April 24, 2006—A New Baby and Unexpected Changes To the Destination

Early on the quiet Sunday morning of March 26^th, we pulled up stakes from Show Low, AZ and saw it in our rear view mirror for the last time. Relief was the order of the day! As Marc drove the rig I followed with the Dodge pulling a flatbed trailer he had built which we had used to tow the work utility vehicle he had used on the job.

We had been talking for some time about adding to our stable of vehicles by buying a street bike. Marc used to be a Honda Goldwing owner and wanted to relive the experience. I mentioned that there was a dealer near Phoenix who seemed to stock a lot of Goldwings that we could take a look at to get an idea of possible colors, etc. We had already been given a good price over the internet from a dealer in Chanute, Kansas and were planning on purchasing the bike once we got set up in Oklahoma on the next job.  

Four hours after leaving Show Low we stepped inside Coyote Honda in Avondale and the way Marc immediately gravitated to the Wings on display gave me the idea that all might be lost! We were greeted by friendly staff and within just minutes Marc was pulling out his written price quote from the dealer in Chanute asking if this store could match that price. Not quite; they needed another $200 but Marc decided $200 difference wasn’t worth waiting another month or two. The man was positively drooling after taking a test drive on the owner’s machine and quickly decided the Titanium bike with the comfort package (heated seats and grips), GPS navigation, premium sound system and ABS brakes was the one for us! After another hour, the bike was checked out and loaded upon our flat bed trailer for the trip to Yuma and our lot. We christened it The Road Gnome.

We got to our lot late in the day, said a warm hello to some of our wonderful neighbors and called it an early night. The next morning dawned warm and sunny, typical Yuma weather, so we decided on our first ride to Algodones, Mexico since we needed some drugs and tequila for my son. Since I had not ever been aboard a big street bike, Marc broke me in by touring the neighbor slowly, where we saw some other old friends and met some Escapees that I had previously corresponded with who were renting a lot. Our friends are Harley riders so we discussed the possibility of a ride once we returned to Yuma from Bend.  

Riding the freeway was scary and exhilarating all at the same time for me. I was uncomfortable that I didn’t have proper attire--only my old ski jacket that had served me when I rode my dirt bike, my goggles were worn out, and I wanted a full face helmet instead of the open face one I sported. Even though we looked around Yuma, I found nothing suitable to purchase so made do with the equipment I had. It was a wonderful ride however and I was hooked!  

After a nostalgic get-together with our neighbors for a reunion potluck, and the purchase of an enclosed cargo trailer to haul the Wing, it was time to leave for our whirlwind trip to Bend. We left the rig on the lot and decided just to travel with the Wing and its trailer pulled by the Freightliner. After two long days of travel we greeted my parents in Bend. It was also a treat to see my kids, who really enjoyed a ride on the new bike. Hillary is our daughter in law and she was dressed in my new armored jacket and full face helmet, which I managed to secure in Bend.

After a too short stay in Bend, it was time to return to Yuma and prepare for our new job in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Changes

Once returned to Yuma, after visiting some old friends near Cool, CA for another wonderful barbecue dinner and overnight stay, we expected to be on the road almost immediately. We waited patiently for Marc’s new project manager to give us the green light that never came. Finally, by mid-week we learned that the Tulsa job wouldn’t have its permits in time and to stand by while the company decided exactly where it would send us. Word came at 8 p.m. on Friday that the company wanted Marc back in Salem, Oregon (its headquarters) for at least a week or two and would then be sending us to another job entirely in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Hallelujah, we dodged the tornado “bullet” (the tornadoes have been horrendous this spring in the Midwest) and ended up with a much more suitable location. We’ve been to Wisconsin before and enjoyed our travels there so now really look forward to exploring that area this summer. Especially now that we have the Road Gnome, which gives us such fun!

We said goodbye to friends and Yuma; loaded the rigs and took off for Salem where we’re currently located in a downtown RV park which is too cramped to hold all our rolling stock. Since we have a good friend with property 30 miles away, the Dodge, cargo trailer and Wing reside there for now. However, we did manage one terrific ride already; check out the new button “Winging It” for all our motorcycle escapades. Oh, we also managed to sell our old dual sport bikes to my son Neil and his wife Hillary and they are enjoying learning to ride in the dirt!

The Duske Rolling Road Show is on the move! Our next update will profile our trip to Wisconsin and what we find there so check back soon.