Oregon, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, etc

[Frulk_imp]

1st class ride report Pdedse!!!! Made all the better by the fact you have some great pics of roads I ride (Beartooth et al) a couple times a year. The BigHorns are a hidden gem. The northern section through them is the more scenic of the two (southern being the other one). Heading down south of them brings you to Kirby (Wyomings first legal modern distillery).

http://www.wyomingwhiskey.com/

and Thermopolis, proclaimed as the worlds largest hot springs.

Little known factoid...you prob passed right by that section of Badlands were Starship Troopers filmed several of the battle scenes on Klendathu....

[emptysea]

wonderful report. thanks again for sharing it.

[pdedse]

1st class ride report Pdedse!!!! Made all the better by the fact you have some great pics of roads I ride (Beartooth et al) a couple times a year. The BigHorns are a hidden gem. The northern section through them is the more scenic of the two (southern being the other one). Heading down south of them brings you to Kirby (Wyomings first legal modern distillery).

http://www.wyomingwhiskey.com/

and Thermopolis, proclaimed as the worlds largest hot springs.

Little known factoid...you prob passed right by that section of Badlands were Starship Troopers filmed several of the battle scenes on Klendathu....

Thanks for the comments, Frulk...blessed are ye who live to ride Beartooth frequently!, no offense to the Beatitudes. I really wished I would have known about the beauty of the Bighorns. My friend told me the northern route was the way to go, but I was trying to see them some (with fading light) and "break on to the other side" to start the next day on 90. On a long trip with only 3 weeks for there and back, some decisions are just painful! But I'm thinking of doing this trip every other year now. Northern Wyoming will get more attention from me. Did not know about the Starship Troopers! but will have to look for that scene again.

wonderful report. thanks again for sharing it.

Thanks EmptySea...the ride back to Oregon wasn't bad either...coming soon.

1st class ride report Pdedse!!!! Made all the better by the fact you have some great pics of roads I ride (Beartooth et al) a couple times a year. The BigHorns are a hidden gem. The northern section through them is the more scenic of the two (southern being the other one). Heading down south of them brings you to Kirby (Wyomings first legal modern distillery).

http://www.wyomingwhiskey.com/

and Thermopolis, proclaimed as the worlds largest hot springs.

Little known factoid...you prob passed right by that section of Badlands were Starship Troopers filmed several of the battle scenes on Klendathu....

That site made me thirsty for some Wyoming Water!

[curlyjoe_imp]

Awesome ride report and pictures, pdedse!

[Cormanus]

pdedse, this continues to be a great report. Thank you.

Indeed it continues to interest me so much that I've done the best I can to make a rough plot of your route. It was a really serious ride covering a goodly chunk of the northern United States:



The map I drew for this picture is [url=https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=19zRIuvMHQJfv8SndvbT2Akgjdpc]here. There will be much of the detail that is wrong, but it gave me a good idea of the magnitude of the endeavour.

[pdedse]

Awesome ride report and pictures, pdedse!

Glad you like it, Culyjoe!

pdedse, this continues to be a great report. Thank you.

Indeed it continues to interest me so much that I've done the best I can to make a rough plot of your route. It was a really serious ride covering a goodly chunk of the northern United States:



The map I drew for this picture is [url=https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=19zRIuvMHQJfv8SndvbT2Akgjdpc]here. There will be much of the detail that is wrong, but it gave me a good idea of the magnitude of the endeavour.

Wow! Somebody has been paying attention to the route! That's an awesome map, and you're pretty darn close with the details.

1. At The Dalles, OR, crossed the Columbia River on 197 to 14, on the Washington side, and then continued on 14 to 82 north thru Kennewick

2. In Wyoming, after Cody, stayed on 14 to Greybull, then 20 south to Worland (missed that turn you show, but I wanted to take it), then 16 to Ten Sleep

3. Right in Rapid City, SD, got on 90 west to Wall where I veered south on 240 and began the Badlands there; from that point the map looks good to Champaign, Ill

4. Return trip, after Champaign...in Springfield, Ill I stayed on 72 west till 54 west and took 54 thru Pittsfield and Atlas towards the Miss. River, avoiding St. Louis completely. Stayed on 54 west as it meanders south by southwest thru Jeff City and Lake Ozark. At Camdenton took 5 south to 44 and then to Springfield, MO

5. In Kansas, south of Topeka, when I was on 169 north, veered west at Colony on to 58 west to 75 north to 31west to Osage City, then 56 north thru Auburn and Topeka.

6. After Topeka, when I veered off 70 and went north to Wamego, I stayed on 24 into Manhattan and then continued on 24 west to to 281 to Smith Center on 36. Then stayed on 36 (avoiding 70) all the way into into Oberlin where you show me meeting up with 36--I was already on it.

From there, you're spot on! Incredible job in that I wasn't always specific. Thanks so much for doing that because I'm sure in another week I would begin to forget some details.
My main purpose for this trip was to visit my mom and sibs and to spend time with them and not have to worry about whether my kids were bored. It was a wonderful week with my 91 year ol' momma. She was a professional seamstress for years and still has her shop. On her right you can see my mc pants which she is about to mend.

If she were into mc's her shop would be the envy of many of us.

Three generations: my 25 year old neice, mom and me


There's the 8 of us sibs, back in 1967 or 68? Wanna guess which one I am?

And how do they all look as of a year or two ago? (I'm not in this one)


Selfie of Mom, sis Jo, and me

I don't understand how an apple orchard in Illinois gets away with having a Dorothy / Oz theme when that's exclusive to Kansas, but we couldn't pass up the photo.

[pdedse]

My mom on HER ride back in the day, maybe 1942?
Here she's helping me clean up my ride

My 91 year ol' mom! Doing maintenance on my ride! She still drives, mind is sharp like a tac, and has a window into the past if you ask the right questions. Still, sometimes she prefers to just sit awhile

When it came time to change the oil, check chain tension before beginning the return trip, she was very interested in the process, checking to make sure I was doing it right.

The week went by quickly and it was time to say adios, mamá

[the Ferret]

You are so lucky to still have your mom and that she is sharp and livly. Lost my mom in 1986. Miss her every day. She has missed so much in my life. She is the one who convinced me to get back on a motorcycle after a bad wreck in 1968. Said I would regret it if I didn't ride again. She was so wise.

[redbirds_imp]

Wonderful story and write up and a lovely family also. You are a blessed man.

[Cormanus]

pdedse, try the link again. I've trie to incorporate the changes; however, some of it may be foiled by Google Maps which sometimes has a mind of its own. Short of redrawing it all, I think I've done what I can. I had real trouble between Sweet Home and Corvalis where Google would not let me send you where I thought you went.

It was a mighty ride.