The Long Reach Long Riders Day Four 2006

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Long Reach Long Riders
Day Four - July 12, 2006


Morning Prep in Lawrence	Brake Repair in Lawrence	Frank & Christine in Lawrence	David and Henry impersonating a watertower	Bikes in the Kansas Sun	Christine

Grain Silos in Kansas	Pizza and Kazoos!	Mike Swapping Fashion Tips	Madonna of the Prairies	Antiquing	Bill calls dibs on a new shop in Pratt

Mike "Supernova" Maynard	Road Shot	Waiting for a light in Pratt	Representative Cornfield	Another Road Shot

Dinner with the Dodge City HOG Chapter
Bill writes from the East Coast: Wednesday, Day 4 Lawrence to Dodge City, KS A large thunderstorm came through during the night. Moe's CB (still on his bike was ruined, so Cris Dopher will be leading the parade today. We keep one bike with a CB radio in front and one in the back. Communication to the rest of the bikes is by hand signals. Communication with obnoxious car drivers is reserved ed for that special hand signal. The morning brought some brake work and tire repair for Matt's bike. Nothing too serious and we got off to a decent start. We got back on to the secondary roads and the morning was great. Routes 59 & 57 in particular was really pretty and a joy to ride along. There's no traffic and we actually get to see stuff. We get lots of looks and waves as we roll through the small towns. This is definitely the way to go. We stop in Council Grove for some gas and a photo op at the Madonna of the Prairies Monument. And Mike Sapsis finds what appears to be the oldest box of Good n' Plenty candy in existence (at least judging by how stale the candy is) Lunch was in Hutchinson where we give out more kazoos. We have left a trail of happy kids gleefully playing their kazoos (and their somewhat disgruntled parents listening to them) at just about every gas a lunch stop we've made. The afternoon turned hot. Really hot. We discovered that we have about a 50 - 60 mile range before people start feeling the effects of the heat (close to 100 degrees!). So we simply stop for water breaks more often. Our chase car drivers, Rob & Scott make sure we all have water and sunblock or anything else we might need. These guys really take care of us. We finally pull in to Dodge City around 6:30. Dinner has been arranged for us by the Dodge City HOG (Harley Owners Group) Chapter. We don't know these people, Moe hooked up with them on his search for free food, so we're not sure what to expect. We had nothing to worry about. The original plan called for a picnic but it was too hot. So in to a restaurant we went. We had a truly wonderful time and met some fantastic people (that are riding some very pretty HD's). We were fast friends by the end of the evening. Thanks again to everyone at the Dodge City HOG Chapter for a wonderful time. This, folks, is what it's all about. We meet to great people on all of these rides and come back with wonderful memories. While we were at dinner the West Coast group arrived. They all looked the way we felt..happy and tired. So now we're a full compliment. Tomorrow we ride together for the first time. After dinner we met to discuss the next day's ride. Dodge City to Gordon NE. I guess it's a good thing that none of us bothered to check the mileage beforehand because we sure were concerned when we finally did figure out that it was over 550 miles. And the heat was going to be worse. We decided an early start would be wise. I went to bed with more than a little concern that Day 5 was not going to be any fun. I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow... Greg writes: Wednesday, July 12th We started the day in Lawrence Kansas, and headed west / southwest. It was hot. By the time we got to Council Grove, and took a photo in front of the Madonna of the Trails monument, it was hot. Thanks to Jeannie at the Fastop for calling her friend Danny the city administrator to get permission for us to park in front of the monument for the pictures. We stopped for a while in road construction beside a big ol' trailer hauling cows to market. They did not like the sound of those bikes at all! I know that cows don't have opposable thumbs, but they had some way figured out to express their displeasure with our presence by throwing cow crap out the side of the trailer at us. Thankfully, no bike or rider was hit. We left Council Grove in the heat. By the time we arrived in Hutchinson for lunch, it was hot. After lunch, we rode on Kansas 61, a very hot road. We picked up Hwy 400 and rode west into the sunset, as it warmed up a bit, just to keep it interesting. We arrived in Dodge City in plenty of time to take a dip in the pool prior to the fine folks of the local HOG chapter treating us to dinner at a local supper club. About an hour into the meal, the western contingent showed up, so we're all a group now. Everything was most excellent, and there was a certain young man who really enjoyed a certain appetizer without knowing what they were. Without revealing identities or ingredients, let's just say that with the amount he ate, there's a whole herd of calves walking around mooing in a soprano voice today... After dinner, it was back to the hotel, and the air conditioning. After a brief powwow about Thursday's route and extended mileage, we decided to leave at 7 Thursday morning. Did I mention it was hot?

Grits and Woodstock in Salida	Artist at Work	Western group in Salida	Buckeye with a howdy to a friend	Antler farm in Canon City	Woodstock takes on the ring

Rocky Mountains	Heartland beef industry outside of Dodge City		Arkansas River	We're Here!
*Western Long Reach Long Riders:* July 12, 2006 There is a place in the Rocky Mountains where a drop of rain may fall upon a leaf and then upon the ground and then a while later find itself in the Gulf of Mexico. Another drop may fall upon the same leaf and then upon the ground and then a while later find itself in the Gulf of California. This is called the Continental Divide. The drops that fall on the eastern side, after being slaves to gravity all day, gather at the Arkansas River after work. These are union drops and they are not going to put out any additional effort without a contract, and if they are headed to the Gulf of Mexico, they are going to find the easiest way—the path of least resistance, or POLR. Now these drops have been working at this path for a long time. It turns out it is not a straight line. In fact, it is a rather circuitous route, which, for Woodstock and Grits, proves fortuitous indeed. Our civil engineers, also seeking the path of least resistance, cut a road into the walls that the Arkansas River carved from the rock. It was upon this road that Woodstock and Grits also sought the Holy POLR. Leaning deep into the curves, accelerating into the straights and then back into the curves—like supplicants at the altar of Speed—this daring duo challenged the little yellow signs with their arrows pointing left or right, suggesting a velocity much like a waiter might suggest a dinner wine. But Woodstock and Grits had cultured palettes and ordered ala carte. 50 mph? Hmmm . . . quaint. No, I think I will have the ’65. And in this manner they made short work of Highway 50 out of Salida, Colorado. This was unfortunate. The mountains gave way to the plains, the river departed to a previous engagement and Woodstock and Grits were left with long, straight passages from the Atlas of the POLR. These passages were punctuated by “Reduced Speed Ahead” signs, followed invariably by a grain silo with “(insert village name)” and “COOP” written on the top. This was a mantra repeated over and over for 275 miles. We were headed for Dodge City, Kansas. The local HOG (Harley Owners Group) had sponsored a dinner for all of the LRLR and the western contingent was late! Cutter Kate got on the horn and located the restaurant, where even now the eastern contingent of the LRLR were wolfing down T-bones and ribeyes and knocking back every known variety of the Devil’s brew. And we were missing it! Forget the shower. Slap a little deodorant on the armpits of the T-shirt and we are good to go. The western LRLR pulled into the parking lot of the “Casey’s Cowtown Steakhouse” and inserted their respective steeds among the many Iron Horses already grazing in the asphalt pasture. If you ride a Harley (or even one of those soulless metrics) the Dodge City HOG is an extraordinary host. We were feted (or in the case of the western LRLR—fetid), and everyone had a real good time. May the POLR smile upon the Dodge City HOG as long as corn grows in Kansas! After picture with our hosts, we all retired to the Super 8 for a well-deserved rest. And that was the fifth day for the western LRLR.

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