Terry and Sooz's Travels

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

June 22, 2021 - Murdo, SD

This will be a short post with no pictures. I have no cell service and the wifi at this hotel is extremely weak.

It was a 500 mile day with 2 very different but both fun and interesting tourist stops. The first was a visit to the SPAM Museum in Austin, MN. What a blast! I really got a kick out of it. True Americana.

The second stop was at a South Dakota tourist information center with an impressive aluminium statue of a Native American woman overlooking the Missouri River. The location was a site once visited by the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Tonight I met up with 2 guys from the Raider riding group and we will be riding to Cody, WY tomorrow.

Monday, June 21, 2021

June 21, 2021 - La Crosse, WI

It was a 10 minute ride from my hotel to the loading dock for the S.S. Badger. Temps were in the upper 50's, very windy and overcast. Motorcycles were the last to board. While waiting outside I met and chatted with some Harley riders and a couple of fellow BMW riders who were also going to the rally in Montana. We were the only passengers who drove on board. All other vehicles were driven on board by port staff. Once we tied down the bikes I walked around the outside deck and then went to the lounge area.

I sat with one of the other BMW riders and then we started chatting with a couple from Tucson. The husband had 7 Triumph motorcycles and rode a lot.

That's when Bingo started. The guy calling the numbers told one corny dad joke after another. It was fun even though I didn't win anything.

After disembaking in Mantowac, WI I rode about 30 minutes, got chilled and stopped to put on warmer gear. After reading about the major heat wave hitting the western states I almost didn't bring any cold weather gear but I'm glad I did. I brought a jacket liner and electric heated vest. I just used the lineer but I may use the vest tomorrow morning.

I saw an Amish horse drawn buggy today. I couldn't get a photo.

Tomorrow I have about a 500 mile straight shot to Murdo, SD. I'll be meeting a couple of guys from the Raiders riding group out of Ohio. Sooz and I rode with them a couple of years ago in Ohio. They are also going to the rally.

Fellow riders waiting to board

Boarding the S.S. Badger

S.S. Badger

Leaving Ludington, MI

Leaving Ludington

Sunday, June 20, 2021

June 20, 2021 - Ludington, MI

Another high mileage day, over 600 miles. Temperature ranged from upper 60's this morning to upper 80's this afternoon with very minor rain. I am happy to say I saw no traffic jams! Below I posted the map showing how much I rode the last 2 days.

I can really tell I'm back in Michigan where I grew up. Everyone sounds like me with a nasal accent!

When I made a pit stop today the convenience store/gas station had the Cubbies vs. Marlins game on. That's pure midwest ambiance. Also, lots of people driving below the speed limit in the left lane. This is where they come from before they move to Florida.

I had dinner at the Kuntry Kubbard within walking distance of my hotel. Very good dinner including homemade fresh strawberry pie for under $15. Can't beat that.

Tomorrow I have to be at the ferry terminal at 8am for the 4 hour trip across Lake Michigan. After I disembark I have a couple hour ride to La Crosse, WI.

Two days of travel

Fresh strawberry pie at the Kuntry Kubbard in Ludington

Saturday, June 19, 2021

June 19, 2021 - Williamsburg, KY

Today was all about getting from Point A to Point B. I left Gainesville at 6:30am and arrived in Williamsburg around 6pm after 620 miles. I had rain off and on for several hours but the temperature was pleasant, temps in the 70s and 80s. The worst part of the day was the traffic in and around Atlanta. It was bad, fully stopped at times and very slow on and off for well over an hour. They were no accidents or construction sites, just too many cars. I sure wish all states in the U.S. allowed lane splitting for motorcycles like they do in Europe.

The low beam on my headlight is not working so I stopped in at the BMW shop in Atlanta to see if they had a replacement but they didn't have one so off I went. It was a nice shop and they had a nice selection of bikes especially compared to shops in Florida.

Tomorrow I ride to Ludington, MI. It's about 620 miles, similar to today and it looks like I might hit some rain as I head north. Monday I'll take the ferry across Lake Michigan to Wisconsin.

Wooly's BMW shop in Atlanta

Thursday, June 17, 2021

BMW Rally Montana 2021

I leave Saturday, June 19, 2021 for the 2021 BMW Rally in Great Falls, Montana. I am flying solo on this trip, Sooz is not able to join me. However, she is very supportive of me going, almost too much. 😀 I think she wants to have some alone time with just Bandit in the house. I will be riding our 2018 BMW 1200GS Rallye motorcycle.

If you are really bored and want to see some of our other trip blogs click HERE.

My overall itinerary has me riding to Michigan and taking the S.S. Badger Ferry across Lake Michigan from Ludington, MI to Manitowoc, WI. From there I start heading west meeting up with some riders with the Raiders Sport Touring group. Sooz and I rode with them in Ohio a couple of years ago. They are very good riders and enjoy themselves. We are meeting up in Murdo, SD, riding to Cody, WY. From Cody we will ride the Beartooth Highway to Red Lodge, MT. They will continue to the rally in Great Falls and I will stay that night in Red Lodge to enjoy the scenery and play tourist. The next day I ride to Great Falls for the rally and stay 2 nights. After that I don't have any plans other than to head to Colorado and ride some passes and maybe visit my niece Savannah in Denver and head home.

I am using two tracking systems to test them out on this trip. They use the same tracking data, they just use different software to map and display the locations. You can use either link below or use both.

Spot Tracker - Click HERE

Spotwalla Tracker - Click HERE

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Tuesday, March 22, 2021 - Orangeburg, SC

Ted took off early this morning for Jekyll Island arriving around 3:30pm. Fred and I left around 7:30am arriving in Orangeburg around 4:30pm. The weather was nice, starting in the 50s and getting well into the 70s.

Fred and I took back roads passing through many small towns, some in good shape and many on the decline. We had lunch at the Palmetto Cafe in Bennettsville, SC. We arrived there at 1:50pm and they close at 2pm but they let us in and served us after lunch. They were very friendly and told us the white flowering trees in the are were either Flowering Pears or Dogwood. Fred thinks they are Flowering Pears and I think Dogwood.

Tomorrow we head home.

Monday, March 22, 2021

Monday, March 22, 2021 - Williamston, NC

We had a full day today beginning with loading the bikes in solid rain, low 50s temp and wind. We rode to the Maritime Museum of Ship Wrecks. It's a beautiful building with wooden roof arches and displays of historical artifacts from offshore wrecks including many during WWI and WWII.

Next was a visit to the Hatteras Lighthouse. It was closed due to building rehab so we couldn't climb to the top. We then headed up the road through rain and strong winds to lunch at Watermen's Bar & Grill. The rain lightened up during our ride to the Wright Brothers National Memorial. It's amazing to realize it was only less than 70 years from Orville and Wilbur's first flight to the first moon landing. The brothers did not go to college and yet designed and built their aircraft from scratch including a 200 cubic inch engine without a carburetor that produced 12 horsepower, propellers and cloth covered wings.

I must report there was an incident involving Fred removing his rain gear in the parking lot of the Wright Brothers museum with assistance from Ted. Photos below.

Tomorrow Ted will be blasting south to Jekyll Island while Fred and I will take back roads to Orangeburg, SC.

Our route today