You know, it really is true, there's no place like home! After leaving Steamboat Springs, it was time to head back to Wisconsin being that we lost 4 riding days waiting on the bike to get fixed. By the time we left Thursday, weather had moved in so we knew we'd be riding in some rain. We put our rain gear on, but couldn't had East due to the weather. So, Jason at Steamboat Powersports helped us out with advice on an alternative route West that would take us around the weather. It actually wasn't a bad ride, we did get wet, but we made it into a hotel and out of the weather about 150 miles west of steamboat.
After that, we were just making a beeline for home. Getting through the mountains was cold as hell, up by the Continental Divide especially! I actually got a little hypothermic up in the mountains and couldn't wait to get down to the flat lands. But get to the Flatlands we did, going from the 40s and 50s to a couple of really nice warm days, even one of 100°. Our 100° day took us to Alvord Iowa to set up camp in an abandoned Camp pad of their City Park. It was pretty hot when we got in, can't lie. But when we woke up the next morning, it was freezing! Weather report showed that we were just going to be in the low 60s, but it was going to be noon or 1:00 before we would even see that! So yeah that was a cold ridingday. To be honest all the days getting us home were cold rides LOL
Our goal was to make it home by Thursday September 22nd, we stayed at a casino in Northwood Iowa Tuesday night planning on making the 250 mile ride in one day. Well, that's not what happened at all. We got about 75 miles from Northwood heading east, out in the middle of nowhere again, and suddenly the back tire is flat. Again.
We made several calls trying to find a tow and were able to find a Kawasaki shop in Decorah Iowa that was willing to fix the tire. I called a tow company, Don's towing, that was able to come get us until us into the Kawasaki shop. I got to say that the people at the Kawasaki shop were super awesome, especially since we're on a Harley LOL Bob was able to get our tire fixed up, apparently it was a nail in the brand new tire that we just got in Steamboat Springs less than a week prior LOL but, by the time the tire was ready it was too late to ride.
So, we stayed in Decorah Iowa Thursday night and then headed out first thing Friday morning, knowing it was going to be a cold riding day. But, we were going to get home friday! We only had about 170 miles to go, so we layered on our clothing, sucked it up and after an all day ride and 50° weather we made it home about 4:00 p.m. Friday afternoon! I had called my son early Friday and asked him to turn the heat on at home because I knew we were going to be chilled to the bone!
And we were! But I got to tell you it was so good to see my house, my dog, my boys. As much as I need to be out on the road for my work, I really did miss my home. I know it's going to take a while for my body's internal thermostat and alarm clock to readjust, in fact I froze all weekend LOL but it feels good to be home, back at work, and hopefully getting back into the swing of things sooner rather than later!
So, until next year, I'll be here shooting weddings, portraits, adding new lines to my store, and making soaps and candles and balms. Thank you all so much for following us on our journey, and thank you to everybody out there that we met along the way who are now friends and family. I will never forget the kindness of the so many out there!