Southernmost Point of Continental USA

This was finally the moment Reiner got the chance for doing his first Saddlesore 1000 that means we have to do1000mi in no more than 24 hours and this was going to  happen at the first stretch of our tour. Beside this we had to continue collecting stamps of National Sites too as we already do have Arizona, New Mexico and Texas we decided to go for this SS 1000 straight on I5 and then on I 40 to Albuquerque,NM ( 1.050mi ). It sounds easy in our mind but when we hit the first heat in Needles,AZ around 100°.......the best part as a co-rider on this kind of bike is, you can keep your "gallons" of water always handy and sometimes you can feed the driver with it too. But a lot of water means a lot of reststops and this isn't a good thing when you are travelling against the time. On the other hand on I40 you are allowed to go 75mph in some states and the bike needs gas earlier than usual, so we can say the suffering was not too bad, but anyhow at this point of our trip we didn't even know yet what heat means.After 15,5 hours and 1000mi we finally checked in at a Motel in Albuquerque , enjoined a cold beer and shower and had a very good nights sleep.

If someone thinks this is a relaxing trip, no way, because now we had to collect the stamps in every state we are going through. The GPS does know where to go, but you have to read it right and then don't miss the turn!So for the first time at this trip, we did take a look twice on the freeway around Oklahoma City, means the first time we didn't even look on the display of the GPS, so we turned around and the second time we missed the sign to go off the freeway. After this "turn-around" and some straight on miles we had to cross the special bridge, which did collapse 3 days later in a heavy rain.....oh oh! Short said, we didn't get a stamp in Oklahoma, because the site was closed on Sunday, though we went on to Arkansas. But we have to tell you that we did eat the best MC Donald's Cheeseburger at a huge rest area in Oklahoma and we tried another one short before Kansas and it did taste good too......must be Oklahoma!

Next stamp pickup was Ft.Smith NHS in Arkansas and then up north to the G. Washington Carver NM in Missouri. Ft. Scott NHS in Kansas was our last stop for a stamp that day. We talked for awhile with a Ranger there and he was offering us a tour but a tour was not in our time schedule and we told him we will come back some other time, because we will need a stamp again anyways.

Our next state was Tennessee, we did drive through Memphis and through Nashville, the last by accident, because we (not the GPS) missed a sign again. But here began a suffering of a special kind for us. Both of us got Hayfever and since we did drive through a blooming and green part of the country we couldn't even enjoy sitting on the motorcycle. So we had to look for a pharmacy, bought several kinds of stuff for the nose, eyes and throat and suddenly we could see and breathe again. The decision was made, never again a tour to the East at this time of the year.

But we have been so far now that we won't turn around. Esp. when the Great Smoky Mts. and a part of the Blue Ridge Parkway is coming up. One day we had the very humid weather and the other day we saw some snowflakes. Driving over that mountains we got lucky again because the next day there was heavy snowfall up there, we only left the big cloud behind us and were hoping for warmer weather. And that did happen finally in North- and South Carolina, but very humid too, well you will never get it right.

One time we had to ride around a very black cloud to avoid a severe thunderstorm, so we did, but there was a little one following us and Reiner thought we could make it without getting wet.....haha did I mention he didn't even want to stop for putting on proper raingear ? Well after this little cloud opened up we had to stop, because our T-shirts have been really wet and even the leather pants couldn't hold up the wet, I even don't wonna talk about our shoes and socks. Maybe I should knock harder on his helmet the next time!

If anybody is wondering if there was nothing going wrong with the motorcycle, here it comes, not exactly technically but something for the shop. It was in Savannah, GA in the morning when we checked the tires, there it was, a pretty huge nail in the rear tire. O.K. we looked in the GWRRA Goldbook for the next shop, asked the clerk at the Motel where to go and he told us "just go 6mi down the road", did we have luck again? We did have....besides the $250 for the new tire with changing (means we had to cancel one or two **** Diners), but at least they had the right tire in stock and we could go on to Florida after only 2 hours waiting.

Next interesting " have been there too " was Daytona, must be really fun at the Bike Week, but when we went through, there was only emptiness and two other Germans on their bikes, not quite interesting .

Miami at morning rush hour we did rather avoid and did go on to our goal, Key West. Quite impressive riding all the way to there on bridges and cute small villages and finally through Key West. The first thing we did after checking in the Motel and for the first time ever, driving to the beach for the sun set without a helmet, what a feeling! After returning we enjoined the atmosphere in Key West and some drinks in various bars, in E. Hemmingway's bar too. Next day we didn't or better couldn't start off as early as usual, guess why.....but finally we did go all the way back in more traffic and sometimes slower than the allowed 45mph.

Now the journey for going west began.

This day we did drive through the Everglades NP and here we saw the most amazing sign ever "... Pass - Elevation 6 feet" ..... poor bikers in Florida ....

Driving along side the Alligator Alley we thought how boring, nowhere one of this animals, but suddenly one of this big black rocks, which we saw laying all over this place at the river, was moving.......well good that nobody was with us!

Now we wanted to see the amazing white beaches and the blue water of the Gulf of Mexico at the North west coast of Florida. We haven't been disappointed, what a white and a blue color! But unfortunately it was a Saturday and College holidays when we passed through Panama City, stop and go between all this very young peoples driving in some fancy vehicles. We didn't need our music on, there was enough sound coming out of each car to get the Wing to vibrate beneath us.

But at least we saw that it is true what we heard about this part of Florida and kept going on to our next important stop, New Orleans. As we came near this town we decided to spend one night near the French Quarter, because this is something more of "have been there". We checked into a quite expensive Hotel having only strolling through the streets in mind. What a bummer when we experienced the shut down of the complete French Quarter for a big private party the hole night....... what now ? What else could we do as looking for a good restaurant, having a good dinner and some Margaritas, at least we did get the drinks for free because my husband did proof the servant that he can eat a whole Habanero (if you should not know, it is the hottest pepper) and still stay alive!

The next morning we decided to make a quick tour on the motorcycle through the streets of New Orleans and that was the first day I, as the co rider, experienced some kind of sitting and back problems. BTW it was no wonder, even if there was only one bump in the street, you can bet, my husband did drive right through the middle of it.

Coming into Texas we decided to spend 2 days in Galveston Island for some relaxing of my body.

When we saw some severe weather is coming up around Houston we packed our stuff and soon we were on the road again, in this case on I10 and Big Bend in the South West of Texas in mind. This was the time, I was allowed to drive the 1800 with my husband as co rider for more than 200mi, what a relieve for my body and soul. I didn't feel the bumps as strong as on the backseat and I did get only a slight breeze of wind. But he did understand now my bitching about his "bump searching" driving style, because I didn't avoid some of this bumps either, with the difference not feeling them as strong as on the backseat.

Big Bend NP was our last stamp for this tour. After this Park it was only driving home, but through a heat around El Paso and Phoenix that we never had experienced sitting on a motorcycle. We had to keep on our jackets because the sun would have burned our skin off. Then we decided to ride at night, but the temperature still showed around 95° at 11:00PM so we preferred a Motel with an AC and a good shower.

It was on I5 going North when we got strong wind again and I was allowed to drive us both home, so I noticed that sitting in the front, you even don't feel the wind as strong.

At the last gas station we called our neighbors and friends, that we will be home in about 2 hours and did ask if they could provide some very cold beers for us and told them they shouldn't be scared about our looks, because we got the helmet and sunglasses form imprinted in our sunburned face and have been sweating day long again.

When we drove through the entrance gate we already saw our neighbors waiting for us and guess what they did offer us.......YES...ICE COLD BEER and any exhaust was gone for the next 2 hours in favor of a lot of yada yada yada !

This was a great welcome after a great tour.

BTW One important result of this tour was, that I decided to ride the GL1800 by myself the next tour, my husband still has his GL1200.........