David and I started our trip Saturday August 1, 2009 around 7am. Went up through Arkansas in rain showers bound for Eureka Springs Ar, we wound up in Branson Missouri after dodging storms most of the morning. We ran up 27 until Russellville then after checking wx radar on Jean’s Iphone took I-40 west bound to 21 then 16 and 7 to Jasper. Branson was very hilly and very very crowded with vacationers. We made about 400 miles the first day. Great twisty roads! Highly recommend 21, 7, 16 and 27.
Sunday August 2nd headed up thru Missouri and then Iowa, saw tons and tons of corn. We left Branson on hwy 265 (great road) a river road, great twisties and up and down hills. Soon we got on 59 which went all the way to Detroit Lakes, Mn. Stopped in Ida Grove Iowa another 400 mile day, with more great roads lots of corn fields and nice weather! In the night we had a hail storm, thought our bikes were done, but they were okay next morning.
Monday August 3rd finished our trip thru Iowa and made it into Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Weather stayed around 74 most of the trip. Our stops were mostly for gas tried to keep meals down to just snacks. We would stay for 2 days waiting for the rest of the group (Pied Piper and 3 other bikes). Another 400 mile day, finished the day by a nice ride around huge Detroit Lake on way to destination motel.
Tuesday August 4th still in Detroit Lakes rest of group should arrive in the evening, spent the day doing laundry and walking. We had the pleasure of getting to see a live concert by a steel drum band at an open park down by the lake, great timing!! The Pied Piper group got in about 9ish after 700 mile run from Red Lodge, MT. We met and greeted them went to bed for next leg of trip in the morning.
Wednesday August 5th headed for Duluth Minnesota, short trip about 200 miles, we led the group. David led us on one gravel road (thank you Mr Garmin) but more terrific roads after that. We now have 6 bikes in the group. 2 from California on 1 bike, 1 from Nevada, 2 from Utah on separate bikes and David and I on separate bikes, let the fun begin!! My little 650 (800) was keeping up with those big bikes okay!!!
Thursday August 6th, big day, now we are heading into Canada, left Minnesota, went thru Wisconsin, over to Michigan and up to Saulte Ste. Marie Ontario Canada got over the border okay, they did question David a long time tho??? Just waved me thru! This was about a 425 mile day and a really big bridge that was down to one lane…… I was the most tired this day since we had a group and you have to really be on your toes when riding in a group a long way. Met up with another couple who live in Canada just moved up there last year, they use to live in Kansas, but she is originally from Canada they are on one bike. Now we have 7 bikes.
Friday August 7th we are going to ride east thru Canada a little bit, we let the Canadians lead, you must do the speed limit, usually 100 and it is in kilometers. Don’t want to spend time in a Canadian jail for sure!! Beautiful mountains and nice roads headed for Minden Hills Ontario will stay with members from the board or the nearby motel. Arrive around 4 at the members home driveway is gravel straight up!?! Holly crap I really need a drink by now, but must keep alert! They had a great spread and the best corn EVER from Canada! Talked another member into riding my bike back down the gravel driveway whew!! Trip was about 350 miles.
Saturday August 8th headed for Old Forge, NY (in the Adirondacks) the members in Minden Hills will ride with us a little ways but are not going to New Hampshire with us. They leave us just before we get to the border, word is, getting back into the US is trickier than getting into Canada!
I almost didn’t get to come home….. I have pelican cases on my bike, they are used by the military sometimes to carry weapons great bags really tough. Border guys wanted to know exactly what I was carrying in those cases, I said underwear they said yea right and the dude proceeded in opening up my top case while I was on the bike with it running, then he asked me if I was with one of those other riders, I said yes my husband (who they had just waved thru….) so I must look scary when I’m frightened! Got thru and then the most wonderful view of the whole trip, thousand island bridge, they absolutely have a thousand islands it was so cool! Last part of the trip we did a really curvy mountain river road and I had a splitting headache but it was still a great road. Did about 300 something and lots of excitement. Oh yea did I mention the gravel driveway…. What’s the deal! We get to the driveway and I was told that I could look at it before I decide to go down it, weeeelllll they tricked me because it was flat I can do flat! No one mentioned the 2 BIG DROP OFFS and RUTS just before the house! I laid down for about an hour before I moved again! I think we did about 350 this time didn’t much care at this point anymore!!
Sunday August 9th our last destination for a few days Lancaster New Hampshire, I got back up that gravel driveway by myself did great, had rubber legs tho!! We had 11 bikes and we had broken down into two groups, one group had enough fuel to go the entire 220 miles to Lancaster, the group I was in would need to get gas before we got all the way there. 7 bikes in group one the no stop group, 4 bikes in group 2 the make at least one pit stop group. Apparently group 1 fell apart and wound up making 3 stops and breaking up into 2 smaller groups before they got to Lancaster. Our group made 1 stop and got there 45 minutes before the no stop group, same route! Went thru Vermont one scary mountain with lots of switch backs but I did okay. Got to Lancaster I was sooooo excited.
Monday August 10th going to Vermont to ride and do a tour of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream factory was going to ride on the back of David’s bike but a friend of ours Mrs. Whip was still waiting for her husband to arrive, she flew up. So I volunteered my back seat to her and I rode my bike. Had a very interesting day (great ice cream by the way) tour was really neat! On the way back we had to do an emergency stop did good, but I wound up having to do 2 emergency stops before we got back to the home base. Learned a good deal there my bike is a war horse!
Tuesday August 11th going to find some covered bridges to photograph, went down a foliage covered road got a little rain but I’m on the back today finally getting to take some pictures. The covered bridge was awesome beautiful country up there for sure. Headed back to home base ate at the Water Wheel. Cool place the owner was our waitress had a whoopee cake (maple) OMG!!! Later back at the Un-Rally VIII site, we had catered Clam bake with lobster for dinner brought to us from Maine. They set up and cooked it on site so cool!
Wednesday August 12th been awake since 2:30 a little food poisoning (make note be more careful while on a long trip what you eat) we are supposed to start heading back home today, looks like I may be in bed all day. Finally got my problem to stop and we packed and headed out about 10:00 drinking lots of fluids. We went thru Albany NY BIG PLACE and hot! Going to take the slab all the way home so suck it up and get on with it! Made it to Wilkes Barre PA about 390 miles did great considering I had very little sleep and problems!
Thursday August 13th feeling a lot better more super slab running pretty good, catching up on fluids and food went another 400 miles but could have done more, spent the night in Christianburg Va.
Friday August 14th still feeling good, didn’t remember Chattanooga being so big! Made 600 miles today again all slab now we are in Meridian Mississippi almost home I can smell the barn!
Saturday August 15th got home by 11:00 am thank you lord had a great trip on great bikes with great people!
Next year Un-Rally IX Sierra Nevada, July 14-16 whoopee!
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