Day #20
Date: Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Departure: John Day, Oregon
Destination: Orofino, Idaho (Panhandle of Idaho)
Miles: 382
ALL WE CAN SAY IS "WAHOO"!
ACTIVITY FOR THE OVER-ACHIEVER
Where's Waldo (Jase)?
DO WE SEEM A BIT "GIDDY"?
ACTIVITY FOR THE OVER-ACHIEVER
Where's Waldo (Jase)?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
IF YOU WERE TO ASK ANY OF THE 48 STATE TEAM
IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO
HAVE BREAKFAST AT THE MOTEL
THE ANSWER WOULD BE A RESOUNDING
"NO!"
"PLEASE NO!"
EVEN ORDERING AT THE RESTAURANT HAS BECOME A TORTUROUS TASK
JASE HAS SIMPLIFIED THE PROCESS OF ORDERING BY......
- Only ordering from the photos on the menu
- Ordering the Special of the Day from the menu
- Asking the waitress to recommend an entree
Where's Waldo (Grandpa) in this photo? You guessed it? His favorite place....the bathroom.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
CHARACTER TRAITS OF A 14-YEAR OLD
They have a love affair with straw wrappers and straws.
They constantly flip water at each other
and find the tone on water glasses.
They laugh and chase and bump and run.
They jump and touch low ceilings and doors
and hang on anything they can find.
However.....
JACK
Never complains -
even when Grandpa keeps forgetting his maps and water bottles
at every service station and has to turn around
and go back and have Jack jump off the bike and run in and get them.
Please note: This is a common occurrence.
And.....
JON
Sits quietly.
He doesn't complain when lunch is two hours late.
He has been very understanding.
He doesn't whine.
He doesn't complain.
He just sits there.
And waits for the swimming pool to show up at the next motel.
And....
BEN
Just drives.
Gets up early.
Takes care of his bike and stuff and is ready to go.
And....
GRANDPA
Is so excited every single morning
to get back on the bike
that he can hardly contain himself.
Each morning he begins playing the same 70+ Statler Brothers music
which is magically connected to his motorcycle key.
JACK may be loosing it......
He is beginning to hum Statler Brothers tunes without being aware of it.
When texting his mother he mentioned that he had listened to the Statler Brothers music for the
500th time this trip!
His mother who had traveled to Chicago with Grandpa when she was 18 years old said,
"I know....I know just how you feel."
When Jack's 18-year-old brother
was asked in a high school class
What music he liked to listen to?
He replied,
"The Statler Brothers".
And he was serious!
And
JASE
Is patient beyond belief.
He never complains.
He doesn't talk much unless prodded.
It doesn't matter if the two bikes in front go fast
or if they go slow.
He adjusts.
He listens to books while he rides.
He has gone through several books on this 48-state adventure.
Hence......Ph.D.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TODAY'S CONDITIONS
+4 more degrees
TOO HOT FOR EVEN THE MIGHTY GOLDWING
AIR-COOLING SYSTEM
95 MILES OF HOT, HOT TEMPERATURES
from Walla Walla, Washington to Lewiston, Idaho
TOOK IT'S TOLL
ON THE TEAM
For miles around Pendleton, Oregon
DRY, ITCHY, WHEAT CHAFF IN THE AIR
Got in our nose and throats
Sneezing
Blowing
Coughing
THE SOUTH WAS HOT AND HUMID
but
THIS WAS MISERABLE
WE QUIT EARLY TODAY
Only 347 miles
BUT....
WE HAVE WOUND OUR WAY
IN AND OUT OF ALL 48 STATES!
ONE MORE BIG PUSH FROM
Orofino, Idaho
TO
Rexburg Idaho
TO CONNECT THE DOTS ON THE MAP
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
GRANDPA'S JOURNAL
John Day, Oregon
Pendleton, Oregon
College Place, Washington
Walla Walla, Washington
Lewiston, Idaho
Still 104 degrees
Orofino, Idaho
Couldn't do another mile
REFLECTIONS
This trip was difficult.
In order to clip all 48 contiguous states
we had to take back roads.
Granted, it was beautiful and we really got to see America
but.....
It makes a man out of a man.
Last year Jase and I traveled all around the USA touching all four corners;
Madawaska, Maine
Key West, Florida
San Ysidro, California
Blaine, Washington.
We rode hard every day.
We took freeways and made good time.
It was nothing like this.
SERIOUSLY!
What a thrill
to reach that 48th state today.
We are giddy with it all.
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