July 29, 2022 - Gainesville, FL

After over 2 months and 13,595 miles Susie and I are back home in Gainesville from our Alaska adventure. Susie decided to ride home with me on the motorcycle meaning she rode over 9,000 miles with me on the bike after meeting me in Anchorage. 

The last 2 weeks were brutal. The heat took its toll. We cut back on riding time due to the extreme heat. It reached 100 degrees or more each day for the last 2 weeks. Everyday we would evaluate our condition and decide if we wanted to keep going. We did continue but shortened our days in the saddle which made it tolerable. 

Random thoughts:

- I am a little surprised and very grateful that we rode over 13,000 miles and did not have any major incidents. There was discomfort and challenges but no injuries or mechanical breakdowns. The motorcycle was flawless. 

- Alaska lived up to its reputation of being a rough, wild, beautiful, intimidating, challenging adventure. 

- We did not see an Amazon, UPS or FedEx truck at all in Alaska.

- How frequently people came up to us because we were on a motorcycle to ask questions and tell us their own stories.

- How deliveries are limited in Alaska.

- How large and undeveloped the U.S. is. 

- Difficulty finding fresh vegetables in many areas, but some areas of Alaska had a wide selection of locally grown vegetables - it varied wildly.

- Prices in Alaska were very high for everything including food, hotels and gas.

- How much Susie and I enjoyed riding together. We were both surprised that we did not individually listen to music or podcasts. We used our bluetooth intercoms to chat about all kinds of topics or silently take in our surroundings. 

- How much of our Country we still have to explore. 

- We thoroughly enjoyed our niece CD and Mary's wedding and getting to have a family reunion in Portland. 

Back home in Gainesville 

The motorcycle trip meter showing a total trip of 13,595 miles (and 100 degrees in our driveway) 

Our complete route

July 27, 2022 - Dothan, Alabama - 211 miles

We had another early start this morning and arrived in Dothan around noon. Our room wasn't ready so we randomly picked a restaurant in downtown Dothan called KBC.  As it turned out it is a comfortable, upscale Southern food restaurant owned by Top Chef winner Kelsey Barnard Clark. We enjoyed the food and surroundings filled by local movers and shakers of Dothan. We got some stares walking in with our helmets and full riding gear but they let us stay.

Tonight is our last night on the road for this trip. We have packed a lot into a little over 2 months. It's been a wonderful and exciting adventure. 

But I did want to thank all of you who have traveled with us in blog and spirit. I also want to give special thanks to people who have spread awareness of the good work being done by GNV4ALL and contributed money to that deserving organization. 

I'll add some final thoughts tomorrow or the next day including total trip mileage. 

July 26, 2022 - Tuscaloosa, Alabama - 211 miles

I finally got it through my thick skull that we needed to shorten our daily rides in this heat! We rode 211 miles, checked into our hotel right when the temperatures started getting really hot. We both feel a lot better because of it. We should be home Thursday. 

Most of our riding was in the mid to upper 80s, humid and and cloudy. I never thought I would say the mid to upper 80s and high humidity would feel comfortable but it did.  

This is Pat who, with Jason, checked us into our hotel room and agreed to have her picture taken. She was fun to talk with, very helpful and curious about our motorcycle trip so I gave her a few GNV4ALL Goes to Alaska cards which she appreciated. (Jason had stepped away by the time I got my phone out to take the picture)

July 25, 2022 - Memphis, TN - 345 miles

We rode 345 miles today and the temperature reached 100 again. We think that makes 12 consecutive days of 100 degrees or more. One picture below from the the Woolaroc Museum taken a couple of days ago. We are probably going to dial it back the last 2 or 3 days going home due to the heat. 

July 25, 2022 - Eureka Springs, Arkansas - 164 miles

Today is my 2-month anniversary of leaving Gainesville for Anchorage. It feels like 2 months or maybe 2 years. Time has taken on a different dimension. 

Today was a short and hot day. We didn't take any side trips and got into ES around noon. It was 98 degrees and full sun when we got into town and right now at 7:15pm it has cooled to 95. About the only thing we did was walk to a market and that about did us in. It's just too hot to do touristy things.

Tomorrow we are going to play it by ear. The heat will dictate how far we go. We have about 1,000 miles to go and it may take us 3, 4 or 5 days depending on how we feel.  

This little girl and her parents were looking at the bike and talking with Sooz. The girl was not intimidated at all so we asked her (and Mom and Dad) if she wanted to sit on the bike and she did not hesitate. 

We saw a couple of Jack Russell's for sale at a gas station so Sooz decided to try to teach one how to use social media.

He's grabbing Susie's phone 

July 23, 2022 - Bartlesville, Oklahoma - 230 miles

Sooz and I had an early start and checked into our hotel in Bartlesville just after noon as the temperature was approaching the mid 90s. We cooled off and then visited Woolaroc. Below is a description of Woolaroc taken from Wikipedia. We drove through the preserve and visited the Museum and former lodge.

Woolaroc is a museum and wildlife preserve located in the Osage Hills of Northeastern Oklahoma on Oklahoma State Highway 123 about 12 mi (19 km) southwest of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and 45 mi (72 km) north of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Woolaroc was established in 1925 as the ranch retreat of oilman Frank Phillips. The ranch is a 3,700-acre (1,500 ha) wildlife preserve, home to over 30 different species of native and exotic wildlife, such as bison, elk and longhorn cattle. Woolaroc is also a museum with a collection of Western art and artifacts, American Indian material, and one of the largest collections of Colt firearms in the world. Also on display is Woolaroc, the aircraft that won the ill-fated Dole Air Race in 1927. Woolaroc features a nature trail and a living history area inviting visitors to experience the natural environment of Woolaroc, the life in a pre-Civil War 1840s mountain man camp.

I have posted below several pictures from the art and artifact collection at Woolarac. It was very impressive. The large collection of bronze pieces made a big impression on Sooz and me.

Plaques at the entrance to Woolaroc- the name is an abbreviation of the words woods-lakes-rocks. Kind of a weak name if you ask me but that's what they told us.

Many of the bronze pieces were by Richard Greeves and Joe Beeler

Collection of patented barbed wire designs

Pieces made from quills, mostly porcupine 

Head pots

Original bronze used to design the memorial in D.C.

One room of several including a massive collection

July 22, 2022 - Salina, Kansas - 350 miles

HEAT 

SUN

WIND

That about sums up our riding experience today. Temperatures reached 103, full sun all day and very strong cross winds which made passing trucks a religious experience. We were on the interstate most of the day. Tomorrow we are going to try secondary roads and see if that is less tiring.

We did have a nice detour today by visiting the Buffalo Bill Cultural Center in Oakley, KS. It was a nice, air conditioned,  education center with 2 massive bronze statues outside. Buffalo Bill's career included Army scout, Pony Express rider, ranch hand, wagon train driver, town developer, railroad contractor, bison hunter, fur trapper, gold prospector, showman.  Cody and another hunter, Bill Comstock, competed in an eight-hour buffalo-shooting match over the exclusive right to use the name, which Cody won by killing 68 animals to Comstock's 48.

Tomorrow we will continue heading towards Gainesville taking non-Interstate roads.

Susie checking for a pulse on the 9,000 pound bronze buffalo

Buffalo mugging for the camera 

Susie trying to remember where we parked the motorcycle outside the Buffalo Bill Cultural Center 

Terry’s feet cooling off at the hotel pool

Scenery along I-70 in central Kansas

July 21, 2022 - Limon, CO - 130 miles

Today we checked out of our Georgetown hotel, picked up a few things at a grocerystore, visited our niece in Denver, shopped at the Revzilla motorcycle store in Denver, filled an Rx and checked into our hotel in Limon, CO. Mileage-wise it wasn't a big day but with all the stops and mid-90s temperature it was a full day. 

Niece Savannah 

The GS made friends with a Denver Police motorcycle while Susie was in Walgreens 

Susie explaining to a Revzilla salesman how to put on a helmet

Susie tried hard to buy something but left empty handed

We saw this in a Georgetown shop and had a nice chuckle and could relate to it

July 20, 2022 - Georgetown, CO

Today was a nice, leisurely day spent walking and shopping in the downtown of Georgetown. The 2020 Cesus count for Georgetown was 1,100 permanent residents so it was an easy walk. The town rests at over 8,500 feet above sea level keeping the peak summer temperatures in the 70's, very pleasant. It was established in 1859 during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush.

Tonight will be our 3rd and final night at the Hotel Chateau Chamonix. We have really enjoyed our stay here. The owner lives on the 3rd floor and is from Europe. She designed the hotel to reflect European alpine characteristics including a private nook in our room that we open in the morning for our breakfast. 

Tomorrow we head "down" to Denver, the mile high city, to visit our niece Savannah, fill a prescription and visit Revzilla, a large seller of motorcycle accessories. The bike's rear tire is in good shape and it does not need servicing so we won't go to the BMW motorcycle shop. We will be staying in Limon just east of Denver.

Hotel Chateau Chamonix 

Our breakfast privately delivered to our room each morning

Perfect parking spot for the GS - it was reminded of its Bavarian roots

Downtown Georgetown 

Downtown Georgetown 

July 19, 2022 - Georgetown, CO - 50 miles

After realizing how tired we are and after checking the temperatures on our way home we have decided to stay here in Georgetown for 3 nights. We have a nice room and it is much cooler here in the mountains than most of the country. So here we are.

I did take a ride this morning to the top of Mt. Evans. Susie's back is sore and tight so she made the wise decision to not go. She would have suffered from the extremely rough condition of the last 5-7 miles of the road to the top of the mountain. Smart woman! 

I really enjoyed the ride. The peak is over 14,000 feet elevation and it got down to upper 40s temperature. The views were extraordinary and weather perfect. The major downside was the tourists driving cars and vans as if they were in Florida - extremely slowly, even stopping in the middle of hairpin, switchback turns to let cars go by in the other direction. That's really unsafe generally and especially dangerous for motorcycle riders. I ended up passing several cars and Harley riders to be away from them.  Most of the last section of the road was pretty narrow,  unmarked with no guardrails or shoulders so I understand drivers being nervous but you can't stop!

Video on the top of Mt. Evans - Warning, the wind noise is very loud

https://youtube.com/shorts/PVZnTrp5cqQ?feature=share

A bad hair day - it was very windy

Above 12,000 feet on the ride up

Riding on the edge

Not a lot of room for 2-way traffic 

The air was thin

View from the top

Parking lot at the top

View from the top

The GS at the top of Mt. Evans