Yes Emily

Yes Emily, girls can ride motorcycles!


Saturday, July 28, 2012

A Few Thoughts From Today ... Day 22

Little to report on today, day 22 of 'how I spent my summer vacation,' the month I went to Oregon for the weekend. Just riding and not stopping much today, another beautiful day for a ride. But as it happened, (as it often does when you are all by yourself with your head in a helmet) a few thoughts popped into my head that I thought I could share ...

Only in Minnesota would you see a pet food store with a 50 foot sign, "We Do Cows Too!"

Now that's a pasture!

The east is so much more civilized than the west ... I can really count on a pee and/or gas stop when I need it, except on Opportunity Lane, there was no opportunity to go pee on Opportunity Lane.

And on the topic of pee - if by chance I were to be caught short would the high visibility gear work against me if I sneak into the bushes by the roadside? Would it be prudent to take it off first?

About the high vis gear - shouldn't it really be on my luggage since I doubt you can see much of me over the top bag.

Nobody can tell me riding across the country is boring when it changes with every kilometer; with every kilometer there's something new to see (including another freaking truck driver talking on his freaking cell phone ... does he see me or is he too freaking busy texting?)

Monticello, I must have missed Monticello - Whoa, there it is, Moon Yamaha - a lot farther from Fargo than I remembered. Really must get a centre stand so I can check the oil by myself. These folks at Moon are really great topping up my oil - no charge (was just down a tad).

Duluth, maybe I should have went to Duluth and rounded the bottom of the lakes for a change - whoops, too late - crap construction in Minneapolis. Dan, Dan - detour, are you with me here?


I had no idea there was a KOA in Hayworth Wisconsin too - yup, must have made a reservation at the wrong one, nope, I don't want to go to Wisconsin - do you think you can change that for me, I'd like to stay in Minnesota tonight please.

And probably my most prevalent thought this afternoon was what will I have for dinner. (I'd stopped at a truck stop, the busiest truck stop I've ever seen, which is apparently world famous for their 'buns' as a lady called them. Buns my buns - it was famous for donuts and fritters ... they had donuts the size of small coffee tables. I was so overwhelmed with the choices I couldn't make up my mind and left empty handed.)

So here's the food porn my friends at home have really been waiting for .... No Bushes, only VanCamps (and, yes Ken, they are cold, well technically not artificially heated. Only heated by the sun.)


And at the risk of offending my Harley riding friends ... I just couldn't pass up snapping this picture, checking into the campsite.


(Harleys carried; Yamahas ridden!)
8,203.8 km and counting...

16 comments:

  1. "The month I went to Oregon for the weekend" that just sums it up so well.

    We are glad you took the time to come out and play.

    Oh and I think you can distract people by leaving the high vis draped on the bike while you pee in the bushes. Kind of like a .....pay no attention to the squatter. They'll be so focused on the jacket they won't even see you.

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    1. Can't think of anything I could have done that would have been better ... So you agree - prudent to take it off before I go into the bushes (tee hee)

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  2. I almost took a similar picture in southern BC of a Harley hung on the back of a huge class A motor home but thought the owners may resent it. I've thought about the hi-viz argument some on this trip as I saw a lot of riders whose hi-viz gear is hidden behind the fairing and windshield and the top box.

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    1. The owner of this one was nowhere around when I pulled in - must have been inside registering. (But the jokes on me, he left this morning - I'm on a rain delay)
      So motobloggers we need to invent a hi vis vest for luggage

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  3. If you had taken the northern route and traveled across northern WI, you could have camped in our yard. Or even taken our spare room like George F. did, when he passed through here on his way to Alaska, a few weeks ago. Nancy would have enjoyed meeting you.

    I know of the KOA in Hayward, WI. It's 20 minutes from our home, but I've never heard of a Hayworth, WI?

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    1. I would have loved to have met Nancy - I've heard so many wonderful thing about her ... and yup two KOAs at two different places, both with a Hayward address believe it or not (the one I wanted and am at, still, is at Hayward Minnesota and is called Albert Lake cause it's close to Albert Lake even though the address is Hayward MN). It also was one third the price as the other one and is treed and quite lovely aside from the numerous strange and nasty little, biting beetles that are everywhere.) The owners here are fantastic. And they have real coffee in the morning with real cream - a real treat!

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  4. Great capture of those somewhat random thoughts that go through your mind when it's just you and your helmet and many more kilometres to cover. And you're right, it's never boring.

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    1. Never! I enjoy most every minute. How's the ribs?

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  5. I still like the idea of grilling the cheese sandwich on the fins of the engine.

    Ken

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    1. Hey Ken - I'm game, just got to invent some sort of holding device that will keep the sandwich in place (and keep, you know, at least 90% of the road grime out of it). That'll be my second invention after the safety best for my trunk and top case.

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  6. Karen:

    I wished you would get a small stove to heat up your meals. You deserve more than having to eat a cold meal after a long day on the road

    L, bob

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    1. Bob, Bob, Bob - the beans had been heated ecconomically and cleanly with solar energy and the dog, well, it got zapped in the KOA microwave. All was hot and all was good and I'm not having to carry any haz mat labeled equipment. By the by, they have a Kurig at this KOA and coffee was not as good as yours but darn fine this morning.

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  7. Karen, when I looked at your food porn I was thinking: Really? You can eat that?I guess that would exclude me from the long distance crowd forever. I need proper nutrition...

    I like your train of thought.

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  8. Sonja - beans! Beans are good, I love beans (okay, so the weenie, got a little junk in the trunk!) I'd already eaten my apples, banana, cherries and carrots earlier in the day ...

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  9. Fun, Karen, just plain fun. You my dear are a Traveler and there are far too few of them!

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  10. Coop - it was fun and I can't wait to hit the road again (beans and weenies and all!)

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