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| Day 1 - Santa Clara, CA Day 2 - Eureka, CA Day 3 - Florence, OR Day 4 - Poulsbo, WA Day 5 - Poulsbo, WA Day 6 - Sandpoint, ID Day 7 - Kalispel, MT Day 8 - Sulfer Springs, MT Day 9 - Jackson, WY Day 10 - Orem, UT Day 11- Estes Park, CO Day 12 - High. Ranch, CO Day 13 - High. Ranch, CO Day 14 - Richland, UT Day 15 - Lee Vining, CA EPILOGUE |
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| I’m up early but I wait until a quarter
of nine to call Bob to see if he is up to a short visit. He tells
me to drop by and I say I will see him in 15 minutes. Surprise, I
get into a conversation with another BMW motorcycle owner, who is
also staying at the motel, as I’m leaving. He tells me he has both
an R1100RT and a K1200LT but his wife likes the LT best. He likes
my bike and says he once had a R75/6 for several years. He and his
wife have flown to Sandpoint in their own plane so apparently he is
doing well. While we are talking, he notices that my horn has broken
off its bracket and is laying on my right cylinder head. He detaches
it from the wiring and I store it in my saddlebag. It’s raining pretty consistently now but by 10:00 o’clock I’m in East Hope with Bob and Phyllis. Bob is looking a little frail, which I had not expected, but he sounds good and is in good spirits. We have a nice conversation and I enjoy the time we have together (photos 1, 2. & 3). Bob always has a pleasant smile and laid back attitude and I hope he beats this thing. He tells me to retire as soon as I can so that I can enjoy my life. Good advice. I get back into my rain gear, take some pictures, and am on the road again by 10:30. I head down Idaho 200 to Idaho 56 and then head North to Hwy. 2. Idaho highway #56 is one lovely stretch of road. Small lakes greet you as you wind around tree-covered mountains and valleys. I feel like I’m in one of those Irish Spring soap commercials. The mountains are being licked with foggy mist trails (photo 4); the rain is coming down steadily and I stop at a rest stop to make sure that all of the zippers in my rain gear are closed. I also put on my fleece jacket liner. The scenery now seems even better when I’m warm. I stop in Tilly, ID to eat lunch and set my clock ahead to 1:30 p.m. Mountain Time. The sign says ninety mile to Kalispel, MT and I look forward to a pleasant two and half-hours of riding through this great country (photo 5). Even better, the last half-hour of the ride are dry as the rain finally decides to give me a break. I would like to come back and see this stretch in brilliant sunshine. It must be spectacular. By 4:30 I’m ready to call it a day and take a room at the local Motel 6 for $59. After getting cleaned up, I drive around town on the bike and end up at the Mexican restaurant next door the motel. Oh well, it gave me a chance to see some of the town. One of the problems with living in California is that we have some great Mexican restaurants. Why is that a problem? Well, if you are used to really good Mexican food, then your inclined to be more critical of mediocre meals. This one was mediocre but the food was warm so I can’t complain too much. This has been my shortest day so far with only 184 cold and wet miles traveled.
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