Woodford Reserve | Peaches Prattlings

{June 6, 2024} Our next great adventure…open road style!

It’s been two weeks, why wouldn’t we go on a new adventure?! This time…open road style means…vroom vroom, motorcycle style!

This trip has been in the works for some time. Last year, while we were on the trip out west, we all started talking about next year’s trip, and we ketpt coming back to Canada. Keep talking and visualizing, and here we are!

We packed last night, yup, before we were leaving! ha ha. Since we were packed, easy to get out about 4p. PSM got home a little after 3p, I was still getting some work done, and just before 4p, took my bags out to the barn, strapped my bag to the back of my bike, Eunice, the 2022 Super Cheif Limited and we were good to go!

Paul was taking the Challenger, he calls it Challenger, sounds about right!

The big reason we wanted to leave around 4p was the weather, it rained last night, it rained this morning, and it’s going to rain this afternoon, potential, it’s going to rain this evening. It did…

We were going along, when we started out, it was 84 out, then it got up to 88. It was toasty, but…PSM routed us a great…well, route, that would take us away from a lot of highways and more importantly…away from Connecticut, which, I believe I’ve said this, it’s a lovely state, but the traffic is awful!

So…we realized he routed us for no traffic, but into the rain. If we had stuck with traffic, no rain… go figure! We got almost 100 miles and pulled into a rest stop, stretched our legs, checked the weather, and most importantly…put on our rain gear! Good thing we did, it started raining. Now, one of the guys in we ride with says…’put on the rain gear…no rain’, that didn’t quite work!

I’m just a wee bit short for this bike, I need a little bit of a heel or platform so I am flat footed when I come to a stop, unlike Charlene, my Scout, where I can wear my Converse sneakers. I found a pair at a Walmart near Sturgis, SD when we were there two years ago, I fought getting them, but I actually like them. They used to be a sandy/tan color, now…after almost 3 years of riding in them, through all sorts of weather, not so much. the real issue with these boots…rubber soles, ok, the rest…canvas. Can you guess what happened in the first few minutes of riding in the rain? Yup… I’m walking with a puddle in my shoe…fun!

We thought we would pull into a gas station, we were both at about half a tank, and get some respite from the rain. Couldn’t find a gas station and it was coming down harder, so Starbucks it is. We got some food, tried to dry off a little, as much as we could. We watched the rain come down hard, then let up, then come down hard, then let up. When it had let up enough, the sun broket hrough the clouds, really?

We decided it had cleared up enough to start riding again, but we weren’t taking off the rain gear, not taking chances, and it’s raining all over the PA/NY region. As we were riding, the sun was coming out, it was nice, but I started getting a little chilly, very glad for my rain gear, but brrr…

We ended up stopping at another rest area to check the weather one more time and take a bio break. At this point, the sky looked like it was clearning up, we were even chasing a few rainbows! I’m sorry i couldn’t take a pic whilewe were riding, they were bright and one of them had a friend, right next to it!

PSM said if we keep to a slower speed, we might be able to stay behind the rain, as well as the wetter the road, the more hazardous conditions, hydroplaning and all, which as you can imagine, would be bad!

Were we lucky? Nope, not a chance, why would we be? ha ha. I was in the lead at this point and kept it to about 55/60, if I got up to 65, I would slow it back down. When we left the rest stop it was about 8p, we had booked a hotel about an hours ride from where we were, we just needed to get there and crash for the night.

We were doing great, sky was clear, water from the road, but so far so good, and keeping that speed. Alas…the rain started again, and then it started getting dark, and darker, and darker, and now we’re riding in the rain, my windsheild, which as you may or may not know, on a motorcycle does not have wipers like a car! and why hasn’t someone figured this one out?! ha ha. I only think about this when it’s raining!

So… my windsheild is very rainy, my goggles are very rainy, and it is dark! A few times, I actually had to lean to the right to see the road! This was so much fun! lol. I’m glad I had my headphones on, that helped. Finally, I look in my mirror and see PSM has his signal on, I also saw the sign for the hotel near the exit.

We pull off the highway and ride for what seems like forever, only about a mile maybe, but…dark and rainy, great combination! We finally pull into the hotel, under the entrance, a nice guy who works for the hotel told us we could park there for the night, to avoid the on the bikes. Every little bit helps!

We got into the room and stripped everything off! Everything that was wet went on the heater, and we cranked that sucker up! We changed into shorts and sandles/slippahs, and headed down to the bar for a much needed drink! PSM had a Woodford Reserve bourbon, and I had Disorono, an amaretto, on the rocks. I have one a few times a year, when I want to pretend to be a grown-up. I have yet to finish one, but I like it because it’s a sweet liqueur.

After we closed the bar down, we headed back to the room so I could talk to you and we could crash.

Tomorrow…is the official start of our trip. That’s what PSM said, I’m good with that! So…I say bon nuit to you and sign off for the night, tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and bright and hot, I’m planning on drying off as we ride!

G’night!

{May 23, 2024} Hello Sin City!

Yup, you heard right, we’re in Sin City, Las Vegas, or as some lovingly, ha ha, refer to it as Lost Wages!

First leg of the trip, as promised! We made it by the skin of our teeth, yes, I already told you not my jam to be that early, but we made it. SO glad we weren’t checking our bags, very rare for us to do that. Although…when we go on week long trips or even several weeks, we don’t have a lot of luggage, happily, but we will check our bags coming back. We’re more concerned that our bags don’t make it to our destination, rather than going home.

So…bags on, sit down, strap in, and breath…ahhh… the flight attendant I spoke to getting on the flight was very nice, I even told him a bad dad joke! He liked it! Later, it turns out he was one of the flight attendants in our section, and W, as I saw on his name tag, was super nice! When it came time for beverages, I told him I would like to buy my husband a drink, he was sitting across the aisle from me, we both like aisle seats, and that’s what I try to book us whenever we’re flying together, so it mean we either sit in front/behind one anothe or across the asile, also makes it easier to poke and bug the other person!

I used to love and only sit in a window seat if I could, but over the years, especially flying for work, I realized I preferred the aisle, it’s not as cold as the window, since I don’t sleep very much on flights, I don’t have to try to find a comfortable position, and…best of all, I don’t have to ask anyone to move if I have to get up to use the facilities! Negative side… I have to get up if someone needs to get out and there is more of an opportunity to get hit by the drink/food cart, or people putting their bags in the overhead, but a small price to pay for being able to stretch out a wee bit more! ok, enough about that!

When W asked what PSM would like, he ordered a Woodford Reserve bourbon, make that a double, with one ice cub, that’s a whole other thing! Woodford Reserve is one of his favorite whiskies. Well… W didn’t take my drink ticket, and didn’t take my drink ticket… he came by and said I was so nice he wasn’t going to charge me! A really nice guy! He came by a few more times, I was ready with some more bad dad jokes for him, he even gave me some! can’t share them here!

We made friends with the guy sitting next to PSM, they had fun chatting about Grenada, whiskey, weddings, travel, veterinary medicine, what else could they talk about? the list is endless. Even W came back and chatted with us for a while, I told you, a good guy!

Flight one down….off the plane, on to the next flight, guess what…delayed…go figure. Ok, at least that gives us a little time for a bite to eat. We never had time to get something to eat before our first leg, so…I actually had a decent taco salad, unfortunately for PSM, not so much! You could have possibly broken a window with the stale bread of his sandwiche!

I will say, I was impressed with SLC airport, they had a lot of restaurants, bars, and food options open at 11pm on Thursday! I can tell you, not many airports have that, including Las Vegas, where we landed!

We finally boarded the flight and PSM was asleep within minutes, before we even took off, happily, I joined him after we took off! Since traveling to and from Hawai’i for a few years, possibly even before that, I stopped sleeping on the longer legs of my flights, even the 8 hour flights, but…on the 2nd legs, usually 2 hours or less, I’m out like a light, love that. Let me tell you, best naps ever!

We both woke up as the plane was landing. I asked PSM how he was doing…’I’m a little hung over!’ ha ha ha! Now…that’s the way to start a trip! Especially to Las Vegas! We deboarded the plane, it was a little after midnight, and headed towards baggage claim/ground transportation. I have to tell you, when we found it, I’m not sure where we were, I haven’t been to that part of the airport, so were just kind of wandering until we found a sign, whew.

We headed out to where the Ride Share pickup is and joined the crowd. We had been looking for the taxi stand, but couldn’t find it, we saw it when we we were up and out, the line was pretty long, especially after midnight!

They have the ride share system pretty down pat, you order your car, hang out in one section, then when your driver is coming in, you are notified, go across the road to the pick up section, and there are people monitoring the area, making sure it’s safe to cross and answering questions. When the driver is in a spot, they text you the spot number, you find them, load up, and away you go!

I love seeing Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Strip, or just The Strip, as it’s known, at night. There is something magical about the lights, the old neon signs, the outlines of the hotels, the skyline, sort of. One of my favorites to see is New York New York, it really does look like a mini version of the New York skyline, always makes me a little homesick, in a good way.

There were still people out and about on The Strip, and why not, this is Las Vegas! We made our way to the hotel, we were staying off the strip, about a half mile, I do enjoy being on the strip, maybe next time!

We made it to the hotel, checked in, up to our room, unpacked, and fell into bed. It was now sometime just before 1am, very glad I set the alarm for Friday before we left, I had to be up at 430a! Gotta work tomorrow!

Ok, need to pass out now! Welcome to Las Vegas!

Email Subscription

What was I thinking?