Today the blog is starting out about the ride...After all yesterdays excitement Thrivette needed to have quiet day just observing the world from the back of Biffys bike......with one exception we'll get to latter.
Given our good fortune with the weather, the bikes and our personal endurance - this morning we arose and realized we were way ahead of schedule. Therefore, we could play a little and take a side trip. We looked at maps and decided to take a jaunt north through Iowa, to Minnesota and finally arriving in LaCrosse WI.
This journey is one that is being taken by thousands of people from all over the world. Back in Salt Lake City we met our first, fellow HD 105 trekers. At our hotel we met two men who were traveling together, and at a pit stop we met three gentlemen who - ironically were from Lodi CA - where Sheri grew up. This morning we met a sweet gentle man from Texas, And tonight when we pulled into our hotel we we greeted by five charming men from Alabama,Virgina,Florida and Georgia. See picture at side..funny how big tough harely guys seem to love to pose with Thrivette. And yesterday at one of our pitstops we were told about a group that stopped there the day before who were from Brazille. Each group we've met all chatted about how long we were going to ride each day, what routes we were taking and how our bikes were holding up. The biking community is family....weird, diverse, yet family. At each stop we are meeting more and more "relatives" we never knew we had. We may not share "blood" but we share the spirit of the road and the love of HD.But this trekking trio is a bit different....unique......not only are we traveling with a lovely rubber chicken......we are three women.....We are all over 45 years old, professional, and we are riding together with no men.......We have met a few other women who also are on this trek to Mecca.....but only one other woman was a rider....and she was with her husband.......
We are like the motorcycle version of Charlies Angles. The three of us are out to conquer this journey together. And our "Charlie" is named Teri...who is connected to us every minute of the ride. And thank goodness for technology, as Teri is virtually connected all day long. We send emails, and texts at every stop and talk with "Charlie" every night.
Talk about women's empowerment......we don't need a silly weekend retreat...we just need to hop on our bikes and travel across country. We are empowered and powerful women........Biffy can hardly believe what this trio has accomplished!!!
And today's ride literally brought tears to our, usually goofy and quirky Biffy. Biffy has come home. Thomas Wolff may believe You Can't Go Home Again but Bif knows differently. As the trio trekked through the end of the flat plains of NE they crossed into Iowa....Iowa...so close to Wisconsin...where Biffy was born and raised. And we pasted very close to Siox City Iowa where super Sheri was born.
The land migrated from the plains into the gentle rolling hills, huge green lush trees and lakes and rivers. And the sky was such a beautiful crisp blue withbig puffy fairweather clouds. No smog ot fire in the air here. Biffy knew this land....this was all so very familiar.
As they continued through the day Biffy saw so many familiar sites....that she hadn't seen in years. On the sides of the were the beautiful delicate blue chicory flowers, the delicate queen Ann's lace and horse tail grass. Some people consider them road side weeds but Biff remember their beauty. All these "weeds" lining the side of the road and further were the amazing views of the miles and miles of corn fields, the beautiful streams and huge lush green trees. And as the trio came into Wisconsin the land changed into the limestone cliffs, sumac trees and of course....the spectacular Mississippi River.....What a view, what an incredible site to see....And all of this is Biffy's homeland.......This is land to be cherished and Biffy feels incredibly fortunate to be from this part of the country.
As they continued through the day Biffy saw so many familiar sites....that she hadn't seen in years. On the sides of the were the beautiful delicate blue chicory flowers, the delicate queen Ann's lace and horse tail grass. Some people consider them road side weeds but Biff remember their beauty. All these "weeds" lining the side of the road and further were the amazing views of the miles and miles of corn fields, the beautiful streams and huge lush green trees. And as the trio came into Wisconsin the land changed into the limestone cliffs, sumac trees and of course....the spectacular Mississippi River.....What a view, what an incredible site to see....And all of this is Biffy's homeland.......This is land to be cherished and Biffy feels incredibly fortunate to be from this part of the country.
As idealic as this may sound, ther is one huge difference...And we mean huge....BUGS, BUGS and more bugs. They grow them huge here in the midwest and the traveling trio got know that fact all that too well because......many of those huge bugs splatted on the trio's faces....YUCK and double YUCK....Bug guts...ickky poo.....And poor, poor Biffys Sparkley Bike (SB), she is just not as sparkely as she was when she left California....she is a little dingy now with the road dirt and the yucky bugs.....and of course the reimants of that little diet coke incident.
Thankfully, our lovely Thrivette was on the back of the bike avoiding all the icky bugs. Oh gees.....
Talking about being in the Midwest, we must chat about the people. Midwesterners are just plain some kindest people in the entire world. They are just plain are nice. The first thing the traveling trio noted about the people was that the further we got into the Midwest - Thrivette was gaining a bigger and bigger fan club. Vehicle after vehicle past by the trio with grand smiles, waves and even a few elbows flapping....like a chicken. And everyone we met ....are just plain nice and always offering to go the extra mile to help in any way.
At one Starbucks stop a lady was chatting with the trio and share some very important information. "You know, you girls can go a little faster on the road between 4pm and 7pm. Because at that time the state troopers take a long supper break (or dinner for non-midwesterns) and after 11pm you'll be fine cause the troopers are in bed by then." Now, that was certainly important info for the trio to ponder.......
Ok so we know you are all waiting for the Thrivette story of the day......OMG Thrivette got to commune with SPAM...Yes, really SPAM. The traveing trio we riding along on hiway 90 through MN. When all of a sudden they girls were approaching Austin MN and if you don't know what Austin is famous for you are clearly not a hip soul.........Austin is the home of the International SPAM Museum!!!! And yes Thrivette and the motorcylces had a lovely time comuning with real "hogs." 
Peace Out,
Biff and her play mates
Talking about being in the Midwest, we must chat about the people. Midwesterners are just plain some kindest people in the entire world. They are just plain are nice. The first thing the traveling trio noted about the people was that the further we got into the Midwest - Thrivette was gaining a bigger and bigger fan club. Vehicle after vehicle past by the trio with grand smiles, waves and even a few elbows flapping....like a chicken. And everyone we met ....are just plain nice and always offering to go the extra mile to help in any way.
At one Starbucks stop a lady was chatting with the trio and share some very important information. "You know, you girls can go a little faster on the road between 4pm and 7pm. Because at that time the state troopers take a long supper break (or dinner for non-midwesterns) and after 11pm you'll be fine cause the troopers are in bed by then." Now, that was certainly important info for the trio to ponder.......
Ok so we know you are all waiting for the Thrivette story of the day......OMG Thrivette got to commune with SPAM...Yes, really SPAM. The traveing trio we riding along on hiway 90 through MN. When all of a sudden they girls were approaching Austin MN and if you don't know what Austin is famous for you are clearly not a hip soul.........Austin is the home of the International SPAM Museum!!!! And yes Thrivette and the motorcylces had a lovely time comuning with real "hogs." 
Peace Out,
Biff and her play mates
1 comment:
You ladies ROCK. ya just do, Iam so happy for all the experinces you are having. and a lil bit jealouse..its all good. keep on keeping on!
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