Finally Out of STL. 600 Miles to Go.

Monday, I finally left Saint Louis after 14 days. I am sure my friend Keith was happy to see me go after invading his apartment for two weeks. Thanks Keith for putting me up. I was waiting on parts for a passenger seat backrest and a cable for a GPS electrical system I had installed. The cable never came but the technicians provided a solution for the trip. Why did I need a passenger backrest? Well my passenger is my luggage and the backrest allows me to better secure the bags. By the time I rigged up my bike to carry everything including working around a strap breaking on my knapsack, I did not get out of STL until noon. I have never ridden this far in one sitting. My butt hurts and I was sweating like a pig, but am ecstatic I have started my thousand mile trip. Unfortunately, since I left STL so late I cannot take the route I intended to visit VFP members and other activists. Instead of heading south through Memphis, Birmingham Atlanta, Charlotte etc., I am traveling directly East on US 40 to Newark. While on the road I meet other bikers who asked where I am heading. It is pretty obvious I am on a trip to somewhere with my big load. Monday I met Mike C in Carlyle IL. He has 3 bikes; a Harley he hates, a Yamaha V-Star Classic that he was riding (very pretty) and a Honda Gold Wing that he has driven all over the country including to rallies with his Christian motorcycle club. Originally from Seattle, he moved to IL, and made some changes in his life including becoming serious about his faith. He must have been a super wild man before the changes because he is still, as he said, crazy. He told me he laid down his bike a few days ago because he took a curve too fast. I asked did  he get hurt. He told me it would take more than that to keep him down. He’s had plenty of spills. “I ride a little crazy.” He went on to tell me a story about being stopped for going 170 mph. I asked, “What do they do to you when they catch you going 170?” “He chewed me up and down for 45 minutes. I just hung my head and took it. Then he asked, ‘Mr. C think you can slow it down?’ I answered yes sir and he let me go.” Later at a BP gas station (I have been avoiding BP, but not when I’m scared I will run out of gas and I need to put on raingear) I met John, a rider heading to Texas. His bike was very nice. He brought a pillow along to sit on, but like me his butt still hurt. Of course his bike had more horses than my 500 ccs. Everyone’s bike is bigger (except for Juan’s). But like I always say, I’m a little guy and right now it works for me. But I have seen some nice bikes, so who knows. I also met a father and his 9 year old son riding back to Jefferson Barracks, MO from Indy. It is his first long distance trip. It was hot all day and I hit rain twice, but nothing real heavy. I landed in Terra Haute, IN and slept like a baby at a Travelodge. Jumped out of bed at 7:45, ate breakfast and cycled to one of the numerous Wal-marts to replace the backpack with the broken strap. Almost every town I motor through has a Wal-mart. It is amazing. While loading my bike I conversed with Juan, who I mentioned earlier. He was busy resurfacing the parking lot and stopped to talk to me. He has spent time working in Saint Louis and Woodbridge, NJ.  He owns a small motorcycle I noticed when I checked in. I was real curious because it was so small. I thought it might be a 250, maybe a Honda Rebel. No, it was a 50 cc motorcycle, don’t know the make. He offered to sell it to me cheap. I said no thanks. Today, Tuesday May 25th, was hot, but thank goodness no rain. The only other bike owners I met today were two tough looking older Harley riders. I was taking a lunch break at a rest stop when they drove up pulling their beautiful cycles. When I told them my destination, the Big Guy told me he couldn’t imagine traveling that far in his 1100 cc much less mine. Well I repeated the small guy mantra. While talking, I mentioned my recent nuptials, which led to me finding out that one of the bikers just married Sunday. The other biker (the bald one in the picture) is his father in law, whose 49 year marriage anniversary is May 28^th. There were congratulations all around. Now I have landed in an American Best Valve Inn West of Dayton, OH, in a small town named Vandalia. On the way here I passed the 5 Rivers Meter Park. A beautiful location that I wish I had time to visit. Of course I also went through Indianapolis. I enjoyed riding through the city. But the sprawl is crazy. I have a few crazy stories share the proprietor of the Inn told me, but it is time to go to sleep. Until next time.