Retired and Trippin

My nephew, Joe, is in the Army and stationed at Fort Riley near Junction City, Kansas. Today his unit is being deployed to Kuwait and I went to Fort Riley to help send him off. I road out on I-70 and arrived in one hour and forty-five minutes. And that was with a gas stop. At the front gate there was some confusion as they did not know of any ceremony for departing soldiers. Also, to ride a motorcycle on the base you’re supposed to wear a reflective vest, which I do not have. Since I was from so far away they gave me a break and let me in. It took awhile but I eventually found out where Joe, Kaitlin, Carl and Marge were. As it turned out, the deployment ceremony was for high ranking officers only, so we did not see it. We had a bite to eat with Joe and some of his buddies and met Joe’s sergeant. It was an honor to be there and see Joe just before his deployment. I left Fort Riley from the Ogden entrance and rode Highway 18 to Manhattan and then Hwy’s 24 and 32 home. It was a warm...

A good day for a ride . . . . . . . . . . . but most days are good days for rides. I left Shawnee north on Hwy 7 and crossed the Kansas River into Bonner Springs. Hwy 32 took me west out of town. At Leavenworth County 2 I turned south. This is a fun country ride with some twists and turns. The road starts out southbound but turns to the west as you enter the Kansas River valley. At the point where I could turn south and cross the river into De Soto, KS . . . . . . . . I went straight and was on Leavenworth County 26, which eventually turns north and intersects with Hwy 32. Hwy 32 ends at the intersection with Hwy’s 24 & 40 just east of Lawrence. I rode 24/40 west and then 40/59 south across the Kansas River into Lawrence. In Lawrence I turned eastbound on 15th street, which took me out of town. On the way I passed a stationary Lawrence police car and then an on-coming Douglas County sheriff’s patrol car. Good thing I was going the speed limit. I ended up on Douglas County...