Retired and Trippin

I was hankering for a ride so I decided to tour the Flint Hills today, leaving at 10:45 under blue clear skies with a temperature of 52. I rode west from Bonner Springs, KS on Hwy 32. On the northeast corner of Lawrence I picked up Hwy 24 westbound, which took me to Hwy 4 westbound through Topeka and Dover to Eskridge. Signs here proclaim Eskridge as the “Gateway to the Flint Hills” and it is true. Just west of town I stopped to get a couple pictures of the Flint Hills. I stayed on Hwy 4 westbound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . past Lake Wabaunsee to Hwy 177, which took me south into Council Grove. I usually eat at the historic Hays House Restaurant ( http://hayshouse.com/history/p205314 ) but today I was enticed by $.99 taco Tuesday at the La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant. After a quick (and average) taco lunch I hit the road eastbound on Hwy 56, gassed up in Burlingame, and rode to Gardner where I caught I-35 and I-435 back home. I arrived home at about 4:00 and...

The thermometer on the back of the house (in the shade) showed it was close to 60 degrees. I just had to go for a ride - my favorite short route was just the ticket. I-435 took me north over the Kansas River, past the Kansas Speedway and the new Cerner buildings to the Highway 5 (Wolcott Road) exit.  Highway 5 is designated as the Historic Frontier Military Byway. I rode 5 north through a few twisties, past the minimum security prison and the National Cemetery to Leavenworth. Hwy 5 ends in Leavenworth where it intersects with Hwy 7. I rode 7 south a few blocks to Eisenhower Road and then west to Tonganoxie Road. It may surprise you that Tonganoxie Road goes to Tonganoxie, Kansas. From Tonganoxie I went south on Leavenworth County Road 1 over I-70 to Hwy 32, west to Leavenworth County 26, south and then east to Leavenworth County 2, which took me to the bridge over the Kansas River into DeSoto. As I crossed the bridge I could see numerous geese sitting on the ice on the river....

It has been so cold around here the last couple of weeks that I was developing a case of PMS ( P arked M otorcycle S yndrome).  Today, however, I found relief.  The skies were partly cloudy and temperatures reached the low 60’s. So I was off for a little afternoon ride.  I left at 2:15 and rode north.  At Leavenworth I turned west and traveled through McLouth to Oskaloosa, where I stopped for a coffee break at a Casey’s. After the coffee break I rode south almost to Lawrence, east through Linwood and Bonner Springs to home.  It was an enjoyable ride of 113 miles that did wonders to relieve my PMS.

A beautiful day for a December ride!  Gary, Larry, Wild Bill and I met at Quick Trip in western Shawnee for a little lunch ride.  When we departed QT it was 10:45 and 50 degrees under cloudy skies. We rode north on I-435 across the Missouri River into Missouri and then north on Hwy 45.  Just north of Weston we descended into the Missouri River valley and saw the IATAN Power Plant belching steam and smoke. As we rode north we could see blue skies teasing us on the horizon.  At Hwy 59 we turned west, crossed the Missouri River and rode into Atchison, KS where the sun finally came out and blue skies ruled. From Atchison Hwy 7 took us north all the way through White Cloud, KS into Nebraska.  The northern part of this route was pretty as we rode through wooded areas with views of the Missouri River. At Rulo, NE we turned east on Hwy 159 and crossed the Missouri River (again) into Missouri.  We rode past the Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge ( http://w...

Day 1; Friday, November 1, 2013 A beautiful day for a ride!  A little cool but beautiful.  Ride Meister, Gary, planned this ride so we could enjoy the changing of the leaves in Missouri and Arkansas.  Chris and I made a similar trip over a week ago but the leaves should be near their peak color this weekend. When Chris and I left home at 8:30 it was 50 degrees.  We rode to Gail’s Harley Davidson in Grandview, MO to meet with the other riders; Gary (ride leader), Larry, and Bill with his wife, Jamie.  All of us were riding Goldwings.  Rod and his wife, Maureen, riding their Harley were to hook up with us later. We departed Gail’s shortly after 9:00.  Gary planned a route on back roads, avoiding interstates and four lane highways when possible.  We rode east and south through Pleasant Hill, Holden, and Chillhowee to Windsor, where highways 2 and 52 intersect.  Gary is famous among our group for turning right on 52 here when we really need...

Friday; October 25, 2013 It was brrr cold when we woke up this morning – 33 degrees.  After a very good complimentary breakfast at the Comfort Inn we departed at 10:30 and it was 46.  We rode west through Gateway and Pea Ridge to Bella Vista, AR before turning north.  After a stop south of Joplin for gas we rode north and west through Webb City on 171 to Hwy 69 and north to Ft. Scott, KS for lunch at the Nu Grille Restaurant.  http://kansastravel.org/nugrille.htm The late lunch was LARRAPIN good. From Ft. Scott we rode on home arriving around 4:00.  We rode 253 miles today under blue clear skies and our high temperature was 59. THE END

Thursday; October 24, 2013 When we woke up this morning it was in the low 40’s, but we hung out in the room and watched the sun rise from our balcony. We left the Lodge on Mount Magazine at 9:45.  It was 52 degrees and sunny.  Highway 309 southbound took us down off the mountain to Hwy 10, which we followed westbound to Booneville, where we caught Hwy 23 northbound.  After stopping for gas in Ozark we continued northbound on 23 to Eureka Springs.  A 19 mile section of Hwy 23 is the Pig Trail ( http://www.arkansas.com/places-to-go/scenic-byways/pig-trail/ ), a twisty hilly ride through tunnels of trees.  Most of Hwy 23 is pretty riding but the Pig Trail is especially nice. Along parts of Hwy 23 we saw brilliant red colors but every time we did I was busy guiding the beast through the turns and I did not have my camera out so I have no photos of those colors. When we left Ozark it was 62 degrees.  Shortly after starting into the Pig Trail it was 52....