

As I said yesterday, we met in Paducah, each not knowing the other was there except for communication with Lil at home.  They are on their way to Duluth; I am on my way to meet Andy.

The first mini-golf contest, Fairview Heights, Il

Rats.  See for yourself.  Tied at 18; Bob blows it by 2 strokes.  You would not believe that hole!

So here is our first winner.

Bike is ready to go.

Bob is ready as well: Friday, 7-14-2017

Decided to take pictures whenever I saw a state line.  The next one, Illinois, was on a limited access highway with an 18-wheeler on my tail.  But at least I got KY.

It was a good day of 2-lane roads all the way to Paducah, KY.

Ever hear of Murray State University?  Here it is in Murray, KY.  One of my Oxford University friends, Charles Mould, former Director of the Bodleian Library lectured at Murray State several years in a row.  They paid his way across the pond; he rented a car and came down to Oxford Graduate School to visit us in Dayton, TN.  I have warm feelings for this man:  army background, DPhil, Oxford, master harpsichord player, repairman, and builder, member of the coral arts society, Oxford, and dear friend.

It’s God thing…

Who would expect that I would land in the same city in Kentucky as my nephew Tyler and his family.  They had stopped in Paducah the same night as I had–on their way to Duluth to stay with his sister, my niece, Heidi.  Lil connected us, and we enjoyed breakfast together the next morning.  Their hotel was 3 minutes from mine!

It was a good 300 mile first day with just occasional pup-up showers all day.  Tomorrow I meet Andy in Illinois.