48x10 - The Ten Thousand Mile Ride

On August 7, 2016, 81 year old Del Lonnquist and his 60 year old daughter, Linda Darelius of Helena, Montana (in the sidecar) attempted the Iron Butt Association 48x10 ride.
The 10 day, 8,000 mile ride touched all of the Lower 48 states.
We began the ride with an Iron Butt Association Saddlesore 1000-1 ride from Helena, Montana to Needles, CA.
The thousand mile ride was completed in 21 hours.
We began the 48x10 ride from Needles and ended in Umatilla, Oregon 10 days and 16 hours later, missing the ten day IBA limit by 16 hours.
The two rides combined with the ride from Oregon back to Montana totaled 10,116 miles on the Odometer.
If you followed our adventure on the Spotwalla map, it shows we missed Maine but that was because the battery on my cell phone died and we lost our Spotwalla mapping function.
It was an epic adventure and one we will always remember. 

Thanks to the hundreds of people who followed us on Facebook through our adventure and the to the many we met along the way who gave their best wishes and support.
Thanks to Bill Ryder whose maintenance skills made the 09 Honda VTX 1300 purr like a kitten all the way, to Barry Reddick and Stanton Howe for the good start. 

Special thanks to Reef for the map we followed and for the prayers and support of many.
We will have a new BLOG post, complete with pictures going up on Right Lane America in the near future and are planning a book to chronicle the ride.

In the meantime I will be leaving in the morning on a ride through Montana, the Dakotas and Minnesota to attend a Grandsons wedding.
Thanks again everyone for your help and support.
Del & Linda

Watch for us, we'll be in the Right Lane America.

Del "Lonnie" Lonnquist

July Had Great Rides, Festivals & Events

I began the month of July with a great Independence Day weekend with Linda's family on the Oregon Coast where we celebrated her Birthday.
Great way to start the month off and it was a fantastic 1,600 mile round trip. What a ride.
It was warm and along the way threatening clouds appeared on the horizon but nary a drop of rain developed.
The ride to Newport on the fabled Highway 101 was perfect.
I did an overnight at the KOA campgrounds at Cascade Locks, OR and spent a good evening visiting with neighboring campers.
The next morning I got an early start and a few hours later pulled into the Guest House where the party was already underway. The house located right on the Pacific shore was large and had room for everyone.
Her children and their families had come from Alaska, Florida and Montana to help their Mom celebrate the big event. It was a great time.
The ride back to Montana was uneventful and very pleasant.
The very next weekend I was scheduled into the Authors Showcase at the Sidney Montana Sunrise Festival, so another long ride was looming just ahead.
The 550 mile ride to Sidney was great with rain clouds on the horizon but no rain to dampen the ride. This was Interstate riding at it's best with long straight stretches of highway punctuated with the hills and curves of the Hysham Hills area. Traffic was light and there was lots of time to contemplate the coming event and all of the Eastern Montana relatives I would get to visit with.
I had called ahead and offered a free program at The Lodge assisted Living Center in Sidney, so that was my first stop on arriving in town.
With banjo, guitar and a full complement of travel stories we had a fun program for the residents and the many relatives who came to join the fun.
Saturday morning July 9th was the main event.
The Sidney Montana Sunrise Festival is an event sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and the MonDak Heritage Center and Museum. The Authors Showcase provides an opportunity for Montana writers to come together to visit and showcase their latest books. A fun time and some very interesting people to visit with. This event is always well attended and the writers appreciate the chance to present their latest projects to people who enjoy a good read and like to turn pages of a real book.
Writers from 9 years old to 81 years old showed off their latest efforts.
I had the tent camper set up and with a table and awning had a cool place to visit with the many people who came to the event.
I had the banjo with me so when the event organizer told us one of the entertainers who had been scheduled to appear, had cancelled out at the last minute I was able to fill in with a couple of songs and stories about the books I had for sale.
All in all, a fun weekend, a nice ride and good folks to visit with.
It was a long day at the market and I took the easy way out with a motel instead of a campground.
After a good nights sleep it felt good to get back on the road and the early morning start was cool and comfortable. Still, it was a long ride home with a a stop over in Billings for a visit with Lois' nephew George and his wife Jean.
Good folks who had a fried chicken lunch on the table when I pulled in the driveway.
Then it was back on the highway with 250 miles to go.
Half way there I made the obligatory stop at Wheat Montana Farms Deli in Three Forks, Montana for one of their great deli sandwiches and coffee. Great place to stop and always filled with tourists traveling the Interstate.
The following weekend I had a different kind of ride waiting for me. I drove a golf cart to carry disabled and elderly people from the parking lot at Carroll College in Helena, to the field where the annual Symphony Under The Stars is held.
The field was full and since it is a long walk from the parking lot, AARP Montana has a fleet of golf carts and drivers ready to assist those who have difficulty with long walks.
Thousands of people attend this annual event in which organizers bring in well known singers to join the symphony in presenting the show.  This years event featured Broadway Show tunes and was well received by the throng.

The following Saturday it was back
 to work as I took my motorcycle/sidecar, trailer and banjo to the Helena Farmers Market.  This Saturday morning event is fun and gives me an opportunity to sell books, play the banjo and raise money for the next trip to a Senior Center.
I present the programs free to any senior resident facility that wants one, and raise money to pay for the trips by presenting a show at the market. A fun way to earn a little extra gas money.
   Planning for our big ride of the year has been underway for weeks now and as the big day approaches many hours are spent planning and getting ready.
The Iron Butt Association calls it, "The 48x10."
To complete the ride and earn your patch and certificate you must get a gas receipt from every one of the lower 48 states in 10 days or less, and send them into the association.
Now, after weeks of preparation, the departure date is here.
At 12 Noon on Sunday, August 7th, my 60 year old daughter Linda and I will leave for what will be a 9,000 mile ride. We call it the Adventure America Ride.
For details of the ride click on the internet link below.
The 48x10 page will also have a link to a Spotwalla Map which will allow anyone interested to follow the hour by hour progress of our ride.
Enjoy.
Look for us, we will be in the Right Lane America.
Del "Lonnie" Lonnquist

http://www.rightlaneamerica.com//48x10.htm

Linda Turning 60 On The Beach

 It was Hanna who reminded me again that they were celebrating her Mom's 60th Birthday in a Beach House on Highway 101 on the Oregon Pacific Coast.
Oh sure, they had all made sure I was invited but I kept finding reasons why I could not make the 800 mile ride through Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon to where the event was being held.
Now, as she was busy packing for her family to make the trip she reminded me again that I was invited and should be there for this important surprise party.
What an excuse to go for a ride through the Northwestern mountain country to the fabled Highway 101 which runs along the Oregon coast then south through California.
I told her, "Yes I'll come, but don't tell anyone else and we'll make it a double surprise.
They very next morning I packed the sidecar and Mini Mate Tent Trailer and headed west.






Lookout Pass is under construction and was my first stop.
From there the ride was great with 60 miles of Idaho pan handle country which winds through the beautiful Lake Coeur d'Alene area.
This heavily wooded area with it's miles of shorline is always a beautiful ride.
Heading south after passing through Spokane, the gateway to the Inland Empire, I found myself on I-90 to Ritzville, then 395 to I-84 and the Columbia River Gorge.
My stop for the night was at the Cascade Locks KOA campgrounds where some very pleasant people found me a comfortable space beneath tall shady trees. After an all day ride in the sun it was a great place to stretch out and take a nap, before setting up for the night.
Neighbors were friendly folks from Minnesota's Iron Range country in the far north and were visiting a daughter who worked in Portland.
They took pictures of the rig and asked many questions. Nice folks.
A good night for sleeping in the tent trailer with a light breeze keeping the rig cool.
The short 200 mile ride in the morning was great, especially the ride from I-5 to Highway 101 on Highway 20.
Winding, twisting, tree shaded and lightly traveled.
It was truly a wonderful ride to Newport on the beach and the ten mile ride south on highway 101 to Seal Rock where the kids had rented a beach house for the week.

A highlight of the weeks events was the Marine Discovery Tour Boat.
The trip wound through Yaquina Bay where guides discussed everything from the Jetty that lined the river, to the birds and fish we would see. As the boat made it's way from the bay out into the Pacific Ocean we were told to watch for whales swimming in the area.
As it happened we observed several whales coming to the surface to "blow" and then drop quickly back under water. One surprise came when a large whale surfaced beside the boat. Less that 20 feet away he came to the surface, spouted, and then with roiling water swirling about him he sank slowly into the ocean.
WOW! Said the tour boat crew. That was really close, you will very rarely see a whale come that close to us and we are not allowed, by law, to approach them that close. That was a once in a long time view of a whale.

On the way out to the ocean we had dropped two "crab pots" in the water, anchored with bright red and yellow buoys. We now returned to the bay to pick them up.
They both had several crabs in them and the guide carefully brought them out and handed them to passengers, all the while explaining facts about their life and how many could be harvested each day by crabbers.
Here Linda, the Birthday Girl, got to show off her skills as a crab handler.
Along with other passengers all of the kids had an opportunity to hold a crab while hearing the explanations about it's life.
Finally as the boat slowed even further, they got to drop the crabs back into the water, cautioned by the guide to not make it into a Frisbee throwing contest.

"Just drop them gently back into the ocean," she said.

The boat tour ended back in Newport amid much laughter as the families headed back for their cars, for a short trip to The Chowder Bowl Restaurant.
This seafood specialty place was packed with tourists and regulars who were enjoying the specialties of the house.

With 22 family members in tow we found they had prepared for us and had a long table set up and waiting.



 From the Chowder Bowl it was only a short 15 minute drive back to the Beach House where acres of sandy beach was waiting.
Kites were flown, dams were constructed to slow the flow of water from a small creek into the vastness of the Pacific and games were played on the sandy shores of the worlds great ocean.
Grand daughter Megans husband Tim Stone flew his drone over the ocean to shoot close up photos of the whales which continued to cavort in front of the picture windows of the house.
Shown on the big screen TV they were spectacular.
I wonder if any of the others saw the UFO's which I caught on my camera through the dining room window?
The lights seemed to dance across the sky, perhaps someone or something else was watching us as we watched the whales.

A wonderful week at a beach house on Highway 101 on Oregon's beautiful coast.
One last picture with one of the new Greats, taken upside down in the Chowder Bowl.
Thanks Wyatt for posing for me.

The ride home was great despite the heat of a Fourth of July weekend afternoon.
The Iron Butt Association cautions riders that if they get tired or have any problem continuing the ride, pull off the road, get a motel and try it again tomorrow.
Which I did.

The Super 8 in Walla Wall, Washington gave me a good nights sleep and I was ready and rested for the ride back home to Helena, Montana.
 The ride was wonderful, the visit with kids, grand kids and great grand kids was fabulous, still, it was nice coming over McDonalds Pass west of Helena and looking down at the valley and the city.
No matter which way you arrive in Helena, you find a beautiful view waiting for you. This view from the top of Mount Helena.

Thanks for coming along with me on a great ride and a wonderful week with the kids.

Watch for me I'll be in the Right Lane America.
Del "Lonnie" Lonnquist

The Banjo, The Motorcycle, Me & Montana

The banjo has always been a favorite instrument for me and the motorcycle has always been the preferred method travel.
It's all come together in this month of June as I played my way across the great state of Montana.
The June schedule was beginning to fill up as I took the banjo and guitar to The Springs Retirement Home in Butte, Montana on June 1st.
It was a great ride over Boulder Hill and through the canyons on I-15.
The Springs was a fun place and I played and sang for a wonderful audience.
A week later on June 8th The banjo and I visited the Aspen View Assisted Living Center in Billings.
This was a fun ride. A little brisk in the 48 degree weather but a quick stop at the Wheat Montana Farms Deli in Three Forks got me warmed up.
The ride across Montana on the Interstate was smooth and easy.
The sun took care of the cool morning temps and I arrived at Aspen View with plenty of time to set the tent up so residents could look over the Old Guys traveling rig.
Many took pictures.
Lois' Uncle Harry and Aunt Sharon had offered to put me up for the night and sent me on the way the next morning with a good breakfast and some hot coffee.
The banjo case and it's worn out appearance was often commented on when I carried it into the Senior Centers around the country.
It has traveled well, but as I carried it into the Aspen View the handle broke off and the whole thing fell to the floor.

I tried to repair the broken end with wire and duct tape but to no avail. 
The next time I picked it up the entire handle broke loose again it ended up on the floor. I purchased a new handle and this time the repair should hold.

The ride westward across the state was great with only a few sprinkles to wet the road.
The obligatory stop for coffee at Wheat Montana in Three Forks provide a short time of relaxation and an opportunity to share stories with other visitors who wanted to know about the sidecar and trailer. Many questions and many other bikers who want to visit. 
 At Columbus, MT I was filling up on gas when a young biker raced up to the pumps began filling his tank and shouted over, "are you doing an Iron Butt ride?"
I told him no, I was doing a Flower Sniffing ride back home.
He said he was from Malta, MT in the far North East section of the state and had been on the road for 8 hours. He was doing his first Iron Butt Bun Burner Gold, 1500 miles in 24 hours.
He struggled to get the required gas receipt and 15 minutes later when I left the McDonalds across the street from the station he was still fighting the gas pump for a receipt.
Thirty miles down the road he passed me and was trying to make up lost time.
As every Iron Butt rider knows, the gas stops can hurt your chances of success if they aren't carefully planned and carried out. I hope he made it.

The Helena Farmers Market is like a Saturday Morning Fun Fest.
It began with the idea that I could sell my three books and Lois' history of the Fort Peck Dam, Fifty Cents and Hour-The Builders and Boomtowns of the Fort Peck Dam as hundreds of people walked through market.
To add to the fun I got the banjo out and played and sang through the four hours from 9 to 1.
As people walked by, paused and listened to a song, they would reach for the wallet or purse and drop a dollar bill into the open banjo case.
I was a BUSKAR!




In Europe street entertainers are called Buskars and busking can be, for many, a full time job.
Saturday mornings at the Helena Farmers Market is a fun time. Everyone is relaxed and enjoying the food, the treats and the offerings of vendors who market made in Montana products.

Busking provides gas money for the free programs I do at Senior Centers all across the state and  in other states.
Often when I get a call from a Senior Center, Retirement Home or Assisted Living Center asking about the programs, they ask, what the charge is for the program.
When I tell them the program is free with no charge for anything they ask, "How can you afford to do the programs free?"
I tell them about Busking and selling books as a way to pay the way for the rides across the country.

They always laugh when I say, "If I charge for the program it becomes work, when I give them away free it becomes fun."


My new Father's Day helmet from daughter Linda fits well and provides more protection from wind noise and any accident that might befall me as I ride across the state.

The old one was, I have to admit, becoming quite worn out. The manufaturers often point out that any helmet over five years old should be replaced. My old one had been worn for nearly ten years so I suppose it was time for a change. All the same, it is hard to part with the old one which has become so comfortable and has been partner to hundreds of long and short motorcycle rides all across America.

My most recent ride was the longest of the month. I left Helena at 6:45AM on June 21st to deliver ten of Lois' books to the Phillips County Historical Society in Malta, MT.
It was to be a 350 mile ride to Malta where I would deliver the books and then do a program at the Hi Line Retirement Home.
I had sent an Email to old friends Renee and Chuck Worley who live in Wolf Point, MT.
Lois and I had visited with them many times and they had come to the Fort Peck Dam Interpretive Center for our programs.
Along with Ted and Norma they came to the Retirement Home to hear yet another program and for a good visit over a cup of coffee afterwards.
The banjo and guitar program were fun and the residents of the retirement home laughed and sang along on some of the old songs.
The visit with Renee, Chuck, Norma and Ted was an added benefit of the ride.
About 4PM in the afternoon reports of storms moving in from the North West changed my plans.
I had planned on spending the night in Malta and taking a nice relaxing ride home the next day.
With wind and rain moving in I opted to head for home.
It was a crazy ride.
As I left Malta a huge and very ominous black cloud could be see to the North and I headed west at a good clip to avoid it.
After a half hour of hard riding I spotted sunshine on the road ahead and thought, "I made it, I'm out from under the cloud and away from the storm"
The very second I rode into the sunshine a gust of wind nearly blew me off the road.
Highway 2 across the northern reaches of Montana is a two lane road and not too wide.
When I stopped for gas in Havre, a hundred miles later, an employee said there were reported to be fifty mile an hour wind gusts associated with the storm and there had been damage on buildings in it's path.  The wind kept blowing for the entire hundred mile ride to Havre.
As I turned south toward Great Falls the wind stayed with me, only now it was coming at me as a strong cross wind instead of the headwind I had been facing.
Well, regardless, it was a great ride with a few obstacles to overcome, but a great ride anyway.
And a great month it has been with many good rides, many fun programs and tons of fun at the Farmers Market. Busking and selling books is fun indeed.
July will have it's own rides and it's own events, so a fun month is coming up.
The big July event will be the Sidney Montana Sunrise Festival which is a big street fair and also an Authors Showcase where Montana Authors gather to show their books to an appreciative audience of READERS!
It was a great time last year and should be equally as much fun this year.
I contacted The Lodge Retirement Home in Sidney and told them I would be there for the festival and would be happy to do a program for them while I was visiting Sidney.
I will do a program for them the night before so it should be a fun time indeed.
Fun times in the rear view mirror and more fun times ahead as I look through the windshield of the Honda.
Be Fantastic everybody.
Watch for me, I'll be in the Right Lane America
Del "Lonnie" Lonnquist
 
What the calendar looked like:

Helena	Farmers Market - Every Saturday		9am - 1pm
Billings Sweetwater 4/27
Helena - Touchmark  5/6
Helena - Hunters Pointe  5/11
Whitefish - The Springs  5/18
Bozeman - The Lodge  5/26
Butte - The Springs  6/1
Billings -  Aspen View  6/8
Malta MT - Hi Line Retirement Center 6/21
Malta, MT - Phillips Co. Hist. Society 6/21
Sidney MT	The Lodge	7/8	3:00pm
Sidney, MT	Sunrise Festival  Authors Showcase	July 9	All Day
Aug. 8 to 18 - 48 States in 10 days	The Iron Butt Association  48x10	8/8 to 8/18
Iron Butt Association SS 1000-1	1000 Miles in 24 Hours	8/26	Helena -Burnsville, MN
Iron Butt Association SS 1000-1	1000 Miles in 24 Hours	10/1	Helena - San Jose, CA
San Jose, CA to San Diego, CA	Flower sniffing ride - Highway 1	10/5 - 10/9
San Diego, CA to Houston, TX		10/9 - 10/15
Houston, TX to Lake Mary, FL		10/24 - 11/2

A Busy Wrap Up For The Month Of May

The last week of May was busy with one good ride to Bozeman, Montana for a two day AARP Volunteer Leadership gathering, program at the Bozeman Lodge Retirement Center and my first Helena Farmers Market.
It was a great week.
The ride to Bozeman for the AARP event began in 45 degree temps and turned into a sunny day in the 60's. Roads were all good, traffic light for a Wednesday on US 12 and I-90.


It's always such a beautiful drive through the Three Forks and Missouri Headwaters area where the Gallitin, Madison and Jefferson rivers join forces to create The Big Muddy, the Missouri River.
US 287 carries me through Townsend, the community claiming the title of #The First City on the Missouri.
The newly expanded road from Townsend to Three Forks has made the ride even more enjoyable.
Topping the big hill I pass Wheat Montana Farms.
Their claim to fame has always been that the wheat grown here is grown at a higher altitude than any other US wheat and that makes it better in many ways. It seems like a good thought, whether true or not. It does bake good bread.


The showers in the forecast held off until I reached the Bozeman Hilton Gardens Inn.




 What a good time visiting with my many AARP volunteer friends. as we went for dinner to the famous Ted's Restaurant.

Presentations at the conference concentrated on the work of volunteers across the state.
The many areas that are already being covered and many more areas in which volunteers will make a big difference.

AARP is a Non-Partisan and Non-Profit organization which began in the 50's in California when Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus discovered a retired teacher living in a chicken coop because the Retired Teacher pension was so small it would cover the cost of an apartment.
Dr. Andrus began lobbying the legislature and her efforts boosted retirement benefits for California teachers and the small group she started mushroomed into the organization we now know at AARP.

Following the conference I rode through light rain to The Bozeman Lodge Retirement Center.

A small crowd gathered around the rig as I set up the Mini Mate tent so residents could look over my home away from home and the motorcycle that carries it across the country.

Carrying the banjo and guitar inside brought many residents to the music/reading room for the program.

How many of these Assisted Living Centers have I carried the instruments to.

Always fun and it's good to hear some laughing, even though the jokes have been told a thousand times. I never get tired of telling them.

The ride home began just after 5PM.

Rain gear was donned before I began the two hour ride home and was needed when rain began sprinkling down as I picked up I-90 toward Belgrade and Three Forks. 

The sun was beginning to drop lower in the sky and brought great colors to the lowering clouds.

A rainbow lit up the southern sky for a few minutes and sun shining in the clouds sitting on the mountain tops brought some truly spectacular views.

The usual stop at Wheat Montana Farms Deli at Three Forks didn't look like a good choice on this ride. Heavy black clouds were coming fast out of the west.

I opted to make a run for it and see if I could outrun them .

It worked.

30 minutes later as I was passing through Townsend the sun came out. The rain was behind me and the remaining 35 miles along the Missouri River was a great ride with sunshine, light traffic and a few antelope grazing in the fields.

 Saturday brought a new adventure, the Helena Farmers Market.

The idea was to set up a booth, show our books and maybe make a few sales.

Fifty Cents and Hour-The Builders and Boomtowns of the Fort Peck Dam, was the book Lois had published in 2006. Discovering Life After Alzheimer's - The 26,000 Mile Ride, was the book I authored after we completed our journey through Alzheimer's Disease.

The motorcycle ride across the country brought me great therapy and hundreds of new friends.

The Farmers Market seemed to be a good place to offer the books for sale to the crowds that filled Fuller Street, the markets home.

I moved the motorcycle/sidecar unit into place and parked the Mini Mate camper next to it.

Both the bike and the trailer attracted visitors.

Of course the banjo helped too and I had a ball playing some of the old songs and passers by responded with dollar bills in the banjo case.

I was a BUSKER!

In Europe and other parts of the world busking is a recognized entertainment career and there are many street entertainers. Not so many here.

What a great time singing, playing and visiting with people. So good to see people smiling and laughing at my old and somewhat corny jokes.
The market officially opened at 9AM but hundreds of people were there early looking for bargains in produce, hand made things and even "Doggie Treats" at the booth next to mine.

My first experience as a vendor at a Farmers Market was a blast and I decided I would rent my market space for the entire season.
Well, that was the last week in the month of May and it was a good one.

June starts off with a ride to Butte, Montana, or Butte America as Butte residents like to refer to their city. I'll be taking the banjo to The Springs Retirement Center.

These programs are fun to do and are a good excuse for a ride through the mountains.

The trip to Butte on I-15 is one of the best rides around.

Sweeping curves on the interstate lead you up Boulder Hill which is a great 5 mile ride up and then when you top the hill you see for many miles across the valley to the mountains on the other side.

I am looking forward to the ride and the program.

Thanks for joining me on this weeks adventure.

Be Fantastic

Watch for me, I'll be in the Right Lane America.

Del "Lonnie" Lonnquist

500 Mile Ride From Helena, Montana to Glacier National Park Area And Return

This was a fun ride to Whitefish, Montana to do a program at The Springs Assisted Living Center.
Daughter Linda wanted to ride the sidecar as a practice session for the Iron Butt Association 48x10 ride we have planned for August 8, 2016.
The 48x10 will be a nearly 8,000 mile ride touching all of the lower 48 states in 10 days or less.
It should be a fantastic ride and this will be our first practice run with Linda riding the side car and taking care of the navigation, log books, gas receipts and photography.
With banjo and guitar stored in the Mini Mate trailer we headed out on a 45 degree morning for the ride which would take us first to Missoula on I-94 and then north on US 93 to Whitefish.
It's a fantastic ride anytime of the year but particularly this sunshine filled day with a few clouds overhead adding to the beauty of the ride.
This BLOG post will be primarily photos since Linda captured every nuance of the trip with her new camera equipment and her sharp eye for detail.
It was an 8:15AM start and the ride through MacDonald Pass was on the cool side but bright sunlight foretold of a warm ride.
The rig was running and handling well and we made good time on US12 from Helena to Garrison where we came to a red light stopping traffic.
This was something new, Montana having very view stop lights on major highways.

By coincidence, the light stopped us at the entrance road to the Bar SL ranch where Linda's  daughter Lorna and Rosario, her Disney Fantasy Staff officer husband live when they aren't residing on the cruise ship.
From the big hill on the Bar SL Saro and Lorna have a fantastic view of the mountains.

The short wait we expected lasted for 15 minutes before the Pilot truck brought a row of vehicles through from the west and made a quick U turn to lead us west bounders through.
The road construction turned out to be new entrance ramps to east bound I-94 and as the pilot car pulled off we entered the west bound ramp ready for the Interstate run to Missoula.
This is always a great ride running through some beautiful Montana mountains and crossing the Clark Fork river several times as it winds it's way through the hills. 
A quick stop for gas a visit to McDonald's for a cup of coffee and to update the Facebook page "Where In The World Is Grandpa" and we were ready for the ride north on US93.
This is real Montana country with sweeping mountain vistas and a place where they actually build "Animal Bridges" to keep wildlife off the highways.
What could be more Montana than that.
From here on the ride carried us through the Mission Mountains and the Blackfoot Reservation where the road signs are in English and in the Blackfoot language.
The mission Mountains in the background and I proudly display my Iron Butt Association Saddlesore 1000 patch on the sleeve of my jacket.
For those new to the sport of Long Distance riding, the Iron Butt Association is the sanctioning body for the sport. The first requirement for membership is a ride of one thousand miles or more in 24 hours or less. To receive this patch is a much anticipated honor and with the license plate backer which proclaims the rider to be one of "The Worlds Toughest Motorcycle Riders," is proudly displayed.
Many times as we ride across the country another biker will pull along side and can be heard shouting, "I'm Iron Butt too."
Linda won her Iron Butt patch and certificate on an 1100 hundred mile sidecar ride from Helena to Provo, Utah and back in under 20 hours.
Mission Mountains are close up and beautiful in the bright morning sun.


It's spring and the countryside is green even though we haven't had as much rain as is needed to keep everything growing and to prevent wildfires.
The Oil Patch fires just to the north in Alberta Canada have brought clouds of smoke into the Helena valley and with the smoke reminders of what can happen if the rains don't come in May and June.
Linda's camera was working overtime as she captures the riders with face plates up and catching some fresh air.

 As we move through some of the small towns we see small town living with all it's peace and quiet.

In Polson the camera captures some unusual pictures, including a site which should be included on the Tour of Honor motorcycle rides, the American Doughboy monument.














The Tour of Honor web site  provides full information about the tours which take riders to monuments across the country.  http://www.tourofhonor.com/

Also in Polson, an unusual way to advertise your outfitting business, by using cowboys hanging from the side of your store. A sure fire attention getter.
















She even managed to get a shot of me and the Colonel.

Mountain rides are always fun, no matter where in America you are traveling.
There is always a road that is unusual and challenging.


Bikers love to share stories about these rides as they stand around in groups, kicking tires and sharing at a national biker gathering. Here are a couple of good mountain highway pictures.

There are many stories to be told about falling rocks and how riders have found roads blocked or impeded by rocks large and small which have come down from the mountainside to startle an unsuspecting biker.
 The two lane twisties always add a measure of excitement to the ride and also add to the fun of the next story telling opportunity.


 On this particular ride, with a sidecar hanging off one side of the bike the twisting roadway meant more work driving the three wheeler up and down the winding, hilly highways.
A great ride all the same and brought us more practise for that August adventure across America.

Linda did want to show off her new biker jacket with the fancy embroidery down one sleeve. She is ready for the adventure.



The plane in this picture shows part of the fun of the ride.
As one rider explained it, "When you ride down the highway in a car it's like watching a movie, when you ride down the highway on a motorcycle you are IN the movie. At Whitefish we had a fun time playing banjo and guitar and singing some of the great old songs. Even had some of the residents singing along with us.
The Springs assisted Living Center is in a beautiful setting with views of the Glacier National Park mountains for a background.
I have enjoyed doing the free music programs at Senior Centers as I travel across the country and have several scheduled already for this summer.

 Now, with the program over we head for Helena and home.
The ride has been a great practice session for the 48x10 and a great picture taking opportunity for Linda.
We will have a few more practice rides coming up and will post a
 few more pictures as the adventure continues. Next week I will be in Bozeman, then Butte, Billings, Great Falls, Missoula and Sidney. Busy weeks ahead and some great rides to look forward to. Watch for us, we'll be in the Right Lane America.
Del "Lonnie" Lonnquist