Well! I can hear John (JV) telling me 'you shouldn't start a story with - Well!' But this story, well...
We started with a quick sojorn on the Gold Coast with gorgeous Georgia and family before heading to Kansas with Air New Zealand via Auckland and San Fransisco. We had arranged to couchsurf in Kansas but at the 11th hour our host had a family tragedy which called her away. She contacted us on Facebook but we had no data and the wifi at the airport wasn't working so by the time we found our way to Terminal B where the wifi was working it was well after 1am and we decided we would just stay there and sort ourselves in the morning.
We got Motel Super 8 to come and pick us up and they stowed our bags and dropped us to the Harley Davidson factory for a tour. Kent did a special steel toecap tour and was able to go right into the thick of things and see how these beautiful machines are made. Then back to the motel to book in, shower and sleep.
Next morning we were picked up by Tom of Gail's Harley Davidson and taken there to rent the bike. We were very lucky that he lives north of the city and offered to transport us there, it would have taken a couple of hours on the bus as it is south of the city proper. The bike is huge, it is gold and dark red, with all the bells and whistles.
We signed our lives away and Tom gave us our bike instruction and Kent went off for a short test drive. We managed to fit our gear into the side and top boxes including Kents sticks which was great and headed off. Well we tried to head off... We were supposed to head north but some idiot got confused (me) and we went south. Ah but then we remembered that we had forgotten all the Route 66 info and maps so it was just lucky that we had to go back to the dealership anyway as we were passing to get back on the right track. See there's a reason for everything!
I was very nervous about the size of the bike but the ride to Hannibal was good, Kent managed really well and we just took our time and cruised along. The countryside looks green and inviting, the air was warm and bug free, the roads are very good and quite different from our Kiwi ones tho I can't really define exactly how.
We have to remember to fillup sooner rather than later because sometimes you can go for miles and miles and no gas stations...
Tonight we are in Hannibal with our good friend Gary who we have traveled with before. Fortuitously he has been visiting his parents in a neighbouring state and we took the opportunity to catch up before he has to get back home. We are waiting to hear from our friends who we are going to meet here once they get themselves and their bikes organised. Two Kiwi couples who have done route 66 before and think this one will be their last hurrah. Once they arrive we will head north with them up towards Chicargo.
Dinner was an american experience called the 'Golden Corral' an all you can eat for $12 (incl tax) diner where the staff were thin and the customers were not, the food was good and we ate too much and are now crashed in our motel room rueing the day. Catch ya lata!!!
