Well, we did it. Chef and I started 5/14/10 and finished 6/4/10. Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming Utah and Idaho. 17 states, 22 days, 6,651 miles.
No accidents, no tickets. Highest altitude 10,250 feet, lowest altitude 160 feet below sea level. Highest temperature was over 99 degrees , in Oklahoma. Lowest temp was 45 degrees right here in Washington at Snoqualmie Pass. Top speed will not be disclosed at this time.We saw lots of country, and met lots of people. Riding a motorcycle seems to make almost everybody your friend right off the bat. We did not make it to Key West, because of time constraints.
Unfortunately we had to put the Chef's bike down 294 miles from home in Pendleton, Oregon. Clutch failure. We packed it into a rental truck and Chef drove it home and delivered it straight to the bike repair shop. I fared better, in that my only problem was a blown headlight. No harm done in either case.
Observations were many:
This is a big country, sometimes will 100 miles between communities, and many of those smaller communities are dying.
This is a beautiful country, with redwood forests, ocean beaches, stark deserts, snow covered mountains, huge grass covered, rolling plains, fascinating geology, intriguing swamps and bayous, and always something new around the bend or over the hill. We humans are just incidents in the big picture.
Never let your tank get below half full. It might be 100 miles to the nest gas station.
Just because you are surrounded by black clouds and streak lightning, that does not mean you will get rained on.
You can keep going longer and farther than you think.
Food in the southern part of the US is generally very good and less expensive than the NW and California, but they need to learn something about portion control.
The 'Droid' can navigate, communicate, educate and entertain. A wonderful machine.
No place the we saw was as beautiful as Washington State.
Lessons learned:
Many, I am sure. I think we both learned different things. I don't think we will really understand that until we are able to look back and reflect upon our little adventure.
The best part:
New stuff every day.
The worst part:
The heat and the saddle sores, missing family and friends.
Do it again? Absolutely.
Thanks for sharing our fun, Chef and Jack
