Got home yesterday morning at 1030.  7700.7 miles.  32 states. 30 days on the road.  Great to be home, though Kim said she would like to do another 30 days...  On the way to Dountz's saw signs for "National Bird Dog Museum" and "Coon Dog Cemetery".  Who woulda guessed.

Closing thoughts:

Thank you Lou and Martha.  Had you not said "You ever heard of the Lincoln Highway" Kim and I would have missed a grand adventure.

The song "America the Beautiful" says it all.

To paraphrase Sally Meyer, "Why do I want to go to Europe, I haven't seen America".

My father always said "Memories are better than dreams"  And we have a heck of a memory from this trip.

Hope you all enjoyed our trip.

Chuck

No computer last night.  Not operator error after all.  Have cool pictures, but cannot upload them.  Am on a hotel computer.

L&M in Bossier, LA last night.  No news to report.  Tonight they are supposed to be in Vicksburg, MS. We were in Sarcoxie, MO last night (really).  Tonight in Memphis (home of the King).

Stopped in Tulsa to meet my youngest sister.  She met us at Mickey D's with a bottle of champagne (old family tradition).  Small drink and toast and then off again.  Stopped at Will Rogers museum in his home town.  Spent two hours there.  Could have spent all day.  Fascinating man.

More signs you do not want to see.  "Caution, grooved pavement ahead".  "Caution, uneven lanes".

Got stuck in construction traffic in Memphis.  1 MPH for about 20 minutes.  Clutch hand hurts. Sweated a bunch.  Helment smells now.

L&M home tomorrow, we Monday.  7300 miles so far.  30 states.  400 miles and two states to go.  Spending tomorrow night with the "grinch" and his wife (Dountz).

Will have big summary and final pictures Monday/Tuesday.

Chuck

Wasn't Kim's computer.  Operator error.  Now pictures.  Forgot to mention out stop tonight.. Within 100 metres of the hotel is a pizza place, liquor store, and a gas station.  How lucky can one get....

Not much news.  We left Amarillo around 0630 ish and headed for Oklahoma City.  Hit rain for about an hour and then cloudy the rest of the way.  Worse part, all that spray thrown off by oncoming 18 wheelers.  Weeks earlier I mentioned that while riding we each occupy our time by thinking of something other than the "drone" of the road.  Some random observations:  we have seen 3 signs that give us concern  "motorcycles use extreme caution", 'fresh oil" and "caution gravel".. Hate to see these.  Also we see the yellow caution signs for animals up ahead.  We have seen signs for mountain lions, ducks, cows, elk, deer, buffalo, and bears.  But no frogs.
Going to Joplin, MO.  Want to see the destruction first hand.  Not being ghoulish, but it is on the way to our next stop in Sarcoxie.
No pictures, as Kim's computer is down and I am on the motel guest computer.

From L&M:

Not much to report today.  Left Tucumcari at about 6.  Cool and cloudy today.  A nice break from baking in the sun.  Winds were not much fun for the first part of the day but let up later on.  Quick stop at the Cadillac Ranch.  Overnighting in Wichita Falls, TX.  Really dark storm clouds nearby  but no weather here.  Hope you guys stayed dry.

Chuck

You take the high road and I'll take the low road...well, you get the idea.  As mentioned yesterday L&M were going to Tucumcari and C&K to Amarillo.
Here is email content from M to me, about their ride: 

We had breakfast and got on the road about 7.  Pretty cold going over that pass, huh?  Somehow turned off I25 too soon and ended up on a nice 2 lane road that took us into Tucumcari.  Nice until we were almost hood ornaments when a car couldn't quite get past a semi...the semi took one shoulder, we took the other and the car got the middle.  Pretty exciting!  Got here earlier than expected but glad to be out of the heat.  God is it hot!!!  Motel is nice but Rt 66 is pretty sad.  Lots of places trying to make it, lots of places deserted.  Get this...I took a long hot walk to find beer. I get back and Louis is talking to the guy next door, Charlie Chase, who has already shared his beer.  Anyway, Charlie is an ex marine copter pilot and ex border partrol.  Gee, I know a guy from border patrol,  Dan Twineham.  Turns out he knows Danny Twineham.  Danny was just a young pup new to the patrol.  Can you believe it?  See you back in the city.

From me:

Really cold in the pass, probably colder than the Yellowstone ride.  Once again winds were howling.  Winds around here don't blow, they suck.  At least they were coming from the left.  That way they blow you into the fog line, not on-coming traffic, like when they are coming from the right (most cases).
No traffic issues ala Boone.  Thank goodness.
Earlier this week Clark Howard, in his travel email, which I get; listed the top 10 "Americana" places to see while on summer vacation.  # 1 is the Cadillac ranch outside Amarillo.  I had seen pictures of it from 30 years ago and always wanted to see it in person.  Over the years it has been vandalized and now everyone has decided the Caddies need to be spray painted. This landmark of American kitsch is a shadow if its former self.  I think L&M are stopping by tomorrow.
Thunderstorms forecast tomorrow.  Have the rain gear out already.  Were are heading north east into OK then to MO.

Chuck

It's getting to where we don't know(or care) what day it is. And we have a hard time remembering where we were the day before.  Early onset...
We are now in Alamosa, CO.  But let's go back to yesterday morning.  Got up early, surprise, had a coffee at the Mickey D's across from the outrageously expensive (but we chose it) motel.  Drank the coffee outside the motel while watching 5 large elk graze in the empty lot across the street.  Left for GC park and spent two hours there gazing at that magnificent work of nature.  Sidebar, Kim when asked by someone we met at a gas station later in the day, where we had been?  Responded, after some thought, "that big hole in the ground"  She admits to having a brain fart.  But we are all going thru that.
Left the canyon and back tracked 60 miles so we could get on the road to Cortez.  Terrible winds. The worse yet.  Had them to our side for a while and then blessedly we changed directions and they were to our back for the most part.  More desolate territory.  We all have had enough of it.  We need green and trees again.
Pulled into Cortez to a wonderful little motel.  Bought frozen food, and a 6 pack from the local Walmart and nuked the dinners and ate in our room.

Last night Lou discovered Martha had a fuel filter leak.  Her bike, not her. Closest motorcycle dealer was a Honda dealer.  And of course since they ride Harleys it would be a sacrilege to put a Japanese part on a HOG.  I am sad to report that Martha's bike now smells a little like rice.
Kim and I left early to go see the Great Sand Dunes.  Lou and Martha had already seen them so they came straight to Alamosa.  We both traveled the same route so both had to endure the smoke from the wild fires,  which was worth it because we passed thru some beautiful mountain passes is southern CO.  Checked in and off to the local brew pub for IPA and bratwurst with kraut.
As much fun as we have had, we all are anxious to get back to the bubble.  Which by the way is still protecting us.  Lou and Martha have decided to head back via interstate (faster), while Kim and I are going to try some more state roads. They will get probably back a couple of days before us.
Cadillac ranch, TX for us tomorrow. Tucumari, NM for Lou and Martha.

Chuck

Happy Father's day to all (fathers).
Made it. 10 hours on the road, another long day.  Not sure whether it's the distance, wind, road conditions, heat, or it is beginning to wear on us, but we are pooped. Probably a combination of all of them.
Early start again.  Feel sorry for the sleeping folks who have to listen to the bikes at 0500.  We do try to be quiet but....
We usually have coffee before the ride and then two hours later, eat the gargantuan breakfast.  Mickey D's for coffee and a beautiful lodge on the road into Zion National Park for breakfast.   Whole new meaning to breakfast burritos.
Thru Zion, one of the most beautiful places on earth. By Lake Powell, around the Painted Desert, and into Grand Canyon National Park.  Going into the parks is always interesting.  Lou and I have an old folks pass.  Kim and Martha are supposed to pay.  Sometimes we get two bikes in on our OF pass and sometimes we have to pay.  Today, pay at Zion, no pay at GC.  Go figure. Nice hotel we ate staying at.  Most expensive place yet.  Our rooms have run from $21 per night (MH) to $166 per night (here).
Ate dinner at a new Mexican place that just opened.  Good food, great service.  Wanted a picture of Margaritas but it was $29.  We opted for beer.  Discussed best breakfast ,lunch, and dinner we have had on the trip so far.  Breakfast was in Canton,OH with Martha's sister and her husband.  Best lunch, sitting on the hill by Walmart eating hot dogs.  Best dinner, pasta cooked in a water picture, in Gettysburg.  Best restaurant.  Bridge Cafe in Manhattan, hands down.
Nostalgia moment for me.  20 years ago, my dad, my brother-in-law, and I ate in this same restaurant (it was a Dennys then). We were on a motorcycle trip, but doing a reverse route from this trip.  We did GC, then Vegas.
Going into the Park tomorrow morning to watch the sunrise and tour.  Then off to Cortez, CO (our 23rd state).  The road signs now say state route ....East.  Kinda sad...

Chuck

3 weeks on the road today.  Feels like 3 days or 3 months, depending on the moment..
On the bikes at 0500 this morning.  Wanted to beat the heat in Death Valley (no such luck).  Crossed the border into CA at 0530 and entered DV at 0545. Stopped to take some pictures and watch the sunrise over the mountains, wonderous. Then into the valley.  Stopped at the visitor center at Furnace Creek (closed).  Saw gas at the station for $5.49 per gallon, the new champ, and kept on driving to Badwater.  Magnificent scenery.  Got to BW.  200 plus feet below sea level (see picture of sign on cliff). Then off to Parumph for breakfast.  Gotta love Denny's.  Our meal plan is to stuff ourselves for b'fast, no lunch, and do the stuffing thing again at dinner.
Passed thru Vegas at 1100.  9 zillion people on the road.  Was going to ride the "Strip"  but the exit AAA maps said to take, didn't exist.. Kinda a GPS moment.  Contiuned on to Mesquite.  Temp now 101 according to the sign.  But not to worry, it is a "dry heat".  Yeah, right. Stopped to get gas and fluids.  Took a quart of gator ade, large bottle of water, and a Reese's Cup to stop the shakes.  Lesson there.
Arrived in Mesquite and checked into a wonderful place.  Two bedroom condo.  Cheap too. 
Haven't mentioned this before, but deciding on where to eat dinner is a big thing.  Must be within walking distance or they do delivery.
Did something a little different tonight.  Condo had a grill.  So, while Kim and Martha visited the pool, Lou cleaned the grill, and I went to buy steaks, potatoes, salad, cookies, and wine.
Grilled out and had a wonderful meal.
Off to the Grand Canyon tomorrow.  Thru Zion, around the Painted Desert and to the South Rim.  Another long day, so kick stands up at 0500  It's late, 2021. Gotta go to bed.

Chuck