DAY 15

We all got up slowly this morning. It was cool and clear. After discussing the trip last night, we all woke to a realization that the journey would end today. We had agreed to leave by 7:30 AM but we all moved slowly. We packed our Motors and cleaned the windshields and lights from all of yesterday's splattered bugs. We rode next door to gas up and then left at 8:00 AM with Chuck leading.

We soon left California and entered Arizona on I-40. We got off at Exit 1 and headed to 66. We rode for a ways and didn't see any Route 66 signs. We stopped at an ARCO on Highway 95 in Mohave Valley, AZ. at 8:32 AM after riding for 31 miles. We stopped to check the map to see where we were. Chuck realized that we had passed the turnoff. We left at 8:40 AM and rode back 11 miles and made the proper turn and headed northbound on 66.

We arrived in the old town of Oatman, AZ. at 9:19 AM after riding 31 miles. There were a couple of wild burros that ran away from us when, I'm sure, they heard the Motors. I had never been in this town and it looked like a scene from an old western, except for the cars, trucks and motorcycles. As we rode down Main Street, there was a dog laying in the middle of the road. I thought for a second that it was dead, however, when Chuck passed it, the dog raised its head and looked at us. Nothing else moved. We all passed the dog and made a u-turn. We rode a few more yards and made another u-turn and parked along side of the street. There weren't very many Motors in town at this time. We walked across the street to a restaurant and had breakfast. As we were eating, more people started coming in. We all thought that we had come in at the right time. When we were done eating, we went outside and saw that the street was lined with a lot of Motorcycles. We walked up and down the street and walked into the shops. There was an open wooden coffin standing in front of one of the stores. Jan was standing next to it and I asked him to get in for a photo. He did. After we did some shopping, we left at 10:41 AM.

We followed 66 and stopped at 10:52 AM after riding 5 miles. These last 5 miles was a winding, mountainous road, like riding up to South Mountain Lookout Point. We stopped at Sitgreaves Pass, an elevation of approximately 3500 feet. We parked our Motors and looked at the magnificent view. We took several pictures. We left at 11:06 AM.

We continued with Chuck leading the group and stopped at 12:08 PM after 52 miles in a small town of Hackberry, AZ. We stopped at a small store that used to be a gas station. The old pumps were still there, however, they were not working. There was a nice looking 1956 Ford T-Bird convertible parked on the property. We took a pit stop and had some refreshments. We were there for a while and toured the property. There was an old garage in the back of the property and several old cars. We left at 1:06 PM.

We rode on another 60 miles and stopped at 1:56 PM in Seligman, AZ. We needed gas and we had lunch at the "Road Kill Restaurant." We took our time eating and left at 3:36 PM.

Jan was up next to lead. We were thinking back, during lunch, of the journey that we are about to finish. We were sad, but yet happy, to get home. It was luck that it was Jan's turn to lead and we were close to his house and he would leave us first. Jan led us to Paulden, AZ. where we stopped at 4:23 PM after riding 52 miles. While at the gas station/quick mart, J.B. presented all of us with Route 66 wings and a ride patch. We were all happy to receive them. We said our goodbyes to Jan and we left at 4:54 PM. Jan led us to Chino Valley and at the south end of the city, Jan turned right and headed home. We all continued on.

J.B. was third in line and when Jan broke off, J.B. took over the lead. We stopped in Mayer, AZ. at 5:43 PM after riding 46 miles. We stopped at a Circle K because Bruce "needed to go!" While we were there, we took our last bread, had some drinks and gassed up our Motors one last time. We left at 6:10 PM.

Just before we left the Circle K, Chuck asked all of us if he could have the privilege of leading us back home on the final leg. We all agreed that it would be prudent for him to lead us home. We all said our goodbyes to each other, got on our Motors and continued. As we entered Phoenix, Bruce broke away from the group and exited at Happy Valley Road. We all continued until we arrived at the exit for the 101. J.B. and I exited and headed eastbound, while Chuck, Jim and Kathleen continued southbound on I-17 to their homes. J.B. and I exited at the 7 Street exit and J.B. turned southbound and I continued eastbound to 16 Street, then northbound to my home. Laura was waiting for me outside on the driveway. It felt good to be home!

For the final day of our journey, we traveled 337 miles. We traveled more miles on Route 66 in Arizona than in any other State. During the 15 days that we took to complete this fantastic and memorable journey, we traveled through 14 states and a total of 4,921 miles. Next year...The Pacific Coast Highway. We can hardly wait. Thank you all for following us through our journey. It was, indeed, my pleasure to tell you about it. Until next time...

DAY 14

We got up in Barstow, CA. at the Best Western. I went downstairs and got my Motor ready for travel. I looked around and the other Motors were still tucked away. Just as I was finishing, Jim cam down and started on his Motor. I went to the lobby for breakfast. I looked around and couldn't find the continental breakfast. I asked the lady at the front desk and she pointed to the room next door and said that it was in there. I went is and, sure enough, it was there. I served myself breakfast and sat at a table in the corner. As I ate, I watched Jim and Kathleen walk past the breakfast area and into the lobby. Soon after they came inside. J.B. and Bruce were next to come to breakfast. They walked past the breakfast area and into the lobby. Soon after they came inside. Jan was next. We were betting that he would do the same. He did. He walked past and into the lobby. He walked in soon after. Bruce, J.B. and I applauded Jan as he walked in. Bruce called his a "D.A." (dumb ass) for doing as he did. We also told Jan that we all were D.A.'s because we did the same thing also. Chuck was the last to arrive. We were betting that he would also be a D.A. ...he was. He missed the room. We all had a laugh about it. We finished our breakfast and packed our Motors. It was a very nice day for riding. None of us had to wear a jacket. Jim led us a few blocks away where we gassed up our Motors. We left at 8:40 AM.

I took over the lead and we rode southbound en route to Santa Monica. We were very close and it saddened us that we were almost at the end of our journey. I was happy to lead this leg because we were going to an area that I am very familiar with since my family and I have made many trips to the L.A. area, including Santa Monica. We stopped after riding 97 miles and at 10:03 AM in West Covina for a pit stop and to drink. It was warm after coming down the hill. We left at 10:28 AM and continued.

We had no problems maneuvering the L.A. freeways. When we passed L.A. and were closing in on Santa Monica, there were two collisions. The freeway became backed up and we had some waiting to do. We got through it and at 11:20 AM after riding 38 miles, we arrived at Santa Monica, CA. at the pier. We found a parking lot close to the Pier. Jan, J.B. and I waited with the Motors while the rest went sight seeing. We didn't want to leave the Motors alone with a lot of our gear packed on our Motors and exposed. Chuck and the rest later returned and told us that they found the 'Marker" indicating the end of Route 66. They took photos there and at other places. The view of the beach, Santa Monica Pier with the carnival atmosphere, the distant mountains and the ocean was breathtaking. Chuck and the rest returned and it was our turn to explore. Jan, J.B. and I walked to the "marker" and also took pictures. As we walked back to the parking lot, we stopped at the entrance of Santa Monica Pier and spoke with the attendant. We asked if we could bring our 6 Motors, position them in the lane under the Santa Monica Pier sign and take a picture. The attendant said that it would be OK to do it...so we did. We returned to the parking lot and told the rest. We rode our Motors to the entrance, entered and made a u-turn all in single file. It was impressive to watch. It must have been. Most of the people in the area stopped to watch us make the u-turn and position our Motors for the picture. The attendant was kind enough to take my camera and take the picture. It came out pretty good. Especially the green Goldwing with the Bald guy! :) We made this photo op a quick pose because we didn't want to get the attendant in trouble. We left and got back on I-10 eastbound. We were trying to get out of the L.A. area as soon as possible.

As I stated earlier, Chuck had forgotten his gas cap in Needles, CA. when we stopped for gas. This trip has been his trip for losing things, such as his rain coat and swimsuit. Luckily Bruce had spares and Chuck has been borrowing them. Hopefully Chuck won't loose his underwear! Anyway...as we rode eastbound on I-10 we stopped at 12:55 PM after riding for 53 miles in Montclair, CA. at a Harley Davidson Store. Well, we almost made a trip without going to one the those! :) This was a good break because it was warm, the Store was air conditioned and they gave free iced water. We looked at the new Harleys and the Harley guys were trying to convince Bruce and me to trade our Goldwings in for Harleys. We left the Harley Dealership at 2:37 PM.

We rode a few blocks north to a restaurant called, "The Hat." It was in Upland, CA. We arrived at 2:40 PM and 1 mile later. It was very good food and they served very large portions. We could have shared a small order of fries among the 7 of us. After lunch we rode next door and gassed up our Motors. We left at 3:42 PM.

Bruce was up to lead now. Bruce took us northbound toward Barstow, CA. After going northbound on I-15, we turned off and got onto 66. We followed it for approximately 29 miles and at approximately 1 mile from the Lenwood/Barstow city limits, we stopped by a large "Route 66" sign painted in the middle of our lane. We took pictures standing next to the sign when there weren't any cars coming. We posed with our Motors on the road and even lying on the street. We were in front of a house and the homeowner came out and questioned what we were doing. We told him that we were all right and that we were tourists! He went back in his home. We left at 5:11 PM.

We rode for another 3 miles and at 5:55 PM we were eastbound on Main Street of Barstow, CA. Bruce was leading with Chuck behind him. We got to the intersection of Main Street and Avenue H and the traffic light changed to red. Guess what? We all stopped for the red light...except Chuck. He rode right through it! The light changed to green and we pulled into a parking lot about a block away. The first think Bruce asked Chuck was, "Why did you go through the red light?" I was going to verify it with Bruce before I ribbed Chuck about it. Too late! Everyone starting in on Chuck. We took some pictures in the area and Jim and Kathleen rode nearby to a Train Museum and took pictures. We were done at 5:50 PM. At 5:55 PM we stopped 3 miles away for gas. We decided to top off our tanks and continue to Needles, CA. where we intended to secure for the night. We left at 6:18 PM.

Even though we gassed up our Motors, Bruce still led us. We headed for Needles. It soon became dark and we all had to secure our sunglasses. Some of us didn't have a place to put them so they went down our shirts. At 7:44 PM after riding 107 miles, we stopped at a rest area in Fenner, CA. We took a pit stop and put on our jackets. It was getting cold. We left at 8:01 PM.

So now we arrive in Needles. When we were at the rest area, Chuck had called the Best Western in Needles to make sure that there were rooms available for us. He was told that there were and there are 2 Best Westerns in Needles. They are about 2 blocks apart. Chuck knew which exit to use to get to the Best Western of our choice. Chuck was now leading because Bruce asked him to lead. Chuck exited I-40 at a different exit. He made a turn, then another turn, and then another, and then another...I was toward the rear of the pack and we were taking a tour of somewhere in Needles. I know that we passed a car wash twice and a high school once. Nonetheless, we found the Best Western. It wasn't the Best Western that Chuck had called. It was the other one. We still got a good rate and there as a good restaurant next door. We arrived at the Best Western at 8:10 PM after riding 39 miles. We checked in and unloaded our Motors. We then tucked our Motors in for the night.

We went to the restaurant for dinner. Kathleen stayed in the room. While at dinner, we all, except Jim, ordered a celebratory cold, draft beer. We toasted our journey, as is our tradition, and now await our next ride. Next year we are going to ride the Pacific Coast Highway starting in San Diego, going up to the Van Couver area and then southbound passing through Yellowstone Park. Well, that is our plan so far. It could change. Well see...

We rode 426 miles today, which wasn't bad, considering that we spent a lot of time in Santa Monica and at the Harley Store. Tomorrow we will enter Arizona and ride the Oatman area of Route 66. This is the area that we skipped because of "Bike Week" in Laughlin, NV and all of the bikers in the area. We have plenty of time to do this and to take our time. Our journey will end tomorrow as we will return to Phoenix and our Loved ones. This journey will have lasted only 15 days as opposed to 36 days last year. Since we will finish tomorrow, it will be in time for our weekly "COFFEE TIME" (or as my family calls it, our TEA TIME) at Denny's on Tuesday. I can hardly wait! :) More blog later...

DAY 13

J.B. and I got up this morning, got dressed and went to have breakfast in the lobby. Jim and Kathleen joined us soon after. Jim told us that according to the weather channel, it was 19 degrees outside. We were NOT prepared for this. After breakfast, we checked with the others and them of the outside temperature. J.B. and I returned to our room and put on our long handles. I went out to load the Motor and it was indeed cold! Chuck came out of his room and we told him of the temperature. We all had a huddle and it was unanimous to wait until it warmed. We waited and it warmed to 41 degrees by 9:16 AM so we left with Chuck in the lead.

We rode for 96 miles and at 9:38 AM we stopped in Holbrook for a pit stop. Three cups of coffee, 41 degrees and 96 miles on a Motor, I was dying! We took a little break and at 10:13 AM we left.

We didn't go very far. We rode for only 3 miles and stopped at 9:38 AM at the Wigwam Hotel. This an old hotel with several teepee's instead of cabins. There are also several old cars parked in from of the teepee's. We took pictures of the teepee's and old cars. One of the teepee's was open so we took pictures of that also. We then left at 10:30 AM.

Chuck led us for another 32 miles and at 10:53 AM, we stopped in Winslow, AZ. We stopped in a park with the "Welcome to Winslow" sign. We took pictures again. We then rode a few blocks to a corner with a parking lot, parked the Motors and walked eastbound for 1 block to the area from the song, "Standing in a corner in Winslow, AZ." We took pictures and shopped in a couple of stores. We walked back to the Motors and then rode to a nearby gas station.

It was Jan's turn to lead. Jan led us to Flagstaff, AZ. where we stopped at Wendy's at 1:04 PM after riding 60 miles. We left at 2:10 PM. and headed west.

Jan took us to Williams, AZ. where we stopped at 2:47 PM an riding for 35 miles for a pit stop and Jim topped off his gas tank. We left at 3:00 PM. As we were riding on 66 in Williams, Jan stopped and spoke with Chuck. They both got off of their Motors and came to us. Chuck stated that Jan was thinking and suggested that because Laughlin, NV. is packed with bikers and rooms anywhere in the area are price at approximately $140 per night with a 3 night minimum, we ride straight to Barstow, CA. and spend the night. We can continue the next day to Santa Monica, take pictures and make a quick turn around and head back. When we get back into Arizona, we can continue the 66 tour and hit what we missed today. By the time we return on Monday, the Laughlin bikers would have already gone. That was a great idea! We all agreed.

Jan continued to lead us into Seligman, AZ. where we stopped at 3:34 PM and after riding 39 miles. We gassed our Motors and soon after left at 3:50 PM. After Chuck gassed his Motor, he changed his routine and placed his gas cap on the gas pump. After he finished filling his tank, he forgot to get his gas cap. It was left at the gas station.

J.B. took over the lead and we rode for 100 miles before we stopped at a roadside rest area at 5:07 PM just south of Yucca, AZ. We stopped to stretch our legs and take a pit stop. We left at 5:25 PM.

We continued and crossed the Arizona/California border and rode into Needles, CA. at 5:53 PM after riding 35 miles. In Needles, we stopped for gas. We left at 6:15 PM.

Jim led us now. It was getting dark. At 7:32 PM after riding for 93 miles, we stopped in Ludlow, CA. for a pit stop. As we were at the gas station/Circle K, there were several motorcycles pulling in and out. We left at 7:56 PM, destined for Barstow, CA.

We rode for another 50 miles and at 8:40 PM we arrived in Barstow and checked in at a Best Western. We unloaded our Motors and took our stuff to the rooms. Jim took his stuff and Kathleen to their room. We then rode a mile away, leaving Kathleen in the room, to Coco's restaurant for dinner. When we finished dinner, we returned to the Best Western, parked the Motors and tucked them in for the night. We were all tired. We rode a total of 545 miles today. Tomorrow we will ride to Santa Monica and finish the last leg of our journey. After we stop in Santa Monica, we will take picture, maybe shop a little and do a little sight seeing. We plan to get out of Los Angeles quickly and head back toward Needles and continue the 66 tour in the Arizona side. We'll see what is in store for us tomorrow.

DAY 12

We got up this morning and, again, the weather was nice. I went for a little walk and then Bill, the owner of the Blue Swallow, popped out of the office door and told me that he had fresh coffee available. That was all it took. I went inside and served me a cup. J.B. was not far behind and came in also. We enjoyed a "few" cups of coffee with Bill and he told us some stories of some of the people, both famous and not, who have stayed at the motel. He told me that at one time, Billy Bob Thornton stayed in the same room that J.C. and I stayed last night. Speaking of J.C., he also came in and had some coffee with us. When we were done having coffee, we returned to our rooms and packed up our Motors and got ready to leave. We said our goodbye's to J.C. and he left eastbound before we left westbound. We had a nice visit for a couple of days with J.C., but now that he is gone, we will do what we normally do...we will talk about him. We will also talk about the "vinyl jacket." :) We decided to ride for a bit and have breakfast later. We wanted to get in some miles. We left at 7:51 AM.

Jim was still up as the leader. We rode for 59 miles and stopped in Santa Rosa, NM. at 8:45 AM. We stopped for breakfast at a restaurant that you would never guess that it had. It had a lot of Route 66 memorabilia! What else would it have? After breakfast, we stopped and gassed up. We left at 10:02 AM.

I was up to lead next. We rode on and headed west on I-40 and then north on Highway 84. As we were going northbound, I saw three antelope to the west of us. We continued northbound and eventually stopped in Romeroville, NM at 10:54 AM and after riding 60 miles. This was a much needed pit stop for J.B. and me! I guess we all needed the pit stop because we all went. Just before we left, J.B. told us that he needed to go and "take the Browns to the Super Bowl." After putting that thought in my mind, the power of suggest came to me and I needed to go too. I went into the stall next to J.B. As I was in the stall, I checked in my jacket pocket, which had Velcro and a snap, for something. J.B. heard the snap and Velcro and figured that it was one of the group. He asked me if I could "spare a square" of paper, as there was none in his stall. I gladly passed him some and asked him, "Didn't your mama ever teach you to check before you sit down?" He told me that he had been sitting for a while and was about to use his cell phone and call Jan to tell the clerks in the Circle K to bring in some paper. It was very hard to hold in the laughter! I didn't. We discussed this incident again later and all of us couldn't stop laughing. What would we do without J.B.? Probably talk about him, what else! We got back on our Motors and left at 11:32 AM.

We continued with me in the lead. We arrived in Santa Fe, NM. after 70 miles and at 1:04 PM. We were lost and hungry. We stopped along side of Rodeo Street and looked at the map. We didn't know where we were. We decided that we would just go and eventually we would find the interstate or a Subway for lunch. About two blocks later, I spotted one and we pulled in for lunch. We left at 1:51 PM.

We continued and then stopped in Santo Domingo, NM. after riding for 23 miles and stopped at a gas station at 2:18 PM. We gassed up and now it was Bruce's turn to lead. We left at 2:37 PM.

We rode on I-25 and passed through Albuquerque, NM. and stopped in Los Lunas, NM. at 3:28 PM after riding 57 miles. This was a good time for a break because some of us were getting sleepy and some tired. We all got some snacks and Chuck, J.B. and I got some coffee. We left at 4:00 PM and we were wide awake. That makes Motorcycle riding safer!

Chuck and Bruce discussed the route and they decided that we would take Highway 6, which was a stretch of road that was once the Historic Route 66. This stretch was 33 miles long and connected with I-40. Approximately one mile before getting to I-40, we made a stop by the side of the road for a photo op with a Route 66 New Mexico sign at 4:30 PM and after riding 32 miles. We took several photos and left at 4:49 PM.

Bruce continued to lead and we rode for another 81 miles and stopped at 5:56 PM to gas up at Continental Divide, NM. There was also a large gift shop and guess what? We bought some stuff. We left at 6:18 PM.

Chuck started to lead but tried and failed to weasel out of it. It was his turn and no one else wanted to lead. Chuck led and 23 miles later at 6:39 PM, we arrived in Gallup, NM. We checked into the Best Western, parked our Motors and unloaded them. Chuck, Jan and Bruce went for a swim in the indoor, heated pool. Kathleen was complaining of a sore hip so Jim ordered pizza for them and he did a load of laundry. J.B. and I stayed in our room recapping today's ride. When the guys came back from their swim, we rode about two miles away for dinner at Earl's Restaurant. We were seated right away. While we were waiting for and eating our dinner, we were approached 12 times by people trying to sell us stuff like jewelry, trinkets, Indian pottery, etc. We told them, "no." After dinner we rode back to the Best Western where we parked our Motors and tucked them in for the night. Jan and Bruce had an adjoining room with J.B. and me. We had the door open so we could visit. Chuck complained because he was alone in his room. Boo Hoo! It was his turn to be solo.

We had a great day for riding today. As we got closer to Gallup, NM. it became colder. At the Continental Divide, it has an elevation of more then 7,200 feet above sea level. We rode 409 miles today. What a great day! Tomorrow, we hope to ride through Arizona. We'll see...

DAY11

When we got up this morning we went outside to check on the weather. NO! I know what you're thinking. We didn't go outside in our skivvies. We got dressed first! Can I finish now? The sky was clear and it was cool. We started to pack up our Motors to get ready to leave. After last nights rain, the Motors were very dirty. We went to the lobby area and had breakfast. After breakfast, we had a little time to spare so we cleaned up the Motors a little. After we were done, we got on our Motors and rode down the street and gassed them up. J.C. was still with us. We left at 8:28 AM and it started to get cloudy again.

Jan started to lead us westbound. We followed 66 and it was a two lane road with farmland on both sides of the road. There were cows, baby cows, horses, baby horses and even "low rider horses." (Donkeys for those who don't know.) As we rode, Jan was leading, Jim was next, Chuck was third and I was next. That may not seem important, however, as we rode, there were several cows next to the roadway, on the other side of the fence. As Jan and Chuck passed them, because of their LOUD PIPES, it scared several of the baby cows. Damn those Harley's for scaring the poor little, baby cows! It was cloudy but the more we went westbound, the better the sky became. It started to clear up and we actually saw and felt the sun.

At 9:28 AM and 59 miles later, we stopped in a town named Clinton, OK. We stopped at a Route 66 Oklahoma sign to take pictures. We continued and stopped about a mile away at the Route 66 Museum. When we stopped at the Museum, the sky started to get cloudy again. We went in and spent some time going through the museum and remembering the "good ole times." After the tour, we walked into the gift shop. Who would have guessed? Yes, we bought some stuff. We left at 11:10 AM. If it was lunch time we would have been lucky because there was a Subway across the street. It wasn't lunch time so we continued westbound. As we were on 66, traffic was very light and at one point, we could see down the road for about 2 miles. I was behind Jan on the right side of the lane. I moved to the left side behind Jan and scooted up behind him. I was riding about 1 foot behind Jan's Motor "drafting" him. I had my camera out and took a picture. It was cool! Jan told me later that he was wondering what I was doing behind him. He saw me in his rear view mirror and was puzzled. That is one of the fun things to do when one gets bored. :)

Jan led us westbound and we stopped for lunch at 12:30 PM after riding 85 miles. We enjoyed a good lunch and relaxed for a while. We rode next door and gassed up. We left at 1:50 PM with J.B. leading. We got on I-40, which ran next to 66. J.B. stopped at Vega, TX. 128 miles later, where we gassed the Motors and had a pit stop. We left at 3:57 PM.

Jim led us and our next stop was going to be at Adrian, TX. Adrian is the midpoint between Santa Monica and Chicago. We stopped at the Midpoint Cafe. We learned that as we were riding westbound on 66, there was a school bus eastbound. The bus driver was also the waitress at the Cafe. She got on her cell phone and called the owner of the Cafe, Fran, and told her that 6 Motorcycles were headed her way and not to close the Cafe. Fran has already turned the "closed" sign on and locked the door. She unlocked the door and turned the "open" sign on and waited for us. At that point, we rode into her parking lot at 4:10 PM after 14 miles. We lined our Motors in front of the Cafe and took pictures. There was a sign across the street and we took pictures in front of it also. We all lined up in front the the sign across the street while Jim set up his camera in front of the Cafe. Jim joined us in front of the sign while Jan started the timer of the camera and ran to the sign. Jan ran at full speed for about 50 yards and got to the sign with about 1 to 2 seconds to spare! Of course you realize that Jan is the oldest of the group and in the best shape. It was windy and Chuck and Jan both had hats that blew away from them. As they tried to chase after them, we yelled, "Run Forest, Run!" You had to be there. We went into the Cafe and were greeted by Fran. She is a very nice and personable lady. She is the owner of the Cafe. One half of the Cafe is a gift shop. We thanked her for reopening the Cafe for us and we insured her that we would make it worth her time. We all had apple pie ala mode and bought stuff from the gift shop. She told us that we "made her month on sales." She had an old Ford PU parked outside covered in writing from visitors. She gives visitors paint pencils to "sign" her truck. We also wrote on the truck. After taking more pictures, we stayed a while and spoke with her. We told her what we were doing and where we were going. She suggested that we stop at the "Blue Swallow" Motel in Tucumcari, NM. Her good friend, Bill, owns it. J.C. called the motel, spoke with Bill and made reservations. Bill was able to call his friend at the Pow Wow Restaurant to make reservation for us for dinner. We were set.

Jim led us to Tucumcari and we arrived at 5:30 PM after riding another 43 miles. When we crossed the Texas/New Mexico State line, we gained an hour. We arrived at the Blue Swallow Motel, an early 50's deco motel. The lobby was a separate building from the rooms. There were 12 rooms and most of them had their private garage. As we pulled into the front parking lot, Bill met us at the door. He told us that he had the rooms ready and told us also that not more that 10 minutes after J.C. reserved the rooms, a group of bikers from Brazil had arrived at the motel and tried to get rooms. Bill told them that the rooms were already reserved for us. Bill told us that he had called his friend at the restaurant and the General Manager would come and pick us up at 7:45 PM and take us to the restaurant. After we eat, the General Manager would bring us back. How is that for service? We parked our Motors in our garages, unloaded them and tucked them in for the night. We later went to dinner, enjoyed it and returned to the motel. J.C. was kind enough to, again, pick up the tab for our dinners. We like J.C. What a guy! Tomorrow morning, J.C. will leave eastbound, back to the Dallas, TX. area and we will leave westbound. The weather is supposed to be clear for the rest of the week as we continue on our journey to Santa Monica and back to Phoenix. Until tomorrow...

DAY 10

We got up this morning and went to our Motors to prepare them for today's ride. The sky was clear and the temperature was cool. What a great day for riding. We all packed up our Motors and then went to breakfast by the lobby. After breakfast, we all got on our Motors and rode next door to gas up at the "KUM N GO" gas station...the what??! THAT is the name of the gas station. I'm not making it up. We left at 8:00 AM and headed back to 66 with Bruce leading.

We weren't very far from the State line and at 8:19 AM and 11 miles, we were in Galena, KS. This was a great photo op location. There was a business at the corner named, "Four Women on the Route." In the parking lot was an old tow truck which anyone would recognize if they saw the movie, "Cars." The lady at the store told us that the tow truck was the model for the "Cars" tow truck, "Mater." This town was the model for part of the movie, "Cars." We took several pictures of each other with signs, walls, tow truck, and the street. We left at 8:50 AM.

Prior to arriving in Baxter Springs and only 8 miles from Galena, we came upon an old bridge at 8:19 AM. We stopped and took several photos on the bridge. We also took a group photo. We left at 8:50 AM.

We continued on 66 and soon rode into the town of Commerce, OK. Commerce is the boyhood home of the New York Yankees #7, Mickie Mantle. There were banners throughout the town.

The next town that we rode into was named Miami, OK. We rode through this town and it had the typical murals on the walls, old time single traffic lights and old buildings. We followed the signs of 66 and were in an area with a 45 mph zone and the the pavement ended. We found ourselves on 66 and it was a gravel road. There was also the original narrow, paved road complete with pot holes. We continued on the gravel and dirt for 2 miles. We finally reached paved road. The ride in the gravel road seemed like it was more that 2 miles. As we continued on the paved roadway, we all felt better and safer. We also saw a tortoise in the emergency lane. By the look of his expression, it looked as if it was waiting for us to pass so that it could dart across the street. :) A few miles further, we saw it's brother (or sister), we were going too fast to look closely and tell the difference, in the middle of our travel lane. We didn't hit it! We were very careful. This one had a scared look on its face. :)

We continued for another 52 miles from the Bridge and at 10:35 AM, we stopped for a much needed pit stop at a gas station in Vanita, OK. We all "took care of business" and bought some snacks and sat on "non vibrating seats." We left at 11:13 AM. Bruce was still leading us.

As I wrote yesterday, I had been in contact with an old friend, J.C. Allen. He had been texting me throughout the morning trying to set up a meeting place. Like I'm going to return his texting as I ride my Motor...NOT! I don't know how to text. I waited for the text that told me that he was in a town called, "Sapulpa," and would wait for us. We rode through Tulsa, OK. and then arrived in Sapulpa at 12:45 PM after going 76 miles. J.C. had texted me that he was at, "Al's Route 66 Cafe." He also texted saying that he would treat all of us for lunch. What a great place to have lunch and what a great name for a cafe! It couldn't have been better. We met J.C. at the cafe and again he told us that he would treat us to lunch. He also thanks each and every one of us for allowing him to ride with us. We thanked him for the gesture of paying for our lunch, but that we had decided that he would pick up the tab anyway! We had a very good lunch. the food was very good and plentiful. J.C. also bought me a coffee mug from the cafe with the logo of "Al's route 66 Cafe." The cup also had a brief history of Route 66 on the back of the cup. J.C. joined our group and we rode down the street for 1 mile and we all gassed up our Motors. We left at 2:17 PM.

It was Chuck's turn again to lead. We rode for 30 miles and it started raining at 2:50 PM. We were very lucky because no sooner that it started raining that we came upon the small town of Depew, OK. and it had one gas station with cover. We stopped and put our rain gear on. While we were there, we also made a pit stop. You know how hard it is to "take care of business" with rain gear on? Chuck and I looked at the map and it was decided that we would continue on 66 until we came to State Route 177, turn southbound for I-40 and then eastbound, going through Oklahoma City. Soon after leaving Depew, guess what? It stopped raining.

We rode with our rain gear and no rain for 112 miles and at 5:06 PM, we arrived at the Best Western in El Reno, OK. We checked in, got our rooms and rode our Motors to our rooms. We unloaded our Motors, put our stuff in our rooms and tucked our Motors in for the night. No sooner that we did that, we heard loud claps of thunder and the rain came down. The rain continued heavily for about 2 hours. After the rain, we walked next door to Denny's for dinner. After dinner, we returned to our rooms and secured for the night.

This was not a bad day of riding. we rode for 290 miles and got out of Missouri, Kansas and into Oklahoma. Hopefully, if the weather cooperates, we should get to Amarillo, TX. tomorrow. We started to see Armadillo road kill after entering Oklahoma. Armadillo road kill is also known as, "Texas Speed bumps." We will see what tomorrow brings. Until tomorrow...

DAY 9

DAY 9

My alarm went off at 6:00 AM as usual. There was thunder, lightning and rain. We put on the Weather Channel on the tube and they were reporting golf ball size hail in the area. It was also reported that there was tennis ball size hail yesterday in Oklahoma. Bruce came to our door and reported this also to us. The Weather Channel stated that in the Lebanon area, this would last until approximately 9:00 AM. Chuck and I got dressed and went to the lobby for our breakfast. We were not in any hurry, so we took our time, read the paper and had breakfast. We visited with each other for the morning and did some cleaning of our Motors, J.B. changed the position of his foot pegs and I added some stuff to my Motor that I bought yesterday at the Honda shop. The weather started to get better so we decided to take a chance and get ready to go. We rode next door to a Phillips 66 and gassed our Motors. We left at 10:55 AM with me in the lead.

The weather was still overcast, but the roads were dry at this time. At 11:36 AM and after riding for 32 miles, we stopped in Marshfield, MO., to put on our rain gear. We were sprinkled on just prior to stopping, however, we had no where to stop for cover. When we stopped, it had stopped raining. After we put on our rain gear, we noticed a "Route 66 Missouri" sign by the road next to the gas station which we were stopped at. We all went over to the sign for a photo op. We then left at 12:10 PM and I was still leading.

We continued on 66 for another 23 miles and at 12:47 PM, we stopped for lunch at a Subway in Springfield, MO. When we stopped and before going inside to eat, we all took off our rain gear. It didn't rain since we put the rain gear on. We enjoyed a nice meal and watched a Police unit make a traffic stop just outside of the Subway. It brought back memories! At 1:43 PM we left.

As I was still leading, we were following the 66 signs. We followed the signs into the Springfield/Branson Airport. We were all puzzled because we were following the signs and it lead us there! We made a tour of the small airport and out we went. We got back on I-44 and soon saw a sign leading us off of the interstate and back on 66. We continued on and at 2:42 PM after riding 52 miles, we stopped in Avilla, MO. for a break and pit stop. We took a short break, however, the gas station didn't have public restrooms. We protested by not buying anything there and we left at 2:51 PM.

It was 3:00 PM and 9 miles later that we stopped in Carthage, MO. for a true break and pit stop. This gas station did have restrooms. We left at 3:32 PM.

As we entered Webb City, MO., it started to sprinkle again. The winds started to kick up and the sky south of us and the direction we were headed, was very black. Chuck pulled up next to me and told me that the Weather Station on his XM Radio was reporting that anyone in the southwest Counties of Missouri should go indoors and avoid being next to windows because of a severe thunderstorm with 60 mph winds heading southeast. We were there! I pulled into a parking lot in Webb City, at 3:52 PM after riding for 13 miles, and we were preparing to put our rain gear on again. We sat there watching the sky and decided to wait out the storm. The storm was supposed to be south of us in Joplin, MO. Some local rode up to us on his Motor and told us that the storm was about 15 miles south of us and that it was clear to the west of us. I looked in my Best Western book for the nearest motel and found that there was one in Joplin, south of us on the same road. We decided to head for the motel and seek shelter under the awning. We left at 4:10 PM.

As we were riding southbound, it started to rain. I started to rain a little harder and i was looking for somewhere to pull into to get shelter from the rain. Chuck pulled up next to me and we decided to continue until we found the Best Western. Chuck stated that when we found the Best Western, he was ready to, "call it a day." I agreed. A few blocks later, there it was! We pulled into the Best Western and under the awning. I was then told that it wasn't the Best Western, but a Baymont Inn & Suites. The BW was next door. We arrived at 4:20 PM and after riding 6 more miles. I rode over to the BW to get a price for the rooms while Bruce went into the Baymont to get prices. I called Chuck on the cell and reported that I got a great price for the rooms and Chuck told me that Bruce go a better price. The Baymont is where we stayed. We checked in, parked our Motors close to our rooms, unloaded and tucked them in for the night.

So far, this day has been the day with the least amount of miles traveled. We only rode for 135 miles, thanks to the rain this morning and the storm in the afternoon. It is supposed to be cloudy tomorrow morning with 50% chance of thunderstorms by noon. We should be gone by then. We plan to leave approximately 7:30 AM provided that the storm doesn't come early.

While were in the hotel, I checked my e-mail and received an e-mail from an old friend of the group, J.C. Allen. He respectfully asked if he could meet up with us between Tulsa and Oklahoma City, OK. I called him and told him that we would meet with him and have him ride with us until Tucumcari, NM, at his request. J.C., we will see you tomorrow. Soooo, until tomorrow...

DAY 8

It's me again! This is the start of our second week. It sure doesn't seem like it has been that long. So, we are in Springfield, IL. at a Ramada Inn. We got up and had a continental breakfast. The Ramada Inn served biscuits and gravy. The guys were excited for something different. After having the biscuits and gravy, it was a general consensus of opinion that it wasn't that great! I'm glad that I didn't have it. We were done and so we went to go pack up our Motors. Everyone checked their rooms to make sure that nothing was left behind. As we were all on our Motors and ready to go, J.B. led us out. We left at 8:27 AM.

J.B. led us to the Old Route 66 and we followed it for 54 miles and stopped in Litchfield at 9:35 AM. We stopped at Niehaus Cycle Sales so that I could get an oil change for my Motor. Before we left Phoenix, I still had about 1,000 miles before my Motor was due. Of course this stop was approved by Chuck prior to leaving Phoenix. I took my Motor to the service department and checked my Motor in and was told that it probably would take about 1 1/2 hours. I told them to take my Motor and that I would be in the store "shopping." The place had a lot of Hondas, Honda clothing, Honda parts, coffee, pop, restrooms and everything. This was a giant play land! IT WASN'T A HARLEY DEALERSHIP!!!! :) Jan was also excited about being there. He is interested in the Honda ST 1300. What a sweet looking Motor! Jan asked and took one out for a test ride. Jan came back with stars in his eyes. He talked with J.B. and convinced him to take it on a test ride also. J.B. also liked it. While they were test riding the Motor, I was shopping and bought a few items. I just have to come back. I saw a Goldwing that I fell in love with. A salesman told me that he could have all of the paperwork drawn up in no time and that he would give me a great price for my Goldwing as a trade in. He also quoted me a great price for a new one. It was very tempting. I have to think about it. Maybe when we finish the ride and go back to Kansas City and take J.B. home I might do it. I still have to think about it. Right now, I just can't think of any reason NOT to get it. We ended up staying there for about 3 1/2 hours waiting for my Motor to be finished. All we took it in for was for an oil change. They were very busy with other Motors. They had 6 technicians working. Well, it was finally finished and we left at 1:01 PM in time to ride 1 mile away and get to a Subway for lunch. We left the Subway at 1:37 PM and continued on 66 with J.B. leading.

J.B. lead us through St. Louis, passing the Arch and Busch Stadium. That was the Arch...not the Golden Arches. We stopped in Eureka, MO. at 2:58 PM, after riding 82 miles and gassed up and took a break. While we were taking a break, there was a Eureka Police Officer there and we all struck up a conversation with him. I gave him a PPD patch and he gave me one of his. We then left at 3:37 PM.

It was now Jim's turn to lead. We followed 66 through small towns and 21 miles later at 4:10 PM, we stopped in Wild Wood...where? We were lost again. Missouri doesn't post as many Route 66 signs as Illinois does. We didn't see any signs. I asked an elderly gentleman, who looked as he was about 120 years old as to where we could get Route 66 again. We left at 4:22 PM. He gave me directions and they were good! We found 66 again.

We continued on with Jim leading, again, going through small towns. We stopped in Sullivan at 5:10 PM, after riding 39 miles. We checked the map and found where we needed to go. At 5:20 PM we continued on.

As we were riding 66, Jim was leading and Chuck radioed to Jim to stop ASAP. At 5:47 PM and after riding for only 18 miles, we stopped in Cuba. That is Cuba, MO., NOT Cuba Cuba! Bruce had a large bug hit him on his sunglasses and it splattered in his eye. We took a few minutes for Bruce to clean himself off and recover from the hit. The score is: Bruce 1, bug 0. We continued at 5:58 PM. While we were riding through Cuba, they have the world largest rocking chair. It is about 5 stories tall! It is huge. Anyway, we continued on.

Jim led us on 66 again and Chuck radioed to him telling him that if he wanted to, he could go onto the interstate (I-44) and go straight to St. Robert, MO. where there is a Best Western waiting for us to check in. Jim didn't hesitate one bit. Jim dipped his Motor for a turn and we were quickly on I-44 and off we go to the races! We continued for 46 miles and arrived at 6:48 PM. Bruce went in and found that the Best Western, along with the other 2 motels in the area, were full. There was a week long convention of Cops. You should have seen the faces of the 3 or 4 Cops standing on the balcony when we rode in on our Motors! They were "looking us over" as if they were thinking of us as, "Biker Trash!" How dare them think of us that way. They are right, but how dare them! Bruce was told that there was another Best Western about 35 miles south and a call was made. Bruce had them hold 4 rooms for us.

We all got back on our Motors and Jim led us south. We arrived in Lebanon, MO. NOT Lebanon the middle east country, at the Best Western 34 miles later and at 7:33 PM. Believe it or not, it was still daylight. We checked in and got our rooms. We were lucky and so was the motel. With the 4 rooms that we took, now there were now 6 rooms rented in the entire motel! The clerk at the desk told us that if we were to hear sirens blaring in the middle of the night, we should go into the bathrooms! She then told us that there is a possibility of a tornado hitting this town tonight. That doesn't sound good! She did, however, let us park our Motors on the sidewalk next to the doors of our rooms. At least the Motors are under the second floor walkway and under cover from the rain. We unloaded our Motors and rode to a nearby Applebee's restaurant. As we almost arrived, we passed a grocery store named, get this, "Smitty's." It had the same sign as our old Smitty's stores that used to be in Phoenix. that was a nice bit of nostalgia. We finished dinner and back to the motel. No tornado yet! We parked our Motors next to our doors, tucked them in for the night, talked for a while and then we all went into our rooms. We need to get ready for tomorrow.

This was a very nice day with great weather for riding. We saw beautiful countryside with nice homes. We ended up with 298 miles for the day. We didn't expect to put in that many miles. We will see what tomorrow brings. Soooo, until tomorrow...

DAY 7

We got up and had breakfast and slowly started to load up our Motors. It was a beautiful, clear morning, perfect for riding into Chicago. This is what we had been waiting for for months. We left the motel at 8:40 AM and headed east on the interstate. Chuck was leading us as we came up to a toll booth. Since Chuck was leading, he paid the toll. Lucky for him it was only $.60 per Motor. The toll booth attendant, Kwami, was very helpful with directions on how to get to downtown Chicago and the start of Old Route 66. As we neared downtown Chicago we could see the skyline. We arrived at our starting point, Jackson St. and Michigan Way at 9:20 AM and after 30 miles of riding. The exact area where the sign was posted was under construction so the sign was missing. That was OK, we took pictures of the group, Motors and the area.

After checking our maps and getting our bearings, we decided to go north a few miles along Lake Shore Drive. Chuck was still leading us and as we rode along the shore, we saw hundreds of people jogging, walking, playing and boating along the shoreline and in the water. I was looking at the beach and thought that the ocean was large and beautiful, then I thought, "This isn't the ocean, it's just a lake!" Wow, what a BIG lake! We went a few miles north, made a u-turn and then went back southbound, headed for I-55. We passed "The Drake" hotel, Sears tower, Soldier Field and other landmarks to numerous to mention. We turned at the exit for Highway 53, which is where Old Route 66 starts. Well, we wanted to turn there, however, we got in the wrong lane and exited 1/4 mile to early and headed northbound but exited at the first available exit and ended up in Woodridge, IL. at 10:53 AM after only 45 miles. We took advantage of the error, took a break, pit stop and gassed up.

We checked the map and Jan led us back on track. We got to Highway 53 and the Old Route 66. Illinois did us a great favor by marking Old Route 66 with signs. They were easy to follow. As we follow Old Route 66, it took us into many little towns through their "Main Street." We arrived in Joliet, IL. after only 16 miles and at 12:15 PM we stopped along the road next to a sign to take pictures. We each rode our Motors onto the sidewalk next to the "Old Route 66" sign and had our pictures taken. At this portion of the road, it was a one way southbound. There was a Route 66 museum and souvenir shop one block north of us. We decided to go. Chuck rode his Motor northbound on the southbound, one way street to the Museum. The rest of us didn't want any part of that! Bruce, Jan and I rode northbound on the east sidewalk, while Jim and J.B. rode around the block, legally, and into the Museum parking lot. Kathleen walked. We didn't go through the tour because it lasted 1 1/2 hours. We did go into the souvenir shop and bought a few items and also used the facilities. We left at 12:50 PM.

Jan continued to lead us on 66 and we rode through a couple of towns and at 1:13 PM and 17 miles later, we stopped in Wilmington for lunch at a Subway. We knew that because of 66, we wouldn't be making great time and distance. There is just too much to see! We left at 2:00 PM.

As we traveled Old Route 66, at times the road was next to I-55 or next to the original Route 66. The original was still there in parts and not maintained. There were sign stating, "Road Closed." Just south of Pontiac, IL., Jan stopped onto the original Route 66 and past a barrier. We parked our Motors and stopped to talk about it. We took some pictures and Chuck got on his Motor and rode about 200 yards south, to the end of the section, made a u-turn and returned. Jim, Kathleen and I took video of his short ride. Not only did Chuck take his solo ride, but Bruce, Jim and J.B. all helped "water" the field next to the road. I have pictures of Bruce and Jan. J.B. was sneaky and got past me! Maybe next time. We continued on at 3:15 PM.

We continued onward, following the signs. At one point, we don't know when, we stopped seeing the signs and got on the wrong road. We stopped 47 miles from our last stop at 4:17 PM. We were checking the map, however, we didn't know where we were! We discussed it for a while and Jim took out his GPS and started leading us back to I-55. We left at 4:33 PM.

We ended up in McLean, IL., 10 miles from where we stopped when we realized that we were lost. It's a good thing that Jim had the GPS and that he knew how to operate and read it. We stopped at 4:49 PM at a gas station and made a pit stop, took a break and at 5:09 PM, we continued.

We continued to follow Old Route 66 southbound. About 34 miles later we stopped in Springfield, IL. at 5:50 PM and gassed up. Chuck, Jim and J.B.'s "low fuel" light turned on a few miles back so we stopped. This was a quick stop and after checking the map to see where we would stop for the night in Springfield, J.B. led us to the Best Western. We arrived 13 miles later and at 6:11 PM. Bruce entered and tried to get a good price. The place didn't have very many cars and it appeared that the motel would love to rent out 4 rooms. The female clerk would not give us a good rate and didn't even want to barter with Bruce. She started the price higher that what my Best Western book stated. We told her, "no" and left at 6:30 PM to go look for another motel. At 6:42 PM we found a Ramada Inn just 3 miles away. The clerk gave us a good price, it had WiFi, an indoor pool and a Mexican food restaurant within walking distance. This was it! We checked in, parked our Motors and tucked them in for the night. After unpacking, most everyone, except J.B. and me (the water was not heated), went into the pool. After the pool, we changed and walked to the Xochimilco Mexican Food restaurant. We had a good dinner and returned to the motel to secure for the night.

We rode 259 miles today. It didn't seem like we rode so many miles. Some of us were more tired of getting on and off of the Motors than riding the distance. Oh well, that is the nature of this beast, Old Route 66...I wasn't talking about us. I know what you guys were thinking! Everyone else is in their rooms sleeping, I guess it's my turn. Until tomorrow...

DAY 6

We are in Bloomington, IL. at the Best Western. It rained on us yesterday for approximately 5 1/2 hours while we were on the road. We all rested well and some woke up and their boots were still wet. It was overcast and a little cold, but no rain. We are to meet two of Chuck's college roommates in Naperville, IL., which is approximately 21 miles west of downtown Chicago at 2 PM. Not a problem. We put on some of our rain gear because we had heard that there was a possibility of rain and that it was raining in Chicago. It was agreed that if it started raining on us, we would pull over and put on the rest of the rain gear. I led the group northbound on I-55. We left at 10:45 AM. As we were northbound, the sun poked out of the clouds and it looked good! We rode for 85 miles and at 11:54 AM, we stopped in Channahon, IL. for gas. After we gassed up, we took a break and had some snacks. Some of us changed to lighter gloves and put on sunglasses. Chuck and I looked at the map to make sure where we were going to exit and get to the Best Western in Naperville.

Chuck led us northbound and the traffic and weather were cooperating. We arrived at the Joliet exit, it started to rain. It wasn't too bad. It sprinkled off and on for only a few miles. There was, however, a very black cloud over the area that we were headed. We continued on I-55 looking for our exit. We were getting close to Midway Airport when we got off of the interstate to check the map. The exit that we were supposed to get off at was not there! We ended up in a Cicero and then headed west on Highway 34. We "toured" several small towns and dodged a lot of potholes. We finally arrived in Naperville and found the "Famous Dave's" barbecue restaurant, where we were going to meet with Chuck's friends. We arrived at 4:36 PM after riding 62 miles. We went in and found Chuck's friends already inside. We all met them and were seated in a small room all to ourselves. After we were seated, Bruce walked in and graced us with his presence. Bruce had gone straight to the Best Western and found that we had not checked in yet so he went to the restaurant. As he rode to the restaurant, 1 mile away, it began to rain. We enjoyed lunch and the company of Chuck's friends. We finally left at 4:30 PM and rode 1 mile to the Best Western. We arrived at 4:36 PM, checked in, unloaded our Motors and tucked them in for the night.

Later, some of us walked a short distance to a K-Mart for some supplies. Then, some of us walked to a movie theatre and watched, "The Bucket List." Later again, Chuck, Jim, Jan and I walked over to T.G.I. Fridays for a late dinner. Soon after returning to the motel, we secured for the night. Today we only traveled 148 miles. Tomorrow we actually start the Old Route 66 Ride, starting at Grant Park, in the area of Lake Shore Drive and Adams. Tune in tomorrow!

DAY 5



We all woke up with eager anticipation of leaving and continuing the ride with J.B. We all got up at different times and sat around the dining table talking, drinking coffee and, again, talking about Bruce. :) Eventually we had a quick breakfast of fruit, muffins, juice, coffee and English muffins. We started to pack up our Motors, keeping a watchful eye on the sky. It was overcast and cold, however, it wasn't raining. With J.B. in the lead, we left at 9:15 AM. We headed 1 mile away to gas up. We were only there gassing up for 5 minutes before we left at 9:23 AM.



Knowing the town as he does, J.B. lead us out and we were making good time and distance. I was second in line behind J.B. and then it happened! I needed "to go!" For breakfast, I had three large mugs of coffee before leaving. IT WAS TIME! Chuck was wrong about what he said last week. It wouldn't take me only 20 miles out. It took 49 miles before we stopped in Lexington, MO. at 10:19 AM. I had ridden up next to J.B. and told him to make a quick pit stop ASAP. We arrived at a gas station where I quickly went inside for the restroom, with others following. I later apologized to Chuck for drinking so much coffee before we left. We continued at 10:38 AM.



J.B. was leading us on Highway 24, a two lane road, and we arrived at a junction with Highway 65. Unfortunately, we took a wrong turn and instead of staying on Highway 24, we went on Highway 65. We had traveled for approximately 40 miles on Highway 65 thinking that we were still on Highway 24. J.B. stopped in Chillicothe, MO. at 11:42 AM after riding for 49 miles to check the map. After looking at the map, we realized that although we made a wrong turn, we were able to get on Highway 36, which was also a 2 lane road and a straight shot to link up with Highway 24 after about 98 miles. After looking at the time and listening to our stomachs growling, we rode to a nearby Subway and had lunch. After lunch, we put our jackets back on as the temperature was in the lower 40's. We left at 12:42 PM.



We continued eastbound on Highway 36 for another 60 miles and at 1:38 PM, we stopped in Macon, MO. for gas. Just as we pulled up to the station, it started to sprinkle. We gassed up and made a pit stop, as it continued to sprinkle harder. We waited a while, hoping for the rain to stop. We decided to put on our rain gear, just in case.



Jim lead us from the gas station and 42 miles later, it started to rain. We were all glad that we put on our rain gear. We stopped 76 miles later at 3:30 PM in West Quincy, MO. for a pit stop. Not only did we stop for a pit stop, but we stayed for a while and had some snacks. As we were there snacking and pit stopping, we were also people watching. Man, there were some strange looking people walking in and out of that mini mart. The most memorable one was a truck driver who had, as Chuck put it, "a world champion mullet." Not only did he have this mullet, but he was wearing black sweat pants and a sleeveless t-shirt, showing off his tatted arms. He should have been wearing long sleeves. His arms weren't that great! Kathleen managed to sneak a picture of Mr. Mullet. We were there for almost an hour and left at 4:21 PM, hoping to get to Peoria, IL.



We continued eastbound for another 74 miles and at 5:51 PM, we stopped in Astoria, IL. for gas. As we were gassing up, customers at the gas station were asking us about our Motors and our journey. We also told them that we were going to Peoria, IL. to stop for the night and then go to Chicago. One gentleman told us that we could go to Bloomington, IL., as it would be a lot safer and closer to Chicago. He gave us directions, we looked at the map and then left at 6:20 PM.



It was my turn to lead and, having looked at the map, led the group eastbound on Highway 36 for about 10 miles and then switched to Highway 136 to I-55 and then north. It was STILL RAINING and we arrived in Bloomington, IL. and the Best Western University Inn at 7:51 PM, after riding in the rain for another 87 miles. We entered the lobby soaking wet and dripping. the male, young clerk was amazed that we were all on Motors riding in the rain. I had asked if there were rooms available and he told me that there were only three rooms left; one with a king bed and two rooms with double beds. We told him that we would take them. We all moved our Motors to the back parking lot, close to our rooms, and unloaded them in the pouring rain. After we unloaded the Motors and tucked them in for the night, we went to our rooms and got ready to walk about a block and a half to a "Steak 'N Shake" restaurant for dinner. As we walked out of the motel, it had STOPPED RAINING! We had a nice dinner and returned to our rooms to retire for the night. Tomorrow we will ride to Naperville, IL., about 21 miles west of Chicago, where Chuck is going to meet two old college roommates for lunch. It is supposed to be colder tomorrow and it is also supposed to rain. We will see... With all of the rain that we rode in today, we logged 412 miles. Most of the miles was in the rain.



Until tomorrow...

DAY 4

This was a "DOWN" day for us. We stayed at J.B. & Susie's home and visited for the day. J.B., Chuck, Jan and I went with Jim to a nearby Harley Davidson Service Center and dropped Jim's Motor in for its 20,000 mile service and a set of new shoes (tires). We returned to J.B.'s home and soon after, Bruce left us to go and visit his family in Cedar Rapids, IA. It was sprinkling when he left and we all wished him a safe journey. We all went back inside the house and talked about Bruce. :) What did you expect? We would have done the same thing no matter who left.

We sat around drinking coffee and talking all morning. We went to a restaurant named, "Corner Cafe" at about 12:30 PM. The food was good and when we had had enough, we returned to the house and sat around again, talked, drank coffee and talked about Bruce. It started to rain harder and it hailed for a short while. It continued to rain on and off. The later the day got, the harder it rained. We were hoping that it would rain hard today and tonight so that it would be done by the morning.

At about 7:30 PM J.B. and Susie took us to dinner to the Nationally known barbeque restaurant, Arthur Bryant's. We drove approximately 10 miles in the rain to get there, but it was worth it. The food was very good, the price was right and they served a lot. We returned home and guess what? We sat around, talked, drank more coffee and talked about Bruce? What did you expect? Let me be more specific. J.B., Chuck and I drank coffee.

Tomorrow we are hoping to leave and travel towards Chicago, provided that the weather is good to us. We will see. Soooooo, until tomorrow...

DAY 3

We woke up this morning and packed up our Motorcycles. It wasn't that cold nor was it very windy as it was last night. We walked over to breakfast and then at 8:35 AM we left, heading for Dodge City. We didn't make it to Dodge City last night like we had intended to because of the strong winds. Chuck was leading us and we were going to gas up in Dodge City. At 9:21 AM we arrived in Dodge City after riding 50 miles. We gassed up, left at 9:45 AM, rode 1 more mile and arrived at Boot Hill at 9:48 AM. We toured Boot Hill and took pictures. We stayed until 11:20 AM, not realizing the time, and we left.

I was leading now and we headed northeast. After riding for 84 miles, we arrived at 12:44 PM in a town named Great Bend, KS. We stopped at a Subway and had lunch. We left at 1:20 PM with me still leading.

We rode another 32 miles and at 1:58 PM we arrived in Lyons, KS. We stopped for gas and Chuck tried to contact J.B. to set up a meeting time. Chuck couldn't connect with J.B. so he left a message on J.B.'s cell phone. We left at 2:25 PM with Bruce in the lead.

As Bruce was leading us to the meeting with J.B. in Emporia, Chuck put his Motor on cruise control, got his cell phone and called J.B. while he was riding. Chuck made a connection and spoke with J.B. The weather was cooperating with us today, however, every time we passed an 18 wheeler going the other way, the wind blast was nasty! Speaking of nasty, the western side of Kansas is not only flat, but there are a lot of dairy farms and hundreds and hundreds of cattle. It is not a pleasant odor! For those of you who are following our ride and are on the Department or retired, think of the smell at the PPD Driving Track...western Kansas smells like that! Anyway, we arrived at Emporia and stopped at the Flying J Truck Stop at 4:10 PM after 110 miles. J.B. was not there so Chuck called him. J.B. was a few miles away and rode to our location. Upon his arrival we were happy to see J.B.'s lovely wife, Suzy, riding on the back of his Motor. We visited for awhile and then left, with J.B. leading us to his home in Gladstone, MO. We left at 4:47 PM.

With J.B. leading us, we rode to Lebo, KS. and stopped for gas at 5:13 PM after 29 miles. At 5:27 PM we were off again! After riding for 103 miles, we arrived at J.B.'s house in Gladstone, MO. at 6:47 PM. We visited for a while with Suzy's sister, Nancy, and Suzy's mom, Ann. J.B.'s son, Aaron, was also there. After a while, we got back on our Motors and rode to Stroud's Restaurant for a very good chicken dinner. Suzy dove her car and took Aaron and Kathleen. All of the male employees were wearing a "Stroud's" t-shirt. On the back of the t-shirt it read, "WE CHOCK OUR OWN CHICKENS." We all had a good laugh. We returned to J.B.'s home where we parked all six of the Motors in the garage and tucked them in for the night.

We checked on the weather for tomorrow and it is supposed to have scattered showers and t-showers later in the evening. Jim is going to take his Harley to a nearby H-D service center for a 20,000 service on his Motor and a new tire. J.B. will go with him and possible Chuck also. Believe it or not, this being Day 3, we have NOT been to any Harley Davidson store thus far! LIFE IS GOOD!

Until tomorrow...

DAY 2

My alarm went off at 6:00 AM and I got out of bed and got dressed. Jan followed soon after. We packed up our stuff and loaded our Motors. We quickly realized that it was very cold outside and were very thankful that we were NOT leaving at this time. We all were up and packing the Motors at this time. When we finished, we walked over to the Continental breakfast, which was located next to the motel lobby. We enjoyed our breakfast and then it was time to get ready and leave. We returned to our rooms and made sure that we were fully packed and not forgetting anything.

Bruce was leading again and we left at 8:25 AM. We headed east and 7 miles later at 8:33 AM we stopped at a gas station to fill up. We left at 8:50 AM with Jan in the lead.

Jan lead us east through a very scenic part of Colorado. There were mountains all around us with snow capped peaks. We continued until we reached Pagosa Springs, CO at 9:49 AM after 54 miles. This was a much needed pit stop. After leaving at 10:15 AM, we could see that Pagosa Springs was a very beautiful, scenic, green and quiet town. I have some relative living here and I can understand why they do! As we were headed eastbound, there was a large snow capped mountain ahead of us that we needed to cross. This mountain had "Wolf Creek Pass," which has an elevation of 10,550 feet. The road through the pass was winding and had snow on either side of the road, up the mountains and on top of the mountains. The road was dry and in good shape. We needed to watch for the falling rocks! The temperature at the top of the pass was 37 degrees. I was taking pictures as we rode and making the sharp turns, avoiding snow balls on the road and the other traffic that I thought that it was prudent to put the camera away and pay attention to the road. There was one part in the road where there was a tunnel. There was a sign which read, "Watch out for ice in snow shed." As soon as we entered the tunnel (snow shed) it was dark and we had to make a quick right turn. We were all wearing our sunglasses, which made it darker. The rest of the "Pass" was gorgeous! What a ride. As we were going downhill, the temperature started to warm up.

Jan continued leading us and we stopped in Del Norte, CO for a pit stop at 11:19 AM and after 68 miles. Not only did we stop for the pit stop, but we talked about Wolf Creek Pass. We left at 11:31 AM and headed for Alamosa, CO, where we intended to stop for lunch. When we arrived at 12:05 PM, we stopped at Wendy's. As we were eating lunch, a gentleman walked up to us and asked us if we were riding the Harley's. He identified himself as Robert Jackson and gave me his business card. Robert is the Support Services Commander for the Alamosa Police Department. We told him who were were and what we were doing and he gave us notice of some heavy winds and three fires in the direction that we were going. We thanked him for the information and I gave him a Phoenix Police patch. We left at 12:54 PM.

As we left Alamosa eastbound, we found that Robert was right about the heavy winds. We experienced heavy winds and strong gusts. At one point, I was at the rear of the pack and rode next to Chuck. I stuck my left thumb up facing southbound and told Chuck that my "calibrated thumb" was telling me that the wind gusts were approximately 47 mph. We later found that the wind gusts were up to 50 mph! I guess my thumb is still calibrated...:) We arrived in FT. Garland, CO at 1:25 PM after riding 28 miles. This is generally what we usually do after lunch. we like to stop after about 20 miles so that we can "wake up" after lunch. We also stopped for gas and an after lunch pit stop.

It was now Jim's time to lead. We continued east and stopped in Walsenburg, CO. at 2:31 PM after riding 47 miles. This was a needed pit stop. Yes, we stopped for another pit stop. We had to. We had a lot to drink for lunch! We didn't stop for very long and continued at 2:46 PM. As you can tell from our past few stops, we didn't ride for very long. We also had to ride at slower speeds, especially over Wolf Creek Pass. At this point, we also shedded our jackets because it was very warm. According to Bruce's thermometer on his Motor, it had reached 90 degrees.

Los Animas, CO. was our next stop at 4:15 PM after riding for...get this...94 miles. Do you believe it? We actually rode for 94 miles. We covered some ground! Yeah, you guessed it. This was another pit stop. We left at 4:37 PM.

Jim took us to Lamar, CO. where we stopped at 5:13 PM after riding 36 miles. NO, this wasn't for a pit stop! It was a needed stop for gas. At least we thought that we needed gas. We were riding a a very flat roadway and going about 65 mph. Don't worry, the speed limit was 65! When we had gassed up in Lamar, we all averages about 3 to 3 1/2 gallons of gas each. We all had great gas mileage. We left at 6:28 PM with Chuck leading again.

Chuck took us east towards Kansas. The sun was starting to set, but we had intentions of getting to Dodge City, Kansas. We passed the Kansas State Line at 6:00 PM and at 7:15 PM after riding 50 miles we stopped in Syracuse, KS. Jim had radioed Chuck on the CB and asked Chuck to stop because Jim's load needed to be checked. Jim stated that he saw a jacket flapping in the wind and he wanted to secure it. Also, as we entered Kansas, we lost another hour. We left at 7:28 PM. As we rode eastbound, at about 8:05 PM, we encountered strong winds again. We were battling the wind gusts. The wind gusts took its toll on us because of the long day that we had. We arrived at Garden City, KS., which is about 47 miles shy of Dodge City, at 8:29 PM after riding 56 miles. Most of the 56 miles were with heavy winds and strong gusts. We stopped at a Best Western to check for three rooms but they didn't have what we needed. The nice clerk referred us to another Best Western a mile away. The clerk had checked and found that the other motel had rooms for us. We rode to the BW Wheat Lands Hotel and Conference Center. We checked into the motel and asked for a good, close place for dinner. The clerk told us that The Grain Bin Restaurant, next door, served dinner until 9 PM. We collected our room keys and rode our Motors next door for dinner. After dinner, we went back to the motel and checked into our rooms. We unloaded our Motors and tucked them in for the night. It was, again, windy and you should have seen us put the covers on the Motors. It was a chore!

Well, today we saw some beautiful country in the west side of Colorado. The east side was very flat and had a lot of farms. We saw a lot of road kill, mainly deer. The first part of Kansas was also very flat, however, there were a lot of farms and some beautiful homes. We did manage to ride for a total of 460 miles. We didn't make it to Dodge City but we will tomorrow. Chuck called J.B. and told him where we stopped for the night. J.B. told Chuck that he (J.B.) is "biting at the bit" to ride. I think that J.B. will probably ride west for a distance in hopes of meeting with us to ride back to his home with us. We will see...

Until tomorrow...

DAY 1

THE TIME IF FINALLY HERE!!!! The time for the Route 66 ride is here. We set our meeting place at the Circle K at 35 Ave. and W. Happy Valley Rd. for 7:00 AM. When I arrived, Chuck and Bruce were already there. Chuck was drinking his cup of coffee and I yelled at him for drinking coffee. A few days ago, while we were having our bi-weekly coffee time at Denny's, Chuck told me that I was banned from any coffee in the morning because he didn't want to have to stop every 20 minutes for me to have a "pit stop." I thanked him for giving me the benefit of the doubt in giving me 20 minutes. I told him a more realistic time would be 10 minutes. Anyway...a few minutes later, Jim and Kathleen arrived. Chuck got on his cell phone and called Jan and told him that we were about to leave and meet him in Cortes Junction. We left at 7:24 AM with my odometer reading, "40762."

Chuck started leading the group northbound for Cortes Junction. After going 46 miles and arriving at 8:07 AM at the Chevron gas station, we parked our motors, neatly, and waited for Jan. Jan was coming from home, Enscription Canyon, which is in Prescott. Jan arrived about 15 minutes later and we left at 8:29 AM.

We rode north to Flagstaff and stopped for breakfast at 9:46 after riding 84 miles. We stopped at a little restaurant named, "Miz Zips." We had a good meal and a nice rest and then rode down the street to gas up. We left at 10:45 AM.

It was my turn to take over the lead. We continued for 68 miles and stopped in Cameron, AZ at 11:33 AM for a much needed "pit stop." We continued at 11:49 AM and I was still leading. After riding for 98 miles, we stopped in Kayenta, AZ at 1:22 PM for gas and a "pit stop." We were there until 1:48 PM and then continued on.

It was now Bruce's turn to lead. Bruce led us to the "Four Corner's" monument. We arrived at 3:33 PM after 79 miles. Since Bruce was in the lead, he paid for the admission for all of us. That is the agreement we came up with for the leader. If there is a toll road or admission, the leader foots the bill! It was only $3 per motorcycle. We rode into the park area and parked our motors in front of the monument for a photo-op. We also walked up onto the monument and took some photos standing or laying on all four corners. We left at 3:22 PM and headed north. At 4:24 PM, 2 minutes later, (we gained one hour), and 1 mile, we stopped at the "Welcome to Colorado" sign where we stopped and posed for pictures. We left at 4:31 PM.

As we rode further into Colorado, we noticed the landscape change from "high desert" to greenery, trees, farmland and beautiful scenery. There was snow on the higher mountains and after passing Cortez, CO, we crossed over a snow capped mountain where there was snow on the hillsides and alongside the roadway. The roadway, however, was dry. We saw a lot of "fat and happy" cows, sheep, sheepdogs, a llama and horses. We arrived at Durango, CO at 5:53 PM after 83 miles. It started to get a little colder. It's a good thing that we arrived at the Best Western Durango Inn and Suites.

After arriving at the motel, we tucked our Motors in for the night, changed into our swim suits and went into the hot tub. It was to the rear of the motel with a mountain behind with a large grassy area. While Jan, Bruce, Chuck and I were in the hot tub, four deer came into sight and were grazing. Two of them came within 20 yards of us. After we got out of the hot tub, we returned to our rooms, changed and went to dinner on the grounds to "Christina's Grill." After dinner, we returned to our rooms and prepared for tomorrow. It is supposed to be cold in the morning.

Today was a very good day for riding. After the long anticipation of this "Route 66" ride and last year's Four Corner's Ride, we all adjusted quite nicely. By my odometer, we traveled 439 miles today from the Circle K. Tomorrow we hope to ride to Dodge City, KS.

THE COUNTDOWN!

In April of 2007, Chuck, Jim, Bruce, Jan, J.B. and I went on a "short" ride to the Four Corners. This was not the "Four Corners" in northwest Arizona, but the "Four Corners" of the United States! This "short" ride took us five weeks and one day. Our first "corner" was in Key West, FLA. As we headed northbound, we stopped for a couple of days in the area of Washington D.C. After our tour, J.B. left us to go back home to start a new job. The five of us continued northbound and eventually arrived in Madawaska, ME, the second "corner." We headed westbound and days later found ourselves in the geographic center of the United States in a town called, Belle Fourche, SD. We continued westbound and later arrived in Blaine, WA, the third "corner." We headed southbound and a few days later arrived in San Ysidro, CA. Sadly, our adventure was soon to be over and we headed back to Phoenix and our families. This great adventure took five weeks and one day and just under 12,000 miles. We still talk about the great memories of the trip!

Today is Monday, April 7, 2008 and in one week the same six, plus Jim's wife, Kathleen, will be leaving for another adventure. We are going to ride to Chicago, IL and come back on the old Route 66 to Santa Monica, CA. We are supposed to head north to Cordes Junction to pick up Jan. We will then head to the area of Kansas City, MO to pick up J.B. Fortunately for all of us, J.B. is going be with us the entire trip this time. There have been many meetings, phone calls and e-mails done to discuss and make plans for this trip. All of the motorcycles have been prepared for this journey and we are all ready for it.

I am SOOOOOO excited for this trip that I am "ALREADY PACKED!"