On The Throttle: Tennessee to Kansas City to Nebraska

Tennessee to Kansas City to Nebraska

I woke up really early. It must have been 4am by the time I gave up trying to fall back asleep. The tent was on top of a solid wood deck and it must have been 85 degrees out. I took it as a sign to get up and start my day. I started cooking coffee and taking down my tent at a really slow pace. I wanted to be on the road right at sunrise so that I could alt least enjoy the views on my way out of the park. I was so deliriously tired the night before that I skipped the lake and all the scenic outlooks.

The roads were wet and just as I started moving on the interstate it started to rain. I changed into my waterproof riding gear and just pressed on. My goal for the day was to make it a little more then half of of the way to Denver. I knew I couldn't make it all the way there in one shot so I figured I would just set up to arrive at my buddy's Brian and Jessica Millers house just before dinner.

There really isn't much to report on today. I rode most of the miles on the interstate and stopped to chat with people every where I took a break. I met 2 guys that were going to BassPro for the big sale. They were sure everyone and their mothers were going to be there buying ammunition and fall hunting supplies so they were going to spend the night and get there when the store opened or something like that.

I saw a town named Danville so naturally I pulled in to say hello to someone. I met 3 old dudes there riding GoldWing trikes. They were just out for a 3 day ride "so they could get away from their wives" I asked them If their butts hurt too or if its just something us young guys have to deal with. They got a kick out of that one. It was funny swapping stories with them about our latest adventures on the road. These old guys get it. We sat and talked for almost an hour then we passed around a bottle of Ibuprofen and said our good byes.

I crossed the big Miss river today. That wasn't planned benchmark but if I turn around tomorrow at least I can say I made it that far.

The rest of the day went on and on. Mile after mile of highway until finally 12hrs later I had had enough. I googled hotel and took the first one that popped up. It wasn't cheap but after the lousy nights sleep I had on the wood planks I didnt care what it cost.

I made it to Kansas City. That was enough for the day.

I woke and hauled ass out of town. I was headed to Denver when I got the call from my buddy Mark. He has purchased a toy hauler off of craigslist and has a campsite reserved at the Broken Spoke Saloon. SAYWHAAT. So, I made a immediate right hand turn and headed to Sturgis. Luckily when you start at the bottom of North America everything is on the way to where I'm going.

The ride for the day was beautiful. So much better then yesterdays endless hours of highway miles. Don't get me wrong today was a lot of miles but at least the views were stunning. To top it off I was able to get myself a five billion star room for the night in a quiet pasture.

I'm headed into Sturgis next by way of the Badlands. I promise no detours.