Spiritual libation, the adventure's end.

Fri. Oct.2nd 2009
7:45 am, back home at Santoroland.
Rode a hard day from Anamosa Iowa. Only needing 1,200 miles to get home allowed me to ride more aggressively.
Had a beautiful tail wind (tues past). Took 64 out of town because the ride was soo nice last Sunday when I took the bike out for the church of two wheels. It was nice to come home that afternoon for a little spiritual libation. The day was sooo perfect, it was impossible to go to church. I figured with all the prayers I say all day long(please god don't let him pull out in front of me...etc) it sort of counts:)
Monday was the new set of tires. Metro Harley out in Cedar Rapids got the job done in record times! I barely had time to get through two or three mags. They only charged me $110 to install and ballence the pair. Pretty good!
Tuesday out the door and on the road by 8:00am. had packed and pre-ride inspected the bike the night before:)
Eventually , hopped on the interstate in Indiana. The moment you cross east of the Mississippi the state roads and county roads are packed with stop lights. It was annoying as hell. Had to ride the interstate if I ever wanted to get home.
Rode till it got dark. Was tired of paying for camping. I only needed to sleep for about 8 hours, why should I pay $20-100 for that?! So I 'camped' behind a fence behind a big Loews. Got to use my 'bike tent'. That was exciting. It's just a tarp I throw over the bike, and sleep under. I definatly plan on doing some more 'free camping' next summer.
Wed. Cold and rainy, all day. When I pulled into the hotel right outside of Binghampton it was 36deg. Awesome. Kept having to warm my hands up on the engine all day. That was a trick I picked up in the Yukon. It was the record cold for riding during the entire trip. Dinner, hot bath, cranked the space heater WAY up(the hotel gave me a discount on the last room they had because it didn't have heat, only the space heater), sleep, breakfast, and on the road again.
Saw a sign, 166mi to NYC. I laughed out loud! What was 166mi at this point? Nothing! I ride that much before lunch. Ha! I remember two months ago that seemed an impossibly large distance.
Visited some old friends in my home town where I grew up, then attempted to get into the city before dark(didn't make it:).
NYC was not nearly as deathly scary as I remember leaving it. Was I a better rider now? Probably? That was nearly 11,000 miles ago.
My father fed me, and I told him and my grandmother stories....
Now it's time for some sleep. Currently it's strange. I don't know how I feel. Not sad or happy.
Maybe a bit confused. I'm no more or less comfortable in my cushy apartment with my $$$$ mattress than I was sleeping in a tent with a sleeping bag. I don't have the words exactly yet.
I saw the magnitude of the human spirit. What people were/are capable of. That's not something easily forgotten.
Picture this: You pulled out the measure stick which you use to gauge life, and discovered to your pleasure that I was deeper than you imagined possible?
In truth, the trip wasn't anything that special or amazing. Loads of other folks have made the trip before, in varying degrees of peril, on all sorts of motorcycles.
I'll think some more as I un-pack tomorrow(I don't have many things).
I never expected anything from this trip, except, maybe to see America. I never thought it would change me in any way. Didn't believe myself to be that kind of person.

Some quick stats for those in the know:
Miles: 11,000 give or take.
Oil changes: 3
Tires changes: 2front, 4 rear.
Awesomeness: Epic

Here's a link to a map I whipped up on google: map

Nuckleheads

Sun. Sept.27th 2009
Yesterday I participated in a "Poker Run". Found a flier for it at J&P Cyles which is right here near Anamosa where I've been staying with my sister and brother in law for a few days.
The ride befitted the United Way. It turned out to be a fantastic way to get a tour of the area that my sister and brother now call home.
The riding was beautiful. A little chilly, and threatening to rain at any moment...but it never did. Met some new friends. Initially I had just asked to ride along because I had no idea where any of this crap way, but they soon accepted me into their company. They embarrassed me in front of the entire festival at the end during the awards. The MC gave a shout out for the furthest traveled. "We've got a Texas, but the prize goes to NY". So I'm looking around for the dumb schmuck from NY who just got called out at this crazy event where everybody knows each other.....then I hear: "Anthony raise you had so we can see you..." Man. I can't go anywhere:)
Oh. There is a bar in Anamosa called Knuckleheads. I really wanted to go in there, but never had a chance. I heard there is a burnout right down the middle of the bar. Sounded like my kind of place!

Otumwa.

Tue. Sept.22 2009
Nothing particularly interesting happened today. I rode, was happy, and am now fed and ready for bed. Mostly I wanted to document sleeping in a place called Ottumwa.
It is getting chillier as I move east.....

Kill'n time.

Mon. Sept. 21st 2009
Omaha Nabraska, and my friend Tracy's house.
Road accross Nabraska in one day. 550mi. That's a new record for the trip. Was intending to leave Nabraska today, but had a late night, and subsequently a late start....and then it was raining...:) Eh. Fuck it. It's a vacation / adventure. Sometimes it's good to know when not to force things.
My back is flaring up again.
I've got two new tires waiting/ordered for me in Cedar Rapids Iowa. My sister lives out near there, and I was always planning on getting a new back tire....but upon inspection of the front tire, I decided that it would be good to change that one out also. It had worn down in a funny way, and have several deep gouges in it I had not noticed before! ahh! It did pretty good. 8,500 miles and only 3/4 worn down. wish I could get that out of the back one!
Nabraska is beautiful riding! riding from the west, you come out of the Black hills(which arn't any peticular color), and then into the protected grasslands, which are like a grass desert. After that the gentle hills begin, and the corn starts. Endless corn! By this time of year I'm told it's all feed corn, that sweet corn was harvested several weeks ago:(
Once the road traveled up about 30feet for an overpass. I swear you could see the entire state.
I had perfect cell phone coverage the entire time.
One more day here in Nabraska, I'll play with the kitten some more, and then go shopping for dinner. I love the gentle art of killing time!

Crazy Horse.

Sept. 17th 2009
Quick not about last night's lodging. In the middle of the night....I heard jackles or some sort of wild dogs on the cliff behind my campsite. Awesome I thought.
Then about 10min later, after what sounded like scurrying down the steep hill, I hear something(s) lurking outside my tent. OMG. Man. It was probably the most terrified I'd been the entire trip. A pack of wild fucking dogs, outside my tent. Awesome.
I layed there rather still for about an hour till it stopped, and the sounds retreated into the distance.
In morning, I learned that it was only the crazy wierd deer that are all over the place.
Accidently went to Mnt.Rushmoor today. I'd seen it before, and wasn't impressed then either. Crazy horse on the other hand is...well...crazy. Whoa! Check that thing out if you are in the area. It's a humbling experence to say the least.