September Vacation Details

[MarkG]

Finally went on my long in planning, somewhat unplanned vacation. The original projected loop was around 3,200 miles give or take. The ending total was 4,146 miles and 22 days of enjoyable relaxing riding by the time I finished.

August 31, day 1. Got up early and finished loading the Nomad. Partly cloudy skies. Stopped in Payson for gas and there is a storm coming. Put the chaps on the front crash bars and prepared to get wet. The rain came down heavy between Payson and Flagstaff. Took my son, Peter, out to eat at Buster's, a nice restaurant just outside the NAU campus. A little pricey, however the food has always been good. Hung my gear to dry and decided to go to bed early.

Day 2. Most everybody is going towards home after the holiday weekend. The wind from yesterday's storm is blowing pretty heavy from the west. We wish that 55 mpg would be the average with our Nomads, love the downwind. Not much to see between Flagstaff and the Colorado border except flat desert. Decided to make the obligatory stop at Four Corners. Everybody needs to stand in four states at one time every now and then. A lot of bikers were there, mostly going home from the holiday rallies in Colorado. On to Cortez, CO and quit for the day.



Day 3. Going to Silverton, CO, which is one of the planned portions of my vacation. It took me a little over 10 hours to go the 90 miles between Cortez and Silverton. See, there was this sign in the way that said Mesa Verde National Park. So I turned right into the park. There are 80 miles of roads inside Mesa Verde.



When the sun goes down between Durango and Silverton it chills rather quick. Arriving in Silverton, I still had enough time for dinner at Romero's. This is a nice Mexican Restaurant with excellent food. Handlebar's is a good restaurant for steak for those that want it.

My left hand has been off the bar returning waves more than it has been on throughout the day. Mostly the core touring crowd and much more friendly on the open road. Wings and HD's seem to be prevalent this year. I have been getting between 41 to 46 mpg for the last couple of fill-ups.

Day 4. Loafed around Silverton. Took in the shops, watched the train come in and made my first mistake.



High altitude, no clouds, perfect sun, deep blue sky, no traffic, and left my gear in the motel. Forgetting to put on sunscreen is not a good thing, my face and especially the nose were turned into a red lobster. Oops! Not one of my brighter moments.



One of the many old mines around Silverton.

Day 5. Moved the Nomad over to the grass last night. They were chip sealing the parking areas and the motel owners did not want to get anything on the bike. Chilled down pretty good and there is frost on the Nomad.



Mid-morning headed to Ouray for picture taking opportunities. Gorgeous day.





The picture below is what the residents of Ouray wake up to every morning. I think I could get used to it.



Day 6. Leaving Silverton to points north and east. Little chilly going up over the peaks towards Ouray and Montrose. Headed east towards Gunnison and Monarch Pass. Nice riding day after it warmed up a bit, I just took my time and looked at the scenery. Dillon seemed like a good stopping place for the night.

The motel clerk was a rider. Had to show off my Nomad before check-in and it pays to be nice. The maids screwed up cleaning the room. He moved me to the other end of the motel. Surprise, being really nice and showing off your bike pays off. In-room hot tub and other amenities at the same price. Not being impatient during check-in, I hit the jackpot. Guess where I spent the rest of the night before going to bed?

Day 7. Met Ells in Nederland. We will do the peak-to-peak run up to Estes Park.



Ells is a good tour guide. When I stopped for pictures, he filled me in on what I was looking at and gave me the background information.



We stopped for lunch in Estes Park. Based on the traffic and the way the weather looked, I opted out of the Rocky Mountain National Park section.



Ells headed for home and I went on towards Loveland. Fell in behind some HD's and made really good time going down the canyon from Estes Park. I rode into Torrington, WY shortly after the sun went down. Had to make a quick jog over to Nebraska just so I could say I was in the state.

Day 8. Solid rain from the state line all the way to Rapid City, SD. Of course, it quit raining after I got there. Went over to see my folks, since they did not know I was coming. It took them a bit looking at full motorcycle gear, helmet, gloves, etc., and the light finally dawned. This was one of my better kept secrets, I wanted to show the Nomad off rather than just tell them about it over the phone or email.

Day 9. Did Spearfish Canyon and the northern Black Hills. One of the prettier areas is Roughlock Falls. Driving a mile off the road on hard packed dirt and light gravel is worth it.



From there went to Lead, Deadwood, and back to Sturgis. Looked in all the stores that cost a fortune just a few weeks ago at the rally. Everything was 50% off and various other sales. Took the Vanacker Canyon Road back to Rapid City. No place to pull off and take pictures in Vanacker Canyon, just enjoy the ride.

Spent the rest of the evening with my folks and trying to get a root kit virus from hell off of my mother's computer. It took me two days and I had to use the Opera browser to download the files I needed. The virus recognized Explorer and Firefox and did everything possible to keep me from downloading files to clear it.

Day 10. Headed toward Hill City via Sheridan Lake Road. Nice perfect day for riding. The Needles highway and Iron Mountain Road will be fun.



Honk the horn before entering.





Yes, the signs are put there for a reason.



Mount Coolidge in the southern end of Custer State Park is also worth the ride. Another road of hard packed dirt and light gravel.



Going toward the Iron Mountain Road, I finally ran into the burros. These little guys did not pay too much attention to me, I was not carrying any food.



Mt. Rushmore from one of the overlooks. The tunnels of Iron Mountain Road also frame Mt. Rushmore.





Headed back to Rapid for the ride to Wall, SD with my brother-in-law and sister. Wall Drug is worth the visit just for the free ice water and nickel coffee. Buffalo burgers are pretty good and the donuts (which most of us watching our weight should not eat) are fantastic. They also have the better prices on souvenirs.

On the way back I let Jim and Maureen ride the Nomad and I rode his Suzuki C-90. Guess the C-90 is nice, it just felt like a toy after the Nomad. Both of them liked the Nomad, maybe I have planted the seeds for an upgrade one of these days.

Day 11. Went out to Ellsworth Air Force Base to go through the air museum. There are quite a few of the airplanes, old and new, on display.



Jim suggested the Sugar Shack for dinner. This little place is between Pactola Dam and Deadwood. Fairly easy to get to from Rapid. Three dollar, half pound hamburgers and they are very good. The Black Hills are overrun with wildlife. A large buck and a couple of doe were in my sister's back yard in the middle of town a couple of weeks ago. On the way to the Sugar Shack, I stopped several times to avoid the deer and turkey.

Day 12. Not much riding today. Spent the day with my parents. The root kit virus is finally gone, it was refreshing just to sit back and relax. Had the chance to go out with a couple of friends and catch up on the gossip.

Day 13. Going towards Buffalo, WY. Picking up more wind and colder weather. The typical Wyoming winds are playing havoc with my gas mileage.

Day 14. North towards Sheridan, then over to Powell. Weather report says 10 to 15 mph winds and clear below 9,500 feet. Why don't I believe it? Reality is a 40 mph headwind with gusts to 50 or better, fourth gear and about 50 mph or so for the Nomad. Look at that huge black line in front of me, not good. Stopped on the side of the interstate next to a guardrail. You need something to sit on while putting on the rain booties. Put the rain cover over the seat, no sense in getting it soaked. Got back on the bike and headed into the rain. The Nomad did not care, it was stable as always. I stopped in Ranchester for gas, an early lunch, and to warm up.

There was a lot of pretty scenery between Ranchester and Powell. I never saw any of it. Cloud deck and the fog were right down on the road. Some light snow, fortunately not cold enough to stick. The rangers in the visitor center at the summit suggested I abort 14a and go down 14 instead. Went to Greybull, then fought the wind the rest of the way to Powell. Mileage for the day, 30 mpg.

While the heavy weather was annoying, the Nomad faired considerably better than the other brands. A lot of the riders were pretty tired from being wind whipped and the rain. The lean angle on some of those bikes was pretty steep. As long as I stayed around 50 mph, I did not have too much of a problem.

Day 15. The freak weather front was over. Going towards the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Dead Indian Hill Summit was a good indicator that it was going to be a good day.



I had considered going over Beartooth Pass, however the riders were telling me the weather was still pretty dicey up top with high winds. I decided it can wait for another time.

Mammoth Hot Springs was a good stop. A couple of Japanese tourists pulled up next to me in the parking lot. "Oh! You have Kawasaki Nomad, that good bike!" They were kind enough to take my picture so I can actually prove I was at a few of these places.





The most dangerous thing in Yellowstone is the rental motor homes. Expect them to be over the double yellow line.

Day 16. Stopped at Artist's Point, obviously an appropriate name.



The mud volcano area.



Buffalo still decide traffic patterns. I was getting ready to go into the Black Sand Basin and had to wait a bit. The buffalo were crossing back and forth and that tied up traffic.



The Emerald Pool is an interesting formation with all the various types of mineral colors.



Day 17. Yellowstone has been a nice experience. It took a little longer to get out of Yellowstone since the buffalo were using the highway as a crosswalk.



There was some construction south of Yellowstone that took considerably more time than I expected. The Tetons were quite nice.



Moved on towards Evanston, WY. Only problem with this leg is that I somehow lost one of my medium temperature gloves. Remind yourself to look around the bike before going on down the road when changing equipment.

Day 18. Heading south towards Salt Lake, I saw a huge dead elk in the median. A reminder that it was as big as the Nomad and then some. Nearing Provo, I decided to go ahead with the Nebo loop. The leaves were changing to the fall colors and it rivals just about anything that I ever seen in the South Dakota Black Hills.



Towards the top, it was back to the heavy rain. Too bad, I will bet it is really beautiful up there. Coming down the other side, I had to take my time because of the way the rain and clouds were on the road. As I got lower the clouds cleared and I was able to get some more shots of the Nebo loop. Well worth the ride, thanks guys for suggesting it. I ended up in Richfield for the night.



Day 19. The weather over highway 12 is going to be heavy rain all day long. Go there another time, that would not be much fun. On to Bryce Canyon National Park and see what happens. Did great until I got into the park, the rain came down and the wind started up. I went all the way to the south end and stopped for a while. Chased the sun, between rainstorms, back to the beginning of the park.



The Natural Bridge is still one of the more unique formations.



As the afternoon wore on the sky cleared and it warmed up considerably. Not so sure I like the heat after being out three weeks. Had a nice dinner at Foster's just outside of Bryce Canyon. The food is quite good. Finished up in Kanab for the night.

Day 20. As a lark, I went back over to Zion National Park. So much nicer when it is not super hot. Ran into some bikers that make my trip look small. A couple of guys from Ontario were over 6,500 miles and still had 2,500 or more to go. Another couple had ridden their bike 8,500 miles and only had a bit more to finish in Idaho. Nice relaxing day of riding.

Day 21. Moved on towards Flagstaff this morning. Made the mistake of stopping at the Glen Canyon dam. Unless I got out of all my riding gear they could not allow me past the security check point. After all, I might have something dangerous on me. Judging from the snide snickering tone it was being done deliberately to screw with a biker. When I asked about a drinking fountain that was laughed off as being in the security area. Too bad maybe there would be something down the road. I pointed out that it is illegal to deny water to an individual in Arizona and they just laughed it off. I have filed a complaint about the crap attitude of their security, not that it will do any good. Just bypass the dam and go on into Page. It will save on your frustration.

Stopped at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument just outside of Flagstaff. I had some extra time to kill so why not see a few other things. Finally, went into Flagstaff and the motel for the night. Peter was glad to see me and like a typical teenager knew he would get fed. Oregano's is a pretty good place for pizza and other things. I had their huge meatball sandwich and it tasted real good after a long day of riding.

September 21, day 22. My last day, it feels like I have been gone for months. It is kind of shame to have to go back to the grind. Peter actually got out of bed to have breakfast with me. Left Flagstaff about 9am and headed south towards Payson. Set a leisurely pace, absolutely no hurry. Stopped in Payson for gas and food. I know it is going to be near 100 degrees when I leave the high country. Had to ramp up my speed to stay with the traffic coming down off the rim. Knowing how dangerous it can be the last few miles, I did not let my guard down until I arrived home.

Conclusion. I have had some of the most fun the last three weeks. Never looked at the overall miles until toward the end. Just a bunch of short rides that were fantastic. I was out long enough that it seemed like months. Gives a whole new meaning to relaxing.

For the most part I stayed around 65 mph, considerably less in the scenic areas, and averaged around 41 to 45 mpg. Rode in the rain, my gear kept me dry. Got a little cold, not too bad. Think I will find a thin sweat shirt to complement things. I should have had an extra pair of medium and heavy gloves with me. It won't hurt to get a set of rain gloves to fit over my regular riding set. Of course, several perfect riding days. I think larger lowers will be a nice addition. Found my 3/4 helmet is not quite what I want for touring, I will find a full face helmet before the next tour. The xxxl is on back order, it will be a month or two.

With 9,000 plus miles on the Nomad, the original Bridgestones are not quite to the wear bars. I can wait a couple of months before I put on new tires. Took the Nomad in for service, they changed the plugs and checked everything over for me, nothing wrong as expected. The dealership wants me to bring several of my pictures out to them, too.

Yes, we always look at the other bikes wondering what if I had that one. The Nomad beat the others hands down. I would not trade mine for anything else. Time after time the Nomad came through with less problems than the other riders were experiencing. Weather, altitude, maneuverability, ease of use, mechanical, and any other category, the Nomad was better.

Looked at the new 2009 info from Kawasaki and our present Nomads are better. New ones have bigger engines, did not need it. I will probably get better mileage with my 1600. The Voyager comes with an AM/FM/Weather radio. I had a portable one with me and did not turn it on the entire trip. The new cruise control would not have helped. I used the breakaway throttle lock only about 25% of the time. The wrist cramper was used about 50% in the ups and downs, definitely a cruise control confuser. The rest of the time I was in twists and could not use the breakaway or wrist cramper. Guess if you were going to stay on the Interstate it would be okay. Everything the new bikes offer will not help with the way I ride. Looks like I am stuck with my Nomad because there is nothing else out there that trips my trigger.

It's not a long trip, just a bunch of short rides over a period of time. Then it is discovered that 4,146 miles have been ridden. It sure does add up in the end. Guess it is a good thing the Nomads are getting together in the Black Hills next June. Mother would like me to stick around an extra week for Dad's ninetieth birthday. (Now for the problem, how am I going to get there and back? So many routes, so many different things to see. Get the feeling I will not be going via the Interstate?)

I had a lot of fun and it was relaxing. I am looking forward to the next ride.

[scion0]

Awesome pics and story!!! Wish I was there to tag along.

[pirate]

Wow Mark, that is freakin' awesome! I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your trip and looking at the pictures. I am hoping to take a long trip like that next summer, if things work out. You saw some very beautiful parts of this great country. Thanks for sharing, and we're glad you're home safely!

[dantama]

Excellent write up Mark :)

You describe the reason I sometimes like solo trips. You go where you want as the mood strikes you. Too bad the weather in Utah didn't cooperate more, but sounds like you saw some good sites anyway.

Glad you had a great time.

[audiogooroo]

What an amazing trip!
Great job on the pics and write up man. Thanks for posting! :)

[revmrq]

All I can say is WOW. Thanks for the pics and the account of your trip.

[ells]

Yeah, Mark. Looks like it turned out really fantastic. I sdon't get many comments about my bike but only took those folks in Nederland a couple moments to speak up when they saw our two together. Maybe red does attract more attention, but blue/silver still has to be best, for some reason. Glad the rest of the trip was safe as well as enjoyable, and that your parents didn't "take the keys away" when they found out what you were up to.

WOW MAN! You just saw more of the west than many have seen in their lifetime. Sweet Trip!!

[rksaw]

That was one of the best trip write-ups that I've seen...definitely enough to make me jealous.
Rich

[waterman]

Nice write-up. Glad you enjoyed the trip. Someday I will have the time to do this type of trip or longer. Someday???

[lw]

Great write-up Mark. Thanks for sharing it and the pictures with us.

[chainsaw]

Awesome, thanks for sharing.

[bkmaxvrb]

Mark,

I think I hate you. Do you know how many stamps I could've gotten in my NPS passport book? I want to do a trip like that in the worst way. 12 more years til retirement, can't wait. Giess what's first on my list? A nice long trip like you've just done. Great pics, great write up and, I hope, great ride.

[bosko]

Loved the pixs, and story markg.


bkmaxvrb, 12 years is way to long. I suggest you plan on a trip within the next year.

[bkmaxvrb]

Bosko,

Tell me about it. I thought I only had 7 to go until I attended a retirement seminar. You get hammered in penalties if you retire at 50. So, it's 55 for me and out the door.

Until then, I have to make do with regional trips in and around the north east. A 21 day trip is just out of the question for now. There's no way I could get that much time off in one shot. The best I can swing is about 10 straight days.

I've done several trips and have a couple of good ideas spinning around the 'ole noggin for the spring and summer. One is a ride out to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I'm pretty sure about a nice, scenic route through PA. Still investigating Ohio routes though.

I'm still very envious of Mark's trip though. Two thumbs up from me.