Well, I think that's it for 2025.

I didn't have the same mileage as last year, but a pretty good year nonetheless. I finished my year end oil change today, as I think my schedule has me calling it a season.

Lets see if I can summarize it:

• Multiple rides in the area.
• Left EDM to MT. Did the GTTSR en route to Missoula. GTTSR is scenic, but s-l-o-w.
• Missoula to Milwaukee: BBSilver 1500. Bad rain in SD and MN.
• Left MKE after a couple days [Powertrain, Museum]
• Chicago to begin RT 66.
  • Springfield MO - By way of Joliet Prison, Gemmini Giant
  • Amarillo TX - Through OK. Lots of old gas stations, stayed at Big Texan. Shamrock TX.
  • Gallup NM - Stayed at the El Rancho. Beer was tight in Gallup [?]
  • Laughlin NV - Technically not 66, but sis the Slegman - Peach Springs loop and Oatman. Did well on craps...
  • Santa Monica CA - Back to 66, did the old Pasadena bridge, Mel's Diner end of route, then did about face to LVNV to meet the wives.
• Left motorcycle at RR Harley-Davidson for a month, drove with wife to a wedding.
• Flew down and rode home.

Anyhow - we shall see what next year brings. I suppose the big deal was Route 66. It wasn't cheap...

Just thought I'd reach out to our regional group to see a summary of your year.. I'd hate to total the price of motorcycling this year was though... [cringe].



Milwaukee Xfmr @ Harley-Davidson Museum

Brewers

Harley-Davidson HQ

Museum Parking

Mile 0 Chicago





Blue Whale of Catoosa

Tulsa Oil Worker.

Shamrock TX

I think this was the first Phillips 66 gas station

Big Texan beers

Apparently what 72 oz looks like

The stage to eat said 72 oz.

Midpoint in Adrian TX

Continental Divide.

El Rancho, morning departure.

I've stood here before.... ha ha

Good Ol Roy's Cafe. Had a root beer and some sugar.

End of the route. Officially...

 

Great pics, good write up, thanks.

 

Good trip !

 

When I retire, that's the first thing I am going to do. Wife and I rode out to Alberta this summer. You have an amazing province. Lots of cool spots to ride. We did the going to the sun road 2 years ago, quite the scenery.

 

Enjoyed this - thanks for sharing! Love the pics.

I have a special affection for RT-66. Allows us to ride through history. I am planning to run it again from MO to NM for the 100th anniversary in June.

 

Thanks for documenting what was obviously a great trip.

My riding season couldn't hold a candle to that; I got a new car in Jan. of this year so I wanted to use that instead of a bike for my annual trip down to Waterton. Next year though!

 

In hindsight it was a great trip.
The GTTSR was scenic as always, but horribly slow. They should trial something like odd hours are westbound, even hours eastbound. Mind you it is like 2 hours one way, but you know. Maybe motorcycle only hours. Ha ha.

The Bun Burner Silver ticked a box. We were on track for a BBG, but the driving rain and blowing wind sucked. We stopped for a bit, and made MKE easily the next day.

MKE is always a good time. We did the HD stuff and had lots of laughs and beers. The Brewers game was good, but the Lime scooters back to the IHH was a little sketchy. I didn't dump it, but I almost did. Oops.

Route 66 was cool, but I'm not super invested in the history. We hit the highlights that we could pre-internet scan, but we found we were on the Interstate quite a bit, and I think being born in 75 - Route 66 wasn't in my wheelhouse. It'd been cool if we stayed in Flagstaff over Gallup. Gallup had some weird beer laws, and the ol El Rancho was cool...

Once we got moving from Laughlin [detour] we checked Roy's Cafe in Amboy, and pounded down into Santa Monica. The traffic was a pain of course, but we had the lure of Vegas that afternoon, so we snapped the photo, and got a move on into the traffic departing the LA basin. We split a lot, but had to cool it at the state line obviously.

Vegas was as always fun, but leaving the motorcycle at RR Harley-Davidson has gotten very expensive. It used to be $50 a month, now it's $300. Anyhow, It's in the garage now, and I get to run my winter HD: My Husqvarna snowblower...