Stan is HOME!!!!

Crazyman has finished his Iron Butt Motorcycle Rally and returned home. He's red as a beet, with bad sunburns on his wrists, and strange pock marks all over from things that flew at him on the road. But mostly, he's OKAY, except for a few adventures... His foot hit a road reflector on day 3 apparently and is (thankfully) "not black anymore" (I quote - hm.). His ears are swollen from 20+ days of ear plugs. And a tumbleweed actually penetrated his kevlar riding suit head on at some point. (He says his mechanics will be pulling tumbleweed out of the engine for years.) Gads. But what an expression, eh? This is his first step off the bike.

(Click to get a better look at the sunburned mug.)
     Be prepared to be blown away - here is his ENTIRE route over the last month - starting from Atlanta...

I'm so glad to have him home safe. :)

He Did It!!!

My hubbie is officially an Iron Butt Motorcyclist! He just arrived in Ontario, California (Los Angeles) to the final checkpoint at 5:30 am (PST). He said he got to see the lights of L.A. in the valley as he rode in - kinda celebratory. The man sounds happy and relieved.
     He says he has a photo, which I'll post as soon as I get it. The banquet is tonight, and then he begins the journey back to Atlanta. Can't wait to have my hubbie home. What an accomplishment!!!

PS - Funny story - he rode through a dust storm yesterday and said he'd never been so dirty in his life. He's showered since then... Here is a photo of his bike (which is still filthy) last night in Barstow.

Motorcycle Rally Support

One of the amazing things about the Iron Butt Rally is the incredible support people have shown to my hubbie all over the US. People have offered phone numbers, road assistance, trailers (just in case), you name it. His facebook page (which I am updating with his progress while he rides) is covered with good wishes and congratulations.
     And how's this for sweet? When Stan pulled into the second check point in Jacksonville, Florida, this sign was waiting for him... It's his facebook avatar and his tongue-in-cheek motorcycle nickname (most of them have one). I tell ya, when you travel all 48 states in 11 days, friends come out from all over. What an awesome, awesome thing.
     So, he's off to Los Angeles, the last leg of the rally. Then will head back home at a much more leisurely pace. Iron Butt indeed. Here's a great shot Larry Woodall got of my hubs:

Motorcycling through New York

Yesterday (Saturday) was a big riding day for Stan. The Iron Butt Rally announced the course requirements for Stage 2 at 4:00 am, so hubbie was on the road by 5! And since the goal is to hit all 48 states, he covered most of New England before ending his ride about 9:00 pm last night. Of course, that included New York City, which he decided to ride straight through. Apparently he received lots of strange looks "Are you a cop? Are you an alien?" and the cabbies didn't know what to make of him. He even got hit on by a woman in Queens, "Nice bike." (That's the way I heard it anyhow. The saying around here is "Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.") Here was his amazing route:

Motorcycle Rally Progress

Stan made his first check point in Buffalo, New York yesterday with time to spare. So it became laundry day and catching up on sleep day. He was up at 4:00 this morning to receive the package with information for the 2nd stage of the journey and is already on his way to Schenectady (love that name). :)

Hubbie's Iron Butt Motorcycle Rally Progress

Since they announced the course on the Iron Butt site, I can share that this year's Rally is to visit 48 states in 11 days. Stan is making good progress already. Here's what his journey looks like so far on Spotwalla (Thursday morning). (Click the map to see it larger.) You can see his journey from Atlanta to Seattle (where I flew to see him off) and his journey since then. Last night he ended up in Topeka, Kansas. Tonight he'll end up at the first check point in Buffalo, New York. (Update: oops - he'll be in Buffalo tomorrow night. Tonight he's in Cincinnati.) He rode mostly in rain yesterday, but I can hear his smile through the phone. My crazy man is having a BLAST!

2011 Iron Butt Motorcycle Rally - departure

I just returned from Seattle, WA where I saw off the hubs on his first Iron Butt Motorcycle Rally. This is no small affair - 11,000 miles in 11 days. They began in Seattle, will tour the entire country and end up in Los Angeles. Of course, hubbie rode out to Seattle first and will ride home from LA because he's crazy like that. Anyhow - here's the video of some of them (and Stan) taking off:

Motorcycle Rally - Day 3

From Rawlins, Wyoming to...? Well, I can tell you there aren't many cities, towns, or junctions in much of the area he's traveling today! Hubbie called me from Utah just in case we'll lose coverage, which I'm guessing we will.
     Want to know what I'm talking about? CLICK HERE.
     Update: He ended up in Baker City, Oregon!

Motorcycle Rally - Day 1 & 2

Sunday the hubs rode from Atlanta to Columbia, Missouri. Monday, from Missouri to Rawlins, Wyoming! Woosie.

Motorcycle Rally - the Departure

Every now and then I mention that my hubbie is a long-distance motorcyclist. Well, he's off on the grandest long distance motorcycle adventure of them all - the Iron Butt Rally.
     I know, I know. But it's a well-earned title. Here's why they call it that... every other year, 100 motorcyclists circle the country - doing 11,000 miles in 11 days (each). Thing is, this year it starts in Seattle, Washington. So the hubs left Sunday morning (from Atlanta, Georgia) to ride to Seattle. Then he'll begin the actual ride - all the way around the USA, ending in Los Angeles, California. Then he'll ride home.
     Needless to say, this is a huge, big honkin' deal and we've been breathing nothing but motorcycles around here since January. He can't post much from the road (rally rules), so I'll be doing my own little update here.
     Day 1: Atlanta to Nashville, to St. Louis, to Kansas City (not sure where he's planning on stopping yet, but he was crossing the Mississippi River when I last spoke to him via blue tooth in his helmet).
     Here's Stan on his monster beast...