Day #17 August 9, 2007

Day 17
Thursday August 9th, 2007

Hot Springs, SD to Piedmont, SD
175 miles today (17,658 – 17,833)
3,723 miles total

No new states today
8 states total

Slept in till 6 or so this morning. I went straight to the shower first.
I sometimes don't like to, as I get hot and sweaty packing stuff up.
I get especially hot putting the tent away and hitching up the trailer.
And the sun will be hot once it comes up today.

I starting packing up right away. Moved stuff for the bike out to
the picnic table. Stored stuff inside the trailer as I went. I am
s-l-o-w-l-y developing a system for getting things packed away
so I can get on the road. I’m going to need to get some tent poles
and a larger tarp after yesterday afternoon’s rain! I want to put
the whole camper under cover in case I have a downpour like
that again.

I went to breakfast at the pavilion here. Had pancakes, bacon
and good coffee. Got out just before 9. Headed up 385 to Custer
where I went to the Nat’l Woodcarvers Museum. Got instructions
on how to get there from the lady at the downtown Custer
visitors center. She had a good friend who had lived in Eugene
and had heard it is so beautiful. Lots of Eugene, OR connections
along the way!

The museum consisted of just one mans carvings. He was a
Disney animator. In fact, he was one of the first to work on sets
for the Anaheim Disneyland in the 1950’s. I wondered if he was
a Nazi though, as several of his works had the swastika in them.
(I later saw this same thing at the CORN PALACE in Mitchell, NE
and read that the swastika was an early Indian good luck symbol.
It was shown on some Indian like work in the museusm as I recall.)
It was interesting, but Nat would have HATED it. I’m so glad we
didn't stop last year when we were here. Both Custer and Hill City
have blocked off their main streets for the Sturgis Rally.
There are lots of bikes here already on this beautiful warm day.

Got into Rapid City in the heat of the day. Went to a sporting goods
store AND a WalMart...but no tent poles. Got a few things I
needed, including the single cup coffee screen for a single cup of
drip coffee. I made a phone call to Selco, transferred money and
got a cash withdrawal at a bank inside Wal-Mart. I am amazed
at how little T-Mobile cell service there is in a city the size of
Rapid City.

Got to the CMA campground. Made camp right under a shade tree,
next to a camper similar to mine. Went back to the Black Hills
HD dealer, just off the interstate, but several miles before Sturgis,
where about 50 more vendors are. JM radios is there. Going
to try and get them to adjust my radio tomorrow.

I will get to breakfast early and then the 9AM church service so
I can volunteer to help somehow. The CMA'ers do several things
during the rally.

My campground is just a 1/2 mile off the freeway and the bikes
are a constant drone in the distance. I suspect they will last all
night. I'll sleep with ear plugs TONIGHT!
And I am sunburned too...on top of my nose. It is really sore.

Turning in. A good day, but less than 200 miles traveled.

Day #14 August 6, 2007

Day 14
August 6th, 2007

Pueblo, CO to Kimball, NE
344 miles today (16,880 - 17,224)
3,114 total
1 new state today: Nebraska
7 states total

It rained hard, saw lots of lightning and had some thunder last
night. I have been waking at 6AM most mornings.
Packed the trailer, except my clothes, so I was pretty much ready
to go. Checked the oil again and it looked good. Later the low oil
level light would come on.

Lori went to work about 8:30. She was glad I came and wants me
to come back. Guess I wasn't THAT BAD of a guest! I showered,
got ready, hitched the bike up and prayed with Terry before leaving
shortly after 9. Went by the post office to drop a card to Stacey,
then headed out. Before I even got to the freeway (I-25) the low
oil level light came on. Grrrr...so I pulled in the Days Inn where
Amber (Kraus's daughter) works and said goodbye to her AND
added some more oil. The bike has an aftermarket oil filter
relocation kit. The additional lines require a little more (1/3 qt)
oil than factory specs. It's taken a little fussing to determine this.

Got to Colorado Springs with no additional problems.
Called Judy (my sister) then Zachary (her son). He was still in
Salida, so we didn't get to meet. :( Went to the Vistors Bureau and
got a map of Colorado. Found out the cycle shop I came to Springs
for was CLOSED on Monday. Visited with the groundskeeper for
15 minutes. He's been all over the US on his Goldwing.
He gave me some gas and road tips. It's funny how just being in
leathers, or pulling the trailer, just really opens people up to talk
to me about my journey.

Got out into eastern CO and it was pretty dull and boring.
Had two hours to go to the Kansas line. Thought I'd pick that state
up on the way north. Just TOO BORING to go two hours to check
it off. I'll have to get Kansas City on the way to KY I guess.

Headed north from Limon up Colorado 71. Little traffic,
fair scenary, and good roads. I made 344 miles today. I think
that's my 2nd highest day.

Had lunch in Limon where I "tried" to put diesel in the bike.
OH NO! DUMMY! The pump would not let me select the diesel
hose, then try to select a gasoline grade. GOOD THING as I had
the diesel nozzle IN MY TANK. I was ready for lunch. I was hot,
tired, and ready to be refueled myself.

And God answered my prayer. I prayed earlier today
"Lord, get me WHERE I need to be, WHEN I need to be there."
A trucker named Mario, from FLA, came by and inquired about
the trailer. He had sold 3 other trucks (tractors) just to keep 1 so
he could keep driving. He was near bankruptcy and foreclosure.
They saved some cash back in case they were evicted and his
26 year old son gambled it away (he thinks). He just needed
someone to vent to. God provided me. I offered him the HOPE
of God. We chatted a few minutes and parted.

My "low oil level" light came on again (flickering) just after lunch
outside of Limon as I was climbing the first hill. I stopped, added
just a little bit of oil, and went on my way. Not know exactly how
much I lost before getting the drain plug in, it's hard to determine
exactly where the oil level is at. The little sight window at the
bottom of the crankcase is USELESS! I can't hold the bike upright
AND look UNDER the bike at the same time!! BAD DESIGN
I think....

I had a good afternoon of riding. Staying in Kimball, NB tonight
at the KOA. Cabella's the big sporting goods store is just down the
freeway about 25 miles. I spent about an hour there I'd guess.

Bought a cap for $5, some wire clothes pins I'd been looking for,
and some candles. I still can't find the wire basket filter for one
cup of coffee. I think I left my OREGON cap in Whitefish, MT.
Ready to hit the hay. Thunder and lightning has tapered off here.

It sprinkled while I made my dinner of canned soup.
I ate so much at Terry and Lori's. Glad to be back to small meals.
I'm limiting myself to two meals a day usually.

Day #13 August 5, 2007

Day #13

Sunday August 5, 2007

0 miles today

2770 total

Got up at 6AM...as usual!

Went to church with the Kraus family in downtown Rye, CO.

First, the environment, then the message...

the whole inside was done in knotty pine. The layout of the 2

sections of pews reminded me of my home church, Fairfield in

Eugene, OR. The lights above were old wagon wheel style with

5 or 6 fixtures on each wheel. They looked like something you'd

find in an older restaurant. But they fit this southern Colorado

town.

The message...from Luke 12 was about life not consisting in
the abundance of "stuff." Traveling by bike, even pulling a

trailer, I just don't have room for a lot of stuff. My trip is

giving me time to think about what is important in life. I've

neglected that for a long time.

After lunch, Terry and I changed the oil in the bike. This was

a 2 man job for 2 NON mechanics. We actually had a blast

doing this. We were laughing, joking and cutting up. When

laughed even more when we realized I forget to put the drain

plug in the crankcase! It took 2 quarts for us to realize this!

(This would haunt me for several days I would soon discover.)

Hey, like I said, we are NOT mechanics. Kudos go to Lori

for letting us use one of her glass baking dishes to catch the

oil. Everything else I had was too tall to fit under the bike

frame/crankcase. Hopefully, next thanksgivings day

dinner dressing will not taste funny! Thanks Lori!

I finished off the afternoon with packing the trailer, fixing

the mirror on the bike, checked tire pressure and just

generally relaxing around.

Tomorrow, it's on to Sturgis for my first visit there. I received

an email from my sister saying her son and a friend were in

Salida, CO just west of Colorado Springs. I'll call him tomorrow.