Creating! | Peaches Prattlings

{October 11, 2026} Day 16: 361.7 Miles, 9:24 Hours, 361.7 Miles, 14,390ft Elevation, 1 National Park, 2 National Forests, 1 Lake, 5 Cities, 2 Countries

Day 16 started too early, as always, but we were ready to get going because we’re heading back into the US of A!

We loaded up the bikes, loaded up the riders, and went in search of some breakfast. We stopped at a Starbucks, had a bite to eat, then it was time to head out, but not before we admired the five police cruisers, belonging to the nice police officers, or should I say, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police [RCMP]! who were having breakfast inside the Starbucks. Their bikes were lovely, 3 Harley Davidsons and 2 BMWs.

I just looked up some information, and apparently the RCMP Highway Patrol are moving away from older Harley Davidson fleets to the modern police-spec BMW models, such as the BMW R1300RT, which are equipped with Code 3 emergency lighting. Too cool! Just look at the icons and logos, gotta love it!

Back on the bikes and away we go! We rode through Kelowna, BC, West Kelowna, BC, along the Okanagan Highway, also known as Highway 97. Interestingly, BC Highway 97 is the longest continuously numbered route and longest provincial highway in Canada, spanning approximately 1,293 miles from south to north! We rode through Peachland, BC, Summerland, BC, we passed by Skaha Lake, and a bunch of wineries! Vaseux Lake, Cawston, BC.

Videos: Okanagan Highway [The road, the mountains, Okanagan Lake!], Okanagan Lake: try to keep up! Skaha Lake, Vaseux Lake,

We finally made it to Osoyoos, which is the border with the US and we crossed into Oroville, WA, we were back in the US of A! Here are pics after we went through Customs. PSM was bummed that no one got video of him crossing into Canada, so here you are PSM, riding into the USA!

As we rode into and through Washington, the air was thick with smoke, unfortunately, the wildfires were affecting a lot of the Pacific Northwest, and Washington State was no different. As we’re riding the North Cascades Highway, you can see how think the smoke hanging in the air is. We rode through the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, you can see the devistation where the trees were charred, but you can also see the beauty of the life that is still thriving and pushing through.

Videos: North Cascades Highway Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

We ended up stopping in Twisp, WA at the Branding Iron Cafe & Saloon. The tagline: Good Times. Cold Drinks. Real People. And they were right! The staff and regulars were great! Friendly, welcoming, great sense of humor, we fit right in! It was the perfect stop, good food, fuel for the soul, good conversation, lots of laughs, and a good break, hey we’ve been at it for about 5 hours!

After an enjoyable lunch, back on the bikes, and away we went. We continued our travels through the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on the North Cascades Highway, now State Route 20 (SR20) in Washington State. And… North Cascades Highway is the scenic and geographic name for the North Cascades National Park and Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and some of the skies cleared up and it was beautiful!

Videos: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

We stopped in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area to take some pics.

We rode on through the Ross Lake National Recreation Area, it was a big recreation are! It is just south of the Canada-US border and the most accessable part of the North Cascades National Park Complex, so there! lol. We rode through some tunnels, then stopped at the Gorge Overlook at the Gorge Creek Falls , overlooking the Skagit River, which I just learned is the largest and most biologically important river draining to Puget Sound and the second largest river system in the Northwest! I learn so much on these trips and writing these posts!

Video: Riding North Cascades Highway/SR20, Do you love a waterfall?! Stunning and sad all at the same time! Along the Skagit River.

Our last stop for the day was North Cascades National Park. North Cascades National Park has several peaks that rise about 9000 feet in elevation and has more than 300 glaciers! We rode through the park and on State Route 530 NE, which serves Snohomish and Skagit countines, about 50 miles long.

Videos: SR 530 NE, Saku River Bridge

We stopped at a gas station, I’m 95% sure, it was the Shim Shell, the reason I’m mentioning it…the store was ok, the bathrooms weren’t terrible, but what was on the walls was fabulous! The words of affirmation and encouragement was outstanding! I said it, then I saw it ‘This is the most positive batrhoom I’ve ever seen!” “You are an amazing individual, don’t stop being you.” Look at the stars whenever you can!” “Celebrate we will, cuz life is short but sweet for certain.” And the amazing thing…no one wrote on anything but the middle border. So affirming, inspiring, and kind! We could really use more of this today.

We continued on SR 530 NE through Darrington, WA until we reached our destination, the Homewood Suites in Lynwood, WA. We checked in, grabbed an Uber and headed to Chili Basil – Homestyle Thai Cuisine. It was charming! Every page of the menu had a family photo along with pictures and descriptions of each menu item, even some basic Thai phrases. Our waitress was great, the food was really good, although, I thought my mouth was going to fall off! Tasty, but spicy!

Back to the hotel to crash, we have more adventures to come! I hope you’ll join us!

Day 16: Relive July 26, 2026

Day 16: 360+ Miles, 9+ Hours, North Cascade Highway, 1 National Park, 2 Countries, Words of Affirmation. Let’s keep going! See ya tomorrow!

{September 28, 2026} Day 15: 309.4 Miles, 8:48:52 Hours, 13,796 ft Elevation, 7 Cities, 1 National Park, A Street Fair, 2 Ferry Rides, and 30,000 Miles!!!

Day 15 started out like all the others, too early, but…we have lots to do and see today, let’s get started! And…did you happen to notice the odometer on Eunice?! I like to post pics so you can see where we ended up each day, and today…we’re getting there!

Let’s get ready to rumble! Our goal today is to get to Kelowna, BC. Alarm set for 630am, we have four people to get ready in the room! Breakfast at 8am, KSU at 830a, but…looking back at my pics, looks like KSU ended up being about 920a, not sure why, we set our own schedule, right?!

Breakfast wasn’t too bad, although it was crazy crowded at the Best Western, Golden, BC. I have to tell you, years, I mean years ago, I used to stay at Best Westerns and they were…ok…then I started traveling for work and you know me, I’m spoiled by Hilton, so I’m a Hilton Girl, but we’ve stayed at a few Best Westerns recently, nice, clean, friendly staff, I may be adding them to my list. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not turning my back on Hilton, I told you, they spoil me, but as another option, I’m adding them! And look at that view!!!

We rode the TransCanadian Highway, I believe I already told you this, but…it is a massive coast-to-coast national road system spanning 7,821 kilometers (4,860 miles) across all ten provinces of Canada. Impressive! Did I also mention that would be an amazing road trip, to just ride the TransCanadian Highway?

TransCanadian Highway, TransCanadian Highway: Near the Time Zone Boundary Line, Columbia-Shuswap, BC, Canada.

We stopped in Revelstoke, BC to grab a cup of coffee/tea, a snack and happened upon a farmers market/street fair. Music, people, food, vendors, nice weather, and good vibes, what more could you want?!

We left Revelstoke and headed past the Mount Begbie Trailhead, continuing on the TransCanadian Highway to the Shelter Bay Ferry Terminal. We just missed the last ferry, so we had about an hour to wait for the next one. Wasn’t bad because it gave us time to check out the park, get some puppy love, talk to other people waiting on the ferry.

Love riding across a bridge! It was overcast, but who cares?!

The ride on the ferry was only about 30 minutes, but the view was awesome! The other side is the Galena Bay Ferry Terminal. It’s always challenging to ride onto a boat, we had to do it when we took the Cat Ferry to Nova Scotia two years ago. The nice thing about being on bikes is we were the first on and the first off the boat. You have to be just as careful riding off the boat as you do riding onto the boat. Oh, did I mention the ferries were free? It’s a nice way to get from one side to the other, peaceful, serene, and just a pleasant way to travel!

As we were heading to Kelowna, BC, we rode the British Columbia Highway to Fauquier, BC, to the next ferry!

Riding the British Columbia Highway. Riding by the Rock Island Hideout.

When we got to Fauquier, we took the Needles Cable Ferry, sooo cool! The Needles Cable Ferry is a free, cable-guided public ferry in British Columbia, Canada, crossing Lower Arrow Lake on Highway 6 between Fauquier and Needles! This ferry took less than 20 minutes, another free, smooth sailing ride/shortcut!

Riding onto the ferry.

Riding off the ferry towards Kelowna, BC.

One of the sad parts of our trip, I’ve mentioned the smoke and devistation from the wildfires, and in this video, we actually saw a smaller, but active wildfire happening. In the beginning you can see the BC Wildfire Service helicopter with the collapsable Bambi Bucket to try to fight the fire. It’s a specialized, collapsible canvas water bucket suspended from a helicopter to drop water onto wildfires.

The ride along the coast is beautiful. Riding the BC Highway.

Ok, so…teeny plug for me…one of the things that I knew was going to happen and everyone else knew…and I was going to stop and take a picture…Eunice hit 30 THOUSAND miles! I know that’s not a lot for some, or a milestone, and when you look at motorcycle milestones, it’s usually 5k, 25k, 50k, but for me…that’s 30 thousand miles I have ridden myself on this bike! I bought her in July 2022 and four years later, I am at 30 thousand miles! For someone, years ago, who didn’t ride that much, I’m darn proud of me! Ok, picture taken, mission accomplished! Now I can just sail through without watching the odometer! Let’s go!

We finally made it to Kelowna! We were staying at the Recreation Inn & Suites, from the outside, it was unassuming, but the rooms were clean and right off the parking lot, not too far to carry our stuff, what more could you want?! We settled in, took showers, got dressed, and headed in search of food. We ended up at Baxter’s Bar & Grill – Pub & Grub, had a great waitress, good food and drink, and even got to see a fight, it was very verbal and loud, and if one of their friends hadn’t intervened, it may have turned into a fist fight. Dinner and a show! What more could you want?! Well, this sunset, that’s what! Stun-ning!

Another long day and a milestone, how are you holding up? Ready to do it again tomorrow? We have 2 lakes, 2 national forests, and we’re heading back into the US of A! Come with us!

Day 15: July 25 Relive

Day 15: 309+ Miles, 8.5+ Hours, TransCanadian Highway, 1 National Park, 2 Ferry Rides, and 30k miles! Who wants more? I do!

{September 23, 2026} Day 13: 277.3 Miles, 7:45:54 Hours, 1 Country, 2 Provinces, 4 Cities, and a lot of smoke

Day 13 started relatively early, up at 6, meeting at the bikes at 745a, breakfast at 8a. Bikes are loaded, lets get some grub bubs! We went to the restaurant attached to the hotel, Fire & Oak.

When we got there, we were the only ones in the joint, mostly because it was early, by the time we left, there were a few tables filled. Our waitress was great, the atmosphere was inviting, the decor was spot on, felt at home with the pics of motorcycles, and the food ended up being really great, only drawback…being the only ones in there, we thought it might move faster, but alas, it did not, but…we weren’t in the greatest hurry, so it worked out.

The funniest part, as we’re sitting there chatting and having breakfast, all these bikes are going by and DJH keeps looking longingly out the window, wistfully wishing he was going with them! Dude, in just a bit, we’re going to be on our bikes doing the same thing, it’s all good!

We finally got on the bikes and on our way. It was mostly clear when we started out, but unfortunately, as we rode on, we started to see the effects of the wildfires that were burning through the Pacific Northwest. Even before we reached Canada, we were seeing and feeling the effects in some of rhe areas of Colorado we were riding through, it was heart breaking.

On the Kootenay Hwy [can you see how smoky it is?]. I love riding over a bridge! It’s hard to see the mountains with all the smoke and haze from the fires.

It was time to take a break, get some petrol for the bikes, and fuel for our bodies. We stopped at the Big Horn Cafe in Radium Hot Springs, BC. It had just what we needed, hot beverages, warm pastries, a bathroom, and tables outside, what more could you want?!

We hung out for a bit, and as we’re sitting there, we’re seeing bikes go by, and PSM and I are noticing, we’re seeing a lot of Indian Motorcycles, even more when we went to get petrol. Let’s just say Indian Motorcycles, although wonderful and beautiful and we’re out there, to see that many outside of a rally or a meeting…is rare. We chatted with a rider at the gas station and it turns out they were there for the 7th annual Western Canada IMRG Celebration (WCIC) 2026! Looks like we need to add this event to our roster!

This event brings in riders from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Pacific Northwest! And of course, there’s an Eastern Canada IMRG Celebration as well. Adding to the list!

After we got back on the bikes, we headed towards Canmore, where we were going to stay at The Drake Inn, but as you can probably tell from the few pictures I included here, we couldn’t see much, the smoke was too thick, we were going to stop in Banff to walk around, that was a no-go, first, because we couldn’t find parking, and second, it was just too smoky to be enjoyable. We stopped at Smitty’s Family Restaurant, which was on the TransCanada Highway, which spans 4,860 miles across all ten provinces of Canada. That would be an interesting trip, take the TransCanada Highway from one end to the other, especially since it connects Victoria, BC on the Pacific Coast to St John’s Newfoundland, and Labrador on the Atlantic Coast!

Smitty’s Family Restaurant is both a restaurant and a cultural center, at least this location was, it seemed to be populated with a lot of locals, and even though it had high ceilings to give it an overwhelming feel, it still felt intimate and welcoming.

As we kept riding and got to Canmore, the smoke got thicker and thicker, it was affecting our breathing, PSM was really feeling it and when we got to The Drake Inn, the woman at the front desk was very kind to let us cancel our reservations because of the smoke and some of us were having issues breathing, we weren’t sure we would be able to stay there for two days comfortably.

One of the other reasons we were very glad they were able to cancel our reservation is we were all having our bikes serviced in Calgary the next day and from Canmore to Calgary was over an hour, and our appointments were first thing in the morning. That meant we would have to get up early, ride an hour plus to the dealerships, then sit there all day waiting for the bikes, then ride back the hour plus to the hotel. That did not sound like fun.

We ended up booking the Hampton Inn Calgary-Airport, which was perfect! 3 minutes to the Harley Davidson dealership and 10 minutes to the Indian Motorcycle dealership. We checked in, did laundry, ordered Chinese food, watched movies, and chilled out! We put close to 8 hours on the bikes, through the smoke, we were done, we needed to give ourselves a breather and a break. Tomorrow’s another day!

Two provinces, many miles, many hours, many Indian motorcycles, tomorrow…new tires and a check-up for all the bikes! And a lot of waiting around…

Day 13: July 23 Relive

Day 13: 277+ Miles, 7+ Hours, 2 Provinces, too much smoke. Tomorrow, another province, a national park, a shiny bike, and somewhat clear skies.

{September 16, 2026} Day 12: 354.4 Miles, 9:36:21 Hours, 2 Countries, 7 Cities, 2 National Parks, 1 Lake

Day 12 started early, 630am alarm to be exact, we have a long way to go and…get your passports ready kids…we’re going to Canadia! Yes, I know it’s Canada! I worked with someone from there who used to say Canadia and it stuck!

We’re going to Canada, but first…breakfast! Can’t go to another country on an empty stomach! So…we loaded up the bikes, loaded up the people and then went to the Laughing Grizzly Restaurant, Bar & Casino. It was close, the reviews were great, and supposedly the corn beef hash is very popular. We got in, got seated, it was crowded, a lot of Post Malone tshirts, a lot of college students! He had played the Washington-Grizzly Stadium, apparently it was part of the BIG ASS Stadium Tour Part 2, good on ’em. Our server was great! I know we’ve talked about good and bad servers before, but a good server can really make a meal. I wish I could remember our server’s name, but he was one of the good ones, thank you!

On the bikes, we rode through Wye, Polson, through Lakeside, Kalispell, Martin City, Coram, until we got to Glacier National Park!

Riding over a bridge in Polson. Riding through Lakeside. Riding past the Montana Vortex and House of Mystery.

Glacier National Park is a place that DJH, PSM, and I had been to in 2023, I don’t know if you remember me telling you about it back then…there was construction and I don’t mean a wee bit…there was NINE miles of dirt and gravel and we could only go about 5 miles an hour, if that. If you know me and my love of gravel you know I was miserable, but we survived! Thankfully, this trip was not like that!

This was VGT’s first time at Glacier and we were excited to share it with him because, the Going-to-the-Sun Road is 50 miles connecting West Glacier and St Mary and the highest point is Logan Pass at 6,646 feet. It can take about 2 hours without stopping, that is…if you are actually moving more than 2 miles an hour. One of the pluses 3 years ago, aside from the negative construction, was the timed entry. You had to sign up on recreation.gov to get timed entry for the Going-to-the-Sun Road. We had to do this for Cadillac Mountain in Maine, among others. The benefit is there are a limited number of tickets that you can get to cut down on the issues we faced…S L O W MOVING VEHICLES. We spent most of our time starting, stopping, inching, trying not to fall over on the bikes because we were going soooo slowly.

Even going back down it was excruciatingly slow. There were places we would have liked to have stopped to get pics, but everyone else had the same idea and there were no places to pull over. I’ll be honest, the scenery was amazing, but it was also exhausting. I would like to go another time when it’s not so crowded, not sure when that is. I asked a park ranger why they took away the timed entry and it was a bureaucratic answer that she had to give…

Riding through a tunnel. Can you feel how slow we were riding?! The videos don’t do it justice! Look at the snow on the side of the mountain! Green on both sides, snow above!

We rode out of Glacier looking for a place for lunch and ended up in Whitefish, at the edge of Glacier National Park in the Northern Rocky Mountains. We landed at the Bulldog Saloon, a bit bigger than a hole-in-the-wall type of plac,e but definitely a local hangout. There are bulldog pictures everywhere, college pennants and sports memorabilia, and the bathrooms were trippy!

The sign on the ladie’s room door had Notice: The men’s restroom and the first stall of the women’s restroom contain adult material. Please escort children to the second stall of the women’s restroom. Let’s just say, everything outside of the second stall was cheeky and one or two things could make you blush, but they were defintely funny!

Back on the bikes, riding through the Kootenai National Forest, located in the extreme northwest corner or Montana, bordered on the north by Canada and the west by Idaho, guess which one we were headed for?! Just before 7p we crossed the border into Canada! And Oh Canada was it a beautiful ride as we headed towards the Prestige Rocky Mountain Resort in Cranbrook, BC.

Riding into Canada. Look at the mountains! Not a bridge over troubled waters!

We rode into the sunset, but got to the hotel just before, but don’t forget…this is the summer, sunset is about 9p/10p, we have time! It really was a beautiful sunset. Our goal tomorrow is Canmore, BC, which is in the province of Alberta! because the day after, we are getting our bikes serviced in Calgary!

For now friends, it is late and it’s time to crash! Do you see how close Eunice is to 30,000 miles?! I am sooo stoked! I will definitely be getting a picture of that!

We did a lot today! Gotta get some rest, tomorrow’s another grand adventure!

Day 12: July 22 Relive

Day 12: 354+ Miles, 9+ Hours, 2 Countries, 1 National Park, what more could you ask for!? Tomorrow…another province!

{September 10, 2026} Day 10: 259.5 Miles, 7.5 Hours, 2 States, 5 Cities, 2 National Parks, 1 National Forest, 1 Continental Divide, and 1 Waterfall

Day 10 started nice and liesurely! Why, you may be asking? Because we’re staying at the same hotel another night! Kind of a luxury on this trip, wouldn’t you say?! I think I mentioned that this is the kind of trip where we’re at a new hotel almost every night, so to be able to take it easy, get on the bike, not have to pack up and load the bikes, a treat!

We decided to meet for breakfast at the hotel. When we were there in 2023, we really enjoyed the breakfast, this time, not so much. And that’s ok, we’re here for the hotel, the location, not the breakfast. Oh, I completely forgot! Yesterday was when Spain won the World Cup!

Admittedly, I am not a futbol fan, even though I played in high school, it didn’t stick with me, but… I come from a futbol family! My dad played 4th grade through college at his alma mater, Guildford College in Greensboro, NC! My b-i-l played, and still does, my sister and I both played, and against the school our dad was a coach, both EJS and MGS play, and EJS is playing for Endicott College in Beverly, MA! I told you, I might not play or be a huge fan, I am a fan of my family and love to see them play!

I digress…we happened to have just come from the pool when the final match was on tv and everyone was rivited! Even if you aren’t a futbol fan, the World Cup swept everyone up in the excitement! I was swept up in the excitment as well! We watched the last 15 minutes with everyone else and saw Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time in South Africa to win it all! I will just say WOW!

Back to our regularly scheduled program…That was Day 9! Back to Day 10!

One of the things we realized was we had a little too much in the way of clothing and needed to lighten the load a bit! PSM and I had originally gotten riding pants that would work with all weather, which we decided to nix at the last minute. Since we had already packed and loaded the bikes, we didn’t feel like undoing all that work, so we just threw on another pair of jeans, that was one pair too many. We also had heated vests that we knew we wouldn’t need for more than maybe a day or two, if that, and as much as we might use them for those two days, they were puffy and take up a lot of room. PSM had a leather jacket that was definitely taking up too much room. The thing is, when you’re packing, even though you’re trying to pack as little as possible, you’re still trying to pack for all eventualities. DJH had a bunch of things he also wanted to send home.

So…first stop of the day… Post Office! 8:55a, loaded up the things we were shipping home, got on the bikes, shipped our items, felt lighter, and then we were off for another day of adventure!

We headed into Yellowstone and rode through to our first picture spot, the Continental Divide. The Continental Divide runs for about 115 miles through the southern and western portions of Yellowstone National Park, it separates the Pacific Ocean watershed from the Gulf of Mexico/Atlantic Ocean watershed. 37 sec video, 48 sec video

Next stop, Lewis Falls, While the falls are only 30 feet in height, the width of this waterfall is the full width of the river and is quite impressive. You can often see anglers casting their line just below the falls and from there downstream about 2 miles before the river enters the canyon. It was absolutely stunning, and peaceful, you could feel how much everyone enjoyed it. Doesn’t the sound of the water just fill you with peace and joy?

After a nice respite, back on the bikes and on to Grand Teton National Park. Have you ever wondered how Grand Teton got its name? Better yet, do you know what it translates to? The name Grand Teton comes from the French phrase les trois tétons, which translates to the three breasts or the three teats. In the early 19th century, French-Canadian and Iroquois fur trappers working for the North West Company named the prominent peaks after noticing their resemblance to female breasts. Ya loin’ something new every day! Grand Tetons…unreal!

Next stop…Jackson. I know, I know, you’re asking yourself, but JJ, isn’t it Jackson Hole, WY? Why no, no it’s not! I was schooled while we were there! Jackson is the main incorporated hub located at the southern end of the valley, famous for its elk antler arches at Jackson Town Square. While Jackson Hole is a 55-mile-long valley in western Wyoming framed by the Teton and Gros Ventre mountain ranges, serving as a premier gateway to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Who knew!

The ride through the park was lovely, then we were stuck, and I mean stuck…to get to Jackson we were stuck in traffic trying to leave the park, we were probably sitting for about 30-45 minutes, maybe more, which is not fun by itself, but when you’re sitting on a bike that gives off heat, your calves are near the pipes, and it’s close to 100 degrees, well, I think you get the idea. We finally made it into Jackson and found parking, thankfully! and made our way to the Roadhouse Brewing Company. Ice waters all around for my friends!

After lunch it was time to head back to West Yellowstone. The ride was beautiful and moved a lot faster than getting to Jackson! And we rode through Caribou-Targhee National Forest, this country is just beautiful! When we got back, it was pool, relax, find some food. We went to a Mexican restaurant ant we didn’t really enjoy that much, so no mention here. Video: Ride through Caribou-Targhee National Forest

Back at the hotel, we hung out a bit by the firepit and planned tomorrow’s ride. What more could you ask for?!

Day 10: July 20 Relive

Day 10: 259.5 Miles, 7.5 Hours, Post Office, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, tomorrow…more of the good stuff!

{September 2, 2026} Day 8: 369.7 Miles, 7.5 Hours, 2 States, 1 National Forest, 1 State Park, 6 Cities, 1 Amazing Pass

Day 8 started about 7am, load the bikes at 730a, breakfast right down the road at the Pony Expresso! Do you love it!? It was a drive through/walk up coffee/breakfast place with a sign on the door that says “STOP, Employees Only, try our walk up window to the right”…guess where the guys tried to go? VGT earlier for his first cup of coffee, next DJH when we walked up to get some food.

Did I mention that VGT is a bit of a coffee snob? Yeah, and he didn’t sleep that much on the trip, so…there were many mornings he would be up early and go in search of coffee, sometimes happy, sometimes not so much. So, we got breakfast, chatted about our upcoming ride, so excited, we’re going to ride Beartooth Pass!

Oh! I think I mentioned yesterday that it was also the Riveton Rendezvous Balloon Rally weekend, well, it definitely did not disappoint! I wish we could have stayed and watched, but we did get to see a few hot air balloons as we were loading up. I’m not 100% sure what this was, but it looked like a turtle with, I don’t know, 20 legs! lol

Now we’re off! The GoPro was aimed and ready to go, finally getting the hang of controling it while riding! There are tricks to it, especially controlling it with your phone. First, when you put a new battery in, if it takes a battery, is to turn it on, so it talks to the phone, if you don’t, then sometimes they don’t talk, and when you’re riding, not fun!

We rode Hwy789, which reminds me of the bad dad joke “Why was 6 afraid?” “Because 7 8 9!” Say it out loud, you’ll get it! HA HA. Here are a few videos to enjoy the scenery! 30 seconds 4.5 minutes

The hard part, with the scenery as amazing as it is/was, limited battery and SD card space, you have to pick and choose what you’re going to take pictures and video of. PSM and I always had 2 batteries constantly charging in our saddle bags, they went fast!

Eventually, we entered Shoshone National Forest, just look at it! wow! Then we were on US Route 212, a section known as Beartooth Pass or Highway, in Montana and Wyoming between Red Lodge and the NE Entrance of Yellowstone National Park. It is 68.3 miles and is comprised of steep zigzags and switchbacks, you may remember us talking about them a few days ago, they are hairpin turns and wonderful! The first time I did Beartooth Pass was in 2023 when we did our first 3 week trip, and I did it without a helmet, no, I am not a fan of going without a helmet, it definitely wasn’t intentional! After that experience, I totally get why some people choose not to wear a helmet, but I promise, I am not one of them!

The half-way point of Beartooth Pass is Top of the World Store, it’s also a vacation rental destination. This is a biker’s hangout if you ever saw one! You have every type of bike, rider, skill, everyone just hanging out, sharing stories, a drink, food, enjoying the camaraderie, kindship, and common interests. The store has all the good touristy items you’re looking for; patches, stickers, magnets, tshirts, and all the other branded stuff you might want! You heard that, patches and magnets, who’s in heaven? You guessed it!

After a brief stop, purchase, and bathroom break, we were off again! The sky, the road, the view, there is nothing like it! And…it’s July and there is still snow on the mountain, I hope you can see it in some of the pics and videos! We stopped at at Quad Creek Scenic Overlook to marvel at Mother Nature and three green MGs pulled up, what are the odds?!

Here are a few more videos of our ride: 5.2 Minutes, 11:51 Minutes. I’m working on creating a YouTube channel that can host all our videos, I’ll share when it’s up!

We came down off Beartooth Pass into Red Lodge, MT, yes, somewhere along we crossed into Montana and I missed my Google Maps State screenshot, and stopped at the Red Box Car for lunch. It’s a 100-year-old boxcar! They have burgers, fries, salads, ice cream. It’s a 1903 Box Car from the Rocky Fork Line that ran from Laurel, MT to Red Lodge, MT. 1903, how fitting, Harley Davidson started in 1903! It was right next to a stream, so peaceful!

The, back on the bikes to Livingston, MT, we were staying at the Comfort Inn Bozeman. The funny thing…it’s called Comfort Inn Bozeman, but it’s in Livingston, MT, go figure! We settled in, then headed down to the pool for a dip, then tried to get an Uber to one of the restaurants I found, but it turned out there were a few weddings in town and we wouldn’t be able to get an Uber or taxi for hours, so…we walked across the road to Big Sky Thai and what a treat that was!

There was only one other person in the restaurant, I have a feeling everyone was at one of the weddings! But…while we were there, several people came in for to-go orders, a good sign. Our server was great and her helper, the son of the owners, a charming and spirited 8 year old who charmed DJH! And the rest of us, of course! He was so excited to take our order, but jumping all over the place, it was great!

The food was really good, again, another great meal, we’re on a roll! After dinner, we headed back to the hotel to chill, then crash. Tomorrow, we’re heading to Yellowstone and guess who’s meeting us there?! PSM! YES!

Day 8: July 18 Relive

Day 8: 369.7 Miles, 7.5 Hours, Hot air balloons, Twists, turns, and switchbacks! Tomorrow…Yellowstone!

{January 12, 2025} Another project…complete!

We are really transforming this house into ours. I’ve shared a few things along the way, and here is the next latest and greatest!

First…do you see the floors?! The front room floor was a blond wood that seemed to have dark stripes. It was a manufactured hardwood and we loved it, well I loved it, PSM liked it, but…it was starting to show some wear and tear and we knew we were going to replace it at some point. We wish we had done it when we were renovating the kitchen, but it just wasn’t in the cards, wallet, or budget for that moment!

Well…a few months ago, it was time, so we had the same company come out, take measurements, and give us a quote. It turns out the wood that we used for the kitchen was no longer being manufactured, bummer, so we picked something that was very complimentary, and it really is almost seamless.

The other nice thing…we wouldn’t have to rip up the existing hardwoods to lay down the new floors! They could install them right on top of the current floor and there would be almost no difference in the transition. Score!

When we placed the order we were told there was be a back log and it might not be for a few months. Ok…so… a few months came and went and then it was November, they wanted to install Thanksgiving week, and since we weren’t here, we scheduled it for the first week of December.

They were there two days and it looks fabulous, like it’s always been there! What do you think?!

The next thing we did was have shelves installed. I don’t know if installed is the right word, but…these are custom shelves, JM, our fabulous carpenter/handy human being, who did a lot of work in our house custom built the shelves. He cut the wood and used our barn to prep and store the wood. By prep, I mean sand, shape, and shellac each board. I just wanted to use 3 s-words for this! ha ha.

He did an amazing job! The shelves are mounted on industrial piping, and I just bought industrial piping curtain rods, please ignore what’s there right now! I can’t tell you how many coats he put on the boards, I lost count! JM and I worked on the design, back and forth on some things and the end result is fabulous!

Then…today, we finally opened the boxes that held our books and bric-a-brac, as it were, things and books that we brought to the relationship and things and books that we bought together on many of our amazing trips. It takes work figuring out what goes where. We took a lot of time in St Louis and we took a lot of time here!

I remember someone seeing our shelves in St Louis thinking it was a Zoom background! I was flattered, who knows what people will think about these! What I love is just looking and remembering where we were when we acquired these things and all the memories they bring to the surface and I smile.

If you come visit, I’ll give you a tour!

{January 11, 2025} Seriously? A big, giant, duh! HA HA HA

Ok, so…having a moment and I cannot stop laughing!!! Let’s just say take two from my post last night!

I came up to my office to get some stuff done and I thought about the tubs of t-shirts in the wall of the closet, so I decided to figure out a way to get the shirts out, hopefully without cutting the tubs. I thought that if I get them out, I’ll just leave the tubs there.

I pull, and twist, and turn, I take the lid off, then manage to flip the tub on its side and I just pulled the shirts out, chunk by chunk. Then, just to get to the next one, I threw the shirts on the floor in a pile, knowing I would get them up when I was done.

I get the shirts from the two tubs and one was full of race shirts, road races I have done and the other was full t-shirts and pieces of t-shirts that I had already prepped to be made into a blanket. I look past the two I just emptied and it looks like there’s another! What?! Seriously?!

Then…I see another and then I see one of the snow people I put out at the holidays, then I look a little further…it is not a hole in the closet…it is one of our attics! What?! HA HA HA. Let me explain…we have one attic that is above our bedroom, you know…normal attic above the house. This attic, however, is not…I can’t remember if I took you on a tour of the house when we moved, but it’s on the same level as the 2nd story of the house, it’s basically above the living room!

You access it through a door that you pull down in the hallway and when you pull it down, those you can see into the space. It’s not big enough to walk around, but it’s not a crawl space! The door has wooden rungs or steps you walk up to get into the attic.

And there you have it…this was not a case of tubs falling out of the attic, they are still sitting in the attic! Well…now…I don’t have to go looking for those two tubs for the t-shirt quilt pieces! O M G!

Even better…meanwhile…as I’m doing something, I turn around and what do I see, but Bee doing her circles to make herself comfortable in the new pile of t-shirts that she must think is another bed. She does that when she gets on the bed, circles it, I don’t know, 50 times, and then settles in for a nap. Just look at her!

She circled, settled in, but doesn’t she look so confused?!

And then we had to circle again!

https://videopress.com/v/3COBvJum?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

I couldn’t not stop laughing when I was telling PSM what happened! Just proves what he always tells me…I’m not wrapped right! And who am I to argue with the man!? sigh… HA HA HA

{April 23, 2024} Second Seder and Homeward Bound

First night with my family was fabulous, as always. Second night is always with PSM’s family, a fun time that!

It’s Tuesday, so it’s still a work day, that means, more cooking, just to fill in some of the gaps from what we ate last night at the first seder. We made two more kugels, another matzoh brittle, more gefilte fish, and more broccoli pancakes, oh yeah, more hard boiled eggs.

In between cooking, there was work to be done, for my job that is! I actually got a lot done, had a few calls, GES and dad went to the grocery store for some supplies, I did go out and treat myself to a chai at Starbucks, ended up talking to a nice guy about bikes, he commented on my Sturgis sweatshirt, how could I not talk about how much we love to ride?!

About 5p, I started to pack up my stuff and about 530p, I hugged and kissed everyone goodbye and headed to PSM’s family’s for seder. There were a lot more people at the second night seder, GES was having about 20, we had 11 last night, sound about right!

I walked in with my goodies, the fabulous veggie matzoh ball soup for me and the peach matzoh kugel for all. Let’s just say, I know it was good, but…there was absolutely nothing left for me to take back to PA and PSM! Happily disappointed!

We sat down about 630pm, I ended up at the kids side of the table. Kids being the youngest was about 16 or 17 and the oldest in their 20s, these are bigger kids. They still do the Four Questions, well, they’re still the youngest! Of course, I was also seated across from some of the older trouble makers, myself included, not complaining, there was a lot of laughter and love!

As all families, they have their own traditions, we sing Take Me Out to the Seder, sung to…you guessed it, Take Me Out to the Ball Game! They use different Haggadah’s, as most families do, but like most families, everyone takes a turn reading, participating in the service and the telling of our story.

I stayed until the seder was over and we started clearing the table, and some folks were heading out, it was about 930p and I had a very long drive home! Not looking forward to that…I got on the road, had the top down for part of it, of course! I decided to go through Connecticut, how much traffic could there be at 12-1am?! Well…not hours of traffic, but there was traffic! Seriously? I cannot stand driving through that state! I may have already said it, I enjoy the state, just not driving through it! ugh!

After about 3 hours, I probably stopped every hour, to get gas, walk around, keep myself awake and ready to go. It was a very, very, very long drive. I find that during the day, I can drive for what seems like forever! I remember driving from St Louis to Denver, CO, it’s about a 12 hour drive, I did it in one fell swoop, isn’t that a great expression! But once the sun goes down, I’m not good for the full drive without stopping.

I made it home safely, finished a podcast, started a new one, that kept me going for hours, I wasn’t sure when it was going to end, but good for my drive! I made it home about 330am and I was done! I emailed dad and my sister to let them know I was home, went into the house and was greeted with running, snuggles, and kisses from the fur babies, someone had fallen asleep and left them out.

I proceeded to love on them, get them in the crate, and it was all I could do to walk upstairs, put on my jammies, and fall into bed, the alarm was still coming at 6a, really?

All in all, a good trip, too short, but a good one. Family, friends, food, and fun, what more could you want? Notin’ I tell ya! Nothin’! G’Night!

{January 28, 2024} It’s Sunday, time to idle? Us? not a chance!

I think I told you I was thinking about skiing today, but Mother Nature had other ideas, gee thanks…

PSM had to go into work to meet some folks, so I figured since we would be gone/occupied for a few hours, I’d go and hit the slopes for a few, and then we’d meet somewhere new, you know, somewhere off my list!

Since we have four places left to go on our Lebanon Valley Java Journey, let’s get up early, take the dogs for a walk, go to a new place for brunch or at least a drink and a pastry, then he would go off to work, I’d go skiing, etc, but as you know, that didn’t happen! I got up, Bee decided when we got to the end of the driveway, she would not be joining us on our jaunt this morning, grrr…fine…back to the house, collar back on, PSM was still home getting some things prepped to go into work and Ruby and I went for a rainy walk.

We came back and then by the time we got out of the house, we didn’t have enough time to grab anything, so he went off, I went back into the house to take care of things, feed the dogs, laundry, talking to you, you know, stuff. When we was done, he called and then came to pick me up and we went into downtown Lebanon for our first stop at Timeless Cafe. The last time we went, or the first time we tried, it was not a successful venture. The restaurant was crowded and we waited, and waited, and waited for someone to at least look at us and say hello. At that point we were hungry and not interested in waiting so we went somewhere else.

This time, I am happy to say, was a much different and better experience. If it wasn’t on the Java Journey passport, because of that last experience, we might not have gone back. I’m glad we took another chance! Inside, it’s charming, quaint, welcoming, and timeless. Could be all the clocks on the walls set to different times, and the clock hands aren’t moving, so definitely timeless! I just remembered that the first time we went, that was the first time I saw the mugs for the Java Journey and I was intrigued!

I ordered a chai latte, of course, with oat milk, it was pretty good. PSM ordered their signature drink, it definitely wasn’t for him, I think I told you, he’s not a fancy, sweet, or inventive coffee kind of guy, and that’s ok. Someone else probably had it and loved it. I went to the counter and got him a straight up decaf with a little cream, the guy behind the counter didn’t charge me, even when I said I would pay. Score one more for the cafe. PSM was going to have one of their breakfast sandwiches, then a bagel with cream cheese called to him and he answered! They have breakfast sandwiches or wraps that start at 7 o’clock, 8 o’clock, through 12 o’clock, which is what I had: egg, provolone, spinache, and tomato, skip the mushrooms, all on spinache tortilla wrap! I took a chance with the provolone, it wasn’t the best idea, but it was tasty!

We sat, ate, enjoyed, and chatted with the women at the table next to us, they were having baked french toast made with croissants, oh my! We may have to go back! They were also on the Java Journey, we chatted about that, then we asked for some recommendations for things to do, see, eat. Anything that wasn’t on my list already went on it! Thank you ladies!

We tiptoed through the raindrops, got in the jeep and headed on the road, where to? Well, we need to go grocery shopping, soon, not right now. We motored down the road to Jonestown to go to Swatara Coffee, [not sure what happened but their site is under construction, the link is to Google Maps to find them.] another stamp on the passport. I wasn’t expecting to go to another one so soon, but hey, you only live once! Wait, isn’t that what YOLO means? Yes, I am that goofy geek! Thank you very much!

We were wondering why the main drag looked so familiar, did we look at a house out this way? Not sure, but we’ve been through here! We went to Swatara Coffee, it’s a little smaller than the other location in Annville, but it was equally charming. One thing I noticed is that a bunch of these coffee houses sell not only their wares, like t-shirts and hats, some have vendor areas set up, others, like Swatar Coffee, have a specific artist’s earrings for sale, hmm…

The other thing, I’m not used to drinking more than one chai latte in a day! I usually have one in the morning, then it would be a ‘regular’ cup of tea or two, maybe more, but just a teabag, water, and sugar. The days we go to multiple new coffee houses, I’m getting chai, I know, I could get something else, but I want to try their chai latte, so sue me! ha ha

PSM had ordered an egg sandwich, I was not that hungry, but I was thinking a pastry would be nice, and I got their chocolate chip cookie thing! I don’t like chocolate, which you may or may not know, but…I love the cookie part of the thing! It was a thick cookie, some sort of frosting, then cookie chunks on top, let’s just say… O M G! YAASSS! PSM got their french toast muffin, tasty! I enjoyed it at the other location, and now here!

We got there at just the right moment, there was one other person in there, so we got to chat with the girl working behind the counter for a while, we spoke about the Java Journey and she works at the other location and really wants to go to the Whirling Dervish and hasn’t, I showed her pics and really encouraged her to go, but their hours…not easy to get there!

Just as we got to our seats, the place started to fill up! It’s not a very big space, maybe 2 2-person tables, then 2 6-person tables that could be broken up, if needed. In the middle is the coffee bar area, in the back was a room with a few tables. Today the back room had a crochet circle happening, some people were new to it, others experienced, a group of folks crafting and helping each other out. What could be more loverly?!

We got our drinks, I got my chai with mac milk, or macadamia nut milk, I remembered they had it from the other location. Another yum drink! We will definitely be going back, not sure to which location, maybe both, why not?!

After enjoying, laughing, talking with other patrons, we headed out, back towards the house and as we were driving, I suddently realized why it was so familiar! We were right near where the dogs were boarded when we took our 3-week motorcycle trip over the summer! I know I haven’t told you about it yet, I will, it was AH MAZING! I love when things click!

We went to Grocery Outlet, they have a decent selection of vegan stuff for me, score! We were there to pick up salad fixings for the week and see if they had any other goodies! Their prices are really good! The thing about Grocery Outlets, they have the staples, but they don’t always have the same things each time you’re there, and when I talk about goodies, they had Christmas mugs left over with chocolate in them for $1 each! I bought what they had and next year, someone[s] is getting one of these mugs personalized! With fresh chocolate, of course! ha ha

After the grocery store, we were trying to figure out what to do next. It was a chilly, rainy, blech day, we didn’t want to be outside, but we weren’t quite ready to go home. In the same parking lot is Michael’s, the craft superstore, which can sometimes be like kryptonite! I realized I haven’t been in almost 2 months, so PSM pulled into a spot and I went in, just to look, ha ha! I ended up finding some Cricut supplies, normally $18-$20 for $5! You cannot beat it, so I bought a bunch! And I will be using it, some great colors and patterns! Oh, the Cricut, that’s a whole other post!

After I came out, we decided we still weren’t ready to go home and he wasn’t that jazzed about the first playoff game, so we went to one of our favorite activities…mani-pedi! And what that is, a manicure, for the hands, and a pedicure, for the feet! We like Lebanon Nail & Spa of PA, they’re very nice and they do a good job. And PSM’s favorite part…the massage chair, nap time!

Oh, the joy! The bubbles, the jets, the massage chair, the foot massage, oh my! The thing I love about going is to get my cuticles trimmed, my fingernails shaped, and looking cleaner. I’ll be honest, the polish never lasts more than a few days at the most, but my hands look so good! The pedicure, same procedure, luckily, the polish lasts a lot longer on the toes! Just makes me feel purdy!

They finished my nails, I was dry, it’s time to go home! We loaded up, headed home, let the pups out, played with them, and PSM settled in to watch some ‘fusball’. I did something else! I don’t remember! Then about 615p, he headed to the 7th Street Bar & Grill, a neighborhood place we like to go, good staff, good food, and a good local hang out, some of PSM’s co-workers go there and we seem to run into them every once in a while. He was headed there for the game and I hung out with the pups, finished my pho from last night, and worked on the IMRG Chapter 2024 Calendar, I think I told you…I am now the Calendar Queen!

Is that enough for one day? I think I’ve had enough, it’s been fabulous talking with you, but I need to decompress and settle in. Have a fabulous night! See ya’ tomorrow!

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