This is my 2009 June Trip. A 6 day trip it starts on Tuesday June 23nd and ends on Sunday afternoon June 28th. The elaborate name comes from whatever my GPS file containing the routes is called. When I started the file I didn't know where I was going so the date became the file name. You can double click on any of these pictures and they should enlarge for you. This was originally going to be a trip to ride Route 66, but the weather is sooooooooo hot. I decided two days before I was to leave that I was going to head for a cooler climate. That would be north. I decided to go NW, now to decide where NW. I didn’t have a lot of time to do my route planning and verify ... read more

The Email: ============== Dances With Turtles IV RTE will be held Saturday June 6, 2009 at Giant City State Park Lodge approximately 12 miles south of Carbondale, Illinois. Coordinates: N37 35.573 W089 11.010. Info on the facility can be found here www.giantcitylodge.com Roads to the Lodge are paved and there is a large concrete parking area. There is no entrance fee to the park. Lunch will begin at 12:00 noon (CDT) so arrive early for tire kicking and tall tales. The restaurant is famous for fried chicken dinners. In order to expedite service to a group, management strongly recommends the all you can eat family style dinner. We concur. I can attest it is a quality "belly buster"! Of course, those with special dietary needs will be accomodated. Chicken dinner, drink, tax and gratuity should cost ... read more

Saturday --- 23 May 2009 Well the weather is great and I am ready for a ride. I had been wanting to take some more pictures of Effie out on these bridges I found in March when I was looking up all the Lewis and Clark historic sites in the area. It being my day off, I slept in and then called Daryl to see if he would want to go with me. We made arrangements to meet at 13:50 and ride out. The site is around 60 miles from home. Heading out of KC toward Ft Leavenworth, KS I was in the lead which is unusual. I decided to take Hwy 5 which will take us right to the National Cemetery in Leavenworth. Hwy 5 is twisty and curvy. I call it The Gecko, it ... read more

Friday, 10 April 2009 This is the second day of 4 day trip I took over Easter, from KC to see the Natchez Trace. I forgot to set the alarm for this morning. So my watch woke me up at 8:05 am, it goes off every morning about half the time I will hear it. Not a drop of rain overnight, but Effie was as snug as a bug in this cave outside my door. I would highly recommend this motel if anyone needs one in Vicksburg. It’s the America’s Best Inn, Ridgeland Suites, Vicksburg MS , the first exit as you come in from LA. I had a great big room it had 2 beds, couch, 2 tables and a desk, vanity area out side the bathroom. But they went out of their way to ... read more

On the 2nd day of a 4 day trip to see the Natchez Trace I spent time at the Vicksburg National Military Park. Because there were so many pictures of the park I decided to have a separate blog for them. I thought that it might take me an hour or hour and half to go through the park. I am pretty fast at such things. I read all the stuff, but don't usually dwell at any one spot for long. I had over slept on this morning and I wanted to be at Goldies Trail BBQ place I was going to eat at when they opened at 11AM. So when I got to the park at 9AM I wasn't too concerned, I still had a couple hours. Once I got to the Visitors Center I ... read more