Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 One of the last places you'd ever want to ride a motorcycle is Midwestern USA. Flat, hot weather, lots of bugs, high humidity - sounds like paradise eh? My wife had just purchased her bike and wanted to ride on it in Ohio. Problem is, we live about 1,400 miles west of there. She flew to Ohio for work and was going to stay over and meet me there. I had to ride, I left Colorado at 0300 and headed east with plans to stay over night in Missouri at my bud Todd's house. First stop for fuel was in eastern Colorado at sun up . Guy in the background had the right idea; bike in the back of a pickup ... 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 Had a gift for my bud in Missouri - a charcuterie board that I made for him, It was a big bastard and difficult to carry on a bike. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 I ate at only the best restaurants across the plains. Taco Bell ... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 Rode through torrential rains and a couple of tornados across Kansas - always a good time. But I made it to Todd's house 800 miles later and a warm garage... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 Next day and I'm up early, but there is too much rain and wind to leave. Hung out at Todd's until 11:00 AM or so and then headed out with a route to go around floods in St. Louis. Gonna be a long assed day. Only the best food that money could buy for lunch. I skipped the roller food and opted for a couple of donuts and Diet Dew - which I ate in the rain next to the bike. I was too wet to stay inside, leaving puddles wherever I stood. Not unusual for me really, but this was rain water this time ... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 Made it to my hotel in Indianapolis where I'll meet up with friends Clint and Sunday. Hotel bar was packed, but I managed to get a stool at the bar and a couple of cold beers down my neck while I waited on Clint to pick me up for dinner.... 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 I was going to ride around Indy for the day, but the rains caught up with me. So I Uber'ed over to Clint's house. His dog had just had puppies so he was on nurse duty - feedings every hour... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 Shit day out, so I watched Clint feed dogs and played his guitars all afternoon. Not a bad day really.... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 Completed the final leg to Ohio the next day and rode some of the Devil's Highway .. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 Aside from the humidity, riding in Ohio isn't all that bad. Lots of abandoned buildings to see and decent roads. Plus, the weather has improved . Pretty cool old sandstone house and chimney from another house that is no longer there ... 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 Stopped at the brother in law's "farm". 200 acres and he doesn't grow anything on it. Has a nice tractor to mow with though... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 Ohio has loads of Federal style homes built during the American Civil War (1860's) that sit empty near old farms. Would love to buy one and fix it up as I really like the style of the homes ... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 Amazing how green it is here - not brown like Colorado . Not a lot out here though - just old farms that are no longer in use. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 Rode Ohio's famed Route 555 - lots of curves, hills and blind crests. Sweet new pavement, too! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 Next day and it's time to head west again. Raging storms across Kansas again so I plan a northernly route through Chicago and Nebraska. But first, breakfast at a truck stop ... again. There is little else to eat out here. It's either fast food or this. And this is cheap and fast .... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 Passed through Indy again... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 Then into Chicago; another hotel room and another hotel bar. Why do they all look the same? And check out those pint prices!!! Getting drunk ain't cheap! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 Out for beers and dinner with some of my bud's that live in Chicago. Brian, Joe and Alex - great guys that I don't get to see nearly enough.... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 Up at 0300 again and ready to roll. I'm headed west to Omaha, Nebraska today and leaving early in an effort to beat the 100F+ / 39C heat 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 The Sturgis Rally is going on, so I see loads of bikes at every stop. Even at "The World's Largest Truckstop" in Iowa .. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slowlycatchymonkey Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 Love the federal homes. Are there many semi dilapidated places like that? Why are the farms no longer used? Ground looks fertile. And the food, I cannae bear it, mountain dew? Did they force you to buy that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 Every 250 miles - yet another truckstop. The riding in Iowa kinda sucks... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 So why did I even go to Iowa? Baxter's Cycle Shop in Marne, Iowa, that's why. "Your British Bike Superstore" I dunno about the "superstore" portion of their claim, but they have tons of cool shit. Mostly used, vintage and refurbished bikes... 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 "But where's all the cool shit?" I ask. "Down the the hall. through the parts bins and open the wooden door" comes the reply 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earache Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 "Yeah, but do you have any extra fuel tanks for my old bike?" I ask. "A few... look up" 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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