mile 2712

Wonder why we haven't posted anything yesterday?  We were washed out last night again, so not in the mood laying in the tent and blogging.
We left Kennebec, SD on Saturday morning making a run for the Bad Lands and the Black Hills, but as the weather wasn't very cooperative as a starter, we took the short cut over the Interstate.  As we reached 1880 Town, a replica of an old Western Town, the sun had won the battle against the rainy clouds and we were stripping down.  When we reached Wall Drug, another one of those Western town replicas and tourist traps along the way to the Black Hills, we were riding in T-shirts and enjoying the beautiful countryside.  Of course did we make our way and tribute to Sturgis, SD and continued our way through the Black Hills to Devil's Tower.  The countryside is just magnificent and reminded us pretty much to the Austrian or Swiss Alp regions back in Europe.  We set up tent right in front of the Devil's Tower and enjoyed the colour play nature did with the sky and the rock, combined with the rolling in of a thunderstorm.  Nature at its best, ... and worst.

Devil's Tower, SD

Waking up early this morning showed us again a black and cloudy sky and the signs of more rain to come.  We broke the tent quickly and packed the bike, being ready just in time when the heaven's gates opened.  First we had coffee at the Trading Post, it still rained, then we put the rain gear on and on the road we were again.  Not much sense of taking back roads in this weather, Interstate 90 was our friend again, and as we hit the Powder River the rain had subsided and the sun broke through in places.  We left the Hwy and drove up the Bighorn Mountains and over Granite Pass (9033 ft), still having snow at almost the end of June.  It got pretty "nifty" up there, the wind picking up and moving us from one side to the other, but the scenery up there is worth every effort.  Descending down over Shell Falls we reached Cody, WY with just some more sprinkles.

Bighorn Mountains, Granite Pass, WY

Shell Falls, WY

Highlands to Cody, WY

"The storm starts, when the drops start dropping. When the drops stop dropping then the storm starts stopping." - Dr. Seuss

mile 2094

Today we woke up to a very foggy and misty morning with the promise to become a sunny day.  And this was true, as later the morning the sun burned away all that mist and revealed the devastation the rain had done over the last days.  Roads were washed away or under water, fields for miles under water and crops completely submerged, a disaster for hundreds of miles.  So our day was pretty much dictated by the road closures and detours, and the general idea of going West.

"If you want to see the sunshine, you have to weather the storm"

Game of the day, "DETOUR"

Nevertheless, the DETOUR brought us up to Watertown, SD, which is hosting this year's South Dakota HOG State Rally at the Sioux Indian Reservation.  So a little stop over at the HOG family and some chit-chat among friends, and off we were again in our quest to reach the Bad Lands.

Sioux Indian Reservation

Later the afternoon we, or better I had a little conversation with the law as I didn't see the city speed limit in Henry, SD (population 268).  But the law was friendly, it gave me a warning, and some advise about local wild life and its dangers at dawn.  I took the advise, thanked, and off we were, watching more carefully the speed limits at those little towns like Olivia, Stewart, Agar, etc.

So all at all it was a good day, great riding, good distance, and great roads.  And farmlands without end.  We didn't make it to the Bad Lands and pitched the tent in Kennebec as the sun was almost down, but that's alright too.

mile 1538

The miles haven't changed today, and that's for a really bad reason.  The Central US is hit with torrential rain and thunderstorms, and with all that water coming down we would rather need a canoe than a motorcycle (even so I we saw at the HD Museum that Harley at one point in time also made outboarders during the AMC time).  But we did hit the jack pot in selecting our spot as our camp site is relatively dry, but the camp ground around us is land under, roads are washed out or under water, and all in all not a day to even consider to get going.  So we decided to make it a rest day, do some laundry and hang around (what else to do?).  Nevertheless, the forecast is that the weather is improving going West, and that what we will do tomorrow.  But first we have to get over the upcoming night, once again thunderstorm and heavy rain is forecast, so it will be a wet packing tomorrow morning.

Camping and Road under

Hopeless attempt to dry some gear

mile 1538

What a day! This morning the rain gave us 25 min to pack, break down the tent and have breakfast, and then the rain came done again.  So it was time to test another piece of our equipment, rain gears.  For the rest of the day we were driving in rain and thunder towards Minneapolis.  The water was running in on top and out at the bottom of our rain gear, but finally the sun came out at 3 o'clock and we started to dry off and feel like humans again.  With the last days of heavy storms all our things are damp, and we are ready for some sun to dry the tent and the bike, and to feed the soul with some warmth (now that would be a great opportunity for some encouraging comments).
But riding through the upper state of WI into MN was also quite educational.  You ride through farmlands for corn and wheat, then you ride through dairy country, dropping down into forrest areas.  A perfect symbiosis of two states, for the greater good of man (cheese, steaks, bread, sorry no milk for me, fire wood, etc.).  Now we are entering the lesser traveled country, and tomorrow we shall reach the Badlands.

"Do not be angry with the rain; it simply does not know how to fall upwards" - Vladimir Nabokov - Russian Novelist

"Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet" - Roger Miller, Author

mile 1038

Thanks friends for your comments, keep on going, and so will we.

We broke the thousand miles, and have reached the birthplace of our bike.  After a relatively uneventful day of riding and taking the shortcut with the Lake Express Ferry over lake Michigan, we reached early evening Milwaukee and gained a hour (change of time zone).  The breeze was quite strong over the lake, and I got a new hair doo.

How do you like me now?

We reached our camp site just in time to get set-up, grabbed a bite and laid down, before hell broke loose around us.  The mother of all thunderstorms fell in, and tested our juvenile skills of tent setting.  So far so good, it stood the test, and we too.

This morning it was off to the holy place of motorcycles, the H-D Museum, a must for every rider of this brand (other riders are welcome too).  111 years of company history, 111 years of motorcycle making, and every bike built in any of the years is collected and stored here.  What a great place to visit.   And then we went on to search our plaque we placed 11 years ago at the wall of HOG members (row A, column 184).

Harley-Davidson Museum, Milwaukee

"A spirit with a vision is a dream with a mission" - Neil Peart, Ghost Rider

mile 870

Good morning!  After a sunny day riding through PA and OH, with a stop in Cleveland to get some education on the history of Rock n' Roll, we have last night entered Michigan.  The day was pretty much without major events, just the Father's Day traffic caused some difficult riding here and there.

Street Art at the Department of Road Work

Billy Joel, R n' R Hall Of Fame

mile 440

Day 1 is almost over and we have reached the Allegheny Reservoir in PA.  We had all day long cloudy skies from the time we left Granby, going south I-91 to join I-84 west and Rt. 6 westbound.  Some drizzle as expected hit us in the state of NY, but no worries.  The weather channel was of course wrong, temps never came significantly above 60, so scarf and sweater gave good insulation.  We are quite happy with the distance traveled today, not bad for the first day, and our buds are not hurting yet.  Anyway we will be sleeping like babies tonight, all that fresh air is really tiering.

Our partner loaded

Elke at our remote office

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