Looking for America - A Listening Tour

  Eisenhower Tunnel - I-70 Colorado The trip from the Badlands to Boulder, CO encapsulates all that is good, and challenging, in a cross-country motorcycle tour.  High plains, open spaces with no signs of humanity, fast speeds, and relentlessly long.  From the Badlands to Rapid City, SD, to Hot Springs, SD, and Hwy 79 South to Scottsbluff, NE. Along Hwy 79, in much need of gas, I came across one of the very few towns with a gas station - Crawford, NE.  Ok, one may ask: what the hay is out here of any real interest?  Gas up and just drive man!  Wrong!  Next door to the gas station was this place: The best BBQ sandwiches ever - with good ole fashion chocolate shake.  According to Chris (seated), this place has been here for decades.  Chris is an employee of the State of Nebraska - Weights & Measures - "just so everyone gets a fair deal", he said. Chris told me of a place nearby that I should visit - only 3 miles to the right of the main Hwy...

  Badlands, SD Over the past few days, I have traveled from Iowa City, IA to Sioux City, IA, then on to Kadoka, SD - just east of the northern entrance to the Badlands.  The last post ended at Iowa City, IA where I visited my daughter - where we prepared for her upcoming wedding.  I then traveled to my old stomping grounds of Sioux City where I stayed with an old friend, Jackie.  We went to dinner with a good friend Pat - and discussed local politics.  Never a dull moment in Sioux City and Iowa politics.  I then left for the Badlands.  Along the way I met a new friend (in O'Neill, NE) Daniel, who just retired and is pursuing the same motorcycle dream.  He started his ride in New York and headed for the West Coast. I arrived at Kadoka, SD, where a major storm hit as I will pulling into the Lakota Lodge.  A very small town in the middle of the plains - very exposed to the elements. In the morning, I headed out early for the Badlands National Pa...

  Country roads through Indiana and Illinois.  Overcast most of the day.  Temperatures down to a  chilly 71 degrees.  My daughter, and soon to be son-in-law, live in Iowa city and are getting married on August 7th.  So, time to visit for a few days to make sure that all the wedding plans are on track; including, going to Costco and buying much needed booze in bulk. Once you get west of Illinois the US changes dramatically.  Wide open plains and serenity - at least on the surface.  Iowa was my home for 20 years - working with Gateway Computer Co., the Waitt Foundation, and, most interestingly, working for Woodbury County in promoting organic agriculture.  A land of little ethnic diversity (except in towns devoted to meat packing), almost entirely dependent on the Federal Government for farm subsidies (ironically, most hate big government and strongly disapprove of other industries that get subsidies),    Iowa, having a small populati...

  Pops, Larry, Kurt, & Nick were my pack today on I-40 outside of MaggieValley, NC.  They were headed to their home in Ohio and I tagged alone for a few miles: Last night had a great dinner at the bar of Lemones and talked with a very nice couple, Bruce & JT, from north of Naples.  Great conversation and sharing of food.  Never fails when eating at the bar.  Thank you Bruce & JT! But, tonight's dinner took 1st place: A Tibetan restaurant in Bloomington, Indiana.  Recommended by an old friend from Santa Barbara.  France Komoroske, who went to school at IU and recommended the place.  Was out of this world.  We had a mutual friend, Walter Ordway, who was a direct descendent of John Ordway, third in command on the Lewis & Clark Expedition back in 1803.  Walter died while trying to save his dog from a semi-frozen pond in Iowa.  Walter is the subject of a new book by John Chao called: 50-Year Vision Quest.  They don't...

  Creme Brulee is his name.  I should have named this blog The Dog Tour 2021.  Creme bid me a farewell from The Brice.  The route to Asheville, NC started out going over the bridge that connects Georgia to South Carolina: I am trying to get better with the GoPro.  I hope over the next few days I figure it out - but the software has a lot to be desired. Traveling from US 17 to I-95 to I-26.  It was a very nice and leisurely drive.  I was amused by all the "Heaven or Hell?" billboards.  One such sign just had one word: REPENT!  Right next to it was a billboard advertising SMOKEN PIG BBQ.  I just know I would have repented if I had eaten there.  I'll have a side order of Heaven please.- there are only two choices on the menu. The public spaces in our country, including billboards, news, and social media, have me wondering what the heck our culture is about.  Do we really have to communicate every thought that passes through our br...

The Brice Hotel - Savannah, GA - July 5,2021 5:50 am:  I head out of the garage.  Lightening in the black sky to the south - one step ahead of Hurricane Elsa.  I am driving north away from the storm.  Phew - dodged a bullet on this trip.  It will be an 8 hour ride (counting stops) to Savannah, one of my favorite places in the world.  The Brice Hotel is a Kimpton Hotel. Dog friendly in the extreme (they are everywhere): Easy ride up I-95.  Until I crossed over the border to Georgia.  Heavy rain.  Saw it coming so I pulled over and put my rain gear on.  Slipped my bike into rain mode, crossed the bridge into Georgia, and bam!  Heavy rain.  No Biggie!  Cooled things up a bit. Going out to eat with a guy, Ron, I met at the Ducati dealership in Pompano, FL.  He chose Corleone's.  Glad to get out of Florida.