This was a trip with a purpose. It was a surprise for my mother’s 75th birthday. I come from a large family and have been blessed with 11 wonderful siblings! All of us kids are grown now and living our best lives. We visit our mom and dad at least once a year…but never at the same time. My sister came up with the idea that all of us kids should just show up and surprise mom for her 75th birthday. We haven’t all been together at the same time since we were young. We rented a nice vacation home close to my parents house in Cokato, MN and had a wonderful weekend!
Instead of flying to Minnesota, I figured I would take advantage of the situation and make it a long ride. The trip was just over 3,200 miles in total. It was mid-October so the weather was pretty good for the most part. For this trip I took the BMW 1250RT…I’m glad I did!
DAY 1
It was still dark when I pushed the RT out of the garage. She was already filled with gas and loaded up from the night before. I wanted to get an early start so I could beat traffic. Today was going to be a bit boring. Mostly interstate riding until I hit West Virginia.
This was a trip where I would welcome my new riding jacket, and bid farewell to my trusty Alps Meramac tent (although not by choice). My new riding jacket was the Aerostitch Roadcrafter…my second one. My first Roadcrafter was showing its age. God knows how many miles it had on it. I bought it off my brother about 15 years ago, and it was already broken in when I bought it. My old Roadcrafter was originally red, but now appeared almost pink due to many years of being in the sun. My new Roadcrafter is tan and black, and I was excited to take it out for its first long ride.
I fired up the RT away from the garage so I wouldn’t wake up the family. I only had about 500 miles to cover today, but I wanted to be there before dark since I was going to camp. I’ll set up camp in the dark if I don’t have a choice, but I try to avoid it if I can.
It was about 60 degrees when I mounted the RT and it wasn’t going to get much warmer according to the forecast. I pointed the headlight towards Columbia, SC and put the hammer down. The RT was eager to roll…I had just serviced her with fresh fluids, plugs, filter, valve adjustment, and even tires. I was rocking the Michelin Road 6 GT’s, a fine match for the RT.
I rolled into Columbia and shot straight north on I-77 towards Charlotte, NC. I kept pounding out the miles until I reached the outskirts of Charlotte. I stopped for gas and a mid morning coffee break. I always like to start my long rides by putting as much distance as I can between home and my first stop. It’s just a mental thing…but it makes me FEEL as if I’m officially on a long ride. It allows me to get into the right “head space.”
It was getting cooler as I rode north. While in Charlotte I pulled out my insulated riding pants and slipped them on. I’ll say this, the Aerostitch Roadcrafter jacket along with insulated riding pants make riding in any weather comfortable. Add the RT’s excellent wind protection, heated grips and heated seat and now I’m spoiled!
I was amazed at how much better the new Aerostitch jacket was at blocking the wind compared to my old one. The jackets are both Roadcrafters, virtually the same. But when they are new they do a much better job at repelling the wind and rain. They are, however, more stiff until they “break-in”. I guess that’s a testament for how well they’re made. All of the zippers and velcro on my old Roadcrafter still work perfectly fine, so I never even thought to replace it. The color is badly faded, and the material itself was beginning to wear thin. Those were the only indicators that it was probably time to replace it.
Appreciating my new jacket, I stayed on I-77 north until I hit the West Virginia state line. I then took a few back roads and worked my way towards Dunbar, WV. West Virginia is a gorgeous place to ride! Plenty of curvy roads and a ton of elevation change. Some of the prettiest scenery east of the Mississippi River can be found in these mountains. I also come to realize that there are very few flat areas in this state. Everything seems to be on a hill!
Everything seems to be on a hill in WV. Here’s an old church near a graveyard somewhere in the mountains heading to Dunbar.
The temperature was getting much cooler as the day passed. It was hovering around 50, but would drop into the 40’s anytime I would dip into a valley or a holler. The new Michelin tires hugged the road like super glue…it was a blast leaning and trail braking my way through the mountains. There are several areas where a new rider could find themselves in a bad situation…the road signs are not the best and there are a lot of blind curves that sneak up on you quickly. If you’re riding too fast in this area you will end up in a bad way.
It was time for dinner when I finally pulled into Charleston, WV. I stopped to fill the RT and my belly. I wanted something quick so I could get to my campsite before dark. I stopped at a very busy Golden Corral. It was standard buffet fare and I was in and out in less than an hour.
My campground was only about a 20 minute ride from the restaurant. When I pulled in to the campground I had to navigate a steep grade to get to my reserved site. It was a little gravel pad with a parking spot that was probably too small for a car. At least it was flat.
I shut down the RT and set up camp. It felt good to take off the riding gear and stretch out. It doesn’t take me long to set up camp…15 minutes and I’m done. I’ve done it so many times. But on this night luck would not be on my side.
I just finished setting up my sleeping pad, pillow, and my sleeping bag when I attempted to close the zippered door of my tent. The zipper pull tab and slider mechanism fell apart in my hands! It didn’t separate in a way that was fixable…it literally just disintegrated into three pieces. And just like that I had a tent with a wide open door and no way to close it.
I was bummed, the tent has two doors, and one was wide open and there’s nothing I could do about it. I’ve had this tent for over 10 years, and she served me well. I toss it up to just a sign from above that it was time to get a new one. I definitely got my money’s worth from this old tent. I picked up the entire tent and rotated it so that the open door was facing the woods. At least folks wouldn’t be able to peer inside as they drove by.
I rotated the tent so the open door faced the woods. This was the last night I slept in my trusty Alps Meremac. It was a good tent for a long rider!
I went to sleep with the stupid tent door hanging open…the evening breeze would blow the flap around all night long. I can affirm that this was the worst night of sleep I have ever had in this tent.
DAY 2
It was dark and cold…really cold! There was a light frost covering everything. My phone showed 27 degrees and just before 5am. I couldn’t sleep anymore. My sleeping bag had a layer of frost on it, and the open tent door did nothing to help. My sleeping bag was at least warm…but the dampness made it uncomfortable.
I crawled out of my sleeping bag and quickly donned my stiff riding gear. I moved around to get the blood pumping…but it didn’t really help. I packed up my gear as quickly as I could…my hands were numb and they fumbled with the straps. I fired up the RT and let it warm up with the heated grips and heated seat on the highest setting. I wasn’t worried about waking my neighbors…I was the only fool tent camping anyways. The other campers were comfortable in their RVs.
Once I packed everything I mounted the RT and hit the road. I was headed towards Lexington, KY. The heated grips felt amazing as they slowly restored the feeling in my hands. I rode at a steady but cautious clip since it was still dark.
Somehow the temperature seemed to dip and it got even colder as the sky slowly turned from black to blue with the morning sun. There were areas where the sun was shining on the road…and it felt amazing. Then there were areas where the road was in the shadows of the mountains…those areas felt like you were riding through a freezer! The perceived temperature differences was uncanny. The scenery was stunning, and even with the cold there was no place I would have rather been!
The sun trying to rise above the mountains somewhere near the Kentucky border.
I kept rolling and 175 miles later I finally reached Lexington, KY. It was around 8 am…and I rode right into the downtown area. I parked the RT on a side street, and joined the hustle and bustle of college students heading to their classes at the University of Kentucky. I found a small cafe and enjoyed several cups of coffee and some delicious breakfast. It felt good to warm up and relax.
Once I finished my breakfast I filled up the RT and hit the road again. I worked my way west towards Louisville. Kentucky is a beautiful state and the riding is pristine. I zipped through Louisville without stopping, the RT was still showing 3/4 full and I was still feeling good. I kept heading west.
I alternated between back roads and the interstate. The temperature warmed considerably as the day wore on. In fact, by the time I rolled into Illinois I had to stop to remove some layers because I was getting too warm.
I continued my way towards St Louis. I wanted to avoid the St Louis traffic at all cost so I veered off somewhere near Mt Vernon, and worked my way northwest towards Springfield. I stuck to back roads which took me through miles and miles of farmland. The earth began to flatten as the RT rolled west.
I stopped to fill the RT when I finally got to Springfield. It was mid afternoon and I was feeling pretty good despite the early morning start. I took a short break and booked a hotel in Quincy, IL…then I hit the road again. I was headed towards Quincy, only 115 more miles.
That “feeling good despite the early morning” optimism was quickly fading as I worked my way towards my hotel. I was feeling it. It wasn’t that the bike was uncomfortable, it was that I was simply exhausted. It was a rough night of sleep and fighting the cold all morning didn’t help. The miles were getting longer, and it took all I had to stay awake for the last 50 miles.
I finally pulled into Quincy as the sun was setting. I arrived at my hotel and checked in. It was a nice place right on the Mississippi River. I unloaded the RT and took a few minutes to hang my wet camping gear in my room.
I plugged in my electronics to charge and walked down the street to a local Italian restaurant for dinner. I was starving and I was pleasantly surprised with some of the best spaghetti and meatballs I’ve ever had! It was a perfect meal to cap off a great day of riding. When my meal was finished I went to the room, called my wife, showered, and fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow. I covered just over 650 miles today.
Beautiful Mississippi River sunset view on my walk from the hotel to the restaurant.
Walking back to the hotel after eating an amazing plate of spaghetti and meatballs…who knew something so simple could be so delicious!
DAY 3
I woke up feeling rested and refreshed. It’s amazing what a good night of sleep will do for a long rider! My camping gear was dry so I quickly repacked it. I was bummed about my tent. I had planned to camp at least one more night on this trip but the broken zipper squashed that plan. I loaded the RT and ate the free breakfast at the hotel.
My final destination today was the house rental in Cokato, MN where I would meet my family and surprise our parents. I was looking forward to it!
Once I finished my breakfast I checked out of the hotel and fired up the RT. I stopped for gas on the way out of town, and pointed that headlight north. I followed the Mississippi River all the way to Burlington, IA where I then began working my way north west towards Cokato, MN.
The weather was perfect for riding, sunny and near 70. The leaves were changing and the colors were popping. The harvest season for the farmers was mostly over which meant there was little traffic on the roads.
In this area of the country a long rider has to be careful. There are lots of tiny midwestern towns that seem to spring up out of nowhere. You’ll be cruising along and if you don’t pay attention you will find yourself going more than double the speed limit when it suddenly changes from 65mph to 25mph with little warning.
The ride to Cokato was uneventful and I covered the 470 miles without incident. An easy task for the RT.
The look on my mom and dad’s face when they saw us rolling up to their house was priceless! It was the start of a perfect weekend!
Mom and Dad couldn’t believe their eyes when we all showed up!
DAY 4
Today we just sat and visited. We enjoyed each other’s company and laughed as we reminisced about our childhood. It was an amazing day with lots of good food and wonderful memories!
Taking a stroll while looking at the autumn colors.
My pops and my brother in the land of 10,000 lakes
My mother’s proud German roots was impressed with the Bavarian build quality of the RT.
My little brother and I….he towers over me and is the tallest in our family. However, he graciously ducked so I would appear taller…no way I could have my little bro look bigger than me lol!
We ended the evening with a delicious dinner at the Bait & Hook Restaurant in Cokato, MN. Highly recommended!
DAY 5
It was Sunday, and the last day of our impromptu reunion. My siblings were headed home and had planes to catch. And I had a bike to ride. But first we all went to a cafe and ate breakfast. We filled that little cafe and also filled up on coffee, eggs, bacon and all the good breakfast stuff.
It was late morning by the time we finished and said our goodbyes. I fired up the RT and headed east towards Red Wing, MN. It was cold, and very windy. The wind was coming from the west and pushing a mass of cold air due east. The temp guage on the RT showed 35…most of it was wind chill. Cokato is west of Red Wing, so I had the wind to my back for about 100 miles. It was smooth sailing!
Once I hit Red Wing I turned south which meant the wind was no longer hitting me from behind. I followed the Mississippi River south, sticking to the Minnesota side of the river. The road was beautiful and quiet on this cold and windy Sunday afternoon. The downside was that the wind was hammering my right side and it was fatiguing. I fought the relentless wind until I stopped in La Crosse, WI for a late lunch. The wind was getting to me.
I took a long break and came up with a game plan. I was supposed to camp tonight but the tent situation thwarted that plan. I found a cheap hotel in Dubuque, IA and called to reserve a room. If I could get a good night sleep, I would wake up early and pound out the miles tomorrow. The weather was supposed to be better as well. Dubuque was about 2hrs south…I could handle that. I mounted the RT and kept working my way towards the hotel.
I pulled in to the hotel and it was just after 5 pm. I unloaded the RT and relaxed in the warm hotel room. It felt good to get out of the wind. I wasn’t very hungry so I snacked on some trail mix and enjoyed a cup of tea. I went to sleep early with the alarm set for 5am.
DAY 6
It was still dark when the alarm woke me. I rolled out of bed and assessed my situation. I was still about 1200 miles from home, and I had three days to get there. But I didn’t want to spend two more nights in a hotel. I try to stick to my travel budget the best I can, and the broken tent forced me to adjust.
I decided today would be a day that I just hammer down. A fill-n-go type of day. I would see how far I could get and then make a determination on whether I needed that third day of travel.
I quickly loaded the RT and checked out of the hotel. Breakfast would have to wait for now. It was cold but there was no wind. I can deal with that! I fired up the RT and rode south to Davenport, IA in the dark.
When I got to Davenport I stopped at a Starbucks for some coffee and breakfast. They just opened their doors and I was their first customer of the day. I ordered a breakfast sandwich, yogurt, and coffee.
I looked at the map and formed a game plan. I would hit the interstate and hammer down until I reached Indianapolis, then I would either go south or continue east. Indianapolis was about 320 miles away…one full tank of gas for the RT. I filled up the RT to the brim and I rode non-stop all the way to Indianapolis.
The gas warning indicator was telling me I had less than 10 miles left in the tank when I finally stopped at a Pilot station. I was running on fumes. Once I filled the RT I stopped at a Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch. I took a few minutes to walk around and stretch. 300 miles without stopping is tough on any bike, even the RT.
Perhaps it was the part of Indianapolis that I was in (western part of the city), but it ranks up there as one of the less attractive cities I’ve visited. It didn’t feel all that safe either. Without wasting anymore time, I decided to head south towards Louisville KY.
I took I-65 south until I was about halfway to Louisville, then I shot south east towards Lexington via backroads. It was a perfect day to cruise the backroads of Kentucky. I worked my way slowly towards Frankfort, and then stopped for an early dinner at the same restaurant I ate breakfast a few days earlier in Lexington.
Wanting to take full advantage of the riding roads in this area, I decided to continue taking the backroads towards Asheville, NC. Asheville was still 270 miles away…no way I was going to make it there without riding in the dark. Riding the mountain backroads after dark was definitely something I did not want to do. With the route plugged into my BMW app, I decided to ride until dark and stop where ever I am.
I rolled out of Lexington at a good pace. It was late afternoon, 65 degrees, and I had a full tank of gas and a few more hours of sunlight. What else could a long rider ask for!
This was one of those moments on a bike trip where something just clicks. You feel as if you and the bike are connected and one single unit. It feels effortless! The backroads of Kentucky and Tennessee are some of the finest riding roads in the country. Folks are friendly, and the scenery is beautiful. It’s moments like this that keep us long riders begging for more!
The sun was hanging low in the sky when I decided to stop and see if I could capture the moment with a photo.
The RT and I felt like a single unit flying through the mountains of Kentucky and Tennessee.
I kept working my way southeast. There was no way I was going to make it to Asheville before dark. But it looked like Morristown, TN could be in play. I rode by the beautiful and historical Cherokee Lake as the sun dipped below the horizon…it was beautiful!
Cherokee Lake in Tennessee…God is an amazing artist!
I pulled into Morristown just as the last bit of light faded. I booked a room at the Holiday Inn and shut it down for the evening. I put almost 850 miles on the RT today. It was an awesome day of riding! Plus I was only 350 miles from home so there was no need for another night in a hotel. I fell asleep quickly…dreaming about mountain roads.
DAY 7
I slept in this morning. There was no reason to rush. I had all day to get home and only had to cover 350 miles. I ate breakfast at the hotel and loaded up the RT. It was sunny and about 50 degrees…it would be around 70 degrees by the time I got home. I filled up the RT on my way out of town and kept working my way to Asheville, NC. It was a perfect day for riding!
I kept rolling through Asheville and didn’t stop until I hit Greenville, SC. I took a break in Greenville and walked around the downtown area for a bit. I ate lunch and just enjoyed the peaceful autumn afternoon. Greenville is a beautiful little southern town with a lot of history and interesting sites.
This was my last stop before I got home. I’ve ridden it many times so there was no need for navigation. I fired up the RT and headed towards home. I stopped to fill the RT once more in Columbia and continued my way towards Charleston, SC.
I pulled into the garage around dinner time. The wife had a pot of chili on the stove, and she greeted me with a hug and kiss. It felt good to be home and even better to put one more amazing adventure into the memory bank!
Sport Touring Cycle Adventures 