Back on the road

Back on the road 

Bright and early, Tuesday, July 9, Ruth, Terry, Laurinda and I met up to go register. I'd met Laurinda at my first ride-in in Michigan as well, when I first met my group of Kansas friends. Of course, the frog slippers Ruth had given us made a huge hit. They sure were warm, though!!



Frog slippers rock!!  Terry, Laurinda, Ruth and me.  Ready for the Ride In.



You put your right foot in ... and end up doing the hokey pokey. 

I spent most of my time at the Ride In just visiting with people. I didn't go on any of the rides, but did play a few of the games, like the scavenger hunt and the barcode game.

I'd also been watching posts from my New York friends, Richard (who I'd met at an Alaska rally a few years ago) and his lady, Kim. They are riding to Alaska and were going to try to make it to someplace close where we could go meet them. As it turned out they decided to come to Billings because Richard needed a service and had lost his shifter. They showed up Wednesday, after me tracking them across a couple of states until they arrived. About the time I thought they'd arrive, I went out to the front lobby … and there they were … unloading the bikes. It was wonderful to see them. They got to their room, freshened up and then we had dinner. It was an early night for them. They'd been running quite a few miles, and the heat isn't kind to any of us.

I was so glad to see Richard and Kim, and to have Hobbs meet them.  We had a short time together, but I enjoyed it to the max.  Safe travels, my awesome New York friends.  See you soon, hopefully.

Later Wednesday night Ruth and I went out and “frogged” a lot of the bikes. The frogging began as a prank years ago. Now people get frogs and put them secretly on bikes of people they like, new folks, or bikes they like. It's a fun tradition, and I had a few frogs on my own bike by the end of the Ride In.

Who knew the postman has a special motorcycle?

Richard and Kim, ready to hit the road again.  North to Alaska.

On Thursday afternoon Richard and Kim were loaded up and ready to ride north. I decided to ride with them a bit since I'd not gotten to ride with Kim before. I so enjoyed it … do love riding with friends. I went out about 40 or 50 miles, and then let them continue on while I turned around and headed back to Billings. I needed to be back for the evening's festivities.

Thursday evening was the final event, the banquet. I received my mileage award, although the mileage was incorrect and the plaque has to be redone. While I also received the most overall mileage recognition there wasn't a physical award but I got the mention and the recognition. Oh well. I know. And corrections will be put out in the next Women on Wheels magazine.

There's the proof. 





Laurinda and Steve from Kansas.  I met Laurinda at the first WOW Ride In I attended in Michigan, and finally got to see her again.




We enjoyed the meal and the company.  WOW rocks!!



There were multiple raffles but I did NOT purchase a ticket on one for a jacket. Hobbs did. And wouldn't you know he'd win it. But it's a nice jacket, bright red, waterproof and lightweight. Perfect for down here. He didn't even get a shot at that … I knew it would fit me.

 In current years the announcement of the Ride In two years in the future has been announced. We know next year, 2014, is in Monroe, Louisiana. Now we know that the 2015 Ride In will be held in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.

It was a fun time, but on Friday morning it was time to move on down the road. Hobbs and I got up to a sunny, but partly cloudy day. It was perfect, high 70s and 80s. We had an excellent ride to Thermopolis, via Highway 310 from Billings.

We got registered at the hotel and then the rally. We decided to participate in the walking poker run which was mostly getting cards and having a poker hand sheet stamped at businesses downtown. We got most of the cards pulled … but nothing looking too good. Maybe that will be a good thing as there will be a money award for the worst hand.

I always like to see buffalo.  There were a half dozen or so.  When we parked on the road a number of them started coming toward us as though they thought we'd be handing out food.  I think not.  We rode on.

After we had some supper we rode to Hot Springs State Park and wandered the roads, seeing some buffalo and a lone mule deer lying right next to the road. When I pulled over and stopped the bike to try to get a photo, she never moved. Wow. And she was beautiful.

What a beautiful creature.

The river is beautiful with lots of little fish coming to the top. 

Hobbs was playing on the bridge.  I was not afraid of the swinging bridge.

We enjoyed sitting on the bench and relaxing.



The minerals make for an interesting pattern on the side of the river.

We walked across the suspension bridge and sat on the bench on the other side of the river. It was in the shade, there was a breeze and it was just so pleasant to watch the river, and hear the sounds of the loud speaker coming from the rodeo grounds not too far off. We looked at the build up from the minerals, and took photos and just enjoyed the peace and quiet. Maybe that's not everyone's idea of what to do at a rally, but it sure was suiting us.

The Native Americans discovered the hot mineral springs in Hot Springs Park.  The Shoshone Indians called them "Bah Guewana" or smoking waters.  The Crow Indians called them Medicine Water.

Then it was back to the hotel. There were lots of folks sitting around in the parking lot, but I just wanted to be in the room, drinking water, playing on the computer and listening to cowboy music on the television. Yee haw!!!

The roads less traveled

The roads less traveled



The longhorns weren't too interested in my presence.  Good thing since I'd crossed the cattle guard and was on their turf.





There's one in every crowd.  This was the watch dog of the herd.



We've been traveling the roads somewhat less traveled, which is great. We've been caught in horrific rain, wind, lightning and thunder (like Friday, July 5, going into Lusk), 2 miles from town, and we've avoided a lot of big storms or at least only had to ride in a bit of them. We've had sprinkles, heavy wind here and there, but mostly great weather and not-too-hot temperatures.

This little guy was keeping an eye on me.  Look at that face.  His nose and ears looked painted.

 I've also been checking the Roadside America Attractions online and found a few things to see that we might not ordinarily see, like the Slug Bug Ranch and Chimney Rock, although what I forgot to mention about that one is that it's a rock that's on one side of the Kansas state quarter.

Saturday, we were told about the Ayres Natural Bridge in Wyoming. It's one of three in the country that has a river running through it. I'd also seen one when I was wandering around near the Blue Ridge Parkway last year trying to avoid heavy fog.

Ayres Natural Bridge in Wyoming.

Hobbs and me at the bridge. 

The Ayres Bridge is not real tall, 20-feet-high, and 90-feet-wide at the base. It's in a beautiful setting where lots of people camp and picnic. While we were standing there a lady asked if we wanted our photo taken together. Sure. Why not. We need a few of those. She was there with several others from a Christian Motorcycle Association group. They were very friendly, unlike the lone CMA guy we'd seen the afternoon before at a restaurant who'd spoken to another biker couple but not us. Strange.

Anyway, she took photos for us and asked if we'd like our bikes blessed. I wanted to walk to the top of the bridge, but when we came back down yes, that would be nice. The 2011 I have down here has not been blessed before; and I don't know about Hobbs' rental.

It was well worth the short goat climb to get to the top and this rock.

Up we climbed, a steep, but not too long, rock goat trail to the top of the bridge. The view was even more spectacular from there. There was a large outcropping on the top and we wanted to take photos there. Then Hobbs went back down the trail and told me to stay put on top and he'd take photos of me from the bottom.

You can almost see me at the top of the bridge.

And wouldn't you know it, he tracked me coming back down the trail fully expecting me to slide down it on my butt, as I have on other trails we've climbed in the past. Haha. Not this time.

Coming down the goat trail.

The bikes were blessed, we had a photo op with the group and they rode off, with all the women riding their own, too. We've seen more women riders on this trip, I think, than in the past.

Great folks.

From the bridge, we meandered on and stopped to visit the Casper, Wyoming National Historic Trails Interpretative Center. We watched another movie showing the hardships of the trail. One thing I noticed is that while many of the folks walked the trail (500 miles), some were barefoot. Wow. I can hardly walk barefoot in my own house I have such tender feet. I would not have survived, I guess. What a girl!!

You could highlight all of the trails people used to cross the country.  This was just one of them.

But the interpretative center was quite interesting. There were a lot of hands-on things to do, one of which was to take a virtual ride on a wagon across the river. It was just like being in the wagon and going across, being jostled, hearing the wheels turn, the wagonmaster hollering at people, another wagon overturning and the goods floating down the river. It really opens your eyes to what some of those people experienced along the trail.

I wouldn't have wanted to do this day in and day out ... or walk 500 miles either.

There was also a hands-on wagon like the ones people pulled with a few hundred pounds of their belongings. It had a treadmill so you could try and see what it was like … I had to try. Good grief, I don't know how they did it. It would have been back-breaking. But certainly muscle-building and you'd be in excellent shape if you weren't already, or didn't die from the exertion in the heat.

I couldn't have done this.  Guess it would make you or break you.

Wanted:  young, skinney, wiry fellows ... ORPHANS preferred!!!

There was a virtual stagecoach ride that I tried, and then it was time to wander on down the road. This center was very nice and I've enjoyed the history, as much of it overlaps and you get a real idea of what was going on.



The movie showed on the panorama screens above and highlighted various parts of the foreground area at different times depending on what was being highlighted at the time.



On Sunday, July 7, we took back roads, wonderful roads to Cody. We saw lots of antelope and even a few deer. We took one back road that took us off the pavement a little bit to a small town called Arvada.

The antelope will sometimes stop long enough for you to get a decent photo.

Arvada has a bar/restaurant that we stopped in for breakfast. There were all kinds of mounts on the wall … deer, elk, moose, sheep, even a marlin …

This was just a few of the heads in the Arvada Bar and Cafe.

We ordered eggs and sausage for Hobbs, bacon for me. The lady brought it out and said there were only two eggs, so each of you get one. Okay. Works for me. And it actually tasted even better because we only had one.

We spooked this herd of antelope and off they went.

Leaving Arvada, we got separated by a train.  I wasn't going to cross the tracks with the lights flashing even if I could see the train was a ways away.  So I just waited.

Made it to Cody, ahead of the storm and rain, and even ran into a few ladies that were coming on to Billings for the Women on Wheels Ride In.

Monday (July 8) was another beautiful day. The plan was to ride Chief Joseph Pass and Beartooth Pass. One of the goals was to find out why Beartooth was named that.

The roads in these passes are not for the faint of heart.  There are switchbacks and lots of places where there doesn't seem to be much on the side of the road except a long drop down into the valley below.  But what a wonderful and fun ride it was.

There are always chipmunks waiting for a handout.  I even saw some of them taking nuts out of a guy's hand.

 Beartooth Pass is named after the Beartooth Mountain Range, and a specific peak that looks like a bear's tooth. We found that and took photos for Debbie P, a friend of Hobbs' who wanted to know why it was called Beartooth. That mission was accomplished.

The Bear's Tooth.

There is so much beauty in our country, everywhere you turn, especially on a ride like this.

On our ride we encountered a couple of ladies from Michigan who were also riding and enjoying a motorcycle trip. We'd run into them at different stops … they'd pass us, wed pass them. It was nice meeting them … Sandy and kelly. One had one of the original Heritage-Springers, red and white. I'd loved those bikes although Harley only made them for a few years.

Met these ladies from Michigan and our paths crossed often during the ride through the mountains.

We even had the pleasure of construction and a pilot car.  Makes one think of home ... Alaska!!

Coming down out of the Beartooth the weather turned on us … wind gusts which are a bit challenging when coming around the elbow corners, a few sprinkles. But we ran mostly ahead of the on-coming storm and made it to Billings. It didn't get us until we went to dinner at Cracker Barrel. And then it was uglier than ugly … wind that looked like it would topple the bikes, rain pounding down and bouncing off the concrete and surrounding vehicles by several inches, lightning and thunder. I was glad we were inside when it hit and not still on the mountain. We waited it out by having dessert … and then it was gone with only several inches of water left to prove there had been a hellacious storm. There was supposed to have been hail in this storm, but luckily not.

My friend Ruth from Kansas found us quickly after we gotten registered at the hotel. Our room smelled strange to me. Terry, another friend, came to smell it … smelled like chemicals to her. Hobbs said he couldn't smell it, but my throat started acting like there was an allergic reaction. Ruth, Terriy and I walked to the front desk and we got a different room. Turns out there'd been a freon leak from the air conditioning unit and that room wasn't even supposed to be rented out. Bad. Glad there was another room. Now we're next to Ruth and Terry.

Terry from Texas, Laurinda and Ruth from Kansas and me.

We're moving on

Tuesday, July 2

It was time to add a flower photo.

A great movie on this battle was quite eye-opening. 

Now, we're just traveling. On Tuesday we went to the 1868 Washita Battlefield in Oklahoma. George Armstrong Custer was involved in this one, too. We watched a 20-minute very informative movie on the battle, and did the 1-1/2-mile walk about the battlefield.

The battlefield spread over a several-mile area with Black Kettle's camp at one end, and the camps of the other tribes at the other.  The main portion of the battle was at Black Kettle's camp, with the army not really knowing until later there were about 6,000 Indians gathered in the area. 

This is the trail ... watch out for snakes. 

Black Kettle, a Cheyenne chief who was primarily a peace maker, whose camp was located a few miles from other camps, died in this battle, along with his wife, many women and children and elderly. The final blow after this battle to the Cheyenne was the order from Custer's superior to burn all their lodges with their belongings and winter supplies and slaughter all the horses and other animals, nearly 800 of them, taking away their transportation, their food, wealth, and even their dignity. It was a crushing blow to the Cheyenne people and it's said they never regained their wealth or power. Senseless to me, devastating to them.

I found the discussion on prayer cloths exceptionally interesting, and hoped we'd see them.

This bench sits under a tree with a number of prayer cloths. 

Coming back from our walk, guess what ... a sign ... and had to take a photo for Flounder!  She understands, and so does my brother, Zookeeper. 

From there, near Amarillo (Conway, Texas) was the Slug Bug Ranch, a place where five Volkswagon bugs have been placed nose-first into the ground, and then spray-painted by anyone and everyone. I didn't have spray paint, but I did have my trusty black magic marker. And I left my mark, Peppermint Patti, 2013, Anchorage, Alaska. By the time you read this, it may already be covered up by someone else's spray paint. A fun place, but we did not tarry long. Miles to go, burning daylight.

These places are kind of like car cemetaries, I guess.

I've seen a couple of these car things, and each one is cool.

And on the other side of the building was this old gem.

Wednesday was just a riding day, starting out cool and us wearing jackets … with a sprinkle or two, but avoiding any real rain or the hail we heard about from fellow travelers. We followed highways going straight, as well as winding along fields of wheat, watching the machines cutting it down and gathering it, seeing fields of green foliage which will soon be corn, and dry fields not planted. There wasn't much traffic, making for a great day of riding. Temperatures are in the 80s, perfect riding, although high 80s is at the edge of real comfort. We stopped for the night in St. Francis, Kansas.

My side of the story:

The Fourth of July and we were up and moving along. We were going to run up through Kansas, cut across a 7-mile strip of Nebraska and run into Colorado, heading north until we hit Nebraska again. The final destination was Sidney, Nebraska, home of Cabela's first store … the sporting goods place that we are supposed to get in Anchorage I believe in 2014.

We were having a good day, riding, stopping now and again to gas up, take a break. Hobbs said we could get through the 7-mile stretch of Nebraska … a helmet state I might add … without our helmets. When we crossed into the state, I slowed down, waiting for him to pull over to put on our helmets. He did not, so I sped up and followed along.   Bad idea.

A few miles through, we spotted a trooper vehicle with its lights on, and an SUV pulled over. We got a long, hard look from the trooper. We were hoping he had just pulled it over, although it looked to me like he was handing the person something. Wouldn't you know it, a car was coming up behind us … fast. That wasn't a good sign. Then the lights came on. We just pulled over and put the kickstands down.

Yep, stopped.

A helmet violation

License and registration, please. Yes sir, you got it. We knew, he knew, we should have been wearing our helmets. We got to talking, he rides, and he was a super-nice guy. Gave us a warning. We must have stood there talking with him for about a half hour, and he even let us take photos. And we promised to not ride again in Nebraska without our helmets. Or at least not get caught. (We wore them.)

Trooper Dan Thompson, Nebraska State Patrol.

Helmet up.

Friday, July 5, and we were off and running again. We visited Chimney Rock which is called that to be politically correct. The American Indians called it “Elk Penis.” Ya gotta laugh … even back then we were trying to not offend anyone. It's beautiful, although Mother Nature is taking its toll with various pieces being hit by lightning, wearing away, falling.

Chimney Rock

There's always someone who will take a photo for you

From there we visited the Agate Fossil Fields, and did the nearly 3-mile-walk to the watering hole where many of the remains have been found.

Always enjoy dinosaur skeletons.

This is a replication of the boneyard found up the hill where we walked.

A novel way to carry a bottle of water ... a sock!

It was hot, but the view and just the walk was well worth  it.

The hills at the top are where the big find happened ... the boneyard.

The paths diverged ... different directions.  Uh oh.

I'm so confused ... which way do I go to get back to the bikes?

There's so much to see and do. Too many roads; not enough time.