CDN Miracle Miles

Today was another hot and humid day.  We took some down time to do some laundry and map out our next few days travels after we leave Nashville.

 We had called yesterday to make reservations for a bus tour entitled “Discover Nashville”.  The bus picked us up at 1pm and dropped us off at 5:30.  What a great way to see Nashville.  We enjoyed seeing some famous landmarks:  Historic Downtown, Riverfront Park, Fort Nashborough, the State Capital, Bicentennial Mall, the Parthenon, Vanderbilt University, Printers Alley and Music Row including historic Studio B.  We took guided tours through the Historic Ryman Auditorium (known as the “Mother Church of County Music”) and the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum.  Both of these tours could keep you busy for a full day, there was so much to see and learn.  At the Ryman we had our photo taken on the Opry’s most famous stage (see awesome pic).  By the way the “Grand Old Opry” is now back here using this stage until their flooded facilities are restored from the May flood. 

 And we ended our tour at one of Nashville’s famous Honky Tonks – Legends Corner.  Legends Corner is right next door to Tootsies Orchid Lounge.  These two lounges hosted some of the best in country music especially since the most famous of musicians could leave the back door of Ryman Auditorium and nip in for a quick drink in either of these two spots.  We had a great tour guide who has lived here all his life and had more great stories to tell about several of the greatest country legends. 

 Yesterday we visited some of the most well known saloons but today we heard about some of the best restaurants but don’t have enough time to try them out.  So let me share some info with you if you plan to visit here: Rotier’s Restaurant, 2413 Elliston Place has the best cheeseburger, Demos’ Steak and Spaghetti House, 300 Commerce Street is a family restaurant with the best steak and pasta, and Gerst Haus German Restaurant, 301 Woodland Street for the best “frozen fishbowl of German amber beer” and the food is great too.  These three places are where the locals visit all the time as well as celebrities who visit. One of the other suggestions for things to do is the General Jackson Showboat.  I guess we have lots to do the next time visiting……

 Tomorrow we will be leaving Nashville and heading for Cherahala Skyway in North Carolina.  But before we leave Nashville we will take a ride around Gaylord Opryland.  Due to the severe flooding in Nashville in May the resort is not open.  In our travels today we heard of many other famous sites that are still under restoration. 

 Stay tuned tomorrow night for more photos and adventures… Thank you so much for your support…

DAVE AGAIN:  Well here it is day 11 and midway through our tip across the continent.  Sounds big when you say it that way.

 Woke up to sunshine and blue skies again.  However, by the time we left Poplar Bluff, Missouri at 9 a.m., it was already 90F and really muggy.  So on went the hydration vests.  They do work really well.

 Just about the whole trip today of 407 kms was double lane hwy or interstate and we did it in only 4 hrs 30 mins. with two stops.  The first 80 kms to Sikeston was over rolling hills with nice scenery and we had some fun following a train which paralleled the road we were on. Then after a short stint on I-57 we turned back on to Hwy 60 and crossed the Mighty Mississippi river (see photo of barge on blog) and then the Ohio River as it forked into the Mississippi.  The sides of the road were heavily treed and had thick foliage and it was almost like driving through a tunnel. In a span of 3 minutes we left Missouri, went through Illinois and then into Kentucky. 

 Then it was on to a quaint little road (Hwy 289) for about 45 minutes which rolled over hills and twisted and turned through the countryside.  On to I-24 and a speedy run into Tennessee and of course Nashville.  We no sooner got into our motel and got the bikes unloaded when the skies opened up and it just dumped.  One of these days our luck is going to run out and we are going to get caught in one of those thunderstorms. 

 After getting settled, we took the bus into downtown Nashville and did some sightseeing.  It was really muggy but we trekked on to the Entertainment District.  We walked down the street and there was saloon after saloon, each with a live band and country music filling the streets.  We first went into the Coyote Ugly Saloon and ended up in the Wild Horse Saloon for supper.  The interesting thing was that they had free line dancing lessons so Nancy and I got up and gave it a go.  You will notice that there are no pics of this in the blog and there is a good reason for that.  It was fun and I don’t think we did too bad.  After supper and some live entertainment we took a walk further down the entertainment district and went off to check out Printers Alley.  All in all it was a great day.  We plan on doing some more sightseeing tomorrow. 

 Hope you are all enjoying the blog.  It is fun writing it and letting you know what is going on.  Talk to you all tomorrow.

Well folks it was another hot long day again.  It was 80F when we left Wichita this morning but that didn’t last long.  It reached 100F soon after and the highest temperature we saw today was 102F.  The rest of Kansas did not disappoint us – the roads and scenery were flat!!!!  Lots of fields, cows, and horses again. 

 We followed Hwy 54 east as far as Springfield, MO.  We stopped for lunch at my favorite spot, the Crackle Barrel Country Store.  They are a chain throughout most of the states and I try to stop whenever I can.  This was the first for this trip and a first time for Dave.

 After leaving Springfield we followed Hwy 65 south for just a short lenght and then turned onto Hwy 60 east to Poplar Bluff.  The day remained HOT all day.  Dave and I soaked our hydration vests before leaving Wichita and they remained moist all day without having to soak again.  A wonderful piece of gear for anyone who is traveling in hot temperatures. 

 Today was our longest distance traveled in one day, we covered 793 km.  And I have to say that the last 100km was the most difficult.  By that time we were tired of the heat and we could see rain clouds ahead of us.  But once again we seem to skirt around and did not even feel a drop.  Oh, we did feel a drop in temperature which was really refreshing. 

 Tomorrow we are off to Nashville, TN to spend a couple of days playing tourist.

 Note from Dave: 
For those of you who know about the Anti-Monkey Butt Powder, I didn’t use it today and I paid!!!!!!!! Too bad they don’t make Hydration shorts.

We woke up to blue skies and sunshine and a temp of 73F.  After breakfast we loaded up the bikes and were off by 0845.  I must say the trip out of Colorado Springs was kind of sad.  We had spent the last three days here with spectacular scenery and great riding.  Today we knew we were going out on the plains and leaving the mountains behind.

 We headed down the I-25 and after 40 miles we turned on to HWY 50/400 and basically stayed on it all day. The mountains changed to plains and there was nothing but corn, cows and horses.  By the time we got to Kansas it was 100F and it was time to put on our hydration vests. I was kind of skeptical about the vest but once I soaked it and put it on it was so worth it. And we did need them as the temperature got up to 107F today.  It was incredible and like driving through a blast furnace.  It actually felt cooler to drive with your visor down. 

 We crossed into the Central Time Zone and rocketed across the plains trying to make some time.  We did see lots of farms and small towns but we were both glad to get in to Wichita, Kansas as it was a long and hot day.  We covered 775 kms today and not one drop of rain.  Even if it did rain it would have evaporated before it hit the ground, I’m sure.    

Not alot of photos today but we did manage to find a few good shots.  Tomorrow we are off  again heading towards Nashville but will end up making one more stop before arriving there.

Just when you think the days can’t get any better along comes another day.  The day started out hot and sunny with clear skies.  Dave headed off to the BMW dealership (which is also a Ducati and Harley Davidson dealership) for an oil change and ended up with a new back tire as well.  I went over to Apex Motorsports (which is where we had work done last year) and had an oil change and a few other minor adjustments made.  By the time we both got finished it was noon so we decided to head off to Manitou Springs and Pikes Peak. 

 We had lunch in Manitou Springs at the Coquette Creperie.  It was absolutely delicious and we ate on the patio in the sunshine.  Manitou Springs is a real tourist town and it is also where the Pikes Peak Cog Railway starts.  The railway is for all those who are not able or don’t want to drive up the mountain. 

 Dave and I arrived at the entrance to Pikes Peak Highway (?) at 2:30 and paid our $12 to ride the 19 miles to the summit.  The fellow at the entrance advised us that there is still 4 miles of road not yet paved.  By the way folks, this was on my list of things to do last year but we were not able to.  And I am glad because the road is an experience not for the weak hearted or someone afraid of height.  The summit is 14,110 ft high and on a clear day like today you can look around 360 degrees and see four states. It is the second most visited mountain in the world next to Japan’s Mount Fuji.  As we started our accent it wasn’t too bad until we reached one stretch of unpaved road.  I didn’t think I was afraid of heights but my skills were being tested with switchbacks that were 180 degrees (or more) and gravel and no guardrails……  And even the pavement was covered a lot of the time with gravel.  The last four miles is right on the side of the mountain with no trees, just cliffs and two miles of that was gravel.  Dave took all the pictures today because there was no way I was stopping or taking my hands off the handlebars.  Two times because of the altitude I was shifting gears and the bike stalled – hit the start switch real quick and keep on going around the turns!!!!!!!!!

 When we reached the top the view was absolutely spectacular – WOW!  The air was really thin and oh, the parking lot was gravel……..  I did it but the real challenge was that I had to now ride down.  And guess what folks, the ride down was much easier than the ride up.  We stopped at a few spots, took some photos of the mountain goats, and the scenery.  And again as we looked all around the mountain there were rain clouds everywhere but we never got any rain.  But we did see a rainbow as we reached the bottom.  What a great sign for me to say “I did it and it’s over”…..  And I might do it again, might. 

 Dave’s new tire served him well on Pikes Peak Highway.  He loved the road and has absolutely no fear of heights.  Yes, he did a lot of one hand driving while taking photos.  We got down to the bottom at 5:30.  We did see some other motorcycles but not many.

 We left Pikes Peak and returned to Manitou Springs to do some shopping.  Then a ride through Old Colorado Springs.  This is an area that everyone should vacation in.  There is lots to see and do whether you are on a motorcycle or not.  We only rode 120 km today but they were spectacular. 

 Tomorrow we head off with our next major stop in Nashville, Tennessee.

PS – Note for CDN gals.  I forgot to tell that the turnoffs in Independence Pass are pebble gravel just like last year on Hwy 550.  My first stop yesterday on the Pass reminded me of last year……..  My heart jumped a beat…  Dave and I have shared in the leading all along the route that is why you see a lot of photos of Dave. 

Note from Dave: 
Today was such an adrenaline rush. I think I found a new job for retirement. Action photographer.  Riding up Pikes today on the pegs and taking pics of Nancy and the scenery while driving one handed and taking pics was such a rush especially with the cliffs and no guardrails.  And on the way down I took lots of video of Nancy going around switchbacks both paved and dirt.  We can’t post them on the blog but they are awesome to watch.  We will probably have a slide show when we get back.  We leave Colorado  tomorrow and hit the plains.  I know I will truly be sorry to leave.  Over the last 3 days we have driven over some of the most incredible roads I have ever driven on. Colorado is definitely my favourite state. Take care all of you and keep reading and send us some comments if you like.

DAVE AGAIN:  Good Day and welcome to Day 7.  This trip has been a dream so far.  Every time we feel like there is “NO WAY” we could have a better day then the last, along comes another even more awesome day.

 We woke up to blue skies and warm temps and after a hardy continental breakfast we set off for Aspen down the I-70.  We have normally been avoiding the interstates but it was necessary and it was only for about 40 kms.  At Glenwood Springs we turned on to Hwy 82 to Aspen. It was double laned and went through some beautiful countryside with very expensive houses perched precariously on cliffs and overhangs. 

 Aspen was a typical ski resort town.  Extremely expensive.  As we passed the airport there must have been 30 private jets parked on the tarmac.  Right out of Aspen we started climbing up a very narrow twisting road.  Traffic was not doing more than 40 kph. We would get at the end of a line of traffic and be like a snake slithering up the mountain.  We climbed steadily up mountain valleys and then mountains, switchback after switchback (See photos of GPS) until we climbed out of the treeline then up some more to the summit of Independence Pass.  To any of our biker friends this is a “MUST DO” if you are in the area. The only exception would be for you Dar.  It is difficult to explain the vivid colours and the scenery that is just breathtaking.

 Then we got to do down the other side.  Together we took over 190 pictures and it was extremely difficult to select photos for the blog.  We stopped for lunch at a little town called Buena Vista.  Although the weather was nice, there were many thunderheads around and we had done an excellent job at dodging them all day.  We turned onto Hwy 24 and were welcomed by more long sweeping turns and more incredible scenery.  The problem for a motorcyclist in Colorado is, go slow, and enjoy the scenery, or rail in and out on the curves and miss the scenery.  What would you do?  I did a little of both.

 The day would have been perfect except the thunderheads won out at the end of the day as we got nailed by a wicked thunderstorm with buckets of rain and lightning with instantaneous thunder.  We had 10 kms to go to the motel in Colorado Springs and they were the longest 10 kms as we happened into rush hour as well.  But we were prepared and we didn’t get too wet. 

 All in all, this was the best day of the trip so far.  Only 382 kms today, but jam packed with scenery and awesome roads.  Oh, by the way, for me, I just turned over 11,000 kms for the total trip so far.  Now it is time for some R&R in Colorado Springs for oil changes and some exploring.  Pikes Peak tomorrow.  Until tomorrow……  

 Nancy here:  for the CDN gals – the only place on our itinerary last year that we missed was Aspen and Independence Pass and I have to say it was absolutely fabulous.  Dar you would not have liked the Pass with very few, if any, guardrails and lots of cliffs.  Yes, turns at 25 mph with absolutely nothing to stop you if you didn’t make the turn!!!!!!  The weather was perfect.  Take a look at the photos.  It was so difficult to choose photos for tonite’s blog because the riding was fabulous for the entire day.  Miss you both, wish you were here. Oh, by the way I am at the same cafe using their WIFI having a coffee and delicious piece of chocolate cake – just for you Cath……

DAVE AGAIN:  We woke up early to a temperature of 7C (44F), not a cloud in the sky but cold.  After breakfast we started south on Hwy 189.  The first 50 kms were really scenic with the road twisting and following the Snake and then the Hoback rivers.

 As with most days we then got stopped by the dreaded CONSTRUCTION.  Once we got going we had to drive 7 kms on a dirt road which didn’t do too much for our wash jobs on the bikes the night before.  At Daniel, the Hwy changed to 191 and we did some Range Riding for the 150 kms to Rock Springs. The riding was awesome again with long sweeping curves up and down hills with the speed limits at 60 to 65 on two lane roads. While fueling in Rock Springs we met up with a whole gang of riders on their way to the Sturgis Bike Rally (Remember that Dar and Cat). It was an extremely diverse group of riders with Yamaha’s, Hondas and even a Harley or two.  Once we left there we headed on I-80 for about 5 miles and then back on the 191 to head south.  The weather had now gotten a lot hotter with the temp around 83F.  We had a threat of rain all day but only got a few sprinkles.

 We crossed the Utah border and it was then off to the Flaming Gorge Dam (see the pics). It was great and I drove down this little road to the river and watched some guys loading rafts that they were about to river raft down the river on.  Got to try that!!! We then had lunch at the Flaming Gorge Resort and it was super. After that, it was on the road again.  Driving over mesas and up and down mountains with fantastic scenery was the order of the rest of the day.  Of course we got stopped by more construction but that is the course for every day.  Also we saw tons of wildlife today.  Deer, hawks, prairie dogs, and even some llamas were everywhere.  We drove through miles and miles of range that had no fences so we saw lots of cows and wild horses just walking around.  It is amazing more don’t get hit. 

 We then crossed into Colorado at a small town called Dinosaur and then took Hwy 64 to Meeker and then south to Rifle where we called it quits for the day at 7:45pm.  It was a long day and we covered 731 kms today which is the most we have done in a day so far.  It was a great day.  I could really get used to driving around here.  There is just so much to see and so many roads to travel and the roads are awesome.  Sweeping turns that can be taken at speed and lots of switch backs to test your technical skills. 

 We really love the comments that we are getting on the blog and it is great to see how many people are reading.  We will try to keep it exciting.  Tomorrow it is off to Aspen and then Independence Pass and ending in Colorado Springs so keep tuned.

What an absolutely spectacular day!  When we left Helena, MT this morning it was 62F (17C) and a heavy overcast of clouds.  We met a gentleman from Germany who was riding a 98 Honda Pacific Coast.  He asked where “New Scotland” was and we told him all about NS.  I also left him with the NS Motorcycle Tour Guide.  We headed south on Hwy 287 towards Yellowstone and as we approached Hwy 90 near Three Forks the sun was shining.  It was quite amazing as you looked west you saw heavy grey clouds but the east was sunshine and clear skies.  Hwy 287 was quite uneventful and nothing but farm fields and rolling hills. 

 Once we hit Interstate 90 we headed east towards Livingston, MT.  The skies were clear and it was warm.  This stretch of interstate was the same one that Dave came out on about 2 weeks earlier. Our excitement began once we turned off at Livingston towards Yellowstone National Park.  Every hill and turn you waited to see what the scenery would be like.  We stopped just before Miner (just before the park) so Dave could clean his visor and discovered this incredible canyon.  See the pictures in the album for today.  What a pleasant surprise!

 When we got into Gardiner we discovered the Roosevelt Arch at the North entrance into Yellowstone.  I don’t know how many times Dave and I rode through it in both directions just so we could get a couple of photos……  The road into the park was fabulous.  Lots of twists and turns and breathtaking scenery.  We sat waiting for 30 min. in the construction area just before Gibbon but it was sunny, hot and we were right beside a stream.  Dave took the opportunity to take some wonderful photos.  We did stop into Old Faithful for Dave to purchase a t-shirt but we didn’t stay long. 

 Our next excitement came just before Craig Pass.  We saw several vehicles stopped only to discover an elk grazing just beside the road.  So of course we stopped and got some photos.  We entered into Grand Teton and what a difference between the two parks even though they are right beside each other.  The forests, mountains, and scenery was completely different.  Check out the photo of Jackson Lake.  We also saw a small forest fire starting and a buffalo herd.  Our day ended with a spectacular sunset just as were entering Jackson Hole.  The colours and shadows in the mountains were incredible.

 We rode 578 km today.  Tomorrow we are heading towards Colorado and not sure where we will end up.  Hopefully our weather will continue – it is certainly getting warmer.  Who would have believed that it would be so cool in August!  The temperature tonite in Jackson was 72F.

DAVE AGAIN… Due to some technical difficulties with the internet, we posted yesterday’s blog this morning so it caused us to get away a little later than usual.  However, we got away at 10:00 and were off to Glacier National Park.  Now Nancy had been here last year with Cathy and Darlene, but I had this on my Bucket List as one of the places I wanted to ride so Nancy was so nice to agree to go there again. 

We arrived at the Park at 11:00 and started on the Going to the Sun Highway.  It is a 80 km road that is one of the most incredible roads I have ever driven on.  It started out as a meandering drive along a beautiful lake and then starts to climb up a mountain range. It was cold too with the temps around 60F. Most of the sides of the road on the drop off side were mortared rock cubes which formed a 2 to 3 high rock wall. I rode most of the ascent on the pegs of the BMW with Nancy following close behind.  We stopped at several pullouts to take pics and marvel at the scenery. At many spots if you fell over that little guard wall you would have been toast, so it made riding on the pegs even more exhilarating. Every time I would be amazed by something, Nancy would say “Just wait till we get around the next bend” and she was right.

It is too bad we cannot send more pics as we did take some great ones. Traffic flow was good but just before we got to the summit at Logan’s Pass, we got stopped by some construction for about 15 minutes. We then reached the summit at 6664 feet, took a quick health break and proceeded down the other side. As nice as the weather was on the ascent, the opposite was the case for the descent. Once we crossed Logan Pass the fog set in and the temp was about 50F and the road was dirt, then we had to stop again for about 15 minutes for more construction.  It rained a bit then drizzle and we finished up in St. Mary where we had a great lunch.  From there we headed for Helena, MT on Hwy 89 and 287.  The first 20 miles was beautiful with the road twisting and turning up and down mountain passes.  Then it was out on to the plains where we blasted down Montana’s famous 70mph two lane roads.  The last 20 miles was on I-15 where I got hit by a bird coming on the ramp.  Once we got settled in the motel in Helena we had a great Mexican meal and called it quits for the day.  488 kms today and it was a great day with scenery galore.  Enjoy the pics and talk you all tomorrow. 

From Nancy to Dar and Cathy – Going to the Sun was spectacular once again.  The construction from last year paid off with great roads until just before Logans Pass.  There was also a lot of snow that we didn’t see last year.  And just after Logans Pass we were in heavy fog with one lane gravel road for about 5km.  What a great experience to ride the road on a different motorcycle!  Cath’s motorcycle is working great but it sure takes getting used to in the switchbacks with having floor boards, I’ve already scraped a couple of times…..  That makes the heart jump!!!

We are heading to Yellowstone and Grand Teton tomorrow and so far, the weather is looking good.  I forgot to mention in the first blog entry that Dave had left two weeks ago from Halifax to visit family in Vancouver and Victoria and then met up with me in Nelson, so he had already ridden 7800 km before we started out together. 

It’s Dave’s turn for the blog so here it goes. Day 3 started off with a nice thunderstorm which deposited lots of rain while we were having our continental breakfast.  But as fast as it came it cleared up and at 0915 we left the Villa Motel in Nelson to catch the Balfour Ferry.  Apparently this ferry is the longest free ferry in North America.  It takes you from Balfour to Kootenay  Bay which was the start of the Selkirk Loop that we were doing today. 

 There were lots of bikes on the ferry and we chatted with some of the locals and got some ideas on where to go. Most of the bikes are Harley’s and most are from Alberta. Once we got off the ferry we headed for Creston. The drive was breath taking as we followed Kootenay Lake with the road twisting, climbing and descending as we followed the shoreline. We have included a picture of two bear cubs that wondered out on the road right in front of us.  We took the pic and got out of there fast as we weren’t waiting for momma bear to come charging out of the bush. 

 After gassing up in Creston it was off to the Washington border where we crossed at a little town called Metaline Falls.  It was so little the border crossing was only open from 8a.m. to Midnight.  However when we got to the crossing the border guards searched both our bikes completely.  They also were hinting at a full cavity search but I talked them out of it! The southern part of the Selkirk Loop was not that exciting.  We ate lunch at Newport Washington and the weather turned hot and the scenery took a turn for the better as we crossed into Idaho. Nancy and I took turns leading (who says I can’t be lead by a women) and we pressed on into the mountains of Idaho and into Montana.  There was wildlife everywhere as we crossed into Montana.  Lots of deer and we saw another bear. 

 And Montana is a motorcyclists dream.  Where else in North America can you find a two lane road that has a speed limit of 70 mph.  We blasted up the road to Kalispell, Montana with just a little scare of Nancy being on reserve fuel until we found a little gas station out in the middle of nowhere.  11 hours on the road today and we covered 670 kms.  Not too shabby for the first real day on the bikes.  Enjoy the pics and send us some notes on the blog.  We miss you all but this trip has been totally awesome so far and tomorrow we are taking to the Going to the Highway in Glacier National Park.  It is one of the things to do on my Bucket List.  Talk to y’all tomorrow.