Preparation

Well, it is two o’clock in the morning and I am still not packed for the trip. The bike is ready. I had it serviced last week and changed the rear tire yesterday, pumped up both front and back to the recommended pressure for rider and luggage, checked the oil and filled it up. I gave it a good looking over, checked the headlight, tail light blinkers, accessories and all are in good working order.

I still need to pull my reservations and prepare the itinerary with all the information on the hotels including address, phone number, directions from the freeway, nearby restaurants and cancellation dates and times in the event plans change.

This trip takes me to the southern Rocky Mountains. Day one will be Thursday which will take me from Cleveland down to Columbus and then across central Indiana, through southern Illinois into St. Louis. On this trip I will be joined by my buddy Dirk and we are planning to meet up in St. Louis.

Friday will be an early start in St. Louis staying on 70 through Missouri, hoping to make it through Kansas City before morning rush hour and then on through Kansas to Colorado just a little south of Colorado Springs.

Saturday will be the first day in the mountains up through central Colorado and then down to Taos New Mexico.

Sunday will be a long run across northern New Mexico and northern Arizona into southern Utah where the intent is to visit Zion National Park and then head down to Vegas for the night.

Monday will bring us back up into Utah visiting Kolob Canyon, Cedar Breaks National Monument and Bryce Canyon ending the day near Capitol Reef National Park.

Tuesday is a bit of a long day going through the Utah desert and on into west central Colorado, swinging by the Colorado National Monument and ending the day in the Aspen area.

If it is not snowing in central Colorado, Wednesday will be a tour of the 14,000 ft peaks on up through the Rocky Mountain National Park, across the Laramie mountains and ending the day up in Cheyenne Wyoming. If it is snowing we will either skirt the central peaks to the west and head north into Wyoming or drop down the million dollar highway through Durango and then head back east to somewhere in the vicinity of Colorado Springs.

Thursday will be the prairie crossing heading back east either stopping off in Chicago, Kansas City or St. Louis depending on where we exit the mountains.

I am looking forward to beautiful scenery and fun times!!