Another "hello" to all of our family and friends who are following this blog. I'm trying to keep it interesting but these pics take a while to load so I'm putting the majoriy of them on our facebook page. So The stories will be here but the pics and videos will be elsewhere.
To my friends at NJNG, I'll be perfectly honest....I think of you often but I really don't miss the place all that much. If you get out to Arizona be sure to let me know. You're welcome anytime.
That goes for family, too.  And anyone else who thinks of us and reads our blog.
We'd love the company and would love to see you.

DAY 21

Today we left Fillmore, Utah to begin our journey along Highway 50 through Nevada. Before we get into the Route 50 experience, we have to tell you about Fillmore.  As we were getting closer to town I saw a sign that welcomed us to Millard County. So of course when we got to our hotel in Fillmore I asked if the Millard Fillmore thing was planned. It turns out the the county and the town were named in honor of President Fillmore. The library in town is the Millard Fillmore Library.

 So then it was time to get moving. We were about to travel on "The Loneliest Road in America". We actually weren't going the whole way today because it's quite a ride. We only did the section from Holden to Ely. The main part of this trip will be from Ely to Fernley, Nevada.

 We hit some sections of the road that went for well over 8 to 10 miles without a curve or even another vehicle. So I had time to take the camera and get a shot of us as we were cruising along.

 You can see here that the road is more than deserving of it's name. We only rode about 180 miles from Holden to Ely but we saw no more than a dozen cars and a few trucks during the ride.

The weather was absolutely perfect. Although we were riding through the desert we got lucky and had some cloud cover for most of the ride. It got a little windy when we hit the wide open spaces and that can make things a little loud and has a big effect on our speed but we were in no hurry and we really enjoyed the ride.

Finally got to Ely, Nevada early afternoon and after checking in, we took a walk up the street to the largest casino in town. Came back to room and washed the trike before going back for some dinner and gambling and a few beers. Then we spent the rest of the evening walking around the casinos and sitting in front of a machine here and there.
195 miles today and we're really looking forward to tomorrow. That's when we do the major part of Route 50. It's a long ride and we have to plan our gas stops. The towns are about 90 miles apart and between them you are on "The Loneliest Road in America".
In 1986, LIFE magazine named Highway 50 from Ely to Fernley and "The Loneliest Road in America".It's a 287 mile stretch with no points of interest and they recommended that drivers have "survival skills" to travel the entire route. They warned motorists to avoid this road unless they had these skills. But it has become more popular thanks to the warnings and you can even get an award for traveling the route.
There are five towns along the way that will stamp a card for you to prove you did the ride. So we will start with the stamp from Ely. Tomorrow we hope to get stamped in Eureka, Austin, Fallon and Fernley. Then we send in our completed card and we'll get our certificate and a souvenir.
So check back and we'll be posting a few pics of this classic road trip.

DAY 20

Today was another day to get from point A to point B. We left Ogden and planned on four dealership stops on our way to Fillmore, Utah. We got to the first shop but when we took the interstate we missed the second because the exit wasn't marked. the third was nice but the fourth is probably one of the nicest and most unique dealership that we've been to. It's Timpanogo's HD in Lindon,Utah. The building is actually a building that was part of an old steel mill. Many of the parts are still the original components of the structure and the whole thing has been done beautifully.

 There is a small restaurant inside where they specialize in "sliders". If you look closely at the photo, you'll see that the second one down is called the "Handsome Rob Slider". Of course I had to try it and I gotta tell you, it was a great burger. So lunch was a done deal and then it was time to head on down the road.

 As I said, most of our ride today was spent on Interstate 15 and the parts through Salt Lake City and Provo were not fun at all. Lots of traffic and merges and off ramps and on ramps and trucks and a few crazy drivers. But after Provo we got down to a two-laner and the traffic seemed to magically disappear. There was just a semi or two riding along with us. The weather held up for the whole ride and we even got quite a few clouds so it was a very pleasant ride.

When we got to our hotel it was early enough for a little pool time. Luckily it was an enclosed pool because after we were in for a while, the rain clouds came and the winds picked up and we were stuck in there for a while. When it let up a bit I decided to hightail it back to the room.

After Faith joined me in the room we went next door for dinner. It was a meal we both thoroughly enjoyed. Then it was time to get the computer fired up and tend to the business of blogging. So here we are in a self portrait sitting at the computer.
Only 189 miles today but a perfect ride aside from the traffic at times.

Before getting to today's post, we'd just like to say thanx to all of you who are following us on our journey.
If you'd like to become a follower and leave us some feedback, that would be great.

DAY 19

No photos today because it started out as just a travel day. We had no stops planned and were only going from one stop to the next. And sure enough, when we left Jackson Hole after breakfast, the ride looked as though it was going to be an uneventful 230 miles. We left in very brisk temps and actually had to stop to put on our light riding jackets. It was an overcast morning and we even passed under a rain cloud and had about 5 minutes of drizzle.
 We passed a few small towns along our route and I must say, these are very interesting towns. The populations can range from a mere 150 to maybe 500 and the speed limit drops to 30 or so while going through town. And then we got to St Charles which is located at the north end of Bear Lake. From that point on the ride became a motorcyclists dream!
As we went through town we saw some beautiful homes built to take full advantage of the lake and mountains in the distance. Then we began to climb a mountain into the Cache National Forest. Many more fabulous homes with fabulous views built along the entire route up the mountain.
It was here that I started having fun. The road from here all the way to Logan Utah was chock full of sweeping curves and the scenery of the forest. There were no extremely sharp curves or switchbacks so we were able to maintain a nice cruising speed.
When we got to Logan we stopped for a bite and then on to our final destination of the day. We also took off the jackets because the clouds disappeared and when the sun came through it got quite hot.
The ride from Logan to Ogden isn't much to get worked up over because we rode for a bit and then ended up on the 15 Freeway. So it was a 15 minute run with the freeway traffic and then our hotel.
Unfortunately, we got here around 3:30 and planned a refreshing dip in the pool before dinner. But no pool here. So Faith took a nap and I watched some TV and then dinner and time to turn in.
We have a few less miles to do tomorrow but 3 or 4 dealers to visit.
Today was 243 miles and I loved a good part of it.

DAY 18

 To start our day today we went through Yellowstone again towards the south entrance. Along the way there was more beautiful scenery and very little traffic consider that it is Saturday. I think everyone got up and into the park before us. We weren't in a big hurry because we really didn't have a long ride today.

 Happened upon a nice waterfall for Faith to photograph. More of her great shots will be on our Facebook page.

 We actually saw a couple of these signs along the way. I guess you travel along the Divide for a while at different elevations. The weather was great and we had some cloud cover every so often which was rather nice.

 Then we got to Grand Teton National Park. I won't say it was a let down but I really did expect more. The Tetons are absolutely awesome and the road takes you close enough to really appreciate the sheer size of this range. I just thought that there would be more scenic pull offs and we got through the park a little faster than I had planned.

 So we got to Jackson a bit earlier than I thought but that gave us a little more relaxing time. We were able to check in early and we took a walk into the town of Jackson Hole,Wyoming.

 What a great little cowboy themed town! Full of shops and bars, it's a typical tourist trap but it is very nice and very clean. Some of the sidewalks are actually wooden boardwalks there is a stagecoach ride that you can take to see the town. We did find that nothing comes cheap in Jackson Hole. Many of the stores are specialty shops and rather pricey. If you're looking for leather goods or clothing or perhaps some one of a kind jewelry, this might be a good place for you to shop.

We went back to the room for a break and then back downtown to the famous Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. It's a popular stop because all of the seat at the bar are actual saddles. Not the most comfortable bar stool but definitely different. Of course they also have a store to buy all of your Cowboy Bar goodies.
Turned in a little early to get a jump on the day. Heading into Utah tomorrow.

130 miles and another wonderful day.

DAY 17

 Today is the day that we go to see "Old Faithful". We stayed in West Yellowstone which is just over the border in Montana. Got on the road after breakfast and the day started out a little chilly. I guess the fact that we're up in the mountains and riding through some shaded roads is the reason for that. On the way we saw some elk roaming in the fields. they caused a slight traffic stop but then we were making good time.

"Old Faithful' seems to be a very popular tourist attraction. As you ride through Yellowstone you're usually on a two lane road and ride with only a few others. But as you get near the geyser the traffic builds considerably and there is a separate lane for "Old Faithful" traffic.
The parking lot is huge and there are two lodges and a clinic. I guess we got somewhat lucky because after the walk to the geyser viewing area we only had to wait about twenty minutes for the show to begin.

There are times when it could be about an hour and a half between eruptions. It's amazing how many people were there sitting patiently waiting for nature to decide when to do its thing. We actually had two "false starts" when the geyser gave a little teaser shot. But then we finally got to see what we came for. It's really quite a phenomenon when you think that this thing can be so predictable.

As we were leaving through the lodge, we saw the big clock that tells when the next show should be. A smaller sign below it warns that it could be plus or minus 10 minutes. But it's still unbelievable that this thing has been happening for years and we're so sure it will continue to happen that we've built roads to get to it and buildings selling "Old Faithful" stuff and the traffic to the site never seems to end.

 After our morning trip to "Old Faithful" we took a ride that was supposed to give us a look at various wildlife like eagles and moose and bears and elk. Someone told me about this 60 mile loop from West Yellowstone so we figured we'd kill the afternoon and check it out. We ended up going into Idaho for a short time and then back into Montana.

This lake that we passed along our route is called "Earthquake Lake". I don't know why but thought it was very interesting that the trees are still rooted enough to still be standing in all of that water.

By the way, we did the whole 60 mile loop and saw not one creature stirring. No buffalo roaming or deer and antelope playing.

So when we got back to town, before calling it an evening and going for dinner, we went to a Grizzly and Wolf Preserve. It was the closest that Faith was going to get to a bear. It was a nice park like setting with large enclosures for the bear and the wolves.  

DAY 16

Today started with a visit to Merlin's Hide Out. Merlin sells hides and leather goods from his garage in Thermopolis. I had been looking around at sheepskins for the trike because those long rides can really take a toll on one's butt. The sheepskin not only keeps you from sweating so much but the comfort level goes up quite a bit and the amount of time that you can spend in the saddle also goes up greatly. So with some new padding we were ready for a long day. Not so much in mileage but in time that we'd be on the road. I knew there would be a lot of stops for photos on this particular leg of our trip.

 About twenty miles out of town around 10:15am, I watched the odometer turn 3000 miles. We were doing good and still having a ball. It's getting very hard to keep talking about the roads and the scenery because each day brings another awe inspiring ride through some of the most beautiful scenery that you can imagine. So I find that I'm getting a little repetitious with all of the adjectives I use to describe our day.
But although I've used beautiful and breathtaking and inspiring and awesome many times before, these are the only ways that I can use to describe what we're seeing.

After riding through three tunnels cut right through the mountain rock, we happened upon the Buffalo Bill Dam. Just another stop that was worth a photo op and something worth seeing.

 Although the dam is only a couple of hundred feet wide, it is definitely a very tall dam. Another stop that makes our day just a little longer. But it is well worth the time to stop at these sights.

This is the view looking the other way while standing on the dam.



After the dam we were getting closer to Yellowstone so Faith thought that it as time we started seeing some bears or any type of wildlife. We really aren't in the best season for the wildlife but there is always the chance that you'll see something.

 We stopped at a rest area/ information center and got a chance to talk with on e of the park Rangers. He told us that right now we probably wouldn't see any bear in this area but once we got into Yellowstone, things could change.
He did however have his friend Molly handy and she agreed to pose on the trike with Faith for a cute photo.

Shoshone National Forest is just before Yellowstone and the ride through it still gave us no wildlife.

 As we got nearer to Yellowstone, the skies clouded over and some were very dark and ominous. We knew we'd hit some rain so when we got to the park entrance, we paid our admittance and the pulled under the roof of the toll booths to wait out the storm. And it did rain. But luckily it only lasted about 20 minutes and then we were on our way again in sunlight and warm temps.

 At one point we came upon a number of cars pulled over so naturally we stopped to see what all the excitement was about. Then up on the mountain Faith found her bear. We sat there for a while so she could get her share of photos and then we moved on.

 A little farther down the road we came to more buffalo out for a stroll right down the road. They were completely unaffected by the traffic or the cars that stopped to take pictures. Throughout the park we saw quite a few more herd of buffalo. You can tell when there's something along the road worth seeing because there are cars pulled over on both sides of the road. This of course adds more time to the trip. But we were getting closer to our stop so we took advantage of all the sightseeing that we could.

We found this waterfall right within what is called the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The park can get very crowded but we were lucky that we visited on a weekday and I think that the threat of rain kept some people away.

Then a crowd of cars parked along the road got us to pull over to see a group of mule deer grazing in the pasture.

All in all it was a great day with lots to see and some fabulous photo ops.
To see more of the photos don't forget to visit my Facebook page.

230 miles and now we're in West Yellowstone, Montana until Saturday. Going to see Old Faithful tomorrow and then a 60 miles wildlife loop just outside of town.

Stay Tuned..................................

DAY 15

 Today started with a meeting in the Mineral Hot Tub with our friends Cam and Denise. The water here is from the natural hot mineral springs in the area and it feels great!

After the tub it was a quick shower and then breakfast at the hotel. We enjoyed thier company immensely and really felt bad when it was time to say goodbye and go our separate ways. They were heading through Yellowstone and then up through the Beartooth Pass before getting home by Sunday. We gave them our contact information and look forward to keeping in touch. They travel quite a bit and have been to Arizona before so we told them to give us a shout the next time they were down that way.

 Faith and I were going to take a quick ride through Wind River Canyon but first we cleaned the trike and did a little pool time. We were planning the ride because someone had told us that it's only about 20 miles out and 20 back but it's really beautiful.
So we weren't in much of a hurry and Faith wanted some sun. It's so nice to be able to relax without the cares of where to be and when.

So after the pool and tanning time we took off for our 40 mile scenic ride.
Well, we weren't let down. The canyon was just as wonderful as we were told it would be. We rode along the river and there were campgrounds spotted here and there and very little traffic.

 The road wound through some beautiful areas where we were told that we would probably see a few longhorn sheep. We did the whole ride out and back and didn't get to see any wildlife but the ride itself was amazing.

We even saw some tepees camped out on the banks of the river.

 Across the river from the auto road is the railroad route. How cool it would be to ride the rails through all of this wonderful scenery. There were quite a few of these railroad tunnels along the way.

But we were not without our own tunnels that were cut through the mountain sides. This photo shows two of the three that we rode through. Absolutely great!

 Before we turned around for the ride back to town, we stopped so Faith could take some photos of the huge lake that is dammed and then flows down through the canyon. You can see many more of these photos o my Facebook page.

When we got back to town we stopped for lunch and then more hot tub and pool time. Then someone told us that on a back road right outside of town is another buffalo viewing area. So of course we got back on the trike for a short ride and we were lucky enough to see the buffalo.

It wasn't a really big herd but there were a couple of huge ones and we got these pics before heading back for dinner.

Dinner at the hotel and then one final dip in the hot springs before calling it a day.

Only 60 miles today but it was a very nice day.
See you tomorrow.

DAY 14

Well, after 5 days of shorter rides and staying in the South Dakota area around Mt.Rushmore and other great day rides, we were back for another longer ride but we were still enjoying wonderful weather so a day on the trike really isn't too bad.
We left Custer and our first stop was at the Harley shop in Sundance, Wyoming and then breakfast around the corner.

 A good part of the morning was on Interstate 90 but then things got interesting as we headed south from Buffalo towards Thermopolis. We were doing good and the roads were virtually empty. The only thing that slowed us down once in a while was when we had to climb a mountain. And we did climb a mountain!

As we started through Bighorn National Forest the temps were around 90 and plenty of sun. That changed as we got higher and higher. By the time we got to the summit, I would say the temps were somewhere around 65-70 and I was tempted to pull over to gear up. But then we started down and you could feel the heat rising and it was actually hotter on this side of the mountain.

 But the road was beautiful and as I said, we were almost alone to enjoy and ride just the way we wanted.

There were the occasional switchbacks and when the sign said 25mph, you did 25mph. The scenery was breathtaking and that kind of kept Faith occupied with her pictures and I didn't hear too much about my driving.

 I love these long, winding mountain roads when you can see so far ahead to where the road will take you. Here you can see that we're rather low in the valley but believe me, we rode to the top and over.
After leaving the National Forest we rode through one or two small towns as we got closer to our destination. One town was called Ten Sleep. The name comes from the Indians because they used to mark distances by the number of "sleeps" between stops. This town was ten sleeps from the next.

When we got to Thermopolis we had some time relax in the natural hot springs tub. This town is the hot springs capital of the world. People come from all over to soak and feel the healing power of the hot mineral water. Our hotel is the only one with a naturally fed mineral tub. The water temperature was around 105 and it really did make you feel good after a nice soak.
While we were in the pool we met a great couple of people from Canada. We talked a while and then met for dinner.

While eating at the outside bar of the hotel, we got a visit from a deer who stopped by to get a treat from the bird feeders right over the railing from where we were sitting. He was joined by a smaller doe and the people taking pictures and actually getting quite close didn't seem to bother them at all.
So after a nice meal with some nice company we said our goodnights with plans to meet for breakfast.

318 absolutely beautiful miles and I think that this was really the last big mile day of the trip.