Monthly Archives: August 2013

Travel’s Last Leg, as Eagerly Anticipated as the First

Posted on August 17, 2013 by smspangler

OMRO, WISCONSIN—In my decades of travel, on trips far and near, long and short, I’ve always anticipated the last leg home with the same eagerness of their first leg. This two-wheeled adventure to Seattle and back (and neither Ed nor … Continue reading →

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Heading East for Home but Waylaid by Lindbergh’s VW Beetle

Posted on August 16, 2013 by smspangler

LITTLE FALLS, MINNESOTA—Heading home after two weeks on the road, crossing into my home time zone yesterday at the border of North Dakota and Minnesota infected me with get-home-itis. Starting every day by riding into the rising sun as it … Continue reading →

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Tonka Trucks Discover the Spirit in North Dakota

Posted on August 15, 2013 by smspangler

DEVILS LAKE, NORTH DAKOTA—North Dakota’s license plate is a colorful image of the plains, and in the sky it says “Discover the Spirit.” In the lower left corner stands a bison on two stems of wheat, opposite of the ready-to-harvest … Continue reading →

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Alone on the Range Under a Big Cloudy Sky

Posted on August 14, 2013 by smspangler

MILES CITY, MONTANA—Alone on the range, where the buffalo no longer roam, deer were no where to be seen, and a lone antelope glumly stared at me from behind a barbwire fence. After turning right at Harlem, Montana, where I … Continue reading →

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Making All the Right Turns, Counter to the Traffic’s Flow

Posted on August 13, 2013 by smspangler

HAVRE, MONTANA—Thunderstorms awakened me in Kalispell around 0245 this morning, and when I reawakened at 0730, I was afraid to look beyond the curtain. Partly cloudy and sunshine. With no free breakfast or coffee at the Blue & White, I … Continue reading →

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Riding Reality Road: Unexpected Surprises Good & Bad

Posted on August 12, 2013 by smspangler

KALISPELL, MONTANA—When I awoke this morning in Spokane Valley, I planned on walking the vital and varied streets of Sandpoint, Idaho, this evening, setting out from my room at the La Quinta to find a good healthy dinner at one … Continue reading →

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Interstate Decisions: Which Road to Ride, Where to Stay

Posted on August 11, 2013 by smspangler

SPOKANE VALLEY, WASHINGTON—Return trips are essentially restarts of a trip because you have to make all the same directions, only going in the other direction. With a business call in Spokane Valley, I spend Saturday trying to decide whether to … Continue reading →

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Seattle Separation: Getting Ready for the Solo Ride Home

Posted on August 10, 2013 by smspangler

RENTON, WASHINGTON—From my driveway in Omro, Wisconsin, it is 2,883 miles to Ed’s backyard in the Seattle metroplex city of Renton, Washington. We arrived the afternoon of Friday, August 9 at 1541. Reflecting later on our eight day adventure, Ed … Continue reading →

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The Four Faces of Yellowstone National Park

Posted on August 7, 2013 by smspangler

HELENA, MONTANA—Today was my first visit to Yellowstone National Park, but it’s not the first time I’ve laid eyes on it. For a half century or more I’ve watched uncountable TV shows and movies about the park and read stories … Continue reading →

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Living Large in Wapiti: Breakfast in Bed at the Trail Shop

Posted on August 7, 2013 by smspangler

WAPITI, WYOMING—When we awoke this morning, it was a crisp 46F outside. So said the weather report on Ed’s iPhone, and he suggested that we take out time getting on the road. We’d had enough cold on our way over … Continue reading →

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