A balmy 94 here in Beatty.  Projected to be 105 in Death Valley.  Having some fun now.
Last you all heard we were in MH AFB, ID.  Left there yesterday morning after a wonderful breakfast in the bowling alley.  Which is the same place we ate dinner the night before.  Absolutely beautiful morning.  The GPS screwed with us a bit, but finally we hit the road north to hit the road south.  Great roads, wonderful scenery and the only cloud on the morning was a guy pulling a horse trailer that blew us off the road.  Last laugh though, 70 miles later we passed him while the sheriff was giving him a ticket...
Hit Oregon and for the next 100 miles passed thru great country side. Ate lunch in McDermitt Oregon/Nevada depending on which side of the road you were sitting on. Only gas for 100 miles and the price proved it.  So far Oregon, Idaho, and Nevada are tied for highest prices $4.09-$4.49.  SD and IA the lowest with $3.34-$3.45.  My bike takes 91 RON and have had to search for it in some places.  Pulled up to one station that only had 85.
On the way to Lovelock I found a Kawasaki shop in Winnemucca.  I was needing a new front tire so I stopped (short version of story) and the rest went on to the motel.  I joined them a few hours later, considerably poorer.  But they had a cold beer on ice for me.  May need a new back tire before we get home.  The room in Mountain Home was a 10.  The room in Lovelock, a 5, but clean.  Had take out spaghetti from the casino across the street.  Bought a bottle of wine from the local gas station (we were desperate).  It was bad, and it took some "conversation" with the guy from Mombai, who was running the station, to get a refund.
Off at 0630 to head for Beatty.  Stopped and had breakfast in a casino in Fallon.  Not bad.  Then off on state highway 95.  OMG.  The MONW looked good.  Desolation, except for the lake that came from who knows where (see pictures), for 250 miles. Really mind numbing and also butt numbing. Had a wardrobe malfunction in Tonapah.  See picture of helmet.  I had done some research on what to take along on a motorcycle trip.  Duct tape was near the top of the list.  When I was in Okinawa we called it 100 MPH tape.  I can attest it is at least 80 MPH tape.
Finally arrived to a "room not ready" at our motel.. No problem.  Dumped our stuff in the room and walked across the street to the Sourdough Saloon.  Sign on door said NO DOGS.  But they let us in anyway.  Imagine the movie perfect, old west , God forsaken location saloon.  This was it and it was great.   One regular was drinking his drink by holding it with both hands.  Vance bought us a round because he won $200 at video poker right after Kim won 75 cents at the same machine.  Went back to the rooms and "changed" for dinner.  Back to the saloon for pizza and beer.  Cold beer and hot pizza, what more could one ask for.

1. 
   

Off tomorrow morning at 0500 for Death Valley.  Down the middle and out the bottom, then  toward Vegas, and then on to Mesquite, NV.  Tomorrow brings a couple of milestones.  We pass 5000 miles and we make our last left turn.  We turned left at NYC,  We turned left in Oregon.  And we turn left at the southern end of DV.  We are having the adventure of a life time.  It is all the more meaningful, as we just found out someone dear to us died of a heart attack, in his sleep, last Friday.  He was 66.

Chuck

Made it to Mountain Home, even though the wind tried to do us in.  Death grip on handle bars as we were blown hither and yon.  Makes for a tough day of riding.
In South Dakota we swore we were in the middle of no where (MONW) sometimes.  Wrong, we were on the edge of nowhere.  Highway 20 across Idaho absolutely takes you to center of the MONW.  Nothing as far as the eye can see.  Each of us occupies our thoughts with something different to fight  the boredom.  I'll let them tell you what they do.
Stopped in Cary to gas and eat lunch. Met a German fellow bicycling across the US.  Had started in NY and was going to SF.  With those winds, glad I was on a powered bike...
Spent a bit of time at Craters of the Moon National Monument. Lava fields for as far as the eye could see.

Long day tomorrow.  370 miles.  Here thru SE Oregon (17th state) to Nevada. Winds are predicted to be less than 10 mph, cross your fingers.
Not many pictures as the MONW is not very photogenic.

Chuck

Sitting here at Derinda and Joe's.  Steak, wine, chocolate cake and cognac.  Living the good life...

Joe let us use his truck today and off we went to Yellowstone. Did the tourist loop, but then again we are tourists.  First stop was Old Faithful.  While waiting for the big spurt, Beehive geyser did it's thing.  Wow.  Then we waited for OF.  We and 2000 other folks. Pretty cool.  Off again to Ft. Yellowstone.  Short version, saw neat stuff, ate, started on the rode back here.  Traffic slows.We see Buffalo poop in the middle of the road.  Powers of deduction say, buffalo herd in the road ahead.  One hour and thirty minutes late we have traveled 6 miles.  Damn buffalo.
Tomorrow we are off to Mountain Home, then to Loveluck, and then to Beatty.  I think.  Travel is fluid.
Pictures follow. 

Chuck

Yesterday after the last post, it finally stopped snowing. Sun came out and temperature warmed to 39.  Started second guessing ourselves about stopping, but folks came thru from the other side of the pass and conditions were bad.  Room was 10x10, no TV, but great heat, shower, and ambiance.  Read, napped, walked around.  A good down day.  Ate dinner at the restaurant we ate breakfast and lunch in, only place for 50 miles around. We were now "regulars".  Great food.  Chef from NY that had moved there 5 years ago.  Had Frenced pork chops and the best mashed potatoes I have ever eaten.  To bed early.  Had decided to leave at 1000 so the ice on the road in the pass  would have time to melt. 
Inauspicious start.  Kim's bike wouldn't start, got it started.  My helmet face shield popped off.  Got it fixed.  Finally left and after we got into the park Martha discovered she had left her purse on a picnic bench at the "motel".  King Louie went back and found it.  And we were off.. 
I am running out of superlatives to describe the scenery.  Ride was beautiful.  Thank you Teddy Roosevelt.  Arrived at Derinda's at 1430.  On the ride saw big horn sheep, buffalo, moose, and a grizzly bear and her cub.

Got here, had a beer and out on the boat to travel the lake.  Saw bald eagles, cranes, pelicans, and some beautiful homes.  Getting ready to eat grilled trout and potato stuffed red peppers.  Tomorrow back to Yellowstone to tour the sights.
This is our 16th state.  Traveled 3700 miles.  About 1/2 way, I think. 

Lots of pictures.  Some are a couple of days old, but I am doing the best I can with limited resources (me).