Wandering Retirees

Today has been a day of rest. I slept late, did some laundry and a little shopping, and waited for Connie to arrive. Which she did. We missed each other very much.

… Connie here. I mean really here, in Colorado. Long day of travel but there were no problems whatsoever. Gratitude. Now back to Hank.

Weather this week is an inconstant thing. Rain and thunderstorms are called for at least part of the next several days. We’re happy that the folks who live here are glad for the rain. We just hope for some good hours with the sun.

Tomorrow we’re heading into the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Trail Ridge Road. We loved it so much last time through and are very excited now.

We’re sorry to hear of the terrible air quality back East. We hope you are all ok. Be safe.

It’ll be early to bed again. We are both acclimating to the higher elevation welcome the rest. We leave you a couple of pictures that speak to us. Good night.

Another 800 miles between yesterday and today. Saw some nice scenery and talked to a couple of interesting folks, but I was pretty focused on getting to Estes Park. So dallying was kept to a minimum.

Yesterday was all about the heat. It hit 93 by 10 AM and traffic was slow. I made it past Kansas City (Kansas) and had to pull over to get cooled off and drink about a gallon of water. I’m grateful that I was able to spend an hour inside a chilly convenience store. I tried to make up for it by drinking the high priced expensive H2O with vitamins and minerals and maybe fairy dust, too. Feeling better I pressed on to Oakley, KS where a cool shower and an early bed time did wonders.

Today started pretty and got better. Sunrise was a gold and red burst of pleasure. It was a bit hazy and that may have added to the spectacle. When I saddled up it was already almost 90 so I skedaddled toward higher ground. Pretty soon the road climbed the Colorado plateau and the temperature dropped.

I intentionally stuck to roads off the interstate as much as possible. Riding north on KS rte 27, then US 34, I found myself on the Land and Sky Scenic Byway, a procession of hills, arroyos and big sky. There may be a pic or two that can make it. The road took me through many small agricultural towns, like St Francis, Haigler, Wray, Yuma, Otis and Brush before landing at Fort Morgan, CO and lunch. I parked next to a Highway Patrol motorcycle that looks a lot ours. It’s a R1250rt that has lots of extras. The officer was inside the restaurant so a brief conversation was inevitable.

Fort Morgan is at 4300 feet and after lunch the road climbed further into the mountains. Estes Park is at 7500 feet. Some rain and lots of cool air and … nice! since we’re staying here for a couple of days, I’m heading to the grocery store for some supplies. Connie flies in tomorrow and our adventure begins. We’re so very excited!

One extra: As I was unloading the bike, a pair of Elk bulls sauntered through this group of cottages. They were big and handsome and completely indifferent to my presence. They sampled richly from a flower garden and some tender leaves conveniently within reach. And taking their time, they grazed their way through the entire park before wandering back into the forest. I was very lucky!

More tomorrow. Have a good night!

Yesterday, the 2nd was a very long day. I set out west along the I-70/US-40 corridor toward Terre Haute, IN. A couple of positive notes about the day.

I stopped to fuel up in a little burg just east of Zanesville, OH and went into the mart to cadge a cup of coffee. Because riding with a cuppa is beyond my abilities, a small cup to drink right away was in order. There is no such thing as a small cup it seems, only 20 ounces (medium) and up. So I filled a medium cup about half way and took it to the counter. The man behind the register, whose name I learned is Erik, was aghast that I should pay for less than a flagon of this black gold. (I exaggerate maybe a little.). That started a conversation that lasted a delightful 30 minutes. I know you’re as surprised as I.

Turns out he’s of retirement age but is working part time to earn some cash and fill some hours. He’s affable and funny and erudite and kind and really interesting,

He grew up in rural Ohio and ultimately graduated from a local conservatory with a degree in Music. He was trained by a maestro from Julliard in NYC, and has played Beethoven sonatas from an original score. He also rides a 2001 Yamaha cruiser and loves the hills and back roads that he would be delighted to share. He wanted to know about our trip with lots of details. What a gem of a man! And his boss loves him as does everyone who came in. Message: don’t underestimate the people we meet. Expect the unexpected. I hope to meet him again one day.

Another high point was a stop in Richmond, IN, just over the border from Ohio. It was lunchtime and I ate at the Cracker Barrel just off the highway. (Love their pancakes.). Downtown was just a mile down the road so I went, finding some elegant buildings dating from the 20’s and older. And there is a wonderful oasis from the heat, called the Glen Miller Park. I was delighted by the beauty and peacefulness there, but a bit disappointed to learn that it had nothing to do the famous swing band leader. I learned it was named for Colonel John Ford Miller who bought this shady glen and opened it as a park in 1885. It was great, though.

Richmond also boasts the founding of Gennet Records, which featured recordings of Louis Armstrong, Hoagy Carmichael, Jelly Roll Morton and Gene Autry. The label is closed long ago, but it’s quite the source of hometown pride.

After dilly dallying at my stops, I hustled on to my destination in Terre Haute. The exhaustion at the end of the day was self inflicted, I admit. But really worth it. I checked in at 8:30, took a shower and sank gratefully into the arms of sweet Morpheus.

Today I started out with great determination and a commitment to stay on schedule. Yeah, well.

Since my route took me by St Louis, I detoured to look at the home where my family in Kirkwood. My memory being quite vivid, I really thought it would be easy to find. Again yeah, well. Neglecting to use Google Maps, my direct route turned into so many concentric circles. I passed Schnucks Grocery (yes, that is a real name) but the homestead lane was an elusive mystery. Even after stopping to consult the app, it still took more than an hour to find it. But find it I did.

The current owner graciously met me at the door and allowed a few pics. It has really changed. The saplings my folks planted are now towering trees that offer a cooling shade it the hot, humid, crushing heat of that part of the Mississippi Valley. My wobbling memory met with a pleasant dose of updated reality. And the folks who live there are the same who bought from my parents, so there was a happy connection.

By then it was lunchtime so I took a chance on an Indian restaurant in town, called Anis Hyderabad House in Creve Couer. Modern in all respects, it provided Bollywood music videos on a giant screen and super delicious food. I had a veggie Buryani that was to die for. My mouth smarted afterwards but it was worth it. Had to open my visor to let the airstream do its cooling thing.

Along the way, the contraption that allows me to place my phone on the handlebars (hands free map) decided to crap out. Fortunately I noticed it’s demise just in time and was able to save the phone and stow it in my tank bag. A little dicey at 70+. Which led me to pull over to get my center again. Which led to a meeting with two riders on the way to the Grand Canyon via Ft Collins CO. Herb and Ryan are a father/son duo from Ohio who are living the dream. so we chatted for a while. (Well, yeah.) Their joy was contagious and helped me find my focus.

Even allowing for the time change, it was still a 10 hour ride. So here I sit after a shower (public service) and a cold drink. I think of the days so far and am amazed. I’ve traveled three days, logged over 1200 miles, my butt is suing for separate maintenance, and I’ve enjoyed the whole thing. The scenery is beautiful, though west of Columbus, OH it flattens out. But there are so many great folks whose paths I’ve crossed.

What’s neat is that we humans are often more likely to be open and engaging with total strangers. Isn’t that funny? We share our stories and are glad for the meeting. I am fortunate and blessed.

Tomorrow it’s off to Kansas. Have a good night.

A long day today: about 11 hours in the saddle beginning at about 9 this morning. My route was mostly along I-70 with some pleasant diversions along the way. Will post more tomorrow.

Hank had a long, long, long day in the saddle today and asked that I put together a post. He was on the road for 11 hours because of an accident on I70 that had traffic stopped for over an hour.

He meandered into some small towns and had a chance to to chat with some local folks. It’s so cool to hear his enthusiasm for these micro meetings. There’s so much good if you look for it.

Tomorrow Hank will continue westward on I70. Interestingly, he will stop my his parents former home in Kirkwood MO just outside of St Louis.

I can’t wait to meet up with him in Colorado.

The ride west is finally here. Can’t tell you how excited we are!

The preparations are done and I’m on the way west. Connie (read COO and Chief Quartermaster) has done her usual spectacular job. She has booked us at multiple cost effective and comfortable lodgings, and laid out the options for places that look interesting in Colorado (hundreds) and prepared us with an array of tools and apps for every occasion to keep the journey fun. We’re using TripIt and Scenic for routes and lodging; Recreation.gov for visits (and reservations!) at National Parks; COTrip for state specific visits, two (or three) weather apps that will help with daily planning, and JetPack to use as a platform for our blog. By comparison, left to my own devices I’d make a couple of hotel reservations and leave the rest to luck wherever and whenever we pull into town.

Her way is better and I’m happy to ride her coattails. I’d probably have us sleeping beside the road some nights.

Just as a note, the America the Beautiful Park Pass is a wonderful asset if you’re going to visit the National Parks. The cost of one card will gain you access to every park across the country. Individual day passes can get pretty expensive really fast. And since I’m a senior, my pass is a lifetime admission ticket for the rest of my lifetime for one a cost of about $80. A bargain if there ever was one.

I’m riding solo out to Estes Park, CO, giving me some time to be with myself. Connie is really generous that way. She will fly out to join me on Tuesday next to begin our exploration together. I’m enjoying my time now, but miss her already. We’re going to have so much fun!

Today, I headed out a bit before 9AM and arrived at my lodging at 7 PM, covering 413 miles in a round about way. That was about 8 hours on the bike, so my training of the buttocks is well begun. (If you’ve ever been on a motorcycle for more than a couple hours you know exactly what I mean.). I stopped several times to get a drink of water and allow feeling to return to my extremities. Lunch was in Bethel, PA in a Pizzeria/Café that beckoned patrons to have a seat and stay a while. Later I stopped in Grantsville, PA to get some water and dance around a bit. (Think blood flow.). Both are small towns with small town folks who are “Salt of the Earth”. Everywhere I stopped there was at least one person who took the time to welcome me to their place. In Grantsville, I was invited to visit the town park where there were swings and lots of shade to ease my weariness for a bit. Who does that?! Her name is Sandy and she didn’t know me from Adam, but saw I was resting with a cold bottle of water and approached me to offer some hospitality. Clearly she was proud of her small town. Clearly she could have gone about her business without a word. But she didn’t. She made a kind expression to this stranger. That just impressed and humbled me to no end. I had to ride by her town park: it was an inviting couple of acres with swings and a jungle gym, a ball field and a lot of shade trees. Had I had time it would have been a pleasure to stay a while.

As you may know, we have young grandchildren. As doting grandparents, how could we resist fitting them in somehow? I’m carrying a toy bumblebee that will appear mysteriously in pictures of our trip. It’s the kids’ job to find him (her?). It’s early so the job will be easy. Later it might be a little more challenging. Here’s a sample from today’s ride.

After checking into my nights accommodations, I met a mother-daughter duo who are on the way from Tucson, AZ to Allentown, PA. The daughter, Jeanne, will be staying the summer with her grandmother who is in failing health, in part to give mom a break. They are both graphic artists who can work remotely to keep home and hearth going. But how wonderful is that! What family will do!

If you’ve followed our blog in the past, you’ll recognize my tendency to lift up the kindness of the folks we’ve met. In our fractious society it’s amazing and encouraging to be reminded that so many Americans naturally reveal their innate generosity and friendliness to complete strangers. And others show their loving commitment to family. These are things we all instinctively recognize and value. Politics and social mores notwithstanding, so many of us share these fundamental values. I am filled to overflowing.

Tomorrow it’s on to Terre Haute, IN. I can’t wait to see what the new day brings.