A Bit Delayed: A 17-Day Trip Report
Editor’s Note: Instead of posting single entries, I have made the ridiculous decision to just post all 17 days of my lightweight trip report (more like commentary) all in one go. On Google Docs it is 13 pages, so yeah, it’s somewhat significant compared to other entries I’ve done. No pressure to read it all.
To Yellowstone, And Back Again: A Journal, Sort Of.
The goal is to provide an overview of each day from my road trip that I’m taking as a part of my first Recharge after five years at Meta. Here’s hoping I can actually write things down.
Day 1 - Home to Roanoke, VA
Well, Day 1 is officially in the books and we got a little bit of everything: Fog, sunshine, blue skies, and rain. Overall temps were between 64 and 80, with some humidity, but it really wasn’t all that bad. The rain didn’t come until the last bit of the Blue Ridge Parkway that we were hitting from Charlottesville until Roanoke. Given this is my first extended, multi-day trip with my motorcycle I’ll take it! I’m writing this up as I am horizontal on a hotel bed, and it feels good to not be on something that is moving.
For those of you who don’t know me: My name is Ryan. I currently am riding a 2021 BMW R1250 GSA, and tagging along on this trip is my dad, Jeff, who is riding a 2021 Indian Roadmaster. I recently decided to use one of the benefits that is available to me after five years of working at Meta (FKA Facebook). This benefit is called a “Recharge” and it’s essentially a 30-day sabbatical. During this time, my dad and I are using a majority of the time to go from Northern Virginia to Yellowstone National Park. Along the way we plan to hit a variety of scenic routes, some cities, and some other national parks where we can. Today we started off by going through Shenandoah National Forest.
So what exactly did we do today? Well, we started at my parent’s house in Northern Virginia, and hit up both Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway. As I reflect on the day here are some quick thoughts:
This was my first time doing all of Skyline Drive, and it was good – not great. I think that as a whole it’s worth doing once, but that’s probably all you need to do. The route is scenic at times, and a little average at other times. My only other gripe with Skyline Drive is the 25 mph or 35 mph speed limit. Park Rangers were out in force running radar today, so it was definitely slow going.
Things really opened up once we hit the Blue Ridge Parkway, probably due to that jump up to 45 mph. I personally really enjoyed this route, and I’m excited to ride more of it tomorrow. From rolling hills, switchbacks, and a wide variety of scenery, this was definitely the star of today. We stopped a few times along the way to grab some photos of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and it was also really neat to run alongside the sections of the Appalachian Trail. A family friend hiked that a few years back, and it’s crazy to think about the elevation changes they dealt with on foot.
Food today was pretty basic: Breakfast at my parents house before we left, but it was good to have that and say goodbye to everyone. Lunch was pretty non-existent as we opted for snacks along the way since we didn’t really want to get too full and deal with any food comas. If I had to guess this will be a pretty common trend on this trip since we are doing long days (for us) on the bikes. Dinner was just a burrito bowl at a place in Roanoke. Not bad in the grand scheme of things, but I’m not familiar with the best of the best here, so it’ll do.
We thought we were in the clear and had avoided the rain, until about 5PM. As we were gearing up to exit the Blue Ridge Parkway, we got hit with about 20 minutes of rain, but thankfully we dried off after we left the band of rain clouds and got to the hotel. I really haven’t ridden a ton in the rain, so this was nice to just get it under our belt early on the trip and build the confidence as we look to go further. REV’IT gear held up well, and I was cool when I needed to be, warm when I needed to be, and most importantly dry when I needed to be.
Other thoughts on gear quickly:
New GoPro HERO 10 is pretty sweet. Can’t wait to pull some of the footage I took off of it.
Giant Loop roll top bag is holding up well. Everything was dry, and being able to bring on an additional 48L of stuff solely for clothes is awesome.
Mosko Moto panniers are holding up well, but I didn’t expect anything but that based on reviews and my experience so far.
Cardo PACKTALK is awesome. It was really easy to talk to my dad today for when we both needed to stop, and for when things were coming up on the road. I didn’t listen to any music today, but I think I’ll fire some up tomorrow to fill the silence between conversations.
I’ll probably look to wrap things up here, because I need to do a little more stretching and rolling out with the lacrosse ball I brought. Lower back is a little fatigued, but my shoulders and neck are definitely feeling it more than I expected. Also I hate how my ears feel after a full day of having ear plugs in – I really need to get custom ones eventually. Goodnight, and see you all after Day 2.
For photos and videos of the trip, please check out my bike’s Instagram account here.
Day 2 - Roanoke, VA to Asheville, NC
So I’m pretty beat, and it’s already 9:11 PM and I don’t know how much longer I’ll be awake. That said, I wanted to jot down some thoughts on how today’s portion of the trip went. In short: It was wet. You know how I said I was glad to get some experience riding in the rain yesterday? Well, we got more today. A lot more. So with that, let’s dive in.
The day started around 7 AM, and I’m realizing I haven’t been sleeping well leading up to the trip, and so far on the trip. I’m not sure why, as I am exhausted physically after each ride. I imagine it’s just cause I’ve got a lot on my mind, and to be honest, it is some of the stuff I’m hoping to work out while I have tons of saddle time, and no distractions. Obviously the motorcycle trip is a huge part of why I am excited about this Recharge, but being able to put aside more or less everything else that bogs you down for 30 days (cough, work, cough) and just focus on things that you want to mentally figure out is worth its weight in gold.
After a quick breakfast at the hotel, we got going and put everything back on the bikes and headed out from Roanoke back to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our goal was to do just about all of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and by getting to Asheville today we did just that. Yesterday we did 278.3 miles, and today we did 279.3 miles – #consistency. While riding on the Parkway, we ran into a few detours that allowed us to explore more of Route 221, and it was a blast. 221 is a pretty awesome 2-lane country highway, with twists, turns, and hills. If I do this type of ride in this area again, I’ll probably just hit 221 as much as I can as I like the 55 MPH speed limit over the 35/45 MPH of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Similar to yesterday, this portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway had some awesome elevation changes, great switchbacks, and awesome visuals. It also had a lot of rain. We got hit by 2-3 different storm bands which resulted in little bits of rain here and there, and also a pretty sizable downpour. Again, all the gear I have kept me and my stuff dry so let me know if you have questions on the specific gear I was using and I can share it! Outside of that we really just plowed along eating the miles up, and stopping occasionally along the way. I think I feel less stuff today because we made a more conscious effort to stop every 1.5-2 hours and hop off the bikes. It really makes a world of difference, and it also allows you to soak in the different overlooks.
As I alluded to in the title, we ended our day in Asheville, NC. I’m usually only in North Carolina to go to the Outer Banks so my body feels a little strange not heading to the ocean right now, but that’s okay. This is also my first time in Asheville, and from the little bit I’ve seen and walked around in, it’s pretty cool. My dad and I wanted to grab a burger and a beer at this local grill and bar that was recommended but it was sadly closed on Mondays. We ended up stopping by this TexMex spot, and it was pretty solid. They had great queso, big mug beers, and we both opted for enchiladas. The cool part about these restaurants is that they are in this Biltmore Village thing that is (I guess) related to the Biltmore Estate that’s not too far away. It was cool to see, and definitely was a little different than I expected.
We’ve got another early day tomorrow I imagine as we look to head to Tail of the Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway. From there, we’ll see where we end up in Tennessee, but if I had to guess I’m assuming we’ll be somewhere in Knoxville or shortly west of it. Here’s to a good night’s sleep, and another solid hotel breakfast in the morning.
Day 3 - Asheville, NC to Oak Ridge, TN (Dragons included)
I sit here a bit earlier than I have the last two days writing this recap before dinner tonight, because we called it a little earlier than we thought we might. That said, the day was still jam packed! I left y’all as we settled down for the night in Asheville, NC to make sure that we got a good nights sleep before hitting the Tail of the Dragon. Well, we did that and more!
This morning started off around 7:30 AM, in part because we pulled the blinds closed and neither my dad or I realized it was actually morning time since it was so dark. After my dad had his breakfast cigar, we both grabbed a breakfast of omelets, yogurt, ham, and potatoes. It was pretty solid and gave us the base we needed to get going. From the hotel, we got rolling around 9:30 AM and started off towards the Tail of the Dragon on I-40 West. We didn’t realize it at the time, but we would pass by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and after some deliberation we decided to stop by and log some miles there.
I think on some other trip, you could probably spend 2-3 days just bouncing around the Great Smoky Mountains. We didn’t have that time on this trip, but we enjoyed getting in, climbing up in elevation, and ultimately hitting the overlook that is right on the North Carolina/Tennessee state line. We got to see some great views of the mountain range, and lots of University of Tennessee orange. Go Vols! For those that don’t know, my sister was on the Tennessee Women’s Rowing team, so while the orange is aggressive it isn’t something I’m not used to.
After leaving the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we opted to head towards the Dragon. I’ll preface this by saying: I’ve heard the Tail of the Dragon is very technical, and challenging to ride. It lived up to the hype. From sports cars to sports bikes, we saw a lot of very fast people going up and down the road over those 11 miles. I took a video of me riding through it, and I think I left 2nd gear four times (?), ha! It’s clear to me that I’ve got a lot of work to improve and get more comfortable on technical roads like that. It was really wild being that close to a rock wall and a steeeeeep drop off. My favorite part of the ride besides just doing it was seeing this AC Cobra flying through the road. That driver was insanely fast – An absolute monster! The last thing I’ll say for the Dragon is this: It’s great to do at least once. Maybe as I grow in skill I’ll come back, but for now I’m good and it is checked off the list.
As we look towards tomorrow I think it’ll be a pretty mediocre day as we look to make up some of the mileage that we didn’t do today by slamming I-40W to get past Nashville for sure, and then maybe onto Memphis. I’m getting hungry so we’ll probably look for dinner here soon, but so far Oak Ridge is looking kind of like Chain Restaurant central so pickings may be slim. Here’s to 2 National Parks so far, 2 National Forests, and one crazy road. The trip is really going well so far!
Day 4 - Oak Ridge, TN to Jonesboro, AR
Wow. That’s really all I can say about today. As you can see from the title (especially if you Google Maps’d it) we logged some miles today. 498.2 miles to be exact. Along with the miles the main theme for today was wind. We dealt with a lot of cross-winds today as we moved across the South and hit three different states (Tennessee, Missouri, and Arkansas), we crossed the Mississippi River, and we finally hit our first timezone change. As I write this my body is telling me it’s 10PM and I should definitely be asleep by now, but it is in fact only 9PM and I’ve got a little bit of time left in the day.
Outside of the wind, today was also our first warm day where we spent most of our afternoon dealing with 90+ degree temperatures (~32 C for any non-US readers!). Overall though because we were just logging mainly highway miles it wasn’t that bad until I realized neither my dad nor I drank enough water today. I’m slamming water right now as I look to hydrate a bit before bed, but realize this needs to be fixed tomorrow!
This entry will probably be a little shorter than previous ones, even though we logged considerably more miles. That’s primarily due to the fact that I-40W isn’t very exciting, unless you deem dodging 18-wheelers exciting. We did however make a spur of the moment decision to hit up the Natchez Trace Parkway and ran about 30-40 miles on it today. This is definitely one stretch of road that if you get a chance to do any of it, I can’t recommend it enough. Unlike Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway, it has gentle sweepers, and a great 45 MPH speed limit. I had a blast rolling through these twists and turns, all while enjoying the scenery. If I could do one stretch of road again so far on this trip, it’s this one. It would be worth it too, because the Natchez Trace Parkway is ~400 miles long so there’s plenty to do and see!
Tomorrow we are looking to hit Mark Twain National Park (or Forest?) and check out the scenic Ozarks byway or something. My goal is to not live out The Ozarks show, but just stop by and see if the show nailed the reprepresentation of the area. From there we will likely decide to either go into St. Louis or maybe head towards Kansas City. A lot of this will be determined by the weather as it looks like we might be running into thunderstorms, which in all honesty we’d really like to avoid. Also at last check we’ve done just shy of 1,300 miles so far. Feeling good, outside of my left shoulder which has a knot the size of a softball in it. If anyone knows of a great massage place in the midwest, lemme know ASAP.
Day 5 - Jonesboro, AR to Springfield, IL
So, we did some miles today too. We outran some storms. We got stuck at a Panera due to insane rain. Unfortunately I’m now dealing with some saddle sores, but hey, otherwise we are doing good. Today was mostly highway miles again as we got to the Ozark region to check out some of the scenic riverways, and also some state routes/country roads as we went through a portion of Mark Twain National Forest. I don’t have any WiFi at tonight’s hotel, so I’m gonna bullet out some thoughts to keep today’s entry light:
The Ozarks is exactly what I expected based on the show. Gorgeous bits of nature, surrounded by very different areas than what I grew up in. I thought it was wild riding through a lot of these smalls towns, and honestly had a good time. Only complaint here: It’s tough to get to some of the Ozark Scenic things that are marked by signs because they all go back on dirt roads, which my dad’s bike isn’t set up for.
Mark Twain National Forest is BIG. We only rode through a portion of it, but I don’t feel compelled to go back. I had a lot more fun on just generic Missouri state highways that twisted, turned, and ran through the countryside.
We saw at least 10+ little turtles on the roads. Is Missouri a turtle state or something? Also roadkill hits different on a bike. The stench on a hot day is POTENT.
We were the opposite of storm chasers today. Constantly on the move to avoid thunderstorms and tornado warnings. If we were in the movie Twister, it would have looked very different. Just people running away from the storm and not giving a damn about getting any good footage ha! That said, we made it without getting too wet, and we also got to watch the storm roll in while we ate a quick dinner.
With that I’m going to get in bed, and wind down for the day. I expect tomorrow to be lightweight as well as we will likely just push through to Omaha and chill there for the night. If we’re lucky we will go check out the stadium where they play the College World Series!
Day 6 - Springfield, IL to Omaha, NE
Well, well, well. Today was a tough day. A lot of highway riding, a lot of wind, and not a lot of much scenery to be had. You forget, or just actively choose not to remember, how endless the open space here is in the middle of the country until you’re in it. Mentally, it’s tiring. Physically it is tiring. 70-75 MPH across endless miles of highway takes a toll on someone. For me it’s showing up as shoulder aches from maintaining the same position for 5-7 hours a day. It’s wind noise from the speed and the cross-winds and being curious if I’m going to go deaf or if I put my earplugs in correctly (PS: I need to get custom earplugs ASAP). It’s wanting to stop for an hour to stretch and be off the bike, but knowing it’s better to keep pushing. That said, we made it, and Omaha is pretty cool.
After endless miles of farmland, we finally made it to Omaha and are staying not far from downtown. We found a cool section of town to walk around (The Old Market for those who want to check it out!), and found some breweries, a cigar shop to stock up at, and a nice saloon style place for dinner. All in all, Omaha was way more than just the Henry Doorly Zoo that I remember from years back as a 10 year old.
Outside of that though, there’s not too much to report on. It really was just a long day, full of a lot of miles to get to a destination. From here we plan to do a short day up to Sioux Falls, SD and give our bodies a bit of a break before we get to Sturgis. I’ll be signing off here, and talk to you all soon!
Day 7 - Omaha, NE to Sioux Falls, SD
Today was a breeze, and not just because we got hammered with more wind as we tore up I-29 North. Today we did our shortest mileage of the trip at 184 miles. At only a little over 3 hours on the road, we got a late start and checked into our hotel early. This allowed us to rest, do laundry, and overall give our bodies a little bit of a breather. For me personally it was great, and much needed, as we gear up to cross all of South Dakota tomorrow to get to Sturgis for the next two days or so of riding in the area.
As we headed out of Omaha we stopped by two critical stops:
Walgreens -> I needed to give my ears a break from the earplugs I had been using on this trip. To help with this, I grabbed some foam earplugs and it was a true lifesaver today. I really need to get custom earplugs as soon as I can, because the out of the box earplugs have been destroying my ears – Like to the point that they are painful when I put my helmet on, and also take it off. I’ve tried large, medium, and small inserts but no luck. Thank goodness for foam earplugs!
The Charles Schwab Field (Home of the College Baseball World Series) -> This was just something neat for my dad and I. We both grew up playing a lot of baseball, and also watching a lot of baseball. It was really neat to see the location where the College World Series is played, and take a moment to think about all of the time I’ve spent on a baseball field in my life. These days it’s just for slow pitch softball and having some beers in a parking lot, but I still get a lot of joy out of it.
After that we just hopped on I-29 North, saw a lot of farmland, and then made it to Sioux Falls before we knew it. I attempted to get through a podcast but honestly we got there before it was done. After this, we stopped by a local bar and grill to grab dinner. They had some awesome jalapeno popper wonton things that were tasty as all get out. I could have eaten 10 of them easily. It’s also been crazy to see how many small shops have tiny casinos attached to them. I’m not as big on gambling as a lot of other people I know, but I could see how easy it is to do if it’s just at every corner store or liquor store. The other thing that stands out is just how many military billboards and advertisements there are in these areas. It’s really different from where I grew up, and it’s just interesting to see.
Tomorrow we head to Rapid City as that’ll be our hub between Sturgis, and all of the rides in the area. I believe we are targeting spending some time in Custer State Park, Needles Highway, Spearfish Canyon, and more. My dad will also be getting his bike serviced in town on Monday, so we’ll be looking for a breakfast spot or something to kill some time. I’m excited to get back to some more scenic, non-highway riding for a day or two, before we move on to Yellowstone. I’m off to grab a Reese’s cup and stretch out. See y’all tomorrow!
Day 8 - Sioux Falls, SD to Rapid City, SD
So today was a pretty tame day. We saw a lot of I-90, used a lot of cruise control, and just kind of crossed the entire state of South Dakota. The state was pretty standard as far as small hills, but really just a lot of straight interstate. However, we did get to do a few things that were either quirky or fun:
Wall Drug -> I don’t know the history too much, other than that it used to be just a drug store, but has expanded a TON since then and has all sorts of shops, cafes, and more. Wall Drug is well known for 5 cent coffee and also free ice water. They also had a cafe that made donuts that smelled really good. Beyond those standout things I’d say that as a whole it’s a tourist trap with cheap souvenirs but is worth stopping at, at least for an excuse to stretch your legs and see a bit of South Dakota history.
After getting into Rapid City and getting checked in, we went down to the Crazy Horse monument. While not completed, this was still really neat. The museum was awesome to walk through, and the video that outlines the history of the monument is well worth watching. It’s awesome to see how much this monument means to Native American tribes in the area, and around the country. Their history is one worth preserving, honoring, and understanding more about, so I can’t recommend going to the Crazy Horse monument if you find yourself in the area. There’s a lot of passion in this project, and it’s awesome to see.
Beyond that, we hit up a local pizza pub thing, where we had a great pizza with way too much meat on it. We also talked to our waitress and she was graduating high school on Monday, and then flying off solo to South Korea to live out of a hotel for six weeks. We didn’t catch her name, but I hope you’re having a blast in South Korea and it’s living up to your expectations. She talked about how she’s traveled across the US and has been to Canada, but this is her first major international trip and she was both excited and nervous. As someone who thought I wouldn’t get let into Ireland the first time I went: I totally get that.
Tomorrow my dad’s bike is getting serviced in the morning, and hopefully it won’t take too long. The service gives us a built in reason to go up to Sturgis, swing by the most well known (or one of the most well known) Indian Motorcycle dealerships in the country, and then explore Spearfish Canyon, which is nearby. Afterwards, we’ll figure out if we want to do anything else like get a ride in to see Mount Rushmore, or other things to see in Custer State Park, which is south of where we are staying.
Day 9 - Rapid City, SD Day #2
This is the first time we opted to stay in a location for more than one day. Based on how today went, I’d say it was worth it, and that we could have likely stayed another day without feeling like we were repeating things. As I called out on Day 8’s entry, today started off with my dad’s bike getting serviced. I probably jinxed us by hoping it didn’t take long, cause it ended up taking about an hour longer than we had hoped (Hope for 2, took 3). That said, the people at Indian Motorcycle of Sturgis were incredibly friendly and great to talk to. The dealership itself is pretty massive and worth swinging by just to see how many bikes they have. Shoutout to Mike for his recommendations on what to prioritize seeing as we went around town today, and also shoutout to Abby/Abbey (Sorry – Didn’t get the spelling!) for shooting the breeze and keeping us company on and off while we waited.
After getting the bike back, we opted to hit up the nearby Spearfish Canyon and run the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway, which is a 22-mile ride through the gorge in the area. Mike at the Indian dealership said that on weekends and later on in the summer season this can get pretty busy. Luckily for us it was raining on and off, and a Monday, so generally speaking we had the route to ourselves! From the gorgeous black stone, sharp cliffs, a winding river, and some great twists – This route was probably one of my favorite ones so far. If you’re in the area, I recommend doing it just because it’s gorgeous and pretty quick. I got some cool videos and photos here so I’m excited to see how things turned out.
To close out the day we beat feet down to Custer State Park to drive on the Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road, and then ultimately end up at Mount Rushmore. Some quick hits on these:
Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Road are both great roads to ride on. They are technical, twisty, curvy, and all sorts of turny. For us this was a little less enjoyable because of the rain, but we still thought the views across the routes were insanely amazing. Getting to ride through the various tunnels as well was really fun, and unlike anything else I’ve ever done before. So much exposed rock, elevation changes, and wide open views makes this $20 well spent to get into the park.
Mount Rushmore was better than I thought. Maybe that’s just cause I’m a sucker for monuments though – You tell me. The reason I call this out is because pretty much everyone we talked to said that you can see Mount Rushmore from the road, and to not pay to go in (It’s $10 per person unless your >62 years old, or actively serving in the military). After not seeing it from the road as people advertised, we opted to go in, and I’ve gotta say it was really cool. It’s not going to take you 1 hour to walk up, see it, snap some photos, and leave – It probably took us 15 minutes tops, and most of that was talking to another set of guys who were heading to Yellowstone, but coming from Texas. Both of those guys also rode BMW’s so I knew they were cool. That said, $10 to help preserve and support a national monument feels like that’s a fine decision. I really like American history and seeing that carving was pretty neat, given who the carvings represent.
With that, we are planning to make our moves to Cody, Wyoming tomorrow as our base before spending the next few days exploring Yellowstone. We also plan on hitting Devils Tower National Park as we head West. I’m excited to check out that big hunk of rock, just cause I feel it is pretty iconic. Otherwise, it’ll be a long day with a lot of miles and I’ll be excited to be off the bike and stretched out!
Day 10 - Rapid City, SD to Cody, WY
Today felt long, even though the mileage wasn’t the longest we’ve done. Our agenda for the day was mainly to get to Cody, Wyoming, where we would be basing ourselves out of for the next 2 days/3 nights as we explored Yellowstone for two days. On the way to Cody, we opted to stop by the Devils Tower to check that out. Definitely worth the detour, because it was really, really awesome. We got lucky with weather today as well – Partly sunny, or completely sunny with no real rain and only minor winds. Now let’s dive in.
As I mentioned, Devils Tower was awesome. You could see it from so far away, and it just kept growing in size as you got closer, and closer. It’s really fascinating to see this massive rock shape just erupt out of the ground. It is yet another example of how amazing our planet is as things shift and change over the course of millions of years. Another bonus that Devils Tower had was that it is a National Monument, technically, but the National Park pass was accepted and we got in with the pass for free! This whole trip has been great, but I always love when the America the Beautiful passes are accepted – At $80 for a year, I’ve more than made my money back on this trip alone. If you get to stop by Devils Tower at anypoint, be sure to scan it for climbers. It was so crazy to see people climbing it in person.
After stopping at Devils Tower, we did our best to book it to Cody to get to our hotel. We encountered a lot so I’m going to list out a few thoughts as my brain is scrambled and still trying to thaw out:
First off: Wyoming is gorgeous. I’ve never spent a ton of time here, but from sprawling ranch land, to hills, sheer cliffs, elevation changes, mountains, and so much more, I’ve had a blast going through Wyoming and definitely want to come back. Even the highways have been fun here, but I won’t lie, I get a little nervous every time I see the “Deer next 5 miles” type of signs. Thankfully no close calls just yet!
We crossed a mountain pass that we weren’t totally expecting. Our fault for not looking at the route from an elevation perspective, but holy cow was this insane. We kept climbing, and climbing until the rain we were in turned to snow. Thankfully we never hit 32 degrees or below (Only bottomed out at 35 degrees) so we just kept plowing along carefully. I never expected to ride through snow during this trip, let alone in my life, but here we are. The other crazy part of this is we were not wearing our warmest gear, so I’ve spent the last 30 minutes in the hotel in the shower trying to bring my body temperature back up. That 2 hours crossing the mountains (I think it was the Bighorn Mountain Range if my research is correct) were intense, but really cool to see just what we could handle. Thank you to my heated grips and seat for helping keep some parts of me warm!
Getting into Cody is really cool. Feels a bit like a small, western town/city with parts of it continuing to grow as more and more people come here. Only comment I have on Cody is that if you’re staying here, try to stay close to the main portion of downtown. If you’re on the outskirts, Uber and Lyft are non-existent and there is very limited taxi service. So if you are like us, and just done with being on your bike for the day, you’ll be stuck with very limited vending machine options as most options on the outside of town aren’t walkable or don’t seem to be open at this point following the pandemic. This one also falls on us as we didn’t really scout where our hotel was in relation to the rest of the town. The one downside we’ve encountered though is truly minor, as access to the park and so much else is at your fingertips it’s completely worth it and we are definitely enjoying our time here.
So with that I’m going to get some rest as we gear up to explore Yellowstone tomorrow!
Day 11 - Yellowstone Day #1
Wow. It’s only been one day at the park and let me say: Everyone should visit Yellowstone National Park at some point in their life. It’s beautiful, so massive, and so inspiring. From the geysers, the wildlife, and the ever changing scenery, you could probably spend a month straight here and never see it all. Here’s a breakdown of what we were able to see/do today:
Yellowstone Lake -> You can’t miss it. It was awesome, but also a lot of it was still frozen due to the overnight temps the area has been having. We had some wind when we stopped but it was great to see this expansive lake, which if my understanding is correct, is more or less sitting on top of this massive supervolcano (Yellowstone Caldera).
West Thumb Geyser Basin -> Pretty self-explanatory. A bunch of geysers that are smoking/steaming, bubbling, and gurgling. The thermal activity in this park is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before and it was crazy seeing all of these geysers in such close proximity. Also this is the only place we saw elk today!
Old Faithful and the Old Faithful Lodge -> We lucked out and timed things more or less just right, and got to see Old Faithful erupt! We got teased a few times with small spurts of water, but eventually it did its thing and shot water up at least 50 feet into the air. It was pretty neat seeing this with a ton of people as the crowd gasped, cheered, and applauded nature. After that, we swung by the Old Faithful Lodge which is one of the oldest log cabin/buildings around. To be honest: It’s cool if log cabin style decor is your thing, but all in all, we didn’t feel compelled to stay there that long or do a tour of the building.
Grand Prismatic Spring -> We only got a quick glimpse of this as parking was a nightmare. My recommendation here is get there early to beat the crowds as parking there is not setup well for how popular it is. It also helps, in my opinion, if you go there on a sunny day. We didn’t end up being that lucky, and with me being colorblind, I feel like this one was just okay but I recognize it’s one of the most photographed areas of Yellowstone.
Gibbon Falls -> This was the main waterfall we saw at the park today. I know it’s not the biggest waterfall ever, but man it was so cool. You can walk around and see different vantage points of it, and I feel like I got some cool shots of it. My photography is really bush league, especially when compared to my friend’s Jp and Jamal (who are photog wizards if you ask me), but I gave it the good old college try. Couldn’t recommend stopping by here enough. It was awesome to see, and to hear, the falls.
Gibbon Hill -> We stopped here because there was a group of about ~50 bison that were sleeping, drinking in the river, and eating. I got some great shots of the bison, and after going down the hill a little, was probably <50 feet from one which was drinking and it was just so unreal. Those animals are so big, yet so graceful. Obviously be respectful of the animals, don’t bother them, and admire them from a distance. When you do that you’re going to be absolutely stunned by observing them. I had a nice moment where I thought of a friend, Jeremy, who recently passed. Jeremy was also a motorcyclist and this is the kind of trip he would have loved. The strength and grace of the bison we saw today reminded me of Jeremy when I reflect on his life battling cancer. Jeremy constantly displayed strength and grace until his very last day, and in another life, he would have been here with us doing this kind of trip.
And we did one other thermal hot spring, but I honestly can’t remember the name. I also apparently didn’t mark it on Google Maps. My bad! It was wild when we stopped because the air temp was ~55 degrees, but when the wind would hit things just right it would blow the heat and steam right off the spring and all of sudden you’d feel like you were in a sauna on the boardwalk. Absolutely crazy stuff, and again just really making you think how crazy Earth is.
We had a jam packed day, and still need to check the mileage, but we can’t wait to head North tomorrow when we get back into the park. We are looking to check out the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and Lamar Valley primarily to hopefully see even bigger herds of bison, and possibly additional wildlife. It’ll be another long day before we head to Denver, but I’m so stoked. See y’all then!
Day 12 - Yellowstone Day #2
My jaw continues to drop as we continued our exploration of Yellowstone today! As I wrote yesterday, after hitting the Southern portion of the park yesterday, we opted to hit the Northern side of the park today. We couldn’t immediately head too far north when entering from the Eastern Entrance due to some road closures, so we quickly pivoted!
After entering, we cut through the middle of the park on the Norris road/cut-through thingy. It’s an easy 12 miles that really isn’t too crazy scenic, but it helped us shave off some time after we visited the Sulfur Caldron and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. If I had to pick one, I’d say prioritize hitting the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone if time is an issue. You can see some great views on both the North and South side of the canyon, but the South side gives you some amazing views of the falls there. You could hear the falls from up close and far away, so it really drove home just how powerful they were! While this canyon isn’t actually the Grand Canyon, it was still incredibly scenic and huge.
After getting across we slowly made our way up to the Mammoth Hot Springs. Not only were these hot springs super vibrant and colorful, but they were just really cool to see. Again, I’m fascinated by the thermal activity that is occurring all over the place in this park. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and it is just crazy to think about as you sit there and witness these hot springs bubble up and remain insanely hot!
After visiting the springs we talked to a local, also on a bike, and he recommended instead of doubling back to go back out the Eastern Entrance, we follow the Grand Loop Road to the Northeast Entrance, leave the park there, and then grab the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway back to Cody. Whoa buddy, am I glad we followed his advice!
This route gave us the opportunity to go through Lamar Valley, which is gorgeous. If you go to Yellowstone this is, in my opinion, a MUST SEE. From the sheer size of the valley, to how different it is from the rest of the park as just a massive meadow, it was absolutely fascinating to sit at a scenic overlook point and just look around. It’s also amazing that you can see massive groups/herds of bison just all around the valley. I think we saw at least groups that totalled up to 400+, easily. It is also worth visiting if you can time it a bit earlier in the day, or in the early evening because other wildlife is supposedly more active then. Even being there in the early/mid afternoon I had a blast just soaking everything in. Again: I cannot recommend Lamar Valley enough!
After that, we just logged some miles on the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway to Cody and ultimately back to our hotel. Whether you’re in a car, or on a bike, but definitely if you’re on a bike, you should drive this road. Switchbacks, scenic views, elevation changes, and so much more – The Chief Joseph Scenic Highway has a lot to offer, and it’s definitely up there as one of my Top 3 favorite roads we’ve ridden on during this trip. We couldn’t hit Beartooth Pass because it was still closed, but that is also in the area and was recommended to us if we were going to be in the area into Memorial Day Weekend.
This was more or less our last day of having a lot of scenic riding and exploring to do as we’ve reviewed weather patterns and our overall time and decided after Denver, we will likely head back home. We really need to time things right as the Midwest and East Coast have been dealing with a variety of rapidly changing weather that includes high winds (40+ MPH gusts), thunderstorms, and tornado warnings. Given weather may delay us, we figure it’s probably the right call to allow for extra time in case we get delayed by any unexpected storms. It’s a little sad, but at the same time, I’m so grateful and appreciative of the experience I’ve had so far. I’ve seen things in person that I have previously only seen in photos or YouTube videos of other people riding. Now I have those memories, photos, and videos to look back on and smile. I’m also appreciative of the time in the saddle that gave me lots of time to decompress and work out lots of things that have been on my mind. I see why people say motorcycling is therapeutic, and continues to help with my overall resiliency during, and after, rides.
Now to track down some dinner, and then we’ll head to Denver to see one of my best friends, Jenna (or PT) and her husband Mike!
Day 13 - Cody, WY to Denver, CO
Welp, today got off to an interesting start! After returning from dinner I happened to look at my tires just to see over the last two days how things were going. I’m glad that I did because my front tire was already starting to wear down the tire wear bars and I wasn’t confident that I could make it another 450+ miles to Denver without any issues, or challenges if we faced rain. Enter Mountain Valley Motorsports and Tim, who were absolute lifesavers. Tim was able to slot me in right as they opened at 9AM to get my front tire replaced, and get back in business. I cannot recommend Tim and his team enough – They started working on my bike at 9:10 AM and I was back on it leaving Cody by 9:50 AM. Thank you to Tim and his team!
From there the only real callouts for today were that we wanted to get to my friend Jenna and her husband’s, Mike, place in Longmont, CO – So not technically Denver, but close enough. Well actually, they are closest to Boulder but we would have to drive through Denver to get to I-70 so we’ll just call it a wash. It was great seeing Jenna (or PT) and Mike, not staying in a hotel for a night, and they were kind enough to cook us a home cooked meal for dinner AND breakfast. Dinner was roasted potatoes, roasted broccoli, smoked chicken thighs and drumsticks, and pork belly burnt ends. Yum! I was stuffed and when you pair that with the wine PT and I crushed, I slept like a baby that night. Thanks PT and Mike for being amazing hosts as always – I love you guys, and I miss y’all back in VA.
The last thing to highlight that made today interesting was we had continued to hear about high winds, but really hadn’t had too many issues on the trip so far. That all changed today. While coming down I-25 to get into Colorado, we finally got those 40+ MPH wind gusts and boy was it a bit scary. To put it into context, the wind wasn’t consistent so those gusts would hit you and drive you from one side of the lane to the other side, which made us appreciate how few other cars were on the road with us at the time. This drove home the fact that it’s better to slow down, fight the wind safely, and arrive at our destination at some point rather than just trying to make time.
Now, I’ll be off to get some breakfast and we’ll start Day 14 here soon!
Day 14 - Denver, CO to Salina, KS
I don’t know much about Salina, but I do know that a former Kansas governor is from here, and apparently so is an astronaut. So that’s cool, and something interesting, right? Outside of that today was just a log miles day now that we’ve decided to head back to Virginia. We logged 468 miles to be exact and actually felt pretty good when we finally got off the bikes after being rejected by at least one hotel.
As we look to get home, beat the storms, and battle the wind we’ll be taking I-70 until it runs into I-81, so the scenery isn’t going to be that exciting, or really won’t change too much in general. We’re getting a lot of farms and cows. It’s funny because you definitely smell the cows before you see them most of the time. I don’t think I’ll have that much content from this part of the trip since I’ve already got a lot of video of interstate/highways when we were going out, but who knows. For now, the GoPro is packed away and collecting dust in the bags as we make it home.
From Salina, I think we are targeting getting to St. Louis, and then breaking up the remaining time to home into 2 more days. We dealt with heat and wind today, but thankfully no storms. When looking at the radar, we appear to be okay for tomorrow as we continue East, but there is a slight chance for rain heading into Missouri, so we will see how things go. We also hit the highest temperature we’ve had of the trip – A blistering 100 degrees! Good thing I packed a fresh stick of deodorant to kick this trip off.
We’ll see how things go, but for now I’m off to stretch out, and watch the Monaco Grand Prix Qualifying from earlier in the day. See y’all tomorrow!
Day 15 - Salina, KS to St. Louis, MO
Honestly, today was pretty chill. Throughout the trip I’ve had a hell of a knot right behind my left shoulder blade, which usually starts acting up around one hour into our day. Today though: Not a thing. I’m not sure if it was the pre-trip Advil, the aggressive lacrosse ball rolling I’m doing since this started flaring up, or the St. Louis style pizza that helped loosen things up once we got into STL, but all in all today wasn’t bad.
As with the last day or two, today’s theme was just log miles, get to the hotel, and get out of our riding gear. Temps are slowly creeping back up, and more sadly, staying consistently in the mid-90’s or so as we ride on I-70. Thankfully we haven’t hit any major traffic, but we did see a full mattress, and some form of bed frame on the side of the ride as we were riding into the city. Shortly after seeing that and merging over, with everyone else I might add, to avoid the mattress, we did see a very sad (or angry) man getting a ticket for not securing his load properly. It was tough to see, but it looks like he used some twine to tie down a mattress and bed frame. Bold strategy, especially at highway speeds.
Once we got to St. Louis we made the decision that we were going to give St. Louis style pizza a go. Let me be the first to say that I think it was really, really good. If you’re in the area, I can’t recommend it enough. The main selling point of this type of pizza is the cheese that is used with it – Provel cheese. Now, this was my first time having Provel cheese, and generally speaking it’s pretty much just cheese. What was really neat though is that it has a lower melting point, which pairs nicely with the really thin crust that is the common duo for St. Louis style pizza. Dare I say, the Provel cheese and thin crust is a dynamic duo, and I look forward to finding some around home when I can.
Tomorrow we are thinking of mixing things up and saying goodbye to I-70, and swapping over to I-64. My dad insists that it’s more of a “feeder” highway, and so we will likely get less traffic and fewer trucks. Those are two things I could do with more of in my life at this point, so I’m completely game to try.
Day 16 - St. Louis, MO to Huntington, WV
Let’s start off by saying that my dad was right: I-64 is the way to go. Now coming off of my last entry, I had some doubts about if 64 was going to be the better interstate, but after this first day of riding on it, wow! It’s noticeably better. Definitely less cars. Definitely less trucks. Also more importantly, it’s a route across the country I haven’t taken before, so while it’s not the most scenic thing in the world, it is at least new. Beyond the I-64 revelation though, we just smashed some miles until we hit West Virginia.
As with the last two days, it’s been hot. With that comes more and more hydration, as we make more frequent stops to have some drinks and a snack here and there. However, our plans were routinely foiled as we hit gas station after gas station that had no public bathrooms. What? I can’t say this is something I’ve really ever encountered before, but we literally hit six gas stations in a row and were told their bathrooms weren’t available for public use. I have no clue why, but we opted to take our business for gas and Celsius’ elsewhere. I guess the good part of it being hot out was that at the end of the day we really sweat out most of the liquids anyways, but c’mon, this streak was crazy.
The highlight beyond riding today, was that tonight we had the last cigar of the trip. It was really nice sitting out (in the heat) with my dad, burning one last stick, and just recapping the trip. Getting home tomorrow signals the end of this trip, turning everything into memories, and appreciating that we will likely not do anything quite like this again, together. I can’t say it enough, but I’m really glad my dad did this with me, I get this benefit through work, and that outside of a few incidents, we really got lucky with weather.
I’m sure tomorrow’s journal entry will talk a lot of excitement to be home, and it’s true, but at the end of the day I can’t wait to plan another motorcycle trip like this. This was such an intimate way to see different areas of the country that I haven’t been to, or had previously experienced in a car. I feel a little wave of melancholy coming on as I write this because I almost feel like I want to keep going. Given how much diaper rash cream I’ve gone through, I didn’t think that would be something I’d feel so strongly.
Day 17 - Huntington, WV to Home
Well, after 406.7 miles we are officially home. It wasn’t a wildly crazy day, it was just a hot one. What started out as a warm, and humid, 78 degree morning, quickly escalated to the high 90s, and if I recall correctly triple digit temperatures when we slowed down in Northern Virginia. Between the sweat, the smell, and the general need for a cold shower, I was excited to finally hop off the bike and unpacking. Getting from West Virginia to home really was pretty straight forward. I-81 was our friend, and a big props to the random guy on the Gold Wing who we attached ourselves to as he cruised past pretty much all of the traffic we encountered. I’ve never seen someone so lucky to just hit the cruise control, and just really never turn it off. Thank you, stranger, your deeds will not go unrecognized!
Beyond cruising on 81, we just stopped here and there for gas, stretching, and hydration. It really was an uneventful ride home, but to be honest, it was really nice to have that uninterrupted moments to reflect on the trip. In all, while shorter than I expected in terms of overall days, I had a blast. I wouldn’t trade it for anything, and I think this trip was exactly what I needed for the first half of my Recharge. I had tons of time to reflect, think, and ask myself hard, or necessary, questions about where I’m at in my life, and what my path forward looks like. I can’t say I got it all figured out, but I am content with the progress I made on things that I would usually just put on the shelf for later. At a certain point when you have 6-8 hours of highway riding ahead of you, there’s really no excuse for not asking those questions and having those conversations.
I also think that this confirmed that these long motorcycle trips are things I’d like to do more of going forward. I really enjoyed seeing the United States on a bike, and hope I can do it again soon. I talked with a few folks who also raved about going through different parts of Canada, so I feel like both the East and Western portions of Canada are now definitely on my bucket list of places to ride through. I also feel like rides up to the coast along Maine would be fun, and could allow me to pair some camping along the way. Finally, my dad has proposed riding bikes down to Key West. That would be one heck of a trip, and I’m sure we’d need at least one day to detox before turning around!
To wrap things up, I wanted to recap some stats or data points, seeing as I regularly look at data for my job, and geek out about other types of data wherever I can:
Days on the Road: 17
Total Miles: 6,151.8 miles
Average Miles per Day: 361.87 miles
Lowest Speed: 0 MPH (Thanks, traffic)
Highest Speed: 101 MPH (Thanks, Wyoming)
Number of Cigars Smoked: >50 – Count still TBC
Number of Laundry Loads Completed: 1 (Wash & Dry included)
Number of Times My Dad Used His Turn Signal: 2 (I die laughing about this all the time)
Number of Bike Drops: 1 (Just mine, and it wasn’t my fault – I swear)
Most Played Song of the Trip (For Me): Matilda by PUP (I’m biased but I think it’s the better Matilda song currently – Sorry, Harry)
Number of Bags of Trail Mix Consumed: 6
Number of Bags of ChexMix Consumed: 8
Number of Celsius’ Consumed: Too Many To Count
Liter of Waters Consumed: Not Enough
Number of Political Discussions We Got Into: 1 (Really surprising as I thought it would have been higher)
Number of Tires Replaced: 1
Number of Items Left at Hotels: 1 (Thankfully got it back!)
Now it’s time to get some gear photos, thoughts, and final photos off my camera. If you’ve made it this far in the Trip Report log: Thanks for reading! If you have any feedback, questions, or thoughts that you’d like to share, feel free to let me know. I think as I do more trips like this, I’d like to continue the tradition of writing reports, but know they need to evolve over time. Here’s to the next trip, eventually!
