Lone Star State

Tuesday August 31, 2010. Start kilometers25539. Finish kilometers 26059. Total today 520.

Tonight I stopped in Shamrock Texas just west of the Oklahoma State line. Texas, proud as it is to be the largest state in the contiguous 48, and prouder still of its heritage as a former independent republic, ranks next to last in the mileage it can claim along the path of route 66, second only to Kansas. The panhandle, the northernmost extension of the state, is but an eroded stump compared to what might have been. As history proves if the Texas Oklahoma border had been decidedly different, the westbound Route 66 traveller of today would have entered the great state of Texas at what is now Eric Oklahoma. Also what is little known is that, if some other political decisions had gone a bit differently, that same traveller would not be leaving Texas until he'd passed through what is now Albuquerque, New Mexico, and crossed over the Rio Grande, some 400 miles to the west. During Texas' early days of statehood (1845 -1849), it had laid claim to territory almost 50 percent larger than its current boundaries, including portions of present day Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming. Since some of its territory was contested by other factions within the US, emotions ran high on the subject. At the same time the former republic of Texas had incurred significant debts in its struggle for independence. Texas therefore ceded about one third of its territory in exchange for $ 10,000,000. in an agreement known as the Compromise of 1850. Much of the territory given up in 1850 makes up the portion of present day New Mexico east of the Rio Grande. I sure hope I have these facts straight Jay.
Today's journey took me through the balance of western Oklahoma and at times off the beaten track as I did get lost more than once and ended up on abandoned sections of old route 66, often in low gear standing on the pegs. A five foot strip of old concrete badly broken up with loose gravel kept me on my toes literally as my bike rattled and rolled. I had to turn around several times. I promise not to drag you off on these trails with your Harley John. Frustrated with the never ending traffic lights through Tulsa and Oklahoma City, I cheated and entered the freeway system to get around these large urban centres. Remnants of old motels and gas stations still exist inter dispersed with the usual array of fast food joints and modern day strip retail outlets which made these portions uninspiring. Getting me into the countryside and the small towns and villages awakens my keen senses as to what once was. Let me meet the locals and I'm in a state of bliss. Tomorrow I'll travel through the Texas panhandle and into New Mexico. Stay tuned.

I don't think I can get my GS through this growth.  I knew I should have brought my chain Saw.

Shamrock Texas. Tomorrow I will explore this place before moving on as it is so interesting.

"66" is doted with old gas stations along its entire route.

Texas Oklahoma State Line.

Gay Parita

Start kilometers 25095. Finish kilometers 25539. Total today 444.

Where do I go to pay?

Today's drive through western Missouri took me through pastoral settings of rolling wooded hills and green fields, peppered with churches, barns and roadside remnants. I stopped at Whitehall Mercantile in Halltown for a photo op and quick tour of the store but ended up visiting the owner for the better part of 45 minutes. His wife of nearly sixty years passed away two days ago and he was sorting through her things. He was a kind, engaging man and we spent some quality time discussing the history of the area and both his and his wife's past. A few miles further on I stopped at Gay Parita Sinclair Gas Station in Paris Springs. There I met Gary Turner and his daughter Janean. Gary rebuilt this beautiful gas station replica complete with vintage trucks and cars on the original site of a long gone station named for the builders wife Gay. Parita means 'equal'and the builder wanted to demonstrate this fact in the naming the gas station Gay Parita. After a tour of the site by Janean I ended up sitting on the front porch with Gary for nearly two hours discussing politics, religion and the folks that he has met over the years as they travelled through this area. He has become somewhat of a legend amongst travellers and travel writers, with many publications to his credit. We became fast friends and it was difficult to leave but not before he presented me with a gift of a photo book of images taken all along route 66 from start to end. I promised him that I would write as he has not adjusted to the modern technology of the digital world.
Late afternoon took me into Galena Kansas, an almost ghost town (see photo below ) and then into Oklahoma. Tonight I have stopped in Tulsa. Tomorrow my friend John departs Portland for his journey south to hook up with me in Albuquerque sometime Thursday or Friday.

Gary and I pose for photo op.

Gary Turner

Gay Parita Sinclair Station.

Whitehall Mercantile in Halltown Missouri.

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Gary Turner's shop.

I can't find me because I don't know where I am.

Sunday August 29,2010. Start kilometers 24713. Finish kilometers 25095. Total today 382 km.

I'm somewhere near Springfield Missouri. Actually about an hour east. I think. OK so I'm lost. Not to worry I'll find my way. I hope.
 I had another awesome day particularly riding through the balance of Illinois. I had way too many photo stops and met way too many people that wanted to hear about my trip. But it was worth every minute. This is what I enjoy the most about travelling.

I decided to take in a movie. Hullo is anybody here?

There was a definite geography change once I crossed the mighty Mississippi into Missouri as the landscape changed from flat cornfields to lush green rolling hills and a few more twists in the road. I'm not clocking much mileage and will have to start to pace myself so that I can hook up with my buddy John in Albuquerque on Thursday. Most of 66 runs adjacent to I-44 in Missouri and was not as interesting as Illinois however tomorrow promises to bring better sites to see. Old portions of legitimate 66 are often found on both sides of a stretch of Interstate highway, having been severed by the straighter cut of modern building methods. Often the route crosses over and back generally at off ramps that have truck stops, fast food eateries and service centres. These crossovers can be tiresome due to heavy traffic entering and exiting and the frequent stop lights that impede travel time. So far this has been my biggest complaint with the Missouri road system. Also this portion of I-44 has not isolated old route 66 too much as there are many exits and service centers giving access to old portions of the highway. Tomorrow Kansas and Oklahoma.

I stop and visit Henry's Rabbit Ranch and Route 66 Emporium where they are always humping to please.

 

Business has been slow.

Parked cars at Henry's Rabbit Ranch.

ODELL Population 450. A place where everyone is a somebody.

Saturday August 28,2010. Start Kilometers 24394. Finish Kilometers 24713. Total today 319 km.

Born in 1926, US 66 was pieced together from an existing network of promoted trails and unnamed roads, most of which were ornery dirt paths at the time. Change has always been a part of the mother road. The late 1920's and 1930's watched dirt 66 rapidly transform into a paved, all weather highway by 1938. Dirt roads gave way to narrow, twisty two lanes, which in turn were straightened and widened, some becoming 4 lane super highways before the Interstate Highway System began taking over in the late 1950's. Much of old 66 hung on during the 1960's as the Interstate began to usurp the route's path across the country, digging up old pavement and stranding towns with cruel bypasses. Finally 1984 brought the final bypass in Williams Arizona and the next year the decertification of Route 66 became a reality. Today remnants of Route 66 follow five modern freeways; I-55 from Chicago, Illinois to St. Louis Missouri; I-44 from St. Louis to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; I-40 from Oklahoma City to Barstow, California; I-15 from Barstow to roughly San Bernardino, California; and I-10 from there to the Pacific coast at Santa Monica.

1932 Standard Gas station in Odell.

Today was a late start as I have slowed my pace to appreciate the journey across "66". I departed the hotel at 11 am and after exploring Joliet, home of the very first Dairy Queen and its northern neighbour Romeoville I began my southward journey through the various small towns with the goal of reaching Springfield by days end. Wearing jeans, T shirt and helmet and with the hot beautiful weather my first leg was one of the most enjoyable days since I departed Vancouver. Barely did I reach speeds over 80 kilometers per hour and every new town brought a visual delight. Today was a day for many stops to do some high dynamic range photography which entailed the use of a tri-pod for most shots. Unfortunately I unable to post these on this blog due to the large file sizes so I will post these to my flickr site when I return to Vancouver. Also, I have been unable to post videos from the bike cam due to large file sizes and will add these as well upon my return. So for now I will post the usual array of snapshots as I continue down this historical route.

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Abandoned Mobil gas station.

Remnants of old Rote 66

" I don't smoke much. And I hardly ever drink. I guess you could say that robbing banks is my only bad habit "

Friday August 27, 2010. Start kilometers 23990. Finish kilometers 24394. Total kilometers today 404.

On July 22, 1934 the infamous outlaw John Dillinger was gunned down by law enforcement officials outside the Biograph Theater at 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. He was ratted out by his prostitute girlfriend who later became known as 'The Lady in Red'. At the time of his death he was hiding out in Chicago under his assumed alias Jimmy Laurence.The title of this blog is a personal quotation by him. Perhaps I should assume my own alias and start robbing banks as I head west. I quite like the alias John Dillinger. Perhaps I too can become infamous and be known as the 'Biker Bandit'. I hope my 'Lady in Red' and her new dog Tito doesn't rat me out.

Fridays journey took me east along route 80 and then north on route 55 to Joliet. At Joliet I departed the freeway madness and joined the original route 66 heading into Chicago. This 30 mile route took me through industrial areas and economically challenged neighborhoods before steering me into the downtown area and onto Jackson Blvd. which is a one way street heading east. It was such a pleasant change of riding after experiencing miles of strait highway however the poor condition of some of the streets kept my senses sharp. I did feel a little intimidated at first as I'm not familiar with Chicago streets however I did manage to memorize certain portions of the city street map and with a little help form route 66 historic markers I managed to find myself at the corner of Lake Shore Drive and Jackson Blvd. on the shore of Lake Michigan. This is the start or finish of route 66 depending on your direction of travel. A few photos later and after wandering around I retraced the route back along Adams St. which is one way heading west. Friday evening was spent in Joliet doing laundry and getting rest as I managed to pick up a slight fever. After a two hour nap and some vittles I was feeling normal again. Tomorrow I begin the journey west at a more leisurely pace. Stay tuned.

Route 66 looking west along Jackson Blvd.

Franks famous hotdogs, an original landmark in the Cicero district of Chicago

The start of Route 66 at the corner of Jacson and Lake Shore.

Iron Butt Day

Thursday August 26, 2010. Start kilometers 23130. Finish kilometres 23990. Total today 860.

The GS and I have developed a travelling cadence. We drive for a few hours. We stop. I feed the bike fuel. I give my butt a rest and we continue on. A great working relationship don't you think? Today I put in some serious distance to get back on schedule. This morning I departed Chamberlain South Dakota, drove over the Missouri River and headed east to Sioux Falls. I decided on a route change and instead of following I 90 I headed south toward Omaha on route 29 and then headed east across route 80 past Des Moines and have now stopped for the night just outside of Iowa City. Tomorrow I have a three hour drive to Chicago and then I will start my return journey along route 66 heading southwest towards St Louis.

Sturgis, Mount Rushmore and Badlands National Park

The Knuckle Saloon in Sturgis.

Wednesday August 25, 2010. Start kilometers 22640. Finish kilometers 23130. Total today 490.

OK so I got side tracked. I even slept in a little. Not many kilometers were accumulated today as I couldn't pass up the opportunity to explore this part of South Dakota. First I drove into downtown Sturgis to check out the biker babes. There were none. Everyone has left town. Guys and gals. All four hundred thousand of them. This years edition of the Sturgis rally happened between August 9 to August 15. Shortly before the rally, a transformation begins in Sturgis. Hundreds of vendors arrive with canopies and merchandise. Church basements become cafeterias. Backyards change to campgrounds. The same store that sells cocktail dresses becomes an emporium dealing in black leather. The hardware store becomes a motorcycle accessory shop. Bikers of all stripes and persuasions from all over the world flock here for the week long party. Among the beards, tattoos and fringed tank tops are movie stars, businessmen, diplomats, housewives, policemen and preachers. The week is filled with group touring, poker runs, short track races, drag racing, stunt performances, show and shines, trade shows, hill climbs, pro am racing and concerts. But mostly they come to party. Altogether it's a very unconventional convention. And I missed it by a little over a week.

After a stroll through town for some pics I wandered into the local Harley dealer to purchase a T shirt. I ended up chatting with the sales help for over an hour before heading out of town and up to Mount Rushmore. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity for this side trip and it was well worth it.

Rattlesnakes never scared me.

My next side trip took me south off of Route 90 into Badlands National Park to witness some stunning landscape. I have always had a fascination with landscapes composed only from the starkest elements of nature. They speak to the fundamentals of our planet. Wind, rock and sky. These places will endure; they are timeless, vast and forever changing. After a number of stops to do some HDR photography I mounted the bike cam to the front fender and shot some video as I continued on through this magnificent geography. I will add this 17 minute video later to this blog for those that have the time to view it. The last four minutes are the most interesting.

Badlands National Park.

This afternoon I returned to route 90 to continue eastward bucking high winds until I stopped for the night in the town of Chamberlain. Chicago is getting nearer. Stay tuned.

With all of the places to park, this dude went to some trouble to back into mine.

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Mount Rushmore.

I survived getting shot by Dick Cheney

Tuesday August 24, 2010.  Start kilometers 21857. Finish kilometers 22640. Total distance today 783km.

After a perfect day of riding through the remainder of Montana and all of Wyoming I arrived in Sturgis South Dakota where I decided to put up for the night. For those of you that don't know, Sturgis is famous for its Motorcycle Rally where tens of thousands of bikers gather annually during the first week of August to party and socialize. There appears to be a few hanger ons as I notice lots of Harleys still roaming the streets looking for action. I feel somewhat out of place on my BMW although everyone always waves and stops to chat during pit stops. I had an excellent day of riding in perfect weather and managed to survive the dangers of Wyoming as Dick Cheney did not appear to be hunting today. The greatest danger riding the open roads of Montana and Wyoming  other than Dick is deer and I was reminded yesterday by the Big Sky BMW folks to be vigilant as two motorcycles were expected to arrive for serious repairs after hitting wildlife. Tomorrow I will explore Sturgis before continuing on my journey.

I decided to take a chance and stop for a self portrait at the Montana/Wyoming state line. Fortunately Dick Cheney was not out hunting today.

Continental Divide

Monday August 23, 2010. Start kilometers 21246. Kilometers driven yesterday 680. Kilometers driven today 611.
After a two hour delay getting a new front tire I am on the road but first the GS needs gas so I make a stop at the local Exxon (not my first preference due to low octane fuel of only 91 but my level is too low to take a chance to find a more suitable gas station.) Unfortunately the auto stop on the pump does not function and I dispense fuel all over my bike. As I curse under my breath, mainly because I blame myself for this mishap, I grab a bucket of windshield washer and pour it over my tank and hot engine. During my mini ordeal an extremely over weight old man, observing from the next pump, strolls over with rags out of the back of his early seventies van and helps me wipe the bike down. I detect a warmth in his eyes as he tells me that he rode motorcycles in his younger days and appreciates the look of the newer high tech bikes. We chat for a few minutes before I head out and I take a few minutes to observe the extremely poor condition of his prehistoric transportation. It is times like this that makes me appreciate the human condition and the random acts of kindness that the humblest of people bestow on others. Imagine what the world would be like if every one of us did this every day. This was such a brief encounter and I now wish that we had spent more time talking as I am sure that he had many life experiences to share with those that would listen.
The ride this afternoon over the Continental divide was pleasant with little traffic and near perfect weather. Tonight I've stopped in Bozeman Montana and will catch up with some news, update my blog and have some vittles.

Sumsing wong

Its noon and I'm an very fortunate to be sitting in the lounge of Big Sky BMW in Missoulla Montana which happens to be the only BMW motorcycle dealer in all of Montana. After a great morning of riding through the scenic mountains of Idaho and then into the foothills of Montana the ride has come to a brief halt. As I pulled off of the highway to fuel up I had great difficulty steering and discovered a leak in my front tire which was almost flat. Into a GM dealer to add air and then I headed to the Harley dealer that I passed on the highway. The Harley service department had a two day wait list with folks put up in hotels however they were kind enough to call Big Sky BMW and get me in right away. A nerve racking five miles later I pulled into Big Sky's service department Although my existing tire is almost new BMW recommended a new tire to be safe. I agree and now I sit in their excellent lounge sipping Sprite and updating my travel journal. I'm not sure how the bike would have performed with a front flat at 130 kmh however I am certainly happy that the motorcycle god is with me today. I recalled hitting a piece of debris on the road earlier this morning and this may have been the cause of the tire damage.
I did manage to record some digital video with the bike cam mounted on my front fender. I will post these later today once I settle in for the night. Stay tuned.

Wind in my hair, rain on my seat, sun and some cloud, bugs in my teeth.

Sunday August 22, 8:00 am. Start mileage 20566 km.

A slight nervous jitter has developed as I contemplate a foreboding dark sky at 6:30 am. A hearty breakfast with Glor, Dan and Nikki, a quick shower and a long good bye before squeezing in between my stowed luggage on my trusty GS. By 8:30 I have cleared US customs at the truck crossing in Blaine and started my journey heading down Interstate 5 toward Seattle. By the time I reach Everett the sky is darker than a bears butt in a rain forest and I pull into a rest stop to slip on my rain pants. The sky quickly opens up to shower me in a torrential downpour which lasts until I reach Bellevue. My gear does the job and I stay completely dry. Yipee!  A left turn onto Interstate 90 at Bellevue starts my eastward trek towards Chicago with cloud prevailing until I reach Ellensberg. With blue sky looming in the eastern horizon I am grinning from ear to ear at my good fortune. My grin is short lived however as fierce winds develop causing me to wander and lean the bike in different directions as the air swirls between the geography. I meet other bikers at fuel stops and coffee breaks and we share our frustrations with the wind while discussing our journeys and direction of travel. I notice that our conversations always end with "ride safe" which somehow instills a sense of care and confidence. By the time I reach Ritzville the wind has died and the throttle is twisted to speed the journey to Couer d' Alene Idaho, my first nights destination. By 5pm I have settled into my hotel after logging 680 kilometers.

A test drive fully loaded the day before departure.  I have a feeling someone is following me.

Beginnings

It's Glen Heggstad's fault. A true hero after a capture by a Columbian terrorist army Glen eventually was freed and continued on his planned adventure to the tip of South America and back on his motorcycle. But this wasn't enough for Glen and soon after his return to California still reeling from a first hand experience of human madness he needed to find out what was really out there and hopefully confirm a suspicion that humanity was not inherently evil. His recent book "One More Day Everywhere" details his 52,000 mile odyssey exclusively through developing nations across five continents. It is this book that finally gave me the insight and courage to begin my own journeys around the world by motorcycle. My beginning will be less exotic and humble as this first planned trip will be through sixteen states which will take me from Vancouver to Chicago and then retrace Route 66 to Santa Monica before returning up the California and Oregon coasts to Portland and finally Vancouver. I hope that this will be the beginning of many trips to follow which will ultimately lead me around the world to exotic lands and to meet fascinating people. During this first trip I will hook up with John Selander my good friend from Portland whom I met many years ago while travelling through Europe. I'll depart on August 22nd on my 2006 BMW 1200 GS and John will depart Portland on September 2 on his Harley Davidson Ultraglide. If all goes well we'll meet up somewhere in the southwest and ride on to California via old route 66 and then up the coastal roads to Portland. Our goal is to share our passion for riding and photography, to visit interesting places, to meet interesting people and explore a piece of American history.