June 26, 2001: Week Eleven has passed by and it is time for the weekly update. My ramblings about the trip are available on my website http://www.my80days.com. I remain really behind in my postings &endash; but I have been busy! What can I say?

This was a great week, some wonderful riding and great scenery. Getting out of Coeur d'Alene, ID I drove across central Washington to Yakima, then out to the Pacific Ocean at Aberdeen, WA. From Aberdeen, I circled the Olympic Peninsula before heading for Seattle. Ron and Carole came to visit for the weekend in Seattle. From Seattle, I finally turned south for Portland, OR after a nearly full day visit to Mount Saint Helens. The week ends after a wet ride to Grants Pass in southern Oregon.

In the past seven days, I've covered a further 1,328 miles bringing the trip total to exactly 13,000 miles total.. Average gas mileage improved again to above 33 miles per gallon. The highest price for gas remains $2.24 a gallon in El Centro California. The cheapest gas was purchased in Tucson Arizona for $1.55 a gallon. Purchases for this week average $1.81 per gallon leaving the trip average at $1.82 a gallon.

This was a fairly busy week: lots of mile and lots of weather The departure from Beulah was a rainy one, an overnight stay with friends in Dickinson ND, and the worst riding day yet to Glendive, MT. Then the weather improved considerably as I visited Billings, MT, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, Glacier National Park, finally ending in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

In the past seven days, I've covered a further 1,407 miles bringing the trip total to nearly 12,000 miles total.. Average gas mile stayed below 33 miles per gallon but did improve with the weather. The highest price for gas remains $2.24 a gallon in El Centro California. The cheapest gas was purchased in Tucson Arizona for $1.55 a gallon. Purchases for this week average $1.88 per gallon driving the trip average to $1.82 a gallon.

This was a fairly busy week: lots of miles and lots of weather. From Tulsa, I drove to Oklahoma City with a stop to see friends at the factory in Okmulgee, then north to Kansas City, continuing north past Council Bluffs, Omaha into Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The week continued with a turn west to Pierre, SD and then north again to Bismarck, ND. From Bismarck my intent was to ride through my father's hometown of Underwood, ND and into the North Dakota badlands before turning south towards Rapid City and Sturgis in South Dakota. Rain interrupted the ride and I ended up in Beulah, ND.

In the past seven days, I've covered a further 1,571 miles bringing the trip total to just over 10,000 miles total.. Average gas mile falls to below 33 miles per gallon. I think some high speed interstate driving and two days of headwinds have taken their toll. The highest price for gas remains $2.24 a gallon in El Centro California. The cheapest gas was purchased in Tucson Arizona for $1.55 a gallon. Purchases for this week average $1.75 per gallon driving the trip average to $1.80 a gallon.

Not much riding this week due to extended stays in Chicago and St. Louis. Still riding in the rain until yesterday &emdash; a spectacular day between Cuba, MO through the Ozarks and into Tulsa.

In the past seven days, I've covered a further 858 miles &endash; almost half of that yesterday. Average gas mile continues at just above 33 miles per gallon. The highest price for gas remains $2.24 a gallon in El Centro California. The cheapest gas was purchased in Tucson Arizona for $1.55 a gallon. Purchases for this week average $1.88 per gallon driving the trip average to $1.82 a gallon.

Since leaving Vermont last Wednesday I have been riding in rain for all or part of everyday.  It has been tough, cold going and not very conducive to sightseeing.  But you have to deal with the cards that you are dealt.  From Vermont, I drove into central New York to Amstedam, across New York to Meadville, PA, to Columbus, OH and am currently in Chicago.

In the past seven days, I've covered a further 1,280 miles. Average gas mile continues at just above 33 miles per gallon. The highest price for gas remains $2.24 a gallon in El Centro California. The cheapest gas was purchased in Tucson Arizona for $1.55 a gallon. Purchases for this week average $1.91 per gallon driving the trip average to $1.81 a gallon.

I've continued my travels up the east coast and last night I stayed in a very small town called Burke Hollow, VT near the Canadian border.  After leaving the Philadelphia area,  I spent one night with my good friend Holly in White Plains, NY; the bike got a major servicing in Stamford CT; I spent two nights in Boston, traveled to Maine and finally across New Hampshire to Vermont.

In the past seven days, I've covered only 765 miles. Average gas mile continues at just above 33 miles per gallon. The highest price for gas remains $2.24 a gallon in El Centro California. The cheapest gas was purchased in Tucson Arizona for $1.55 a gallon. Purchases for this week average $1.83 per gallon driving the trip average to $1.79 a gallon.

The party in Chicago is now set for Rock Bottom Brewery at 1 West Grand, downtown Chicago.  Their telephone number is 312 - 755 - 9339.  We have not made an reservations we are just going to show up and use their space.  The event is not hosted.  I'll be there around 4:30 PM.  Please stop by after work if you can.  I would love to see you all.  Please share this note with anyone from the Kelco / NutraSweet / Monsanto daze that might be interested.

I've continued my travels up the east coast and last night I stayed just north of Philadelphia, PA. This weekend, Ron came to visit and we had three fun days in Washington, DC. That limited my mileage traveled but it was an excellent trade-off. I haven't posted anything about the DC visit but that will come in the next day or two. Between Asheville, NC and Washington was three great days of riding including the Blue Ridge Parkway and the home of Andy Griffith at Mt. Airy, NC.

In the past seven days, I've covered only 899 miles. Average gas mile has improved to just above 33 miles per gallon. The highest price for gas remains $2.24 a gallon in El Centro California. The cheapest gas was purchased in Tucson Arizona for $1.55 a gallon. Purchases for this week average $1.82 per gallon driving the trip average to $1.77 a gallon.

Plans are in the making for a party in Chicago, probably after work on Wednesday May 30th -- details to follow next week. In St Louis, it would be great to meet some of you after work on Friday June 1st. We need to pick a spot! And for you San Diegans, expect a wrap party in mid-July.

I've escaped from Florida and am tonight in Asheville, North Carolina. I'm having more and more trouble keeping up with my journal entries but in the next two nights, I will work hard to finish up the last five day's reports. There is so much to talk about. Since the last update, I got out of Key West and spent a night in Fort Lauderdale, Melbourne and Jacksonville Florida while working my way north. I had a chance to visit the Kennedy Space Center. In South Carolina I drove through some of the low country and stayed in Savannah. Two nights with Trevor in Atlanta allowed for some sightseeing and catching up on old times. Click here to send Trevor a special 40th belated birthday greeting. Finally a ride up to north Georgia and western North Carolina to overnight in Asheville.

In the past seven days, I've covered another 1,264 miles. Average gas mile has improved to just above 33 miles per gallon. The highest price for gas remains $2.24 a gallon in El Centro California. The cheapest gas was purchased in Tucson Arizona for $1.55 a gallon. Purchases for this week average $1.78 per gallon driving the trip average to $1.76 a gallon.

A number of people have been writing to me. I love the contact -- so please keep your emails coming. I really appreciate each one.

In the past seven days, I've covered another 773 miles. This is a low amount due to long stays in Orlando and here in Key West. Average gas mile is constant at just short of 33 miles per gallon. The highest price for gas remains $2.24 a gallon in El Centro California. The cheapest gas was purchased in Tucson Arizona for $1.55 a gallon. The average remains unchanged from last week at $1.73 a gallon.

A number of people have been writing to me. I love the contact -- so please keep your emails coming. I really appreciate each one.

In my first seven days, I've covered another 1,436 miles. Average gas mile is approaching 33 miles per gallon. The highest price for gas remains $2.24 a gallon in El Centro California. The cheapest gas was purchased in Tucson Arizona for $1.55 a gallon. The average falls to $1.73 a gallon.

The ride from Midland to Austin was awesome. The Texas Hill Country is definitely an area to be explored more fully. Austin was a very happening town, I will return to this place. I visited with my friends at Kelco Oil Field Group in Houston. And New Orleans lived up to expectations, another place to go back to. And the beachs of northern Florida, particularly east of Panama City made for a great ride.

A number of people have been writing to me. I love the contact -- so please keep your emails coming. I really appreciate each one.

In my first seven days, I've covered 1,409 miles. I'm averaging 32.1 miles per gallon. The highest price for gas was $2.24 a gallon in El Centro California. The cheapest gas was purchased in Tucson Arizona for $1.55 a gallon. The average so far is $1.76 a gallon.

The Easter holiday thwarted my efforts at one restaurant in Tucson -- closed for the holiday weekend and kept me out of two museums that had some novelty value around Alamagordo New Mexico.

A number of people have been writing to me. I love the contact -- so please keep your emails coming. I really appreciate each one.

Once I got home, I did another overhaul of the site. I added a bunch of graphical menu elements and fixed some dead links. I'm very satisfied with the state of these pages as they stand now.

Today, I spent the day in Los Angeles getting some changes made to the motorcycle. I've added a Maxon HCB 40WX CB radio using a J&M audio kit. It was also time for a new helmet so I got one of those too. And finally, to provide some additional carrying capacity, I had a set of progressive springs and air shocks installed. The new rear suspension gear has made an amazing difference. The ride home from LA tonight was like riding a new motorcycle. Return to Home Page.

On a different note, my good friend Carole has decided to modify her vacation plans for April. She will now be chasing me in her convertible on the first ride day and a portion of the second. In Seligman Arizona, we part ways as she continues to the Grand Canyon. Return to Home Page.

Martha and I both worked for the same company. Martha was a food scientist while I was an IT manager. During 2000, a good friend and coworker was challenged by cancer and despite aggressive medical treatment died within six months of her diagnosis. For me the tragedy had an awesome deja vu as my older sister died under similar circumstances 18 years ago. Martha obliquely refers to it in her quote: "Don't delay the things you really want to do in life, because it's easier to smell the roses from above the ground than below it."  (The Rettigs). I'm making my trip for a wide variety of reasons, but one of them is clearly due to my recent experience with the rapid demise of my friend Donna Nuenthal. Return to Home Page.