High Plains Driftin'

[KBOlsen]

Sittin' in my room in the Econolodge in Miles City, MT... it has been an AWESOME trip thus far.

Left Chicago at 3:00 on Thursday afternoon, pulled in to the Comfort Inn just north of Minneapolis around 11:30. !@%#$#$%$ stupid IL traffic but Wisconsin was a pleasure. Sunny, crisp... a nice blast.

On the road Friday morning at 8 a.m., rocketing up 94 to the North Dakota line. Stopped for late breakfast in Rothsay, MN - excellent little truck stop with friendly owners and great food. Hung a right on I-29 in Fargo and reached the "jumping-off point" - ND Route 200 - around 12:30 pm.

North Dakota gets better the further west you go. I just love the wide-open spaces, the roads are in great shape, it's all very relaxing. We made it as far as Washburn on Friday night - found a nice little family-owned motel just down the street from the best $11 strip steak I've ever eaten.

This morning (Saturday) started off a little chilly and we ran into sprinkles for about 3 minutes but once we crossed the Missouri River, the blue skies shone and the temperature was a VERY comfy 80. I've got a nice sunburn all over. For breakfast, stopped in Sydney at a nice little cafe in town and shared our table with a local couple who were out riding around on their Gold Wing.

Continued west on 200... through the Teddy Roosevelt N.P. and the North Dakota Badlands - simply beautiful. Crossed over into Montana early afternoon, continued on 200 for a few more gorgeous hours. Mile after mile of NOTHING... just the road and a herd of cattle here and there. Very few buildings, rolling terrain, rocky outcroppings, buttes... it just got better and better with every mile. There was one stretch where I didn't see any oncoming traffic for almost half an hour!

Got into Miles City in time for a buffalo ribeye dinner and then headed over to the local city park for the VFW's fireworks display. Being from the communist nanny state of Illinois, we're not used to having people sitting all around us shooting off fireworks - but it was a very enjoyable evening.

Gettin' up early tomorrow morning and pointing the bike south, toward Devil's Tower and then on to the Black Hills. Will probably spend the night in/near Spearfish and then off to the Badlands.

Here's a couple pics...

[hddeluxe]

Seems like a nice ride. Loking forward to hear the rest. Wish I could be over there and see the scenery myself...

[Nathang]

Sweet. Thanks for the update, like being along for the ride.

[Badassbrutus]

Awsome thanks for postin up. pics are cool I can see the goldwing in the window reflection its perrty yellow....Ride Safe!!

[Dave63]

SOunds like a hoot....!! Glad you're getting some decent weather and having a blast.....

[badinfluence63]

Thanks for sharing. Sounds like a great,interesting and memorable trip. I hope to be heading to the West coast next year on my bike. What you described makes the wait a little harder. Its just as I was hoping...wide open and serene. Lucky you. Stay safe.

PS Quick question...I'm coming form New England and I figure it's be pretty congested at least until I get past Chicago. What is your thoughts on that? Any input is appreciated.

[Hoss]

Sounds awesome. Thank you for sharing. Very jealous...every one of my planned trips this year has been cancelled

Keep us posted - l'm living vicariously through you!!

[zetaseven]

WOW, K, looks like your havin a ball. wish i was there. ride safe and enjoy. keep the pitchers commin.

[KBOlsen]

So now I'm sitting in the Comfort Inn in Custer, SD... had a fork-tender ribeye at the (something) Horse restaurant (on the second floor, above some other family-dinner establishment) and am kicking back enjoying the sunset.

Left Miles City on MT 59 heading south to Broaddus, stopped for breakfast in a small cafe owned by a lady from Hawaii and her family and then turned right on Highway 112 into Wyoming for a gorgeous ride down to Hulett and Devil's Tower. Met a couple from France at a gas stop - they bought a pair of Anniversary bikes several years ago, keep them stored in Arizona and come out to ride cross-country during their summer holidays. Must be rough! Everybody likes Susan's "Flying Banana" - it attracts all kinds of attention when we stop.

It has been simply tremendous watching the scenery change from grassland/high plains to scrub trees and buttes to finally more and more pines and more dramatic inclines/drop-offs. Followed the backroads into Sundance and then down to Newcastle, WY. Hung a left on US 16 into SD and the Black Hills National Forest - got some of the first real "twisties" for the entire trip. Weather continues to be perfect, perfect, perfect... I am quite the poster child for sunscreen, LOL but it will all turn tan in a couple days.

Tomorrow will be an easy day, we're gonna play around the BHNF, do Spearfish and the "usual" stuff... I need to stop at Rapid City HD to pick up another bottle of oil (she's managed to suck/burn through a quart on the way out here, not too surprised considering we've been "cruising" well north of 80 the entire trip) and then we'll be headed to the Badlands. Plan is to camp under the stars but if it's as cool at night as it has been so far on this trip, I'll be "camping" in a cheap motel in Wall!

[KBOlsen]

Originally Posted by badinfluence63

PS Quick question...I'm coming form New England and I figure it's be pretty congested at least until I get past Chicago. What is your thoughts on that? Any input is appreciated.

B.I., how much time are you planning for your trip, and were you thinking about running through Canada or cutting across New York State and PA? That's some GORGEOUS country (as Dave and Lil can attest). I've run across PA on I-76 and US-30... 30 is beautiful east of Pittsburgh. Ohio has some amazing roads as well, but that can add lots of hours. Compared to the western states, east of the Mississippi feels a bit more "closed in" - don't have to worry about gas stops, LOL.

We're planning a trip to your neck of the woods next July - plan is to avoid the U.S. congestion/traffic and cross over at Detroit/Windsor and blast through Ontario and Quebec before dropping into Maine (we'll be headed as far south as MA and RI).