The Battlefield Run

I've been remiss ... no blogging on the trip up til now.  Too many late nights of riding, too much rain ... all of which is exhausting.  And a lot of visiting with family and friends.  But I'm starting it now.   

The Women on Wheels Ride In in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was the reason for the title.  Four women (Rockin’ Rita, Smudge, Rose and Peppermint) and a young man (Rabbit Ears) were scheduled to ride and meet up to make the Battlefield Run to Gettysburg.  Our name was the handle suggested by one of our women, Rose, as there are numerous battlefields in the area.  We'd had a number of planning meetings over the past few months, and now were ready to put it all together.

I left Phoenix Monday morning, June 27, and was set to meet Rockin’ Rita in Kingman, Arizona.  We’d already set up the hotel room and would meet there.

On my own, it seems like things happen.  I was running along, and noticed an old pick up with a bumper sticker that said, “If my dog doesn’t like you, neither do I,” or something like that.  And on I went.  I was stopped at a light and the same truck was there.  The guy asked where I was headed.  Gettysburg, with a first stop in Kingman.

A while down the road I saw the same pick up, this time with the guy holding up a sign that said, “Rest stop?  I want to hear your story.”

Rick ...

I said no, but I needed gas.  So I pulled in at the next gas station.  The guy’s name is Rick, and he does minor construction work.  We chatted for a few minutes while I gassed up the bike.  He’s had cancer, brain twice, liked the heat and is originally from Canada.  He wondered if he could buy me breakfast and talk.  I contemplated that as that’s not something I’d do in the norm.  Sure.  So, down to the Country Kitchen we went.  He has a nephew who lives in Wasilla and another one, a fisherman, that may live there, as well.  It was a nice breakfast and visit; he bought, but I left the tip, a good one.  And down the road I went.  Making sure the same vehicle wasn’t still somewhere out there.  Just in case.  And I had my personal protection device (PPD) on me. 

Joshua Tree National Park in Arizona is always good for a photo.  I don't believe I really want to touch them, though, as they look as though they could be a bit prickly.

Got to Kingman and the hotel like I knew where I was going.  Yahoo.  That’s always a plus.  Rockin’ Rita had arrived a short while before I did, and it was a great reunion.  Good grief.  You’d think we’d not seen each other in months and it had only been a week.  We chatted about what we had on our bikes, what we didn’t have and where we were going.  It was going to be a fun time.

The general plan was to meet Smudge and Rabbit Ears in Flagstaff at the Harley shop the next day.  We would meet Rose somewhere along the road in the next few days.  But we would all check in on the evenings when we weren’t together so we knew where everyone was.  Let the adventure begin. 

We were up bright and early the next morning, June 28 (Tuesday), and we were off, heading to the Flagstaff shop to meet up with Smudge and Rabbit Ears.  Mission accomplished.  Our Ride In group was mostly together. 

There we are.  Yahoo.  It's party time ... well, except for the rain.

Winslow, Arizona, was in our sights … “Standin’ on the Corner” and ice cream.  There’s a shop there that makes incredible ice cream and it required a stop.  Plus it was across from the Standin’ statue.  This was going to be a good trip.  How could it not be when you start it out with ice cream? 

Rabbit Ears has a set of his own as we're standin' on the corner.

 

Just pickin' a tune.

Everyone needs to stand in the middle of the street, taking their lives in their hands, just to get the Route 66 photo.

Not just good ice cream, not just a standin' statue, but we also discovered the "World's Smallest Church" on Route 66.  What's that?  Oh my, a photo bomber!!!

The littlest church doesn't hold too many at one time.

From there we wandered by the 9-11 memorial the town has, and then we were back on the road again, with Holbrook being our destination for the night.