Missoula to Billings

1st let me say that the hotel I am staying in does not have internet in the rooms, how quaint. So my posts may not be as exciting as I'd like, but I will attempt to get something down.

From Missoula we took a very round about route to Billings covering about 350 miles of beautiful but often boring country. The exiting moment came when a deer ran to the side of the road and did a 180 degree turn just 20 feet short of running into the bike in front of me. That would not have ended well!! We made it safely to Billings and stay the night with a friend of Kris's. Brauts on the grill and beer in the fridge.

I will catch up later as there is one computer and people waiting.

1st Day on the Road

Day one is at an end. 500 miles from Orting to Missoula Montana. Made to the McDonalds in North Bend about 8 AM and met up with Kris and his wife Trish, John and Duke. I had met Kris before but not the others. After a hardy breakfast we were on the road. Let me just say this about 500 miles of slab (that's interstate for you non-bikers), if you don't have to, DON'T. And certainly don't do it on just 4 and a half hours of sleep. By the time we hit Missoula at about 6 PM I don't think I could have ridden another 20 feet. At the hotel we met up with Greg and his friend Dan. Dan is a fellow member of my motorcylce forum. While he is not able to go with us to Custer, he and Dan took 2 days to ride from Vancouver, WA to Missoula so they could have a beer with us and then take a scenic route home.

So tomorrow it's a fairly easy, no slab ride to Billings, MT. We will spend the night at a friend of Kris's and hook up with another bike or 2 and then head on to Custer.

Preperation

Just 3 days to go and I am off. 13 or 14 day and about 4000 miles through a large portion of the western United States. I will meet many new friends at the Nomad Rally I am going to in Custer, South Dakota. I will reconnect with old friends in New Mexico and Arizona. And if my previous trips are an indication, I will come home with fond memories of the kindness of strangers.

So, 1 more day of work. 1 day to pack and finish things here at home so Ava doesn't have to worry about the mundane and can focus her worry where it belongs, my fat butt hundreds of miles from home on a motorcycle.