Retired and Trippin

We awoke this morning to rain.  The remnants of Hurricane Isaac were in the area.  We’re going to get wet today.  We rode away from the Baxter Inn at 8:30 in the rain and it was 73 degrees. Mel led us to the Talimena Scenic Byway but he believed that if we rode west a ways that we could avoid the rain or at least the worst of us.  We rode by the following routes: 69 south, I-44 south, 69 south at Big Cabin, 64 south at Muskogee. 2 south, 31 east, 82 south, and 1 east to the Talimena Scenic Byway ( http://www.talimenascenicdrive.com/ ).  This west end of the byway is in Oklahoma.  The Talimena Scenic Byway is in the Ouachita National Forest and is part of the Winding Stair Mountain National Recreation Area ( http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/ouachita/recreation/horseriding-camping/recarea?recid=10754&actid=30 ). Before starting on the scenic byway we stopped for a picnic lunch at a shelter in the Talimena State Park. It was misty and cloudy on the byway but the views were excelle

Chris and I met Mel & Trish at Midland and Renner in Shawnee at 3:00 to depart on our Labor Day weekend ride to Hot Springs, AR.  Carl and Marge were going also but they couldn’t leave until later. We rode south and east on I-435 to Hwy 69 southbound.  Boy was it hot.  It was 97 when we left but jumped up to 100 before long.  We stopped for gas in Ft. Scott, KS and then rode on in to Baxter Springs, KS. Baxter Springs is located on the old Route 66.  We stopped for a photo op at the historic Rainbow Curve Bridge, built in 1923, and the only marsh arch bridge remaining on Route 66. The Café on the Route was our destination for dinner.  The food was LARRAPIN GOOD! We checked in to the Baxter Inn 4 Less, the only motel in Baxter Springs, and then rode a short distance west to a National Cemetery where some civil war soldiers are buried. Carl and Marge arrived in Baxter Springs and while they dined at a steakhouse next door to the motel, Mel, Trish, Chris and I walked across

I was finally making a trip I’d thought and talked about for some time.  I planned to ride from home to Idaho Springs, CO in one day.  On the next day I’d ride up Mount Evans, take a ride south through the Rockies and ride up Pikes Peak and stop for the night in Manitou Springs, CO.  On the third day I’d ride back home.  In the end (with some gentle persuasion and cajoling from friends) I decided to take two days to get to Idaho Springs.  So it was a four day ride. Ten guys agreed to accompany me on the trip.  We had one Yamaha rider (Chuck), two Harley riders (Mel and Ed), and eight Goldwing riders (Carl, Gary, Bill, Larry, James, Joe, Eric, and me). DAY 1 On Thursday, August 23rd, we met at Casey’s in western Shawnee, KS.  We departed westbound towards the peaks shortly after 3:00 pm. To avoid riding I-70 all evening we rode west on K-32 and Hwy 24.  It was a good route except for the presence of several construction areas. After gassing up in Manhattan, KS we rode Hwy 18 w