Coast to coast in the U.S.

[mr west]

So far:
American hospitality: outstanding
Average guy on the street: super friendly
NYC mechanics: worst ever
NJ mechanics: Great
The bike: solid, i find the original seat more comfortable though
The food: being vegetarian i feared problems, but so far its been outstanding meals mostly
Roads: some where nice, but should be more interesting once in rocky mountains!
Riding partner: top-notch-route-planning,gps-reading,good-vibes-spreading,in-flight-back-massage-giving,then-getting-of-the-bike-doing-full-splits-against-the-gas-pump-in-her-pink-power-ranger-jacket-kind of riding partner.

Only fault is she keeps referring to the bike as "the car"... And when she DO refer to it as a bike its "such a grandpa's bike"... But she might be excused, as it turned her granpa actually rode a goldwing! Haha!

[mr west]

I think I saw that motel in a horror movie. Ever see Hotel Hell? No. Maybe not. I think it was a red brick hotel. Anyhow, looks to be a nice trip so far. Sorry mechanic forgotten and great memories ahead. Thanks for keeping us posted and along for the ride.

Any chance you could post a video of ya'll playing those things? Thanks.

Hotel hell! Haha! Yup it was straight out of movie! Always wanted to stay in a creepy place like that! It was great though -cold beers, check out when you like, keep the bike outside the window, coffee in the room!

At least we should get a video from the concert in Vegas.....

[mr west]

[quote="mr west"]

[mr west]

[quote="mr west"][quote="mr west"]

[minhoj]

Hi friend!
Just wanna say I'm here...

[mr west]

Tjaba!

So I wake up way too early, but dont feel completely ready to drive.,,. But eventually we leave the Detroit house for breakfast! Huevas rancheros is really good! Didnt get on the road until 4 something..

[mr west]

Ridin north it was all quite pretty, just a little boring riding straight straight straight, turn 90 degrees, repeat. Then continue like that for hours...

Also we had our first accident. Pulling up to a gas station, i mess something up with the balance, and slowly slowly we fall over to the side to the amusement of the onlookers... Amanda ends up like a upside down bug, and a gent who comes to the rescue, politely tries to hide his smile while we pick the bike up....

After that we ride a few more hours watching the sunset as we go into a national forest. We take a room in the little sleepy town of Gaylord and Im treated to specialities like fried pickle, fried cod, grilled cheese and so in the local bar, while whatching rodeo on TV. What happened to all bar fights?!

[Whiskerfish]

OH I thought she was on her own bike I did not understand you were riding double up! Also where are you now? Gaylord Michigan headed North up to the UP??

[77Gowing]

Wow you are making great progress. Please travel safely.

[mr west]

We want to try to get to Duluth for the tall ship festival 18th.. But waking up today its just pouring down.. Lets see if it stops!

[mr west]

OH I thought she was on her own bike I did not understand you were riding double up! Also where are you now? Gaylord Michigan headed North up to the UP??

Correct!

[Sagebrush]

Looking at the radar you'll be in a rain delay for a couple more hours, good thing the festival is a four day affair. Consider visiting Kitchitkipi Springs http://www.exploringthenorth.com/bigspring/spring.html just north of Route 2 which I suspect you'll be riding on for at least part of the way to Duluth. Its a nice respite and unique. You pull yourself across the spring on a pontoon float using a cable mechanism. You can see large lake trout hanging near the bottom and along the sides as well as the water rushing in the bottom. My wife and I always visit it when were in the UP (upper peninsula)

[mr west]

Luckily the rain did stop at checkout time.. So we did get going soon after 11. Riding today was fun, including great views and an motorbike trail "tunnel of trees" leading up to Mackinac Bridge.. Now stop for fried stuff and then we might just go to that Kitchitkpi-thing..

[Whiskerfish]

Up at Whitefish Pt is the great lakes maritime museum. One of my destinations someday!!

[Lucien Harpress]

I can confirm that the museum at Whitefish Point is absolutely worth it. They've got quite a few artifacts from a number of Great Lakes shipwrecks, including the ship's bell from the Edmund Fitzgerald (one of the worst, if not THE worst shipwreck in the history of Great Lakes shipping.) Not sure how much exposure it gets outside of the Great Lakes watershed, but it's a pretty big deal here in Michigan.

While you're in the UP, be sure to get yourself a pasty!