Tour Map

This is a map of the planned tour to Lake Superior. The route around Lake Superior is known as the Circle Tour.

Touring Plans for Lake Superior

I am posting this plan to get any recommendations that I should consider on the trip. I don't have the date set yet, which could be one recommendation...good time to go. But sometime in 2007, late spring or early summer, I plan to make a tour around the shore of Lake Superior. Some additional features of the tour will include a tour of Door County, WI; the Keweenaw Peninsula; Duluth area; Thunder Bay; Sault Ste Marie; and the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on return trip. This will be about 3300 miles and probably the better part of 2 weeks. I am already getting excited about the trip. I will do a combination of tent camping and "cheap" motels for my overnighting. Actually in these areas there are a lot of mom-and-pop type motels (50's/60's vintage) which are still very nice and in quaint locations. I am already gathering information on these areas from various sources. So if you have any information that would be helpful, please pass it along to me. I am particularly interest to find out when the "acceptable" weather season begins. I am thinking of going in mid-May, but don't want to get caught in a lot of bad weather. I don't mind a little cool, but not rain and snow!!

Future rider

This is Eli, my first grandson. He loves sitting on Pop's motorcycle. So does Jonah and Rain, my other two grandsons. One day, they will be able to ride along with Pop, when their legs are long enough to reach the pegs.

Vermont MOA

In July, I rode to the BMW Motorcycle Owners Association National meeting in Burlington, Vermont. I planned the trip with several objectives in mind:
1. Visit my niece, Sherree, and family in Kingsport, TN
2. Visit my nephew, Shane, and family in Morgantown, WV
3. Travel NO interstates
4. Avoid any major ciites
I accomplished all these objectives, except for the next to last day home. After 2600 miles, my butt was getting pretty sore, and naturally the secondary highways add a good bit to the milage and especially to the time. So, coming back through WV, I got on the interstate and traveled it to just east of Lexington, KY. This, in fact, was a beautiful ride; very little traffic; nice mountain scenery.
Probably my favorite part of the trip was traversing PA; south to north just east of Pittsburg; then west to east across the northern part of the state (highway 6). The scenery was beautiful and the small towns along the way were neat and interesting. This included going throught the famous town of Punxsutawney, where you see Groundhog Phil EVERYWHERE.
Total trip miles was just over 2700 miles and time on the road was 9 days. Great trip, but I was ready to rest for a couple of days.
Click on flickr to see more photos of the trip.

Tennessee Whistle Stops

The old whistle stop towns are a nostalgic trip through middle Tennessee. This is what motorcycling is all about.

Heath and Ryon

Meeting up with Ryon for the rest of the ride down Highway 56.

October 2005

In October 2005, Heath, Ryon, and I took a tour from Cookeville down Highway 56 to Winchester and then up through some of the old whistlestop towns arriving at Murfreesboro. It was a beautiful fall day, and the fall foilage was at its peak.
Ryon is our official photographer.