The Columbus/Big Timber/Harlowton Loop

September 21, 2021

The has been decidedly cooler and friends tell me that it snowed in the mountains over the weekend so it sounds like winter is on its way.  I actually like winter, even though I don’t ski, but this year it means that my motorcycle riding days are running out.  In order to get it while I can, I went out for a 232 mile ride today.  The weather perfect: blue skies and in the low-70s.

Since it was Tuesday, the day started with the usual 7-mile run with Jerry Kilts.  We got going at 6:30 am and remarked how it was getting darker earlier and earlier.  We’ll probably switch back to afternoons in another week or two.  We did our “Southside Tour” which takes us from across the street from Senior High School school, past the Western Heritage Center downtown, through South Park, and over to Sugar Avenue and past the sugar beet factory which is in full production.  I grabbed this shot of the moon set as we went by.

After getting the run behind me and taking the dog to the dog park, I got my act together and hit the road about noon.  I took the usual back roads and went through Laurel, Park City, and into Columbus.  There, I stopped at the Uncle Sam Cafe for a sandwich.  It was my first time there and it was excellent.  Very friendly and welcoming staff and the sandwich and 3-bean salad were great.

After lunch I headed out of town on old US Hwy 10.  After a few miles it ended and I was forced to get on I-90 but before I did I took a side road and went to where the pavement ended.

The ride on the Interstate reminded me of why I like the 2-lane option. Big trucks.  Fast cars.  All about covering distance.  I decided to take it to Greycliff and then take the 2-lane road from there to Big Timber.  By that time the wind had picked up and there was LOTS of it.  When I first started riding, I found the crosswinds unsettling but now, with over 11,000 miles behind me, they are only annoying.

I gassed up in Big Timber and cruised the town to find the courthouse for Sweet Grass county for which it is the seat.

From there I headed north on Hwy 191.  It was still windy but about 10-miles out of town it calmed down.  I stopped along the way for a photo opportunity with the Crazy Mountains in the background.

The ride to Harlowton was uneventful.  I’d not traveled this route before so it was a new experience.  As I came over a rise and neared Harlow, I could see the windmills in Judith Gap in the distance.

In Harlow, I quickly found the courthouse and grabbed that photo.

Not surprisingly, the local brewery, Galley’s, was closed so there was nothing to do but head east toward Billings.  Along the way I stopped in Ryegate, the county seat for Golden Valley, and grabbed this photo.

The rest of the ride was great.  70+ mph with the wind at my back.  232 miles.

Some Post-trip Musings - Part 4 - The Music

September 3, 2021

As a big music fan, I can’t write up these reflections on my trip without mentioning the music I brought along.  Back in 1979 I took a big trip on my 1976 Honda CB 750, which you can read about here.  This was my route, about 7,000-miles.

On that trip I traveled with a backpack, tent, and sleeping bag.  I had a helmet and a jacket and that was about it.  I did carry a small transistor radio to listen to at night while camping, but that was the extent of the electronics I’d brought along.

In 1982, I took a trip to British Columbia and back, from Southern California.

 

On that trip I took along a cassette player mounted in a tank bag and some audio cassettes including a mix tape I’d made just for that trip.  You can read about that trip here and the player and collections of songs here.

While I didn’t make my current “mix tape” specifically for this trip, it was perfect for it anyway.

When things were shut down due to the pandemic in March of 2020, I, like many others, resorted to our indoor hobbies to keep us entertained and engaged.  I have lots of hobbies, interests, and passions and there is always a list of things I want to get to.  One of them was a to make a collection of my favorite singles.  I named it my “No Skip List” after the “skip” button found on music streaming services, like Pandora, that allow the listener to “skip” a song they might not be fond of.  I thought, what if I had a collection of songs that I’d never hit skip on?  What would that list look like?

I started off by going through all the mp3s that I have “acquired” since that format was invented, somewhere around 65,000 files.  From there I went through my vinyl albums, about 900, and digitized songs that made the cut.  Then I went through my cassettes, 8-tracks (yes, 8-tracks), and compact disks.  Finally, I went through my reel-to-reel tapes, digitizing anything that I wanted from this analog collection.  When I’d done that I had just over 450 singles and looked like it would play for over 28-hours.  There was every kind of genre represented and spanned musical history from the late-1930s to the present day.  I loaded these on my phone and played them over the past year while I was out for a run, working on a piece of art, doing household chores, or working in the garage.  I also kept a list on my desk as I came across new songs that I would add.  What is interesting is that I play these on “shuffle,” that is, in a random order, and it is fun to see how well they segued from one to another.

With these on my phone and my Cardo PackTalk Bold helmet communication system connected to it over Bluetooth, I had plenty of music to keep me company on the trip.  I will say that I still rode long stretches in silence because, sometimes, all that is needed is the sound of the bike and the passing wind to add a soundtrack to the scenery.  I’d alway stop the music as I come into a town so as not to distract me from other vehicles.

So, what are these songs?  Here’s the list, in a random order.

Santana - Moonflower

Shadows - Zambesi

Skeeter Davis - I Cant Stay Mad At You

Van Morrison - Moondance

Simon and Garfunkle - I Am A Rock

Tom Petty - Breakdown

Paul Simon - Kodachrome

Sadao Watanabe and Lee Ritenour - Someday in Suburbs

Eddie Howard - It's No Sin

Bob Marley - Is This Love

Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze

10cc - Dreadlock Holiday

Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams Are Made of This

The Motels - Total Control

Tom Jones - It's Not Unusual

Steely Dan - My Old School

Dean Martin - That's Amore

Buckinghams - Back In Love Again

Arlo Guthrie - Coming Into Los Angeles

Eagles - How Long

Acker Bilk - Stranger On the Shore

Captain Beyond - Sufficiently Breathless

Patsy Cline - Walkin' After Midnight

Rod Stewart - The First Cut Is The Deepest

Santana - Europa (Earth's Cry, Heaven's Smile)

The Cure - Just Like Heaven

Peter Frampton - Baby I Love Your Way

Matt Bianco - I Never Meant To

Eva Cassidy - Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Stevie Ray Vaughn - Cold Shot

Eddie Howard - To Each His Own

Fleetwood Mac - Sara

Carpenters - Yesterday Once More

Michael Franks - Eggplant

The Guess Who - Runnin' Back To Saskatoon

Dido - White Flag

John Prine - Hello In There

Jim Croce - I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song

Eurythmics - Would I Lie to You

The Fleetwoods - Come Softly To Me

Culture Club - Karma Chameleon

Billy Idol - White Wedding

Standells - Try It

The Guess Who - These Eyes

Carly Simon - Haven't Got Time For Pain

10,000 Maniacs - Like The Weather-

Dire Straits - Six Blade Knife

Arlo Guthrie - The City of New Orleans

John Tropea - Muff

Katie Melua - The Closest Thing To Crazy

Amy Winehouse - Fuck Me Pumps

B52s - Love Shack

Average White Band - Pick Up the Pieces

Elvis Costello - Allison

Marvin Gaye - What's Going On

David Sanborn - Carly's Song

Travis - Why does it always rain on me

Basia - Reward

Tommy Bolin - Savannah Woman

Laura Nyro - Stoney End

REM - Stand

Beach Boys - I Get Around

Paul Simon - 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover

Beautiful South - A Little Time

Gladys Knight & The Pips - Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye)

Hot Hot Heat - Middle of Nowhere

Natalie Imbruglia - Torn

Stone Ponys - Different Drum

Manfred Mann - Spirit in the Night

Peter & Gordon - A World Without Love

Fleetwood Mac - Hypnotized

Steve Winwood - While You See a Chance

Mott the Hoople - All The Young Dudes

Gerry & the Pacemakers - How Do You Do It

The Cure - Close To Me

10,000 Maniacs - You Happy Puppet

Zombies - Care Of Cell 44

Roy Obison - Crying

Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl

She and Him - Me and You

Three Degrees - When Will I See You Again

Blues Image - Ride Captain Ride

John Prine - Speed Of The Sound Of Lonliness

Van Morrison - Have I Told You Lately

Eagles - Tequila Sunrise

No Doubt - Running

Ho'omau - Daydream

Rod Stewart - Tonight's the Night

Jimmy Ruffin - What Becomes of the Brokenhearted

Jefferson Starship - Miracles

Allman Brothers - Blue_Sky

Fleetwood Mac - Dreams

Donovan - Wear Your Love Like Heaven

Smokey Robinson And The Miracles - I Second That Emotion

Herman's Hermits - I'm Into Something Good

The La_s - There she goes

Derek and the Dominos - Bell Bottom Blues

She and Him - Ridin in My Car

The Church - Under The Milky Way

Robustos - Don't Be Down

Monkees - Daydream Believer

Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time

New Riders of the Purple Sage - Panama Red

Monty Python - Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life

Jay And The Americans - Come A Little Bit Closer

Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill

Buffalo Springfield - For What It's Worth

BJ Thomas - Hooked On a Feeling

Shadows - It's Been A Blue Day

Golden Earring - Radar Love

Billy J Kramer & Dakotas - Bad To Me

CSNY - Ohio

Flash in the Pan - Media Man

Tennis - Never Work for Free

The Police - Every Breath You Take

Beautiful South - Rotterdam (Or Anywhere)

Elton John - Crocodile Rock

Van Morrison - Brown-Eyed

The Pointer Sisters - Slow Hand

George Benson - Breezin

Jerry Jeff Walker - Morning Song to Sally

Peter Frampton - Baby, I Love Your Way

Matt Bianco - Ronnie's Samba

Bob Dylan - Knockin' On Heaven's Door

Tommy James - Crimson And Clover

Neil Young - Long May You Run

Coldplay - Dont Panic

Belle and Sebastian - Asleep On A Sunbeam

Fleetwood Mac - Emerald Eyes

Modest Mouse - Float On

Sam Cooke - You Send Me

Face to Face - 10, 9, 8

Pink Martini - Hang On Little Tomato

Meatloaf - Two Out of Three Ain't Bad

Temptations - My Girl

Kate and Anna McGarrigle - Love Over and Over

Paul Stookey - Wedding Song

Alan Parsons Project - I Robot

Joe Satriani - Love thing

Toots and the Maytals - Just Like That

Dido - Life for rent

Creedence Clearwater Revival - composite

Neil Young - Heart of Gold

Doobie Brothers -  - Black Water

Rusted Root - Send me on my way

Booker T and the MGs - Time Is Tight

Cat Stevens - Morning Has Broken

The Band - Up On Cripple Creek

Santana - Samba Pa Ti

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - The Tears Of A Clown

Lake - Time Bomb

Maria Muldaur - Midnight at the Oasis

Sugarloaf - Green-Eyed Lady

Paul Simon - Something So Right

Grateful Dead - Sugar Magnolia

Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody

Zombies - Tell Her No

Simply Red - Holding Back The Years

Patsy Cline - Faded Love

The Moody Blues_Nights In White Satin

Bad Company - Feel Like Makin' Love

Looking Glass - Brandy

Dan Hicks and The Hot Licks - It's Not My Time To Go

Oasis - Supersonic

Blue ™yster Cult - Then Came The Last Days Of May

Beach Boys - Kokomo

Kyu Sakamoto - Sukiyaki (Japanese love song)

Steely Dan - Kid Charlemagne

Cream - Badge

John Hiatt - She Said the Same Thing to Me

Eric Johnson - Cliffs of Dover

Bob Seger - Mainstreet

Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs - Lil' Red Riding Hood

Jackson Browne - Rock Me On The Water

Billy Joel - Honesty

Jim Croce - Operator (That's Not the Way it Feels)

Prince - Little Red Corvette

Roy Orbison - In Dreams

Kinks - Tired of Waiting for You

dir.txt

Box Tops - the Letter

Nanci Griffith - Speed of the sound of loneliness

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Wonderful World-Over the Rainbow

David Bowie - Young Americans

Jay And The Americans - This Magic Moment

John Lennon - Imagine

Michael Franks - I Don't Know Why I'm So Happy I'm Sad

Eagles - The Best Of My Love

Supremes - You Can't Hurry Love

Michael Franks - Monkey See Monkey Do

Basia - Baby You're Mine

Shins - Girl Sailor

Breakfast at Tiffanys - Deep Blue Something

Keane - This Is The Last Time

Sonny and Cher - I Got You Babe

Zombies - A Rose For Emily

The English Beat - Rough Rider

Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb

The Colourfield - Can't Get Enough of You Baby

Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child Of Mine

War - Low Rider

Uriah Heep - Rain

The Cars - It's All I Can Do

Bob Marley - No Woman No Cry

Al Stewart -Time Passages

Traveling Wilburys - Walk Away

UB40 - Red Red Wine

Emitt Rhodes - Fresh As A Daisy

Alice Cooper - I'm Eighteen

Al Green - How Can You Mend A Broken Heart

Steely Dan - Hey Nineteen

Belle and Sebastian - Another Sunny Day

Steely Dan - Deacon Blues

Archies - Sugar Sugar

Leon Russell - Tight Rope

10,000 Maniacs - Grey Victory-

Jennifer Warnes - Right Time Of The Night

Jackson Browne - Doctor My Eyes

John Prine - Illegal Smile

Jimmy Buffet - Margaritaville

Roy Orbison - Blue Bayou

Booker T and the MGs - Green Onions

Fountains Of Wayne - Bright Future In Sales

Elton John - Daniel

Los Lobos - Will the Wolf Survive

Nino Tempo & April Stevens - Deep Purple

Rolling Stones - As Tears Go By

Rascals - It's Wonderful

Lightspeed Champion - Madame van Damme

Blondie - Heart Of Glass

Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run

Roxy Music - More Than This

Dan Fogelberg and Tim Weisberg - Guitar ?tude No. 3

Styx - The Best of Times

Neil Young - Cinnamon Girl

Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine

Elton John - Your Song

Kayak - I Want You to Be Mine

Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop (Hey Ho! Let's Go)

Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It

Warren Zevon - Werewolves of London

Weezer - Island In The Sun

Classics IV - Traces

Housemartins - Build

Patsy Cline - I Fall To Pieces

Boz Scaggs - Lowdown

Buffalo Springfield - Burned

Smiths - There Is a Light That Never Goes Out

Spanky and Our Gang - Like to Get to Know You

Frank Sinatra -  All Or Nothing At All

Chicken Shack - I'd Rather Go Blind

Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come on Eileen

Hall and Oates - Don't Change

Neil Young - I Am A Child

REM - Everybody hurts

Al Green - Let's Stay Together

Steely Dan - Turn That Heartbeat Over Again

The Clash - The Magnificient Seven

Carole King - It's Too Late

Smiths - Girlfriend In A Coma

Styx - Babe

Ekolu - Stuck On You

Donald Fagen - The Goodbye Look

Timbuk 2 - The Future's So Bright

Tom Petty - Mary Jane's Last Dance

Heart - Dreamboat Annie

Sade - Your Love Is King

Rascals - Ray Of Hope

Al Stewart - Year of the Cat

Aimee Mann - Mr Harris

Los Lobos - I Got Loaded

Cold Play - Clocks

The Motels - The Days are OK But the Nights are Made for Love

Matt Bianco - Ordinary Day

David Grisman - Minor Swing

Foundations - Build Me Up Buttercup

Eva Cassidy - What A Wonderful World

Ho'omau - How Long

Syd Straw - Sphinx

John Klemmer - Pure Love

Bob Seger - Against the Wind

Bobby Darin - Mack The Knife

Colin Hay - Overkill

Boston - More Than A Feeling

Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine

Dave Clark Five -  Because

Karla Bonoff - Isn't It Always Love

Beautiful South - The Rocking Chair

Carly Simon - You Belong To Me

Tommy James - Crystal Blue Persuasion

Nanci Griffith - Once In A Very Blue Moon

No Doubt - Underneath It All

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication

Alison Krauss - Baby, Now That I've Found You

Aragon - unknown

Zombies - This Will Be Our Year

Blast - Dance With Me

Gary Puckett - Over You

John Fogerty - Centerfield

Beautiful South - I'll sail this ship alone

Keith - 98.6

The Psychedelic Furs - Love My Way

Steely Dan - Dirty Work

Jay & The Americans - Cara Mia

David Grisman - Swing 42

Elton John & Kiki Dee - Don't Go Breaking My Heart

Violent Femmes - Gone Daddy Gone

Patsy Cline - Crazy

Basia - Cruising For Bruising

Cardigans - Love Fool

Rickie Lee Jones - Chuck E's in Love

Bob Welch - Sentimental Lady

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit

Steely Dan - Cousin Dupree

Pretenders - Brass In Pocket

Neil Young - Old Man

Dire Straits - Money for Nothing

Artie Shaw - Honorable Mr So and So

Buffalo Springfield - On the Way Home

Steely Dan - Bad Sneakers

Don McLean - Vincent

Marty Robbins - Man Walks Among Us

Camera Obscura - Shine Like a New Pin

Keane - Somewhere Only We Know

Smiths - Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now

Katrina and the Waves - Walking on Sunshine

Devo - Whip It

Steely Dan - Only A Fool Would Say That

The XX - VCR

Tremeloes - Silence Is Golden

A-Ha - Take On Me

Jethro Tull - Bungle In The Jungle

The Cure - Love Song

Roches -  Mr. Sellack

10,000 Maniacs - Hello In There

Bob Dylan - Positively Fourth Street

Queen - Killer Queen

Yes - Roundabout

Beatles - In My Life

Ricky Nelson - Travelin' Man

Fleetwood Mac - Sands of Time

Pilot - Magic

Dave Brubeck - Take 5

Bob Welch - Ebony Eyes

Velvet Underground - Candy Says

The Cure - Friday I'm in Love

Mink DeVille - Spanish Stroll

Santana - Smooth

Tommy Bolin - Alexis

Matt Bianco - La Luna

Gerry And The Pacemakers - How Do You Do It

ZZ Top - Rough Boy

Joan Osborne - One of Us

Michael Franks - Popsicle_Toes

Boz Scaggs - It's Over

Helen Reddy - You And Me Against The World

Shadows - Blue Star

Fleetwood Mac - Bermuda Triangle

The Colourfield - Hammond Song

Oasis - Wonderwall

Sade - Smooth Operator

Midnight Oil - Power and the Passion

The Cars - Drive

Stylistics - Stone in love with you

Linda Ronstadt - I Can't Help It If I'm Still In Love With You

Gladys Knight & the Pips - Midnight Train to Georgia

Chuck Mangione - Feels So Good

X Ambassadors - Renegades

Alan Parsons Project - I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You

Pretenders - Thin Line Between Love & Hate

Lovin' Spoonful - You Didn't Have to Be So Nice

Edgar Winters Group - Frankenstein

Crosby, Still, and Nash - Just a Song Before I Go

Brave Belt - Anyday Means Tomorrow

Bob Seger - Night Moves

10cc - Wedding Bells

Keane - Can't Stop Now

Greg Kihn Band - The Breakup Song

Boomtown Rats - Rat Trap

Dido - Thank You

Rolling Stones - Under My Thumb

Zombies - She's Not There

Roches - The Married Men

Herman's Hermits - A Must to Avoid

Tommy Bolin - Lotus

Percy Sledge - When A Man Loves A Woman

Derek and the Dominos - I Looked Away

Marty Robbins - As Time Goes By

Eagles - Already Gone

Blondie - Tide Is High

Roy Orbison - Pretty Woman

Lou Reed - Walk on the wild side

Jim Croce - I Got a Name

Rascals - I've Been Lonely Too Long

Stephen Bishop - On And On

Amy Winehouse - Help Yourself

Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On

Rascals - How Can I Be Sure

Beach Boys - Darlin'

Roy Orbison - Only The Lonely

Mazzy Star - Fade Into You

Beatles - It's Only Love

Buckinghams - Susan

Dido - Here with me

Roger Waters - The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking

Bronski Beat - It Ain't Necessarily So

Chris Isaak - Wicked Game

Ekolu - Beautiful

The Guess Who - Back to the City

Manfred Mann - Blinded by the Light

Bruce Springsteen - Prove It All Night

Grass Roots - Midnight Confessions

Shins - New Slang

Bruce Springsteen - Dancing in the Dark

Van Morrison - On the Bright Side of the Road

George Harrison - Love Comes to Everyone

Buckinghams - Don't You Care

No Doubt - In My Head

The Motels - Careful

Billy Joel - An Innocent Man

The Miracles - The Tracks of My Tears

The Guess Who - Undun

Belle and Sebastian - The Blues are Still Blue

Pat Metheny - Are You Going With Me

Peter & Gordon - I Go To Pieces

Fumiaki Miyamoto - Blue Rondo A La Turk

James Gang - Walk Away

Belle and Sebastian - Funny Little Frog

Cyndi Lauper - She Bop

Gil Scott Heron - Gun

Katie Melua - Just Like Heaven

Pretenders - Kid

Basia & Peter White - Just Another Day

Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing

I’ll continue to add to the list as time goes by.

I didn’t listen to just music.  I’ve been a fan of radio drama since the mid-1960s when I stumbled upon some rebroadcasts of “The Shadow” and “The Green Hornet” and, as a collector-prone person, I started saving those programs, first on tape and later in digital format.  My interest in this medium goes beyond what is referred to as “The Golden Age of Radio” and includes contemporary productions, mostly from the BBC that is still doing this, but also the occasional American-made shows.  One of my favorites of the latter is the radio version of the Star Wars trilogy. The first two, “Star Wars” and “The Empire Strikes Back,” were produced in the early 1980s and feature several of the original actors, all the original music and sound effects, with expanded scripts delivered in 13 and 10 part serial format.  I give these a complete listen every year or so and on the last day of my trip, the 580-some mile ride through eastern Montana, I listened to the first 7 episodes of “The Empire Strikes Back.”  It helped burn up those miles and, as always, headphone listening is the best way to experience these.

Technology has certainly made bringing this type of entertainment along so much easier than in the past.  No more bulky tape players or shuffling through tapes that only contained 90-minutes of content.  Hours upon hours of material are simply (or not so simply) loaded on the phone and streamed to a communication device mounted on the helmet.  Add to it that both that device and the phone are multi-purpose units, performing a variety of tasks simultaneously with physical footprints that are negligible.  There is lots to like about this stuff.

Some Post-trip Musings - Part 3 - The Places

September 3, 3021

While the ride and the roads are the main attraction, the places passed by or arrived at are certainly part of the mix.  As I traveled on 2-lane backroads for over 6,000-miles, I saw places and things that are not part of the experience when traveling on “the slab” AKA the freeway/interstate system.  Add to that, different parts of the country provide their own distinctive flavor to the tour.

Right off, let’s get the political piece out of the way.  I don’t know how many small towns I went through, a hundred or maybe more, and I notice right away that in nearly every one of them I saw at least one house sporting a campaign poster for the person who lost the last presidential election.  Most of them were for the 2020 election but there were others that expressed their hopefulness for 2024.  In one town in Pennsylvania, a house could barely be seen behind the wall of posters, banners, and flags along with some hand-drawn imagery that some would define as fairly rude directed at the current White House.

That out of the way, another thing I noticed, once I got out of South Dakota and into Minnesota and continued all the way to Maine, were how many homes had vegetable stands out front.  They were on tables, in shed, or under pop up tents and advertised “Fresh Vegetables” and, apparently, it was the honor system where customers picked out what the wanted and left the money in a can or box attached to the table.  Sweet corn was, on average, $5/dozen.  

Second to the vegetables for sale was “Campfire Wood.”  These bundles looked to be about 16-18 inches long and a foot or so in diameter and wrapped in plastic.  Some specified whether they were hardwood or softwood.  Prices ranged from $4 to $6 a bundle.

Once I’d left Montana I noticed something else that was new to me and that were all of the “Dollar General” stores.  A town might not have much else other than a gas station, a bar, and church, but it had a Dollar General.  I wasn’t sure what they were but when I looked them up I learned they have a little bit of everything from groceries to hardware to clothing, a true “general store.”  Evidently, there are over 16,000 of these across the country.

The layout of towns is surprisingly similar across the country.  If it’s really small, you’ll first encounter a few houses before they give way to the “downtown” where the commercial goods and services are found.  Businesses that are dirty or noisy, like automobile repair, are found on the outskirts but on the opposite end from where the homes are.  The type of homes seen along the way vary but the farther east we got the more wood-frame, Victorian-type of building became dominant.  What was interesting about them is that there would be 2 or 3 that looked pretty good, followed by 1 or 2 that were restored, and then one that was probably beyond restoration.

And for those who are interested in old barn wood, just follow my route through the east and you’ll find more than you can haul away.  There is a proliferation of collapsed structures across the country, the paint long-gone, and the remaining wood barely standing.  These were usually out buildings but plenty of former residences were in that condition as well. 

The one type of buildings I never saw in a dilapidated state were the churches.  They may be simple in design and construction but they were always well-maintained.  As I mentioned in my daily blog, it was interesting seeing what denominations dominated as I passed through different regions.  In Minnesota, it was the Lutherans.  As we neared Maine, it was the Catholics.  Once we headed into southern Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, it was the Baptists.  I don’t remember seeing any LDS on the ride which are plenty popular in Montana.

Something that really impressed me, especially across Minnesota, was the pride people have in their properties.  A farmhouse would sit back on a half acre of grass that is very green, mowed, and otherwise well cared for.  There are an abundance of flower gardens around the houses and the overall curb appeal is high.  No vehicles on blocks with piles of junk leaning against the house.  What is it that leads to this difference from what I find in other places?

And clean.  The downtown areas of these towns are really clean.  It reminded me of the small villages and towns I went through when I lived in Germany.  By contrast, where I live, Billings, MT, I consider it a fairly dirty place.  A business will have weeds growing in the sidewalk out front.  Litter is a problem.  And one doesn’t have to go very far out of town to encounter assortments of dead vehicles, agricultural equipment, and other refuse existing alongside whatever residence is there.  But not in small-town America.

There were plenty of surprises along the way found by sticking to the backroads.  For example, we were traveling along Hwy 10 through Haverhill, NH when we came up a TourTech motorcycle test ride event at their fairgrounds.  Pretty cool.  Then there was the Dixville Notch in New Hampshire, which I’d heard of, but it was the large resort, The Balsams, across the lake that was a nice find.

And let’s not forget the delicious Bismarcks from the General Store in Grand Isle, Maine.

And the historical museum across the street with the great photography collection.

The list of specific places can go on and on but it’s the sweeping view of America that creates a lasting impression. Political banners aside, I come away with the feeling that America is doing just fine.  We saw people going about their daily business, taking care of their homes, having fun in their parks and their county fairs, enjoying the great scenery, and just living life.  Relying on opinions foisted 24/7 through the broadcast, streaming, and social media, one could end up with a slanted view of what is really taking place in the country.  I checked out of that media on this trip and that diet is likely to be one I will continue for some time.

Some Post-trip Musings - Part 2 - The Routes and Riding

September 2, 2021

While thoughts are still fresh in the mind I wanted to record some random ideas, memories, and reflections about the routes I took and the whole feeling about life on the road with a motorcycle.

The decision to ride backroads and to avoid highways was made very early in the planning process.  Having ridden the bike on the interstates in Montana, it reminded me that the experience of doing so is intense, anxiety-producing, and dangerous.  It’s like a game where all the players are vying for the best position and one must be expert on passing and being passed. That lends itself to getting somewhere quickly, that is, the quantity, but totally lacks in the quality of ride I was looking for. 

The freeways are called that because they are free of intersections, signal lights, and anything else that would impede forward motion.  The opportunity for commerce is only found at interchanges and usually consists of well-known national or regional chains where the products are homogenous, safe, and predictable.  This may be efficient, but adds no character to the travel experience.  

The non-freeway option brings the traveler down to the people.  The roads are less trafficked, the speed is slower, the range of smells goes beyond vehicle exhaust, and one gets a close up view of hundreds of villages, small towns and cities, and all that the localized commerce has to offer.  Add to that, the rides between those places are surrounded, for the most part, by agriculture and, without a doubt, corn dominates what is being cultivated.  Unlike traveling on “the slab,” riding on these smaller roads gives one the opportunity to see that vegetation up close.  I stopped many times just to look at the plants and saw the browning of the tassels on ears of corn and the pods containing soybeans.

Choices of meals along the backroads are better than what is found on freeway off ramps and interchanges.  As a vegetarian, there can be challenges, but, again, it is just part of the adventure.  For example, I ate a breakfast at an excellent diner, literally in the middle of nowhere, listed as North Manchester, Indiana, at the intersection of roads 15 and 114, called Omegas Family Restaurant.  I should have taken a photo when parked there but grabbed this one from Google Street view:

The food was excellent and the staff was like family, the kind of place where the wait staff calls you “honey.”  The others there seemed to be regulars and no one seemed to mind that I sat there for a while, writing in my blog.

Later on the ride, my son and I stopped at this place that served up a big breakfast with a friendly and very outgoing server.

And the lunch at the 2-Feet Brewery in Bangor, Maine where I had an Absinthe IPA.  Where else would I find something like that?

Part of the adventure of riding these back roads is finding one’s way.  When riding the interstates it’s possible to hop on one of those numbered routes and travel through 5 states without changing the route number.  With the backroads, the numbers change all the time.  I might ride for 20-miles on a section road, make a right or left turn, travel a few miles, make another turn, generally heading in the right direction but rarely diagonally.  Of course, this adds miles but the ride is not about getting to a certain destination in the least amount of time, it’s about seeing something different, finding curvy and twisty routes, and not knowing what is going to come next.

I used Google maps to guide me and learned some tricks in getting a route that avoids city centers.  While I tell it to avoid the big highways, it can, and will, bring me through a city on surface streets rather than around it.  To avoid that, I learned to set “waypoints,” that is, destinations along the way that it has to route through.  If I’d done that before getting to Dubuque, I’d have avoided the tour of a not so nice part of town and the traffic that went along with it.  But that is also part of the whole adventure, isn’t it?

And the roads….it’s about those roads.  I would usually find myself on a 2-lane road with a dashed, yellow line down the middle and a white fog line on the right, but that was not always the case.  The software would route me on a shorter path and I’d find myself heading down a local road with no lines and barely enough room for two vehicles to pass one another.

The road conditions were also variable.  On some they’d be bumpy, on others there were pot holes to avoid, but the roads were usually pretty good for riding.  We look for the routes that have the most interesting curves because that’s what riding a sport/tour motorcycle is all about.  Plus, they provide great photo opportunities.

One consideration for riders is the lack of gas stops on these less-beaten paths.  It’s something to consider but my bike’s tank holds over 6-gallons and I get about 55 miles to the gallon so I can always find a stop before panic sets in.  At one point, when I was with my son who is riding a BMW, he had gassed up and I, for some reason, didn’t and I later got to see my gas gauge drop to one bar and then see that bar start flashing.  I think the indicator on the dash said I had something like 40-miles left when we found a fuel stop but there was still lots of gas slashing around in the tank.

One concern while riding is the danger presented by drivers who can’t see the bike or make some foolish maneuver.  In the over-6,000 miles I traveled, I didn’t really encounter anything that would be considered a close call.  There was one situation where I was merging into some traffic and, although I had the “Yield” sign, I thought I was ahead on the oncoming cars and a pickup disagreed and gave me the horn.  OK, I’ll own that one.  Overall, and part of this is due to riding backroads with little traffic, I never felt like I was in danger, or unsafe, unlike riding the streets of Billings, MT. 

I only felt that my riding skill set was challenged to the extreme twice along the way.  One was when crossing the Mackinac Bridge.  Strong crosswinds with gusts, coupled with the additional challenge of riding over steel grating, was unnerving but a great learning experience and raised my level of confidence once I’d made it to the other side.  The other challenge was not too long after that when I was in northern Minnesota and the rain became a very heavy downpour with flooding of the streets and one short burst of hydroplaning.  The fun of riding had completely left the day, but as I rode, I took mental notes on what was happening and how the bike was handling to turn this into another one of those teachable moments.  My confidence level, not that it’s all digested yet, is much higher and I feel ready for future experiences with inclement weather and steel grating.

Road construction is certainly one of the realities of riding in the summer.  I don’t really mind the occasional stop for the flagman controlling the one-lane traffic but I am not crazy about riding through loose gravel or those grooved highways awaiting a fresh layer of asphalt.  Again, experience erases anxiety and with lots of construction along the way I was afforded lots of practice.

I suppose one of the biggest fears of any rider is dropping their bike.  The only thing that makes that worse is dropping it with witnesses.  I only had one experience where that almost happened.  It was hot out and I’d backed into a parking space where I was going to to grab a sandwich.  It appeared that the parking lot had recently been seal-coated and I didn’t anticipate that the new surface would be as slippery as it was. I dropped the kickstand and put my right foot down and it immediately started sliding away from me.  I instinctively tightened up every muscle and tendon to keep from going down and, while I was successful in preventing the disaster, I also knew “That’s gonna hurt.”  Luckily, no damage but I did feel a twinge later in the day.

The Butt and Hands

Anyone who rides distance will tell you about issue related to the butt and hands.  Hanging on to the handlebars for hours at a time and keeping the throttle grip open will take its toll.  It’s like inducing a repetitive motion injury and numbness, tingling, and pain are not uncommon.  For me, the presence of electronic cruise control was one of the selling features for me with this bike.  I get up to speed, hit the cruise button, push the paddle switch down to set it, and it locks to that speed perfectly.  To disconnect, a light tap of the brakes, or the clutch, or the cruise button, or turning the throttle all the way down will take care of that.  While riding with it on, the paddle switch can be tapped up or down to increase or decrease speed as needed.  Instead of keeping a tight grip on the throttle, I can just let my hand rest on it. 

I also increased the diameter of my grips by adding a slip-on, foam product called the “Grip Puppy.”  The increased diameter of the grip seems to reduce the amount of force needed to hang on to it.  My grips are also heated which feels great when chilly out but can also just give the hands a bit of heat therapy.

The issue of the seat on the bike is probably a bigger issue among other owners.  Few would say that the stock seat is a wonderful thing and from my reading on the forums, I’d say that a custom seat upgrade is the most popular add on.  The seats are not inexpensive, ranging from about $500 to $700 and, in most cases, they build the custom seat on the bike’s existing “seat pan,” the plastic frame that attaches the seat to the motorcycle.  Even if I wanted to do that, I am not going to ship my seat pan off for the 6-weeks or so that it would take during the season when I can ride.  That would be a better project for the winter.

My experience tells me that my butt, on the stock seat, is good for about 150-180 miles and then it feels like the tailbone is suffering permanent damage.  I made two versions of a custom seat pad, one with foam and one with gel, and while there was improvement, it wasn’t that great.  Some riders said that they got by with an air-filled pad called the AirHawk so I decided to give it a try.  At less than $100 it is certainly less than a custom seat and worth a shot.  The trick is to not over-inflate them.  Just blow enough air in it, get it on the bike, sit on it, and then let the air out slowly until the butt is about 1/2-inch off the seat.  The company guarantees that it will double the mileage that one can do in a day and, after getting used to it, they are correct.  

My last day of the trip was well-over 500-miles and my rear felt just fine.  I don’t know if I’d go for a custom seat at this point.

Taking breaks are key to doing any long distance trips, whether in the car or on a bike.  For me, 100-miles is a good stopping point.  Get off the bike, walk around, get a drink of water, stretch, and rub the rear a bit.    

Head Protection

Another aspect of riding are the bugs.  Yes, I hit that plague of grasshoppers in North Dakota but aside from that, a motorcycle still collects a fair number of bugs along the way.  Whether to do a daily cleaning or wait until the ride is over is a controversy I won’t delve into but I bring up the bug issue as it relates to wearing a helmet.  The whole helmet issue is EXTREMELY controversial in the riding community and is probably the most divisive one there is.  Some claim that laws requiring a helmet encroaches on their personal freedoms as riding without one makes them feel free.  Back in the day, like 40-years ago, I’d ride without one from time to time but, now, I am a helmet wearer and, for me, it’s ATGATT (All The Gear, All The Time.)  

Not only will a helmet protect my head in case I get off the bike while doing speed, it also protects me from the bugs, especially the big ones. My windshield does a pretty good job of either catching or deflecting most insects but my face shield and the helmet itself still pick up a fair number of splats.  But what the helmet really protects me from are those big bugs that seem to dive straight down on me, like really big bugs the size of bumblebees or larger.  I have had them hit the helmet with a loud “ping” that jerks my head back a little.  Without the protection of a helmet, that’d leave a mark.

Another level of protection that the helmet provides is that it reduces the noise level that my ears are exposed to.  I already have tinnitus, that constant ringing or buzzing in the ears that comes from age, rock concerts, construction noise, and other forms of abuse they have suffered and I don’t want to add to it.  I wear a Shoei GT Air II helmet that had pretty good sound ratings, especially in terms of sound that the helmet itself can add.  I also wear some foam earplugs that give me a little more protection and they don’t hinder my hearing the navigation commands or the music that plays over my headphones.

And, of course, with my head being follically challenged, the helmet keeps the sun off, just another way it adds protection.  Getting on the bike without the helmet feels as naked as driving a car without a seatbelt.

A final thought regarding age and riding…I started riding when I was about 18 (not counting the years on mini bikes before that) and I rode for 2 years before being called up for military service.  When I returned and bought another bike, I did 50,000-miles over the next 8-years which included 2 cross country road trips.  Then there was a 37-year break.  Now that I am back to it, what differences do I notice?  

Aside from the fact that my 2021 Yamaha FJR1300ES is quite a bit more bike than my old ‘66 Honda 305 or my ‘76 Honda CB750, I am aware of being WAY more cautious than in the past.  In those old days I would get on anything with two-wheels and just go.  I wasn’t a crazy rider.  I didn’t pop wheelies.  I didn’t speed (much).  I just liked to ride.  When I returned to it, I was acutely aware that I was, I’ll fully admit it, scared.  It took a while to get my riding legs back under me, something this trip facilitated, and I attribute much my reticence to wisdom that comes with age.  

As a former high school teacher, one thing I learned about the young is their sense of invincibility, fearlessness, and impulsiveness.  Luckily, I have moved beyond those feelings and approach these new challenges with respect for the fragility of the human body, knowledge of how long it takes to heal, and a healthy distrust for anyone behind the wheel of a car.  Sometimes I find myself overthinking the physics of how the motorcycle is handling.  I initially thought I had to reconnect with the bike, become at one with it but now I find that it is the road that I need to be at one with and the bike is just a tool that allows me to do that.

Riding while older is still fun.  It’s exciting.  It’s head-clearing.  I’m very happy that I’ve returned to it.

Some Post-trip Musings - Part 1 - Equipment

September 1, 2021

[Have I mentioned how this blogging software really sucks sometimes?  I have this entry entirely done and through a couple accidental keystrokes selected and deleted all the content.  No problem, right?  Just do an undo.  Before I could it did a save….grrrrr.  Back to writing offline and then pasting it in.  I am so not a fan of online apps.]

Now that I’ve returned from my Summer of 2021 Odyssey, I want to write down a few thoughts, not so much to share with others, which is fine, but so I have them recorded where I can easily find them and to remind me about things for next time.  Yes, there will be a next time.

The first couple days back were focused on getting the bike unpacked, everything in the laundry, the tent cleaned, dried, and repacked, and all the stuff I’d otherwise brought with me put away: tools, camp stove, mess kit, fuel bottle, etc.  I did create a box for stuff and labeled it “Motorcycle Camping” so I won’t have to spend as much time rounding things up for my next trip.

The Clean Up

The bike itself was filthy, especially from the plague of grasshoppers I was smited by in North Dakota.  

I probably spent 6 hours just doing the cleaning.  I hadn’t cleaned it at all during the trip and even though I rode through some pretty heavy rains, the corpses of bugs clung to their dying spots tenaciously.  I tried hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, hot water, and, finally, some Rain-X Bug and Tar remover.  It came down to multiple washings and lots of elbow grease.  Where the bugs were finally removed from the fairing, they left some rough spots that were erased with some Meguire’s Scratch and Blemish Remover.  I couldn’t believe how messy the bugs have been as even the front wheel rim was coated.

There was a sizable number of dead bugs covering the radiator so I spent some time figuring out how to remove its plastic guard so I could brush all the bits and pieces away.  This entailed removal of the horn and some of the bolts that hold the left side and center/bottom fairings in place.  All went well and now I feel better about the radiator getting a full flow of air.

Thoughts on Equipment

There is no better time than unpacking to look at what I brought and never used as well as thinking about what I should have brought.  I had both side cases packed as well as my duffle bag and really didn’t have room for anything else that I’d pick up along the way.  As I went through everything I had these thoughts:

A chair - Instead of bringing my 3-legged stool that I use for sketching in the field, a friend loaned me a collapsible chair.  It was nice since it has a back on it but I think I’d leave that type of thing behind next time.  Every place I camped had a picnic table and at the end of the day’s ride I want to write in my blog and I feel better sitting up at a table and writing on my iPad than sitting back in a chair.

Tools - I brought plenty and would reduce it by half.  If the bike breaks down it would probably need more than a set of tools to fix it.  The small set of hex wrenches, a few metric sockets and a ratchet, a few combo metric wrenched and a screwdriver or two is about all I would ever need.  Zip ties, a knifes, and a few other items come in handy if camping.

Cooking - My MSR stove (circa 1979) worked great and I’d take it again if camping.  I’d planned to prepare some meals but after picking up some instant oatmeal for mornings and Backpackers Pantry meals for dinner, I’m sold on them.  All I have to do is boil water and there is no clean up.  The little mess kit I brought works great but a small pot holder would come in handy as would a small silpat to set the stove on when cooking.

Clothing - I probably brought 50% more than what I needed.  I was able to do laundry at my son’s place in Pittsburgh both ways and I certainly could just go to a laundromat otherwise.  Compression shorts were the key, along with the air cushion, to reducing butt fatigue.  When I switched to them, no more hot spots.  I did wish I’d brought a sweatshirt as one more layer would have been nice on those cold mornings.  I had my summer mesh jacket with its rain liner in as a windbreaker but it really wasn’t enough, even with 2 long sleeve t-shirts under that.  Of course, if I brought my other touring jacket, it has a thermal liner which would have worked fine.

Running clothes - I could have done fine with just the boots I wear when I ride but, as a regular runner, I couldn’t go for 3-weeks without a run and I wasn’t going to run in those boots.  That means bringing my running shoes.  I was able to squeeze them into my duffle bag along with socks, shorts and a shirt but the problem was that I ran in the mornings and the shoes usually came back wet and, sometimes, sandy or muddy.  Repacking them that way, I needed to isolate them from the rest of my dry stuff.  The dry stuff was in a big plastic garbage bag in the duffle because that bag itself isn’t totally waterproof.  I put the shoes in plastic bags, which works, but after a day of riding that way they get a bit ripe.  I think strapping them outside the duffle with my cargo net would work but I had other stuff under that.  Reducing overall cargo would free that up for the shoes.

Rain gear - I had the rain liner for my mesh jacket which worked but the jacket only goes to the upper hips so water runs down to the upper parts of my pants.  I’d brought the rain liner for my touring paints and pulled those on over my Levis but they fit like chaps and don’t cover what is getting wet from the jacket’s runoff.  I think a dedicated rain suit might be the solution, even if I just get the bottoms.  As long as they come up over the waist they should do the job.

Other Items 

I’d brought my sketchbook and except for while I was waiting for my son at his doctor’s office, I didn’t sketch a thing.  The trip was about riding and I didn’t spend much time in one spot.  By the end of the day, time was devoted to setting up camp, drinking a beer, writing the blog, and getting dinner made.  The sketchbook doesn’t take much room but it might get left the next time.  I have Procreate on my iPad and an Apple Pencil so if I feel the urge, I can sketch with that.

I brought my cooling vest and never used it.  It wasn’t as hot as it had been in Billings before I left and when we did encounter heat, it was so humid I doubt that the vest would have provided much relief.

My air mattress worked great until it developed a leak with a couple days left on the trip.  It had a patch kit but the prospect of finding the leak while on the road dissuaded me from even looking for it.  When I got home I found it and applied the patches that came with it and they didn’t work due to the leak location, in a seam.  I ordered the better patch solution, a glue-based one, and will take that along next time. Update: the patch kit didn't work and I could see what I thought was a manufacturing defect.  I contacted the company and they sent me a new mattress.

My sleeping bag, the same one I used in 1979, worked great although I was a bit chilled the last two mornings.  I might consider taking a warmer one next time depending on the the season and where I am going or, perhaps a flannel sheet to line it.

The Marmot tent worked great.  No issue and no complaints.

I’d brought a quart of oil and I’d leave that behind next time.  If I need oil I’d just buy some on the road, even if it wasn’t my preferred YamaLube.

My big Rand-McNally road atlas was worth bringing but I think I’d look for a slightly smaller version.  I do like to have a paper map spread out in front of me when planning even though I ride with route instructions coming from my phone.

The electronics I took worked out great.  I had my iPhone, iPad, Cardo helmet communications, and my Kindle.  It was a bit of a challenge to keep them all charged but I got a system figured out eventually.  I made up a cable that plugs into my battery tender connection and that goes into my tank bag.  On the end of it I have 2 USB ports.  I can charge my phone while riding as well as my Anker extra battery.  Later in the day, usually about 3pm, the Cardo signals low battery and I have a cable that can run under my jacket up to my helmet to keep that charged.  Keeping the iPad charged is a bit more challenging.  It rides in a side case and if I don’t have electricity where I stay for the night, I have to ration the charge it has.  I can charge it off my Anker battery but it would pretty much drain it.  In the future, I may look at running a charging cable to the side case where it rides.  I never had to recharge the Kindle.  I have a charging port in my glove box and the Anker battery fits in there but I had some times where it was in there all day and it never charged.  It might be the USB adapter.  Something to check out.

I should say something more about the Cardo PackTalk Bold unit.  This small device attaches to the outside of my helmet and is connected to both a microphone and a pair of headphone inside the helmet.  The primary feature is that it allows riders with similar units to talk to each other while on the road.  This worked out great when I was riding with my son from Pittsburgh to Maine and back because we could talk about road conditions, things we see along the way, and anything else that comes to mind while we are riding.  That’s worth the cost of the unit but that is not all it does.  It automatically connects to my phone through Bluetooth and I can stream music to my helmet and operate the player by voice commands: music on/off, volume up/down, next/previous song, etc.  It also interfaces to the phone feature so with a Siri command I told it to call my wife and we had conversations while I’m riding.  The only glitchy part is that I haven’t totally figured out the whole “Hey, Siri” sequence.  It works but I think there’s a trick in terms of how quickly the command has to be said.  The handiest feature is that it connects to the Google maps routing feature so it will drop the volume on the music, if it’s playing any, and tell you to turn right at the next corner, etc., removing the need to look at a map or routing instructions.  I’ll write about the music feature in a separate posting.

The 2 half gallon water jugs that I brought using custom holders on the passenger foot pegs worked out fine.  However, one was set up with a drinking tube and a bite valve and that was more trouble than it was worth.  I stopped often enough and pulled my helmet off so I could drink from the pint bottle I carried in my tank bag.  The 1/2 gallon container on the other side was useful in terms of volume, but I think I’d just replace it with 2 quart/liter size Nalgene bottlse that I’d carry in a side case.  I only camped in a couple places that didn’t have water.

One item I’d definitely bring next time is an inflatable pillow.  In the old days I’d just roll up my jacket but the ones we use today have armor in the elbows, shoulders, and back so they don’t make a very comfortable head rest.

The Rok Straps I brought were awesome.  They are so much better than bungee cords or regular tie-downs.  I had three pairs of 42” straps and could have used one pair that was longer.  I’ve ordered one that is 60” for next time.

Other than those thoughts, equipment worked out well and I never felt I was short of anything.  

The bike itself, the main piece of equipment was stellar.  Except for the weird cruise control issue on the last day, which seemed to resolve itself, I have no complaints or desires about it.  It has plenty of power, gets excellent gas mileage, handles great, provides good protection from the wind, and is quiet.   The grip heaters and the cruise control were my favorite features.

I’ve done some research on the cruise control problem.  I initially called the local dealer to see if I could bring it in but their next appointment is in October.  So, I got on one of the FJR Owners forums and posted the problem and a knowledgeable guy explained what could have caused it and suggested that, like my son did, that it’s probably OK since it works now.  The ECU has probably saved the error code which is why the engine warning light is still illuminated.  I would need to plug in an OBD2 reader to get the code and reset the light.  Luckily, I just acquired a reader with a car we got and only need an adapter cable that will allow it to be connected to the bike.  I ordered one and it should be here next week.  In the meantime, everything is running fine. Update:  I was able to read the code.  It referenced the inertial unit locate behind the rear seat.  I keep my tire repair kit there and it's possible that it pushed against the unit when hitting a bump in the road.  The service manual indicated that the code problem would effect running and starting and since that never happened, it's a fluke.  I cleared the code and all it well.  I will bring the reader and the adapter on the next trip.  I bought the service manual from Yamaha and scanned its chapters into PDFs and have it in the cloud and on the iPad.)

That covers what I wanted to cover in this entry.  In a coming post I want to write some thoughts about the route and some of the nuts and bolts about life on the road.