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After the excitement of Route 66 we didn’t think too much about our route from Illinois to Iowa the next day. We ended up having a great day, including a visit to an old-school working windmill in the town of Fulton Illinois on the banks of the Mississippi River. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Immigrant 

The miller gave us a great tour and wore a t-shirt that said ‘imill’, he admitted that his wife said it looked like ‘I’m ill’. We had many laughs, learned a few things, took some fun pics and had a great lunch at the ‘place to be’, Krumpets. 

Then it was on to Iowa, just over the bridge from Fulton, across the mighty Mississippi River.

What I remember most about Iowa is corn fields, more corn fields, and still more corn fields. It’s amazing to ride through the changing landscapes across this vast country. We mostly stick to secondary roads thanks to Zandra’s amazing navigation skills and a great app (Navigon for the geeks out there) which brings us through small towns and acres and acres of farm land. The roads were pretty flat and straight by this point so it made for some ‘easy’ miles which was a welcome break from the more technical hills and curves that we left behind in the east. 

After spending the night in Cedar Rapids, Iowa we had a relatively short ride of roughly 230 miles to our next destination, Omaha, Nebraska. 

We stopped for lunch at a trendy little cafe in Indianola, Iowa where young people, yoga pants and iPhones were in abundence. I think I saw at least one man bun. As we crossed the street to our bikes I spotted this sign on a decrepit building which seemed incongruous to the atmosphere we had just left but also made me acutely aware that we were moving west. 

Our last stop in Iowa was a visit to the National Motorcycle Museum a few miles before the state line and our stop for the night in Omaha. http://www.nationalmcmuseum.org

While I love riding my motorcycle, I am not much of a motorcycle enthusiast. I can never really tell a Harley from a Honda at a distance which is blasphemy in some parts. However, the museum was really cool. The history of motorcycles in America is incredibly interesting. There was an entire wall dedicated to artists renditions of motorcycles and bikers. There was also a huge collection of bikes from the early 1900’s to the bike Peter Fonda rode in Easy Rider. They had a whole display of Evel Knievel which brought out the silly in Zandra. 

The museum also displayed a great deal of memorabilia celebrating women riders. 

And that brings us to the State line which makes me realize that I haven’t updated our State hopping since Massachusetts so here’s the long list:

Pennsylvania ☑️

West Virginia (for only a few miles but it counts) ☑️

Ohio ☑️

Indiana ☑️

Illinois ☑️

Iowa ☑️

Nebraska ☑️

Kansas ☑️

And in Colorado now.

Whatever you ride – ride safe. 

Helen


Taking a side trip to Route 66 was a great idea. We were able to pick it up in Illinois where the Polk-a-Dot Drive In has been serving burgers and ice cream since 1959. 

The stop was particularly poignant for Zandra. Growing up, her dad regaled her with stories about driving Route 66 in his TR3 convertible with her mom in the 1960’s. He was thrilled to know that we had been planning to ride Route 66 the year Z turned 50. Sadly he passed away in 2014 and for a variety of reasons our plans changed to do this Sisters’ Ride so it was perfect that we could combine the two.

Here’s Tina and Z goofing around under the Gemini Giant on Route 66. Appropo, as both are Geminis born in 1966. 

The last few days have been a whirlwind of riding and sightseeing. Since Saturday in Ohio we have buzzed through 3 more States: Indiana, Illinois and now in Iowa. My American geography is becoming much better but admittedly that is not a high bar. 

Somewhat ironically we found ourselves driving through the quiet, beautiful roads of Indiana on Sunday morning where they have recently enacted a Religious Freedom Law allowing private businesses to refuse service to GLBT people on religious grounds. http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/03/what-makes-indianas-religious-freedom-law-different/388997/

Perhaps more ironic is that at around lunch time when we stopped to fuel up in the tiny town of Burnsville, Zandra asked the gas station owner about places for lunch in the area. He pointed back down the road and told us there is a “white house about 500 yards back, no sign or anything, but good food”. Sounded like the perfect recommendation to us. 

We found ourselves in a little hole-in-the-wall diner that had wonderful homemade food and the friendliest service. We had parked our 5 bikes all in a row in front of the building that only had a small open sign in the window. One of our crew went to check if it really was a restaurant. 

There was just one group in the tiny place when we arrived in our leather and jeans – all women. As with everywhere else they wanted to know where we were riding from and riding to. We laughed and took pictures and shared stories with the next table. About 15 minutes into our meal the place started filling up with the after-church Sunday lunch crowd (ok crowd might be a bit of a stretch). The family next to us started telling everyone who we were and the ride we were on and before we knew it we were the talk of Burnsville. The older ‘church-ladies’ were smiling and laughing and talking about us all being ladies and how exciting this was. I suspect we will continue to be the talk of the town for at least a week or until something else out of the ordinary happens. 

Thank you Indiana – you made us feel very welcome. 

On Saturday, the Sisters’ ride went to the AMA vintage motorcycle day event  http://americanmotorcyclist.com/Events/AMA-Vintage-Motorcycle-Days. 

The ride there was through the beautiful, windy, quiet back roads of Ohio. Even in a group of 25 riders it was relaxed and mellow and included a requisite sighting of an Amish man on a horse and buggy. 

Then we got to our destination. A complete 180. Hard to estimate how many people were there but I would guess 20,000 or more. And it was a sea of white faces. I felt like I had landed in redneck mecca. 

Here we were, a group of 75 mostly women riders, celebrating the 100th year anniversary ride of two strong women who pushed the boundaries of their day. We may as well have stepped back into 1916 except for the ear-piercing noise of high tech motorcycles screaming around the race-track. 

This is not a criticism of the Sisters’ ride organizers in the least. All if us wore blue shirts emblazoned with the Sisters’ Ride logo and we even rode as a group around the race-track (which was pretty cool). Many folks asked us questions about the shirts and one women vendor says she wishes she had known about the ride as she would have joined. 

Again, no one was rude or disrespectful but just as we were finishing lunch, the music blasting from the massive speakers stopped and an announcer came on to ask for a moment of silence while he led us in prayer (not kidding) and to remove all headwear (exception made for helmets-which few seemed to be wearing anyway) while a couple sang “his favorite song” The Star-Spangled Banner. 

Standing there, with my hat in my hand, I felt completely helpless but to go along with the crowd. It is all too easy to see how people get caught up in the waves of anger and hate-mongering that we are seeing all over the world and how groups of people who feel, rightly or wrongly, disenfranchised get together and perpetuate a stew of anger and hate towards anyone who doesn’t look like them. 

I know how I felt standing there in that crowd but for the most part I could blend in. The African-American women riders in our group did not have that luxury. In solidarity with these incredible women I would like to introduce you to Bessie Stringfield. 

Bessie Stringfield (1911 – February 1993), nicknamed “The Motorcycle Queen of Miami”,[2] was the first African-American woman to ride across the United States solo, and during World War II she served as one of the few motorcycle despatch riders for the United States military.

Credited with breaking down barriers for both women and African-American motorcyclists,[3] Stringfield was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame.[4] the award bestowed by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) for “Superior Achievement by a Female Motorcyclist” is named in her honor.

Pennsylvania was an amazing State to ride in from east to west. The roads are well maintained and the windy single track through the lush hills made for an incredible day on a motorcycle. 

We spent the day riding with 3 awesome women – Mary Beth from Long Island, Kirsten from Pennsylvania and Vivian from the Chicago area. They were very happy to join the Canadian Rogue Riders which is now “a thing”. Kirsten sadly had to leave the group early today but we made her an honourary Canadian Rogue Rider. 

Driving through this part of the country it was hard not to notice the bazillion churches, American flags (although that could have been because it was just after July 4th – but somehow I doubt it) and the scary number of Team Trump lawnsigns with at least one van completely decked out in Trumphenalia. 

But I have to say, without exception, people have been chatty and kind. From the biggest, burliest biker to the local shop keeper and gas bar attendant people have asked us where we’re riding from and where we’re riding to. When we tell them the story we get huge smiles and “that’s so cool” and “I’m jealous” but the last words are always “ride safe”. Feeling the love. 😄

Dinner selfies seem to have become a “thing”. Our first ride as a group yesterday. Hot and long but still all smiles at dinner. 

Rode some beautiful roads in Massachusetts. One of the riders from southern California was in awe of how green and lush the northeast is. Made me appreciate the places I ride all the time. Although I don’t appreciate the short riding season so much. 

As any of you bikers out there know frequent breaks are necessary, fuelling up, peeing, and just getting the circulation back in your throttle hand and your butt. But breaks are all part of the fun when you ride in a group. Especially when it’s a group of women riders. People talk to us at every stop. They want to know where we’ve been, where we’re going, do we really ride our own bike??? 

And you would be amazed how many people want to take selfies with a group of women bikers. Yesterday two cross-country big rig truck drivers were so excited about our story of riding to San Francisco that one of them had his buddy take a selfie with us. They also gave us some sound advice on riding safe and watching out for trucks “because it takes them a mile to stop”. Note to self: have a tequila shot in San Fran for one of the truckers. 

Other breaks are a little less exciting but no less fun. Here we are getting our sillies out in the parking lot of the Dollar General. Great photo Tina. 

Well time to get up and get back on the road. Not crossing any state lines today but still a long day to the other side of Pennsylvania. But we are stopping to pay homage to Punxsutawney Phil – the infamous ground hog. I’ll post a pic. 

Ride safe everyone. 

Met up with some of our new-found rogue riders and headed to the Springfield museums, home of Indian motorcycles and an exhibit on the Van Buren sisters ride in 1916. 

Then Zandra had some fun in the Dr. Seuss garden. 

Dinner at Theodores’Blues Booze and BBQ. Best cornbread I have ever had. 

Sisters’ Rogue Riders. Clockwise: Ellen, Barbara, Olivia, Johanne, Tina, Dawn, me and Zee up front and centre. 

Last, but not least, a game of pool in what we were told is the oldest billiards hall in the US. 

Smith’s Billiards (est. 1902)

New York ☑️, Massachusetts ☑️, onwards to Pennsylvania in the morning. 

Good night. 🏍🏍

Awesome sunset before the fireworks. Meeting some amazing women from all over the US. Started our own little riding group now named the Sisters’ Rogue Riders – we’re following the bigger group but on our own schedule. Might not be so little soon. Apparently lots of folks want to hang with the Canadians. 
Zandra, Johanne and I did interviews today with the Globe and Mail where I read about the ride last fall and registered that day. They are doing a follow up story featuring us. How cool is that? We’ll post when it comes out. We also got interviewed for the documentary on the Van Buren sisters and this ride. They’re loving the Canadians and we’re hearing from lots of folks that they love Trudeau and want to know how easy it is to move to Canada if “things go badly” in November. 

So many exciting things and we’ve barely started. More to come…

Hey everyone. Sitting at the picnic table at the Legacy inn &suites enjoying an apres ride drink. The weather was amazing except for a few gusts of wind while on the I 87. We did have a little detour taking us into the town of Schroon. Lol. Had lunch at Gus’s restaurant. Wow next time remember to ask how much for a small cup of soup. $5. We’re here safe and sound and will head to Springfield Mass tomorrow to meet up with the Sisters ride. Cheers!

Bikes are tuned, new tires are shiny, packing, re-packing and then re-re-packing will be happening today. The Sisters ride has made its start in NYC https://www.facebook.com/SistersMotorcycleRide/ and we’ll be meeting up with them on Monday in Springfield, Massachusetts.

We are 4 of 8 Canadians participating in the ride and we will be proud to represent. Apparently “the world needs more Canada” 🇨🇦