Charlie's trippin

[storm 64]

Excellent story and pictures Charlie. I thought Kansas was sparsely populated, Montana must be really desolate. I once bit off a piece of New Mexico and found myself 190 miles away from the nearest town with about a 180 mile fuel range. It can get kind of nerve racking. I'm glad you had a fun safe journey. I can't wait to get back on the road again. You meet some iinteresting people on the road. How about you Charlie, any interesting people along the way?

[Charlie G]

Excellent story and pictures Charlie. I thought Kansas was sparsely populated, Montana must be really desolate. I once bit off a piece of New Mexico and found myself 190 miles away from the nearest town with about a 180 mile fuel range. It can get kind of nerve racking. I'm glad you had a fun safe journey. I can't wait to get back on the road again. You meet some iinteresting people on the road. How about you Charlie, any interesting people along the way?

I had a couple of close calls in Minnesota and South Dakota for gas. Head winds and an 80 mph speed limit play L with the point at which your reserve goes on. To have it kick if 35 miles sooner than you expected.... you can sweat bullets.

I'm not real out going so I don't meet that many people. This "Trappers Inn" I stayed in offered a really nice discount on one meal and two free drinks in their bar. The food was OK and the service was minimal. The bar was filled with some interesting locals. The gal bartender had a great sense of humor and there were a couple of young guys there talking about their trip down to Sturgis. One kid got a little mouthy with the bartender and she tossed an ice cube in his drink at 6 feet and splashed him in the face. We all laughed, including the kid. I never go to a bar. It was fun.

[nejeff]

Great story/trip Charlie, I have been following along. The fact that you can buy a $300 bike and are able to make it road worthy and do on the fly valve cover changes make it just that much sweeter!

[Charlie G]

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A few pictures of North Dakota (I think)

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The finger is a little in the way.

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If you are traveling from state to state and you need a map, always check the rest areas and visitors. Oregon, Idaho, North Dakota, Wyoming,MIchigan and Minnesota all gave me a map if I asked for one. Others may have them as well but I didn't ask. North Dakota had free Wi-Fi at their rest areas. I think this is a really good idea! Kudos North Dakota!

I liked North Dakota, well aside from the wind, the road construction and the missing 80 MPH speed limit signs. There was so much construction that all the speed limit signs were 70 mph. How soon we get spoiled. It was starting to get green. Before I knew it I was in Minnesota, Yahoo!

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At a super 8 about 25 miles west of Minneapolis, MN. I'm cutting it short for today as I have dinner guests tonight. Next day is Wisconsin to Michigan, on a Friday ....O Lord, what was I thinking! ( I wasn't)

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Bismarck,+ND/Menomonie,+WI/@45.8091001,-100.8393415,6z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x52d7831257d8e963:0xccaabd12f9bbca93!2m2!1d-100.7837392!2d46.8083268!1m5!1m1!1s0x87f87b2fb53f7d01:0xe5d3bc671a4a911!2m2!1d-91.9193422!2d44.8755183?hl=en

[1948man]

Great trip Charlie. I'm going to do that when I grow up.

[Redman]

More, Charlie, More !

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I'm cutting it short for today as I have dinner guests tonight. .)

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Am I suppose to see the "dinner guest" in the photo...?


Great Story. Great Adventure. Great Pictures.
More ! More !


Good parking lot repair story and picture.

I too have had cam cover gasket oil leak a few hundred miles from home. Just tightening some cam cover screw (that had been ignored for too long) took care of it.

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[Charlie G]

Great trip Charlie. I'm going to do that when I grow up.

Your never too old to have a happy childhood! Get out there and do it!

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/45.2954689,-93.7849773/Dowagiac,+MI/@43.2567852,-89.9188892,8.91z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-89.0699066!2d41.3398169!3s0x88095e7a6fdbe56b:0xaff0e3840b10fd76!1m5!1m1!1s0x88172f858b45eadb:0x617050bd8760d28d!2m2!1d-86.1086228!2d41.9842123!3e0?hl=en

This is roughly the route I did on a Friday. I am always concerned about traveling through big cities during rush hour, especially ones I'm not familiar with. I commuted in the San Francisco Bay area for 24 years, and live in LA early in my driving career so it's nothing new to me, just seriously concern. I was in Chicago once in 1972 with my Grandparents because my Grand mother wanted to re-experience her childhood memories of shopping at Marshall Fields(?) and we got lost. It think if I hadn't mentioned to my Grandfather that the afternoon sun was on out left (west) and if we didn't head for it we'd be in Wisconsin be fore to long. These thoughts caused me to wake at 4:30 in the morning wanting to leave as soon as possible. I was thinking I'll be hitting Minneapolis for the morning commute and Chicago for the afternoon. The free breakfast is at 6:00, so shower, pack, and check the bike. Well, let's get going and have some fun! (fool!)

Minneapolis at quarter to 7:00 is pretty nice. The traffic was pretty light by Bay Area standards and with the exception of one single lane, left hand exit for I-94 that snuck up on me (thank god there was no one behind me as I merged left!!!) Minneapolis and Minnesota have grown to mythical status over the years from listening to "Prairie Home Companion" and I was left with only kind thoughts as I found myself crossing the Mississippi river into Wisconsin. Did I mention this is my 45th state of our 50?!

Initially I really liked Wisconsin. The land along I-94 reminded me of portions of Virginia or West Virginia, with green hills, mixed with farm and forest. I was enjoying for quite a while...until all these idiotic drivers and fuel tanker trucks, who were barreling along at 80mph, 10 feet off the bumper of their fellow ee-gits vehicle, passing and weaving back an forth, with and without signals. If I left room for a Honda Civic to get in front of me a Chevy Silverado would wedge in there, and signal by taking a drink of coffee in his left hand! Worse than 405 in L.A and the 580 McArthur freeway headed to the Bay Bridge combined. Just as everyone seem to settle down from trying to clear the Interstate of me, it decided to **** like cats and dogs for a good 1/2 hour. Being the drowned rat I was , I headed for a Subway shop and gas station for lunch. I was joined by 25 other Harleys.....

After I dried out at bit, fueled up and chatted with a couple who were returning from Sturgis, each on there own Harley and headed to New York. The lady being the expert navigator of the two was convinced that deviating off I-94/90 and taking I-39 south was the best way to avoid the pending Chicago mess. I figured what the heck! Illinois here we come!

I traveled back and forth through Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and Ohio as a kid, in our military induced tours and I have some memories of what the country side is like. Let me tell you that the roads in Illinois may be wider, but they are in the same state of ill repair as they were in 1966 in one of my more memorable trips. One thing about riding a motorcycle in stop and go traffic, you really get a good look at the roads and exposed rusty rebar in the concrete bridges and overpasses. I now understand the grumblings of inapt government bureaucracies in the Chicago area, Who thought of tolls on an Interstates and then chose a $1.90 as the toll?!!!!! If you are unprepared to pay a toll and don't have money, ready it is a pain to take off gloves, get the wallet out of the jacket pocket, get that fiver out and give it to the totally bored young lady, who I tell to keep the dime as I see four dollars in dimes laying on the ground at my feet. I respectfully suggest, pay more in fuel taxes, car registration, have a bake sale but fix these roads and dump the tolls on the Interstate!

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My 46th state!!!! Am I whining too much??

[Buffalo Bill]

Good thing you did not pick up any of those discarded dimes outside the toll booth Charlie, or you may have spent the night in the Sheriff's house.

[Charlie G]

Day 7 : New Buffalo, MI to Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/New+Buffalo,+MI/MacGregor+Point+Provincial+Park,+1593+Bruce+Road+33,+Port+Elgin,+ON+N0H+2C5,+Canada/@41.1797812,-85.7738227,7.32z/data=!4m24!4m23!1m15!1m1!1s0x881104ab3abdb807:0xe2be4e7c83fc4f93!2m2!1d-86.7439154!2d41.7939302!3m4!1m2!1d-86.2546067!2d41.8011552!3s0x8816d4cae7b84223:0x1d82fa8513e2797e!3m4!1m2!1d-86.2479688!2d41.8483387!3s0x8816d54fc92494e7:0x681e85631a839bda!1m5!1m1!1s0x8829caf606886f51:0xf65b80f5b903d77a!2m2!1d-81.4479022!2d44.4107078!3e0

My bike Saturday morning when I woke up.

I had many reasons to come through Michigan on my way to Canada. I wanted to meet some GS'ers along the way and Buffalo Bill and Redman are frequent posters and it made sense to try. It didn't work out that Redman and I would connect but I thoroughly enjoyed this state. About 40 miles Northeast of New Buffalo, which as Bill pointed out, is a town of Dowagiac, which some of my forefather settled in the late 1840's. Being interested in genealogy and history it seemed a natural to visit these graves of my 3 and 4th great parents. I know many people will glaze over here with disinterest, please excuse me please.....
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My third great Grand mother( Emily W Hastings Stebbins, who moved here from Utica, NY. Here is the composer link Allie...her uncle wrote the music to the version of "Rock of Ages" we sing in the US.

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Sarah Delevan Stebbins, my 4th great grandmother, wife of Lewis Stebbins. The youngest child of a French Huguenot who served in the American Revolution as a Major. She once refused to go the her church because she knew her pastor was a "Tory". Love a spunky woman! Her father is buried in Patterson, NY. I've found his grave and plan on one visiting it someday.

Buffalo Bill rode with me to the town of Dowagiac from his house in New Buffalo. Once again it was nice to meet someone in person I seen post on the forum over the years. I was fearful of all the "Yard Sale Folks" out that day searching for that bargain. Cheers Bill!

From here I was headed to the town of Port Huron and the border on Ontario, Canada. Once I hit the Interstate the traffic was great and the was clear. Weather sunny, mixed with serious clouds.

I've got a bit more to post on this leg and will try to post it later today.

[Buffalo Bill]

Visiting the church yard would have been interesting for me, but I figured You'd start to blubber and embarrass me. (HA!!)
Fact is riding my bicycle and motorcycle around rural Berrien County I've found many-many small, tiny and family grave yards.
Always interesting reading the dates and names.

[dorkburger]

Glaze over with disinterest? ..... I enjoy wandering old cemeteries. I find them very interesting.

[Charlie G]

Glaze over with disinterest? ..... I enjoy wandering old cemeteries. I find them very interesting.

Careful, I may knock on your door next time and ask you to show me the way to a Florham Park cemetery....... (thank you )

The trip to Port Huron was pretty uneventful and I stopped about 15 miles from the border to text my niece to give her an idea of where I was. While I was at this gas station, a turquois 58 Chevy pulled with a decked out Bride and Groom. They sat there for the longest time, 20 minutes or so while I texted, checked my oil and ate a piece of pizza. I should have asked them if I could have taken a picture. My favorite Chevy and color of that era. The clouds were looking threatening but I was confident I'd be fine. I zipped on to the toll booth. $3.00 US or $4.00 Ca. Make a note Illinois, not $3.90 or $2.90...even dollars! Now the bridge here has quite an arch to it. There are maybe 4 lanes to this structure and as I climb , there is a sudden cross wind, begins to rain and hail as I reach the top rise. I think to myself, "Welcome to Canada!" The border controls are pleasant but basic, "You got any GUNS?" No ....I told them I had a bottle of Scotch and was repatriating a bottle of Crown Royal, but no matter. It's raining pretty good still when I leave the toll both and I think now what? I can't see my map, as my tank bag has it's rain cover over it, so I pull off at an exit 5 miles or so up the road. I look at it , talk to a fellow from Barrie with a truck and a horse trailer who assures me Hwy 21 and my turn is just up the road. It get to and exit that states HWY 21, but when I get off the signage at the stop sign tells me 21 is to the right and 58? to the left. Raining still and go to a gas station that is just to the right of the stop sign. The East Indian fellow assures me Hwy 21 is to the left as well so I head out.....When I was at the gas station checking oil, texting and eating pizza I thought I'd be at the cottage in a couple of hours....no!....between heavy and light rain there were periods of calm, 80 KPH straight highway with newish pavement and very few cars in sight. Windmills every where along this route. Everywhere tall , slowly rotating, giant symbols of the future, sprouting in corn fields into the horizon. At one point a massive network of power lines crossed the highway, and I thought "these aren't from the windmills! Must be a nuclear plant to the west on the shore of Lake Huron, yep.

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Along HWY 21 to Port Elgin

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It looked pretty dramatic through a tinted visor, maybe mot now....

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This was a very humid day by anyone's standards and I learned a lot driving this road in the rain. A visor slightly open keeps the condensation away pretty good. My rain gear works good but with the humidity who cares! Four hours after seeing the 58 Chevy, riding on 80 KPH roads, this drowned rat arrived to my family watching the Olympics and snacking on goodies. Cheers!

[dorkburger]

Ominous clouds......
Florham Park is North of me. I just looked the cemetery up. Nothing by that name, but there are several cemeteries and churches shown (Google) in the area. A bit of an interesting area with pockets of affluent neighborhoods stuffed in around major highways. I'd be happy to go, but in truth we would be exploring together....I can easily get to the area though.

[Charlie G]

Ominous clouds......
Florham Park is North of me. I just looked the cemetery up. Nothing by that name, but there are several cemeteries and churches shown (Google) in the area. A bit of an interesting area with pockets of affluent neighborhoods stuffed in around major highways. I'd be happy to go, but in truth we would be exploring together....I can easily get to the area though.

I have 18 century forefathers buried in/near Florham Park. Someday when I find out where, I'll fly /ride out , catch Delaware and Rhode Island to make 48 states and look in old Hoppingtown for Hoppings

[dorkburger]

Cool. I'm here.