Absarokee

Monday was a long travel day that brought us to an off the beaten path, incredibly quaint little lodge in the small Montana town of Absarokee. Known as Stillwater Lodge and operated by a sweet lady that goes by the name of none other than "Mother Theresa". Reservations were made in advance and was instructed that the key would be hanging on the porch light.

All was as promised, along with a quiet a little town, surrounded by beautiful mountains and cool night air.

Montana Harley Davidson

One of the more unique looking dealerships. Great service, got us right in, oil changed and back on the road.

Defeated !!!

Monday morning we saddle up the scooters and departed Glacier to start our next leg of the trip to Beartooth. Our route took us along the incredibly scenic Flathead Lake. Along the way we stopped in Woods Bay to have a little simple breakfast. Yep, it's food time again. For the first time ever we encountered a waitress that was constantly warning us about the size of the order portions. Dave and I were contemplating the 3 egg omelets, she challenged us, recommending the 2 egg instead. Barb was wanting the Kazz Scramble special, the waitress advised ordering the child's portion. We reluctantly accepted her recommendations, but did. As it turned out she was so right. We couldn't eat it all. We have no idea who in the world the regular size orders might be for. We left totally stuffed, but very satisfied. The food was outstanding.

On the road again we followed along the rest of Flathead Lake, taking in it's awesome views. We made our way to Missoula, MT where we had arranged to have oil changes on the bikes.

Glacier National Park

Today is not about travel. Today we visit perhaps the most scenic park in America, with its majestic mountains, snow capped peaks, cascading streams and waterfalls, forests and grand views. Truly a breath taking experience.

Going to the Sun Road

The spectacular views of these incredible mountains are beyond description. When we arrived at the east entrance this morning we learned that the road was not open all the way through the park. So we journeyed in as far as allowed, then went back out and rode around the outside of the park to the west entrance.

After a bit of rest and late lunch, we proceeded into the park again. This time we encountered construction, unpaved roadway, one lane traffic, loose gravel, all the things you dread on a motorcycle. We did make it up near the highest point however, and were rewarded with spectacular views. This did turn out to be an awesome day.

Returning to the village of West Glacier, we did manage to find a little pie and ice cream to cap off the evening.

Lake McDonald

This beautiful lake is located on the west side of the park. Fed by ice cold streams that are created by snow melts up in the mountains.

Glacier Park Lodge

The Glacier Park Lodge was originally built by the Northern Pacific Railroad to accommodate visitors to the park.

Cut Bank

Saturday morning we left Medora, and shortly were into Montana. There was one very important business to be done however. And that we were able to accomplished with the help of C's Family Cafe. One of those awesome local places where the parking lot is filled with local pickup trucks, old cars and motorcycles. All the telltale signs of great food. We put down a huge breakfast, talked with some of the patrons then headed off to spend the day traveling across Montana on simple two lane roads.

What an awesome treat, we had long stretches of road all to ourselves, the winds had diminished from the day before, there was lots of sunshine and great Montana scenery.

The further west we traveled, the prettier the skies became. A lot of the country is farmland, so there was lots of greenery in the fields. Just beautiful.

It was nearly a 500 mile day, but we made to Cut Bank, MT in time to relax, clean up the bikes, and of course a nice dinner. Tomorrow we head off to Glacier National Park.

Pitchfork Fondue

Leaving Fargo, we got on I-94 and headed west. We had dinner reservations in Medora, ND, and the delay for the nail in the tire had somewhat compromised our schedule. We pushed the Harleys pretty hard, but were battling a severe headwind, often times gusts as high as 45 mph. We had over 300 miles to cover. We pressed on, keeping our stops brief, not wasting time. The ride across North Dakota was actually scenic, more than I had anticipated. Our only issue was dealing with the winds. But we made it, even had a small amount of time to spare. Medora is a quaint little historic town in one of the most scenic spots in North Dakota. The area is referred to as the Badlands of North Dakota and is somewhat similar to the South Dakota Badlands, but on a somewhat smaller scale. Perhaps more scenic however.
Time for dinner, you definitely have our patterns down by now. They feature a unique means of cooking steaks there. As in the picture above the steaks are put on pitchforks and are then cooked in cauldrons of fondue. A very unique and tasteful experience. While dining on the steaks we were afford an extraordinary view of the area from our location on a high hill and were serenaded musically as we ate.

With our appetites satisfied, a brief look around the area and town, we settled in for some sleep and much needed rest from a very good but eventful day.

Nailed

Friday started out with a bit of a concern, I had noticed the day before that I seem to having a problem with the rear tire on the bike. I checked the pressure before getting on the road and the pressure was down very notably, so I aired it up with idea of keeping a careful eye on it as we continued on.

One of my desires was to stop at the Harley dealer in Fargo, ND to say "hello" to the owner Del Hofer. I had the tremendous privilege to meet Del at a number of the Harley Owners Group training seminars given by Harley Davidson. Del is a true "guru" of our sport, his insight into the enjoyment of riding and the huge joy of the fellowship of our fellow Harley riders is second to none. We had spent the night at Alexandria, MN, about 100 miles from Fargo. We made it to Fargo without any problems, including a stop for breakfast. Yes, the food ingredient in our travels arise again. Upon arrival at the Fargo HD store, I quickly checked the rear tire, sure enough the pressure had dropped again. I now know that I have a real problem. I quickly went to the service department and explained my predicament. They were right on it and checked it out. A nail. There is no repair for a nail in a motorcycle tire other than a new tire. So, a new tire it is. With that in process, I set about to find Del and see if we could have a little bit of his time.

What a gracious and accommodating host. He did recall our having met, in particular the time in Billings, MT when Barb and I were hobbling around the National HOG Rally on crutches due to a couple of broken legs. Not only did he share his time with us, he gave us the tour of his store and then took us to a separate building where he kept his personal collection of older motorcycles.

Del has 47 different Harleys in his collection, several one of a kind, and many that are certainly rare in number. Each one has a special connection to the former or original owner of which Del knows or has some knowledge of. Each one is a special story.

Here I am standing next to a 1919 model equipped with skis.

Dave is surveying a number of the bikes in the collection.

Here Del is pictured with the very first motorcycle he ever owned. The story of how he came to own it as a youngster, having sold it and then how it returned to him many many years later is totally amazing.

The time we had with Del was fabulous, he shared so much, and was so hospitable. He is definitely one of the most incredible people that one could ever meet. We were so honored to have this time with him. Meanwhile, a new tire was installed on my bike and we were ready to continue our travels. We bid him a farewell, shook hands, got the bike with the new tire, and of course with a few new shirts as well, and got back on the road.

Heading North

Thursday opened under threatening skies across Iowa, a check of the radar images confirmed that it may be a challenging day. However, directly north of us the skies did look somewhat more promising, so off in that direction we went. Our first stop was in Amana, Iowa, location of the historic Amana colonies. Recommend that everyone look it up on the web and see what you may learn.

The main object of our visit was The Colony Inn. Yes, you guessed it, food is involved. They serve a sit down family style breakfast. No menu, no ordering, you just sit down and they start bringing out the food. Everything from fruits, to homemade bread, preserves, eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, etc. You guessed it, as soon as you clean off one platter, they fill it up again. Finally we had to surrender or motorcycle tires were in serious jeopardy.

Back on the road we headed toward Cedar Rapids, riding through the town was a sobering experience. In spite of all the coverage we have seen on TV, the impact of driving through the city streets, seeing the water marks high up on the sides of the buildings, the amount of destroyed furnishings and household item piled along the street to be hauled away, all was shocking. The scene of devastation and damage is indescribable.

As we continued north we did run into some showers near Waterloo. We were ready with our rain gear and were able to handle it quite well. In a short while we were out of the precip and moving toward better looking skies. A stop at a rest area near the Minnesota border afforded us the opportunity to look at the current weather radar. Nearly all of Iowa was have some type of heavy storms and rain. We indeed had been very fortunate.

Traveling through Minnesota found us enjoying clearing skies and lots of sunshine. The only downer was our encounter with rush hour traffic around Minneapolis, what a nightmare. Once past that we had really nice ride northwest across the state on I-94. Actually very scenic and enjoyable. Night time has us bedding down in Alexandria, MN. Today's travels covered 550 miles, bringing our total to 730 thus far.

On Our Way

We finally got on the road late Wednesday afternoon, had a pleasant ride up through Missouri on US 61. In northern Missouri the effects of flooding was very evident, in some places right up to the edge of the highway. Some stretches had sandbags right along the edge of the pavement.

As we approached Iowa an ominous storm was directly in our path. We pulled off the road, took a coffee and dessert break while allowing the storm to move off to the east. The strategy worked. As a precautionary measure we donned rain gear, but arrived in Fort Madison, IA without encountering a drop of rain. Proof positive that strategic sweets are a valuable asset

On The Road Again

Greetings All,

Yes, we are getting ready to venture out onto the roads of America one more time. This time we are being joined by two of our very good friends and fellow members of the St. Charles Missouri HOG Chapter, Dave and Kim. They will be sporting a brand new '08 Harley Ultra Classic. No doubt that will add greatly to their enjoyment of this journey. Our intended itinerary is as follows:

Depart Wednesday evening June 25 for Fort Madison, Iowa.
Thursday, 26th, will be a breakfast stop in Amana, Iowa and on north through Iowa and into Minnesota. Hopefully flood waters will not be a major factor.
Friday, 27th, will be a quick stop in Fargo, ND and on across to Medora, ND for some pitchfork fondue.
Saturday, 28th, on across North Dakota and northern Montana following the Lewis and Clark Trail.
Sunday, 29th, will be a leisurely ride through Glacier National Park and stop for the night in West Glacier, MT.
Monday, 30th, an early morning ride along Flathead Lake, a visit to Missoula, Mt and on to Absarokee, MT for the night.
Tuesday, July 1st, breakfast in Red Lodge, then the ride over the Beartooth Highway and Chief Joseph Highway in to Cody, WY.
July 2nd, 3rd and 4th will all be in Cody.
Dave and Kim will depart on Thursday, July 3rd to head back home for family events. We will be leaving on the 5th heading for the Black Hills in South Dakota.
July 6th will be on the road home, arriving on the 7th.

Hopefully I will be able to post our experiences each day and share a few photos of some the awesome scenery along the way. Your comments are also very welcome. Look forward to having each of you be a part of journey.