Sunday, July 26th, 2020 – Roseburg, OR to Port Orford, OR

After nearly four weeks of riding across America on the roads less traveled, of seeing sights that relatively few will ever get to enjoy, and of facing daily challenges that test one’s endurance, today we would complete our trip.

And what a superb way to finish the journey.

Oregon is a magical place (just ask Rob’s Sweetheart, LeeAnn, who lived there for more than 20 years). The range and diversity of geographical beauty is almost beyond comprehension: rolling plains, high alpine desert, dense, canopied rainforests, massive, snow-capped mountains (in July!), majestic rocky coastline, mighty rivers, lazy streams, towering, ancient Redwoods and Douglas Firs… one cannot help but be awestruck by Oregon’s grandeur.

Our departure from Roseburg followed Route 42 through Camas Valley, and down Route 542 into Powers, OR. “542” was an amazing paved road, with countless twisties and sharp drop-offs, prompting us to label it Oregon’s “Tail of the Dragon”.

Following our arrival at Powers, we did have one potential roadblock (literally), which could have sent us back-tracking for many miles – a padlocked gate.

We were lucky, however, with just enough clearance on the right side to allow our bikes to pass though. No explanation for the presence of the gate was given, and we never encountered another one on this section of the trip.

As the trail entered the Siskiyou National Forest, we were treated to one of the nicest sections of the entire trip; many miles of winding, mountain dirt roads, completely devoid of traffic, with little or no evidence of recent use.

Ultimately, we exited Siskiyou, and rode into Port Orford, OR, where the Trans America Trail ends.

Riding right down onto the beach, we parked with the beautiful, rocky Oregon Coastline and Pacific Ocean as a backdrop, and took one final photo of bikes and riders to commemorate an epic trip.

The official TAT was now completed, BUT – we still had to get home! That meant after the deep sighs, high-fives, and Rob dropping his bike on the beach the VERY LAST INCH of the trip (which somehow seemed quite fitting), we saddled back up, and headed north towards Lincoln City, OR.

Along the way, we stopped for a much-deserved celebratory lunch at an excellent German restaurant that Dan had previously visited, the Blue Heron Bistro, in Coos Bay, OR. – http://www.blueheronbistro.net . It’s WELL WORTH the visit if you’re there in town.

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Following one last (MUCH needed) ceremonial washing of the bikes, bags, and boots at a car wash near Florence, OR, we finally arrived at our destination the evening, Lincoln City, OR, after 12 long hours on the road.

Tomorrow, the last leg of our trip to Portland, OR.

Follow our daily track via satellite at:

https://share.garmin.com/robdanryanmotorcycleadventure

Saturday, July 25th, 2020 – Lakeview, OR to Roseburg, OR

Boy oh boy… was it dry out West.

And very, VERY dusty.

So dusty, in fact, that after many, many miles of enduring the choking conditions on the powdery dirt trails, we elected to detour onto pavement for much of the duration.

Not that this was a disappointment, by any means. We traveled in excess of 100 miles of single-lane paved roads, and saw fewer than a dozen vehicles. But as always, plenty of cattle on the open range.

Following a magnificent ride through the Umpqua National Forest, our stop for the evening was Roseburg, OR, where our room overlooking the South Umpqua River was one of the surprise delights of the trip.

One last thing – we do get questions here on the blog from time to time, and like to answer them whenever possible. Recently, Craig K. of Chatham, MA wrote:

“Hi Rob! I’ve been wondering, do you guys ever get chaffing or sores from spending so much time on the bikes, and if so, what do you do about it? I’ve always been fascinated by this topic – Thanks! C.K.”

Craig, thank you for your insightful and very intimate question. Yes, this certainly can be an issue, especially given the number of hours we spend daily “in the saddle”. Shifting one’s weight occasionally is a good preventative measure, as is standing on the foot pegs periodically.

When things do get out of hand, however, we take our cue from the Great Apes, and find that all-natural remedies such as aloe vera or coconut oil provide lasting and soothing relief.

Craig, thank you again for your question – and please, keep them coming!

Tomorrow, our much anticipated arrival at the Coast, and the conclusion of our journey along the Trans America Trail!

Follow our daily track via satellite at:

https://share.garmin.com/robdanryanmotorcycleadventure

Friday, July 24th, 2020 – McDermitt, NV to Lakeview, OR

OK, so not the ACTUAL Oregon Trail, but our path DID go across Oregon, so… there you go.

Leaving early in the morning is a delight. Temperatures are cool (this morning about 57 degrees), traffic is negligible, and sunrises, majestic.

We departed McDermitt, NV around 6:25 am, and traveled no more than 200 yards north to cross into Oregon.

Immediately our journey commenced up into, and across the remote and wide-open expanse of, Southeastern Oregon. After 100-or-so miles, we arrived at Fields, OR – a virtual oasis in the midst of an almost incomprehensibly vast expanse of open plains.

Here we encountered one of the very few TAT riders we would meet during the journey – a gentleman from North Carolina, riding a KTM 1290 Adventure, who, only a few days earlier, had become stranded in the very demanding terrain of Black Dragon Wash in Utah (see our Post, Day 19).

This brought into sharp focus the risks associated with riding in these rough, remote areas – not to mention on a LARGE, HEAVY bike – but especially ALONE.

After hours of attempting to free his motorcycle from rocks and deep sand, he was forced to “Press the Button”.

The SOS button, that is.

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Fortunately, he was running a Garmin inReach Mini Satellite Communicator, and within several hours, help had arrived, freed his bike, and left him with a fresh supply of water. (As an aside, we had redundancy in this safety department; Dan had a Spot Locator, and Rob, the inReach Mini above). One does not ask in such situations what the bill was…

From Fields, we continued westward toward the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, and the unincorporated town of Plush, OR, where, frankly, we encountered far more cattle on the open range than antelope!

Our next stop was Lakeview, OR, where we arranged for lodging for the evening, and then decided to do some afternoon sightseeing through the trails of the Winema National Forest. It did not disappoint.

Tomorrow, more of Oregon!

Follow our daily track via satellite at:

https://share.garmin.com/robdanryanmotorcycleadventure

Thursday, July 23rd, 2020 – Battle Mountain, NV to McDermitt, NV

Yes, pretty much exactly what the title says.

And also one of the best days of our adventure.

The morning started early once again, and nearly with an immediate set-back while still in Battle Mountain: a gate posted with a Private Property sign.

The trail passed over historic 25 Ranch – an enormous 126,000 acre cattle ranch spanning four counties in Nevada. A quick phone call to the Ranch Manager, and thankfully, permission to ride across the property was cheerfully granted.

As a side note: 25 Ranch was put up for sale in January of this year – all 126,000 acres, plus additional BLM grazing rights. Current asking price is just a shade over $30M, in case you’re interested.

We spent a fair amount of time riding across the open space of 25 Ranch, and once into Winnemucca, NV, encountered an amazing sight.

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Long-abandoned Kelly Farm, around which the trail passed. Or should we say USED to pass.

The road which once existed was gone. Long gone. The only thing remaining, other than the buildings, was the dried creek bed, which seemed to have no obvious means of crossing. Except… for the outhouse.

A previous adventurer had commandeered the remains of the privy to construct some temporary planking across the maw on one side of the creek. This looked promising. Once in the creek bed, the other side seemed scalable. Rather than back-track 40 miles, we decided to forge ahead.

All three of us, together, carefully walked each bike down and across Outhouse Bridge, then dragged the bike into position to walk it up (under power) the other side. It took some doing, but all bikes and parties made it across, unscathed.

After a quick tour of the buildings on the property, we were back underway, putting miles in the rearview mirrors.

As if we hadn’t encountered enough amazing sights, we next rolled into Paradise Valley, NV, perhaps best described as a living Ghost Town. It’s inhabited, but with some amazing buildings, which are not.

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Between Paradise Valley, NV and McDermitt, NV, our final destination of the day, we passed up, over, and through the Humbolt-Toiyabe National Forest.

WOW.

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The variety of wildflowers we encountered along the trail here was breathtaking.

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It was another long day, slow-going in spots (due to portages, and all), with more than 160 miles covered.

We are in McDermitt, NV for the evening, only a stone’s throw (literally) from OREGON.

Stay tuned!!

Follow our daily track via satellite at:

https://share.garmin.com/robdanryanmotorcycleadventure

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2020 – Ely, NV to Battle Mountain, NV

Today was a GREAT day.

Another early departure had us on the road from Ely just after sun-up, blessed with cool temperatures and fine riding conditions. It was a long day in the saddle, with a total of over 225 miles covered. To put this in perspective: Boston to New York City is 219 miles. Imagine that.

On a dirt bike.

Nevada has an amazing variety of topography, from wide open desert, to towering mountains – and we’ve been able to ride the gamut, all in one day.

In one section we rode through in the Toiyabe Range, a great deal of clearing had been done along either side of the road, presumably for a fire break. We didn’t encounter any crews along the way, but it was evident they had been hard at work. The road itself was also in great shape – a joy to ride!

At one point on the trail, the gravel road, which averages about 45 mph, passed through a ranch. Or more correctly, the through the front yard of a ranch. The owners had (understandably) posted a 5 mph speed limit sign across their property, which we happily adhered to:

As previously stated, today was really long, and our arrival in Battle Mountain was more than welcome. We narrowly outran a thunderstorm, and got the the motel just before the rain began.

Showers to shed the road dust, cold beers to quench the thirst, and Chinese delivered to the room made for a happy end to a memorable day.

Follow our daily track via satellite at:

https://share.garmin.com/robdanryanmotorcycleadventure

Tuesday, July 21st, 2020 – Richfield, Utah – to Ely, NV

Early to bed, and early to rise, gets you on the trail sooner… and also makes for some great photographs!

We departed Richfield, Utah just before dawn and headed westward towards Nevada.

The brilliant Crystal Peak is visible from a great distance as one approaches the Wah Wah mountains. It’s a unique beauty.

From the Wah Wah Wilderness Study Area, we continued westward, crossing into Nevada at Baker.

Extraordinarily dry conditions throughout the West during our trip have resulted not only in extreme fire danger warnings, but have made dust from the trail a CONSTANT source of irritation.

Both Man and Machine are coated in an ultra-fine powder that makes life difficult, to say the least. This causes a big problem with the electronics as well – electrical connections (such as with our GPS mount) do not like the contamination – constant cleaning is a must.

Our stop for this evening was Ely, Nevada, where a shower, hot meal, and a cold beer were as welcome as ever. Tomorrow, more Nevada adventures!

Follow our daily track via satellite at:

https://share.garmin.com/robdanryanmotorcycleadventure

Monday, July 20th, 2020 – Price, Utah to Richfield, Utah

Some days, well… they just start out with a set-back.

On this particular morning, we departed Price, UT and headed southwest to Emery, and into the Manti-La Sal National Forest. The trail began fine enough, but very quickly turned a bit nasty.

Our ascent into the mountains, a series of very steep, sharp curves, combined with extraordinarily slippery talc-like sand, proved treacherous. It didn’t take long for all concerned to decide that 40+ miles of potentially similar conditions was not a prudent choice. A detour was in order.

This required some back-tracking and creative re-routing, but we reacquired the trail without too much difficulty.

The route between Emery, UT and Richfield, UT provided an abundance of fine riding and great scenery.

Our stop for the evening was Richfield, Utah. Tomorrow, Nevada!

Follow our daily track via satellite at:

https://share.garmin.com/robdanryanmotorcycleadventure

Thursday, July 16th – Ouray, CO to Monticello, UT

Sometimes you just don’t wanna get up.

Engineer Pass took a lot out of us all yesterday, so this morning, we decided to sleep in a bit, and catch up on some much-needed rest. Those extra 30 minutes felt really good!

Packing up the bikes this morning was a lot more fun than usual, as we were being buzzed and dive-bombed by – hummingbirds! The little devils were everywhere, and remarkably inquisitive. They were also way too fast for us to get any photos.

Our path out of Ouray, and towards Utah, took us through Telluride, over Lizard Head Pass, and through the Uncompahgre National Forest.

From there, we passed through the San Juan Mountains and the San Juan National Forest, where the views just continued to amaze. Colorado simply has an unending supply of beauty and wonder.

After a gas-stop in Dove Creek, CO, we continued westward, and crossed over the border into Utah, ending in Monticello, Utah for the evening.

Tomorrow – Moab!

Follow our daily track via satellite at:

https://share.garmin.com/robdanryanmotorcycleadventure

Wednesday, July 15 – Salida, CO to Ouray, CO

Boy oh boy, was this a day to remember.

A bright and early departure had us covering an amazing 150+ miles of spectacular roads between Salida and Lake City by around 1:00 pm.

Once in Lake City, however, the real adventure began.

The route between Lake City and Ouray over Engineer Pass is some of the most amazing and challenging road in all of Colorado. Not many folks get to experience this section of trail, especially on two wheels.

The conditions, to be quite honest, were not optimal, but we made the most of it, and pushed forward.

In total, it took us close to five hours to complete the journey over the pass to Ouray, but those are hours we’ll never forget!

It was a long, long day, and it never felt so good to get to our motel as it did this night. We were three very tired amigos.

Follow our daily track via satellite at:

https://share.garmin.com/robdanryanmotorcycleadventure

Monday, July 13th – Liberal, KS to Trinidad, CO

Yup, 280+ miles today of great, great riding.

We passed through FOUR states: Kansas (lower left-hand corner), Oklahoma (the Panhandle), New Mexico (the upper right-hand corner), and finally, Colorado (lower right-hand corner). It was a day filled with an incredible diversity of topography, scenery, and beauty.

Criss-crossing Oklahoma farmland over the past several days provided a never-ending stream of sights and surprises:

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After traveling the length of the Oklahoma Panhandle, we crossed over into New Mexico. The road in the photo below runs directly on the border between the two states – Ryan on the left is riding in New Mexico – Dan on the right is in Oklahoma!

After an amazing (and VERY WARM) run through this beautiful corner of New Mexico, we crossed the border into Colorado.

We did encounter a little bit of the weather depicted above as we approached Trinidad, CO, but nothing to cause concern.

It was a long, long day with almost 300 miles in the saddle. Tomorrow promises to be another spectacular ride on some of Colorado’s most beautiful roads – Stand By!!

Follow our daily track via satellite at:

https://share.garmin.com/robdanryanmotorcycleadventure

Sunday, July 12th – Blackwell, OK to Liberal, KS

So, who knew dirt roads came in so many different flavors?? Let’s review:

There are good ole “regular” dirt roads. We’ve all been on ’em, they’re nice – everything’s good, high-speed, straight ahead, no problems.

Then there’s gravel roads. They can be a bit dicier – not as much traction, slower around corners, gotta be careful… but it’s OK, just need to be aware. When they’re dry, it’s all good.

Sometimes gravel can be heavier, though, or looser, with larger rocks. This can cause real problems, as things get complicated – you need to be verrrrry careful.

And of course there’s sand – in all it’s varieties. Unpredictable. It can shut you down. Proceed with caution!

But then there’s mud. The one “flavor” that can leave a real bad taste in your mouth.

The night before, an intense storm passed over the Kansas/Oklahoma border, dropping a fair amount of rain, and making things quite soupy. Fifteen minutes into our ride this morning, things went downhill quickly.

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After wrestling with the thickest, stickiest, most unforgiving mud imaginable for many miles, we decided to detour for a bit to see if things would dry out.

They didn’t.

Then, as if things weren’t challenging enough, we encountered a downed tree blocking our path.

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BUT, this particular obstacle would not stop us! Luckily, Dan had his Leatherman Free P4 that Ryan had found at a water crossing in Tennessee the week prior, and he used the saw blade to quickly MacGiver the tree, and clear us a path. Thankee, Dan’l!

The mud, however, was unrelenting.

We finally called it quits with dirt for the day, and found a carwash to rid the bikes of the concrete-like mud that had encrusted them:

The balance of the day was spent on pavement, riding through beautiful Southwest Kansas.

The few towns that we did pass through, like Anthony, KS (above), were surprisingly quiet, with very, very little activity. This was no doubt due to it being a Sunday, and perhaps to a lesser extent the fact that it was 100 degrees out.

We ended the day in Liberal, Kansas (home to Dorothy’s House and the Land of Oz) with more than 280 additional miles behind us.

Next up: Colorado!

Follow our daily track via satellite at:

https://share.garmin.com/robdanryanmotorcycleadventure

Saturday, July 11th – Siloam Springs, AR to Blackwell, OK

My oh my, but things ’round these parts do stretch out a bit.

We departed Siloam Springs, AR this morning, bright and early, and crossed into Oklahoma, little more than three miles away. Before long, we had ventured into the vast sections of open prairie, where the grassland and unpaved roads go on forever.

No surprise to those who live in these parts, impassible roads are a common occurrence. More than a few times today, we needed to detour due to closures for a variety of reasons. Sign like the one below are commonplace.

Much of the ground we covered today is open range, with unspoiled beauty from horizon to horizon, and of course – cattle.

Temperatures had started out relatively mild, in the low 70s. By late afternoon, however, the unrelenting sun had pushed the readout into triple digits.

By 4:00 PM we had logged more than 250 miles, and were ready to throw in the towel. A cool shower and a warm meal were a much appreciated reward at the end of the journey. Another 1-1/2 to 2 days will be needed to finish crossing Oklahoma and to make it into Colorado…

Follow our daily track via satellite at:

https://share.garmin.com/robdanryanmotorcycleadventure

Friday, July 10th – Russellville, AR to Siloam Springs, AR

Today provided us with some of the absolute best riding we’ve had thus far; fabulous dirt roads, spectacular weather, and CLEAN BIKES! We started out first thing this morning stopping at the CYCLONE TUNNEL WASH in Russellville, AR:

Everything was positively filthy from more than a week of severe duty on the road, and we were fairly certain that the next Hampton Inn we stopped at was going to tell us to just “keep on rollin’!” if we didn’t clean up our act…

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Once we had performed our ablutions, we were on our way, winding through the Arkansas backroads. Yesterday’s rains had washed away the dust that had plagued us for days, and provided clean, smooth sailing.

The first two hours were glorious. Perfect road conditions, cool temperatures, and low humidity. But then…

We were confronted with our first road closure of the day. This required a 20 mile detour, but we took it in stride and got back on course, only to be met with a DEAD END sign on the next turn. This meant at least ANOTHER 20 mile detour – Now what???

Frustrated, and refusing to believe the sign, we elected to push forward, and see where the road took us. Well, it took us for a ride, that’s for sure!

The end result was that we made it though to the other side, but not without some VERY challenging terrain. Obviously, on this day, “Dead End” did not apply to us!

Our next stop along the route was at the Oark General Store – http://www.oarkgeneralstore.com – in Oark, AR. This little treasure is an oasis in the middle of nowhere, run by wonderful folks, providing fuel for both man and bike.

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Once back on the road, we still had a couple of surprises ahead, as we encountered more road issues:

The one shown above was a pretty devastating wash-out, but enough of the inner lane remained to allow traffic to pass. We were grateful to avoid another detour.

Our helmets hung in Siloam Springs for the evening, we will bid farewell to Arkansas tomorrow, and begin our trek across Oklahoma in the morning. We’ve very much enjoyed our time in this beautiful State!

Follow our daily track via satellite at:

https://share.garmin.com/robdanryanmotorcycleadventure

Thursday, July 9th – Lonoke, AR to Russellville, AR

So, we spent another day winding across Arkansas, with the terrain becoming more varied and interesting. The weather was varied as well, with one particularly large, angry storm system out of Oklahoma heading directly into our path.

Yellow, orange, and red are never happy colors when it comes to weather, but we took it all in stride, getting suited up, and preparing for the worst. As it turns out (thankfully), the worst never showed up.

Ryan shot this video just as we had pulled over to put on our rain gear:

Although it did rain, in the overall scheme it was pretty mild, and we were grateful for showers that cooled things off, as well as cut down the dust.

In other news, the scenery and associated surprises today did not disappoint:

We put another 170+ miles on the odometer, and with (currently) only fair weather forecast for the near future, we anticipate some high-mileage days to come.

Next Up: Oklahoma!

Tuesday July 7th – New Albany, MS to Batesville, MS

OK, so today was all about tires.

First thing this morning, when were were loading up the bikes, Dan noticed that his front tire was worn – quite worn. Prematurely worn, based on our expectations:

Rob & Ryan’s were not far behind, leaving us scrambling to make arrangements for replacement tires, ahead of schedule. OK, we can deal with this – it’s part of the game.

We were heading back into “civilization”, with hopes of finding a local shop that could help us out, when Dan mentioned that something didn’t feel right with his rear tire. Immediately we realized: FLAT!

Oh no…

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Our Guardian Angel was looking out for us, though, as the flat occurred within a hundred yards of a truck stop, with covered parking, and other amenities; this, after having ridden untold miles through remote areas, with nothing in sight.

The practice afforded by multiple tire changes prior to our trip, along with having brought all the necessary tools and materials along with us, made for a relatively quick change of the tire tube. Within little more than an hour, we were back on the road. Success!

One nice thing that happened today was that we met up with a couple of fellows we had run into several days back, Adrian from Connecticut and Colin from Indiana, who were also doing the TAT, except in their Jeeps.

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So far, they’re the only other individuals we’ve encountered who are doing the Trans America Trail besides us. We’ve had most of the roads entirely to ourselves, which has been quite the treat – we’ll see how long that lasts.

Monday, July 6th – Pulaski, TN to New Albany, MS

So, some words on how we ride each day. The three of us have a system in place that is comfortable, safe, and shares responsibility. Everyone has a role, which makes things much easier for all.

Dan is out in front. He is highly skilled, with a lifetime of experience that makes him the perfect choice for leader of the pack. He’s best able to read the road, and to alert everyone to obstacles or issues up ahead.

Rob is navigator. He’s in the center position, monitoring the GPS, and calling out route instructions over the radio. His main job is to identify the next turn so that everybody’s prepared.

Ryan is sweep. He’s in the rear position, and keeps an eye on traffic, along with anything else that may not be apparent to the riders in front. He’s also responsible for constantly reminding Dan & Rob to turn off their blinkers. We appreciate that. Very, very much. Thank you, Ryan!

Today was the first day in our trip that we encountered rain. It was a short-lived afternoon shower, but with enough gusto such that we all got plenty wet. The balance of the day was beautiful and sunny. And hot. It’s most definitely hot down here.

We also encountered our first impassible roads today. Stuff happens (like bridges that are out), so we needed to re-route on a couple of occasions in order to get back on the trail. Not a big deal, but this could be more of an issue out west, when a detour could mean back-tracking 100 miles or more.

With 229 more miles behind us, it was another very good day. Everyone was tired and sore, but happy to have a much needed shower, a hot meal, and a cold beer. Here’s to tomorrow!

Sunday, July 5th – Dayton, TN to Pulaski, TN

On Sunday, our adventure continued through through the gorgeous Tennessee countryside, with more perfect weather as our travel companion. The majority of the roads we traversed were dirt and gravel, a number of which provided plenty of technical challenges. The sights were varied, with plenty of surprises…

A keen, attentive eye is a must, as one never knows what may lie around the next corner:

It was a great day on all fronts, including the amount of ground covered, with over 200 beautiful miles in the rearview mirror.

Saturday, July 4th – Franklin, NC to Dayton, TN

Happy 4th to All!!! What a glorious way to spend Independence Day, riding through more than 150 miles of spectacular North Carolina and Tennessee countryside, in positively perfect weather. You couldn’t ask for a better day.

Leaving a modest amount of early morning fog behind us in Franklin, NC, we quickly rode into sunshine that stayed with us for the duration. The Great Smoky Mountains provided an endless supply of breathtaking views, along with roads that never failed to thrill and excite.

Here’s the satellite tracking link, which allows you to see our route:

https://share.garmin.com/robdanryanmotorcycleadventure

Perhaps the most exciting part of our July 4th adventure included three separate water crossings, two of which we were able to ride through, and a third that required walking the bikes across, in the interest of safety.

Our stopping point for today was Dayton, TN. We arrived plenty warm from the bright Southern sunshine, still a tad damp, and carrying more than a little bit of dust from the many, many miles of dirt and gravel roads that criss-cross this beautiful state. It was indeed a Happy 4th for us.

Friday, July 3rd – Maggie Valley, NC to Franklin, NC

What a day Friday turned out to be! The route from Maggie Valley to Deals Gap, which traverses the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smoky Mountains, is home to some of the most spectacular motorcycle riding in the country, including the (in)famous “Tail of the Dragon”, which boasts 318 curves in 11 miles. Although the primary focus of the Trans America Trail is back roads, dirt and “off-road” riding, the sheer beauty and excitement of these roads makes them a “must ride” as part of the experience.

Although the Tail of the Dragon is an extremely popular destination, and can be quite crowded, we were blessed with both an incredibly beautiful day, and relatively light traffic:

Our final destination was Franklin, NC, where we were grateful to have a comfortable room, and a some excellent BBQ for dinner. A great end to a memorable day!

Thursday, July 2nd – Spruce Pine, NC to Maggie Valley, NC

The curse continued on our second day, with more gorgeous weather and spectacular riding, covering another 100+ miles of dirt and paved back roads.

Despite daily forecasts of rain and thunderstorms, our rain gear remained packed away and unused; a welcome outcome. The trails leading through the Pisgah National Forest were superb, with each turn more beautiful than the last.

Maggie Valley was our stop for the night – a very popular tourist destination with bikers, as well as vacationers of all stripes. We were blessed to have another fine day behind us, with hopes of many more ahead!

Wednesday, July 1st – Concord, NC to Spruce Pine, NC

Our destination first thing Wednesday morning was the home of Ryan’s grandmother Irene, and her daughter Mary Ann, in Concord, NC, where we were to unload our bikes and prepare for departure. These sweethearts treated us like royalty, and made it VERY difficult to leave! Two more thoughtful, beautiful ladies you could not find.

But leave we must…

After saying our goodbyes, we departed Concord to pick up the Trans America Trail – or “TAT”, as it is referred to – about 10 miles north.

Right out of the gate, were treated to some of the nicest weather and most spectacular scenery one could hope to ask for. Add to that countless miles of winding dirt roads, climbing through the Blue Ridge Mountains, and it made for a spectacular start and a day to remember!

With more than 150 miles in our rearview mirrors, we arrived in Spruce Pine, NC where we laid our heads for the evening – a little sore, more than a bit tired, but very, very happy. It was a GREAT start.

Tuesday, June 30th – Cape Cod, MA to North Carolina

The first day of our trip began at approximately 6:00 am in Sandwich, MA, with our three Suzuki DR-Z400 motorcycles loaded into the back of Ryan’s GMC Sierra pickup truck. We used the superb NICE RACK tie-down system from http://www.motoprohq.com and recommend it HIGHLY – it is an excellent product, which was a joy to use, and performed flawlessly.

After all our gear was loaded into the back, and some very teary good-byes were said to our loved ones, we were off on the road for Concord, North Carolina, where our ride was to begin.

Over 970 miles, and some 15 hours later, we arrived.