Day 36 HOME

Greetings everyone. Well, if we haven't talked to you or seen you. Were home. We started early Friday morning with our usual breakfast. The weather said severe storms were going to be around in the afternoon so we wanted to leave early. We packed up and were on the road by 8:30a.m. We headed down route 70 to the 90 and were well on our way. The traffic was low and the road was smooth for a ride. We stopped in Erie, PA for a quick lunch then headed out again. The feeling of anxiety was building, we knew we were close and it was still early. We continued at a steady 70m.p.h. and found ourselves on 20A by 12:00p.m. We finally arrived at home and were greeted by Pepper and Rebel. They acted like we had never left. I unpacked the bike and Tracy called the doctor. We took Tracy to the doctor and they sent us to the E.R. After several hours in the E.R. and a few X-Rays, the doctor told us he thought there was a fracture in her heal. She needs to go for more tests. The doctor put a splint on her, gave her some medication, and issued her crutches. We had some dinner before returning home to unwind. It was nice to finally get there and sit on our own furniture and sleep in our bed. We stayed awake till 12:00a.m. talking with Mark and reflecting on our journey. It has been a long trip and we thank God for answering all of your prayers. We went through trials and tribulations, good weather and bad, but it was all worth it. I'm posting this Sunday because we wanted to gather our thoughts and summarize our trip for you. Here it goes: Total Mileage - 11,879 miles, Total Day's Gone – 36, Longest Day Ride – 637 miles, Shortest Day Ride – 25 miles, Hottest Temperature – 92 degrees, Coldest Temperature – 28 degrees, Total Cost - $4,800, Most Expensive Fuel - $4.63 a gallon, Cheapest Fuel - $3.61 a gallon, Most Expensive Hotel - $166, Cheapest Motel - $45, Least Favorite State – Washington, Favorite View – Lower British Columbia, Worst Drivers – Michigan, Friendliest People – Rocky Mount House, Alberta, Wild Animals Spotted Roadside – Deer, Black Bears, Wild Horses, Moose, Bison, Mountain Goats, Antelope, Prairie Dogs, Porcupines, Eagles, and Red Tail Hawks. Every where we went we ran into friendly people. People who wanted to talk and ask were we were going. Most were in amazement as to our journey and wished us well. Our country is full of caring and generous people. Canada is just as beautiful and friendly. At no time did we feel threatened or in fear of danger. God has many wonders all over the country side and we would love to see more of His awesome creation. Till we decide to do this again, may we say THANK YOU, for all your support and comments while we were gone. God Bless to all and we love you guys............

Day 35 Medina, OH

Hello family, friends, and fellow bloggers. We made it to Medina, OH. Yes, it's a short ride, but that dreaded storm caught us. We woke around 9:00a.m. and repeated yesterday's routine. Mandee was watching the kids and Jason was hanging out on the couch. We had some coffee then Jay and I took Desiri to school. When we returned, Mandee made an excellent breakfast of biscuits and gravy and eggs. Once again, we filled up then hung out talking. Around 1:00p.m. we loaded the bike and headed out about 1:20p.m. We wanted to be ahead of the storm. The clouds were very dark behind us. We were heading east and out ran them in no time. We started to head north to get on route 80 and the clouds caught back up to us. The wind started to really gust and push us around. We got on route 80 and started our ride west again. The first 30 miles were really rough because the wind and trucks made for a white knuckle ride. We out ran the storm and the skies ahead were blue. We got to Toledo, OH and took a break at a rest stop. I noticed on the Doppler that the storm was getting larger and heading to where we were going. We decided to take the back roads and get off the highway. We were only 100 miles away and I really didn't want to hold on for dear life anymore. Route 20 was smooth sailing and we were making good time. When we started to head south toward Medina the clouds ahead looked threatening. We pulled over in Fitchville, OH to put our gear on. Thank God we made that decision. One minute after we stopped the rain came down hard and the skies light up with lightning. The rain was so hard cars and trucks started to stop at the station we were at. People coming in said they couldn't see. The roads were flooding and trees were down. We waited at that station for an hour and a half. We were only 42 miles from the hotel. I had made reservations earlier so we really weren't in a hurry. It looked like it was easing up some, so we decided to continue on. It was about 6:00p.m. by now. We could see the occasional lightning strike but they didn't hit the ground they went across the horizon. It was raining lightly, and it was humid, so my glasses kept fogging over. To make matters worse, every so often, the road was flooded all the way across. Speed was reduced to 30m.p.h. and slower. Some of the water flowing across the road was up to a foot deep. We kept praying the Lord would deliver us safely. It took two hours to go 42 miles but we arrived safely. A little wet and semi stressed but no worse for the wear. We ordered a pizza and are drying out. Keep us in your prayers, were almost home. Thank you and God Bless.

Day 34 Rome City, IN

Good evening everyone. Another blessed day. Rest and relaxation for the day. We woke around 10:30a.m. and headed to the kitchen for coffee. It was nice sitting around the kitchen table feeling at home. Jay and Mandee whipped up a blue berry gravy and biscuit breakfast. Mmmmm Mmmmmm good. We sat and had coffee while we talked. Mandee had one of her headaches and was really starting to hurt. Jason took her to the E.R. so Tracy made cookies and prepped the dinner. Dave and I talked for hours. Jay and Mandee got home and Mandee made and outstanding fried chicken. I helped with the potatoes and gravy. We sat down and pigged out. We called it an early night. Stuffed belly's and comfortable surroundings made for total relaxation. Sorry I don't have much to tell you but it was nice just chilling out for a day in comfortable surroundings. We plan on riding to Medina, OH tomorrow, so we don't have to leave till afternoon. Till tomorrow, God Bless and good night.

Day 33 Rome City, IN

Greetings to all. We had a wonderful day today. We slept in till 10.00a.m. then headed down for our breakfast. We were an hour late and the service had already been taken down. We packed up and rode off heading south. It was around 11:00a.m. when we reached Grand Rapids, MI and the race began. One thing I can say about drivers in Michigan, they watch too much NASCAR. The speed limit was suppose to be 55m.p.h. but everyone thought they were on a race track. Speeds exceeding 70m.p.h. and they were dodging in and out of the lanes. No turn signals, just aggressive lane changes. It was a white knuckle ride all the way through the city. They had no respect for other drivers on the road. Around fifteen miles out of Grand Rapids we pulled over for a break and coffee. It's sad when you need a coffee to calm your nerves. I have never been in such a crazy driving situation. We hung around for about twenty minutes getting our nerves back to continue on. We pulled out, and the traffic was better. We were only riding 175 miles to Jason and Mandy's, so we were not in a hurry. The sun was shining and it was warm. The scenery was pretty much the same, hard woods lining the road side, with lake Michigan off to the west. We made our way through the rest of Michigan at a slower pace and were in Indiana by 1:30p.m. We hopped on route 90 and headed east to Lagrange, IN. It was a relief to be in familiar territory knowing we are close to home. Twenty minutes south and we were in Rome City, IN. Indiana is flat, with dairy farms, and corn fields on both sides of the road. We arrived at Jason and Mandy's around 2:15p.m. It's nice to be at a home instead of a hotel. Jason had pulled out some rib eye steaks for dinner and Mandy made macaroni and cheese and snow peas. We ate then talked till 12:30a.m. We had a year worth of conversation to catch up on. We shared our pictures with them and talked about our journey. My computer battery ran low so I decided to update the blog in the morning. Well, it's not morning, it's 1:10p.m. After a long night we had slept in. What a beautiful feeling knowing we didn't have to be anywhere today and we could rest and relax for a few day's. Tracy is watching Kung Fu Panda with the kids and Jason and I are talking. We are still asking everyone to continue praying for us. God has been protecting us our whole trip and we see Him working in our life everyday. God Bless and we are praying for you to.

Day 32 Whitehall, MI

Good evening from Whitehall, MI. What an awesome God we serve. Today was another glorious day. We woke early this morning and headed to breakfast. You have to love Super 8's, they always serve a nice continental breakfast. After we ate, we packed up, then headed for Manitowoc. It was 137 miles away and we needed to be at the ship yard by 12:15p.m. I wanted plenty of time to spare for those unexpected delays. We were heading toward Green Bay and we didn't know how bad traffic was going to be. We also needed to find a couple of ratchet straps for the ride. We were on highway immediately and remained on it almost all the way. The sky was cloud covered and the sun was trying to peek through. The news said it would burn off by mid day. It was a comfortable 52 degrees and we left our rain gear in the side bags. We saw more of the farm country Wisconsin is known for. Dairy farms, very large dairy farms. Between the farms were grass for grazing but the cows weren't out. The properties had four to five huge barns and several silo's. We figured each farm held around 1,00 head or more of dairy cows. We were impressed with the size of them. We stopped for coffee and a short break around 75 miles into the ride. We were making excellent time so we could rest for a bit. We stopped at a large truck stop just of the highway. It wasn't just a gas station and store, it was also a casino. The Indians are taking back what we took from them so many years ago only in the form of cash. We couldn't believe that so early in the morning people were gambling. The Indian casinos are certainly a trend in the upper mid west. Every state we have been in since we have returned is loaded with casinos. It's sad to see the poverty in the towns but the willingness to gamble. The store had ratchet straps but they were in four packs and we only needed two. We had a coffee then headed out after twenty minutes. The road to Green Bay was fast and steady so we really had no problem getting through. Before we knew it we were in Manitowoc. It was a pretty town with a population of 34,000. As we neared the ship dock you could tell that the town had sprawled to the outskirts. The village was run down and a lot of properties were vacated. There seemed to be a heavy Hispanic population in the village. It was 11:00a.m. so we had plenty of time to find a hard wear store. We stopped at a Car Quest and found two straps in the sale bin. Thank you Lord, they were only $4 each. We stopped for another coffee then headed for the ferry. I checked in and they had us wait with another couple who were on a bike. The ship was being loaded with coal. The S.S. Badger is the only coal running ferry left in the world. It runs twice a day from Manitowoc, WI to Ludington, MI. I know what you are going to say, “we cheated”. We needed the break and we still wanted to make progress. We rode our bike onto the ferry, strapped it down, and headed to the upper deck. We found a couple chairs on the port side of the boat and waited for the rest to be loaded. At 1:15p.m. they were loaded and we set sail. About fifteen minutes into the ride I decided to take a walk about. Tracy was reading a book so I headed off. I started chatting with the couple that had the other bike and they noticed they were getting black soot in their drinks. The smoke from the stack was billowing to the rear and port sides of the boat. Just as they noticed Tracy rounded the corner commenting she was getting dirty from the smoke. The wind was blowing from the north so the port side was not an option for seating. The boat was large, it is 410 feet long and had two decks. There was sleeping quarters for rent, two eating facilities, a lounge, two T.V. Rooms, a movie theater, gift shop and bathroom facilities. You could sit outside on the upper deck or down below. We had a nice lunch then walked around. We decided to sit on the lounge chairs at the bow so I could take a nap and Tracy could read. The four hour cruise went quickly and soon we were in Ludington. We were off the ship and on the road in twenty minutes. We had gained back another hour so it was 6:30p.m. We rode out of town and headed south. We rode for around an hour and decided to call it a night. The road had patch work on it and trees were on both sides close to the shoulder. We were in deer country, it was dusk, and the speed limit was 70m.p.h. The pain between my shoulder blades was returning so we called it quits. We are only 170 miles from our next destination so it will be a nice ride tomorrow. They are calling for good weather. Thanks for keeping track of us and may God Bless. To God Be The Glory !!!

Day 31 Wausau, WI

Good evening from Wausau, Wisconsin. Another day down and it was a long one. After sitting in a hot tub last night that didn't work, our bodies were a little refreshed. (the pump was not working properly, but it still helped) We woke early and packed up to leave. Before we left we applied capsicum cream to our bodies and headed out. The warmth felt good between my shoulder blades and Tracy said her butt felt fine. We rode through the town and were soon on open road. The sun was shinning and it was around 65 degrees. The road was well paved and the speed limit was 65m.p.h. Cruising down the highway through Minnesota reminded us of being on the N.Y.S. Thruway. There were trees along the road side and then open fields. Occasionally a farm and small houses. The grass was topped out and the highway department was cutting along the road side. We noticed that they were bailing the grass and leaving it in round bails. Farther down the road we saw a state truck picking up the bails. Were not sure what they do with them but we thought it was a novel idea. Making our way through Minnesota was an easy ride. We stopped for fuel in Bemidji, MN and a trucker started a conversation with us. He was returning home after being on the road for a few day's. He suggested that we take a ferry across the Lake Michigan instead of riding all the way to the top of Wisconsin. He told us to stop at the welcome center just over the border and check out the schedules. He also told us that we were in deer ally and to be safe. We thanked him, then started our ride again. We were heading down the highway and that same trucker sped past us. We figured he was in a hurry to get home, but he slowed down to the speed limit. After some time we realized that he was acting as our eyes, looking for deer. Every time we would lag behind he would slow down. We were traveling through a forest with trees on both sides of the road, prime for deer to lunge out of. When the road opened up to a four lane, the trucker took off like a shot, and flashed his brake lights. We waved to him, and he was off. We continued on our way then stopped for a bite to eat and to refuel. It looked like rain ahead and it was getting a little chilly so we put on our gear before leaving. Tracy called that one on the money, about ten miles down the road it started to rain. It wasn't to heavy so it was easy to maintain our speed. As we neared Duluth, MN it started to come down in buckets. It was raining so hard my glasses started to fill with water. We pulled over under cover to dry my glasses, then headed off again. It rained all the way through Duluth, but when we got to Wisconsin, it eased up then stopped. Clear skies were ahead and we dried up quickly. Like the other states, when we crossed the border the landscape changed. The terrain started to become more hilly and the trees were large. There were pines, ash, maple and beautiful lakes all over the place. There were turns but not sharp ones, just long and gradual. We arrived at the welcome center around 4:20p.m. The attendant was very helpful and gave us all the information we needed. After some figuring, we decided to take the ferry. It would save us around 275 miles and money. We changed our direction and started heading south. We rode down route 51 into the state forest. This was a beautiful ride. Our goal was to make it to Wausau before dusk. We didn't want to tangle with any deer. The pine trees were close to the road and very tall. The lakes were blue and full of people enjoying them. We exited the forest and the road opened up to a four lane highway. The speed limit rose to 65m.p.h. and it was clear sailing. We arrived in Wausau at 8:00p.m. and checked into a motel 8. We have reservations for the ferry in Manitowoc. It leaves at 1:15p.m. and we need to be there by 12:15p.m. It's about 150 miles away so we are heading out early with plenty of time to spare. We want to thank Francis and Patty for all they have done for us. God Bless and we Love you guys. Till our next post, be blessed and good night.

Day 30 Crookston, MN

Hello everyone. We are in Crookston, Minnesota, it's located about 25 miles east of the North Dakota border. We started this morning with another glorious day. After a good night's sleep we headed out around 9:20a.m. The skies were clear and it was 62 degrees. The weather channel said we would have a nice day. We rode east on route 2 and were out of the small town quickly. The speed limit was 70m.p.h. so once again, we knew we were going to make good time. The road was straight and there was no traffic so we were moving right along. Williston and the surrounding towns are oil towns. Along the road side we could see small oil rigs scattered about. The land was very flat and it didn't change much. Grass, cattle, oil rigs, and a house here and there is what we saw for around 100 miles. We stopped for fuel and a coffee and spoke with another biker from Williston. He was returning from Devils Lake, ND. We shared our experiences with him then got back on the road. The highway was a long and very straight road. Once in a blue moon we would catch an s-turn but then straighten back out for miles. When we were about 40 miles from Minot the terrain started to take that rolling effect. There was hills along the road side but they only extended about a couple hundred yards from the road. Beyond that it was flat. The temperature was starting to rise and the sun felt good. We arrived in Minot and stopped for fuel. While I was fueling up, another biker asked what chapter of the C.M.A. we was from. He is a C.M.A. member also. His name was Lou. He and his son were riding to their home. We chatted and shared with him and his son for a while. He asked if we were going to be in Minot for the evening and wanted to have us over for dinner. We told him we were on our way through and thanked him for his generous offer. That's one of the blessings of being a C.M.A. member. You run into fellow Christian bikers and they open their homes to you. We gave him our blog, told them they would be in our prayers, then headed out again. As we headed out of Minot the land scape started to change. There were more hills and lots of small bogs and lakes. We were heading toward Devils Lake, ND. The sky started to cloud over and the winds were picking up to around 25m.p.h. It still didn't look like we were going to run into rain but we could see that off to the north and south it was raining. When we arrived in Devils Lake the wind really started to pick up. I was getting a cramp between my shoulder blades from the death grip I had on the handle bars. The road was still well paved but that change for around 15 miles. The bumps slowed us down a bit but we motored on. We came to Grand Forks, ND and decided to call ahead for a motel room. Motel 8 didn't have anything available so we decided to get into Minnesota then check the G.P.S. for lodging. 25 miles into Minnesota we came to Crookston. The clouds ahead really looked threatening and we could hear thunder off in the distance. We decided to call it a night to avoid the rain. Tracy's back was hurting from the road bumps and my back was still hurting from the death grip. We did a short ride through the town and they had three hotels in town. The first one we went to was booked, but we had success on our second try. We were checked in by 6:00p.m. We walked to the Walmart, picked up some essentials and food, then returned to our room. I showered then we ate. Were going to make it an early evening. Little by little we are making our way home. We hope everyone enjoyed our pictures and posts and we want to thank you again for your prayers. Till tomorrow. Good night and God Bless.