The National Bison Legacy Act

UPDATE: MAY 9, 2016

Obama Signs Law Making Bison the First National Mammal

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/10/us/politics/bison-mammal-designation.html?_r=0

Original post: MAY 2, 2016

Passing the Senate and House of Representatives last week the bison will become our first official mammal of the United States!

I’ve had numerous encounters with bison on my journeys.

One morning in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, I awoke to the craziest sounds. Loud guttural moans, snorts and enormous breaths were breaking the morning calm. I could hear chomping on the ground just outside my tent.

I unzipped the tent and had a look. The sun was just peaking over distant mountains warming the steamy backs of the beasts. It was beautiful.

These monstrous mammals roamed in a giant heard undeterred.

I decided to walk amongst them.

These glorious creatures now join the bald eagle in their well deserved spot as a national symbol of the United States.

Below is the look that you don’t want to see. This guy was the alpha male. As long as I didn’t mess with him I figured I was OK.

Besides Theodore Roosevelt National Park buffalo are also abundant in Yellowstone National Park, But I find them to be more aggressive.

My last encounter in Yellowstone nearly ended badly as I had ear plugs in and didn’t hear the bull charging from behind. Fortunately I reacted to other people reactions and darted behind a tree.

The bison in Custer State Park SD are large in number but not as big in size as those in the National Parks.

And the last place I got up close and personal with bison was at the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Indiahoma, OK. Bison and longhorn steer roam freely here.

So congratulations to the bison. After nearly being wiped out during the western expansion you are now a national treasure.

 

 

 

 

 

So, I have some good news and some bad news.

The good news is…
My Darren McKeag poster and T-shirt have finally arrived. I spoke of McKeag’s work when I went to the Indian Larry Block Party in a previous post.

The bad news is…

I was hit by a truck.

Short story is…

I’m OK.

Bonnie displays the manners of a NYC dog as she takes a leak on the lamp post.

The bike has been in the shop for over a month. Between insurance BS and waiting for parts, it has been an extremely long wait! Apparently Triumph shipped the wrong part and we are still waiting for it’s return.

2016 is off to a rough start. Gotta keep calm and carry on.

And if you enjoy clichés, amazingly when I was clipped by that truck l did Keep the rubber side down!

 

 

I’m Screwed!

Winter wasn’t bad this year, but I can’t wait for Spring! On my way to work Friday I snapped this shot, hopeful that this would be the last time I saw snow this season.

And now with temperatures expected in the seventies…

I’m screwed!

When I first saw the flat tire, I was hoping it was just a slow leak in the valve or something and I would fill her up and ride her to the shop uptown. I put some air in the tire. Pssssssst. It was flat again before I left the garage. Then I noticed the screw. The tube was punctured. A minor untimely misfortune is stuck in my tire, but I’ll back on the road in no time!

 

George Washington didn’t sleep here…but he hung around for a bit.

It’s the last day of January here in NYC and things have warmed up, melting away our recent snow storm. A good day for a ride. Today I am headed downtown for a little exploration of some of the cities colonial sites. I bring you some places where George Washington tread but did not sleep. Most of the residences from those days are gone. Though I can’t testify that he did not doze off in St.Paul’s Chapel.

On the way however I made a couple stops. Right in my neighborhood are some buildings of historical significance. I have been going to this Indian deli Kalustyan’s for the last 15 years. It’s a great place for exotic spices and rices.

What I did not know until today however, is that it was was once home to the 21st U.S. President Chester A. Arthur. While serving as Vice President Chester A. Arthur retreated to this house when then President James Garfield was shot. Garfield later died of his wounds and Chester A. Arthur took the oath of office on this site at 123 Lexington Avenue. Below is how it would have looked then.

Just down the street from the President’s old home on Lexington Avenue is the 69th Regiment Armory. This place is still an active building for the 69th Regiment. You can see some soldiers entering the building in the photo.

The 69th Armory also has an impressive history.

In 1910 Thure Johansson of Sweden broke the worlds indoor record for a marathon at 2:36:55.2.

Some of the first ever televised Roller Derby matches took place here.

The New York Knicks played some of their games here between 1946 and 1960.

The side of the Armory served as the entrance to the morgue in the movie Men in Black.

But perhaps most notably, in 1913 the 69th was the site of the Armory Show in which Modern Art was first introduced to the United States. It was the biggest art show New York had ever seen.

It was the first time people had seen Duchamp’s Nude Descending a Staircase. Former President Teddy Roosevelt compared it to a Navajo rug in his bathroom.

Along with the many avante-garde works from artists like Duchamp, Degas, Cezzane, Cassatt, Picasso and others from Europe who were practically unknown in the United States. There were Amereican artists work on display as well like this painting, McSorley’s Bar by American realist John Sloan.

McSorley’s bar is still in business on East 7th Street. If you would like to read more about some of the reactions to the Armory show, I have included an article from the time period. CLICK HERE.

Downtown Manhattan is the oldest colonized part of the city. The Dutch first settled here in the early 1600’s. The British took over in 1664 and on July 9, 1776 George Washington read The Declaration of Independence to his troops who were assembled in what is now City Hall Park.

After hearing Washington’s recital, the troops and gathered crowds stormed south down Broadway. At the end of Broadway is New York City’s oldest park Bowling Green.

Nervous and upset by the British navy occupying New York Harbor and excited by George Washington’s reading of the Declaration of Independence and a call to arms, the crowds stormed into Bowling Green and tore down an equestrian statue of King George. They decapitated the King’s likeness and melted the statue down for bullets. The crowd knocked off all the ornamented pillars of the fence surrounding the park and melted them down for ammunition as well. The original fence still stands today and you can see the broken tips of each pillar.

But screw history. The most exciting thing for tourists who visit Bowling Green to do is to have their picture taken with a bull sculpture.

Balls.

Further back up Broadway is St. Paul’s Chapel. St. Paul’s is most recently known for it’s role after the tragedy of 9/11. Rescue workers used it as a place to rest and renourish themselves. It’s fences were plastered with notes and photos of people who were unaccounted for after the falling of the tallest buildings in New York. The church was shown time and time again as a backdrop during the weeks after 9/11. But this church has stood here since 1766 where itself was once the tallest building in New York City.

It is the oldest public building in continuous use in New York City. Inside most of the pews have been removed and though they still have services it doubles as a museum for the events of 9/11. Some of the original photos from outside are shown.

The charred remains of a rescue workers outfit is on display.

One pew is left to show the scars left by folks lying down to rest and recover. Many with their utility belts still on.

St. Paul’s Chapel is also where George Washington worshiped on his Inauguration day and during the two years that New York City was the nation’s capital. Inside, an 18th-century oil painting of the Great Seal is on display above George Washington’s original pew.

As you exit from the rear of the church you can see where the World Trade Center once stood.

At the end of the Revolutionary War, on December 4, 1783 General George Washington bade farewell to his officers at a banquet on the second floor here at Fraunces Tavern.

Federal Hall is the location where George Washington was inaugurated President of the United States. This pillared Greek facade is not the original Federal Hall. It is long gone. The only building left in NYC where any President was sworn in is the one in my neighborhood where Chester A. Arthur became President..

If you look to your right from where George is standing, you will see Trinity Church. Now this is not the same church where George Washington would have gone. There have been 3 Trinity Churches on that site.

The Trinity Church we see today was built in 1846. George Washington probably would have gone to the first Trinity Church but it burnt down in a huge fire in 1776 so he attended services at St. Paul’s. The Second Trinity Church was built in 1790. That church had to be torn down after receiving damage from a snow storm in the winter of 1838-39.

Buried on the south side of the church are Robert Fulton and Alexander Hamilton.

The Liberty Tower peeks down onto Hamilton’s Grave just as the twin towers had.

You may recognize this place as another scene from the movie Men in Black. This is the entrance to their headquarters. It’s actually a ventilation shaft for the tunnel going to Brooklyn.

This is a sculpture that used to rest between the twin towers. Now it sits all banged up in Battery Park as a reminder and memorial.

The spire of St.Paul’s, once the tallest thing in NYC is now surrounded and dwarfed by many newer buildings. This latest structure is a travel hub where a whole bunch of subway lines will intersect with the Path train and lots of shops.

On to February. And the weather this week looks mild. Bonnie may just get out to play a little more this winter.

 

Pat Regan Photos

This weekend brought together a sequence of weather events that always provoke my photographic interests. If a good rain is followed by a bit of sunshine, I like to take reflection photos in puddles throughout the city.

In the early morning hours, it rained. Then the rain stopped and I checked the radar. It looked like there would be a break in the clouds for an hour or two. So I hopped on the bike to get around the city a little quicker.

I went for the big three iconic NYC towers: The Chrysler Building, The Empire State Building and the Freedom Tower as seen from the newly expanded World Trade Center site.

The Chrysler building is the gem of the skyscrapers. Many of the once majestic tall buildings of NYC are being dwarfed by new buildings going up at a wickedly rapid pace. On the ground the little dirty crevices where I like to focus my camera are getting cemented over and smoothed out.

The grand old manhole covers are being replaced by modern ones often ventilated which drains off any water.

Over the years I have compiled a large portfolio of these types of photos along with many photos from my travels and interest in motorcycles. So may I introduce to you,  www.patreganphotos.com

World Trade Center

Until recently the large area surrounding the Liberty Tower had been fenced off. Now it’s entire acreage is open as it was before 9/11.

You are now free to walk around the space which was once shadowed by the two towers taken down on September 11, 2001.

I played here when I was a kid. As I walked around the perimeter of the square fountains that now shadow the footprint of the former towers, I could remember skateboarding around the platforms that once surrounded the circumference of the World Trade Center. I sat on a bench in a small park to the south and took in all the changes. So many memories. The photo above is from the puddles pooling on a ping pong table in that park.

And now, following that warm day NYC sees it’s first snowfall of the year. I dig a little snow, but I hope this winter offers a few more of those freakish warm days than last year to hop on the bike and go for a ride!

So once again I welcome you to have a look at some of the photos I’ve taken over the last decade.

Please click the link and enjoy: www.patreganphotos.com

 

 

International Motorcycle Show 2015

2015

ALERT: New York City breaks the record for the warmest December 13 since the beginning of record keeping. A perfect day to take a ride to the annual bike show at the Javits Center. After last years brutal winter, these Spring-like days are a real treat.

It was less crowded on this Sunday afternoon than it was when we came here last year, which was nice.

There was a good balance of custom, vintage and new model bikes at this years show.

The School of Rock kids were ripping some pretty heavy sounds.

A big draw to this years bike show for me was the opportunity to check out the new Triumph Bonneville T120.

I was first talking to a technician who told me, “You gotta be careful, that front end will come off the ground!”

They have beefed this bike up to 1200cc with some serious torque. That and many other new features make this bike very appealing to me. I’m over 76,000 miles on my bike right now. She still runs great. Better than ever if you ask me. But forward thinking has me asking a lot of questions about the T120.

Jillian was definitely ready to race. She hopped on the KTM…

…and gave Rollie Free a run for his money.

 

This guy from Victory had a voice that sounded the way a Grizzly Bear would if he could talk. He roared about this big ol bike. It has a power windshield that goes up and down. But he was most excited to show how this bike can take a spill and you can still ride it out. So he grabbed that bike and knocked it over.

Sure enough it leaned solidly on these two points. Then he told a story about a couple he knows who came out unscathed after going down and another about him killing a deer with the same model bike. Though he did break his leg on the deer collision.

This bike was made by Le Mani Moto who specialize in well crafted machines with pre-war style designs. This one’s a real beauty!

Their logo is pretty rad too!

Some of the local colors were checking out the show as usual.

This is a new Indian Scout customized for the straight track. The bike in the background is a hill climber that was at Sturgis this Summer.

An Indian Larry Bike.

This dude in the Predator helmet is Alex. He served in Afghanistan and beneath that menacing shield is a friendly, happy guy. He had a difficult time getting more than a few steps before someone wanted him to stop and talk or take pictures with him.

He also has the all out movie version Predator helmet. Sick!

 

It’s like the Vincent is saying, “You wanna see knuckles! I’ll show you knuckles, Knucklehead!”

Makoto Endo paints these cool, splattery illustrations of motorcycles with chopsticks. I saw him first at last years show and again at the Indian Larry Block Party. This year Jillian got me a T-shirt with a Triumph painted by Makoto. Thanks babe!

I really dig his paintings and it’s cool to watch him work. I’ve included a video below.

I love these clean, bobbed out vintage machines.

This one reminded me of one I had seen somewhere downtown last year.

Below is the bike I saw downtown.

And then as we were leaving the show, up pulls Alex. That’s his bike above. The one I saw downtown.

And here he is again! He’s had some work done on the bike. The tank has been nickel plated and painted black and brown with gold pinstripes. Looks great! Good to meet you Alex!

I mentioned earlier in the post that I had ridden over 76,000 miles on my bike. That actually happened today! Or at least I think so. I was short by 7 miles on my way to work this morning and I rode around a bit after work. So I am guessing she turned over.

Instead of shooting through the tunnel for a quick trip home, I crossed a couple bridges and headed toward Brooklyn.

I took the short cut through the cemetery. The light was awesome with the dark sky in the background.

The whole cemetery was aglow!

I rolled through Williamsburg just to have a look. I saw these old chopped Triumphs on N14 St. I had seen the one on the left completely stripped down this past September at the Indian Larry Block Party.

Well, we have been really lucky so far with a beautifully mild winter. Let’s hope there are good riding days in the months ahead. Merry Christmas everybody! And have a healthy, happy new year!

Bonnie’s Back!

Bonnie’s back, and I mean that two fold. Yes my bike is back from Cycle Therapy. I’ve had her for a couple weeks now and she’s running as pretty as ever at nearly 76,000 miles.

But Bonnie is also back as Triumph has introduced a new and improved model with the rebirth of the T120. This new Bonneville boasts a 1200cc engine and provides that 6th gear that I’m always kicking for on an open road. And 54% more torque than the 865cc engine of the T100 is a considerable boost. Heated grips are another bonus! As with the T100 it’s fuel injected but they still keep the look of the carbs from the old T120. Check it out!

http://www.triumphmotorcycles.com/bikes/Classics/Bonneville/2016/Bonneville-T120

At 76,000 miles it may be time to start thinking about this next generation Bonneville in the near future.

Read more about the new T120 at Motorcycle.com.

Bikes in the shop!

It is a beautiful weekend and my bike’s in the shop.

12th Annual Indian Larry Block Party

Grease Monkey Block Party

It was a great weekend with both the Indian Larry Block Party and Brooklyn Invitational Custom Motorcycle Show taking place in Williamsburg this past weekend. Indian Larry’s new shop on N15th hosted a fun filled event with bands, vendors, and plenty of bikes.

With Bonnie in desperate need of some time in the shop, Jillian and I hopped on the ferry and crossed the East River into Brooklyn.

The place was energized with the surge of motorcycles populating North Williamsburg.

Artist Darren McKeag had a booth on 15th Street. Give him a brush and a can of One-Shot and he can transform any object using strong lines and wicked graphics. Below are some of the objects transformed. Check out more of his work HERE.

Bikes were riding in and out throughout the day.

Jillian bumped into an old friend Harvey from England. This Harvey is AKA DJ Harvey. I liked him from the get go. But if you Google him you can read 12 reasons to LOVE him!

More fun was to be had brought on by the sights and sounds of Judas Priestess!

They rocked out and knew exactly how to elicit the New York salute!

The entire neighborhood was filled with amazing vintage and customized machines.

This bare bones old Triumph was dazzled with modern alterations.

It sounded as good as it looked.

Jillian poses alongside one the Redrum brothers. A few years back I won Best British Bike at the Redrum BBQ. I’d like to say it was a great accomplishment, but I was the only British bike at the BBQ.

One of the Hell’s Angels helmets hung from the bars and made for this cool effect.

Jillian is always up for a good photo bomb!

This dude with the “Eat Shit” tank commanded front row parking.

Someone stole this dude’s parking spot. Hence, he was not happy.

The block party also attracted some great street rods.

There are a few bike shops in the neighborhood. One of the shops was offering $5 dollar beers with profits going to the fundraiser for the Aidan Jack Seeger Foundation which lobbies for newborn ALD screening. In fact, the whole block party was geared toward this cause. Inside the shop was this stripped down Triumph chopper.

This wild looking Triumph lost it’s chain, but there were plenty on hand to lend some help.

We took off for a bit and had a fine meal at a place called Teddy’s. It was really good! Then we headed back to the motorcycle festivities.

A block away from Indian Larry’s Block Party on N14th Street, the Brooklyn Invitational Custom Motorcycle Show was taking place at Root Studios. There was a showcase of bikes from some of the great builders including many of the builders I posted from Michael Lichter’s Naked Truth exhibit at the Buffalo Chip in Sturgis such as Tony Prust, Paul Cox, Walt Siegl, Christian Sosa, Bryan Fuller and Shinya Kumura to name a few.

We hung out with a couple of Jillian’s old friends, Robert and Clarence. Robert lives in Europe and told me of some magical roads that I must explore.

Robert is a founding member of the Mean Fuckers Club in England. Robert and Harvey (who we bumped into earlier) also have sons, named Norton and Harley respectively. A bit of motorcycle coincidence and trivia.

There were some bands playing CBGB type music in the center studio. And by that I mean Country, Bluegrass and Blues not the Ramones. In another studio was a bunch of vendors, a photographer doing on-site work and some tattoo artists plugging away on an arm or two.

A bunch of photos were for sale scattered across a table. This one of a guy doing a wheelie on a chopped out Knucklehead caught my eye. But I didn’t get the photographers name.

The night was settling in as we left Root Studios and the bikes were thinning out.

With both of these events happening simultaneously it was impossible to see everything, but it made for an awesome day! See ya next year.

FYI

This week Littlefield hosts the Third Annual Motorcycle Film Festival at 622 Degraw Street, Brooklyn 11217. Click the link for more info.

Summer 2015 – Headed Home

It’s been another great Summer and it’s still not over! Sturgis was a lot of fun as always! I am really glad I made it out for the 75th Anniversary. The thick, light red line represents this years journey. The other lines represent all my journeys, as do the lines on my face.

I wish I could have hung out with more people, like Cliff who I met out on the road years ago in Montana. It looks like he enjoyed Sturgis as well. I swiped this shot from his FB page.

There’s Lynn who I met on the way out. We kept shooting messages but never did hook up! Every time I have visited Sturgis I have made new friends and revisited old ones. Tyler from Sioux City, I hope to read about your travels in the near future. To the gang from Oregon and the crew from Sacramento I camped with, it was a pleasure. And Randy! See ya next time brother! Sturgis is a fantastic event, but it was time to move on. I have another vacation planned so I needed to head East so I can fly back West. Fortunately one of the new folks I met gave me a pass to cut through the Badlands. As I was leaving the Chip, Richard gave me his receipt from having visited the Badlands the day before. It was good for the whole week! I had planned on riding south and around the Badlands. Cutting through made the ride shorter and lot more pleasurable. Thanks again Richard.

I have been through the Badlands before. Camped here a couple times as well. It’s a wicked, surreal landscape. Today was overcast so I didn’t get too trigger happy with the camera.

This particular wolf ran with a pack.

This one did not.

From the Badlands I was off to camp out just on the other side of the Missouri River.

As I look at this photo, it occurs to me that I have a way of holding the camera that could easily be mistaken for a rude hand gesture by anyone passing by.

So I parked the bike and had a look at the Missouri River. It was wide here and they call it a lake as they had near Red Wing along the Mississippi. When I took this photo I thought that’s as close as I would get to the river.

Then I met these folks. While I was setting up camp, two guys approached. Jack and Pumpkin were their names. Along with a bunch of their friends, they rent all the lakeside cabins for a week each year and have a reunion. Jack used to ride and is eager to ride again now that the kids are all grown up. They were super nice. Jack and his wife Heather brought me some food and even some fire wood. Then he said if I was up for it, I could join them for the nightly midnight, shotgun a beer and swim in the river event. And so I did!

In the morning Jack and the gang were going golfing. They invited me to join them and from the sounds of it I would have fit right in with the skill level, but I had to make miles. So thanks again for breakfast and everything else! Send those pictures when you can!

I have grown an affection for Casey’s General Store. If I get a choice where to stop for gas, I choose Casey’s. They always have these chocolate peanut butter rice cakes by the door that (along with a Red Bull) bolster the moment with a solid sugar rush to get the motor going.

I continue to hit the brakes and turn around when I see a bit of America’s past slowly decaying. This time when I hit the brakes I really heard the sound of metal grinding. See, I have been without rear brake pads for a while now. I’ve known about it since my blowout on the way to Chicago but never took the time to get ’em replaced. Basically I have been downshifting and giving the soft touch to the front brakes to slow down this whole trip. Oh well, I’ll make it home.

Crossing into Iowa I took some scenic roads. Saw this old service station in Pisgah.

This guy was proud of his 73 Charger. Or was it his wife’s? Either way, he said they replaced the old engine with a 450 that runs on alcohol and tears it up!

I set up camp and let my feet air out. Feet get pretty beat up on the road. Unfortunately I left those puppies airing out after the sun went down. I got to talking and having a few beers with a guy named Mike at a campsite down the way. Mike used to ride but had a few too many spills so he gave it up. While hanging out by the fire my legs got chewed up. I never even saw a mosqito but they sure saw me.

Another nice family next to me had me over for breakfast in the morning. They were local farmers camping out for the weekend. Biscuits and Gravy. That was a heavy meal. Thanks y’all!

After a week at Sturgis, BBQ was the last thing on my mind but the bus sure looked cool.

I was slowly rolling along the local Iowa highways when I realized that if I hopped on the Interstate I might make it to Anamosa and see the motorcycle museum before it closes. I meant to stop there on the way to Sturgis but the weather was impossible as I headed west. Now was the time. This was it. I hopped on I80 and flew toward Cedar Rapids. It looked like I might not have enough time or maybe they wouldn’t let me in this late. I got there around 4:30. They closed at 5. I said to the lady at the register right away, “I know it’s late! Just let me see what I can before you close.” I must have looked crazed. There was chrome everywhere. I saw my reflection. I know I looked crazed! For the last few hours I had been blasting through heavy teaming, truck traffic weaving at 85 mph plus!

Now I could slow down and look at some gems.

The National Motorcycle Museum

This museum is packed with vintage bikes spanning motorcycle history.

An Indian Larry portrait hangs on the wall as does vast amounts of motorcycle memorabilia and other artwork.

This is a Harley Trike chassis and transmission providing the armature for a vehicle hand built in the 1940’s from 14 different cars.

Below is a steam powered motorcycle.

In the reflection of this Honda tank is the most beautiful of bikes.

The Brough Superior.

It is the motorcycle on which Lawrence of Arabia met his fate. In fact he owned 7 of them. He named each one George with a number. I-VII. And behind the bike hangs a painting.

This is an original David Uhl painting.

It was nice to see an actual painting with it’s original texture as opposed to a canvas print.

The brush strokes were fiery over the wheel illuminating the frame of the bike. Nice!

Now back to the Brough Superior. I was talking to an old gentleman at a Casey’s in Iowa a week earlier when my bike first started leaking oil. He was close to if not past 80 years old. He was telling me of the many rides he used to have. I told him how I missed seeing this museum in Anamosa on my way out. He said he went there once specifically to see a Vincent Black Lightning as ridden by Rollie Free when he broke the land speed record back in 1948. And then he said, “But the most beautiful bike of all was the Brough.” However he was saying unlike I had been saying it for years. “Bruff” is how he said it. Bruff? I have been saying “Bro!” He said no, it’s “Bruff”. Then he told me it used to be just Brough (Bruff). It was a father/son team but then the son wanted to go on his own and made the Brough Superior. Well it’s a mighty fine machine. And there are a few of them here at the museum.

PS…My girlfriend was just walking by the Ralph Lauren store in NYC and said there was a Brough Superior in the window, but this one’s new. New? Yup! They are making these babies again. Check it out!

Back to the museum.

Old biker club jackets lined a counter filled with motorcycle merchandise from another era.

There were many Triumphs besides this beautiful chopper in a workshop display. The only complaint I can think of is that this place doesn’t have more space. The bikes are fantastic! I wish there were more space to move around all of them!

The Triumph Thunderbird like Brando rode in The Wild One.

Just look at this place. And here I am again, as I was in Sturgis, alone amongst all these amazing motorcycles.

It was well past 5 now but the lady running the place never said a thing. She let me check the whole place out.

I could have easily spent another hour leisurely looking over the museum, but I sure did appreciate not being rushed after trying time and time again to get here.

THE ROADOG. I remember the first time I saw a picture of this beast. I was at Deals Gap after first riding the Tail of the Dragon for the first time. And here it was in person.

Fantastic Museum!

From here I would head east to the Mississippi! I would try to cross  the river and make camp before dark.

I crossed the mighty river and made it to Mississippi Palisades State Park.

I made it to the park before dark, but once I realized the sun was going to break at just the right time, I ended up pitching my tent in the dark.

In the morning there were butterflies all over my bike. That’s why I took this photo. I didn’t notice it at the time, but this is the first photo in which I see that my right muffler has become dislodged and is sticking out diagonally.

As I checked out my maps for today’s travel, I realized I could criss cross the town in Illinois where I met Lynn. I texted him and he said to drop by the grocery store. He had told me about the grocery store before. It used to be the town theater. Then when television came around, the theater went kaput. His grandpa bought it and opened the grocery store you see today.

Here is Lynn. If you don’t remember, he had that cool man cave garage from a few posts ago.

Lynn seemed to understand my taste for old Americana and asked if I wanted to see an old wooden grain elevator that this guy was converting into a saloon. He also seemed to understand my taste for steaks and he treated me to one from his store. Thank you sir!

So after lunch I followed Lynn down the road a while to this cool old elevator.

The guy who owns it wasn’t here today but he told Lynn we could stop by and have a look. During the week it’s quiet but on the weekends he turns it into the Psycho Silo Saloon.

Check out their Facebook page HERE.

The service station below is actually the rest room for the saloon.

This silo is made of stacked 2 x 6 planks. That’s solid!

This guy is serious about making this place a great establishment.

He has plans on expanding the grounds and adding a campsite as well. If you are rolling down Route 6 in Langley you may see the giant BEER sign on the side of the silo. It’s also a short distance from Route 80. So if you are passing by Langley over the weekend….Check it out!

While we were at the grocery store discussing places of interest, George the butcher mentioned the canal. Then he got back to making the ground meat. No additives at this grocery store I assure you. Anyway, after parting Lynn’s company at the silo I came upon the canal George mentioned.

The Henepin Canal was built to connect the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. But due to political strife and bad timing, the plan was delayed repeatedly. By the time it was finally financed and built, barge travel on both rivers had grown beyond the limits of this small canal and it was never used for it’s original commercial intent.

Also sitting next to the canal was this old Pontiac! Sweet!

Sitting before the roaring train and clanging signals with a front row seat is always a thrill.

However, on this second occasion it afforded me the chance to check out an old house I noticed while passing.

I went back to see this house in the Illinois River valley as the long train passed. While I was there to take the photo, the only two cars to pass by both slowed down to make sure I was OK. Kinda nice!

Not sure if James Brown played this one.

This is an old photo of a clean shaven Abraham Lincoln as he looked when he was a young lawyer in Illinois.

And here is the courthouse in Metamora where Lincoln handled over 70 cases through 1858. On October 10, 1857 Lincoln defended Melissa Goings, a seventy year old woman accused of killing her husband. While in the custody of the sheriff she managed to escape. The court bailiff accused Lincoln of chasing her off, but apparently Lincoln turned to the judge and said, “Your Honor, I did not run her off. She wanted to know where she could get a good drink of water, and I told her there was mighty good water in Tennessee.”

Damn storms again. If I continued east as planned it would have been a bad wet day, so I shot south for a while.

It was good to see Richard Serra expanding to middle America.

Then I noticed what I mentioned in the butterfly picture before. The two bolts that hold my pipes flush with the frame were gone. Maybe all that oil splashing around earlier in the trip had loosened them up. I was concerned that leaving it sticking out might cause added strain to the pipe clamp and I could lose the whole thing while riding at 75 or more. So I made my annual trip to Home Depot for some do it yourself rigging. I wired her up pretty good. Good enough at least. It was go time. Time for an Interstate blast back into the the East Coast mayhem!

The last couple days of the journey were all Interstate. It was however the first time I made it around Indianapolis without making a wrong turn, so that was good. There was only one last stop to make. Shartlesville, PA.

Besides that old log home above, Shartlesville will greet with with a couple of giant Amish people.

And a paddle boat out of water.

But the reason I pulled off at Shartlesville was to see Roadside America.

Roadside America is visible from the Interstate in Eastern PA. I have passed it so many times but I am usually in a hurry to get out of town or in a hurry to get back home. This time I would take the time to pull over and see the World’s Greatest Indoor Miniature Village.

It’s all in the details. And to make sure you don’t miss the village’s nuances, small notes are left about. Like this one to Note the fustrated hunter. A little rabbit jumps in and out of a hole fustrating the hunter. Can you feel the fustration?

Here is a tribute to the man who created Roadside America.

Various buttons surrounding the village will give you control over some of the mechanics or trains.

Was it worth the price of admission? I have no regrets! A last pose with Lady Liberty reminded me that I was close to home.

My final approach to the big city!

Thanks for joining me on another exciting journey.

Looking forward to the next!