HWY 2 Day 5 - Rugby, ND - Williston, ND

On the west end of Rugby passed by the Northern Lights sculpture this morning.  Talking to a local last night was told the city wanted to build a monument to the town.  Had the bright idea to build a sculpture which could light up the norther sky.  Built the sculpture, fired up the lights...didn't have much affect.  So much for a bright idea.

The other big landmark in Rugby is a stone cairn marking the actual geographical center of North America.  Met a family traveling from Texas.  Shared a smile and wave.  Never know who you might meet at the exact center spot of North America.

HWY 2 twists up and through a hundred miles of gentle hills residuals of the great Ice Age glaciers.  Along the way old villages whiz by.  Huge grin elevators along the road look more like spacecraft engines.

Beautiful Sunday morning.  Had the road all to myself.  Began to think how smooth the road felt.  Like sailing over the landscape at 65 mph. Suddenly no warning...no signs...quick as a blink...was sliding first right...then left...then right again on loose gravel covered with oil.  It was a Sunday morning moment with the Sportster.  Closed the throttle, held the bars straight.  Found a line with a bit less gravel.  After a mile finally a orange sign.  "Loose rocks and fresh oil for next 20 miles."  Long 20 miles.  Sportster rode like a solid pony.  Gave the tank a warm pat at the end of the 20.  We were one.

Stopped in Stanley looking for the 1902 Rexall Drug Store that was listed in the road books as still serving whirl-a-whip at an old fashion soda fountain.  As Bob Dylan said so well..."the times they are a changin' ".

Forty miles east of Williston HWY 2 crosses the Bakken Formation.  The Bakken Formation is a rock unit from the Late Devonian to Early Mississippian age occupying about 200,000 square miles of the subsurface of the Williston Basin, underlying parts of Montana, North Dakota, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The formation was initially described by geologist J.W. Nordquist in 1953.  Here the plains give way to man camps, oil platforms, pump sites, with orange plumes of flaring dotting the landscape.  Energy for America.

Williston, ND once was a classic, just big enough, one movie theater town. It has a long history as boom or bust.  Once know for wheat growing, today it is a hub for oil-pumping industries.

Kickstand down Williston.  230 miles.

be strong, be safe, Carlan

HWY 2 - Day 4 Fosston, MN - Rugby, ND

Slept good last night in the tiny town of Fosston, MN.  Fosston holds one of two stoplights on this 100 mile stretch of US HWY 2.  The town also marks the sudden switch between the Great Plains and the Great North Woods.  The town motto is appropriate..."Fosston, Where the Plains Meet the Pines".

Heading west HWY 2 passes through once prairie lands now cultivated into fields of sugar beets, sunflowers, and wheat.  The local sugar beet industry pulls in a billion dollars a year.  The northern Great Plains is the birthplace of Cream of Wheat cereal.

It was a good day to ride.  Just ride...clear the head...quiet the white noise...feel the wind on your knees...the sun on your back.  No semi's, few cars, other bikers simply experiencing the freedom of the road.  As the miles passed under my tires I couldn't help but think about how less is more.  How being on the open road can fulfill so much in our lives.  Met local folks at each gas stop today.  Took time to share stories.  Learned from them first hand about their lives, their part of this special country.  Can't put a dollar value on that kind of experience.

Made s short stop in Devils Lake, ND.  Sent a text to a friend to let him know I was traveling through.  He and his son met me at the local McDonalds.  His son made a special sign to welcome me to Devils Lake.  Never alone on the road.  Always meeting someone with a special smile.

Only carry a few extra clothes with me when I ride.  Less is more.  Needed to do some laundry tonight.  What more could you ask for.  Wash your underwear and socks, lift weights, and get fit all at the same time.  Doesn't get any better.

Kickstand down Rugby, ND 228 Miles.  Geographical Center of North America. More about that in the morning.

be strong, be safe, Carlan

HWY 2 - Day 3 - South Range, WI -Fosston, MN 

Jolted out of deep sleep early this morning with loud claps of thunder and  bright flashes of lightning bouncing off the walls of my room.  Here in the U.P they call it "Lake Effect".  Looking out the window easy to define "LE" as a wet cold day ahead.  There is an adage when you ride a motorcycle about weather..."as soon as you suit up the rain will stop".  Suited up with full rain gear before leaving the motel. Rain stopped shortly down the road.

Sky was gray, low ceiling, so much moisture in the air water drops were forming on my goggles.  Light felt soft and peaceful.  I call it quiet light.  Good time to ride and think.  Started thinking about the bike and what I had experience on it in only a few days on the road.  Riding a Sportster.  Basic bike Harley has made for years and years. Nothing fancy.  A solid, classic, great running motorcycle.  Traveling with a sissy bar and duffle bag.  Ala...Bronson.. if you remember that TV Series in the seventies.

Just on the road.  Feeling it, knowing it, experiencing it.  As I rode along began to realize how many folks had commented on the "bitchin" bike.  At gas stations, stop lights, parking lots...same words..."bitchin bike..where you headed"?  No need to question it.  Less is more.  On this bike it's all about the ride.

Pull into Grand Rapids, MN.  Need to find a grocery store.  Need some fresh fruit.  Lookin' for a banana.  Off to the side of the local grocery store was a small booth with Harley's parked all around.  Met Jerry hocking' hot dogs and soft drinks supporting A.B.A.T.E. (American Bikers for Awareness, Training and Education).  Got a dog and a coke and a great conversation with Jerry.  He was riding' a Sportster with 52,000 miles on it.  Only thing he had done was buy tires.  We shared Sportster stories.

Melisa joined the conversation and asked if we could do a "selfie" with my bike.  Before I knew it there were more requests.  "Bitchin Bike" was the word of the day.  Was invited to spend a day or two with the locals to ride together and share their part of the country.  Sorry I had to put some miles on down the road.  Plan to hang out longer next time.

Headed west on HWY 2 out of Grand Rapids.  Lake country.  Fishing country.  BIG fishing country.  This place was called the BIG FISH.

Kickstand down in Fosston, MN.  230 Miles.  Never a lonely moment when you are on a Sportster.

be strong, be safe, Carlan

HWY 2 - Day 2 - Crystal Falls, MI to South Range, WI

Morning seemed to come quickly after the encounter with Bigfoot yesterday.  Had to think...maybe it was all just a dream?  Time to get on the road.  Needed the time to clear my thoughts.  Leaving Crystal Falls HWY 2 west turns into a classic two laner.  Few cars.  The road was mine.  Wind on my back.  Surrounded by green.  Blue sky dotted with a few puffy white clouds.  Just doesn't get any better.

Pulled into the old main street of Ironwood MI.  Ironwood is the western most U.P town.  Population 6,800.  In it's payday it was the center of the Gogebic Range iron mining district. The area is now about a fifth of what is was during the 1920's peak.  The center of Ironwood is easy to miss.  Rode slowly through town looking for Joe's Pasty Shop.

Joe's has been serving pasties since 1946.  Holds the claim of being the very first pasty shop in the U.P.  Walking in it was easy to see the place has not changed in over 70 years.  Finish on the counter has been rubbed off from customers enjoying pasties over the years.  Met Mary.  With a smile she quickly asked "Traditional or Cornish".  The Cornish was the quintessential miner food.  It was introduced 100-odd years ago by the immigrant Cornish miners.  The Cornish is beef, potatoes, onions, and rutabagas.  She served one up hot from the oven. Quickly decided Joe's was definitely a four calendar cafe.

All over town the sides of buildings are covered with murals and tributes to the miners of the community.

The faces and names are real.  Felt as if it would be easy to reach out and shake hands with the individuals who worked the iron mines to produce steel for the building of America.

In a small hillside park just south of downtown is a 52 foot high statue of Hiawatha, the fictional hero of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's famous poem.  A tribute to the beginning history of our country.

HWY 2 continues to wind through forests and meadows.  Entering Wisconsin passed through the Bad River Reservation.  1,800 descendants of the original Ojibwa Loon Clan who settled near the delta live here today.  Lake Superior filled the horizon.

Kickstand down tonight South Range, WI  220 miles.  The beauty and history of this stunning land fills my thoughts tonight.

be strong, be safe, Carlan

HWY 2 - Day 1 - St Ignace, MI to Crystal Falls, MI

 

Left St Ignace this morning  as the sun was breaking the horizon of Lake Michigan.  HWY 2, dubbed the Great Northern, in memory of the pioneer railroad, is truly the most stunning and unforgettable, not to mention the longest, of all the great transcontinental two laners.  The day would take me along the shoreline of Lake Michigan, into and out of Wisconsin, an opportunity to fully experience the "Lake Effect",  eating a pasty for the first time, and coming face to face with Bigfoot.

The Mackinac Bridge  at St Ingance is what locals like to call the "Eighth Wonder of the World".  It is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world at 7.400 feet (with its approaches, the total length is over five miles).  Total length of wire in main cables is 42,000 miles.

Sand dunes, grasses, waves, never ending horizon.  For a moment it seemed as if I could be standing along an ocean shore.

Signs along the road for pasties  Jack's Pasty, Mary's Pasty, Bill's Pasty.  Best pasty in the UP. (That's upper peninsula)  Had to have one.  Stopped at Dobber's Pasties in Escanaba.  Taylor handed me a hot out of the oven with gravy meat pasty.  Shared the history of the pasty with me.  When the iron mines were in full operation in the UP the miners wife's would put together the dinner left overs in a dough pie.  Bake until perfectly crisp crust.  Still a main stay in the area.  They bake hundreds of pasties a day at Dobbers.  It was a four calendar experience. 

Big miner with a pick beside the road.  Got my attention.  Iron Mountain mine.  Began mining in last 1800's. Ore was transported by rail to the Great Lakes, loaded on steamers, shipped across the lake, ending up in the iron foundries in PA.  

Near Crystal Falls movement in the woods along the side of the road caught my attention.  Could it be Bigfoot.  Definitely well know for sightings in the area.

Hit the brakes, pulled to the side of the road in a spray of gravel.  Yes, it was Bigfoot.  What was that on his head?  A cap?  Was that what I thought it was?  Cap with Harley logo?  Should I try to make contact with a fellow biker?  He WAS wearing a biker vest.

Pulled into the Bigfoot Hideway Motel in Crystal Falls. He followed me to the parking lot.  He pointed to my bike.  Let me tell you, when Bigfoot points you respond.

Before I knew it...Bigfoot was in the saddle.  He was a Biker Bigfoot at heart...and the grin on his face said it all as he patted the tank with a loving hand.

Kickstand down Crystal Falls, MI  230 miles. Enjoying a moment with a new biker buddy on HWY 2.

be strong, be safe, Carlan

Leaving Milwaukee heading north to HWY 2

At the motel this morning realized I can't leave Milwaukee without seeing where the Mother Ship had it's actual beginnings.  Found the simple wooden shed where the first Harley heartbeat was heard.

A little additional looking around discovered the actual first motorcycle Harley and Davidson designed and assembled.  Morning well spent!

Kickstand down in St Ignace, MI tonight at the Pines Motel.  Wind was blowing from more directions than a compass has bearings for today.  Had to use ziplocks to keep my leathers from unsnapping.  Good to be at the beginning point for the ride west.

Two things to look for when you are on the road.  Local cafe with two to three calendars on the wall...not found today.  Room with a door to hang your leathers on, clean bathroom, and always a coffee pot. Check.  Ready to head  west on Hwy 2 tomorrow.  Be looking for Big Foot.  Heard he had been sighted crossing HWY 2  near Crystal Falls.

be strong, be safe, Carlan

The Mother Ship

At 3am this morning the annoying musical alarm interrupted my deep dreams.  Ever have a moment like this?  What day is it?  What am I suppose to be doing?  Ok...reality creeps in.  Need to get up.  This is not a dream.  Catching a flight today to visit the Mother Ship in Milwaukee.

Two flights and  seven hours later the dream becomes a reality.  Standing at the exact location where Harley-Davidson had it's humble beginnings.  It is the Mother Ship of the motorcycle world.  Met the team from HOG Magazine.  Incredible people.  Dedicated, sincere, brothers and sisters each one.  A classic Sportster stands proudly ready.  Strap on my bag, hit the switch, roll on the throttle, rumble of the pipes...nothing feels like a Harley.

Headed to St. Ingance, MI in the morning to ride US HWY 2, the Great Northern, west across this beautiful country of ours to the Pacific Ocean and Seattle.  Stay tuned.  This is what American is all about.

be strong, be safe, Talon