The last multi-day motorcycle trip for me was a three-day ride from Florida to Massachusetts in 1964.  This one was a bit longer, but the highways today are much better.  About half of that Florida-Massachusetts trip was two-lane roads through small towns, while the ride from Salt Lake City to Springfield, VA, was almost totally Interstate highways.  Day Two is missing because I spent it in Colorado Springs on personal business and visiting friends. 

    I regained most of my motorcycling skills and habits in the few days I spent in Salt Lake City.  But on Day Three the muscles in my back and neck, as well as my bottom, let me know it would take a bit longer to get completely accustomed again to long hours on the road.  The seat on the XR650L is definitely not built for touring.  About mid-morning on each of the last three days seemed to be the worst, but after lunch everything seemed much more comfortable. 

    The week of 15 May there was a huge storm system moving across the United States.  In the north there were rain, hail, sleet, snow, thunderstorms, and tornados.  In the south there were very high winds (25 miles per hour average with gusts to 40 and 45 miles per hour).  Those were the winds that drove the devastating fire at Los Alamos, New Mexico.  Through eastern Utah they were cross winds from my right, and in eastern Colorado they were from my left rear quarter.  Fortunately, the worst part of the weather kept ahead of me by one day all the way, so I saw almost no rain, and no tornados.  The one exception was my day off in Colorado Springs, when light rain punctuated with thunderstorms/hail kept me from riding up Pike's Peak. 

    The route: I-15 to Spanish Fork, UT; US 6 to Green River, UT; I-70 to Saint Louis (except for the dogleg to Colorado Springs); I-64 to Buena Vista, VA; I-81 to Front Royal, VA; and I-66 to Fairfax, VA. 

    There is no room for saddlebags on the XR650L, so I carried everything in a backpack and a large butt-bag.  I was ready for most contingencies.  In addition to the snowmobile suit, I had a change of clothes, a rain suit, extra gloves, and a set of tools complete enough to overhaul the whole motorcycle.  Of all that, I used only the snowmobile suit. 

    Traffic was light the whole way except for getting through Saint Louis on Thursday afternoon.  In the total distance of about 2600 miles I saw only two minor accidents. 

    My wife suggested I stay overnight on military bases instead of motels along the highway to reduce the likelihood of someone stealing the motorcycle.  As an Air Force retiree I can do that if space is available at military guest quarters.  The only catch is that they only take reservations 24 hours in advance, so I didn't know for sure where I'd be staying the next night and had to call each day to make the next reservation.  Overall, it worked out very well.  By far, the best of them was Wickam Guest House at Fort Knox, KY. 

    The only downer was my camera; it picked this time to give out completely, so I don't have a single picture from the actual ride.  On a recent non-motorcycle trip to Utah I got a couple pictures for Day One. 

    What a joy!  What a way to get back into motorcycling after 13 years!  Seventy-five miles per hour across the Rocky Mountains and the golden plains of this great nation, and through four states for the first time, is an experience I'll never forget.  It's a unique view of America that I swear I cannot get in an automobile. 

    All you motorcycle riders out there who are thinking about a long trip, get on with it.  You won't be sorry.