North to Alaska

Days 32 & 33

I fooled the three evil sisters today – and met a really cool sister.

Motorcycle traveling was really tough yesterday – I have to admit.  I thought the Scotty had beamed me to West Texas – it was so hot.  I reminded me a lot of the Bun Burner I did last year from Orange, TX to El Centro, CA.

The temperature was over 100 degrees at 9:30 in the morning – and varied to as high as 106 degrees – and I rode 655 miles.  To say the least, I was in no shape to write last night – I got something to eat – actually shared dinner with a really great motorcycling couple from Iowa – then took a long cool shower and hit the sack.

This morning provided an opportunity to pick up another passport stamp – just 2 miles off I-80 in Iowa is the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site.  I jumped off to get my passport stamped – and pulled in at the same time as a California Gold Wing rider – also doing the Iron Butt National Parks Tour.  We had a few minutes to exchange stories about our experiences – then back on the road – he went west – I went east.

I’ve written many times about my dislike for the toll roads across the three evil sisters – Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.  Well, I decided to do something about it – take back roads across these states and avoid the aggravation I normally get on the interstates.

I dove off of I-80 in Joliet, IL onto Route 30 – then worked my way north to Route 6 – which I am taking across most of Indiana – and Ohio – nearly to the Pennsylvania border.  Route 30 is generally known as the old Lincoln Highway – but for the first 40 miles – it could be called “Mall Boulevard.”  Route 6, although it has some truck traffic is generally rural with the two-lane road so narrow in places I almost feel as though I could stretch out my arms and touch the corn on both sides of the road.

Made a mandatory stop in Kingsbury, IN at Wagner’s Cycle Shop – to lay my eyes on a brand new Ural Patrol motorcycle.  But that was secondary to meeting a really cool sister, Felicia, Co-Owner of the shop.  She came into the shop on her day off – just to show me the bike and spent two hours with me going over it from top to bottom – and then taking me for a test ride.  Still can’t get the grin off my face – from my first sidecar ride.

Can’t help thinking about only two more days left on this trip.  But meanwhile, I’ll enjoy the less traveled roads across Indiana and Ohio – then I-80 across Pennsylvania to home.

So to you and Iowa Sioux and Hawk, Australian Shepherd, Ashland, MO – I say goodnight from Auburn, IN – the home of the Auburn, Cord, and Dusenberg.

 Index, Day, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 thru 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32&33 34