Trip to Michigan

 

OK Let's see........last week I put about 1700 miles on "Doc.” I was supposed to go to WV and meet a very dear friend, but that was not to be.:( So I contacted some friends within riding distance for the period that my angel was in camp, and the destination was set for Michigan. I left late on Sun. June 30th. I didn't hit the road until 4:00 (wow dropping your kid for their first alone camping experience is hard!) I made it just past Buffalo that night. The next day going through Ohio was hell! I don't know the temp for sure but it was HOT! I was stopping every rest area or so, to rewet my long sleeved white shirt and soak my head in the sink! The bike was running good, until I hit a huge bump and heard a *crack*! Figures the only state along the way that I had no contacts nearby in. lol regress a little....I had decided to try and journal my adventures, but after 2 gas stops gave it up. I had too many words to write to describe things I saw and smelled etc...I never would have gotten out of NY! lol Looking into a voice activated recorder with headset to record thoughts and type out on return.

 

So anywhooo......I pull into the next rest area with a few sparks:D and proceed to diagnose the problem. Apparently, I had sheared a bolt that held the fishtail on and the bar it was attached to snapped. Zip ties to the rescue! A couple from Stephentown helped me out. The man was an airplane mechanic and he helped me tie things together. Very nice couple. His wife was from Russia, had an incredible accent....I'd have loved to spend time talking with her....she said she didn't like country life, being from a big city over there.
Well, we tied it together so well and so tight, that as soon as I sat down most of the zip ties snapped. (Keep your comments to yourself! ;) At this point, the pipe was twisting and the screw was in the chain. Not good. I set to re assessing the situation and an older couple stopped to assist. Then arrived 2 couples on Gold Wings. For the life of me, I cannot remember which Gold Wing club he said he rode with, but I believe they were from Illinois. He was going to jump a small crick at the rest area and strip some of the wire off the chain link fence for the repair, but the crick was very wide! Very funny guy! I wish I had taken a pic of him taking up my pliers and setting off to strip the fence! lol so the end result of this all was I got fed up, yanked off the tail pipe with the broken bar still attached and threw it into the sidecar. heh Why in the heck did I not think of that to begin with, I have no idea. (And many thanks to all the folks that helped! Not one single yuppie Harley rider offered me assistance the whole friggin trip!)
Off I went.

I enjoyed the view of Ohio along I90 a lot. There were acres and acres of golden fields.....I passed a car manufacturing place, and the whole front parking row was filled with bikes! Yea, that would have made a great pic, but I had to make up time! lol At one point, there was a golf course on my right. (Note: a couple years later, same route, I realized the golf course was in NY oopps!) There was this man jumping up and down, waving his golf club in the air, looking at the highway. I waved what the heck. As my eyes traveled, further down the fence...I saw a woman, spread eagle, up against the fence, completely nude! WOW These Ohio golfers sure know how to party! Rofl (thought the guys might enjoy that memory!) I made it just into Michigan and had to stop for the night. The heat had really kicked my butt, and it was bedtime for bonzo. My final destination was a small town called Northville, Michigan. I arrived around 12:00 and called my friend at work. I got
there only to find out his wife and daughter were here in NY. They are all from here. She'd left a message for me to rest, enjoy, and ride safe with the guys. OK I can handle that. We went to see some fireworks from a pontoon boat on the Huron River with some of my friend’s friends. Had a blast, at one point we had to go under a bridge that was so low, we had to duck to get under. Good thing the water was low, eh? lol

Wed. I figured to go to a local Harley dealership. I needed some oil and stuff. I should have called DetroitBob at that point, but didn't figure I'd spend most of the day talking to folks in the parking lot. lol A really nice dealership, the people I met were nice. I walked in and asked for the service dept. *Down those stairs, Miss*. Jeeeez, of course, I wouldn't have it any other way! lol (they really need an elevator!) Got me a half case of oil and some spark plugs, didn't want to have to stop before we went camping, and I was running pretty rich in that heat. The young man carried all my stuff out for me, and as I was gapping the new plugs, I met a couple that had a very neat hack, and one of the sales men came out to talk to me, as well. Very nice folks and a pleasant dealership experience for what I needed. At that point I called and missed DetroitBob.Sorry to have missed you Bob.
Next trip for sure! :( I had left my cell on the kitchen counter, so he had no way to get back to me, either. (yes, I had NO cell phone with me for break downs. Just relied on kindness of others, which I saw a lot of. Does a body good!) And sorry, it's probably boring to you all, but I like to write about the kind people I meet. :) Well, I had lunch and headed back to the house. It was time to pack to head out for a few days of camping with my friend and his crew.

Before I end part one, let me add a lovely spot in the road I encountered! It is a 90-degree turn on I90! A local told me it is called *dead mans curve* or something like that. I had the mis fortune of timing that with rush hour and as you came around the corner, the traffic stopped dead, and all I could see was what looked like a huge tunnel. I pulled over, no way the bike was going to handle sitting in that traffic in that heat! So I set by the side of the road and waited in the shade. A cop stopped at one point to inquire what was I doing. I explained that I wasn't going there, and he said wait until 5:50 and it'll clear right out! And it did. Also, I usually shove my helmet under the front/back tire if on an incline. The bike tends to roll sometimes. Two bikes went by, one with a woman on the bike. From what I could see the rider was a patch holder of some sort, and he shouted over as he approached, *is that a help helmet?* (I never actually thought about how it looked with the helmet there) but that was nice, and I said no just waiting out traffic.
So if you made it this far, thanks for reading! :) Part 2 soon, I promise!

Michigan Trip Pics