Road Trip #6 Day 4 - The road home

September 5, 2011
Colorado, USA

Today was get on home day. After saying our good-byes to our excellent host and hostess at the Greybull Motel and so long to the Vets that were stirring early, we rolled out of Greybull about 8:30 am. It was chilly but sunny. We took a back road called first the Greybull River Road and then the Lower Greybull Road (recommended by our host) to travel through the small town of Meteetsee where there is allegedly a small bar with good food. This was a pleasant drive following a river through farmlands. When we arrived at Meteetsee we were diverted around town because of a Labor Day Parade. We decided to ride on and seek breakfast a little further down the road.

We gassed up in Thermopolis and found breakfast at the Lil Wrangler Restaurant. It was a fairly long wait because one of the waitresses had up and quit that morning and the just-out-of-surgery-hostess and a boyfriend were filling in. We enjoyed our coffee which they kept coming and when the food finally arrived it was hot, plentiful and tasty. What more can you expect out of breakfast?

Riding the beautiful Wind River Canyon

By the time we walked out of the restaurant the chill was out of the air. We wisely decided to keep our jackets on until we reached the other end of the Wind River Canyon. What a great ride!

We remarked again about how the little town of Shoshoni had changed, being all but dried up. The dusty Main street looks like a ghost town with weeds growing in the cracks of what is left of the asphalt, doors hanging off hinges and windows with no glass. We wondered if the malt shop had set up house elsewhere in town.

Traveling on, we stopped at the rest area between Shoshoni and Casper and peeled out of long sleeves, happy to ride warm the rest of the day. It was a long haul to get home so we did not linger. We stopped for gas in Wheatland and indulged ourselves with pie and ice cream at the Wheatland Inn which just happens to sit next door to the Shell station.

For once the weather cooperated on our ride out of Wyoming. We expect the weather to change about Wheatland, for certain at Chugwater but today is was clear sailing under sunny skies all the way in. We had winds of course, but that's normal. It is Wyoming.

Terry Lake - just a few miles from home

We rolled in about 7 pm, unloaded The Ride, checked in with the Folks in Texas and the neighbors and found we had plenty of time to enjoy a beer and a Mikes on the patio. Yep, the grass needs mowing and the garden needs picking but that will all keep until tomorrow or the next day.

Todays ride = 470 miles. Total road trip = 1361 miles.
Total Ultra mileage = 28461 miles

Slide show of the ride home from Wyoming (48 photos)

This is the last road trip of 2011. As usual at the end of a summer, especially since we got a Harley - we are out of vacation and money. Ha! We have had some great rides this year, but now it is time to enjoy what we hope is a long Indian Summer nearer to home and when cold weather does settle in, we will spend that time planning next year's rides.

I shot video on all our road trips this year - stay tuned for the mini-movies - coming soon. :)

Road Trip #6 Day 3 Medicine Wheel Passage and Shell Falls

September 4, 2011
Colorado, USA

Greybull, WY -- When we started this Labor Day weekend road trip, Alternate Highway 14 (between Lovell and junction of Hwy 14) otherwise known as the Medicine Wheel Passage is the road we intended to ride. We missed riding this scenic route last year on our way home from the Glacier National Park road trip because of severe storms.

We rolled out of Greybull after topping off the tank and stashing a few convenience store snacks and a thermos of hot coffee in the saddle bags. We travelled north on WY Hwy 310 across the Big Horn Basin and made a quick tour of the main drag in Lovell WY noting some interesting art deco architecture and a great patriotic mural in Veterans Park. Outside of Lovell, WY we rode east on Hwy 14 and traveled over an awesome bridge crossing Bighorn Lake. Keep in mind, we are easily entertained but we thought it was fun. Once across the bridge the road gained elevation fast via several switchbacks through what is known as the Big Horn Canyon. The payoff at the summit was a view of the Big Horn Basin from a vantage point of over 9000 feet in elevation. Our impression of this road was it was a great, easy ride with some kool switchbacks through alpine terrain but mostly we were thinking it was just too damn cold. High and cold. It crossed my sissy-mind at one point to break out the rain gear but the Texas-girl in me said tough it out. We did not stop at the Medicine Wheel this time as it sits a good way off the road and it is a walk-in from the parking area. Needless to say, we were not interested in an alpine hike this day.

Slide show Medicine Wheel Scenic Byway, Hwy Alt 14, WY (62 photos):

Medicine Wheel Highway

We were happy when we arrived at the junction of Alternate Highway 14 and Highway 14 which meant we could begin our descent to Greybull and hopefully warmer riding. We were soon upon Shell Falls and ready to stretch our legs. It was well past brunch-time so we took this opportunity to sample our convenience store donuts and thermos coffee.

Shell Falls is quite lovely and sits just off the road. The walk ways allow for great viewing and facilities include a gift shop and restrooms. The falls has about 120 foot drop. We took our time and enjoyed strolling in the sun and snapping a few pics.

Vik at Shell Falls, WY

Tim at Shell Falls, WY

The limestone formation known as Copman's Tomb

The drive through Shell Canyon was spectacular. We have driven this stretch of road before many years ago but as with most roads - it was far better on a motorcycle. The day was warm, the sun bright and rabbit brush was blooming in a riot of yellow alongside the road. The Precambrian granite/sandstone walls of the canyon loomed large as we rode along. From just about any point along the road a massive limestone promontory can be seen. It is known as Copman's Tomb. Legend has it that a young ranch hand named Copman once dreamed of building a glider which he thought to launch from that promontory. Copman, being well ahead of his time never realized the fruition of his ambition. Keeping faith with his dream he asked at the end of his days that his remains be flung from a glider near that point. This too, never happened but the formation became known as Copman's Tomb in local folklore.

Near the end of Shell Canyon, in a dusty little spot off the side of the road sits a hamburger joint and country store called Dirty Annies. We peeled out of our layers of clothing because it was now officially hot. Having decided yesterday we would not eat out in Greybull again Dirty Annies seemed like a fine alternative to PB&J. We found a small table in the cozy (ok maybe cramped is a better word) dining room and swatted at flies while we waited on a burger for Tim and a BLT for me. Our milk shakes (that's what they called them) were more like grainy malts. I asked for water and should have specified bottled water. Ack! Just an average meal, nothing fancy. I am smiling as I write this. The burger was ok, the BLT was ok. Notice the lack of caps in OK. I am glad I got chips with my sandwich and not fries and was happy to share what posed as an onion ring with Tim. I do not believe I have ever said or done such a thing in the past. It's not hard to ruin fries or onion rings I guess if they come from a freezer bag. Ha! Take note here - the meal at Dirty Annies trumped the meals of the two prior evenings - just barely. After our meal, we roamed through the country store part but there didn't appear to be anything we needed among the dusty, dated offerings. No, I am not complaining, just amused and not all that surprised - this is backwoods Wyoming after all. We enjoyed looking at the vintage sheep wagon on the property complete with cast iron stove and tried to imagine what it was like to lug or herd that thing over rough terrain.

On our way into Greybull we stopped at an antique store we had noticed was finally open. Here again, we didn't find anything we thought should come home with us but it was an interesting collection of mostly late 19th century - uh - junk. The owner was friendly and freely shared a few quirky Greybull tourist stories.

The motel was a welcome sight and we chatted with our host for a little while. He showed us their lovely private garden and we talked about our rides and thanked him for pointing us in the right direction. There are several more scenic points we will make a point to see next time we are up that way. We kicked back soon after with a couple of beers at the little table in front of our motel room until dark-thirty and talked about what we had seen along the 140 miles of road we traveled today.

Slide show of Shell Falls - Hwy 14, WY (71 photos):

Road Trip #6 Day 2 Chief Joseph Byway and Beartooth Pass WY/MT

September 3, 2011
Colorado, USA

Greybull, WY -- The ride this morning on Hwy 14 to Cody, Wyoming was as one would expect a Wyoming ride to be - long and flatter than flat. What was most surprising is it was damn cold. Too damn cold for denim jackets anyway. About twenty miles out Tim is cussing the fact that I let him talk me out of packing the leathers - just in case. So, we rolled into Cody and found the Walmart where sissy-boy Tim purchased a hoody and since there was no hoody in my size I settled on a stocking cap and decided to tough it out.

Cody is a neat little tourist town. We liked it. We rode back along the main drag passing small gotcha shops, saloons and Buffalo Bill's Irma Hotel all the while looking for breakfast. We found a great breakfast at a family restaurant called Granny's which was packed with both locals and tourists. We didn't wait long for a table and two cups of coffee appeared in front of us before we could slide out of our jackets. Our waitress was an older woman full of good humor, friendly and efficient. We ordered a hearty breakfast knowing Wyoming as we do, that it was not likely we would find restaurants along our ride today. Eggs, pancakes, hash browns and bacon served up hot and cooked exactly to order arrived fast. We liked Granny's and will return when we are in that neck of the woods again.

We topped the tank off and rolled out of Cody after breakfast heading out on Hwy 120 looking for the Chief Joseph Highway. What a beautiful ride! The view from the summit of Dead Indian Pass (elevation 8048) was stunning. The history of the Nez Perce Indians and their struggle against the inevitable domination by the white man is as interesting as the landscape giving meaning to the ground we were standing on. And, yes - it was still cold. But making up for it was the 47 miles or so of road being one switchback after another which was more fun than a roller coaster - woo-hoo! Tim and I agree the engineer of this road had to be a biker. This ride is nothing but eye candy with spectacular views of rugged mountains, craggy cliffs, and crystal blue mountain lakes around every curve - lots and lots of curves. Did I say woo-hoo!

Slide show for Chief Joseph Scenic Byway WY (55 photos):

At the end of the Chief Joseph Highway we turned onto Bear Tooth Highway. We had no idea when we started out this morning what a spectacular day of riding this would be. The Beartooth Highway (highest elevation paved highway in the Northern Rocky Mountains) winds through the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains revealing high alpine plateaus with snow fields and glaciers, countless glacial lakes, miles and miles of forest and lush valleys and waterfalls cascading over high cliffs. Our temps averaged 37 degrees as we traveled Bear Tooth Pass (elevation 10,947 feet). Did I mention it was cold? And do you think we cared? No, we were having too much fun.

Shortly after starting out on the Bear Tooth highway we encountered !!&*%(*%*^%$!! road construction and as is typical in Wyoming the road was down to dirt and bedrock. Several inches of loose gravel and dirt made for treacherous going. We had gone about a quarter of a mile when we saw a water truck headed our way. We were thinking great, let's add a shower and mud to the mix...next we would be riding as icicles but the water truck guy stopped, pulled over and let us pass with a friendly wave. We met the water truck guy later at a visitor center. He was hanging out beside the ride, said he noticed our plates and told us he was a biker, up from Colorado Springs working on the road crew for the summer.

Bear Tooth Highway - check out the road below the Rock Creek Vista Point Lookout (elevation 9190 feet)

Glacial Lakes and snow all along the Bear Tooth Highway

The Bear Tooth Highway is 60 plus miles of pure OMG (Oh My God) highway. We have OMG highways in Colorado but I believe this day of riding would match and outdo any one of them. We rode into Red Lodge Wyoming with big ol' smiles on our faces. Did I say woo-hoo? Our host at the Greybull motel recommended riding back the same way we had just ridden but it was late in the day and we realized that doing as he advised would put us riding part of that road at night. With temps already in the mid-30s we decided against that and chose to ride the lower, warmer, flatter route back through Cody and on to Greybull. This route took us through Bearcreek, Montana where the buildings of Washoe Mining Camp, a ghost town line the sides of the road.

Once back in Greybull we parked The Ride, said howdy to the Vets who were already congregating outside and then strolled off in search of food. We found a poor excuse for food at a Pizza place downtown not far from Lisa's where we dined last night. Afterwards, we decided we might have done better with peanut butter and jelly from the grocery store. We decided to find food before we ride back in tomorrow or PB&J it is.

We spent some time this evening visiting with the Vets and listening to their stories and laughing as they poked fun at each other. They offered drinks (whiskey) but being lightweights, we stuck with our beer. What a fun group.

Now we are ensconced in our cozy room and ready to call an end to an amazing day and 298 miles of oh my God highway -- all those switchbacks - wow!

Slide show of Bear Tooth Highway and Pass WY/MT (100 photos):

Road Trip #6 - Day 1 - North to Wyoming and Wind River Canyon

September 2, 2011
Colorado, USA

Greybull, WY -- This morning, about 8:30 am, we rolled north out from under some clouds hanging low and dark over the foothills. Tim pointed out the odometer was sitting at exactly 27,100 miles. Normally, we will roll south or west but there is rain in the New Mexico forecast, it is still too durn hot in Texas and Oklahoma and we just spent nine days riding in the Colorado's southwest corner. The Wyoming forecast is sunny and warm so, here we are sitting in a cozy little motel in Greybull, WY.

It was jacket weather riding out but we ran out from under the clouds not long after we crossed the Wyoming border. First stop was for fuel and breakfast in Wheatland, WY. We had a great breakfast at the Wheatland Inn (right next door to the Shell). When was the last time you had a breakfast special (2 eggs/bacon/hash browns/short stack) priced at $3.99? Add a couple (ok several) cups of rich, black coffee and color us fat and sassy and ready to ride on.

We stayed on I-25 through Casper, then travelled Hwy 26 the long, long, long, hot, hot, hot 100 miles across no-mans-land Wyoming to Shoshoni where we turned north on Hwy 20. It has been several years since we have been through these parts. We were surprised to see the deterioration of the small town of Shoshoni. We had planned on stopping at a historic malt shop that was once very popular, but the building where it was located is deserted. Rats!

The best part about turning north in central Wyoming is the ride through the Wind River Canyon. The canyon drive is about 35 miles or so and runs through the edge of the Wind River Indian Reservation and Boysen State Park skirting the edge of the Boysen Reservoir. The canyon walls loom over 2000 feet above the road. Interpretive signage all along the way points out the geology of the area, many of the rock formations from the Precambrian period (some of the oldest rock formations in the world). The road runs beside the Wind River until near the end of the canyon where we get the Wedding of the Rivers as it joins the Bighorn River.
Vik - Wind River Canyon, WY

Wind River Canyon Ride -2011

Thermopolis, WY is home to the world’s largest mineral hot springs. The state park is worth the stop, but we have seen it before and decided to ride on through this time. Upon arrival in Greybull, WY we cruised the main drag before rolling into the charming Greybull Motel where we have secured a nice room. I had read the reviews online about this motel and knew this was likely the place we would stay. The hosts are friendly. The walks in front of the rooms are lined with beautiful flowers. There are several sheltered picnic tables and lots of cozy spots to relax. The room is clean and neat. We have booked a couple more days here.

The owner of the motel recommended a restaurant within walking distance so we took a short stroll to Lisa's Western Cuisine and Spirits. We stepped in, but it seemed a bit stuffy inside so we chose a table on the patio and ordered a couple of Ultras. The food was a bit pricey, we thought. Tim says his steak was OK, but rather small and he liked the sauce. I ordered the special (chicken and pasta). The Young and somewhat snooty waitress said it was not a special it was a feature. La-tee-dah! The pasta was OK, the chicken - mostly rubber, so I have to agree with her -- there was certainly nothing "special" about my $18 "feature". Ha! The atmosphere was simply buzzing. I think Lisa's should invest in citronella candles or install something to move the air - flies were a nuisance.

After dinner, we strolled down the all but deserted streets of sleepy little Greybull, listened to a man broadcasting his own music across quiet main street from a swap shop (he was pretty good) and picked up some beer and snacks at a convenience store. We met a group of Vietnam Veterans staying at the same motel and talked over a couple of beers at a cozy table near our room about our ride tomorrow. The owner of the motel is a motorcycle rider... he recommended a ride to Cody, Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (both of these we already had in mind) and the Beartooth Scenic Byway.

Today's ride was 440 miles... looking forward to tomorrow... yawn!

Slide show of today's ride to Wyoming (76 photos):

Road Trip #5 - Day 9 The ride home through Snowy Range, WY

August 27, 2011
Colorado, USA

Day nine found us within a day trip's distance to home so we decided to head in that general direction. We rolled out of Meeker about mid-morning in no particular hurry. We rolled lazily north on Hwy 13 to Craig where we topped off the tank and found breakfast at The Village Inn.

After breakfast, we continued north on Hwy 13 and traveled out of the state into Wyoming. In Baggs, WY we turned east on Hwy 70. Something about this route bugged me. About 30 miles out or so I remembered rather abruptly why when we ran upon a caution sign - one lane road ahead. Hwy 70 in Wyoming made the news back in May when about 600 foot of highway collapsed in a landslide. Repairs have proved difficult, obviously, since it doesn't appear much has been done. It was sort of a HS moment when we rolled over the nasty one lane part wondering what was holding the rest of the road in place. (Sorry - didn't have the camera handy enough as we rode by.)

We picked up Hwy 130 north of Riverside and rode east over the Snowy Range which is part of the Medicine Bow Mountains. This is a great scenic ride, much of it traveling through the Medicine Bow Forest and past rugged, jagged peaks, crystal painter's lakes and alpine meadows blooming with wildflowers. It can snow here any time of the year. It is usually chilly and damp and so it was today. We pulled on our jackets at one pulloff near Battle Pass (elevation 9955) and continued on.

Alpine Lake - Snowy Range, WY

As we rolled up on the jagged part of the mountain range popular with tourists we pulled into a small, secluded picnic area we have used before. Tim dug the thermos out of the saddle bag and announced the coffee was still warm enough to drink. We munched on animal crackers, m&m's and sipped coffee. Before long a couple of Gray Jays, better known as Robber Jays started working our table. They are beautiful birds and fun to watch. They made off with a good portion of our cookie stash. (I shot some video of the stinkers - will get that up soon.)

Snowy Range, WY - Medicine Bow Mountains

We had thunder and the clouds started spitting on us as we fed the last of our cookies to the Robber Jays. Time to go. We managed to ride out from under the rain clouds but the skies remained iffy all the way home. We picked up Hwy 287 in Laramie and rode south to Fort Collins. Much to the amazement of our neighbors, we managed to roll in dry in between thunder storms.

Slide show of today's ride home through Snowy Range, WY (92 photos):

Today's mileage = 355 miles
Ending mileage 27001 (for real - we rolled over 27,000 about two blocks from the house).

It was a great road trip, one we are sorry to see end... but I can betcha by the time we get around to drinking that second pot of coffee in the morning, we'll have the road map out figuring out where we will ride next weekend.

Road Trip Recap
Day 1 - Fort Collins to Colorado Springs to Veterans Rally in Cripple Creek and back to Colorado Springs
Day 2 - Colorado Springs to Woodland Park POW-MIA Recognition Ride to Veterans Rally in Cripple Creek and back to Colorado Springs
Day 3 - Colorado Springs to Cortez, CO
Day 4 - Mesa Verde Ride, Indian Dances in Cortez
Day 5 - San Juan Scenic Skyway Ride - Cortez to Durango to Silverton (Million Dollar Highway) to Ouray to Ridgway to Telluride to Dolores and back to Cortez
Day 6 - Cortez to Gunnison via Wolf Creek Pass and Silver Thread Hwy
Day 7 - Gunnison to Crested Butte, back to Gunnison to Blue Mesa Reservoir and north Rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison to Grand Junction
Day 8 - Grand Mesa Ride, Rim Rock Ride of Colorado National Monument, to Rifle to Meeker CO
Day 9 - Meeker Co to Craig Co to Baggs WY to Snowy Range WY to Laramie and home to Fort Collins CO

Nine days, 2187 miles, 1 rally (Salute to American Veterans Rally), 1 organized ride (POW-MIA Recognition Ride), 12 passes, (Ute Pass, Wilkerson Pass, Trout Creek Pass, Poncha Pass, Wolf Creek Pass x2, Coal Bank Pass, Red Mountain Pass, Lizard Head Pass, Spring Creek Pass, Slumgullion Pass, Battle Pass, WY) 3 divides, (Continental Divide (several times), Molas Divide, Dallas Divide), 2 mesas (Mesa Verde, Grand Mesa) and too many canyons, lakes and mountains to name -- plus 4 new friends. Wooooooo! Hooooooooooooooooo!

Breakfast in Laramie Wyoming Ride

June 28, 2009
Sunday
Fort Collins, CO

Tim is working a regular shift this Sunday because of the impending holiday. The sunshine was hard, check that - impossible to resist this morning so by 9:30 am we were on the Harley and in search of breakfast. We found breakfast about 68 miles north of here in Laramie, Wyoming.

It is a rare day to ride this particular road without encountering high winds. It is Wyoming, meaning it is a rare day when the wind doesn't blow - or howl. We made it almost to the state line before we picked winds up this trip in. As we rode through town, we noticed it was busier than usual for a Sunday morning. It looked like they were setting up for some sort of festival. We rode on to Shari's Restaurant for coffee and - you guessed it - a cinnamon roll. Shari's cinnamon rolls are large and drenched in a caramel pecan topping. YUM!

We noticed a couple of old Army vehicles in town. Odd. Before riding back to Fort Collins, we stopped at a Shell station just off I-80 for gas. We talked to a couple there on Harleys, the Ultra was pulling a trailer. They were from North Carolina. she was wearing a USMC sweater and flying what looked like a Marine flag. They were headed to Oregon on a 6000 mile vacation. Wow - does that sound like fun or what?

On the road again, it wasn't long before we spotted an Army convoy. That's what all the activity in Laramie was about I'm guessing - a welcome home for the boys! If Tim wasn't due to work today, we would have turned around and followed them back into town. We waved and got quite a response.

The rest of the ride in was fairly uneventful. The winds gave Tim a devil of a time with his do-rag and he finally just took it off and rode the rest of the way in without it. We enjoyed our 136 mile breakfast ride.

A few pics follow and a video of the army convoy...

Saturday Wyoming Ride

September 27, 2008
Fort Collins, CO

About mid-morning we hopped on The Ride with a loose bearing of heading north-west in mind. We thought it might be a fine day for a ride up the Poudre Canyon or maybe Wyoming. As we suited up we noted that the day was somewhat overcast. Clear skies was the forecast. We were thinking the weather man missed on his predictions. We took them along, but chose not to wear our leather jackets, a fact we somewhat regretted a few miles out as the morning stayed gray and chilly.

Poudre Canyon is a ride up in elevation so we opted for Laramie which is also a ride up in elevation but it is also across flat lands. We got weak sunshine and a southerly wind on our backs about halfway to Laramie, but it was a nice ride.

Just inside the city limits is an indoor flea market called Bart's, so we stopped to stretch our legs and look through the booths. Tim found a Marcrest plate in remarkable condition for our collection. They wrapped it well and we slipped it into one of the saddle bags and cushioned it with the bike's dust cover. It made the trip home in one piece.

We were hungry! So we rode the streets of town, looking the restaurants over, filled up with gas and rode back to a restaurant called Shari's situated on 3rd Street in the same parking lot as the Hastings book store where we sheltered a few weeks back during a downpour. Neither one of us ever remember seeing it. We were delighted with the food and the coffee at Shari's which we discovered is a chain restaurant in the northwest. We both had a bowl of baked potato soup - very good! then, Tim had a colossal burger (man was it!) and I had chicken and dumplings.

After lunch, we took a look at the clouds building over the valley we just came through and decided against going back the way we came. We know all too well how quickly the skies can change in Wyoming. We rode east on I-80 to Cheyenne. That southerly wind that was on our backs the trip up was now a stout broadside wind. The gusts nearly took our heads off time and again. The few pics I took along the way didn't turn out well, too much wind to hold your hand up and steady.

By the time we reached Cheyenne, we were ready for a rest and a stretch of the legs and another sip of coffee. We had coffee in a thermos in the saddle bags so we stopped at Holliday Park. There, we were delighted to see hundreds of Canadian geese around the little lake. There was a large domestic gray goose and several domestic white geese and ducks as well. We fed the geese animal crackers, which is the only snack we had with us suitable for them.

A couple of miles on down the road we found Maverick Motorsports, the local Harley-Davidson dealership and some. We stopped to browse the bikes and the clothing. Tim bought a throttle rest to go on The Ride. Afterwards, we decided the wind might not be as bad on Hwy 85 as on I-25 going home so that's the route we took. Basically doing the trip the way we had a few weeks ago, only in reverse. We stopped one more time in Ault to stretch our legs and rolled into Fort Collins about 5 pm.

We spent the evening on the patio with a beer and a fire in the chiminea, talking about the fun we had on our ride today.

Total mileage = 196 miles.

First Two-Up Trip Colorado-Wyoming

August 31, 2008
Fort Collins, CO

Tim and I pulled out and headed east Sunday morning to echo the trip he made solo in August. This time I had no qualms about climbing on the back of Tim's Harley-Davidson Softtail Heritage. A few miles out I found my comfort zone and began to enjoy the ride.

East of Fort Collins is farm and ranch land. The landscape is dotted with corn fields and farm houses and tiny towns. Some of the towns are sprouting sub-divisions (bedroom communities) that look out of place. The farther north you get, the less you see of that sort of encroachment. The view east is of wide open spaces, the view west is a panoramic view of the Rockies.

We made the first leg of the trip without stopping until we got to our favorite donut hole in Cheyenne, Wyoming. We stretched our legs, downed some coffee and headed west across Interstate Hwy 80. I got my first ride at 75 mph. Can you see me smiling? And 80+ mph when we passed diesels (another first). We stopped at a rest stop between Cheyenne and Laramie for another sip of coffee and to take a few pics of the Lincoln Highway (I-80) Memorial.

Those were the first and last pics of the day. Storm clouds appeared on the horizon and gathered steam rather quickly as we know all too well they can do in Wyoming. We picked up some rain just outside of Laramie, where we stopped for gas. The rain broke for a few minutes, but from the looks of the sky and the rumble of thunder, we knew it wasn't over. We made the decision to head downtown, looking for a cafe, but we immediately got soft hail and it was raining so hard we pulled in the Hastings/K-mart parking lot (we've been there before), parked the bike and found a dry place in the book store. We had a cup of coffee in the book store cafe while the skies dumped. I called the folks to let them know where we were and told them if the rain did not let up, we would find a motel and spend the night. We weren't the only bikers seeking shelter. We looked sort of odd roaming the isles of the book store in leathers.

At one point, the rain let up for a few minutes. We dashed out to try and make a quick break but it came another downpour before we could get our helmets fastened. This time we sheltered in K-Mart. After a little while, we saw a break in the clouds. We decided we would either head on out of town or if it came another downpour, find a cafe (we were getting sorta hungry) and maybe a motel. As it happens, we headed on out. We were damp and a bit chilly and the horizon looked somewhat forboding. Luckily, we rode up under a break in the clouds and managed to stay in between squalls. We stopped once on the 60 + mile trip home at a rest stop.

We rolled into Fort Collins, tired but exhilirated. The trip was 195 miles from start to finish.