Riding to Des Moines

I plan my route to Des Moines.  One of the other guys, Minnesota Steve (yeah, he’s thin, so we can even call him ‘Fats’), was heading that direction, so we decide to ride together. He’s got a great personality, and he doesn’t get many chances to ride with others, so it sounds like we will have a blast.

As Minnesota Steve and I get to Springfield, Missouri, he starts having battery problems with his bike.  We find an auto parts store that has one that should fit, and we try to replace it. But, this after-market battery is just a tiny bit too large to fit in his bike. They refund the purchase, and we take our chances going down the road.

We head north on US-65, which goes right to Des Moines. It is nice to be off the interstates, as the small towns, farms, and buildings provide something to look at besides empty fields. There is little traffic on the highway, and we make good progress.

Mid-afternoon, we see rain clouds ahead.  We stop in a town to get fuel and I find a bar/restaurant on the GPS. Just as we agree to wait out the storm at the bar, the sky opens up.  We’re still under the canopy, fueling the bikes, so we stay dry. There’s  a break in the rain, so we try to find the bar. Instead, we find an ice cream parlor. That works well!

Just as we head out of town, the rains start again.  But, before we can even decide if we need to stop, the rains end. Well, so much for that big storm. We only had to ride in about 30 seconds of it. Sweet.

I have reservations in Des Moines, but not until the following day.  But we try to get a room anyway, so I don’t have to move again the next afternoon.  I walk into the upscale hotel, and there is a wedding party on the main floor. I’ve been on the road all day, wearing a torn t-shirt, grubby jeans, and my hair and beard are blown all over.  I can see from the front desk clerk’s face that this is going to be an interesting exchange.  I explain that I am here early, and he checks my reservation to verify. He tells me that the wedding has booked all of their rooms, so I will need to find somewhere else to stay.  No problem, but it was worth a try. “See ya tomorrow!”, I say as I walk out.

We find another place to stay and unload the bikes. After a brief stop at bar we were told of, we rest for the night.

Steve leaves for Minnesota in the morning, and I have to kill some time before I can move to the hotel that work was paying for, for the two weeks I was going to be in town.  I use the Internet and try to find some local biker bars and food. I ride past one of the bars, but it is early, and there are no bikes in the parking lot. I ride outside the city for an hour, then turn around. On the way back, I use the GPS to find a place to eat, and it points me to a Thai restaurant. The lunch was really good.

My room should be available at the hotel.  I return to find the same clerk working at the front desk. At least I’ve had a shower and look a bit more presentable today. We talk for a short while and he gives me directions to my room.  Leeann’s flight should be arriving soon, so I leave a message at the front desk for her to call me when she arrives.  We head to the hotel bar for the free happy hour and appetizers, and catch up on my travels and the schedule for our weeks of training.

Next: Two weeks in Des Moines