Arriving in Seattle

Yes! We made it to Seattle just as scheduled!  We traveled from Missoula, MT to Seattle, WA on I90  West.  This was a wonderful trip. The I 90 West is one of the most beautiful routes we have traveled so far on this trip.  We started this morning with a temperature of 58F and encountered 103F on the desert like plains on the way  from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, to Seattle.  By the way, if you ever come this way, you got to stop in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The area is surrounded by lakes left by the glaciers of the ice age.  Coeur d'Alene Lake is the most scenic of them. This city is one of the most fascinating places to visit in northwest.  We had lunch at Calypsos a unique coffee shop / gallery restaurant.  Here we met Pam, an exceptional and talented artist, with whom we spend a good amount of time talking about her artwork, life and its purpose. J

Couer d'Alene

Calipsos Coffee & Roasting Company

We had a great time riding around Coeur d'Alene, and loved that place so much that we are planning to come back for a longer stay sometime in the future.

Coeur d'Alene is only 30 miles from Spokane, WA.  The view along this route is breathtaking.  With it majestic mountains and lakes, makes the travel relaxing and enjoyable despite the heat.  As we got closer to Seattle, the temperature dropped about 25F, which was great!  So, yes, we got to Seattle at the scheduled time, ready to go for dinner at a nearby restaurant.  We plan to visit some exciting places in Tacoma, and Seattle tomorrow.  The weather has been really nice, and for that we are thankful! J

From Billings to Missoula, MT

Another beautiful and gorgeous day.  Carolina blue sky, perfect weather, and light traffic makes traveling easy and enjoyable.  Of course is not always like that, but today it was. 

We traveled trough various towns and villages and opted to spend the night in Missoula, a beautiful town in the heart of the northern Rockies in Western Montana.  Missoula is called the "Garden City" with lots of trees and gardens (something unusual for this area).   A well-traveled route due to its rivers, mountain valleys, and beautiful surroundings.  The majestic mountains, forests, rivers, and valleys serve as inspiration to many artist and crafters.  Here you will find a vast array of museums, galleries and art studios (my favorite places to visit), exhibiting from western and wildlife paintings to sculpture and contemporary art.  Music festivals and cultural events are offered through the year.  Missoula is also recognized as a Runner Friendly Community.  So, if you enjoy running, this could be a great place to vacation.  For a fine dining experience we recommend Jakers Steak-Ribs & Fish House,on Brooks St.  Excellent food and service.  Thanks, Kimberly!

Here are some of today's pictures...

Enjoy it! J

From Rapid City, SD to Billings, Montana

Have you ever thought you are making the best out of a day to soon realize that you have to stop and start all over again, loosing not only your time, but your rhythm? lol. Well, that is exactly what happened today!

We were really excited about being on the road so early this morning because we wanted to go through Sturgis, and maybe visit once again the Presidents at Mt. Rushmore.  Well, we were already in Sturgis (30 miles from Rapid City), when we stopped to check on the GPS for the Harley Davidson store (we wanted to get a gift for our friend Bill).  It was at that moment when Matt realized that we did not have the tank bag with us!!!  Oh my goodness!!!  PANIC!!!  In that bag is all our important documents, passports, etc.  We immediately called the hotel and luckily, Mr. Pat has found it outside in the parking lot, and it was waiting for us to be picked up.  So, back we went 30 miles to Rapid City, but thankful for finding our so important cargo!  Thanks again, Pat!

Back in Sturgis we went to the HD store (it was strange to see a beemer in that parking lot), and drove around town to take a look at the center of the annual bike week.  The festivities just ended last week, in fact, we saw hundreds if not thousands of bikes coming back from Sturgis.  This time the town looked quiet and calmed.  People were back into their normal routine, but still some bikers were roaming around taking a glimpse of that famous place. 

Notice the tire marks on the road

Considering that we had visited Mt. Rushmore two years ago, we decided to continue our journey to Billings, MT.  It was a beautiful ride.  No wind, sunny sky, temperature between 65 and 80 degrees, an absolute enjoyable journey! 

Hayyy!

                                                     

  

                                                                       









Wild Horses

                                               

                                                                           

                                                                                                 They were everywhere!

                          

Dwellings along the road

                                                   

   Wild fire results

We met nice people on the way, had lunch at Powder River Stockman's Club in Broadus, MT.  Great place to eat on your way to Billings. 

Today we drove around 380 miles.  We hope to be in Seattle in two more days. J

Gone With The (cross) Wind

WOW!!!   What a day!  We started early with a succulent breakfast at our hotel and decided to visit the Corn Palace (the one and only Corn Palace in the world), which was just a mile from the hotel.  This is a most to see if you are visiting Mitchell, South Dakota.  The concept started as a way to attract people to the city when they started to experience slow growth during the late 1800's.  It has multiple and enormous mosaic displays of unique artwork which illustrate scenes from bygone era, history, and present.   The mosaics are made using the entire corn plant.  It is like "color by corn" lol. The design is first printed as a pattern on the walls then it is filled with different colors of corn, with so much details that from the distance you can't say it is corn.  The display inside the building is permanent and the outside is changed every year.  We had the opportunity to see the crew going through the entire process.  Amazing!  Since their beginnings, the town celebrates an annual festival with shows, concerts, rides and activities for the whole family.  So again, this was an interesting, educative and unique experience!  Thanks to Jan for the recommendation.

 

            

 

  

                                                    

Outside view

Somebody have to eat all that delicious corn!

From the Corn Palace, we headed to Rapid City.  We wanted to pass by Badlands but instead we encounter BAD WINDS!!!   This fact changed our plans for the afternoon.  It was absolutely the worst winds we have had so far on this trip.  Fighting the wind was a complete workout.  We stopped for lunch and it was funny to see everybody complaining about the same thing... the wind!   Bikers and RV drivers alike, everyone concerned about it.  Some people asked us where we were going and expressed their best wishes on our journey.    We also met a nice guy from Florida who was on his way back home from Alaska!  Imagine that!  He was thankful he have had great weather so far,  but now was time for a little challenge with the wind.  

Once we checked in at the hotel in Rapid City, we went for dinner at Fuji Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar, a new restaurant in town.  It was delicious, and a lot of fun... highly recommended!

Now we just hope for a nicer day tomorrow!!! J

Third and Fourth Day on the Road

When we got to our hotel on Sunday night, we really hoped for a better weather next day(Monday), but that was not the case.  After breakfast, Matt had to spend some extra time looking for an alternate route to avoid the thunderstorms that were threatening the area.  With the desire to get to our next destination, we took off under a dreary day.  It was a blessing to be able to stop under a bridge, just on time to put on the rain gear before running into the rain.  Thank God, it was a light and brief one!  The good Lord helped us to avoid the entire storm.  It was amazing how we kept on riding between the storms and not got under any of it.  We literally drove directly from Richmond, Indiana to Coralville, Iowa, with only one stop for lunch & gas.  With no time to stop for site seeing due to the weather, we just drove straight to our hotel.  The hotel was really nice and their service was outstanding (thanks to Kelly at the Comfort Suites).

Today we enjoyed a wonderful ride through the Great Plains, from Iowa to South Dakota.  It was a beautiful sunny day with a perfect temperature of 75 degrees.  It is so relaxing to travel along these plantations and farms, I particularly love the windmills along the way.  They look like hard working giants, who will never stop until they accomplish their task.  It is like visiting old friends.  The place look so familiar to us.  This is the fourth  time we pass this way, and always find it new and interesting.  Once again, we drove straight from Iowa to Mitchell, South Dakota, with only one stop for lunch and gas.

While Matt enjoy to ride his beemer, one thing that I enjoy while riding is... a little nap!  The surrounding views, the wind, the beauty of the area its so relaxing that I can not help, but just relax and sleep a little.  Ok, sometimes I get upset because I miss things that I would have loved to see and photograph, but other times I am happy that I missed those things.  For example, today there was an accident on the highway which involved a trailer truck and several vehicles.  When I woke up, I saw the heavy traffic and took some pictures because I thought it was odd to have a traffic jam in that area.  Well, it was tonight when talking with my dear husband about our day that I learned what was the reason for that traffic jam.  After thinking and praying for the people involved, I thought... yeah, sometimes it's better to take a nap.

So far we have traveled 1,400 miles in four days.  We are stopping just one time for lunch and gas; by doing that, we can check in at the hotel early enough to go shopping and find a good restaurant.  Since we don't like to ride during the night, the earlier we get to our destination, the better. 

On Our Way to Vancouver Island

Yes!  It is that time of the year once again... our yearly motorcycle tour.  This time we decided to visit Vancouver Island, Victoria, Seattle, Rocky Mountains and whatever interesting things or places we encounter on our way!

This is our second day on the road.  We are spending the night in Indiana, and tomorrow we will keep on heading into the sunset!

Yesterday - our first day of travel - was raining so bad that we had to stop after just 170 miles on the road.  It was early, but we could not continue due to the thunderstorm and fog.  In contrast, this morning was a blessing to see such a perfect day... Carolina blue sky, sunny, cool, and breezy!  The perfect combination for a wonderful motorcycle ride!  We hope to enjoy the same weather conditions tomorrow. 

Note:  Just in case you are planning a trip to West Virginia, be aware that they are celebrating its State Fair right now.  We tried to find a hotel and it was unsuccessful, period.  There is no vacancy at this moment.  Try to call ahead to make reservations, otherwise you will have to drive a great distance to locate a hotel with available rooms.  You can visit www.TheGetawayConnection.com to check for availability 24 hours before your arrival to the area.

Are We There Yet?

Are we there yet? How many times have you heard these words?  Well, this was my constant question to my ever patient husband on Sept. 7, 2011.  Getting sick while on vacation is bad, but getting sick while on vacation and traveling on a motorcycle is terribly bad!  Unfortunately I got sick with a virus (I still wonder where and how I got it!), and could not take time to rest one more day at the hotel because we were still in Canada, and we had about 2,000 miles more to go.  Matt suggested to put me on a flight to return home, but I refused to leave him by himself, and continued our journey.  It was awful, and I just totally lost track of my blog postings.  Yes, it was a beautiful and fun trip from NC to Alaska but being sick for some time during the trip was not fun at all! 

So, sorry for the delay in getting back with you and our traveling stories.  I promise you this time (if everything goes well) we will keep you posted! :-)