Sunday, June 22, 2014

Beautiful Country.


We left Custer SD bright and early this morning.  Skip and Cheryl are leading the way today.  It's a little more relaxing when you follow.   The first stop was for Coffee at a cute little shop by the road. 
We continued on north passing by The Crazy Horse Monument and Mt Rushmore.  All of us has visited these places before so we didn't stop.  We decided to stop for breakfast in Deadwood at The Silverado Casino and wow, what a breakfast!!! Any and everything you could think of was on the buffet.  

Oh did I say that we passed through Deadwood and had to have a quick picture of the welcome sign.  From Spearfish, SD we went through Belle Fourche and on into Wyoming where we eventually ended up in Buffalo at the Big Horn Motel where we stayed the night.  The Motel was OK but had lots of room for improvement..... We went to eat at a very good restaurant called, Winchesters Steakhouse.  I had scallop scampi and Jan ordered the top sirloin cut and we shared.  As did Skip and Cheryl.   We had dessert that come with the meal, maple nut ice cream, (Cheryl's favorite) delicious.   We were all stuffed.  The food and the price were very satisfying.  👍

We left Buffalo under overcast, threatening rain skies headed for Red Lodge, Montana taking a long way around for a scenic route.  Had to suite up going over the mountain pass.
We went through Ten Sleep where I had hopes to revisit a restaurant that we had been to on another one of our trips
But ended up being closed so we ate here instead.  Served a delicious breakfast with great service.
We left and headed for Thermopolis which was south of us, just to pass the time and sitesee some. We were dodging rainstorms the entire day.  We saw the worlds largest mineral spring in Thermopolis which was very interesting. 
After Thermopolis we headed in toward Cody but had to wait for a storm to pass through.😁. The temperature wasn't to cold now it was just the threat of rain.  I don't like riding in rain for several reasons so we try to avoid it if we can.
 On to Red Lodge where we stayed here at The Pollard with all the history of the little town packed into it. 
We had a great cup of coffee and Frapp at The best coffee shop in town.  We also at supper at the Hotel Pub where Jed treated us to coffee and dessert.  He made the Pub experience unforgettable. 

Friday, June 20, 2014

Trike trip 2014 to Bear Tooth Highway in Montana


6-16-2014 Well it is the time of year we climb on our trike and take off on another one #janandsarahadventures.  
This year we are going to Montana and riding the Bear Tooth Highway.  We left Live Oak under blue skies and headed toward Georgia and on up through Alabama with the weather getting hotter by the hour.  We traveled longer than planned, but, hey, when you have daylight and no rain in sight you have to make the best of the time.   By the time we stopped in Cullman, Alabama we had to be peeled off our seats.   We found a hotel, Comfort Inn and Suites and literally fell into bed.   I believe I was asleep by 8:30 and of course going to sleep that early only meant that I was awake at 3:30.  So after trying and trying to get back asleep I finally got out of bed and started getting dressed, as did Jan.  We were on the bike early and on our way again.  We headed out toward Mississippi, Tenn and Arkansas.  We stopped to eat lunch at a hometown restaurant and had some pretty good catfish, not as good as Jan's catfish, but good.   On the road again we eventually stopped in Mammoth Springs Arkansas and checked out the 10th largest spring in the world   It is really a pretty site, and cooled us off for a few minutes. 
We road on into Missouri and through the Ozarks, well more like back and fourth through the Ozarks. We ended up that night in Lebanon at the Super 8 Hotel and had another catfish meal at Dowd's Restaurant.  Up bright and early the next morning and on the road into Iowa.  Well let me tell you this day was one for the record book, in my record book.... The wind was awful.  I kept thinking we must be in Kansas, but I knew better.  I was tossed around so much my neck was hurting from trying to sit up.  Jan was really having to hold the bike steady so we didn't get blown off the road.  I was NOT happy that day. We had a straight highway west that was taking us into Nebraska and the wind was making for a long hard day.   All this time we prayed for good weather and no rain, which we had.  I knew GOD had a reason for the wind but I wasn't any happier knowing that.  I hate the wind to blow anytime but especially when I'm on the back of a motorcycle going 60 mph.  Jan and I had to hold on to our heads all that day.  
After making into Council Bluffs we found a Heaven sent Starbucks where we got us a cold drink and made hotel reservations for the night. 
We have been able to use some of our Wyndham points for our hotel stays but this night the College World Series was in Omaha and we were right there at NE and the hotels we not allowing discounts or points so we paid too much for that small room.  
Another early departure so we could hopefully miss the storms that were headed that way.   We were on the bike by 6:00am that morning with a worried mindset about bad weather.  Jan and I pray each day befor the get on the bike and this morning was no exception. The chances of missing the rain looked slim so we figured we would go as far as possible and then try to find shelter.  But you know GOD just took us right on through and we never even felt a drop of rain.  It looked enevitiable that we would get wet but we had sunny skies all that day. Praise GOD for HIS care and mercy.
We rode through the entire state of Nebraska and spent the 4th might in Custer SD 
I just love all the different colored buffalo they have around the city.   We stayed in Days Inn, which used too many points for such a small room.  But the town of Custer has a lot of history and I enjoy the sites.  
Today Skip and Cheryl made it over here and we started catching up with each other's lives.  We are at the Black Hills Mile Hotel tonight.