Took a little ride...

[BigDave]

NICE JOB!
Looks like a blast.
Man, that Adventure looks sweet!! (even though its silver )

[Steve Glenn]

Keep it comming can't wait for more storys and pics

[Rogue 1]

Thanks a bunch Big Dave and Steve! Glad to hear someone else out here is enjoying these besides me...

Smugmug is now packed with pics and more are on the way...

http://rogue1.smugmug.com

Check it out!

OK... here's some more...

The sky is overcast and I'm heading west again on I70 towards Kansas City. It is chilly at speed. 130 miles out I pull over for lunch and notice a slight leak around my cam covers... one more item for the service punch list and I check my BMW OA book for the next available dealer. A call to Engle BMW in K.C., I inform them that I am OTR and need a little fast help. I can be there by 3pm and they tell me to come on in.

No pics anywhere here... nothing on the run was worth shooting... overall St Louis to Kansa City was one of the biggest blahs I've ever had... and of course, no sun.

During the oil change/seal replacement, the tech informs me that there is evidence of a blown head gasket on BOTH cylinders. Not bad yet, but could be trouble later. Another tech, or possibly the owner tells me not to worry about it... I think they just don't have the time to do the job. Its ok; I don't want to be stuck here for 2 days either. I'll keep an eye on it though.

I see that I am 23 miles from Garmin's main headquarters (GPS Manufacturer) and decide to spend the night in K.C., go there in the morning and do the GPS exchange. Hmmm... what the heck is there to do in this town? Well, the song says, when you go to Kansas City, stand on the corner of 12th St and Vine!

"Kansas City here I come"

Ok... here is 18th and Vine... where the hell is 12th?


An old man pulls up next to me:
"Ya lost?"
"I dont think so..."
"Whatreya lookin for boyah?"
"I've come a long way... and I'm trying to find 12st and Vine."
"Wheeel then.... how far you come?"
"New York City."
"Daaaamn boyah! Wheel we best hehp yah fahnd it. It's a bit oh a way 'round. Foller me now... and when I signahl ya, ya go left, ya git it?"
"Yessir. Thank you"
(mah momma taught me mah manners well)

I follow the old guy and he waves me left... now mind you I was on Vine the equivelent of 6 short blocks from 12th but when I looked that way I saw this...


Then I see this...


... A closer look, can this be?...


It is...


...after a confusing search, I find a small park with a sign post in the middle of it. On closer inspection, the sign reads 12th St and Vine St. The street corner immortalized in 1963 by Alber King and Jimmy Witherspoon in the song written by Leiber and Stoller (the wrote almost all of Elvis' biggest songs) "Kansas City" was no more. Damn, urban renewal has turned the whole are into low income housing. They left the signpost as a landmark.

For those of you too young to remember (and thereby probably wondering what the hell I'm doing here in the first place) I offer the lyrics as tribute...



I'm goin' to Kansas City, Kansas City, here I come
Yes, goin' to Kansas City, Kansas City, here I come
They got a crazy way a-lovin' an' a I wanna get me some

I was standing on the corner, of 12th Street and Vine
Yeah, standing on the corner, of 12th Street and Vine
With my Kansas City woman an a bottle of Kansas City wine

Well I might take a plane, I might take a train
If I have to walk, I'm going there just the same
I'm going to, Kansas City, Kansas City, here I come
They got a crazy way a-lovin' an I wanna get me some
Oh yeah

Keep your hands off of her, don't belong to you
Keep your hands off of her, don't belong to you
She's mine all mine, no matter what she do

Well I might take a plane, I might take a train
If I have to walk, I'm goin' there just the same I'm goin' to Kansas City, Kansas City, here I come
They got a crazy way a-lovin' an I wanna get me some
They got a crazy way a-lovin' an I wanna get me some
They got a crazy way a-lovin' an I wanna get me some!
Yeah!

Man, I thought only New York arbitrarily obliterated it's history.
A few pics with a confused look on my face as people pass looking at me like I'm crazy. (Okay... It may have something to do with the fact that Silver is parked next to the sign, and I had to drive her into the park to do that... wink)

I stop at a McDonalds for a burger and at the pick up window, Mike the manager, having seen my NY plates won't charge me for the meal!!!

WOW!

My heart aches a little and I am touched by the offer of kindness and acknowledgement of what NY went thru last year. I insist, and pay anyway. It is amazing how little things can affect a person. This tore me up.

Well... I am pretty miserable about not getting to see the famous intersection (not really) and I choose to cheer myself up...



LET'S FIND 'EM!




AHHHH! I feel much better now...



Wednesday October 9th

Cloudy, almost warm, I head out at 8:30 am and cross the state line into Kansas towards Olathe and Garmin HQ. For the first time the GPS keeps giving me wrong directions... hmmm, don't want to go home little buddy?

I hit roads that have been changed since the last map update and even outside the Garmin building, GPS says arrive at Garmin on right and it's on my left.

A little hung over outside Garmin


Inside the customer service center I meet Kyle and Tom and the rest of the Garmin crew (hi guys and gals) No Streetpilot III's in stock but they completely rebuild my unit in about 3 hours.

Seems the tech at BMW Manhattan plugged the data lines into the battery and fried half the circuits. Speaks volumes about the product that it still worked (even though the batteries kept exploding and it wouldnt run off the bike).


They fix it for free... whew... good company... buy a Garmin fellas...

Kyle helps me reprogram my data card with the DCA info I'll need for the next leg of my journey. At one point he tells me that it's common practice for people to give their GPS voice a name. I'll have to think about that one.

Well done folks... thanks for the help. Garmin's service is top notch (and yes Tom, I forgot, it was me that called you from Raleigh NC for that cable, thanks again for that!).

"Hey there ya young buck... my doohickey wont find the fish and I keep gettin' lost... can ya fix it for me?"


The weather has improved. It is partly sunny, warm, feels like 70 degrees. I head up I35 to I29 north bound. The ultimate destination is Rapid City, South Dakota and Mt Rushmore. People have asked me if I have friends there, my reply has become "No, but there are 4 guys I want to say hello too."

Rapid City is around 800 miles away and I am feeling like I am way behind schedule (not that I actually had one) and need to burn some miles.

It is "Go hard or go home"� time! I resolve to get as close as I can... the down time at Garmin has put way behind... it is going to be another long day.




Back in Missouri, at a gas stop I find cigs for $22 per carton and buy 2.

A sign reads "Hot Dogs 25 cents!"

How can I say no?

I have one, then another (with nacho cheese, blecchhh!) I turn to the girl behind the counter and she laughs as I tell her I am going to regret eating these later.

Heck, "They're only wafer thin!"�

As I bite into dog #3 I see a small sign that says "Beef Hot Dogs $1.29"

What the heck am I eating! Now I KNOW I am going to pay for this later.

The bugs are sacrificing themselves like crazy... Hey Dude... look at the pretty colors...


This would have looked great on a Yellow GS


Outside, next to my bike I am set upon by vicious flies and see that my front end is covered with them! Damn!

They are going after my bug collection! (Motorcyclist = High Velocity Entomologist). I clean Silver as best I can (horse flies???) and get back in the saddle.

I have crossed into Iowa and am heading north on I29 towards Omaha NE and Sioux City IO. I've missed the turn off for US2 to Lincoln NE to catch I80 West and a more southerly route and I am now committed to the northern passage, catching I90 West out of Sioux Falls SD. I hope the weather holds.

150 miles north of KC I am feeling like a new man. The sky is bright and clear... the air is warm and smells fantastic. Clean. Grass, freshly threshed corn, rain water, flowers. Its harvest season and the fields are 50/50. The contrast of the harvested fields (dry, golden brown short stems cut a foot off the dark fertile ground) and the tall, ripe thick stalks, heavy with corn makes for a pretty picture.

This area of the country is hillier than Indiana. As I pass the corn fields (we should figure out a way to make fuel out of this stuff, solve that oil problem once and for all).

I notice an interesting optical illusion. Due to the lines they are planted in, the color contrast changes as I pass and it appears that the corn is chasing me, trying to keep up, or bowing... hmmm... getting a little weird here.

On the side of the road, map check, a Native American named Trini, riding a Suzuki Marauder pulls up to see if I'm Ok. All's well Trini, thanks for being a good samaritan.

Well! I've given the female voice of the GPS a name, "Rose". Follow me on this one OK?

GPS>Gypsy>Gypsy Rose>Rose (my Moms name! Always a guiding voice giving sound direction) I know, corny, but I like it. (Hi Mom)



The speed limit here is 75 mph and I'm averaging 80/85. Silvers tires are really starting to look worn. Witness another fantastic sunset and then a roadside rest area to make my first payment on those hot dogs (ouch).

I see a stack of scrap paper and read a note from some guy looking for a well endowed trucker for a threesome with his petite yet firm wife. I've changed the language a bit to make it PG but you get the idea. I disregard the invitation because I am on a motorcycle (chuckle), Iowa is an interesting state.







More to follow....

[Rogue 1]

To see all the pics... go to:

http://rogue1.smugmug.com

Tired, must get sleep... this will be the last post for a little while... If you folks have any suggestions, kudos or even criticism, I'd sure appreciate your feedback... Ride Well

~~~~````=o&o> Rogue

It is dark now, and much colder as I head north without the sun. I have hit small scatterings of rain. 380 miles for the day and I am low on gas (286 miles since the hot dog stop, got more gas there than I intended, and it's not the kind that makes the bike go!).

I pull off north of Sioux City and am overtaken by the shakes as I fill the tank (7.4 gallons). The cold has me in its grip and I have to go inside. Two bowls of chili and a Hot Chocolate (on the house because I was shaking so badly trying to get my money out, Connie the manager hands it to me and says, "You look like you need it hon."� Nice lady)

I eventually warm up enough too continue. On with the new gloves and pants and heated vest and balaclava (ski mask) and I'm ready to go. Oh look... my old friend he rain is back!

Connie says, "Oh God! You're not going back out there, Baby?!?!?"

I always seem to get the best comments leaving gas stations.

I reach Sioux Falls and turn west onto I90 at around 10pm. Making miles. So far so good, rain stopped but I have discovered that my waterproof pants are only water resistant. What the heck, I didn't really believe they'd be waterproof for 50 bucks. This has been a helluva day.

Bump! I know what it is before my rear tire goes over it...Skunk!

Whoooof, thats some strong stuff! Already dead but still fresh, (it wasn'nt me) I grin as I think thats one more item for todays journal entry.


The rest stop outside Sioux City SD... I can't tell you what a relief it was to find it...


But wait! Theres more! I almost don't reach the rest area to make the next payment on the hot dogs (ouch again).

Fog is rolling in and getting thicker as I travel west... its pretty cool at first but getting worse. Finally I can't see a damn thing,

My speed is down to 20mph. Flashers on for fear of being rear ended, I am passed by a pick up and I latch onto his taillights (just ahead of me, thats all I can see). As we fly through the night and mist I wonder what kind of scenery I am missing.

I'm tellin' ya the fog was as thick as cotton!




Fog gets worse and my visor is covered with moisture. As I pass an exit with services, I can barely make out the roadside lighted signs. They are just glowing white balls of light floating in the fog.

Thats it... this is dangerous and I am starting to fall asleep in the eerie hypnotic silence that comes along with fog. I exit and visibility is so poor, I have trouble finding the entrance to the AmericInn that is right in front of me.




Abandon hope... all ye who enter here...


I check in, the rates are up due to hunting season. I'm cold wet tired and frazzled. Brandon, the night clerk offers me a pop tart while I drink a decaf and I hit the sack at 2am after a grueling 570 mile day.

Whew... told you it was going to be a long read. Did any of you actually finish it??? Email me and let me know! I'm having a blast and learning a lot about myself and the world. Thanks for coming along. This concludes our broadcast day... please rise for our National Anthem.

Stay tuned for the next installment...


Once again, the best of life and health to you all!!!



~~~~````=o&o> Rogue

[Komet]

Outsatnding report Rogue 1...if I happened to overlook you mentioning it...what camera are you using? Those are superb shots. Again, very nice report!

[Peachmaan]

Damn,, that cop was coool.!!!

Great picts and story!
Keep up the good work and stay healthy... (no hot dogs anymore...). Laterz

[AntWare]

Originally Posted by Rogue 1

Great report mate...hey, aren't those the buildings on the cover of Wilco's, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

[Rogue 1]

Originally Posted by komet

Outsatnding report Rogue 1...if I happened to overlook you mentioning it...what camera are you using? Those are superb shots. Again, very nice report!

Thanks for the compliment Komet! I love taking pictures and it's good to hear that I don't "suck" at it...

You might be surprised to learn that the camera I used was a simple Canon Digital Elf > S110 2.1mp. Packs small and recharges quickly from the GS' power source.To get the shots right I've learned to really fine tune the manual mode. Can't wait to get my hands on one of the better lensed cameras with larger memory.

(got the waterproof case for it as well but the GF would kill me if I posted thos pics )

[Rogue 1]

Originally Posted by Peachmaan

Damn,, that cop was coool.!!!

Great picts and story!
Keep up the good work and stay healthy... (no hot dogs anymore...). Laterz

I may never eat another... if only for how long it takes to strip the gear to do something about it

(boy these smiley are great)

Thanks Peachmaan!

Rogue

[tiefflieger]

Originally Posted by Rogue 1

…whew… I told you it was going to be a long read… did any of you actually finish it??? Email me and let me know! I’m having a blast and learning a lot about myself and the world. Thanks for coming along. This concludes our broadcast day… please rise for our National Anthem.



Stay tuned for the next installment…



Once again, the best of life and health to you all!!!



~~~~````=o&o> Rogue

Yep, finished it and can't wait to read on. Great report! Keep going, you're on a roll, man!

[Rogue 1]

Originally Posted by Ant Ware

Great report mate...hey, aren't those the buildings on the cover of Wilco's, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Yes Ant ware! Same buildings... in fact they are pretty famous... featured in alot of films, especially in the 70's and early 80's...

I dont remember the movie, but the first 15 or so floors are garage parking and they did a stunt of a car jumping out of one building and into another... what the hell movie was that?

Rogue

[Rogue 1]

Originally Posted by tiefflieger

Yep, finished it and can't wait to read on. Great report! Keep going, you're on a roll, man!

Thanks for the encouragement Tiefflieger! More on the way...

Rogue

[Gerg]

Ok Rogue... nuf is nuf... change your AdvRider name NOW!!! There is and has been a Rogue here for quite some time. You should have noticed when you signed up and couldn't get the Rogue without the one... Ask nice and Baldy can make the change... JUST DO IT!

[Rogue 1]

Thanks for the heads up Gerg... to quote the stranger when he arrives in town:

"Ah don't want no trouble..."

The situation is being addressed... please stand by...

OK?

[Steve Glenn]

This is like a good movie I can't wait for the sequel.