#3 east coast/Gkids/NPstamps

When I went through those bad rainstorms I forgot to turn up my chain oil flow and of course my chain suffered.

I stopped in Kingsport, TN at this motorcycle store to get some lube. The guys there went above and beyond! I really appreciated their help (and my chain is doing much better).

Some cool art along the road

I had taken a stumble a few days earlier,  and when I go to Tenn I visited this Dr (second picture)

Dr Phil is a great Dr, but also very fun to talk with, and his Mustang....well....very very nice!

If that engine looks like a tight fit, that is because Dr Phil some how got a 427 shoe horned into the 'Stang"

The whole reason I went to Chattanooga is becuase I have Dear Friends that live nearby. Sean, Kris and Nora

As soon as I arrived I was being pampered by both Kris and Nora (Sean was not home yet, besides Kris and Nora's pampering are a few steps above Seans.....)

So after a few nights it was time to go, I had been babied enough that I didn't know if I could survive on my own.... :)

Then,

My last night in Chattanooga the three of us hang out at this place...a super fun place with exceptional people.

Then I'm off on the road again. I'm heading to the last stamp on this trip, Gateway Arch Natioinal Park

located in St Louis

I had thought getting to this park would be a challenge. And it was...but not as bad as I thought it would be. I just about passed it but Beverly talked some sense to me and, well..there it is!

My last stamp for this trip. Gateway arch national park.

I have one more stop on this trip, actually a "re-stop" I'll be stopping at Jacobs place.

And No, I did not ride the tram in the arch.

So I do make it to Jacob's place and unfortuantaly by then my back pain was getting worse.

Add to that that a severe storm was a-coming my way.

The forecast called for 58 MPH winds on my route going home, and said the possibility of Tornados was stressed over and over.

So all things considered Beverly convincec me to fly home and go back for the bike in a couple weeks..

And that's it. I'm home  

We touched 22 states, I don't know my miles, I forgot to zero everything out.

Thanks for reading and stopping in.

Edit to add: As mentioned above, while in Florida I took a spill....not on the bike, but a trip while I was out and about.  And it was a pretty good spill.     I landed on my butt.....VERY HARD.  When I make it to Chattanooga My friends in there knew a very good Chiropractor who treated me twice and that seemed to help at least a little bit.

When I arrived in Missouri, the pain was pretty intense, combine that with the  weather forecast called for 50 mph wind and tornado warnings on my route to home and riding was not looking attractive. 

Beverly and son Jacob worked together to arrange a flight home which saved me a lot of pain and consternation (I intensly dislike  riding in high winds)

Arriving home I had some X-RAYS taken and the results were I had broken my back in three places. That would explain the pain. And it made me feel a little better about flying home.

And that's it....I just need to motor back to Missouri and get the bike home. Which should happen soon.

Thanks again for reading!

Edit #2 So here I am 52 days after my 'trip' not the motorcycle one, but (butt) the one where I fell on my Tush. 52 days of intense pain, I can't walk for more than a few feet, stand for more than a couple minutes or so...etc

It has been a LONG 52 days!

This morning I'm FINALLY going in for surgery, an out paitient surgery.

Here is the best part (<extreme sarcasm)  the insurance does not think I need surgery. They keep coming up with excuses why not ie: we need to have an MRI.....we have already done that... and on and on.

So we are paying for the operation and hope to be reimbursed.....do you know a good insurance attorney?

(I STILL believe life is good)

:)

#2 East coast/Gkids/NaPstamps

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With new tires and a fast mounting we were almost back on our schedule. Add the fact that we had some-slush-time and this whole episode turned out pretty good.

Leaving North Carolina I'm heading for South Carolina.

Fort Jackson to be precise. Despite the tire problems we've arrived a day early,  and we were very happy to have a rest day.

And then the big day arrived.

Actually "Family Day" is first, the new soldier has to stay on base but gets to visit with their family. Or whoever they choose for the day.

Pictures from Family Day 

Luke missed his family and his family missed him!

Luke standing tall with Beverly and I.

Then he tries to make me look taller.....

He was such a good kid and now he has become a good man!

Tomorrow is the actual graduation. We are so proud of Luke, and also proud of the other Troops in our family;

(Old to young)

    Michael 

(Luke's father)

Will

Jacob

Fenton

Mason 

(and I'm in there somewhere)

Graduation day arrives

Luke and Michael

Luke flies to his next school, Kaybi and family will fly home. Beverly will drive home, meanwhile

 I'll motor south into Fla. To get stamps for the National Parks

And soon,

I'm on my way south to Florida.

And then in Florida I'm cruising along on I believe was i-95 and I passed this guy and his bike a valkyrie sitting on the side of the road. I didn't see him in time to pull over. So I kept going and arguing with myself whether I should turn around and help him or just keep going. Well I knew if I didn't go back and try to help it would bother me all night long so although it was 12 miles I took the next exit returned to the exit behind him and return to the rider. I asked if he was  out of gas and his reply was affirmative so it was easy for me to help we took the gallon off the back of my bike and he was soon on his way. While I was stopped he got some more help from a family member and by then he had plenty of gas to make it to the next gas station.

Those Valkyries are sweet machines but hoo boy are they gas hogs!

A bit later I stopped at a rest stop, I needed to close my eyes for a spell...when I woke up I made a friend.....

Sunday and I'm up and out a little before 8

I kind of wanted to start around 7 but the comp brekkie didn't start until seven.

The day is cloudy and breezy.

While at Everglades NP I thought I had heard 'Something' in the bushes..... So I sat still and tried to see what was creeping around...but it must have been a little kitty or something harmless.....

Meh ..

After I get the three stamps I head north....but a cloudy day turned into a wet and windy day.

I kept riding until I was appropriately soaked - then got a room. The closest grocery store had an incredible deli...

Hopefully tomorrow is better weather!

And wat-d-U-no....

tomorrow was a LOT better! I hit a tiny bit of sprinkles a few minutes after leaving the motel. Other than that ....it was very nice!

Yesterday at my hotel I met two cool guys and some nice conversation. Unfortunately I didn't have my phone with me so no pics of them... :( And when did have my phone I didn't think about it.

Then today I ran into the guy from Pa on this GSA at a rest stop. Another nice conversation, but I also made certain to get a photo...

This trip had a deadline...we were very concerned that we make it it to Luke's graduation. Which we did- no problem. But the deadline made for a rushed feeling.

So I hope to sloooow down for the rest of the trip.....I'll have to remind myself ....."sloooooow dooown Kennnnn.....

I need to make that work,

When I re-entered South Carolina I saw sign for a visitor center...and this is it, but WOW was it hard to find!

Of course, once I did find the Low Country Visitors Center, the young lady was very helpful!

It was really neat seeing the old house

So l'm sort of homeward bound, I have 4 more Nat Parks to visit, and I'll stop in Tennessee to see my old buddy Sean...... I'm looking forward to all of that.

And that is part 2

Thanks for stopping in!

I'll post part III in a few days 

Life is excellent!

#1 East coast/G-kids/NP stamps

We have grandkids in Missouri, Connecticut, and one graduating from Army bootcamp in South Carolina.

That sounds like an excellent excuse for a long ride! Plus there are national parks stamps to collect!

But when it was time to go - mother nature refused to cooperate. So the ride started out with the bike in a trailer 

Snow A-plenty! Lucky for me we loaded the bike into our enclosed trailer - and it rode along tied down and I rode along warm, and comfy 

Our first stop/grandkids visit is in Missouri. The week flew by way to fast, the next thing we knew it was time to drive over to Connecticut for our second stop/grandkids visit.

While in Connecticut we visit the PEZ factory, and the visitor center.

Then we spent a couple hours in the Yale Peabody museum.

Did the triceratops drop 2 year old Grant or is Dad tossing him up to the dino? :)

9

Another week quickly spent on an awesome visit and then we were on our way to North Carolina to visit my brother.

There are a plethora of covered bridges in the north-east, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to get an image of this one. The train bridge just added to the charm.

I've been keeping an eye on our trailers tires...they seem to be wearing out way to fast.

And they continued to wear out incredible fast. We had them mounted just before we left on this trip. Less than 2000 miles later and ..

We stop at a rest area and rotate the two hoping to extend them for at least a day - when we will have more time to get them  fixed!

But...in the end I didn't want Bev driving home alone with lousy tires.

So we  decide to bite the bullet and purchase some new tires right away

This tire store was the second one we stopped at and start the ball rolling for a new pair.

They got us in and out in less than 1  1/2 hour. Amazing!

We also called the store back home that installed the disappointing tires and were reassured that they would make this right when we got home. 

No surprise there, they are good people.

Speaking of good people, here are two..... Beverly and ....

 Another good person!

She was sitting on a picnic table near us as we rotated the tires. As we finished she approached us and commented that,  'she had never seen anyone  "fixing a flat and smiling as much as we were."

I pointed at Beverly and said, "when you marry a woman like her it's easy to smile all the time!

And that is part one .. thanks for reading.

Check in in a week or so for more .

Expect;

Florida 

Tennessee,

Et.al.

Numerous National Parks

More fun!

..

Final two stamps west of the Mississippi

I still  have two National Park stamps to get west of the Mississippi.

Both are in California, Channel Isle NP and Joshua Tree NP.

O K...so off we go. Well, off I go...I will meet Beverly in St George where we will spend the night and then Indio, Ca will be our next stop.

But first, on my way I stop at what is likely the most photographed building in Utah.

A man living in Eureka has restored this building at his own expense and placed these interesting things around it.  This is a popular place for weekend rides so it get photo'ed a LOT.

I arrive at St George first and while checking in jokingly say something about an upgrade....so they did. We got this spacious place with a private hot tub on the deck.  It was really too bad we were only staying for one night!

And all to soon it is time for us to get back on the road. We'll super slab it until we pass Vegas when we will come to the road that goes to Kelso Jct.

And....there it is, closed as usual.

Pushing on we soon arrive at Route 66 and even though we plan to ride the 66 in its entirety this summer we stop for photos. We are at Amboy for this photo.

I miscalculate and we end up riding through Joshua Tree NP in the dark....whew, that was not a whole lot of fun! We then arrive at Indio for a relaxing couple of days, the we move on to Solvang for the next stamp.

The next stamp is at Channel Isle NP, and I get a picture of Beverly in the walking path at Channel Isle.

I just had to get a picture of the ocean!

Mission accomplished - Two more stamps in my NP book.

While we were gone a storm had dumped snow around the country.

I was nervous and geared up as much as I could, but it really wasn't that bad...just another awesome ride home  to close out, 'just another ride' and that means it was a GRAND OLE TIME!!!

Life is sooooooooooo good!

And now it is the east of the Mississippi parks that I need.