The trip by the numbers

Ok gang here is the breakdown of the trip...
15 States 1 Province
4980 Round trip Miles
125 Gallons of gas (38.8MPG)

What I got to see...
· Niagara Falls: Both NY and the Ontario sides
· The 5(6) Great Lakes
· Mackinaw City
· The Mackinac Bridge – Crossed it
· The Michigan Upper Peninsula
· The Painted Lands in North Dakota
· Home on the range—lol
· The entire Bear Tooth Pass
· All of Yellowstone National Park!
o Bison are big and scary when you’re on a motorcycle
o Prairie dogs are very fast
o The cabins and family oriented areas are spectacular
· Old Faithful—truly amazing!
· Cody Wyoming –The Rodeo Capital of the World (or so the sign says)
· Devils Tower –Wyoming (A child hood dream thanks to Close Encounters)
· Mount Rushmore—One place that should be on everyone’s bucket list.
· Sturgis Motorcycle Rally…What a blast!
· Home—A smiling 4yo at the curb is by far the best site of all!

Some observations:
· I rode one of the most comfortable motorcycles I have ever been on: The 2008 Anniversary Edition Harley Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Classic (FLHTCU).
o The comfort and ease of the controls made it a pleasure to handle.
· Nolan N-Com series helmet
o The Bluetooth module and the “Harley Cord” kept me in communication with my family and truckers on the highway.
o XM Satellite radio—Prime country on channel 17 was fantastic.
§ Now I know what you’re thinking, all this technology isn’t really being a biker—while that might be true—I still rode mine to Sturgis!
· Skype and a net book was helpful for both Diehnee and Jack(and me too)
· Cruiser works boots—the absolutely the best boots I have ever owned. It was like a hand in a glove by the second day. The boots were warm and dry in the worst weather.
· Leathers – A good leather jacket and chaps are worth their weight in gold!
o The denim jacket and polar fleece Henley were perfect for upper 50s lower 60s
A Special Note:
I had a blast both riding and sharing the blog with all of you. I enjoyed my time on the bike, and the most incredible scenery that this amazing country of ours afforded me. To Jeff G., Joe G., Dave P., Dave D. Dave G.,and Eric W. I cannot begin to tell you how much you were missed. The rides we have done in the past are some of my fondest memories. All I can say is this…KEY WEST in 2010!

Thanks to each one of my followers: I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed riding. Thanks again. See you in 2010 for the eastern seaboard trip!