Wedding Ride - Summer of 2013 - First Stop Denver

I knew my brother from the motorcycle club, Josh (or "Stretch" as we call him), was planning a wedding this summer in Denver, so as soon as I heard that, I started plotting and scheming to make sure I got a good long ride out of the deal.  Before too long, I got another wedding invite for Stephanie's (my niece) wedding in Texas and it was scheduled for a week after Stretch's.  Then, as if I needed another excuse, my first granddaughter, Kayla Renee, was born on May 21st and gave me the best reason of all to hit the road.  All of these events combined into a great summer motorcycle adventure.

4,740 miles, 14 states over 8 days of riding.

Stretch's wedding was scheduled for Saturday, 7/13, and I wanted to get to Denver on Friday so I could hang out with him and see some of the other club members the night before.  I decided I'd give myself a couple of days to get to Denver and left midday on Wednesday, 7/10.

Day One of the ride was a short hop to Lexington, Kentucky (about 475 miles).  I've ridden this stretch of road several times and it includes passing through West Virginia.  A lot of this leg of the trip is interstate highway, but I always enjoy the ride from Strasburg, Virginia to Elkins, West Virginia.  It passes through the Appalachian Mountains and crosses the Eastern Continental Divide, so there's some nice twists and turns through the pass.

It was overcast and a little dreary looking when I rolled out of the driveway, but other than some minor sprinkles here and there, I managed to avoid any heavy rain for most of the day.  But, a complete day without rain was not to be.  I made it to within 100 miles of Lexington before the bottom dropped out of the skies.  It started with those big rain drops you see from time to time.  The ones that seem like they're big enough to knock you off the bike.  About the same time the big drops started, I passed a sign telling me a Kentucky rest area was just a mile ahead.  Maybe I could make it there before it got really bad...no such luck.

This wasn't actually in Lexington, but Johnson City, TN.  Still you get the idea.  Wet is wet.

I stopped at the rest area, but only because it was raining so hard I couldn't see and the road was covered with water.  After a few minutes break and determining that the rain had slacked off to "monsoon" levels, I climbed back on the bike and rode on through the storm.  It stopped raining about 30 miles east of Lexington and I arrived safe, sound, and soaked at my Motel 6 for the night.  A quick call to Domino's for some pizza delivery and I was done for the night.  (I love it when my motel key has the Domino's delivery service right there on it!)

The ride to Lexington was uneventful, but I did see this one guy on I-79 headed south toward Charleston, WV.  He was in a Honda Civic and apparently had been watching too much NASCAR.  He was running about the same speed as me, 80-85 mph, but he would change lanes on every curve so that he was in the inside lane.  Mind you these are big sweeping curves built on a interstate for high speed limits.  You really don't need a lane change on each one, but it was fun to watch him drive that little bitty Honda like he was Dale Jr doing 200 mph.  I laughed every time he made his "move".

Since I knew I would be spending a large part of the next day on I-70 headed west, I pinged my cousin Dee via Facebook to see if there were any delays or construction that might make me want to go the back roads.  Dee and her husband, Kevin, are in the trucking business and I was hoping she'd give me a reason to jump off the interstate.  Unfortunately, the trucker reports didn't show any issues, so I-70 was going to be my lot in life on Day Two.

This was breakfast on most mornings...biscuits and gravy with a side of hash browns...mmm, mmm, good.

Day Two was the longest leg (880 miles) I had planned on the entire ride.  I was mostly concerned with making good time out to Denver, so this leg consisted of all interstate (I-64 and I-70) with a few choice stops along the way.  I rode out of Lexington in a light fog, but no rain.  It was foggy most of the way to Louisville where I'd be crossing the Ohio River.  I expected the fog to really be tough when I got to the river, but actually, it was pretty clear and the ride to, and through, Louisville was uneventful.

I had some interesting stops planned for the day, but once I hit the road, I decided I wanted to make time versus enjoy the potential curiosities along the way.  It was the wrong choice because I skipped a stop at Colonel Sanders' grave (the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken) as well as a house in southern Indiana that has large model planes hanging in the yard.  I was able to see the yard from I-64 since the house sits right along the interstate.  In hindsight, I wish I would have taken a picture.  It was pretty cool.

I made a gas stop in Haubstadt, Indiana.  After filling up the gas tank, I grabbed a Mountain Dew and a Snickers bar (my usual road snack) and was sitting out front relaxing.  A another rider, Neil, on a Screaming Eagle Road Glide walked over and asked if I wanted to ride together to O'Fallon, Illinois.  I said sure and we rode off together with him taking the lead.

Neil had an interesting way of riding.  We were on I-64 and running about 80 mph.  Every time he passed an eighteen-wheeler, he would accelerate to around 90 and blow past the truck.  Of course, the first time he did this I was caught off guard and had to crank my throttle to catch up.  As we continued to pass trucks, I figured out his riding style and was able to stay with him.  It wasn't until we stopped to top off the tanks in Mount Vernon, Illinois that he explained to me that he had experienced a truck shredding a tire once when he was passing and ever since then he made a point to get by them as quick as he could.  I've had a couple of similar experiences, so even though I don't ride that way on my own, I could respect his thought process.

On the upside, we made good time!  On the downside, I skipped several more of my planned sightseeing stops.  So, I can't bring you pictures of the Martini Drinking Elephant, Washington Monument Replica, or the Tiny Church.  Maybe next time.  I'm sure I'll be making this trek across Indiana and Illinois again sometime in the future.

My riding partner peeled off the interstate in O'Fallon and I continued on my way through St. Louis.  I wasn't sure of the best way to get through St. Louis, but when I saw signs indicating that road work had lanes on I-255 (a potential bypass) closed, I decided I-64 right through the heart of the city was as good a bet as any.  It turned out to be a good choice and there were no real traffic problems.  Plus, I love crossing the Mississippi River there and seeing the Gateway Arch standing watch over the river and the city.

This shot is from one of my many Mississippi River crossings in St. Louis.  It's still one of my favorite reasons to cross there.  The Arch is cool!

I merged from I-64 to I-70 west on the northwest side of St. Louis and started my way through Missouri.  Other than gas, there were no planned stops in Missouri.  Actually, I had planned to stop at Hooters in Columbia for lunch, but as usual, I was making good time and didn't want to take that long.  So, Mountain Dew and Snickers stepped up as the understudy for lunch and performed marvelously.

I passed through Kansas City, again uneventful, and headed into Kansas.  It was a hot day with temperatures on the plains creeping up into the low 100s.  I finally decided to do a little sightseeing and stopped to see the Atomic Annie that sits in Freedom Park near Junction City, KS and overlooks Fort Riley.  The gun sits at the top of a big hill.  There's a path and stairs leading up to it, but my tired butt didn't feel like climbing them.  So, I got a picture from below.

Atomic Annie is actually the gun you see at the top of the hill.  The lower gun is a WWII-era howitzer.

The Atomic Annie is an M65 Atomic Cannon that was an artillery piece built back in the early 1950's and was capable of firing a nuclear device.  About twenty of them were produced and this is one of eight that are on display around the U.S.

Freedom Park also featured an obsolete command track vehicle.

From Junction City, it was only about 150 miles to my destination for the day, Hays, KS.  On the way I passed one of many wind farms I would see along the way.  Smoky Hills Wind Farm is located about 20 miles west of Salina and is the largest wind farm in Kansas.  It's home to 155 wind turbines that cover approximately 20,000 acres and produce enough electricity to power 37,000 average Kansas homes annually.  The horizon is dotted with wind turbines for miles.

I actually arrived in Hays about 7 that evening and could have got another hour or so of riding in, but I was tired and stopping seemed like a good idea.  Plus, I have to cancel my Motel 6 by 6PM local time or I get charged for it and since I hadn't done that, my cheap butt pulled in and cranked up the A/C to cool the room and me down.  As a added attraction, I had already scoped out Thirsty's Brew Pub, so after a quick sponge bath to wash some of the road grime off, I headed down the street to check out Thirsty's.

The welcome sign as I walked into Thirsty's. $7 pitchers...my kind of place.

A not so healthy appetizer of pork strips with cream gravy.

Followed up with a rib-eye and hey, there's corn on the plate! Who put that there?

My bartender, Patrick, took good care of me and after a very satisfying and filling meal, I headed back to the motel to call it a day.  880 miles, give or take a couple, and 14 hours on the road.  I was ready for a nap.

Hays is only 335 miles from Denver and I would gain another hour when I passed from the Central to Mountain timezone near Brewster, KS.  Still, I was up and on the road again by 6 the next morning and back on I-70 continuing my trek west.  I could see the sun sneaking up in my rear view mirrors, so I pulled over at a high point (an overpass on I-70 being the high point in western Kansas) and waited for the sun to peak over the horizon.  I welcomed in the day sitting on the side of the road. 

Sunrise over the Kansas plains.  The picture doesn't do it justice, but it was a beautiful sunrise.

My first stop was at the Buffalo Bill Cultural Center (BBCC).  I got there before 7AM, so it wasn't open, but the main reason for my stop sits outside the building, so it being closed wasn't a problem.

The Buffalo Bill Cultural Center in Oakley, KS.  I arrived before 7AM to an empty parking lot and locked doors.  Ah, but no worries.  What I came for was sitting right outside.

What enticed me to go 4 miles south of the interstate, you might ask.  Particularly when you've read about me skipping one stop after another for the sake of making better time.  Well, in this instance there were two reasons.  1) I had plenty of time to get to Denver by early afternoon and 2) there is a sculpture at the BBCC that caught my attention while planning the ride.  I can't explain why, but seeing this sculpture became one of the more important stops on this trip.  I was not disappointed.

This is going to fall into the category of "you had to be there to understand", but I'm going to try to explain to you how incredible this sculpture is.  You'll either get a tingly feeling reading it or the next few paragraphs and pictures are going to be awfully boring.  I hope it's the tingly feeling, but here goes.

The sculpture commemorates the 1868 contest between William F. Cody, Fort Hays buffalo hunter for local railroad workers, and William Comstock, who hunted buffalo to feed soldiers at nearby Fort Wallace.  The contest happened just 10 miles west of Oakley.  William Cody won by shooting 69 buffalo to Comstock's 46, earning Cody the life-long title of "Buffalo Bill."

The Buffalo Bill sculpture at BBCC is, in a word, AWESOME!  Buffalo Bill on his horse and the Buffalo weigh approximately 5,000 lbs and 4,000 lbs respectively.

Buffalo Bill riding his favorite horse "Brigham" stands 16 feet tall.  About twice life-sized.

Note the detail on the sculpture as I stare into the barrel of the Model 1866 Springfield rifle that Buffalo Bill named "Lucretia Borgia".  And to answer your question; no, I don't know why he named his gun after a 15th century "femme fatale" who is described as having heavy blonde hair which fell past her knees, a beautiful complexion, hazel eyes which changed color, a full, high bosom, and a natural grace which made her appear to "walk on air".

From the beginning of the Buffalo Bill project until the sculpture was put in place took 6 years. It had its beginning as a sketch on a napkin at a restaurant in Garden City, KS.

Once the monumental piece was started, it took about 3 years to complete.

The sculpture was first created in clay. After it was completely sculpted it had to be broken down in over 100 smaller pieces to be cast separately. After being cast, they were bronze welded together, chased, and then the final patina was applied. It cost approximately $450,000 to build.

As I stood in the middle of the sculpture, it was as if I was transported back 150 years to the days of the buffalo hunters.  I could feel the ground trembling as the herd thundered across the plains.  I could hear the snorts from the flared nostrils of the buffalo and Brigham, the horse.  The wind shifted and swirled around as the buffalo and the rider passed by me.  Actually, it was me walking through the middle of the sculpture, but I swear it was as if I was simply a part of the prairie.  I was piece of grass sticking up and caught in the middle of a life or death struggle between man and beast.

It's difficult to find the words to describe how connected I felt with the sculpture.  I must have walked around it 10 times finding something new to look at each time.  I have a friend, Bridget, who tweeted, "The arts are what define our humanity."  I got exactly what she meant while I was standing beside this sculpture.  It was a magnificent experience and one that I will never forget.  I remember getting back on the motorcycle and riding down I-70 shouting out loud, "That was AWESOME!!! Man!!! That was AWESOME!!!" for the next 5 miles or so.

I borrowed this picture from the BBCC website because it gives you more perspective of the size of the sculpture.  The man standing in the picture is Charlie Norton, the amazing artist who built the sculpture.  Did I mention it was AWESOME!

I could have turned around and gone home after experiencing the Buffalo Bill sculpture and felt like I had a successful trip, but there were still two weddings and a new granddaughter to be experienced so the trip was just getting interesting.  The remaining ride to Colorado on I-70 was uneventful.  There was construction the last 15 miles or so in Kansas that had it down to single lanes with east and west bound traffic using the west bound side of the road, but even that didn't really cause any delays.  A hundred miles of I-70 in Colorado and I was taking the exit to roll across the plains of eastern Colorado on state highway 86.

I get that CO-86 is straight as an arrow here, but at least I was off the interstate and rolling through the hills.

I made a stop in Kiowa, CO to check out the Elbert County Court House.  I am named after both of my grandfathers and my middle name is Elbert after my maternal grandfather.  So, it's not everyday that I get the chance to take a picture of anything with the name Elbert associated with it.  The county was named for Samuel Hitt Elbert, the Governor of the Territory of Colorado when the county was formed in 1874.

The Elbert County Court House in Kiowa, CO.

After taking a quick picture of the Court House, I looked across the street and saw the Kiowa Creek Cafe.  The sign said, "Open" so I decided to go in and have a late breakfast.  The owner of the place was the host, waiter, cook, busser, and cashier.  There was one other patron eating his breakfast when I walked in and we struck up a conversation.  Most of the talk centered on the fires they were having in the area.  So far, he had avoided any damage to his property, but was able to see the fire from his home when it was close to him.

The owner asked me if I was a veteran.  I told him yes, but from many years ago.  He said he gave meals to veteran's half price and active duty military got to eat free.  That's one of the many things I love about getting off the interstate and visiting these small towns.  He was a patriot as far as I was concerned.  I told him I appreciated the offer, but I would go ahead and pay full price, no worries.  I had coffee, two eggs, sunny side up, hash browns and toast for less than $5 and that was without the discount.  I love America and places like Kiowa Creek Cafe.

The Kiowa Creek Cafe with the $3.99 Breakfast Special sign hanging out front.

The bar next door to Kiowa Creek Cafe was closed, but I did like the Welcome Bikers sign hanging on the wall.  It looked like they might have just had, or were planning, some type of rally in town.

From Kiowa, I made my way into the suburbs of Denver and realized that since it wasn't even noon yet, it was too early to go to my Motel 6.  Instead, I parked myself in a booth at Twin Peaks and waited for my MC buddies to get into town.  We spent the afternoon hanging out, drinking some beer and telling lies.  After a short break, we hooked up again for more shenanigans in the evening, then hit the hay in anticipation of Stretch's nuptials the next day.  All in all, it was a good ending to the first leg of my trip.

Best wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Joshua "Stretch" Fehringer. May you enjoy a long life of love and happiness.

I'll work to get the rest of this ride story posted over the next few days.