Butte, Montana
Hi There Little Doogies!
Don’t fergit, you can make the photos BIG if you click on ’em.
Leaving Seattle isn’t exactly like leaving Las Vegas; I had more money left over than when I leave Vegas. But I was very excited to get back on the road after almost five days of sightseeing and gluttony, all of which I loved. What I do miss when thinking about Seattle is my lovely daughter Kirsten for whom I have great admiration, and affection. What a hostess, travel guide, and friend! And her husband Mark, what a mensch; I love him!
The ride from Seattle to Spokane ain’t no big deal, save for the winding road through the mountains that surround the city. But crossing the Columbia River gives one the feeling of putting something behind you. Once on the other side, I felt like I was really on my way again. And on my way means a full tilt transcontinental ride. I intend to ride all the way to Prince Edward Island, Canada, a full transcontinental drift, via way of the Little Bighorn Memorial.
Since I’m on the subject…Screw Custer, he was to Native Americans what Cromwell was to the Irish. This is actually a memorial to the Battle of The Greasy Grass, and a holy ground for the Lakota, Arapaho, and Cheyenne Warriors who defended the theft of their lands. Do you think this is some liberal bullshit? How would you react if the USA were attacked by another country equipped with superior arms; a serious intent to take and colonize our country, and once accomplished, to then stick our asses on a reservation?
For more information, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Little_Bighorn
In Spokane, once again, I stayed with my Godson, Francis Luerssen, master brewmeister, and engineer, and his great wife, Tina, a head chef, who prepared dinner. Who needs a restaurant when Tina’s in the kitchen? Answer: Nobody! Thanks guys!
This morning started off with a perfect send off, breakfast at Frank’s Diner, in downtown Spokane. Do they ever have it goin’ on in this classic diner, or what? Oh hell yes, and amen! Perfect poached eggs on homemade corn beef hash with OJ, Coffee, and sour dough toast… plus a most interesting cast of inked up characters behind the counter. Zack, on the left, is the line chef extraordinaire, and Tommy, on the right, (check out his right arm), did everything else I could imagine. He’s a strong young buck who bent my thick silver Wyoming bought bling an 8th of an inch wider for a more comfy fit.
Riding from Spokane, through Idaho, and on to Butte, Montana, is a paradise of swooping, power on turns, and scenery that comes at you in waves of postcards. Lakes, rivers, mountains, and valleys, horses, farms, cattle, and crops. It’s not so much bucolic as it is overpoweringly beautiful and a constant source of temptation to take your eyes off the road. See the little white specks in the photo second from the left, that’s snow!
Speaking about the road…you can steer a motorcycle a few different ways. You can steer with your handlebars, pressure from your knees against the gas tank, (like leg aids on a horse), or by simply leaning. And you can do any and all of these things, together, if necessary. Adding power can also affect a turn. When no other vehicle is around, you can do interesting stunts on a bike, but what I found out about myself is that I do not like to pass trailer trucks, at speed, on the inside of a tight left turn. The realization that one mistake equals hamburger comes at you, hard. But today I taught myself not to fret this fear. I just said to myself, “Pretend it isn’t there”. After a few times of doing this, the fear went away. I think this is a transferable skill.
Tomorrow morning, I leave for Hardin, Montana, which is close to the Battle of The Greasy Grass Memorial. Then, after paying my respects, it will be onward to Rapid City, SD, a staging point for an excursion to the Bikers Mardi Gras, in Sturgis. Observe photo on left, a rather mundane example of what and who will be there. A sometimes outrageous affair complete with nudity, gaudy attire, debauchery, and drunkenness, (you might ask: What’s the downside?), it is also a pleasant event for like minded fans of two wheel thrills who would get together and yuk it up! No, I don’t think Mount Rushmore is on the docket.
More from Little Bighorn, and Sturgis in a few days.
XO
Middie
