Day 6: Clinton - Amarillo

I was awoken at about 4 this morning by a thunderstorm passing overhead, but luckily it had passed by the time I woke properly at 7. I opened the curtains only  to be greeted by a dank miserable drizzly day.

They say that Elvis used to stay here when passing through - then again lots of places say that!

I packed up, had breakfast and then wandered over to the Route 66 Museum for it's opening time of 9. There was no sign of life. Then it dawned on me; it is Sunday today, and the museum doesn't open until 1 on a Sunday. Well I couldn't hang around for 4 hours, so I reluctantly had to give it a miss.

The weather did not look like getting any better, but I set off taking the old Route 66 roads. I soon decided that this was not the best idea today, the worn out concrete surface was slick and slippery, and a couple of times the back wheel started to slide out on bends. Discretion got the better of me - I could do without any more buttock-clenching moments - and I decided that I should take the interstate for a bit until the weather dried up.

This was disappointing, but it did mean that I made good time. Once on the Interstate I set the cruise control (that's right, this thing has cruise control!) to 70, and slabbed it through the remainder of Oklahoma, and into Texas.

Through this last part of Oklahoma the land had been flat for as far as the eye could see in all directions, but entering Texas, things started to change to a more rugged terrain, which was much more interesting to look at. I had hoped that the weather would also improve on entering Texas, but that wouldn't happen for a while yet.

Texas landscape

A reminder that if you get caught short out here, don't just nip behind a bush!

I did make a couple of detours off the Interstate though when I spotted this old, but restored gas station in McLean:

And also this deliberately leaning water tower in Grants:

By now, things had started to improve weatherwise, and by the time I was 30 miles from Amarillo the clouds started to lift, then break up, and eventually disappear, leaving a nice sunny day with temperatures in the high 70s.

As I'd been on the freeway  for most of today, I had made good time and arrived in Amarillo soon after lunchtime. Now, I've got to say that I had no problem finding Amarillo at all. It's pretty well sign posted, and I didn't have to stop to ask for directions once, so why Tony Christie had so much trouble getting here I just don't know.

I went straight to the hotel and was lucky that my room was ready. I'm staying at the Ambassador a rather nice hotel that Bob 'Croc' Lile booked for me at the special Route 66 rate of, yes, $66. As it was still early, and the weather was now good, I took a little side trip to Palo Duro Canyon, around 20 miles south. It was quite spectacular, but I suspect only a taster of what is to come later on the trip.

Riding the winding roads along the edge of the Canyon, and the down almost to the bottom is one of the great biking experiences, with the sun on my back and the wind in my hair, this is what it's all about!

Also staying at the hotel tonight is a group of over 50 Aussies who are doing the trip, mostly in cars but also about 8 bikes. Croc had a reception for them this evening at his art gallery, and was kind enough to invite me along:: they seem like a good bunch, and we had a laugh over beers and nibbles that he'd layed on. Tomorrow I will ride with them for a bit, out the other side of Texas into New Mexico. But first, I've a feeling that they've lined up a couple of beers with my name on in the bar downstairs - gotta go!

Today's route and more photos:



Today's Mileage: 242
Total Trip Mileage: 1264

Day 5: Tulsa to Clinton

So, fist of all, Happy St George's Day! I guess all of you back home will be out celebrating?

I survived my visit to the Blue Rose Bar last night. Friday night is bike night, so it was pretty lively, but as promised, all very friendly. The bar is built on the side of the Arkansas River, and has an outdoor terrace/bar where you can sit and eat whilst looking over the river. Myself and a few others put the world to rights over a few beers and a burger.

It was Good Friday, but Easter doesn't seem to be recognised here as much as it is at home. The kids were at school, and will be again on Easter Monday. Strange, given that I'm in the middle of the Bible belt.

I overslept this morning, probably due to the activities the night before, so was not away from the hotel until after 10. Today was about riding, and I didn't have too many stops planned en route. The weather was perfect: dry, warm (low 70s), and not too sunny. I made good progress, covering almost 100 miles before my first scheduled stop in Arcadia. This is home to the Round Barn, quite unique, and there were some pretty interesting exhibits inside.

Across from the barn was the Biker Shak (sic), advertising bikers' apparel and leathers. I wanted to get some lighter gloves, so paid them a visit to see if they had anything suitable. They did, they fitted OK, so I bought them, but not before a long chat about my trip and the Royal Wedding with the owner!

Speaking of which, the wedding is everywhere here. On the front of papers, on the TV, and everyone is talking about it. And to think I would be able to get away from it. No chance.

Here's some more from Arcadia:

It's nice to have confirmation that I'm on the right track!

A little further down the road, the other side of Arcadia was my lunch stop, Pops Soda Ranch. This is a newly built gas station and diner, is very distinctive, and offers around 500 different types of soda. Did you know there were that many? I didn't! Some Route 66 purists may not like the idea of this place as it's not traditional, but I think one has to move with the times, and it's good to see new ventures succeeding along the route. The locals seem to agree,as it was very busy; this is the first time I've had to wait for a table to become available.

Now it was time to push on. I mentioned that this the Bible belt - in fact one book describes it as the buckle of the belt. Throughout the day I was told that I would spend eternity in hell unless I mended my ways, and reminded that I had to pray today, by placards on the roadside. I guess they're put there by the many churches that line the way. I did pray that I would get safely to Clinton tonight, but not to a God that they would probably approve of!

Shortly later, I entered Oklahoma City, and and I have to agree with the song that, it's "mighty pretty" coming in through the State Capitol Park with the Capitol building right ahead, as I did. What is noticeable is that there are no skyscrapers; it's a very 'low' city, with no real skyline.

Eventually I did make it to Clinton safely, and sought out the Route 66 museum. Unfortunately, it had closed 5 minutes earlier, maybe God isn't happy with me after all? Not having booked a room for the night, I had been hoping for a recommendation at the museum, however I spotted the Trade Winds Inn over the road so I went to take a look. First impressions were not great, but the owner, Mr Patel, did have a room for me, and at $50 I thought I'd chance it. As it turns out, the room is pretty nice - certainly not the worst I've stayed in this trip by a long way. I guess somebody up there likes me.

Tomorrow I head for Texas, and meet up with Bob and a bunch of Ausies in Amarillo who have been travelling the route a day ahead of me in Mustangs. Should be fun!

More pictures and today's route (including many missed turns!):


Today's Mileage: 226
Total Trip Mileage: 1022
Funniest sign seen today: "Oklahama! The shopping cart was invented in this wonderful state". Hmmm

Day 4: Springfield to Tulsa

The thunder storms rumbled on for most of the night, but had cleared up by the morning, and it was dry again. The hotel I was at is an original Route 66 style motor court motel, where the rooms open out on to the car park, and you can park right outside your room. As it was so wet when I arrived last night I went straight in to get dry. This morning I had a better chance to look around. The hotel has been refurbished to a good standard and was fine for a nights stay.

 My room is the one on the right hand end

My riding gear had dried out overnight and so I got myself ready and headed out of Springfield. Once out of town the riding was, once again, very good. The landscape is very similar to home, lots of greenery and trees, and quite undulating. I could have been riding through Northumberland, except it was warm!

Along the way I came across another disused gas station, in the middle of nowhere. Someone must maintain these, as this is in good condition, although no longer dispensing gas.

After a while I reached Carthage, and stopped for breakfast at a little roadside cafe. It was now very warm, and I knew I shouldn't have bothered with layers today. I made use of the restroom to remove my base layer. I had a quick walk around town, taking some pictures, and ran across this building in the centre of town. They sure do like their fancy courthouses in Missouri!

I also came across this:

This tow truck is apparently the inspiration behind Mator, the tow trunk in the Cars movie. In fact it was called Mator, until Disney made them change the name once the film was released. What a cheek!
Carthage is clearly past its prime, like many towns along the Route, which were bypassed when the Interstate system was built. But it does still have a nice courthouse!
One thing that has been revived is the Drive-In movie theatre, still showing movies 3 days per week.

A little further on down the road after passing through Joplin I entered Kansas. Route 66 just clips its corner, and there's actually only a dozen or so miles until you leave and enter Oklahoma. However, there is a very active Route 66 Association of Kansas. Here are its headquarters:

 ... complete with pink flamingos out front, also available for sale inside!

The old fella in the shop chatted for a long time about his time in the war, and how he was on Omaha Beach during the Allied invasions. Quite a hero in his time.

By now the temperature had soared, and the gauge on my bike was showing almost 90F. The 'all-season' gloves I was wearing clearly weren't designed for all seasons in this part of the world, and I decided that I would leave them off for a while, as I was starting to overheat.

Pretty soon I crossed the state line into Oklahoma. I had taken a lot of time over the numerous stops I'd made, and so it was looking like I'd be in Tulsa just in time for the rush hour. None the less, I had to stop and take a picture of this, Chelsea, Oklahoma, population 2136. I wonder how often they update those signs?

Very different from West London!

It was now unbearably hot riding in my gore-tex jacket, that had protected me from the cold and wet in Chicago, but was too much for the improving weather, even with all the vents unzipped, and so at my next fuel stop I changed into my Airtex jacket to try too get some ventilation going. It did make a big difference over the next part of the journey.

Heading south-west, my next stop was the Galloway Totem Pole Park - home of the largest totem pole in the world:

It took Ed Galloway 11 tears to construct, is 90feet tall, and 54 inches in diameter at the base. It took over 130 tons of sand, rocks, cement and steel to complete.

Standing in the park I could hear rumbles of thunder in the distance, so after buying some postcards in the gift shop, it was time to move on - I didn't want a repeat of yesterday's experience!

However, about 30 miles from Tulsa the black clouds had moved overhead and it looked very murky in the distance. I knew that if it did start to rain again heavily I would be soaked in minutes, as my Airtex jack is anything but waterproof. I pulled over at a huge RV dealership to prepare for the worst. They had a BBQ going though, and invited me in for a drink and a hotdog - an offer I couldn't refuse. Hardy types, these RVers. I have now met a lot of different people over the past few days, but not one of them has been anything but friendly and helpful. It confirms my belief that, basically, people are good.

Today my luck was in, and the storm decided to inflict itself on someone else. My last stop of the day was at the Blue Whale water park, built by a man for his wife who collected whales. Go figure. Due to health and safety reasons, this no longer operates as a water park. I don't think Wet 'n' Wild would have much to worry about if it did though. It is however a Route 66 icon.

I had already booked a room for the night tonight, but driving into Tulsa I passed a the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, and wished I was staying there. I'm sure Gillian would have been envious if I had.

Dinner tonight will be at the Blue Rose Bar by the riverside. A friendly bikers pub, I've been told. Let's hope it doesn't turn out to be a Wild Hogs type experience.

To see the route taken and more pictures click below:


Today's Mileage: 228
Total Trip Mileage: 794
Funniest place name seen today: Spunky Creek, (snigger, will I ever grow up?). Unfortunately I was unable to stop and photograph the sign.

Day 3: St Louis to Springfield

Well, I was right about the Sports Bar being lively last night - too lively in fact as they were holding a line dance, and the place was packed. Not really my scene. I did manage to fit in a couple of beers whilst watching Real Madrid beat Barcelona, 1-0, after extra time. Then I left, and ate elsewhere.

Another early start today, actually earlier than I had planned, as I didn't realise that the clock in my hotel room was an hour fast! Encouraged by the improving weather yesterday I decided that the fleece under my jacket was not required, so just base layer, t-shirt and jacket. It was the right decision as the day warmed up nicely. Maybe tomorrow I can bring out the sunglasses?

As the wi-fi in the hotel had not been working I had not made a hotel reservation for this evening, figuring that I would find somewhere in or around Springfield when I arrived: to quote Steve Tyler, I'm livin' on the edge! 

Te first visit of the day was to the Missouri Route 66 State Park, south west of St Louis. Having left so early I arrived 45 minutes before the visitors centre opened, but was let in by the staff anyway to have a look around. They certainly liked to chat, and I was there for probably an hour before I actually got to look around the museum. Friendly folks! Having bought a t-shirt from the gift shop and made my farewells I was back on the road to my next stop, Meramec Caverns.

The ride was good and the sun was getting up in the sky. I was living the dream. The roads have become more interesting since Illinois, often departing from the Interstate, and winding through small villages and towns. The road surface, for the most part, was good and there was some great scenery too. It all made for good riding.

All along the route, almost from the start, I had seen billboards for the caverns. As they had gone to so much trouble to make me aware of them, I thought it would be rude not to pay them a visit. These caverns are huge! You can only go a short way in on your own, but there are guided tours that take an hour and twenty minutes for goodness sakes! Now I am impressed by the sheer scale of them, but surely there's only so much one can say about stalactites and stalagmites, and I don't think it takes 100 minutes? As the next tour was not starting for another half an hour, I decided to save myself 20 bucks, and two hours, and passed on that opportunity. There are other things to see there though, and a long scary looking zip wire over the Meramec River, if you're so inclined. Worth a visit I think. 

Whist looking around I overheard some other English voices (Welsh actually, as it later transpired). Tony, Chris and Tyler (aged 10) were 3 generations of the same family, who were also doing the Route 66 trip. They had started on Tuesday, and were also heading for Springfield for the night. What a coincidence, and the way these things work out, I wouldn't be surprised if our paths cross again further down the road. What a great way to do some Grandfather/Father/Son bonding. Either that, or they'll not be on speaking terms at the end of 3 weeks together in a car!

So, here's me at the entrance to the Caverns, with Jesse James behind me. Did I mention that he had used the caverns as a hide out  whist on the run? Apparently so, and you're not allowed to forget it whilst you're there!

 Here's a rare picture of me with bike, at the same place.

Now the sun was getting higher, the temperature had climbed to the low 70s, and the roads were getting slightly twistier. Perfect when on a bike. Cuba, MO (to avoid any confusion)  was my next stop, the site of the Wagon Wheel Motel. This establishment has been providing accommodation on Route 66 since the begining. It is one of the original style motels, where the rooms are actually cabins, detached from each other. Later designs joined them up in a terrace of rooms. I found the owner working in the adjacent shop, and she told me of how the motel had gone to rack and ruin, until she bought it 2 years ago and started a renovation program. Now, two years later it is complete, and she is renting rooms there again. They certainly looked in good condition from the outside, and it I hadn't needed to put some more miles on the clock I would have been tempted to stay there for the night.

She also told me that severe weather was moving in from the west, so I made haste to try to get to Springfield before it did. I nearly made it. The clear blue skies you can see in the picture above became cloudy, and the wind picked up. Those clouds steadily got darkern and the wind stronger. About 10 miles before Springfield the heavens opened, with accompanying thunder and lightning. I was glad that I'd decided not to take that tour of the caverns after all.

I pulled into a Supermarket's parking lot (see, I'm learning the lingo!) to take shelter, and see if it would pass. It didn't. I was faced with having to find somewhere to stay pretty sharpish. As luck would have it, I had picked up a leaflet for the Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven along the way, and it looked OK from the pictures. I gave them a ring, and they had rooms. They weren't even going to fleece me for one of them. I located it on the GPS, and braced myself for a nasty last 10 miles. Half an hour later and I was there, and began the task of getting my gear hung up so there was a chance it would be dry in the morning.

Overall, apart from the last half hour, an excellent days riding, interesting people met along the way, and some fascinating things seen - far too many to mention here. And some caverns.

Tomorrow, I briefly pass through Kansas, then into Oklahoma, and now I really am "Only 24 hours from Tulsa", tomorrow night's potential resting place.

As always, here's today's route, along with some more photos, for those who like that sort of thing:



Today's Mileage: 237
Total Trip Mileage:566

Day 2: Bloomington to St Louis, MI

No working Wi-Fi in the hotel last night so two day's worth of updates today, you lucky people!

I woke early, had a light breakfast in the hotel, and loaded up the bike.Still very cold, but dry at least, and my riding gear had dried out from yesterday.

Setting off the first order of the day was fuel. Petrol (gas) here is about $3.80 per gallon. As there's 3.8 litres in a US gallon, that makes it almost exactly $1 (62p) per litre, and still the Americans complain! I'm told that it's cheaper in Missouri as there's less tax, and most expensive in California.

The first stop of the day was a visit to Funks Grove where they make what is supposedly the best Maple Sirup (that's right, 'i' instead of 'y'). On tasting a sample I tend to agree, and had to buy some to take home. So I now have half a pint of sirup to transport for the rest of the ride and then fly home with. I hope the bottle's strong otherwise it could get messy!

A bit further down the road is the Dixie Truckers' Home, so I decided that brunch was in order. It's been a Route 66 establishment since the 20s, although I suspect it's been rebuilt since then.

Not much further, in Atlanta, I came across another Muffler Man, known as Tall Paul. This time his muffler has been replaced with a giant Hot Dog.

Now I had to get a move on. It was 2 hours since I left the hotel, and I'd only covered about 25 miles. However, I did make one more stop when I spotted this Muffler Man - this time he really was advertising an auto repair shop, but someone seems to have removed his muffler. Strange.

Pushing on then, and I came across this rather imposing courthouse in Carlinville. There was a public outcry when this was built as costs went well over it's budget and it ending up costing around 1 million dollars. That was in 1870, when a million was a lot of money. The Mayor who commissioned it was also having his own house built at the same time, and it looks like it's made from the same type of stone. Maybe the residents had reason to be suspicious?

By now the temperature was beginning to rise a little, and the sun even put in an appearance, pushing it up to over 50F. The riding is good and I have not done many miles on the Interstate yet. The old Route 66 alignments often run parallel to them though, and many stretches are badly worn, meaning a bumpy ride. Often there is the Interstate on one side of you and a railway track on the other.

I was now getting close to the Illinois/Missouri state line, and one thing I really wanted to see was the Chain of Rocks bridge, which spans the Mississippi river. Once part of the old Route 66, it is now closed to traffic, and only pedestrians and cyclist can cross it. The outstanding feature of this bridge is that it's one of the few that has a corner; mid way across the river it changes direction! I'm sure there were sound engineering reasons for this at the time.

I did walk all the way across the bridge, and so entered Missouri on foot. Of course I had to retrace my steps back to the bike, so I also left Missouri on foot.

That was the last of my sight-seeing stops today, and it was time to head for tonight's resting place on the outskirts of St Louis. Unfortunately I'm not going to have time to go into the city, as I need to get an early night and prepair for tomorrow, as I've decided to put in a higher milage day and try to reach Springfield, with plenty more things to see on the way.

I noticed that there's a lively looking Sports Bar and Cafe a short walk from the hotel, so that's where I'll get dinner tonight.

So, in summary, a much better day in the saddle: the weather has improved, temperatures on the increase and no rain at all. I'm also getting used to the size and weight of the bike, had fewer wobbly moments, and feel more confident with it now. It does seem the ideal type of bike for this sort of trip.

I did have two minor scares today though.
The first was bike related: I've mounted the Zumo GPS system on the handlebars, but it obscures the view of the fuel gauge. A bit silly you might think, and with hindsight I'd have to agree. However in my defence, there is a "Range" display on the bike, which tells me how much further I can go with the remaining fuel. Needless to say, this is wildly over optimistic, and was still telling me I was good for another 50 miles when I fortuitously happened to catch sight of the fuel gauge, which was reading empty.  I moved into economic riding mode, and passed through many small gas-station-less towns (population of a few hundred) and was mightily releaved to ride into Edwardville and see a Shell gas station!

The second was when I was walking back over the bendy bridge, having seen no one else around, only to spot a group of "youths" having a fight up ahead. To get back to the bike I needed to walk past them on this quite narrow bridge. As it turned out, they were just larking around, and paid no attention to me at all. I did feel a bit vulnerable for a little while though, and it's reminded me that I do need to take care.

For those interested, here's today's route (yes, I remembered to switch on the GPS tracker), and some more pictures :

Today's Mileage: 195
Total Trip Mileage: 398

Day 1: Chicago to Bloomington

After I posted my entry for yesterday I ventured down to the hotel's bar for a drink and bite to eat, after all I had been given a voucher for a free beer, so it would have been rude not to. It seems slightly ironic that having travelled this far I end up in the Elephant & Castle English pub, but there you go. Sat at the bar, I got chatting to a couple of other people who were also there on their own, Ian and Susan, each on business. It turned out that Ian lives in San Francisco so we agreed to hook up when I get there.

This morning I woke up early, and peeked out of the window to be greeted with the sight of leaden skies and persistent rain :-( Not quite what I'd hoped for, but what can you do? I had a few hours before I was being picked up, so I went out for a walk, only to discover that it was bloody cold to boot! However I did manage to find the start of the route on Adams Street:

Joe, from EagleRider picked me up later and took me to their office to finally get my bike, and what a beauty! A brand spanking new, black, Harley Davidson ElectraGlide, with just 1 (yes, one!) mile on the clock!

After about half an hour of filling in paperwork, and signing countless clauses (essentially saying that if anything whatsoever happened, it isn't their fault, I won't be able to sue them, and I will have to pay for it), the keys were handed over, and she was all mine for 18 days. Up until this point the trip has all been to a timetable: Get to the airport for this time; Go to that hotel; Get the next flight then; Get picked up to collect the bike at 10. Now timing of the trip is in my own hands, and the only deadlne I have to meet is to be in San Francisco on 8th May. Freedom!

So here she is outside the Launching Pad diner in Wilmington, where I had lunch, although how I managed to cut of the 'L' of Launching I'll never know.

The weather didn't improve as I headed south, and was actually miserable all the way, with a hail storm or two thrown in for good measure. I had decided to keep the riding fairly short today, to give me a chance to get used to the bike, riding on the wrong side of the road, and get over any jet lag that I might still have, so my destination for the night was the twin towns of Bloomington-Normal. I had numerouse stops on the way as I saw things of interest, including the old, restored gas stations in Dwight and Odell, which are now gift shops. Bloomington greeted me with fog, and a thunderstorm - how nice!

The route ridden today (once I remembered to switch on the GPS tracker), and the rest of the photos can be found here:


So, in summary very good day, which could have been improved had the weather been better, but overall, enjoyable.
A slightly longer day tomorrow, so why not "Meet me in St. Louis"?

Today's mileage ridden: 134

Total mileage covered: 134

Day 0: The Windy City

The day got off too a good start this morning when I found that some kind sole had left a breakfast voucher in my room! So having made use of that, I set off for the airport to find out if there would be a seat for me on the flight to Chicago.

I was in luck, and got a good seat towards the front of the plane. Result!

The young lady sitting across the aisle from me had obviously taken part in Sunday's London marathon, and on talking to her I discovered that she was not just any athlete, she was none other than Amanda McGrory, who had won the lady's wheelchair event. Twenty six and a bit miles in 1:48 - that's quick. She seemed very nice and it was interesting talking to her; hopefully the first of many interesting people I'll meet over the next few weeks.

Other than that it was a quiet and uneventful flight, exactly how you want it. I managed to watch a couple of movies that I hadn't seen (The King's Speech and Social Network both good in their own different ways), and managed to fit in a snooze in between.

On arriving in O'Hare airport I had to wonder if the US Authorities would rather that foreigners didn't visit at all. Immigration was so slow and painful. Nearly 2 hours after landing however, I was pleased to see my bag on the carousel, and treated myself to a taxi ride to the hotel, rather than take my chances on public transport.

I've had a few hours looking around the vicinity of my hotel, which is on Michigan Av - the Magnificent Mile, full of high end shops and restaurants. Gillian would love it! From what little I've seen, it seems like a nice city, and one that warrants a further visit some time in the future. It is very cold though, with snow and sleet showers forecast for tomorrow. Less than ideal; I hope it warms up quickly as I head south!

So tomorrow EagleRiders will pick me up from the hotel and take me to their office, where I pick up the bike, and the journey begins in earnest. It's 8pm here, but for me that really means 2am! Time for a quick bite to eat, and then off for an early night. Until tomorrow then, but in the meantime here are a few pictures to prove that I really am here.....

 Old (for the US) buildings seem to mix easily with the newer skyscrapers.

 Yes, it's me, and it really is as cold as I look!

More tall buildings make for an impressive skyline. Chicago boasts 3 of the 5 tallest building in the US, including the Wallis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower), which is the tallest of them all.

Day -1 : And so it begins....

It was with a mixture of nervousness and sadness, but mostly excitement, that I said my fairwells to the family at Newcastle airport this afternoon, and started what is for me, an adventure of a lifetime.

This week has been very busy making my last minute preparations and packing for the trip. My birthday was on Thursday and I was very touched by the reaction of everyone at work. My desk had been decorated with banners and balloons, and I was greeted by a chorus of "Happy Birthday" on my arrival. Very nice and unexpected.
The evening was spent with my family at Fratelli's, a nice Italian restaurant not far from where we live, and it was great to see everyone before I left. It was nice that Lynsey, Matt and Seth travelled up from Leeds to help me celebrate.

Saturday was our wedding anniversary, which Gillian I spent at the Mal Maison hotel in Newcastle, and we had a lovely dinner at "Six", the restaurant on the top of the Baltic art gallery in Gateshead, with outstanding views over the river and across Newcastle.

And so to today. We had a family Sunday dinner at The Badger, a pub/restaurant next to the airport, and then I was dropped off to catch the first leg of my journey to Heathrow, along with a few emotional goodbyes.

I don't think that it's sunk in yet that I really am doing this. I travel to London fairly regularly on business, probably about 2 or 3 times a month, so this part didn't really seem out of the ordinary. Tomorrow, when I head off to the USA will really be the start of the trip, and I expect then it'll dawn on me that the trip, years in the planning, has started.

On the flight down to London though, I began to realise that in 18 years of marriage, this will be the longest time I've been away on my own and the longest journey that I'll have taken on my own. I'd like to thank my family, and especially Gillian, for letting me take the time out to do this trip, and although it will be exciting and great fun (I'm sure), I will be thinking of them, and wishing I could share my experieneces with them. Unfortunately, getting them all on a motorbike would prove to be challenging!

Well it's late, and it's been a long day, I'm tired and getting emotional, so I'll sign off for now, and retire to my bed in the luxurious T5 Travelodge!

Today; London, Tomorrow; Chicago!

Weekly Countdown: 1 week to go!

With just 7 days till I leave for Chicago, the excitement is mounting. It's going to be a busy week this week with some 'domestic' things to do before I go, and of course, celebrating my birthday on Thurday. Then it's our wedding anniversary on Saturday - 18 years, which is porcelain I'm informed. SWMBO want's the bathroom refitted this year, so that seems appropriate.

Dave B came through with the goods this week, and has loaned me a set of H-D bags specifically designed to fit in the Harley's fitted panniers and top-box, so I know how much space I have to play with. Not much is the answer, so I am cutting down on what I will take with me. Still, it's better to know now rather than having to ditch stuff when I pick up the bike.

I ordered a small amount of US dollars - ironically the best exchange rate was from SAGA, with free next day delivery. I dare say the first of a number of transactions with them over the years to come!

I've also booked some internal flights to help me get home at the end of the trip, as the availability on the flights back from San Francisco has not improved any - these give me the option of flying back from LA, Seattle or even New York. I must remember to collect the tickets on Wednesday. It's not nice to think that a month from today I'll be back at work though.

Preparations are so well advanced in fact that last night I was even able to go through my music collection to decide what I should load up onto my iPod and take with me. How organised is that? I also realised that I'll be away on St George's day, so have got a St George's flag to fix to the bike. That should provide a talking point when I stop for gas.

Looking at my route again for the upteenth time I noticed something that I hadn't thought about before. I will be travelling through 4 time zones over the course of the trip (Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific). As I'm travelling east to west that means that I will get an extra 3 hours! What a bonus. So bike hire is actually 18 days and 3 hours. I hope they don't try to hit me with a surcharge!

Now it's just a case of waiting for Sunday. This trip has been so long in gestation, that it's hard to believe that it's now just a week away. It's also slightly scary.

Weekly Countdown: 2 weeks to go

Today, Nathan (my youngest) wasn't very well, didn't go to school, and so I stayed at home to look after him. Somehow I have managed to miss seeing Disney's "Cars" film, so this morning we both settled in to watch the DVD. It's primarily about a precocious young racing car called Lightning McQueen. However what it's really about is the effect on a bustling Route 66 town, when it was by-passed by the Interstate system. Quite poignant really, but of course it was a Disney film so there was a happy ending. I dare say that there will be many ghost towns along the route I travel, just like Radiator Springs almost became. The film's worth a watch, and spotting the Route 66 references (like the Cozey Cone Motel - an obvious reference to the Wigam Motel).

I'm told that Pixar are making a sequel at the moment and last weekend were out on the Route in Missouri and Oklahoma doing background research and making a documentary "extra" for the DVD. What with that, Billy Connolly's up coming documentary and, of course, my trip it looks like a high profile year in the offing for Rt66.

So, back to my trip. With just 14 days left top go, the planning is pretty much there, and I'm left with a feeling that I should be doing something, but not sure what! I spoke to my friend Dave only to find that he's traded his ElectraGlide in for a Kawasaki 1400 tourer. However as he often does, he's still managed to come up trumps; He still has a set of luggage designed to fit into the ElactraGlide's tourpac (or topbox as non-Harley people call them) and panniers, and he's letting me borrow them - what a top man! I'll go over and see him tomorrow and pick them up.

Days to departure: 14
Paydays to departure: 0, although there is one while I'm away.