Rambling thru life

Today we took a pittance of time to remember family and friends that have passed away before us. I know, memorial day is the day we remember all men and women who have died in military service for the United States. But like so many others, this is a day/weekend that LoriAnn and I take a moment to remember our loved ones who have passed before us. Our journey has us visiting 3 different cemeteries, traveling 347 miles, by car.  It was a rainy day, I do not have the endurance for such a Motorcycle ride, and we carried with us memorials to leave at the graves so the car was the best means of travel. Our first stop was at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Bloomington MN.  Remember, at National cemeteries, the veteran is on one side of the stone.  The other spouse is on the other side of the stone.  We visited my Mom and Dad's memorial:  Jim and Betty Holmes Then we took a short drive down the road and visited my brother Doug's memorial:  Doug Holmes The we took a went a bit farth

The Iron Butt association has a Memorial with a rock in tribute to brother Doug Holmes located outside of Gerlach NV. Doug passed away in 1999 when involved in an traffic accident near Bancroft IA. Doug Holmes Butt Light 5000 The Iron Butt Association is dedicated to safe, long-distance motorcycle riding. Although based in the United States, we have thousands of enthusiastic members throughout the globe! One of our more popular slogans is, "The World Is Our Playground." The following are details reprinted from the IBA Forum : The IBA Memorial just North of Gerlach, NV is a special place, just at the edge of the Black Rock desert. In some ways, not much ever changes, in others change marches on as it always does. A fellow named Dwayne 'Dooby' Williams lived in Gerlach and way back around 1978 he started carving stones and placing them out along a dirt road that came to be known as Guru Road, or just 'The Wonder Road'. The memorial came to be after a discussio

What did Chuck Knodt do on day 3?  He lunched in Marathon, visited Pooh Park and landed in WAWA .   When we got up this morning, it was a chilly 42 degrees!   It is still Labor Day weekend in Canada and all the restaurants are closed for breakfast.  This is the second day we head out onto the road with a proper breakfast. LoriAnn headed down to the motel lobby and got us each a cup of coffee and some pre-packaged muffins.  In the lobby LoriAnn started a conversation with another couple.  They recommended the A&W in Marathon.  The muffins were just enough to cut the hunger pains.   But it wasn't the same as eggs and bacon.  We eagerly anticipated finding a restaurant in Marathon. Before leaving Terrace Bay, we went to the down to the beach.   The water was calm.   LoriAnn was creative with her beach art. From the beach we headed down the road a few miles to the Aguasabon River Gorge & Waterfall. There is a short hike down a boardwalk to get to the falls overlook.  Sadly th

Today I made it out for the second ride of the season.  It was a short jaunt of 104 miles.  This Covid isolation has set my riding for the season very far behind. From home I road to Stillwater MN, were I crossed over into Wisconsin. Traveling south I road through Hudson WI to Prescott WI.  At Prescott I crossed back into Minnesota and road north thru Afton MN back to Stillwater using the old stagecoach road.  From Stillwater I took a different set of roads back home. I had surgery last January where a large mass was removed from my left hip.  I've had some reservations about my endurance in the saddle after loosing half of my Iron Butt.  Today, my hind end got a little sore but I endured. I have a beginning of the season rule that I am working on.   I do not take any passengers until I ride at least 500 miles.   My total for the season is now 205 miles after riding today. Go ahead, hit that subscribe button!  You know you want to...                                And leave a messa

Chuck Knodt was a great influence to my planning for this trip.  On Chuck's second day he left Grand Marais, MN and stopped for the night in Terrace Bay Ont.  He exchanged US currency for Canada at Rydens, just south of the border crossing.  He also visited the Terry Fox Memorial in Thunder Bay. Two stern warnings from Chuck today: Get gas before you leave town! Don't go on gravel roads.... There is no place to eat breakfast in Beaver Bay, unless you call coffee and a danish from a gas station breakfast.  So we loaded up the trailer, climbed on board the bike and headed up to Grand Marais for breakfast.  For breakfast, we stopped at the Blue Water Cafe .  LoriAnn had walleye for breakfast and loved it.  Afterwards we walked around the bay and took some photos. From Grand Marais we headed up to the city of Grand Portage. The air had some chill in it, and the clouds were hanging low. Outside of Grand Portage we stopped at an overlook for pictures. Then we st