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Our summer Vacation 2012.
The plan: 6 weeks to ride the Tri-Glide through all of the states east of the Mississippi that we had not ridden it in on our 2010 vacation and repeat some of the previous states to visit friends, visit some historic sites, ride the Tail of the Dragon, Cherohala Skyway, BRP, and the Snake. We did not make any motel reservations, we just planned to ride till we decided to stop and then find a motel to stay in. We left Friday the first of June, we headed north out of Yuma to get out of the desert prior to it getting to hot. So off toward the mountains headed toward highway 89A. We went through the town of Hope, Az. As we were leaving Hope we stopped to take a picture of this sign outside of town.
The one thing I didn't realize at the time was that it was a premonition. We then wound up in Congress, Az. and what else would you expect to see in Congress than this.
The most scenic part of the day was riding 89A from Prescott to Flagstaff. We had a great ride to Tuba City, Az. the first day. The next morning we left Tuba City and stopped in Kenyatta to gas up and have a cold drink and smoke. While we were relaxing some one decided that they needed our bungee cord holding our cooler and our bag with toiletries, directions, and the wife’s glasses. Fortunately we noticed the bungee cord was missing and I had some cord in the tour pack and used it to tie the bags down. The wife’s HD head set was acting up, no audio in one ear speaker and distorted audio in the other. Also the head sets cause your ears to hurt, the person who designed them should be forced to wear them all day every day for 5 weeks minimum. Near Pagosa Springs Co. we saw the largest beaver we have ever seen, crossing the highway. Arrived in Alamosa, Co. that evening, another great day of riding.
Next morning loaded up, pulled out of the motel parking lot, and started down the road, when shifting to third gear the motorcycle dies prior to releasing the clutch. I went ahead and released the clutch hoping it would restart but it didn't start, so I pulled the clutch back in and coasted into another motels parking lot. Would turn over but not fire, like it wasn't getting any gas. Sunday is not a good day to have your motorcycle break since few if any HD dealers have service departments open on Sunday. The nearest dealer was Pueblo Co. and their service dept is also closed on Monday but the dealership is open on Monday, so we arranged to have Roadside Assistance pick us up on Monday to take the Triglide and us to Pueblo.
We were fortunate to get a break on the cost of a motel room within walking distance of the Outpost Harley Davidson Dealer. Tuesday morning walk to Outpost HD to get with the service dept. guys so they could get started. Bought T-shirts as I always get t-shirts from dealers we've done business with, would have bought a replacement head set for the wife but they did not have one. The dealer did not appear to be making much progress on the trike by 9:30 so we walked back to the hotel and arranged to stay another night due to their 10:30 check out time. Walked back to the dealer about 11:30 and it was fixed and ready to go. Apparently a clip that holds the fuel line to the fuel pump had broken. They said that it was part of the fuel pump assembly and that they were able to scavenge one and only charged me for 1 hour of labor, They even cleaned the bugs and road grime off of the Tri-Glide.
Wednesday we left Pueblo and headed south to New Mexico. We saw prong horn Antelope in Colorado and New Mexico and a couple must have lost there way and entered Oklahoma, because we only saw 2 in Oklahoma shortly after crossing the border into the state. Apparently we went through a travel warp starting that day because we found our selves going through Haiti and Des Moines while traveling through New Mexico. Then we got to Oklahoma and a town named Felt, in Oklahoma! And then we continued on through Moscow in Kansas.
When we got to Meade Kansas figured it was time to find a place to stay but there were no motel rooms available, same in Minneola, didn't see any motels in Bloom or Kingsdown so on to Bucklin. Pull into a Best Western and no rooms available, go back outside and the bags are missing from the tour pack rack, the cord had come untied. I looked back toward where we pulled in and see the cooler bag laying in the turn-in from the road into the Best Western parking lot. I looked up the road and cannot see the other bag. So back the way we came to try to find the missing bag. I remembered it being there when we stopped in Minneola so we headed back, watching along the side of the road all the way. Got there and no bag along the way. Gas tank is almost empty and guess what, the power lines for the town had gone down and there was no electricity and they had no idea when it would be back on. The bike indicated it had 34 miles worth of gas and Dodge City was 22 miles to the north, so off to Dodge City, hopefully we can get a motel room there. The only room we could find was a 2 bed room Suite on the outskirts of town, fortunately they gave us a break on the cost.
Thursday we headed back to Minneola and retraced our ride to Bucklin looking for the lost bag. Never saw it. Spent Thursday night in Neosho Mo. Removed the gulf coast states from the trip plan due to the hurricane that was hitting the gulf coast states. Friday headed to Springfield Mo. to Denney's Harley Davidson. Bertha (My GPS's name, because she is obviously one of the B-tt Sisters) told us that Denney's HD was located across the street from it's actual location, ain’t technology grand. GREAT They have a replacement head set for the wife’s not working worth a darn head set. Had to buy T-shirts. On to Jackson Tn. To stay Friday night. Saturday on to Maryville Tn. Now my head set stops working so we stop at Boswells HD in Cookeville Tn. to replace it, wanted to get t-shirts but there is no more space to pack any thing on the Tri-Glide so we will order from them once we get home.
Check into the 411 Motel in Maryville (Would not recommend staying there, not to good) watch the news and it is suppose to start raining that night and continue for 3 days because the hurricane is pushing on north. Well so much for riding the Tail of the Dragon, Cherohala Skyway, BRP, and the Snake since they are dangerous enough in good weather, I don't think we would enjoy riding them in the rain and vacation is suppose to be enjoyable.
Sunday morning off to Luray Va. we get to ride half of the day in the rain heading to Luray. Thinking that we could ride part of the Skyline Drive Monday morning and then tour the caverns in the afternoon. Watch the news that night and it is suppose to start raining about 11:00 AM or 12:00. So much for the Skyline Drive morning ride, we want to get to the caverns and then get on down the road ahead of this darn rain.
Monday we tour the Luray Caverns, really nice.
Pretty Fancy entry for a cavern.
That's us in the cavern.
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Re: Our summer Vacation 2012.
Thanks, some of the pictures remind me allot of parts of Wyoming!