On The Road AGAIN!!

[Brenda H]

Heading for points north a week from Sunday going up to the Mum's to give her a hand with some stuff and then we will both be heading out to visit family over a 4 state area. Unfortunately, I couldn't talk her into doing the trip on the trike. RATS!

 

One thing is that I'm looking at a slightly different route that I may take either on the way up or on the way back [more likely]. Usual route for me is cutting across the NE part of Texas picking up I30 west of Texarkana, spending the night in Lil Rock, then heading east for Memphis on I40 where I pick up I55 and and then north for Illinois. The alternate route is US67 which comes out of the NE corner of Lil Rock and cuts across over to I55 just south of ST Louis. I like to work things out on Mapquest and what struck me as funny is the two routes are almost identical in mileage and driving time. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the long side of a triangle supposed to be shorter than the other two sides combined? US67 strikes me as being the "scenic route", one reason why it will probably be the route home after I take the Mum home [and not on the trike RATS! again] . Anyone familiar with this highway??

 

As for the family trip, I'll be in Decatur, Il for a few days at the Mum's house then we'll be heading for Rock Island, Il [my uncle] staying overnite there. Next day includes probable stop at J&P in Iowa then heading for Wichita, Ks [my brother and his clan] with an overnite stop possibly in Ottawa, Ks or therabouts on the way down. We'll spend a day or two there then head for OKC [my aunt], after which we'll head back to Illinois with an overnite stop planned for Springfield, Mo as I've promised the Mum a trip to the Gateway Arch which neither of us have been in. But I'm going to raid the Bass Pro Shop in Springfield first. Anyone who is familiar with the one in Katy, Tx will throw rocks at it after seeing the one in Springfield! Then I'll be back in Decatur for a couple days before heading back home to Texas.

 

The reason for including all this info is that I'd be very interested in having a M&E along the way with other VRO members. Time may be a factor in some of the stops due to our family time but I'd love to meet some of you. The Mum won't mind hearing a bunch of bike talk. She's met some of the Houston crowd and will probably be joining me at our gatherings once she gets moved down here.

 

Anybody interested??

 

 

[sarges46]

Enjoy, ride safe and watch the weather!

[Flyinfool]

How far north are you heading?

[vzuden]

There is a nice new Bass Pro 1 1/2 to 2 hours north of Decatur in East Peoria (I74) if you end up on that road when you head to Rock Island.

If you like motorcycle museums there is nice one (National Motorcycle Museum) less than a mile from J&P

[b2dad]

Did you ever get the extra seat that we sent you? Never heard from you if you got it or not.

[Nemo]

Remember in Geometry about triangles? In a right angled triangle, the square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the other two legs. So, it is longer.

[Brenda H]

ANSWERS!

 

Flyin - Farthest north we're going is Rock Island. It is also on the opposite side of the state from you. RI is one of the "Quad Cities", RI, Moline and East Moline, Il, with "big brother" on the other side of the Mississippi River - Davenport, Ia. From what I see on a map, you're just outside Milwaukee and almost due north of Chicago. Best we could do is take I39 up to where it crosses I80 [near Peru, Il] and head west from there but that's still a 3 hour one way drive for you. Add in the fact that we'll be doing this leg of the trip on a weekday so if you're still a working stiff??? But with that intersection, there's bound to be a truck stop around there somewhere!

 

Vz - I think I saw that one the last time we went up that way back when I made the usual run up to my uncle's. It will depend on what our time concerns are when we head up there. The Springfield, Mo. store is Bass Pro Shops home base. It is HUGE! I stopped there on my way home on one trip heading for my aunt's and spent almost the entire time with my jaw down around my ankles. Add in the BPS outlet store next door and it will blow your mind. And if you're interesting in buying a boat?

 

Nemo - Higher math was never my strong suit. But I intend to take a ruler to the map and check it that way.

 

Patti - Apologies! I thought I had sent you a PM on the seat. I was also thinking of possibly taking the long way home and taking you two out to dinner at that restaurant everyone was talking about during your M&E. I want to make sure I've got all of the data on the trike down in my "notebook" so I don't mess it up. And I'd also like to see where my money went - aka the Beemer! Interested?

[b2dad]

What date would you be coming thru? We are headed out on vacation soon. Let me know.

Patti

[rbig1]

west of davenport is the Walcott truck stop. promoted as the biggest in usa. lots of trinkets and such your mom would prob like that. its big. across the interstate is a cb radio repair and sells shop. bikes not running right now at the parts house mercy at shipping so I cant go anywhere far truck eats gas. jumers casino in rock island and Milan seams to be peoples favorite one.. not me I might as well give my money away cant win for nothing. wife does but not me. I live below davenport in muscatine

[Brenda H]

Patti

As things stand now, Labor Day weekend. I'd be heading for home on either Thursday or Friday, most likely Friday. Yours truly is supposed to be back at work on the 31st. If you leave before then, which way are you headed? Maybe we can get together somewhere on the road.

What date would you be coming thru? We are headed out on vacation soon. Let me know.

Patti

 

rbig1

I've been to the casino in RI. I've always thought them a great way to lose one's shirt. I will definitely check out the Walcott truckstop. I regularly raid the big ones around here. You can find some very interesting stuff in them!

[Brenda H]

Well, I made it up here. Traffic was kinda fun. Bikes were everywhere, including one that makes me wonder just how they did it. Seeing a bike mounted on a receiver platform behind a motor home is nothing new - usually! This one was! Someone had built what I assume was a custom platform with it's own either spring or shock loaded wheel mounted to the rear bumper/frame of the motor home. What was on that platform was a full sized BMW bike! I had to do a double take when I realized just what I was looking at. If I hadn't been doing 70 mph on I55, I'd have taken a pic of it and had a few words with the owner. I was a bit concerned about it as it seemed to be doing a fair amount of bouncing as it went down the road. That is not a lightweight bike.

 

Plans for the "big adventure" go into effect tomorrow. Hotel reservations are made for Ottawa [Fri. night] and Park City, Ks [sat. night] as my lil brother lives near there. OH FUN!

[b2dad]

Sorry Brenda that we won't be able to meet up as we are scheduled to meet with Buddy and several other VR members at eureka springs M & E. I thought you had signed up as well and we would see you there.

 

 

Maybe we will see you another time.

patti

[Brenda H]

Well I'm sitting in a motel in Ottawa, Ks. Spent last night at the uncle's. Ended up spending some time at the Jumer casino in Rock Island as well. Enjoyed playing a 1cent poker machine. Never actually won anything over 4 cents but I managed to keep that particular $1 investment going for quite awhile. The evening only cost me about $10. I might have spent more but putting $10 bills in a slot machine is not my idea of being real bright.

 

Stopped at the Walcott I80 truckstop. Funny that you don't really notice that it is a TA affiliated center. It is huge. Loved the gift shop [but not their prices]. The trucker's side of things could have had me spending some serious money if I had a better idea of what lights and stuff I want to add to the trike. An any place big enough to house a full rig and trailer [loved that paint job!] in addition to both a KW and a Peterbuilt tractor is not small. I also raided J&P and it appeared to be a HD day in the parking lot there. One guy had a gorgeous Indian tho.

 

Wichita tomorrow. We are staying at the Knight's Inn in Ottawa and for anyone passing this way, this is a pretty nice little Inn. Our room is clean, the manager had turned on the ac for us earlier so it was nice and cool when we got here. Most of the reviews on this place mention staying in the rear building as it is one story and you can park in front of your door. The main building is 2 story and when I had requested a room in the back on my online reservation, the manager says he started checking his guest registry to find out when I had stayed here before . I've never been here before so it kinda had him going for awhile.

 

Patti

Plans originally were for my Mum to come down to my place for a few days, then we would do this trip from my place with me hopefully coming home in time for the ES gathering. Since I ended up having to go up to her place instead, I most likely won't make it this year. RATS!

 

More later!

[Brenda H]

Well, we've made it back to the Mum's house. Fun trip, 1.5k+/- miles, will have to get an oil change done on the truck before heading home. That part of the trip has been put back a week as Mum had lost one of her hearing aids before I got up here and we spent part of today getting it's replacement ordered. Earliest it can get here is Saturday so no going home on Friday as planned as the supplier is in Springfield, not here in Decatur.

 

As for the last part of the trip, had dinner with lil brother and his clan. I got to meet his new daughter in law. My nephew has good taste! She's quite a girl. Spent the night at his house and headed for OKC on Sunday after having a Skype video call with my niece who is on a missionary assignment in the Ukraine. Got to OKC and had an early dinner with my aunt. Quite a surprise to find the Murphy's gas station there where I bought gas had BOTH forms of regular unleaded, with/without Ethanol! Now if I could just find one like that down my way!!!

 

We got into Springfield, Mo. in the wee hours. The Days Inn near the Battlefield Mall is a nice place. Kinda fun to find as it is a street behind and to the right of the Super 8 that is located on US 65. The room was a good size. The king sized bed was firm but comfortable with plenty of pillows. Only complaint was no electrical outlet with available space at the desk. The only one there was occupied by the tv and lamp cords. The laptop got plugged into the outlet next to the wing chair and placed on the table at it's side. I had to pass on Bass Pro. Mum is not walking fast enough to keep up with me even if I'm doing a slow stroll, so I may have to pass on it this trip. But there may be a detour on the trip home!!

 

We got home in time for dinner. Since my travel plans have changed, I may take time to visit some of my dad's family while I'm still up here. My aunt in OKC is the last of her generation, but I've still got some cousins floating around Champaign/Urbana where I was born so who knows where I'll end up before heading back south.

 

More later!

[videoarizona]

Thanks, Brenda. it's fun reading along with others as they ride....

david